Two old smoothies - and mars

stunningly beautiful day - not a cloud, hot, temps 27

Went swimming this morning, and hoping to go again in a few minutes. Yummy day. Just glorious. Signed and drove to Richford, Vermont to mail a few books. Did some food shopping. Then home for the swim, and to do the Kirkus review questions on the audio book of BURY YOUR DEAD. Kirkus (a prestiguous US literary magazine gave the book a starred review and has declared the audio book an october hot read - thanks to Ralph Cosham who does the narration - brilliantly).

Then went out - only to return to hear I'd missed the phone call for the interview for Le Voix de l'est - newspaper.

ooops.

I thought the interview was for 4pm. Seems it was for 2pm. I know where I made my mistake. the difference between 4pm and 1400 hrs. They said quatorze heures and I heard quatre heures. The French here use the 24 hour clock - the English use the am/pm clock.

Either way, I was wrong. So I called her up and fortunately, no harm done.

Thank's to Michael's son, Victor, who just spent almost a week with us, we are now starting the day with fruit smoothies. Vic showed us how, and we now do bananas, blueberries, strawberries and soy milk. Fabulous.

Michael got up at 5am a few mornings ago (0500hrs) to look at Mars. Apparently it will not be this bright again for 5,000 years - so seemed worth the effort. But he had a difficult decision...wake me up, or let me sleep. He knows me. He let me sleep. Especailly since I was in the final throes of finishing the fourth draft and he knows how precious sleep is for that (and for peace in our home).

But last night he came in about 10 pm with the binoculars and said, 'I'd like to invite you to Mars' - so off we went to the upper balcony, and there was Mars - brilliant in the night sky.

Amazing life.

catching my breath

sunny and warm now, but raining earlier temps 22...we're in Montreal

Phew...what a whirlwind. Amazing, fun, breath-taking. Yippiiiee. The phone and messages haven't stopped all day. I still have more than 100 emails to respond to. Not totally certain I'll get to them all.

Thank you, each and everyone, for your support, your celelbrations, your joy and your company. Your wanting me to win, but not caring if I didn't.

Did interviews today with 2 CBC Radio Shows...there're articles on CBC.ca and The Globe and Mail. Had to turn down a French interview because I was feeling so frazzled I knew I'd just butcher it...but I invited the reporter down to Sutton and said we could talk there, where it's more peaceful. Have an interview on Wednesday at noon with Vita Magazine - the French version of More. And then at 4pm with Chatelaine - which is a big Canadian women's magazine.

It's actually a bit like running full blast and hitting a wall. Deeply unexpected. A little stunning. Oddly bruising. But also - to get away from the wall analogy - very, very wonderful.

It gets a little confused because I'm also fighting to finish book 7 - and being away for so long (at least it feels like that) it took all day just re-reading and editing the previous two chapters to feel I was in anyway 'back' there in Three Pines with Gamache. And then the phone would ring...or there'd be an urgent email about an interivew or a photograph. Oh...I need to get a couple photos from the event...of just me and the Agatha. Michael took a few but other people - especially the glorious Hank Phillippi Ryan who won for BEst Short Story, were in his shots. In fact, that's one of the photos also on the facebook page.

But if any of you were there and have a photo of just me, me, me holding the Agatha teapot, I'd appreciate a copy.

I got absolutely no new writing done today - but I think I'm almost back to where I should be in terms of head-space.

Having said that - I know this may never, every happen again and I need to really savour it...and I am.

thank you again for all your kind words and encouragement!!!

Trip home was easy - short US air flight to Burlington. The only hitch was at the Phillipsburg border crossing back into Canada. Only two customs lanes open. Huge long line. I, of course, got into the slow one. And I mean SLOW. But we cleared eventually. got to the Montreal apartment...ordered pizza - and exhaled. Phew... that I think is always the best part...getting back quietly and being able to just slip into PJs, eat pizza, and smile.

Tomorrow Michael takes the car in - winter tired finally off...while I write. Then we have a Palliative Care talk late in the afternoon followed by a buffet supper with the organizor, a friend named Kappy Flanders.

We have friends with interesting names. Kappy. cotton. Wilder. susan. Well, her name is fine, it's the woman who's strange.

Will try to speak to you tomorrow. Be well - and thanks for the company.