(no subject)

[pensnest]

I really must get out of the habit of posting things in my head rather than with my actual keyboard.

It has been a busy while since my last post. I went to the Norfolk Garden Show with my Bun and her chap. Alas, there were no dragons on sale, I had wanted to augment my collection, but I did buy three respectably-sized acers and a pair of earrings with buttercups on them.

I also bought a couple—no, three plants at a Garden Party for chorus on that same weekend. It rained all the time, but the garden in question was very well provided with shelters, and was also very beautiful. I have acquired an aubergine plant, which may have been a mistake as I have no idea what to do with one, an aquilegia and a... something else.

*

Speaking of plants, I meant to do the Sunshine Challenge, but having been away early in the month, missed the start and somehow never worked up the enthusiasm. I did find within me a reaction to most of the flowers, but didn't manage to take those thoughts onwards in any kind of interesting direction. Ah well. I'm glad the challenge exists, and I do hope that next year I'll be in a more creative frame of mind for it.

*

My mixed chorus had a singout last Friday—we were invited by a local amdram group to join their Music from the Movies show, so we prodded at five of our limited repertoire and found movies to justify all of them! We warmed up at the house of the person who had liaised the whole deal, and trotted down the road at what we hoped was interval time, but what in fact turned out to be three quarters of an hour early. Still, we went on, did our bit, and were well received. Some of us stayed for the remainder of the second half, which included a singalonga-SoundofMusic, which was quite fun. Though I could have done without The Lonely Goatherd.

It was Norwich Pride on Saturday. Dunno why Norwich does Pride so late, but it is a fun affair. One of the members of my chorus was doing a Q&A session in the morning, so Beast and I went into town to listen. Then inspected the Makers Market, which was the most colourful and cheerful thing I have seen in ages! It made me smile just being out and about in it all. I bought a serious pair of earrings (red flowerets on a black background) and an adorably ridiculous pair which are macramé plant pots containing little plastic spider plants. OMG.

In an aside that is less random than you might think, if you are in the UK I must recommend to you a play that was on BBC Radio 4 yesterday afternoon: The Venice Conundrum. It's about Jan Morris, and really interesting. You can get it on BBC Sounds for the next four weeks.

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Today, I have been going through my Zoe tests. Vanilla-flavoured cardboard muffins to eat, a poo sample, and a blood test. And lots of water to drink. However, I shall be able to have a normal meal this evening, \o/

Comments

[turps]

All your new earrings sound great, especially the ones containing the spider plants.

It's a shame you couldn't add to your dragon collection though. I always enjoy seeing what you buy.

[pensnest]

My garden looks pretty good today, because Beast mowed the (very long) lawn yesterday, and it makes a huge difference. But more dragons would have been good. I feel one cannot have too many dragons.

[minoanmiss]

Zoe tests?

[pensnest]

It's a health study thing. We started interacting with Zoe during Covid, when Beast and I both used to fill in our state of health and anything unusual, and also any Covid test results; the app was used by more than 4 million people and discovered several Covid symptoms as a result of this tracking.

They're involved in gut bacteria studies, and the tests I'm referring to are a kit put together to help individuals discover our own responses to food, and get advice on how best to eat for things like good blood sugar control. Unfortunately because I have Type 2 diabetes, I can't do the blood sugar monitoring thing, but I thought the basic test would be useful.

I had to drink a lot overnight on Sunday-Monday, then had three special muffins for breakfast, nothing but water/black coffee until two more special muffins for lunch. Two hours later, finger-prick blood test. Also, poo sample as available. Lots of predetermined timings! Anyway, I did it all and sent off my samples, so I was able to eat decent food for supper. It'll be interesting to see what happens. I do know someone else who has done this, and he's actually able to do the ongoing blood sugar assessment, so he has (I guess) learned to adjust his intake to avoid spikes. I'm sorry not to be allowed in on that one!

Anyway. Zoe.

[minoanmiss]

Yay science! This is impressive of you to participate. (Not least the poo sample. I think of myself as not squeamish but doing a poo sample freaked me out.)

[pensnest]

Easiest one I've done yet, as they supplied a paper hammock to hang in the toilet and catch everything.... (Hope you're not having your breakfast.) Whole lot flushed away quite easily.

[yarnofariadne]

I'm quite sad Sunshine Challenge didn't hit me in a creative spot this year - I may do it 'late' (I know there's no deadline) if something strikes me but it was just a weird time this year. I did love the prompts, though!

Oh I love The Sound of Music but if I never heard "The Lonely Goatherd" again it would be too soon. I was stuck in my grandmother's house while my cousin was practising it for a beauty pageant for hours every day for a month and I think I lost bits of my mind I never recovered.

[pensnest]

Yes, I feel you on the Sunshine Challenge. It's a thing I'm glad exists, and the prompts are interesting and different, but somehow this year, nothing.

That kind of repetition of The Lonely Goatherd is probably against the Geneva Convention. Or it should be.

[turlough]

Very sad to hear there were no dragons to be had at the garden show. The earrings sound very cute though - and so do the ones you got at the Makers Market!

You've made me curious about what the "something else" plant is. (I always want to know about plants! Speaking of which, do you remember the tree at Sizergh with the upturned silvery leaves? It's a Silver Lime! It was mentioned by name in the Swedish garden magazine I subscribe to so I went hunting online for more info.)

Pride is usually celebrated in August-September here in Sweden.

I hope you enjoyed your dinner!

[pensnest]

The 'something else' looks like grass at the moment. The garden owner did tell me what it was, but I have quite forgotten. Never mind, there are several surprised in the flower beds already (some of them pretty weeds) so we shall see.

Well done on identifying the Silver Lime!

[author_by_night]

I was going to do something fannish with sunshine, and just... didn't. Which is too bad because the prompts were actually *perfect* for my fandom.

Glad that Norwich Pride went well! There is a Pride event near me that's held in October, so late events do happen.

[pensnest]

There's a sort of malaise that seems to have struck me about the Sunshine Challenge. A pity.

Pride was lovely, though I was sorry we couldn't actually stay for the Parade. There was a very joyful atmosphere in the centre of the city. And so much colour!

[frausorge]

Congrats on the performance, and hurray for hanging plant earrings! I hope your new plants flourish.

[pensnest]

It was nice to do a performance that wasn't part of a barbershop concert. We'd participated in a charity concert a couple of weeks earlier, which was all-women chorus, mixed chorus, all-men chorus, and culminated in everyone singing together for a couple of songs (which was fun, and went very well), but this time, we were something *different* amidst a sea of solo acts. Must have made a pleasant change for the audience.

I had seen some of the solo acts the previous week, when four of us went along to get the lie of the land, suss out entrances and exits, that kind of thing. Was not impressed with quite a few of them—the first half seemed to be literally a string of individuals coming on stage to perform anything from one to six numbers (!!!). And some of them were still using their words/sheet music. With a week to go, and a solo to perform! Having produced a fair few variety shows myself, I thought it lacked quite a bit of polish and several of the 'acts' needed more production. However, the audience was very enthusiastic, and I think the acts must have improved!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

I listened to The Venetian Conundrum online and liked it. Thank you for recommending it. I also discovered my library has an abridged version of Venice in audiobook so I put that on reserve, too. I hadn't ever heard of Jan Morris, but I am looking forward to the Venice book. I have been to Venice once and found it a fascinating place.

Good luck with your new plant acquisitions!

[pensnest]

Oddly, I was given a book by James Morris/Jan Morris (I seem to remember both names were on the cover) many years ago, but I don't remember what happened to it.

The person who played Jan Morris in the play is in my chorus now! I'm so impressed with her.