Or Out of The Office Pod breaks New Author

It’s a week later and I still don’t know how I feel about my adventure. There was a lot going on for me that day – I had to organise extra care visit for Mum, for a start, so that I didn’t keep fretting – as the meeting wasn’t due to end till 3.30pm – and I still had to drive back. The stock needed to be left safe: and I was going to take the new van and my driving for the last year plus has consisted entirely of trips to the supermarkets 3 miles away. I hadn’t said much to anyone about going as I didn’t want a fuss made but, never the less, it was unusual for me to be out all day.

The weather was great and I got away on time and did the jobs I wanted to do, in Poundbury and Dorcheser, on the way through – I found my memories of being at DCH ( as it was then) flooding back as I drove up the Piddle valley past ’72 Acres North’ – ‘my’ field while at college – freezing bloody place – exposed to the north – and bigger than the first farm I worked on! I found South House Retreat easily and was an hour early. I can leave late and still arrive early I have discovered, many times, in my life 🙂

The place and the people I met there were very welcoming. Interesting point to meet an established group in that they were abandoning the SWWJ and their agenda was about that change.

The hosts provided a smashing sit-down lunch; which was a novelty for me as TBH I cannot remember the last time I ate at dining table with others (not family) and ate food I did not cook – possibly at DCH.

As the group is not proposing to meet more than twice in a year – and one of those will be at the other end of the tri-County area – I do not think I will see these folk again till next year – if then. They were all Society of Authors members and I do not qualify for that at the moment. (And those meetings sounded too far away)

The owner of the venue is running a writing group which may start again in the Feb 2020 – I may well join in if Mum remains as independent as she is now.

I left for home with mixed feelings – I went, Mum was fine, I met new folk, I had a nice meal and the van was great – but I did not know what I had been looking for – a meeting more often than 1xyear I suppose.

As it turns out an update from the Dorset Writers Network on FB carried a video on the Weymouth Writers group which meets in Weymouth library every other Friday – well, that is more than 1xyear – more than 1xmonth too – but it is a riding day also…

I liked the look of it and asked if I could go next time – next Friday I will go and meet some more new folk and see what that is all about 🙂 Am looking forward to the drive, and Weymouth is a place I don’t know well either, so both will add to the adventure. Today – Thursday I rode and instead of riding Friday on the WW week I may ride Thurs – it may be bin day but neither Rufe nor Fax care so why should I?

Meanwhile, Mum has agreed to have Lovely Lunches – a local to Bridport hot meal provider – and that means I can go out for longer as I see Mum first thing, a carer sees her mid am and LL sees her lunch time and she wears her careline. This is a considerable extension to my freedom and range of travel and as the mornings and evenings are darker it means – even if I don’t drive anywhere – my rides can be later.

I have not worked on the editing this week as we are making efforts to get the house organised and the horses needed clipping etc, but I feel that the expedition to South House was well worth it and will go again when I can.