Grateful: Day 8 - Skin and Teeth

One thing to be grateful for is that it's 23.13 as I start. There is still time. This blog WILL be published today.

As always, there's the pond. I am so grateful for it, and for the whole ritual. Getting up early, taking the train, walking across the Heath with a big smile. Massive smile coming back too. I felt very happy.

At the pond, I saw my lovely cousin, Ruth Edwards. I haven't seen her in more than two weeks and I've really missed her.

It is Ruth who is responsible for turning me into a pond lady. She's been swimming there for years and years. Her enthusiasm got me there in the first place and her passion and determination still inspire me. She is a generous, talented and inspiring woman and a true artist.

When I laugh with Ruth, it's like nothing else, whether it's about a turn of phrase, a 'creative' loaf of bread or even just a string of numbers - it's one of my favourite things ever.

I'm also grateful to her for asking, this morning, who or what I'm grateful to. What a marvellous question. Given the time today, I'll save the detail for another post. In short, we decided that whatever it was didn't have a beard, but felt good, and that to solve the problem just for the moment, I could use the word 'thankful'.

Thanks to Ed Bennett, Will Steele and Belgium. Will is staying with me for a few days to come and play with masks. He's brought his considerable mask collection, beautiful Joe, a mask character who fills me with joy and warmth, and lots of good ideas. We ran an impro class last night at The Questors Theatre - such delightful, playful and funny people in it. Such massive fun to do. They really went for it. As a first time facilitating together, we worked well, I thought.

Ed let me come round to his house and record a voiceover for a company in Belgium, using his recording software, massive telly screen and a high quality mic strapped to the back of a chair (thanks Sanjaybhai, great mic). Generous man. Good egg. Good brain.

Will and Ed share a love of improvisation and noticeably large pupils. I wonder if it's connected.

Good advice from Will about the mask workshop today. And it was lovely reminiscing about moments from past workshops. Simone Tani's masks featured a lot (Hello Pillow and Crusher, and the breathy guy who hides). Shame they can't come and play.

I'm grateful for, and excited about, all those meaty people who are coming to the mask workshop tomorrow. It's going to be a delightful day.

And I am so looking forward to being asleep. Probably within the next 7 minutes. Get In.