Lily Lawson's Blog: Lily's log, page 19
January 3, 2023
Wanted one nanny
None of the candidates so far were suitable. Finding a nanny for Joshua was tough. The first one ran from the house at the noise that announced his arrival. The second had stopped bleeding by the end of the interview. The third was still in the bathroom but the vomiting seemed to be stopping. The fourth was given the all clear in A and E. The fifth was with the police, hopefully nothing would come of that, Joshua was only three. The sixth, well, they would probably be ok in time, the psychiatrist was hopeful. A week wasn’t long in nanny hunting time. The head wanted Maria back at work as soon as. Supply teachers were strangely unavailable to do more than a day with her year one class. Maria was keen to get back to work, year one, even at their worst, were easier than Joshua.
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe
The dead bodies were piling up. The question remained. Was the culprit dead or still wandering free? The high school yearbook found with her mother’s tortured dead body was the only clue. There was no DNA. Chas could only be sure the killer was dead when all her mother’s old classmates were. It would be her life’s work to eradicate them.
The Game's Up
Head high, she swept out of the room. A second later, head even higher, she swept back in, snatched up the money and was gone again.
‘Damn that Danielle is a good poker player.’
Max sat among the poker chips his head in his hands.
‘Shut up George. For once in your life, bloody well shut up!’
‘So, she’s gone for good then?’
‘George!’
‘What do we do now? ‘
Max paced the room.
‘If you left me in peace, I might be able to figure that out! Without her investment we’re sunk.’
‘Can’t you find us another investor?’
‘Oh yeah, easy, there’s a queue.’
‘We could sell up…’
‘And do what exactly?’
‘Well, I don’t think card school would work’
‘No, George neither do I.’
Hope
He’d forgotten. Not surprising really, it had been a year. The snow clung to the edges, piped across the bridge. Their bridge.
She hadn’t been ready a year ago. Even the briefest touch of their fingers had felt like betrayal while Derek lay dying in the hospital. But it gave her something she hadn’t had for a long time. Hope.
Even if he never came, no-one could take that away.
Matilda
The whole family had been cursed since Matilda turned up. Ok it might have been a little unreasonable to expect her to get lost forever with £500 and a packet of wine gums but you would expect her to manage for more than a fortnight when she was taking Sean with her.
He’d told everyone he was minted so we wondered why was she back on the doorstep already and how had she found us? We scarpered as soon as she left our sight, and we left no forwarding address.
It seemed Sean had earned his money is less legitimate circumstances and was now being chased across the country by the local Godmother.
Matilda had tried to flirt their way to France but had been found in the ferry toilets by a lorry driver who had returned them to sender. Sean had used his connections to track us down to get rid of the liability of Matilda. He was on his way to France at the grateful lorry driver’s expense. A little Matilda goes a long way. As her family we had to take her in.
Then the Godmother came for us.
We gave her Matilda.
Significant friends
The moth was being its usual self, flying through the ghost. It seemed to be trying to win points for targeting every area before the ghost gave in and played his flute.
Michael von Strasburg the renowned flautist, had been dead two hundred years and the moth, who he named Maggie after his equally annoying sister, was the first creature to get him to through him so many times.
All the animals tried it once. If it worked, they got bored. If it didn’t, they kept trying.
Michael enjoying blocking them sometimes to see what they would do. The smaller the more persistent in his experience.
Maggie had the gold medal. She had stuck to him since her arrival a few months ago. Whether or not either would admit it they had become friends.
Maggie flew through Michael’s left arm.
‘Stop it!’
‘Make me!’
And back through his right arm.
‘Ouch!’
‘Wimp!’
Then through his chest.
‘Not there!’
‘Why not?’
And back again.
‘You know that’s where the bullet went in.’
‘Oh, come on, that can’t still be hurting. It healed on arrival.’
Maggie targeted both his legs.
‘What chance have I got with Lizzie if I’m not in working order? She’s alright for a violinist you know. Never manage to seduce a violinist while I was alive but I’m very attractive to them now I’m dead. It seems dead flautists that can still play are quite rare. My music has them swept away. What’s a man to do?’
‘It seems you need no instructions from me’
She hovered by his ear.
‘I have to take his opportunities as they arise with fresh talent arriving daily.’
‘What’s Lizzie’s story then?’
Maggie settled herself on the banister of the great staircase and focus on Michael’s face.
‘She had TB. All better now of course. Death restores and preserves. No need for all that dieting and gym bunny stuff the new arrivals talk about.’
‘Gym bunny? Sounds so after your time.’
She flew through his forehead.
‘Oh, I’m pretty up to date with the lingo. I volunteered for tour guide duty. The newbies always want to talk. Gives me a chance to check out the talent.’
‘How’s that working out for you?’
‘Two hundred years gives one plenty of time to refine one’s skills. It seems playing the flute is not all I can still do, I’m happy to say. I don’t go short of company.’
‘Get you, ladies’ man or are they not all ladies?’
‘What have you heard?’
‘That would be telling…’
Maggie danced along the banister. Michael swiped at her trying to catch her.
‘Joseph and I are friends.’
‘More than that from what I hear. I saw you last night. Word in Lizzie’s ear and well…’ Maggie darted behind him.
‘What will it cost me?’ Michael sighed.
‘Block free access for life…’ Maggie flew round to the front.
‘What do you get out of flying through me anyway?’
‘It helps keep me in working order, if you know what I mean... I like company too.’
The morning after Martini
James Brown’s voice belted from the radio, but Rita did not feel good. She avoided the mirror as much as possible as she removed her hairnet and curlers trying to humanise herself before work.
Frank stretched out in the bed behind her.
‘Wish I hadn’t drunk all that martini last night. Not sure I’m up to facing Mrs Uppity this morning.’
‘Pop next door and ring them, tell them you’re sick and get back in here with me.’
‘Can’t say I’m not tempted.’ Rita smiled through the mirror.
‘Told you, you should have come to McIver’s with me. No Saturday’s, finish at 4 on Friday’s. Better than that pouncy shop of yours.’
Rita sat up straight on the dressing table stool shaking and fingering her hair into place.
‘I’m first sales now. Next in line for buyer when there’s a vacancy Mr Thornton told me yesterday. Buying this place is costing us a pretty penny and the discount I get did help a lot with getting stuff.’
Frank pushed himself into a sitting position, arms folded struggling to keep the grin off his face.
‘You just want to swan about telling people what to do.’
‘I want a career Frank not some dead-end job’
Rita applied her powder and lipstick.
‘Hey, I’m gonna be foreman ‘fore the years out.’
‘Yeah, but women don’t get anywhere in factories, it’s the men that call the shots.’
Frank got out of bed and stood behind his wife,
‘And your pouncy shops different?’ he choked on the cloud of hairspray.
‘Mrs Slater’s store manager.’
Rita dabbed her neck and wrists with perfume.
‘And that’s what you want is it, store manager?’
He snaked his arms round Rita and kissed her neck.
‘Whether I do or not I won’t be if I don’t get to work.’
She wriggled in his arms leaning into him.
‘And that has to be today, does it?’ Frank continued kissing Rita’s neck.
‘Yes, it does. Get off me.’ She tugged at his arms.
‘One condition.’ He said into her neck.
‘Ok, what is it?’ She rolled her eyes.
‘Come to bed without them rollers tonight.’
December 16, 2022
The True Spirit of Christmas
Take assorted relatives.
Task to gather and wrap parcels of unknown seasonal content
and write messages to one another in exchangeable format.
Results to be assembled at notified location.
At point of assembly
mix with emotion.
House together for an extended period.
Overfeed regularly.
Add liberal amounts of fluid
in various forms.
Ply with holiday music, tv and games.
Encourage walks and rest.
Supply medication and mediation as required.
Once all surprise parcel contents have been revealed,
and humans are exhausted,
pack into vehicles
and return to original locations.
December 9, 2022
The Lily's 2022
First all the books in these awards were read by me in 2022 but could have been published at any time up to and including 2022 (with the exception of the covers as that includes all the covers I have seen during the year whether or not I have read the book). I have seen a lot of covers!
Cover of the year -
- Cover by Lauren Willmore
I choose the cover that would make me pick up the book, keep it in my hand and turn it over to read the blurb, which is my view is a cover's job, that and making me stop scrolling on Amazon.
Unforgettable - R E LotenI read this at the beginning of the year and I have read a lot of books since but I can still tell you the basics of the story - also I read it twice which is a rarity. I would gladly read it again, which is almost unheard of.
Novella of the year -
And then she fell - Dreena Collins
I have never read a book like it. The award winning short story writer in long form. I read it twice. 10 plausible possibilities one
'I did not see that coming' ending.
Series of the year - Adam and Grace - J C Paulson
Page turning Paulson has not finished this series so this is a bit of a cheat but I have read 5 books one after the other and I have no reason to think that whatever comes next will change my mind about how much I love it.
The book I never have expected to read award -
This is a western, A western! Apart from the bits at the end when you are waiting for the next programme I can't say I've ever watched one. Yet I read this book. What? This is definitely a case of being won over by the author's writing.
Poetry Collection of the year -
Things I did not do at the weekend - Dreena CollinsI tend to read poetry a poem at a time. I read this twice straight through some of it three times in the same day. I have never done that ever.
Poem of the year -
The girl with the candy striped hair from Just Take Five by Karen Honnor
It was difficult to decide from this book which poem to choose, but in the end emotion won out. This moving poem about Karen's daughter is the one that stayed with me and provoked a similar reaction with every read.
Newsletter of the year - Cheryl Burman and J C Paulson
Two very different newsletters (technically three as Jo has two).
Jo's short newsletters have me nodding my head with her well considered thoughts a fellow analyst like me appreciates. The link from Twitter is to the shortest one. The longer one (sign up on her website) is more book focussed.
Cheryl's has the whole enchilada. Check out writers corner, fiction, behind the scenes, interviews, book reviews. Last year's winner is still top of her game.
Blogger of the year Fi Phillips for fiphillipscopywriter.com blog
Fi has two blogs and two newsletters. Her copywriter blog speaks to all writers and I think that came across strongly this year. I find her posts inspirational and motivational. I have a number of them bookmarked. The writer who inspired my original blog and newsletter talks a lot of sense.
Blogger of the year (entertainment) - Louise Wilford - Lou's Writing News, Cues and Reviews
Louise's humorous look at life is a joy to behold.
Writer of the year -
Novelist, award winning short story writer and poet. Dreena (or her alter ego Jane) can write anything and does. Adding And then she fell and Things I did not do at the weekend to her CV while also publishing Embers and Buttercups in the Basement in the same year and doing such a great job with all of them, she had to be my writer of the year.
December 2, 2022
Ruth O’Reilly Interview
Tell me about yourself and your work - I’m a community radio producer & presenter. I’m also an astrological tarot consultant and copywriter for 2 spiritual companies.
Q) You interview writers and present spoken word specials on AllFm how did that come about?
A) I’ve always loved radio for as long as I can remember. My mum used to have it on to hear Irish radio stations & remind her of home and I was fascinated as a child that we could hear another country through this box. I was so intrigued by the fact that if you took a little radio transistor to another country all the accents & shows changed. I just wanted to see inside the radio to find the people who were talking.
Years later mum found a local Irish radio show and it was on Allfm. When she became ill & I was caring for her she became too tired for tv so radio became more important. When she passed away & I felt a bit lost I decided to train with Allfm. I always wanted to interview people since I was 14. I thought I wouldn’t be good enough so I would just pop along to meet the presenters we used to listen to & see how radio works behind the scenes. When I passed my training course and they said I could have a show with 2 other women I jumped at the chance & then I quickly became confident enough to produce and present on my own.
Q) What have your learned from interviewing people?
A) I’ve learnt that we’re all just humans battling with our insecurities, trying to express ourselves and support others in some way. Also that everyone still loves to hear family, friends or themselves on radio. Radio can always bring happiness and excitement.
Q) Is there someone you would like to interview but haven’t yet?
A) Loads! Hmm Paulo Cohelo, oh wait Ryan Reynolds. I wish I could have interviewed Elvis or George Michael actually.
Q)When and how did you start writing?
A) Writing was always encouraged in my family. My grandad wrote and stared in community plays back in Ireland. He was also a postman who loved writing long hand letters as much as delivering them.
He gave that habit to my mum to keep in touch when she left Ireland. She passed it down to me. I love pens, nice notepaper/postcards and stickers! I had penpals from all over the world from Garfield magazine when I was 11. Bring back snail mail ha,ha I loved writing little pieces about whatever I got up to.
I wrote my first poem when I was 9 and teachers/ kids loved my creative writing stories. When I was 13 I wrote my local radio station a very long letter with radio show ideas ha,ha I won a t shirt for it that got me more hooked on the radio idea I think.
Q) What would you do if you didn’t write?
A) I think I will always write because it’s weaved into my personality. I’m always making notes & lists on something. Though I’m not a published author I have a diploma in journal therapy. I do copywriting on spiritual topics because my other career is being an astrological tarot consultant for a couple of websites. There is also a lot of writing to be done in preparing notes for radio. Maybe I would take more photographs if I wrote less.
Q)Do you have any future plans for your writing?
A) I would love to write a book of tarot poetry to help people understand the meanings of the cards easily. For English language A level I wrote a book of natural therapies & tips to get over exam stress. I would like to update that and publish it .Also as a kid I did a book about the Spanish armada & railways. The teacher said it was so good the other kids should read it to learn some history ha,ha I was so proud of myself. I’m still proud of that 11 year old me.
Q) Has a book really touched you? Made you rethink your views on life? If so, what was it?
A) There are so many but The Alchemist, The devil & miss prim & the Celestine prophecy are my top 3.
Q) What is your theme song?
A) Cosmic Girl-Jamiroquai
Q) What is your ultimate working/writing dream?
A) To be signing my own books at a Waterstones Author Event with people telling me my book helped them with something!
Q) Do you have any advice that you live by?
A) I live by the motto that everything happens for a reason so don’t sweat the small stuff. My advice is check what your internal dialogue is playing on a loop at regular intervals & remember that you don’t have to believe every single negative thought you have about yourself, sometimes it can be seen as an invitation to just think yourself a better thought!
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