annanotbob2's Diaryland Diary
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Beach, yoga, garden and that
In writing group today we did an exercise where first we wrote down as much vocab as we could around a sport or activity we're familiar with. We were then each given an abstract noun to write about using the vocab. This is mine:
"I stretched out towards retirement, holding my breath, unable to wait. I was ready to stand tall, to step out into whatever new positions came my way. I knew I'd finally find some balance, some rest, and also find my inner warrior, well more than one, Warriors One, Two, Three and Four, all ready to ease me into the new twists and turns of a different life, lived at my own pace. No longer a downward facing dog, stuck on the mat, but a tree, a bridge, a mountain, strong and steady, standing tall, stretching up to the sky, stepping into the wholeness of who I am, of who I might be."
We had a gardener come round today and dig up all the ugly roses and hydrangeas from the front garden. I love a lot of roses but these were those gaunt, stiff, upright ones with scentless, tight flowers of an unnatural pink that didn't look good with anything else because they were just shit. And hydrangeas can fuck right off. Some of them are OK but round here, on the chalky South Downs, they're everywhere. We had loads of both of them, left here by the previous owner, well established with strong roots too big for me (feeble) or Bloke (arthritic hands) to deal with. So we got Pete in, friend of M's son, does her garden which is always beautiful. He's a good lad, with a loud, carrying, authoritative voice, that sounds exactly like my pal who runs the kids field at Glasto. Kept making me jump - how many times can a person mistake a voice in one morning? More than you'd think is the answer to that. It's all clear now, out the front, leaving us a bit exposed until we replant. I'm hoping for tall plants round the edges - a mixture of evergreen and deciduous shrubs and trees, making a little enclosed place surrounded with foliage and sweet scents.
This afternoon I also had the best beach walk for a while - full low tide and no wind - first time for ages there's been no wind.
Bloody marvellous it was. Little Shirley loved it, charging about chasing seagulls, dogs, anything that moved. And today I am grateful for finding a massive piece of driftwood on the beach right where I'd parked the car. Even with the dog on a short lead I managed to get it up onto my shoulder and clamber up the shingle bank with it balanced perfectly. And it fitted in the car through the boot, diagonally, over the back seat, balanced on the back of the passenger seat. Just like old times. I used to collect a lot of wood before I had a dodgy leg and a disobedient dog.
11:43 p.m. - 28.02.22
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