The Nanny Diary…
I’m going to be a grandmother.
‘The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach – waiting for a gift from the sea.’
Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Life sometimes makes me anxious.
I’m sure it makes everyone anxious. But the one place I feel content, free and at peace is in, on or by the sea. I wish Mum was still alive so that I could ask her how old I was when I was introduced to the sea.
When did I learn to swim? My memories go back to a time when I could swim and dive, perhaps I was six. After that, the memories come thick and fast…
Wow!
2018!
Already!
Is there anyone else who thinks this year has passed at the speed of light?
As I hugged my dog tight at midnight, trying to ameliorate the effect of fIreworks on him, I thought on my year.
Was it good? Could it be better?
Writing can be so demanding that it swallows one whole.
One can spend days sequestered with the doors firmly shut against the world. Even a day’s writing can leave one tired, eye-sore, with fog on the brain. We writers can look up from the computer, see family members and say, ‘Wha…, huh? Who are you?’
It’s a double life. One has mistresses, lovers, enemies and friends that no member of the family has any idea about. A secret life…I tell you, spooks and MI 6 have nothing on a writer.
So how do we anchor ourselves in reality and at the same time, fuel our creative fires? Inspired by Writers’ Unboxed, I decided I’d ask a few writer friends what they do to unwind and yet fuel their creative fires…
My involvement with the beautifully crafted Winters’ Edge Anthology came late, courtesy of my friend, Paul Murphy. He and I belong to a group called Inkslingers Veterans, where anthologies are written to raise money for cancer research. (See Tales from a Carboot Sale, Historical Tales etc on Amazon)
I first met Ann Swinfen a few years ago.
I had been an indie author for some four years and she had been a mainstream author but was considering the indie path and she contacted me for advice and information. Since then she has scorched a path with frequent releases in print and e-pub and recently began to tread the path of audiobooks. She is an elegant writer, knowledgable of her field and now has a dedicated following. I asked Ann to cast herself away and let us know what she would read whilst so isolated…
I first met Sharon Bennett Connolly through The Review on Facebook – just quiet interactions that always left a positive mark behind. But most lately – she has been trailblazing! Her book, Heroines of the Medieval World, is acquiring rave reviews and fully endorses her blog which she entitles ‘History – the Interesting Bits.’
And that’s the thing, isn’t it? History ‘can’ be boring, overdone and heavy but Sharon takes the truly interesting facts and runs with them, injecting light and life into what ‘could’ be a crusty subject. It’s therefore with interest that I see she has become castaway on Bodiam Castle! And yes, it is surrounded by water, therefore an island, so why not? Sharon, you book list intrigues.
My own bag zipped up and ready to go and with a pocket to remind me that I can actually embroider things at a freeform level when I try.
Survival… embroidery glasses with magnifier clipped on, camomile tea, Panadol for inevitable neck pain.
I’ve just been reading my cousin’s biography.
Nick Riewoldt is the well-known and well-regarded ex Saint Kilda player (football on a par with soccer in Australia, an iconic game) and Allen & Unwin released his autobiography earlier this month after his retirement
Nick’s young. Close to my son’s age.