February, one line a day
asemic writing
1 - It’s finally not January. Found a new yoga studio that doesn’t suck.
2 - I tortured myself all day, and then published a substack that maybe 10 people will read. Not enjoying this.
3 - Boring day.
4 - Boring day. approaching sad.
5. Boring day. Sad.
6. Went to The London Library for a literary event celebrating the legacy of Carmen Callil and Rachel Cooke, the author of The Virago Book of Friendship.
7. Went to a workshop called Shadow Work for Creatives in the basement of the Atlantis Bookshop, the oldest occult bookshop in London. My tarot spread was ‘juicy’ but I still haven’t figured out what that means.
8 - Woke up with a terrible headache. Went to yoga because I thought it would help. Instead, I paid £18 to sit in child’s pose for 55 minutes. Slept the rest of the day.
9 - Saw The Brutalist with B. Still no sunshine. And also, it’s still February.
10 - S was home on study leave so took her to Megans for brunch. Spent the rest of the day doing all the things on my list. By 7pm, I had run out of things to do. Very nearly opened a bottle of wine and turned on the TV. Instead, took the dog for a walk in the rain. I walked 17K steps and regretted most of them.
11 - Made good healthy choices all day to no avail. M says everyone is struggling this winter. She said there is heaviness in the air. We haven’t seen more than 5 minutes of sunshine since October. Politics and war and the stress of trying to make meaning out of your life when the world around you is indifferent. It doesn’t matter. What matters? Does anything matter?
12 - Finally a good day. Met a friend for dinner who is a no bullshit kind of friend. Talked real and true.
13 - Went to The London Library for an Emerging Writers Event. Wasn’t in the mood to go, but glad I did! Heard some fantastic readings and got inspired to maybe someday write again. Maybe.
14 - Valentines Day. I did yoga and ate a protein bar and drank a glass of wine while watching the worst romcom ever produced for television. Later, I walked to Bailey and Sage to get some things for dinner: fresh pasta and sauce, some risotto, a baguette, a few cheeses, and a bottle of merlot. We ate around the kitchen counter because the kids were working on a puzzle in the dining room. Later the foxes were screeching for each other and Míša was distressed.
15 - What is happening when you are bored: Your family is safe and healthy. You are not in financial crisis or in a mental health crisis. You are just bored.
16 - Started planning our trip to India! I think we’ll do 4-5 days in Karala (wedding) before heading north to Dehli, Agra and Jaipur. I have to go shopping for Indian wedding clothes!
17 - Travelling tomorrow, so today was errands, etc. Went to The London Library but found it impossible to be productive, so browsed the back stacks instead.
18 - Flight from Heathrow to Marrakech, Morocco. We got lucky with passport control and were in a taxi within 90 minutes of landing. The hotel is nice - a few heated pools, several restaurants, a nice spa, etc. When we arrived they served us Sweet Mint Tea and I forgot how delicious and refreshing it was! Ate a late dinner at the French restaurant on site and went straight to bed.
19 - Took a long walk through the medina and markets. What a chaotic jumble of streets, each stall overflowing with goods for sale. Sensory overload! Later, B and I got a hammam scrub at the spa which B thought was a bit too harsh and I though was way to soft. Breakfast and Lunch at the hotel. Dinner - we walked to a place called La Maison de Arab which was just okay, but a nice atmosphere and live music.
20 - Proper vacation day. Spent the whole day reading and napping beside the pool. The most exciting part of the day was the death-defying tuktuk ride to/from the evening restaurant.
21 - Another long day at the pool. B and I did a little sight-seeing and shopping. After dinner (Indian, at the hotel), we all three went to the night market at Jemaa el-Finaa - music, dancing and drumming, plus vendors selling everything you could possibly imagine and then some. Snake charmers and monkey trainers too.
22 - Travel day back to London. Left the sunshine for grey skies and drizzle. Our bags did not make it and we must return to the airport tomorrow to collect them.
23 - Got bags. Did laundry.
24 - Back to rainy, grey life in London. Cheered myself up with a little retail therapy: got some leggings, 2 new sports bras and 2 new tank tops. I’ve been training 2 times per week for several months now and this is my reward!
25 - I think I’ll curate a recipe collection and have it printed. Should be a quick and easy project.
26 - Took a free one-hour class online about cookbook publishing. It was worth every penny. Why do I look elsewhere for what I already know?
27 - Went to a literary event at The London Library called Murder in the Library: The Golden Age of Crime Fiction. Super fun! Think: readers who love Murder She Wrote.
28 - Surprise visit from BL - we had drinks at home and then went out to dinner at the Chiswick Fire Station. Even S came! Lots of laughs and a few too many cocktails.
