Every Day That Ends in “Y”
This is the scene in the shop for a part of nearly every day now. Mrs. Barn gets really distracted if I spend too much time sitting in the cabin living room so even for writing sessions I put my laptop into the bag I carried to work for many years and hike the hill to the barn.
Two or three times a week I begin each day in the shop with a 75-minute session of physical therapy exercises for my back and knee, but then it’s up and to work. Some days I putter for a while at the bench but if my brain synapses are firing well I move into the Eames knockoff easy chair mashing all the words together for A Period Finisher’s Manual until I get all creaky from sitting too long and have to do some physical work. Some days I get two writing sessions (well, editing and massaging is more like it), some days only one, but never three. I’m trying to keep the pace of working my way through about a thousand words a day, on a really good day I might approach 1500-2000 words crafted together seamlessly from a legion of shorter vignettes. Other days? Not so much.
I really wish I was a better and more orderly writer, but at 65 the odds are low for a fundamental change in that regard.
When doing physical work I generally listen to the spoken word on my mp3 player or CD player. Obviously when my task is crafting words this routine would be a hindrance so it changes to one of listening to music. One long-time favorite in my queue is this magnificent version of Handel’s Messiah, a creation I consider to be near the pinnacle of human civilization. In this version the instruments and arrangement are ancient, so it is cool to watch the musicians playing their antique instruments. This version in particular is both comforting and inspiring.
Of course the music is sublime, and the performances utterly captivating and joyous. But the alto, Delphine Galou, words nearly fail me. Ho, lee, cowww! Her voice flows like warm honey. Unspeakably magnificent. I’ve not found if she ever does any recordings or performances that are not classical and I am not a huge fan of operatic music, but if she ever tours the US I will make every effort to go. Well, provided I don’t actually have to travel very far. Or go to a city. ;-)
Don,
I received your package of shellac flour and beeswax blocks as a nice break in my work day. I’ve put a dent in the last bag of shellac and am getting better at using it–so I thought I should replenish the finishing shelf as an investment for the future. Thanks very much. Jim