Col has met him in the Butterfly world and he remembered Col and remembered his name... left me awe-struck as it keeps my two remaining brain cells at full stretch remembering my own name these days. We have heard Patrick speak before in the year of his launch of The Butterfly Isles. He is s very good speaker. We now have a signed copy of Islander - and a rare edition at that, as the first run was printed with The Isle of Man upside down on the cover.
It was a very well organised AGM. The boring business bit went like clockwork, the Chairperson's speech about the year's achievements was impressive and interesting. Patrick's talk was excellent, funny and informative. And it included islands I have never even heard of, for all that the UK is so small. I am looking forward to reading the book now.
Then we had an excellent buffet lunch, and a drive home through the loveliness of Autumn Sussex.
Jacks came for supper - I did cook, rather than Cooks, this time. A beef curry a la Delia (Captain B just found me a new Delia at a Charity bookshop), a trusty old Madhur Jaffrey carrot and cabbage stir fry I used to make a lot on Planet Expat, And a dahl courtesy of the Waitrose chill cabinet. There was at time when I would have made it all and more. The usual ice-creams to follow.
Yesterday was the meeting at the Hall, The teaching seems to get better and better all the time. What will it be like a thousand years from now? What wonderful things will we be learning then?
I hope we will all be there to find out.
I did three calls in the afternoon - one to a young girl I called on weeks ago, but have never found home again. I think I will have to leave it now as that map will be being worked again soon. But I also called on two elderly ladies, leaving both a little card asking if all is well with them. I have been faithfully delivering the magazines every month but have not seen them for ages. And one of my sisters at the Hall usually sees one of these ladies on the bus. But she hasn't seen her either. So we were a bit worried.
At one door, I found that the bells had been dismantled and there is one of those keyholder boxes outside. So I did not knock, just left card and magazine, and hope that someone will contact me.
But my other lady - the lady of the bus - rang me in the evening to assure me she was fine. Apparently her door bell is not working! It lights up as it if is, but it isn't. She seemed touched we were worried about her.
I was trying to think what on earth I did on Friday, but realised it was a shopping and cooking day. We shopped and I made the spicy beef casserole in the morning, and a big carrot cake in the afternoon. Captain B and Butterfly Mark are now going out into the field again - mushroom season - and I need a freezer full of cake for the packed lunches.
Talked to Bea of the North yesterday. Apparently I either haven't sent her a copy of my book - or it never arrived... and she wants to read it. I was sure I had sent to both aunts, but maybe I didn't. Anyway, as soon as the next batch arrive from the US of A, I will send. Jean wants me to send one to her daughter in Oz - she insists on paying for both book and postage. So that hopefully will be 2 I have sold! The dizzy heights of bestsellerdom beckon. But not in my direction.
Still, I just want people to enjoy reading it. Hopefully it might make them think a bit. And I would love to make a bit of money for my young publisher...
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