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…
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
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
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
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
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…
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?
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
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
Tooth and Claw As I Get Older
Teeth Once, I could tear sticky tape with my teeth and break thread with them when stitching. Today, the front teeth I once applied to tape and thread no longer meet for the purpose. My bottom teeth resemble tumbling tombstones in an abandoned graveyard. Today's orthodontists would probably remove a couple in childhood, but back … Continue reading Tooth and Claw As I Get Older
Writing Wrinkles 