A Study in Taupe...

Well - it's been raining most of the day. Great for the garden ( and the rescued olive tree - more of that in a moment) but not for being outside. So I got the paint roller out and finished the other half of the home office. ( I'd put the desk up and set up the technology earlier in the week. ) I think it looks OK - certainly it was easy to work in on Friday.

So - as you can guess, I'm feeling a lot better today - it seems like the sickness gradually turns to tiredness and then goes. But early yesterday afternoon I felt pretty crap - fortunately it had eased by the time J arrived.

We went to St Chad's College in Durham for the launch of a new anthology, called " North by North East" which was the usual pre-event organisational chaos, but it got there in the end . I got some great pictures.

I'll post them when I get the Macbook back from J at the end of the week. She's on a writing retreat ( sorry - can't get the direct link to work ) in Yorkshire from today (A chance to get her next collection sorted.) and has taken it with her to try out.

The event itself was teeming with Great Northern Poets but we both found it a bit worthy and dull. However, the setting was great - a sort of covered quad.

Oh - and the olive tree. During the break I saw a dry dusty, almost dead little olive tree, baked solid into dry soil in a cracked pot in the corner - definitely on its last legs.

Reader, I liberated it. Now repotted and in my back yard. The patient seems to be doing OK, but I'll keep you posted.

That's when I next see it myself that is. Off to Birmingham again in the morning and then London. Back Wednesday night