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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/profile/blog/scarlett_o_h
Rated: 18+ · Book · Personal · #2076320
A third blog? A good idea? A fresh start? A disaster? An omen? ...who knows anything?
I nearly gave up on blogging and WDC. Then life threw another huge curveball and I felt like giving up on everything. But I'm Scarlett...I keep trying and hoping. I know not where this will go but I take it one day at a time.




A fitting and simple image
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October 21, 2023 at 8:47am
October 21, 2023 at 8:47am
#1057786
I don't think my old blog wants to be brought back to life, so for now I'll allow it to hibernate. I have too many other things to do presently and the past can never be recreated unfortunately.
September 9, 2023 at 11:17am
September 9, 2023 at 11:17am
#1055476

Four years between blogs makes it difficult to get back into the habit and even more difficult to know what to focus on in entries. I guess a bit of a catch up on my everyday life is most appropriate, though I doubt very few remember the rather traumatic years leading up to now. Thankfully, a much quieter life nowadays though that leaves a lot less to report.

I have no regrets over moving from my marital home to the town I now live in. Unfortunately the town has deteriorated badly with the closure of many of the best shops and some standing empty. There is more anti social behaviour, more traffic and new housing taking over green spaces but this is happening in a lot of places in the U.K. It’s not all due to the pandemic and a lot of poor decisions continue to be made by our government and local councils. I still enjoy living here though.

I have also lost some of my friends in reality. Some have passed on, some have long term health problems and some are living in different circumstances so socialising with them is difficult. I do have some good neighbours and have made friends through a writing group, a knitter and natter group and I still have my cat Dennis though he prefers to be out and about rather than keeping me company. My sister and I are still very close and see each other as much as possible as well as keeping in touch daily.

At present I believe it must be the hottest September on record in this country, after a very poor summer. Certainly not as it should be, raising concerns over climate change for many of us. I cannot believe how many deny this is problematic but that's a subject which creates debates and I try to avoid those. Even typing is sweat inducing so that's enough for now.
August 23, 2023 at 2:39pm
August 23, 2023 at 2:39pm
#1054489
Thank you for the warm welcome back. I didn't really expect any comments so was really touched to be remembered so fondly. I must confess after such a long break it's easy to forget to check on the site on a daily basis, particularly with the short term memory deterioration that comes with age. Sometimes it takes me all morning to remember what day it is, never mind anything more complex, and I am definitely a lot slower in many ways than in the early days of blogging. I believe they date back almost twenty years now. *Shock* Where on earth has all that time gone?

After a four year absence it’s hard to know where to start. For my own benefit I decided to read through this blog book as a way to refresh my memory. I’ve laughed, cried, frowned, smiled and reminisced over times gone by, both good and bad. Most of the tears were after reading the comments from a lovely group of people, most now not members and many no longer on the mortal coil. People I miss and will always remember with great fondness. I question why I’m still here with my bad habits and lifestyle but that is another imponderable.

It also made me ponder how many words we bloggers have typed into these entries in total after all those years but I'm also pleased they're still here, even though there's some very traumatic and painful times recorded in them. We're told not to dwell on the past and in theory I agree, but it's easier said than done. I lead a pretty quiet and humdrum life on the whole now so blogging topics may not be as easy to find, but we shall see. So for now, I better just write myself a note to remind myself to visit WDC every day, in order to get back into the habit. Thank you again for your kind words. They are always appreciated and very welcome.
August 12, 2023 at 11:52am
August 12, 2023 at 11:52am
#1054006
*Shock* That's me. Shocked in the nicest possible way. I decided back in 2019 I could no longer afford the time or cost of continuing as a member of WDC, besides which many of my dearest friends here had left, some never to return. *Cry* Since then I have dropped by occasionally but have mostly been inactive on the site.

Today I dropped by and was astounded to have been gifted a premier membership for a whole year. I'm gobsmacked to say the least. I never thought I'd make any more entries in this blog, though I will admit there are times I have missed blogging, especially when the weird and wonderful things in life happen.

So, what am I to do? It's nearly four years since I've done anything on WDC. I can't even remember what sort of things I did or how to do them. I can't promise to be here every day or become involved in the way I once was, but let's make a list of five things I will try to do.

1. A weekly blog at least.
2. Organise and add to my portfolio
3. Seek out friends old and new
4. Return some reviews I owe.
5. Revisit the price of carrots

This feels really weird. It's so long since I've been Scarlett ...and a lot has happened.

Watch this space.
September 11, 2019 at 9:35am
September 11, 2019 at 9:35am
#966003
Are we all contrary creatures are am I more perverse than most? There were times during our trip to Thailand, particularly towards the end, when I felt I really wanted to come home and would not miss being in Asia. Just over a week later I keep remembering the warm climate, the beautiful beaches, and pools, the freedom from housework and cooking and the benefits of being in company. Some days I wish I was back there instead of being alone facing winter and all the hype that goes with it, the humdrum of routines and looking after a house, but I guess we quickly forget the downsides and irritations of being away with family and children. Oh well, at least I can add another continent to my list of places visited and feel proud to have coped with long flights and a lot of unfamiliar activity. The Thai people are lovely even if there is a language barrier.

The grand monsters are now back in school and seem fairly settled. Two of them are now in Secondary education and it's hard to believe how quickly they grow up. Dylan claims his new school sucks and is too strict, but I believe in time he'll be enjoying the challenges, responding well to the discipline and hopefully will do very well.

I have returned to a damp patch on my lounge ceiling which is the result of a very difficult to find leak somewhere in the bathroom. I am now entertaining plumbers and plasterers while said leak is investigated and repaired. I dread to think what the bills will be, but I know I'd rather spend the money on trips, even to Bangkok than be forking out money to workmen. Ho Hum.
August 23, 2019 at 8:20am
August 23, 2019 at 8:20am
#964583
Must admit I was not sorry to leave Bangkok behind. Pleased to say I have visited it, but would not want to return. Phuket was much preferable with lovely beaches and a great hotel. We are now in Krabi and I have felt a little crabby myself. The hotel has great pools but the rooms aren’t very satisfactory, particularly when sharing with messy kids. There seems to be a lot of mozzies residing in the rooms too and we now have bites on our bites. Yesterday we took the boat trip from hell. Beautiful scenery but potentially very dangerous. The U.K. health and safety department would have a fit. I’m just relieved to have survived and will try not to complain about the British rules and regulations ever again. I can’t say I’ve fallen in love with Asia and there are many things that upset me including the many poor neglected animals. But it’s a new experience to add to my list and there have been some very enjoyable times. I shall however be relieved to get home next week though no doubt will then miss being in Asia. Contrary beings aren’t we?
August 13, 2019 at 11:10am
August 13, 2019 at 11:10am
#964140
If someone had told me I’d be posting this from an apartment 32 storeys high in Bangkok I’d probably never have believed them. But then a lot of my life events could never have been anticipated, particularly over the last couple of decades. And still the bizarre and unexpected continue. I guess I should be grateful in some ways it’s not a boring existence.

Thailand is much as I envisaged it, though that doesn’t mean I feel confident or able to cope with everything. The grand monsters take everything in their stride and seem fearless, but then they are well travelled creatures and used to Asia, Their main concerns are food, WiFi and what times the swimming pools are open, but I guess that’s pretty normal.

We’ve had some incidents and accidents along the way, some very funny and others rather scary. I won’t say it’s relaxing or orderly, but certainly interesting and unpredictable and I’m pleased that I can still embrace new experiences with an open mind.

So far I’ve witnessed traditional ceremonies in the quietest, poorest rural areas and now the manic hustle and bustle of a crazy city. To be continued...hopefully.
July 21, 2019 at 2:48pm
July 21, 2019 at 2:48pm
#962945
I have always been a night owl. Even as a child I rarely felt tired at night, but hated waking up early in the morning.

Now I often envy the larks of this world. When I read of people watching the sun rise and being able to tackle many tasks during the early hours of the day it makes me want to be a morning person. But as we know old habits die hard and it's difficult to change our routines.

Yesterday was one of those days I wished I'd stayed in bed. I had no specfic plans, but do have a lot of things to catch up with as well as preparations for our trip to Thailand. But it seemed I was destined to achieve very little after unexpected visitors and phone calls. Much as I tend to complain when days go by without any human contact, I can well do without not having a minute to myself to do what I want. It left me feeling frustrated, edgy and rather annoyed if I'm honest as I frequently seem to be the listening ear for other's trivial problems yet am rarely asked how I am getting on.

Last night I retired late as usual, but woke with a jolt after a bizarre dream. It's not often I can't catch sleep again, but this morning was one of those occasions and as it was light outside I decided I might as well get up. I was horrified to see it was only 4.45am.

There was no way I'd go back to sleep, so decided it was an opportunity to get all those unfinished tasks completed, then spend a leisurely afternoon writing, knitting or just watching a decent film. By lunchtime I felt like I'd been up for days and weariness was creeping on. Just as I sat down my son phoned to say they'd all been strawberry picking and were dropping in to bring me some fruit. Two hours later I have a kitchen full of bowls of fruit to sort out, wash, freeze and store, juice stains on the carpet to remove and a sink full of pots to wash.

I think I will be having a very early night and conclude I'm just not cut out to be a lark.
June 29, 2019 at 12:29pm
June 29, 2019 at 12:29pm
#961754
I think I should maybe write a book of excuses instead of attempting anything more complex. It seems many things, including writing, are cast aside because I'm too tired/busy/ill/absent/braindead or because it's too wet/cold/late/early/difficult. For the first time this year I can honestly say it's too hot. *Shock*

I'm hoping, but not holding my breath that it will continue to be warm and dry, because next week I'm spending five days in Brighton with my sister. No doubt the weather witch will influence conditions down south, but whatever I'm sure we'll find plenty to do and have a good time. No writing progress will be made of course.

On that front I have been busy with other projects including my Grumpy Granny column for a village gazette, a competition entry and writing and editing for my writing group's collabarative novel which has now gone to print. Here it is on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Burning-School-Ties-Fosseway-Writers/dp/1072962918/ref=...
keywords=Burning+old+school+ties&qid=1561824718&s=books&sr=1-1

We're hoping it will make us all rich and famous and become a bestseller as well as selling the film rights, but in reality we just hope to sell some copies at the book festival in our town in July. We did qute well with an anthology last year, but this book has been quite a challenge to complete. I'm still not sure how it will be received by anyone reading it for the first time, but only time will tell.

I'm still not sure whether to focus on my own story as a book or a blog, but hope to be around long enough to attempt both. But not today...it's too hot...and not next week...I'm going to the seaside...better start packing.
June 14, 2019 at 2:02pm
June 14, 2019 at 2:02pm
#960793

*Bullet* The only creatures that would appreciate our June weather are ducks as far as I know. I have heard rumours a month's rain has fallen in two days this week and it's still precipitating. Flaming June indeed. It has flattened and left some of my summer plants waterlogged, but on the plus side I won't need a watering can for the foreseeable future.

*Bullet* Dennis and I suffer from cabin fever, so it's been a bad week for both of us. Dennis tends to think it's my fault when it rains and gets grumpy when I don't switch it off so he can go out. I just get grumpy. On the plus side, I have had one really good afternoon out with a very special friend, despite the weather conditions. Thanks again. *Wink*

*Bullet* I now have one and a half cats and a fly. How come these stupid creatures can find their way in through the smallest of gaps, but cannot find their way out through a wide open door? I refuse to kill any creature deliberately and also will not get emotionally involved with any more flies after Guy the Fly the third drowned in my orange juice several years ago. I remain aloof while attempting to encourage it to go outside, but wherever I go it's still following me.

*Bullet* Preparations are beginning as regards the trip to Thailand which seemed a long way off, but now isn't. I have the itinerary, which exhausts me by simply reading it and I've had a Tetanus injection which has left my left arm feeling like I've been continuously lifting weights for a month.

*Bullet* Work on my proposed book is virtually at a standstill as I'm not happy with the way it's developing. It's too factual, flat and reads like a newspaper report. My thoughts now are most of the story is here in blog entries going back years. Why should I need to rewrite it? By picking out relevant entries, adding and detracting, altering bits here and there it could tell the whole story. Research into blog memoirs informs me it's not a good idea but to me, the facts, characters, humour and trauma are all conveyed more sincerely and accurately as blog entries. What say you? All advice appreciated.

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