A Thousand Thanks

Dear readers,

Thank you so much for visiting my blog and liking my posts. We are now a thousand strong! I am so grateful.

You are all awesome!

Sending you all big hugs. Stay well and stay safe.

El x

Thank you!

Little Napoleon

Have you ever met a little Napoleon?

www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-happens-when-you-more-than-others-think-florence-thum

Wine o’ clock

I love long lines of traffic, moody children complaining in the back and the scowling sky threatening to cry out to the world below. Love the stress of trying to balance a workday with after school clubs and meetings for four different children preparing for their new year in a new class (two at new schools!). Love the plucky looks of parents eyeing out my dog hanging out the back window as I park because he’s decided to make himself sick and nearly die, and me spending sleepless nights watching over him then going to work.

Yup. It has been fun. 

Suffice it to say, I am declaring it wine o’ clock and all my worries be damned! As I pour my glass of Shiraz and slip into my oversized pjs that don’t match but are the most comfortable clothes I possess, I feel bubbles of excitement fill my body. The thought of a night of relaxation with XXX on Sky (yes, of course I love Vin Diesel but not in the way you would think – I want to be him, not be with him!!) and my secret stash of Turkish Delights just waiting for me, I plan on forgetting the pending appointments for the week ahead, the deadlines on books I still haven’t finished writing and my start with the Open University where I will be studying a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing. 

Yes folks, the future may be bright and filled with opportunities, but just for tonight, I’m taking a break. 

Please, be kind and leave reviews for my books. I will try to keep posts flowing on my blog but they will be intermittent (as they have been for the past few weeks). Apologies if I miss your posts. I will try to keep up but a few will fall through the cracks. 

If you need me, send me an email or contact me through my social media sites. I’m still around, just focusing on not drowning under children, work, studies and pets! 

Hugs to you all. 

Monday/Tuesday Coffee

I usually have time to visit my favourite coffee house and catch up with friends, but unfortunately I have missed my bus into town. I instead, I’m sitting at home today, offering your a coffee or tea or hot chocolate.

As we watch the cats play outside I would tell you that it has been a busy weekend. Family, my mum, the Hubble going on a business trip and a broken car have filled the two days with activities and running around. I would tell you how I nearly made it to the coffee house last night. Unfortunately, I was swept up in reading The Wind in the Willows to my two younger children! I love the adventures with Toad, Ratty, badger and Mole and the fact that this week is World Book Day encouraged me to change the pace of our reading time.

Whilst the clouds gather outside and we silently sigh contentedly that we are warm and dry I would ask you what special things you have prepared for this week? Would you dress up as a book character? I will be dressing up but have not decided what to choose. Mary Poppins or a pirate, Ratty or Peter Pan?

I would tell you how I strained my hand last night and it is really painful to type, but I couldn’t resist catching up with you. The week is flying by and I need to write the next chapter for Cecil and his friends. Things are heating up and it is time to face the scary raven looking woman. Have you got planned posts for this week? Which ones are your favourite?

Bearing in mind this is a short coffee/tea date I would hope to meet up with you back at the coffee house soon. Catch me later for the next episode of Cecil the Bully.

xx

Woohoo! #Wensfriesday!

Drinks for all today! I’ve completed my first day in my new role at work and it rocked. I love it and the job encompasses everything I enjoy – reading, literacy, encouraging children to enjoy reading and better themselves and progressing the school to the best of its ability.

Anyway, never mind that. We have more important things to discuss. What sweet treat did you enjoy today? Please tell me you gave yourself something nice to celebrate the first Friday of the week. For my Wensfriesday treat, the Hubble bought a bag of Liquorice Allsorts…yum!!

Tucked up in bed after a very long day, we are snuggled up with the goody bag, picking out our favourite ones. My second favourite day of the week is tomorrow because it is Library day at school. Next week is World Book Day and preparations are in play for a fun-filled day. My dream is to one day have Scat, Miranda, Le Brush and Cecil featuring on the reading list for World Book Day.

Have a lovely Wensfriesday and don’t forget to share your treats. ☺️

#Wensfriesday is here!

Woohoo! It’s Kinder Chocolate for the kids and lovely hazelnut chocolate for us this week. This has been a positive midweek mixed with a few upsets.

My mum is back in hospital again – she has been since Friday. She developed an infection after her operation two weeks ago. It’s a case of taking the positives and squishing those negatives right down. She will improve. We will see her getting her dialysis and finding a little more energy. It will happen. 😁

This was my morning…discussing my ideas for A Tale of a Knots and the illustrations for the book. Throwing everything out and drawing a plan to move forward and develop the series of books so that they have a signature style.

Tomorrow’s my interview for a role that will give me extra time at school. I’m a bit nervous but I’m not going to worry about it until probably bed time when my eyes won’t be able to close and I’ll be panicking inside! A good time to catch up on poetry, writing, etc. I have the library to look forward to straight after so that’s something in itself. Okay I’m waffling and in the back of my mind I’m thinking of trying to phone the hospital again and maybe someone will answer this time. Oh and the thought that a slab of hazelnut chocolate is waiting for me after this post!

With that in mind, I shall bid you farewell to celebrate my Wensfriesday.

#Wensfriesday Needed!

Wow it’s been a fantastic but challenging day.

Happy Wensfriesday by the way. Today needed a glass of wine to wind it down and a lovely meal lovingly made by the Hubble. I had the opportunity to cover for a Teaching Assistant. I don’t think parents appreciate how hard teaching assistants work!

My choice of treat, apart from the glass of wine, is a lovely strawberry and cream tart. Whilst I sip my Chardonnay, nibble at tart and consider whether I could do this role everyday for the rest of my working life, I feel the pull of missing my writing time and have a backlog of books I’m dying to read. I wish I could see into the future so that I know whether or not my career as a writer will actually take off. Yes, yes, I know this is a question every writer asks him or herself. I don’t want to give up the dream and I feel that if I push forward this year, I may make some leeway towards the dream.

Am I kidding myself? Is the Chardonnay taking away clarity. Am I just not happy with this new role?

I guess it’s too heavy for a Wensfriesday. I will leave it to the bottom of the tart tray to decide!

It’s a short blog today because I’m exhausted and I’m missing my library time this week which upsets me. Not a happy Wensfriesday, but an interesting one.

Have a lovely evening and sending you all happy vibes. Xxx

The Last Tuesday

The dying rays of a cold Tuesday sun is reflecting off the walls and mirror in my cosy dining room as I send out this message to the bloggosphere. I’m counting down the few hours left before we say farewell to another year that has been incredible to say the least.

When I first started blogging in February this year, I was terrified that no-one would read what I had to say. That awkward embarrassed silence of the world ignoring me!  Instead I met the most interesting, loving, inspirational friends and associates who have been instrumental in pushing me forward as I venture into the world of writing.

The Hubble and I had agreed that if my books did not sell or attract interest by the end of this year I would have to look for a job to help support the family. It was a fair agreement.  Thanks to my blogging friends and community, the books have received reviews and publicity to help them along.  My sales have increased (not enough to make me rich but enough to say I’m not a complete failure!) and there has been interest in my poetry.

Thank you for following my blog, commenting, giving good advice and sharing your lives, work and loves with me. It has been awesome!

Tomorrow is the last #Wensfriesday post for this year!  Get your sweeties and drinks ready and lets have a party!  Wishing you all health, wealth, success or maybe just peace and tranquility for 2015.  I will be looking forward to meeting more of you and following your fantastic blogs.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

The WordPress Community Experiment: The Answers!

Join Suzie as she sends out seven questions and read the interesting responses from our fellow bloggers. You night have been listed too, so check it out!

Suzie Speaks

In August I decided to do a little experiment involving members of the WordPress community. I asked a series of seven questions and invited anyone and everyone to respond, regardless of whether they followed Suzie81 Speaks or not. I had done a similar experiment the year before with great success, and as my community has grown since then I thought it would be an interesting way to get to know fellow bloggers. While I expected some sort of a response, I didn’t expect the enormity of the amount of answers I received, generating HUNDREDS of individual answers to my questions. In order for me to be able to include everyone, I have had to limit it to just one answer per blogger. I haven’t compiled it in order of preference, but I have tried to include an interesting answer from each person, complete with a link to their blog if…

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