Night Writing

I've been doing a bit of writing recently and as this is a blog about writing...that's probably a good thing!

When I was living in England, I had less time on my hands.  Working, redecorating a house ready for rental, looking after 3 children, keeping up with family and friends and trying to find some time for myself - all when my husband was in Australia.  It  meant I was pretty busy...verging on headless chicken busy!!  Now I'm here in Australia,  I find I have much more time on my hands.  Lots of people would think that's great, but it can be a struggle to start with when you leave behind a busy life.

So, what do you do?  The house is empty, the kids are settled in school, you don't know people yet and suddenly you aren't working.  As a person who likes to be active, I have felt at a lose end at times and it has taken time to adjust.  Don't get me wrong - I'm starting to really enjoy it here, but writing has helped me work through things and given me an opportunity for self expression.  I keep note books and currently have 2 going in my handbag.  I keep a journal which helps with thoughts that flow like streams of consciousness.  I write short stories or snippets that I observe.  And I have also joined a blog course run by Suzi Poland.  Now, for those who know me well, trying to get a blog going is a huge technological step for me!  So, Suzi, thank you for your patience!  I have really enjoyed your class and the supportive, creative side it has brought out in me and the other lovely women doing it.

So, writing a blog or a journal or whatever...you would think I had all the time in the world to do this now, but when there's a beautiful beach beckoning, you have to feel in the mood.  So how do you start?  A smell reminds you of something, someone says something, a thought grabs your attention or you just wake in the middle of the night and feel compelled to write something.  I was sending emails at 3 am a few nights ago!!  Those early hours have a magical quality about them and for me it is when you are at your most thoughtful.  You wake and can't get back to sleep. Perhaps it's the light of the full moon keeping you awake, or an animal digging outside your window.  Perhaps you just wake and feel so awake that you lie there, eyes wide open, listening to the stillness.  At 3am there is a gentle rhythm in the house; people sleeping, a clock ticking, the fridge clicking on and off.  And the house itself feels alive.  You get up and sit with cuppa in the living room.  You look at the embers where the fire burnt bright 6 hours ago and when the kids were noisily getting ready for bed.  You feel how different a room can feel with only you sitting in it, quietly savouring the peace. Then you pick up a pen, open a page and write.  Your hand moves rapidly and before you know, it's 5.30 am.  Bed calls and your eyes feel tired now, but you know you will stay awake til the first light.

So what's in those pages? Thoughts about friendships missed at home and new friendships blossoming here.  Musings about how wonderfully supportive women can be.  Moments in time that capture the beauty of this place.  Descriptions of some of the things you have done and hope to do, some of the frustrations and problems you've come across and above all thoughts about how it all feels living in a new country.  And when you close your book you know that you have captured a moment in time that is recorded forever.

It is spring here and I have never been so bombarded with wonderful smells.  The jasmine has appeared in every hedgerow along our road and early in the morning as the sun is rising, or in the evening at dusk, it is intoxicating.  My daughter put a whole bunch of it in a pot and left it on our  kitchen table and now our whole kitchen smells of spring.  There have been some ups and downs coming here, but it's the people and experiences (and the weather, of course!) that make a place, and so far I haven't been disappointed.