…not easy but I’m having a go!
It has been a hectic time–three weeks criss crossing the US for our book tour followed by a four-day cooking workshop.
We need a break.
The work ethic is a curse sometimes–what is this need always to be doing something?
Today I’m trying ignore it—that background whisper in your ear that something is pending and needs to be attended to.
Having some success.
(Though here I am writing this!)
I finish a brilliant read, the Booker-nominated His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet–but that is not a task, it’s a pleasure.
Allowed today!
Lunch and dinner will be left-overs–delicious bliss!
Sitting here in the kitchen looking at our neighbor chogging back and forth on his tractor is therapeutic.
Watching others at work, can be.
He’ll do this all day, only breaking for lunch.
The countryside has autumn written all over it; the harvests are in and the monster combine-harvesters have trundled back to base.
The fields of sunflowers, garlic, wheat and corn are now in transition; job done for another summer.
Soon they will be in newly-turned shades of brown heralding a short period of repose.
I’m awarding us a short period of repose.
There are lines to go over, with Meredith taking the roles of Demelza, George Warleggan and Ross Poldark– which she relishes (actrice manqué!)
But that is for later today or even tomorrow–the Spanish call it mañana.
We may go walnuting this afternoon but no pressure–tomorrow will do for that too.
Ben just came in at his usual trot for a brief munch, then he’ll be on his way.
His need to be “doing” is stronger than Beau’s.
Beau is a lesson to us all–and will be spotted putting in a hard afternoon’s lying around most days.
Ben busy in the background while Beau reposes.
What we can learn from cats!
Robin Ellis 
Robin, you have a great gift for writing as well as for acting! You and Meredith deserve time to rest, relax, and be refreshed. Take some time to smell the roses and enjoy the beauty surrounding you!!!!! After all, tomorrow is another day!!!!!!!
By the way, it was a pleasure and a privilege to meet you and Meredith at not one but two book signings in the United States! I met the two of you in New York City on September 4th and in Arlington, Virginia on September 18th! I have been a great fan of yours for the past 40 years since you were the original Ross Poldark!
Good to meet you too, Irene.
Your description of your day is pure poetry. Thank you and I hope you both/all enjoy your day.
You deserve a little down time! Enjoy! You’ve both earned it!
PS – Envy of the family that I have both you AND Meredith’s autograph on my newest treasure! Many thanks!!
Setting a new standard for a weekday! Thank you!
Thank you for this lovely vignette, very evocative. I too was at leisure this afternoon and a certain Shoscombe Prince cantered across my TV screen. Ah! Thank you for that, too! Best wishes.
thanks for the reminder!
Thanks Steven–it was lovely to meet up with Lucy in Palo Alto.
We do forget that we are human beings not ‘human doings’. The black/white fellow looks like my little girl, Domino. We should take a lesson from out kitties and chill out more often. I loved the original Poldark in the 70’s and also love the new series!!!
Even God took a day off after working six. You are performing as designed today. Revel in it.
So I read you beautiful description of a day doing nothing and I started humming the Bing Crosby great ‘ I’m busy doing nothing working the whole day through’……….. and now it’s a sound worm in my head so I’m going to have to do something to make it go away. When it has I’ll be joining you again doing nothing !! So glad to hear the Rev Halle will grump again. Ros
Halse not Halle……..autocorrect !!
Looks like Ben is washing his underwear!
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You’re really quite the poet so perhaps you can add another ‘pastime’ to your busy schedule! Love the cat updates and often think a dog would have a wonderful life in your household … but then not half as independent as cats but great excuse to go for a meander.
Down time is important, glad you are recharging. Happy to hear that you will be appearing in Season 3 of the current “Poldark”. Great fun to see you now as we are viewing Season 2. Your wig definitely did improve this season!
You and Meredith certainly deserve a break after a month of traveling and cooking – enjoy!
Your posts bring me Joy. I’m a retired registered nurse, living in Wales, Wisconsin, USA. I look forward to your wonderful writing. I have MS as well as diabetes, so I don’t get out much, but I do take pleasure in your wonderful recipes and your writing. Please continue with your good works. Sincerely, Rena Evans Mills
Sent from my Sprint Samsung Galaxy S7 edge.
Thank you, Rena and best wishes.
Hi Robin and Meredith,
I agree with you that it is so hard to do nothing when your whole life has been doing something meaningful (or at least thinking it is meaningful!). As I get older I find that my body is really the one in charge. Sometimes I just have to sit down. It is getting easier to do that, but I still get somewhat guilty.
You two have done so much the last few weeks! I hope that you can enjoy some down time.
Hooray that you are in season three of Poldark. We are enjoying season two.
Take care and have some restful days watching your neighbor plow. I remember looking over the fields when we were there and what a lovely and peaceful vista it was. 🍁🍂📽🔩🎭
Hello, Sandy!
That takes me back to my chikdhood. I grew up as a farmers daughter. Hard work was exactly that .. hard work, but when it was done, it was done. Getting the hay in on the few sunny days we had, a race against the weather meant working all day and very late into the night, lying on top of a load of hay looking up into the night sky on the way back to the farm …. I am sooooo glad I had that as my grounding. I then went into nursing, hard work …but believe me we relaxed when we had free time. My last employment was in a multinational, global publishing company, I would meet people in the lift and it was almost taboo to say you were not too busy at that moment, stress was worn like a badge of honour, if you were not stressed your job was not worth much. As I say, I am so glad my youth gave me a good balance in life and to know when to work and when to relax. As a very young child I can remember my father doing the ploughing with big gentle cart horses. I can promise you, when his work was done he was NOT feeling guilty about doing nothing but read the paper, he was not looking for more things to do. Balance … that is what is needed, as in everything.
Thanks for this, Ingrid.
Robin, It is difficult doing nothing! My husband and I are spending our last two days in Virginia with our daughter before returning to Australia. It has been a very satisfying trip – especially meeting you and Meredith in Arlington. I see it is the 41st anniversary of the original Poldark going to air! I remember it SO well! Have loved every minute of it and although I now love the new Poldark, it will never be as good nor the characters as real, as he original. So pleased to have met you! A very special time for me. I do hope you will make it to Australia one day. – especially Sydney – where can meet again. Best wishes, Joan Ryan
Sent from my iPad 0416194228
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Safe return, Joan and good to meet you too. One of these days we’ll make it to Australia.
Robin,you and beautiful Meredith give us pause today to do exactly as you both are doing (even though we definitely have not been as busy as the two of you!)
Time with cherished family,time to literally “stop and smell the flowers”.
Thank you for this wonderful reminder!
We have recently lost our precious four pawed angel boy,Aristotle,to lymphoma,
and are so deeply feeling his loss.
We thought we already were aware of appreciating every minute together,but are ever so much more of the importance now.
Very much enjoying your cookbook(even though we are not diabetics!) and also
seeing you on the PBS station for Poldark.Look forward to this new season,the next,and hopefully all to follow!
Thanks, Natalia.
It is always lovely to chill out, take stock and see what is going on around us. Also it is true we can learn a lot from our feline friends, even stroking them, talking to them and watching their antics can relax us and is very theraputic.
Lovely to read your blog Robin, that too is full of interest and it is amazing how you fit everything in to your life!
Your post arrived at the very moment I was sitting here doing nothing ‘cept savoring the lack of guilt over the many chores awaiting my attention that would just have to keep waiting. As you point out so well….Tomorrow is another day!
But to make my repose even more enjoyable, I will turn the pages of Mediterranean Cooking for Diabetics, which I purchased on your NYC visit with the added delight of meeting you and Meredith in person, until I my senses tell me what must be tomorrow’s meal. It’s a great cookbook. The recipes are all so easy and the results so healthy and tasty.
You are a person of many talents. Acting, writing, cooking, cat whispering.
I’m sorry for the loss of Lily. I recently lost too soon my Little Red Cat who was only 7. I nicknamed him Sunshine because his flaming red fur was like the sunrise and his morning ritual was to be the first cat to wake me up, bounding across the bed and bellowing a loud meow in my ear.
What fun to see you in the new Poldark, albeit I prefer the original Poldark with you and Angharad Rees and Ralph Bates. All your shoes are hard to fill.
Bonne nuit.
Napping! That way you don’t know that you’re doing nothing. I’m glad that you will be back on Poldark.
Sweet! Loved this post!
This is what we call “Il dolce far niente” (the sweet idleness) and for us the time of idleness is as important as the good food!
So, Robin, long live the “Dolce far niente”!
Busy doing nothing ,working the whole day through,trying to find lots of things not to do!
!!!
And why not?! ……enjoy it.
Robin, thank you for sharing your world with us fans.
👌🏻😎🍷
I truly enjoy your blogs and this is one most people can identify with, too. It is hard to take a day off when you are used to doing something every day. I work full time and I always keep my mind on what is going on at the office. My vacation is coming up and it takes a few days to relax and just enjoy the time off but relaxing eventually kicks in.
Always a vicarious – and some times delicious – treat to find a post from Robin Ellis upon cranking up the computer of a morning. Though cat-less, I enjoy reading about yours and their antics. Seeing all the pictures too! A very special delight. Hope to see you and Meredith in Santa Fe, NM, next year.
Nancy
All you need to know you can learn from your cats. (With apologies to Suzy Becker.) Have you read her charming book? It’s available on Amazon! 😉
Take your time and have a rest Robin! We – Italian fans – want you and Meredith in Florence in November….:)
Ciao, Paola
That’s something to look forward to, Paola.
I like that…..”busy” in the background!!!! Hahaaaaa!! And I certainly hope that’s not one of the things we can learn from cats!!! I believe cat’s cause us to be more relaxed and happy with less. Have a wonderful day!!!!
For you, resting for a day or two should be easy – just think – what would Jud do!! He rested for Cornwall…
Great post, Robin. Fits my sentiments exactly today!
Rod
Dear Robin and Meredith,
I was so happy to meet you both at the book signing in New York! I felt like I was at a party at the “Red Lion Inn” in Cornwall! I am glad you had a good trip around the United States and that you are now at home safe and sound and finding some time to relax. I have to force myself to take it easy sometimes, so I know what you mean.
Although I am a faithful fan of the first Poldark series, I am really enjoying the new series and I look forward to seeing it on Sunday evenings. I am so glad you are a part of it!
Enjoy the rest of the autumn and best wishes to you both! Sandy M.
Thanks Sandy. I just finished my first day on the third series here in Bristol.
Dear Captain Poldark!!!
I live very close to you (in Lavaur) and this past Sunday my hubby and I drove over to Lautrec to have a little smooch around. I hoped to see you at every turn, but — alas — I was disappointed.
I was even more disappointed when we had a pleasant drink at Cafe Plum and I google’d your cookery workshops and found that I had missed one by just one week!!! If only I had looked things up some days earlier (although I’m sure the class would have been full . . . ). We loved the look of the Terrasse de Lautrec, to the extent that I thought it would be a great place to spend a weekend next spring/summer (even though we live “just around the corner”!).
I do realise that you are taking time off from your workshops, but am wondering if the one of 10 days ago was the last one scheduled, or if there are any additional ones before your “leave of absence” commences?
. . . . Sorry to bother you with all this! . . . . . . and have to add that I have been having terrible problems trying to be included on your mailing list!
Cordialement (as we all learn to say in France) — Sally Cendral
Hi Sally.
The answer is that the last one was the last one for the moment.
Maybe we’ll start up again the following year–not sure yet.
We’ll post news about it when there is any!
Best to you over there in Lavaur.
Robin
I wrote a chatty little post from here from South Carolina USA and then tried to change my icon, so I’m not sure if the first one went through. If it did, just delete this much-edited one. I had inquired as to whatever happened to the massive web page on All Things Poldark that existed back at least a decade ago. I also wanted to say that I found your blog when looking for recipes for diabetics when my late husband was dealing with the condition. Your posts (and my copy of your first cookbook) gave me many ideas for meals that he considered to be downright tasty. Lastly, I waxed poet about thinking I would not enjoy the new Poldark series, but learning to like it.
Well….this is MUCH shorter than my first one!
Welcome and I’m glad the recipes were helpful.