home from my retreat

I got home a bit after five, my sweet patootie glad to see me, the dog home (as in not run away!) dylan on the stereo, a curry dinner in progress, bread just out of the oven, the phone and internet working - people wanting to book or cancel or find me - the full meshugass! (look that up in your Yiddish Funk & Wagnals)

My office is a pig sty and my back is sore but was it worth it? Hell yes.

I got to the Elizabeth Bishop House at noon on Friday and I stopped writing today at 3:30 pm. When I wasn't writing I was sleeping, eating, reading (editing books except at night), or knitting lace. There was nothing to do there and that was the delicious point. The whole place is designed to drive you to your discipline. Just a neat old house like your old country auntie might have lived in. Odd rambling rooms, funny linolium everywhere, doilys, a pump organ and NOTHING to do. Yes. I did go for two walks but they were short because it was damn cold. I read about Bishop's life on my little breaks and walked around taking photos of the various things of interest.

For more of these - do go to my other site - Living the Complicated Simple Life where I'll do an essay on home photo safaris.

Here is the wee bedroom I slept in - Elizabeth's own as a child.

Isn't it too dear? I slept well and I was worried about that. No dog, no man, weird noises...

This is the dining room - oh it was all heaven.I could look out the window at the dykelands going down to the sea It was one of the two places I wrote in.

The other one was the library. Full of books by and about Elizabeth Bishop. Lots of distractions. 

 Yes. It was a good trip. And I'll go again. I got lots done - more on my process in a later posting - this is just to let you know I'm good, I'm home and I know I didn't post a Friday Challenge. Couldn't. No internet, and none at home the night before. They like to get paid apparently - just from time to time. Jeesh.