Today was Virginia Woolf's birthday...

In A Room of One's Own, she wrote:

"So long as you write what you wish to write, that is all that matters; and whether it matters for ages or only for hours, nobody can say. But to sacrifice a hair of the head of your vision, a shade of its colour, in deference to some Headmaster with a silver pot in his hand or to some professor with a measuring-rod up his sleeve, is the most abject treachery."

flora segunda

I love this Young Adult novel - don't know anything about the author except that this is her debut novel and she has a lovely and most unusual name. Ysabeau Wilce. It has all the elements to pull me in: spirited female protagonist, books, magick, a huge house and stable that has its own mysteries and quirks, and a Butler who can whip things into shape in the blink of an eye. :)

It begs to be read out loud. Maybe we'll try that next, after the individual solo reads.

If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear as it is, infinite.

-William Blake

dream home

May I indulge myself here and post photos of my dream home? It actually was on the market a few months ago but appears to have sold.



Note the pony barn. Also note that the entire exterior fencing is backed with no-climb mesh so the corgyn could run free over the entire property.



And, note the main barn to the left/rear of the pony barn. The gate in the foreground is at the very back of the property and opens onto 3000+ acres of public riding/driving trails.

What a great place.

the jefferson

Today I was walking around Southern Pines, after stopping at the bookstore to buy my children a gift before heading home.

I knew the Jefferson Inn was being renovated, but it's been a long, long time since that process started, and I've come to just assume it's "not finished."

The Jefferson, by the way, played a big part in the writing of my first novel, the one I'm down here revising right now. I rented a little office in Aberdeen for nearly a year, and came down on Thursdays to write. I always ended the day with a stop at the Jefferson for dinner and a drink and the weekly open mike that featured wonderful local music.

When the Jefferson closed its doors I was heartbroken. It had been running continuously since 1902 and had every bit of the history and charm it must have had early on.

Today I decided to peer in the windows and see what was up in there.

Imagine my surprise (and glee) to see someone sitting behind a computer in the reservation/innkeeper area! I went in and discovered that it is up and running, with 15 gorgeous rooms (I saw 8 of them) and the restaurant/bar opening sometime in April.

The Jefferson is in my first book. Now it can go in my third one too!

If you feel like a weekend, or a week, in Southern Pines, look them up and give them your business. I don't ever want the Jefferson to be closed again.