Ask the Priestess

Dear Universe, I thought it would be a good idea to send you a little 'Thank You' note, as it is considered good manners when receiving some present or other. But, when I actually sat down to it, I realised that 'a little note' would not do. So, here I am writing a long letter which, I suspect, will only manage to cover the most superficial/obvious Gifts you have bestowed. Actually, let me begin with those: Thank You, Universe, for my family, partner and friends. They are a surprising group, a collection of amazing individuals whom I love and who, wonderfully, love me back! I learn from them, sometimes despite them and myself both, how to become a (hopefully) better person. I have rarely had to make a great effort to acquire any of these Gift-people, for which my Mam often chides me (she claims I don't appreciate them, but I do, I really do!), while they are a priceless source of Joy. I would like to list them, along with the qualities that make them so worthy;...

The long silence over, I am back at my keyboard. I am back to try and keep up a "dialogue" with whoever is reading this out there. I must confess, though, that I have been thinking long and hard about the loneliness of writing. And I have reached no conclusive answer. I do have an inkling, however. I have always loved both reading and writing. I have loved the intimacy, the quiet it brings, the doors it opens - French windows allowing access to a fantastic landscape of improbable possibilities. It is a haven, a bolthole, a hideaway from the world around, from the pressures of daily life, from triggers of frustration. What, then, has made it different and changed my comfy sofa by a warming fire into a jagged rock on the side of a mountain? I believe it is related to my decision to engage in writing on a "serious" basis. This blog, which I started with the intention of updating twice a week, at least, means my optional escape is now a demanding stage. I suppose I ...