reasons to be cheerful - part 2,073

So - what are my reasons to be cheerful today? It's not raining. For five minutes at least.

I got the train to work on Monday (my car got sick on the way to the Urusen gig on Friday - the gig was brilliant) and so my day was bookended by walks to and from Frome station and Temple Meads. Which, although raining that day - rather a lot - was delightful. I wish I had the time and money to take that option more often.
Crysse's birthday this week - see pic with Annie and (Niamh? sorry if I can't spell that properly) at the dinner party last night to celebrate the birthdays of all three - mucho Leo energy around, with Karen's birthday coming up. Last night's celebration another reason to be cheerful - a veritable smorgasbord of delights for our delectation. Including songs from Annabelle - such a multi-talented group!


Sunday saw Crysse and I fetching the car (the RAC a little less beleaguered by then, but still giving us an hour or so writing time while we waited) and enough sunshine to take a long walk in vest tops... before Crysse's anthology launch.

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A brilliant evening, with a live n'lippy poem squeezed in with Crysse's anthology readings. Such delight to see in print so many poems whose birth I have attended, so to speak... but even more pleasurable to see so many people supporting the publication of the anthology. For Crysse's take on this and Frome Festival (among other writerly things), see http://crysse.blogspot.com/

The writer-in-residence 'award ceremony' following on the heels of the 'Are we nearly there yet?' launch meant it felt like Christie's was becoming my second home... Judge Helena Drysdale asked if I was an actress; I was thrilled to think the narrator of my story sounded so authentic - got something right! A challenge to read such erotic material in public (especially looking like a drowned rat, having arrived straight from the station - hence no pix!).
My car is now fixed, so that's another reason to be cheerful.

The rest of the week has been work and rain, rain and work... though by comparison with some areas, we're getting off lightly...
I have a week's holiday now. So even if it does keep raining, I'll have some writing time, some exercise - and some rest!
If my skin condition is at all related to stress, then the next week should see some improvement.
All in all, many reasons to be cheerful...