No blog entry at all last month - I spiralled towards midsummer and beyond with no time for personal access on the internet… Looking at my scanty (or non-existent) blogging, I think what do I do with my life ? (apart from work horrendously long hours…).
Then I check back through my diary, and the mystery is solved. The current incarnation of my novel is now over 10,000, that takes time (one three hour session produced only 600 words, but it‘s not always as tortuous as that - especially as Mike managed to convert my floppy disc files so I could open them on the laptop; and I now also have print versions to work with!).
I may be writing less poetry these days - my choices for my slot in Rosie Finnegan’s Soap Box Poets (part of Frome Festival) were mostly from old material - but the connection is still there. The soapbox event was great fun to take part in as well as a fine addition to the literary programme - Crysse‘s blog covered the festival comprehensively weeks ago, so I won‘t attempt a paltry contribution here so long after the event. Suffice to say, I’ll be watching the festival space, to see what the committee come up with next…
Live n’ lippy had an outing at Bath Poetry Café in the Mission Theatre on 20th July - with, I might add, new material (in spite of saying I haven't written much new...) The evening’s line-up offered great diversity from poets on the MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa and further afield; a pleasure and a privilege to be part of it - plus the feedback was our most encouraging yet.
I’ve had two weekend visitors since the last post - and thoroughly enjoyed both events. Such a delight to enjoy hours of companionship with dearly loved friends. I’ve also gone to stay with friends - so much social activity a reminder of the dearth of social contact outside work I have here (unless I ’import’ them for the weekend!) Its rarity makes it so much more precious. The Race for Life in Cumbria was an amazing event to be part of - over 5,000 women apparently took part. Not something I’d dream of doing on my own, so rather special to take part with Karen and Denise. I didn’t run the whole 5k, but I tried to persuade the others that we should aim for it next year… Incentive for me to try to keep the training going, as I know it really helps me stay healthy in my crazy work lifestyle…
Though if you check out this fantastic panorama, it's hardly hardship to pound around these fields...Crysse kindly forwarded these jpegs taken on her visit; a decadent supper on Friday night at the Oak was followed by walking the crinkles from our psyches in the Malverns on Saturday, sustained by Long Hop ale and excellent fish and chips afterwards…
The pic taken in the woods on the Malverns seems to characterize my life situation at the moment somehow.
The Coleridge walk is now all booked up for September, but in the meantime, I’m off camping for our annual pilgrimage to Durdledoor - let’s hope the rain showers are less torrential than of late - a bit of Saturday's clemency will do just fine…
