Been busy: which is GOOD

I've been mentally and socially active recently.
Taking grandaughter on holiday for a week, getting a visit from an old friend, starting agility classes with the dog and joining a real knitting group. That's more in the last month than I've done in the whole of the last year.
I've also been more active online, chatting on Facebook and Ravelry etc etc.
So here I am again as well.

Today I'm uploading 3 short stories to my writing site. Look for the link on the right of this page. These are all stories submitted in different competitions over the last year or two. None of them won, but at least they're legible. Take a look if you like.

The Icelandic effect

I've been so deep down in my own muddled head that it was only last week I realised a sea change has been working through me.
I was in Iceland, no I'm not being pretentious; but Iceland has lots of big sky and 360 degree panoramas that even the most slug-like mind has to expand to cope.

I noticed while gawping that I was happy; free of stress, free of pain.I was on the outside of me among the glaciers and the lava fields and it felt damn good.
Quite possibly the latest incarnation of me crawled out of those ashes and flapped it's stubby wings.

Of course being in Iceland just brought things to a head; a lot of 'stuff' has brought me to this point. The list is long: but I think the most important steps have been the presence of Razzle in my life, Kate's illness and recovery which have altered our relationship from mother/daughter to best friends. Oddly too my estrangement from Aileen has taught me not to dwell on things I can't change. All of which and more has made me decide that I'm no longer passing through life as Tony's Relict but as Norma mark 3.


Nobody reads this blog, so note to self: hold on to this good feeling and keep testing the wings.

Mamma Mia

I watched Mark Kermode's video review of this on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61UolzFTVPI

before seeing the film. I agree with every word of it. It's a great review for a really odd movie. Do watch the review.
I think Mamma Mia is a strange movie because it was made for we ageing farts who still hanker for a LIFE and that's why it did so well at the box office; grey power rules! Cooooool.

Dronesville

I have started on my New Year Resolutions in so far as I've begun the second draft of Lizzie and signed up to the 2yr novel group on Forward Motion ( I did start this class 2 years ago but my head still wasn't glued on and the story's seed fell on stony ground) I've no idea what I'm going to write but goals are good, goals are good, goals are good.

This week Razzle has been ill with a nasty bug. I think he ate something very dead when we were on the beach last weekend. Anyway £50 poorer and with lots of stains on the rugs it looks like the anti-biotics are winning.
I've got a stiff back and neck from working on a jigsaw, but I'm being brave about the agony. It's tough here in Dronesville.

The signs are hopeful

So what else am I doing apart from maundering here?

I'm knitting again too. Now this may not sound much to you, but I seldom let a day pass without needles in my hands back in the days....
I have proudly completed TWO sweaters in the last 2 months: one for my daughter Kate and another for her husband Chris. This I find vastly reassuring because I've been a knitting addict since I was five. I have been buying yarn and knitting books in the last year, so I'm glad to be gaining some control over my stash.

Buying books has been a major addiction these last months. Buying but not reading.
New Year's resolution number 685 MUST read something all the way through. I am hopeful of accomplishing this one because Christmas tv was such utter tripe that even I, the Complete Vegetable, was appalled.

Yes I feel a degree of optimism coming on.

Now I can look at this without crying (much)

I thought it was about time that I put a photo of Tony here.I haven't looked at this picture in over a year
because this was the last photo I took of him. It was November 2004 and he was going into hospital for surgery the next day.

Still love you so much

Today a fresh start ( how many times have you heard that one before}

This IS a fresh start because I am going to begin editing my NaNo novel.
If you follow the link on this page to 'Whatever Comes' you'll see the original first draft of chapter one. I intend to edit chapter by chapter on the second draft because I'm reasonably happy with the storyline at present.

I would appreciate it should any of you choose to read a chapter, if you would add your comments.
Please tell me what you think especially where you find boring bits or sections that you think are complete rubbish.
As I progress through the chapters I'd also be glad if you would comment on the story and characters.
If you think the hero is a big Woos or the heroine is a ball-breaker I'd love to know that especially if you tell me WHY.
Hopefully we will all get to the end of the second draft.

Then we'll go for the third and final draft................