Tuesday, June 06, 2006

I'm back - and to prove it - I'm here ...

Hi all! Thanks for keeping an eye on the blog for me and for keeping me alive in my absence.
We had The Best Time in Italy. We were staying with bezzie mates in the rambling ancient house I helped rebuild 15 years ago when they first moved out there (and were sleeping in a tent with their 6 month old son - but that's another story). Anyway, I'd only been back a couple of times since and not for the last 7 years.
It's in the foothills of the Apennine Mountains in Umbria - very isolated, peaceful yet spectacular too. We went for walks in beech forests, wandered round the deserted village down the track, visited with other local friends, weeded the vegetable garden, swung in the hammock, gazed at the stars and their firefly reflections in the valley below ...
For first born's birthday we went to the Grotte di Frasassi - the most mind-blowing caves imaginable. I tell you, guys, seeing is believing. And even while I was seeing my brain reeled away from believing ... Bottomless pits and rooms you could fit cathedrals in - the sheer scale was awesome. I knew about your regular stalactite/stalagmite/column combos - but never expected the variety of rock formations - curtains like tattered rags, immense vertical blades only millimetres in thickness, twisted shapes glittering with multicoloured minerals ... It all made me think that if this was the tiny (in planetary terms) bit we could see, it was possible that just the other side of a rock wall, or through an unexplored tunnel, there would be sights that are literally beyond our imagination ...
So - did I miss blogging? Can't say I did really. I thought about it a lot and certainly thought of all you guys - but for me writing (blogging or any other kind) has always been about connecting with the people out there rather than the act of typing the words on the screen ...
It was certainly hard coming back to our cramped and grimy flat with its view of the garages ... I was living a different reality in Italy. I was connected with wood, earth and stone instead of plastic, concrete and metal. Back here with the garages to stare at, it's the keyboard I need. You just have to get into the positive aspects of whatever your current reality is and while I'm here in the smoke, I couldn't stay away from you all if I wanted to ...

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes debi, it's the 'real' world that gives us our inspiration - I wonder if those caves will feature as a location in a future novel - they sound fascinating.

But then you'd have to go back to Italy for research purposes, shame :)

Sharon J said...

Welcome back, Debs! I've missed ya! Mind you, now that you're back you've gone and made me all envious. Umbria!!! Me wants to go, too!!! [some serious foot stomping going on here].

Seriously, I'm glad you had a lovely time. I had three days in Blackpool while you were gone but that's hardly the same, is it? Still... beggars, choosers and all that :) And I do have a week in a caravan in Weymouth to look forward to in August (it's ok... I'm trying to get myself back into positive mode here).

Was the dusting good enough? I did my best but I'm no domestic godess (is that one d or two?) y'know.

Anonymous said...

Bloody hell. My eyes look evil when that pictures squashes up to fit in the little oblongish thingywotsit. Will only do direct links in future (vain cow that I am).

Unknown said...

Welcome home, will chat later cos me blogger's broke!

Maxine Clarke said...

Welcome back Debi, as I mentioned on Skint Writer, your book has arrived via Amazon and I will try to read it soon though it is very hard when you have about 100 books in your cupboard.
I love Italy and glad you had a good time there == and got material from the sounds of it. We are off to France in the summer and I don't know about not blogging for that time. I have only been blogging for a few months but I now totally depend on it. We are staying in 2 different places for a week each and the second has internet access so all 4 of us have to make the big decision as to whether to take our laptops or not. Will be interesting to see how that one turns out!
Welcome back again, looking forward to your posts, assuming that you haven't enjoyed your holiday from blogging so much that you will make it permanent (hope not).
All the best
Maxine.

Debi said...

Hi all. Good to be back amongst you again.
Skint - I reckon you can justify any expense as 'research' - it's the reason I could probably never write if I escaped and locked myself away from the world. Life needs to be happening to create the literary sparks. It's one reason I don't only think about word counts. It's being constantly receptive to what's going on around you that is part of the writer's existence methinks.
Sharon - well I think you look gorgeous - in an evil-eyed way. Exactly the right look for a non-domestic goddess. As for envy ... there's plenty going on in the other blogs re that very subject. Anyway, we love caravans. Brings out the inner trailer park trash persona ...
Minx - you're so bloody clever. You can even blog when your blogger's broke.
Maxine - don't even THINK about getting a handbag big enough to carry all those books round with you. If it's any help, lots of people tell me they read Nirvana Bites in one or two sittings. My personal advice is definitely NOT to take laptops away with you ... but that's just me.

Roger Morris said...

Welcome back Debi - you're making me want to go on holiday. That will have to wait until august, I think. But I'm intending to take the whole of that month off, do some research, bit of writing, and take a holiday. It will probably fly by.