Chuffed

on that completely contented state

Last week, I ran my first Retreat with Me with four writers. At the end of the four days, my cup overflowed as I listened to their reflections. They talked about gratitude for the time and space that the retreat provided, they asked if they could come again and they talked about how the workshops and time and space enabled them to unlock parts of their manuscripts.

As we drove home, my hubby ask if I thought it went well and I said it was a triumphant success. After, I wondered if I had peaked too early, been too bold in my response, but then thought about that self-deprecating voice that us women have been trained to have. It was a triumphant success. It was more than I had hoped for these women and it was pure joy providing them with this and an utter privilege to spend time with these exceptional women.

As a result, I have decided to run six of these retreats next year with the potential to expand into some write and hike weekends and some virtual retreats. If this interests you, please fill out the expression of interest form to help me gauge the interest.

Moments at Retreat with Me

In the days since coming home, I have allowed myself some quiet and still time. Time to reflect and rest and start planning ahead. Time to sleep. Time to walk around my garden and marvel at all the flowers that have bloomed while I wasn’t watching.

A tiny window into the blooms in my garden

Today, I sit at my writing desk for the first Friday in a few weeks. It’s covered in clutter from the comings and goings of time away with my writing gang and the retreat, the unpacking of bags, the books pulled out for research and inspiration.

I’ve pulled out my 2024 planner to start mapping out what it may look like as I begin to apply for contract positions as my current contract ends at the end of this month. The first thing I added to next year’s calendar is my two-week fellowship that I will have at the Katherine Susannah Pritchard Writers' Centre in May. I am still pinching myself about this and am already imagining what it will feel to give myself two weeks of uninterrupted writing time.

If you are wondering if you’ll ever get anywhere with your pitching, submissions, writing, know that sometimes, when you least expect it, you’ll get an email that says congratulations and not unfortunately. Keep going!

Other things

• My hubby recommended a concept of not letting people live rent free in your head, which led me to this article Don’t let people live rent free in your head

• WH Auden’s poem on suffering Musée des Beaux Arts

• The Five things Essay from A Writer’s Notebook

• What is going on in Gaza is beyond awful. As someone said to me recently, it is like we are watching a dystopian movie, but we can’t switch it off and these are real people, dying. I am filled with a helplessness that pains me that I have no power to do anything about it. Marcie Alvis Walker’s post about Gaza from The Perspective of a Murder’s Daughter spoke to me in this space.

• In the same light, the recent referendum hurts deeply that I live in a country that has become so deeply self-centred to the point they vote no to something because they don’t understand it, they don’t see how they will benefit or they worry that they might lose something (off the lies fed to them). I have no answer, but compassion. If you know anyone who is suffering from either of these things, Gaza or the referendum, show them love and compassion.

Love to all my readers, you fill my cup.

Til next time

x Meg