2024 Update to 11 February

2024 Update to 11 February

We had a lovely time being with Liz Green in Cornwall from the 2nd to the 6th of January. She is always interesting to converse with despite our politically divergent positions, and the countryside is magnificently breath-taking. Back in London, we had a pleasant lunch with Chloë shortly before she suddenly decided to return to Mexico. I have not heard anything from her since. Sylvester came by mercifully and repaired a few things for us and took photos of the water damage. But the overall repair process is still ongoing and far from even

commencing. We attended our apartment building’s General Meeting, have been to the Menier Chocolate Factory’s performance of Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures, the Victoria Palace for Hamilton, the Noel Coward Theatre for The Motive and the Cue, and the Trafalgar Theatre for A Mirror. This last was strangely different, but we enjoyed all the dramas/musicals we have been to immensely – with my only criticism was the frequent inability to hear Mark Gatiss’ performance of John Gielgud.

There has been the celebration of Eileen Barker and the 35th anniversary of INFORM at the Bush House. It was work but also fascinating to see so many people I have known in the past. We went to the dinner at a Turkish restaurant after, and this was also fun and exhausting. This month’s Soteria was my presentation of Ginsberg’s Howl, after which we Ubered to Hilary and Stephen to wish her briefly a happy 89th birthday. At the Business Design Centre, we enjoyed the London Art Fair. We also had a pleasant luncheon with Marion & Leslie at ROSL, a 5:2 meal at home with Gin, and an intriguing Nova Stella Meetup with Dave Lee’s talk on ‘Egregores and Mimetics: Magic for the Online Era’. The rest of the London time comprised dental and medical appointments: the hygienist, Richard’s surgery for gum-bone replacement and my dermatological surgery for a squamous-cell-carcinoma on my right shin. It proved to be cancerous, but Dr. Sheth said that he had removed it all.

We reached Amsterdam relatively painlessly on the 25th of January – although my luggage is enormous and heavy with the medications and vitamins I will be taking later to the farm at the end of March. There were some sunny and very cold days in Amsterdam, but mostly it has been depressingly dark and wet. We had dinner with Santima at La Caramba, dinner with Erdem at Tomo Sushi, dinner at De Kas with Penny, a dinner in the Amstel Kerk as part of Margit’s 80th birthday celebration, and dinner not at the WG Café which proved to be too crowded and extremely noisy but in a nearby Indian restaurant with Vicky, Santima and Jimmy. I saw Hans, my physiotherapist, three times and also had the stitches removed from my shin. I finished reading Janet Baker’s Full Circle which Paula had sent me, and I thoroughly enjoyed. Marion sent me Gabriel Chevallier’s Clochemerle which has been fascinating, sad in ways and most humorous in others. We have been to the Van Gogh Museum and after that spontaneously went with Stephan & Koen to see All Of Us Strangers. The film was powerful, but the handheld camera moments got me ill. I had to run out to

vomit and then again back in the theatre into a plastic bag that Richard supplied. Came right home after and slept for an hour. The other, rather inconsequential but enjoyable escapade to Oz, film we have seen is Anyone But You.

The fragility ephemerality and health issues along with the continuing and mounting Gaza and Ukraine catastrophes have been making each day a treasure as if each could be the last. We reached Paris two days ago and are staying with Marie-Laure. Our dies nefasti last for another week. Richard continues with his art work though here is mostly going through Marie-Laure’s art books. I am continuing with my Theologies and the Gods having just finished the Sun chapter and beginning now the Moon. After Paris we return briefly to London for medical things, to have lunch with Gillie and to see Cabaret. It’s still just one foot before (or after?) the next and presumably will always be so.