The Best Laid Plans

Well, you see, it was like this. On Wednesday I had a client explosion which took two full days to clear up. Then on Friday afternoon I had an unexpected dental emergency which culminated in a surprise tooth extraction yesterday morning (infection draining away nicely now, mmmm, lovely). So I didn't quite make it to ten thousand words. But I have to say that, under the circumstances, I'm rather pleased with the five thousand words I did manage to turn out, particularly as I also wrote one short story and subbed another.

'But it's Sunday, Queenie,' I hear you cry, 'and it's only 8.30 am, surely you can get a bigger number into that word counter by the end of the day?'

Maybe I could if I didn't need to pack and do various other essential pre-holiday tasks. I'm going to France tomorrow, remember? I'll be staying with my lovely auntie and two of my equally lovely cousins, both in their 20s, at their farmhouse in a tiny village in the foothills of the Pyrenees. It's been their second home for around 20 years, and is very rustic, with basic facilities in small rooms and floorboards you can see through between the ground and first floors. The 'garden' is a tussocky orchard on a slope, but one year, when they had a windfall, my aunt and uncle put in a nice little swimming pool with a paved surround that holds table and chairs, sunloungers and hammock. The forecast is for temperatures around 30 degrees and not much chance of rain, so I'll give you one guess where I plan to spend my time. I am taking my laptop, because I can't bear to be parted from it, but I will only write if I feel in the mood; this is going to be a real, restful holiday, not a writing or sightseeing holiday.

Yes, I know it's my third holiday in six weeks. No, I don't care. I'm making up for last year when I lost months and months of fun to health problems and major surgery. I'm loving it!

I doubt I'll be able to access the Internet much, if at all, so I'll see you when I get back.