ST PATRICK"S DAY - Muppet Stylee

I know that I put this on last year too - but it just makes me laugh. So enjoy! Happy Saint Patrick's Day. Oh boy, oh boy , OH BOOOOYYYYYY!

You Always Need A Map.

It's been eleven days since my last post. ELEVEN DAYS! How could I have not blogged in nearly a fortnight? It's not like I haven't been thinking about it. Practically everything I've experienced over those eleven days I've asked myself the question

"Would this make a good blog post?"

And some definitely would but they'd have taken me an age to write and I simply haven't had that kind of time. I've even been avoiding reading too many blogs too often. Why? Well I'll tell ya ... I've been trying to form good writing habits. In the last eleven days I've finished a short story, written the beginning of a new book (more about that in a second) and I've been doing a lot of work (though not much new writing) on my WIP. I should be declaring this every day on the Public Humiliation Challenge thingy but I have yet to figure out how you quantify in word numbers working on the structure of an MS.

In order to keep writing when I'd hit a plot hole that was halting my progress - I simply jumped over it and continued the story further on. At this point rather than writing a cohesive narrative I started writing scenes that had been bubbling about in my head. These scenes have worked very well. It's the process of linking them that I'm having all the trouble with. I have a tendency to waffle and over-complicate everything. Now I need to clear some dead wood from all that mess so I can make a clear path from part one to part two. So yesterday I started writing what I called a "chapter by chapter plot map". I'm trying to get a visual on what I want to achieve so I can build some sturdy bridges over those gaping plot gaps. It's time-consuming and of course it doesn't add to my word count but it's necessary for me to do in order to progress.

The other thing I had to do - just so I could go forward with my MS - was to write the beginning of a story that's been beating on the walls of my brain for ages now. Instead of knuckling down to "Poppy" my mind kept wandering to this story. Although I kept telling myself - "later, I just need to finish Poppy first" - the darn thing wouldn't leave me alone. So I opened a blank document and wrote the beginning. It's down in print now and it seems satisfied for the time being leaving me the headspace to get on with Poppy. Natalie blogged about a similar thing this week and she posted what she'd written. I won't be doing that as it might be many many moons before I can get back to working on it. Ninja Cyborg - I ain't.

So apologies if I'm a bit scarce right now. I'm trying to be a better writer.

FYI - the working title for Poppy's Book is Guardian. I'll just call it that from now on just so we don't get mixed up between the MC and the book itself.

This Post is Brought to You Today By The Letter D

So in line with wonderful Absolute Vanilla and the equally marvelous Bee I have taken on a letter to blog about. Bee kindly donated the letter "D" and this post is an homage to all the "D" words that mean or have meant something to me. Here are but a few...

"D" is for Dreams and Daydreaming. Well I guess I've made no secret of the fact that I'm dozy cow who likes to fritter the hours away in the depths of my imagination. Sometimes I'm thinking plotty things - or plotting (as those more adept at our fair language would say) - but, to me, 'plotting' just seems more sinister than the workings of my mind, so I like to think plotty things. Sometimes I engage in pondering. I like thinking about stuff. It doesn't have to be deep and meaningful - I'm quite a fan of the silly and absurd - just whatever pops in the old noggin that takes my fancy. Yes daydreaming is one of my favourite things.

"D" is for Dinner and Dessert. I adore food. Eating is just a miraculously pleasurable thing to do. And I'm not just talking about treats and sweets here, I get as much joy from a plate of stew as I do from the most delectable of oozy chocolatey treats. Flavour is, for me, one of the greatest gifts to humanity. Occasionally in my daydream meanderings I wonder what luxuries I could be comfortable with if I won the lottery or hit the payload with one of my books, and I have decided that I would have a personal chef because even though I adore food and I'm a reasonable cook, I'm not a happy cook. It just feels like work to me. I wish I liked it better but I don't.


"D" is for Doggie. Oh the Pooch! My fourth child. She's curled up at the end of my bed as contented as a doggie can be and I love her to pieces. She's not actually my dog - she belongs to Hubby - but I'm pretty sure she likes me better. I would love to have another. Poor Pooch doesn't like being alone and even though I'm only out for a few hours in the morning I know she hates it (as is evidenced by the ripped up mail I come home to and her new habit of taking anything she can reach off the counter top)! It's lonely and it's boring. However I have to wait till summer when I'm off for 6 weeks so I'm around to settle any new puppy in. I'm very much a dog person. She's like my sidekick. Whatever the weather, however I'm feeling we are out and about everyday. I can't tell you how much getting her for my Hubby has enriched my life.

I pretty sure he feels the same.

"D" is for Differences. I am constantly amazed how we are pressurized, as human beings, to be the same. We are told how to dress, how to act, what we should look for, what we should strive to achieve - even how we should be feeling. From the second we're born we are being taught to conform to a hive mentality. Now in the broader sense this makes sense. As a species, having shared values and social skills has helped us to be very successful. I have no problem with values that promote respect and understanding between people. What I have a problem with is the notion of homogenization. We are, because of the multitude of traditions and cultures, the thousands of languages, the musical variations across the planet, the profusion of beliefs and so much variation of thought, an incredibly diverse and amazing lot. I love that my children are so completely different from one another. Each has their own unique abilities, each learns in a different way and none of them conform to the jelly mould of the perfect child that the school curriculum is designed for. I value every unique hair on their head and I won't force them into a box and label it up as "generic child". I hope that they grow up to value who they are and they don't get caught up in the teen cloning syndrome so many kids fall prey to. And, let's face it, adults too. Vive les differences I say.

"D" is for Daisies. The perfect flower. So simple and yet so incredibly beautiful. I have very fond memories of sitting in the Park back in Limerick in the warm sunshine making daisy chain after daisy chain and how disappointed I felt the days I arrived to find that they'd mowed the grass and there were no daisies left to pick. Since I've grown up I've fallen head over heels in love with the Gerbera Daisy. It's the vibrancy of the colours - they are so uplifting. And I'm not allergic to them. I love lilies too but they play havoc with my nasal passages so I can't have them in the house - but gerberas I adore.

I love daisies so much that when I was pregnant with my daughter I wanted to call her Daisy. I thought it a beautiful name and that it would be perfect for my beautiful daughter but alas my Hubby had quite a different association in his mind.

"You can't call her Daisy," he said, "that's a cow's name!"

That kinda ruined it for me too.


"D" is for Dentists. Just to prove that not all D words are wonderful, I have to include this kiddie. At the age of 8 I had an extraction of a molar where the anaesthetic wasn't given long enough to work and despite my very loud protestations the git took the darn thing out anyway. Unsurprisingly I'm a bit nervous going to them even now - thirty five(ish) years later. You can read about my last visit here but if you're squeemish I really wouldn't recommend it! Unfortunately this reminds me that I have to make another appointment to go.

Shit.

"D" is for Delight. I just love that word. It makes me happy.

"D" is for Darkness. I sometimes find it hard to believe I was so terrified of the dark when I was a child. I love it now. I find night time and the deep blue of the sky so heartwarming these days I'm at a loss to understand how I could've conjured up so many monsters in the dark when I was little. In fact I like the dark so much I only put lights on in the evening time if I'm looking for something or I'm reading, otherwise my house is filled with inky moonlight.

Then of course there's dark chocolate - another great pleasure.....

"D" is for Dad. In gratitude for mine and for my husband who are both pretty darn fab.

"D" is for Daughter. I adore my three children equally so I feel weird singling out my daughter but I couldn't let a meme about D words that are important to me, go by without mentioning my favouritest D word, now can I? My daughter is eleven. She has long beautiful red hair, is tiny, very funny and terribly sweet. I feel utterly blessed to have had her and I hope that as she grows older she continues to come up, throw her arms around me and say, "Huggie!" Always Honey. Always.

The only other thing to say is that this is the 100th post for Whittering On. I've been trying to figure out why I'm not all Woo-Hoo and super-duper excited, running competitions, hosting parties and whatnot but the truth is, it's not my 100th post. I had that last year sometime on my other (now closed to the public) blog and there was fireworks and champagne. Actually this turns out to be my 219th post. So I guess you can see why I haven't got a marching band.

Still 100 posts is something to be proud of so I want to thank you all for being so kind as to pop by for all, most or the occasional few of those 100 and I hope to see around here for the next 100.

You're the best.

Delightful actually.

I'm Springing!

I went back to work on Monday after three weeks off. People keep asking "Are you better now?" and my answer is "Yeah - really well actually!" - like it's a surprise or something. It's great to feel well again.

And strangely that's probably the reason I haven't been about recently. Having got the energy back I've been missing for so long - the last thing I felt like doing was sitting for hours on end at the computer. I've been flitting about doing this and that, trying to catch up on all the stuff I let slide in the last month and I've been so chilled out you could keep your pint of milk fresh for a week by putting it down next to me.

Luckily I'd fulfilled my month's quota for Aerin's writing challenge weeks ago so I can relax there but I am living in fear of the Koala figuring out how remiss I've been at the Public Humiliation Challenge. Not a word for a fortnight. Nada. I feel those claws sharpening up. I hope my ducking reflexes are well tuned for when that swipe comes.

But you know what? I'm not in the least bit stressed about being wordless for weeks. Normally I wonder where my Muse has gone and I struggle with feelings of 'not quite being up to the job' but this time I feel different.

I had an epiphany. I epiph a lot. This one was so big I practically epiphed all over the place. These light bulb moments generally occur when I'm out walking the Pooch. I barrel along breathing in the country air - often talking to myself out loud. Yes I look like a crazy person but it's during these walks that I uncrazy myself. I've noticed that my energy levels are on the rise and I've also noticed (with considerable joy and satisfaction) that the Earth is Springing back to life. There's more light around, the air is less oppressive and I've ditched one layer of my winter coat. The shoots for the bluebells are through the ground and my garden is filled with snowdrops and crocuses. It won't be long till the daffodils bloom and my Magnolia tree blossoms. It's like the Earth is filled with potential energy and it's champing at the bit to be let loose but it's waiting for exactly the right time.

Like me. I'm bursting with ideas. I'm not in the slightest bit blocky but somewhere, instinctively, I know that the optimum conditions where my energy levels and creativity come together aren't quite here yet. But it's so close. Every morning I wake up and it's brighter and I feel even better.

If the rest of nature is utterly at the mercy of the seasons - then why not us? I was staring at the bluebell shoots when I had my epiphany. I thought about how it was this time last year when I really caught the bug for writing and I realised (DUH!) that my creativity waxes and wanes with the seasons. I'm totally and utterly a child of Nature.

My shoots are up.

I'm looking forward to seeing what flowers I produce this season.

Happy Valentine's Day.

I know lots of people hate Valentine's Day. It's the archetypal Hallmark Holiday - invented for totally commercial purposes for the fleecing of the intellectually impaired - i.e. those in the throes of first love.

Well I'm not such a cynic. Yes! Yes! I know that all that's true but it's also true (I believe) that love isn't celebrated nearly enough. We live busy, busy lives and days, weeks and even months can fly by in a blink without taking the time to really appreciate the love in your life. The oldest argument in the book against February 14th is that "I don't need a special day to buy you flowers or tell you how I feel." And that's quite true. But friends and lovers everywhere I have to ask how often do you remember to do it? Certainly I believe that you shouldn't only be romantic with each other on this day but I do feel having a special day put aside that grants you permission to go all out and ham it up for the love of your life can only be a good thing. Remember your romantic gesture doesn't have to help Hallmark at all - a simple handwritten letter is more romantic than almost anything. I think that taking the time and putting in a little effort to woo the love of your life is always worth it.

So, to you all I wish a very Happy Valentine's Day. Go on … tell the one you love just how much they mean to you.

Romancectomy.

Still grabbing at every challenge laid before me I have finally decided to do one of Robin's Voice Challenges. Normally I duck behind the parapet when these are going on because I have an unerring ability to transform into a stuttering eejit when asked to read aloud. However I've realised that even I couldn't mess up this one: How about we turn Valentine's day around? Read something slushily romantic in the least romantic way possible?. Well for me all I had to do was read it.

I realise this isn't very clear. It's fairly self-explanatory as to why that is. If you want a crystal clear rendition of it pop over to Whirl's gaff as he annunciated and projected for benefit of Maurice.




In the picture: my notebook and pen, the memory sick that contains all my writing, a cup of tea in my favourite mug, a packet of Lemsip flu capules, a box of (and several used) tissues and a bottle of echinacea drops.

With apologies to lovers of the Bard everywhere.

Things I Have Learned

1. If you screw up your back, however slightly you should so something about it straight away.

2. Soldiering on instead of prioritising yourself and your health is foolish.

3. Going into work when you should be taking care of yourself, because you feel guilty about taking time off, will come back to bite you on the bum.

4. Not feeling guilty about taking time off, even when you have to (because you can't move any more) is harder than it sounds.

5. When you are told to rest by a doctor they don't mean do less they mean do nothing.

6. Doing nothing is impossible.

7. It is also impossible to pick something up without bending. Even if you manage to keep your back straight going down you will lean forward to get back up again.

8. Having a healthy back is essential for your general health and wellbeing.

9. Chronic pain affects your mood. That might sound like common sense but think of it this way: I expect to feel cranky if I'm in pain at any given time but if you are in pain, however mild, and it stays with you for an extended period of time, it's physically hard to feel happy.

10. Chiropractors are worth their weight in gold.

11. My family is very understanding.

12. There is a big difference between knowing that the vacuuming needs to be done and just choosing to ignore it and knowing that the vacuuming needs to be done and not being able to do it. The former makes you feel like a rebel and rather smug, the latter makes you resent your dog for having a coat.

13. I love my dog and am totally blessed that I have to walk her every day. It's probably the thing that's kept me from having a slipped disc and from going potty.

14. Walking in fresh snow is fun. Walking on ice and slush is hair-raisingly scary.

15. My favourite things to do are sitting on my bed daydreaming and tapping away on my laptop. Unfortunately my back hates me doing these. It wants me to lie flat or be walking. Sitting for extended periods - even 10 minutes or more - makes it angry. This is why I haven't been visiting you guys this past week.

16. I have fantastic blogging buddies. Thank you to everyone you've sent me healing Karma, given me awards, sent me well-wishes and not clawed me for getting behind on my challenge.

17. I need to respect my body more - it really is a wonderful thing.

18. Being able to move is fantastic.

19. People who call to your door or phone you don't wait long enough for a creaky person to get to said door or phone. Honestly the number of time this week I've got up to answer one or the other of these to find myself abandoned is … um … lots!


20. Getting better is the best gift ever.

Thank you all for your patience at all this complaining. I'm done now. Shutting up!