Top Left Quadrant: Week 11: Summer daydreams

Friday 15 July 2016

Week 11: Summer daydreams

NOTE: The Slow Professor discussion seems a little slow to get going over at Earnest English's place here: it's a great book so far, I'd love to hear what you all think, and EE said earlier it was fine to just join in when you can, so please do!

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The days are actually getting shorter now, the 4th of July celebrations are past, even in the UK the children are out of school - it's DEFINITELY summer in the Northern Hemisphere. OK, so some of us are teaching, others attending meetings, and we're all adults so don't get to stop and chill for n weeks every summer (unless we're Scandinavian - yet another reason I'd love to emigrate...). These musings gave me two ideas for topics this week - pick one or answer both, it's summer!

Topic 1: what were the best bits of 'summer' for you as a student/young person, and can you find ways to add a little of that summer freedom and enjoyment into your routine now?

For me, this definitely includes eating an ice cream bar whilst sitting on the back step in the sun at least every now and then! One of the things I really enjoyed, but don't do as much of now, was daydreaming - lying around under a tree or on a lounger, swinging on the swings, sitting on a windowsill, cool drink to hand, a book on my lap or beside me (I used to take books to bed as well as stuffed toys when I was a little kid. I have Issues about not having the possibility to read), and just letting my mind float off. Making up adventures, imagining futures, designing a dream house, talking to animals, seeing things in the clouds... living inside my head and relishing it. Which led to my second topic, as we've had some fun threads on this in the past:

Topic 2: as your 'daydreaming assignment', what's your perfect writing space? Where is it, what's the view, what's on the writing surface, how does it look, smell, feel, are there particular drinks and snacks? A daily massage service? Obedient cats or a foot-warming puppy?

And onto the useful checkin stuff (after all we ARE responsible adults MOST of the time, right?):

Last week's goals:

allan wilson

1. Do CR revisions , that are now becoming urgent

2. Get back into a good exercise routine- exercise for at least half an hour every day.

Contingent Cassandra

begin work on individual contribution to grant project.

do some family & friend reconnecting/trip planning.

Take a load to storage.

Daisy

1) Back to Hideous Paper - revise methods and results

2) Revisions for Minor Revision paper

3) RUN!!!

4) 2 Abstracts and 2 travel applications

5) Little grant application

6) Big grant Notice of Intent

Dame Eleanor Hull

1. Stick to exercise, cooking, work times, etc. routines.

2. Make progress with MMP-1 revisions.

3. Work on fall syllabuses and planning.

4. Make lists and plans for (a) House Stuff and (b) work, thinking carefully about remaining summer (about 5 weeks) and the transition to fall teaching.

Earnest English

1. SFP/writing: 3-30min sessions this week. Read. Print out stuff for 8y.

2. Gardening: Get salad seeds started in basement. Order elderberries and blueberries?

3. Work: I have to be on campus on Thursday. My big goal for the week is not to be tense every moment until then. Also, schedule 2 things. Write a letter of rec. Return student email. Send email. Get new parking sticker. Work on Talk.

4. Do one LittleProject task.

5. Yoga/tai chi/meditate. Figure this out more particularly.

6. Family fun and tasks like VT.

7. Read, because I will anyway.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell

Keep up with Slow Professor

Write or plan everyday on Pierpont article

Continue unpacking one box a night

Call for doctors’ appointments

Good Enough Woman

1) Make a work schedule for remaining chapter revisions.

2) Re-read chapter 3, evaluate need for organizational changes

3) find places for notes I made during trip.

4) read 50 pages primary source

5) read 2-3 articles/chapters.

6) More veggies for family.

7) Do one or two fun things with family, but work rest of time.

heu mihi

1. Finish infernal revisions!

2. Finish draft of ch. 2/3 for writing group, other than thorny paleographic problem.

3. Reread another 3 single-spaced pages of ch. 5/6 and work on straightening them out.

4. Read one thing.

5. Meditate twice.

humming42 (carried over)

1 Get everything in order for fieldwork: hotel, car rental, packing

2 Confirm contacts in fieldwork locale

3 Finish grading all assignments except final

4 Figure out what to work on while traveling

5 Add new material to RBP Chapter 2

JaneB

1) complete the lists

2) read and comment on grant application from colleague

3) spend an hour or so excavating and organising my desks at work and home

4) go to the gym twice or so

5) keep on top of emails

6) do pre-course homework and prepare for software course

7) finish second semester report for old admin role

Karen (carried over)

1. Breath. Move like water.

2. Hold the space for people that need it. Include myself in the people that get that extension of kindness and patience.

3. Read one thing that isn't to do with an imminent deadline.

4. 5 minutes of freewriting x 4

KJHaxton

1. deal with meeting aftermath

2. finish draft of thing 1 and send to people who know more

3. email to ask questions about acronym report

4. edit current draft of acronym report

Matilda

1) Work on the review article I had put off for a long time.

2) Continue to work on Chapter 2.

3) 5 minute exercise more than three times a day.

Susan (carried over)

1. Make last two revisions in text

2. Finish permissions work

3. Begin bibliography/footnotes project. Get through Introduction. (That's the worst because everything is new to the bibliogrpahy.)

4. READ, have fun. On Thursday I start a week with my three stepsons and 2 spouses and 2 grandchildren in a house I've rented. This includes a party for some 30 family members in a place I don't live on Saturday. I like everyone involved, but they are three brothers, and there are dynamics, so I want to try to keep calm and be low key.

Waffles

1. Get next version of F32 turned around by Wednesday morning.

2. Work on relat paper

3. Get letter done

4. Try to get back to religion paper

32 comments:

Circe16 July 2016 at 18:21
Topic 1 - I think the best bit about summers when younger (school/uni) was the sense of potential: the summer stretched ahead like an unmapped country and could be full of anything. Moving from tightly scheduled term-time to uncharted land was the best bit. I still get that but it feels like the pool of unscheduled (or lightly scheduled time) is decreasing more each year.

Topic 2 - perfect writing space would be a calmly lit room with a shaft of sunlight falling across the floor. Warm enough but with the windows open and a gentle breeze coming in. Strawberry candles and probably a sea view, something to stare into the middle distance at, lost in thought. A tall glass of iced water, gentle background music and something nice for dinner cooking slowly on the stove half a house away.

Last week:
1. deal with meeting aftermath - yes, mostly done, mostly brutal.
2. finish draft of thing 1 and send to people who know more - yes, done but not as well as it might have been
3. email to ask questions about acronym report - not done but figured out the answers
4. edit current draft of acronym report - partly done

This week:
1. several days off
2. finish final version of thing 1
3. make more progress on acronym report
4. avoid all work related drama.
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Elizabeth Anne Mitchell16 July 2016 at 22:21
Topic: Summertime best bits and daydream writing space
I loved summertime as a child, and used to climb to a fork in a tree in our backyard to sit and read for hours. I also used to spend days at the neighborhood pool, not heading home until dinner was ready. As for ways to add some of that back to my life, I found to my delight that the nearby public library in my new village is full of light reading, including books I took off my list several years ago to be “serious” about my reading.
There is also a nearby neighborhood pool and one at the Y that I plan to investigate. I have enough avoirdupois now that I float more than I should, but I want to get back into the freedom of swimming.

My perfect writing space? I would love a writing shed that would be all mine and not shared with anyone--well, maybe the dog. It would have windows and a fireplace for heat, a microwave and dorm refrigerator, and a half-bath. It would have a view of a lake nestled in the mountains.
I am putting together a reasonably nice writing space in the attic in the new house, but DH has put his desk in there as well. (Sigh. Virginia Woolf was spot on, was she not?) It has a nice view of the yard and some large trees, and is quiet and expansive.

Last week’s goals:
Keep up with Slow Professor. Total fail, sadly.
Write or plan everyday on Pierpont article. Yes.
Continue unpacking one box a night. Better than one a night!
Call for doctors’ appointments. Yes, and for the tests as well.

Analysis:
One of my doctors called at 4pm on Tuesday with a last minute cancellation for Wednesday. Although I have more tests in the next few days, I did well not to wait another month for my original appointment to see this doctor, as I seem to have done more damage than I thought when I fell in April.
As a result, I will be out of town for all these tests the first part of the week. I hope to do some reading while waiting for tests, and on the train down and back. As a reward, I am going to shop for some pieces of furniture while in the big city.

Next week’s goals:
Catch up with Slow Professor
Think about the projects and write a few sentences every day.
Continue unpacking one box a night when home
Investigate the neighborhood pool and the Y

I hope everyone has a lovely week!
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Dame Eleanor Hull17 July 2016 at 14:23
Topic: the first thing that came to mind about summer was creeks. Fast-moving creeks that started in the mountains, or at least in the coastal hills, and burbled over rocks, sometimes forming pools that I could splash in. I could sit in the shade with my feet in the water, reading. This was childhood. It was possible to re-create some elements of this in grad school; I often did spend an afternoon reading by/in the creek, though the rocks were flat slabs rather than rounded boulders, and there was a lot more algae. I live in the flatlands now, and the streams do not burble, and their bottoms are much muckier. So this one is just making me nostalgic and sulky.

Well, last week's goals:

1. Stick to exercise, cooking, work times, etc. routines. YES.
2. Make progress with MMP-1 revisions. YES.
3. Work on fall syllabuses and planning. YES.
4. Make lists and plans for (a) House Stuff and (b) work, thinking carefully about remaining summer (about 5 weeks) and the transition to fall teaching. NO (in denial).

I have to admit that I chose these goals knowing that some of them would definitely happen, because they were easy/vague (1 & 2) or associated with a scheduled meeting (3). Most of my summer goals are now in the urgent category. I have four weeks, then I leave to visit family and a conference, and when I return it's into the classroom more or less instantly. And for the next week, I will still be stuck into watching the Tour for multiple hours a day, because cycling, and French scenery (speaking of mountain streams . . . mmmm . . . seriously, one of the ways I deal with not being in my preferred landscape is to watch TV set in places that I love). Sir John can work in front of the TV; I can't, or not on anything very significant.

This week's goals:
1. Find something useful I can do while in front of the TV (mending? sorting through a box of something?).
2. Make lists and plans for (a) House Stuff and (b) work, thinking carefully about remaining summer (about 5 weeks) and the transition to fall teaching.
3. Keep forging ahead on the MMP-1.
4. Do some reading for the MMP-2 revisions.
5. Have another go at the bellflower, and put plastic down over the parking space to kill weeds there.
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heu mihi18 July 2016 at 02:40
Summer fantasy: Long hours of pleasure reading. Open, unstructured days. Whole afternoons at the pool. (With a four-year-old, these are not particularly fun yet, so the current state of affairs doesn't satisfy.)

I've been trying to get more reading time in this summer, even if it's mostly not for fun. That helps.

I don't have a fantasy writing space, and I actually don't want to conjure one, because I'm certain that it would only arouse dissatisfaction with my current places.

Last week's goals:
1. Finish infernal revisions! DONE
2. Finish draft of ch. 2/3 for writing group, other than thorny paleographic problem. DONE-ISH: Sent it off, but didn’t actually “finish” all the other problems.
3. Reread another 3 single-spaced pages of ch. 5/6 and work on straightening them out. NOT DONE.
4. Read one thing. DONE? I read a couple of teaching-related things. I do need to do more research-related reading, though.
5. Meditate twice. DONE—three times! I misremembered my goal.
6. Yoga once. DONE

This week's goals:
1. Read/take notes on next new teaching book.
2. Meditate x 5.
3. Read one research book and at least two articles.
4. Reread rest of ch. 5/6 draft and figure out next steps.
5. Yoga x 2.
6. Run?? If it's not too hot.
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Contingent Cassandra18 July 2016 at 02:55
Writing spaces: I definitely covet Elizabeth Anne Mitchell's attic, sans additional inhabitant. And I actually have the furniture I want in a study: at the last minute, I managed to salvage the shelves and cabinets my father and grandfather had built in the study in our family home (which was my father's study for most of its life, but became mine for its last few years, and is where I finished my dissertation). I'd very much like to be working among them again, and even saw some wallpaper last week (a woodland scene, with lots of animals and birds peeking out), that would fit in nicely.

On the more practical side: sun (especially in the morning), good climate control (including the ability to open windows/doors when the weather is conducive), both a chair/couch and a desk (I have the desk from the old study, too), reasonable proximity to bathroom and teamaking supplies but somewhat removed from rest of house (and any other inhabitants -- but I haven't lived with anyone else for some time), pleasant view out the window (but not onto a part of the yard/garden that needs a lot of work; that's distracting. Treetops or a tree, with perhaps a birdfeeder and/or birdbath, would be good; so would a small, well-established and maintained, garden area. A distant view, which is what I have now, would work, too). I'm not sure whether I'd like a door directly to the outside or not -- maybe some sort of balcony/rooftop sitting space outside an attic would be nice? If on the ground floor, I think I'd like french doors out to a small patio.

As far as services go, I'd love to spend some time at one of those colonies where someone delivers lunch (and perhaps breakfast) straight to your writing cabin, and then you get together with others for dinner. Near availability of walking paths (and perhaps a pool) would also be nice. Even at home, the availability of a good meal without too much effort on my part would be nice (I sort of manage this by cooking in advance and warming up in microwave, or, at a more primitive level, relying on microwave meals, but if we have our choice of fantasy staff, I'd definitely go for a cook.
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Good Enough Woman18 July 2016 at 17:37
Summers: Reading and pools. That's what I remember from childhood. And in my early adult, single days, reading and surfing. Those were good days. Now summers are pretty focused on my kids, but since they are getting older, there will be more and more open time in the future. This summer has had some books and water (rivers, pools, ocean), but mostly the thesis. I'm getting so excited about the thought of being finished! Next summer will be glorious, I think.

Writing space: I will take all or any of the above, thank you! Mountain cabin next to a river, cottage next to a lake or ocean, condo next to a pool--they all sound great. The light IS important. Right now, I work in a spare room in our house, but it's rather dark. And soon, it will be taken over by a kid when they stop being in the same room. In April, I had four nights at a hotel that was right across the street from the harbor. The light and fog were so fantastic, and I could hear the water slapping on the hulls of the boats. That was good. As for reality, I might actually get a backyard "shed" next summer! We hope to redo the backyard, and, ideally, I'd get a shed/office, hubby would get a hot tub, and we'd do some landscaping and put in a gas fire pit. Fingers crossed. By that time, the kids will be in separate rooms, so there will be no place for me to work/be unless I get my shed!

Last week:
1) Make a work schedule for remaining chapter revisions. DONE, in a rather vague, aspirational way.
2) Re-read chapter 3, evaluate need for organizational changes. DONE. Have started editing.
3) find places for notes I made during trip. MOSTLY DONE. Evolving.
4) read 50 pages primary source. NOT DONE. Only about 20.
5) read 2-3 articles/chapters. DID 1-2. Decided to focus on editing.
6) More veggies for family. DONE. Does fruit count?
7) Do one or two fun things with family, but work rest of time. DONE, but need to lean more towards work this week.

Analysis: Making the transition from vacation to thesis has been slower than I'd hoped. Hard not to do "quality time" with the kids each day. But we did some fun things and even exercised together! (Tennis, walking the dog . . . ). This week, it's time to let them (and hubby) fend for themselves.

This week's goals:
1) Finish major editing of chapter 3 by Friday.
2) Read secondary sources as necessary for chapter 3, then start reading for chapter 4 next weekend.
3) Read 50 pages of primary source.
4) Focus on work except for Tuesday (anniversary) and one major outing with kids (maybe to the pool? or a hike?). Work late at least 2-3 nights.
5) Make appointments: dentist for daughter, dermatologist for me.
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Waffles18 July 2016 at 18:27
My fantasy space isn't dissimilar from my current home space (I live alone, so only feline interruptions), except I want a chair that is wide enough for me to sit cross legged in (I have long legs!), climate control (no AC and it's rough in the summer), a view of any kind (as long as I can't be seen by others), natural light (my only windows in my office overlook my neighbors porch - so I keep my blinds closed), and that this is a 5 min walk from school so that I can get there more easily if there is a need.

Waffles
1. Get next version of F32 turned around by Wednesday morning. - DONE
2. Work on relat paper - NOT DONE
3. Get letter done - DONE
4. Try to get back to religion paper - NOT DONE!

I got a little waylaid from making progress on my pubs by two things: 1) carb-induced sleepiness; 2) last minute request for me to guest lecture in a class that made me panicky and drop everything else. Just got done with the class, so I am looking forward to re-focusing on my own work again.

Goals for this week:
1. Once I get edits from co-mentor on grant, turn it around quickly to give to mentor for review
2. get back to my pubs to try to get one submitted soon
That's pretty much it - my grant is due to the research office in 2 weeks, so I think I'll just be working on that and the pubs. Then, I hope to collapse! And clean!
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Earnest English18 July 2016 at 22:00
Summer Daydreams

I remember reading my summers away. I would definitely get bored by about the end of July, but it was lovely, just being able to follow my own thoughts or read or whatever. And I am glad to say that while my son definitely has his own ideas about what's going to happen on any given day (and exactly how much presidential trivia will be shared), I have gotten to read and follow my own thoughts already! I've read one book (This Organic Life) and a big chunk of two others (Cooked by Michael Pollan and Shannon Hayes Radical Homemakers). I'm gardening, cooking, and not expecting huge things of myself. I am doing some writing and reading. I'm also trying desperately to protect all this and my brain (which gets stuck in work oftentimes) from a big hoopla that's going on just now. Cross your fingers for me. The key is to just put my energies determinedly elsewhere and try hard to think of something else that's engrossing. I need to do more of that.

Last Week

1. SFP/writing: 3-30min sessions this week. Read. Print out stuff for 8y. I'm pretty sure I did this. I had a lovely time reading and writing at different points this week. Lovely.
2. Gardening: Get salad seeds started in basement. Order elderberries and blueberries? Nope. Working on it.
3. Work: I have to be on campus on Thursday. My big goal for the week is not to be tense every moment until then. Also, schedule 2 things. Write a letter of rec. Return student email. Send email. Get new parking sticker. Work on Talk. 2 things are scheduled, one email got sent, parking sticker has been acquired. Several things still need to be done this week.
4. Do one LittleProject task. YES
5. Yoga/tai chi/meditate. Figure this out more particularly. NO, but watched video that said that meditating was following the breath so you can meditate all the time. So I inched forward on this.
6. Family fun and tasks like VT. Yup.
7. Read, because I will anyway. Yes, lovely lovely.

Analysis

I've noticed this week that I am the problem. I need to try to keep my head out of work and I need to try to make sure work issues don't take over my mood, my mind, or whatever. The problem is me, and I wonder if only checking email twice a day would help here. (I feel like I'm growing this summer.)

This upcoming week I have to really be extroverted in a way that is completely not what I need or feel right now. So late in the week I plan to just collapse. I should probably read Slow Prof chapter early then.

Upcoming Week

1. SFP/writing: Keep on going with plans. Read. Write. Enjoy.
2. Gardening: Get salad seeds started in basement. Order elderberries and blueberries?
3. Work: Event this week so I have to prepare my talk and associated stuff, including little email. Letter of rec. Return student email.
4. Take a big breath and look at FreakyEmail. This counts as my LittleProject task for the week.
5. Yoga/tai chi/meditate. ????
6. Family fun and tasks.
7. Read.
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humming4219 July 2016 at 06:11
Apologies for late posting as I settle back in.

Childhood summers were always about reading and going to the beach, but mostly reading. I have managed to read a few novels this summer, but I created a workload for myself that has made fiction addiction impossible to sustain. I will make some timeless time for reading somewhere down the line.

I learned some things about the ideal writing retreat while I was doing the fieldwork/writing combo. The ideal writing retreat would be as isolated as possible--a true retreat where no one would find me. Like entering into a temporary witness protection program. Fieldwork Station didn’t even have a coffeemaker, so I drank instant coffee that brought me little pleasure. If someone brought me coffee and food, that would round out the retreat beautifully. And a cat would be kind of lovely too.

Two weeks ago/carry over:
1 Get everything in order for fieldwork: hotel, car rental, packing: yes, eventually
2 Confirm contacts in fieldwork locale: not everything worked out, but it’s ok
3 Finish grading all assignments except final: graded everything and posted course grades the night before they were due. It could have been prettier
4 Figure out what to work on while traveling: Ended up working mostly on unconfirmed thing, which I should not have even started, but feel is important personally if not professionally
5 Add new material to RBP Chapter 2: Mostly

Week ahead, moving toward some TRQ:
1 Read remaining parts for Mars
2 Start drafting Mars revision
3 Outline Mercury essay
4 Pick an RBP chapter and revise it
5 Finish and submit unconfirmed thing
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karen19 July 2016 at 07:57
I'm dreaming of summer here as I look out my office window with an internal sense of glee that it's not totally dark at 5pm! And the miniature irises are flowering and the long shift out of mid-winter is starting. I'll summer daydream about going to the beach early before the sand gets too hot to step on, and lounging in a hammock reading a book purely because I want to, with no-one needing me to do anything.

Writing space I am easy with - it's the blank headspace needed that I long for.

It's been a few weeks since I last checked in, so I'll summarise that by saying that I'm still functioning, as is my large online unit and over-stretched colleagues and that is enough of an achievement to feel satisfied by.

In the week ahead I have a slight let-up from Urgent! Right! How! deadlines, so I will:
-actually do some form of exercise that isn't typing :)
-get marginally ahead on content generation so next week is easier
-contact collaborators
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Daisy20 July 2016 at 07:42
Late checking in, the weekend was fun but then I got sick, just catching up now.

Summer topic: One word, BEACH! I do that a lot now with the kid, and any excuse is good for a beach trip. Lots of options close by.

Writing space:Big plain desk for spreading out papers, double computer screen for spreading out files, additional comfortable chair for reading (and possibly napping), fireplace, ocean view, tea-making corner, giant lock on door :) and no other occupants, ever... Ideally this would be a cabin somewhere!

Last week's goals:
1) Back to Hideous Paper - revise methods and results NOPE
2) Revisions for Minor Revision paper YES, ONGOING
3) RUN!!! NOTHING
4) 2 Abstracts and 2 travel applications YES
5) Little grant application YES
6) Big grant Notice of Intent YES

I have a grad student visiting, so her project takes precedence now. I'm going away again next week too so I'm in preparation mode for that.

This week's goals:
1) Prepare field stuff (TRQ)
2) Set students up for absence
3) All revisions for minor revision paper
4) Ignore Hideous paper some more (let's be realistic...)
5) Accounting
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Anonymous20 July 2016 at 11:35
Reading everyone's comments about summer is wonderful, as we are in the middle of winter. The creeks, the reading, the summer sun - all so evocative. For me, definitely the potential that lies ahead. Also, the drifting thoughts that accompany lying in the shade of a tree, often with a friend to pass thoughts backward and forward. The focus that can emerge from looking at problems lazily, upside down and sideways. I'm thinking about the value of a less cluttered mind, and how valuable that might be to me now.
Last week's goals:
1. Do CR revisions , that are now becoming urgent NO. I opened them. Then wrote and asked the editor for an extension. At least constructive!
2. Get back into a good exercise routine- exercise for at least half an hour every day. IMPROVING - yes to the last four days and one other.

This week's goals
1. Exercise for at least half an hour a day
2. Make conscious food choices
3. In the spirit of summer, make some time to think about long term goals, without rushing

Wishing you all a productive week.
allan wilson
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JaneB23 July 2016 at 11:06
Oh HONESTLY, IO forgot to check in in my own week AGAIN. I get worse.

Summer memories and writing places - mmmm, so much fun to read!

My imaginary writing place has a view with water (sea would be ideal, but a nice burbling stream or a lapping loch shore would do) and a tree (for seeing the seasons) pass, a choice of chairs (including a comfy loungy one for reading or naps), a cool Scandinavian pale wood and natural fibres aesthetic which is neutral in a warm way, a visiting cat, a tea-making corner with a mini-fridge to keep things like strawberries in (or a regular delivery service via a hatch in the door, no actual people interactions), and self-tidying properties. Ideally as part of a retreat place where you can meet other people for a meal every now and then, get some exercise in some nice grounds or along the shore, but mostly just hang out in your own head. Oh, and there's a hammock somewhere (with bug repellant properties) for a lovely leisurely ourdoors nap after a productive morning, and a fireplace for winter warmth, because this is an all year round writing place.
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Friday 15 July 2016

Week 11: Summer daydreams

32 comments: