It may seem early to start talking about Christmas preparations but, when you've got your parents coming to stay, there's a lot to be got right so you have to begin as soon as you can.
After a very quiet week at work and at home, the weekend has been one of organisation. The Christmas duck and the Christmas cake have both been ordered from local suppliers.
And we've got the front room ready for the decorator.
It looks quite empty with everything taken out.
Meanwhile, we've also been making good progress in the dining room/kitchen area.
The wood stripping and cleaning has finally been completed. Everything has been washed down again because of the dust. And, tan tara, Ross and I have actually bought some paint and started putting it on.
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Amazon have a special offer going at present which offers free delivery within the UK for orders over £39. I have been taking advantage of this. From a number of books ordered and bought probably the most interesting has been The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. Gill put me onto this. Its major premise is that major change can be influenced and effected by very small changes and causes. It's a very hopeful sort of a work.
And, I've used the opportunity to make some CD purchases. Britten's Canticles with Ian Bostridge and David Daniels and Christopher Maltman are outstanding. As is Rostropovich's version of Shostakovich's 11th Symphony on the LSO Live label. I'm much taken with a new Naxos historical recording of Puccini's Turandot with Gina Cigna and Magda Olivero and with Soile Isokoski's version of Strauss's Four Last Songs - she will sing Alice Ford at Covent Garden next year in performances of Falstaff. Ross and I have tickets to see it next February. Pride of place, however, goes to a new release of Donizetti's Lucie de Lammermoor - a complete reworking of his masterpiece for Paris complete with French libretto. Natalie Dessai and Roberto Alagna are both in wonderful voice.
Finally, some television worth staying in for. BBC have launched a version of George Eliott's Daniel Deronda and ITV have launched a version of Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago. Miraculously, they have decided to keep them apart in the schedules so that we can watch both in comfort.
The opera relay on Radio 3 this week was from the Coliseum with ENO offering their new Tosca. Ross and I have tickets to see it next April. Cheryl Barker sounded stupendous in the title rôle. John Hudson was a forthright and stentorian Caravadossi but he tired as the evening progressed and went completely off the line in the final act duet. Peter Coleman-Wright was a more than acceptable Scarpia. Mark Shanahan conducted a performance that only caught fire intermittently. Still, I'm looking forwards to seeing it in the flesh.
Celebrity Big Brother has started up again. The celebrities are not exactly out of the top drawer and are all looking to emulate Claire Sweeney's career re-launch. After last year, I was hoping for some revelations about life as a celebrity. But no, they've all been to well coached by their agents for all that.
Finally, may I interest you all in some vigorous rock outcrops.
Isn't nature wonderful?
