'Ordeal by Innocence': sciatica and other effects of stenosis and scoliosis are so severe now that I am not functional physically, and will not even attempt to sleep in a bad tonight. Last night was like being tortured on the rack. I cannot recline in the recliner but the pain is least severe when I sit. So back to nights in a chair. My poor cats will be very upset, but hope this horrible regression will be brief.
(Caveat: these posts really are notes to myself, which is how my novels always were formed, and how my paintings come into being as well. I do not wait to publish. Everything is a work in progress. I give social media a little window into my thoughts and ideas, and if this provokes any interest or dialogue, that is fantastic. For me, these posts are part of an ongoing conversation with Life, with memories, and opinions of art, music, books, film and television... and of course, people whether they shine brightly only in memory now, having died, or whether they still are here to engage with me on some level. I do not require agreement with my views. I welcome any dialogue, and any opinion of my work. It is a constant struggle now, mainly because of the exhausting influence of pain, but I will not allow myself to put off my ambitions again. Too much time has been stolen by recovery from surgical procedures, cancer and all those treatments and effects. People may think that being confined to a chair would represent the best opportunity to write or paint, but levels of pain do dominate choices. For the month of November, however, I signed up for a project that simply counts words. They may be 90% rubbish and 10% usable. The percentages may be even less in my favour, but what I promised to myself was production daily of 500 words, and so far, even though I think I may not ht ave logged on the site, I have exceeded the 'bare bones' skeletal requirement.
I read all of Agatha Christie's books when I was possibly 8 or 9, at the same time I first read Thackeray and Mary Renault, and every classic I could find. My parents did not consider Agatha Christie as deserving, but I thought she was brilliant. At that age, I missed some of the sexual and social elements in all the 'adult' books I read, but still engaged thoroughly. I read 'Ordeal by Innocence' on a visit to Berkeley to see Cicely Edmunds, who played in the San Francisco Symphony and had a gorgeous little house that bordered the Rose Garden. A good read sitting outside at a perfectly magical venue. Is it any wonder this is fixed in my memory? I recall the warm breeze, the scent of hundreds of roses, the gentle buzz of bees as they made their journey from flower to flower, and being completely enthralled by the book I was reading. I did not want to put it down, even for a good lunch. En passant, I realise now that Cicely Edmunds was one of many amazing role models from my childhood. She had shaped her own career and life perfectly. The location on a hill next to the Rose Garden, as well as the little house filled with carefully chosen collections of art works, exquisite furniture, rugs, and little unique items were conducive to every positive current in the river of life. She had earned the lifelong respect of other musicians, and although the job was demanding and even exacting, she enjoyed it and embraced every musical challenge with zest. She was a member of the Symphony when Seiji Ozawa became its conductor. The appearance of that handsome innovative Japanese star in the world of classical music was very exciting for her. She shared that sense of excitement with us. He was charismatic and unique, and although I would have been aware of him as a listener of classical music, a more profound sense of him and his influence was provided by Cicely.
Back to Agatha Christie:
In recent years, I have become a little jaundiced about Agatha Christie simply because her work has been done to death in film and television, and when a new production is released, my immediate response is a sigh of almost annoyance. Yet here I am, watching the ever-wonderful Bill Nighy in this 2018 mini-series, acknowledging that there is a valid reason why people continue to engage with the work of Agatha Christie. They are not simply puzzler 'who-done-its'. This version certainly is worth watching.
Postscript: Bill Nighy of course has given us many stellar performances, but one of my personal favourites is his role in 'Love Actually', a film that is on my annual Christmas Cinema de Condé programme, along with the Christmas episode of the fantastic Australian series, 'Mother and Son'.
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