Still Waters Run Deep

Magpie No 98  : Photo courtesy of Willow

She ran as fast as she could but there was no running away from herself or the truth.

She hoped the passage of time would lessen the pain, but it hadn’t.

She stayed away for a whole year and wondered if that was long enough?

She knew that she would have to return one day, today.

She had made a mistake, a big one.

She hadn’t been true to herself

She knew that now but it was too late.

She smelled the pine.

She stared at the still blue waters.

She wished she had told him.

She hadn’t …

Happy New Year

Photo by The Man

Happy New Year to you my loyal followers, all 20 of you! And to those of you who read my blog but for whatever reason are a little reluctant to 'follow' on line. But that's okay with me. I know sometimes it takes courage to contribute to a blog ... been there done that and I'm now wearing the tee shirt (medium size) to prove that! Anyway, let me wish you all health, happiness and prosperity for 2012. I do enjoy and value your comments when one of you stops by to say hello. Thank you for taking the time.

I must admit I've really enjoyed the interaction on line with my blogging buddies and I feel I've learned lots too. I've been impressed by many of your writings and saddened too by one or two challenges you have encountered during the course of the year. I've enjoyed celebrating some of the successes you've celebrated  too, like the launch of a new book or having a story published or quite simply acquiring a new reader or two! It's been interesting to note how some blogging communities are very active and very supportive to the 'newbie bloggers' among us. (I'm still learning lots about blogging!). I guess the real power lies in the 'engagement' part of the process. I know the best conversations are those which are 'two- way' ... and I understand that sometimes it feels a little different with on-line conversations. Off line I can easily talk for Ireland ... sometimes I have!  On-line, there's no body language to read, facial expressions to see or instant responses. Sometimes there is a reluctance to engage, to offer opinion, to comment or to reply. However, I do encourage a little persistence and courage on your part and who knows what you might learn in 2012. Who knows what difference this might make for you and your fellow bloggers? Go on, I invite you to make 2012 your 'engagement year of all things new' and see what you learn and who you meet along the way.

Happy New Year.

Resolve to make at least one person happy every day, and then in ten years you may have made three thousand, six hundred and fifty persons happy, or bightened a small town by your contribution to the fund of general enjoyment.

Sydney Smith

How to body build a blog …

Sometimes, I find it a real challenge thinking about a topic for a blog post. Do you? Maybe if I was better organised I could sit down and write a batch (collection?) of posts so that I could feed them into my blog over the course of days and weeks. But I’m not! This system would make me a more organised blogger (I imagine) but would it lose the spontaneity of the writing moment? Would it kill the creativity?

Like many writers there are times when I come up against the inevitable ‘bloggers block’. Some of you may identify with my dilemma. Symptoms are easily recognisable – blank page, endless screen staring, one or two trips to the kitchen to make yet another cup of tea and the endless reading of blogging buddies’ blogs. (Yes, it was a mouthful writing it too!) Well, today is one of those days. I’ve spent time this afternoon ‘blog dipping’ and I stopped by Inkpots and Quills where my blogging buddy Ann shared a writing dilemma of her own – unfinished projects. Ahh, every writer has them. I enjoyed reading how Ann is going to great lengths to remedy the situation and how her postie (with the rippling biceps) is going to great lengths to ensure she has all the writing material she needs. Writing need not be a lonesome pursuit. I hadn’t really given much thought to all the help and assistance ‘knowingly and unknowingly’ given to the writing process. All I can say is that posties delivering numerous books to writers in pursuit of ‘better writing’ should be given generous Christmas tips! I’ve yet to see any writer dedicate a novel ‘To my wonderful postie’. I wonder if Ann’s postie is a reader of her blog. It did make me chuckle thinking about whether or not her postie had considered making book deliveries part of his daily workout.

Having recently rejoined the gym, I can appreciate how book lifting could be incorporated into the body building programme. Who knows it could one day become an Olympic Sport? Stranger things have happened.

But I digress, maybe today is one of those days where inspiration for blogging will not come, so I’ll leave it for another day. However, do stop by Inkpots and Quills and say hello.

By the way, what is the collective noun for a batch of blogs?

It's life but ...

photo courtesy of  Lee Friedlander and Magpie Tales 

Okay, now what?

Dunno … it’s not quite what I was expecting. I thought it would be somewhere more upmarket.

Upmarket?

I thought it would be more … more luxurious.

Luxurious? Don’t be fooled by the posh address. This is it, the place where ‘working late at the office again’ happens.

You sure?

Certain.

Well are you going in or what?

What if she’s there?

You don’t have to say who you are.

I couldn’t lie.

I’m not suggesting that you do.

Will you wait here?

Sure, but the traffic cop may move me on.

I won’t be long.

Alright, I’ll drive around the block.

I’ll be as quick as I can.

Don’t worry take the time you need. He won’t be back for some time.

You sure?

Sure, I’m sure. Haven’t you forgotten something?

Thanks … don’t know why he can’t pick up his laundry like everyone else!

The letter I wish I'd written

Last week our local library organised an evening event and invited us book lovers and writers along to listen to three new authors. For the princely sum of £4 a great evening was had by all. Lots of people turned up. There were several book clubs, people from neighbouring libraries and people like me an avid reader and collector of books. Who knows maybe one day I’ll have my own library! The Man does despair at times about the ever increasing ‘I’ll get round to reading that one day’ collection, but I will. One of my friends confessed recently that he has to sneak books into the house for fear of upsetting his wife about his ever increasing book collection. He does release a few books into the wild and to charity shops. However, he often returns home with one or two books that hurl themselves at him from the bookshelves! Strange that, isn’t it? I do love books; a girl can never have too many books or chocolate!

Anyway, back to the book evening, a fun event with glasses of wine, homemade cakes, book quizzes, author interviews and stories. I really enjoyed the evening and I was delighted with the ‘goodie bag’ which contained not one but three new books!

I particularly enjoyed reading a delightful publication from the Booktrust charity called ‘The Letter I wish I'd written,' – A selection of entries from the Bookbite writing competition. The competition ran in the spring of 2010 and encouraged older writers to write about life experiences and letters they wished they had written about said experiences. They were indeed 'Letters from the heart’.  As a keen letter writer, I found the letters in this publication inspiring, thought provoking, amusing and occasionally sad. I encourage you to stop by and read a few.  In light of my previous post about letter writing, I think this would make a good writing project for the long autumnal evenings.

If there was a letter you wish you’d written, what might it say?

The breathings of a heart

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.

~William Wordsworth

What happens when an art dies or disappears or quite simply becomes redundant? Whilst I have no serious objection to the speed, efficiency and mastery of email, text and tweeting I must confess that my preferred method of communication is good old fashioned letter writing. There’s something about the sound of a letter dropping on the door mat. It sounds more  pleasing than the 'ping' of a message in the ‘inbox’. Don’t you agree?

As the recipient of the occasional letter, I do enjoy the chance to stop, pour a cup of tea and savour a good gossipy letter telling of family events and occasions. It’s a joy to hear from an old college friend getting in touch after several years. Even the old fashioned courtesy note of thanks for a birthday present from a nephew or niece comes as a pleasant surprise instead of a texted ‘thanks’ or indeed acknowledgement at all in the days of instant communication. Sometimes I think we are so busy being busy with life that we don’t take time to record any of it and share it. What if we did? What difference might that make? What relationships and friendships might grow as a result of this? What might be recorded for futures generations through pen and ink? Will our communication systems of today hold interest and intrigue for our readers of tomorrow?

On a recent visit to family in Canada, we shared a letter written many years ago from a grandfather to his son. I don’t suppose when grandfather wrote it he thought that this particular letter would be read by grand children long after he had gone. As several of the grand children had been born after grandfather died it was lovely to have some insight into this member of the family they did not have the opportunity to meet. His letter, an extremely well written and detailed missive not only told something of the day but also of the man himself. He wrote about his thoughts and observations of life and his good wishes for his family too. His letter prompted much discussion over dinner about grandfather, grandmother and the events of the day. His letter, no doubt had taken time and effort to write. It had been written by a generation who would never experience email and speedy communication. But in writing this letter and sending it to his son and being retained by the family, the next generation were able to learn something more about family. Questions were asked and a few gaps in family history were filled.

This month I’m launching a campaign to bring back the art of letter writing using pen and ink … very old fashioned I know, but I think it will be good practice for my letter writing. I encourage you to do the same. Set yourself a target to write least 3 letters this month. Let me know how it goes. Who knows what may come about as a result of this little project for the autumn months.



What's for breakfast?

photo courtesy of http://www.goldenspurtle.com/

Winter is coming...yes I appreciate that the autumnal days have just started but winter will follow sooner than you know. I can tell … not from the turning of green leaves to gold and brown but the change in the kitchen. Our kitchen. You see this morning launches the breakfast porridge pot in our household. Winter is on its way and it’s porridge for breakfast. Well its hardly a freezing cold day here in our neck of the woods … a little chill in the air perhaps and a little requirement for a more substantial breakfast. So porridge it is!

I have to say that I do enjoy porridge for breakfast, with a little cream (just a little) and even a teaspoon of sugar, much to the dismay of the Man a serious porridge maker of Scotland. However I have learned this weekend that the art of porridge making has taken on a more adventurous role in the culinary field. Tuning into the radio yesterday I learned all about The 18th Annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship which took place yesterday in Carrbridge, Scotland. As well as the traditional recipe for this good wholesome breakfast there is now an array of speciality porridges to try. Check out the recipes from the winners John and Neal on the Golden Spurtle website. Photos courtesy of the official Golden Spurtle website. I do wonder what Goldilocks and the three bears would have made of all this.

And did you know that today is - World Porridge Day.