Yesterday I not only shared a recipe for Tarta de Limón, but our plans for today, which were to travel south, down into Devon to visit my dear friend Janet and her delightful husband Ron. I don’t think I mentioned that earlier in the day I had been to the doctor’s to receive two injections, one to protect me from influenza and one to protect me from Covid. I’ve written before about how grateful I am for our National Health Service, and how because we contribute through our taxes much of what we receive is absolutely free. I didn’t think anything of having the two jabs, although one was a bit “ouch”, However, during last night I was woken by feeling distinctly unwell – I won’t share the details, but I’ve spent today not in Devon but in bed. Janet was very sympathetic and we have rearranged our visit. The arm where I had received the jab was very painful, which I could have coped with, but feeling ghastly confined me to bed. Luckily I had someone to bring many cups of tea and sympathy, and now I’m feeling much better.
Being at home, albeit wrapped in a blanket, cup of tea in hand, watching “The Yorkshire Auction House” rather than being in Devon with one of my oldest friends having a wonderful lunch prepared by her and served by her husband was disappointing, However, it did mean I was at home when a delivery arrived. Hurrah, it was the copy of “The Epic of Gilgamesh” – the new version by the Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage, I had ended up ordering it from the well-known on-line retail site. For whatever reason, the local bookshop had muddled up my pre-order (and seemed a bit narky about it,, to be honest) and hasn’t got it. So now I have it, I have the ancient Sumerian poem dating back about four thousand years (yes,, 4,000) which I came across when I was first teaching, and thought the story was exciting enough to share with my young students. Simon Armitage hasn’t translated it, but he has created a new version of it.
I am about to open it now… no doubt I’ll have much to write about it before long.
