Thursday 19 August 2010

Montreal

mainly sunny, mild, temps 24

Lovely easy drive in to Montreal. Spent the day editing - fourth draft. Got to page 37 - quit about 5:30. Too tired really to enjoy it and have any judgment left.

Had the most wonderful dinner at the cottage with Susan last night. Chicken and pork on the barbeque (just corrected a typo where I initially wrote children and pork on the bbq - oh oh). And two fabulous salads, one with watermelon, parsley, spanish onions, olives, feta cheese. Unbelievably good. the other was a yummy quinoa and cranberry salad.

In this latest book, set in June, I have Gamache eating a quinoa and mango salad. Seemed like a good combo. Must use the watermelon one too. Lovely fresh fruit salad for dessert.

have the French TV interview tomorrow. Susan was wonderful, helping me practice. Wonderful to have a quiet day here, to just concentrate on writing. Am really loving this book...at the smoothing out stage now. Love this stage. less terrifying. While we were away a few scenes and adjustments occurred to me, so the manuscript is littered with notes.

Tomorrow will write in the morning, try to get my hair done around noon, get to the TV studio for make-up at 2pm. I always feel like a cartoon character in TV make-up. Will probably sound like one too. Wilma Flintstone - or, in French - Wilma Pierrefou.

Susan told us the Champlain bridge will be down from 3 lanes going south out of the city, to one lane this weekend. Construction! Have to decide whether to drive out in rush hour after the interview or stay over anyway and get up early Saturday and risk hitting terrible traffic over the bridge. I go back and forth on the decision. Need to be in Knowlton for the SPCA adoption day by 11 am. Still, I'm leaning toward staying over...but will see.

Michael stayed in the country...his son Vic is coming for a week or so, so this gives them a few days on their own. Always nice.

Hope you're enjoying your week. Will let you know how the interview goes...light a candle!

7 comments:

Dana said...

Will light a candle, but you will be great. Enjoy yourself and so will your listeners.
They have been closing one of our two bridges in Halifax this summer also. At first it was for only one weekend, but that has stretched to one month of weekends. And even after a month people still have not adjusted and find themselves at the wrong bridge!But we can never complain about traffic to a Montrealer.

Reine said...

It's probably too much to hope that you will actually enjoy the interview... but have a good one. Candle lit.

Larry Marshall said...

I'd be scared to death over an interview in French. It's hard enough to order dinner :-)

I did get to read the wonderful article about you in Vita. Great article about a great author.

Cheers --- Larry

Leinda said...

Louise, you have such an incredible talent for making me, and apparently everyone else, feel like your best friend. Thank for your reports.

Anonymous said...

I love that watermelon salad recipe with grilled foods, it is so refreshing and a great compliment to spicy foods. It is especially good if you add onions that have been marinated in lime juice. The lime juice takes the bite from the onion, and enhances the watermelon.

I ordered Bury your Dead from Amazon and am hoping against hope that it is here for my October trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico. My husband and I have a whole week planned to explore, eat, read by the fire and I think Armand would be the perfect traveling companion.

Jill from Texas

Louise Penny Author said...

Hi all - thanks for the candles - I found my way! Interview went well - thanks to a lot of help.

And yes, that's exactly the watermelon recipe Susan used - she mentioned the onion and lime trick. Fab.

Jodi said...

Going off to the greenmarket in a bit - guess I'm going to add watermelon to the list. I've already got the feta cheese and onions. Will need to stop at a store for the lime.

Now look what you've done - you're enabling me with both books AND food!

:-)