Still Not Writing

It's been 12 days since my last post, in that time my writing and reading has continued to stand still--but the house is coming along.

The bathroom is all but done. The electrician is booked to come in and fit the three-in-one light/heater/vent unit and new switch arrangement, and then we can call it completely done.

I've begun installation of the range-hood above the stove. The unit has been attached to the wall and the flue kit and external 'chimney' will go in this coming weekend (hopefully).

By the end of next week I'm hoping to have all my ducks aligned and we'll have the ready cash to move forward on things like the landscaping and kitchen cupboard renovations. Fingers crossed.

The day job is still an amazingly 'lost' place to be. We have a saying here: 'Couldn't organise a pissup in a brewery' - I believe the inventor of this saying also worked here once upon a time as it describes our management team to a 'T'!

The stress of work and of getting the house sorted has been immense. The uncertainty of it all, the total lack of any control of forces that impact so largely on me directly is a new experience I haven't been sure how to cope with. I like to be in control of things around me, even if it's only a perceived control. Perception is a person's reality, and my reality has been somewhat warped of late, but I'm getting help and support from my loved ones so, hopefully, I'll be back on track sooner rather than later.

Getting things sorted will hopefully allow my creative side to surface once more and the words will begin to flow. Being able to sit quietly and get some reading done would be a nice improvement, but at the moment any spare moments need to be used to get the house finished and I feel guilty if I'm not moving that project forward--and the last thing I need is more self-imposed stress, so reading just has to wait. Oh, and I'm hooked on a computer game at the moment which allows me to sit for long periods and not think about anything of consequence. I love my art too much to be able to not care about it so the game is my way of zoning out without having to think too much.

Strangely, I'm still picking up new visitors and followers to this blog. To the new arrivals, I apologise for the current irregularity of posting and the lack of writing related material - it's one of those moments in a writer's life when art is forced into the background and life takes over, but welcome anyway. Feel free to back over the older material and ask any questions in the comments section. I still check my emails (not as regular as I once did but still regular enough), and I'll make sure I do a new post to answer any questions you may have.

And just so I don't feel alone (because I know I'm not in this one), what's the longest period you've gone without being in a real writing schedule? I know some of you began writing, stuck at it for a few years, and then had a break before coming back to it. How long was that break?