Other things and books
Other events had been organised over the Christmas period: Double-feature at the Symi cinema (Mandeio’s cafe), an event for children in the town square with Santa and fairground rides, candyfloss and other fun and games, music from the church PA system, services, individual parties and feasts, and live music in various bars and tavernas. A lot goes on on this small island, it’s just a case of knowing where to look for it.
Today’s photos, by the way, were taken on Wednesday as we ventured out for the first time in days, and there’s one of Thursday’s morning view, to show you your weather update. It’s been raining a bit, which is good for the sterna and the farms, and the outlook is for cloud, wind, and some sunny days over the next couple of weeks, and a return to the colder temperatures we saw before Christmas, around six to nine degrees.
As for gifts received, there are too many to mention but there’s one that necessitated me rushing to Amazon, card in hand, to find a new book: Learn to play the concertina. Neil gave me an Anglo, 20-key concertina to add to my collection of musical instruments I can almost get a note out of. (The home orchestra now consists of a piano, two clarinets (Bb), an alto sax, an oboe, two recorders, a Romanian recorder, a flute (which I still can’t get a note out of despite over 40 years of trying) and the new concertina.) Thing is, I have no idea how to play it except to know that when you want one note you press inwards, when you want another you pull outwards and you never press or pull without pressing at least one button.
I downloaded a Kindle version of a book which has the basic fingering but a) it’s too small to see the details and b) my screen doesn’t stay lit for long enough for me to work out which is my left hand little finger key one – pull, and my right hand fourth finger – push; but it’s a start and I can now play the first few notes of a Christmas carol; ‘Once in Royal D-a-a-vid’s…’ I will have to wait for the book to find out Royal David’s what, and from then on I shall be annoying the neighbours for half an hour each day as I learn to push and pull my way through a selection of tunes for six-year-olds on a daily basis until I have the thing mastered. If anyone has any tips…
And so, it’s back to the writing and ideas for a new book of travel tales, ‘Symi, Stuff and Nonsense’. Meanwhile, I have had feedback from one beta reader of ‘The Saddling’ and am awaiting feedback from the second reader. I’ve already had helpful comments like, ‘I didn’t see the point of this character.’ What?! He’s my favourite and he’s there to show… And all that. But there are comments too, such as, ‘wonderful descriptions of the landscape’ set against ‘I thought the descriptions of the landscape here slowed down the pace; it took nearly one page for this character to cross the bridge.’ So, it will be a case of sifting and considering, re-writing and refusing to rewrite as I go through the fifth draft next month.
And so, with the rain now falling about the house (though it does feel warmer) and the last of the chocolates to get through in time for the diet (falls about laughing), the fridge to de-trifle and the cupboards to restock, I shall move on and consider writing another section for the new book so that I can get that first draft done before I start on draft five of the one before while jotting down notes (in one of my new notebooks) for yet another story to be told. Have a nice day!
