That was the week that was

Rollercoasters – emotional and otherwise

This week started with a big and joyous family Easter and ends with the completion of the next draft of the novel and the satisfaction of clicking send as it goes off for the next stage of the submission process with Valley Press. It’s a good feeling to get this far, now it’s a waiting game to see how the full text goes down.

In between these ‘bookends’ I’ve had the fun of choir and band practices, the hard work of tidying up the novel draft and the sadness of following a close friend to his grave. That was a very special, if emotionally draining, day at a natural burial ground at a ceremony (if that’s the right word) which was carefully crafted and lovingly delivered for a man who had a big heart and many talents. It was also the first time I’ve been to a natural burial and I was very taken with the whole approach, from the casket to the horse drawn hearse, from the sensitive celebrant to the easy and relaxed atmosphere.

Politics

In among, of course, we had the shock election news. Such a pity my friend David isn’t here to comment. He would have a few pithy things to say. A PM who promised not to call an election calling one to give her the mandate she claims she already has to deliver a policy, Brexit, which she campaigned against. Not an original thought but worth repeating.

Clearly she thinks she can romp home, be strengthened by it, and not have to face the electorate again until 2022 by which time things might look better than they will in 2020. I wouldn’t put much money on this last one and predicting election results is a mug’s game. Maybe it won’t be as straightforward as she thinks. Personally, I wouldn’t ask her to run a stall at the church jumble sale. But then I look at the US and think – ‘well at least she’s a grown up’!

The Armageddon Tour

All of which brings us to nuclear posturing and the desperate hope that we’re all wrong and the two braggarts in the playground won’t goad each other into a nuclear catastrophe. Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un. The stuff of nightmares. We’ve a few gigs lined up with the band and we’ve unofficially declared it to be the Armageddon tour…

Photo courtesy of CJ Oliver and Flickr