• Home
  • About
    • Books
    • The Writing Place
  • Writing Services
    • Ghostwriter
    • Individual Coach, Mentor and Writer
    • $25/45
    • Testimonials
  • Workshops
    • Summer Writing Salon
    • Introduction to Memoir
    • Journal workshops and tuition
    • Feedback
  • The Writer's Blog
  • Newsletter
  • Store
  • Contact

The Writer's Life Blog

On the subject of home

19/8/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
The subject of 'home', and all that means, is a great writing prompt and one that I often use in my life writing workshops.

Home is not only a physical location, but it's a house, parents, family, friends, growing up, life experiences (good and bad) ... there's so much there.

This week I helped a good friend move from the house she'd lived in for over 40 years. It was a special day because I'd helped her move in, all those years ago - almost to the day.

After the house was empty of furniture and possessions, I walked through each room and hallway, saying good bye to the places I'd come to know so well, because I'd been a frequent visitor over all of those years.

I fare-welled 'the window' , one of those old sash-types you see in villas. On the day we moved her in, we weren't able to shut it, and there was a crisis as we were loathe to leave it half open in what was then a dubious neighbourhood, but one that is now full of very expensive homes.  

I walked out into the private courtyard, sunny, warm, and full of colourful flowers, where my friend and I had sat innumerable times over lunch and bottles of wine, talking about our writing, encouraging each other with our respective projects.  

Our homes  are rich repositories of material for stories. There are so many I could write. The home I grew up in Seattle USA where my sister and I would play 'fish' down the laundry chute; our first house after moving to New Zealand, in Murray's Bay on Auckland's North Shore, little more than a fibrolite bach at first, where everyone in the family came down with a vicious 'flu  apart from me and I was looked after by our new neighbours who had two cats I adored,  Snookie and Tiger; the second house our family had in Torbay where it was rumoured the original owner, 100 years ago, had chased his wife about with an axe; the first home I ever owned, a small unit in an Onehunga complex where the bikie gang next door used our wooden fences for firewood.

My friend has moved to a lovely new unit in a retirement village not far from her old stomping ground. It's warm, with a sea view, and she's treated herself to lots of new and lovely furnishings. I'll look forward to visiting there, having lunch and a glass of wine, enjoyed on the wide and wonderful balcony.   

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016

Services

Writing
Workshops
Blog

Jane Bissell

About
Books
Store

Communicate

Contact
Newsletter

© COPYRIGHT 2018 Jane Bissell
  • Home
  • About
    • Books
    • The Writing Place
  • Writing Services
    • Ghostwriter
    • Individual Coach, Mentor and Writer
    • $25/45
    • Testimonials
  • Workshops
    • Summer Writing Salon
    • Introduction to Memoir
    • Journal workshops and tuition
    • Feedback
  • The Writer's Blog
  • Newsletter
  • Store
  • Contact