exciting times

Current work: revisions on French Book 2
Listening to: Sandy Denny
Reading: next on TBR

Exciting times, in both a good and a bad sense. Let’s start with the bad and finish on a good note. There I am on Monday afternoon, working on my A&E book. Then I get a call from school. Can I pick up son and take him to A&E? He has a piece of wire stuck through his hand… (This wasn’t a school activity. This was son messing about with a spring, seeing if he could uncoil it - which he did. Through his thumb. With a curve on the end. Arrgh. Luckily the X-ray showed us it wasn’t too deeply embedded and it came out without too much pain.) I mean, I know I wanted some inspiration for my A&E book, last week, but that didn’t mean I actually wanted to go there and research it in situ…

Dad’s still very tired and confused, but it was a nicer visit than last time. So sad that the infection’s taken so much out of him. Every time he has a blip, we lose a little more of him, and it’s a long, slow, painful goodbye.

I also have my revisions. It's a restructure and rethink, but my ed likes the characters - just need to change the focus on the way I've handled the conflict. ('Just' = rewrite the book...) In some senses, ouch. In others, now I know what I'm doing (we thrashed out the changes between us), I can move on and I'm happy and focused and - most importantly - the waiting and nail-chewing stage is over. Am very relieved about that!

Now on to the glass half full stuff. I’ve had some really nice things happen this week, too. The florist turned up with an unexpected bouquet on Saturday, courtesy of bestest auntie and uncle (really pretty, with purple tulips and these beautiful star-shaped white flowers); I also had a wonderful parcel from Canada containing a signed book from one of my fave authors and some personal gifts that are just SO me; and I have a schedule and titles for the French Duo so I can breathe a bit more easily (despite revisions). Oh, and DH has said yes to what I want for my birthday (is a sculpture of a spaniel – and you can blame Sharon Kendrick for distracting me on to that, because her blog on sculpture made me think about those Frith hares that I took a fancy to in the National Trust shop at Standen, and then I wondered if spaniels might be available… and this one by David Geenty caught my eye).

At this point, I forgot that I’d already bought myself a birthday pressie (the handbag) and ordered myself a couple of David Russell CDs. Oops. (Well, hey. Bach is food for the soul.)

I also had an email from lovely Rowan at Archant about doing a Valentine’s piece for the local paper. I’m really excited because it’s about my two favourite things: cooking and writing romance. The pics are going to be shot in my kitchen, while I’m cooking something. This is a sterling excuse to nip in to Lakeland or John Lewis and buy nice kitchen things. But I guess, as I’m cooking and ought to be promoting hygiene, one of said nice kitchen things had better be an apron. Which needs to go with my kitchen (teal-painted walls, plain maple cabinets, and black worktops, and the splashbacks are cream tiles (10cm) with random-ish teal, raspberry and black tiles included to give some colour).

I was veering towards a Cath Kidston pink one with white spots. I did like the idea of having a book-related apron: this one amused me highly, because it’s true and it will torment DH… except it’s only available in white, khaki or lemon, and if I have a plain apron it would have to be a teal or raspberry one. Or the one that says ‘I am a writer. Anything you do or say may be used in a book.’ But these two – apart from being the wrong colour – are ruled out because they also take too long to deliver. I quite like the surreal Edward Monkton range – but sadly my faves don’t come in apron form (the Handbag of Glory, Rock Pig, Zen Dog and the Cow of Wisdom, since you ask).

But luckily I have a very, very, VERY stylish friend (and also a talented writer - you might know her: India Grey) who has given me lots of ideas. (We would be so BAD if we lived nearer each other. Lunch, shopping, handbags, perfume... We'd be bad. Sadly - and though probably just as well for the sake of our bank managers' blood pressure - we're a good 5 hours drive apart.) Daughter and I are going shopping on Saturday, armed with India's list :)

(But in the meantime, if anyone has suggestions regarding nice aprons, do tell…)