Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist)

Welcome and come on in.  What is your poison today– I have almost everything in the hot drink department including herbal and green teas, and you are still limited in the cold drinks to water, water or water with cordial. I do have fizzy water that you are welcome to try.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you that this has been a week which has given me a touch of finality. On Thursday I officially graduated. I am always amazed at the range of emotions that these ceremonies bring out. They are not compulsory to attend but I do, I say for my Mother’s sake, but if I were truly honest it would be because it does give a sense of finality and belief that you have achieved that goal that took so long to reach. I felt proud that I had stuck it out despite on occasion wanting to chuck it in. I think also I finally admitted to myself that I do know a lot on my given subject and know there is so much more to find out. All up it was a lovely day (apart from Bundy hurting himself before we left).

© irene waters 2017

© irene waters 2017

© irene waters 2017

© irene waters 2017

© irene waters 2017

I have been guilty at times of thinking that education is wasted on the young. In this manoeuvre I understood why it is necessary that it is those with youth that graduate. Try as I did I could neither launch myself from the floor or overcome years of training not to throw anything away  – I could not release the hat.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you that Bundy had  a fall in the morning as he chased Muffin in the park. When pain killers and anti-inflammatories did not ease his discomfort we took him to the vet who kept him in and x-rayed him. Luckily it is just severe arthritis and he is now on bedrest for three weeks. Already he is much improved and insisted on going around to the coffee shop this morning. They give him a treat which he loves.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you that we had another almost disaster on Tuesday. I’d requested that Roger stop it from going right to the floor as a wonderful breeze comes in underneath it. He easily did this but forgot to change where it stopped at the other end. When he put it up it overshot the stop point and started to twist. By the time I was aware that there was a problem Roger had removed one of the tension wires and that totally finished twisting the door out of shape. Bolts were popping out. I of course arrive on the scene and suggest this should be underdone because that would stop it hitting the wall , then the ceiling. At one point the metal holding the top of the door popped off and flew across the room it was under so much pressure. At this point I realised one of us was likely to be injured. Nothing was holding the top of the door up and the bottom of the door was also unrestrained. Luckily Roger also realised that we had dug ourselves a hole that this time we needed professional help to get out of. Everyone we rang told us we would have to wait for two weeks. One gave us a number of someone who maybe could help and he was there within the hour. Fixed it quickly, the door wasn’t permanently damaged and didn’t charge us a fortune. We were lucky.

© irene waters 2017

Otherwise I have had a lovely week. Some writing, some reading, a bit of gardening, dancing several times and generally keeping on top of things. I have just finished a book called All is not forgotten by Wendy Walker and I will review that this week. Currently I am reading Relativity by Antonia Hayes. I also took my Mum to see Victoria and Abdul. She absolutely loved it. I’m ashamed to say I went to sleep. I don’t know how much I missed but I could pick up the story again easily. I think it was a bit slow moving and predictable for me.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you that coming up is the month of competition being held by Carrot Ranch. This is preceeding the launch of the first anthology. A party on the 3rd October kicks the whole event off. Prizes are being given – drawn from those who comment before 10am, 2pm and 6pm New York time. I will work out the difference and post the equivalent Australian time for these events. There are 8 competitions being held over October – one each Tuesday and Thursday. I am hosting the fourth event. Each contest chair sets the topic, rules of entry and organises judges. The winning entries will be judged for best overall writer. Cash prizes. Visit Charli at Carrot Ranch for further details. I think it is going to be a lot of fun.

Now it is your turn. How was your week? Has your weather been warmer/colder, wetter/drier. Have you read any good books or seen any good films?  Thank you for dropping in for coffee and thank you to our weekend coffee host, Diana, from part-time monster for having us and giving us a place to meet up.