Short term memory loss

O K I have promised myself that even if its meaningless dribble I will try and post some short little story or witty quote at least twice a week, my first one for this week you can see below and its called the price of coal.  A few nights back I was trying to recall which or where i could find my latest project of writing.  I have entered a few poems into writing competitions and hope that they come somewhere, so being caught up in that has caused me to forget where my present project is. 
I was looking for what some of you know as my NANO.  For those of you that don't its not a book about elves.  At the end of last year and every year there is a writing extravaganza where you have a month to write 50k this year I only managed about 15K and although I didn't reach the target at the end of it was left with a hefty chunk of writing certainly more than I have ever written in a single month.  Some of my fellow writers managed really well and completed it.  A few others didn't manage to complete it but like me they have a great chunk of words to expand on, and this alone was a great accomplishment. 
My Nano is actually the second in a series of four books.  The first one is on hold as I am dedicating my time to finishing my Nano and although they are all linked it will be the last one that brings them together so it is of no real importance if it's the first second or third one that is finished first. 
For the first time I have recently printed off my 20k that it now is and I am so excited at what I have written and I think that's the key.  I love the fact its now on paper staring at me and although its first draft and very rusty my chunk of book is amazing.  This is giving me the burning drive to complete it and say "yes, that's mine!"  a fellow writer in  the writing group I 'nip' onto from time to time (ROFL) has written a few brilliant ebooks and recently started the process of getting them printed and I loved it when he posted about the thrill of seeing his first book actually on paper and it sitting on his mantle piece ( sorry Kevin if that was the wrong place) and just from printing a few pages if this is how I feel wow its going to be amazing to finish so head down fingers typing for me, I need to finish so that's it for today have a great weekend and week to come everyone I wonder what my word count will be this time next week, fingers crossed I focus and do well.

The price of coal

Its funny looking back at my childhood, which I seem to be doing a lot recently.  I recall things I experienced like remembering waking up in the morning and having to get dressed under the covers because of the cold.  Power cuts causing us to find those little white candles and melting them on to saucers and placing them into safe alcoves.  Spam fritters for tea.  Wearing an extra jumper because it was too early to put the heating on.  repairing heals on shoes and your dad polishing the shoes with shoe polish that came in a round tin and brushes.  Putting your hand down the back of the couch and finding loose change.  Buying four chews for a penny.  That was about 35 years ago, except for the penny sweets it almost seems in this troubling time that things have come full circle.  The price of living has become so expensive that my family question when we put the heating on.  There are still power cuts, whether its because the electricity company are on strike or due to government cut backs there are not enough people to do the job.  My little white candles are replaced by jumbo packs of night lights and I repaired a pair of boots a while back that under other circumstances would have thrown and replaced.  The couch has now been replaced by bottoms of handbags, jacket pockets and tins of change.  The difference back then was we had never known anything different, where as now with how technology has changed us and our lives its seems strange that we are returning to old ways to survive.  The good things are lighting log fires and snugly blankets.  Spending time with family and friends and just accepting things for what they are, changing times.  And it is at times like this that I get my most inspiration from.  When things are tough you rise above it.  Who ever is reading this, take a minute to think about where you are in your life and if you are not content rise above it and make a difference even if its something small.

Old Lamps For New

Well yes its nearly panto season and here I would like to write about my hypothetical Aladdin’s lamp.  We all complain at times.  My life is too busy, I am too tired, if only there were enough hours in the day, if I had more money, if i had a better car, if my network provider actually provided a decent service (lol) the list is long and endless and if we didn’t have these things to complain about truthfully I think we would be pretty bored.  The bottom line is if you had a magic lamp is there much you would change? possibly ( the continual load shouting from the rest of the house hold as you try to write your blog could make you want to ask for a volume button at times) but along with the bad is always the good. 

One of my 'good' wishes whether I asked for it or not is the new group of friends I have made on a writers page on Facebook.  I have to applaud you all, you too have seemed to have found your Aladdin’s lamps and slowly and surely your wishes are coming true.  Keep polishing them, the golden glow of your dreams and happiness are what make them a reality and you inspire us to inspire you.  So next time I hear new lamps for old, I am going to keep my old lamp because it’s filled with forty years of dreams wishes and achievements. 

How Full Is Your Glass

I heard this said many years ago and felt this is something we should always remember.  A teacher in a school walked into class with a wine glass and asked his pupils if the glass was full and they obviously said that it was empty.  So the teacher scooped up some large stones and filled up the wine glass.  He again asked if the glass was full to which everyone replied yes.  He again picked up a hand full of gravel and gently tipping it into the glass the gravel filled in the gaps the stones had not.  He asked again if the glass was full and they all agreed that it was definitely full and nothing would now fit into the glass.  He then went on to scoop up some sand and drizzle it into the glass the sand then filled in the gaps that the gravel had left.  Now what can you tell me about this glass he asked the class and they all agreed that nothing else would fit in the glass.  The teacher bent down and reached for a bottle of wine that was hidden out of view.  He then preceded to pour wine into the glass the wine filling any gaps that were left.  The moral of this wee story is, it doesn't matter how full your life is.  How busy it is.  There is always room for a glass of wine.  What  I really want to say is we get so caught up in our day to day life.  Work, family, hobbies doing things for friends and family, busy, busy, busy.  We should never forget who we are and we should always treat ourselves to 'a glass of wine'

To My Nan

I wrote this poem and said it at my nan's funeral last year.  This poem is not about being sad its telling her that we will always love her and thanking her for being with us.  She was a very special lady and our family were lucky to have her with us for so many years.  At the time even googling I couldn't find anything really appropriate, so in the end I wrote this.

Nan

They Broke the mould the day they made you,

Angel from above,

You took us in, you gave us warmth and

Your eternal love.

To know you was a privilege,

A space we cannot fill,

Although you can't be with us,

Your spirit always will.

Ninety two years of glory,

Mother, Sister, Wife, Nan and Friend

So this is our farewell to you,

Our tribute at the end.

You may not be in our world

As the person that you are,

But we know that you are with us,

And that you care,

Our biggest brightest star.

Writing to work working to write

I returned to work today after two months off.  One of the great things about working in a school is the fact your get many paid breaks from work.  These could quite easily be used writing my 'novel' or preparing notes or visiting places to go in my novel. Quite often though being a mother of two, my days were spent enjoying their company and playing my motherly roles.  It's a tricky job being a working mum and a writer, you seem to be forever juggling between the day job, full-time mum job and the part time author's job.  Sadly the writing unless planned often gets pushed into some small time slot and that's if your still half sane and not falling asleep over the key board.  Just the thought of writing during daylight hours often puts me in panic mode.  What if I turn into an eccentric author who wants to be locked away and forgets about being a mum.  So the thought of writing during day light hours tends to be forgotten.   

What I do know is that these amazing ideas that we get, we are given for a reason and even if it means burning the midnight oil for a few months to avoid  missing my kids growing, its what I need to do.  I have an amazing love for my children and the guilt of being away from them during the day when I am working the day job is outweighed by the need as a mother to supply for their future.  I have found my routine bazar as it is I call it my sleeping pill.  but unlike the ones you get in little jars my sleeping pill is black has a 10 inch screen and defuzzes my brain so by the time I have writen 1000 words or so I am sooooooooo ready to sleep, gone is the wishful thinking that I can wake up at 5am and have two hours to write, maybe as my book draws to a close it may be something I will do.  But for now I have found my self and I feel the happiest I have needed to feel in along time.

TAKEN

Taken (E.K. 29/8/11)

Only the moonlight knows of my fate
Taken too soon or taken too late
Only the night seems to know of my path
Here for a minute or here till the last

Only the darkness to hide how I land
Gently shrouded alone here I stand
Alone in the midnight alone here I wait
Taken too soon or Taken too late