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This is my first ever blog, so I'm not really sure what I'm doing  . I guess I'll learn as I go along.
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| The moment I dreaded was finally here: my auntieās house, full of birthday cheer, with twinkling eyes, she proffered my gift, from foot to foot, I had to shift. āOpen it now,ā she said with a grin, "show everyone what you find within.ā Smiling back, I slowly unpeeled the paper, saw the present, I reeled, silver trousers, shining bright, I had to shield my eyes from their light, āHow pretty,ā my dear husband said āYou should try them on, go ahead ā¦ā Grimacing, I climbed the stairs, into the bedroom, I sat on the chair, one leg first, then the other, they fit perfectly, āOh bother!ā In trepidation, I re-joined the crowd, my husband actually laughed out loud, I shot him a look that plainly said, when we get home, my love, youāre dead. 20 lines  Written for
Prompt: Worst Present Ever |
| Katherine smiled at Mel as the younger woman entered her bedroom. "Good morning, Mel," she said, smiling. "Good morning, Katherine. What a beautiful morning." Katherine looked for the smile beyond the mask, for the upturning of the carer's eyes to show the connection between the two. "I hear somebody has a birthday today. Is that right?" There. The smile threaded through her voice. "Yes. But I try not to count them too much at my age." She reached for the cup of tea Mel had placed on her table. "Thanks for this, dear. I was parched this morning." "You're welcome. I'm only stronger it's nothing stronger than tea. You should be drinking something cold and fizzy today." Mel chuckled as she stood in the doorway. "When you've finished that, I'll help you have a zoom call with your son." Katherine nodded, a lead balloon falling to the pit of her stomach. Since the pandemic began, John had only visited once. He came alone, and Susie stayed at home with the children. She missed them all. She missed their weekly visits that always brought such fun and laughter to her world. She sipped her tea and settled back in her chair. Last year, she turned eighty-nine. All her family surrounded her and wrapped her in their love. They all spoke of what she would do for her ninetieth. A day trip to Weston Beach with lunch at Harry Ramsden's. Maybe, even, a party with all her friends and family. Not that that number was anywhere near as high as it had been in the past. She had looked forward to her birthday. Until the pandemic arrived. Katherine's care home had closed to visitors three months ago. Residents she counted as friends entered hospital and never came home. Everything changed. "Are you ready, Katherine?" Mel entered the room. "Have you got your iPad ready?" Katherine reached for the tablet. "Here. You'll have to fire it up, I'm afraid. I can't use the thing, myself." Tapping the screen a few times, the picture came to life. Her son's smiling face appeared as if by magic. "Hi, Mum. Happy birthday!" "Happy birthday, Nanna!" Daniel and Matthew waved and commenced singing. When they reached the end of "Happy birthday to you" Katherine felt a warmth spread through her bones. They spoke for twenty minutes. It seemed much harder to hold conversations these days. When Mel returned to the room, she brought Ivan with her. "Right. Are you ready for us to take you to the communal area? We have a little surprise." Images of mint chocolate chip ice cream and Baileys on ice flitted through Katherine's mind. I would love a glass of Baileys right now. A chorus of "Happy birthday!" sounded as she entered the living room. As she settled herself into a chair, people started to sing. From the corridor, Mel emerged, carrying a cake. "Oh, this is wonderful," Katherine said, her cheeks flushing. "No candles, I'm afraid. We can't have anyone blowing onto it." Mel placed the cake on a table in the centre of the room. "Wait a minute. One more surprise ..." She pulled up the blind covering the window next to Katherine. There, the other side of the window, stood Katherine's daughter and grandchildren. "Lena." Katherine gasped. "My girl. And Harry and Carla. Oh, look at you all." She watched as her daughter placed her hand against the window. Standing slowly, she turned to face her little family. With all her heart, Katherine wanted to hug her daughter and grandchildren, to feel the warmth of their skin, smell the scent of their shampoo. But, this birthday was not like any other. This year, she had to be content with almost-contact and cake without candles. By the end of her day, she returned to her room, the sweetness of strawberry jam and icing still on her lips. "Next year, I will be with my family. Next year will be special." She paused. "Maybe, I'll do a wing walk, or something." 669 words |
Whew! Busy week. Lots of Chocolate Emporium orders for everyone's Secret Valentines. I just want to say this community is the best. So many people have joined in with gifting other people. I can actually feel the love  . A huge thank you to my Secret Valentine, too. You have been awesome  I've been busy offsite this week. I haven't had as much time to dedicate to WDC as I'd hoped I would. Monday, I had a blood test. These nasty blighters always leave me unable to concentrate for the rest of the day. So, not much achieved then. Then, last night, I had my first Covid vaccination. So (naturally) I spent the whole day freaking out that I'd have an anaphylactic shock and my throat would swell up and I'd suffocate. Not that I've ever been allergic to anything, but, well, you know. But, it didn't happen. I'm fine, and the only side effect is a bit of a sore and itchy arm. I'll take that! Anyhoo, this morning, I had to collect my prescriptions from the pharmacy, and they lost my diabetes injections, so I had to wait around while they sorted it. Then I got a phone call from the doctor's office saying something about my calcium levels are too high. She said the doctor will ring me. I don't know when. I'm not sure how serious this is. (Please, if you read this and know that it is very serious, don't tell me. It won't help.) Now, I don't feel inclined to do anything productive for for the rest of the day. So I might just read and cuddle with my dog. That is just about my limit for today. Tomorrow, I need to write reviews for my Chocolate Emporium, and Sunday, I need to write my poem for Promptly Poetry. It would be good if I could write some reviews the afternoon, but, I'll be honest, I'm exhausted! So. That's me updated. I'm hoping everything turns out okay. |
I have signed up to do
 Yes; I may well be crazy. No; it is very likely I won't complete it. I'm not sure it is humanly possible for me. However, I am going to give it my best shot, and I'm quite excited about it.So, in order to help me do this, I've gone through the themes for each week and found books in my Kindle library or on my physical bookshelves that I haven't read yet that fit with the themes. I am going to list them here and tick them off when they are done. It will be good to see my progress on this list. I haven't filled in all the slots yet. Some of them are wildcards, so I will see what I feel like reading when I come to them. There are some slots where I've not been able to find books I fancy yet (I'm open to any ideas you may have). The Big List Week 1 - 1st January - A book with the first letter of the title being "A". All The Bright Things by Jennifer Niven  Week 2 - 8th January - A book written in first person POV. I Spy by Claire Kendal Week 3 - 15th January - An author's debut book. The Other Half of Augusta Hope by Joanna Glen Week 4 - 22nd January - A book set in a country you'd like to visit, but never have. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy Week 5 - 29th January - A book published in 2020. Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewel Week 6 - 5th February - A book by your favourite author. Grown Ups by Marian Keyes Week 7 - 12th February - A non-fiction book. Making It Up As I Go Along by Marian Keyes Week 8 - 19th February - A book with punctuation in the title. The Ex-Wife by Jess Ryder Week 9 - 26th February - A book with a number in the title. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Week 10 - 5th March - A book from Amazon's 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime list In Cold Blood by Truman Capote Week 11 - 12th March - A book with a colour in the title. White Lies by Lucy Dawson Week 12 - 19th March - A book with the first letter of the title being "N". Nothing Hidden Ever Stays by H.R. Mason Week 13 - 26th March - A book that's been made into a movie. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Week 14 - 2nd April - A book you chose because you liked the cover. The Corset by Laura Purcell Week 15 - 9th April - A book written before 1950. Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle Week 16 - 16th April - A book written by an author with the same first and last initial. All The Missing Girls by Megan Miranda Week 17 - 23rd April - Wildcard! You can choose any book you wish. House of Correction Week 18 - 30th April - A book that is also a play/musical. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Week 19 - 7th May - A book that has been adapted into a TV show. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery Week 20 - 14th May - A book with more than one author. Secret Smile by Nicci French Week 21 - 21st May - A book with a weather element in the title. Flowers In The Snow by Danielle Stewart Week 22 - 28th May - A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters "E" or "A". Lying To You by Amanda Reynolds CompletedWeek 23 - 4th June - A book with a long title (5+ words). Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom Week 24 - 11th June - A book with a one word title. Lifeless by Mark Billingham Week 25 - 18th June - A book set in a fictional location. The lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis Week 26 - 25th June - A book set in your home-country. Because Of You by Dawn French Week 27 - 2nd July - Wildcard! You can choose any book you wish. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman Week 28 - 9th July - A book with an animal on the cover. The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley Week 29 - 16th July - A book set in the future. Futuretrack 5 by Robert Westall Week 30 - 23rd July - A New York Times bestseller. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Week 31 - 30th July - A book originally written in a different language. The Diary Of A Young Girl by Anne Frank Week 32 - 6th August - A book with one of the five Wās, or H in the title (Who/What/Where/When/Why/How) What She Saw Last Night by MJ Cross Week 33 - 13th August - A book guaranteed to make you happy, for whatever reason. Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes Week 34 - 20th August - A book with a name in the title (e.g. Sarah, John, Lorraine) Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman Week 35 - 27th August - A book from your favourite genre. Single by K.L. Slater Week 36 - 3rd September - A book someone else has previously read for this challenge (check the forum!) Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner Week 37 - 10th September - The first book in a series you've never heard of. A Month of Summer by Lisa Wingate Week 38 - 17th September - A book not set in the US or UK. The Blue by Lucy Clarke Week 39 - 24th September - Wildcard! You can choose any book you wish. Rememberings by Sinead OāConnor Week 40 - 1st October - A book with food or drink in the title. Cranberry Bluff by Deborah Garner Week 41 - 8th October - A book you've wanted to read for a while, but haven't gotten around to it. Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell Week 42 - 15th October - A book with a date in the title (day, month, year etc.) Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom Week 43 - 22nd October - A book with a title that starts "The". The Accident by Linwood Barclay Week 44 - 29th October - A book with horror elements. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Week 45 - 5th November - A book with an element in the title (earth, air, fire, water) Stillwater Rising by Steena Holmes Week 46 - 12th November - A book with a cover that puts you off 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher Week 47 - 19th November - A book published the year you were born Curtain (Poirot's Last Case) by Agatha Christie Week 48 - 26th November - A book with the first letter of the title being "H" Hard Times by Charles Dickens Week 49 - 3rd December - Reread one of your favourite books The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer Week 50 - 10th December - A book published in 2021 The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins Week 51 - 17th December - Wildcard! You can choose any book you wish. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro Week 52 - 24th December - A short book, less than 200 pages. If She Knew by Blake Pierce |
| I don't know where to begin. I've been trying to put together a blog entry acknowledging this honour since Thursday morning, but (for once) the words evade me. Well, that's not strictly true because I'm writing something now, aren't I? I can't describe the feeling of seeing those words: "You're now a Writing.com Moderator." My heart rate increased, I can tell you that! I thought I must have misread it at first. I thought maybe it was an email telling us some people had been promoted and these were their names. But it didn't say that. It said I had been promoted. It's surreal. I've been floating on air ever since. This is such an honour. Like, wow. Thank you, The StoryMaster and The StoryMistress, for trusting me to fill this role responsibly. Do you know what the really weird thing is? When I first joined WDC, back in May 2015, I was a little bit afraid of the mod squad. I felt like they were the people who knew everything, and the thought of interacting with these writer-gods made me nervous. But, pretty soon, I realised they are actually normal people. They don't bite, and they are happy to help whenever they are needed. There are a few mods who have really supported me and helped me out over the years, and I am grateful to them. I hope I can be that kind of moderator. I want to be approachable and, while I know I don't know about a lot of things, I want to think I will try to find out if someone needs help. I just want to say a little about Writing.com and what it means to me. I know I've said it before, but it's important to remember all the ways my life is richer because of it. (I apologise if I'm starting to sound gushing, but I don't do it often.) When I joined WDC on 21st May 2015, I was in a pretty bad place emotionally. I'd been ill for so long with PTSD, depression, and anxiety. I'd tried various therapies and medications and, at best, they helped me stay alive. Then, my hubby and doctor (on the same day!) both suggested I start to write my feelings. This took me back to my teenage angst-ridden poetry I wrote a long time ago, and something in me shifted. I wrote a couple of poems, and I felt a little lighter. My hubby, though, said I should take it a step further. He found WDC and suggested I share my writing on there. I didn't believe him when he said I was good, so his theory was, if people on a writing website said it, I might listen. And so, I joined. I wrote. I got amazing feedback that brought tears to my eyes. More than that, though, really quickly, I felt part of this community. I made friends and, for the first time in my life, I felt like I fitted in. It felt like home. Within a couple of weeks, I was totally and utterly addicted to this community. Writing was helping to get my feelings out, and reviews were giving me confidence. I felt valid for the first time. And, so. Here I am; five years later. Promoted to moderator, and so, so proud. And the best thing about this promotion is the awesome group of ladies who were promoted with me: Shaye  šGeminiGemš  Lilli ā  Schnujo NEEDS to do homework  Jayne  concrete_angel š Carly: poems & novel  Emily  To be a part of this group is just fabulous! |
| I have two things to blog about. Both, probably, not exciting for anyone else. But, for me, both really cool. On Saturday afternoon, I finally ā after three months apart ā got to spend time with my two best friends. Not seeing them has been the hardest part of lockdown. The three of us grew up together. We became best friends at primary school, when we were five, and we've stayed that way (except for a few teenage spats) ever since. These two women have helped me through the hardest times of my life. I sometimes think I might not even be here, if not for them. They are the kindest, most generous people, and I love them to bits. So when Nina shot me a text Saturday lunchtime, saying did I want to meet in Shell's back garden for a catch up, I immediately answered yes! Nina picked me up in her car. We both wore face masks, and I sat in the back on the opposite side to her. It felt a little like we were out to rob a bank! We giggled like schoolgirls and took a selfie. At Shell's, we all sat two metres apart from one another, as per the government's advice, and we chatted and laughed and set the world to rights. I had such a great time. I have missed them so much. It really gave me a boost to see them. The other thing I want to mention is a song that has become very special to me in the last few weeks. It's an oldie, and you can see by the video how dated it is, but it really speaks to me. The song is "I'm Coming Home Again" by Dusty Springfield. I adore Dusty Springfield. She was a huge and, in my opinion, underrated talent. I am still so sad that she's no longer with us. I've listened to Dusty all my life, and I've known this song for as long as I can remember. But, it's only recently that I've really listened to the words. And, wow, they are so much more profound than I realised. There's a line that makes me tear up each time I hear it because it's like it was written for me: "I'm starting to believe my own existence has a right to be." As someone who never believed that until the last few years, that is so poignant. The whole song could have been written about me. I can relate to it so much. And, of course, Dusty's voice is magical. You can tell she feels it in the same way I do. I love it. It's not cool or trendy (or whatever the current word is), but I love it. |
| Well. Five years ago today, my husband convinced me to join a writing website and share my writing with other, like-minded people. I wasn't sure about doing it, but I took that leap. I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I ever made. In Writing.com, I have found a place where I can share whatever I write without judgment. I mean, sure, there are reviews, but for the most part, they are constructively critical. I have learned so much from the many reviews I've received (and written). But, this community is not just about writing. Sure, we all have a common interest in being creative with our words. But, I've never known a community like this. People are so supportive. I feel like I've made a whole bunch of friends, and I cherish those friendships more than I can even say. Without WDC, I don't know where I would be. It's easy to get lost in the fantastic writing of my peers and the creative and wonderful contests people run. This last year, I've taken part in "Invalid Item"  . This seemed like a huge challenge when I signed up because I don't "do" form poetry. I don't like restrictions, and I find it easier to express myself writing free verse. But, I wanted to push myself a little and write something out of my comfort zone. A year writing form poetry fits that bill. And it was a challenge. But, you know what? I surprised myself. I've written forms I've always shied away from in the past. And I found some forms I absolutely love.I've written a few stories in the past year. I completed Musicology Anthology with my book based on the 'Manic Street Preachers' album, "Everything Must Go." I placed second for that, and it was the best feeling because I worked so hard on it. That's all I want to say, I think. I wanted to write something to mark my five years on writing.com. It feels like a landmark, for sure. I look forward to many, many more years! |
| Review of āThe Burning Girlā by Mark Billingham This book started out as a challenge. I ordered the paperback version online a couple of years ago, and when it arrived, it was printed upside down and back-to-front. So, I had to literally turn it up the wrong way, then read from back to front. Because of that, I put off reading it until now. As it turned out, reading it was much easier than I anticipated. Plus, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. This is the fourth in the DI Thorne series. I read the first three a few years ago. I really like the character of Tom Thorne. Heās a good person who has a slightly black soul. The plot centres around gangland London and the twenty year old setting fire to a schoolgirl called Jessica Clarke. Carol Chamberlain, Thorneās friend and ex cold case detective was the detective in charge of the case of the burning girl, and she successfully convicted the perpetrator of that crime. So why, now, when he is coming up for parole, has Carol started to get phonecalls from a man claiming he set the fire? And why does the anonymous caller know details only the killer could know? We go on a ride through gangland London where three families, the Ryans, Kellys, and Zarifs, wage a deadly turf war where everyone wants control. I like the ending. There is a scene with Tom, Carol, and the man who made the phone calls, near the end of the novel, where I donāt think I took a single breath in about five pages! Very intense. Despite my glowing review, I didnāt enjoy this book as much as the first three. I was going to write, āIt didnāt set me on fire,ā then realised how terrible a pun it would have been. I think itās partly that the first three books are outstanding. āSleepyheadā is pure genius. I did, however, totally enjoy this. |
I could write an essay about the incompetence of our government when handling the Coronavirus. After all, we are entering the new phase of the pandemic this week. Boris Johnson has been (as is his style) as unspecific and contradictory as possible. People should go to work if they can't work from home. But only if their workplace can guarantee it is COVID-friendly. People can exercise as often and as long as they want. They can even drive, cycle, or walk as far as they want to see people. But, they can only see the people one person at a time, outside. People should try to wear face masks in shops. If possible.  You see, Boris Johnson had the Coronavirus. He nearly died from it. Therefore, no one can question his ideas or motives. Never mind his track record for telling lies. Once more, I'm sick of politicians who would sell their own grandmothers if they thought they could benefit from it. I mean, sure, politicians have always lied. They are not, generally, the most trustworthy of people. But, the people we have running the world at the moment disgust me. Whew! This is not what I wanted to blog about today. What I actually came here to say is I'm tired. So freaking tired. I think it's all of the COVID stuff, isolating without my friends, my diabetes, IBS, depression, anxiety, and the list goes on. I think it's also because I have so much to do. A ton of things. Like, over a hundred reviews. Plus, lots of other stuff. So much editing work. It all feels like a huge weight at the moment, and the result is I'm finding it impossible to do anything. So, I apologise to everyone I owe reviews and stuff. I am good for it. I will get there. But, please, give me some leeway for a few days. I need to drag my behind to work. Once I get started, it'll all be fine. |
| I've been thinking about writing in this blog again for a couple of weeks. I guess, all the COVID stuff makes me want to write out my feelings. I've been keeping a journal, but I've read a ton of good blog posts on here, so I thought, why not? Enough time has passed for me to write something in a blog. Next month, I might even join the 30 Day Blog Challenge. So, COVID ... None of us has ever experienced anything similar. The whole world has closed down and lost too many beloved family and friends. For me, personally, I haven't lost anyone I love (touch wood). However, I had a phone call from my doctor about a week into our lockdown, saying I am on the highly vulnerable patient list, so I should shield indoors for the next twelve weeks. I knew there were issues that probably made me more vulnerable, but to have my doctor confirm it felt like a huge deal. It freaked me out. She told me I mustn't leave the house at all, but then conceded I probably should still walk my dog (duh!). I got a letter confirming everything she said. I now have my prescriptions delivered to my doorstep (which is rather nice), and our groceries are delivered also. That's not a new thing. We've had groceries delivered for years. However, getting delivery slots is ridiculously difficult. You see, everyone is at home, and right at the start of lockdown, Boris Johnson told everyone to do their shopping online. So, everyone is booking slots, making it impossible to book any unless we stay up until midnight (when the store adds more slots to their website) and try to book one of those slots. It's a nightmare. Although I'm on the vulnerable patient list, I don't have any of the most vulnerable conditions (thank goodness!). So, I don't get the priority slots, even though I've been told I must stay home. You see my predicament? I can't even send David to the store with a list because he's hardly got any vision, so he could come back with anything!  Oh well. We won't starve.I kind of went off on a tangent there. Probably because grocery shopping has been the most challenging part of isolation for me. I'm not too lonely because I have David and Alfie. I miss my two best friends, but we video call through WhatsApp and text one another every day. I really miss my aunt. But we speak on the phone at least once a week. But, on the whole, I'm not too lonely. I do get scared when I leave the house. We live in an apartment building with eight flats, and I worry about all the people who touch door handles and breathe out their germs. Especially, when two of them work in a local care home. As someone who suffers from anxiety every day, in particular health anxiety, this is not great. Also, my hubby is still smoking, even after years of encouragement from me to give up, but that means he's always going outside to smoke. So, more germs coming into the house. At the same time, on a completely selfish level, I don't really want him to give up right now. Being stuck in the house with a hubby without nicotine does not sound like fun. Well, I think I'll leave it there. You can tell I haven't had much time to chat with people by the length of this entry. It feels good to be blogging again. |
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