I always feel discombobulated in August. August is a month for holidays, and if you are not on holiday, you don’t know what to do with yourself, even when there are things to do. This aimlessness is accentuated when one does not have to work. It feels like I am on holiday, particularly when the weather is good. The garden beckons for play, not weeding; walks and swims become lazy past times instead of regular daily exercise. It is all very irritating because I am not on holiday but others are. Somehow this changes everything. Radio programmes are different, the news does not seem to be the real, the sun is shining, and even when it’s raining people are cheerful about the Irish summer. World events, death, rape, wars, incursions, Ebola, all shimmer on the distant horizon. There are super moons, shooting stars, and a stream of never ending festivals to which I don’t go – because I am not on holiday. Everything is put on the long finger until September even though I have nothing in particular to do. I must say, it upset my equilibrium and I have felt rather disgruntled. When I was employed in an office, I used to like working in August. It was like working in slow motion. Now I’m not so keen. Being unemployed in slow motion is not as nice!

 So, I am looking forward to Sember when life begins again. It begins with a bang. There is the third AT The Edge, Cavan literary evening on Tuesday 2 September. I have three mature women poets reading: Heather Brett, Mary Melvin Geoghan and Jean Folan.  That reminds me, I have to submit a funding application to the Arts Council next month to continue this project. I should have prepared it in August but because of my discombobulation, I have been unable to do a thing. I haven’t even written any poetry. I did write a piece of flash fiction about the BBC Test Card…don’t ask.

 On Wednesday 3 September, there is a rehearsed reading of one of my one act plays at the First Wednesdays event which is run every month by Freda Donoghue and Aishling Muller at Farrelly’s in Oldcastle. The play is called The Dead Mother’s Society. It’s about four people who accidentally killed their mothers…again, don’t ask!

 I am very excited about First Wednesday. Like my other play, ‘My Rings for a Cushion’, I wrote Dead Mothers as a short story and then revamped it into a one act drama. I could do this with a good few of my short stories…my characters simply don’t shut up. It’ll be interesting to see and hear the audience reaction to it.

 I think First Wednesdays is a brilliant idea. It is a great opportunity for writers to get their material broadcast. There are usually two or three scripts read/rehearsed and Freda and Aisling are open to submissions. You can be a part of your reading, if you like. Come along to Farrelly’s pub on Wednesday 3 September at 9pm and find out more.

 Apart from the Arts Council application, I  also have to start planning the programme of my eight week poetry workshops which start in Cana House on Wednesday 17 September. And, I’m off to London on the 4^th September. Then there is mental health training later in the month hosted by the Cavan Women’s Network, and I have the AGM of Cavan Public Participation Network.

 You know what, as I write this, I’m beginning to wish I appreciated the month of August more!