The day the clocks change

Well, I think all the clocks in the house now say the correct time but one usually surprises me with its ‘wrong’ hour about a week after clock change day  I used my extra hour for sleep … and then the luxury of reading another Franzen essay with breakfast in bed. Made me realise how hurried my reading often is .. hurrying for the book group meeting, or because there’s that pile of not-yet-opened books looking at me from their basket. Slow reading would be a good motto to adopt.

Also spent some time today critiquing the poems for the online workshop on Tuesday. They were  inspired by the instruction to anthropomorphise a musical instrument. .. lots of interesting choices. I’ve offered the accordion's perspective.Writing the first draft  reminded me of my Dad who played one,  I think, because it was more portable than our piano. Dad was often called on to play at parties… leading the singing and the dancing.and able to play almost any tune badly hummed to him .

One more task today… I need to find 5-6 poems to read at the Mole Valley Poetry Pub tomorrow evening. Our new anthology will be launched … for a small group we’re very active, and we’re considering running a competition in 2012 so watch this space>.

Friday catch up

A blog entry to meet my aim of at least writing one thing each day! Two days of wet and windy weather have meant some time for indoor things. So my cream cardigan is finished and already worn  . i think its going to be very useful in the cold days to come.

Also found time this week to make a case for my circular knitting needles. All that loopy plastic needed to be contained so I made good use of four patched blocks that were surplus to requirements for a bed quilt and a length of fabric that has been waiting to be used for a very long time.

Read three of my poems at a Mezz Bar event at Leatherhead Theatre on Weds evening. About 100 people turned up to a poetry/drama event organised to enhance the culture of the town … not sure if this outcome was achieved but the evening gave local poets and playwrights an opportunity to have their work heard.

Have started Jonathan Franzen’s book of essay’s How to be Alone. It opens with a memoir of his Father who died form Alzheimer’s Disease –a poignant, very informative and honest account of family life. I’m hoping the rest are just as good.  Such a contrast to reading  The Warden by Anthony Trollope –wonderful dialogue but such turgid passages in between. We had a lively discussion about it at book group last night … most of us were less than keen to read the rest in the series. I came to the conclusion that some books are best dramatised and that is one of them.

Barnes Bridge to Kingston

Spent the day walking more of the Thames Path –10 miles of peaceful riverside pathways, past Kew, Dukes Meadows etc. in the warmth of late October sunshine.  The river was being well used by all sorts of ‘boats’ sailing, rowing, surveying as well as showing off all the bird life that water attracts. 

It felt a real privilege to be part of it all … and to pass places where so much English history happened.  Not often I get to cross a meridian line twice … even if it is the old one that turned out to be the wrong one.

Arrived home to find my copy of Julian Barnes Booker winner on the mat so I’m heading for a quiet evening with that and perhaps sewing up my jacket that now has all its pieces knitted and needs a final hour or so to get into one garment.

At the movies

Just returned from seeing Midnight in Paris … an unexpected bonus as Tinker, Tailor, Soldier. Spy was sold out. Woody Allan’s latest lived up to the reviews … wonderful music, stunning photography and some authentic cameo parts. I loved the way the slow burning thread of mindlessness took the viewer by the hand into the past, and then, inevitably, back to realty. Bought tickets for TTSS early show tomorrow … and will cook a very late lunch for S&A before we set off –this time we will see it. Apparently, its important to notice Smiley’s glasses.

Lots of work on my poetry today –sent a few out into the hard world of publishing and one to a competition.Also revised the first two I’d written for my course and have a draft for submission to the on-line workshop next week. The assignment was to write as if I was a musical instrument …  I decided to be an accordion and write about breathing. Needs work but at least its started.

Regular service resumed … hopefully

I’ve been away from here for too long … no excuse, just reasons –work, family, school governor jobs, travel delays et al. 

Have now walked more of the Thames Path … another few miles planned next week and I will take the camera –we hope to reach Richmond.

My on-line poetry course is now into its fifth week, we’ve had two live classroom sessions work-shopping poems  -lots of useful feedback on my poems linked to music. So this weekend I have two poems to think about revising and one new draft where the task is to imagine myself as a musical instrument. I’m also continuing with Tamar Yoseloff’s monthly poetry seminars –always a great two hours and more feedback to think about … really liked the discussion we had this week about poems and punctuation. 

I’ve just about kept up with the quilting class work and now have 9 blocks to fit together –another weekend task. They don’t look very straight to me so some unpicking and re-cutting may be necessary.

Finally, supper tonight was to be roasted squash but the squash turned out to be a very sweet, ripe melon  -thought it looked a bit strange for a squash.

’ll be back again soon …

This wonderful extra summer

It so good to have had some summery days at the end of September. I spent today giving my garden an autumn spring clean - chasing the shade and snipping back the wilderness that threatens to invade my small patch from over the fence.

And at last I’ve caught up with work stuff, in between sewing the feathers for the feathers star block  .. they measure OK but I won’t know if they are spot on accurate until I match them to the other blocks. Time for a photo soon to show rather than tell about all this.

I now have copies of the poems mentioned in the week one poetry course assignment –its seems its all about the poem staying on its points. Not sure I get that yet but maybe after the live chat on Tuesday it will be clearer. Went to a trio of short Noel Coward plays at he Nomads Theatre last night and the performance included some of his songs … libretto not on its points but straining to achieve rhyme!   Good timing by the actors and a great set that got one of the loudest applauses of the evening made it worthwhile.