Anita Dawes's Blog: http://jenanita01.wordpress.com, page 31

SNOWdrops, really?

Last month when I posted on this blog, I was a bit depressed. Winter was going on too long, far too many grey and dreary days. I looked at my bonsai trees for signs of life, but they were still sleeping. Maybe a few buds looked a little bigger, but that could have been optimism and faulty eyesight. (I have both, in equal measure)

Then yesterday as I walked to the local shops I noticed signs of life in all the front gardens. Tiny daffodils bobbing in the breeze and early blossom appearing on what I think are almond trees. And a patch of snowdrops bravely trembling in the chilly air. By the time I got home I was feeling a little uplifted, cheered by what I had seen and knowing that Spring was definitely coming. Maybe a little too slowly for my liking, but hey, I'm not in charge, am I?

I even went to the garden centre at the weekend and bought some new plants for the garden, sure that I would be gardening soon enough. I looked forward to tidying up the winter debris of leaves and twigs, not to mention what the cats have done to the flower beds. The grass would need cutting soon too, it was starting to grow again.

But then the bad news. Apparently we are in for more cold weather, possibly snow. I think of the snowdrops.
How would they cope? If the weather was bad enough they might perish. I had seen that happen before, and I wondered again why Nature got her timing so wrong sometimes. But the fact that it never seems to matter, that she just continues to do what she does best, should be a lesson to all of us who need to learn a little patience.

I am a huge fan of Mother Nature. I love her delicate touch, the pretty things she creates out of almost nothing. And her drama, the power that she can wield, the destruction and the majesty. I can forgive her anything, for all that she brings to us.

Waiting for Spring!

I sit here in front of my computer, hating myself for being as miserable as the weather has been lately, knowing I am made of stronger stuff. At least I think I still am. I have never let the weather get me down this bad before. But as you get older, winter seems to go on forever. The grey monotony of cold, rainy days eats into your soul and you can be forgiven for thinking that this is it, no more happy sunshiny days. No more hope or inspiration.

I am getting quite old now and usually  refuse to give in to that sneaky feeling that I am supposed to be winding down and getting ready for the final switch off. Since my heart attack two years ago, I have been very aware that someone's finger has been on that switch, just waiting for me to get too out of breath, or too angry or upset. I have been avoiding all those things, of course. But I am only human. Some days I feel like screaming out, 'Just do it, get it over with!' As I get sick of all the waiting.
But other days, I am adamant that I am going nowhere, that I still have things to do. And I think that says it all. I should be going somewhere, but somewhere else.

As I sit here, looking out of my window at my all bonsai trees, they are waiting for Spring much as I am; snowflakes begin gently falling. They will not survive this time, I think, the ground is much too wet. But it is trying very hard, falling thickly now and getting nowhere. Nothing to show for all that effort.

That is how I feel most days. Nothing much to show for all my time here on earth. Nothing much left, anyhow. When I climb out of the grey misery, those days when a little brightness peeps through the clouds, I have been wondering if there may be time for one last adventure. One last valiant effort to find some peace, some quiet beauty. Time to actually create something that will outlive me.

I think I have the strength for one last effort. I must have for I still have the courage, that has never left me. It is all I have left...

My New Year Resolution!

In 2013 I have decided (this is Jay, by the way. Anita is busy writing!) that I will become more adept with all this technology. I have been stumbling along, picking up bits of information here there and everywhere and have come to glorious conclusion that my efforts are not quite good enough. Close, but no cigar, to quote Anita.

Now, don't get me wrong, I think I have learnt a massive amount of stuff in my stumblings but if we want to be successful in any way at all, I have to learn more. This will not be easy, for at my age (69) my brain cells are dying faster than I can count! I have never liked computers, I think they were invented by the devil to drive us all insane. But the reason I persist (apart from the fact that I am one of the most stubborn people you will ever meet) is that my mind cannot accept the fact that the devil is possibly cleverer than I am at using a computer.

It's only a machine, I tell myself. 

It's do-able, so do it.

Other people do it and do it well. So can I.

Really?

Who am I kidding?

Myself unfortunately. But I digress. I can do anything I set my mind to, always have. Might take me forever, or might have to modify what I wanted in the first place, but I usually get there. (once I have driven everyone bonkers in the mean time!)

Now for some back patting...

In 2012, I learnt how to upload Anita's books onto Amazon. (and you don't want to know how long that took!)

After that I uploaded them all to Smashwords. (difficult, but worth it, amazing people!)

I even managed to create a paperback copy of Bad Moon Rising with Createspace. (don't ask!)

I had a go at designing our own covers, but need to improve a hell of a lot!

Created this blog, but still not sure I'm doing it right (or even if I'm happy with it!)

But as I said earlier, its all out there in 2013 and all I have to do is find it and make it work.

How hard can it be?

Welcome to Anita and Jay's Blog!

  

Yes, there are two of us! We come as a package because we have always worked well together in many and various jobs, from interior decorating, childcare and uholstery. So when Anita started to scribble the makings of several novels in a notebook it was perfectly natural for us to join forces. 

What has made our partnership work so well is that we are good at different things. Anita loves to write, but I actually love working on my computer!   I have had to learn more than I ever thought I could, what with formatting, designing and uploading.
 I feel quite proud of what we have achieved. Three books on Amazon, one paperback and uploading as I speak to Smashwords, plus more in the pipeline!

I would like to send a message to anyone out there who has never 'winged it'. Thats my description of what I do. All my life I have approached just about everything with this same attitude, 'how hard can it be?'

But don't  get me wrong. It all goes wrong sometimes. There are days when I switch my computer off saying 'never again'. But it's addictive, so I always go back. Anita says its because I am so stubborn it's become a family joke.

So never say never, and you are never too old. We are nearly seventy and have no intention of stopping any time soon!
 

Home

 Welcome to Anita and Jay's blog. 

Yes, there are two of us! We come as a package because we have always worked well together in many and various jobs, from interior decorating, childcare and uholstery. So when Anita started to scribble the makings of several novels in a notebook it was perfectly natural for us to join forces. 

What has made our partnership work so well is that we are good at different things. Anita loves to write, but I actually love working on my computer!   I have had to learn more than I ever thought I could, what with formatting, designing and uploading.
 I feel quite proud of what we have achieved. Three books on Amazon, one paperback and uploading as I speak to Smashwords, plus more in the pipeline!

I would like to send a message to anyone out there who has never 'winged it'. Thats my description of what I do. All my life I have approached just about everything with this same attitude, 'how hard can it be?'

But don't  get me wrong. It all goes wrong sometimes. There are days when I switch my computer off saying 'never again'. But it's addictive, so I always go back. Anita says its because I am so stubborn it's become a family joke.

So never say never, and you are never too old. We are nearly seventy and have no intention of stopping any time soon!
 

After going twelve rounds with various mainstream p...

 After going twelve rounds with various mainstream publishers, I realised that I had to try something else. I saved all the rejection letters because most of them had very encouraging comments. If my mother had slapped me as gently when I was a child, it wouldn’t have hurt half as much. I even wrote to James Herbert once, and he was very kind.Now I am retired and with the help of Jay, my sister-in-law, (who is learning to be a ‘surfer’) I decided to dust off some of my manuscripts and try to achieve what has seemed to be impossible.This is very much a family affair, all hands (and minds) on deck. My granddaughter's Kathryn and Hayley are a whizz with graphics and have designed our blog and all the book covers. Jay has always edited and proofed my manuscripts over the years, and recently has managed to learn how to Twitter and blog. She is currently learning how to publish on Kindle, (as a starting point)I am a paper and pencil girl, you could chain me to a computer for years and nothing would happen! They say you are never too old to learn, but in my case, never is another word for ‘infinity’. I thank God for my family, for I have a second chance to find out if anyone out there likes the kind of novels I write…

Hi, my name is Anita and although I’m 66, I am by no mean...

Hi, my name is Anita and although I’m 66, I am by no means a ‘silver surfer’. I have been writing fiction novels for a long time now, but never been published. Close, but no cigar. So I shelved them all after going twelve rounds with various publishers. I saved all the rejection letters because most of them had very encouraging comments. If my mother had slapped me as gently when I was a child, it wouldn’t have hurt half as much. I even wrote to James Herbert once, and he was very kind.Now I am retired and with the help of Jay, my sister-in-law, (who is learning to be a ‘surfer’) I decided to dust off some of my manuscripts and try to achieve what has seemed to be impossible.This is very much a family affair, all hands (and minds) on deck. My granddaughter's Kathryn and Hayley are a whizz with graphics and have designed our blog and all the book covers. Jay has always edited and proofed my manuscripts over the years, and recently has managed to learn how to Twitter and blog. She is currently learning how to publish on Kindle, (as a starting point)I am a paper and pencil girl, you could chain me to a computer for years and nothing would happen! They say you are never too old to learn, but in my case, never is another word for ‘infinity’. I thank God for my family, for I have a second chance to find out if anyone out there likes the kind of novels I write…