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Its Life Jim But Not As We Know It

First of all, a belated happy New Year to everyone, and let’s hope that it does turn out to be a happier year than the one we’ve just left behind. Although as we’re back in lockdown again, it hasn’t exactly got off to a promising start.   Don’t get me wrong, this new lockdown is certainly necessary, it just seems such a shame that nine months on, and despite the fact that we now have a vaccine, we don’t seem to be much further forward than we were last March.   2020 was a difficult year for all of us and whilst we can hope that things will be very different in the not too distant future, we still have many challenges ahead of us.   I’ve never been a fan of the dark winter months at the beginning of the year and usually wish I could hibernate. So trying to see some positives to this awful situation, lockdown is probably the nearest I’ll ever get to that.   Since March I have largely been working from home and whilst it took some adjustment at first – especially with a house full of peop
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A Momentous Day

Yesterday was a momentous day as the first COVID vaccines were administered to the elderly of our nation. Once more we need to be thankful for our NHS service which has the capacity not only to deliver these vaccines but also to do so without charge. We have a lot to be thankful for, not least that thanks to research, it has been developed in the first place. At last there looks like might be an end to the uncertainty and never ending fear of COVID even if it’s not until well into next year.   Across the world people are set to experience one of the loneliest Christmases in living memory. My heart goes out to anyone who lives alone and I am extremely grateful for the fact that my own widowed mother currently lives with my youngest brother so even if we can’t go and see her she will not be alone.   I currently live with my husband and two sons so I won’t be alone this Christmas either but celebration with the wider family is definitely looking doubtful at the moment.    I’m very behind
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Life Is Like A Butterfly

The past few years have been very up and down for me and what with bereavement and ill health, mostly it’s been more down than up.   At the beginning of this year I really felt that the dawn of a new decade was going to be a fresh start. Well, COVID certainly put paid to that for me as well as the rest of the world.   It’s strange to think how the world has changed this year – who would have thought back in January that wearing face masks would become the norm?   In many ways life for me hasn’t stopped since COVID. I’ve worked all the way through it and at first working from home was a bit of a transition – especially with everyone in the house at the same time.   But you have to try and look on the bright side and the lack of a social life has certainly benefitted my writing and I’ve tried to carve out a little bit of time each day (even if its not much) to write.   I’m a bit of a butterfly in my writing, flitting from one project to another, so this year I decided to change my tactic
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The Merrie Month of May

May has always been one of my favourite months of the year, not least because my birthday falls in the middle of it. But to me its when the country properly comes alive after winter. From March onwards things start to change, trees and borders bloom with colour and the weather gets warmer and the nights lighter. But by May it often feels like the beginning of summer and we can celebrate the joy of being outside without having to wrap up against the cold (not always of course because we do live in England). This year we are of course much more restricted but having a bout of good weather does ease the isolation and I'm eternally grateful that we do have a garden and are so much more fortunate than those who don't. Sadly this May I won't be celebrating my birthday with my extended family or by going out for a meal, but I will make sure that I will find some quiet way to celebrate - we do still have a lot to be grateful for.
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V E Day Celebrations

It was wonderful to watch the VE celebrations on Friday although it was such a shame that they had to be carried out in isolation. One of the streets in Chester (above) actually made it to be shown on national TV with their music and re-enactment of the day 75 years ago. Nothing quite as dramatic happened on the street where I live. In the most part people seem to keep themselves to themselves although we are becoming friendlier on our daily walks and when we all come out on Thursdays to show our appreciation for the NHS and key workers.  It was wonderful though to watch the celebrations on Friday evening. This could be the last time  that we have a chance to thank the brave men and women who gave up so much to make sure that our country was spared the dictatorship of Hitler.  They fought to keep this country free and we all owe them such a huge debt. The sacrifices of everyone who went through both world wars should never be forgotten. And yet now we are figh
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What Strange Times!

First of all I hope all of you are surviving these strange times and managing to keep well and safe with the large part of your sanity intact. Its incredible how quickly we have all adapted to a completely different way of living in such a short space of time.  Thankfully I've been able to work from home, which as I'm freelance is a godsend because at least I'm still earning some money. I like being at home so its not that great of a hardship for me although it feels very strange having all the rest of the family here and finding a quiet space in the house is proving to be quite a bit of a challenge. Its strange how going outside has become such a scary prospect. Its only a few months ago that I didn't think twice about jumping into the car and nipping to the shops for a few odd bits. Now shopping is a once a week event, filled with anxiety and to one shop only. Yesterday I did our food shop and it took me two hours - one hour of which was spent queuing t
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Work In Progress

As ever I started off the year with good intentions and I made some initial progress writing and submitting a couple of short stories. Then I turned my attention to my current novel in progress. I had rejoined the Romantic Novelist’s Association New Writer’s Scheme, and my aim was to edit a mostly complete first draft into something I was happy to submit for feedback.  Unfortunately this took a lot longer than I had anticipated. There was a lot to rewrite and some holes in the plot which needed some serious rethinking and which involved large amounts of writing from scratch. The novel is set in my home town, Chester, but takes place during the first few years of World War II. It follows the story of two sisters as they reach adulthood, struggling against the backdrop of war and the difficult relationship they have with each other. By the time I had completed it, it was early August. I was happy with what I had done but was equally as happy to send it off and start work on some
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