Thursday, November 11, 2010

Knickers and queens

Book News:

I'm delighted to discover that The Girl in the Painting sold 90 copies in October alone at Waterstone's even in spite of being given a one-star rating by two people. I'm thrilled my so far only literary lesbian short story is doing so well, and I hope the other 88 readers might have enjoyed it slightly more. You never can tell, eh.

This week's meditations:


Meditation 457
To understand to the full
all the tragedies to come
in a person’s life

is the darkest shadow
of being a prophet
or God.


Meditation 458
Hidden beneath
the kaleidoscope
of things we do wrong

is the slow, sure purpose
of life:
trust it.


Meditation 459
When all there is to a life
is war, injury and sin

it’s best to lie low
and keep the children in.


Life News:

Much to my delight, the Queen appeared on Facebook earlier in the week and, naturally, I'm a fan. Noblesse oblige, eh. Weirdly though, she now seems to have vanished so perhaps it was all too much for one? Or at least she's vanished on my version of FB, so a prize of one palace and an heir apparent to the person who can solve the mystery of the disappearing Queen. The plot thickens indeed ...

Meanwhile, I have been thrilled and strangely heartened by this unexpected prize-winner - scroll down a little to the video of what happened, which is so definitely worth watching. Good for her is what I say! Even more strangely however, K also got the whole phrase from only one letter after I told him the one piece of information the lucky female contestant knew and gave him a very small and subtle clue. Hey, it should have been us on that thar cruise! Assuming of course K would choose me to go with.

This is also the week where I have actually gone out and commenced my Christmas shopping. Groan. How I hate Christmas (bah, humbug, we cry once more as we in fact do each year!). Lordy but I'm sad.

Anyway, the good news is that the tricksy neighbours have actually sent us a cheque for their proportion of the building insurance, put out the bunting and huzzahs galore. So we don't have to resort - yet! - to Plan B, though I am holding fire until I see that it's gone through, call me cynical eh. Still, it's potential good news and I am grateful for it. I do long though to be out of here and in a place of our own, please God soon. Where be our buyers?? Or indeed viewers??? I fear I am rapidly losing faith with Mann Countrywide, so am glad we only signed a 10-week contract with them which takes us up to Christmas. Let's see if they can do something useful by then, but don't hold your breath. Really, it's so disappointing that I can hardly bear to think about it. Our current plan is that, after Christmas, we won't renew with them if they're doing nothing, but will try to see if we can part-exchange the flat for a new house - there do seem to be plenty around in our price range. I suppose we'll have to wait and see.

And tonight, K and I are off the the theatre - wind and rain permitting - to see The Knicker Lady, so hang on to your drawers, girls, as anything could happen.

Anne Brooke

2 comments:

Lover of Books, Films and Good Coffee Shops Everywhere! said...

I learnt this from 'Loose Women' - oh the shame! Apparently people had been posting pics of the queen on facebook with her head stuck on various 'interesting' bodies. She was 'not amused'. So that might be why her listing has disappeared......

Don't lose heart on the flat - people will have their heads full of 'christmas' at the moment so you might find things will pick up come January - we've got everything crossed for you.

Sue
XXX

Anne Brooke said...

Thanks, Sue! That will explain the mystery - naughty FB people!

Weirdly, we're reassured by alleged experts that Christmas only comes into play in the house-buying world in the last week of November/first week in December - and certainly there have been loads of houses coming on the market in the last few days - apparently the thing is that everyone wants them on before Christmas rather than afterwards so they don't have to wait to Spring to move. I suspect our unpopularity is due to being a flat as everyone wants a house and garden these days and sadly we have neither. Ah well!