It's No Use! I'm addicted

Some women go crazy for shoes, some for handbags.  And whilst I have a fair share of both, its books I can’t resist when I’m out shopping. And notebooks. And stationery. Of any kind really.

My tbr pile is reaching dangerous, skyscraper proportions, I’ve  started keeping books in different  cupboards in the house as there are too many to store in just one place and I’ve even siphoned some off to store in my desk at work.

So, after an expensive Christmas where I slithered into the dodgy depths of overdraft, I swore that January would be a book buying free month. I would curb my impulses and keep my hands firmly in my pockets.  I would refuse to buy any more books until my stash is somewhat diminished.  

So far this month I’ve done really well.  I’ve averted my eyes in the supermarket and refused to go anywhere near the deadly shops of sin.  But on Saturday I needed to transfer some money and what did I do? Yes, you guessed it I bought not one but two books.  In fairness they are not for me, they are presents for other people and what nicer things to receive as presents I ask you?

But all the same, it proves one thing.  I am addicted.

What are you addicted to?

Happy New Year!

A rather belated greeting I’m afraid but last week was a bit hectic to say the least.

My youngest son has the misfortune of having his birthday on 5 January. I always feel sorry for him because by the time Christmas and New Year is over I often find that I have run out of steam. Usually I just want everything to get back to normal rather than have to start the celebrations all over again. The fact that most people also feel this way forces me to try just that little bit harder to make his birthday enjoyable.

This year though his birthday was dogged by illness. Both my husband and myself had been feeling under the weather at New Year, so it was a very quiet one, with us seeing the New Year in at home and then going straight to bed. To be honest my bed had been calling me for a long time before midnight but I stuck it out because, well, you have to don’t you?

On Tuesday it was back to work (which to be honest was a bit of a relief) but because the children didn’t go back to school until the next day my husband had taken the day off to look after them. I thought everything was on schedule for the next day; presents sorted, party numbers confirmed, friends coming round after school, only to find when I got home that husband’s feeling a bit under the weather had morphed into full blown flu. At first I thought it was a bit of the man flu type flu but as my husband isn’t one to take to his bed I had to revise my cynicism. In fact he was off work for the whole week, which I have never seen before - as he’s self-employed he usually goes to work even when he probably shouldn’t – he spent most of the week in bed and didn’t even want anything to eat apart from the odd bowl of soup until Friday.

So, I cancelled the friends round from school – didn’t think their parents would appreciate them catching the flu after only being back at school for one day – took both the boys out for tea on my own, and even managed his party at Quasar on my own too – that was fun! All this between working flat out at work, school runs, housework and looking after sick husband.

I did my best though and I think youngest son enjoyed himself. Can’t say I didn’t try anyway.

Husband’s better now, apart from a hacking cough which just doesn’t seem to want to pack its bags, and life truly can get back to normal. Thankfully!

Hope everyone's New Year is off to a good start.

All Over!

It’s incredible isn’t it? We spend months preparing for Christmas and then its all over in a flash. Every year I sit down to Christmas dinner and wonder what all the fuss was about.

But I’m not being Ba Humbug anymore. Christmas is such hard work but I do love the giving of presents. Seeing the boys' faces light up as they open their presents. And sometimes the smallest of things bring the biggest delights - like the packs of Go Go’s - small plastic toys which are collectables and cost about a pound - which were the winning gifts this year.

 

I did have a lucky escape though. On the afternoon of Christmas Eve I put all the boys’ presents in the cupboard under the boiler in our spare bedroom. Normally I keep them in the wardrobe but I don’t like filling the sacks from there in case the rustling wakes them up. All was fine on Christmas Eve but overnight the boiler developed a leak and flooded the cupboard beneath. If it had happened a few hours earlier - well I don’t like to think!

 

We had a quiet Christmas Day, just the four of us. We went to church in the morning, the boys were shepherds in the nativity and it was lovely to sing all the carols. It was nice to take a few moments to remember the real meaning of Christmas which often gets lost amongst all the commercialism. Then we went for a drink in our local and met up with friends before dinner and an evening in front of the Christmas tele.

 

Boxing Day wasn’t quite so relaxing as we invited both families round. At one point the house was filled with twenty five people including eight children, so it was a little chaotic at times but nice to see everyone together.

 

Now its over and this is the time of year I really look forward to. No work, no school and once all the family commitments are fulfilled, I can slob out in my PJ’s until lunchtime, reading, writing and just doing exactly what I want.

 

What’s that darling? You want to play on the Wii? No problem!

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas too!

Anyone For Some Festive Spirit?

So are we feeling festive?   Er I don’t think so.

As my boys reminded me its only eight more sleeps until Christmas.

OH NO!  How did that happen?

It’s the same every year.  Despite that fact that I know Christmas is looming it always sneeks up on me, taps on my shoulder and shouts “Boo!”  I suppose it doesn’t help that I always go into denial until it’s too late to do anything other than panic.

But I did try and get organised this year.  I did! Honest!

I have a sister-in-law who goes out and does her shopping in one hit at the beginning of November. I don’t know how she does it. In November I don’t even know what to buy and I can’t remember everyone I need to buy for either as my memory is like a sieve and after a few hours of Christmas shopping I loose the will to live.  So by trying to start early all I’ve done is prolong the agony.

We’ve been having some work done on the house too. A few shelves here a few there, a new cupboard in one room, a curtain rail in the other.  Not major work I grant you but very messy!  So extra time cleaning up. And then my husband decided that he was going to redecorate my eldest’s bedroom on Monday.  Now, as he is a painter and decorator by trade, the opportunities to have my own house decorated are few and far between so I had to grab it with both hands.  End result – contents of child’s bedroom piled into the middle of the floor. I didn’t realise just how many toys he has that he never plays with.  It does rather beg the question why does he need any more?  I did intend to do my Domestic Goddess bit and sort it all out but I’m afraid the Clutter Fairy was busy. (Incidentally a neighbour of mine does actually use a clutter fairy but I’m afraid I’d be too embarrassed to show anyone the state of my junk.)  So yesterday I filled up the new shelves and stuffed the rest back under the bed.  I’ll sort it after Christmas – I promise.

And, if that isn’t enough I’ve not been feeling too well this week.  I have an abscess over my tooth which is proving rather painful.  It started earlier in the year and I’ve suffered various painful treatments which I thought I had cured it. But last week it came back so I had to go back to my dentist.  (I’m actually beginning to feel sorry for her.)  Now I’m rattling with antibiotics and am currently alcohol free – so can you see why there’s no festive spirit in my house?  My dentist has referred me to a dental surgeon to have something more painful done in the New Year so at least I’ve got something to look forward to.

Anyway.  Enough of my ba humbug. By the way someone sent me a picture of a grumpy humbug wearing a santa hat this earlier in the week so it’s Official. I did try to upload it onto here but it wouldn't allow me.

I’m going to spend the weekend working like crazy to get everything done and then when I finish work on Wednesday I’m going to spend a few hours snuggled up on the sofa with my boys watching some feel good films to get me feeling festive.

Or in reality – I’ll finish everything at midnight on Christmas Eve, collapse in a heap and then get up at six am to start cooking the turkey!

Anyway, happy Christmas everyone!

We Have Kittens!

Look here at the two new additions to our family!

Firstly meet Bobby.

And secondly meet his brother - Luke.

In actual fact these two little tykes have been part of our famiily for a little over four weeks now and they have certainly changed our lives - in a good way - despite the scratches to the wallpaper!

These two little mites may look cute but they have certainly been through the mill in their short lives.

Their mother was abandoned when she was pregnant but fortunately found her way to the RSPCA who saved her life and the lives of some of her babies. She ended up having a Ceasarean section and gave birth to five babies. Only two of those survived - see above. Even though my two little darlings did survive, they still needed to be resusitated at birth. Their mum lost her milk and they were housed with a wonderful foster mum who fed them by had on the hour every hour. They weere really poorly for a long time and their foster mum often wondered if they would make it but thanks to her determination and perhaps theirs here they are. Now they are full of life, tearing around our house like its a ready made race track and coulnd't look healthier. In the short time they have been with us they have both grown so much. I feel so privileged that we have been given these two little lives to nurture. I know that with us they will have a very happy home but I'm even more cetain that we will benefit so much from their love too. Having so much contact with humans from being babies they are the most affection cats I have ever known and its a real pleasure to see their cheeky faces whenever I walk through the door. All I can do is thank the RSPCA and their foster mum for not giving up on them because without them our family would not have had the chance of having these two adorable creatures in our lives and, now even at such a short time, within our hearts.

Where Did November Go?

It’s been a while since my last blog and the reason is National Novel Writing Month. I had meant to blog on my progress stage by stage but even though I completed the required 50,000 words last year, I did not anticipate how much time it would take me to complete the challenge.

And completed it I have, I'm glad to say. This year I was a little more organised and plotted out some of the story during October, got to know my characters and did some research.

This included reading some novels in my genre – chick lit (which was such a hardship – not!) and reading these two books which were invaluable. Together they really gave me a good angle on where I wanted to go with my novel and some pointers on how to get there.

A very big thank you to these authors for their invaluable advice.

I began the month on good form and the words literally flowed from my fingertips. Changing my approach from being a pantster to being a plotter really seemed to work. But then during week 2 I began to panic as I approached the precipice and realised that during October I had run out of time and consequently run out of plot. Then my task became a little more difficult.

I decided that I would find some time in advance of each writing session to do some more plotting so I would know exactly where I was going when I came fresh to my keboard.

Time is a pesky little creature I found, as elusive as riches so I had to return to my original mode of writing by making up the plot as I went along – a somewhat more scary business.

I found that I could not find much time to write at the weekends when family took over my life so I tried to write 2,000 words a day, scribbled into sections wherever I had a slot. Its not the best way to write but sometimes needs must.

By the end of week two I was struggling; searching forever for that elusive half way mark. Reaching that was like sweating blood but eventually I reached the crest of the hill and cheered from the top.

The ascent was much easier at first – I positively galloped over the 30,000 mark and thought that my troubles were all in the past. But then I really did run out of plot. A little nugget of advice came to me from long ago and I put in something dramatic. The rest of the plot slipped in after that with some new twists and turns which I don’t think would have come to me if I had been trying to plot in advance.

By 40,000 I was whizzing ahead and finished today, a day early with over 51,000 words.

I’ve still got some way to go until I reach the end but I’m determined to keep going. Another piece of advice – write every day – has proved itself to me again. Its so much easier to pick up the thread of the day before when there’s no long time gap in between and also because I knew the next day I would be sitting down to write, flashes would come to me when I was in the car or shivering on a football field as my boys played a match. That doesn’t happen if you leave it too long and that – I think – is where writer’s block comes from – fear of not knowing where you’re going next.

I also met some new people on line and because there as a new region in my area this year, a few writers who I’m aiming to meet up with in the flesh and who will hopefully become writing buddies. Seeing their wordcount going up day by day has spurred me on to up my count too, so perhaps I wouldn’t have done it without them. So thank you to you too.

Now I’m over half way through a very, very rough first draft but as you can’t edit a blank page I’m chuffed.

I can’t continue at the same pace though – especially not in the run up to Christmas but I’m going to set myself a challenge of writing 1,000 words every weekday and by the end of the year I hope to be so much further on and to be gaining momentum.

It’s a plan anyway. Then I will go back to Love Writing and See Jane Write, reread them and then start to revise. Also, for anyone who had just finished the first draft of a novel December’s Writing Magazine has a fantastic article by Sophie King on revision. Definitely one to rip out and look at next year when I’ve got that first draft on the page.

So that’s my plan for December – and perhaps no I’ll have more time to blog too. Thank you NaNoWriMo – I finally feel like I’ve got my MoJo back.

What method of writing works best for you?

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Yesterday I was poleaxed with a really bad headache – not a great start for NaNoWriMo, but I managed to redeem myself later.

Having two young children doesn’t go hand in hand with illness so usually I drag myself out of bed and just get on with it no matter how bad I’m feeling.

But yesterday it was impossible, I just felt as though my whole head was being crushed in a vice.

Fortunately, hubby was around so he was able to take the boys to school. They were a little concerned though because they are not used to seeing me take to my bed. I reassured them that it was just a headache and I would probably be OK to pick them up later.

By the afternoon I was feeling a little better, mainly thanks to super strength pain killers, but as hubby called in from work he offered to pick them up while I pottered gently around the house.

I managed to pull myself together enough to take the boys to their swimming lessons but afterwards was exhausted so went for another little lie down.

At bedtime my youngest was worried but I reassured him that after a good night’s sleep I would be back on form. Quite rightly he pointed out that I had said that I would be OK to pick them up from school but I hadn’t. Cue guilt complex!

Later the older one asked me if bad headaches could cause brain damage. Nice one I didn’t think I was acting that badly. When I said no he answered:

“But you’ve had a bad headache today and earlier you forgot something.”

I was tempted to tell him that that happens as you get older or when you’re juggling so many things at once that you’re bound to let something slip but instead I asked, “What did I forget?”

His answer was “I can’t remember.”

Can’t win can you?