Had a good session at my novel yesterday.This morning I picked up where I left off yesterday. That kept the pace going and the ideas flowing. I haven’t checked it over yet. I know it will need editing and maybe even some parts a complete re-write, but the thing is I’ve got the progression down, advancing the story, keeping my characters alive. That’s all part of the joy of writing. Writing is hard work. Don’t let anyone think it isn’t. But if you enjoy it it isn’t a task. I always look forward to getting back into it.

I didn’t this afternoon because I had to go shopping to our local market town and farm shop as well as our own village shop. I have friends coming for a meal tomorrow evening so I had to prepare for that. He is a local farmer and she has been a librarian so there’ll be plenty of book talk as well as local topics.

Wondering what I am going to give them?  —  Swiss Steak for the main course, and then raspberry meringues.  Made the basic meringues the other day and I was delighted with them — think they are probably the best meringues I’ve made. All good fun, so long as my timing for the meal is right. Having everything ready at the right time is always a hassle.

I won’t be sat in front of my computer at this time tomorrow night !!

Yesterday I heard a piece of music on the radio that caught my attention. Pencil, sheet of paper poised for the title  –  Craig Armstrong’s  BALCONY SCENE FROM ROMEO AND JULIET.  Many of you will know it but I didn’t. Its flow and expression captured me. I downloaded it straight away.            I am no music buff but I know what I like.  I think that is important, far better than supposedly liking a piece because you think you should. My ‘like’ ranges wide across most aspects       I recall the days of wind-up gramophones and 78s  -Bing Crosby, Maxine Sullivan, Artie Shaw, The Mills Brothers.  Then to 45s and new record players, my children trying to educate me to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones etc, but I preferred Cliff Richard,  Jim Reeves etc. I recall Jim Reeves was the first LP Vinyl I bought. Better equipment needed.  Classical Music and other genres opened up. Eventually  the CD and downloading. Downloading has opened a wider musical world to me – discovering composers and artists I would never have heard of or played little of.  John Field an Irish compser of 18th century whose nocturnes and piano concertos rival Chopin’s, Imogen Cooper whose delicate touch draws magic from the piano,   the Jazz CD of Renee Fleming,  and much much more.         Enjoy your music                                                         

I was walking in the valley near my home this morning at 8 a.m. I try to do that most days, anything from half an hour to an hour and a half. I believe it is better to do that regularly than a longer distance less frequently.  Maybe I’m wrong but it certainly works for me.  It is a beautiful, peaceful valley and my thoughts can drift away to the people I love, to the past, to the future. It relaxes my mind and I am refreshed to start my day writing.

The colours at the moment are wonderful and should get better as we move further into Autumn. The greens are so fresh. I wonder how many people see them as just green and not see the subtlty in those greens nor see all the other colours delicately mixed with them? How many people look but do not SEE?

Here’s the cover of my latest Large Print Western published by Magna Books in their Dales Large Print Western series.  Another nice cover by Gordon Crabb

It was originally published in 1960.  A book is never dead !

I lost broadband and connections for nearly a fortnight.  Tragedy. I suppose it could have been worse. It was not catastrophic. It could have been if it had occurred at a different phase in my writing schedule. Server tried on two occasions to put it right but failed. Said, ‘possibly you need a new router. Will send one.’ It never arrived.  Called in local computer firm. Matter solved in less than an hour. I wish I’d gone there immediately but I thought servers provided an efficient back-up system. One lives and learns.

Then, sort out of emails, eliminating, answering, filing, acting on etc. Busy day – still have a few to see to but they aren’t urgent.

No broadband – I felt so isolated !!!  Horrible feeling. Hope it doesn’t happen again.  I hope contacts don’t think I have forgotten them.

So I can start blogging again now that explanation is out of the way!!