Friday 30 November 2012

Day 30 NaBloPoMo - Happily Ever After??

Phew, I made it to the end of the month. Not just in terms of posting daily but just sheer making it through everything that it has thrown at me! But guess what, I have signed up for December NaBloPoMo.....Yes I am certifiably insane, and I'm loving it ;-) I will be in really great company with The Modfather and Nested already signed up to the challenge. Now, now, don't run screaming for the hills, another month of me everyday isn't all that bad!!


NaBloPoMo December 2012


This fairy tale Friday I have been thinking a little about happy endings. Fairy tales have become synonymous with two phrases 'Once upon a time...' and 'Happily ever after'

Happily ever after, is this even possible in life? Or have we been fooled into expecting that life should be a Disney movie?

Fairy tales weren't always like this, earlier versions were more gruesome and happy endings were harder to come by.

But then, even the Disney versions aren't all candy floss and chocolate, I mean within the first twenty minutes of most there is some kind of tragedy; Bambi's mother is shot, Simba's father is murdered, Cinderella's father dies.

I wonder if we do have our happily ever after but life is the messy stuff before we get to it??

Looks like I am just tying myself up in knots here!! What do you think?

Today I am grateful that I have lived through my tragedy and am living my happily ever after. I know of some families that aren't so lucky at the moment, I just hope that their happily ever after is just around the corner!

Thursday 29 November 2012

Day 29 NaBloPoMo - Random Thursday



I am this excited!!! I am going back to work :-D

Am I better??

Is this on or off the record?

On the record!

Well yes of course I am *looks around sheepishly*

Off the record??

As long as this stays between me and you!! Not 100%! Can I stay in this house any longer? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In all seriousness I am much better than I was, I'm just not pain free. Just hoping that I can make it through the day!!

Other Randomness of a Sleepy nature:

I am dithering again on a couple of things, all writing related so I figured I might just put my ditherings out there and leave myself wide open to a kick in the ass to get me moving in some sort of direction.

1. My 99 word story yesterday seems to have worked, yet I am still pondering whether or not to try and enter the competition that 99fiction are running. The deadline is looming and all I need to do is find a topic to write about if I am to enter. Ideas in the comments please my head is befuddled, leading me nicely to.....

2. Faith and Dan have featured on here a few times over the last few months, they are characters my mind created for a purpose that was as far from books and publishing as you can get! But they won't shut up, their story keeps twittering, whispering in the corners of my mind all the freaking time (please don't call the men in white coats, they aren't asking me to murder anyone...yet).

So I am faced with a number of options; Ignore them and try to plan the book I intended to write, give in and write their story as a novel (or maybe novella??) as a side note I am positive no one would want to publish it and I wouldn't even choose to read this style of story!! Or I could go with a suggestion from a friend; I could set up a blog dedicated to them and their story, a platform for their story to be told. - So what do you think? Again answers in the comments please ;-)

3. I have recently discovered The UK Poetry Library, they accept submissions from amateurs of the poetry persuasion. I have been faffing for weeks over what to try and submit, if at all. I really want to do this so I am going to set myself a rather long deadline of New Years Eve to have submitted something. Please feel free to pester, prod, poke and generally kick my ass until I confirm completion. I figure by making this public I will feel a compelling urge to follow through (in a strictly writerly and non-bodily fluid kind of way) instead of dithering infinitum!

I hope you all don't mind lending a helping shoe and getting me moving!

Now finally a certain little mischief maker, who is known for random acts of cheeriness, has had a really shitty day. So I think it is about time someone else did the cheering ;-)

So this is probably the millionth of watching this but I can reliably bet on you smiling whilst watching - enjoy Loki-Lou
 
 


Wednesday 28 November 2012

Day 28 NaBloPoMo - I got 99 words but the.....

Flash fiction is a relatively new thing in the grand scheme of things, the first use of the term appears to have been in 1992 in an anthology Flash Fiction: Seventy-Two Very Short Stories.

(Flash, ahha. sorry couldn't help myself - original here)

More recently than this however I have discovered 99fiction on tumblr (via twitter). Now this intrigues me, can you really tell a story in 99 words? How better to find out than having a go?

Take 1 - 121 words, editing required!!

Take 2 - 101 words, arrgghhhhh.

Take 3 - 100 words, bah!

Take 4 - 98 words. Wahooooo


Meet Again

 
 
 
Seven years and he still recognised her red hair. So much had happened, so much lost. Would she even want to see him again?
The salt wind was whipping her blazing hair as she stared out across the waves, the water caressing her naked feet and the sand was clinging to the wet edges of her skirt.
Faith turned to walk along the shore as she always did and there he was, holding the rest of her soul. Tears of relief fell as they walked towards each other, their finger tips meeting as if they had never parted.
 
Phew, so can it be done? Is 99 words enough to tell a story? Can I find another 99 words to enter the competition? So many questions, I feel like adding a comedy 'dum, dum duuuummmm'
 
 
 
For your added enjoyment ;-)


Tuesday 27 November 2012

Day 27 NaBloPoMo - Small Kindenesses

Today Tuesday Tickles takes a small hiatus so I can link up with Writing Our Way Home's Small Kindnesses Blogsplash. Head over and take a look, there is also a free book available if you have a Kindle ;-)

Get our small stones badge

Anyway the deal is to flood this little old blogverse with kindness. If all of us post about the small things that mean the world, pretty soon the world (well the bloggy world at least) will be full of kindness.

It is no secret that I haven't been well of late and I have had quite a while sat on the sofa contemplating life (read here wallowing in self pitty until I physically slapped myself realising other have it worse!) Discovering this blogsplash has at least given me a new topic to consider.

Because of the way my life has panned out, because of a million reasons, I don't really have a small tight knit group of friends and I am an only child. My best friend is my husband and most of the other people I class as dear friends are not the type of people to live in my pocket, or vice versa.

However, it is during times like these that I really miss having this kind of network. People who will drop everything to pop in for a brew and make sure you are still sane. People who will fold that pile of washing because the Other Half is doing a sterling job but can't do the work that two of us struggled to get through when fully functioning. People who don't give a rats ass if you haven't changed out of your PJ's in 48 hours.

I don't have this, what I have discovered though is how fabulous new friends can be. How it means the world when someone I hardly know thinks to send me funny youtube clips just because she knows I am having a hard time. It may seem like such a small thing, but to me it meant the difference between a smile or total break down.

As I have already thanked the special person who meant the world to me yesterday (althoough I am not sure she knows how much it meant - ha ha she does now!) I thought I would spread the love. I don't know anyone that is struggling today but if you are reading this and are weighed down by something here is a little juevenile hilarity. I hope this is the difference between a smile or a tear for you too.

 
Small kindnesses for me are those people that reach out to others in need; those that phone or text or tweet or email just to see if you are ok. Those that don't assume that someone else has it covered. Those little gestures that mean we don't feel so alone.

Be sure to visit some of the other blogs sharing their small kindnesses today, links can be found here

Monday 26 November 2012

Day 26 NaBloPoMo - Monday Moments

I was really close to skipping today's post. Today has not been a good day! I had a small happy moment this morning.

Drinking this:

 
Only I had no marshmallows in the house :-(
 
Whilst watching this:
 
 
Feeling all Christmassy :-)
 
Until I realised I usually watch it with the munchkins and obviously they were at school, so it just wasn't the same :-(
 
Then Loki sent me this on Twitter:
 
 
Which made me smile a little.
 
I'll be back tomorrow.


Sunday 25 November 2012

Day 25 NaBloPoMo - Small Stones Sunday


The smell of sawdust sprinkled like snow
Our little bundle of sooty fur
Safe inside away from the winter cold.

A tentative peace
Reached over a box of colour
And a pile of paper
A get well soon surprise to keep me happy.

The God's have smiled
Twenty five days
a challenge nearly complete.

What has made you smile this weekend?

Saturday 24 November 2012

Day 24 NaBloPoMo - Sing Along Saturday

In homage to yesterdays post - Ben Howard, Wolves


Happy weekend people, what fun are you having this weekend?

Friday 23 November 2012

Day 23 NaBloPoMo - Will the real red riding hood please stand up!

*APOLOGY / DISCLAIMER*
You may want to put the kettle on and grab a snack before you sit down to read this post, my Red Riding Hood re-visit ended up being a lot longer than first anticipated (try about 1,000 words longer, I was aiming for 300-600. Oooppps, hehe). Anyway, it's the weekend so sit back with a cup of something warm and enjoy (or at least I hope you will!)
 
 
Last week I set a little challenge for you all to sink your teeth into and I promised to go away and work on a re-write of my own. Deb at Kicking Corners has been posting hers in instalments for most of the week (think I should have taken a leaf out of her book!) and has at least me on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it ends, here is part 1, I always think it is best to 'begin at the beginning' (it's an Alice thing).
 
In the spirit of beginning at the beginning here is a link to the Brothers Grimm version of the tale. I am sorry that I can't hand you one of my copies of this story, especially the really old version. Reading them from paper seems to make them more magical for me.
 
I sort of opted for a 'what happened next' version, with a few extras. I hope you like it.
 
 
The Hunted Turn Hunter
 

A Gorgeous Vampire and a Sexy Werewolf...Fighting Over Me?!
 
Maddi sat watching the torrent of water moving and gurgling as cut through the earth, gathering pace and mass on its journey to the Cascades. If she closed her eyes she could hear the thunderous roar from here, they were heading in that direction but she knew they had at least a day’s hike before they reached the village and more to get to the Cascades.
The noise brought with it a flash back to the day Skathi saved her, or dammed her, after all these years she still wasn’t sure which it was.
She was young, naive and completely taken in by the handsome stranger. She could still remember his syrupy voice, how he made her feel like she was the centre of his universe and then the physical pain as his betrayal hit. It was like a square on blow to the stomach how he used her to take the one thing that mattered to her.
 Her Grandmother was the matriarch to the village, as was tradition she lived in isolation so the Seers could converse with her. Only the purest member of the family was allowed in her presence to tend her needs. Fen used her to get to her Grandmother, he changed before her eyes into a wolf of monstrous proportion, the sight of his bones breaking, twisting and reforming froze Maddi to the spot and she watched helplessly as he ripped her Grandmothers throat out. His attention then turned to Maddi but mid pounce there was a yelp and he landed on top of her. Wounded but not dead Fen had beaten a hasty retreat with an arrow in his back.
“Maddi we need to move out” Skathi shouted from the tree line
Coming out of her reminiscence Maddi collected her bow and Quiver and started to jog after Skathi, throwing them across her as she went; they had much time to make up. Last night’s storm had delayed them; they could only hope it had delayed Fen too.
As darkness descended they decided to sleep just outside the village; Hunters, dressed in leather and carrying weapons, were easily recognised and very rarely welcome in villages, especially this one.
Being so close to home brought back so many memories. Staring into the flames the clearest memory was of her first transformation.
 Fen may not have been able to complete his attack but he still ruined her life with just one scratch. She had had no idea why he held such a magnanimous look in his eye as he made his retreat, not until the burning pain of her insides twisting and reforming. She watched her life slip away as the disgusted look dawned on her mother’s face looking at the half breed she was now faced with.
“It is no daughter of mine, take it, burn it. It will pay for the disgrace it has brought on this village. Let us hope the Seers accept the sacrifice”
Hot tears burned down Maddi’s face as she remembered the words that cut through her soul, the heat of the flames as they reared around her feet. In that moment she wanted to die, in that moment she wanted the Seers to take her and punish her.
It had taken Skathi ten years to make Maddi see that she was needed, that she saved her from the flames because she had a purpose. Ten years for Fen to rear his head again. This time they were two, this time she had a new weapon, this time she had Maddi.
“Get some sleep Maddi, you’re going to need it.”
Maddi woke startled from her sleep. Her training kicked in before her brain did, she surveyed the tree line crouched and arrow poised. She could smell something, something out of place. Slowly Maddi moved, almost crab like to where Skathi was sleeping and nudged her. In moments they were back to back arrows aimed into the shadows of the trees, waiting, breathing.
“When I saw him come through town I had a feeling you wouldn’t be far behind”
The sound of that voice was enough for Maddi; she lowered her bow and stood up straight as Artur stepped out of the shadows. The gangly young boy she knew was all grown up, it took Maddi a moment to remember they weren’t the same age any more, the last time she saw him was the way she had always thought of him. This young man with his copper hair dropping down over his beautiful hazel eyes was not the boy she knew.
“Artur, I.....”
“Missed me, yeah I know I missed you too”
“But I.....”
“Couldn’t come back, yeah I know! Now shut up and come here” As they closed the gap Artur scooped Maddi into a bear hug, whispering into her red curls, “Still wearing red I see”
“The wolves can’t tell the difference” Maddi replied.
“Ok, reunions will have to wait a while, Fen is massing a pack and he is coming for the village”
“We know” Skathi replied in her usual curt manner
“So when do we leave?”
“Artur there is no we” Maddi said, not wanting to leave so soon after finding him again, “You can’t come”
“I’m sorry; you’re thinking you can stop me?”
“We don’t have time for this, we have to go” Skathi turned and started her harsh pace into the woods. Maddi had come to appreciate her emotional distance.
“Whatever, if you can keep up and be silent, oh and won’t be watching your back” With that Maddi started after Skathi.
“What the hell happened to you?” Artur muttered as he set off at the same pace.
To Maddi’s surprise Artur actually managed to keep up and didn’t even seem to need any recovery time. Maddi didn’t have any time to reflect on that right now. From this vantage point they could see the pack camped on the banks of the river that the Cascades fed into. Dawn was just breaking, sending shots of pink and orange across the thin clouds punctuating the sky. The pack were still sleeping, but the more Maddi looked the more she was sure Fen was not down there.
Just then a twig broke in the shadows behind them, when Maddi turned she saw a figure standing there.
“This is impossible” Maddi exclaimed, taking a step forward.
“Hello my dear” came a frail voice from the dark
“Grandmamma? How? I...” it felt like the world was moving, like a rug being pulled from under her feet. Maddi had to grab for the nearest tree to regain her composure.
“Madder, it has been a while” There was a syrupy tone to this voice that Maddi just couldn’t put her finger on.
“I always wondered what Maddi was short for” Artur whispered to Skathi
“Sush”
Maddi moved slowly and tentatively closer.
“Grandmamma, what big eyes you have!”
“All the better to see you with my dear, though I am old and my sight is failing. Step closer so I may see the woman you have become”
“My, Grandmamma, What big ears you have!”
“All the better to hear you with my dear, though my hearing is not what it was. You must come closer you are speaking so quietly”
“And what big teeth you have, Fenrir!” Maddi straightened and aimed her bow as Fen revealed himself with a mighty howl, waking the pack below. “You think me so easily fooled”
“Well you were last time” Fen smirked
“I have grown since then Fenrir”
“Oh, I can see that” There was an undertone to Fen’s voice that Artur wasn’t much liking.
“Don’t talk to her like that” Artur raged
“Or what pup? What will you do about it?”
Just then the sound of the wolf pack baying came from the forest, distracting Maddi for just a moment.
In that moment Fen leapt, pouncing towards his prey, moving through the air toward Maddi. In that split second Artur threw his axe and Maddi watched as it buried its self deep in Fen’s chest. He dropped, mid-pounce, right at Maddi’s feet.
Skathi was at Maddi’s side in a split second, “This isn’t over Maddi. You know what must be done!”
Hanging her head, Maddi inhaled deeply, she could smell the forest and the wolf pack just in the shadows, waiting to see what would become of their Alpha. She looked towards Artur, with a tear in her eye.
“Please don’t watch this” she begged.
With that she dropped her weapons and fell to the floor as her insides burned and twisted like an acid coated hand was trying to rip them out, but she was fighting back. Slowly her body reformed into the slender wolf that was the other half of her.
Maddi stalked over to Fen, whose broken body lay gasping in the dirt. Artur moved forward and removed the axe from his chest and looked directly into her green eyes, the same green eyes he had grown up with. That look conveyed everything Maddi needed to go through with what had to be done. That look that said he understood.
With a low guttural growl she sank her teeth around Fen’s jugular, ripping a gaping hole in the broken wolf’s neck, making sure he was incapacitated. Then she turned her attention to his chest, using her teeth and claws she ripped at his chest until his beating heart was visible. In one final manoeuvre his heart was in Maddi’s mouth and then gone forever. Maddi sat on her haunches; her muzzle bloodied and finally let a tear slide down her fur. It was over, after ten years of hunting he was gone.
A moment later a howl rippled through the pack and in the bright sunshine of the early morning the wolf pack presented themselves in submission to their new Alpha. Even the copper coloured wolf that stood separate to the pack, next to Skathi.
Maddi let all her anguish and tiredness go in howl to rival the noise of the Cascades, echoing down the valley. Red Riding Hood was home.



Thursday 22 November 2012

Day 22 NaBloPoMo - Random Thursdays (such an appropriate title this week)

I am stuck in these four walls for yet another week. Aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, while my people loving outdoor craving mind tries to assimilate this new information I will treat you to the conversation it had with it's self earlier today:

'Four walls, I guess that means the generic four outer walls of the house'

'Yeah but this house is semi-detached, so technically it only has three outer walls'

'The room then, four walls in a square room'

'Do walls with windows in count as a full wall?'

'Hmm what about all the little corners and little bits of wall'

'If we count them up this room has 10 walls'

'So you're counting the wall that is mostly archway as a wall then?

'Why not?'

'Then why not count all the wall in the dining room, technically they are part of the same room seeing as it is open plan!'

 
And just because the video and band name are totally apt for today's post
 


Ok, enough of my crazed mind for today!! This is the life of Sleepy Joe this week as part of Larissa's link up party.

 
PS Don't forget the Fairy Tale Friday Challenge, have a look here to catch up, there is still time to pen your adaptation. Deb at Kicking Corners has been keeping me well and truly entertained with her version of Little Red Riding Hood with not one, or two but a three part story to date with more to come.

Wednesday 21 November 2012

Day 21 NaBloPoMo - Alone

Alone
 
My heart is weeping
You've no time to talk
The loneliness is eating
Turning light to dark
 
There are times I need you
A ward against the dark
I thought you did too
Seems I don't hold your spark
 
Were we friends?
Or did I dream it?
The road's had many turns
But I still feel it
 
Alone
It's dark
Now is the time
To repair my heart.

Tuesday 20 November 2012

Day 20 NaBloPoMo - Tuesday Tickles

Tuesday Tickles comes to you direct from Twitter. Apologies but this conversation made me giggle and not a painkiller in sight today so I can't blame them!!

Me: Lol, they can see down the phone now did no one tell you ;-)

Loki: Then I hope they like interviewing my butt!

Me: Well if you can fart the answers I'm sure they will be impressed ;-)

Loki: I am very well educated in fartugese! Though not as fluent as Burpish.

I know, I know I am very juvenile for finding this funny but on this wet Tuesday I had little else to find entertaining so I thank Loki-Lou from The Modfather for making me laugh. I just hope she doesn't mind me posting this ;-)

 
Happy Tuesday Peeps :-)

Monday 19 November 2012

NaBloPoMo - Day 19 In the Big Brother House

Apologies, between strong pain killers and being confined to barracks I think I may be going a little crazy. I am trying to think positively and go with theory that if being couped up inside is starting to driving me insane I must be on the road to recovery because to be quite frank last week I didn't care as long as I had a duvet!!

Anyway, my point....yes I had one of those.....I'm sure I did......where did I put it.....oh yes, my point being that I haven't had many moments this weekend and I definitely haven't had any today so Monday Moments is being hijacked by my wandering brain. Come along now, try to keep up (why do I always imagine that phrase in a very over done English accent, in fact I think I always say it that way, which through a Lancashire accent can be quite funny). Now that all got me thinking of James Bond:

Ok so that was just an excuse to include a lovely picture, got to keep myself entertained somehow!
 
 
So, back to my mind meanderings, for some reason my mind today started thinking about ambitions and bucket lists. When I was younger I used to have ambitions along the lines of 'I want to get married and have kids' yes seriously I was that boring. As I got older the thought of a career crept into the mix, but never loosing the marriage, I wanted to catch criminals with just the power of my mind (Forensic Psychologist but I made it sound much sexier, right?!?!). As that ambition seemed impossible and the first one came true I started to develop more of a bucket list, which kind of went something like this:
 
* See my girls grown up and happy
* Travel the world with the Other Half (or at least the parts we are interested in)
* See Shakespeare performed at the Globe, preferably Romeo and Juliet
 
A little puny as life lists go. Things come onto this list and leave it on a regular basis, either because they are no longer important or because they have been fulfilled (less so with the latter).
 
My fickle mind jumped rather quickly onto thinking about Romeo and Juliet (I told you to keep up!) and why this of all Shakespeare plays captures my heart. Am I just really shallow and predictable? Is it because it was the first play of his I ever read? Or is it more likely to be because when I did first read it the Other Half and I were just 'courting' and there was an aspect of the forbidden about us. That period of time when you don't want anyone to know that there is something going on. That period of time that is fun and your heart feels like it is about to burst. Has Romeo and Juliet been ingrained in my heart because my heart was so open the first time I read it? I don't mind, it is a beautiful play and, tragedy aside, everyone deserves to feel that level of what Romeo and Juliet had.
 
On that note I will leave you all with this lovely song and ask you what is on your bucket list (other than health and happiness for our babies because that's on everyones, right?!)?
 
 

Happy Monday everyone.

Sunday 18 November 2012

Day 18 NaBloPoMo - Small Stone Sunday


view oroginal here

Today held:

Fairies, magic, giggles and smiles
Games, presents and the light in their eyes.
 
And a little:
 
Unsteady and painful
A pinch of pig headedness.
 
 
What are your little pebbles from this weekend? Do they come in the form of a few words? A few lines? A picture? Or a song? Share them in the comments :-)

Saturday 17 November 2012

Day 17 NaBloPoMo - True Friends

Sing along Saturday is dedicated to those few true friends who have been there for me this week. My Best Friend (other wise know as the other half) who has been my rock and generally run the house and kids. But also a couple of people who have provided me with much needed distractions, you know who you are!! I love you all.


As soon as I am fighting fit I will be there for you too ;-)

Friday 16 November 2012

Day 16 NaBloPoMo - Red Riding Hood

So I have loved fairy tales all my life, although up until fairly recently I had only really heard about the most popular ones. Until Deb sent me down the rabbit hole with this post sparking a little obsession. I now own a copy of the Joseph Jacobs book she featured, along with a few other collections of fairy or folk tales (yes they have taken over one whole shelf of a bookcase and then some). I am so glad that I found Deb and her love of fairy tales that rekindled the love in me. As an adult experiencing the tales they hold a whole new depth that I didn't understand before.

Last weekend I was treated to a sneaky peak of some photos a super talented friend of mine had taken for a commission, hence I can't share them with you :-( but you can take a look at his blog and other work here. Any way I digress, in amongst these shots was a little girl, in the forest, wearing a red coat. I'm sure you can already guess where my mind was heading, but it was helped along by the look of the photo, it had kind of a timeless quality to it. If not for the jeans and modern coat it could have been straight out of a fairy tale!

So for the second Fairy Tale Friday we are therefore off for a walk in the woods to Grandma's house:

Little Red Riding Hood is a classic fairy tale with many incarnations. From Perrault's brutal, dark and almost sexual story with no happy ending. Through the Grimm's version where the huntsman saves the day. To the 2011 film staring Amanda Seyfried, hinting at earlier versions of the tale where Red Riding Hood unwittingly cannibalises her own grandmother along with the added twist of young love. Whoever said that fairy tales were for kids needs their heads looking at!!

I have never really been sure about this tale. It's moral was all too blatant for me, Red is always a little too naive and not mentioning the general absurdity of cutting open the wolf to find Red and her grandmother perfectly unharmed after spending a good half hour plus with no access to oxygen. However, the imagery of the girl in a forest wearing a red cape and skipping off to her grandmother's cottage is so iconic, it gets under my skin and starts the cogs a turning in my mind.

Do you ever find yourself wishing the characters in a story would do something different? Does your mind ever wander off thinking what if......? Take a chance, do it! Fairy tales come from generations of story tellers telling and re-telling their tales. I hurts my brain sometimes to wonder how many times tales like Little Red Riding Hood changed before people like the Grimm Brothers wrote them down and preserved them. Was the tale a true story about a girl in the next village who wandered off in the forest and met an unfortunate end? Has it just morphed into this fantastical fairy tale with a happy endings because the world was (is) too full of horror that we needed to believe there are happy endings somewhere?

Just for a little side enjoyment here is a rendition of Roald Dahl's twist on the classic


Are you up for a challenge? For next Friday, take Little Red Riding Hood and make it your own. Re-tell it the way you want to, modernise it, tell the story of what happened next. You can either post it on your blog and pop the link in the comments or e-mail me your story and I will post it here next week. Go be the story teller of your clan and lets see what direction Red goes in.

Thursday 15 November 2012

Day 15 NaBloPoMo - Prepare for Battle

Today has been a strange day, getting stranger by the minute due to the strong pain killers the nice doctor gave me ;-)

It is a strange feeling to go from complete panic to everything is ok within the space of half an hour. It kind of leaves you a little deflated, if that makes any sense at all. You set yourself up for the impending war, you make your battle plans, you psych yourself up for the fight. Then someone comes along and says, oops mistake, you can go home now. My brains initial reaction to this kind of news today was to do a William Wallace and pull a mooney at the opposition (sorry couldn't find a clip of Mel Gibson's bum). However as it was a nice doctor saying I wouldn't need surgery after all and she was offering drugs to go with the news so I accepted graciously and have now taken up residence on the sofa! Is it really bad that my first thought at the prospect of emergency surgery was, 'oh hell there goes November NaBloPoMo and I have nearly convinced myself to continue into December'

I do however have a huge amount of gratitude for the amazing support machine known as The Other Half, who today has been my all not just half. I am not sure I could have made it through without him! Not only was he a rock of support at the hospital, since getting me home he has done some Christmas shopping, folded some washing and thrown the vacuum round. I have been blessed with an angel today, I just wonder if his angelic ways will stick around for the weekend or not???

This is the most recent drama in the life of Sleepy, who is now feeling very sleepy. I think I just about have time to link up with Larissa and then off to shoot some zzzzzzzzz


How has your day been? Have any angels crossed your path today?

Day 14 NaBloPoMo - National Short Story Week

Apologies, original writing Wednesday has drifted to Thursday. But as I haven't yet gone to bed to me it is Wednesday still...ok?! If not blame Deb at Kicking Corners for keeping me chatting!

I read somewhere that this week is National Short Story Week so I have spent all day trying to come up with something to mark this occasion on my little old blog and here it is.

Some of you may have met Faith and Dan before here even in the space of that little exercise she was me without the baggage yet started to morph into her own character. Well she continues to have her own little random adventures, every now and then coming to play in my mind for a while, giving me snippets of her life before the cottage (or after I'm not sure sometimes). Today she wanted to play, regardless of my attempts to tell her tomorrow, today is for serious writing. I think she has a little of my childish side because this just caused a little strop and a day of nothing of use for a short story. Tired and past the daily deadline I have given in and she has her story, I hope you like it.


The Room looked sumptuous and elegant. The guests all in the monochromatic palate and the classy decorations of crystal and candles gave an air of magic about the place. The band playing a mix of pop and rock songs acoustically gave it a timeless energy, people were dancing and smiling. And the donations were coming in thick and fast, Faith had done this. They had been tasked with organising the annual fundraising masquerade together, but seriously Dan’s forte was lugging things around or being outdoors, not stuck in here with sparkly things. She had carried him and he knew it. Now all he had to do was not mess this up!

‘Slow, slow, quick, quick slow.’ The steps to their dance were revolving round in Dan’s head like some kind of speech in a language he didn’t speak or understand. He was going to prove he had two left feet not only to a room full of strangers, plus a few people he knew, but to her. Why exactly did they have to stick with tradition again?

In that moment Dan looked up to see Faith enter the Grand Ballroom and stand at the top of the stair case. She paused, surveying the room to make sure it was as perfect as she had left it. In that pause Dan couldn’t breathe. She simply sparkled. It wasn’t her dress; although it was stunning, a backless number, an interesting mix of lace over satin that skimmed her hips and just touched the top of her shoes, with a split up the left side to allow maximum movement. No she was radiant; her eyes shone through the black mask, adorned with feathers that had a blue/green cast perfectly complementing the green of her eyes, her red hair falling in curls over her shoulders and her red lips the only shots of true colour. Dan recovered himself, realising he had been staring open mouthed for longer than was polite and made his way to the bottom of the stairs.

“You look amazing” was all he could mumble as she glided to meet him.

“Looking good yourself” Faith admired Dan’s toned muscular body wrapped in the tailored black suit, black shirt and tie. “Opting for the non-traditional I see” noting the lack of a bow tie.

“You know me” he shrugged, attempting a natural smile and failing miserably. 

The band came to rest and the master of ceremonies announced the moment Dan had been dreading.

‘Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow. Don’t balls this up, don’t balls this up’ Dan thought to himself.

“Relax” Faith whispered in his ear, sending an electric current down his back.

“Ladies and gentlemen it is my supreme pleasure to present the organisers of this evening’s festivities in the first tango of the evening. Please give them a warm welcome as the take their places on the floor”

Dan inhaled and led his lady onto the floor, presenting her to the room and their rapturous applause. Just for this moment she was his and he was hers, this was their time. Muse-Starlight began to pump across the dance floor and Dan took Faith into his arms, she had chosen this for him and that made him smile on the inside. The closeness of their bodies meant he could feel the beating of their hearts, as one, in time to the bass line of the music. His hand on her bare back and started to lead her in this dance of love. The sensual slowness around the floor, punctuated by the staccato change of direction and the pauses. The pauses that seemed to pulse with the desire they both felt in that moment.

Neither thought about the steps, neither thought of the crowd around them. There was only music. There was only the beating of their hearts. There was only the feeling of their bodies, moving as one, the tension between them growing. The last few steps and Dan dipped Faith into a classical kiss position, their eyes locked framed by their masks, holding that moment drinking each other in. Dan’s lips so close to Faith’s, how he would love to kiss her right now.

After a moment too long, paused and fighting temptation, the applause roused them from their dream and Dan brought Faith back to her feet, leading her to the edge of the dance floor and into the waiting crowd.

He didn’t speak to her again all night, simply watched her move through the crowd with the grace and air of a professional hostess. It was beautiful and alluring to watch. What was he doing getting jealous of the men she was talking to? And if that letch let his hand wander down her back one more time.......
PS Loki at The Modfather posted today (yesterday) one of her funniest posts since I found her.Go have a read and a giggle!

Tuesday 13 November 2012

Day 13 NaBloPoMo - Tuesday Tickles

 
I apologise for the juvenile nature of this post in advance, but it made me giggle!!

This was posted on Facebook over the weekend and cannot for some reason find who posted it now, but I had to share it because my juvenile mind found it hilarious.

Embedded image permalink
 
 
Go on the where do you do yours??


Day 12 NaBloPoMo - Monday Moments

If you know me you know I like to set my self rules and then break them, well I like to live life on the edge occasionally.

Monday moments this week is a kind of flexible term, they are more moments from Saturday to Monday that have made me smileand be grateful for life.

Have you ever been randomly flipping through a book and a particular line jumps out at you. I have suddenly discovered this fabulous phenomena since starting at the library (I flip through a lot of books in a day), share one in the comments if this has ever happened to you. Today's little snippet comes from a book by Darynda Jones called 'Second Grave on the Left'. Now please note I have no idea what this book is about or even if it is a well written book, however the title caught my attention and this is what I found on a random flip through the pages, the main character appears to be talking about a close friend:
"We were like those people who met and just seemed to know each other"
 
This quote just seemed like a perfect addition to the lovely weekend I have had in terms of friends making me believe I am worth it (at least for a minute or two)

On Saturday I met (in person and totally not imaginary way) Loki-Lou, The Modfather. She is as hard working and funny as she comes across on her blog and cannot wait to meet up again, this time with cakes instead of saws I think ;-) I am thankful that she wanted to meet me too and actually is ok with seeing more of me :-D

Sunday came along, now let me set the scene for you.....Two beautiful girls, one tired and not so good Mummy and a Daddy off learning how to be a better football coach. We had food shopping to do with the promise of a lovely craft fair to go to. How do my 'angels' behave, hmm by jumping in bed and kicking me in the face before we even started the day followed by tantrums over clothing choice - apologies to the eldest, how am I supposed to know that my thirty plus years of experience have taught me wrong and wearing a thin chiffon top is appropriate in temperatures of around five degrees. Any way slightly stressed would be a way to describe my day....

So back to the moment I am thankful for, I read this from Tangled Lou at Periphery and I cried. Amongst the chaos and screaming that I was trying to ignore I cried to the point munchkin number 1 came to see if I was ok. I know, I know sappy right?!? I don't have a very good opinion of myself, possibly from years of never really fitting in and people never really thinking as much of me as I do of them. To have someone I regard as truly articulate and wonderful say such nice things about me comes as a little bit of a shock, a nice shock but a shock all the same, hence the tears of joy and thankfulness.

Now, in all the madness of Sunday I had a two minute slice to be so proud of my girls that I cried again. Bit of a weepy day I think, but all for nice reasons. On the 11th minute on the 11th day of the 11th month we stand still and reflect for two silent minutes. A mark of respect to our fallen hero's. I rarely make it to any kind of official service or parade, however I always observe the silence. Usually the girls are at school or nursery and we cannot share this moment together, this year was different. Over breakfast we talked about why we wear poppies in November and what the silence was for, I was suitably shocked at exactly how much they knew and understood. At 11 o'clock we sat at the table hand in hand, silent, for a whole two minutes. This is unheard of, the munchkins can't usually keep quite for a count of ten let alone two minutes. Proud would be an understatement here, then normal stroppiness resumed!

In short I am thankful that my girls are amazing even when they are more like devils than angels, this I already kind of knew. Mostly I am thankful that I matter, I am worth something (outside of being Mum) to other people in this tiny little world.

There is always something to make you smile and be thankful, sometimes you just have to look a little harder than others.

Random pretty picure from my favourite park :-)


Oh and I have hit over 3,000 page views today, yep when I realised I did do a funky and slightly weird victory dance round the living room. Each person who visits, each time you come back for more (do you need your medication?) I am very grateful, thank you for making it all worth while!

Sunday 11 November 2012

Day 11 NaBloPoMo - Small Stone Sunday We Will Remember Them

To all the service men and women who have fallen for my freedom, thank you and we will remember!

 






They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

from Laurence Binyon's poem "For the Fallen"

Saturday 10 November 2012

Day 10 NaBloPoMo - Birthday Sing along

I am of to a birthday party tonight. For real, in person and everything! I have know this intelligent young man for the last ten years. I have watched him grow, and yes it makes me feel ancient because yesterday he became a man, he turned 18. So today we celebrate.

Not only is he intelligent and talented he has been a very mature God Father to my youngest munchkin for the better part of five years. Check out his website Liam Dargan or the you tube clip below and sit there in awe, as I have for most of the time I have known him!



He is destined for greatness, of this I have no doubt (as is his brother - talented family what can I say), he even teaches this old dog a trick or two every now and then ;-) Like who Mumford & Sons are!!

So, sing along Saturday is dedicated to Liam. Happy 18th, go be great!



Finally the last Wonderful Team Member Readership Award shout out goes to Lo at Lo Johnston Writing. She is full of useful hints, tips and reviews and is just an all round lovely person, so go check out her blog!

Friday 9 November 2012

Day 9 NaBloPoMo - Fairy Tale Friday


This year sees the 200 year anniversary of the publication of the Grimm Fairy Tales and to celebrate this Philip Pullman has published the Grimm Tales (which is most certainly on my Christmas list Santa!!). To celebrate this and also resurrect a much missed regular spot at Kicking Corners I am going to be dedicating Fridays to the ancient art of story telling and fairy tales.

To kick things off I have fairy taled me, I hope you like it.

"Once upon a time there was a young girl, called Aquine, whose purpose was to travel everyday to get water for her family. The road she travelled was long and ever changing, such was the nature of the land in which she lived. Most days she enjoyed the walk, although there were many occasions when the path became unexpectedly treacherous; the forest path would become dark and scary, the desert path would be intimidating, with packs of laughing hyenas flanking the path.

Often Aquine was blessed to have companions along the way; an angel provided to lift her over the troubled times, a jester to cheer her along on the days she found the travel hard, a fairy to reminder of the magic all around, the wise magus who was there to teach her in that moment or even just the fellow traveller in need of companionship too. Though there were many moments on these journeys when Aquine felt she had lost her way she never failed to deliver water back to her family. Aquine was pure of heart and kind of spirit and always welcomed her companions into her heart, accepting their companionship and teachings readily, offering what she could in return.

Mostly her companions became friends; some remained just for that journey, others she met time and time again. She came to realise each and every person she met was there for a reason and each and every twist in the path lead her to where she needed to be; be it a source of fresh water, a source of healing water or simply the road home. However, from time to time Aquine’s travelling companions turned out to be something different. Some would blatantly steal the water from her after having been seemingly so kind. Others would ask Aquine to carry their wares, along with her own load, for most of the journey, leaving her alone to struggle on when the additional weight left her lying by the road too tired to continue one. Occasionally a cunning fox would cross her path and lead her down the wrong path to suit his own needs. Each and every deception tore a little from her heart.

Being resourceful in nature she found a way to plug the holes in her heart with the left over’s from the evening candle, sealing the hole with melted wax enabling her to function the following day for the sake of her family. Pretty soon Aquine’s now adult heart was becoming more wax than heart and her husband and children begged her to ignore any travellers on her trip, telling her that she was more than capable of facing the challenges of the journey herself, reminding her, ‘we always walk in your heart where ever you go, we are all you need to see you safe! Please keep yourself to yourself.’

Aquine tried to do as her family wished however on her next journey she met a traveller she had never before seen. He was compelling and they walked and talked for the entire journey making shapes from the clouds as they went. They met many more times, almost every journey in fact; opening their hearts to each other as they walked life was grand. Aquine even began to miss him when he was not waiting for her on the path; she had always been so content to walk alone.  He opened her eyes to what she was capable of, showing her how to unlock hidden skills inside herself. Instead of wandering until she discovered a source of water she found she could predict its location, on occasion finding sources of water buried to the naked eye. However on one stormy journey, when they met, Aquine was scared for she had never seen the sky look in such turmoil. He offered to walk with her and see her safely across the mountain path on which they were travelling. Soon the path became more dangerous and began to crumble at the edge. She became stranded on a thin ledge with her friend already safely on the other side. He picked this moment to show his true colours and left her there alone. In that moment she became paralysed, holding the cargo of precious water. She heard her families voice ‘we are all you need’ with this she steeled herself against the driving wind and edged safely to the other side. But this deception was more than her heart could bear, the hole he made tore open old wounds too. Every time Aquine thought the hole was sealed with wax something on her next journey would be a reminder of her time with the stranger, instantly melting the wax tearing open the wound in her heart. She despaired thinking her heart would never be whole again, becoming more and more miserable, her journeys seeming longer and harder than ever before with nothing beautiful or joyous to distract her.

Sometime later, noticing the change in her, Aquine’s friends and family combined their efforts to fashion a new bandage for her heart and act as a permanent barrier to the troubles she would face. The angel plucked a feather from her wing to remind Aquine she too could fly, the jester donated a bell to remind her always of the sound of laughter, each traveller and friend provided something and the magus, using some fairy dust and the love of her family bound the items around her heart, binding it forever in happiness and love, protecting it from further damaged.

Aquine’s heart overflowed with joy as she was constantly reminded of the love bestowed upon her by her friends and family. Even though she always met fellow travellers with an open spirit and kindness whenever they left her alone she continued on with the confidence only the love of those close can give you. And they all lived happily ever after."
 
So what is your favourite fairy tale? You never know it might get featured in this spot ;-)
 
Today's shout out goes to Masked Mum, she is a talented mum and hard worker who insists on never growing up, a lady after my own heart!!

Thursday 8 November 2012

Day 8 NaBloPoMo - Random Thursday Tidbit Party

So it's Thursday and I am off to a party at Larissa's hence this is a pretty quick post.

Random thoughts and what has this week has brought? As I am posting daily you know most of what is happening in the Sleepy household! Today has brought enough to talk about anyway though....

Technically yesterday's post ended up being today's, but as it was only a few minutes late we will conveniently ignore that fact. This delay was caused by a spot of late night bathroom cleaning courtesy of a tummy bug getting hold of munchkin number 1.

After a somewhat disturbed nights sleep a pyjama day was needed. A day watching films under the duvet and eating chicken soup was just what the doctor ordered.

I had to giggle though at bed time with the following interaction:

Daddy: 'ok time for bed, cuddles for big sis, make her feel better?'
Munchkin 2: 'No I don't want to catch her'

You can't fault the self preservation.



 
So we are onto the next in the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award and today the shout out goes to Tara at Faith in Ambiguity. She is talented, thoughtful, articulate and she home schools with fantastic projects, go over and check out her blog you won't be disappointed.

Day 7 of NaBloPoMo - Me, Myself and I

So NaBloPoMo's Wednesday contributions will see me return to posting some of my original writing. Today however I think I have been hanging with Loki-Lou too much (if that is even possible she is hilarious). This combined with my current musical obsession - the Lostprohets has resulted in a very surreal story that turned into an internal conversation with inner voices. I promise I have only taken paracetamol with some Pepsi!!

99% of the lyrics are from the Lostprophets, I hope they don't read this and come after me with some random sharp implement for sodomising their songs :-/ However there are three lines attributed to other artists, prize for anyone who can spot all three (and by prize I mean a very big virtual pat on the back - I am a writer/librarian I can't afford outlandish prizes. I sit here typing with my gloves on to stop my fingers freezing)

So with out further ado (ok maybe a little, the 'you's' in italics means she is talking to the boy, the normal 'you's' mean she is talking to herself)

Me, Myself and I




Girl (G) - ‘You’re here by my side in my summer’

‘Don’t you wake me up, I don’t want this dream to end’

Inner voice 1(I1) - ‘Some days these dreams just ain’t enough’

G - ‘But when you’re here with me that’s all I need’

I1 - You’re ‘lost in fiction’

Inner voice 2 (I2) - ‘So can you feel your heartbeat racing? Can you feel the tension rise?’

I1 - It’s ‘Always the wrong place at the wrong time’ this is ‘No good for me, no good for you’

G - ‘I’m sick of holding it in’

I2 - ‘Stop dreaming, start something’

G - ‘Are we lost or do we know which direction we should go? Sit around and wait for someone to take our hands and lead the way’

I2 - ‘Wake up, yeah I’m so sick of waiting for us to make a move.’ ‘It’s time to make a move’

G - ‘I don’t know how to change from being me, I don’t know what to say, maybe another day’

I1 - ‘If only you tried you could move on.’

G - ‘Another day, in another hand, things could be so different’

I1 - ‘You’re wasting your time’

I2 - ‘For all this to mean so much to me, for all this you make a move’ ‘Win or lose it’s time to choose’

G - ‘Every word I say would come out wrong and make you look the other way’

‘Her eyes are open like a book’

G - ‘I’ll be there cos I can see in your smile time stood still for me when you call’ ‘Answer me this’ ‘ How you feel , when you’re lying next to me’ ‘Could you be the one?’

‘For all these times that we walked away’ ‘Give me something to believe in, give me someone to believe in’

Boy (B) - ‘My soldiers march tonight, in the city of your dreams. This beautiful army are tearing at your seams’

G - But ‘the stars, they shine for you’ ‘I will not let this part of me be apart from you’

B - ‘Hey now dry your eyes, you will recover’ ‘I’m not what you want me to be’ ‘and if we did we won’t be friends’

G - ‘I would stop time to stay with you’ ‘I would stop time to keep you here’

B - ‘Tonight I feel stronger, Goodbye’

I1 - ‘Love, like waves always crashing down around us’

G - ‘I can see into this abyss, there is no stopping me from feeling this’ ‘There’s no hope for me’ ‘I’m slowly taking apart my broken sanity’

I2 - ‘And there’s a lot you can’t undo’

I1 - ‘I’ve never been the one to turn my back or let you fall through those cracks under your feet’ ‘some days are good, some days are tough’

G - ‘I know this feeling I keep buried inside won’t retreat or delete. It ends tonight, the dull pain that remains isn’t pretty’

I2 - ‘So how’s it gonna feel when I leave this town, broke and burning, with memories that we once found’

I1 - ‘Hold on, where we belong’

G - ‘And I seem to think you were once here with me, maybe I was wrong’ ‘And I sit and wonder, falling under’ ‘All these memories pull me down like lead’

Thoughts come my way....but it was nothing at all’ ‘I get the feeling that it’s gone and it’s the reason that I feel so dark now’

I1 - ‘If it wasn’t for love we’d have faded away’

G - ‘You took apart my soul’ ‘You put me on my knees and cut my throat’ ‘See you at the bitter end’

 

 
 
 

G - ‘To all the fights I’ve conquered and beyond’ ‘Love was once a part but now it’s disappeared’ ‘But I still feel lost without you

‘Yesterday I lost my closest friend, yesterday I wanted time to end. I wonder if my heart will ever mend, I just let you slip away’

‘Maybe I’ll never see you smile again, maybe you thought it was all pretend. All these words that I could never say, I just let them slip away’

‘Maybe one day when I can move along. Maybe someday when you can hear this song. You won’t let this slip away.’ ‘I wonder if you’re listening, picking up on the signals’

‘And I wait here on my own, and I wait to see’

‘Pick myself up off the ground’ ‘And put the pieces back as one’

I1 - ‘Times like these won’t last forever’ ‘Burn, burn the life you can’t choose’


 

G - ‘We’re giving up, we’re moving on’

 


 

B - ‘Hello again, it seems so long since we last met’ ‘Just say hello again, say hello again’ ’Remember what it was like to enjoy our time’

I2 - ‘It’s not the end if you just say hello again’

I1 - ‘But tonight you’ll get it right’

G - ‘I have no regrets’ ‘The memories I hope will never fade’

 ‘Tonight I feel stronger, Goodbye’

 I hope you liked it and you don't now send the men in white coats after me ;-)


The fourth day of shout outs for the Wonderful Team Readership Award goes to Michelle over at Buttered Toast Rocks because it soooo does!! And if the title isn't enough for you visit her because she is an uber talented writer and faces zombies head on in the wee hours of the morning ;-)