Author: Cathy Cade

After a career in libraries, I began writing in retirement and have had writing published in Scribble, Best of British, Tales of the Forest, Flash Fiction Magazine, The Poet, Writers Forum, and To Hull and Back Short Story Anthology, placed in four competitions, shortlisted in five and longlisted by the National Literacy Trust. (Always the bridesmaid…) My verse, "The Year Before Christmas", is available from Amazon and Smashwords as are my books, "Witch Way and other ambiguous stories", "The Godmother", and "Pond People." I live in the Cambridgeshire Fens most of the time, surrounded by flat but ever-changing fields. Other times I live across a garden fence from London’s historic Epping Forest.

Proverbial Wisdom

~ Cathy Cade ~ 3 Comments

Further to my thoughts on contradictory statements, here’s one I wrote earlier, kindly posted by Little Old Lady Comedy blog

Little Old Lady Comedy

I remember when Beth started work in our department. I was smitten from the first, but I thought I had no chance. I confided in my grandparents; I’ve taken may problems to them since I was small.

Gran looked me up and down. She peered over her spectacles and told me I could smarten myself up a bit. She had thought my last girlfriend a bit of a scruff and I suppose my standards had slipped.

According to Gran, first impressions count.

But Gramps said, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”

’S funny he should mention books, ’cos Beth and I had been comparing books we read in the lunch break. I like sci-fi; Beth’s into detective novels. We have different tastes in music too.

Gran said that was fine, because opposites attract.

But Gramps reckoned it was birds of a feather that flocked together. “Just look at…

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Contradiktat

~ Cathy Cade ~ 13 Comments

They say we're never too old to learn! And our options for finding out are many. Advice abounds on newsreels, newpapers, information leaflets, and the internet. Medical advice as we move into winter is to avoid virus transmission by opening windows to ventilate indoor gatherings. Ecological advice as we move into climate change is to … Continue reading Contradiktat

Just a quickie…

~ Cathy Cade ~ 15 Comments

I went shopping today... ,,,, Am I the only one picturing some gremlin, logged into Twitter, fingers on keyboard, deciding what shopping panic to instigate next? ,,,,,,,, ......................... This time of year, I've often wondered who on earth buys their Christmas turkey in October, when the supermarkets start upping their stock. But the empty freezers … Continue reading Just a quickie…

Downsizing

~ Cathy Cade ~ 21 Comments

I struggle to throw things away, but the prospect of downsizing (again) concentrates the thinking. We live in the Cambridgeshire fens with a large garden that includes two fishponds, hedges that need trimming, sheds and decking that need regular preservative. There will come a time (I see it on the horizon...) when maintenance here gets … Continue reading Downsizing

Presently Tense

~ Cathy Cade ~ 21 Comments

I mostly write fiction in narrative tense. I have experimented with present tense, although my first experiment wasn’t, in fact, fiction but an account that I wrote as a blog post. I don’t recall why it occurred to me to change that blog post from past to present but the rewrite was closer to reliving … Continue reading Presently Tense

September StoryChat Summary

~ Cathy Cade ~ 6 Comments

No Stone Unturned by Valerie Chapman If you missed Val's story, read it here Some guessed the end, others didn’t. lily commented, “You tell stories very well. I honestly didn’t expect that ending.” But Janis @ RetirementallyChallenged.com said, “Great story and nice twist at the end. The ending wasn’t a complete surprise but maybe I … Continue reading September StoryChat Summary

Digger dog

~ Cathy Cade ~ 16 Comments

A recent prompt for the 12-poems-in-12-months challenge was to include rhyme, alliteration and assonance. I wrote mine about an event that has also been the subject of a blog post here. Digger Dog Digger the dog was a pesky pup, After six mad months, her owners despaired. We’d just lost a dog, so we called … Continue reading Digger dog

Still Time to Join in…

~ Cathy Cade ~ 2 Comments

September's Storychat No Stone Unturned Another lively month on StoryChat with insights from readers of Val Chapman's story. If you haven't yet read Val's story, find it here Some readers guessed the ending: some didn't. lily commented, “You tell stories very well. I honestly didn’t expect that ending.” But Hugh W. Roberts  "thought everything seemed … Continue reading Still Time to Join in…

As I Age; What Next?

~ Cathy Cade ~ 18 Comments

As we grow older, the experiences of our parents can offer us clues about what to expect, or guard against. Having been adopted as a baby, I will have to wait and see. I have no knowledge of my birth parents. And medical science has moved on since my adoptive parents died. Gran survived breast … Continue reading As I Age; What Next?

Story Chat for September

~ Cathy Cade ~ 36 Comments

This month's story is by Val Chapman. Val is one of the founder members of our writing group, The Whittlesey Wordsmiths. No Stone Unturned Val Chapman Barbara sat back on her heels and tilted her face to the sun. She had spent the last half-hour on her knees weeding her garden, and her back was … Continue reading Story Chat for September