Paint and words

and courgette spaghetti

Today I have been painting. Not in oils, or acrylics or watercolours or anything dainty, like a small canvas for the drawing room of a ladies club. I have been painting emulsion on to walls, in the same green as I used for the kitchen because we had some left over. Yesterday the American painted the big bits of the walls, and today I went in to paint the straight lines, which is something he has problems with. He has problems identifying paint types too but that’s another story.

So I know you will all be agog to know where these walls are that I have been painting, since the kitchen is of course now finished, and I will tell you. They are the walls of what will be Rookery Books, Cardigan’s soon-to-be book shop, with cookery objects on the side. Cookery objects covers kitchen ware and table ware, which are words I find clumsy in this context, so cookery objects it is. Or they are.

Words were on Tania Kindersley’s mind too, people turning perfectly good nouns into verbs, journal to journalling (“‘Someone will say: I have a question about journalling. And I say: I want you to write down, and I give the date, and I say I want you to remember this - this is the last time you’re going to use the word journal as a verb.’” - David Sedaris from Tania’s post).

Vibration to vibe to vibing and so on. Gifting is my bugbear. I give gifts (I actually really do, to deserving folk), I don’t gift things. When did it start being a verb? I hate it, it’s ugly. I gift you a gift. Just no. It was gifted me, or to me? It was GIVEN. If you must qualify it add AS A GIFT.

Tania used to dislike the word gorgeous, thinking it a “big, blowsy, vulgar word”. It is big and blowsy, faintly vulgar too in an eyes wide big knowing, smile sort of way, and that’s why I love it (and she does too now so that’s alright). It’s velvety and peach coloured. Anything peach coloured other than a peach is in danger of being reminiscent of crocheted toilet (another contentious word for the middle classes) roll covers and therefore to be avoided at all costs. But sometimes a piece of fabric, a paint colour or a word can get away with it - gorgeous is a deep, rosy peach colour in my mind.

Anyway. I love Tania’s essays. She has lots of horses and lives in Scotland which sounds dreamy to me, even though I don’t have a horse, and wouldn’t know what to do with one if I had.

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The heatwave has gone and we are back to more normal summer weather with gentle rain on the river, followed by bursts of sunshine.

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I have just finished reading a book called On Earth We‘re Briefly Gorgeous, talking of gorgeous, and words. It’s incredible. I have never come across a novel written so poetically (without falling asleep anyway). It kept me engrossed while desperately wanting it to finish because of the weight of the sadness, and also never wanting to finish it. It covers racism, Vietnam war, sexuality, coming of age, the opioid epidemic, parenting, loss, beauty - all within the most extraordinary sentences.

This book and all the other books in the world (well, none of Trump’s) is why I am so happy to be opening a book shop with the American. We are kicking off signing the lease by painting the walls, marking our territory as it were. Then on Saturday 4th July we are having a tiny shindig to ‘celebrate’ the 250 anniversary of the declaration of independence, which is a very interesting document that has been used countless times by other nations in their attempts to get free of their colonists. I referred to it as America’s birthday in an instagram post, but of course it is not America’s birthday, because of course America was not born 250 years ago.

I was pulled up for using the word celebrate for such a thing, rightly so, but it was not intended to negate the America that came before the colonialists, just bad wording on my part. That subject is so big that an evening in a little shop in Cardigan town won’t suffice, but this particular American (let’s call him Russ, because that’s his name) knows his history and is on the right side of things and will provide an interesting talk, discussion and of course some music because that is his way. I will provide some food, because that is my way. Do come along if you’re local - kick off at 7.30pm (49 St Mary Street, currently still under the sign of the Seagull).

This space here, this substack place, will be where I will keep you all up to date with all things Rookery Books as they unfold.

So many people have said to me over the years, oh, I would love to open a cafe, and I say, you must be mad, don’t. Others say, oh, I would love to open a book shop, and I say, oh, how lovely, what a great idea, go for it.

This is us, going for it.

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Tonight’s dinner involved courgettes (aka zucchini), which you may have noticed are now around in abundance. I love a courgette - so versatile. Queen of courgettes of course is Claire Thomson aka 5 o’clock apron so if you have a glut look no further for inspiration. I actually made one of hers from instagram last night but being impatient as ever didn’t follow the recipe properly and ended up with a mess - it was a delicious mess, but a mess nonetheless. Lesson there is to actually follow the recipe when making for the first time. Mine below, however, you can mess about with all you like, couldn’t be more simple in its essence.

Spaghetti & courgettes

One of the glorious bursts of sunshine we and 10,000 jackdaws took advantage of this evening.

Ingredients

• 1 large courgette, cut into chunks

• 2-3 tomatoes, cut into chunks (only add if really good and delicious tomatoes - supermarket rubbish will not do - do without rather)

• 1 clove of garlic, crushed

• 1 handful pinenuts or sunflower seeds, lightly toasted

• 1 handful fresh basil, shredded

• Parmesan cheese, finely grated, as much as you like

• good olive oil

• spaghetti, cooked, as much as you like

Method

1. Fry the courgette chunks in olive oil, not too high a heat, until they are golden brown.

2. Add the garlic, pine nuts and tomatoes, stir well and keep cooking gently for about 3 minutes.

3. Add a handful of the grated Parmesan and stir well.

4. Take off the heat and add the spaghetti, mix and serve with more Parmesan and a nice crisp green side salad.

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Bertram is becoming famous…