And more shop

We opened for trading yesterday morning. The first hour or so was quiet - Glastonbury doesn't wake up until at least 11 - but then we had lots of customers for the rest of the day, which needless to say, pleased me a great deal. Everyone was very complimentary and a number of people mentioned the atmosphere, in positive terms. Turns out that as well as sickening the dog, the cleansing ritual also pole-axed E's husband (he came in yesterday and said 'What EXACTLY did you DO?'). Maybe whatever it was sideswiped him on its way out the door. He's a gas-fitter from the East End. He's hardly fey. Either that or we're all suffering from group hysteria.

I've also set up the shop's altar. Shop's patron is the Morrighan (a precedent established by T, not that he likes stroppy women or anything).

Normal life, and I use the term advisedly, starts again today: I have to do some editing and writing this morning. We're having a few drinks tonight to 'officially' open. I've invited one of our competitors, because they are very pleasant and put a lot back into the town: we both try and work it so that we don't have the same stock and don't get into price wars. It's just traditional retail, really, with added karma.

Childfree village

This article was in the Guardian this morning - it's about a community in Scotland where kids are banned:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/family/story/0,,1748634,00.html

I'm posting it because, as a science fiction writer, it's fascinating to learn about other ways of living. I suspect that the existence of the place will push a lot of buttons. I'm one of the least maternal women I know: I have never wanted kids, don't like babies (I think they all look like Sid James. Hand me your baby to cuddle if you want to see me leap backwards) and I am indifferent to other people's children, including my own relatives. I don't find kids interesting, until they're about 14 and can express political opinions. W C Fields and I are as one on the subject, etc etc.

My only recent experience of babysitting was for a friend's toddler, left with me while he went out to get a takeaway, and I got absorbed in the TV guide and forgot the kid was there. So not only am I uninvolved: to my shame, I'm actually negligent as well. Fortunately the kid had the sense to realise he'd been left with an incompetent, and spent the time organising his toy cars.

However, I should stress that this is necessarily a highly subjective perspective. I have no strong opinions beyond my own life choices - if you want kids, go ahead. I quite understand that kids are objectively funny, interesting and a vital part of most people's lives. It's just that I don't find them so myself. I've never had much flack from family or friends about this: my own parents don't feel strongly one way or another about having grand-kids, and the few people who have told me how selfish I'm being (actually, only a couple of people) have clearly seen the look in my eye in good time and shut up.

I'm not sure that I'd go so far as to seek out a community where there weren't any, however. But some people obviously do.