whew, it's been a long time. being in france for a week and working flat-out on our house for two weeks so it's ready for viewings being the reasons for no bloggings.

now, I have to reccomend to you http://uk.news.yahoo.com/133/ the yahoo oddly enough news pages. (anyone wanting to give me a tutorial on how to use the hyperlink button on blogger please do so, I'm completely flummoxed.) they lighten my heart after reading the regular news. full marks to one mayor in Budepest who wants female employees to only wear short skirts if they're legs are perfect, andgives a sliding scale for tight dernier depending on the season. then there's the guys who calls the cops because some people stole the drugs he was growing. there's always a mix of the wierd and wonderful. the one I love most, and may always love the most, is the couple in cornwall who hired and rowing boat to get a little nookie, only to have people on the beach think their cries of passion were cries of distress and called out the coast guard to recue them. a timeless classic in my opinion.

we've worked so hard on our house, and it looks great and feels great to be in - tidy, clean, clear spaces. but I've not had time to think yet. we did go for a quick walk today. it was the walk of purple. first we came upon masses of bilberries and blackberries, and stained our hands and tongues pinky-blue as we munched. then we came to an area so full of flowering heather that most of my vision was filled with purpley-mauve. a very strange experience when you are walking in the middle of nature, to be surrounded by purpleness. I liked it. I would have liked to dwell there but there were masses of flies with big dangly legs, and whilst I didn't mind them somebody else did. I may return just to take it in.

Zzzzzzzzz...

I'm so tired at the moment. We've been working really hard on the house, and as a result my energy levels have been dropping throughout the week to a totally knackered level today. Body aching just can't will myself to move tiredness. It drives me nuts! Well at least I know how to help it, even if I don't like it - rest...

On a cheerier note, outside the geography department at the university of sheffield an old building has been knocked down which just used to sit in the edge of the park being disused. When I went by there today there was a riot of colour there instead - they've planted wildflowers. Beautiful lilacs, maroons, rubies, pinks, fuschias, oranges, peaches, pinks, lemons making a kaleidescope of colour. It was just wonderful to see. A meditation on beauty all by itself.

dyslexic tatoo

I was reminded of something just recently that tickled me when it happened... I have a tatoo that says 'jesus' on my lower back. I get a fuuny range of reactions from 'you religious then?' to 'do you have a south american football playing husband?', but this one just tops the lot for me. we were at chatsworth house on a very warm day, sunbathing by the river and I was in my bikini. as we went down to the river for a splash and a play we went past a little girl who saw me and said 'daddy, that girl's name is...' - thoughtful pause - 'daddy, does that say jesus or jessica?' priceless!

we've been tidying and working on our house today. last week I painted this gorgeous tealy-turquoise gloss on our doors and window lintels, and today we put new numbers, handle, knocker and letter box on our door. it looks so great, I love it. it's getting to be such a cute house. it just seems wrong that it's in a city and not a twee little village somewhere in the peaks. mind you, if that was the case it would be a lot harder to leave.