Susan Jones – Writer

I won a book from Diane Denton

A House near Luccoli.  I couldn’t have imagined how romantic and poetic the story would be. I know Diane is a brilliant artist and poet, because I follow her blog and website. So reading the story, you feel as if you’re there, in 17th Century Genoa. It’s a love story between Donatella who is in her mid-thirties and unmarried, she lives with her aunt and gran, who is called nonna. Nonna is bed ridden, but she still instigates for Donatella to become Allesandro Stradella’s copyist. This gives her chance to get close to him. She’s not the only one to fall in love with the musician, he seems to have all the ladies under his spell, even Gran, and a Princess.

Diane sets the scene with the winding alleyways, and carriages, boats in the harbour and a Carnival. You would need to love all things Italian, Classical music and romance to enjoy this book. I’m new to Classical music, but it’s hypnotic, just like Diane’s book. She says that her mother has read the book three times. I’ll be reading it again, as the rhythm of it is beautiful.

I’ve finished knitting the baby blanket, pictures soon. I’ve enrolled on a computer course. I bungle along blogging and creating my website. I can type and use word, but the complete package is not altogether clear to me, that’s to put it nicely. So, off I go and put on the headphones, where a voice tells me, ‘well done’ and ‘you’ve done really well’ I feel a bit odd without the big ear phones on now. So, hopefully I’ll have a ECDL. That stands for a European Computer Driving Licence. Our Son tells me he’s going to pack me off to Holland with it!! I was working on labels this afternoon. I had my labels, and my people to go on them, took me half an hour to marry them up. Whatever happened to a good old fashioned felt pen. Surely people like writing their names themselves don’t they? Easy once you know how, and now I do.