…and then it vanished, leaving not a trace.
I have had blips of inspiration, fascinating and insightful posts I may write some day, but you know better than to hold your breath.
I need to tell you about Jo Baker and Longbourn (What did you do today mummy? I went to a book reading. Again?), about singalong music and the new eating house. Sunshine and beaches. A westie losing himself in the leaves. (Much more civilised than that Macauley boy of Kate’s)
Politics is happening, but vaguely somewhere far, far away. Apart from our own nonsense, (part1; part2) which just makes me want to up sticks and get out of here.
Next week the busy hits town as a PSP Specialist Care Adviser comes to meet us all, and spend days tootling around the region with Ditzy and I in tow. That will be well worthwhile and totally exhausting.
And guess what happens after that?
My creative writing class! The motivation I need to switch off the social media and rediscover that summer enthusiasm.
Soon, there will be thoughts and words. Normal vague service until then.
.
What was that about singalong music? Well, you know I think I’m Emmylou…
me, mine, and other bits 
You heard Jo Baker read? I do want to hear about this. Did you enjoy it?
I finished reading Longbourn yesterday.
I did enjoy it Isobel. She’s a story teller. She’d been working on Longbourn since she was pregnant with her now 5 year old daughter, and her immersion in the period is obvious. She was cleaning her own floors with tea leaves to see how that worked…
What did you think of Longbourn? It has been very well reviewed, and Jo certainly sold it to me (not that I own it yet, but I intend to). Does it seem political?
I thoroughly enjoyed it. I blogged about it the other day. http://isobelandcat.wordpress.com/2013/09/27/bosses-and-good-books/ It certainly succeeds in painting a picture of what life was like for the servants, and for people without a secure income. The section on the peninsula war reminded me of tales from the First World War, and how we do not learn the lessons of history.
Oh good; I’m glad it lives up to its promise. Baker reminded me of the social unrest at the time, and how much of the money around was made by trading in slaves.
Film rights have been sold- I got the impression that’s a bit surreal for Baker 🙂
Yes I saw a bit at the end of the bok saying it was to be a film. It fills in the socail background to Jane Austen’s novel, and draws out the things that she mentions but does not go into, that the Bingleys money is from slave plantations, that the militia are there because of war, that there is suspicion and social unrest, unemployment. The end is a bit weak I think, but I enjoyed it for all that.
These are all the bits of creativity, Fiona. 🙂
I hope so, Andra- I seem to have lost track altogether
The link to colonialism sounds reminiscent of Wide Sargasso Sea – the story behind Rochester’s first wife in Jane Eyre.
Apparently Longbourn has the effect of Wide Sargasso Sea- not only filling out a character, but adding to our reading of the original. I’ve got as far as downloading it to my Kindle 🙂
I feel exactly the same :).
I was in the bathroom last night and realised that some of the towels we are using are ones that my mum sent me from home when I moved to London… They were ones she was getting rid of because we had them for ages… They are towels from my childhood.
I was looking at them thinking omg they must be 40 years old!! And then ‘how did I get to be over 40???’ And then the train of thought began & I was off with a million things I need to write about 🙂
Luckily I am completely engrossed in the ‘G irl with the dragon tattoo’ series by Stieg Larsson, so instead got into bed and read for ages, heaven…. But now I also need to write about that book! …. It goes on…
I look forward to whatever it is you have to share. Even your bits and drabs are always interesting to me, Fiona! I hope the PSP Adviser is helpful. And I am sure the creative writing is the antidote for almost anything. ox