The Map of You

How are we all? It's a sunny and pleasantly warm day here on the Three Counties Border, so I've been out in the garden absorbing me some sun-ray vitamin D. I've washed my poor grubby little blue car so it actually looks blue again. I've done a bit of gardening in the form of raking up more leaves; the oak tree was a bit late shedding this year and I am suspicious it did it on purpose. Still, all good exercise. And I've cleaned out Nancy's house. She has laid another egg. I don't think I've ever had a hen lay such handsome-looking eggs approaching her fourth year.

And now I have come inside because the urge to write is upon me and I've a tidy hour to fill before I crack on making Sunday dinner. I was tempted to stay outside and do some weeding and pruning but the ground is so claggy with all the rain we've had I decided against it. I need some new wellies and my gardening clogs won't cut tramping through muddy borders, not without me getting filthy socks anyway.

I've been reading this book. It is what I call a 'keeper' book, that is, one that shall remain on the bookshelves for the rest of my days and be constantly perused. It is an absolute cracker...

It is all about how and why writers create maps of the worlds they write about in their fiction. It is a fascinating, absorbing and inspiring read, especially the chapter contributed by Cressida Cowell entitled, 'First Steps - Our Neverlands.' Cressida Cowell wrote the 'How To Tame Your Dragon' series, by the way, in case you are thinking you've heard of her but can't quite think from where or why. The book is chock full of maps of imaginary lands and it has inspired me to create my own imaginary land, not just in my head which I have done many times in the past but as a tangible object. Because, as we head into the 2020s I've been having lots of thoughts about where I am travelling with my life, now I am free of teaching.

I've been meditating, letting thoughts drift in and out of my head. What shall I do in 2020? What shall I do to make it a hugely better year than 2019 which, when I reflect on it, was a bit shite, really. A couple of happy spots, but generally too rough and emotionally challenging for my liking, with a lot of triggers beyond my control.

But 2020! Ooooh, it is looking a bit shiny and tantalising! So far, on my 'Possibility List' I have these things:

1) Learn how to use a loom. I was fortunate enough to receive a rigid heddle loom (24") for Christmas. It is sitting on the table in front of me NOW, this very minute, looking at me in a slightly passive/aggressive way, daring me to warp it up and commence battle. I am delaying the moment by 'researching' techniques and trying to get my head around the technical vocabulary. I think I can hear it laughing at my cowardice!

2) Practise doing the splits. I am fairly flexible but I want to be able to do the splits. Don't ask me why. Just seems like a good thing to do.

3) Learn how to make a corset. I've already researched corset making classes in my area and of such there are none. I may need to go this one alone.  Me, You Tube, some fancy and quite possibly awkward-to-sew fabric and some boning. Can you imagine??

4) Complete my novel and try to get it published. Even if I self-publish, just get it FINISHED, for the love of St Francis de Sales, the patron saint of writers. I have the urge to publish an extract on this blog, just to see if I can get a bit of feedback.

5)  Limit TV watching to BBC1, BBC2 and BBC4. This is because I have become increasingly irritated by watching programmes that are interrupted every ten minutes by annoying adverts. I think it is affecting my attention span. Therefore, I am going to choose my television watching carefully, and watch properly, and rid myself of the habit I've developed of bouncing up from the sofa every ad break to go and do something else like wash up, or tidy something away. It's messing with my head, man!

6) Resume piano practise. I read an article the other day which said if you want to learn something new, try devoting just 15 minutes EVERY DAY to it. After a year you'll be about 91 hours more proficient than you were the day you started. Makes sense. Well, to me anyway.

That's how far I've got so far with my meditative wanderings. Still got a couple of days to go until 1st January. Why do we start these things on 1st January? I might buck the trend and start my New Year on another date.