sooo - into the retirement thing - I don't seem to be enjoying it too much - it's like a permanent Sunday, I never liked Sundays, but without the jolt of Monday to kick start the brain
I am trying to prompt the creative process by learning ten lines of poetry every day - I started with poems I knew from school, but of which I now could only remember the first lines - in my day we learned reams of poetry, a lost focus now in schools, but nothing does more to develop and support language, and act as a foundation for reading literature - it does perk me up, maybe I won't get Alzheimers quite so soon if I persevere - I remember my mother being able to quote extensive passages from poems, into her eighties and she always was alert and with it - I wonder if any one has done research.... maybe we are frying our brains with so much quick quick input and not developing sustained brain processing by learning by rote?

I have been distributing my latest offering a story CD - which is getting some good comments - I just love it, the narration is by an 'old gentleman' actually my daughter's father in law - he has a wonderful, rich, voice, perfect for young, listeners - it reminds me of the old Uncle Mac from the BBC Children's Hour, many years ago now - who is old enough or British enough to remember? the language is rich, the pace gentle and the studio which did the recording put in music breaks which allow a child a moment to catch up and reflect - a really neat device
maybe I will do some more CDs - they are popular for car bound children - and I have several 'homeless' poems none of them strong enough for a book but together a good listening experience I think

soooo this is where I came in, establish a routine, back to two morning hours of Murder in the Gun Room, an afternoon walk, a dry sherry in the evening, and reading yet another mystery novel by the fire