Cornish Dreamer

Today, we woke up very early so that K could get ready and leave for the airport; lucky thing is going to New York for a few days (though, I have to admit, I don't envy her the flight...it's a windy ol' day, which will mean a bumpy take off). So I'll have the house to myself and I will try not to get scared by the various creaks and knocks that all old cottages seem to have, though I will definitely be shutting down the attack-room's trap door to make me feel like there's not a dark gaping hole in the ceiling (think I've watched one too many horror movies!!!).

As usual, of late, I have lots of projects on the go but "avoidance" is quite an easy trap to fall into (call it procrastination, if you prefer). But I have dreams. Yesterday, K said to me: what are you doing about it? And all I could think of were the various unfinished plans not completed projects. So my motto for today is: Action not distraction :-)

I've started a new challenge for myself: to write something creative for at least twenty minutes per day (I would take all the credit for the idea but it was actually K that suggested it, for which I'm very grateful because it's getting my creative juices flowing again). Yesterday's blog entry was a result of the first twenty minutes.

I wasn't sure I'd be able to write again - the block has been pretty consistent over the past couple of years - but I found that, once I started typing, I kept on going. I could have written for a lot longer, in fact. My whole head was filled up with story ideas and images of mysterious islands and magical creatures. Of course, it's never good to get too carried away when you're supposed to be working...so I kept to my twenty minutes.


When I was in the process of moving house (the first time), I found "THE COFFIN" - a big box where I dumped all of my old bits of writing that I either 1. never finished, or 2. didn't like. (Mostly, they fitted into category number one!). I was surprised at how prolific my imaginings were. There were so many printed bits of paper, full notebooks of almost illegible scrawl, and scraps of writings on pink Post-It notes. And I found myself wondering: where do all of those little thoughts and bits of inspiration go during a block. Do they hide somewhere deep inside, waiting to be given their freedom, or do they just slowly fade away until, eventually(hopefully), new ones come along to replace them?

Another new thing I've started: to treat myself to one thing (any thing...it doesn't have to be a purchase, it could be doing something just for me) every day. The other day, I found myself looking at stationery again (every writer I know has a thing about buying notebooks or pens or some such thing) but there was this unusual cold feeling of emptiness when I looked at the shelves. I wasn't writing anymore, and I realised that I missed it. It's like stepping into another world. A little adventure everytime you set pen to paper or start typing on the computer.

So I'm trying to write again. I do hope that you can bare with me during this little foray.

Tu:
A rare breed of very intelligent mole that lives on a small, uncharted island off the north coast of Cornwall. They are typically six foot tall (when standing on their hind legs) and, unlike many misconceptions, have incredibly sharp eyesight, which is only beaten by their sense of smell (It is said that the average Tu can smell the scent of Cornish Pasties from 20 miles away, though it is a smell they abhor).
The Tu speak an earthly language known as Tu-Tu, a dialect of which is said to have been the origins of the Cornish language itself.
The Great Tu leader “Wannapaka Tu-loo” was reportedly the teacher of Saint Piran (or Perran) who, after drifting for many days tied to a millstone, was spotted off of the Tu’s island and rescued. Piran then learned the secrets of mining tin from the moles and went on to become the patron saint of mining in Cornwall.
The Tu are peace-loving vegetarians who eat sea-cabbage and wild leek, having evolved far beyond their worm-eating cousins. Their fur is renowned to be of the highest quality due to the moles’ bathing rituals and application of special oils derived from worm-nuts*, though no hunter has ever returned from the island.



*the worm-nut is a difficult to obtain groundnut that grows deep underground in the passages worms make when burrowing through the earth.

Little by little, change happens. It does so without you really noticing, then something big changes and it takes you by surprise.

I can't tell you some of the things that are going on at the moment. I can't talk about some of the biggest changes in my life. That's the problem when you lose some of your anonymity, it makes you feel vulnerable somehow.

What I can say is that I'm going to Poland for a few days in December and that I'm doing a computer course in order to change my profession. I'm also (slowly) building a proper website for my blog and portfolio because photography continues to be a big part of my life.

For the past few weeks, we've been surviving without a fridge. The one that was in the house already had lost its gas and was, apparently, not repairable (a.k.a. not worth repairing). To begin with, we were confident that we didn't actually need one but we've had a change of heart on that.

It's been interesting without a fridge. I quickly discovered that, especially first thing in the morning, you should slop the milk around in the plastic carton before opening it. Any signs of it having gone off is invaluable (i.e. you know it's not good when the milk looks like lumpy yoghurt), because opening it without first checking can leave your stomach churning for hours.

After one too many pints of milk going sour, we got the fridge sorted out yesterday. It'll be interesting getting used to not having to check the milk before I make my morning cuppa :-)

It's raining again today, and cold too. With that and the clocks having going back yesterday, it's all too much of a reminder that winter is closing in on us. I'm suffering from sunshine withdrawal symptoms but, on the plus side, it's the kind of weather that makes you feel good about spending time indoors. Okay, so trying roasted chestnuts was a mistake (yuck), but snuggling up on the sofa to a good movie and not feeling like I'm missing good weather is a bonus :-)

Things are finally settling down now. There's still a huge amount of junk I have to either 1. sell; 2. give away, or 3. throw away. I'm not in that required "space" to concentrate on that right now, I'm prefering the classic "avoidance" approach by going out to play squash and taking the time to study for the computer course I've started. It's only when you live out of a bag for a couple of months that you begin to realise how little you actually need to get by but it's still an awful lot of effort to sit yourself down and decide to get rid of the excess.

Thinking about avoidance...I've got to get back to work. I hope you've all had a good weekend.

RT

The theme for this year, methinks, is change. I've been on the move again, this time to a little cottage on the north coast. Belongings have come out of the storage facility (much, of which, I've discovered I don't actually need so will have to sell!), and it looks like I might be able to settle down for a few months. It's a beautiful location, a beautiful cottage with plenty of space, and I'm living with my beautiful lady. :-) I am very content in this little space and time I've found.

All is going well and, tomorrow, we should even have broadband so I might be able to catch up with a few blogs.


I believe I have Becky to thank for a blog award. I am very grateful :-) I will blog more about that as soon as I can.