After Christmas

Well, it's after Christmas and back to normal. I am stuffed and sick of the sight of Christmas pud. We had a quiet one this year, just parents and us 4. Mind you we nearly lost the Christmas dinner thanks to Henry (the retriever), who did a flying leap towards the lamb, lucky for us I am as nimble as a ninja and was able to leap faster, grabbing it out of harms way. Poor mite was salivating at the thought of what he'd nearly caught. For good attempt he got his Christmas dinner too.

The rest of the holidays went by in late mornings and chilling watching the telly or reading, eating, walking the dog and then more chilling and watching the telly and or reading.

Since kids have gone back to school I have knuckled down to clean the house, which has been neglected with all the chilling and watching telly. Now I need a rest, phew that was hard.

The most disturbing thing happening at the moment is ...I fear I am going off booze. Yes you read it right, going off booze. I have no idea why, and no for those of you about to say it, I am not frigging preggas. I keep trying to drink but manage about two mouthfuls then think yuck. Is this a medical emergency? I have thought of racing down to the local ED (casualty) but then I think it might pass. It hasn't yet, hell, the thought of no booze, is a bad thought. I mean, who is going to drink all my vodka stashed in my cupboard? No, I am not going to give it away. That is unthinkable, besides, this illness may pass and when it does, what will I drink?

Well that's your lot for this entry, need to go do a test and see if still hostile towards the drink.

Just a note.

Had some friends round today, with 2 kids, ages 8 and 10. Both terrified of Henry (the golden retriever). Poor little things, their hearts were banging like mad, he must look so huge to them. Had to lock him up and he sulked for hours later.

Hubby and I have had a burst of energy (don't know where it's come from) we have decided to paint the lounge ready for Xmas. It needs it, I have been banging on about it for over 12 months. With having a coal fire, the room gets very mucky very quickly. We are going for a very deep red, a fire earth colour called Dragon's blood, kids think it's horrible. So I guess it must be very nice in that case.

Hooray!

I have finished my novel. Hooray! Feels wonderful and scary. Now I am editing it and adding the in fills, which tie it together and hopefully will be done in a couple of weeks. Thanks to those of you who are proof reading for me. It's very much appreciated. The scary part is now to come when I send it out and wait, and wait, and wait, and then get a rejection slip. God I am so dreading that. However, I am not being negative (only a bit) trying to keep positive (not doing very well) upwards and onwards to the next stage as I keep telling myself.

Had the mother in law to stay over the weekend, which was nice, she's a lovely lady and I enjoy having her here. Nevertheless, I went round the house like a demented cleaning lady in the hopes she didn't find cobwebs or anything she shouldn't. The Hoover was smoking by the end of the whizz around the house. This week I can relax and let it all go to pot again.

My hubby (now the novel is finished) is on at me to send it out. I keep telling him I can't yet, it has to be 100% ready - I think this might be me procrastinating - but I should literally die if I did send out submissions and by fluke was asked for whole thing and I wasn't in a position to follow through. I think he thinks it's going to be "loads of money" I keep telling him not to hold that dream, there is only 1 JK Rowling, and then tell him about dear Annie and how slow the whole process is - he pulls a face like he's bitten into a lemon when I explain the reality - at least this keeps him off my back.

On a lighter note, xmas is nearly here - bar humbug- I hate xmas, I hate the run up, the spending, the hassle (I think I've already said this in another post). This year my cousin will be in Australia and so it will be us 4, mother in law and my grumpy parents, all in all a jolly old time - NOT! I want to go away. Nobody else does. I said I'd be happy going on my own! They won't let me. Miserable beggars. So, I suppose I'll be cooking - again.

Have been bogged down with helping my daughter with homework these last 2 weeks, and feel that my brain is frazzled beyond repair. I hated it when I was at school and I hate it now. She gets so much it's ridiculous. My son never got anything like what she does. My heart dips each night she comes home and tells me what she's got in store for that night.

My darling Henry (the dog) has taken (for some mad reason known only to dogs) to humping my cream coloured (expensive) curtains in the morning room. Only though, when he comes back after a walk all muddy and is washed down, still damp with traces of dirt in his coat. He does it when I'm not looking, the cheeky swine. It takes me over half an hour, a bucket of warm water with detergent and a cloth to wipe the dirt off again.

As soon as I am ready to post off subs I will let you know so you can all give me shoulder to cry on.

Back Again.

Well, it's been several months since I last blogged. I know, I am rubbish at this, but truly when I sit down to do it, i find, gosh I have nothing interesting to say.

Well in the time I've been away I have been to France for a Holiday and southern England. Had wonderful time in both places. Very hot in France and very relaxing in England.

I am so determind to finish my novel "Going off the rails" by the beginning of October. I have 20k to go and will be done by infills as I call them. The story is done, now I just have to add bits that are missing to keep continuity. I love it and think it's a great story, I'm hoping an agent and publisher will too. I have my faithful readers doing their bit and have just had a wonderful offer from a male friend, kev, to read it for me so I can get a male prospective on it. (Not a boy book though, very girlie, hope he enjoys it.) Thanks to Fia and Annie who have both said they'd help out with the proof reading. Thanks girls, much appreciated.

After this will be sending it off to Lynne Patrick for some professional feed back, (fingers crossed) and from then on we'll wait and see.

For those of you interested, Henry, is huge, gorgeous and brilliant. Having said that, the little blighter has just leaped up onto the Aga and pinched my lunch. So now he's in solitary with a grumpy face cos I shouted at him and pulled said lunch out of his mouth. It's a stubborn thing with me, I won't let him eat it if he's nicked it, even if he bites my hand. He never has, just looks at me solemnly to make me feel bad. I do what i do with hubby, I don't look at the face when I know they're trying to get round me. Best bit of advice I ever got.

Charlotte my youngest started high school this September and made me feel old and sad that she's so grown up. Girls are so much harder than boys. Blimey they are so complicated.

Hubby keeps banging on as to when is book going to be finished. I will be banging him on the head with the frying pan soon. Don't they all, these none writers, think it's sooo easy to write a book and why does it take you so long. F...... O.. . is what I want to say.

We're talking about decorating the lounge for xmas, have been since last year, still I can't face it. i want to get somebody in, hubby is digging his heels in. So I'm now saying " book won't get written if I have to decorate!"

I'm being taken out for the day on the 12th October by my cousin, for a suprise, apparantly i need to be free from 8am to 6pm, and she won't tell me why or what for. I hate suprises. There was a time when I hated leaving the kids, now I hate leaving Henry. Oh yeah, the husband comes into the thoughts some of the time too!!!

Henry learnt to swim at the weekend. We took him to a beautiful lake in Goostry and finally he swam. It was a wonderful time for us.

Unfortunatly, I don't think Henry is into literature, he nicked my novel (the one I'm reading not writing) the other week and took it to his favourite place in the garden, when I went to find him I also found my novel in a million pieces. I don't think he likes chick lit.

I'd best stop rabbiting on and get to doing some real writing.
Hopefully this won't be the last entry for months. I will try and keep at it.

Cook Till You Drop!

I have been baking all day today, with my ten year old daughter who absolutely adores Doris the Aga. We have made chocolate eclairs and a carrot cake. Since we got the Aga we bake and bake and bake. I will be the worlds biggest women if we carry on like this.

I love my Aga and can't believe it took me so long to get one. Just to add that I've just popped into the simmering oven to cook at a gentle heat, some leak and potato soup for tomorrow lunch time. Domestic Goddess I am!!! Nigella move over.

Oh God not again!

I woke up the other day to the wonderful aroma of dog poo, again. Yes, darling Henry has done it again. Was I pissed off at 6am? Just a tad. So, after hosing and cleaning I was knackered and ready to jump back into bed, but was too scared to leave him again in case he pooped once again.

Normally, I like to wake up to the smell of fresh coffee, obviously Henry appears to have a different idea at the moment. I love him dearly, but you can have too much of a good thing. However, while sat in the vets, at £60 a time, this is what it costs for the jabs and special food to clam his bottom, I realise it was probably my fault. I gave him a tiny bit of chees and I know that some dogs are Lactose intolerant, it would appear that, yes, Henry might well be. I hope so, and nothing more scary.

Vodka, Vodka where are you?

You will all know that I am partial to a little or rather a large VAT. (for those of you not in the know that is a vodka and tonic.) Well on many occasions I have gone to pour out my favourite tipple and stood with amazement looking at the nearly if not empty bottle. And my question has been, 'Who has been drinking my VODKA!' Now, as there isn't another voddy drinker in the house, it can only be one other person ... Henry. See from the picture above the tale tale signs of a drunken dog.