Joyeux Jour du Canada

Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends and readers, and happy July 1, 2014 to everyone else. There's a severe thunderstorm warning, and sure enough the blue sky of this morning has vanished under glowering cloud and an ominous stillness. I've been wandering in the garden in my nightgown - ate my first raspberry, picked zucchini flowers - have never prepared or eaten them - tons of lettuce, a few more tiny tomatoes - and a few roses, lavender and jasmine, a bouquet for the kitchen. My Canadian cup runneth over.

Most of my neighbours are at the cottage and all is quiet. Even Power Tool man, who was working away yesterday. But I don't mind now. At least he's aware of what he's doing when he does it.

The tall rangy boy appeared briefly yesterday to check in and make me laugh, and so in the evening did Mr. Choy, appearing with sushi in a bag, though I'd already eaten my dinner. But managed quite a bit more. And then we put on a DVD from the set "The Hollow Crown" lent to me by friend Debra - we watched "Henry IV part 1." So fantastic, so beautifully realized it's surely definitive, though of course you can never say that about Shakespeare. I studied the play as a kid and was shocked to be able to recite, with the spectacular Tom Hiddleston, "like bright metal on a sullen ground ..."

And, like bright metal on a sullen ground,

My reformation, glitt'ring o'er my fault,

Shall show more goodly and attract more eyes

Than that which hath no foil to set it off.

I’ll so offend to make offense a skill,

Redeeming time when men think least I will.

Thank you, unremembered English teacher. 

Soon, yet another conference with the editor; we spent more than an hour yesterday going over the latest draft page by page. Then he sent his edits - we are arguing about whether the verb "beware" is transitive or intransitive and always needs "of" - and now we'll go over it again. When you're writing a book about writing, it has to be right. Then a quiet day, more editing, figuring out what to do with a pile of zucchini flowers, and watching "Henry IV Part 2." 

One happy Canadian. And there's the thunder, and here's the rain.  Maybe I should go get dressed.

In a pot made by my mother.