Divine (or other) Intervention

I do wonder sometimes whether things happen by accident or designation. Even when the chips are down I have a happy-go-lucky kind of nature. In fact the closer things get to the edge the more positive and optimistic I sometimes feel. So it was amazing and yet not altogether surprising that this afternoon I worked at Snape with a new man, one I hadn't met before who, hearing my dog woes, immediately said he'd love to look after Hugo while I'm working. He's always had dogs, he told me, but his changed circumstances now mean he and his wife cannot own one. He'd like nothing better than to take mine for a walk and look after him at home while I'm otherwise engaged. My jaw must have dropped open because he said, "But why not? It makes perfect sense. It suits both of us." We're going to arrange to walk the dog together, see how it goes. Hugo spent the afternoon with Ruth while I worked, and I couldn't wait to get back to him. Gratifyingly, he was thrilled to see me, a gleaming black ball of love and happiness hurling itself at me. Back home he raced around the garden like a demented thing, a grin on his face from ear to ear. The potential dog sitter, Mike he's called, hearing about Hugo's anxiety issues suggested that we might not be a good match. What? Mate, it would take powerful explosives to separate us now.

At the masterclass earlier, this time with the magnificent Bernarda Fink, I was chatting to one of the Snape team who selects the young singers for these events. I mentioned my favourite, Veronique Rapin, and immediately her face lit up. This woman had been in New York three years ago, auditioning for the 2014 masterclasses which I attended. "It was a horrible day," she told me, "wet and miserable, and all day we listened to singers who were mediocre, dull, ordinary. At the end of the day the last singer came on when we were all jaded and fed up, and it was Veronique. Everyone came to life. She was amazing, the real deal." She's a Snape favourite now and will return. I can't wait.

I've taken it easy today, relatively. The shed is now clean and tidy (I wish I could say the same for the house), and I've cleared a big patch of nettles that was obscuring my exit from the drive. The lawn has been mown, shorter than usual and I'm not sure if I like it. But at least it looks neat. We're meeting Sammy and Stella tomorrow for a walk and lunch and a trial stay at their house for Hugo, just a short while. If that works out I'll be able to leave him there while I do my voluntary job, able to relax for a change while I help people sort out their problems. He is a bloody pest. But if anything has to give it won't be him.