Ooops

overcast, cool, spitting rain - temps 10

Another fairly typical fall day - though we've been going through a very rainy spell. The renovations are going wonderfully. The fireplace went in yesterday. Regency, propane fire place. I'll take a photo. My fear was that it would look fake and horrible one in, but in fact, it looks great. Except, the Regency people forgot to send a part, so all the insides are visible. Not very aesthetic. But they say they'll send it. And the propane people agreed to send a horizontal tank - so that it's less visible and therefore less of an eye sore - but they sent the upright one. But again, they agreed to send the right one.

So - all was well.

until - this afternoon.

Michael and I went off to breakfast in Cowansville - then did some errands - then went to Sutton to meet the man who will almost certainly be writing the script to adapt Still Life into a TV film. Very exciting. He'd flown in for the meeting, then drove down. We had lunch at Le Cafetier. My concern was whether he was reading the same book I believed I was writing. Not a cozy mystery, but a psychological mystery, that appears cozy on the surface. The perfect village - that isn't so very perfect. As I've said before, the books are really about many things, the least of which is murder. Though that is significant and not at all trivial, and they're definitely murder mysteries, they're also about belonging, and love, and friendship, and betrayal, and festering feelings. About, in effect, duality. Appearance vs reality. The happy facade vs the darker interior. Some never get beyond the facade of the books - some immediately 'get' them.

The books really are most meaningful if you're able to read them not just with your head, but really with your heart. If the story and the characters enter through the chest.

So I was curious, and a little stressed, to hear how this man saw the books. Now, he's only read the first three and is reading book 4...and early on in our conversation he mentioned Miss Marple (whom I adore but don't see as a template for the series). So I was a little concerned....but then it became clear that he is indeed reading the books I was hoping to write. The ones about human beings and emotions. Where setting and food and the seasons are also characters...but so are feelings. Where murder is never trivialized or made a joke or a hobby - but is seen as the tragedy it is. For everyone. But that there's also friendship and humour and love and kindness explored.

Soooo - fingers crossed. It seems a fit.

After lunch Michael and I returned home to the construction site to find out that one of the workers has severed the gas line to the fireplace! Thank God he realized quickly what had happened and shut off the valve and turned off the fire (which was on to heat the place). When I think what might have happened.... but didn't.

We're now in the process of trying to get it fixed. Always something on a construction site....thank heaven so much has gone right, and even this, despite being a problem, could have been so much worse. We consider ourselves lucky. And the poor guy clearly didn't mean to do it - not his first choice of events either.

Look at the time - must make dinner, and sit in front of the fireplace with Michael and Trudy.

Hoping to start on the editor's notes tomorrow. Bring on the pastries!