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The last year, 2019 and Christmas
January 2019
I was going to do a post reflecting on this last year, with my favourite posts. I then realised that this would be a long list.
So here are some posts from January. Here is my first post of 2019 – New years day poetry
The mannequin and the slippers poetry
Friday and a day at home – reading this I can see that the children have not got any easier.
Other months
The New York Street End Café – Written for Writers Unite – July 2019
New year poetry – December 2018
What have I achieved this year?
I’ve added many stories and poems to my blog. I’m hoping that my writing is improving. I have had two stories published this year on Spillwords.
I am now writing a Paranormal story for an Anthology. I scared myself a few night ago reading about the ‘Lake of sulphur’. I needed to know what Demons smell like. The answer is Sulphur. The smell of rotten eggs.
My novel is at about 70 000 words and I’m struggling with it. For now I have taken a break. I started it in March, so I have a very long way to go. I’m guessing I have many redrafts to write.
In June I started my second blog www.marianwood.com and soon after I started my monthly newsletter.
Friday and Christmas
So, how has your Christmas been? Mine has involved the usual Christmas stress and the best bit was seeing the children enjoying their presents. I’m glad that its now Friday 27th.
However it did include profiteroles and cream, which were lovely.
The Christmas tree has lost some baubles, every year it looks more unwell. The kids rooms need their new toys tidying away. I spent most of boxing day cooking and I have most of a turkey in my fridge. Todays dinner was turkey curry.
Christmas presents
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We now have food colouring on the kitchen table. Put newspaper down before your child plays with it. Both children are loving these.
There are other experiment sets in the series.Sewing kit
My daughter was sewing Christmas night. She loves being creative.Scalectrix
Providing hours of fun as the cars race around the track.Barbie
The doll that girls of all ages love.Star wars Pyjamas
As a star wars fan, my husband wanted these from the children.Slippers
Always an essential.Books (Train to Impossible places)
I have bought these for my daughter, but I intend to read them as they look good.
Today we have been puzzle building. However, the children quickly got bored of finding border pieces. Leaving me determined and alone to carry on. We have tested out the puzzle roll mat and it does seem to actually work. Maybe the children will unroll it themselves tomorrow and carry on, I can hope.
My six year old was taking baubles of the tree today. She told me that Christmas is over and it’s time to take the Christmas tree down. If she had said that this morning I would probably have taken it down. I’m being told that we need to buy a new one. Reading reviews I’m not sure if there are trees significantly better to justify binning my poor tree. I bought it years ago., (possibly 2003, yes it is old)
Christmas holidays
Just a few days left, back to work on Monday. Tomorrow if I get motivated I might make the effort to finally walk to the town and return the library book. Both children have loads of reading after Christmas.
The year is almost over, what else can I fit in to the last few days? 2020 is just around the corner. My next blog post for just muddling through life will be next year. Time is going to fast!
For more see, A time to look back over this year – December 2018
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A year today, I started writing my blog – poetry
My Blogaversary
A year today, I started writing my blog,
A way to ease stress, to ease my mind fog.
Stress from the children, work stress and strife,
Working it out, on just muddling through life.
A year of posting stories, Amazon posts and rhyme,
Tales of my children, their changes in time.Writing my blog is a huge commitment,
One which a year ago I didn’t appreciate.
Writing my first post, I didn’t know where I was heading,
Of the work ahead of me, and the Bloggers Bash in London.
The friends I would meet, and the work it would take,
All for my writing, and my writing blogs sake.I look back now, I have come a long way,
Slowly my audience grows day by day.
With over 8500 views now at a year,
I was hoping for more but actually I shouldn’t fear.
For those blogs with high figures, those that do well,
They have more going on, have something to sell.I know a blog should benefit the reader,
Mine tells of fiction, so it’s not a blog leader.
Now spending time doing Facebook Live,
Twice a week hoping to help my page thrive.
The work that it takes to keep a blog going,
Not to give up, to keep on writing.This year
So, into year two and where am I going?
I’m hoping my audience, will keep on growing.
My writing prompts will continue with tales of Ruby and Freda,
Blog Battle and Writers Unite to entertain the reader.
Tales of my children on just muddling through life,
The joys of working and being a stressed wife.My blog is one you can sit, with a mug of tea,
Put your feet up and enjoy a short story.
Forever adventures in just muddling through life,
With my children featuring adding to my strife.
A blog to relax with or get into a feature,
A story or poem, or my kids and their nature.
A year today I started writing this blog,
Unaware of the hard work and slog.
Sharing the work of all my fellow bloggers,
Commenting and tweeting, supporting their efforts.
With Blogging and a Beverage and Share and Inspire,
Epic bloggers and Golden bloggers all help us further.A year today, I didn’t know my future friends,
Those who now my blogging depends.
Thankyou all, for your comments and shares,
Here’s to year two, more writing about my cares.
For my blog to develop, I continue writing on,
A post at a time, my thoughts, the stories are soon done.Statistics
Here are my statistics of my blogging year,
All the work that has kept my readers near.
From today a year ago 101 posts straight,
My novel at that point it had to wait.
June this year I started a second blog,
Yes, it has impacted my writing log.Through writing every Tuesday on marianwood.com,
Writing of my novel and how I’m getting on.
Now a total of 88 posts this year on just muddling through life.
Writing every Friday with my short stories and life strife.
With over 77500 words achieved in 2019,
My novel right now is 75000 words, I’m quite the writing queen.For all the words I’ve written throughout my blogging year,
I look back and read, those words won’t disappear.
All the thanks I owe to those at Lyrical Host,
Who without you I wouldn’t be able to boast.
For without all your help and your support,
My blogging year would have certainly been a lot more fraught.Thank you!
So, thank you every one of you, who has offered their support,
Blogging is not easy, the commitment, the time is sought.
I try now to blog every Tuesday and Friday, writing every night,
In the hope that my novel will be completed one day.
On with the blogging and on with our lives,
I’m in year two, this blog will continue to survive.Note, including my second blog at marianwood.com, I have written about 90674 blog words in 2019. I could have written two first drafts with all those words.
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Books, reading, blogging, writing and life
Does anyone else have a growing number of books begging to be read? I want to read them but between blogging, writing and life, I am struggling.
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I am currently reading Ravens Gathering by Graeme Cumming on my Kindle. I’ve only read a few pages and already there is action. This book needs to be read.
Other books, Past Tense by Lee Child. I purchased somewhere near Christmas, I started it and then life took over. It is the latest book in the Jack Reacher series.
Defender and Hunted by G.X (Gemma) Todd (the first two books in the Voice’s series). As a reader of Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Lee Child, I am looking forward to reading these. If you are in a book shop or perusing books on Amazon these look very good. Also to note, book three Survivors is due for release on October 31st 2019 but can be preordered.
On Writing by Stephen King. As a writer, I need to finish reading it. This book was recommended to me by other writers.
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger has been recommended to me as I’m writing a time travel novel. A few days ago I was given the film, I still need to watch it. Does anyone know why traveler’s is spelt wrong? It is spelt this way on the book and the film.
Today my garden desperately needs weeding and homework needs to be done. I have so far walked to town and back and am now sat in my garden. I’m tired and the weeds are shouting but I’m not motivated to do anything about them.
Sitting reading my Kindle seems the easier option. I need to read and the weeds can wait. Meanwhile, the kids are in the house with daddy all happy on their technical gadgets.
My son must be one of the few that doesn’t have a Nintendo games station or equivalent. He uses an old IPad or the desktop computer. Daddy equally enjoys playing games which really doesn’t help.
Today I found Mr Stink by David Walliams in the library. I picked it up for my nearly eight-year-old in the hope that he will read it. He’s put it to one side and gone back to Minecraft. I tried, how do you get a child obsessed with games to read?
Talking to fellow blogger Jemima Pett at this year’s Bloggers Bash, we talked about books for children with funny names. I hoped that Mr Stink wouldn’t just be thrown to one side, but for now, it has. If I could confiscate the computer games I would, but I don’t think daddy would support me. He enjoys his games too much. Maybe Mr Stink will be picked up later.
Anyway, I’m now going to try and do some reading, hopefully, later I might get more of my novel written. I still need to think more about my characters. I came to a bit of a wall yesterday with my lead character, maybe, for now, I just need to keep typing my first draft.
Trying to keep up with everything is a challenge for a lot of us, I need to manage my time better. Try and make the most of those rare times when we are not doing much. It did occur to me that I could have read my Kindle walking to town, but then tripping over or walking into someone or something is never fun.
My daughter has now joined me, she is trying to read My Little Pony. Maybe she will be the next book lover in this family.
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