first signs of daylight!

I thought that the difficult part was dreaming up a story and sorting it into a manuscript. Apparently not; the fun part comes with the detail of cover designs, and technical stuff I hadn't heard of.
After re-reading the edits and problems with my cover tragically bleeding, I then had to learn a new language. Publishers possibly become bored with having to explain baby steps to novices, but my head is doing somersaults trying to understand dimensions and jargon.
But, here we go...

you didn't go unnoticed.

   Yesterday in the supermarket, somewhere between the Ginger beer and the Pretzels, a young man stopped me and said
'You are the nurse who saved my life.'
I had to work the old brain to remember the moment, it was a blink on a busy night for me and the end of a bad day for him.
`I'm surprised you recognized me out of my scrubs,' I answered.
`I'll never forget you,' he answered.
I started thinking of all the people who had saved my sanity whilst doing their day to day work, who I never properly thanked.

Our Kinder teacher. What a difficult season; letting go of your babies, helping them learn organisation, social skills and introducing them to life in the system. My kids had the best experience in Kinder, thanks to sensitive, mature, unflappable women who built bridges where there wasn't a path.
I can't imagine how exhausted they were after a day, a week, but I'll never forget their names and faces, nor will my children.                                      

and a spider in a pear tree

Spiders receive too much bad press, few people see the gentle protective side of their intentions. My bundle of sticks that became a flourishing pear tree full of polished leaves and blossom , had begun to wither. Upon closer inspection I noticed slimey black grubs eating the leaves. I carefully removed the affected leaves and waited. No sprays, no powders, just waited and wondered if anybody would care to help this purple thumbed gardener. I didn't know what the predator was.
Yesterday I noticed a sudden emergence of new bright leaves, and not one grimey bug to be seen. Just for the fun of it, I blew on the leaves....and a spider dropped down briefly on a thread and quickly ran back to his perch. He was well camoflaged, so I couldn't quite be sure that he was there. So I blew on him again, and down came the silk thread, waved and then returned to his citadel.
The tree is recovering well, thanks to my sentry.
Next time you see a spider, don't scream or swat, consider his courageous role in protecting you from insects that attack and deliberately harm and destroy.

nanowrimo

This year I have been strangely absent and preoccupied, participating in an online word battle. The aim  is to write 50,000 within November. So I will be back and blogging again, I've only a few days to go !

Dvorak Simplified Keyboard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dvorak Simplified Keyboard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

sweet spiders

Spiders seem to be the helmet of an awkward moment. As living beings we are obligated to love and respect them, but at the mention of their arrival in the most B grade moment and the people start looking for an exit door. Except in our funny family.
We were driving to school this morning and one of my boys casually mentioned that he woke during the night for a drink. He wandered into the kitchen and noticed a large brown spider on the front of his shirt. We all wanted details; stripes, spots, how many legs, size...and then there was the laughter. 
I still don't understand why people fail to see the beauty in spiders, they are magnificent. We seem to be less afraid of trucks, unstable world leaders and mortgage rates. I'd trust a spider more than a person with a need for power or attention, but then, sometimes the profile is not so obvious.
In case you were worried, my son didn't get bitten, he thought it was wonderful.                 

the echo and eclipse

I don't believe in falling in love.
Some years ago there was a movie called 'Music from Another Room'. One character described love 


You know how when you're listening to music playing from another room? And you're singing along because it's a tune that you really love? When a door closes or a train passes so you can't hear the music anymore, but you sing along anyway... then, no matter how much time passes, when you hear the music again you're still in exact same time with it. That's what it's like. 


Too long ago I was pottering about in a share house and heard the soundtrack to 'Against the Wind'. I froze and for a time was lost in another soul space. I knew someone who lived in those notes, but I had never met him, and at the time he was on the other side of the world.

I learnt to play 'Six Ribbons' on the piano...I can't play anything else, but that song mattered.
When I did meet him, I didn't notice what his hair was like, his clothes or anything changeable. I could hear the music, sense the celtic pulse and raw spirit.
I still don't believe in falling in love, but I know I have.       

a few words from my dog, Dougal.

1. Never accept rejection.
No matter how much someone may scream and flap, that lap is yours.

2. Stoical is not a word, neither is stoic a stable adjective.
The hidden angora blanket is yours.

3. Cleaning will not make you a spiritual person, dreaming will.

Overemphasis on spots and smells defines you as a cat.

4. Smile when it's not natural.

If you think this is difficult as a humanoid, it's moreso as a kelpie/corgie.

5 Explore the assumptions of royal duties.

If you are a 2 legged being, you will probably have little royal value. Corgies, on the other hand, should hold their head high.

6. Never underestimate the beauty of a lost sock.

7. Life without sole is boring.

Gather shoes on your bed, regardless of their original owner's screams and possessive carry on.

8. If you appear to be the same height standing and resting, rest more. But nurture the self worth of a big dog.

9. Choose to hear 'Dougal what are you doing NOW!' as an exclamation of wonder, not a question.

10. That's not a bone, this is a bone!

Negotiating a 3 metre bone and a 1 metre dog flap is only a matter of time and courage. Good bones taste better indoors.

writing in November

I am deliriously excited about writing next month. Some people go shopping, play in the garden, or sing but I love to raise a character, make them brilliant and loved and then hurt them hard.

The most huggable part of the story usually comes from a world view, a place where everybody has known that pain and may or may not recover.
So, at the moment I am packing for the journey; yoga suits, a new teapot, lovable coffee, plenty of sleep, details and moments and visits to my pear tree. That reminds me that bundles of sticks do break forth into beautiful leaves, blossom and fruit when there was no obvious evidence.
I don't have a muse, I think my busy daydreaming noggin is enough fuel for the distance. I do have happy dances stored up in the arena of my grey zones. I do have background music sorted; my family...drums, banjo, guitar, singing.