Monday, 25 November 2024

Metaphoric Gymnastics...

Ready for an opinion that'll split readers down the middle? Snow is brilliant! Yeah, I said it! There's nothing better than going for a walk when the air's biting cold, you're bundled up in layers, and there's a crisp white layer on the ground. Amiright? OK, OK, let's two-side this thing. I can also see that there's nothing worse than going for a walk when underfoot is sludgy, slippery, and treacherous. It's a fine line to balance.
 
The view from my front door when the snow started. It's constant, and coming down regularly, and illuminated in the light outside my front door. In the background, there's another house, and the side of a car on the driveway is visible.
The first flakes 
of the season.
Round my way
anyway.
Happily, last week, the first set of circs came about. I had two days of the loveliest winter walks. There's something inherently marvellous about returning, rosy cheeked and breathy, ready for my first cup of tea of the day, and warming up in a hot shower. Yeah, yeah, privilege much? I know. I do honestly know that. To keep me in check, there were more days last week where my second wintery weather description led the way. Slippy, sludgy, icy ground seemed the norm. It wasn't much fun and I ended up ditching a couple of my scheduled walks for safety. There's no real problem with that - I can do what I want, right! Except it meant there were instances last week where I was pacing the kitchen come evening in order to get my steps in. (Or, lets be honest, shaking my phone vigorously in front of the telly, trying to mimic an energetic stroll.) Skipping walks has consequences, kids. Regardless of my own personal issues, if you had snow last week, I hope it was top safe fun and you had somewhere to warm up. 

My messy desk is in the background, with a large notebook sitting on it. The book is open, and a long pullout piece of paper (several A4 pieces stuck together end to end) is being held out by my hand in the foreground. It's full of typing - black ink on the white paper, but the words have been obscured by a white scribble that's been digitally added. You can only see the edges of the paper and the black type on them. It would be impossible to read, even if someone zoomed in.
Chapter 7's plan
redacted for 
national security.
(Lolz)
Writing News
Do you remember my problem? I'd got sidetracked by a cold and felt generally rubbish, so had avoided starting my next chapter. And then there was the fact it was the biggest chapter in my planning file. A massive concertinaed piece of paper, making me feel overwhelmed and inferior before I even began. But like all scary, overwhelming things, I looked it in the eye and said NO. I RESFUSE TO BE COWED. (I didn't actually say that. But I defo thought it.) 

I forced myself to sit down and start at the beginning. And you know what? I was pleasantly surprised. Turns out, the reason the plan was so long was because after the first few bullet points, I'd pretty much typed up the chapter in full. Honest to God! Much of it could be copied and pasted straight into the manuscript. It seems Past Nicky had done Present Nicky an absolute solid.

A scene from the court when Anne Boleyn is being presented to Henry. She is kneeling, with her arms outstretched to the side. She's wearing a white and silver jewelled dress. Behind her are courtiers in red outfits, attending .
Wolf Hall. Every scene
is like a painting. As is every
paragraph in the book.
Culture
Isn't Wolf Hall brilliant? Yep, I'm up to date and on the ball. I've finally caught up with the 2015 BBC series about Thomas Cromwell and his shenanigans in Henry VIII's court. Just the nine years late. No biggie. The thing is, I'd read the first of Hilary Mantel's books but forgotten everything, so the TV series has been a reminder of the intricate beauty of her writing. The new series that's just out, is dropping each week. I'll be diving in asap. 

Andie McDowell and Hugh Grant are in black tie gear presenting an award. It is recent times, they both have grey hair - Andie is wearing a black evening dress and Hugh is in a tux. He gestures towards her and says, 'Still stunning,' then gestures towards himself and says, 'Basically a scrotum.'
Love me some self-deprecation.
In very different Culture News, I fell down a Hugh Grant rabbit hole last week. Fun! I was bored on YouTube and found loads of vids - and trust me, I watched them all - where he talks through his previous roles. He's reassuringly awkward and self-deprecating about lots of them and I had fun remembering his films. But better still, when I left YouTube and looked at the TV listings, Four Weddings and a Funeral was on BBC1. Spooky! Despite it being ostensibly about posh white people being posh and white, it holds up fairly well.

A wooden tray with two plates. One plate - a large blue one - has mini spring rolls, little beige fritters, mini quiches, and two dips. An orange one and a brown one. The other plate is long and thin. Like a serving dish for garlic bread. There is no garlic bread, but instead little potato roosts stacked with chorizo and a white sauce.
About 25% of my
picky tea. Reader, there
were leftovers.
Food and Drink
It's another fine line to balance. Is the last week of November, too soon for Christmas party food? I've decided, no. As I *may* have mentioned in previous years, my Christmas gets crazy stressy and busy from the middle of December. November is my chance to feel the full glow of the festive season without the headaches. On Saturday I had a festive picky tea after putting up my tree and I loved it. I was soundtracked by Christmas songs, jollied along with fizzy wine, and entertained by the next Christmas film on my list. (Netflix's Single All the Way. It was the best.

Out and About
Apart from the snow, I've been dodging rain showers, and Storm Bert all week. Regardless, I made it to Wednesday brunch, and Thursday Costa so not all bad. I'm also at the stage of Christmas shopping where most days see me having to retrieve parcels from a local lockbox. Is that a social life? Hmmm. It's another fine line isn't it.

Simone Biles, the US gymnast, is standing on a beam, she does a handsfree cartwheel and lands perfectly on the beam behind her. She stretches up and presents her arms to show she's finished the move. There's a US flag in the background.
Simone Biles with her 
excellently balanced,
dramatic interpretation
of my week. 
Lots of balancing this week - gloomy expectations prior to writing and then happy surprises after; the beauty of new snow versus the dreary grey of old; and when is the correct time to start Christmas festivities? Like the most agile of gymnasts, we have to walk a fine line through every decision. I hope your own balancing acts are going as well as can be expected. Heads up, don't look down, and confidently arm stretch at the end. Sorted.

Have a lovely week, folks.
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