Yes.......I'm at a writers conference for the weekend.  I have appointments to meet with two agents.  Here's hoping they might be interested in representing SEEKING SYDNEY. 

Wishing all of you a good weekend.  Can you believe that a week from today it's February 1?  If you can figure out a way to slow down time......please do share it with me. 

See you here at Island Writer next week after I return............

Okay....first off......I want to say that I'm not a "follower" of Oprah's book club.  I was.  Years ago.  But after purchasing 7 or 8, I realized there was only one, maybe two, that I truly enjoyed.  Her taste in reading and mine differs.  But when I heard about The Pillars of the Earth, I decided to go to Amazon and check it out on my own.  It sounded like something I'd enjoy.  And am I ever enjoying it!

Not a quick read, at 973 pages!  But it's an easy and thoroughly enjoyable read.  It's the type of book that reminds me it's not the "destination" but rather, the "journey."  I read for about an hour or two each evening and I'm a little over 300 pages now.

This is my first Follett book.  He normally writes thriller and that's not my favorite genre.  Also, this book was actually written in 1989 and who knows what I was reading then.  It's an epic historical fiction and has really kept me turning the pages.  To quote the book jacket:

Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known ...of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect--a man divided in his soul ...of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame ...and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state and brother against brother.

 

I'm totally mesmerized with this book.  Just recently, after reading this and that, I said, "Gosh, it's been ages since I read a really, really, good book."  Well, folks, I found it!  Everything about it is great.  The characters, the time period, the plot. 

Years ago I used to read a lot of Regency or Victorian novels......many took place in England and I did always enjoy the time period.  The Pillars of the Earth takes place in twelfth-century England and I'm captivated.  Maybe I need to read more historical novels?  Got any ideas? 

In the meantime, I'm truly enjoying this one, and I'm glad I went and checked it out on Amazon.  If you're looking for a superb read, I can highly recommend this one.

See you here next time.............

. . . Here at Island Writer

You may have noticed a new page to the right on my sidebar titled "Sketching/Art Blogs."  And you may recall that last year I was in the process of learning on my own (with the help of books) to put together a travel sketchbook to capture spending my 60th birthday in Paris last March.  Well, this need to sketch hasn't gone away, so I've decided to pay some attention to it.

I've signed up to take three pen and ink classes next month at the Arts Center downtown.  And in preparation for that I found myself browsing various blogs that had to do with sketching and art.  Granted, I'll never be as good as most of them.  But they inspire me.  And like anything else, I've always found that sometimes surrounding yourself with like-minded people has a way of working a bit of osmosis.  (I'm hoping this will be the case)  And I'm "meeting" the most delightful, creative and talented people via the blogs I have listed on my new page.  Some live in California, one is in Tuscany and even one in my beloved Paris.  If you're interested in sketching or drawing, do pay them a visit.

And the photo you see above is my arrangement of "tools" that I hope will continue to increase my love for sketching.  I got myself some books to try and learn the basics.  I have my pencils, my micron pens, my watercolor pencils and watercolor paints, erasers and plenty of sketchbooks.  The one in the photo is the ongoing one I'm doing from my Paris birthday last year.  I also have the enthusiasm to go with all the tools.  I guess it's only a matter of time before I find out if I have any skill to add. 

But ya know what?  I'm really not concerned about the skill.  I'm just plain enjoying all of it.  Sitting down and focusing on something and then using hand and eye coordination to try and capture it with a pen or pencil on paper.  It's fun, enjoyable and relaxing.  I don't care if it's "good."  Years ago though, I would have.  A lot.  Perhaps that's why I never attempted it until recently.

I know I've always been "creative."  Writing is something I've been doing since I was a small child and that love not only grew, but it improved over the years.  Although I can't play a musical instrument to save my life or carry a tune......I have always resonated with music.  The same goes for dance.  Years ago I spent many enjoyable hours doing counted cross stitch and all of you here know I returned to knitting four years ago.....and now, there's no stopping me.  And photography......another love that goes back many years.  I became so captivated with photography that I took a few courses in college and it only made me love it more.  And now.....now there seems to be a need, a pull, deep inside of me to create with a pen or pencil and a bit of color.  Maybe that need was always there, just like the other artistic things I've enjoyed.  But maybe, I didn't think I "could." 

Strange, isn't it?  How we reach a certain age and all of a sudden.........all things become very possible.  I'll keep you posted on this.

See you here next time..............

You might recall that a week ago Friday I went with the docents from the Historical Society for a day off the island.  We met at 10:30 and left Cedar Key in a convoy of about four cars, all heading first to The Ivy House of Alachua Restaurant.  The beautiful house above was once owned by George, a member of our Historical Society.  Now turned into individual dining rooms, it was easy to visualize it as a private home.

Our group had our own dining area and we enjoyed a delicious chicken salad on croissant with a fresh garden salad.  I apologize for the darkness of the photos......my batteries were low.

They were still decorated for Christmas, with their tree up and it added a cozy and warm ambiance to a cloudy, rainy day.

Following lunch, we headed to the historic Haile Homestead in Gainesville.  We were fortunate to have a private tour with Karen, the docent.  And again I apologize for the next photo.....I just realized that my batteries were totally dead, because the rest of the photos that I took at Haile didn't come out.  However, this is what the outside of the house looks like from their brochure.

The homestead is a unique Classic Revival style plantation home with Cracker influences.  It was built by Thomas Evans and Esther Serena Chesnut Haile from 1854 to 1856.  The 6,200 sq. ft. home has been carefully restored to its original appearance.  Enslaved craftsmen constructed the house out of native materials.

Haile Homestead is in its original location on a 40-acre remnant of what was once a 1,500-acre Sea Island cotton plantation.  The Haile family farmed the site until the latter part of the 19th century, after which it became a place where Gainesville's elite came for parties hosted by Evans Haile, a gregarious attorney in Gainesville and one of the youngest sons of Thomas and Serena Haile.

The house itself was similar to many others that I've visited around the world.  However, this one was quite unique in one particular way.  It had talking walls.  Yes, talking walls.  No.....we couldn't actually "hear" them.  We read them.  The Haile family had the unusual habit of writing on the walls. (To think I got punished for doing this as a toddler) Shopping lists, wise sayings, agricultural records, lists of party-guests, old-time prescriptions and recipes and just plain doodling cover most of the walls of this fascinating historic relic.  It was amazing to me to read the original writing on the white-washed walls, some of which dated back to 1859!  It's been documented that the walls revealed over 12,500 words.  Notations were found scribbled on the walls of almost every room and in many closets.  Most of the writing was done in pencil.  Notes made in ink have faded to light brown

I was particularly drawn to the right of the fireplace in the master bedroom where there were height charts of some of Serena's grandchildren.  I did the exact same thing in my previous home in New Port Richey.....on the inner door jam, I penciled in the various heights of my two grandson's Julien and Forrest with little notes over fifteen years.  I'm sure the new owners painted over it.  Perhaps this is why I was so captivated with the talking walls at Haile Homestead.  How nice to think that all these years later those words have all been preserved.

It was a most enjoyable and full day complete with lots of chatting and socializing.  We returned to the island at 4:30 and just as we approached the Number Four Bridge......the sun came out, welcoming us back home.

See you here next time........