I was getting as thirsty as the ancient mariner for some writing success. With throats unslaked, with black lips baked,We could nor laugh nor wail ;Through utter drought all dumb we stood !I bit my arm, I sucked the blood,And cried, A sale! a sale! I sold my story “Screamcatcher” to “Untied Shoelaces of the Mind”, and I’ll be in the debut issue some time next month. So that’s me…
The Rum Factory
Rum Distilling Equipment La Palma has a small rum factory, at Puerto Espí,ndola, in the borough of San Andres y Sauces. Unlike most rum factories, they start with sugar cane rather than molasses. After all, La Palma had commercial sugar cane plantations in the 15th century, before the West Indies had them. At harvesting season, the factory’s south building smells of sugar cane being crushed and fermented. Distillation happens in…
30,000 readers coming my way.
Robert M Blevins, one of the editors of Escape Velocity magazine, has put my story “Scream Quietly” up on his column at Newsvine, which gets about 30,000 visitors a month. You can read the story, leave comments, and vote on it (please!) http://adventurebooks.newsvine.com/_news/2009/11/01/3449936-from-the-files-of-escape-velocity-scream-quietly-by-sheila-crosby-part-1-of-2-
The Island Council’s Exhibition Room
Of course there’s more than one exhibition space in La Palma – there are at least four in Santa Cruz alone. But the Island Council runs a very nice one on the main street, just south of the Plaza España. The exhibitions there usually run for two weeks each. At the moment, it’s an artist from Puntallana called Rosa Vidal, who makes her own paper. Rosa’s exhibition is open from…
Pepper Lantern
I’ve been a bit too busy for comfort lately (nothing new!), so Iasked my son how much he wanted me to carve a pumpkin, on a scale of 1to 10. He said, “Three”. So I carved a green pepper instead, which was quick and therefore a lot more fun.
Things to do tomorrow – November 1st.
Tomorrow is All Saints’ Day, when people remember their loved ones who’ve died. Most of the graves will be decorated, and there will be a special mass held in most graveyards. (If you go, please be sensitive, as some of the congregation will be feeling fragile.) And there will be the monthly flea market in Santa Cruz in the morning.