Wednesday 3 July 2013

Low Tide01:19 (0.80m)
High Tide08:07 (2.20m)
Low Tide13:44 (1.00m)
High Tide20:00 (2.20m)
Sea temperature: 15.7 yesterday
Sea conditions: choppy and murky, a bit like miso soup, with seaweed flouting about
Weather: grey
Joined by: The Usual Suspects
Topics of conversation:
It has been some while since I last blogged, so the following is what I'm able to recall through reviewing in reverse. It's how I was trained to work in Steiner Schools, working backward to strengthen the will (rueckshcau*), much needed.
Flippers - The Poet had resurrected an old pair he had found and not used for some time. He found them hard to use as they are short and stiff, not allowing him to be flexible in the leg. He tried keeping his legs deeper under the water, but this was hard on his front, once he rolled over he suddenly seemed to take off as if jet propelled. There was a good deal of innuendo surrounding the flippers and both The LE and DK were on form, batting the jokes back and forth - it was rather like being in a '70s sitcom. 
Could The Pirate survive on things that had been dropped on the floor or were out of date from his No. 1 Son's deli? I know I could. They are thinking of stocking a new Suffolk cheese, which has recently been developed and has the appearance of Brie, we look forward to tasters.
Much Ado About Nothing - I'd been to see a wonderful performance in the grounds of Norwich Cathedral on Monday night with friends. It had been excellent and the venue couldn't be more perfect, although we wished we'd taken blankets as it is not a short play, we're silly girls who like wearing pretty things when we go out and July is still giving us chilly evenings. After the performance we arrived at the japanese restaurant and rather than our usual sushi, sashimi and white wine we ordered curry and winter warmers (lemon, honey, ginger and pepper with hot water). The waiters were amused by the change in us from shivering to glowing over the course of the night. The play must be in particular favour as The Pirate's No. 2 Son is about to start a run of it locally, as Claudio (we decided that The Swimmers would all go to see him perform) and the Joss Whedon film is on the slate for next week. 
The LE's summer house - yesterday she'd been frazzled by the early arrival of the builders who had been up at 4 am to reach her by 7am and been very disappointed that she'd left them to take to the water. She'd told them to relax and have a cuppa, or even to join us, but they hadn't turned up. They had, however, completely finished in a day. I've seen the result and it's seriously impressive. Not only is it big enough to be an office, but it's beautiful, with a cedar roof and proper flooring, power and insulation. I might just move in when they are not looking....
I'd played my Joker on Sunday - taking the biannual lie in that is generally accepted, but I was informed (when I requested it on the Saturday) that I should have "applied in writing 14 days in advance". Regardless I tried to sleep past 6.30am as I have really been struggling to get out of bed and felt a bit of extra sleep wouldn't go amiss. Of course sod's law dictated that I was awake by 5am on Sunday, but I still made the most of it, dozing till 8am. The weather was glorious for the first time in weeks so there were plenty of requests for me to stay in bed a bit more often. It was a relaxed Sunday morning as Legs and I shared our experience by text as Mertz played golf with her son. We'd also had a wonderful late Midsummer feast at their house on Saturday night, wonderful food as always - even Jansen's Temptation went down well (this was a joke for DK, who claims he hates it, but now realises that it's actually Johansens's Temptation that he hates, the difference is so subtle and I fear I may be succumbing to 'in jokes') . I ate so much herring, mackerel and gravadlax that I think I might have sunk if I had tried to swim on Sunday.
Two swim days - The Pirate and I try to squeeze in a second swim when we can and over the weekend Mertz also swam on his evening walk as it really is warmer in than out. Today I called The Pirate as a friend, who is a champion swimmer, came over and wanted to go in and we all met up at the beach huts. A difficult decision arose for him as he had just poured a cup of tea when I rang and tea is what keeps him going, but he joined us at the beach huts and we languished for some time as the water was totally different - calm and still, just as I would imagine it can be when a boat is suddenly becalmed at sea.

* This exercise is valuable, but time consuming as I recall various conversations and events, time has run out so I will mention them as and when I try to blog more regularly. Here - for The Pirate, following a conversation about my tree hugging tendencies, and his new book/books, more of which at another time: The so-called `review exercises' - to be carried out alongside the `supplementary exercises' and meditation - are integral to the path of personal development and knowledge presented by Rudolf Steiner. Together they form a means of experiencing the spiritual realm in full consciousness. Meditation enlivens thinking, the supplementary exercises educate and balance feeling, whilst the review exercises cultivate the will by penetrating it with powers of consciousness. Conscientiously practised, this path of self-knowledge and development has the effect of opening a source of inner strength and psychological health that soon make themselves felt in daily life.

No comments:

Post a Comment