Enjoy the moment

Hope you’re all getting time to relax and catch up with family. That’s what I like best about this time between Christmas and New Year. Reflecting on how it’s been. For me it’s felt like and endless year, and things that happened a couple of months ago, seemed like much longer than that.

Now, it’s coming to the end of 2022, I’m quite glad to be getting used to not going out to work in a 9 – 5 job, and being a full time writer. I’ve always worked for myself in one way or another, so it’s great to have more time to get all my ‘stuff’ tidied up and organised, which is turning into a job in itself, me being one who takes a bag of books to the charity shop and comes back with another few more.

Looking forward to March when my latest pocket novel will be on the shop shelves. And still getting into the habit of writing every day, whether on the keyboard, or with pen and paper, my preferred way. Somehow it feels more like it’s real if the words have gone into a written form first then to keyboard, even though it takes longer, the end result comes quicker.

Enjoy a country walk, coffee and chat with a friend, or throwing the ball for your four legged friend. Living in the moment can make us realise that small moments in time will become memories for the future. For anyone caring for loved ones, hold them tight, tell them you love them. Don’t have regrets, be positive and enjoy everything you have now. Todays moments are tomorrows reflections.

When you find an old shelf, and it changes into a guitar, rock stars are go

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Her Own Robinson Crusoe

This is what I’m off to read in the garden under the umbrella of course. It’s still hot here in Warwickshire, but before long I’ll be taking the plane journey with Serena off to the Caribbean. Better get a cool drink to go with it. It’s in the shops today.

Sophie had good news today as well, she got her first swimming certificate. Well done, little swimmer and  hope it’s the first of many.

She looks as proud as Grandma with her books doesn’t she? Well done, Sophie.

 

 

 

Pocket Novels

I’m a pocket novelist for My Weekly, and proud to say another one will be published soon. It’s set in the Caribbean, will let you know as soon as it’s here.

Great to see family members today, Ann and Sophie called, then our Son and his dog bounded in, and lovely to see them all.

                

Knitting is another pastime that I find helps with relaxing, not that I need an excuse to sit down and watch something funny on t.v. Rising Damp is on, and for me good comedy doesn’t date. Same as Larry Grayson who was on the night before. He was a local celebrity in our area, coming from local town of Nuneaton.

My day job is now making badges and key rings, also putting words on tee shirts. Can’t wait to put book covers on key rings, and more news on that coming soon. Have a great week, however you’re spending it.

 

 

 

Latest news

Here’s what’s coming soon, and there will be a giveaway on the blog, so watch out for that.

Looking forward to the RNA conference in July, and meeting up with other pocket novelists and romatic authors.

I’m busy writing my next story, which hopefully should be finished before long. I’m on chapter 10 of 15, and if you’d like a taster… of course you would, then here it is…

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“I don’t feel guilty for keeping you here; you should be working, but I’m selfish and you wanted to know more about life in the Caribbean, so let’s compromise.” Broderick took her hand and smiled. “How about if I show you some of the more interesting parts of the island, and then later on, I’ll cook while you relax.” He pulled her towards him. “You’re fun to have around.” He laughed, “That’s when you’re not crowning my friends over the head with breakfast plates or spiralling yourself over the edge of my hammock and landing in heap on the grass.” Broderick stifled a laugh and offered his arm.

Serena forced her thoughts away from the beach, and linked her arm through his. “Don’t fret too much, you’re hardly keeping me prisoner. I could have gone back over to Neptune, and maybe I should have, because the longer I stay here, it’s as if…” She didn’t want to say it, but the island of a thousand shells was beginning to grow on her enormously and now that Agwe had taken the children back to the small-holding for a salad lunch with Daniel, she was all alone, with her own Robinson Crusoe.

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Hope that makes you want to know more. It does me, so I’d better get on and finish it.

The garden is looking fab, and we have lettuce quite often, but a bowl of chips pops in with it now and again. There’s flowers on the tomato plants and mini cucumbers on the mini-munch variety. Our little grandaughter loves to help water them and is our number one tester of strawberries. She has to eat at least six or seven to see if they’re suitable for the rest of us.

Enjoy the sunshine and more garden photos when the sunflowers are out.

Anyone for lettuce?

We’re fully stocked with salad leaves. At the moment it’s all year round lettuce, spinach and rocket leaves available in the kitchen garden. And growing on we have yellow courgettes, mini munch cucumber, tomatoes, money maker are my favourite variety. As well, we have normal cucumber, green courgettes, dwarf beans, and dwarf peas, lots of herbs and tons of strawberries with heaps of flowers on them as well.

Good job the garden is looking rosy as we’re having the house re-vamped and it’s going to be a bit of a building site during the summer months

Front border

 

In writing news, this will be available soon.

And I’m busy working on my next pocket novel, which is a romantic story set in the Caribbean, so off there now. So I’m going to have some chopped pineapple to eat while I’m sailing away… Up to chapter 6, and more news on that as it develops.

Enjoy the lighter nights and mornings. It’s getting light at half past four in the morning now when I go out to my cleaning job.

And the great thing is I’m all done by coffee time.

Bit of a clanger

You may remember that I’ve recently released A Factory Affair, and done a giveaway on the blog. The winner is the lovely Rosemary Gemmell, and still waiting to hear whether you’d still like the book, Rosemary.

Well, another lovely lady, Elaine Everest, author of Woolworths Girls, and due to release Butlin’s Girls, wondered why I’d put that I was on the shortlist with this for the RNA new talent awards. I didn’t realise the shortlist I was on, along with Elaine, was with the Festival of Romance. For some reason I really thought it was run by the RNA. Maybe it was sponsored by the RNA, but because lots of names I recognised as being romantic writers, were there, and Katie Fforde spoke at the end, and won an award as well. I think that’s why the confusion popped in. So now I’ve corrected the opening of the book to say, this story was on the shortlist of the Festival of Romance, new talent award. We have to get these little details right don’t we? So glad that’s cleared up. Now I need to alter it on the kindle version as well. Thanks to everyone who’s shown an interest in the book, and watch out for another giveaway very soon.

Family time

We had fun today, opening presents with Ann and Sophie as they’re going to her other gran and grandad’s for Christmas Day.

Here is the must have p’j’s – clangers and the unicorn handbag for all the best dressed girls about town.

And in the middle picture, pink fluffy marshmallow dressing gown for when a young lady is chilling on the settee.

Speaking of the settee, no day is complete without jumping off the back and rolling on to the floor.

 

Any time spent with loved ones is special, it doesn’t have to wait until a certain date on the calendar. Enjoy Christmas, and don’t forget to tell people who matter that you love them. Now I think it’s time I found something yummy to eat. Happy Christmas.

 

Happy Birthday – Dad 80 today

When your Dad has his 80th birthday, it’s a good reason to do a blog post.

There’s me and Sister Sal with Mom and Dad helping him to eat his lovely cake and sharing a cup of tea. We, or rather, I tried doing a photo of us all together but it turned out rubbish, so two separate ones makes more sense.

He said he doesn’t feel 80, and now he’s recovered after having a new knee, he’s raring to go again.

We’ve got our tree up, but not decorated yet. That will be tomorrow, as I’m busy reading Tracey’s pocket novel – it’s Scary Mary – and that new writing book by Patsy and Rosemary which is really good.

Our old gas fire has gone now and there’s a toasty new heating system in. Now we’ve got a smashing flower arrangement, one Mom did earlier, in the gap and plenty of room for Santa to come down the chimney as well.

Have a great week, whatever you might be doing.

Cosmic

From the oxford dictionary

The universe seen as a well-ordered whole. ‘he sat staring deep into the void, reminding himself of man’s place in the cosmos’

 A system of thought.

‘the new gender-free intellectual cosmos’

An ornamental plant of the daisy family, which bears single dahlia-like flowers and is native to Mexico and warm regions of America. (And some gardens in the Midlands)

 

A few months ago, I was given a book to read and inbetween the pages was a pack of free seeds from a gardening magazine. Now seeing as it would have been rude not to plant them, I had a vast amount of cosmos plants within a week or two. They grow quite quickly and end up taller than I could have imagined. They remind Alan of stars and when they sway in the wind, I can see what he means. Wonder if that’s how they were named? From now on, I’ll be planting a tray of cosmos every year.

It’s that time of the year when I had a trip to the hairdressers, so here’s my snazzy new look with a shorter, more snappy style. Don’t expect it’ll stay like it for long, so you have to get a photo don’t you? Enjoy the crispy days of autumn, and make the most of this lovely spell we’re having.

Sue’s new hairdo

Alan having a break from car cleaning

 

Popped in to the library while I was waiting for my appointment at the hairdressers, and look what I found on the shelves. Not only that, when I looked at it, they’ve given it a strong covering of thick plastic, and from what I can see it’s been well read. I’m sure several people have taken a trip to the Norfolk village.

Have a great weekend, and if you can, pop into your local library. They need our support otherwise they might be gone one day and that would be tragic.

 

Relaxing…

Updating the blog, and relaxing after a fantastic day with the family. You can imagine who was the centre of attention, and lovely to have everyone home. The best Christmas pressie for me is just that. All being together, and Alan told me when I said that to him that he’d been thinking the very same thing as he finished his last shift at the big orange supermarket. Family togetherness and all being healthy is wealth beyond measure.

I had some fantastic pressies, nice things to eat and drink, fab clothes from Alan and my wonderful page a day diary, dressing gown, slippers that vibrate the ankles. They’ll be great for when I get home from the building site. Plenty of lovely bath bubblies as well. Now off to watch Mary Poppins and tidy up the left over choccies.

He loves his present, and it was a beautiful gold and Onyx ring. He lost his wedding ring years ago, after ten years of being married. We sadly parted after that. Then 15 years later, he found it while he was digging in the garden, but it was battered. He phoned and told me. A year later, we got back together again; it was restored and he proudly wore it again. Recently, his ring had gone a bit loose as he’s lost weight and he’d been meaning to get it altered. Then one day he noticed it had gone, and he guessed it had dropped off at work. There would be no chance of getting it back. So now he’s got a replacement, and he won’t wear it until it gets altered to fit snugly.