Hello one and all. Pleased to tell you that my mum is okay after her accident. She has got a long way to go before she completely recovers but she is getting there. Super Aunt is taking her home to Camberley next week to help her recuperate and I am sure she'll be fine, but it was a scare, there is no doubt about that!
So here it is - the great writing update. I am starting to pick up my pen again. I just seemed to lose my way in the word maze for a few weeks and I have been struggling to focus on anything. Today however, I have managed to enter two poems for children for a competition and uploaded another to WriteWords which is the best writer's site I have ever come across. It is my intention - misguided or not - to enter at least one competition every month this year. I know the books are keeping me busy but I need to keep my finger in as many other pies as possible. On Monday this week, I was chuffed to receive six copies of the first book through the post and I am hearing that more and more people are ordering it - one school has ordered 18 copies for their library - which is terrific. The second book is written and just needs finalising. I have been trying to see Ashley the Illustrator ever since Christmas and finally confirmed a meeting with him straight from work last Thursday - which I then had to cancel because of a certain person's fight with a bus forty times bigger than she is! I have been ringing and texting him all week but he hasn't come back to me yet so I shall just have to persist. Sarah the Publisher wants the cover artwork for the second book by mid-February so I have got no choice, I shall have to persist. I actually got an email from Amazon the other morning, asking me if I wanted to pre-order the second book due for publication on 8 September; which is somewhat surprising news to me that's very welcome at the same time.
Sarah the Publisher did say she wants some puzzles and Factoids to appear at the back of the second book and I am delighted to announce that I have succeeded in producing a wordsearch puzzle suitable for 5 - 7 year olds after the nth attempt, so it's a start. The Factoids shouldn't be difficult to find. If I can get Ashley the Illustrator to do a Spot the Difference puzzle I think Sarah the Publisher will be quite happy with that. Then I will have to knuckle down and get the third book actually written. I know that certain High Street supermarket chains have said they'd like to sell the whole series so who knows - maybe more than a few dozen people will eventually know about Yucketypoo!
As far as long term plans are concerned, I am still looking for a part time job to enable me to spend more time answering my calling, plus I am determined to get an agent this year. A famous agent who handles adult books recommended I try a famous agent who handles children's books - but I was very put out by her lack of interest; she didn't even want to know when I told her who had recommended her. I have said on the WriteWords site that I wouldn't recommend any other writer approaches them unless they are J K Rowling, Philip Pullman or Jacqueline Wilson. I told her the first book had already been published and that two more had been commissioned and what did she reply? That she does not have sufficient confidence in my 'manuscript' to accept me as a client. And this despite the fact I sent a copy of the book to her. Ah well! Her loss. I'll find someone else.
I must admit I am feeling pretty fired up - so it is appropriate that, as I sit here and write my blog, Bruce Springsteen is on the radio singing "I'm On Fire" - good on you, Bruce. me too!
Catch you later!
Thursday 31 January 2008
Tuesday 29 January 2008
REDISCOVERING MOTHER
Here I am, back after a somewhat traumatic few days which began on Thursday afternoon last week. It started off like any other Thursday. I had arranged to meet Mother for lunch and sure enough, when I walked into the cafe at one o'clock, there she was, sipping her tea with a ready smile of greeting playing on her lips. We ordered sandwiches and more drinks then sat and talked about lots of things, including funeral insurance - although quite how that came into the conversation, I do not know. At five to two, I boarded the tram back to pergatory - sorry, the office - and we waved at one another through the windows until the tram rounded the corner and she was ot of sight. Back at the office, I ploughed in, getting quite elated at the prospect of meeting illustrator Ashley straight after work at Caffe Nero's in George Street to discuss the illustrations for the second book - a meeting we had been tryng to arrange ever since Christmas and had finally confirmed the Tuesday before - and then, my mobile phone rang at quarter to four thus throwing everything into complete turmoil.
It was Mayday Hospital. Furthermore it was the A and E department and even furthermore it was a nurse telling me that my mother had had an accident and been brought in by ambulance. It was but definitely the kind of phonecall that the parents of young children and the children of elderly parents absolutely dread! I gave my colleagues no option. As the news sank in I pulled on my coat, picked up my bag and just headed out of the door at ten to four. Before I was five yards from the office, I had rung Hubby and by the time I was on the tram I had rung Youngest Sister with the news. I also had to ring Illustrator Ashley to cancel the meeting. In blind panic I rushed to the hospital and I was shaking all over by the time I shoved to the front of the queue to breathlessly proclaim my mother had been brought in an hour or so before. "Through that door," I was told. What would I find? Mother hooked up to dozens of wires, breathing with the aid of a ventilator as she sank into further unconciousness? Mother all battered and bruised and laying on a trolley?
Actually no. As I walked through the door there was Mother smiling and waving from a wheel chair. "What on earth have you been up to?" I blurted out as relief and disbelief swept through me in an icy surge. "I tripped as I got onto the bus," she told me. "I have cut my leg." During the course of the hours that followed, I was able to piece together what had happened. She had indeed slipped as she boarded the bus but this was no mere graze. She had a gaping wound on her left shin a least three inches long and rather nausiatingly deep and wide. What's more, her mishap had caused the bus to be taken out of service as the police and ambulance were called. In fact her 'slip' had brought the whole of central Croydon to a complete standstill! Anyway, to cut a long story short, they manged to pull most of the dislodged skin back into place, patched her up with a couple of dozen sterile strips, some padding and a bandage from ankle to knee, gave her a tetanus jab and sent her home with strict instructions that she 'keep the leg elevated and walk about regularly' (!) - so the likelyhood is that I will have the only high-kicking, hop-along 77 year old mother in the entire unIverse for the next few weeks. Of course there was no question of her spending the weekend at home on her own so she moved in with us for the weekend - along with a small suitcase and The Rat. Fortunately, Hubby adores her and she loves him to bits so everyone got along swimmingly - including The Rat and Cat. Apart fom delayed shock and quite a lot of pain and stiffness, she's better than she was. We took her back to Mayday yesterday who have now referred her to her GP and her sister has come to spend the rest of the week and take care of her. There was some confusion yesterday over how she would get to the doctor on Thursday for the new dressing. Neither of us have a car yet going by bus was out of the question. The doctor said they couldn't do anything to help until they had a fax from Mayday. Mayday said they couldn't do anything to help until they had a fax from the doctor. Super Aunt came up with the idea of contacting Age Concern who have a fleet of volunteer drivers so, for the moment anyway, that problem may have been solved.
It was actually rather nice to have her over for a few days. Because she lives just a fifteen minute cab ride away, there is actually little reason for her to spend more than a day or so with us - apart from when Stepdad died and she was devastated, or at Chrstmas time. And, in herself she was reasonably okay. Hubby and I managed to go out a couple of times for a couple of hours over the weekend because she was happy to be left with the TV remote as long as the kettle and teabags were within hopping distance. And I do believe that The Rat and Cat are beginning to forge something of a relationship, too, as they were caught rubbing noses more than once!
I realise now that I still haven't updated you on the writing but hey -blood is thicker than - well -ink, isn't it?
It was Mayday Hospital. Furthermore it was the A and E department and even furthermore it was a nurse telling me that my mother had had an accident and been brought in by ambulance. It was but definitely the kind of phonecall that the parents of young children and the children of elderly parents absolutely dread! I gave my colleagues no option. As the news sank in I pulled on my coat, picked up my bag and just headed out of the door at ten to four. Before I was five yards from the office, I had rung Hubby and by the time I was on the tram I had rung Youngest Sister with the news. I also had to ring Illustrator Ashley to cancel the meeting. In blind panic I rushed to the hospital and I was shaking all over by the time I shoved to the front of the queue to breathlessly proclaim my mother had been brought in an hour or so before. "Through that door," I was told. What would I find? Mother hooked up to dozens of wires, breathing with the aid of a ventilator as she sank into further unconciousness? Mother all battered and bruised and laying on a trolley?
Actually no. As I walked through the door there was Mother smiling and waving from a wheel chair. "What on earth have you been up to?" I blurted out as relief and disbelief swept through me in an icy surge. "I tripped as I got onto the bus," she told me. "I have cut my leg." During the course of the hours that followed, I was able to piece together what had happened. She had indeed slipped as she boarded the bus but this was no mere graze. She had a gaping wound on her left shin a least three inches long and rather nausiatingly deep and wide. What's more, her mishap had caused the bus to be taken out of service as the police and ambulance were called. In fact her 'slip' had brought the whole of central Croydon to a complete standstill! Anyway, to cut a long story short, they manged to pull most of the dislodged skin back into place, patched her up with a couple of dozen sterile strips, some padding and a bandage from ankle to knee, gave her a tetanus jab and sent her home with strict instructions that she 'keep the leg elevated and walk about regularly' (!) - so the likelyhood is that I will have the only high-kicking, hop-along 77 year old mother in the entire unIverse for the next few weeks. Of course there was no question of her spending the weekend at home on her own so she moved in with us for the weekend - along with a small suitcase and The Rat. Fortunately, Hubby adores her and she loves him to bits so everyone got along swimmingly - including The Rat and Cat. Apart fom delayed shock and quite a lot of pain and stiffness, she's better than she was. We took her back to Mayday yesterday who have now referred her to her GP and her sister has come to spend the rest of the week and take care of her. There was some confusion yesterday over how she would get to the doctor on Thursday for the new dressing. Neither of us have a car yet going by bus was out of the question. The doctor said they couldn't do anything to help until they had a fax from Mayday. Mayday said they couldn't do anything to help until they had a fax from the doctor. Super Aunt came up with the idea of contacting Age Concern who have a fleet of volunteer drivers so, for the moment anyway, that problem may have been solved.
It was actually rather nice to have her over for a few days. Because she lives just a fifteen minute cab ride away, there is actually little reason for her to spend more than a day or so with us - apart from when Stepdad died and she was devastated, or at Chrstmas time. And, in herself she was reasonably okay. Hubby and I managed to go out a couple of times for a couple of hours over the weekend because she was happy to be left with the TV remote as long as the kettle and teabags were within hopping distance. And I do believe that The Rat and Cat are beginning to forge something of a relationship, too, as they were caught rubbing noses more than once!
I realise now that I still haven't updated you on the writing but hey -blood is thicker than - well -ink, isn't it?
Tuesday 15 January 2008
SNUFFLES, SNEEZES AND A BRAND NEW GRANDSON
I simply could not believe it when I woke up this morning with yet another cold! What is going on? I had my flu jab like all good asthmatics should and yet, here we are, two weeks into January and I am full of cold! Anyway at least it didn't rear its ugly head until today because on Saturday, we went to meet the latest addition to the family. He is just teeny - with the most unruly mop of almost-black hair you can imagine, and the darkest eyes which have clearly not yet adjusted to the harsh bright light outside the warm dark comfort of his mother's womb! I really cannot temember First Grandson or Grand-daughter being that little, but I suppose they must have been. Grand-daughter went from being the baby of the family to every inch the big sister in one leap! She even looked so much more grown up than when we saw her just after Christmas!
Grand-daughter very proudly took Hubby's hand when we arrived and led us into the house having chattered all the way from the train station about her brother. Half way down the hall way she bolted ahead and by the time we reached the living room, she was standing beside the little mite with a big smile on her face. Highlight of the afternoon just had to be after First Grandson turned up with Eldest Stepdaughter and the three children endured a photo call truly befitting of A-List celebrities, with cameras from proud parents, aunties and grandparents flashing at every turn - all of which they tolerated with astonishing good grace considering one is 12, one is two and the other only six days old! It really was the most wonderful afternoon, although, in retrospect, I suspect that having a houseful of people less than a week after giving birth, all got to be a bit too much for Youngest Stepdaughter. Her hormones are already in disarray and she ended up just a tad tearful by about eight in the evening. Hubby and I kissed them all and came home but a telephone call once we got in convinced us Youngest Stepdaughter was feeling better and things were back on track.
I realise I promised you a writing update this blog but I really feel rough and it is time for my next dose of Beechams so, if you will please excuse, I will come back to that another time!
Bye for now - my bed is calling.
Grand-daughter very proudly took Hubby's hand when we arrived and led us into the house having chattered all the way from the train station about her brother. Half way down the hall way she bolted ahead and by the time we reached the living room, she was standing beside the little mite with a big smile on her face. Highlight of the afternoon just had to be after First Grandson turned up with Eldest Stepdaughter and the three children endured a photo call truly befitting of A-List celebrities, with cameras from proud parents, aunties and grandparents flashing at every turn - all of which they tolerated with astonishing good grace considering one is 12, one is two and the other only six days old! It really was the most wonderful afternoon, although, in retrospect, I suspect that having a houseful of people less than a week after giving birth, all got to be a bit too much for Youngest Stepdaughter. Her hormones are already in disarray and she ended up just a tad tearful by about eight in the evening. Hubby and I kissed them all and came home but a telephone call once we got in convinced us Youngest Stepdaughter was feeling better and things were back on track.
I realise I promised you a writing update this blog but I really feel rough and it is time for my next dose of Beechams so, if you will please excuse, I will come back to that another time!
Bye for now - my bed is calling.
Wednesday 9 January 2008
NEW BEGINNINGS.
Happy New Year! Hello one and all and welcome back. How was your Christmas break? Ours was brilliant. It started when a copy of my book arrived in the post - a perfect bound one! I was chuffed! It looks even better than I could have hoped. Per-lease buy it! it really is a quite remarkable little volume, just right for little hands (Beatrix Potter knew what she was talking about when overseeing the publication of Peter Rabbit with Frederic Warne!). My ten year old nephew read it cover to cover one day, got to the end and said enthusiastically "That's the moral!". I felt like clicking my fingers like Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady and saying "By George, he's got it!"
We saw a lot of our families over the festive season which is always nice. Mother and Arlo (aka The Rat) came over to spend Christmas with us and the chihuahua and Cat just about tolerated each other, even sleeping in the same room at the same time, albeit at opposite ends! We were also joined by Best Mate whose daughter was spending Christmas with her dad and gran somewhere on the south coast. No way would Hubby and I let Best Mate spend Christmas Day on her own so we invited her over on Christmas Eve and threw together a Stocking full of goodies for her. It was so nice on Christmas Day as we all pitched in to get the Christmas Dinner ready. Best Mate cocked up and made two blackcurrant jellies instead of one but we forgave her that. And after dinner we watched the Adam Sandler film on DVD "Night At The Museum". Very funny!
During the course of the next few days, we had a birthday tea at Mother's (her birthday falls on 27 December), a trip into London, a get-together in Leigh on Sea with all Hubby's side of the family and New Year down in Danehill where Youngest Sister lives. We had a treat in London - went into Foyles in Selfridges in Oxford Street and ordered two copies of the book. That was the culmination of a lifelong ambition, I can tell you - buying someting I'd written at Foyles - and we both walked out to the frosty air beaming with pride.
The real icing on the cake though - not the Christmas Cake, I hasten to add - was the arrival on Monday 7th January of Third Grandchild. New Grandson has a mop of dark brown hair and very dark eyes if the photos emailed by Clever Son-in-Law are anything to go by. Hubby and I cannot wait to see them all on Saturday.
Finally there is quite a bit going on with the Writing but I will come back to that next time. For now, all that remains to be said is Here's to You and All The Best for 2008!
We saw a lot of our families over the festive season which is always nice. Mother and Arlo (aka The Rat) came over to spend Christmas with us and the chihuahua and Cat just about tolerated each other, even sleeping in the same room at the same time, albeit at opposite ends! We were also joined by Best Mate whose daughter was spending Christmas with her dad and gran somewhere on the south coast. No way would Hubby and I let Best Mate spend Christmas Day on her own so we invited her over on Christmas Eve and threw together a Stocking full of goodies for her. It was so nice on Christmas Day as we all pitched in to get the Christmas Dinner ready. Best Mate cocked up and made two blackcurrant jellies instead of one but we forgave her that. And after dinner we watched the Adam Sandler film on DVD "Night At The Museum". Very funny!
During the course of the next few days, we had a birthday tea at Mother's (her birthday falls on 27 December), a trip into London, a get-together in Leigh on Sea with all Hubby's side of the family and New Year down in Danehill where Youngest Sister lives. We had a treat in London - went into Foyles in Selfridges in Oxford Street and ordered two copies of the book. That was the culmination of a lifelong ambition, I can tell you - buying someting I'd written at Foyles - and we both walked out to the frosty air beaming with pride.
The real icing on the cake though - not the Christmas Cake, I hasten to add - was the arrival on Monday 7th January of Third Grandchild. New Grandson has a mop of dark brown hair and very dark eyes if the photos emailed by Clever Son-in-Law are anything to go by. Hubby and I cannot wait to see them all on Saturday.
Finally there is quite a bit going on with the Writing but I will come back to that next time. For now, all that remains to be said is Here's to You and All The Best for 2008!
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