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Books and Ballet

I've got two pairs of socks on, and some leg warmers, and my feet are still freezing! It's a hazard of sitting in front of this computer for too long. Anyway, editing work on Tamsin continues, and chapter 12 brings the total word count so far to 33,250.

This afternoon I'll be dodging rain showers to go to the village. We need a few bits for the kitchen, and as I'll be seeing friends tomorrow there's a small present to find. There has been no snow here at all, despite the gloom-laden weather forecasts on TV! Fancy them shutting schools yesterday, just for an inch or so of snow. As a child, my friends and I walked the mile to junior school through knee-deep drifts of snow, and then home again later (at the usual time) - every winter. Softies!

(Am I now turning into Victor Meldrew? Will my next statement be a lament about having coped with twelve hours down the coal pit before walking over the ice-bound hills in bare feet to do another twelve hours in t'owd cotton factory before walking home again to have real bread and butter for tea? Hmmm, I think not.)
 
Richard had one of his many migraines yesterday. He suffers from them a lot. So, he spent most of yesterday morning in bed. Emily kept him company, not being one to willingly forego a warm spot. Later he took the dogs out for a walk, and Emily arrived home with the collar of her woolly coat half hanging off. Truely she hates the thing!

I've been reading a strange little tale by Andrzej Sapkowski called The Last Wish, which draws on popular folk and fairy tales while adding an individualistic slant of the author's own. An unusual novel, certainly.

Richard and I went to a performance of Sleeping Beauty staged by the English National Ballet. I've lost count of how many times I've seen this ballet, but I was able to watch some dancers whose work is new to me--such as Asta Bazevicute as Princess Aurora, and James Forbat who was very good as Prince Desire.

I was sitting next to a lady in her 50's who'd come to the ballet on her own as none of her friends like it. She had wanted to be a ballet dancer as a child but her mother had made her have piano lessons instead. Now she does Arabian dance, purely for fun, which totally scandalises her mother. Good for her!!
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