Category Archives: writing

Writers Block Hacks – The Story Prompt Jar

Continuing on with our journey into how to remove the dreaded writers block without spending any (or very much) money, I’m going to show you a simple but powerful tool – the Story Jar writing prompt.

For anyone who would like a fun way to inject a a little creative boost to their writing and generate a few stories on the fly, this really works to get the brain ticking over in ways that you may not have thought possible before.

A bonus is, this can also work in a. group situation so try it with your writing group or even with your family around the dinner table or the sofas and see just where a group imagination exercise can take you. Beats mindless scrolling any day!

What is a Story Jar I hear you ask?

It’s basically just a container of some sort filled with pieces of paper – each bearing a story element such as a character, setting, object, goal, theme, genre…. it could be anything you wish.

You can be as creative as you like, grab some coloured paper and put a different element on each colour such as characters on pink paper, settings on brown paper, genres on yellow paper….you get the idea…

Then you can select a colour depending on what element you want to concentrate on – or, go rogue and stick them all on the same colour – oh the risks that could come from that!!!

All you need is a container, paper scraps, a pen and your imagination.

Steps to create your own

1 – Choose your categories

Examples could be: Characters; Settings; Objects/motifs/ Conflicts/problems or Emotions.

2 – Write one idea per piece of paper.

Examples could be: Character – A retired circus performer; Setting – A haunted coastal village; Object – A broken compass; Conflict – Keeps reliving the same day; Emotion – Longing

3 – Fold or stack your prompts and put them into the container. make sure you have plenty of each category so that you have loads of variety.

4 – Draw one from each category (or mix and match) and start writing.

So, it you were to draw the following – A young inventor, an underground library, an ancient key and a phobia of spiders…You could write about a curious inventor who discovers an abandoned library beneath a city and uncovers a key that unlocks a hidden past – but, he’s so afraid of spiders that he struggles to make his way through the labyrinth of spider webs that have accrued over the many years that the arachnids have lain here undiscovered and unchallenged…

Oooo, my fingers are itching to type already!!!

I’m wondering what the funniest or strangest story prompt you’ve ever come up with is?

Share them in the comments…

Let your imagination run wild and happy writing!!!

Anita x

New year, new me and all that jazz…

It’s 20 days into 2024 and it already feels like a lifetime ago that it was 2023. I think that i always start out the new year with good intentions, with ideas to make this be MY year, the one that is going to change my life forever.

Sometimes, this has happened, not always for the better when we think of people who we sadly lose, and who we really want to still be around us. But, most often, the good intentions peter out as the months drag on and we revert to old habits and the safety of our comfort zone. Sound familiar to you too? Thought so.

It’s been a while since i’ve done a blog post, this site is sooo out of date (one for the to do list i guess) and so much has changed over the last couple of years since i last wrote about my exploits. A quick summary is that of getting the second Cornwall Writers anthology – Secret and Hidden – out into the world, becoming the performance signer for Rock Choir Cornwall – that was so out of my little introverted comfort zone you wouldn’t believe it - Boardmasters was amazing…ly scary… but so much fun!

I absolutely love that the audience were trying to copy what i was signing as well!

I also signed a two book publishing deal with the fabulous Spellbound Books Ltd. My debut novel, Behind The Curtain, is set to be published in August 2024. I still pinch myself regularly about that one, whilst i am tearing my hair out as i’m writing the first draft of my second novel. I’m keeping that one under wraps at the moment though, so you’ll have to keep checking back to see if i let out any spoilers for it.

SpellBound Books Ltd

𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧 !!📣

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 , 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱!

𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗲𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺.

𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗛𝗦 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗿.

𝗜𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴, 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝘆. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 ‘𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗺𝗽𝘀…’

𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁.

𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸, 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 , 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰.

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮!

So what does 2024 have in store for me? I haven’t set any resolutions but i have some intentions.

They start with the publication of Behind The Curtain and the writing of novel two – nope, still no spoilers!

I will continue my signing journey, i just love bringing the joy of music alive to those who need support to understand and enjoy it. Regardless of my not being a natural extrovert, it is moments like these, with Florence who was non-verbal for the first few years of her life, copying me and engaging in every song, that keeps me determined to continue on this road. I’m thinking of expanding this further, taking it into my writing and maybe performing for others. If this interests you, get in touch.

There are ideas around supporting the start up of a dementia choir locally, getting a book of my poetry out into the wide world and continuing to expand the memory sessions books and activity resources for adults with cognitive disabilities. There is also the third Cornwall Writers anthology in the final editing stages as i type and will be published later this year.

It’s definitely a new year, i’m not sure if it’s a new me – more of a sort of renewed one who is learning that the world is actually hers for the taking and if she doesn’t do it now, when will she?

And as for ‘All that Jazz’?

Well, music feeds the soul doesn’t it?

Let me know if this resonates with you. what are your intentions for 2024?

Have a happy day,

Anita x

Cornwall:Misfits, Curiosities and Legends

An anthology by Cornwall Writers.

This is such exciting news!

We are now at the crowdfunder stage for our new anthology which brings together an eclectic mix of stories all based around our wonderful County of Cornwall.

Eighteen tales are included and range across all genres – historical, science fiction, fantasy, women’s literature, comedy and serious – there’s even a stage play, a letter to a loved one and a poem tucked away inside that beautiful cover.

Oh, and if you are thinking of getting a cover designer for your own work – don’t hesitate to contact Ruta Ciutaite of Blue Rue Designs

I’m sure you’ll all agree that her artwork is amazing. We were blown away by the designs that she gave for us and found it so difficult to narrow it down to this one.

Personally, I have two stories in this book:

‘Waiting ‘ is set in Penzance in 1758 and is the tale of Alice and her children as they wait for her husband to return…

The second is ‘A Cornish Rant’ which does exactly what is says!

This short piece is about the love between a Grand mother and her grand daughter, but with a Cornish twist involving holiday makers, narrow country lanes and with a bit of pasty making thrown in…

To see even more of our fabulous book trailers, go to our YouTube channel which you can find here

At the time of writing our crowdfund appeal has just passed the £1,000 mark which is absolutely brilliant and we are ecstatic with the assistance and trust that this has shown. We need to do more though, we want to put a book into at least every library in Cornwall, then we want to go further afield and spread our work to a much large audience.

So, if you can help – and this means you can also get hold of either our paperback or our ebook at a special, pre-publish price and ensure that you are one of the first lucky people to be able to delve between the pages – then please visit our appeal, take a scroll through our pledges and select your choice… the page can be found here

Enjoy, and have a happy day.

Anita. xx

A is for Action

The A to Z Blogging Challenge

Now, since i decided to do this challenge i had chosen to do A is for Anita: a bit about me and why i feel that the time is now to reduce the waste of both resources and money that we, as a society, put out there. But on sitting down to my computer this morning i changed my mind (that’s my prerogative, i’m a girl after all and don’t mind a little bit of stereotyping when it suits me) because it’s not just me that needs to change, we all need to take action. And if it actually helps us in the long run? I would call it a win win. Besides, you will probably learn quite a bit about me in the forthcoming posts throughout this month.

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  I mean, really? Why would anyone do this?

Far too many years ago, when i was but a lass in secondary school, i took a book out of the school library. What is so amazing about that i hear you ask? That is what libraries are for and as a self-confirmed bibliophile it was certainly not an extraordinary experience. What is so amazing is that i can still remember the message this book brought (even though i haven’t a clue now of the title or author, come on, it was over 30 years ago!).

The story was about a couple of time travelling teenagers. They had come back to the 1980’s from the future to try and change the past because the world they lived in was barren and struggling to cope with the residue of the lifestyle in which we lived. The teenagers sought to change opinion of the people they met by their harrowing descriptions of what would happen if their lives of waste continued. But ultimately they failed in their mission. The reason for this? They hadn’t gone back far enough, they had only travelled to the time of the wastage, not the point where they could change it.

I’m not saying it changed me from that moment, there are plenty of people around on this planet that would certainly take great delight in calling me a liar if i did. But it has stayed in my mind. I have felt guilty when i knew that i was wasting stuff that could be used. There are also a great number of people on this planet who know that i am a crafty hoarder of craft related items, with a view to the fact that ‘it could come in handy one day.’ But at the beginning of this year i decided to call a halt to unnecessary spending and wastage. A buy nothing new year and a significant reduction in my use of single use plastics are the ‘Actions’ i have chosen to start with.

I’m not saying you have to do the same.

If you do agree with me and make even just a few small changes to your lifestyles because of the posts i write over the next month that would be great. Let me know how you get on.

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I took this picture in the car park of a local secondary school.

And if you know what that darned book is called or the author then i’d love for you to tell me, it’s been bugging me for weeks!

Above all,

Have a happy day.

Anita x

 

 

 

 

The A to Z Blog Challenge

Have you ever heard of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge?

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Nope?

I hadn’t either until a couple of days ago and then i thought,

‘Well, that might be fun.’

Then i found that the done thing was to not only write a blog post on each day of the month, but it should also revolve around a theme.

‘Oh,’ i thought, ‘that makes it a bit more difficult. Still might be fun though, what theme shall i do?’

And lo, i asked my trusty Facebook friends what they thought would be a good fit for me to theme up a month of blog posts in extremely short notice and the reply was:

‘Crafts.’

I should have guessed that really, most of my Facebook posts are to do with my crafty hobbies. However, while i was on  a thinking roll, i thought again (i was getting a headache by now with all this cogitating) and i figured i could maybe go one step further than that. My crafting these days has centred around a more thrifty, planet, money saving type of focus (as my previous posts have talked about) and so i have decided to construct an A-Z list around this.

Now, apparently it was to be the big theme reveal last week, which obviously i missed because i didn’t know it existed, but never one to let an opportunity slide, i’m going to do one anyway so…

Wait for it….

The Theme for the A-Z April blog challenge is:

Make Do and Mend: Reuse; Recycle and Spend Less.

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This will also incorporate a few crafts along the way, just to keep my hand in like….

There, that was worth waiting for wasn’t it!

Have a happy day.

Anita. x

No spend year – The ground rules part one

8th January.

What am I doing this for/what do I want to achieve?

I think mainly I want to achieve better health, both mentally and physically, and less waste. I’m being selfish here, I mean less financial waste by me. I need to prioritise what is a need and what is a want. Things I need to live comfortably are not the same as things I would like to enable me to live comfortably.

Ultimately I would like to see my savings increase rather than decrease and the only way to do this is to stop spending money on things that I don’t actually need, no matter how ‘nice’ it would be to have them. It would also be nice to pay off what is left of the mortgage early, this would be possible through overpayment of the monthly term and would secure my future nicely. A bit more thought before I open my purse may go a bit of the way to achieving this. After all, I am a crafty person (in the craft sense, not the way you were thinking) and can turn my hand to a fair few methods of repairing rather than throwing away and buying new. My workshop is also overflowing with fabrics and craft stuff. A true crafter never throws anything away, and yes, I truly fit this mould. It’s not all old stuff either, when dressmaking I have a habit of buying an extra metre of fabric in case I go wrong and need more. I rarely go wrong, I always have fabric left over.

This has to change.

I have to change.

Am I up to the challenge?

You betcha!

rambo thumbs up

My rules for a no spend, make do and mend year:

1) Food.

I need food. And I am fussy about some food, especially my coffee. So, I will still buy food – although by not buying food I guess I could lose that extra stone…tempting idea, but no, I will still buy food. I will also still buy nice coffee,  Own brand smart price doesn’t quite cut it for me where the coffee is concerned. I will make some concessions though. I will bulk cook and freeze down into smaller portions so that I am less likely to buy ready meals or takeaways on my way home from work. After raising three boys, all with hearty appetites I always used to cook large meals and there was rarely anything left. However, as they have grown and flown the nest I so lovingly made for them, I often eat alone in the evenings and can’t be bothered to cook a proper meal just for me. There is probably a bit of Freudian philosophy in there as well, something to do with not feeling myself to be worthy of a proper meal whereas others are, but I won’t go there just now. Suffice it to say that I am worthy, I’m just tired and lazy after a full day at work to warrant going to the effort that cooking a fresh meal from scratch requires.

And have you noticed how it is more expensive to buy for one person than it is to buy for a family? I swear shops are out to penalise the people who live on their own, or in my case, eat at home alone because the son who does live with me works opposite hours so we tend to meet in passing. I can however, buy a large joint of meat intended for a family, slow cook it so it falls apart and then separate it into equal portions and freeze to eat at a later date. Usually with a handy bag of microwave cookable rice…

I am a bugger for buying coffee out. But I don’t need to and it will stop. It’s going to be hard though as I often go out with the people I support at work and we will visit a coffee shop where they can learn essential social skills. It doesn’t feel right sitting there without a coffee myself but the cost of those coffees add up.

Generally, i would have one per day, five days a week.

On average a latte is around £2.50 a cup which would be £12.50 a week. I get 6 weeks holidays a year so times that £12.50 by 46 weeks and you get to £575.00 per year. That’s a lot of coffee, but hold on, I’ve not finished. Next door to my work is a rather nice coffee shop where, if you are a local and bring your own mug in for a takeaway coffee, they will sell you one for just a quid. It’s only a quid right? I have got into a rather nasty habit of nipping in there first thing every morning for a latte to start the working day with. Very tasty. Now, £1.00 times 5 days equals £5.00. Didn’t need to use the calculator for that one. Go me! But, times that fiver by 46 (back on the calculator) and you get to £230.00. Add that £230.00 to the previous £575.00 and you get a grand total of £805.00 per year just on takeaway and sit in coffees! That is a ridiculous amount to spend and now that I have worked that out, I can see where I can save money immediately.

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2) Medication and Health needs.

This is where I can’t compromise. Luckily, I enjoy good health and do not need any regular medication. However, if I need it, I will pay for it. I can’t save money on supplements either because I don’t believe you need them as long as you follow a varied, reasonably healthy diet. Do health needs also encompass fitness and exercise? I guess it does really, so I can sort of compromise here. No gym or exercise classes for me (phew, that’s a relief, always feel guilty for not going to the gym). There are many ways of keeping fit for free and I have two dogs. There is no excuse to waste money here.

Talking of health needs, all this thinking gives me a headache…

I shall continue this rule setting dreckly…

Have a happy day

Anita x

A no spend/make do and mend year

I’ve been keeping this quiet for the last six weeks but i have decided to go public and use my blog as my motivation to stick to my goals. There is so much waste in the world and i am just as guilty as most people of adding to it. I’m not doing it just for altruistic reasons though, i’m doing it for my own peace of mind, my own benefit and to improve my own bank balance. See, not altruistic, totally selfish.

betty its all aboout me  Anyway, here is where the story began back at the end of December. I’ve been keeping the diary ever since but it would be too much to put into one blog post, crikey, even i would get bored of my writing if i had to wade through all of that in one go! So, to catch up, it will be a few days at a time and then as and when i make an entry.

I’m hoping to succeed. I hope that you will join me on my journey.

Have a happy day.

Anita.x

29th December 2017

Today I had an epiphany. I was standing in Next, surveying the sheer weight of the sales rails and I pulled out a rather nice grey checked shirt in brushed cotton. It was just my style. Long sleeved and long bodied, perfect for wearing to work and enabling me to bend over a wheelchair without revealing the dreaded builder’s backside. It’s not a look that I particularly relish others getting a peek of. And, now this is the best bit…the shirt was half price! Absolute bargain, total steal, that really should have been the clincher. I should have grabbed that sucker, elbowed my way past the elderly lady trying to decide between a peephole bra (don’t go there, it’s not a pretty vision) and a more conservative version and gone straight to the till, no, I don’t need a bag thankyou, my car’s outside…

But instead, something rather strange happened instead. As I stood my ground against the rather pushy, blonde haired, stiletto heeled buxom wench that was trying to get in front of MY RAIL, I had a vision of my bedroom. More specifically, the four door wardrobe already groaning with so many clothes that I have to open the door very gingerly to ensure nothing falls out. If it does, I may not be seen again for weeks. I am ashamed to say that there are some impulse buys in there that are still adorned with their price labels and have therefore never yet been worn. There are others that are a size 10 and no longer fit but I’m sure I’ll lose that stone and a half one day and then I will get into them. It’s not totally inconceivable is it? Who am I kidding? I’’d have to starve for at least six months to lose that and I happen to think that life is far too short to deny myself cake.

It’s still a waste though. I have so many clothes that I never wear, and it’s not all because they are too small and I can’t bear to part with them, just in case. I am one of those people who saves things for best. The problem is, I don’t actually know when best is? I rarely go out anywhere special to warrant having any best clothes and I wear jeans for work.

My epiphany? I put that shirt back on the rail, turned and walked out of the shop empty handed.

My buy nothing new, make do and mend year had begun.

 

30th December 2017

Well, that challenge didn’t last long. I went into The Edinburgh Woollen Mill today and they had reduced the price of a Country Rose tunic top that I have had my eye on for a few weeks. Well, I just couldn’t resist it. And, technically, as I was paying for it with my left over Love To Shop vouchers that I didn’t spend in the lead up to Christmas, does it count as spending at all? It probably does, I could have used them in Iceland and restocked the freezer with Slimming World meals for one (with an eye to actually losing that extra one and a half stone and fitting into those size tens again) but it wouldn’t have been half so much fun.

Anyway, as it’s my 50th birthday on the second of January and the boys have collected together to send me to London for I know not what reason yet – I sort of love surprises, but the control freak in me is really going ballistic right now – then to start the challenge now would be just a tad foolhardy. So, I have decided on a period of reflection. I need to work out some groundrules of what I can and cannot buy during this period of deprivation, sorry, read that as restructuralisation of my lifestyle, and the challenge proper will begin on January the fourth 2018 when I return home.

 

Have a happy day.

Anita. x

Musing on getting older

It’s another new year and the beginning of my 50th one on this planet. I don’t feel like 50. Some would say that i don’t look like 50 either, sometimes i think they are just being nice, other times i take their compliments, run with them like the wind and scream ‘Wahey!!’….Well, in my mind i do. I’m far too introverted to actually run and scream out loud…more’s the pity.

Me in London

I’d be lying if i said that hitting this milestone is a breeze, but it’s certainly not as bad as i thought it would be 30 years ago when i hit my 20’s and just couldn’t imagine ever being as old as 50. But i do believe that i am so lucky to be able to stand up and say, ‘Hey, i’m 50. And i don’t actually care who knows it.’

So many of my old school comrades either haven’t made it this far or are in poor health and therefore struggling to make it through every day in this disablist world we now live in. I can call it that. Although i am fit and healthy, i work in the care sector and see every day how people with disabilities are discriminated against behind the guise of political correctness. Just don’t get me started on the idiots who think it is ok to park in front of a dropped kerb…i guess they have never tried getting a wheelchair onto a pavement without one, but ignorance is never a reason, it is just an excuse for bad behaviour.

But i digress. What have i achieved in the last 50 years?

  1. I have survived (yes, that is the correct word, it has been touch and go at times).
  2. I have brought up my three sons just about single handed and i am as proud of the men they have become as any Mother could be – let’s just gloss over the fact that my coping mechanism when they were all tired and teasy and bickering at each other was to just tune out and let them get on with it…
  3. I have educated myself through two undergraduate degrees whilst working and bringing up my boys on my own.
  4. I am currently half way through a Master of Arts degree in Creative Writing whilst working full time …can no longer lay claim to the bringing up the boys though, the little blighters are just about self sufficient now.
  5. I work in the care sector, and have done for 18 years. It’s a hard job at times, but, for me, the pros far outweigh the cons.
  6. I have been published as both a poet and a theatre reviewer. I’m still working on the fiction thing. See point number 4.
  7. In the last year i have finally been brave enough to go on holiday on my own. It was a frightening and enlightening experience for someone as initially timid as me.
  8. I have loved and lost. Far too many people.
  9. But ultimately, i have survived, for that i am grateful.

 

So what about the next 50 years? Would be handy if i could have a peek inside a crystal ball, but on the other hand, where would be the fun in that?

Image result for crystal ball

I have no idea what the future holds but i do know that i am not intending to let ‘old age’ and ‘diminishing years’ hold me back from my plans for the future. I intend to write more, make my voice heard. I may be quiet in person but my mind and my fingers are itching to tell you so many stories…once i get the words in the right order that is…

I intend to live more and not rely on just surviving as i have in the past. I am bored with letting the fact that i am single dictate my social life and stop me from doing the things i want to do.

Finally, i intend to be happy. For all those who haven’t made it this far. For all those who have and are struggling to get out of bed unassisted or just make it through until bedtime.

We all deserve to be happy.

Take care,

Anita x

Make today a happy day too!

 

 

Memory should never be forgotten.

I have worked in the care sector for the last seventeen years. In this time i have worked with just about every conceivable disability you could think of ranging from child to centurion; physical to mental to learning disability. For the last nine years i have concentrated on adults with learning disabilities although, sadly, this can also include Alzheimers and Dementia as these diseases tend to affect the learning disability cohort at a much earlier age than in the rest of the population.

What i have found most is that it is nigh on impossible to find resources to help with memory recognition and retention within this particular client group. Believe me, i tried! In my failure to find anything suitable i therefore starting writing memory poems and devising quizzes that were achievable for those with cognitive impairments and also fun for them to do.

The guys that i work with love them. They continually ask for them and they never tire of them. I have now decided to put them together into themed session plans for use in care homes, day care centres and memory cafes as well as for general home use. They can be dipped in and out of, they are suitable for both group and individual work and they even have photocopiable dot to dot pictures to enhance the learning environment.

An example of the memory poems are as follows:

I’m big to see and my boyfriend is scary,
He uses his horns when he sees red.
I eat hay and grass and go to the Dairy,
To give you the butter to spread on your bread.
A. Cow

  As you can see, achievable and simple. Worded simply to encourage the client to get the answer. Failure isn’t an option here. We want them to feel positive and happy. We want them to win.

On the farm cover

 

The book (and its successors as they become available) can be purchased direct from either my ETSY shop – Baby Dreams Stitchery

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/525938594/on-the-farm-memory-sessions-book-for?ref=shop_home_active_1

Or my Facebook page – Anita Hunt Writer

https://www.facebook.com/anitadhunt1/

Take a look, you won’t be disappointed.

And make today a happy day.

Anita x

 

 

The Importance of ‘Stuff’

We are all surrounded by ‘Stuff.’ Stuff we think is important and that we cannot possibly live without. We spend our lives pushing ourselves forward in our acquisition of stuff. Stuff that we discard shortly after as we lust after bigger and better stuff. A bigger house in a better area, a posher car…or two, expensive holidays in the sun.

What do we do to get our stuff? We work…around the clock. We go to our offices/shops/factories. Make polite conversation with people whom, sometimes, we would rather not and stress over issues that are quite often taking far more brain power than they deserve.

With the recent London, Sweden and Syria atrocities I feel this has been brought even more to the fore. In London, a dedicated policeman was doing his job, laughing with tourists and having a selfie taken with them. Minutes later, in the call of duty and astonishing bravery, he was callously stabbed to death. A woman on her way to collect her children was mown down by a speeding car while another was thrown over the side of the bridge into the cold, unforgiving water below. I think that in their last moments, their possessions were the last things on their mind.

I have worked in the care sector for the last seventeen years and within that time I have been tasked with clearing out the rooms of those that have departed. There is little to compare with the sadness of that clearing process. The throwing away of a person’s treasured possessions because they mean nothing to those who are left behind. Clearing out my parents house was even harder. In the top drawer of my mother’s dressing table I found a cross stitched card that I had made her for Mother’s Day many years before. Inside i had written ‘Cheer’s Ma, I don’t know what I would do without you.’ If that didn’t hit me hard enough there was then one solitary, unlit cigarette. Her emergency stash that she kept just incase she needed to have a fag one day. It is testament to her strength that in five years of cancer treatment, she never smoked that cigarette. Finding it broke me.

So what have I taken from all of this? That the acquisition of stuff shouldn’t be the driving force of our life. It is the memories that matter most, the people that we choose to share our lives with and the little things they do that make us feel secure, loved and wanted. The random hug, the handmade gift, the memories they leave that last long after they have gone.

Carlyon Bay-29

I know it is a cliche, but hold onto those people and tell them you love them because, like those brave people on Westminster Bridge, you don’t know when you get up if you are going to get back into your own bed again tonight.

Most of all, make today a Happy Day.

Love, Anita. x