To Victoria & the Festival

Wednesday was as dull a day as the earlier days of this week. Being indoors has me unable to report on anything at all interesting. 

Yesterday was brighter in the afternoon, so I was thrilled to get outdoors and to work on the gardens. I really enjoyed being back outdoors and futzing in the garden. Bronwyn’s coming for her third visit next week and so Pinecone Park is positively gleaming.

I actually enjoyed watering, in fact soaking, everything. When I do my watering now, I still seed things that I want to do, but it’s mostly wanting to do more planting to fill holes. Watering is not at all like it used to be, when I’d despair over all the things I needed to do. They are nearly all done now, so watering is much more pleasant.

It became really warm in the afternoon, so after all my garden chores were finished, I thoroughly enjoyed a lovely soak in the spa. How I’ve come to love the spa. I use it every day and it is something I would never every have purchased or even thought about. It’s just a heavenly way to end my working days. 

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I watched Another Year on Kanopy. How could I not? Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville, and Ruth Sheen, but especially Lesley Manville. I’ve seen her be posh many times, I’ve seen her be wound up tight, and I’ve seen her be delightful (as in Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris). But in Another Year, she plays a lonely, depressed, out of control alcoholic, and she plays it brilliantly.

She delivers us a magnificent tour-de-force performance in this film. She is so good, there were times I could not watch the screen. It was too painful to see her character. I loved the film. It’s by Mike Leigh. But it was Lesley Manville who made me love it. Her performance is one of the finest I have seen. What astounded me were her movements. Yes, her delivery in every way is perfect, but what stunned me was her use of her body. The woman is a genius. 

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It's dawned as I’d hoped today. It’s bright and sunny, so my drive to Victoria will be a very pleasant one. I’ll be back late on Saturday, so I’ll be back here sometime on Sunday, telling you all about the festival experience. Ciao!