Jeni Barnett

Difficult Viewing.

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Been watching old VHS’s from 1982 to now….. My image changes. Happy, sad, fat, thin, pregnant, ageing. Watching my life flash past on the screen was a painful experience. TVam LWT BBC Thames Independent. All that for what? All that and why? All that and who’d have thought it. Never realising that time passes. When … Read more

2015

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alarm – buzzy noise, forgot to tune it to the radio Yoga. Gawd blimey two days off and I’m like the Tin Man – where’s the oil? Veg soup – homemade. Big chunks of this and that. Chilies, ginger , garlic and many good thoughts Shower. Couldn’t let the water on my back I was … Read more

Year of the Goat

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The fire is blazing, the telly silent till ‘Mapp and Lucia’, one cat asleep in the red bean bag, the other perched on top of the sofa. Emmy growls. Solly stares at her and she moans like an old wart hog. There was the possibility of going out BUT, well there’s always a but; we’ve … Read more

Christmas Cheer

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Penultimate yoga class this morning.
I’ve just read that Yoga does nothing for aging. Interesting if you put ‘for’ and ‘aging’ together you get FORAGING aint that what you do when you get older. A bit of a forage here a bit of a mooch there?
Anyway whoever wrote that Yoga does nothing for aging is not a sprightly 65-year-old with a spring in her step.
This morning, despite Solly eating into one of the presents under the Christmas Tree, I ventured out into the damp, grey morning to sweat my way through an hour’s hot yoga.
Then to the post office to send off 40 odd cards – yes I know I’m late, but I haven’t sent cards for years. Now that everybody is dying I thought I would reconnect with the living.

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Pj Sunday

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November came and went. Parties, voice overs, writing and cooking. Not a lot of walking – I’m sooooo lazy at the moment. Meditating, yoga and film watching. Went to see PADDINGTON in Brighton. We all cried. The dawters gigs. Squash soup on the stove. Red cabbage bubbling away in fancy red wine. Belly of pork … Read more

O A PLEASE.

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And now I have finally re-entered the world. Been strange, tricky, but with the help of homeopaths, witchy healers, friends and the old man I’m feeling more grounded. There’s something about this ageing stuff that makes me panic. The light at the end of tunnel is almost visible. The reality that what ‘was’ is greater … Read more

Potatis Bravas

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5.30 and its dark outside. The moon is half hanging in a big sky. The telly is burbling on in the background, whilst the old man is mending a pair of my favourite trousers. I collected my little red car today. She is all brand spanking new, shiny and bump free thanks to a Mr. … Read more

Homely sweet homely

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There is an air of suspended animation. Leaves clogging up the path. Apples dropping off the trees. Overgrown Basil and green tomatoes. This mornings breakfast Brussel Sprouts, the last tiny courgette, all the overgrown Basil the last few kale leaves and those green tomatoes sliced thinly. Cooke in olive oil and black pepper. Followed by … Read more

Coccyx Capers

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The fight with the bathroom floor started to take its toll.
The pain in my right thigh was so persistant I had to take painkillers. Two trips to the osteopath, and the agony had only subsided a little.
I had bruised the old coccyx and I do mean ‘old’, I had compressed my lower back like a concertina.
More pain killers and another visit to the pullyouaboutlady.
Then I bought a train ticket to go to Leeds and see the ‘oosbind in The West Yorkshire Playhouse giving of his Judge Hathorne in ‘The Crucible’ .
Then my Voice Over agent called and asked me if I was free on Thursday.
I had my ticket, I had plans, I said I couldn’t do it.

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Thane, Andy and Reza

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I’d packed up my dressing room, everything was ready to roll, two more shows and the I was homeward bound.
Andy Bates a perfectly proportioned blue eyed cook brought us party food. A discussion about the difference between a dip and hummus, took place over Broad Bean dip and Smoked Aubergine hummus.
Thane Prince, the Queen of Jam and Preserves, told us why a dip was a dip and not a hummus. I piled my spoon with broad beans and aubergine not giving a tuppeny as to whether my beans and aubergines were dipped or not. They both tasted stunning.

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