Okay, I know this is starting to sound like an excuse, but hey…
I decide to convert my large garage into an ensuite bedroom. As you do. It was to future-proof my house against potential health problems, allowing me to live downstairs. The house was built in 1960 and only had an upstairs loo, for example. So I hired an architect and the project took off in April.
One of the biggest challenges was emptying the 50-year old garage of…stuff. There were two wardrobes (one from Nana, one from great-aunt Rita), a workbench (Dad’s. He died in 1987), two chests of drawers (made by Dad) and oodles of clutter which my darling sons had imported when they came to live with me in the past decade. Lots of shelves, filled with every spare tool and leftover box of nails my father had ever had. Not to mention the American fridge (one son’s idea), a freezer and a clothes dryer (other son’s idea). Oh, and two old doll’s prams (mine, mea culpa).
I spent February and March clearing it all out. I rented a storage unit, made several of trips to the Bring Centre and was busy on Freecycle. There was the felicitous discovery that Dublin City Council will, for the modest sum of 40 euro, take away up to five large items. Only thing is, one has to park the items outside the house on the pavement. So, for one night, it looked like a jumble sale in front of my place. Thank you, able-bodied sons for helping me move it all.
Then there was the little matter of buying bathroom fittings and tiles for the ensuite. By the time the builders arrived, I was exhausted.
The project took two months, went very well and I am now delighting in my gorgeous new bedroom and five-star hotel-type ensuite – roomy walk-in shower, lovely tiles, opening skylight.
But I’m missing writing. It feels like my hand has been cut off, figuratively. I managed to squeeze out four blogs on my website (http://maccready.eu/), months apart, but that’s all. Plus the monthly eBulletin I produce for The Irish Genealogical Research Society members but that’s mostly research with minimal writing.
Finally, I can think about scribbling again. To get back in the zone, I attended – on Zoom – a conference of the Historical Novelists Society this weekend (8-9 September) with super talks by Bernard Cornwell and Ian Mortimer. In the real world, I’ve been meeting writer friends for lunch recently. So good to be talking about books instead of bricks!
(C) Audrey Mac Cready
