Saturday 4 October 2008

TBTM

Walked from West to East Mersea and back again along the beach for four bracing, blustery hours this morning and early afternoon. Boy and I enjoyed an early sandwich lunch at Fen Farm, from where we took turns watching yachts through a telescope, picked up his mountain bike and set off for the return trek, facing into an ever more biting wind.

The kite-surfers were having the time of their lives and we had a spectacular view of their extraordinary feats from the sea wall. Head bent against the elements, I picked a decent crop of sea glass without really trying.

Boy cycled inland to meet his friends halfway back, so the dog and I ended our little expedition together, sitting on my favourite old jetty with a nice hot cup of takeaway tea.

It's turned very cold indeed now. Windy, damp and grey, and night will fall early. Boy and his dad are off out again for an evening of motor launch driving duties at the Packing Shed, so it falls to me to make a hearty supper to warm everyone up. Shepherd's pie and blackberry crumble should do the trick, I think.


And then I shall be eschewing the family telly viewing and curling up with a book instead. My reading took a real nosedive over the summer. Too many distractions, I suppose. But I've suddenly got going again - am finishing off some part-read novels I abandoned (though no fault of theirs, I hasten to add) back in August, and have eagerly lined up some others from the top of the TBR pile for imminent consumption.

Whether I shall write about them here is something I've yet to decide. I found myself, a few months ago, becoming so terminally bored by the sight of my own inconsequential ramblings about books, and so completely weary of reading other people's book reviews too, that I just gave up on the whole book-blogging world. And, slightly to my surprise, I find I don't really miss it one tiny little bit! I shall probably creep back in by the back door as the days shorten and there are more hours to spend hunched over a laptop, but it will be a very gradual process, I suspect.

8 comments:

monix said...

Super haul of sea glass there, J. I have yet to find a piece on our beaches. Do you think sailors off the east coast are more careless of their glassware than those off the west?

Shepherd's pie and blackberry crumble, yum! Did you make the coconut and lime cake yet?

Juliet said...

I think proximity of Thames and history of dumping London waste at sea may have a lot to do with it, plus currents and tides hereabouts.

Been out all day so no cake baking - planning to tackle that tomorrow while I'm home alone (more opportunity for shameless bowl-licking while no-one's watching!)

Anonymous said...

Sounds like the perfect day. Teresa

Anonymous said...

I find my enthusiasm for blogging, whether writing book reviews or other, waxes and wanes. At the moment I am in a wane. I generally like to review books as it is a creative experience, but sometimes it can seem a bit of a chore.

Fun to read your post after spending a day doing washing, ironing, changing sheets, sweeping yard, taking daughter to ice skating lesson (necessarily by car as nearest rink is 30 miles away), etc. Pretty grim compared with your day and lovely pics.

Martin Edwards said...

All writers feel, from time to time (and sometimes often) that their writing isn't appealing to others. And the same must go for bloggers. But, Juliet, your blog (like Maxine's) is a must-read for me.

Magpie said...

i do so love finding blue sea glass. it almost makes me want to toss blue glass bottles into the river, seeding as it were.

Anonymous said...

I, too, look at your blog daily. I hope to see your thoughts about my book soon.

Susie Vereker said...

Mersea Island was on the TV the other night - something about a tsunami in 1884. But the views they showed on telly weren't as good as yours.
Keep blogging!