Above is my tipi, which went up a month ago. I've just got round to repairing the inner lining and putting it in. I've had the tipi for 11 years, but have hardly used it. Now that we are living in Devon, I have some land up behind the house that I can put it on. Tipis aren't entirely practical unless you live on the American plains. They are designed for dry weather with the wind blowing in a constant direction. In Blighty, the rain comes through the top, and the continual changes in the wind make it hard to get the smoke flaps right. Nevertheless, they are wonderful spaces when the weather is good.
I also have a yurt, which has been up in the same field since May. They are more practical for the UK climate. I sleep in it every night, and this is what I see when I look up:
I have to keep my mattress away from the edge or beetles take up residence and bite me in the night. In the morning I make my coffee, put the mattress against the back wall, and look out over the Teign Valley. It is very still and quiet. A few yards away are our horses, and sometimes the dog hangs out outside the yurt. He's a 9 month old saluki-lurcher, and would chew up the contents of the yurt if I allowed him in. Sometimes he howls at night in the house when he realises I've gone up to the yurt without him.
Drinking my coffee, I read novels. I'm very mood driven with novels. I can look at a book, see it's pretty good, but can't read it. At present I've been reading two Native American novelists, Louise Erdrich and Sherman Alexei. Very poetic and funny and they tell it as it is. Smoke Signals is a film based on one of Alexei's, I think it's The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. Back in the house, I read philosophy or bridge problems on the toilet.
About once a year I back up all the blogs I written onto a memory stick. I noticed the other day that Word does a word count, so I added up all my blogs over the last 5 years. 500,000 words! That's 5 books worth, one a year. Now I'll know what to say when someone askes me what I do, I can say I'm a writer!
I often chew over the fact that I never write anything longer than a few pages. Is it because I am shallow, or is it that I am just not made that way? Or is it that I'm aware that modern readers are internet-based and want a few main points and then they move on?
Is it also because what I think changes from Monday to Friday? I think if I published a book I'd feel most of it was out of date by the time anyone read it. I suppose I could collect all the pieces that are not of the moment and sew them together. Certain themes do develop over time.
9 comments:
Dear D: No, you are not shallow; humbly, I find you coherent and updated. Sometimes you do go off on some search of your own but thats your priviledge. I find your papers most interesting. Good luck with your tipi.!!
I like it that you told us what you do on the toilet.
What a beautiful tipi and love the view of the sky through the crossed yurt opening. Thanks for sharing a slice of your life with us. And yes indeed you are a lovely writer.
dr, i think it might be a good idea to consider writing a book adding some of the blogs the affected by time on the various topics that you have commented on, could be subjects such as religions, political figures or whatever,
i think the fact that they re not too long essay style are an advantage to the reader and yes i think people long to read things that cut to the chase and theses days we are not as likely to condemn them as lacking depth, we ve had the long detailed writings for too long, our generation hopes we have learned some basic truths we can read about in shorter versions...i do at least
what i meant to write in my comment above is for you to write a book that include those blogs of yours that are NOT as affected by time changes in a strong way at least, as everything changes with time, so a commentary on christianity will be read with more validity and be more relevant over time, than say the banking crisis which is more a current theme..if it makes sense.
Beautiful!
your writings are far from shallow...as soon as i notice you have done a new one...i make haste and read it soon as i can...you are spot on, right on..so keep on...(please)
It's hard to get a read on anybody when you don't get to look in their eyes and see them. I've recently wondered about you but I never would of asked for you to share your private world, but I'm glad you did! I loved finding out what makes you tick and your take on issues has awakened something in me that has long been asleep. The tipi is very cool but that yurt looks amazing!!! Jenni-OMG
I really enjoy Louise Erdrich. If you haven't read it, I recommend "The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No horse."
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