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It’s 10.30 pm and Sam and I are ensconced in my studio with the gas fire turned up to the max, while the temperature outside plummets below zero. I made the hour+15 drive across the moors between Newcastle and upper Teesdale three times today, but it was a glorious day for it, I got a nap in between, and all is well. After leaving Sam at the cargo terminal in JFK yesterday afternoon looking extremely unhappy (he behaved like a total WILD animal for the first hour he was in his carrier), I got him back here finally this evening, in time for all us other Leishmans (mum, sis, aunt, cousin and myself) to repair to the Fox Hounds for Tuesday night fish supper, while Sam roamed the studio checking out all the corners – he seems remarkably well adjusted, I think British Airways did him proud – and the fish leftovers went down very well….

Mum is a lot frailer, having difficulty breathing, but still game, and says sis has looked after her brilliantly. D. herself seems good, and will stick around until after mum’s b’day on the 15th…

and so we head into the next chapter…

October… how did that happen? The Stein is done for now – it’s a great project and I look forward to the next step – Karin is a joy to work with.

And so my week back in my old life draws to a close. It’s been a bit odd, living in my apartment, me and Sam, as tho’ this was my life again – I guess it is my life, for this week anyway – except for the bare walls and the fact that every time I reached for something I had to remember “oh, it’s packed away”… I didn’t take advantage of the city and go out every evening to a concert or play – I hung out at home with Sam, relishing time to myself, at home, and got ready for the Recording Session That Never Was. The main purpose of this week, apart from seeing friends and getting it together to ship Sam back with me, was to get a demo recording of part of “vagabond”, to which end I spent many and many an hour in scheduling hell and chart making (I even had to cancel the picking up of my archives, another of the reasons for being here, as I didn’t have time to sort through them). But the best laid plans… Kilgore, the studio owner/engineer, had the flu and as I couldn’t risk taking the bug back to mum, we finally had to cancel – it was actually K (a good friend and huge supporter of mine, without whom Baseless Rumors would never have been made) who was responsible enough to finally pull the plug… devastating as it was, I know there was good reason: plus what I was actually attempting to do in a few short hours in the studio was crazy even by my standards… I’m such a Kamikaze… The knock-on effect was that I got a day off on the finest day of the week and took a great bike ride along the river, which was much needed, and the next day (only yesterday) Zafer, the oud player/violinist/percussionist who worked with me on 21 Positions, came over to my house with another friend (Rami, player of rik, frame drum and dumbek) and they spent 2 and 1/2 hours laying down all sorts of grooves for me – Zafer is also a wonderful percussionist & the 2 of them together were a joy… so I have lots to work with as I move forward… doug also laid down some guitar, always a source of inspiration… I was really sorry not to get the 3 singers into the studio, but I’ll just have to find others, and do the recording, in London – a good reason to start building the contacts over there…

That evening was Beka’s great feast for me in Brooklyn – twelve great folk around a big table, the best possible way to spend an evening – another wonderful gathering of friends, with fabulous food – the earlier one was the impromptu dinner in Nyack on my way down from Colgate, where I managed to get all 6 of my nyack buddies around the table at Rinde and Ellen’s – what a gift… I am blessed with amazing friends who are also great cooks! Beka had just taken delivery of an old Smith & Corona typewriter that she had had refurbished; it was set up next to the dinner table – what a thing of beauty – so that everyone could type something during the course of the evening, and I had a group love letter to take home with me – thank you one and all! I feel wrapped in a blanket of warmth and affection…

And then as a final gift, this afternoon I had a music making session at my house, just 4 of us in this beautiful room (which has the best acoustics of any room in nyc, to my ear). Doug on clarinet and guitar, Matt on guitar, Marika on cello, and me on bari uke and vox – so sweet, so fun… I really needed that…

I have given all the paperwork for the new subletter contract to Maria at Gatsby – now we just cross our fingers. Penny Lynn seems a perfect fit. We live in hope that this time… Sam now has a collar with name tag and bell, he doesn’t seem to mind… I’ve been tempting him into his carrier with treats, but he’s not too keen. Tomorrow is going to be a Great Big Adventure, but it will be over at some point and we will both be in cotherstone… god speed…

Past the equinox and sliding down the slippery slope towards winter… but today was a picture perfect fall day in upstate new york: bright blue sky with the occasional multi-dimensional cloud floating through making nice shadows; the foliage starting to turn so there’s red and green and gold against the blue; and Hamilton is full of beautiful big clapboard houses with wrap-around porches and widows’ walks. There’s so much space… & the campus of Colgate U is full of magnificent trees… it’s a 20 minute walk from where I’m staying to rehearsal, through picture-perfect Americana… But best of all, today was the day of Piano Fixing. The T.D. at the theater gave me two and 1/2 hours of his time, and the shop, and fixed the big toy piano – its structural integrity is once more intact – hallelujah! There was a reason I had Karin schlepp it up here from Rinde’s basement studio. Plus my wonderful Russian piano tuner from Brooklyn called this morning while I was in the shop with Joel – I hooked him up with my wonderful cat-sitter, and Boris went over to W.10 St. this afternoon and tuned my full-size piano – hallelujah again! It’s held its tuning remarkably well (we love Yamaha) but it’s been a year… gotta take care of the things we love…

Work proceeds on The World Is Round. I’ve written 4 more songs in as many days , and am making stabs at the final section… the kids are fun to work with – not professionals, of course, but very game (and some of them with better voices than the real cast, I hate to admit!). It’s good for Karin to have this time away from nyc to work on it, think on it – she’s come up with an overall structure, the narrative arc, which is a big step… and it’s great for us to hang out and brainstorm. Quelle chance… Mum seems to have survived the latest slice-and-dice pretty well, and sis seems to be surviving being there, for the moment… toca madera… 2 more weeks…

After wearing my dad’s old hiking stuff all year, I finally bought my own a while back: a padded sleeveless jerkin (dark green, of course), also good for working in my cold studio; a gortex parka (not dark green but bright blue so they don’t mistake me for a grouse or pheasant when I walk across the moors): and gortex trainers (my serious hiking boots have been here for a while – my dad’s were too big…); and of course a waxed cloth hat (dark green). I’m turning into a country bumpkin, it’s pretty much all I ever wear anymore… I must remember not to pack them to nyc… altho’ I gather it’s frightfully fashionable… my other major expenditures have been train and plane tickets, and petrol… saw Robin Williamson play for 40 people in the Barnard Castle church hall, such a wonderful bard… saw part of Fairport Convention’s 45th anniversary concert on the Beeb and have a new instrument lusting – does anyone have a mandola I can buy?… nervous about leaving mum, but needs must… safe travels, and bless this house, keep them safe until my return…

Heading across the pond in a few days, to do a short residency at Colgate U, upstate NY, where Karin Coonrod and I will do more exploration on Gertrude Stein (I’ve been writing for it since I got back from the island), after which I hope to have a week in NYC to see a few friends, try and do some recording of the new opera, and pick up my cat! Meanwhile we have a full house in Cotherstone: my sis is back from menorca, having closed up for the winter, and will hopefully stay here with mum while I’m in NY (I’ve also put carers in place); and best of all, my good friend and longtime collaborator Joan Schirle is here for a few days en route to visit friends in the south of france (that’s a friendly detour for you…). It’s always great to have friends from over the pond come and see me here in my new temporary life… helps me feel slightly less of a split personality… and with outside eyes around, I see how fortunate I am… took her on some good walks, and introduced her to the silver swan at the Bowes Museum – the inspiration for Peter Carey’s latest novel, The Chemistry of Tears…