Two quick visits

Made two flying visits to my girls in hospital. Dropped Otto off at school and took my mother’s top sneaky scenic route to Oxford, which brought me out just by the hospital. As I had made such good time taking Mum’s said route, I decided to pop by to see Fo and AJ.
What a way to start the day! The sick little girl who I had left three days earlier was back to the small maniac who I know and love. I had a very stressful work day ahead but a cuddle from AJ back on form meant that I could float to work and talk my talk in my digi presentation. I even managed to make the technology work, hooray!
Then went back home via the hospital. Mum had driven back from Norfolk, picked Otto up from school, entertained him and put him to bed, (she’s 80!) so I was in no great hurry. AJ fully twiglet-fingered, leapt into my arms smothering my brand new (oxfam) jacket in Marmite. Fo has now got her standing. No let up for AJ, her training must continue. It is a wish of mine that she can walk out of hospital, though this could just mean that she is in hospital a long time rather than she learns to walk any time soon.
Listening to the new Laura Marling album, outside, in the moonlight, things certainly look a bit better than they did a few days ago.
Laura Marling is excellent, definitely one to add to a fine list of female singer/songwriters. I had a radio show at on our university radio station (1 listener) and did a show on the female singer/songwriters of the late 80’s, early 90’s who were writing the best songs around at the time, Kirsty MacColl, Tanita Tikaram, Tracey Chapman, Edie Brickell (actually saw her as Bob Dylan’s backing band, Edie Brickell and the ????, just checked my records, New Bohemians), Michelle Shocked, Suzanne Vega, (bit dour, saw her at Glastonbury) Sinead O’Conner. So would add Laura Marling to that list, better than her two ex-boyfrineds, Mumford and the bloke from Noah and the Whale. People are always looking for the new Bob Dylan, a bit like they hail the new Diego Maradona. It is relatively easy to qualify for either of these categories, any bloke with a guitar, probably even the guy off X-Factor = Bob Dylan, any short Argentinian who can kick a ball = Maradona, currently his own son-in-law. But maybe he is a she. Though Laura Marking does actually sound more like Leonard Cohen than Bob Dylan.
Slightly irrelevant musical aside, have enjoyed a Ribera del Duero with Mum after our “hard days”.

I don’t think I have posted this photo of AJ, taken by my Aunt Paula, it was a little while ago, so she doesn’t really look much like this at the moment, it’s a hair thing, but it’s a great picture.