Well, it’s been a while since I’ve been back to Annie’s Cabin and I’m a bit rusty, but hoping a little exercise will get things moving along again. March of this year saw Hollis and me undertaking the construction of my new writing studio, named WordSplash after a favorite phrase from one of my favorite crazy poets, Dylan Thomas. And quite properly christened Castle WordSplash with a handmade sign by The Bear Man, Frank Nicolette, whose specialty is chain-saw carved bears. And wizards. And now signs for Annie’s Cabin! And below I hope we’ll see WordSplash herself where I’ve been spending hours and hours since she was completed a few weeks ago. Situated on a small knoll between two creeks leading into the bigger river creek down below, she is a cool place in every sense of the word. And the good news is that the “real writing” is underway. But it’s taken a while and before serenity could set in again, chaos had to reign, which it did, but now her reign is over and mine has begun! But I do wish writing a blog were as user-friendly as writing a novel………….
You see, I need a techno-wizard (as well as a hand-carved one) to remind me how to navigate Media Libraries and photos and I’m not quite there yet on my own. But what the heck—I’m trying!
Is there anyway—-WOW, look what just happened! I hit some wondrous button and the words started flowing right where I wanted them to! Now, if I could only remember what I did. haha…..
Anyhow, I do have a retirement routine which I adhere to pretty regularly. Correspondence and doggie walk in the mornings, yoga with my Ragdolls, a bite of breakfast with my good man and then—whoohoo! I mosey on out to Castle WordSplash, usually around 11:00. Except for days like today when I spend—or rather waste!—a couple hours re-figuring how to make a bloggy thing come alive again……but not complaining, just observing.
For here’s the point: yesterday was Sunday and the afternoon found me up in WordSplash, on the floor, in front of two old wicker trunks loaded with memorabilia—letters, old diaries, newspaper clippings—not to mention all my grammar school report cards and kindergarten poems(!) I’d written to my mother aeons ago. In essence, my whole life was a jigsaw puzzle of random unconnected pieces littered before me. And Junior High and High School scrapbooks and newsletters and albums full of black and white photos from First Weeks at Pawleys Island…..and I could go on and on. And after I got used to the apprehension of heartbreak with every letter and the mysteries and clues they held, it started dawning on me that i had a cultural world in front of me that no longer exists….The Last Age of Innocence as it were. So I’m trying to figure out mnemonic tricks so that I can somehow put the puzzle together without getting run outta town on a rail—-! I feel like the old guy from The Drones Club in a P.G. Wodehouse novel who was writing his memoirs. Word got out among his friends and they became terrified at what he might put down in that innocent little memoir, and people started bribing him and threatening him and generally freaking out that their colorful pasts would be revealed in his! Haha—-think that just might be where I’m finding myself today, too! Hold on to your hats—-I’ll keep ya posted!
Views from Annie's Cabin 
Dear Anne,
So many memories of years past.. I read you book with great pleasure. Keep the black dog at bay– I share the he same. Living in Newport RI after a life that took me all over the world–like yours. I’d love to connect and see how things are in the dark corner, my favorite fishing spot as a kid.
With belated warmest regards,
Rand Stoneburner
WOW, how wonderful to hear from you, Randy! I just stumbled upon this note from you, having just posted two new bloggie things—–thanks for reading my book! I’m working on the second one….different, but I’m loving writing it—would love to stay in touch, would love to hear the stories of YOUR life!! and we got 8 inch Brookies in the creek now and are struggling to find a happy balance between them and the Great Blue Heron who fishes up and down it……….you know there’s a ummmmm, ahh, a ummm, a 50th reunion being planned……Lawsy! Close your eyes for one minute and BAM! it’s another era!
Cheers to you——and thanks for touching base——