Jaye Marie's Blog, page 3

Macro Monday…

These cuties made me smile this morning.

They are actually advertising cornflower seeds, called catface!

I feel a bit discombobulated, so not thinking straight yet, but I am counting on these two to hold the fort while I get my bearings!

Memories on a Sunday… #Autumn

There has been a chill in the air lately, a reminder that autumn is just around the corner. I do my best work in the autumn months, so I am looking forward to a busy few months on the run up to Christmas…

We have had a lot of lovely rain this week, and my bonsai are practically singing out there, enjoying every last drop. They love rainwater, and lately they have had to make do with water from the tap. I do have a rainwater butt, but that dried up months ago.

A brilliant week all round, with massive amounts of work at the writing desk…

Thursday Thoughts…

I tell myself this every day, and I am glad to be human…

Living Deliberately?

I have literally had dozens of jobs, but none were a perfect fit. Some came close, and I remember being quite successful with some of them.

Painter and decorator, upholsterer, dressmaker, craft shop owner. Wedding dress designer, and many office and retail jobs. I have worked behind the counter in the post office, and the gas board during the switchover to natural gas.

Some lasted a few weeks, others for years, but they all lost their charm and sense of achievement eventually. Even writing, which I still love, has been losing some of its allure lately. To be fair, present circumstances have not made my life easier.

How the experts say we should do this…

Do just one activity at a time

Simplify your life by limiting or banning set intentions at the start

Cherry pick your important tasks and make them your focus

Listen to what life is calling you to do

But…

What about all those jobs begun but never finished?

How can I have a clean start and concentrate on one thing at a time?

I started my latest detective mystery long before my health took a nosedive, and there are times when I wish I hadn’t started, but I have no intention of stopping. Even though I was struggling to make headway. Somehow, this has changed, but I’m not really sure why.

Back to the theme of this post, Living Deliberately.

I realized the other day that I was trying to write with good intentions. This was something I thought I should be doing, and discovering this knowledge shook me to my core. It was only recently when some of the old magic reappeared that I knew why I had been struggling. I had been pretending to be a writer. Going through the motions but not really getting anywhere.

Sounds awful, doesn’t it?

I didn’t know I had been pretending, so that makes me feel a little better.

What’s left of my life these days is a bit of a mess and will take some sorting out, but along with some of the old magic, my stubborn streak is alive and kicking….

I have a feeling this will be the best week yet!

Memories on a Sunday…

I am feeling a bit wild myself today. My head is bursting with good intentions, plans and ideas. All I need now is the energy to get busy!

Last week was all about the new printer and fixing several leaks on the plumbing for the garden hose, so I’m looking forward to focusing on book related matters only,,,

Hopefully, there will be some good news on the writing front soon!

Trapped Time…

Time and water seem extra precious these days, so this poem by Anita hits that nail on the head…

Time trapped in a rain drop.

The watch maker said it was beyond price.

More precious than silver, gold, diamonds?

It has been here from the beginning

His wish was to take charge of it.

He did all he could, his experiments.

To outsiders it looked daft, a waste of time

The watch maker replied, time trapped there

one drop could unleash a mind full of magic

Unknown to this world.

Imagine who bathed in it, what could they tell?

Water has a memory

I need to find out how to unlock it

Find the wisdom that hides inside…

©AnitaDawes 2024

I may have to do a rain dance soon…

Round and Round by Terry Tyler #Fiction #Ghost Paranormal Fantasy #Review @TerryTyler4

Terry Tyler’s ninth published work is a 36,000 word novella, i.e. between a third and half as long as a full length novel.

Four Valentine cards – from four different men!

Sophie Heron’s fortieth birthday is looming, and she is fed up with her job, her relationship, her whole life – not to mention her boyfriend’s new ‘hobby’, in which she definitely doesn’t want to get involved…

Back in 1998 she had the choice of four men, and now she can’t help wondering how her life might have turned out if she’d chosen differently.

The person to whom Sophie had always been closest was her beloved Auntie Flick, her second mother, friend and advisor. Before her death in 2001, Flick said, “when I’m up there having a cuppa with St Peter, I’ll have a word with him about making me your guardian angel, shall I?”

As Sophie’s fortieth birthday draws near, she visits her aunt’s special place: a tree by a river, hidden from the world. Here she calls on Auntie Flick to show her the way forward – and help her look back into the past so she can see what might have been…

About the author

Terry Tyler

Terry Tyler is the author of twenty-eight books available from Amazon, the latest being the post-apocalyptic thriller, Safe Zone.

Other recent publications include the SFV-1 rage virus trilogy: Infected, Darkness and Reset, also ‘Where There’s Doubt’, the story of a romance scammer and his prey, and ‘Megacity’, the final book in the dystopian Operation Galton trilogy. Happy to be independently published, Terry is an avid reader and book reviewer, and a member of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team.

Terry is a Walking Dead addict, and has a great interest in history (particularly Saxon, Plantagenet and Tudor), along with books and documentaries on sociological/cultural/anthropological subject matter. She loves South Park, the sea, and going for long walks in quiet places where there are lots of trees. She lives in the north east of England with her husband.

Terry can be found on X @TerryTyler4

Our Review

I’m sure I’m not the only person who daydreams about what might have happened if we had chosen differently.

Although, changing things doesn’t always turn out well, for everything is interconnected, and you can’t change everything, not matter how hard you try.

I wouldn’t mind betting that I probably have more reason to regret past mistakes than most people. If there is a wrong way to do anything, you can bet I will find it. Most of the time, I can’t do right for doing wrong, and there are so many things I wish I had done differently.

This was one of the reasons I decided to read Round and Round by Terry Tyler. It was refreshing to explore all those different scenarios. Maybe we all need an Aunty Flick to help us explore the possibilities?

This story is beautifully written with engaging characters and a magical element that twists at the end. I enjoyed reading Sophie’s story and in a strange way, it made me more accepting of my own choices…

I do love a good book, and this was a lovely story.

Made me think of otherwordly things…

The Great Pretender…

They say you should never read any of your early writing, as it will surely undermine your confidence. But strange things have been happening lately.

Ever since my collapse earlier this year, I have been pretending about a lot of things.

Pretending to be okay with my situation, smiling through the pain and the frustration of being almost helpless. Deep down, I knew I was pretending, but it seemed to be the only game in town, so I was more than happy to be living a lie. Better than not, anyway.

Depression has never been far away. It almost became my friend until I realised what was happening. Pretending I wasn’t depressed was something I could do, even in that hospital bed.

Years of pretending have made me pretty good at it.

Was I or wasn’t I?

Lately though, I think my old, sensible, warts and all self has been trying to get my attention. Some of my old ways of thinking (prior to the collapse) have turned up and are very welcome. I am seeing everything in a new light, including my writing, past and present, revealing that I have a lot of work to do.

It will be hard to pick up where I left off, and hard to choose just one thing at a time, but my purpose is back and that’s all that counts…

I have been reading a lot about living deliberately.  A new post is forming already…

will the real me please stand up?

playsimple.in/share/s

playsimple.in/share/s

Silent Sunday…

Last week was an inglorious mix of happy and sad, anger and joy. I wonder what this coming week has in store for us.

Like this beautiful cat, I don’t really want to know what happens next, but can’t stop myself from having a peek!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend, folks. I know I am going to…