Ladies, your help is needed ...

It's a bit delicate. It's a subject not normally talked about. But we females CAN make a big difference to our waterways. 

We are causing fish to die, sewers to be blocked, seas to be polluted. We have, for so many years, just put all sorts of things we have assumed were disposable in this way, down our toilets. We flush and forget. But we must change our ways. Ewww, I hear you say, but its simple, ideas to below.

If you haven't seen the programmes on tv about our rivers and sewers being polluted and blocked you wont have seen the stuff, other than what we have to do in the toilet, floating in water. It is a disgusting sight to see blood stained sanitary wear floating past the mouths of fish, turtles, river and sea creatures.

It is yes, the fault of overloaded sewers. It is yes, the fault of water authorities illegally dumping sewage into unauthorised places. It is yes, the fault of retailers selling non-biodegradable wet wipes, cotton buds, nappies, sanitary wear. But, we can take some of the blame of not changing our habits. 

Please, please, please think before putting anything other than toilet paper into the pan. Here's some suggestions to ease this situation.

• Sanitary pads, panty liners/Tena pads and tampons: wrap in toilet paper and dispose of into a bathroom bin, then into the general household waste dustbin. If out in public, hotel or shop toilets do use the paper bags and bins provided. 
• Wet wipes, disinfection wipes, baby wipes etc. Before these were invented we used household cloths. A flannel for intimate areas, an old towel or other material for disinfecting surfaces. These can be washed and reused often.
• Nappies and incontinence pads/sheets (I should hope no-one tries to flush these away but sewage workers may say different) can be folded up and taken out to the household dustbin. A plastic bag is not required. You could use paper bags or wrap in newspapers. (Brown paper bags can be bought cheaply, in bulk, via amazon)
• Cotton buds. Wrap these in a tissue or toilet paper and place in the household bin. 

Some of the above appertain to men too - we can be good examples to our men/boys/partners etc. Please wash your hands thoroughly after handling personal waste items.

Items that say they are disposable does not mean they are bio-degradable. If you want to go a step further in helping the environment, do read labels on how to dispose of things you buy and match to your council's recycling requirements.

When I lived in the mountains of Cyprus, not so very long ago, they acknowledged their sewage pipes were not built for coping with anything other than bodily waste. For three years I was required to put even toilet paper into a bin at the side of the toilet and then into the household waste dustbin. It was a very strange practice at first, and, being British, I often forgot. But as I got used to the idea I saw the sense of it and diligently respected the country's rules of sanitation. However, there were refuge problems too but that was another matter.

I was surprised to see there are images on-line and YouTube films of how to be responsible for our own waste products. Not something I would normally be searching for! Here are just a few:

If each person made simple steps to change a habit of a lifetime, one more creature wouldn't ingest unhealthy matter, one more fish could swim without bumping into a sanitary towel, one more sewage outlet wouldn't get blocked, one more river would be cleaner etc etc etc.

 

 Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. I know it seems like an issue too big to make a difference but for future generations, NO, FOR THIS GENERATION, now and for the future, it needs to be improved. If I change one person's mind about this issue I will be happy. Thank you in anticipation of some comments too. 

Two Quick Reads

It's very rare I read novella's but two came to my attention recently and I love the fact that I could read them in the space of a day. A novel takes me at least a week but I do love the continuous joy of them.

Here's the two novella's you might enjoy too.

Millennium Girl 

by Claire Bullimore

Go back in time....

This hooks you into the teenage years of needing someone of the opposite sex to love you. 

Jessica falls for Liam and you wish she hadn't; he's not right for her. But naively is deaf to reason and well meaning friends advice. That inner voice we all have, is stronger and louder than anything outside of Jessica's head.

Her holiday with 'the girls' will ring bells with lots of younger readers than I. There were no foam parties for me and my two pals in the Isle of Wight on our first holiday away from parents. They hadn't been invented then!

To think that it's only in the last 20 years that phones could take photos and you can send them to friends; that payphones have gone out of fashion and now we use a high factor sunscreen whilst abroad or even in our own back gardens, thanks to global warming. It was good to read that Jessica wanted to be treated with respect - being taken for a meal out and to have someone show you that you are special to them.

That first boyfriend though, that first kiss, that first heartbreak - you never forget it, it lasts a lifetime. 

The author is a brain tumour survivor and I applaud her self-published work. If you are a Bridget Jones's Diary or Friends fan or was a 'Naughties' teenager you will have a blast reading Millennium Girl.

Available from Amazon on kindle or in paperback.

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WHERE IT ENDS

by Heather Walker

The cover tells its own story. This novella links life with death through short stories. People, atmosphere and trees all view the cemetery setting from a different angle. My favourite was Mary who visited her husband's grave every day. She had spent a life-time not been listened to, now she could speak freely about opinions and her life as it was now. You get a sense of this lovely, patient, loyal wife that comes over so very real. I laughed and said 'Yay' out loud; it was brilliant. 

The chapters are subjects many of us may shy away from but Heather tackles them with sensitivity, humour and gentle nuggets of reality and seriousness. 

Recommended to those not in the early stages of grief but who are familiar with their local churchyard as a place of peaceful rest, nature and human activity.

Available from Amazon on kindle or in paperback.

Peas

Not something to get excited about I hear you say! No, the little green pea doesn't get much praise. Lots of children hate them, they are not easy to eat - they roll off a fork or jump off your plate if you try to stab them with fork prongs causing you much embarrassment when eating with guests or out in a posh restaraunt. Amateur gardener that I am, I decided to grow some vegetables this year and have already picked a substantial amount of peas having watched them grow, flower and produce pods.

My vegetable patch!

I am weighing them to see how much I produce. But having stood and shelled them memories of bygone days flooded my mind and I wondered if kiddies today even know this is where their frozen peas come from. My mind went back to a sunny day sat on the concrete step in the back garden with my mother. She had a cullender, bowl and heaps of pea pods she was holding up in her waist-tied apron. She told me to pop the pods open (showing me) and scoop out the peas; put the shells in the bowl and the peas in the cullender to be washed. They didn't look dirty to me but we spent some time together doing this job. I can't remember if it was weekly or just a one off occasion, perhaps she did it when I was at school. We didn't have a fridge or freezer back then (late 1950's) but we had a visiting greengrocer van to our cul-de-sac on the outskirts of Birmingham driven and served by Mr Arkle (what wonders of information we retain).

I'm sure somewhere along my married life I have bought and shelled peas but, like the majority of us I suspect, we find frozen peas so much more convenient. In fact a Twitter poll shows 64% preferred frozen peas. Mother let me taste the sweetness of those freshly podded, raw peas and I think there is not a match to that taste in the cooked or frozen variety. It has been known that I ate a few pod skins too!

                                                                Sweet fresh peas 

Did you know the humble pea is not actually a vegetable but a small, edible legume? They are in a family of lentils, chickpeas, beans and peanuts. They are a rich source of plant-based protein, fibre, iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium and vitamins. They help manage cholesterol levels, have high antioxidant levels and protect against some forms of cancer. I particularly like petit pois and mange tout but like the majority of the population I always have a bag of frozen peas in the freezer. (I did a Twitter poll and 64% preferred frozen to fresh, tinned or mushy.) How about you? Which type of peas do you eat or grow?

Water calls me

 Wild swimming is calling me, my kit is ready but...

Wet suit, water shoes & gloves, float, dry robe.

my younger, cold water partners are not! Dosthill Quarry, Tamworth, Staffordshire, is 11 degrees at present. Our last swim of 2021 was at 16 degrees and we thought that was too cold to continue through the late Autumn/Winter.

However, I'm ready to take the plunge, it's June after all! But as I've not been swimming for a good while (although I do Aqua aerobics) I feel it would be foolish and no fun to go it alone. I've joined a Facebook group called the West Midlands Bluetits and see they occasionally go to the quarry, so may join them sometime but I attend my keep fit class and this week stayed for a swim. The pool water feels so thick, is that even possible? I am yearning for the thin, fresh, clear waters of the quarry.

I have reflected on my relationship with water - I learnt to swim at Woodcock Street swimming baths in Birmingham with my dad and brother and later enjoyed trips to Stetchford baths by taking the number 11 Birmingham Corporation bus with friends. I love the sea but live too far away to use it. The smell of seaweed, sand and salt is a pleasure for the senses. Sea swimming is gritty though healing for skin and other ailments. I don't like seaweed wrapping itself around my legs and getting out, especially if stony underfoot, is sometimes challenging. Swimming pools are lovely, especially abroad lounging around hotel grounds, sun bathing your skin and warming you so much that dipping in the pool is so lovely and cooling . 

My first experience of a wild swim was with an elderly friend in the river Wray, Lancaster about 20 years ago and thought it was thrilling. But it wasn't until last year I tried the great outdoors locally in fresh water and found it the most wonderful of experiences. Swimming surrounded by rock, trees, a heron, fish and clear mineral-rich water made me at one with nature. It's a freedom, a focus, exhilaration, an achievement.

In a hired suit, ready to try wild swimming!

Wild swimming is even dominating my reading. This book is an amazing account of 3 brothers wild swimming in the most dangerous of locations and the length of a river, for adventure and for raising awareness of how incredible our natural world is and how we need to preserve the seas, rivers etc and all that live in and on them. A thoroughly gripping real life story.

Highly recommended read

And now I'm reading The Ladies Midnight Swimming Club by Faith Hogan. 

Enjoying this novel

Wild swimming is not age-limited, in fact it would seem that more women than men in later life take up this pursuit. The health benefits are well known - it's good for bones, muscles, the brain and good mental health. Dosthill Quarry hire out wetsuits and floats if you want to try it out. They 'man' the site and offer diving lessons for those even more brave than I. There is a rescue boat if anyone gets into difficulty.

A circular swim is approximately a quarter of a mile.  You need to book a time slot first - here's the link https://dosthillquarry.com/. Do say 'hi' if you see me there, I'll be the slowest swimmer, just taking in each moment of delight and making the most of my surroundings.

Getting Published?

        It’s been 32 years since I wrote this book and used a vanity publisher. I paid a fee in response to an advert to be published. It was a substantial fee I could ill afford but I was passionate to see my work in print. I collected a box which contained a number of copies – I forget how many, but not a great deal – maybe 50. I was so excited to get them home, hold them and see a dream come true. But alas, I was very disappointed when I opened the book and saw the printed pages – so amateur. 

        When I tried to contact the producers, they had vanished from all trace. I felt I had been taken for a fool by a money-making couple. My ‘life script’ told me it wasn’t good enough and I wasn’t good enough. (My school reports always contained the script 'could do better'.)

        The artist was a friend of a friend, a twin girl, Julie Genders. The original pictures I feel sure were in colour. I hope she went on to have a good career with her artful gift. We lost contact a year or two later.

        The book was intended for children 3-9 years of age telling them of bible stories, explaining church services and especially christenings, weddings and funerals. The book should have been something I was proud of, instead it’s been hidden away but the memory of it has kept me determined to fulfil an ambition. It has made me learn and hone skills, it made me love books with a passion, it has shaped who I am.

                                                      

        I continued to write, always. I cannot live without writing something. Lots of notebooks filled with fleeting thoughts, folders of poems and short stories never seen by others; letters to magazines, articles in parish, commercial and professional magazines were printed and boosted my writing confidence.

        As time passed and the typewriter made way for computers. Instead of posting a manuscript and waiting for its precious return, now, sending work off to publishers and agents is replaced by the simple click of sending an email. The wait for reply can, however, still be a long time. Becoming an author is harder than any job interview. Rather than meet people, research of who I’m sending my work to for consideration is a silent process, searching the web to identify which publisher or agent may be interested in my women’s contemporary fiction novel and other children’s books. No doubt some of them research me on the web too. One day, I will succeed in my quest, with the right help, at the right time.

Call of the Penguins

 by Hazel Prior

Christmas for Beginners

 

There’s a lot of Beginners contained in the pages of Carole Matthews Christmas 2021 novel.

Molly is running her farm and education centre for teenagers with difficulties.  She is beginning again after losing her previous land to the HS2 works (grrr).

Shelby, her actor boyfriend, is beginning to be less available as he takes on Panto life in Birmingham and then gets offered a film part in the USA. He supports Molly financially but is happy for her to house Lucas, his grieving teenage son in the caravan on the farm site.  

Molly is beginning to blossom and grow with the help of Bev, her farm friend. An open day is planned and together Molly, Bev, Alan, Lucas and Matt the Mayor transpose the barn into a twinkling Christmassy scene where the teenagers and animals all are part of a fabulous fundraiser event.

There are new beginnings for two rescued Turkeys; for a mother & daughter escaping an abusive home life and for all the other main characters.

It is a great follow on novel from Happiness for Beginners and can be read as a stand alone as you soon get to know about Molly’s situation.

Loved it, and read it so quickly! 

Review on Goodreads also. 

Writing on the Road

Campervan Love and the Joy of Solitude by Sue Reid Sexton.

I saw this book at Gloucester Service Station/Farm Shop and, on return home from a little break, I ordered it from The Book Depository - as quick and easy as Amazon and free delivery.  The Book Depository are also part of the Easy Fundraising scheme, so I earned a few more pennies for my favourite charity.  My hope for choosing it was that it would get me a) back into reading and b) inspired to continue with my quest to get my novel published one day.  It definately gave back both my reading and writing mojo, even though Christmas was on the horizon and there was so much to distract me.

It was published back in 2016 and I felt the opening first few paragraphs were alarming as being very mindful of the planet; recycling/getting rid of rubbish considerately and caring for beauty spots was uppermost in everyone's mind. However, that aside I got well into the scenes of campervanning as I have friends and family who often take off in their homes on wheels for mini breaks.

It is not a novel or fiction. This is true life of one brave lady who writes for publishing, a serious, time consuming business - I know. The need for a quiet space I can identify with.  The procrasination for the job in hand I can identify with. The inner voice that tells you its not good enough/give up etc I can identify with. I definately identified with her journal writing.  And when I found out the author had been a Person Centred Counsellor for 10 years, as I had been, I identified with the processes she likened writing and counselling to.  

She writes about the joy of solitude, fears parking up in an unknown place without a phone signal, her relationships and her innermost thoughts.  She describes in detail places in Scotland I have visited. The detail of scenery and nature is beautiful.

Towards the end, and what I was most inspired by, was the weeks or months she is not writing and the self talk about it not being worthy of continuing.  She has writing gaps and has to have right conditions for editing - tidyness, food, drink etc.  It is this that got me out into my writing cabin again the very next day and to get on with my process/progress.

I didn't want the journey to end, I didn't want to leave the highways, narrow lanes, bends and high places of Scotland but the wheels of my mind in reading this book has got me moving.  

I read reviews after I had made notes of my reading experience and was upset for the author that a few people didn't get it, or wanted it to be something other than it was.  All books, no doubt, appeal to different people at different times.  I guess those who bought campervans during these last two Covid years may have wanted tips on camping sites (there are a few recommendations) but wild camping is the author's preferred way of being away from home for the purpose of writing and needing few distractions.  It is a log of her trips, at different times, to different locations and what happens during those times.  

Reviewed also on Goodreads.  

Tiredness can kill....

...... a notice on the motorway.

But it's not just drivers that need to heed this warning. At this time of year 'End of Year Fatigue' is a thing. Tiredness causes irritations, arguments, mistakes, dropping and breaking crockery, falls and so many other mishaps because the brain, and therefore your body, is not firing on all cylinders.

Try to combat this by sitting down with a cup of tea or coffee. Stare out of window for 5 minutes. Breathe deeply. Give yourself permission to REST. Watch a film, read a book, forget the chores for an hour or two. Longer if you can. The power of resting is amazing: restoring your balanced mind and creating new energy. I can testify to this.

That said I know there is much to do at this time of year - ask yourself 'is this essential right now?' We also have the new Covid virus to contend with, which no doubt is adding again into our stresses. But we can be happy about the knowledge that THIS TOO WILL COME TO PASS. Be KIND to yourself.

Journal Writing

One way of clearing the clutter of your mind, where thousands of memories, hundreds of names and places, trillions of thoughts, stresses, feelings etc pass through, or take up residence over a life time, is to write a journal.  The idea is to get it out of your mind on to paper and thereby be more peaceful.

You don't have to be good at writing.  A journal can be done a number of ways to suit your needs.  Here are some prompts -

• Write a daily account of what you have done, who you have interacted with, how you have felt etc.  It can be short points like a diary or longer sentences as little or as much as you like.
• Choose a topic - the weather, a person, a possession, a feeling, a place, anything.  Write how the weather affects your mood, how that person has affect on your life, how a childs toy sparked a memory, how hurt or angry you were after a meeting, how beautiful the countryside or town is.  Topics are endless - a few sentences soon turn into a page or even two or more.
• Some people find logging their diet helps with finding out food allergies or trying to lose weight.  Seeing in black and white what you have eaten rather than trying to remember every mouthful can be a reminder of how much or how little you have eaten, what triggers your allergies or IBS.  Perhaps add a line or two about how you feel after certain foods - ie. full; wanting more; felt bloated; etc will show you where you are happy and where you are not.  Seeing it written down will trigger other thoughts ie. 'perhaps I could substitute this for that' or 'wow I've done well today'.
• Journals can be a way to build self-confidence - writing down affirmations ie. I can do this, I'm brave, I'm strong, I'm gifted, kind, caring etc.  One a day keeps negativity at bay.
• Journals can be a way of logging information about your hobby, places you visit (travel log), keeping notes, doodling/drawing, working things out.  They can be lists or weighing up pros and cons of a decision.  

Perhaps you have notebooks which you started and didn't keep up with?  It doesn't matter how long a gap is since you last used a notebook in any of the above ways.  There is a time for everything, and sometimes writing a journal for a short period of time can be just the ticket to get you through a difficult time or to log your joy at attaining a goal.  

Treat yourself to a new notebook and pen soon.  Give it a try and see if it helps.  

Clock Watching

 

Do you keep looking at a clock, your watch or time on your phone?  Do you wish it was Friday when its only Wednesday?  Do you countdown to your next holiday or Christmas wanting it for the break from your job or the daily grind of life?

It could be a sign of boredom, unhappiness, depression even.  Sheila Walker, the middle aged protagonist in my (as yet unpublished novel) is showing signs in her job that all is not well by clock watching.  Having worked as a PA in a family accountants for over a decade she is restless but tells herself and her friend Phoebe she is comfortable, knows her job well and is not looking to change it.  

Sometimes we believe our own lies and it holds us back from moving forward.  We get stuck in a rut of familiarity and go through the motions of routine as time slips by.  We say we don't like change and yet, sometimes, it can't be stopped.  Change is sometimes forced upon us as circumstances of others around us affect our lives.  

Sheila has a talent and passion which has been held at bay during her child rearing and working life but circumstances lead to an opportunity to fulfil a dream.  But first she needs to 'sort herself out.'  

I wonder what you do to make slight or drastic changes?  Perhaps rearrange the furniture at home or decorate a room.  Perhaps take up a new hobby or start taking an interest in gardening.  Perhaps you sell your house and move away from all that is familiar?  Perhaps you have been made redundant during this Pandemic and are job seeking?

Days tick by and each one has a new challenge.  Though we like to plan and know what we are doing it is inevitable that unexpected things will come our way.  New people to meet, new sights to see, a new routine to get used to.  Let's embrace each precious moment and be happy in all we experience. 

Clutter in the Loft

 Clearing the Clutter

It's a job we all mean to do - clearing the clutter from our homes.  Sheila Walker (57) my protagonist in Novel 1 (written but as yet unpublished) tackles this job.  Her eldest daughter, Lily-Anne is getting married and needs something that's stored in the family home's loft.  Retrieving it Sheila sees the mess and is determined to tackle it.  In doing so she gets more out of it than she bargained for.  

I wonder what you would find in your loft space?  Having just moved house I had hoped that downsizing would see rather less between the new rafters but alas it still seems to be a lot of 'stuff'.

We have sold things, given items to charity and thrown stuff away.  But when a home has more than one occupant, the amount of 'stuff' is doubled, trebled, quadrupled etc.  Many a bag or box goes into that space without a label so sifting through to find something becomes a bind. 

I am guessing like me you would probably find old school books, childrens toys, curtains, rugs, boxes of bank statements/bills etc., spare kettles or toasters; folding chairs; things to be mended; material; Christmas decorations and the tree in your loft?  My husband and I have numerous framed pictures which we know will never be on the walls again; and ornaments too never again to adorn shelves or window ledges. They too must go! Letting go of memorabilia is not always easy.

A loft can be a problem area of the house in other ways - squirrels, rats, bats, bees, flies etc can become unwanted residents.  Or they can be a delightful conversion space for a spare bedroom or office.  

Only one property I lived in temporarily, didn't have a loft.  This was in a village flat roofed house in Paphos, Cyprus, where there was very little storage space too.  However, as our UK property was rented out whilst we were away for 6 years, all our worldly goods/treasurers/junk was locked away in the roof space, the hatch battoned down for safe keeping.  On return it was some time before it saw the light of day again.  An access ladder was installed, flooring fitted and an electric light to make it safer to mooch about in.  Part of Sheila's story was inspired by my own experience though I love how it differs as my imagination took on Sheila's life.  

 

 

A Feather on the Doormat

A Feather on the Doormat

No, it's not a book title.  Though it could be.  But it's not the title of my (as yet unpublished) first novel.  

I have blogged my novel writing progress over the years: showing you my writing space; blogging about courses I've attended; books I've read etc etc.  I know some of you share my hope that one day my book will be published and available for you to read having spent so much time in the writing, editing, re-reading, editing again and again, sending off to publishers and agents and I am now 50,000 words into its sequel. 

So what's this about the feather?  A white feather on a doormat.  If you found this on your return home what would you think/feel?   This feather on the doormat is found by my protagonist, Sheila Walker, and is to her a sign from her departed mother.  A feather appears at special moments throughout her life that comforts her, encourages her, 'speaks' to her.  Sheila talks to her mum in her head and on this occasion does not receive a clear message back.  She needs to do something, but not quite sure what.  She commences on a quest to find out, acting on impulses and instinct.  It leads to a clearer headspace, a tidier home and eventually a change of direction.  Intrigued?  I hope so.  I will blog some more snippets later, so watch this space.

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Perhaps you have lost a loved one and have had a similar experience?  A robin, a butterfly, a flowering rose on the anniversary of the death of someone close.  Or a whisper on the wind, an inner sense of the deceased being near, a warm breeze rubbing past your shoulder.  There are many different believed signs of life beyond our earthly one.  I hope you find comfort by such occasions in times of grief.

                                                                            *  *  *    

I know for some people feathers would evoke fear - the fear of feathers is called 'Pteronophobia' and the irrational fear of being tickled by feathers brings about a very high anxiety state, from the mere thought, let alone the action which would undoubtedly lead to a panic attack.  They would be likely to avoid places where they will be in contact with or see feathers ie. a bird park, avairy or visiting anyone with a pet parrot or budgerigar. Perhaps you know someone like this?

However, I hope for you, like me, feathers are lovely to see.  Soft, gentle, reminders of nature and beautiful birds.  Something to sink your head into - a pillow full of duck down, or cover you at night with a feathered quilt.  Perhaps your sofa cushions are feather filled or you have a 'dream catcher' in your window with the feathers blowing in the breeze?  Perhaps you will notice feathers more often after reading this blog?  Do let me know in the comments box below or via Twitter @tweetsue13.

 

Wild Swimming

 

Dosthill Quarry, Tamworth is a place I'd never visited.  Many, many years ago it would occasionally be in the local newspaper as a danger spot, indeed some had drowned there as I believed it was unmanned, unlike the very well supervised place it is today.  Its natural beauty is stunning.  

Apparently it is mentioned in the Domesday Book.  Much later it was renown for granite excavations and a fresh water spring flooded the quarry.  By 1958 scuba diving, cliff jumping and swimming were being established.  In 2015 the famous Milk Tray cliff diving advert was filmed at this location.

I can't see myself being brave enough for jumping or diving but over the years have been interested in people swimming in cold water, 'how on earth do they do that?!' I would think, seeing them run down to the sea in winter or into a lake.  

During the Pandemic of Covid 19 in 2020 when I was prevented from enjoying the warm waters of a swimming pool I recalled a lovely memory of the one time I swam in the river Lune in Lancashire with an elderly lady friend.  It was an experience that would see me well when my daughter told me her friend's mother swam regularly outdoors in various locations.  

I was also in awe of Reverend Kate Botley, in her swimming costume and woolly hat, swimming wild on the television.  Ben Fogle swam in a lake too in his 'Living in the Wild' programme.  I think my daughter was astonished when I said I'd like to do that too and no sooner said than arranged.  Live life whilst you can is a motto both of us use.

The first occasion we hired wet suits and floats and the attendant made sure we could float and swim, giving us instruction where to swim as the divers entered and emerged from the depths at certain points.  I really did not want to think about how deep the quarry is, knowing that there was nowhere to touch the ground, but good to know I was being held up by the wetsuit and float.  I had no hesitation of entering the water, I so wanted to do this!

Having arrived with my cossy on under my joggers and jumper (for warmth afterwards) I then had the first experience of squeezing myself into a really tight one-piece, not a quick and easy feat.  And after the swim peeling it off whilst trying to be quick to dry myself was awkward.  But how can I describe the joy I felt after the first open water swim?  The clearness of the water, fresh and mineral filled, not salty like the sea or warm and claggy like the chlorine of swimming pools but pure and exhilarating.  I loved it!  

Being surrounded by greenery, and on our third visit being watched by a heron, is just heavenly.  I can only say I felt totally at peace, at one with the world such as it is with its horrors, diseases, tragedies and tribulations.  Everything but the moment melts away.  Pure bliss.  I don't want to get out but find the feeling of calm and exhilaration carry on for sometime afterwards.

This borrowed 'shorty' suit was so much better to swim in and now I have my own wetsuit, an early birthday present from my daughter.  I'm not sure I'll be up for the depths of winter swimming and might defer to indoor swimming if all Covid restrictions are lifted, but I now look forward to my once a week wild swim.  Never too old to try something new!

Afterword : Dosthill Quarry can be found on YouTube for those interested in Scuba Diving.  It is 24m deep and the water temperature has been 16-18 degrees on my visits.  It is home to a variety of fish, and hidden in its depths, there are various wrecks to be explored.  

A Moving Experience - Part 3

We're in.  We've survived.  We love our new abode but oh heck, how stressful was that.  

Two Friday afternoons prior to moving date were the most stressful of times.  Phone calls, emails, solicitors, agents, previous occupiers, buyers - we were in hot pursuit of them all. Last minute panic about exchanging contracts, removal date etc saw me with a very poor night of sickness and diarrehea prior to commence moving day.  

Boxes, boxes, boxes.  Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.  I was exhausted.  But without a look back I stepped out of our home of 30 years with a 'goodbye house' and no regrets.  Stepping into the bungalow started the reverse of events.  The removers were brilliant - calm, helpful, cheerful.  Unloaded all our worldly goods into various spaces and only a cheap clock face was broken.  Now where's the kettle.  I made everyone drinks and felt the relief flood through my vains.

We have now emptied most of the boxes or stuffed things in cupboards, cabins, shed or the loft until we find proper homes for all items.  In the meantime its a daily occurrence to say 100 times 'where's the... ' to each other.  

Cleaners and an oven firm came in as a one off - I employed someone else to do some essential (mindful of Covid) work.  It immediately feels like home and settling in is an on-going process of meeting the neighbours, being acquainted with the locality and its amenities etc. 

Thanks to everyone who has sent us good wishes on social media, cards and gifts.  It delights my soul to know you care.

A Moving Experience - Part 2

The process started last August when we decided to put our house on the market.  We had three agents give us a valuation and we chose one, not for the highest valuation but an interesting pitch whereby all we would have to do would be to sign a contract - solicitors were included in the package.  It turned out not to be a good choice and we soon changed to get our own solicitors.  This was a costly mistake.  However, we were pleased with the solicitor we ended up with.  The stress for a week whilst this was being arranged was scary.

We saw a bungalow we liked but with no buyer for ours at that time it sold and we lost it.  But I believe everything happens for a reason and after the winter we had our block paving drive cleaned and asked our agent to post a new picture of the front of the house.  We then viewed another bungalow and fell in love with it immediately but contained any hope/excitement.

Then a buyer came to view ours (we'd had two other couples previously).  We all wore face masks and were keeping our distance.  I cleaned before and after their visits as the Pandemic was still rife.  They fell in love at first sight of our place too.  They have a young couple interested in their property so it was all systems go.  Offers were put in and accepted and we were 'Sold Subject to Contract'.  

That was back in February.  Lots of emails and phone calls back and forth to the Estate Agents and Solicitor, paperwork to fill in and a contract to sign (but not date) has been submitted pending a completion date.

Meanwhile lots of activity of decluttering our possessions by way of emptying the loft.  I have sold stuff on Shpock; given good items to the church for their next open air pop up sale, given three sleeping bags, a quilt and blanket for the homeless; an old but useable sewing machine went to sewing people making masks for the NHS, a laptop went to a group who were making them fit for school children to use, clothes have been put in charity bags and books sold via an app on my phone.  All in all very productive and satisfying.  My sister and nephew have had home and garden furniture too.

Now comes the big clean - not that my house is dirty but places I don't get round to normally are being wiped down, kitchen drawers lined, net curtains washed, inside windows cleaned etc.  We have boxes of items labelled up and are at a stage of being anxious to know all is well with our buyers and theirs.  Its hard living with uncertainty but if all goes well we will be moving at the end of April, beginning of May.

I have to say I think the process is all so very wrong.  No contact for weeks gives you time to doubt that all is well.  Just a phone call or email each week saying what the state of play is would be helpful, even if no change from the last week, after all the agents/solicitors get a good fee from property sales.  So tension builds and anxiety saps my energy.  I tell myself it'll all be worth it and so glad I am doing this now and not when I am any older.  Even younger people find it stressful - it used to take top spot on the Life Changes stress chart but now I see it has been kicked off the No 1 stressor and features below 'death of a spouse' and 'divorce'.  

Changes to the procedure I would make:  

• Agents - have a pack ready of 'Things you will need proof of during the selling process' - for example we had no idea that windows and doors fitted by a non-FENSA registered builder/fitter would need an Indemnity Insurance certificate.  Make sure you have a gas boiler/gas safety certificate.  Have knowledge of any trouble with neighbours house and outcomes of any applications to the Borough Council re TPO's (Tree Preservation Orders).  
• Solicitors - Have an agreement of how much contact can be expected, charges etc.

All our dealings have been done during the Pandemic and therefore by 'phone or email only, so personal visits not allowed other than in the initial stage.  The lack of contact, personal or otherwise can mean the difference between a good review of your service or not.

Our stumbling blocks were as follows and I list them in case readers of this blog have similiar issues:

• Gas Safety Register - a new boiler has been fitted in the property we are buying and because the house number is, lets say, 123A, it had been registered wrongly to No 123.  This took a good while to put right which should have been really simple.
• A Tree Preservation Order on a tree outside of our property boundary also caused confusion, one solicitor wanting clarification it was not in our garden and the other insisting it was.  The local council office finally shed light on the situation after we chased them for information.  Did you know that if a tree that has a TPO on it and its branches overhang your garden wall you have to get permission to cut off said branches?  Good job they were out of our reach all those years we dealt with the falling leaves.

Communication between Solicitors seems very confusing, one saying they have sent information and another saying they are still waiting for it.  Meanwhile we draw closer to the date that the person at the top of the chain needs to complete by and no-one in the chain has had this date verified in order to make arrangements with removal companies etc.

So we are now on our third date for completion/moving.  Exchange of contracts are taking place and removals on Monday 10th.  What a journey this has been but in the end - all is well.  Our boxes are packed and a closing of a chapter will take place over the weekend.  Wish us well for Monday and the new start that is to come.

A Moving Experience - Part 1

It has been 29 years since we moved from a bungalow to our current house.  It was an experience we have never forgotten as TWICE the sale fell through at the eleventh hour and we lost the house of our dreams - a show house on a nearby new housing estate.  It took over 2 years to find a buyer who completed the process and then we had to quickly find a new place to live.  

When I saw this property with its challet type roof it didn't really appeal to me from the outside.  But as the saying goes 'never judge a book by its cover.'  It is very spacious inside and we bought it.   Our teenage daughter and her friend slept on the floor in the lounge before we actually moved in - I think they had a scary but fun night.  We made the place our own and have lots of memories - especially selling all our furniture and for six years rented the house out as we went to live in Cyprus and then Lancaster.  On our return many house improvements took place, oh the mess!  But of course the result was a luxury kitchen, bathroom, cloakroom etc etc.

Time has come, however, to think about our autumn years and minimising our belongings.  In a space of two weeks both our daughter and ourselves recently had eventful happenings.  She is in the process of buying a property she had previously rented for a while and loved dearly, and we have 'sold subject to contract' having viewed and are in the process of buying a nearby bungalow!  The Pandemic's big surprise.  It is exciting, scary and stressful in view of our previous experience and having to deal with agents, solicitors etc etc. as well as adhering to strict guidelines of sanitising, masks and distance of course.  My sleep pattern is off the scale during flurry of activity.  I had been used to slow, sometimes boring days of #stayhome, #staysafe.  Now though is the big box up and clean up.  It's exhausting. 

There is a small chain of four couples all ready to go so we are hoping for a good, smoother transition than all those years ago.  I have to say I think the whole process is wrong - Scotland seem to have a better way of doing things. We trust all is well as we anxiously await the signing of contracts and completion.  Meanwhile we are downsizing our possessions and preparing for a big change.  Please hold us in your thoughts and wish us luck.

P p p p pick up a penguin .....

No, not the chocolate biscuit, something far more fulfilling and longer lasting.  This book....

Available from WHSmiths, Waterstones, Amazon etc
Richard & Judy Bookclub Pick 2020
Published by Transworld Publishers Ltd.

Hazel Prior has done it again.  I couldn't put this book down and it left me with a great need to own a fluffy baby penguin, so I ordered a toy one to bring me comfort (see below - you know I love teddies etc, he's soooooo soft). It will give me a lasting memory of the Antartic, global warming and nature in decline.

Everyone needs a Granny in their life right?  I haven't had one for most of my adult life but 'adopted' one or two older people over the years, sadly most are now gone.  One remains and is VERY much like Veronica in this book.  She would do exactly as this character has done by having one last adventure and using her money to good cause.

The story was both heartwarming and joyous intertwined with awkward moments and hard decisions.  The Antartic comes to life and I was right there in the midst of the penguin colony with Veronica and the scientists.  I really didn't want the book to end but couldn't help turning the pages to see what happened next.  

Patrick/Pip the orphaned penguin was adorable.  I was happy to know from the 'acknowledgements' that Hazel had researched at the Living Coasts centre in Torquay which I visited myself a few years ago, but sad to learn that it has now closed down and I wonder at where all the animals have been rehomed.

Our planet needs the David Attenborough's amongst us, not just to watch his programmes of how our planet has changed and what is becoming of our world, but it also needs activists and generous people to donate money where they can to keep the animal kingdom from extinction.

Away with the Penguins addresses this in a beautiful story of  hard lives, relationships and how money does not make us happy but can help a troubled world.  It will make you smile and ponder your own life and love of nature.

Five star review on Goodreads and Amazon.  

My (Eco friendly made) Pip saying hi from my writing room.

Harps, a Pheasant and Exmoor's natural beauty

      

You may wonder what anyone could write about these three subjects which seem very much unrelated.  But I know a fellow Swanwick Summer School writer who has done the most excellent of jobs combining the three into a fabulous novel.  Her characters of Dan and Ellie you will love, Clive, Rhoda and Jo you may not, harps and pheasants may not hold much of a interest until you have a heightened awareness and if you have not visited Exmoor you surely will want to after reading ...

Hazel Prior is a freelance Harpist.  The harp is an instrument that isn't high profile but sounds divine.  I've heard her play.  Her two novels were on my 'TBR' (to be read) list and winning a competition on Twitter I was thrilled to receive a copy which I dipped into immediately and enthusiastically.  I read nine chapters straight off.

Ellie is an Exmoor Housewife, her husband Clive likes her at home but out on a walk one day she comes across the Harp Barn where Dan makes harps and gets great pleasure from being outdoors in nature.  They become friends and he gives her a harp to learn to play, which doesn't go down well with Clive.  

Dan leads a simplistic life and thinks he is made differently from most people.  He likes counting and making sandwiches apart from making exquisite harps in his workshop.  One day out walking he saves a pheasant from being shot but in doing so is injured himself.  He gives the pheasant a safe haven and Ellie helps Dan with his wound dressings.

This book has secrets and lies, happiness in the soul, friendship, hate, destruction from rage, true, pure love and an awakening for the reader of understanding difference.

I gobbled it up like the pheasant and his feed, my heartstrings were plucked like the F cord of a harp, my mind was educated and I felt as if I had been through some trauma and then rewarded with a nice big creamy cake (or a plum jam sandwich).

Highly recommended read, 5 star review on Goodreads.  

Hazel's website is www.hazeltheharpist.co.uk.  Please do take a minute to look her up and listen to her recordings of playing the harp or excerpts of her stories. 

Ellie and The Harp Maker is published by hbright@penquinrandomhouse.co.uk.  available at all good bookshops. 

Look out for this too.....

If you use Twitter her handle is @HazelPriorBooks.

 

The Family Gift

 

This book is utter brilliance.  It takes all the 'shit happens' in Freya's life and magnifies it.  

It starts with boxing up belongings and moving house - an exercise that immediately resonates with me.  Freya has been married 10 years, is 42, very tall and unhappy with herself.  Having moved house and unpacked the boxes this book soon shows us 'life is not perfect'.  She tends to her children's needs for the internet and television but the reader soon is introduced to 'Mildred' - the voice in her head who gives her lots of negative thoughts that she has to fight off.  She has a fear or two and as I read I was worried Freya was heading for a nervous breakdown.

This story is about a large family, working parents, moving house, harbouring fears, keeping a lot of spinning plates in the air and living life in the fast lane.  If this resonates with you, you will love it as Freya blindly tries to be superwoman, which many people sandwiched between growing children and elderly parents try to be, with some success to others but failing themselves. 

I like the way the author takes another view of well known, well meaning sayings ie. 'when life gives you lemons, make lemonade' and 'dance like nobody's watching.'  Cathy Kelly certainly knows how to make her reader laugh and think deeply.  She portrays our 'masks' as Freya puts on a brave face to her teenage daughter and hides her fears, but how not being real can go pear shaped.

Freya's internal voice gives her truths and reality.  We so often say we are 'fine' when actually we carry a lot of worries, and the larger the family the more concerns we have.  Freya's family is large and has many worries that keep her awake at night as well as a pressurized job.  She juggles so many plates in the air and as the reader I felt her harbouring a fear and that something was going to have to give.  It's an intense read.  You will worry that a car crash is about to happen.

It was good to be affirmed that others 'talk to themselves in their heads'.  Self talk can be annoying - a battle - or it can have a positive affect on mental health if one learns to silence or tame it.  It is a subject not very often brought out into the open.

Freya eventually gives in to attending a support group where she talks it all out in the safety of being with others where their lives have been shattered by events too.  Realisation of changing from hiding the 'not coping' to using it in a different way - slowing down, caring for others, smelling the roses and cooking to heal - all dawn on her as being her 'real self' and that hiding stuff equals hurting; being open and honest leads to healing.

The book is a keeper, a reminder that life is too short and precious to bear pain, grudges and negative outlooks.  Five stars is not enough.  It exceeds excellence.  Go read it now.....