I have a manuscript to finish and I am now seriously into negative time completing it. Detention and one hundred lines. No one is pressuring me - and that's half the problem - I am lousy without a do or die deadline!
The summer stretches ahead with a mixture of folk using The Sanctuary Retreat Space here at Alturlie Point and I have a diary full of activities and little hope of settling down to the concerted effort I need to put in. Referrals come and go and others join us as family and friends. Some we support and journey with for a while - others are here and we may never really know why. Whatever, we try to operate at a level of hospitality and at times extreme discretion so that the needs of those in residence are met. We are very flexible in our understanding of an extended household or family - and for some who come it is important they feel a sense of belonging.
We had planned a trip to the Black Isle Show this afternoon - but things are backed up - and I need to get on (boring).
More assignments to mark. I feel in good form though as I have really enjoyed double-marking these essays as the assignment task is inventive and the tutor - imaginative and committed to the students' learning. Once these are done I must print out various items for a meeting tomorrow in Oban and get on with some report-writing. Still all valuable and rewarding work - but I MUST get the novel finished too!
Feel great too after a hair cut at lunchtime today. Short, feminist and with my usual hint of purple - I am much more myself - a morbidly obese Gremlin with attitude. My stylist is a young woman with genuine ability and a smashing chair-side manner. I ended up in a fit of giggles having prattled on for some minutes about a new film release called Shampoo. Eventually she located it much more correctly as Hairspray - and I was away - I just couldn't stop laughing. Typical. We both agreed the received wisdom was that it is worth seeing and deals sensitively with issues concerned with diversity and difference. Her advice was that my son went to see Simpsons: The Movie while I watched Hairspray. Wise woman - my stylist. After much snipping and puffing - she added the purple dye in two spots instead of the usual one. Inspired. Fun. Just right. I love her willingness to delight in the playful and mildly incongruous. It's very liberating and encouraging. She resisted commenting on the t-shirt I was wearing "I have issues"!!!! Enough said!
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