I can’t believe it, ‘The Fish in the Tree’ is out there, and my latest book was launched in style last Sunday in the Community Centre here in the village. And later the Dunfermline Press covered the story and gave me a good write up and photo on the front page as well as page two so I was very pleased about that.

The actual day was just perfect. I made a speech, John did the photo presentation onto a giant screen, then there were cups of tea and festive cakes while ladies wearing floral dresses in pastel shades intermingled with old friends and others from the village. The sun shone and people from all walks of life chatted away. I sat at a table and signed my books with a shaky hand I was so nervous. Apart from selling not just my new book, ‘The Moon in the Banyan Tree’, ‘Where the Golden Oriole Sang’, ‘The Highland Games’ and ‘The Highland Rocks’ also went home with new owners. It was a very good feeling. It was also good to see friends who had made the journey to be with me on my special day.

We still have Gerry, Darcey and Dillon staying and John and I are bemused as our otherwise quiet and tidy house has turned into a chattering space of ‘Minecraft’, making pompoms, toys left at the edge of the carpet ‘tidied up’ and Barbie dolls just left abandoned on the rocks outside. Felt tips are left on the kitchen table for ‘just in case’.

It is good having Gerry here and we have ventured out to Edinburgh, Falkland Palace and the nearby beaches. They have gone visiting old friends today and I am faced with a brand-new laptop computer. I am full of trepidation. John does nothing but shake his head at the state of my (non-existent) filing system. My beloved Apple Mac become obsolete/’vintage’ for updating and now I am forced to re-learn the old windows style. I will, but I hate change.
My next challenge is in the kitchen as we have Natasha, Leo, Bonnie and Hazel arriving tomorrow so we shall have an even fuller house. Two vegans, a vegetarian and a variety of other dietary requests. I have to prepare a lasagna, a tajine, a rhubarb fool and an apple crumble.
Then I need to write up the new Act 3 for ‘Piping for Victory’, my play about Bessie Watson, the youngest suffragette. More challenges ahead to get that play out into the world. Oh my, all my tasks are lining up whilst outside the garden is flourishing, swathes of pink and pots of white lilies. So beautiful.
Instead of doing anything I think I’ll go out and dead head the roses, deep red, pink and climbing yellow, pull out an errant weed or two, or I might just listen to the constant hum of the bees in the hebe bushes. It is also exciting to watch the terns dive bombing into the sea and sometimes a sea trout rises and flips over, making a whirlpool of ripples.
Now, about those tasks in the kitchen. I think I hear ice clinking in glasses – it must be that time of day… It’s all about priorities and sometimes it’s just time to stop for a while and take the weight off your feet and let the rest of the day take care of itself.
Maybe someone, somewhere, right now, is reading my book, and maybe, hopefully will write a good review on Amazon. I can only hope.