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If I talk very quickly can I hide the fact that one meeting went so far overtime today that I missed the next one entirely? I didn't think so. It was worth trying.

My spirit is rested. I worked furiously on all the things I'm supposed to be working furiously on most of the day, but I had lunch with friends and I got to do some crucial stuff for the novel. I now have a garden for that character whose life is nothing without her garden, thanks to the wonder of a friend who really, really knows her gardens and walked me through hers until I had set up Mabel's.

My friend has asked if I know anyone who can use old car tyres. Free. All you have to do is pick them up. She has lots and lots of the things - way more than she can use. I know this is not much use to friends in SoCal, but if anyone is a little more local and is interested (or knows someone who is interested), please let me know and I'll put you in touch with her. She needs the space for more plants...

She has such an amazing garden.

I go now to watch anime and ponder on that garden until the next lot of frenzied emails or phonecalls comes, demanding that I work more. You see, I've only worked a normal length day today. How shocking of me.

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I forgot to say. I received a (mostly) delightful parcel from England today. Nottingham lace bookmark, notebooks, a Hat. I also have some very interesting other things. Very interesting. The prize of the package is Elizabeth Chadwick's "A Place Beyond Courage." I've been wanting to see what she did with this novel since first she started work on it. I'm making some special time this busy season and I'm going to enjoy it!

For those who follow such things, the cover is only half headless. For those who follow the "what period is it" side, it starts in 1130. For those who wonder how historical fiction writers express the strangest parts of their whimsy, you really, really want to know what's in my package. And I'm not telling you. Except that there's a distinct flavour of Thomas of Canterbury in one aspect.

And now it's back to work for me. I was too busy editing and meeting and organising and running round in circles earlier to properly enjoy my parcel, though, and I just wanted to share it with you all first.