On making decisions.....or not

It's another one of those 'drained and overwhelmed' days, I'm afraid. I'm getting closer to the end of this contract and, so far, nothing in sight to replace it. I'm still toying with the idea of going back to university but, in all honesty, if I could find writing to replace what I am losing then I would be happiest to keep doing what I am doing.

I had a lovely chat with a friend over coffee this morning which cheered me up no end, but also reminded me of how lucky I am to not be in work every day. It's a real luxury to be able to have half an hour over a drink after the school run, and I've been lucky to be able to do it for years now. I've also been taking it forgranted and the possibility that I may not be able to do it for much longer is heavy on my shoulders.

Today, I have written three articles for VisitBritain and I'm now looking at my 'To Do' list trying to work out what to tackle next. It's this bit that I find so overwhelming. Which opportunities do I aim at first? Which is most likely to come off? And when one of my stories could be suitable for two different things, how do I decide where to send it? See, this is my problem, I've never been very good one the old decison making......I'm a ponderer......a thinker........and as such am liable to not actually get much done. Hmmmmm........ maybe I'll put the kettle on...........maybe

My Little Newton

Yes, it's another bedtime story of the Bean. He really is a one....and a funny one at that!

Last night it was the usual story. He'd been told 'Lights Out' and so should have been quietly in bed, drifting into snoozledom. Well, all was quiet...until

BANG!!

OK, so it probably wasn't that loud, but it sounded it from downstairs. We went up to his room to find him standing up, on the floor with a piece of yellow, rubber meccano in his hand.

'What are you doing? You should be asleep!' - we were not best pleased.

'I...er...I was.....er...'

'WHAT were you doing.'

'An experiment'

'What?'

'I was doing an experiment. See if I throw this meccano over my shoulder I can't see it and it's behind me. And, my eyes don't move as quickly as the meccano, it gets faster and my eyes can't move that fast. See?'

We saw. He was recreating Newton's experiments on gravity. At 10pm. With a piece of meccano. And he's 5. Sheesh, he's got some brain - I just wish he'd let it switch off occasionally!

Anyway, we stopped shouting, applauded him for his thought processes but said there was a time and a place and this wasn't it. He climbed back in to bed.

'Night Night, now get some sleep'

'Night Night. Love you. If I threw it on Mars or on the Moon it would be different, wouldn't it? It would move slower there.'

'Yes dear. Why don't you think about that as you drift off to sleep. But no more experiments tonight.'

'OK. Night night.'

I wonder what tonight will bring.....Einstein maybe?

A Modicum of Success!

I received an email this morning from Chat magazine who have accepted the anecdote I sent to to them with the Bean's photo last week - BIG thanks to Womag's blog for giving me the push to send them out! OK, it's not going to pay a huge amount but it's a start and to get a positive email is just fantastic - especially at 9:30am on a Monday morning!!!!

The Wii fit is going well - I think! I'm certainly enjoying it anyway, SO glad that it's finally here. I'll be writing my WeightWatchers blog this morning too, it's so good to finally feel that I'm getting somewhere. When other parts of life are uncertain it's good to feel that there is one area that I can keep control of.

There's a lot going around my head at the moment, work wise, as I try to decide whether or not to head back to University. It's a huge decision, one that is overwhelming at times. There are pros and cons to both sides but, for now, I'm just going to keep thinking it over. I've registered for more information so I'll be able to make a more informed decision soon.

On work and decisions.

Another Sunday and so another 12 hours in work.......Today is actually going fairly quickly and I am currently reporting on the travel situations for BBC Lancashire, BBC Manchester and BBC Cumbria. Nothing is happening to report on, mind you and so it's more a list of roadworks. Still, it may be dull for me but at least it's been a safe day out on the roads of the North West.

The Bean had his second riding lesson yesterday and had a fantastic time. I really hope he continues to enjoy it. I must admit to being very envious as he climbs up into the saddle - I would love to be up there alongside him. Still, maybe one day!

I finally got my Wii Fit yesterday - WHOO! I've not had much of a go on it yet, thanks to a certain little person taking over(!) but I'm itching to have the time to play on it tomorrow. It was more than slightly depressing having to sort out the body test at the start....my Mii looked fit to burst as it expanded to fit my rather unhealthy BMI! Still, I suppose it will be nice to watch as it shrinks again!

This coming week will be full of job seeking and mind trawling as I am obsessed at the moment with what my future may hold in terms of work and career also the decisions I can make to affect it in different ways.........heady stuff! Maybe I'll share more later in the week. I'm also planning to get more writing done and sent out too. It promises to be a busy week. I hope it's also a fruitful and productive one.

I am a loser! I am a loser!

Woohoooo!! I lost 2lbs this week! Go me!!! I'll be very excited to write this week's weightwatchers blog! It's so much fun when I'm imparting good news :)

Not a whole lot else to report really. I have dropped my two application forms in at the relevant places this morning, so we'll see if anything comes from them. One had a closing date today, the other is next Friday I think. Nothing else is coming up trumps on the work front at the mo. I'll keep on digging away and hopefully something will show up soon. It's amazing that one contract can have so much sway in so many different ways. You'll hear me dancing on the roof if I manage to replace it!

I had a lovely trip into town this morning. I quite often go in on Friday mornings. I don't meet up with anyone, just have a bit of a mooch around! I had a coffee and muffin in Starbucks (both skinny I might add!) and then headed up to the library. I ended up buying a book/garage set that I've put away for the Bean's birthday and I bought a couple of T shirts for myself that I really like too. Good trip all round!

The Bean has finished his punishment in school now, I'm hoping it doesn't happen again any time soon! We'll be making sure he gets lots of rest over the weekend to try and get him back from being run down. He's got his second riding lesson tomorrow as well! I hope Roxy the pony is ready!

Thursday's Ramblings

There's trouble in camp! The Bean came home from school with a 'red card' yesterday. His first. Oh dear. This means he is in the bean version of 'Time Out' for some time today and tomorrow! It takes three warnings to get a red card - he managed them all in one day. I think he has learned from his actions though, I hope so! He's also full of a cough and cold. Seems really run down, poor thing. Lots of sleep and warm drinks coming up!

I'm still waiting on something, anything on the work front. I've filled in both my 'normal' job applications now so I will drop them off later on today. Still nothing back from the pieces I have subbed to the mags. One thing that has worked out though is that parts of this very blog are now going to be published in our local paper and on their website. It won't replace the work I am losing in March financially but you never know where these things can lead and so I'm not one to turn down an opportunity.

The weight loss is going well this week. It's offical weigh in day tomorrow, so I'll report back then, but I'm hoping to record a nice loss this week! hurray! My wii fit was supposed to be delivered today but instead, I received a letter saying it's delayed by a week. I'm beginning to think it's never going to get here!

Dejected and Fed Up

I'm having one of those 'It's hard to stay positive' days. It's entirely work related as the impending loss of my biggest contract is weighing heavy on my mind. I've spent the last few days subbing lots of articles, fillers, you name it to magazines and, of course, I'm not hearing anything back. It's the silence that's hard to take. A straight rejection is, in some ways, easier. You can pick yourself up, dust your idea down and start redressing it for another market. The waiting is impossible. Every time I log into my computer I'm hoping for an email with some good news. I'm just not getting emails at all and I know, I need to be a lot more patient, but when you NEED the work it's hard going. It's bad enough when you only want it.

I have two application forms in the dining room for 'normal' jobs. I've filled one in so far. It's not that I wouldn't enjoy it. It's not that it probably wouldn't do me some good. It's not that I'm lazy and don't want to work. It's just then I won't be a working writer any more. At least not in the same way. I've been so proud to be able to make enough money doing what I love and I don't want to let that feeling go. It's hard and it's with me every hour of every day at the moment.

I'll keep plugging on, maybe some miracle will come along and I will find regular contracts to make up for the one I am losing. I'll keep you updated. Until then, I'm going to put the kettle on and have a cammomile tea.......whilst I search through the jobs online.....

I'm sure I'll soon feel more like myself again. This is the reality of freelance working. Sometimes there are not enough hours in the day to get the work done and some times there's not enough work to fill the hours in the day. It's swings and roundabouts, snakes and ladders....right now I'm looking for a ladder as I slide down a snake!

Bad Mummy

Bad Mummy. Bad Mummy. I'm in the bad books, the Bean was VERY annoyed and upset with me when he went in to school this morning. Oh dear.

My crime?

I locked him in the car. By mistake. An accident. But he's making me pay for it. BIG time!

It was very icy by the school so I took a while getting out of the car, trying not to slip as I went. I picked up the bags, closed the door and hit the 'lock' button on the key fob, assuming the Bean was already out and standing by the door. I heard a SCREAM! He was still in the car so I unlocked it again and went round to open his door. He was in hysterics.

'You locked me in the car. It wouldn't open'

'I know', I apologised, 'I'm sorry, I thought you were already out.'

The tears were streaming down his face as we started the walk to the back door of the school building. He was still crying when we got to the front steps so I tried to make light of it, explaining that I wouldn't have gone without him - I was taking him to school. There wasn't any chance of me walking off without him now, was there. No point in me walking to the school door if he wasn't with me to drop off. Not likely I'd forget him!

As we turned the corner two of the others mums were passing by and asked what had happened, why he was crying. I explained, trying to keep a straight face. They laughed. Loudly. A lot.

The Bean stormed off.

I had a little chat with them and followed him, where he was waiting around the corner, now even more irate than he had been initially. Eventually, we got to the door. He tried walking past.

'Oi.' I said. 'In you go'. I kissed him on the cheek and he stomped off into school, almost knocking over the year 4 teacher as he did so. His class teacher was nearby so I explained to her. She laughed too. Thank goodness he didn't see that, or she would have had a very difficult day on her hands! I'm hoping he'll have forgotten it all by this afternoon!

Soggy Monday.

This is the photo I took of the Bean on Roxy in his first lesson on Saturday morning! I thought I would share :)

It's a soggy old day today, the rain has been pouring from the sky all morning (where else would it pour from?) and it's been so dark I've needed the lights on in the house. The clouds are just starting to break up a little now so I'm hoping the wet stuff is on its way out.

I was very proud of myself this morning as, after dropping the Bean at school, I headed straight for the park and had a walk around the lake. The exercise did me good I think and I felt good afterwards. I did feel a little odd as everyone else was walking their doggies (never seen so many!) and as I passed them I could sense them looking for my four legged pooch. Really, it's legal to walk without one! Honest!

Since coming home I have sent another query off to a magazine and have searched online for more opportunities. I have also requested two application forms from the council as there are some part time teaching assistant posts going in schools not far from the bean's. One is in the morning, the other in the afternoon. One 9-12 the other 12:15-3:15. If I get them both I'll have indigestion after lunch(!) but I will apply for both as the chance of two successes is remote. I'm still hoping some wonderful writing opportunity will come up to replace the one I am losing but I think it wise to have a plan B as well.

I've just submitted this week's WeightWatchers blog, I lost one and half pounds last week so writing that was quite good fun. My Wii fit should be delievered in the next three days now - I wish it would hurry up! I only have a month now until we fly to Spain to visit my Dad and I really want to be under my next stone marker by then!

Sunday's Shenanigans

The Bean had his first riding lesson yesterday morning! He looked the part too in his new boots and once they'd lifted him up onto his pony he looked like he'd been riding for years, bless him. I couldn't help giggling though as apparently he talked about trams the whole lesson and wanted to know all about the car tyres that make up the track in the arena! lol In fact I think they'll have to tell him to shush at some point, he rabbited his way through the whole 35 mins he was riding! Roxy the pony probably had a headache for the rest of the day!

I ordered Della Galton's book yesterday so I'm really excited about it arriving! I'm really enjoying writing at the moment, although I'm not actually coming up with anything that's going to make my any money short term, which is waht I need to do. This week I really need to get a plan together.

I've applied for one writing opportunity since hearing that my biggest contract wil be finishing in March, so fingers crossed for that. I've also had a word to see if there is any more broadcasting work around but there's nothing that's going to make enough difference to be honest. This week will be spent making plans and sending out query letters etc etc.....Wish me luck!

Also, my Wii fit should be arriving early this week! VERY exciting!

Coffee and contracts.

What a strange day it is today, one of those that just feels.....odd. Do you have them? I dropped the Bean off at school and headed into town this morning thinking a good walk would clear my head and make me feel better. And it did, eventually, but I spent most of the morning stamping around feeling sorry for myself and trying on clothes that I didn't like or didn't fit. Anyway, by the time I got back to the car I had stomped it all out and felt better.....

.....which was when I came home and checked the email. My contract with VisitBritain is finishing in March. This is my biggest, regular contract and brings in a substantial amount of my income. My last payment is in April. There is an exciting side to it, it's the joy of being freelance, new doors, new opportunities and all that, but financially it's scary - especially with holidays booked and bills coming through the door. I have until April to figure out a way to replace the income each month.

Last night was my monthly meeting of my local writing group. I enjoy our get togethers although I frequently don't write anything to read out to the group until the afternoon of the meeting. I don't know why, I just seem to work better that way. Yesterday I wrote a short piece on an idea I had a while ago. I've always thought of it as a novel, although I'm not sure it's got the legs to go 100,000 words really. Anyway, I wrote out the first chapter and read it to the group last night. I was really pleased with the reaction it got. People said they would look forward to hearing more and seeing where I go with it! 'So will I' I replied as I actually have no idea where it's going yet but I have some interesting options!

This morning's trip into town offered another part that will fit into the story perfectly too after an encounter I had with one of the members of staff at Starbucks! Is it wrong to include someone in a book? Do I have to change details of this person? I don't want to - it would work perfectly just as it is!

Well, I'm off to look for work :( Oh and log my weight on the WW site too - I've lost this week - not much but it's better than nothing! hurray!

99 things.........

A few of my blogland buddies have posted this list of 99 things.......I really enjoy stuff like this so feel free to copy it and put the things you have done in italics!!!! I'm not procrastinating! Really! No work to do here............

The things **I** have done are italicized.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world - does Paris count?
8. Climbed a mountain -I live in Wales, no shortage of mountains!
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea--not at sea, but I've flown over one in a plane - amazing!
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch - glass painting and quilling
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - not now I work from home though!
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon-
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice-
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run-I have in rounders does that count?
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community-
36. Taught yourself a new language- I'm still trying to learn Welsh
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - makes me realise how materialistic I am
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater-on a trip to Australia
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia - no but I'd love to if i thought it was safe enough.
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check/cheque
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book - I'm still writing it!
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car - twice
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - I'm veggie
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life - if you count my son's barmy behaviour!
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club - does a writing group count
93. Lost a loved one - my mum
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Happy Birthday to my mummy.

Today would have been Mum's birthday, she would have been 58. It's a strange day although it does get easier each year. I suppose what makes it hard is that there is nowhere else to redirect the energy to. On my birthday I have my family around me so there's lots going on. At Christmas, although I miss her, I focus my attention on my husband and son. I can displace the thoughts and the grief. On Mum's birthday, there is nowhere else to go. Nothing of which to think to redirect the day. It's Mum's birthday but she's not here. It's her birthday but she's dead. It's the day she took her first breath but she no longer breathes. It's hard to comprehend.

I'm meeting friends for a coffee in town in a little while. I hope that will keep me occupied. Sometimes I'm so glad for the distraction and it helps to be out there, in reality. Other times I sit there, outside the conversation and wish I was at home. Just talking, thinking even, can seem like hard work. I hope today will not be one of those days.

This evening we are going for a family meal to celebrate the day. Just SLA, the bean and me. I know Mum will be there with us, somehow.
I know she is here, somehow.
I know she can hear me, somehow when I say 'Happy Birthday Mummy. I love you.'

On procrastination and pride.

Don't mind me. I'm feeling sorry for myself. Probably to do with the date tomorrow and all things hormonal but it feels bleurgh! I've not got a single piece of work out so far yet this year which is SO not what I had planned in my resolutions! I must, this week, somehow get a real handle on my work and make plans for what I am going to do with it. Feel free to make me stick to that, someone, procrastination is one of my favourite hobbies!

The Bean came home on friday with another certificate from school - yup, welsh speaker of the week - again! I'm so proud of the little chap. He also brought home two pieces he has to learn for this year's Urdd Eisteddfod. One is the solo recitation for under 8's the the other is a solo song for under 8's. Bless him. I don't think he's worked out yet that he's going to have to perform them on his own. Oh dear. It's bizarre, this time last year it wouldn't have phased him for a minute whereas now I think we may have some issues with it. I really hope he can find the confidence to give it a really good shot. He could be incredible at them both. Fingers crossed x

We have now managed to book flights for Feb to visit my Dad, only for two nights rather than the four we originally planned but it will be lovely to see him. We're staying with them too so it will certainly be an experience! Dog, cat, bean, bird.........interesting combination!

Right, I'm going to get something done. I'll look through my archives and dig out old articles first and have a scour through my 2009 yearbook and look for homes for them. Ideally ones that I can send an email enquiry to, I think I'm out of stamps and I daren't put it off any longer!

Of Night Time Rejections and Costly Flights

The strangest thing happened last night - I received a rejection. Nothing much strange about that. Except that it was by email and at 10:10pm! Bizarre! It was from the fiction editor at 'Weekly News'. The email was lovely though and so I'll certainly keep them in mind and send some more stuff their way and of course I'll start rejigging the story to submit elsewhere too.

It's looking less and less likely that we will get to Spain to visit my Dad in Feb. Don't you just hate planning short breaks on a budget? I had spotted some great priced flights a few weeks ago but couldn't book anything until I was paid some money I was owed. Now the flights have gone up considerably and once you add in all the bits and pieces it ends up costing an absolute fortune. As I say, it's not looking hopeful at the moment which is a shame but it's just the way the cookie crumbles I suppose.

Today I'm having a quiet day at home, again. I've stayed home all week so far just trying to get back into the routine and sorting the house out a bit. Next week I must make an effort to head into town and experience a bit of reality! lol The walk will do me good too - who knows the scales may go in the right direction! lol I'm about to write this week's blog for weightwatchers without a loss to report - again. They'll be surprised when I actually lose something don't you think?

Loneliness

There's no getting around it, being a full time writer can be a lonely old existence. Don't get me wrong - I wouldn't want to do anything else or be anywhere else but there are times that I really do feel isolated. I think it is pronounced after a holiday, especially Christmas, when everything is so busy, there's lots of visiting taking place and the house has seen many days full of people, of fun and of laughter. Now there is just me and the tip tap of my laptop keys. Tip. Tap. Tip. Tap.

I think most people who love to write do have a certain amount of 'loner' or 'hermit' built in. You have to have probably to be able to sit alone and pour the words onto the page, however, I also find that I struggle to find people who I really connect with around me. I don't mean my family, but, the more I write, the more I find it difficult to really strike up a connection with acquaintances and that can be a very sobering experience.

Maybe it is because I am a fairly introverted person, I don't think I used to be so much but now I find that I stand back from a crowd where I once would have walked up and joined in. In talking, it is hard to explain what I do. For some reason, 'writing' doesn't endear you to someone. Maybe it's just unusual and they don't know what to say next. Maybe they have some idea I'm going to use them in a book....I don't know...but it doesn't fit the mould and so I forever feel on the sidelines, looking in on the others and their friendly chit chat. And the more that happens, the harder it is to break the cycle.

Spending so much time online as a writer you do make friends on the internet. This blog is one very good example! Over the years I have made some very good friends online, many of them from parts of the world I have never visited and maybe never will. I have some great people to chat too and yet, as happened only last week, it only takes one discovery to break down a friendship like this, to find out that one of these people just isn't who you thought they were. The facade is broken, the mirror smashed as the persona you had created for this person is blown out of the water and the person is seen for who they really are. Nothing has really changed, it's just a fact that it's very hard to really get to know anyone over the internet. And when the reality is shown to be different from what you had created and believed in your mind, that can hurt. And this then leads to questionning your ideas about other people.....I could drive myself mad. I should stop.

Loneliness comes in many guises and it can creep up on without you really noticing it is there. That's what's happened this week. It's not helped by the fact it would have been my mum's birthday next week. I'll figure it out, maybe I'll have to walk on up to a group instead of standing back. Who knows? I don't.

This is fantastic!

Isn't it strange how you come across little things sometimes that can have the most amazingly positive effect on you!!!

I was working on my weightloss blog, which you can visit by clicking here and I was looking for some way of tracking my progress when I stumbled upon a 'model'. It's a graphic image for which you can enter your starting, current and goal weights. It's a real good visual tool and rather amusing too. If you click on the 'start' and 'goal' the image changes. So that's what I'll look like when I reach my goal!!! Well, kind of anyway!

If you're walking along the road to a healthier, slimmer future then I'd love your company along the way! Feel free to stop by and let me know how you're getting on

Tuesday's Titterings

It's so quiet.......listen to that........nothing. At all. Yup, the Bean and SLA are both now back in school meaning I have the house to myself......and the job of taking all the Christmas decs down today too. I was dreading taking the Bean this morning. I always find the first day of term hard, I miss the little chap after having home for 2 weeks. As it happened though it was so icy this morning that I was preoccupied anyway and didn't find it as difficult as usual.

I have now put on a humungous 5.4lbs which is verging on both the disgusting and the ridiculous and so this morning I have really climbed back onto the wagon. I've logged back into my WW online site and have tracked breakfast onto my log. From now on I'm aiming to track everything again. I really want to feel a whole lot better in a week's time. I've also started a new blog on here that I'm going to use specifically for all things WW related, in addition to my blog on the WW UK site too. I hope it will help keep me focused. Wish me luck!

I don't think I'll be getting much done in the way of writing today, or this week to be honest. I'm going to take a few days to get the house straight and sorted and to get my head back into some kind of normal mode.

Right, time to hop to it. First job, get the tree down........tinsel here I come!

Giggles and decorations.

The sun has got his hat on..........but it's still bloody cold! The Bean and I ventured out to the bank this morning and it is just lovely out there - but you do need to wrap up!

Last night he gave me quite a chuckle. He'd gone up to bed and I'd already asked for lights out and sleep time and yet I kept hearing little noises from the bedroom....actually, scrub that, they weren't so little. More like bangs really! I left it a while, he may have got up for the loo or something so I didn't say anything. The bangs kept coming and it was almost 10pm by this point. Eventually, I opened the lounge door a little and called up the stairs,

'Hey Mister, what are you doing?'

The reply came back - too quickly and much too energetically,

'Sleeping!'
'Well, can you sleep a little more quietly?'
'OK'

And that was that. lol

He's back in school tomorrow so I'll have to get him bathed and in bed much earlier. That's one thing I love about school holidays the flexibility, the not having to watch the clock all the time. Oh well, it's been fun. But tonight the decorations come down and the house will feel cavernous for all of a day or so. Tomorrow, I start cleaning up. I never get a thing done when everyone's home.

Of doors and Opportunities

I hadn't realised how long it is since I last blogged! Ooops! I must admit to having fallen off the wagon in many ways over the last few weeks....the blog wagon, the WeightWatchers Wagon, the tidy house wagon....almost every wagon I had climbed aboard. Still, as we are now into the New Year I am slowly beginning the climb back up and hoping I've not lost too much ground!

It is with mixed feelings that I start 2009. I always love the New Year, I embrace the new start that it offers and new opportunities that it will undoubtably bring. I face it with hope, optimism and excitement. However, in the current financial climate I can't help but feel just slightly tinged with anxiety and worry. I found out a day or so ago that one of my major contracts has finished its contracts with some other writers and this is certainly preying on my mind. It has been a big help, both financially and professionally and I would certainly be sad to see it end. I am hoping that this will not be the case, at least not in the short term, but as I say, it is certainly on my mind at the moment.

Having said that, even if one door does close there are still many there to be knocked upon, many of which will open. I may not like what I find in some, I may not feel at home. Maybe I will learn to love these strange, challenging, new places and behind some doors I may find places that are instantly homely and comforting. One thing is for sure, a New Year brings new chances to find new places and new people and, as a freelance writer, that is an essential part of any possible success.

On the family front, all is well. The Bean and SLA are both fine and ready to head back to their respective schools. Christmas and the New Year went well, although very quickly and it's hard to believe that tomorrow we will take the decorations down again, it feels like we only just put them up!

I'm planning to blog more regularly again now and I can't wait to share 2009 with you :)