A choice of one...

I thought that perhaps the camellia might be happier this year, after some consistent feeding last year, and so might produce more flowers. Erm. No. There have been three buds, two of them rather small, and from that so far just the one flower, blipped today.

I’ve had a very pleasant low key Saturday. My weights class was focused on arms and core this morning, which was .... er .... interesting. Well, it confirmed to me that I am a lot stronger in the arms than I was a few months ago. When I got my new dumbbells at the end of October last year, I could barely lift the 18lb green ones. Basically, I could only use them for exercises like deadlifts and snatches, which are leg or glute strength exercises. Doing weights classes quite regularly has transformed that, and now I can lift them relatively easily above my head, as well as using them for bent over rows and, for a few reps, curls. The red ones, which got a lot of use to start with, barely get a look in these days. I quite like doing weights exercises. It reminds me of my youth, and it’s supposed to be very good for middle aged people. Which I guess I am, although I don’t feel very grownup most of the time.

I’ve spent a fair bit of the afternoon and evening reading the first paper edition of the London Review of Books, which was delivered last week. I was gifted a year’s subscription by a regular subscriber. The LRB works like that. I guess they get a lot of new subscribers by offering these gift subscriptions. I read quite a few LRB articles online, and through the university I’m not restricted by their paywall, so can read as much as I like. But I thought it would be interesting to have the ‘paper’ experience. I haven’t had a regular newspaper or magazine arriving at home for years (apart from some alumni magazines that I would happily not receive, but which arrive whether you like it or not). I used to subscribe to the Times Higher, but I never read it. It just piled up in the corner and then got recycled. Anyway, I found reading the LRB a thoroughly satisfying experience, resulting in my learning quite a few things, and titillating my interest in buying more books that I don’t (yet) have time to read.

I also spent a bit of time planning a blog I want to write on some of the citizenship implications of the Windrush scandal. An interesting judgment was issued yesterday, and I read that and checked out a few other bits and pieces. I don’t really have time to write a blog, but it shouldn’t take long provided I can find a reasonably quick answer to something that is puzzling me.

Mid afternoon, I took a walk in the warm sunshine. Victoria Park was full of people basking in the sun, but all in a sensible socially distanced way, with no large groups. I picked up the celery and adzuki beans from the supermarket that I needed for the sausage casserole that I wanted to make. I thought it was very tasty, but Mr A, who doesn’t really like celery, seemed less enthused. Oh well, you cannot win them all. The remains will do as the basis for a pasta bake on Monday.