A Nighttime Stroll

Yesterday turned out to be very busy. I did a lot of stuff in the morning around the house, including some plant care and sponge-mopping the bathroom ceiling. Yes, you read that right! The ceiling above our shower tends to get a bit discolored by damp, so every year or so I sponge-mop it with a mild bleach solution. Difficult to do but good for upper-body strength!

I also vacuumed and did laundry, cleaned our bathrooms and hauled our sheets and towels to the laundromat, where I have them washed in larger machines than our washer at home.

After that busy morning, I read "The Old Curiosity Shop" for a while, had a light lunch and then made my way to the dentist, where I had to have a filling replaced. I told my dentist I'm surprised that some of the fillings I got in the mid- to late '90s seemed to be failing or wearing down, while my oldest filling -- the only metal amalgam filling in my mouth -- is still functioning perfectly well. The dentist said those old amalgam fillings are strong and it may well last me the rest of my life. (Now that I've said it, it probably won't.)

In the evening, I was meeting up with my friend Sally near Sloane Square for drinks and a concert. I decided to walk there, which meant meandering through Marylebone and Marble Arch, across Hyde Park and through Knightsbridge into Chelsea. It was a beautiful evening and perfect for walking. I passed Lee Simmons' sculpture "Circadian" at Marble Arch (above), like a giant calla lily sprouting from the pavement.

In Hyde Park, the Winter Wonderland is about to open. I've never been to the Winter Wonderland. Maybe I can convince Dave to go!

The cafe at the east end of the Serpentine was busy in the twilight...

...and I stopped to watch bats fluttering over the water. (I had my AirPods in my ears at the time so I didn't realize when I made the video that a crying baby was nearby -- hence the added music track!)

In Chelsea, Peter Jones is all lit up for Christmas. I've never been in that store. I've always assumed it's too swank for me, being in the very swank neighborhood of Sloane Square, but it's owned by John Lewis and apparently it has a restaurant on the top floor. I should check it out sometime. So much to do!

Sally, her neighbor Chris and I met at the nearby Antelope pub, where we had a drink before making our way to the show. We saw a music group called Cloudbusting, which specializes in performing the music of Kate Bush -- in this case with the West London Sinfonia, at Cadogan Hall. Bush rarely performs her own music live, so this group has sort of stepped into the breach and they do it justice. We thoroughly enjoyed the show.

Afterwards, Sally and Chris headed for the tube and I decided to keep walking. Why don't I walk more at night? It was really enjoyable. I hope I'm demonstrating to all the MAGA Americans who think London is a giant no-go zone full of dangerous immigrants that it simply isn't true. I was out for hours after dark surrounded by people of every race and many nationalities and never felt any sense of threat or danger.

I put Kate Bush on my iTunes so I could listen to her music as I headed toward the Green Park tube station. I walked past Elizabeth Street in Belgravia (above)...

...and past the softly lit Buckingham Palace. As I crossed in front of the palace, coincidentally, Bush's song "Oh England My Lionheart" began to play from my iTunes:

Oh, England, my lionheart
I don't want to go

And that reminds me to tell you -- remember the Iceberg? That looming life change that looked like it might happen and that was giving me agita? Well, we have safely sailed past it, or so it appears. Basically, Dave was considering pursuing a job opportunity, but he has decided not to apply. It would have meant moving back to the United States, which neither of us are particularly eager to do -- and though there were several reasons he decided against it, we mainly don't want to tear out our life here by the roots. (I'm using a plant metaphor because the prospect of giving up all my plants was a major part of my stress!) I'm happy to report that we are staying put in England, My Lionheart.