Summer Blur

Oh, summer was a blur alright.  A good blur, right up until the moment last week when my computer (after a few death throes) gave up the ghost.  Turns out they don't call it the black screen of death for nothing.  A person less in denial might have seen the warning signs and jotted a few email addresses down, saved a few more things to disc.  So, you know, if you haven't heard from me, I'm not ignoring you, really I'm not. I just don't happen to have your email address committed to memory.  Most of the people I know are on facebook, and they've heard me bleat via the status line about the whole computer death, switchover, and my learning curve on my new one, a Mac.  There are definitely some things I need to wrap my brain around.  I also need a get rich quick scheme, cuz, I sure hadn't factored in the price of a new computer to my summer budget.

So fall is here, the apples are ready to be picked.  The kid is back in school.  The writing can begin again.  In my mind, after the labour day weekend, I'm going into hermit-mode for at least a month.  I'm not the sort to go on writing retreats, in fact, have never been on one ever.  Ever.  Weird, isn't it?  Sometimes I think I'm the only writer in the known universe to not 'retreat.'  Nor do I wish to.  Here's what I want.  On my days off, Tuesday and Thursday, to hole up all day and write.  And read and stare out the window and take notes and drink a gallon of coffee and stare out the window some more.  This to me is heaven.  (And sometimes hell, but who said being a writer was going to be fun, or a piece of cake, or layer cake....see photo below).  If things work out I can even get a bit of time to myself to research and jot notes down on the weekends.  I also plan on getting out of bed at about 5am every day, starting on, say Tuesday, so that I can write for an hour or two first thing.  I still think of myself as a nightowl, and not a morning person, but this is what's available, so I'm going to take it. 

All in all, though, it was a great summer.  Great friends, great wine, great friends who brought me great wine.  I can't complain.

Interestingly, I have a daughter who is crafty and also likes to cook.  I'm not so crafty, and I don't like to cook, but because she does, we do.  And really it ends up being a lot of fun.  And since I like to eat, the cooking part is excellent.  She did the narwhal embroidery above, and me, the silly tea towel below.  The quotation is great, but who knows why I thought it would make a great t-towel.  However, sitting at the table and chatting while we worked was really brilliant and I hope we do more of this.  Beats the TV any day.

In conclusion, do not hurry, do not rest.  Welcome to fall, cooler temperatures, more time and the pleasures of a routine.  Happy writing to those of you who write.  : )

And, one last photo, just because.  Pretty colours and all that.