Good morning.

It is nearly June.

Fuck me, the year is galloping on apace.

I thought I would pop up in a ‘whack a mole’ style way and say hello and give you a heads up about stuff and things.

Here is the news:

After five years of fighting about it, my new sofa/armchair finally arrived yesterday. This is a cause for celebration. We ordered it in January. It was supposed to be delivered in April but even though it was weeks late, at least it came.

We had our old three piece suite delivered the week that Oscar was born, so it had done sterling service. It was filthy, the padding had given up the ghost long ago and unless you wanted to be trapped inside it you had to sit on cushions like the Princess and the Pea. And in certain places, if you sat down violently you could feel the wooden frame underneath. It was time. It was long past time to be honest but everyone (except me) had strong, sentimental attachments to it and shouted me down every time I talked about having a new one.

I am so happy I prevailed. And I chose a dark green velvet, which was my heart’s desire instead of nasty beige corduroy which was what we had before.

My next job is to stalk some more fancy cushions, because I feel the need to accessorise. And a rug to cover up the hideous, faded, urine yellow carpet.

Rock ‘n’ roll.

In less interior design based news:

Tilly is in the last throes of her first year at university and up to her eyes in deadlines. She is loving it and thriving like a thriving thing, which makes me extraordinarily happy. She has also taken up roller derby recently. I try not to think about that too much.

Tallulah and her girlfriend, Dani are off travelling across Europe for a month very shortly. They are making many, many plans and are super excited. Then, when they get back it is full steam ahead to get them both to uni in September. Big, grown up changes are afoot. I am excited for them and I will miss them horribly and am trying not to worry about them, all at the same time.

Oscar is still having ups and downs. Mostly ups, which is good, but there are troughs and we are in one at the moment. There was not a lot of sleep to be had last night. Another reason to be grateful for a newly comfortable sofa, given that I was awake with him until four this morning and a lot of television was watched. Thankfully I have a day off today.

Jason is still empire building. It’s hard work and long, long hours and very often he wanders downstairs looking a bit like a mad scientist where he has run his fingers through his hair so much he has made it all stand on end. Things are generally going in a good direction. We are still keeping lots of things crossed and hanging on in there.

The cats are driving me crazy. Anorak tore half his face up a couple of weeks ago, and then it got infected and he is on massive doses of antibiotics and steroids and has a lump in his throat and we have no idea whether it is a good or bad lump until he has stopped having a messy face and frankly I am worried sick about him. And then Ronnie disappeared for two days last week and all in all, Derek is the only one who remains constant, steadfast and in one piece.

I am gradually getting to grips with some of the stuff we brought from the old house to here and sort of dumped. I have streamlined a lot of my old stock and donated it to charity and am finally, only selling what I actually want to sell, which has freed up a lot of room and taken a lot of pressure off me. We have had blinds fitted in the huge, Victorian, single glazed windows in the kitchen and utility room in preparations for the winter to come and in an attempt to future proof the house slightly given looming bills in a house that leaks heat like it’s trying to win a prize. The house is looking more like a home and less like somewhere we are passing through.

I am still working and juggling, juggling and working. We work in a giant, glass box, so I spend a lot of my days shovelling books and trying not to turn into soup in the process. Work is ok, but as my mum says, work is often very worky and gets in the way of life. As we know, my life is technicolour, sprawling and complicated and there is a fine line between everything going well and everything falling apart at the seams. I am staying on the right side of it. For now.

Books are still being read. Art is still being made. There are days when I sneak away and do marvellous things with my best beloveds. I enjoyed my time away in Aldeburgh with Jason. We spent a lot of time crashing about on windswept beaches and eating pastries, all of which we 100% endorse as a good way to spend your free time.

I went to see the Daniel Lismore exhibition at the Herbert Gallery in Coventry with Tilly recently. I ran away to London and did a tour of Brick Lane and ate Korean fried chicken with Andrea. I took my mum to London for the day and treated her to afternoon tea and a jaunt round Liberty. There is a holiday to the Fife coast looming soon, which cannot come soon enough for me. I am also attempting to go and see the Portrait exhibition at Compton Verney shortly.

It’s not all gloom. Which is good.

My birthday was nice. I was spoiled rotten. Good food was eaten. It was very low key, which is exactly what was needed if I’m honest. I couldn’t be doing with a big brouhaha. My big brouhaha days are over.

For now.