Bones cover, birds and tea

First off, I must say that I've had the first sight of what I hope will turn out to be the book cover for The Bones of Summer and I am hugely happy with it indeed. It's fabulous. I do hope it's the one Dreamspinner Press will go with. Sorry that you can't see it yet but as and when it's confirmed and up on their site I shall let you know! I love it.

Other literary news is that two of my poems are going to be published in the upcoming inaugural edition of Apparatus Magazine so that's very cheering news. Thanks, Adam!

Meanwhile, here's this morning's meditation:

Meditation 115

No matter
the high walls,
gates and bars

you construct
around you
to keep out God.

He’ll sweep in
nonetheless
in his own good time

which is worrying enough,
it’s true,

but more worrying still
if he doesn’t.

Good Sunday material, I think. Despite all that, we've skipped church today (shame on us!) and have spent a lovely relaxed morning in Wisley instead. Birds spotted today, I think for the first time this year, include a mistle thrush and a marsh tit, hurrah. We also spotted green finches, chaffinches, blue tits, great tits, a coal tit, a jay and a great spotted woodpecker - so all the usual suspects indeed. Oh and there were some nice flowers too, you'll be pleased to hear. The rhododendrons are huge, Carruthers, huge, and very colourful. I only knew what they were because of the labelling, I'm ashamed to say. Usually I can barely tell a daisy from a daffodil (you mean there's a difference??).

Anyway, we ate out at the Wisley cafe (very nice, but really they should do a decent range of salads - surely it can't be hard?), and then sped back home as Pauline & Tony, with Darren, popped round for afternoon tea and chat. Goodness me, how very civilised we are today and how very Surrey. Lovely to see all three of them and a brilliant catch-up time. The Waitrose chocolate chip cake went down extremely well too - I can definitely recommend that one to all and sundry.

Tonight there's sod all on TV - groan ... However the exciting news is that the lovely and very talented Catherine Walter has let me have one of her OU short stories for feedback so I'm hugely looking forward to reading that. It's bound to inspire me this evening, so thank you, Cathy! I'm not at all convinced I'll have anything useful to add though ...

And this week's haiku is:

He carries the world
in his arms; it's purposeful,
wrapped in black netting.

Today's nice things:

1. Seeing the cover for Bones, hurrah!
2. Two more poems being accepted for publication
3. Poetry
4. Visiting Wisley, and birds
5. Friends for tea
6. Cathy's story
7. Haikus.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website - sometimes you can judge a book by its cover ...