Saturday 16 May 2009

serendipity

I don't do mornings. Perhaps I'm meant to run on American time, because everything kicks in a few hours late. On Wednesday, I had a trip to Oxford and decided to do it all in one day. There was a bit of panic on Tuesday as a headache moved in, but, joy! only a headache, nasty and couldn't take the hint that it wasn't wanted, but a headache, not a migraine. (Oh, help, I'm turning into one of those people who talks about her ailments. Zip it, woman.)

As I was saying, I told younger son to drag me out of bed in the morning and shove me on to the early train, the one he gets to work. It was a three trains each way journey, and I had a long time to wait at a main line station with a shopping precinct. I don't wear make up much, but a face like mine needs all the help it can get. I really like Beauty Without Cruelty but can't get it locally, so I bought a Body Shop lippy on the station.

Getting on to train number three, I found the lens had popped out of my glasses. I don't need them for most purposes, but for reading and such I do, and there was no way I could get through the day without any, so as soon as I got to Oxford (having a little time before my meeting), I looked for a chemist where I could by some cheapies. I fell into a pharmacist's shop establised in 1732 (or something) which is now a chemists/department store/treasure trove. Bought my reading glasses and - as it was a drizzly day and my early morning brain doesn't look for umbrellas - a sweet little lightweight pretty umbrella.

Meeting was excellent, positive, and that very important chance to sit down with an editor, discuss exactly what you both want in a book, and get to know each other. Two women bringing books to life over a pot of tea at the Randolph hotel. All very positive.

I still had some time before my train left and intended to go to the Ashmolean, but it was closed for refurbishment or something (they never consulted me.) I wandered down instead, strolled around the courtyard of the Bodleian and found myself in their beautiful little shop. There to my great surprise and joy I found a Hoffnung CD, including the wonderful monologue about the bricks. I've been trying for years to get that for my husband. I also found time to pop into a Waterstones, introduce myself and sign some hamster books, and go back to the wonderful little chemist, where I discovered tht they had - yes! Beauty Without Cruelty.

I'm not materialistic, really. But I arrived home on the right side of midnight with a lippy, a BWC mascara, a sweet little umbrella, a Hoffnung CD, and a very good feeling about work in progress.

And a headache. But the headache went, and the rest are still there.

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