The Little Thursday Shop

Up bright and early this morning and in the shop by 9 am.  We wasn't expecting to be that busy due to everyone being exhausted from Christmas shopping but we had a really good morning.  Not only on the selling side but also we had a lot of donations.  There were no cakes this week which suited me just fine, after filling my face for the last few days the last thing I want is a cake/chocolate biscuit or sweet !

I sat down last night and drafted a plan for my writing for 2012, I have everything I need apart from a few more hours in the day.  Once the children are back at school it will be a lot easier to get a good few hours in at a time.  There are so many things I want to do and with some careful planning I hope to get them done.  As always I will keep you up to date.

I still have 2 stories out there which I am waiting for a verdict on, hopefully the new year will start with a sale

Holiday Tuesday

After the hustle and bustle of Christmas Day which included catering for 9 people hubby and |I decided to have a few lazy days.  Day 2 of lazy has been bliss.  I have been incredibly idle but refuse to feel guilty about it !  I had a bit of an emotional day yesterday, Carl bought me 'The Lion King' on DVD (which I asked for) but I'd forgotten it made me cry.  I used to watch it with my son and daughter no 1 when they were very small and just after my Gran died.  The part where Simba sees his father in the clouds gets me everytime.  I had just about got over that and pulled myself together when 'Becoming Jane' was on.  Now this is daft, I knew it would make me cry, because it always does, but I sat and watched it anyway - Doh !

No sad films today, but we did watch 'Rise of the Planet of The Apes' which was very, very thought provoking and a brilliant film with a lesson which SHOUDd be heeded, for us all.

Off out to look at Sofas tomorrow, not sure if I am looking forward to it or not but the fresh air will be good at least.

Christmas Countdown Pt 2

I have been so busy and sadly have neglected my blog.  Realistically I expect my posts will be patchy over the Christmas period but I hope to be back on track before the new year.  I hope you can bear with me until then.

Christmas Countdown

I thought I had planned things reasonably well this year BUT I am still running around chasing my tail and tomorrow looks no better.  The shops are packed, the roads are busy and my feet are killing me.  I have not managed any meaningful writing but hope to bag some time towards the end of the week.

Some good news, my son is coming home for Christmas.  He arrives tonight with his girlfriend and I am really looking forward to having him stay.  Daughter no. 2 is back tonight as well so it will be a real full house !!

Last night I went out to the Watford Writers Christmas meal and had a really good time.  They really are such a great group and I am so glad they allowed me to join them.

Tomorrow I am going to see my friends week old baby, I am hoping for a really big cuddle.

Friendship Friday

Last day of term for both the girls today and, neither of them were well enough to go in.  Nothing serious but they were both so tired (and moody) I think it did them both good.

I had a lovely surprise.  My friend Linda phoned me and we had a great chat.  I met Linda at Swanwick Writers Summer School and liked her immediately, which isn't often the case with me.  We have kept in touch via email but this was the first time we have spoken to each other since August.  Over that time we have discovered we have a lot more in common that writing, she is an inspiration is so many ways.  I am looking forward to many more phone calls in the coming year.

Not as much work done today as I would have liked but I did manage to develop a few ideas which had been on the back burner.  Well, you know the old saying, big things grow from small acorns.

This & That Thursday

Such a busy day today.  I was in the shop this morning and we were one man down for a few hours, but of course that meant that more people came through the door.  Once we were back on board and fully staffed it got quieter, typical.  Don't get me wrong I love my Thursday's but this one was manic. 

On the way home from the shop I needed to pop into the post office for a few bits and it was packed in there too.  It is only a sub-post office so as you can imagine there is just the one queue.  I couldn't go and come back later because I only had half an hour before school run time.  Made it to the school with 10 minutes to spare.

I am hoping for a less busy day tomorrow so I can sit and make up time on my writing. 

Writing Wednesday

Today has been a good day.  I have been working on a pen portrait for Mslexia magazine and today I stopped dragging my heels and actually sent it off.  Of course, I won't be notified if they will use it or not for the Spring issue until Feb/March time.  So I have pushed it to the back of my mind for now.

There is still no word from Woman's Weekly or The Weekly News regarding the short stories I submitted but then as the stories are not seasonal they are probably lingering in somebodies pending tray.  Everything comes to he who waits and in this writing game there is an awful lot of waiting.  That is why it is a good thing to have several projects in the mix at once.  I tend to have ideas for stories stomping around in my head for a while before I actually draft anything.  I find it easier to scrawl it down on paper rather than stare at a blank computer screen, paper allows you to ramble more.

'I Told You S0 ' Tuesday

During my mothers meeting on Friday I told my friend Lesley (whose baby is overdue) that she would go into labour on the 12/12 and the baby would either be born on that day or in the early hours of 13/12.  Well, her beautiful baby boy arrived this morning after going into labour yesterday !  I cannot wait to say 'I told you so'.  No, seriously, I am looking forward to my cuddle with the new arrival.

Spent the morning looking around on-line for exciting writing competitions for next year.  Surprisingly there are quite a few out there with closing dates as far away as March.  Still I shouldn't use that as an excuse to leave it to the last minute as I have done in the past.  Too much time and all that, I have been known to leave it until the week before the closing date then spend the next five days pulling my hair out.  Perhaps that could be a new year's resolution, well one that I can keep.

Muddled Monday

I thought I would gibe myself a day off from writing because my competition entry (Peter Barry Estate Agents) was emailed at the weekend.  So, because the house was in such a mess as I was poorly last week, I thought I should tidy up.  We put the Christmas Tree up yesterday and there were discarded baubles and bits of tinsel strewn all over the place.  For some strange reason I decided to do the porch as well.  Three and a half hours later I was knackered, the lounge was fully decorated for Christmas and the porch was clean and tidy.

I gave myself the afternoon off !  Went off to Watford Writers which was panto night.  Members had written short panto's (which were read not acted out) they were all very funny and included some odd characters such as Tarzan, King Kong, Ripperella (a lady of the night) and of course a few ugly sisters.  You know, there is some real talent in the group.

Tomorrow, I intend to take things a little easier and work on some ideas I have for future stories, to put your mind at rest, I don't intend to include any of the characters named above.

Friday's Finale

At last.  Armed with the advice and encouragement from my very good friend I eventually made the final amendments to my story for the 'Peter Barry Estate Agents' short story competition.  So, fingers crossed that it is well received as parts of it are rather tongue in cheek.

I received my critique from the NAWG short story competition which I had been waiting for with bated breath.  It wasn't as bad as I thought and I could identify with all the comments, suggestions and was appreciative of the advice.  As a writer, just starting out, any feedback is welcome especially when it comes from a writer so much more experienced than myself.

I am still waiting for decisions on two stories I sent out - one to 'The Weekly News' and the other to 'Womans Weekly'.  I am not expecting them to be accepted reflecting on what I have learnt in the past few weeks, but the experience of approaching editors with my work is good practise.

Any results on competitions entered or work sent out to magazines I will let you know.  

Tender Thursday

My poor nose is so sore.

I did something very naughty today.  When Carl finds out he is going to be wild. 

As you will know he has looked after me all week, dosing me up with meds and cooking me nice breakfasts to help me get my strength back.  Anyway, he had to go out early this morning so I decided to go into the shop.  Yes, I know I shouldn't have but as luck would have it I did get a lift, so it wasn't like I had to stand around waiting for a bus.  My friend Lesley was going into town so she dropped me off.  She told me she was going to walk around to try and bring the baby on - her little bundle of joy is a few days late.  It didn't work though.

I so enjoy my Thursdays in the shop and the ladies I work with we have such fun and it really is a great little shop which helps to raise money for the local hospice.  We have a big range of evening wear at the moment what with it being the party season and all.  We have some NEW designer gear, black, burgundy, blue all very glam.

No writing done today so tomorrow I am really going to have to pull my finger out to make up for all the time I have lost this week.  I'm ready - bring it on.

Tissue Tuesday

Had a rough day yesterday.  I felt very sorry for myself indeed and hardly got any work done, I had lot's of thoughts but pen to paper, fingers to keyboard was a no-go. 

I had a lovely surprise though, Hubby, (who is ok with me using his name now) Carl, came home although he wasn't due back until Friday.  I was so pleased to see him I got a bit tearful BUT did manage to pull myself together just in time.  Carl dosed me up, slapped Vicks on my back and sent me off to bed - and there I stayed until 07:30 wednesday morning.  

Moaning Monday

I am writing this post early today because I know that by this evening I will not have the strength.  Nothing serious, just a head cold but one of those which makes you want to close your eyes all the time.

Despite stopping every two minutes to blow my nose I have actually got some work done.  Not a lot, but some is better that none !

I have finished the short story (after some sound advice from a friend of mine) for the competition I am entering and have to say I am pleased with it.  I expect I may fiddle with it a bit more but as the deadline is still a week away, it gives me a little time.

I think the postman is avoiding me again.  I bet he knows I am waiting for my critique from the NAWG short story competition and a decision on two stories submitted to two different magazines, not even a Christmas card today.

Here's hoping for a better day tomorrow.

Flitting Friday

Hubby's car had to go into the garage today it's a possible problem with the fuel pipe or the accelerator pedal, not sure which.  Anyway, he drove the car there and told me he would get the bus back.  In the meantime the company had delivered a hire car and left the keys in the porch - which I had no idea about.  So there I am having my morning mothers meeting when I hear my phone ringing.  It was Hubby ringing me to pick him up and asking me where I had been.  He knew the car was being delivered but forgot to tell me.  So after about 10 minutes of trying to move the seat so I could reach the pedals I eventually picked him up from the middle of nowhere !

After doing a few chores it was time to make lunch then go off to school to help set up for the Bazaar.  The good news is that the grotto had arrived.  It was a mad two hours but a lot of fun too.  I hadn't realised just how many people could be jammed into a small primary school hall.

All in all I have managed about an hours work today but tomorrow is another day.

Treadmill Thursday

I was so busy in the shop today, having said that I enjoyed myself humping boxes around and tidying the shop floor.  As usual we had a good laugh while we were working and still managed to get an awful lot done.  We have a lovely spice rack, brand new, and a customer decided she wanted it to face the other way and knocked all the spices out !!  She made a very quick exit leaving us to clear up after her.  I know we are a charity shop but that it just taking liberties, you wouldn't go into John Lewis and start re-arranging their display would you ?

After school I was involved in setting up some of the things for tomorrows Christmas Bazaar unfortunately the grotto we were expecting wasn't ready so we will have twice as much to do tomorrow before allowing the hoards into the bazaar.

Got home about 4:30 and started dinner so I have only just sat down and my feet are killing me.  Those of you who know me personally will remember that I am not known to be a lady who wears 'sensible' shoes.  The busiest day I have had in a long time but such an enjoyable one.  I need to see if I can manage a few hours of writing before bed.