Still Laundry and No Words

Still attacking the laundry pile. Why does it never diminish? One son has disappeared to the world of school not to be heard from until he needs something. Sniff.

Littlest back to school this morning and that leaves gorgeous ginger son home for the day before he heads off to school tonight. Sniff.

Words will begin again tomorrow. They must. It is imperative that I finish A Cornish House before the rush towards the move begins which it will soon. This morning I was quite weepy handing in a term's notice on littlest school. She began there as a wee thing in a pinafore and now has grown to kilts and proper big girls clothes. Times flies.

I thought I would speak about my wonderful trip to Florida. The photo above was taken by littlest who wrestled control of the camera during a visit to Corkscrew Nature Reserve. The Dh and the three kids went there while I was packing. Out of 40 photos - fifteen are in focus, five are of the family and remainder are of what looks to be leaves and branches and grass. The one above if you look closely has some bird at the centre. It is wonderful when you put a camera in the hands of child. Some of my favorite holiday photos have been taken by the kids. Their perspective is so different to adults. Therefore I will cherish the photo of half a gecko amongst the 40......and post my favorite picture of DH and me taken taken by littlest three years ago in Cairo........

That leads me back to the expat life again. I'm originally from Boston, MA. I left in 1989 and moved to London and since then I have lived in Calgary, London (again), Moscow, Houston, Jakarta, Dubai, London and ????. So going to visit my parents in Florida was very strange this time. I hadn't been back to the States in two years. I felt very strange. I was so out of touch with my native land. I spent hours discussing with friends of my parents the different perspective you have of things when you are away from it. We were specifically discussing the Catholic Church. I was living in Dubai at the time that the Archdiocese of Boston blew up with the abuse scandal. It was reported and discussed and then moved on. Because we didn't have the media harping on about it every two minutes it didn't have the impact it clearly had there. Once it was out and new safe guards put in place it became an issue of the past that needed to be dealt with but didn't affect the daily life of the Church outside Boston. I couldn't understand fully the angst of friends back home who were on the verge of abandoning the Church. It didn't make sense to me dealing with different issues like being a practicing Catholic in an Islamic country - which in Dubai was easy but not so in Jakarta. The issues of poverty and how much more spiritual the Catholics from Asia were seemed to occupy my thinking.

This was just one of the things that struck home when I landed in Florida and thought how far removed I have become from those of my homeland yet I am not one of my husband country either. I am a global nomad now. My perspective has been shaped by my upbringing but all my expat experiences have put a very different twist of how I look at life. I can no longer look a problem from one side..........this I take as being good but there are times when it would be wonderful to have the blinkered vision that comes from being firmly rooted in one spot. It is something my children will never know having been dragged round the world...........

Enough rambling for today. Back to laundry and name tapes. Tomorrow my reality of writing begins :-)

Sniff

I'm packing and leaving in a few hours.......I don't want to go. It's been a fabulous holiday. We are rested and tanned and not too fat after our time here in Naples. Hell, I even managed write a few thousand words. What more could I ask for except another couples of weeks?????

So hopefully spring has found the London again while we were gone. There was frost on the ground at Gatwick as we left and I send a silent prayer that it won't be bleak grey skies on our return!!!

I will be back to more regular posting and finishing A Cornish House. The last few hundred words I wrote were crap.........not in content but style. I had so much I wanted to say but did it all in flash back in order to put the words down. The scene is totally crap. However the thoughts were captured and I can rewrite the scene in a better manner later. Normal writing will return soon. The kids still have another week of hols so I will progress slowly as sniff sniff I will be back to cooking and housework too..........

Ahhhhhhhhh

This holiday business is brilliant. My kids are happy. My parents are happy. My husband will soon be with us. I am happy and I am writing :-) Madde's story is almost told. I would think things will have resolved themselves in the next 5000 words give or take. Today may be see The End which is quite exciting. It means rewrites will begin and I will see all I need to do but the basic story is out and on the page. I can work with that.

But that not the high point of the holiday although close. Its great coming to my parents because I actually have a holiday. My parents let me off the hook for lots of things that go one at home - like house work, so I can just enjoy sun. sea, and shopping. Plus reading........which goes onto my next bit. I finished Haunted Hearts by Jessica Raymond last night. She made me cry - the sod. It was a perfect poolside read. I loved the characters and the twists of the supernatural - highly recommended. Now I am on to my next book club selection The Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky which will not quite be the poolside read but so far brilliant.

This brings me onto book shopping. I brought most of my books out with me - except I ordered Jess's and had it delivered here but my kids had run out of reading materials. A trip to the local Barnes and Noble was required - what a shame. Once the kids were sorted I browsed the book sections and there I was thrilled to bits so see some friends names. In fact so thrilled I played the complete tourist and took a photo or two. So Katie, Kate and Fiona I was so excited I felt like a little kid when I saw your books there. Especially for Fiona Harper who attended the RNA conference in Egham as a novice like me. She has now gone from strength to strength with her debut book, Blind Date Marriage,which is currently up for a RITA. I go all tingly with excitement for her!

But I can't leave Katie Fforde or Kate Walker out of the comments. Both women are unstinting in their support of new writers. Even though I am not aiming for the Harlequin Mills & Boon market any more Kate Walker's support is still there cheering me on. Plus she writes great books to sink into when life stresses! Several of hers eased me through my house move last summer! I love Katie Fforde's books in fact I brought one with me which is next up after the book club selection......and she has always been so kind and encouraging each time we have met. Oh, I have also brought her sister's, Jane Gordon Cummings, book A Proper Family Christmas with me to read!

Finally I was able to pick up C.S.Harris's book What Angels Fear to add to the holiday reading list but I have a feeling my Dad might nick it first.

Now back to wrapping up Madde's story and the pool of course!

Glimmer of Light

The words have been gushing out today. There is a glimmering of light peaking through for Madde. All the world's darkness may not yet settle into her soul and I want to push towards her joy but the pool and my kids beckon. Tough isn't???

Florida is lovely. I won't wax on about it as it's not fair be enjoying such glorious weather :-)

I am half way through Haunted Hearts which I am loving (breath easy Jess). I'm also feeling terribly guilty and missing checking in all the other racers....My thoughts are with you all even if my comments aren't. I have to confess I popped over to check out Kate's blog to read the coffee comments and was thrilled to see she had won the race. Now the push is on for second!

Hello

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth but to my parent's house in Florida, poor me! It is wonderful and the jet lag is fading. However writing has been curtailed but I have managed a few hundred words.

The compensation for the lack of writing while on holidays and traveling is reading. I finished Rachel Hore's The Dream House. It was a great read with lots of twists and turns. I really felt for the heroine, Kate in her struggles to find out what she really wanted in life. Definitely one to read and enjoy.

Next book out of the bag is Jessica Raymond's Haunted Hearts so I'll keep you posted. Now its back to the pool :-)