Always things to do!

It's another Sunday night and Mitzi and I have returned from an evening walk on the cliffs. It's almost 10 o'clock and dusk is finally falling. But an hour ago it was still light and although the wind almost blew me away, the sea was mesmerizing as always.

A small cruise liner that steamed quickly upriver past us on its way out to sea from Waterford

We have often watched an old movie with Rex Harrison called "The Ghost & Mrs. Muir" (yes, it was also a 1960s TV series.) About a widow who buys a lonely cottage on the Devon coast haunted by a sea captain. When I walk along the cliffs or perch on the grass and watch the waves crashing in, I am reminded of the movie. R had often talked about having a little cottage like that. The reality, however, doesn't enchant him quite as much. The rain, the wind.... I don't seem to mind it as much. Probably because of my growing up in Montreal where weather like this is mild in comparison. 

I also have far more to occupy myself than he does. The cemetery project continues and will continue until the day before I board the boat or plane to go back to the States. My goal is to have enough photo files so that even when I am back in the States I still have a month of transcriptions to keep me busy.

And then there is the "real" writing that can take place. I went to a memoir writing workshop yesterday in Tramore, which is a seaside town about 11 kms from here. It was a small workshop, only 9 people, and the leader was very low key. All she did was to give us small cues to do some 10-minute "sketches" of people and places, food, that we remember from the past. Sounds like nothing in a way but actually it was very freeing. 

Our leader gave us the sheet with the caricature of the man above with writing prompts--what is his name? what kind of family does he have? interests and hobbies? secret life? She told us to make up a story for him and those prompts were a great help. (I decided his name is Martin Freewhistle--he just seemed to suit that name.) And then she gave each of us a different object, mine being that red silk rose, and told us to write a story about the object--where did it come from, who used it, etc.--and I had loads of fun with that. 


When I am at home, it is difficult for me to sit and write. Which is why my blogs are spaced several days apart. I am always being distracted. But there, at the workshop, with fellow writers grouped around a large square table, it was easy to start a stream of consciousness. I wrote about an old friend, now deceased, about an experience I'd had in South Africa, about a restaurant meal. . .and it was so much fun!! And it has inspired me to keep sitting down with my blog as much as possible.

My other creative venture this week was a Wednesday morning spent with a painting group. My first drawing turned out okay but my second is, to put it nicely, a "work in progress." But it was lovely to be with a group of women who just paint and create for the fun of it. We chatted, we laughed, we ate brownies. 

Once again I wonder "How can I leave this? I feel so "alive" here. Yes, the weather is challenging a lot of the time, my joints ache like crazy. But there is such potential for real life here." And then I receive a photo like this and I realize that family is forever.

My great grandmother never knew my mom or my aunt. Never shared in their lives. Yes, thanks to Facebook, the kids can read about Grandma's adventures and see the photos. And we can FaceTime each other. But I miss the hugs and kisses. And being there for the big events like birthdays and church stuff. So the plan is still to return to Arizona in November. Still don't know where exactly we will live but things have a habit of working out.