Monthly Archives: January 2015

Satisfied Saturday Six

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The SSS celebrates six things that have gone well, or at least okay, in the past week. It is the creation of Terry Egan, who is all things wonderful.

1.  Final proofs of Petticoats and Promises completed and back to the production team. Now all I have to do is wait for it to come out 🙂

2.  I wrote 400 words of ‘things to write about’ in my prospective article about mistresses in the Regency period. That’s about a fifth of the length the actual article needs to be! I don’t think I’m going to run out of things to say.

3. Child and I have been re-watching the first series of Merlin. Which is also probably my favourite – I like it best before it gets too serious.

4. Child is currently sitting in a cinema watching Tinker Bell and the Never Beast whilst I sit outside with my computer. As he said, “Most boys would say ‘I’m not watching that because it’s for girls’ but that’s silly, and I’ve seen a trailer for it and it looks good.”

5. I’ve just finished reading a really good book, called Elements of Eloquence. It’s about different techniques which can be used in writing to turn a good phrase, but it is also very funny! (I’d quote one of my favourite bits, but alas I do not have the book with me.)

6. Our car had a crisis last week, but it is all mended now (touch wood!).

Friday Fiction (Article)

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Questions of Identity… Coming out as disabled

Having to “come out”. Being called “abnormal”. Or described as “queer”. All of these phrases are regularly used as descriptions of non-straight sexualities, yet they work equally well as definitions of disability.But what is it like “coming out” in two different ways – being disabled and gay/lesbian/ bi/pansexual? And which is the most difficult for others to acknowledge? (Please click text for more.)

 

Wednesday Word of the Week

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Catatonic – An abnormal condition variously characterised by stupour, stereotypy, mania, and either rigidity or extreme flexibility of the limbs

 

“They tried to get through to her, but she was catatonic.”

 

This word makes me sad. It has ‘cat’ in it, and ‘tonic’ in it, and you would think it would be a good thing, therefore. (Unless, of course, it involved GIVING a cat a tonic, which if pills are anything to go by would be a very bad plan – and possibly would be characterised by either rigidity or extreme flexibility of the limbs and mania…)

 

I want it to be a joyful word, possibly related to the cat therapy which has led to people taking cats into homes for the elderly because stroking a cat leads to lower blood pressure, amongst other things. But unfortunately, people have made the meaning up for it without consulting me. Badly played, world. Badly played.

Satisfied Saturday Six

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The SSS celebrates six things that have gone well, or at least okay, in the past week. It is the creation of Terry Egan, who is all things wonderful.

1. My boys are back from holiday, and it’s lovely to have them back here. (I did wonder for a bit on Sunday, when I had a grumpy and over-tired Child, but he’s better now and it’s been great since then.)

 

2.  I got more than 1000 words of the new novel, The Sisterhood, written this week. It’s not an enormous amount, but as I sometimes say to Child, it’s better than a slap in the face with a wet kipper.

 

3. It is beginning to be noticeable that the days are getting longer again. I much prefer longer days.

 

4. We had a sprinkling of snow, so we didn’t feel left out of the whole ”snow” thing, but it wasn’t enough to cause complications.

 

5. Although both of our cars have been doing alarming things this week (mine needs filling up with water every three seconds, and my partner’s engine keeps cutting out for no apparent reason), we have not got so stuck that we needed to call our breakdown cover. (Look, it’s been quite a tough week, I’m taking anything I can!)

 

6. Um… um… um… Gosh, this has really not been a good week. I have read several new-to-me books, and I have several more to read in the future. PLUS, my voice and Child’s voice have finally both recovered enough for us to continue our nightly reading together (we’re reading The House of Hades).

Friday Fiction (Short Story)

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Please note, this story is NOT WORK SAFE and appropriate only for over 18s.

 

Beltane

She walks, Maiden of the Spring, across the sweet smelling grass on May Day. A hint of dew still glitters at this early hour, but the rising sun will soon dispel it. A blackbird chants its pleasure at the new day, and she looks up and smiles: they share the same joy. A Spring Maiden, soon to be a Summer Bride. She stands in the sunlight and waits. (Please click the text for more)

Wednesday Word of the Week

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Serendipity/Serendipitous –  means a “fortunate happenstance” or “pleasant surprise”. .

“What a serendipitous occurrence.”

 

Coming across something by happy accident – what a fabulous thing to have a word for! Serendipity was coined by Horace Walpole in 1754, from a Persian fairy tale called The Three Princes of Serendip, who were always making lucky discoveries.

 

My one complaint is that I spent years wanting to spell it ‘serendipidous’ (to go with ‘tremendous’ and other –dous words). But this is a minor quibble only. Accidental good luck – a great thing.

 

Satisfied Saturday Six

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The SSS celebrates six things that have gone well, or at least okay, in the past week. It is the creation of Terry Egan, who is all things wonderful.

1. My boys come home today! I’ve missed them – though I’ll probably miss the quiet once they’re back 😉

 

2. I had a lovely birthday on Tuesday (with lots of good wishes – thank you to everyone who sent them!). Eating, drinking and being merry definitely sum it up!

 

3. Although I haven’t done as much writing as I’d like this week, I have at least written a little bit more of the new novel (The Sisterhood) – which is another f/f Regency story, by the way.

 

4. I completed my tax return! So nice to have that off my mind.

 

5. Had a lovely time earlier this week playing Mah Jong with my Mum. (This is not the computer game, which is disappointingly NOT Mah Jong, in my opinion, but the real thing with tiles.) She beat me by a country mile 🙂

 

6. My father has lent me a book called The Elements of Eloquence. Judging by the snorts of laughter coming from him when he was reading it, I’m going to enjoy it!

Friday Fiction (Fanfiction)

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There is a theory that there has been fanfiction about just about everything, and I intend to prove it. Herewith, a short piece I wrote based on Milton’s Paradise Lost.

 

The Way To Hell

 

from sence of injur’d merit,
That with the mightiest rais’d me to contend,
And to the fierce contention brought along
Innumerable force of Spirits arm’d
That durst dislike his reign…
/the Tyranny of Heav’n

And did he believe these words, Satan? Did he beilieve the sentiments that took him crashing from Angel to Devil; the Fallen Angel who fell furthest, fastest? Or was he seduced by his own rhetoric, made dizzy by the effect his speeches had on his fellows? Was it the heady taste of power which brought about his downfall?

Power – corruption – pride – greed.

He accused God of his own failings, as mortal man so often does in his stead, preferring to fault another rather than examine his own conscience. And others flocked to his banner, persuaded by their own vices – jealousy, anger, covetousness. And he chose to challenge that greatest of authorities, the Almighty Lord, because his pride would not allow subservience.

But once – once, surely, he believed in what he said; before his ideas became twisted and perverted by his untrammelled ambition. Once, he was an Angel of all things good.

Truly the way to Hell is paved with good intentions.

Wednesday Word of the Week

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Delope – to fire in the air in a duel

 

“There was a flash of fire, but Alexander realised the moment he shot that his opponent had deloped.”

 

This word came up on ‘Call My Bluff’ once, much to my amazement. I knew exactly what it meant, thanks to years of reading Georgette Heyer novels and the like. Again, beautifully specific in meaning – if you were obliged to duel with someone but you had no wish to hurt them, you could delope. I’ve never had the chance to delope, strangely enough – and I imagine you haven’t, either. But it is a splendid word (and I’m particularly fond of it because it has the same last five letters as my name: I also like antelope and elope for similar reasons!). It also sounds like something you might do if you had intended to elope with someone but then changed your mind at the last moment.

 

Satisfied Saturday Six

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The SSS celebrates six things that have gone well, or at least okay, in the past week. It is the creation of Terry Egan, who is all things wonderful.

1. I have submitted my article to Jane Austen’s Regency World magazine, and agreed the next one I’m going to write for them – about mistresses.

2. My boys have been safely packed off to the airport for a good holiday (I hope!)

3. And talking of the boys, Child got his report for the Autumn term yesterday, and he’s exceeding expectations in all sorts of things (including attendance… that one, however, is about to go down as he’s off school this week).

4. My health has been fairly dire for a few months, but I’ve got a couple of referrals to specialist units so I’m hoping I’m going to get some support, and – who knows? – maybe things will get a bit better.

5. Ooh, ooh, I went to the local charity shop on Thursday and bought myself a little bit of light reading. (Um, which might translate to ’37 books’…)

6. I’m generally feeling much more cheerful than I have done for months – and it clearly shows:  my partner and my Mum have commented on it independently. Apparently I’ve remembered how to smile. (Now I just need to remember how to talk – I’ve had no voice for several days, and hardly any for the last couple! However, I’ve got a week by myself so it’s not so vital, though I have to admit I talk to myself and the cats quite a lot usually!)