I’m very much an Eeyore person. I get depressed by the state of the world, and frustrated by every big and little thing that make my life difficult. So, it is a pleasure to report a better than average day!
Being a Sunday, I awarded myself a lie-in, as much as my early-stirring body clock would allow. I had to check my long list of health issues to manage, tucked in a special drawer with various pills and potions. Then I cooked myself a big breakfast and settled down to read some heart-warming messages from friends enthusiastic about the new cover design for Heroes and Traitors. I set out on my regular walk to Temple Weir along a lane and wooded track. I had an idea for Marlow Writers’ Society next theme (The End of Summer), and started fleshing it out in my head. I was absorbed in that as I walked back along the Thames towpath, and I was not wearing my hearing aids, so I was particularly surprised when a runner tried to get my attention. To my delight, it was one of the traders from Marlow Market. How’s that for customer service? He recognised me, even though it was not our usual place of interaction and I was wearing sunglasses! I was worried that delaying him would mess up his statistics on his fit-bit, but he was happy to chat. So, this was my first reminder today that there are some wonderful human beings on the planet.
When I got back, I did some housework. Does that make it a good day? Yes. I was brought up to regard cleanliness as next to godliness, and so I get soulful satisfaction from cleaning. There does have to be sufficient calm in my world for me to be able to start it, and sometimes I need help with particular tasks. I can’t say that I like it, but I do get satisfaction from it.
At 1pm I was due in the Liston Community Hall to help on the Marlow Writers’ Society stall at the Independent Book Fair. We didn’t sell a lot of our anthologies, but it was an opportunity to share experiences with fellow members, who are always so supportive. It was also an opportunity to visit the stalls of other independent authors who were selling their work. It was quite noisy, so I got some lip-reading practice as I tried to interact. I would have loved to buy from everyone, but I had to limit my purchases, otherwise my bookshelves would collapse. So, what did I buy?
I bought “The ND Lovers Club”, a self-help book by Bontle Senne and Sara-Lousie Ackrill. I did explain that it was much too late for me, as someone only diagnosed as neuro-diverse (ND) at 66, to try to learn about “lust, like and love”! But they convinced me that I might get some closure out of understanding why that aspect of my life had been a complete disaster. I’m not sure that was the message they were giving, but it was the message I received. And it amused me enough to try their book.
Next, I bought “Cassie P, Caribbean PI” by Cecil Browne, a fellow Troubador author, and an award-winner. It is a collection of short mysteries set in St Vincent, a Caribbean island with close associations with High Wycombe, where I grew up.
As I like historical fiction, my next choice was “Song for Kitty” by Angela Cairns. It is set in the pre-First World War era, and I expect to enjoy the real historical character in the book – a music hall celebrity who used her career as cover for suffragette activities. She sounds fascinating.
I wasn’t sure that I could fit in a fourth purchase, but I was intrigued by the fairy tale angles in “The Unravelling of Luna Forester” by Marisa Noelle.
I came home feeling warm about the world of fiction, and the way that technology has made it possible for all kinds of creative endeavour, written by lovely people, to reach out to readers.
When I got home, I was in the right frame of mind to order train tickets to visit family in Germany. It has taken me weeks of nervous endeavour – asking people about train travel beyond Eurostar, trying websites and getting freaked out by them, trying a train travel specialist (unsuccessfully), etc. I talked it through with a friend yesterday who had experience of ordering tickets from DB (Deutsche Bahn), and we worked out a way forward. To my surprise, the DB website worked smoothly, provided the information I needed and I felt confident enough to order and pay for tickets. I just hope the journey is as straightforward…
Now for food. Which cheese? Or should I enjoy a selection to round off a good day on the planet?
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Photo: SLACK and FLACK, anthologies from Marlow Writers’ Society.
Available online:
Amazon.co.uk: Marlow Writers Society: books, biography, latest update
