What better way to start the new year than with a dip in the sea. There was a real feeling of camaraderie when I joined in jumping the somewhat rough waves with a group of people already enjoying the sea. I must confess to being somewhat alarmed when a big wave knocked me off …
To the End of the Year
It felt good to enjoy a life affirming dip in the sea a couple of days before Christmas. This was followed by a hearty lunch with Roy and his son. I was amused at being escorted to and from the beach by two hulking rugby men while I was the one who braved the …
w/e 19 December
Cake of various sorts featured a lot this week! At each final session at work there were mince pies…although, interestingly, these were left in favour of biscuits (homemade) or chocolate log and mincemeat muffins. These latter are a great favourite of mine and seemingly becoming a firm favourite addition to my repertoire. At …
w/e 12 December 2021
In the dark days before Christmas, there seems to be a preponderance of articles about the joys of Christmases past filled with people and fun. Like me, many of these columnists and writers are missing the busyness of family life and relatives long gone. I dreamed of my Dad not once but twice this week. …
w/e 5 December 2021
Monday Motivation was achieved by marching along with the Clangers to some wonderful Clangery marching music. I’ll try anything to keep moving and motivated when it’s too chilly for my evening walk. An exercise video from the Clangers would be fantastic! Upon stalling at traffic lights one morning, I was reminded of the benefits …
w/e 28 November 2021
Bravely, I went into the local library and introduced myself to the new staff. A Friend of the Library had chatted to me on Saturday about the talks I used to give and wondered whether I was still available. It is hoped to run some talks in the new year. The wild windy …
w/e 21 November 2021
A somewhat chilly sea swim helped with the emotional rollercoaster of a week in which the sadness of stillbirth affected a friend. The horrendous nature of this and the immense grief can only be imagined. ‘Thinking of you’ says you are not alone. Inadequate as it seems, it is an important message. Emergence …
Meteor Shower
In November around the 17th, the Leonid meteor shower is worth trying to see. It comes from the comet Tempel–Tuttle. This is a comet with an orbital period of 33 years and passes through the constellation of Leo at this time of year. It was independently discovered by Wilhelm Tempel on December 19, 1865 and …
Writers’ Workshop and beyond…
Attendance at a recent one-day Writers’ Workshop provided a welcome boost to morale regarding my short stories when one came third in a competition, while another entry attracted a lot of stickers, placing it in the top third of entries for the ‘first page of a novel’ competition. Next January, the fortnightly magazine, ‘Yours’ …
Success….
At a recent writers' workshop, a piece of my flash fiction came third in a competition, while the first page of the space adventures was among the top few. Inspired to continue.
Karen Hedges 