photo catch-up, trust rewrite finished, focused, fiction!, view from my desk, oxford writer

Posting some catch-up photos from the past 6 weeks.

A pyramid orchid on the verge of the A420 near the stop where I get the bus to work. Swallows nesting in a church porch. Gorgeous wayfaring tree berries beside a green lane. Reflections of old glass on a cottage's wood panelling.

Meanwhile, I've now finished the rewriting of Trust: A family story that I began after attending that Oxford Centre for Life-Writing one-day conference back in January. Was also taking into account comments made by a dear friend.

The result is a shorter, much more focused and, I hope compelling, read.

How many times have I said I've finished Trust? More than I can remember. But this time... And apart from anything else I want to start writing fiction again.

Really thrilled that the View from my Desk piece that I wrote for the Oxford Writer was published this week. One of the things I said was that I don't really have a desk. Most of what I write is tapped into my phone on the S6 bus - as all the Trust rewrites were this spring and summer!

time, why?, change, eyes, casts of light, thanks!, fallen oak bough

Not sure why quite so much time has passed since I last posted.

True, the end of the university term was busy and there was a lot to do on the allotment. There was getting things sorted before going on holiday. Also before an eye op about 10 days ago - the counterpart to the one I had last summer.

But there was time to do other things, including posting. And I intended to, just didn't get round to it.

Not sure what the problem was.

Though the last couple of months have been ones of change and rethinking. Perhaps that was it.

Am I transformed? No but definitely different, I think. Looking at the world afresh.

Literally in the case of the eyes. Casts of light seen for the first time in ages that take me straight back to an experience long ago and its associated feelings.

Thanks to M.C., my surgeon.

The picture, above? The bough of an oak, fallen but still close up against the tree, in a hedge by a cornfield several weeks ago. I was walking our dog along Hayway Lane when we heard it go. I wondered if I'd see the fallen branch later, and I did.