Brief weekend update

[dolorosa_12]

This has been a lovely, relaxing weekend. I spent Saturday morning Skyping with my mum, and finishing off an exchange fic assignment that had been hanging over my head and worrying me. In the afternoon, I met up with a friend for coffee. We'd originally planned to hang out in one of the parks by the river, but I'd looked at the weather on Friday and feared it might rain. In any event, the promised rain never came, so we followed the coffee with a walk along the river, talking books, life, and libraries (she is also a librarian, although she works in public libraries rather than academic libraries like me). She had generously lent me her copy of The Raven King, and it was nice to be able to discuss that book - and the whole Raven Cycle series - with someone else, as I'd read it so much later than everyone that I'd missed most of the conversation on Tumblr and elsewhere online. (If anyone else wants to discuss it in the comments, that would be most welcome!)

I got home in time to potter around the garden for an hour or so, repotting things and digging up the inevitable weeds. Since finishing my PhD, I've had more energy to pay attention to stuff like the garden, the furnishings and decorations in the house and so on, and it's really nice to see all my plants grow, and the garden start to take shape. I'm at the point of being able to eat herbs from my own garden, and that is wonderful.

Today has been even more relaxing - I've spent most of my time reading, either curled up on the couch, or out in the garden. I'm reading my way through the Chrestomanci books, as Diana Wynne Jones was an author who completely passed me by during my childhood, and I've always felt the lack. I've read three of the Chrestomanci books, and have enjoyed them so far, although I think I prefer the Howl trilogy slightly.

Now I'm just pottering around on the internet, and starting to think about dinner. Two days are never quite enough, but at least I've made good use of them.

On another note, the fundraiser for Mia and Cy is still going. We're very close to making the target, and it would be wonderful for them to wake up on Monday and find that the target had been reached. If you want to donate, you can do so here. Please do also keep sharing it widely. If you have any questions, get in touch with me.

Comments

[naye]

That sounds like a lovely way of spending the weekend! I'm so glad you guys have a garden - warm days in spring and summer, there's nothing like reading outside. ♥

Diana Wynne Jones was one of those authors I loved before I even knew there was such a thing as a "genre" - something about her writing just had the perfect sort of magic for me. I hope you continue enjoying your journey through her worlds.

[dolorosa_12]

It's more a courtyard than a garden - which suits me just fine, as it means there are only two lines of garden beds and a couple of hedges to take care of, as opposed to expanses of lawn and multiple flowerbeds. I completely neglected it until last year, but then our neighbour gave us a set of garden furniture and I thought I should make more use of it. It really is lovely to sit outside and read there, and also it's a nice space in which to entertain visitors (although of course UK weather is unreliable). I must invite you and Skuld over at some point for drinks (or tea if you're not alcohol drinkers), although it may not be until later in the summer, given how busy I am at the moment.

Diana Wynne Jones is really amazing, and I can see echoes of her in so many writers whose work I enjoy - I think she must have been a really formative influence on a lot of people writing today. Her work really is fantastic.