Detox

25,000 words written in two weeks, phew, and off it goes, with a synopsis to interested parties. That was hard work, but good. Fingers crossed. Now I can take a breather from the bedlam, and get some rebalance back in my life. I've started a detox - not a fullblown juice fast, which I have done in the past, which can be quite emotionally and physically gruelling, but a more gentle regime, of mostly vegan meals and no tea, coffee, alcohol, wheat, red meat or sugar. The idea being to nourish body and soul for a few weeks and get back to basics. Deciding to walk away from a successful 12 year career to go my own way was pretty scary, with many sleepless nights preceeding it, then there was the immediate rush of writing to meet an important deadline. Today was the first day when I really had time to take stock, and have a moment to reflect on what has happened and how far I have come in the last few weeks. I am still very glad I am where I am.

I'm very sorry I haven't replied to all the emails, I will do so tomorrow (and thank you for your patience.) I got to a point where I realised that I needed to have a day's break from staring at a screen, having spent hours and hours in this little messy study surrounded by lists and drying washing and a determined cat jumping in front of the monitor every five minutes. I took a short break today from following the news, and all the dramas and complaints and upsets and sadnesses that you find when you look at a screen too much and take it all to heart. What I did instead today - cooking nourishing food from scratch, made from vegetables and herbs I have walked home with from the local grocers, stirring soup whilst listening to music - ( thank you for all the suggestions following the Allison Crowe post ) - felt wonderful. Detoxing isn't just about cutting junk food out of your life. It's about letting more good things in.

J has been busy too, as he doesn't start his new job until November 6th. He has been landscaping the garden (when not playing Grand Theft Auto. 'I can't work in this rain, Rach'). He is now secretly ( he thinks) eating cold pizza and watching a horror movie in the other room. He liked the breakfast fruit, liked the lunch of spiced chickpeas and tomatoes with basmati rice and pomegranate seeds and lime juice and herbs; he loved supper of roast tomato and basil soup, stuffed peppers and huge baked field mushrooms, but as he has been dragging bags of topsoil and gravel about all week, whilst I have been stuck inside typing furiously, he deserves his illicit cafe fry-ups and late night greasy stodge as well. ( 'Otherwise I'll fart myself to death, honey' Hmmm. Quite possibly there is a grain of truth in this. I notice that the cat has fled from us both and is hiding under the bed.)

I'll be back on the politics soon, I can't keep away. I owe the Sharpener a piece, and I owe 18 Doughty Street a piece too. I'm watching/listening to 18 Doughty St now. And I couldn't restrain myself from watching Newsnight either. That report on Afghanistan. It makes your heart ache. It's an utter bloody mess. We are so damn fortunate here in this country. Right now, I am counting my blessings.