Monday 4 November 2013

What´s In the Oven

I need a good editor, a professional.

I am writing, but it is a tough slog. I cannot find the thread that joins together all these random tales. I keep writing, though... I feel like I am knitting, knitting, knitting. I start a new row every day and just continue going, and at the end I will have a woollen Thing that is huge and well-wrought and snuggly, but pointless. Good for nothing.

I am feeling a lot better physically, but I am low. People still write to me out of the blue, asking for advice usually. I always answer them eventually. But lately my responses are evidently, well... less than upbeat. A kindly lady who wants to find a comprehensive solution to the massive litter problem on the camino says I am "just telling (her) all the reasons why this WON´T work, so (she) just wants to give up and walk away from the whole project." And she is right. I keep cleaning up the same trash, year after year, and I get no kind of support from the Powers That Be. (Indeed, one camino brahmin says camino clean-uppers are "neurotic German hygiene enforcers!"  

So I will leave the ambitious comprehensive projects to those who feel called to solve problems in a comprehensive, systemic way. I love to be part of solutions, but I have only ten fingers -- not enough to keep in all the pies that are baking.

Here is what´s in the oven now:

The book.

Buying and planting a tree on the camino in memory of Rev. Philip Wren, an English pilgrim who died this spring out on the trail.

Planting a strapping big chestnut tree in the plaza mayor, to make up for the several magnificent plane trees chopped down here in Moratinos in recent days. (I still don´t understand why.)

Finding a home for little Ruby, who is growing less little every day. Seems nobody who´s going to Sweden wants to get involved in transporting dogs.

After Thursday, taking whatever pilgrims show up looking to stay at Bruno´s place, seeing as Bruno is going on holiday and closing up shop for a week or so. 

Holding a big powwow at Peaceable the first week of December. It combines a Hospitalero Training session with three or four days of trail cleanup and a re-dig and reset of the much-neglected labyrinth.

A trip to the United States at the tail-end of the year. My son Philip is getting married in Ohio, and I need to be there. (I bought a great dress for that. And today the Hat arrived, a hat I ordered from England. A
black wool pillbox hat with a bow on the back and a little net veil in front... it is splendid! Now to figure out how to stick it onto my big head!)

Winter is long around here. I book it up. There´s a shopping trip to London at the end of January, for the Wedding Part II that´s planned for May. Philip is marrying into a huge Pakistani-American family, and the big blowout three-day celebration calls for some ethnic outfitting... an opportunity to shop the princess-worthy boutiques of London with my friend Leena. And piggy-backing onto that, a walking retreat on the Camino Ingles, a week of spirituality -- just what you need the first week of February.

Mix into all this the daily Dog Wrangle (we still have six); and the always-possible lottery jackpot win, and the ongoing battle of Conditional subjunctives, which I have pretty well given up on...

And that is what makes up a life.

7 comments:

Deirdre said...

I love that hat! Extremely stylish! Congratulations on the upcoming nuptuals! Let me know if you are stopping on the East Coast!

claire bangasser said...

You will simply look sensational, Rebekah :-)
Sending you tropical rainy greetings you way.

Ingrid said...

You'll outshine them all at the Wedding and for sure, your life ain't boring.

Enjoy your CI retreat... you can tell me all about it once you are home again. Thinking of walking there a bit.

Not touching the "trash" subject, not wearing my gloves ;-), but it was discussed just a bit at the pilgrims meeting in Toronto. Like I always say, pick up your own, one less pile to worry about.

Hope you find a person who make something pretty out of your "woolen pile".

Hugs, Ingrid

Melissa said...

A fascinator! Perfect! And may all your pies turn out to be finger-lickin' good.

EileenHamer said...

If you really want an editor, contact Elizabeth Lyon, the best editor ever. She knows her stuff. Check out her book, Manuscript Makeover, for a taste of what you'd be getting.

For the rest,wow. Gee, how do you ever fill all your extra time? Have fun at the wedding, remember you are not the Camino's housekeeper, feel free to close he doors and hole up alone (almost) now and then.

JUST SAY NO once in a while.

RenegadePilgrim said...

So, what you're saying is your life isn't much different than anyone else's with the ups and downs that go along with it? :) I hope Ruby finds a home soon...I also hope your trip to the US is a good one and the weather isn't too cold.

I always appreciate the honesty in your blog posts Rebekah.

Anonymous said...

After writing 200 pages about my Camino, I didn't know what to do with it. Then stumbled upon Blueprinting your Bestseller by Stuart Horwitz. Gave me renewed interest in my project. Good luck:)