Categories: rejoice-with-me, news-from-depressionland
Tags: retreat, books, bipolar, food, garden, old friends
Date: 28 September 2009 15:48:07
Have just returned from a fabulous retreat at St Cuthman's, a beautiful 17th century house with enormous lake and gardens, where they don't do anything organized but just give you a comfortable room, masses of lovely food and the run of an extremely good library. What they hadn't laid on for me this weekend, but someone did, was utterly gorgeous weather all day for two days. All I did was sit in the sun in the garden (had to use a sunshade as it was too hot!) and read. Managed to devour two and a half spiritual books and one and a half novels. This could have resulted in spiritual (or literary) indigestion but didn't, as I actually took them very slowly and kept stopping to think.
As a result of the thinking I also drafted three poems (well, I think one of them is more or less finished) which is more than I have done in the last four years. I think I need beautiful places and good books to write poetry.
I didn't get actual indigestion either, despite the lavish food. Then on the way back I went straight to the Mennonite Centre where there was a delightful party to welcome the former director and his wife who were passing through on holiday. We sat out in the garden with candles in jars and had a great time chatting to various other old friends who had gathered to see them. We also gave them advance notice that we want to visit them in Elkhart, Indiana next year!
Now I have returned to almost 70 emails and a double booking for lunch. Am back pedalling furiously and trying to stop myself taking on lots of new and interesting commitments which I know I won't be able to sustain. Even if I am not bipolar, my moods certainly behave rather like it...