Annette V Hart's Blog: The ramblings of Annette Hart, page 3

Rumbled...

I have finally been rumbled at work and my alter-ego as an author uncovered by one of the children I teach, who discovered me on Amazon!

Pride...

I'm so proud of my eldest daughter for giving blood for the first time... And for getting a job and working hard in order to pay for her volunteering trip next summer.

Children and decisiveness...

We've had an on-going saga (seemingly for months) on my son choosing activities for his Bronze D of E. His physical skill is well under way (rugby) and he's now finally sorted on volunteering but he's still dithering over the skill section. It's not just choosing a skill but sorting an assessor for it! How I wish this was all done!

Sewing Bee...

Is it strange that I am enjoying the new series of The Great British Sewing Bee? I suppose it's admiration (probably with a sprinkling of guilt) at what they can do. I can sew a little but haven't done much in ages, and certainly not to their standards!

STOP raining!

I think we've all had enough of the rain now... We were lucky (uphill from the River Mole) but plenty of our friends weren't and had their homes flooded Christmas Eve. Two weeks later and it's still raining here and the river has once again burst its banks, flooding surrounding fields.

Xmas baking...

Hooray! I've now finished baking our Xmas cake and this year only the top is over done (polite for burnt.) I think it requires a slight beheading! Never mind - all our dodgy oven's fault - the rest of it is moist and the mixture tasted good. I just need to decide on an icing design.

It's Stir-up Sunday...

I'm in the middle of cooking our Christmas pudding (the kitchen is filled with damp clouds of steam) and I was reminded of this poem I use to teach at this time of year:

Mincemeat
Sing a song of mincemeat,
Currants, raisins, spice,
Apples, sugar, nutmeg,
Everything that's nice,
Stir it with a ladle,
Wish a lovely wish,
Drop it in the middle
Of your well-filled dish,
Stir again for good luck,
Pack it all away
Tied in little jars and pots,
Until Christmas Day.

Elizabeth Gould

The end is in sight (relief) ...

I am finally drawing to the end of my first draft of my newest story. I find the first draft the hardest. The ideas are not the problem, or particular events and characters in the story: it's the writing between I find hard graft and sometimes I struggle to get motivated to work on it.

Now, writing my second draft is fun: a chance to change and build on what I have already done, adding in and expanding events and characters. Can't wit for that!

A treat for myself...

For the first time in what seems like ages, I have 2 fairly free days so I am going to treat myself. I am going to ignore the housework (I can perhaps bribe the children to do a little for pocket money) and spend the time writing instead. I need the uninterrupted time to get back into my characters and the flow of my story.

Reflecting on writing...

I have recently been teaching elements of creative writing (the day job) and it has made me doubt my own writing, whether I'm doing it 'properly.' I just have to remind myself that what is 'right' changes over time, even grammar, and have belief in what I have produced so far.