Starting Lent
Today is Clean Monday here in Greece, by tradition a day for flying kites, gathering with families and friends to barbeque seafood and mark the start of Lent. That, as you know, means 40 days until Easter. Of course, the mardi gras didn’t happen this year. There was no gathering in the village square with food, wine and Silly String, and, like last year, carnival time passed by in a mainly silent lockdown. For me, the weekend was a weekend at home with a walk in the morning while I wrote the next part of my next story. I tell myself the chapter, or part of it, as I wander the lanes, and then, once I am back, I try and remember it all. It was perfect in my head when I thought of it, of course, but once I start to write it down, it slips away like a dream after waking.
Still, what comes out is then generally good enough for a first draft, and once I’ve bashed out the 3,000 or 4,000 words, it gives me something to go on when I start on the next draft. That’s my routine before lunch. In the past, I’ve returned to the desk for a couple of hours in the afternoon, but I’ve not been in that habit this last six months or so. The sofa calls me, and there I tend to stay. With the weather now warming, that might change as it feels odd to be watching films where the sun is shining outside, and it’s still light until the early evening. But, like the other day, when it’s wet and thundery outside, the television becomes one’s best friend, especially if you’ve found an old film to watch…
So, to the week ahead. Well, the usual for us, I guess. Working at home, walking not too far away, attending to housework as and when, maybe some more baking for Neil, and another attempt at DIY for me as there’s always something to be done, and while that’s going on, we’re waiting to hear about vaccinations. I believe the 60 + group has or is being done, but I am not sure when us 50 + folk are to be called. I’m not worried, just happy to wait my turn. The weather for the week so far is forecast as cloudy, sunny, and sometimes wet, so a bit of everything, plus some high wind on one day, so that’s all pretty standard for the season.
