Friday, Thank Goodness

I've made it to Friday! I didn't get a walk today. Everything seemed to take so much longer than normal when I was picking up a few bits at Tesco and Aldi, and the traffic seemed so awkward. Then I took some rubbish to the tip - on the dual carriageway! I had been so nervous about that, but I did it.

I set off extra early to pick up bear as the weather forecast wasn't good and the traffic in can be difficult. I felt very smug for at least five minutes until I got stuck behind a hearse. I didn't mind, really, as the irony of it was keeping me going to Heckmondwike as the rain hammered down. It really was bad and it sounded almost like hail as I sat in the car and knitted while waiting for bear.

Tonight is definitely a night for closing the curtains and picking up the knitting.

Writing stuff - the latest instalment of the White Hart is here. I will be winding this down, mainly to stop messing up the plot lines I have for other books in the series as I keep having to adjust continuity in my works in progress, but also because I think I am running out of good things to write in it. I am looking at ways to keep it available for free.

Hugs to all.

Sort of Okay Day

I didn't get my walk today, but I did do some work in the garden and have a driving lesson. I had another go on the motorway. I am bad at changing lanes and it worries me. I found the motorway okay, once I was on it, so I'm getting there.

I also managed to get this week's White Hart instalment finished, so it should go live tomorrow lunchtime, and I've started a short story that may be worth submitting somewhere later.

Driving bear home from school was awful. We got so far and then the heavens opened! We had so much heavy rain, and I was edging up congested roads which were running with water. I was glad to get home in one piece.

Thank you for all the kind words about the eight legged beastie. The poor thing was possibly (but only possibly) more scared than me.

Sharon - I'm trying to review the good stuff, but it is so hit and miss. I'll share when I find good stuff.

Hugs to all.

Driving Crisis with Eight Legged Beasties

I dropped bear off at school and then headed towards the park for a daily walk. It had been an uneventful morning run. Then a spider ran across the inside of my windscreen, onto my rear view mirror and lurked! It's a congested run to the park, and I was trying to concentrate despite the intruder. Then the spider fell off. If spiders can say, 'oh bugger', then this probably did as she dangled just above my gear stick. Suddenly I had my attention split between a swaying arachnid and an oncoming bus.

I don't mind spiders too much, but I don't like them, and I didn't fancy putting my hand on one. If she had landed on the gear stick I may have had to finish the journey in third gear! As it was, she landed on the strap of my handbag, which made it interesting. I managed to get to the park and then very carefully shook the spider out of the car. Then I went for my walk.

I'm sure there is a lot to be found in the park. I found this today

It's urging you to look up at the sky. I turned my camera around and while you can see some sky, it isn't that impressive.

Since then I have managed a little writing, a small amount of gardening, a massive amount of getting into the wrong lane when using an unfamiliar route and a really impressive three point turn at a 'road closed' sign.

Hugs to all.

Sarah - I agree. This book was pretty good, but you really need to be careful with that style of writing.

I Did Something!

I managed to go for a walk today, even though it was looking like rain. There were a few spots, but nothing to worry about. I'm looking forward to exploring the park properly as there are all sorts of hints that somewhere someone wanted to make it educational. For example, there is this notice next to a path.

It asks, who is eating what? This is not some sort of bloodthirsty safari, though. If you step back, you see this...

I guess they are talking about minibeasts or creepy crawlies. Mind you, I did see a couple of squirrels, so I suppose that counts. They are bound to be eating stuff.

The park is attached to a small museum, and there are notices around referring to exhibits. Bear actually asked about going there, so I may well take him at the weekend.

I went for a walk after dropping bear off (after a horrendous school run). On the way to pick him up, I dropped off some clothes at a charity shop. It was only a couple of bags, but it's a step in the right direction, so while I didn't accomplish all I wanted to do, at least I managed something.

Writing Stuff - I completely failed at writing today, but I did post a book review here, Borrowed Magic by Stephanie Foxe. It's not a bad read, with plenty of pace and interest, but it's in the first person present tense again! I want to get away from non fiction and I want to write reviews as I know how much difference it can make to an author to get a review, even if it isn't the most awesome one. I've decided to write a review a week, to broaden my reading and to hopefully give a hand to authors (or a warning to readers, but I don't want to write that sort of review). I'm starting with people I don't know, as I don't feel bad if I don't like it. I've been going on to Kindle Unlimited, looking for recent releases and seeing what I feel like. I need to find more that are not first person present tense, although Borrowed Magic is a great story and well told (if in the first person present tense. Maybe I'm just prejudiced).

Hugs to all.

I Fail At Planning Again

I swear I am never putting anything on this blog that I am planning to do the next day or in the future because as soon as I do that, all my plans evaporate.

Today started okay. Bear had all his kit, was feeling more or less braced and we set off in good time without a crisis. Kate - bear is on the slim side, and there have been real issues with him actually not eating at all, not even chocolate, so while I keep a certain scepticism, I have to grit my teeth sometimes and dance around his preferences. But he went to school, and I called in at Tesco and then went for a walk in the park. I need to do more. I managed around 15 minutes today but plan on building it up to a much brisker half hour. It's only a tiny municipal park, but it has walks like this, so I should have fun.

The big problem I had today was - where and when do I collect bear. He wasn't sure whether it was rock climbing or not. I could either leave the house at 2.45 at the latest to pick him up at Heckmondwike for @ 3.30pm, when he usually reaches the car park, or I would be leaving at 4pm to go along the scary ring road to the climbing centre, getting there ridiculously early to get a parking space that I could not only get into but also get out of. The earliest bear could let me know was 3.15, so I was tentatively planning on turning up at Heckmondwike and then, if necessary, cutting through the back roads to the climbing wall. I may still go that way as the climbing wall is near the tip and so I could drop stuff off at the tip and then go along the back roads which look like a really nice run. Fortunately I had the sense to ring school and didn't end up traipsing around but went straight to the climbing depot. There weren't any charity shops nearby that had easy parking (I know!) so I have tentative plans to drop stuff off tomorrow, if I haven't just put a jinx on that. I have lots of things I need to do tomorrow. I'm not writing a single thing down.

Writing stuff - it's been an odd sort of few days, and I've been searching for my stuff on Google. This is not good for the mental health, but I was hoping to get encouraged. Instead I found that there were pirated copies of the Forgotten Village translated into Finnish and available free. Sigh. I also found a site where I believe such things are exchanged, and someone posted, 'I need a copy of Digging up the Past' and got a free copy almost straight away. I suppose I'm sort of flattered. Someone really wanted to read something I've written. It's a shame they didn't either pay £1.56 for it or get in touch and ask if I would donate a copy in return for an honest review. Authors live and die by reviews and I haven't got many. I'm planning on doing stuff that will hopefully change that but I'll post that when it's done!

I'm going to take this as an encouragement and see if I can't get moving with the writing. I've swathes of  ideas, but I just haven't got them down. I need to get moving, but I'm not risking posting what I plan to do next!

We Won!!!

I didn't have as much of a hangover as I expected, though I was soooo happy that Liverpool won. I know that people will argue about the penalty, and that it wasn't the most sparkling game ever, but Papa Klopp and his lads brought home the trophy. I imagine it was very noisy in some parts of Liverpool.

 Today has been wonderfully dull. Bear hasn't got his bag packed tonight so I expect that I will be watering the garden tomorrow first thing. Rain is forecast, and there isn't some much garden to water as weeds, but it will get me out of the firing line when he starts to panic. At least I've found bear's other sports sock.

I am looking forward to tomorrow. Bear is back at school and I plan to sort out clothes with a view to dropping a few bags off at the Hospice shop in Heckmondwike. It has easy parking and is right next to Lidl and a pound shop, so is a perfect place to make donations. My conversion rate from plans to practice isn't good though, so I will see what happens.

Hugs to all.

Come On You Reds!

I'm posting earlier than usual today as I have a packed programme and I want to make sure I show up.

I have Jack Monroe's 'Tin Can Cook' book, which I am dipping into. It's quite interesting and I like the section on soup. I think it could be a boon as I'm trying to work out food that bear will eat. Bear is getting fussier and fussier. I nearly cried yesterday when bear decided that he didn't like the bread. He couldn't tell me what he didn't like about it, just that he didn't like it. I think he's going to break me. At the moment he will eat home made soup. He won't touch tinned soup, but I can get some more stuff in the freezer.

Today we are spending the afternoon watching 'Good Omens' on Amazon, which is predictably awesome, and then this evening we will be watching Liverpool in the Champions League Final. I am a Liverpool supporter, and I am keeping everything crossed. I will not be going to bed sober. Both are a great opportunity to get on with my knitting.

Also, Come on You Reds!