This was my view one year ago today, Vesuvius from my balcony in Sorrento, ahh bliss. Today my view will be of the inside of the shed staring at an eclectic mix of photos/pictures/strange artifacts whilst I ponder changes to my book. (I'm determined to finish my edit this weekend).However, it could be worse. How you may ask? Read on and I shall tell you. I've just returned from being made blonde again by my talented and very lovely hairdresser and whilst I sat amidst foils (although they aren't foils any more but plastic things) I listened to the various clients. There were the older ladies coming in for their weekly wash and set and one younger woman who was jetting off somewhere. Then there were various others who, it seemed were all going to the same luncheon party being held at one of the more costly restaurants in the island.
One woman with glorious dark tresses half way down her back, wearing the most exquisite LBD, perfect tan, nail extensions and enviable emerald cut diamond arrived simply to have her already dried hair blow dried once more whilst she sipped a latte. Another had the full works and as I left one of the mothers from school was parking her Aston Martin and about to follow suit.
My hairdresser said wistfully, "Don't you wish you were joining them too?" I nodded as I felt that was what she had expected me to do but in all honesty, between you, me and the gatepost, I couldn't think of anything worse and was thrilled to be coming home for an afternoon in the shed with just me, my laptop and the dog, oh and of course a jar of Midget Gems.
I think I must be getting old or something, either way they've given me inspiration for a character I was mentally developing for my next book. Mental note to self: Get on and finish this one first and stop getting ahead of yourself.
20 comments:
Beautiful view, but it sounds like a weekend in the shed could be just the ticket! Great news about the character inspiration, good luck with the edit!
Debs - yes, you know you're a real writer when you prefer the shed over emeralds. It's difficult to explain, without sounding smug, that you get far more riches from what's inside your own imagination.
Then again - both would be nice!
yvonne - it was a stunning place to visit, I'd love to go again some time. No idea when though.
Thanks, I can't wait to finish this and move on now.
phillipa - I agree with you, I love living in my head most of the time, although the odd glittering bauble would be rather nice too.
I'd have chosen the shed and the midget gems too!
I love situations like that, from a writery point of view! I think I must be getting old as well because your afternoon sounds much nicer :o)
helenmh - maybe it's a writerly thing.
karen - far more fun. Quieter too.
LOL. Who needs dark long tresses perfect tan and nail extensions anyway? Now an Aston Martin, hmmm wouldn't say no to that one! Happy writing in the shed. TFX
Best of luck finishing your book!!! Plastic things instead of foils? Please explain, I can't imagine how they would work...
It's interesting waht you say. For me one of the problems of being a writer is that by the time you are three quarters of the way through the process of writing the book you've lost interest in it. I always start writing the next book in my head before I finish the current one. But then it's good to have lots of ideas ..... Alice
Oh, I've always got characters in my head that shouldn't be there until later on. They just won't leave me alone!
Good luck with the editing! x
I'm like you too, Debs. I love spending time with me and my thoughts. Or my book, if only I had written one.
tf - I wouldn't mind swapping my battered car for a cool Aston either, mind you would only scratch that one too and that would be upsetting.
dj kirkby - thanks. The plastic things are rectangular pieces of folded plastic, opaque at the bottom, the hair is put on, colour brushed over and a clear part folded over the top and sort of velcro'd (?) together at the top.
alice - I agree with you, mind you I need to try and concentrate for just a little more time to get this one out and about. It's better than not having ideas though, which is something.
l-plate - thanks. I'm the same and would be grateful if they would leave me alone to sleep at night. R doesn't understand this and thinks it's a little strange.
hilary - sometimes it's the best place to be. Most of the time actually.
Women like that are like a different species. I like to observe but I wouldn't want to be one:-)
Good luck with the edit this weekend:-)
Hi debs - great blog - now I will have another blog I want to read and to keep me from my writing!! Actually I've made a new resolution; I have to complete at least 1000 words before even logging on to the web.
I'm completely with you on the shed affair. I love my little summer house, spiders and patchy carpet included. It is my writing space and I love it! It is my personal portal to the other worlds in my imagination :-)
Kat
lane - I agree. Thanks, I'm not getting very far at the moment though!
katw - thanks. My shed isn't linked to the internet at all, so once I'm out there I have few distractions and thankfully since spraying the place, I haven't had any more spiders. Long may that last too.
Your summer house sounds wonderful too. Lovely to be able to go somewhere away from everyone and everything.
It makes me tired to think how much work those women put into primping. I like a little dolling up, but sheesh! I would rather retreat home to my laptop and dog as well.
I struggle to fall asleep too with all the ideas flitting around my head. I have a notebook by my bed for writing them down and I've found this simple act helps me relax and sleep.
Good luck with your editing. :)
angie - I agree with you. It's fun to dress up a bit but not have to do the whole 'thing' every day. Exhausting.
I have a notebook too, I must remember that once I've written something down to try and stop thinking about it for the night though.
Thanks, the editing is coming along but rather slower than I would like.
Hi again. I haven't got internet in my hut either but if I just log on whilst still inside the house, I struggle to get out to write. Its so easy for me to lose track of time on the net and then suddenly I have lost my time slot (ie whilst kids at school/preschool). There is no way I could spend time trying to look good as well! Or at least that's my excuse for looking like a scarecrow in the school playground!!
Kat :-)
A little time travel is always a good thing. When I'm feeling especially housbound like to get out the travel photos and do a re-visit. Haven't figured out how to make digital this satisfying.
Eavesdropping in the beauty salon is a great diversion, especially when, in my case, it takes so long to get that "natural" brunett look. Recently the chair beside me had a conversation about this mutual friend that they only saw occasionally. I wished she could hear the conversation because of how warmly they spoke of her. I too thought conversations overhead in the salon would be good blog fodder.
Agree with others that the shed--or whatever you call your retreat--is still preferable to the glam and glitter.
katw - I daren't have the internet out there as I'd never get anything done. It's hard enough getting family stuff out of the way to get out there in the first place. Far more fun being in the shed than all that primping.
faye - I overheard so much gossip the other day, it was wonderful and in a place as small as this you do know a lot of the people that are being discussed. As you say, great fodder.
I love my photos from travels, but am so busy paying for my two to visit places at the moment that I'm not really getting away that much myself.
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