cloudy, lots of rain, very mild temps 16
Teeming rain today. Poor Michael went out to get the papers while I edited and came back drenched.
Quiet day...decided to go back 200 pages and smooth out and read the delicate thread in Bury Your Dead. Very worthwhile. It also made it clear where to add the new scene. then moved forward.
Have 20 pages to go - hope to finish Sunday.
Went out for afternoon tea to a wonderful little hotel on Basil Street, behind Harrods. It's called the Capital Hotel...not, I think, a very promising name...but a beautiful hotel. The tea was a suggestion of Erika. The room where tea is served only has about five tables. It feels like a study, with bookcases...and silk lined walls. Very fresh feeling and intimate and comfortable.
Yummy tea. I had Rose Petal Gong Yu.
Actually skipped the sandwiches and pastry stage. Wasn't hungry. But am now so we have reservations at an oyster bar on Sloane Street in half an hour. Not a bad way, all in all, to spend a Friday.
Tomorrow we're off early to catch the train from Liverpool Street to take us to Norwich and John's funeral.
All in all not a great way to spend a day - but we're sure glad to be here for it.
Must head off...probably won't blog tomorrow...won't be home until late. But will speak to you on Sunday. Hope you have a good weekend.
Showing posts with label John. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John. Show all posts
Friday, 13 November 2009
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
Ghost cookies and Afternoon Tea
driving rain in am, then clear skies, lovely evening - full moon, temps 14
Still very mild - except in the flat which managed to be quite cold! Last night I boiled up a couple of hot water bottles (we'd brought them from Canada - the first things we pack when coming to the UK, even in summer, are the hot water bottles and long underwear.) How yummy to lie in bed, reading The Times with a hot water bottle at the feet. And London outside our window. Actually, there were fireworks last night for a reason that escapes me. We looked to make sure they were fireworks and not something else...sure enough, burst of colour. At 11pm. Now, November 5th is Guy Faulkes day - commemorating a man who tried, and failed, to blow up the British Houses of Parliament centuries ago. The Brits do fireworks then - but that's a few days away. So we're baffled.
Had breakfast at home this morning...fruit...but couldn't figure out how to run the coffee machine. Very frustrating. So I brewed some tea and after breakfast while I settled down to edit Bury Your Dead Michael went off and got us some coffees and the biggest pannetone I've ever seen. he says it followed him home from a bakery on the King's Road, but I don't think I believe him. But we took it in and it has found a good, though temporary, home with us.
Bury Your Dead in manuscript form on my laptop is 500 pages (it will be a lot less in book-form). So I've set a goal of 100 pages a day. We'll see how it goes. I've learned that I am very goal oriented and do much better if I set one. The downside to that is that I am also very competitive - with myself. So if I set a goal of 100 pages you know I will do 150. Actually, today I did about 105. Might possibly have done more but we wanted to visit Michael's sister Carol.
She and her husband David live just off Sloane Square which is about a 7 minute walk from us. Very fun to be this close. Carol, you might remember, had a serious operation on her spine three weeks ago...then they discovered she needed a pacemaker, then they discovered - in quite dramatic fashion - that she was allergic to morphine. they found this out when she started raving about Kevin Spacey being on the other side of the moon. What seemed most unlikely about that was David's conviction that she'd never heard of Kevin Spacey. She became - in David's words after the fact - a nutter for three days, then slowly regained herself. We can laugh about it now because she's home and on the mend and looking great...but it was scary at the time. Horrible.
So off we went to visit Carol and David...taking along a copy of The Brutal Telling, two bags of jelly beans (Carol's favorites) some chocolate for David and some gourmet meals. After visiting for a while we headed out. Miochael, dear one, had already bought me what they call here an 'oyster card'...it's actually just an ordinary credit card type thing, but for the transport system...you put money on it and swipe it when you get on a bus or the underground. When my wallet was stolen that was one of the things in it...my old oyster card. But we dropped by Peter Jones in Sloane Square to get a new wallet...then up the street to Harvey Nichols, since it was now 5pm and we hadn't yet had lunch. And Harvey Nichs has a wonderful, fun, Japanese suchi bar thing with a conveyor belt. Our idea of heaven. We sit there and like a Disney ride, small dishes of suchi and other Japanese food conveys by. Great fun.
Got there, though, and it was closed for renovations...so we plopped ourselves down and gave ourselves over to temptation in the 5th floor restaurant. Yet another Afternoon Tea...with cucumber sandwiches, crayfish sandwiches, ham and egg, scones with clotted cream, and tons of delicate pastries. It was bliss!
Then the long walk home. We could have hopped on a bus but after that we figured we needed to walk. With the time difference it gets dark really early...about 4:30...so it was pitch black 0 except for this wonderful, stunning, full moon.
How lovely it was to walk hand in hand with Michael through Knightsbridge and Chelsea - tummies full of Afternoon Tea - to our flat. And now we're home...a glass of ginger beer poured and The Times waiting.
Had a call from Rona - John's daughter-in-law. they'd hoped to get him into a hospice today, but he took a turn and now they dare not move him. Frankly, he has far exceeded expectations. the will to live is strong, as is his heart. Everytime they tell the family to say goodbye, John rallies. I remember when my father died the same thing happened. It became a bit of a joke in the family...a hobby...saying goodbye to Dad. That and the fact that since he died around Halloween (this time of year, of course) my brother Doug who was 10 was asked to go out and get cookies so we had something to offer people coming back to the house after the funeral. Doug - a nice lad but perhaps not very bright - bought cookies shaped like ghosts. This is also where the family rumour (started by Rob and me that night) that Doug is adopted comes from.
Tomorrow we plan to go to the Royal Academy - one of our favorite galleries in London - then I'm meeting my agent, Teresa at the Ritz. How fun is that?
Be well - and thank you for all your good wishes...one person described it as placing us in the Light. And John, of course. And now I return the favour - placing you in the light. With thanks.
Still very mild - except in the flat which managed to be quite cold! Last night I boiled up a couple of hot water bottles (we'd brought them from Canada - the first things we pack when coming to the UK, even in summer, are the hot water bottles and long underwear.) How yummy to lie in bed, reading The Times with a hot water bottle at the feet. And London outside our window. Actually, there were fireworks last night for a reason that escapes me. We looked to make sure they were fireworks and not something else...sure enough, burst of colour. At 11pm. Now, November 5th is Guy Faulkes day - commemorating a man who tried, and failed, to blow up the British Houses of Parliament centuries ago. The Brits do fireworks then - but that's a few days away. So we're baffled.
Had breakfast at home this morning...fruit...but couldn't figure out how to run the coffee machine. Very frustrating. So I brewed some tea and after breakfast while I settled down to edit Bury Your Dead Michael went off and got us some coffees and the biggest pannetone I've ever seen. he says it followed him home from a bakery on the King's Road, but I don't think I believe him. But we took it in and it has found a good, though temporary, home with us.
Bury Your Dead in manuscript form on my laptop is 500 pages (it will be a lot less in book-form). So I've set a goal of 100 pages a day. We'll see how it goes. I've learned that I am very goal oriented and do much better if I set one. The downside to that is that I am also very competitive - with myself. So if I set a goal of 100 pages you know I will do 150. Actually, today I did about 105. Might possibly have done more but we wanted to visit Michael's sister Carol.
She and her husband David live just off Sloane Square which is about a 7 minute walk from us. Very fun to be this close. Carol, you might remember, had a serious operation on her spine three weeks ago...then they discovered she needed a pacemaker, then they discovered - in quite dramatic fashion - that she was allergic to morphine. they found this out when she started raving about Kevin Spacey being on the other side of the moon. What seemed most unlikely about that was David's conviction that she'd never heard of Kevin Spacey. She became - in David's words after the fact - a nutter for three days, then slowly regained herself. We can laugh about it now because she's home and on the mend and looking great...but it was scary at the time. Horrible.
So off we went to visit Carol and David...taking along a copy of The Brutal Telling, two bags of jelly beans (Carol's favorites) some chocolate for David and some gourmet meals. After visiting for a while we headed out. Miochael, dear one, had already bought me what they call here an 'oyster card'...it's actually just an ordinary credit card type thing, but for the transport system...you put money on it and swipe it when you get on a bus or the underground. When my wallet was stolen that was one of the things in it...my old oyster card. But we dropped by Peter Jones in Sloane Square to get a new wallet...then up the street to Harvey Nichols, since it was now 5pm and we hadn't yet had lunch. And Harvey Nichs has a wonderful, fun, Japanese suchi bar thing with a conveyor belt. Our idea of heaven. We sit there and like a Disney ride, small dishes of suchi and other Japanese food conveys by. Great fun.
Got there, though, and it was closed for renovations...so we plopped ourselves down and gave ourselves over to temptation in the 5th floor restaurant. Yet another Afternoon Tea...with cucumber sandwiches, crayfish sandwiches, ham and egg, scones with clotted cream, and tons of delicate pastries. It was bliss!
Then the long walk home. We could have hopped on a bus but after that we figured we needed to walk. With the time difference it gets dark really early...about 4:30...so it was pitch black 0 except for this wonderful, stunning, full moon.
How lovely it was to walk hand in hand with Michael through Knightsbridge and Chelsea - tummies full of Afternoon Tea - to our flat. And now we're home...a glass of ginger beer poured and The Times waiting.
Had a call from Rona - John's daughter-in-law. they'd hoped to get him into a hospice today, but he took a turn and now they dare not move him. Frankly, he has far exceeded expectations. the will to live is strong, as is his heart. Everytime they tell the family to say goodbye, John rallies. I remember when my father died the same thing happened. It became a bit of a joke in the family...a hobby...saying goodbye to Dad. That and the fact that since he died around Halloween (this time of year, of course) my brother Doug who was 10 was asked to go out and get cookies so we had something to offer people coming back to the house after the funeral. Doug - a nice lad but perhaps not very bright - bought cookies shaped like ghosts. This is also where the family rumour (started by Rob and me that night) that Doug is adopted comes from.
Tomorrow we plan to go to the Royal Academy - one of our favorite galleries in London - then I'm meeting my agent, Teresa at the Ritz. How fun is that?
Be well - and thank you for all your good wishes...one person described it as placing us in the Light. And John, of course. And now I return the favour - placing you in the light. With thanks.
Saturday, 24 October 2009
John
rainy, mild, temps 13
We're back in Montreal...wow does it feel good to be home. But I have to say we had just a riot on tour. Let me catch you up. thursday night was the launch and signing at Sleuth of Baker street...a fabulous mystery bookstore in Toronto...with Marian and JD. Loads of people...readers who have been with the series from the beginning and some new people. Loads of friend - lots of people who know my brother Doug - and are his friends...and have become friends of mine. So it felt very warm and comfortable. Had dinner before with an old friend, Margaret. We yakked and got caught up even though we hadn't seen each other in years. Wonderful to have friends like that.
Then yesterday we were picked up at the hotel by Kelly Bernstein, of the Keswick library and whisked to one of Ontario's fine Inns...the Briars. This magnificent old home - rambling...with small, initmate, lovely little sitting rooms all over the place. Our room looked over Lake Simcoe and had a fireplace and a canopy bed. While Michael napped I took the newspaper down to this small sitting room with a muttering fireplace and a sofa facing it. There was a coffee machine so I brewed myself some, sat there quietly and peacefully for an hour, read and looked out the window at the rain, and into the lovely fire. Can't remember the last time I felt so at peace.
Then Mary and her sister Patty picked us up for dinner. We met Kelly and her husband at the restuarnt. This is all part of the One Book, One Community celebrations. The idea is that a community choose a book and over the course of the year they get as many people as possible to read it. Now, I thought they'd chosen Still Life, but in fact they decided to choose the entire series. They had a Three Pines themed dinner earlier in the year, and a car rally with clues from the books!
All this culminated in my visit last night to talk to the town, answer questions, etc. A wonderful glass artist had made the most exquisite stained glass window of Three Pines, with the trees, the Northern Lights, the village. Auctioned off to raise money for the library. I bid - and lost!
But after I spoke they presented me with a glorious necklace, made by the same man, with a scene from Dead Cold/A Fatal Grace...of Three Pines in the winter...with stars twinkling. So beautiofully and very moving.
Went back to the hotel and slept like a baby...though woke up in the middle of the night and thought maybe the place was haunted. Odd, that. But eventually went back to sleep. If it was haunted they seemed very pleasant ghosts.
Mary and Patty picked us up and took us to the train to Montreal. And Michael and I subsided into our seats...spent the 5 hours listening to music, staring out the window, dreaming. Very peaceful, again.
The only difficulty in our lives now has prompted a major change to the tour schedule for the next two weeks or so. I will still go to Vermont next week and do Tuesday's event at Bear Pond Books in Montpelier, and then Norwich Books, in Norwich, Vermont the next night. I was going to spend Wednesday night in Norwich, but now will drive home to Sutton because the next day...this coming Thursday, we suddenly have to head to England.
Michael's best friend, John, is in the last stages of cancer. We spoke with him and his wife Moira about two weeks ago, just before I headed out on tour. We knew he had cancer, but it had been in remission for 14 years. But in that call he said it was back, but the docs were going to treat it. We talked about seeing them in April, when we plan to be in the UK. But then, last week in Toronto, we heard from John's daughter - Michael's goddaughter, that her father had taken a very bad turn and to come quickly.
So, we've re-scheduled everything from next Thursday on, and will get to England asap.
This means I won't be able to speak at next Sunday's Books and Breakfast, put on by Paragraphe Books in Montreal. Nor will I be at the Phoenix bookstore on Tuesday, Nov 3rd, or flying to Arizona for an event at poinsoned Pen bookstore Nov 5th.
But I have managed to re-schedule most things and will let you know about them soon.
How kind people are when told. I know they've put a lot of effort into making the event a huge success and then to have me pull the plug at the last minute is upsetting. But everyone, to a person, was supportive. How kind people are. And clearly I will try to make up the dates.
We've decided to get to London - then head to the village of Eye (I'm not kidding, that's what it's called!! only the brits - though in Canada we have Kicking Horse Pass and Come-by-chance so we can't really claim higher ground) - but we'll get to the village - see John and Moira for a few days, then head to London and stay there for a couple of weeks...going up every now and then to see John.
Michael's sister Carol is also recovering from a big operation so this will give us a chance to see her and David, and perhaps do some small chores, like getting food. Details like that.
I also need to do the final (I hope) edits on Bury Your Dead (books 6) and staying in London will allow me to do that.
We just don't know, do we, what life has in store. As Michael said the other day after we'd hung up the phone...we need to make every moment count. And know how lucky we are.
Speak soon - off on another journey.
We're back in Montreal...wow does it feel good to be home. But I have to say we had just a riot on tour. Let me catch you up. thursday night was the launch and signing at Sleuth of Baker street...a fabulous mystery bookstore in Toronto...with Marian and JD. Loads of people...readers who have been with the series from the beginning and some new people. Loads of friend - lots of people who know my brother Doug - and are his friends...and have become friends of mine. So it felt very warm and comfortable. Had dinner before with an old friend, Margaret. We yakked and got caught up even though we hadn't seen each other in years. Wonderful to have friends like that.
Then yesterday we were picked up at the hotel by Kelly Bernstein, of the Keswick library and whisked to one of Ontario's fine Inns...the Briars. This magnificent old home - rambling...with small, initmate, lovely little sitting rooms all over the place. Our room looked over Lake Simcoe and had a fireplace and a canopy bed. While Michael napped I took the newspaper down to this small sitting room with a muttering fireplace and a sofa facing it. There was a coffee machine so I brewed myself some, sat there quietly and peacefully for an hour, read and looked out the window at the rain, and into the lovely fire. Can't remember the last time I felt so at peace.
Then Mary and her sister Patty picked us up for dinner. We met Kelly and her husband at the restuarnt. This is all part of the One Book, One Community celebrations. The idea is that a community choose a book and over the course of the year they get as many people as possible to read it. Now, I thought they'd chosen Still Life, but in fact they decided to choose the entire series. They had a Three Pines themed dinner earlier in the year, and a car rally with clues from the books!
All this culminated in my visit last night to talk to the town, answer questions, etc. A wonderful glass artist had made the most exquisite stained glass window of Three Pines, with the trees, the Northern Lights, the village. Auctioned off to raise money for the library. I bid - and lost!
But after I spoke they presented me with a glorious necklace, made by the same man, with a scene from Dead Cold/A Fatal Grace...of Three Pines in the winter...with stars twinkling. So beautiofully and very moving.
Went back to the hotel and slept like a baby...though woke up in the middle of the night and thought maybe the place was haunted. Odd, that. But eventually went back to sleep. If it was haunted they seemed very pleasant ghosts.
Mary and Patty picked us up and took us to the train to Montreal. And Michael and I subsided into our seats...spent the 5 hours listening to music, staring out the window, dreaming. Very peaceful, again.
The only difficulty in our lives now has prompted a major change to the tour schedule for the next two weeks or so. I will still go to Vermont next week and do Tuesday's event at Bear Pond Books in Montpelier, and then Norwich Books, in Norwich, Vermont the next night. I was going to spend Wednesday night in Norwich, but now will drive home to Sutton because the next day...this coming Thursday, we suddenly have to head to England.
Michael's best friend, John, is in the last stages of cancer. We spoke with him and his wife Moira about two weeks ago, just before I headed out on tour. We knew he had cancer, but it had been in remission for 14 years. But in that call he said it was back, but the docs were going to treat it. We talked about seeing them in April, when we plan to be in the UK. But then, last week in Toronto, we heard from John's daughter - Michael's goddaughter, that her father had taken a very bad turn and to come quickly.
So, we've re-scheduled everything from next Thursday on, and will get to England asap.
This means I won't be able to speak at next Sunday's Books and Breakfast, put on by Paragraphe Books in Montreal. Nor will I be at the Phoenix bookstore on Tuesday, Nov 3rd, or flying to Arizona for an event at poinsoned Pen bookstore Nov 5th.
But I have managed to re-schedule most things and will let you know about them soon.
How kind people are when told. I know they've put a lot of effort into making the event a huge success and then to have me pull the plug at the last minute is upsetting. But everyone, to a person, was supportive. How kind people are. And clearly I will try to make up the dates.
We've decided to get to London - then head to the village of Eye (I'm not kidding, that's what it's called!! only the brits - though in Canada we have Kicking Horse Pass and Come-by-chance so we can't really claim higher ground) - but we'll get to the village - see John and Moira for a few days, then head to London and stay there for a couple of weeks...going up every now and then to see John.
Michael's sister Carol is also recovering from a big operation so this will give us a chance to see her and David, and perhaps do some small chores, like getting food. Details like that.
I also need to do the final (I hope) edits on Bury Your Dead (books 6) and staying in London will allow me to do that.
We just don't know, do we, what life has in store. As Michael said the other day after we'd hung up the phone...we need to make every moment count. And know how lucky we are.
Speak soon - off on another journey.
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