His Lordship, X, and all his Thoughts

Much has happened in the last few weeks, months since the last posting.

Willow had emergency surgery here in England and I nearly lost her, but miracles really do happen. She is well now. We are planning our first Easter together.

We have decided on moving to a small town in the south of France for a main residence. Willow likes it there. We are having the manor there renovated. At first we had decided against it, but Willow truly loves the provincial and I can refuse her nothing.

Honestly, I like it there myself. I will keep the journal on American time since most of the people who read my journal do not speak French and it truly doesn't matter to me since I am up and down at all hours, so time genuinely doesn't matter to me.

Willow has asked me for a novel. So, it is in the planning stages now. We will be traveling to New York after Easter to close out the apartment there, gather her little Princess, and then make arrangements for having her placed in France for the waiting period. That makes me more nervous than moving. Animals do not ferry well, and quarentine simply does not do well at times. Still, Princess is part of the family and needs to be rejoined with Willow and I.

While the manor is being renovated I am securing us a nice property just outside of town. Willow has set her approval to it and everything will be in order at the 1st of June for our occupancy. It will be a good place to begin the new novel I think.

Current Mood: chipper

I am quite proud of mountainlaurel for her endeavor of the_quill_v2.  It will progress.  The first attempt is always the experimental one. She needs to add more material, and she will.</span>

Current Mood: content

Life looks good from where I sit.

Willow was released for travel and so now we are in London. I suppose I should change the personal information section of the journal but since we plan on returning to The States I personally see no need in it.

It has been a number of years since Willow has touched foot on her native soil and she truly is enjoying herself. This is a true holiday for her and one I am enjoying. We are staying at my flat here in London before we travel onward to the manor. lol So odd to say that. Willow makes any place she visits truly alive and her own. I enjoy just sitting back and watching the magic happen.

The flight did tire her somewhat. Today is the first day she has felt more like herself and is enjoying everything about the weather and London. We have gone shopping and dined out several times per her request, and seen several movies which have not been playing in The States.

Through LJ I am keeping touch with most of my writers and friends. Luckily I am greatly blessed with good friends who understand the need for this holiday for Willow and I. However, mountainlaurel has finally taken the step I was hoping she would take and is creating a newsletter for writers. It is a place to be submitted and have works published.

By all criteria it is a "little" publication, yet even in a "little publication" one may say they are published and grow a portfolio.

I am not quite certain how she did it, but she has me agreed to be mentor and "senior editor". Until I am back in The States I am only doning the mentor's cap at the moment. I am pleased with how well she has taken this endeavor. It has potentials. All things must grow and she is growing in leaps and bounds.

However she had best not forget her poetry deadline! (Enough said there.)

Current Mood: happy

All I can possibly say about today is that it was GOOD.

Current Mood: sleepy

Willow's doctor visit went exceptionally well today. We should be able to make our travel plans for Valentine's right on schedule! She is going to be so very surprised!

Now, I just need to get back into routine of updating here daily. I'm afraid I'm falling behind dreadfully!

Found a very interesting book on Emily Dickenson today. I know mountainlaurel is an avid Dickenson reader. We had a too brief discussion of some of her (Dickenson's) works today. Hopefully we can discuss them further. mountainlaurel pointed out several tendencies in Dickensons works I've never noticed before.

To make it easier for us to discuss her works we both went to www.bartleby.com and checked out The Complete Works of Emily Dickenson and on Monday we are going to have morning tea and discuss the poetry further. I must admit I am looking forward to it.

Bartleby.com is a free eBook place mountainlaurel introduced me to today. Already I have found several classics I can read on-line or if I need to check a reference I can easily look it up. A most marvelous resource!

Current Mood: grateful

ricyos wrote a splendid piece of poetry. So splendid in fact I passed it along to a friend in the publishing world. The word is - he just needs 69 other poems to have a submission ready for my friend by April 30th. Yes, a most eventful day so far. I am a much pleased Brit.

Willow is doing well. Again, I am much pleased. 2004 is proving to be a very good year so far.

Current Mood: Cheshire Catish

The New Year has begun and I am quite satisfied with it so far.

There is good news from mountainlaurel's writing and Willow is cooking for the first time in a long while and enjoying every moment of it. I, for one, am looking forward to eating it.

We had an interesting house-guest for a night over the pre-Christmas holiday and Willow was the most wonderful hostess you could have pictured. Beautiful, petite, and so exquisite! A man couldn't have asked for anything more!

Current Mood: happy

This will probably be my last post until after Christmas, so, to all who are on my friends' list:

MERRY CHRISTMAS, ALL!

BE BLESSED</marqee>
BE SAFE
BE WELL

************ MERRY CHRISTMAS ************

Current Mood: FESTIVE
Current Music: Christmas music

According to the doctor, Willow is healing nicely.

All is well in New York City.

Current Mood: content
Current Music: Christmas music

Everything is progressing happily toward Christmas. Willow is happy and still eating. The Christmas tree is blinking merrily with many colored lights and packages are wrapped beneath it in many colored papers. Willow is beginning to get some color back in her beautiful cheeks as well.

I have been, unfortunately, quite busy with a contract negotiation for a client. It would have been much more to my liking to have been able to remain with Willow for the past little while, yet requests were made and I had to answer them.

Since Willow's illness began I did hand in my resignation which was denied, again. My client load has been farmed to other capable agents in the firm. I only have six in total now. One of these six has a new book pending with a screenplay option. As always, my writer is very specific about what is required as far as rights and the screenplay. Very professional they are. I had to go into the office for several days and hire a nurse for Willow. Now I am home and am gladly taking up my nursing duties again.

At this writing Willow is once again pleasantly sleeping upon the couch after directing me in the decorating of the flat. It looks very festive. I could tell by her eyes she so wanted to do this herself! Still, we managed to make the decorating fun. We laughed and managed a cuddle on the couch. Now, I can safely say there is no more work for me until after the holidays.

Updating will be spradic for a time.

Current Mood: creative

For those interested: I received an e-mail from mountainlaurel and she requested I post something to The Quill concerning query letters and cover letters. I will do this by the end of the month or next month.

In other news: Willow is beginning to want food! Last night she was propped up on the couch and I was sitting in the floor and we were watching Law and Order and she looked at me, and said, "Love, I so hate to be a pest, but could we order some Chinese?" And she ate!

Not only did my little wife eat the Chinese, but she requested bacon, eggs, and English muffins for breakfast! Her lunch consisted of vegetable stew and fresh rolls.

I am suddenly feeling much better.

Current Mood: happy
Current Music: Christmas choral music

I have just completed all the messages left while Willow has been ill. I am taking it very easy on work for a span while Willow recovers. Two writers are throwing major tantrums because I cannot currently hold their hands while they wait for the decision concerning their book submissions. They are fairly good new novelists, but they simply let their nerves get the better of them at times. Gothica simply is afraid of rejection. The other is a fellow who is beginning to progress in work and style nicely, but he is far too attached to what Gothica says to stand on his own two feet! Gah! Everyone else is sending well-wishes and many flowers and fruit baskets for me and my little Willow.

My screenplay writer hasn't gotten me anything for several months. I am going to have to talk to them soon, it appears.

Willow is not trying to get up and do everything today. She has been in quite amount of pain. She is sleeping peacefully on the couch.

Current Mood: relieved

Yesterday, weak and in pain, Willow rose from the couch and made her own tea while I was down stairs getting a paper for her. She had already gotten out of bed without calling for me, so I got her a small bell to ring. When I came in and saw her standing there at the stove, so pale she seemed almost blue, dark circles under her eyes so black she looked more like a bride of Dracula than my Willow, I couldn't breathe for a second or so. She smiled at me, her eyes so apologetic.

"I don't want to be sick," she said.

I knew she didn't want to be sick. Willow cared for Richard, her brother, until his death of cancer. She is small, not even five feet in height and she virtually carried him on her back to care for him. I know she doesn't want to be sick. She is used to caring for others, not being cared for. Seeing her struggling to lift the kettle to pour for the tea I came around the counter and poured it for her, then scooped her gently into my arms.

In that one moment I tried my best to be Sean Connery, Peter O'Toole, and Richard Harris for her in all of their best heroic roles. In that one moment, lifting her into my arms, I felt the hero. Willow didn't struggle, she just relaxed into my arms and looked up at me with such a gentle smile of acceptance and love I understood the American saying "12 Feet tall and Bullet Proof" because that is exactly how I felt.

This morning she told me she had not finished her Christmas shopping, so I had the techs from the office come and put a box on the lan line so she can have her own computer and have provided her with a new laptop and sent her on-line to finish her Christmas shopping. As I type this she is on the couch and busily shopping. She rests often, part of her promise to me for shopping, but she looks better today than yesterday.

She is taking a morning and evening constitution on the treadmill before the picture window so she may see all of New York before her. When she is much better we will go for walks in the park. As soon as the physicians permit, I will take her for a carriage ride through the park. She will enjoy that. I will take a thermos of hot chocolate.

Willow has been asking a lot about two friends of ours, a couple we value dearly. (We will call her Elizabeth and him The Poet.)

Just as mountainlaurel is struggling with the loss of her mother, so too is Elizabeth. ThePoet is very concerned about his lady fair. Quite frankly so am I.

My mother passed some years ago and I know the feelings both mountainlaurel and Elizabeth are having. Conveying it to them is going to be difficult. At the moment I will concentrate upon Elizabeth. ThePoet just possibly is my best friend at the moment, so I will look to help him first. They could possibly be the Barretts for the 21st Century.

Current Mood: calm

Willow is out of hospital as of late yesterday afternoon. She is very weak and very sore. The operation has made her very sore. Her ribs and sternum were moved and cut upon, so you can imagine the type of pain she is in at times. Still, she bears it with a grimace and a smile; however, her usual high spirits and good mood are not always present. Totally understandable at this moment, of course. The doctors say she should be just fine by Valentine's Day. I am going to take her to Rome for that I believe, or Venice.

Our travel plans to England have been delayed, of course. She is not happy about that. As long as she is with me, I don't mind where we are for Christmas. It may be quite sappy, yet true.

My Willow is home.

Current Mood: content

My darling little Willow is currently in hospital in ICU. She began vomitting again yesterday afternoon while I was speaking with ricyos concerning a most intriguing writing experiment I am considering. She vomited so much she began vomiting blood. I immediately summoned emergency personnel and she was taken to hospital.

My Willow is very small. Half Japanese and half English. Tiny, fragile little thing. A blood vessel has ruptured in her stomach. The doctors have asured me the blood vessel is of no consequence, but she is dehydrated and they are concerned about her heart.

I saw her early this morning and she sent me home. She was far more concerned for me than for herself. My Willow.

The doctors have said they just want to keep a close eye on her heart because it is beating so fast, run a few tests, and give her fluids. Then they will put her into a room.

So, I am feeding her cat which does have a proper name, yet we just end up calling her "Princess" so now she does not come to anything else. I couldn't bare for Willow to return home and Princess not look as regal as she should. Princess, on the other hand, keeps moping around the apartment and mewing, looking for Willow I presume.

It is quite an empty place without our Willow.

Current Mood: sad

Willow is lying beside me curled up into a tiny ball. She finally fell into a fitful sleep around 4am -- for myself I am unable to sleep. I am one of those people, who, with something to do, simply has too much energy to sleep. Caring for Willow has given me so much energy I simply cannot sleep. Worry is part of it.

About 10pm last evening she became extremely ill with a fever and vomiting and she continued to be ill until 4am. I thought I was going to have to take her to Emergency just before her fever broke and she finally fell asleep in my arms. Still, I have not slept, and probably will not sleep for a couple of more hours.

I have managed to read over a couple of manuscripts -- two of them absolute pieces of shit -- and sent out three letters to my secretary via e-mail for some publishers concerning three clients and their novels that are up-coming. These three are good at least. My laptop has never been more useful to me than at this time, not for work, exactly; mostly to keep my mind occupied and not fussing over Willow constantly.

She is absolutely beautiful when she is sleeping, even when she is sick as now. How did I ever end up so damn lucky?

Current Mood: worried

Because of my dear Willow and her numerous codes, I now have a LiveJournal per her urging. It made her happy to purchase her very own LJ and it also made her very happy I accepted a code and created my own LJ. Exactly what I am going to do with this thing is anyone's guess at this point in time. All I know for certain is Willow is happy.

Another thing I can say is, ricyos cannot hide that much from me now as I have my own LJ. Nor can mountainlaurel. Plus, it gives me a new chance to play with learning HTML with what little extra extra spare time I have of course.

I am seriously thinking of getting Willow a permanent account. That would dearly make her giddy with joy. I love making her giddy with joy. Seeing her eyes go bright, her hands clasp close to her breast, her mouth open slightly in the most delicate way it does when she is happy beyond words simply makes my paltry excuse for life worthwhile.

Current Mood: devious