Merry Christmas!

 

Unfortunately, I have not been well enough to do much this Christmas.  This photo was taken at Sundown (without me) but I think it is lovely.   Wishing everyone a fantastic Christmas!

Operation (No. 1)

Went for my MRI on Monday 23rd November (it was a mobile scanner so head first!).  Rather anxious (to say the least) but I managed to get through by taking loads of tablets (painkillers and diazepam), deep breathing and towards the end some singing - Jingle Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

After it had finished (approx. 10mins) they asked me to stay where I was for a while as they were showing the Consultant.  He then asked to see me.  He asked me how my waterworks were and then proceeded to stick an unwound paperclip in my buttocks.  Could I feel that? How about now? And now?  Apparently my scan was quite serious and indicated I should be incontinent.  He told me he would be referring me Urgently.  This was the first time anyone had mentioned I might need an operation.....

I was seen at the Sheffield Claremont Hospital on the 30th November.  The MRI scan showed 'a large L4/5 disc prolapse with impending cauda equine.'  Mr Zaki (Consultant  Neurosurgeon) agreed it was Urgent that I should have an operation to alleviate the pain. 

After visiting Sheffield for my Pre-op on the 4th December, my operation took place on the 11th December....

After an overnight stay in Sheffield, once we had seen Mr Zaki and the physiotherapists, and got letters for my GP, and nurse, and a 6 week sick note, driving home wasn't too bad.  We were advised to stop every now and again to help the circulation in my legs (having to wear surgical stockings for a few weeks!).  I don't think I felt too bad as, after a sleep, I desperately wanted to see my son, but I stayed in bed for a few days.  My leg felt better almost straight away.  It was just the 12 stitches (staples) that I had in my back!

Had my stitches taken out on the 22nd December 2015.

A Meditation On Murder : Robert Thorogood

At least having to rest means I have been able to get some reading done!



The Blurb: This story opens on one of the most unspoilt Islands of the Caribbean, Saint-Marie where we meet Aslan Kennedy who is a yoga instructor and self styled Spiritual Guru and owns his own hotel "The Retreat" along with his wife Rianka. One particular morning, he gets up and goes down to make green tea to bring to the Meditation Space, which he does as normal on a daily basis. He sees the five guests that are staying in the hotel on the beach and calls out to them to get their attention. It was an hour and a half later that the screaming started and he's been murdered.

We are then introduced to the detectives that are assigned on the case, Detective Inspector Richard Poole and Detective Sergeant Camille Bordey. It seems to be an open and shut case as there were five other people who were inside a locked room where Aslan was killed and one of them has already confessed to the murder but are they the murderer? DI Poole is even convinced that the person whom has confessed to the murder is the one person who couldn't have done it. Are they covering for someone else? Is there more to this murder than meets the eye? As the Detectives delve deeper into the victim and all the suspects pasts and history the truth starts to emerge and a web of lies seem to be untangled. DI Poole is adamant that no stone will be left unturned to track down the real killer.

As a fan of the TV show I was looking forward to reading it (I bought it to take on holiday in July, but then never had the time!) and it helped with my pain management.  The only criticisms I have is that in some places you could also tell the writer usually wrote a script for TV as opposed to a novel.....and I am not sure I was convinced by the solution.....

Lego can be dangerous.....

Not necessarily due to standing on, but rather trying to take some good photographs of it!  Took Jamie along to a Lego exhibition the first weekend of the half term and it was brilliant.  We went with some of his pals and they all loved it.  I took along my camera and spent the afternoon merrily taking photographs of  all the exhibits.  My back was hurting, but (as I have been doing for a while) I simply kept popping the pills and carried on.

Unfortunately, I think this was the last straw for my poor old back.  By the Tuesday I was in agony.  It felt like I had broken my leg.  The pain was all the way down my left leg and into my foot.  Having suffered from back pain for years, I just assumed I needed to rest.  I visited the Chiropractor three times in eight days before finally seeing my GP on the 5th November who referred me to the LCATS (Lincolnshire Musculoskeletal Clinical Assessment and Treatment Service) team.  Although he referred me as 'Urgent' my appointment was not for nearly three weeks.  I rang every day and managed to get a cancellation.  From this I was referred for an MRI.....

Of course this meant that I have been unable to get out as much as I could.  I managed to get up for Halloween, but had to retire early as the pain became unbearable.  Taking photographs is certainly difficult when you can hardly stand on your leg.   And creativity is severely diminished when you are taking strong pain killers!

Happy Halloween

Discover NK Competition

My 2015 Entry......

Hartsholme Photography Competition

My Entries 2015....

Didn't Win Whisby This Year....

Last year my photo of The Willow Walk won the Cover Shot on the 2015 calendar. 

This year I submitted two photos and unfortunately didn't win anything.....  These are the photos I submitted:

Thorpe Lake - May 2015

Tree in Orchid Glade - May 2015

Moor Lane Music Festival 2015

This weekend we held the second annual Moor Lane Music Festival.  So, its not my thing (music) but I think it deserves a mention as it fits within the No Excuses ethos of this blog.  My other half didn't start piano lessons until he was in his 20's.  But with hard work and determination he can now play both the piano (Grade 7) and the guitar (self taught).  He has also taught his friend guitar and they now earn extra money by playing covers in local pubs.   Here they are 'jamming' with Dean and Jack:

And what have I done?  I have organised the festival so that all our friends and family can come and have a good time. 

Writing seems to be a distance dream at the moment but I have been having lots of outings with my camera and I am loving watching my son grow up and taking care of him (and daddy).   I still have lots of ideas running through my head and one day they will meet pen and paper, but for now I am choosing to simply go with the flow.......

Photos for Competitions

Pictures of places have never really been my thing.  Most of the photos I take are of people.   However, I am pleased to say I have entered three competitions in the last month:

I entered 3 pictures taken in the park into the Hartsholme Country Park photography competition http://www.hartsholmecountrypark.com/upload/HCPAC%20application%20form.pdf .

I entered 1 photo taken on the Witham Walk into the Discover NK photographic competition http://www.n-kesteven.gov.uk/EventsDetails.aspx?eventcode=70676 .

Once again I entered the Whisby Natural World Centre competition; only this year we could enter 2 photographs http://www.naturalworldcentre.co.uk/ .

Feeling pretty pleased with myself that I made the effort, took some pictures and entered the three (free) competitions.

Lets see what happens.....

Multitasking....

Tell Your Story

Tell your story.  Don't try and tell the stories that other people can tell.  Any starting writer starts out with other people's voices.  But as quickly as you can start telling the stories that only you can tell, because there will always be better writers than you and there will always be smarter writers than you, but you are the only you.

Neil Gaiman, www.neilgaiman.com/ quoted on the Goodreads website and referenced in Writers' News September 2014.

Official Photographer to Will's 6th Birthday Party

Will's mum sent me a text the night before his bowling party, asking if I would take some photos of the morning so she could put together a photo book.  I was rather worried.  I didn't want to ruin the party by taking rubbish.  But I took loads and loads and played with my settings.  

What's weird is that if I am 'going with the flow' this year, something tells me I should be following the photography route as I have been asked to do a number of sessions.  My cousin and his wife asked at Jamie's party if I would take some photos of them as a family.  I have been taking photo's of Dale's new band.  And a couple at Will's party even  asked me if I did weddings!  I will see what they say when they see the photos of the party.....

Bleed a little....

It is only when you open up your veins and bleed onto the page a little that you establish contact with your reader.  If you do not believe in the characters or the story you are doing at that moment with all your mind, strength, and will, if you don't feel joy and excitement while writing it, then you're wasting good white paper, even if it sells, because there are other ways in which a writer can bring in the rent money besides writing bad or phony stories.

Paul Gallico quoted in Writers' News - February 2015
www.writers-online.co.uk

The Worst Thing You Ever Write

The worst thing you ever write is infinitely better than the best thing you never write.

Quote from Nick Ahad in Writing Magazine - July 2014

He also says; You just do it.  You wake up early, you go to be late.  You sacrifice a Saturday night, or a Sunday lie-in.  You remain motivated by lots of things - by the past rejection or by the desire that you know you have stories that need to be told.

www.nickahad.com/ 

Post Karen Maitland....

I can't believe what a lovely night it was.

Going to The Collection in Lincoln and seeing all those writers / readers made me realise what I have been missing.

The stimulation of a good book talk, the anticipation of a good novel (yet to be started) and hearing about the logistics of writing.

I loved it and I realised I missed it.

Karen Maitland at The Collection

Had a fantastic night seeing Karen at The Collection in Lincoln. Her webpage for those not familiar with her work is:   http://www.karenmaitland.co.uk/      

She talked about her new book The Ravens Head but also The Vanishing Witch; of which I bought a copy, as it is set in Lincoln.

Her plots (she says) are character driven.  Who they are, their role and their dilemmas drive the plot.

Usually after she has written the first third of the book, her characters become 'friends' and they take over!  She 'knows' the personality and how they will behave....

She said that she types straight onto the computer in order to get it down as fast as she can, as if recording what she is seeing.  She never edits the same day, but waits a day, and will only edit it once  - as opposed to perfecting each page before moving on - and then she is back into the voice / mood for the next day to start writing again.

Just got to find some time to read it....

Failed!!

Have been taking some photographs recently, but mostly of friends and family.  Today I took Jamie and his cousin to Whisby Nature Reserve http://www.naturalworldcentre.co.uk/ for a craft morning.  We arrived little early so I decided to take some photographs in the reserves itself.  Saw a lovely shot of a couple of Robins.....

But had omitted to check on my battery life before leaving the house.....

Rubbing Shoulders with Alan Davies

 

What a very funny man.  I laughed til I cried - and this was the second time I had seen him on this tour!!  xx

Deleting old work?

In Novembers edition of Writing Magazine there is an article by Lora Bishop who
discusses being 'blocked' and unlocking inspiration..... She tells of how she has thrown out old diaries and notebooks spanning 15 years as she felt they were cluttering up her emotional space.     

Then she starts on any unfinished documents on her computer.  'Deleting old work is less about freeing up memory space on my computer and more about creating mental and emotional space for myself in which to expand' she says.

She says she hopes that by scoring a resolute line through her past writing, she will move into a more creative future.

I am not sure this is the answer.  I suspect that even now she regrets not saving at least some of her old words......

Photography Workshop with Trevor Gibbs

Went on a brilliant photography workshop at the weekend at Whisby Nature Reserve www.naturalworldcentre.co.uk/ with local photographer Trevor Gibbs; who currently has his own exhibition at the Reserve entitled Abandoned Lincolnshire. 

Showcasing some of Lincolnshire’s iconic institutions from a bygone year that are in various states of dereliction.  The exhibition is running until Sunday 22nd February - Free Entry

It was really about getting us off Auto and using the Manual mode.  I have to admit to being previously scared about using the M mode and for the first half hour I struggled.  However, I think I got the hang of it and will definitely be using M in the future!!

A Writing Joke

Question:  How many mystery writers does it take to change a light bulb?

Answer:   Two.  One to screw the bulb almost in, and another to provide a surprising twist at the end.


Its a Funny old World
Writers' News - January 2015
www.writers-online.co.uk

New Years Resolutions....

Life Doesn't Have To Be A Struggle.....

.....Identify only that what is worth the effort!!

(not sure about the English, but you know what I mean!)

Imagine that it's the end of 2015....