heavy mist, then lovely sunny and warm. temps 26
Turned onto a glorious day. Sunny and warm - just got out of the pool. Pretty tired, but very happy. We got up just before 5am - fed and walked Trudy, then hopped in the baby blue beetle, to drive to Sherbrooke for a 7am appointment with the dealership to fix a couple of things. Again. We hope this is it. Love the car - just adore it. But this hobby of going to the dealership is getting a little wearisome.
Still, the pay-off (and it isn't trivial) is that we get to go to Hovey manor for breakfast while we wait! Which is exactly what we did.
But I have to tell you that our drive to Sherbrooke this morning was stunning. All misty through the mountains and forests. Breath-taking. Got there about 6:45. Got a rental...and headed to Hovey. Arrived there about 15 minutes before the breakfast started, but they know us so well, they let us in early for coffee and croissants, cheese and granola, and this wonderful fruit compote.
The dining room has a bank of french doors looking out over the rose garden, then the lake beyond. Magical.
then we ordered breakfast and decided to go with the chef's 'inspiration' - two poached eggs on a bed of broccoli and smoked ham and covered in bechemel sauce. Dear Lord - it was as wonderful as it sounds.
Headed back to get the car and drove, with the top down, an hour and a half to Granby to meet with two friends, one of whom is quite ill. Had a marvelous lunch together.
As the day progressed I checked the email on my blackberry with mounting horror as more and more messages poured in, all of which needed replies and many of them not simple replies! Finally got home about 4pm and have spent the last two hours getting the business taken care of.
if there's been a shock about life as an author, it's the amount of 'paper work'...all the ancillary work. Still - better than no one caring or noticing. But it gets a little overwhelming at times. Thank God for Lise who got forwarded at least two of the more hefty requests.
It's a beautiful evening. Am off to fire up the barbeque - prepare two books to be mailed - announce the Facebook winners. Turn the corn on the cob on. I'll tell you - this makes a pretty spectacular office!
Showing posts with label VW beetle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label VW beetle. Show all posts
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Monday, 19 July 2010
Housekeeping
rainy, cool, temps 19
We actually had the fireplace on! Didn't actually need it, except as atmosphere. So typical of a Canadian summer, though I think this one has had more wild temperature swings than usual.
When I title this post Housekeeping - I don't, of course, mean it literally. Poor Pat and Deanna - when they come to clean they'll sometimes ask about an attachment for the central vac and I just look blank. Never used it. But I do do laundry. And cook. Sort of. I mean really more like bits and pieces of publishing housekeeping.
Spent most of the day on the edit of book 7. Slow going - but I'm liking it, a lot. Only up to page 70 of 245. But added a thousand words or so today...and adjusted quite a few too. Then needed to do some mailings, some books and cards. Replying to emails too...and a critique...and a web interview.
Then re-jigged the home page for the website. Wanting to put the emphasis on BURY YOUR DEAD.
And finally, I selected the winners of the Facebook draw for the arc of bury your dead.
Tomorrow we get up at 5am to get the car in to VW. More small things that need to be done. Have a 7am appointment - takes about an hour and a half to get there. While they work on the car we'll take a loaner to Hovey for breakfast. Then pick up the beetle and head to Granby for coffee with friends. Then home by 1pm, I hope.
And, for the rest of the week, sweet nothing...
Hope you're well. Speak tomorrow.
We actually had the fireplace on! Didn't actually need it, except as atmosphere. So typical of a Canadian summer, though I think this one has had more wild temperature swings than usual.
When I title this post Housekeeping - I don't, of course, mean it literally. Poor Pat and Deanna - when they come to clean they'll sometimes ask about an attachment for the central vac and I just look blank. Never used it. But I do do laundry. And cook. Sort of. I mean really more like bits and pieces of publishing housekeeping.
Spent most of the day on the edit of book 7. Slow going - but I'm liking it, a lot. Only up to page 70 of 245. But added a thousand words or so today...and adjusted quite a few too. Then needed to do some mailings, some books and cards. Replying to emails too...and a critique...and a web interview.
Then re-jigged the home page for the website. Wanting to put the emphasis on BURY YOUR DEAD.
And finally, I selected the winners of the Facebook draw for the arc of bury your dead.
Tomorrow we get up at 5am to get the car in to VW. More small things that need to be done. Have a 7am appointment - takes about an hour and a half to get there. While they work on the car we'll take a loaner to Hovey for breakfast. Then pick up the beetle and head to Granby for coffee with friends. Then home by 1pm, I hope.
And, for the rest of the week, sweet nothing...
Hope you're well. Speak tomorrow.
Sunday, 13 June 2010
The View From Here
sunny, warm, temps 28
A splendid, unexpected, day. It was supposed to rain, but not a drop. Instead it is sunny and cool, then warm, and now hot.
Spent the morning struggling some more. Writing, erasing, re-organizing, erasing. Arrgh. I know what the problem is. I need to streamline the thoughts, and it's a complex spot. But it needs to not read as though it's complex. There are four or five things that need to be said, that have to get in. And one right way of putting them all in. It's like the rubic's cube or any puzzle. And so I try this and try that. Getting closer, then something just doesn't fit and I need to try again.
But then we needed to head off for an early lunch with Cheryl, on the terrasse of the Cafe Floral in Knowlton. Gary was supposed to be there but golf called. Poor man, smitten by golf. Of course, my guy's smitten by a VW. I wonder which is worse?
So it was Cheryl, Michael and I...wonderful lunch. Great chats. Then off to Mansonville, about 20 minutes down a very picturesque road - toward the US border - to do an event in the local library. Michael, of course, drove. Lise was saying when he drove away the otehr day in the car, with the top down, and she and donna were working in the garden...and he tooted the horn, they turned to each other and said, 'Louise has lost the car.' What they failed to appreciate is that I've also lost a husband. If he could marry the beetle he would. I suspect it's in the will.
But what a magnificent drive. Sunny, warm, feeling so free in this peppy, fabulous car. And waching the scenery go by and relaxing I had some ideas for how to solve this little problem. Most frustrating. In the book it will be about 2 pages...but it needs to be right. And it's close. Tomorrow I have nothing...a blank slate...so with luck i will solve it by then.
Loved the talk at the Mansonville library. Not that I was so brilliant, but there were lots of people and everyone just made me feel so comfortable. Such nice people. Including Lise - who came out in the most beautiful floral sundress on her day off.
Then Michael and I piled into the bug and drove over the mountain back to Sutton, stopping for ice cream on the way. Am now home, writing to you, sitting with a ginger ale, cranberry and raspberry drink on the screen porch. From where I sit I can hear birds in the trees, a single bee. I can see the Japanese lilac in bloom, as well as alliums, tall digitalis in soft pink. Striking blue irises and bright orange poppies. By the pool one of the peonies has burst into bloom.
Peace and quiet. Ahhh.
A splendid, unexpected, day. It was supposed to rain, but not a drop. Instead it is sunny and cool, then warm, and now hot.
Spent the morning struggling some more. Writing, erasing, re-organizing, erasing. Arrgh. I know what the problem is. I need to streamline the thoughts, and it's a complex spot. But it needs to not read as though it's complex. There are four or five things that need to be said, that have to get in. And one right way of putting them all in. It's like the rubic's cube or any puzzle. And so I try this and try that. Getting closer, then something just doesn't fit and I need to try again.
But then we needed to head off for an early lunch with Cheryl, on the terrasse of the Cafe Floral in Knowlton. Gary was supposed to be there but golf called. Poor man, smitten by golf. Of course, my guy's smitten by a VW. I wonder which is worse?
So it was Cheryl, Michael and I...wonderful lunch. Great chats. Then off to Mansonville, about 20 minutes down a very picturesque road - toward the US border - to do an event in the local library. Michael, of course, drove. Lise was saying when he drove away the otehr day in the car, with the top down, and she and donna were working in the garden...and he tooted the horn, they turned to each other and said, 'Louise has lost the car.' What they failed to appreciate is that I've also lost a husband. If he could marry the beetle he would. I suspect it's in the will.
But what a magnificent drive. Sunny, warm, feeling so free in this peppy, fabulous car. And waching the scenery go by and relaxing I had some ideas for how to solve this little problem. Most frustrating. In the book it will be about 2 pages...but it needs to be right. And it's close. Tomorrow I have nothing...a blank slate...so with luck i will solve it by then.
Loved the talk at the Mansonville library. Not that I was so brilliant, but there were lots of people and everyone just made me feel so comfortable. Such nice people. Including Lise - who came out in the most beautiful floral sundress on her day off.
Then Michael and I piled into the bug and drove over the mountain back to Sutton, stopping for ice cream on the way. Am now home, writing to you, sitting with a ginger ale, cranberry and raspberry drink on the screen porch. From where I sit I can hear birds in the trees, a single bee. I can see the Japanese lilac in bloom, as well as alliums, tall digitalis in soft pink. Striking blue irises and bright orange poppies. By the pool one of the peonies has burst into bloom.
Peace and quiet. Ahhh.
Thursday, 3 June 2010
Smitten
cloudy, rain, temps 18
All this rain has really eased the forest fire situation. Thank God. We've had more rain than they have, but I understand most of the fires are now under control. Very frightening for a while. We continue to watch.
As we watch the dreadful situation in the gulf. It seems inconceivable that this should happen - and yet it is. Hubris.
On a much lighter note, we got the car!!! And I'm smitten - as is Michael. We took turns driving it, because of course we had to use his car to get there...it's about an hour away. so I took the first turn on the highway. Was hoping to be able to put the top down, but the rains came (including in the distance some magnificent and unsettling fork lightning). So the top stayed up.
What a peppy - and surprisingly roomy - little car! Nothing fancy - and I love that. No sat nav, no mp3 hook up, hardly any electronics...just good old fashioned and very clear dials. It does have heated seats - practically a necessity in Canada - and a CD player - also a necessity given the distances we sometimes have to drive.
So I adore the car but the most important thing?? The colour. It's perfect!!! A baby blue. Powder blue perhaps more accurately. either way, it's the colour I wanted. As the salesperson was describing the features I just stared at the colour. He also gave us a lesson on taking down and putting up the convertible top. I must say it sort of confused me...and I didn't do it very well - but thankfully Michael got it right away.
So now we have a new baby in the driveway...and both of us just drift by it, casually, all day long. Catching glimpses of it.
Off to Montreal tonight...leaving Michael and Trudy, and Pat who comes to look after them, here. With the new car. My gift to The Big Guy. I have to take the train to Toronto Saturday so the car would just sit in the underground parking. He might as well have it here to play with.
Did the photo shoot for Vita magazine yesterday. Four women came down...art director, make-up, photographer and her assistant. We had a riot. Michael was wonderful - catered the event. While I was having the make-up applied (scaffolding, caulking, cranes) he was making tomato and cucumber sandwiches and what we call 'mixes' - combination of cranberry, pomegranate and ginger ale. Yum.
Took four people (not including me) three hours to get two usable photographs. And you know - it's exhausting. I remember reading interviews with the Hollywood starlets complaining about how hard their lives were - endless photo shoots and interviews...and thinking...well, I won't tell you what I was thinking.
but now - very humbling - I find it is tiring! Not actually sure what makes it so - it's not like I'm digging a ditch or repairing a heart or doing anything actually useful. But interviews and photos isn't quite the cake-walk I thought they were. Still - to be fair - it's not a bad way to pass an afternoon.
Writing/editing going slowly but well. I decided to drop yet another subplot...complicated and not actually totally in the character's character. An easy fix, though it does present some structural issues later - but better than keeping it in. I find most of my second and subsequent drafts are really about simplifying and lightening up.
Off to pack and then meet a friend in Sutton for a coffee - then driving to Montreal tonight.
Speak to you tomorrow.
All this rain has really eased the forest fire situation. Thank God. We've had more rain than they have, but I understand most of the fires are now under control. Very frightening for a while. We continue to watch.
As we watch the dreadful situation in the gulf. It seems inconceivable that this should happen - and yet it is. Hubris.
On a much lighter note, we got the car!!! And I'm smitten - as is Michael. We took turns driving it, because of course we had to use his car to get there...it's about an hour away. so I took the first turn on the highway. Was hoping to be able to put the top down, but the rains came (including in the distance some magnificent and unsettling fork lightning). So the top stayed up.
What a peppy - and surprisingly roomy - little car! Nothing fancy - and I love that. No sat nav, no mp3 hook up, hardly any electronics...just good old fashioned and very clear dials. It does have heated seats - practically a necessity in Canada - and a CD player - also a necessity given the distances we sometimes have to drive.
So I adore the car but the most important thing?? The colour. It's perfect!!! A baby blue. Powder blue perhaps more accurately. either way, it's the colour I wanted. As the salesperson was describing the features I just stared at the colour. He also gave us a lesson on taking down and putting up the convertible top. I must say it sort of confused me...and I didn't do it very well - but thankfully Michael got it right away.
So now we have a new baby in the driveway...and both of us just drift by it, casually, all day long. Catching glimpses of it.
Off to Montreal tonight...leaving Michael and Trudy, and Pat who comes to look after them, here. With the new car. My gift to The Big Guy. I have to take the train to Toronto Saturday so the car would just sit in the underground parking. He might as well have it here to play with.
Did the photo shoot for Vita magazine yesterday. Four women came down...art director, make-up, photographer and her assistant. We had a riot. Michael was wonderful - catered the event. While I was having the make-up applied (scaffolding, caulking, cranes) he was making tomato and cucumber sandwiches and what we call 'mixes' - combination of cranberry, pomegranate and ginger ale. Yum.
Took four people (not including me) three hours to get two usable photographs. And you know - it's exhausting. I remember reading interviews with the Hollywood starlets complaining about how hard their lives were - endless photo shoots and interviews...and thinking...well, I won't tell you what I was thinking.
but now - very humbling - I find it is tiring! Not actually sure what makes it so - it's not like I'm digging a ditch or repairing a heart or doing anything actually useful. But interviews and photos isn't quite the cake-walk I thought they were. Still - to be fair - it's not a bad way to pass an afternoon.
Writing/editing going slowly but well. I decided to drop yet another subplot...complicated and not actually totally in the character's character. An easy fix, though it does present some structural issues later - but better than keeping it in. I find most of my second and subsequent drafts are really about simplifying and lightening up.
Off to pack and then meet a friend in Sutton for a coffee - then driving to Montreal tonight.
Speak to you tomorrow.
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
Blue Beetle!
torrential rains, temps 18
An absolute deluge today...but we're happy for it. Lovely, misty, mystical evening. Rain stopped, and everything is fragrant. The roses are just coming out and there's the faintest scene of them in the front garden.
We went off to VW in Sherbrooke last night - Walter drove me in his beetle convertible - top down - and Michael followed in his car. It was SO exciting. I can't remember the last time I was this happy about a car - except maybe my very first, which was also a VW convertible. But it was a rabbit. Bright red. Manual. I bought it sight unseen in Thunder Bay...I was in Toronto and about to start my very first professional job - co-hosting the morning show in Thunder Bay. I was 21. I got off the plane and took a taxi to the car dealership. Picked up the car - and then remembered. I don't drive standard. But at 21, who cares?
It leaped and stalled and lurched its way off the lot. I'm sure I saw the salesperson turn away in horror.
Took me weeks to figure out how to get out of second gear.
But I adored that car. Drove it well in to fall with the top down. Ecstasy. Finally sold it years later in Quebec City. By then it was a wreck - the windshield washers wouldn't turn off...there was a tear in the roof from where someone had tried to cut it to break in. The poor thing was on its last legs. But I still loved it.
And by this time tomorrow I'll have another VW convertible. but this time a new beetle. A powder blue. Fabulous. We got home about 10:30 last night. Exhausted but delighted.
Been emailing with Michael's wonderful sister Carol, in London. Her first car was one of the original beetles...here's one of her emails from today...(with her permission)
Yes, I had a beetle, but it had its problems. In the end it was what I had told them all along but they wouldn't believe me. It had water in the petrol tank. I would drive up north to ski and it would conk out or just go slow and then speed up and then go slow until it drove me mad. I sent it in for servicing and ended up with VW taking a keen interest in this knit of a
woman who was calling them out of false pretences. At one point they came all the way up to St. Agathe and, of course, the car worked a dream while they were there and as soon as they had left, literally, it started its little game all over again. I had to threaten to paint lemons all over it before they took it in and actually lent me another car for a week (which I managed to back into a telephone pole giving the back bumper a dent). When I picked it up I asked them what they had done. With sheepish faces they said that all was well. How well? Well, a new petrol tank. Oh, yes and where is it? Well its up in the top of our work room. Can I see it - I just want to see the rust. Well, yes, there had been some water rusting up the petrol tank.... After that it was a dream car and I loved it. I could manage to change gears without using the clutch if I got the revs right, but
don't please try that one. Yours will be known as the 'powder-blue-blondie-with-no-roof-on-top - and nobody will be able to steal it 'cause there won't be another around! What fun you will both have!
Writing today has been distracted...stop start. So far only 2 pages done...yikes. I like what I've done but this is really, really slow. Still, trying not to worry. Better at this stage to be good than to be swift. I think I'll be working until midnight! Oh well - I have a used VW powder blue new beetle convertible. How bad can life be???
Tomorrow is a busy day. Writing in the morning - the a photo shoot for Vita Magazine - a french mag - then off to Sherbrooke to pick up the car!!! Yippee. You can be sure I'll have a goofy smile on my face for the Vita photos!
An absolute deluge today...but we're happy for it. Lovely, misty, mystical evening. Rain stopped, and everything is fragrant. The roses are just coming out and there's the faintest scene of them in the front garden.
We went off to VW in Sherbrooke last night - Walter drove me in his beetle convertible - top down - and Michael followed in his car. It was SO exciting. I can't remember the last time I was this happy about a car - except maybe my very first, which was also a VW convertible. But it was a rabbit. Bright red. Manual. I bought it sight unseen in Thunder Bay...I was in Toronto and about to start my very first professional job - co-hosting the morning show in Thunder Bay. I was 21. I got off the plane and took a taxi to the car dealership. Picked up the car - and then remembered. I don't drive standard. But at 21, who cares?
It leaped and stalled and lurched its way off the lot. I'm sure I saw the salesperson turn away in horror.
Took me weeks to figure out how to get out of second gear.
But I adored that car. Drove it well in to fall with the top down. Ecstasy. Finally sold it years later in Quebec City. By then it was a wreck - the windshield washers wouldn't turn off...there was a tear in the roof from where someone had tried to cut it to break in. The poor thing was on its last legs. But I still loved it.
And by this time tomorrow I'll have another VW convertible. but this time a new beetle. A powder blue. Fabulous. We got home about 10:30 last night. Exhausted but delighted.
Been emailing with Michael's wonderful sister Carol, in London. Her first car was one of the original beetles...here's one of her emails from today...(with her permission)
Yes, I had a beetle, but it had its problems. In the end it was what I had told them all along but they wouldn't believe me. It had water in the petrol tank. I would drive up north to ski and it would conk out or just go slow and then speed up and then go slow until it drove me mad. I sent it in for servicing and ended up with VW taking a keen interest in this knit of a
woman who was calling them out of false pretences. At one point they came all the way up to St. Agathe and, of course, the car worked a dream while they were there and as soon as they had left, literally, it started its little game all over again. I had to threaten to paint lemons all over it before they took it in and actually lent me another car for a week (which I managed to back into a telephone pole giving the back bumper a dent). When I picked it up I asked them what they had done. With sheepish faces they said that all was well. How well? Well, a new petrol tank. Oh, yes and where is it? Well its up in the top of our work room. Can I see it - I just want to see the rust. Well, yes, there had been some water rusting up the petrol tank.... After that it was a dream car and I loved it. I could manage to change gears without using the clutch if I got the revs right, but
don't please try that one. Yours will be known as the 'powder-blue-blondie-with-no-roof-on-top - and nobody will be able to steal it 'cause there won't be another around! What fun you will both have!
Writing today has been distracted...stop start. So far only 2 pages done...yikes. I like what I've done but this is really, really slow. Still, trying not to worry. Better at this stage to be good than to be swift. I think I'll be working until midnight! Oh well - I have a used VW powder blue new beetle convertible. How bad can life be???
Tomorrow is a busy day. Writing in the morning - the a photo shoot for Vita Magazine - a french mag - then off to Sherbrooke to pick up the car!!! Yippee. You can be sure I'll have a goofy smile on my face for the Vita photos!
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