Off on holiday today. When I get back the GP wants to check me out for ME.

I suppose ME will explain a lot. I hope to write a large quantity while away, especially now I have decided the love interest and what is happening at Halloween (Samhain!).

Thank you for all the support, it has meant so much

Chapter Ten is up

Thank you for all your support. I appreciate it more than you can know.

It was a comment left by my husband.

I am absolutely devastated.

A comment on my blog (now removed) has left me devastated.

I am not sure when I will next be posting again, apart from updates on fiction, because I feel absolutely shattered by it. I love blogging, and I love sharing little bear's exploits. I had hoped that this blog will in part be a lovely record of him growing up. But if I can't cope with my reaction to that comment then I don't know if it is wise for me to continue.

Hopefully I will post again soon, but I would like to say that I really appreciate all the support and hugs that have come to me from you.

Whatever next?

I have bees in my chimney!

Writing dilemma

I am considering how to best put one of the next bits. I do not need, for the sake of the plot, to go into biological detail. I think some ways are stronger than others, but I can find a way.

But how do I judge what is right for a thirteen year old? I think that what one would be fine with would be grossly inappropriate for others.

I think I will stick with a milder version. I think if you want erotica, you go to a certain place for it, you don't want it tripping you up unexpectedly.

I have put the link to The Forgotten Village above Evil Cat. I hope it is safe from her

Writing

Chapter Nine is now up.

I have the next few chapters clear in my head, but then I have a bit of a block. I will see how it goes.

The other thing I have been wrestling with is adult content.

I really would like to make a living as an author, and putting things on fiction press is a way of getting me out there. The feedback I have had from here as well has been really wonderful. However I have chosen to rate The Forgotten Village as a T, as it is more visible. This is for teenagers. Given what some teenagers get up to nowadays that should give me free rein, but the guidelines are quite explicit (unlike the permitted content). Suitable for teens, 13 years and older, with some violence, minor coarse language, and minor suggestive adult themes.

So do I have Karen wake up next to a love interest after a night of passion (night of passion not described etc), or is it just a romantic kiss? Hmm. Both could work with the plot, but I think sex is a bit more interesting.

Breakfast for little bear

I am trying (rather against the odds) to try and get little bear eating healthy food. This morning, as I got him up, I said that he was having cereal this morning. He likes the cereal, it has freeze dried fruit in, it is actually quite nice and not a children's cereal.

Little bear didn't want cereal - 'No cereal! Too dangerous!'

I didn't stop and explore how Sainsbury's version of Special K with berries was so hazardous. I asked what he wanted. 'Porridge.'

He is now eating a satsuma/clementine/tangerine type object (value soft skinned citrus) with a great deal of noisy relish. And he called the cereal dangerous.

Little bear looks cool.

Last autumn I bought little bear a coat from Matalan, £16. It was the only one that looked warm enough with a hood, with a lovely sort of tufted fur lining. It also had a leather look waterproof outside, styled a bit like a flying jacket. As he was never out in it for ages I thought it would do. It did cover his bum, but I would have liked one a little longer. But it is a bit of a rocker jacket.

Then I popped into Matalan with darling father and little bear and they were selling children's sunglasses, wraparound style, for £2. Little bear loves his sunglasses. 'I lub my sunglassssses' he told me. In fact he has been permanently attached to them since, putting them on, taking them off and grinning happily. If you had seen him with leather jacket and shades, he looked absolutely adorable, and I suspect he knew it.

Busy morning

Today I have lost count of the amount of washing I have done, but the washer has gone non stop for the entire day, since 8am. Most of it has been line dried but I don't think that the rain will hold off much longer.

Then we played in the garden. Darling father is clearing more and more of the garden - little bear loves helping so Uncle Ian, you can indulge him if you like! Little bear had fun on his scoot along and helped darling father plant some tomatoes. We had icecreams sitting on the step, in a rare moment of sun.

Little bear learned how to shred paper. He shredded and shredded and shredded and shredded.

Lunch was 'eggs' which is a sort of omelet type thing from a sort of cheap gadget. I put spring onions in.

Then darling father and little bear both went for a nap. I put in a breast of lamb to the slow cooker with carrots, onion, celery and barley. I plan to chill this overnight to get rid of the fat, not quite sure what to do about the scum already rising I think i shall try skimming at the end. I have also peeled the carrots, potatoes and mushrooms for tonight, darling father bought sirloin from the Market. I have reservations re the meat, but we shall see.

Now I am going to dig out all the old stuff that needs shredding now that little bear is in the mood, and find a good place to hide the shredder afterwards because little bear is VERY enthusiastic about it.

What are little boys made of?

We had added extra caffeine to the slugs and snails in the garden. Then little bear found a tiny watering can under a bit of overgrown honeysuckle, and all by himself took it into the house, filled it with water (carefully standing on the chair - I was listening like a hawk) and brought most of the water out. I was very proud.

Until I found all the snails from the small watering can in my sink!

I was unimpressed. Fortunately one of my darling brothers was visiting so removed them. Little bear seemed quite unconcerned.

Slugs and Snails

Darling father has been happening to the garden. It isn't very big, and the lovely lad next door had cleared a load for me. But darling father is on a mission... His idea of a garden involves one or two pretty flowers. I am considering walking onions.

Little bear had duly ran all over like a little tornado, squirted the aphids with soapy water, caused a general amount of havoc and now he helped me water the plants - with coffee. I had heard that coffee kills slugs, so I purchased the cheapest and nastiest non decaffeinated coffee that I could lay my hands on and went for it, as our garden is over-run. At night you could squelch.

Little bear thought it was marvellous fun. He insisted on having a go at the watering can, even though it was far too heavy for him, and generally sploshing it about. Then we found some old tubs. I tried to pick them up with my fingers under the rim and it crackled - snails were there in quantity! So I turned the tubs upside down and watered them with coffee.

So me, darling father, little bear, nice man next door and eventually my darling brother watched stunned as the snails started racing to the top. I have never seen anything like it. When I nipped out later they were making sweet lurve with inappropriate enthusiasm, don't they know that kids come past here?

I may have to rethink this strategy

Shopping

The revised Chapter Seven is up, it is only a change in the description of the fight scene.

I went with darling father into town and have purchased sufficient yarn for a sweater for Father's Day, plus some extra for little bear. He will look cute! The knitting is to save my sanity during the upcoming holiday. It is also an extremely easy pattern.

I can't believe how cold it is, it is really quite bitter. I had been keeping the clothes for little bear for the holiday, but I think I shall be packing sweaters and long sleeved tops! He was complaining of being cold earlier. However he has plenty of warm tops if he will wear them, I am sick of spending money!

Chapter Eight

Due to complex computer gyrations (darling father staying has had an effect on logistics) Revised Chapter Seven is not up but Chapter Eight is

http://www.fictionpress.com/s/2792473/1/The_Forgotten_Village

I can't wait to get going on the next chapter.

The revision in Chapter Seven is only of some description in the fight scene, but it is important to me. It will get there, I promise.

Darling father is en route

I am hoping, rather against hope, that the sanity saver that is my writing will not be affected. I will keep you updated.

Little bear is politically confused

At three years old, it is a bit much to expect political sophistication. And little bear is very upset. He went with me and then asked when we were getting on the boat. I tried to explain, but little bear was adamant. He was cheated out of a boat ride. He wasn't interested in this v v business. Vote, boat, it's still something you sail in.

Cough continues. Little bear had a disturbed night. I am shattered. He is shattered. I can't sleep easily during the day and he is refusing to do so. Sigh.

I have started writing a concordance for the Forgotten Village in the hope that I don't use the same name twice (close call already) or have someone's eyes blue in one chapter and brown in the next. I have done three lines.

Controversial

Please, please, please vote.

I cannot tell anyone how to vote, but please vote with your heart. Even if you spoil your ballot please vote.

In the past so many have done so much to get us the chance to vote. In so many places around the world voting is a privilege that they can only imagine.

And that's my political broadcast.

Writing

Thank you for the support on the writing. Writing is keeping me sane at the moment.

I have revised the fight scene in Chapter Seven and I will put it up, along with Chapter Eight when Eight is finished. I am a thousand words into Eight and trying to get a character right.

I really do appreciate all the support

Writing

Chapter Seven is up.

I am not as confident, but I have put in the public arena otherwise I will be agonising over it till Doomsday.

http://www.fictionpress.com/s/2792473/1/The_Forgotten_Village

Going to carry straight on. My internal lady bits are not being polite and I need something to distract me.

Yarn yarn yarn

I have, rather against my better judgement and swayed by the good people on Ravelry, invested in a 'sock knitting kit'. To all those who are used to sock knitting, you will be sniggering at the thought of needing a kit, but I got suitable yarn, markers, pattern, and needles in one place as I really have no idea. I have never knitted a sock before. It may be some time before I get my courage up (plus the two blankets worth of yarn sitting next to me as I type etc etc)

Well, in a moment of weakness I had a look on ebay (my friend) for other items concerning sock knitting. I found a rather pleasant looking yarn, if you like those colours. It is 70% merino yarn and 30% sea cell yarn.

Pardon my Klatchian but WTF is sea cell yarn? I mean, really? I have heard everything now. When I was a toddler with my late grandmother in her favourite yarn shop, they were wool shops. They sold woollen yarn. Under plain wrapper they also sold nylon which was toxic stuff you could use to cut cheese.

I was chatting online to a friend who does not knit and I mentioned that I had seen all sorts - sugar cane, milk protein, banana bark... I am going to have to let her know about sea cell yarn. She already thinks I am making it up so I shall have to save the link.

Dearie dearie me.

Also, in a bit of a Weatherwax - UK farmers when they shear their sheep find it uneconomic because it costs more to get the sheep sheared than the fleece will cost. And we are getting yarn sold to us made out of Klatchian sea cells.