A Summer in Teyssieres - La Saison des Tournesols

"Exaggerate the essential and leave the obvious vague." —Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

As the summer wanes these sun worshippers, which van Gogh often painted, turn their heads toward the sun to catch the last gift of summer's rays.

In the fields outside my writing room, the lavender has been cut down by the farmers and taken to the distillery to be condensed down into essential oil. The distillery is down the road and the balmy warm wind coming from the Mediterranean brings the essence of lavender to me in the early morning air.

I'm in the middle of The Drummer's Widow second draft and, taking van Gogh's advice to heart, I am exaggerating the essential and leaving the obvious vague as I revise chapters and cut, cut, cut!

I expect my manuscript to be harvested by the autumnal equinox but time is going too damn fast!