Fretful Porpentine

Agatha and I have discovered the joy of flinging a ping pong ball upstairs (me) and flinging yourself after it as it bounces down (her). Timothée could never.

🎶

Dedication at the start of the book reads 'To Mary Shelley. You would have loved gel pens, Ziploc bags and The Cure'. The book is Make Me A Monster by Kalynn Bayron.

First time I've ever borrowed a library book solely because I liked the dedication. Let's see if this strategy pays off.

A correction for the ages (from The Guardian's review of 'Melania'):

CUSTARD Custard is this. It has aches, aches when. Not to be. Not to be narrowly. This makes a whole little hill. It is better than a little thing that has mellow real mellow. It is better than lakes whole lakes, it is better than seeding.

Custard

Gertrude Stein, from ‘Tender Buttons’

Hahaha! Beautiful.

A white and tabby cat on my (middle aged white female) head, which itself is on a pink pillow. Her arm is casually draped over the side of my face.

‘She’s on my head again’ to the tune of Falling in Love Again

fenris is looking out of the window, he’s mostly in shadow. the sleet isn’t very visible in the photo but there is a lot of it

fenris is watching the sleet

Day six of the Valentine’s inspired ‘songs as old romance comics’ series - this time Depeche Mode’s Just Can’t Get Enough.

Thank you to you kind souls who have helped by retweeting my radio/audio story-links this week, much appreciated. The last from the trilogy is tomorrow, Wednesday and it's read by the brilliant Vicki Pepperdine as Chiara, who is talking to herself.. 15:45

Ah, will be thinking of you. Hope all goes well.

I’m planning to make a commemorative cross stitch. It does feel as though there should be *something* to mark the occasion.

A black and white illustration of a smug looking carton puffing swaggering along with a thought bubble which reads “oh joy ineffable! Oh happiness unbounded!” And a speech bubble which reads “I’ve just written a poem”

Jill McDonald in Puffin Post absolutely rinsing the poets & I include myself in those being absolutely beautifully bodied here

I have LOADS of Tales of the Suburbs events coming up! Announced so far: Foyles (with Luke Turner), Bookseller Crow (with Karen McLeod), Curious Minds festival in Bath and The Portobello Bookshop in Edinburgh. Loads more to come! www.johngrindrod.co.uk/events

A jade green round bellied jug with a floral relief design with yellow tulips against a dark teal background, in low light. The Wood ‘Victory’ jug, a distinct 1930s art deco jug featuring a peach or jade coloured, round-bellied design with a floral, spider web pattern. Named After Arthur Wood who was a Staffordshire earthenware manufacturer based in Stoke-on-Trent.

Arthur Wood jug.

#Alphabetchallenge #WeekEForEponymous

Incredible! Pure magic

AND YET! We are still not THAT old. Courage, mon brave!

☹️ I hear you. Turning 50 didn’t half focus the mind on this stuff.

My best friend died 2 months ago aged 30. Yesterday we had his memorial. It was a beautiful day but, because he didn't have a will, his estranged family took his body away from us. His partner of 13 years doesn't know when or where he was buried. Please please make a will x

Ooof that is wretched. Get well soon x

And get Michelle Mone’s peerage gone whilst we’re at it.

It’s more than any right-thinking person could.

Good HEAVENS

YES

😆

A quick internet rummage and the only ones I can find are Longley Farm and Ann Forshaw’s - proud to say Ann Forshaw’s are made JUST DOWN THE ROAD from me and I work with her niece!

This is precisely why I was puzzled!

That is a true treat.