http://youtu.be/rq1Iv3DkwVs
Domestic Life
ALL GREAT SHIPS MUST COME TO PORT
My father died on the 4th of this November. By some strange coincidence a character in Poet’s Cottage dies at the same time. I’m not surprised because the creation of Poet’s Cottage and my father’s own journey with his cancer ran parallel lines at times. Even as I sat at his deathbed holding his hand, I was checking final proofs. My father, who supported my writing so much, would have approved.
My father was a huge inspiration on my writing and shared my love of words and nature.
My most grateful thanks to all the Gibson Ward in South Hobart Nursing Staff, Dr Robert McIntosh and Millington Funeral Home for their loving care. 
I know my father’s spirit survived his physical death. I will always look for signs from him and have had a couple already including the most remarkable dream of a blue butterfly the night following his passing.
On the 8th of November, four nights after my father’s death, I woke at 3.28 am and wrote the following lines in my journal.
Communion, time for communion, the moon is waxing. Full, round and glowing. Like bones or the eye of a benevolent god. All ships must come to port. I am not afraid. For you are here. The moon outside the window is whispering not the end of the tale but the beginning. Singing the ancient lullaby to ensure a smooth and sacred passage over uncharted waters to the land of the ancestors and the eye of the moon. I do not sleep. I think of all the great ships who must come to port, the first and last breath and the sweet moments in between. Between the bones, the rigging, lies sacred flesh, a will to live and a blackbird drinking in a birdbath. It is 3.28 am. My father at 4 am took his last breath and swallowed the luminous moon.
Thank you to all the kind people who sent me emails and love and my friends who realised where I had disappeared to. Thank you to Pan Macmillan for support and of course my wonderful agent, Selwa Anthony. It meant a lot to my family that my father was so happy with all the good news surrounding Poet’s Cottage and my other book being picked up before he died.
There are no goodbyes between my father and myself. At the same time, I feel shattered and grief-stricken and thankful that I am checking the proofs of Poet’s Cottage. Words, stories, books have always been my refuge. I will hide myself away in the writing shed and hope my heart will start to beat a little stronger as the days pass.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, — I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! — and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
More Tease than Dita
If you’re on my Facebook, you’ll know I’ve been skiting a bit about going for early morning runs in our local park. I’m really not a running type of person. Yoga yes, but jogging is something I haven’t done since Farrah Fawcett and the Angels jiggled away in the original shows.
But lately, there’s been a lot happening in my life and I find I don’t sleep well at night for the first time ever. So I hope running will help to soothe my jangled nerves and thoughts.
It’s heavenly in our local park. I thought I might be mugged or murdered before I set out, but it seriously looked as if half of Sydney had the same idea to get up before the dawn and run like a crazy thing. There were people running carrying tyres, people running carrying sticks, people running carrying mobiles. People boxing, doing Tai Chi, people walking dogs. People everywhere! And yet the park is so large that somehow we all seem to fit and it doesn’t feel intrusive.
Here’s a couple of shots of where I’ve been running. Can you imagine we have this much green beauty and marshlands on our doorstep? It goes for miles. I love seeing all the wildlife and birds very early in the morning. And it’s literally a five-minute walk from my front door.
I loved it so much on the first morning, that I had to run home and wake my husband up – yes, I’m that cruel – and insist he go running too. This created great excitement in our house with my daughter wanting to run as well instead of going to school. He came back glowing and more awake than I’ve seen him in months. We are now converts to dawn running.
Did you watch The Slap (if you’re in Australia) last week on the ABC? My book club didn’t love the book by Christos Tsiolkas. I was very disappointed in the novel as it had been so hyped and I couldn’t wait to read it – but I found the characters all so revolting and the sex scenes so unbelievable that I couldn’t enjoy it. It was a champion of an idea, however and I take my hat off to him for that.
For once, Ms Australian TV seems to have got it right. I loved the first episode, which didn’t have any quirky characters and in fact featured people that are just like some people I know. So fab to see Essie Davis (my favourite Australian actress) and yes, I know I’ve said it before – but she’s a Tasmanian girl – so there you are! Love Essie.
Lovely Essie Davis
But also Melissa George was really good playing Rosie. I do know a woman who is exactly like Rosie. I think all the elements of the book which I disliked are all diluted on TV and that makes the whole thing work better in my opinion. I also love the idea (as Essie Davis said in an interview) that each character really gets slapped when Hugo is ‘disciplined’ by a fellow barbecue guest who is not his parent. And so I have to admit, that Ms Australia TV has redeemed herself after her last pitiful offering of Underbelly Razor and I shall be watching again tonight. There is a rather good website set up for The Slap here if you want to read more and see some cast videos.
My roses provide me with so much pleasure
My book, Poet’s Cottage has sold to Bolinda audio publishing which is wonderful as my sister has been slowly going blind for many years now. She has retinitis pigmentosa. Last year she was given a guide dog – and so it means a lot to have this particular sale, as you can imagine.
And I know this is more tease than a Dita show but this is my cover of Poet’s Cottage. All I can tell you is that it’s beautiful. I’m in love with it and have spent many happy moments gloating over how wonderful and perfect it is. My agent also loves it. The design team at Pan Macmillan are very clever, wonderful and masterly and I am very thrilled. When I am finally given the go-ahead, I shall post the official picture (the front of this piece of paper) of my new baby here.
And finally, I love this this wonderful badge designed by the very clever Neil Gaiman. Long live libraries and librarians everywhere!
Enjoy your week. Stay creative, happy and thanks for visiting me. xx
image of Essie and The Slap via google image
Anything can happen
David walked out of the door today, on his way to Pan Macmillan, carrying my heart in a hessian bag. Where on earth did September go? To me, it was a blur of rising at 4 and 5am to try to get a few hours of my copy-edit in before Daisy woke.
Finally the copyedit is finished. Check out all those post-it notes!
I loved working on the book so intensely in the last month. Clara Finlay, the editor really pulled me upside down, inside out and shook that book as hard as she could shake – but she was wonderful. I may never meet Clara Finlay, but I feel as if I know her. I felt her over my shoulder the entire time as we went line-by-line, date by date, fact-by-fact, character tone by character tone. We pondered together house-ownership problems and why I’m so obsessed with dentists that I felt the need to include so many in Poet’s Cottage. David said I should have named the book Poet’s Teeth. I do seem to have rather a thing for them, it’s true. And another mystery to me is – why I felt the need for so many people with the surname of Brown in a 100, 0000 word manuscript.
But I’m convinced I am a better writer for this edit. I have vowed never again will I write without having a very detailed plan of my house in both time periods and also meticulous time charts for every character.
I have quite a few blog posts I want to share coming up, including my annual agent’s author event. But I’ve been up since past 1am doing last-minute checks to the manuscript so David could hand deliver it to Pan Macmillan in their city office.
David Levell and Josephine Pennicott take a holiday at The Captain's Cottage
And just as the copy-edit is over, the beautiful Captain’s Cottage in Stanley where my family and I stayed several times whilst I worked on Poet’s Cottage is up for sale. It was in the Australian paper on the weekend. Here are a couple of shots of us at the cottage, relaxing and happy. I wish I had the money to buy it. I have so many happy memories of that house and our trips to Stanley.
Daisy and Josephine Pennicott outside The Captain's Cottage Stanley
Here are also a couple of random shots of my garden which is starting to come alive. These were taken right outside my garden writing shed. My David Austins are taking off as well, so thrilled with my tiny garden.
I am enormously weary but filled with great joy and relief.
Daisy getting married in the Spring garden
And one of the most magic moments in September was seeing Mary Poppins swoop slowly towards me at the historical Capitol Theatre in Sydney. This is the most beautiful theatre to see any show in. Years ago, David and I saw Blondie play the Capitol. The image below is taken from their website.
Around me were the cheers and screams of the excited crowd as she slowly glided through the air of the darkened auditorium. Mary Poppins and I looked at each other and she was as touched and as thrilled by the magic as we were. My daughter was screaming beside me, ‘That’s real magic!’
After Miss Marple, and Jane Eyre, Mary Poppins is one of my favourite characters in fiction.
Now I have to clean my very dusty, brick house and go back to the next book.
Thanks for visiting me. xx
Motherhood
Love the divine Wendy Rule’s beautiful song Radiate which sums up motherhood perfectly.
Copyedit
Even a confirmed Winter lover as myself has to admit I’m enjoying the Spring weather and light in Sydney at the moment. Here is where I am every day in my writing shed.
Yes, we finally have the wall paper up and I love being in there amongst the birds and butterflies. It’s just lovely to work in the garden next to our big old tea-tree and palms and feel as though I’m amongst pink birds and butterflies. Birds and butterflies represent the soul to me and so it’s a great paper for a creative writing shed where we do our soul work. Just this morning, the most beautiful bird with a yellow breast came right to the window to peep at me. It’s magical in my shed!
Over the next month or so we shall be doing more work on the shed to try to create a lovely as space as possible for both our books. My husband is also a writer and so we have to share which we’re good at. Luckily, he is used to my girliness and has long given up fighting I think he was just relieved the paper is duck-egg blue and not pink! I’m looking forward to installing the fairy lights, adding some pretties and growing some roses out the front but first of all I have to cull all the paperwork we’ve collected over the years between us! And at the moment, I’m head down on my copyedit for Pan Macmillan and so things may be quiet on the blog for a couple of week to ensure I reach my deadline in time. All my editors from Pan Macmillan have been so brilliant and it’s a joy to work with them. Because I was nearly 60 000 words into my Currawong book it was a wrench to return to Poet’s Cottage again but I’m loving revisiting the characters and hopefully adding a bit more to the MS as this is one of the last chances I get before publication.
And I’ve been so busy lately doing loads of arty things. We saw the Pre-Raphaelite exhibition on drawing at the AGNSW which I loved. Both David and myself have a big soft for the PRB and it was a treat to see a few of Elizabeth Siddal’s works in this show.
I saw Jane Eyre at the cinema with my friend Artschool Annie. How brilliant was Mia Wasikowska as Jane? Divine casting and I loved this movie version so much I’m going to try to see it twice.
The Tasmanian-looking landscape really made me long for my home state, Thornfield, is my idea of the perfect house and unlike my pervious post on Underbelly Razor, this is a house that actually looks lived in and of the time.
I also really enjoyed.Michael Fassbender as Rochester. A really sublime movie. I think Jane Eyre is such an inspiration for her nobleness, stoic determination and strength.
I hope my daughter loves this book as much as her parents as I think Jane’s a great role-model for young women in today’s climate with the sexualisation of females. Jane doesn’t use her looks to get ahead in life. And Rochester still prefers her to the prettier Blanche Ingram. It’s a tale of hope and as Spring is a season of hope it’s a perfect time to catch this movie.
I also saw Lakme at the Sydney Opera house with the amazing Emma Mathews. This opera was a treat with the divine Emma singing the Duet of the Flowers.
And David and I saw The Mousetrap at this incredible theatre, The Genesian in the heart of Sydney. We originally saw The Mousetrap in the West End in London which was a dream come true for me. But even though this was an amateur production, it was really enjoyable and well done.
This weekend, I have my agent, Selwa Anthony’s annual bash which is always a very grand and inspiring affair. During the day there are author and publishing talks and at night a formal dinner and award ceremony. We are looking forward to attending the Sassies and hopefully, I’ll have time to pop back and do a post about it when I reach my deadline.
Enjoy September and I hope that butterflies and pink birds are fluttering in your soul. Keep Inspired and Keep creative.
And because it’s Spring. Here’s a couple of images from the latest issue of Country Style.
I always love their Spring Issues.
THE WATER FROM YOUR TAP
Some days and weeks are crap, let’s face it. This week I’ve ripped a muscle in my left shoulder from sitting with poor posture on my bed using the computer so I’m in constant pain. Not a good trick to use the computer in such a position and now I’m paying for it.
My six-year-old daughter has decided it’s a good trick to wake us between 3 and 4 am, singing out for us to come and get her from her bedroom so she can sleep with us. I don’t think I’ve had a full night’s sleep since she’s been born.
The washing machine has broken. We have dental work to be done, medical appointments and I can’t keep track of all the things to do at my daughter’s school.
This morning I dropped a can of hairspray onto my antique china wash jug-set and smashed my pretty set in pieces. Lots of tears and the cranky pants went on.
Distracting myself from writing, I came across the following quote from the lovely Liz Earle.
‘Working with people in developing countries is a very humbling experience. You go into the heart of communities where they live with very little, where water coming out of a tap is a cause for celebration, yet they are unfailingly cheerful and completely free of all the hang-ups we seem to have enveloped ourselves with over here,’ she says.
I’ve long been a fan of her ethos when it comes to skincare and can’t recommend her cleanse and polish cleanser enough, but her quote about the attitude of people in developing countries gave me food for thought. I’ve observed the same thing in my travels through India and the Philippines, the innate joy of people there. I particularly like this photo of Liz Earle with her daughter above because I am also very fond of chickens and would love to one day have two chickens as pets. You can read more about Liz here.
Wishing you a lovely week, wherever you are in the world, and the strength to deal with all those billions of frustrations in life to keep you chirpy and creative. And that you truly appreciate the water from your tap.
liz and lily earle and chickens source
Comfort Television
With all the sad news in the media this week, it’s been good to have some quality ‘comfort television’ to retreat to.
In Australia, we’ve just had the new series of Midsomer Murders featuring Neil Dudgeon as cousin Barnaby. I watched the first show, Death In The Slow Lane, with some trepidation, not knowing if I’d like the character. So far, I have to say he is very good and appealing and in particular I love the scenes with his dog Sykes.
Here’s some more information on the little dog here.
David said, ‘oh the dog’s just the smoother for people like you who can’t bear to see Tom leave.’ Probably true but it worked! I also liked the schoolgirl characters (the scholarship girls) who were fun. The script was very confused and a bit muddling and I didn’t really get to understand why the murderer killed certain people but logic always has to be left behind when viewing Midsomer.
The other show I’m really enjoying is on ABC and is a British show called Marshlands.
This eerie tale with three different time periods (1960s, 80s and the present) woven together to show how a house absorbs the energy of its inhabitants in a lovely big house in Yorkshire, is my cup of tea, totally. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens as the story unfolds. Highly recommended for those who love past/present, mysteries and a good supernatural thriller. It also has a link to Midsomer Murders with the casting of Daniel Casey (Sergeant Troy) who plays Scott Maynard. What is your idea of comfort television? Leave me a note, I’d love to know.
Enjoy your weekend. I’m going to celebrate the Spring with my Spiritual Women’s group, attend a lingerie party (my first) and hope to do some more work in my garden writing shed.
And here’s a photo of Johnny Depp just because it’s Friday. xx
johnny depp image source
marshlands image source
midsomer murders image source
sykes image source
Rainbows and Snow
Just back from a rushed trip to Tasmania to see my family.
Hobart as magical as always. Snow capped Mount Wellington and rainbows shimmered over the city for days.
I did nothing except watch Daisy’s excitement to be with her young cousin as she explored the delights of a ‘real’ backyard with a (gasp) trampoline.
At night ferocious winds gusted over my sister’s house – the trampoline was blown over the neighbour’s fence with the winds recently.
I knitted and read yet another Miss Marple.
Since our return we have been relaxing on our holiday break. We are a family who enjoy nothing better than to potter, sleep in, an excursion to a cafe, read and play at home. My daughter found this mermaid on the beach at Manly.
But Hobart , city of rainbows and snow. It is always a wrench to leave her.
AFTER THE WINTER SOLSTICE
This is my favourite time of year as we enter into the dark cave, the belly of winter in Australia.
Garden Angel
Except it’s never quite cold enough in Sydney. I’ve had a headache for two weeks now which I know is because I’m trying to juggle too many things alongside family illness.\
Smuchie outside the writing shedOur writing shed
My publishers and agent Selwa Anthony have started to discuss covers and author photos which is exciting, scary and very distracting!
I’m juggling two books and one short crime story. Yes, I’ve entered again for the annual Sisters In Crime Scarlet Stiletto Awards. This is the shortest space of time in which I’ve written a story for and I feel it probably doesn’t stand a chance as it has a very nasty bite in it. Ever hopeful, I shall submit this dark little tale because you just never know where your luck will flow.
On Saturday I spent a ridiculous amount of money to have my hair dyed to its natural state and I bought a most beautiful vintage-style dress (black with floral print) from a retro shop in King Street, which I have christened my Poets Cottage frock.
Vivien Leigh
At night all I want to do is retire to bed early with a hot water bottle and pile of books.
More Vivien
At day, I’m often in my writing shed which you can see above. We’ve just ordered some lovely bird wallpaper for the shed. I shall post photos when it’s up. And yes, we are going to take down the Hills Hoist in front of it. I do like a Hills Hoist but I’ve yearned for a Granny line for years.
June is coming to an end which is sad. June to me is the month of roses and love. It’s the anniversary of when I first met my writer partner, David Levell. I’m in love with everything rosy, including Jurliques Rose handcream which I’ve been slathering on my dry crocodile hands. That’s my June beauty tip.
And this morning whilst the city was waking, Daisy and I on our way to her natural therapist, Dr Peter Bablis, were peering through the windows of Channel 7’s Sunrise show to see live television at Martin Place and Daisy received a lovely smile and wave from the presenter, Mel.
What a pretty and personable person she comes across as.
J’adore winter. I wish it lasted for longer.
images of vivien leigh source