Alone

The chilly March wind buffeted the first rose on the bush. My eyes filled with tears. It would always serve as a reminder of that warm day in June, over forty years ago, when Henry and I had first planted it. We had just got back from our honeymoon. He died last November, suddenly, in his sleep – a heart attack, probably painless. Now, all I have left are the memories – and one fragile rose.

And that was my latest submission to Paragraph Planet that went online on August 18. I need to get back on track and submit some more paragraphs but I am one of those people who flit from one thing to another. One moment I am all about writing. The next I am all about re-decorating. I wonder if there are more people like me or if I have just inherited my father's worse genes. I know he is like that too.

My husband took the photo of the rose last year when we were visiting his parents in America. My father in-law has many rose bushes with flowers of many different hues, smells and shapes. The photo was taken right after it had rained and I think it is really beautiful how the rain-drops looks like little diamonds on the delicate pink rose.

I've decided to write a short post today but hopefully will be back with a longer one later on during the week ... that is, if I don't get sidetracked by something else ;)

The Dog Days

We’re officially at that time of year, when the heat reaches its peak and so does the languidness in the air. In ancient times, the dog days in the northern hemisphere were between July 24 and August 24. I think that the ancients were right, for during this period an air of laziness seems to grip me. I try to work, to be productive but it is like I am fighting a fog in my brain. The air around me is hot and humid. And heavy. It is all I can do to keep my eyes open without falling into a blissful sleep. Big grey clouds are starting to roll in daily. But it doesn’t rain. It’s too early for that. On August 24 we celebrate the feast of Saint Bartholomew. The local legend goes that on that day the saint is given the keys to the heavens, to inaugurate the next rainy season. Soon thunderstorms will be brewing in the air, making everything from flies to humans pesky and irritable. I look up daily at the grey clouds, hoping that a few drops will fall onto the parched and dusty land. But it’s no use. It’s too early. I have to wait – for old Saint Bart to enter his keys into that heavenly lock.

In the meantime I have to have patience and try to write some coherent sentences. It seems that I cannot concentrate for long. My mind is elsewhere. I daydream of lying on a beach somewhere but instead, I am stuck at the office. I seem to have switched from writing to reading. I have rekindled my love for all things vintage by visiting the blogs of some very talented ladies who constantly revamp old items and make them look gorgeous. So that has set me onto the redecorating/revamping road. I have a thousand projects in my head. A hundred things I need to buy. I seem to be constantly popping in to Ebay and Etsy to try and find that elusive treasure. I daily wish that thrift stores and yard sales were more prolific here instead of practically nonexistent. All of this is going on (mostly in my head) while my dad and husband work on our yard. They’ve built a BBQ pit and are re-cladding the walls. There’s dust and debris everywhere. Our poor plants look very dejected and forlorn and no amount of spraying with water seems to help them. I guess that, like me, they’re waiting for the rain. Come on Saint Bart, we’re counting on you.

A Paragraph and a Blog

As some of my older (and here I am not talking about age :)) followers may know, I occasionally send in paragraphs to Paragraph Planet. This is a website for writers where anyone can send in a paragraph. If it gets chosen, it will be featured as the paragraph of the day. All paragraphs have to be 75 words long, including the title. On July 31st I had a second paragraph featured on the website. For me it is a great way to keep writing at a period when I don't have much time. Summer seems to sap the energy from me and I get too fidgety to write coherently for long. A 75 word paragraph is just the thing. It gets my thoughts flowing and it only takes a few minutes. If any of you are interested, joining the site is easy and you can submit paragraphs immediately.

Having said all that, I am going to share my latest featured paragraph with you.

Apocalypse Now

Our horses are saddled. We wait only for the signal to be given. One after the other we will descend on Earth and wreak havoc on humankind. Pestilence, war, famine and death will follow in our terrible wake. Our horses are restless. The time is nigh. From the shadows into the light we will ride - harbingers of misery and despair. The first seal has been broken. It is time. The end is here.

Well, that's my version of future events. There was not much more I could say in just 75 words.

And now for a moment of self-promotion. I have started a new blog dedicated to Malta. It is a place where I can mingle writing with historical facts and photos without boring the socks off of everyone who reads this blog who is not into the history stuff. Called Snapshots of an Island, my aim is to focus on one thing/building/scene at a time and try and give a more in-depth understanding of what makes this little island tick. I am not asking any of you to follow this blog too. But if you want to pop by every now and then, or know of people who might be interested in reading about another country, please pass the word. I will be really grateful. Having said that, I think it is time for me to thank all my followers and all those people that take the time to leave their comments. It's one of the best things about blogging - connecting with people from all over the world. I am learning so much from each and every one of you and it really is a pleasure to visit with so many people every day without even having to leave my chair.