OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

Halloween at Liberty Books! Stories, ghosts, authors, readers, witches, princesses and Cleopatra, the cat.

A magical, fun, truly relaxing evening to end an emotionally tense and professionally exhausting week. John performed a new script by Finuala Dowling, specially written for Halloween. Christy was an amazing hostess, as always. Peregrine and Liberty Books the perfect venue. And the audience was just enjoying every second of the spooky storytelling with all its literary mysteries ghosting around. And I got to reconnect with Lester. Can’t wait to see him at the Karavan Press Literary Festival again.

I love returning to the Elgin Valley. And this weekend the private gardens of the area were open for viewing again, adding more charm to an already wonderful excursion.

I still had to work until just after twelve today, but this afternoon, I was able to finally rest – just lie on a bed in the middle of the day and do nothing. Much needed. And then Elgin restored me to myself even more. It is a magical place.

Good night.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

My lovely neighbours had to endure another burglary this week. Judging from the MO, probably the same thief as last time. With the beginning of the long voting weekend, I heard two sounds all day today: my neighbours’ attempts to turn their home into a fortress by introducing further security measures, and all around us alarms going off. I worked for most of the day in my bed, so it was impossible not to hear the sound effects of a neighbourhood in criminal distress. I have become so paranoid about safety now that it is no longer simple OCD behaviour … and yet, and yet. Home is home.

In the late afternoon, I went to have supper with my love – all healthy stuff after our pizza sinning last night. I returned home to do some more work – the latest round of edits on a manuscript has got me in head-scratching mode. A chronology issue needs to be resolved. But no solutions presented themselves today. Maybe one will appear in my dreams.

For quite a while now, I have been daydreaming of a bath, but could not find the time. My councillor advised that I do something special for myself every day, especially when everything is crazy. So, tonight, was bath time! And while I was in the bath, I watched some more Star Trek: Picard with my brother. (No worries: the laptop was positioned in such a way that my poor brother wasn’t exposed to my nakedness!)

In the episode we watched, there was an interesting take on what a promise is – a prison that we design for ourselves. Today, I agree. I broke a promise – not because I intended to, but because I simply ran out of time and ideas to complete a task. And I cannot escape the prison of guilt attached to the failure.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

Yesterday’s sunset. My love and I went out on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, a dinner with friends and a dinner with strangers who might become friends. Tonight, it was just pizza night. But in a way, it was the most special of the nights – just us, sharing a pizza at the end of a long, difficult week. The home we visited on Wednesday was the place we met for the first time nearly five years ago. I still remember sitting around the dinner table that evening, thinking that my life was such a mess that it would probably never feel right again. I was surrounded by darkness. Five years later and so much has changed. Despite the challenges of the lockdown, all the horrible news flooding in mercilessly almost every day, there is the possibility of calm and love and light at the end of a day, a long difficult week.

Being able to socialise with vaccinated people is a great change, a huge relief, but after all these months in lockdown and limited gatherings with people, it is not easy. I feel more introverty than usual.

Good news from the book world: I met someone who will potentially help Karavan Press grow in unexpected ways – we are meeting again early next month to discuss details; we entered the GBAS Book Cover Design Awards with our six covers of 2021; two of our titles are coming out in early November and the last one towards the end of the month, hopefully in time for the … Karavan Press Literary Festival.

First bookings are coming in. I can’t wait to talk books with other readers and writers – all day long!

But tonight, all I am still capable of is sleep.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

A friend died. Another became a widow. We haven’t seen one another since they’d moved continents a few years ago, but we have been in touch, and I owe them so much that they have never been far from my thoughts. There was a moment in my life when everything became so dark, I could hardly breathe. My personal and professional lives lay in ruins around me; hope was a dying ember in the corner of my soul. I was utterly lost. But they helped me find a way out. If it hadn’t been for them, I might have never published another book; I might have not found myself again.

And today, he is no longer with us, and she …

… I remember.

And the tears just keep coming.

I feel numb. I wish I could write about the amazing literary things that happened today, but at the moment I cannot grasp their meaning. All I hope for is that the night is kind to us in these unbearable times.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

What can I say?

Monday.

I survived.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

The transcontinental Start Trek: Picard watching with my brother was a great success. We are three episodes in and loving it.

And my love and I finished watching Call My Agent! – a delight, although I am quite ambivalent about the ending and pleased that another season has been announced. Next up: Sex Education, latest season.

Otherwise, a working weekend, apart from a lovely Saturday lunch with friends at The Black Sheep. My first meal at the restaurant, but certainly not my last. Delicious. And the company was great.

• 

• 

• 

Yet, nothing beats my love’s roast chicken, Sunday evening’s treat, which I am about to enjoy. My area is loadshedding tonight, but I am safely elsewhere. Last night, I woke up in the middle of the blackout and read until power came back on and I could fall asleep again. Loadshedding and insomnia are a horrible combination.

Anyway, I did catch up with a lot of work this weekend and feel ready for the week. I hope that life will become less stressful again in November. I am looking forward to the McGregor Poetry Festival and another festival to be announced shortly … :)

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

As he is based in Edinburgh nowadays, it is wonderful to welcome Nick Mulgrew back on South African soil. He will be visiting family towards the end of the month and will launch his beautiful debut novel, A Hibiscus Coast, in Johannesburg on 28 October. He will be in conversation with Maneo Mohale. Not to be missed, if you are in Joburg!

Cape Town, no need for FOMO – Nick will be with us early next year and we will definitely celebrate him and his book during his visit.

I am in the process of planning a few more exciting literary events this year. Watch this space!

Today, I met with another author visiting from overseas. We have never met before, but I felt that we had an instant connection, and I sincerely hope that we will be working on a project together early next year.

So, another busy day. The to do list is getting shorter, but this will be a partly working weekend.

I had dinner with my love at his place tonight and we watched an episode of our series. Saw a terrible car accident on the way home. The weather might have played a role. It feels good to be safely home under a dry (still) roof.

My brother and I used to arrange cinema outings across continents: we would go to our respective cinemas (he in Taipei, or Salzburg, or wherever else he would be in the world) and I in Cape Town at the same time and watch the same movie. Tonight, we are attempting to watch an episode of Star Trek together online … let’s see whether it will work … :)

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

Salieri and I were on the radio this morning, talking about publishing. She was much more eloquent with her purrs than I was with my contribution to the conversation, but ,,,,,,,,,,,,, [Salieri catssisting here, too] we both had fun, and it was interesting to listen to what the other participants had to say.

I spent an hour at the bank today, sorting out yesterday’s issues with the account, and I got only halfway through the list of things that need to get done, but there was progress.

For most of the day, I kept thinking about a Polish saying that does not translate well, and is terribly sexists, so I won’t even attempt it, but it made me realise that people often take advantage of kindness and that I mustn’t always dismiss selfishness as a mode of being for myself.

I finally managed to buy myself a new hairbrush and hair combs – I have been meaning to do it for a few weeks now and could never find the time. Tomorrow, I am replacing broken lightbulbs in the house – they have also been waiting forever. I might even find time to wash the dirty kitchen floor.

Highlight of the day: dinner with my love at HARU. Sanity saved.

• 

• 

Lovely to hear about the youngsters getting their vaccines. Mandatory vaccination is gradually being introduced for institutions, companies and events. My brother told me about Austrian doctors taking to the streets and begging people to get vaccinated because hospitals are beginning to fill up again. I wonder how bad the fourth wave is going to be here.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

• 

• 

Salieri – happy in the gutter.

The Cats are an inspiration: they are all getting old and their health is failing, but they know how to enjoy themselves – no matter what!

And I can’t find half an hour in my day to sit still in the sun. Sigh.

I did discover that CBD chocolate does NOTHING for me, nothing unusual. The chocolate was nice. That’s all.

The Monday frustration of working around the clock and not getting much done continues into the week. I don’t seem to be able to get on top of things. My love noticed my heavy sighing at dinner tonight. I put really lovely Angus beef Denver steaks on the fire and made a salad. The fire did soothe my soul, as it always does, yet I could not suppress the deep sighs. But then, I spent nearly an hour on the phone with the bank today. One of those situations where I had been aware that a problem might arise, went to the bank a while ago to inquire whether everything was in order, was assured that it was, and then when I wanted to actually do something related to the matter, nothing functioned. It happens over and over again, no matter how proactive I am, especially when it comes to banks and other institutions. I won’t mention SARS … Sigh. Sigh again.

Last night was unusual. James Leatt and his wife Jenny invited me to accompany them to the monthly Owl Club (established in 1894!) dinner at which the club members’ recent publications were showcased, James’s Conjectures proudly among them. I had never been to a gathering of such nature before (this was their 1332nd meeting!) and was intrigued. When I learned that the Owls welcomed the first women as members only earlier this year, I immediately thought of that Out of Africa scene … It was strange to see that this kind of thing still exists. I am glad that it is transforming, even if it is at a snail-pace.

What else? We have quite a few great live book events happening before the festive season. I look forward to making all the announcements.

The big personal news: my friend Sally got engaged!!!

A ladies’ lunch to celebrate the occasion will be organised! :)

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

Multitasking Monday – the heading for the day. It was a day of treading water, at least seemingly so. A lot got done, but it did not feel like it while I was at it. Salieri helped throughout, of course. She is my faithful catssistant, or catellite, always near me wherever I settle in the house.

It also could have been called Monstrual Monday. Headache, cramps, chocolate cravings and a weird hip pain I haven’t felt before. It is the perfect day for an experiment. I have never tried CBD before – in any form – so I was a bit apprehensive to try this at the beginning of a working day, but the work is now done (or rather I am too tired and in too much discomfort to continue) and I am about to brush teeth and get into a warm bed to watch TV until I fall asleep. But first: chocolate!

“Cannabinoids such as CBD, are non psychoactive and will not get you high but may assist with relaxation and reducing the effects of anxiety and stress on the body.” [sic]

[They clearly do not improve punctuation ;)]

Let’s see …

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD