One book leads to another...

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Spirits Here and Gone





“And muse on Nature with a poet’s eye,” ~ Thomas Campbell

I knew before we left that day that her lovely soul had passed. I just couldn’t find the words to express the perplexity of my thoughts until I had them somewhat sorted out. By day’s end I began to think I never could, and finally told my husband what I’d been thinking about throughout our journey north.  I told him the last thing my cousin had said to me (when we didn’t know how much longer his mom could hang on) as I prepared to leave town the next morning “Take her spirit with you, she loved it there”.  In retrospect, I did.

Propelled by a robust wind we sailed into town at sunset, when willowy shadows embrace the waning ribbons of woodland daylight in widening spots of darkness and my shallow breath caught on the graceful acceptance; as day acquiesces the night. For a time I stood struck by the irony; the consonant passing of time and life. 

The entire extended weekend consisted of cool cars and good friends, old and new. The Cavalcade of Cars was a sunset favorite as we were front row (curbside) to hear the engines purr and roar (when coaxed – grin!) as they paraded down the main strip. The next two days were reserved for strictly viewing (don’t touch) the classy paint jobs, where they’d parked in perfect rows on the golf course.

Whereas, I would have been grateful to get home and rest up from all the busyness, I had two days to prepare for court.  Have you ever instigated something and then had second thoughts? 

This actually fits right in with my Insecure Writers Support Group post! When all was said and done, I won the case. But it felt like I’d had too much pumpkin pie.  And that’s not the worst of this crazy couple of weeks, you see, somewhere along the way I’ve misplaced or flat lost my muse! Heck of a note, huh?

I must have read a dozen posts, essays and articles on banned books in the last few weeks and have come to the conclusion that if I had a choice I’d choose banned over rejected any day since you never want to read something more than when you’re not supposed to (wink!). However, in either case it’s not over until or unless you, the writer says it is!

Write on and write well, folks!

Do you like car shows? How about court appearances? How do you coax your muse out of hiding?

27 comments:

  1. Hi, dear Diedre!

    I am happy to see you here again, my dear friend!

    Clearly you have had eventful days and multiple highs and lows since you last posted including, if I am not mistaken, the death of a beloved aunt. I am very sorry for your loss.

    On a happier note you had a front row seat for The Cavalcade of Cars, the kind of event that I love to attend. Thanks for sharing that terrific picture of the vintage cars lined up for inspection. It reminded me of the exciting evening in 1955 when my dad and brother returned home riding in our new Chevy, a beautiful car, white over yellow. Years later my brother admitted that he used to drag race on the streets of York in our new family car, shades of American Graffiti.

    In your recent visit to SDMM you alluded to a court case. I am happy to learn that you won but sorry it took so much out of you. I am also sorry to learn that you lost your muse. Did you look in the sofa cushions? :)

    Thank you very much for the update, cryptic as it was, dear friend Diedre. I wish you nothing but happy and prosperous days ahead. Enjoy the rest of your week and thank you for remembering those of us threatened by Hurricane Matthew. It looks like it's going to wreak havoc.

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    1. Hi Shady!
      I'm surprised, but happy to see you here this morning! Will you stay in place for Matthew? Be safe if you do.
      Thanks for your kind wishes. I guess when it rains, it pours. Thankfully the world never runs short on sunny tomorrows or rays of light like you ;-)
      You would have loved the car show! Speaking of drag racing, a friend of ours brought his little hotrod by our place and laid some pretty good scratch out front. The neighbor lady might not be speaking to us for a while, but I couldn't suppress a giggle.
      As far as court, one can't plow a field simply by thinking about it, though I prefer to work behind the scenes.
      Ha! My muse wasn't in the sofa cushions but I might have heard her whisper on my walk this morning;-)
      Wishing you and Mrs. Shady a safe and relatively peaceful week, my friend!

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    2. Thank you, sweet friend. Mrs. S and I are staying put and riding out the storm. I appreciate your concern for us. God bless!

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  2. I love car shows. I took a few photos of cars and posted to my blog awhile back. As much as I love how they look, I know next to nothing of the cars and had little to say about them, not even able to write the make and/or model of such cars. But I do love to see them. Both in pristine condition, or when engaged in an auto demolition demonstration. I love those too.
    Hope all is well with you.

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    1. Hi Jeffrey!
      I love car show too! I've loved cars in general since the days of Matchbox and HotWheels when I hoarded all the cool ones ;-)
      The very first 'show' of any kind I ever saw was a Demolition Derby! There was no turning back after that.
      Aw, I'm good. Just venting, I guess. And admitting for IWSG that my muse went MIA. I hope things are brighter for you as well. It sure is good to have you back among us!

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  3. I haven't been to many car shows, but I like to look at beautifully kept classic cars. Court I can do without--I don't always trust our justice system and don't like to be a participant in it in any way. But it can be interesting and entertaining to just observe courtroom proceedings for a while.

    I'd much rather be banned than rejected. Being banned means that at some point a work was accepted and put into print. It's like an antihero sort of fame--or infamy.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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    1. Hi Arlee!
      The cars at the show were definitely well-kept. A few were actual heirlooms! It was quite a thrill to see and hear them roll down the road;-)
      I did, in fact watch a couple proceedings before my case came up. You're right, it was very interesting.
      Absolutely! At some point your work was excepted - no matter that it displeased someone with the power to ban it, after the fact. "Antihero," I like that!

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  4. Ha! That's why banned books are so popular. If they truly didn't want people to read these books, they never should've said anything. ;)

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    1. Hello lady Chrys!
      Isn't that the truth? Kind of like trying to be incognito in a car painted come-get-me red :-)

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  5. Wow, you've had a lot going on!

    I went to mediation once and that was enough court-related drama for me. :)

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    1. Hi Madeline!

      Yes, normally I'm traipsing around ghost towns! Can't wait to get back to it.
      I do hope my muse return with some fresh ideas on a few projects I'd love to complete this year.
      Perhaps following your November writing plans will be just the inspiration I need.
      Thank you for coming by!

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  6. No wonder your muse is missing in action, it's all tuckered out. I'm sorry about your Aunt. Court cases are a lot like operations, they can be interesting if its not you and you don't know the people.
    I think when the muse is quiet, they just want you see something first. Cheers.

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    1. Hi dear Ann!
      Thank you for your kindness. You're right about court cases - you gave me a chuckle with that:-)
      It took my breath away to read "they just want you to see something first," so profound! And so very good for my insecurities about the wayward muse, thanks ever so much!

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  7. Hi Diedre - I'm sorry for the loss of your aunt - but her spirit was with you. Car shows I can't get excited ... but I do love seeing a few really old ones - could do with knowing what they are though!

    The court case sounds a nuisance .. but at least it's over now.

    Good luck with settling down and I'm sure your muse will return - they and us all need breaks ... take care - cheers Hilary

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    1. Hi Hilary!

      Thank you, I do believe she was.

      Oh yes, I admire the vintage cars much more than the futuristic kind that promise to fly me to the moon. It's the roar of a good, solid engine that I love;-)

      It's the compassion of good folks like you that make settling down easier - I appreciate your kindness!

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  8. You commented on my recent post so you know I don't wait for my muse. I force it to be here with me. ;)

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    1. Hi Kelly!
      I don't know how you do it, but I'm willing to try a little brain training;-)

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  9. So sorry for your loss, but the car show looks like fun! YAY to winning the case, although it sounds like you're probably just glad it's over?

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    1. Thanks, Stephanie! The car show was terrific, the weather was perfect as we strolled around hundreds of vintage cars (and trucks) while oldies music streamed through the loudspeakers.
      Yeah, I am truly glad the court business is over, I just hated being provoked to that point. I guess it shows you mustn't poke little bears either ;-)
      Gosh, I think I just heard my muse!

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  10. I've been married to a gearhead/shade tree mechanic for 47 years, so we go to a lot of car shows. His most recent "project cars" are a '77 El Camino, a '76 Corvette, and my personal favorite... a 1930 Model A rat rod. It is sooooo much fun to ride around in that thing. :)

    Don't worry. Maybe your muse just needed a little break. It'll be back.

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    1. Hi Susan!

      I do believe we're kindred spirits! My hubs had '72 Camino, a '76 Chevelle, and later the fastest rust-bucket truck in town! Now we have a Roush 2 but he's been eyeing the rat rods for a while now ;-) There were tons of those at the car show.
      After peeking in at your blog I think it might just be a fountain of inspiration!

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    2. Cool! To build the rat rod, he bought a rusted-out portion of a Tudor Model A, which had been chopped and converted into a farm truck back in the '40s or thereabouts. He purchased Chevy S-10 with a bad transmission and took the whole thing apart, so he could use its chassis as the basis for the rat rod. Took some modification and a ton of fabrication and welding, but now the rat rod has the safety features and amenities of a modern vehicle. (Even air conditioning!) The bed is made from the cedar from our old hot tub, and it looks great! We found a 1959 Mercedes radiator at a car show, and it "fits" the rat rod just right. (If you look around on my blog, I'm sure you'll find a pic or two of the rat rod... and of the econorail dragster he had in the '70s.)

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    3. Sounds fantastic! I bet it is a lot of fun to cruise around in:-)
      Having A/C would certainly be a plus here in the desert, and that cedar bed sounds beautiful!

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  11. Sounds like you've had a bit of a rough go, lately. Sorry about your aunt! :(
    Glad to know you won your court case, though.

    Hubby and I love classic cars and enjoy those shows immensely. Today's vehicles are so boring by comparison!

    Ah, the illusive muse! :) Usually, I just go with the flow, but if I'm stuck in the middle, then I put the material aside and do something else for awhile. Hope she comes back to you, soon!

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    1. Hi Debbie!
      Thanks for your kind thoughts.
      Boring is right! While I get the need for economy, you practically spend half the price of the car to fix them these days and do they have to be so ugly?
      I like to hope my muse understands my absence of late and is only waiting for me to be inspired again :-)

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  12. Wow, that sounds like a pretty varied and emotional few days. Sorry to hear about your relative passing, and I bet it's a relief to get the court thing out of the way? The car show sounds like a highlight, though!

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    1. Hi Nick!
      Yes, doesn't it always seem to come in waves? Thank you for your thoughts. I'd hoped for quite some time that court would not be necessary, but you can only sweep so much dirt under the rug before it comes time to clean;-)
      The car show was indeed a treat! The weather was perfect for strolling around in the midst of yesteryear's finest automotive dynamism. In terms of people, it's one of the most congenial gatherings (of hundreds) I know of;-)

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Any thoughts? Join the conversation, comments welcome here!