Times, They Could Be Changing

It’s been five months since my redundancy and I can’t believe how quickly the time has flown.  I send the children off to school each morning and before I know it, it’s time to pick them up again.

I don’t seem to have much writing to show for this time away from work, but on the other hand I have been trying to set up a new business and have had nine year’s worth of clutter to try and dispose of (still working on that one!) Let’s just put it this way I found writing magazines which were only than my sons which just goes to show how long I’ve been at this lark.

Some days I feel as though I get a lot done and then others nothing at all, but on the whole it’s been lovely being out of the rat race for a while.

However, it looks as though my little sojourn might be coming to an end. Out of the other week I had a telephone call from the college I used to work at asking me to apply for a management post to cover a maternity leave. It’s four days a week and could be up to a year. In the other day I will be able to continue with my freelance work.  So, if I do get the job I’ll be back to more or less full time work for the foreseeable future.

I must say I have mixed feelings about this.  On the one hand I’m delighted to be head hunted, and obviously am not going to turn down the opportunity to earn some money, but after five months I am a bit daunted about going back into the real world again.

I’m sure I’ll cope, I’ve done it before after all but it does mean that I will have less time for my writing.  

But you know what they say, if you want something doing, ask a busy woman, so I’ll just have to be better organised.

And besides, I might be counting my chickens etc – I’ve got an interview on Tuesday, so wish me luck.  I think.

New Beginnings

I've always been rather fond of the month of September - like January although with better weather.  Although I wasn't very fond of school itself, I did enjoy the academic process and being a bit of a paper addict, it was good to have fresh notebooks and a pencil case full of new pens.

 

Several years on, academia has passed me by but I still look on September as a month to assess where I am in life and a chance to set myself new targets.  (And it does help that the kids have gone back to school - yeh - and I can get back to a weekly routine - even if I'm not looking forward to the football season.)

 

This year it's even more of a challenge as I am being made redundant at the end of this month.  It's something that has been in the offing for a long time, so I'm not exactly devastated by it.  It is rather sad, as I started the job when my youngest was a baby and he will be nine in January, so it has been a big part of my life. 

 

But I'm looking on it as an opportunity to change my life.  In this financial climate I never would have left the job of my own accord, but I was getting a bit stuck in a rut and working five days a week left little time to do anything else. 

 

So, as I have no hope, as yet, of earning a decent living from my writing, I've decided to play to my strenghts and set up my own freelance administration business.  I've been an administrator / PA for more years than I care to remember now, and people have told me that I'm rather good at it, so with the advent of technology, and with smaller companies needing someone to organise them, but not having the resources to employ them, I thought I would do it solo.  I have a couple of potential clients so far, so fingers crossed I will make a success of it. I just need to find a new working routine, combine it with writing, and do it all during the hours of 9-3. 

 

No time wasting then!

Chasing My Tail

I was a very bad blogger during June and I promised myself that July would be better.  Well, so far I’ve not lived up to my own expectations.

At the moment I feel as though my life has gone mad. The last few weeks have seen me rushing from one event to another, and in between there has been precious little time to do anything apart from get ready for the next event.

Of course it’s a busy time at school, what with summer fairs, sports days, performances and other special events.  My youngest has had the rare opportunity to spend 6 days at a local outdoor centre.  This has taken place on odd days over several weeks which is a disruption to my routine (I do like routine), and has meant a split school run as eldest son has still been at school.  

Eldest son has taken part in the annual district sports competition – 100 metres sprint, varying football practices, a school performance and is currently attending both cubs as scouts as he is going up to scouts in September and is being given some ‘taster’ sessions.

Youngest child has taken part in an 11 school dance festival (he introduced his school to around a 500 people audience – I nearly cried with pride) and has completed his first holy communion at a thanksgiving mass and party.

There have been several birthdays and parties too and six more to come over the next few  weeks.  

My mum had an operation on her shoulder a month ago and wasn’t able to move her arm at all for 3 weeks.  My dad’s been doing a brilliant job but as their only daughter I have wanted to look after them. They live 30 miles away which isn’t far really but I’ve only managed to get up there to help out on a few occasions.  They’ve both been grateful for what I have been able to do, but it doesn’t feel like I’ve done enough.

In all this time I haven’t been able to get my head round writing much.  I’m desperate to finish my WIP for my NWS script and even though I’m nearly at the end of my current draft I feel as though I’m never going to get there.  After the current draft I’m going to have to do one quick read through and then send it off.  It’s nowhere near the shape I wanted it to be in but it will just have to do.   Maybe with the invaluable NWS feedback I will be able to back to it in a few months time with a clearer perspective.

With school breaking up in a few weeks time, I’m hoping that things will calm down soon, and that the weather picks up too, in time for the ‘summer holidays’.

I usually dread the summer holidays as it’s my busiest time in the job I’m in.  Sadly, this will be my last summer here though, as I’m being made redundant shortly.  It’s not a great shock, as we have been winding down the course for the last three years now, but I was hoping that my employers would be able to find me another job.  At the back of my mind I’ve always thought that this wouldn’t be possible but have been living in limbo for a while.

At least now I know where I’m up to and in a way am looking forward to new opportunities.  My redundancy package should buffer me for a little while so I can finally get my house sorted out and hopefully set up some freelance work.  It would certainly be nice to have a better work / life balance than I do at the moment.

Have a nice weekend and try and keep as dry as you can!

Linda xx