Conversion therapy - No thanks.

Most of the time I don't watch a lot of television, unless it's CSI or CDWM. I make a point of avoiding the news- far too negative, both in what it reports and the way it reports it, and I only watch documentaries that I know will be of great interest to me...
Such a programme was on the other night. It was a documentary about a group in the USA who practise 'Gay conversion therapy'. Tony did suggest that I shouldn't watch it as it might make me angry. However, angry was not the emotion it brought out in me. I was saddened by it.

• Firstly saddened that such groups still exist in what should be an enlightened age. 
• I was also saddened that young men are not permitted to accept themselves as whoever they are, but want to fit into society as prescribed by others. Others more often than not being their parents. One father said that he could accept his son (who was just 17) being anything but not gay whilst his son listened from the sofa, dejectedly. 
• And saddened that these young men so hated themselves and in so many cases turn to suicide as their only way out.

The programmes presenter was ultra-sympathetic and judged no-one, although she did suggest that these men and boys were not allowed free-will.
At the end of the programme they announced that this therapy is now banned from practising with men under 18. I guess that's a start. Brainwashing is not allowe3d in any other areas - why sexuality.
These men need a supportive space to find themselves, not a space that pushes them in the way others think would be best for them. 

OK Of my soapbox.... but here's my story....

When I was much younger I hated the thought/possibility that I could be 'one of those' and at the time would have done anything to change the way I was. I could so easily have been on this programme of men who identified themselves as having same sex attraction yet couldn't identify as gay. I could so easily have been coerced into a marriage by my parents and and almost everyone around me, who 'wanted the best for me'. 

I was lucky to have found myself, found my man and found acceptance.

I now wholeheartedly identify as a GAY MAN, and would have it no other way. I love my life, I love me, I love my man.

Where do you stand in this debate?How are you going to react if your son/daughter is gay, or bi-sexual?

October photo Challenge - Day 31 - End-pic

31 - Whatever you please... or maybe what pleases me ... three of my boys enjoying an afternoon doze...

NaNoWriMo

I'm guessing the more observant amongst you will have noticed the badge at the top right of my blog page. Yes i'm about to slip into a month of writing madness.

During the month of November I have taken on the NaNoWriMo challenge again. Last year this resulted in my first novel -Winner. This year I will be writing 'The Key', my first children's book. I've got a sketchy plan of where I want the story to go, but know that as it pans out my characters will have their say and take me where they want to go.

So from the 1st November I have to write an average of 1,667 words a day to achieve my goal of a 50,000 word novel by the end of the month. Like last year I am a bit worried about making the goal, but with a bit of encouragement and concentration, and help from my muse, who has already been sitting on my shoulder and pushing me for a plot outline, I think (scratch that I KNOW) I can do it.

Already I've made writing buddies of two other people who are doing the challenge in VnG, one other writing in English, and one who is writing in Spanish. We are going to encourage each other and may even have a write in (in a local cafe or library) together.

So if I'm not around for days on end it means I'm away with my characters having adventures, so please forgive me.....

 

October Photo Challenge -Days 29 - 30

29 - Moon - a pic I took on the way home from work. I had great fun with my new camera (thanks again Nick), although I think some of the passers by thought I was nuts. Some of them are very 'Thriller' as they were taken over the cemetery railings. One even has thousands of stars twinkling in it (and a couple of orbs) - amazing. Oh and they'll all be on Picasa soon.

 

30 - Clothes - my winter wardrobe, more jumpers to be added methinks.

All change

Although we remembered to change the clocks last night before going to bed we were still awake early, so I was out first thing with Cuddy and Xali (and my camera) for a walk in the early morning brightness.

Overnight it wasn't only the clocks that went back. The thermometer dropped back too. During the night the sky was clear and the temperature today has been much lower. It sure feels like winter has come to town. For the first time this year we have closed the doors and windows and put the central heating on. During the night we were all in bed (for the first time) - that's Two dogs, Four cats and us two human beans. COZY!!

This change in the weather (and the clock) has brought about a change in yours truly. Today I have been like a power house of energy whizzing round doing more of those little jobs and things that have been on my to-do list for a while.

Finally I have updated our personal website: updating the 'coming soon' page, adding recent guests to the TITS list and added the photo albums for the last couple of months. 

I've also had some fun messing around with photos to create our Christmas card. I've got the basic design sorted, but just need to run it by 'im indoors' before finalising anything. I also started my Christmas (to do) list- having seen Pauline started hers on facebook. 

This afternoon whilst Tony was napping with the cats I spent some time shopping on-line, getting a few of those important items also on my to-do/buy list. 

I also set up my account at NaNoWriMo ready for the writing challenge that starts on Thursday - Can I really write another 50,000 words in 30 days? Well we'll see, but I'm giving it a go, and who knows this time next month I may have much of my children's book written....

October Photo Challenge -Day 28

28 - Looking Back... My first thought when I read that was ... over my shoulder so here's what was over my shoulder when walking this morning.

 ... and of course this came to mind:

Rain stops play

Fortunately we've had a load of rain, and the most incredible storms, over the last few days, interspersed with sunshine- all a bit mad actually.

Unfortunately when we have such storms the satellite signal on the TV cuts out, and often the electricity cuts out too. This happened when I was halfway through a major 'Magic' project yesterday. Thanks to Nick's suggestion I decided to put together a short video to promote 'The Magic of the Camino' book.  I had almost finished when the Leckie cut out, fortunately the programme had self-saved just before that, so I lost very little. This is also one of the reasons for the lack of blogs over the last day or two.

The video is now available on YouTube:

Let me know what you think....

October Photo Challenge -Day 25-27

25 - People - hundreds of us all walking the streets that were walked by thousands before us thousands of years before. Amazing.

and just had to add this:

26 - Listening to.. the storm blowing around - and just as I left for school the storm head off to Sitges.

27 - Morning... and walking with Xali and Cuddy, as per normal.

Job(s) DONE

Today I have crossed off some of the things on my to-do list, and am well pleased with myself.

• Review Winner and publish second edition....... phew what a mammoth job that was. A few new bits, but basically the same as before but better edited, punctuated and proofed- well I blinking well hope so, all the time it's taken me - DONE

• Find music for a promotional video of 'The Magic of The Camino' - I knew exactly the piece of music I wanted but could only find it in video format. Easy - downloaded some conversion software, downloaded the video, converted the video to an MP3 file -ready to rock and Roll.  DONE

• Trip to Garden centre to get some winter flowering plants for the garden to cheer it (and us) up a bit... DONE.

•  Organise Xmas promotional competition for books. All IN HAND and details to be announced in next couple of days. 

•  Organise cover for 'La Magia del Camino' (Spanish copy of 'The Magic'). Had to translate all the text and add a couple of banners. All sorted and sent off for design adjustments. DONE

Well I think that's just about enough for a good day's work. Tomorrow I have a (new) morning class, so will be off and out early, back in time for lunch and an afternoon of more profitable action. HoT is becoming....

October Photo Challenge -Day 23 & 24

Day 23 - The view from here. From exactly here- from my desk to the garden.

Day 24 - Weather. Not been having a lot of that this week. After last weeks rains it's settled back to sun, sun, sun...

Ocober Photo Challenge -Day 22

In my town - The longest Rambla in Cataluña...

 

Moving on up

You may, or may not, have noticed recently, but I've not been my usual over-motivated self. In fact I've been quite the opposite. I've needed someone to give me a swift kick in the arris, but not got one yet. Or perhaps I'm just adjusting to the autumnal cycle.... who knows....

Anywhichway I'm back on the ladder, riding the lift to the top again, firing on all cylinders so stand back cos here I go.

Yesterday I made a conscious decision to pick myself up and step up to the plate etc etc and start moving in the right direction again. So today I set to and after updating m,y to-do list I started working on it. Here's a bit of what I've committed to so far.....

• Translate back page of the Magic (and other book blurbs for inside cover) into Spanish ready for Victoria to check, so I can send to Alan for mock up of Spanish cover. DONE

• Organise lesson planning to take up as little time as possible. DONE

• Prioritise final review of 'Winner' for second edition (well edited and proofed). DONE - already finished the first third. Tomorrow will be the second third and so on...

• Plan for work on 'The Key' - Okay so today I committed to writing as part of the NaNoWriMo challenge during November - 50,000 words in 30 days. That'll just about have the book completed in basic stage.

Feeling more grounded now, and yet ready to run with the wind. These last few months of the year are going to be incredible....

and for a bit of motivation here's one of my favourite songs from one of my favourite groups... 

Gorda!

Yesterday morning I had a couple of classes (until 2.00pm - still classed as morning in Spain) which went well -I must say that although I find the getting up early difficult I really enjoy  the classes once I'm there.

After class the plan was for Julie to come back to ours for lunch, before she went of to do her afternoon class.  Julie had her bike and intended to ride that up whilst I walked.

As I ran in the door my mobile rang. Julie was still outside the school. A dog had come barrelling down the street, apparently scared by fireworks, as she was talking to Sue. Julie managed to catch the dog and waited for a panicked owner to come running soon after. None arrived. So she ran the dog round to the Police station, who were extremely unhelpful. Julie told them that she had found the dog in the street, that she was on her scooter, and was off to work. She asked if they could take the dog. They told her it was her problem and that she would have to look after the dog until Monday when the dog pound in Vilafranca, a few miles away was open again. You may remember we all campaigned some time ago against the closure of the VnG dog pound, that was eventually closed down as it was costing too much. Strangely it was on prime building land?!?!

Julie called me to ask me to go and help. I jumped in the car and we brought the dog back to our house. WE were all struck by how much of a resemblance Cuddy and she had to each other. Luckily she was extremely well behaved and got on well enough with our mutts too. She was obviously hungry so we fed her up too. Whilst Julie went off for her afternoon classes I relaxed in the living room and formulated a plan.

 When Julie finished work she came to ours and we got in the car with the dog, who we were calling Janet, and went to the local Mossos D'Esquadra (These are similar to the Police) building and asked the woman on duty for help. Basically we wanted to know if she was micro-chipped. She said they didn't have a micro-chip checker but phoned round and suggested we take Janet to a local pet-store/vets to check if she had a micro-chip. The three of us got back in the car. It seemed Janet was enjoying the day out and happily rested on Julie's lap with her head out the window.

In the pet shop they ran the checker over Janet and found she was chipped, and that her name was 'Gorda'. We were delighted. They called the central chip office and gave them my number, with the plan that the owners would then call me to collect Gorda.  Back home, and more food for Gorda, who really wasn't, whilst we waited.

By nine o'clock I was giving up hope thinking that the owners may simply not want her back, but was also kind of happy as she seemed to be settling down with us anyway. Three dogs in the house wouldn't be easy but we would manage.  As I was considering this option the phone rang and a very distressed man called Manuel said that Gorda was his and that he had been looking for her all day. I agreed to meet him in front of the church with her.

AS we came round the corner of the church someone called 'Gorda' and I could see a figure on his knees. Gorda got excited and pulled on the lead. Her tail was wagging furiously and she seemed happy. Manuel thanked me profusely an showed my all Gorda's documentation from her vet card, dog passport and chip ID details. He also gave me his telephone number and said any time I wanted to see Gorda I would be welcome.

RESULT

I have to say that I was a little sad to see her go though, as I had begun imagining life with her ni the house. JUst shows I am not cut out for fostering!

Ocober Photo Challenge -Days 18 - 21

Day 18 - Made you smile today

•  what a delicious photo. 

Day 19 - Letters

• thought of all the usual letters- didn't get any mail in the post, too many books to choose from full of letters, so went with the French variety.

Day 20  - 4 O'clock

• and dramas in Casa TulStig when we found a dog on the street. The Police were So unhelpful so we had her in our house for the afternoon .. for more details read today's full blog story....

Day 21 - Calm

• The calm after the storms - of having had 'Gorda' in our house for the day yesterday and of the torrential rain we had during the night - Xali rests in the front window- a picture of calm...

Writing, Eating and Walking...

Another sunny day in VnG...

And today I've almost finished the file update for the re.-release / second edition of Winner- The story is the same of course, but I've improved the grammar and found the typos that were missed by the last edit - going through it all carefully myself this time page by page.

Jane is well into reading 'Take Two'. I spoke to her this morning and she told me she had been reading it at the hairdressers but had to put it down so as not to make a show of herself an burst out crying there and then- I am so pleased (not to make her cry, well, yes and no) that the emotions I poured into the story have come through, and she's hardly half way through yet!

Today is Julie's birthday so I've baked a coffee and walnut cake to take to school. Those teachers are well-spoiled, only yesterday they had raspberry muffins for another of the teacher's birthdays. It's not the most beautiful cake I've ever baked, but it was baked with love and from the offcuts we've tried it's DELISH!

Tonight, after school, we're off to Gilda's again for dinner to celebrate.

And finally, I must just mention my new project- CAMINO 2013!!
Yes I've been wondering where to walk, or whether to walk at all next year, but having had a couple of coincidental things happen telling me about the Camino Ingles I've decided that YES I will be walking again.  (you can find details HERE). It's just 110 -116kms depending on which site you look at, and should take just 4-5 days depending on how many stages we decide to do. And I say we as I have spoken to Janey about it and she's keen to come along again next year. WE are also thinking about then going on to Finisterre (and/or Muxia) on the coast.

SO if anyone would like to join us either for just the Camino Ingles (only 5 days - you know you'd love to!!!!) - we'll see you onto a plane in Santiago, or for the whole thing -we'd love for you to join us. Oh and if you want to walk with us 'virtually' just watch this space as I'll be putting up more news as I find it. Incidentally, today I've been net-surfing to find out about the route an albergues etc

Ocober Photo Challenge -Day 17

And the prompt for the day is  'Fruit'

Oh so many connotations come to mind for this. I was firstly tempted to bake a  fruit cake to take a photo, but didn't. A photo of me and the old man perhaps? A general photo of the fruit in our kitchen (well the oranges and pears), the fruits of my labours (done that too often) so here's a picture of some wonderful fruit growing in our garden - in Spanish they are Grenadines in English -Pomegranate (had to Google that as it wasn't in my head!)

TulStig News

So.... what's been happening at Casa TulStig lately? - not much really -the usual stuff:

Friday I had a delicious lunch with Julie in Cubelles, whilst Tone stayed in bed having spent the night sick, then feeling too washed out to come. And talking of washed out the whole day was a wet one

On Sunday I did a massage - my first in ages, which felt good. As usual the Reiki kicked in so it was two for one offer. Jordi (Sue's partner) had hurt his back and wanted some help- MT to the rescue, and I believe he is okay now.

This week I finished reading 'The Pillars of the Earth' and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's set in the early middle ages, and tied up nicely with my history studies from back in the day. It's a big book (over 1000 pages) but well worth the effort. I now have to check the bookcase for something else that awaits me there. I was pleased to note I've also passed my reading goal for the year. I wanted to read 20 books this year and have read 22 so far.

I've spent a lot of time this week reviewing the updated copy of Winner, and am in the process of editing it and putting out a second edition, which will be better than the first. having ben on the Lulu site I was pleased to see taht changing the edition is much easier than I though it couild have been. Hopefully I'll have it all sorted yb the end of next week.

Today was one of the other teacher's birthdays so I made some raspberry muffins, knowing that he loved raspberries as much as me. As usual they were much appreciated by all my colleagues. Tomorrow is Julie's birthday so perhap I have a surprise for her too!

And for no other reason than I love the colours here's a photo of a stall at the Barcelona Boqueria Market that I took the other week:::

Ocober Photo Challenge -Day 15/16

Day 15 - dinner time - Spaghetti Bolognese - veggie style -Thanks Tone!!

Day 16 - something I wrote - well I think we could all have guessed what that photo would be ...

Ocober Photo Challenge -Day 14

14 - Makes you laugh

There are many things that make me laugh, but this is one of my favourite - I love double entendre. I know it's not quite a photo but hey ho, who has the rules?!?!?!?!

October Photo Challenge Day 13

Landscape

And oh how many photos could I have put in here. Whilst walking the Caminos I have seen incredible landscapes, but here's just one of them from this year's walk...

Of rain and writing

Today we have been blessed with a good old downpour of rain.

Today I had lunch with Julie, and as the rain started we had to move our table inside the restaurant, then when we finished , make a run for it- me back to the car, Julie back to her flat. On my way back from Julie's in Cubelles I felt trapped as the water rose in the drains -even raising some manhole covers about a foot above their settings - and closed the underpasses under the train line, but eventually found one I could get through and got home safe and fairly dry.  Since then it has been raining on and off, pouring and showers. We love it - the cats on the other hand don't and they took shelter on their jungle-gym.

Books update:

• Magia del Camino - Victoria is working like a trouper on the translation and hopes to finish sometime in December. We are then thinking of having a Spanish book-launch.  I love the way my words read as translated by Victoria, and know it'll be a great read (if you speak Spanish of course).

• Das Winner - I spoke to Michael today who is just over a third of the way through translating Winner. Luckily he's really enjoying the task as we ll as the story. HE hasn't read past the parts as he translates them and is looking forward to finding out the rest of the story. He's also got his mum to read what he has translated (Michael is originally from Germany) and she too is enjoying the story and wants more... Michael's also pointed out a few tips in a possible edit (second edition) of Winner, which I am currently working on.

•  Take Two - I had a quick chat from Janey today who has been reading Take Two, having rushed and bought her copy as soon as it went on general sale- she reported that she has already been in tears, and is loving the follow up to Winner.

• The Key -I must ashamedly admit that work on the new project has currently stalled.  I've been so busy editing and promoting the other books and setting up the HoT website (still under construction!), as well as settling back into my school timetable etc etc, but intend to get back to it this week. I've also been let down by a second possible illustrator, so if you can draw and fancy seeing your work in my kids book(s) let me know...

October Photo Challenge Day 12

On the table
          is the day's prompt, and here's a rare photo of our garden table in the rain- on the table the azalea enjoying the reviving drink.

That's what friends are for.

Do you ever have one of those days when you wish you'd rather have stayed under the duvet? those kind of days when the milk of human kindness seems to have dried up? Well I've had a few of those this week,  which has made me wonder 'what am I doing wrong?' --- Yup even when things are going wrong I still believe in the power of the law of attraction.

Well I still haven't worked that one out. But I did put a call into the universe for a little bit of love to come my way. Then like a bolt out of the blue I got a text message from a dear friend with whom communication is sporadic to say the least. In it she said that she had just heard Elton John's 'Your Song' on the radio and that I had popped into her head with the thought: 'How wonderful life is because I'm in her world' - That really rocked me- blew me away actually, and had me in bits for a moment of two.

Within another few minutes I had another couple of messages from other wonderful people in my life that carried on brightening my day and gradually my 'blue funk' has dissipated.

I just wanted to say to 'said' wonderful friends - and I hope that you know who you are -  that you all really ROCK - you are the bedrock to my life and I thank you all for being there. And please believe me I am here to bounce love right back at you all.

Too mushy? sorry - kinda feeling that way here tonight as I add an unusually late blog post. 

October Photo Challenge Day 9/10/11

Lagging  bit behind here (again) so here goes with a quick update of my photography prowess over the last few days...

Day 9 - RED
And another collage of the red including

•  the princess chair- reserved for special guests, or, of course, special cats.
• red berries amongst the weeds
• red light -stop
• red oven glove
• favourite chocolates in a red packet.
• red numbers from a special day this summer
• favourite foto- red shirts
• Tomatoes grown on the roof this summer
• favourite old car ETC ETC ETC

 

Day 10 - Emotion

We did it - Oh Happy day!!!!

Day 11 -Up close 

can you see what it is yet? Often one of the first things I see in the morning too-

October Photo Challenge Day EIGHT

Today's prompt was 'ANGLES' 

And like many of the other prompts it not only had me looking for a suitable photo, but also had me thinking about the word itself. 

The original English were known as Angles, English in French is Angles, There are many angles from which to view a story from, and of course the geometrical angles, which we can find on every corner (Literally) if we look. 

On my way to school this evening I was looking...

• First I saw the angles that make up the arches of the church at the end of our block
• then the angles of the roads at the intersection
• followed by the angles of the pavements- obtuse and acute (what great words with so many uses too)
• and finally the angles of the 'sculpture' on the new Rambla:

Sunday at its best

This morning I had a relaxing walk with Cuddy and Xali. I took my new camera to see what came up for me to snap, and have put together this offering. 

And then messed about on the PC - I am pleased to say the translation of 'The Magic of the Camino' into Spanish is coming along nicely, thank to Victoria - just 10 chapters to go, and the work Victoria has put in is excellent and much appreciated.

And whilst on the subject of books - Yesterday (after a full day of teaching) I finished the final edit of 'Take Two' and it has now been released on general sale: I just need to come up with an effective method of marketing for the novels. Without the niche market that 'The Magic' has it is proving much more difficult to push the sales forward.

Later on this morning I decided I would throw together a coffee cake. (more info on my other blog page). which I have just enjoyed with a nice cuppa. What more can one need on a Sunday afternoon than a good book to read, a slice of cake and a cuppa?

So how did you spend your weekend?

October Photo Challenge Day SEVEN

And the prompt for today is - light

This made me think of two things - how wonderful the light here is in Spain all year round thanks to regular sunshine: 

and of a deliciously light coffee cake for me to enjoy with my afternoon cuppa -so I just had to make one with coffee flavoured butter icing: 

All made with 'Camp' coffee of course, which Jane brought over with her when she and Amy were last here. Oh how Camp coffee reminds me of Sundays at my Gran's in Partridge Green.

October Photo Challenge Day 5 and 6

As I was a bit busy yesterday - school and editing 'Take Two' I didn't prioritise my blog, but I do have the photos for yesterday and of course for today...

06 - Shadow - Me taking a walk along the cliff top to Sitges this summer - have I mentioned I like to walk...

 And Today's prompt -
 Day 6  - What I am thankful for
...                 well I am thankful for Soooo many things in my life:                   ...

• Great friends, family, colleagues, students...
• My family - Tony and Xali, Cuddy, R2, Vinci, Tommy, Sprout
• For being able to travel
• For the food and drink I am blessed with
• For my writing ability and being able to put it out there
• MY health and all that helps me stay healthy
• My heritage which makes me who I am
• Nature and the countryside that I can wander around in. 
• The magic in my life
• MY PC which allows me to do stuff and stay in contact around the world
• OH and of course --- YOU - I am thankful for you -thanks for reading!!

 

October Photo Challenge Day FOUR

What you read - is the prompt for today.

being the pedantic English teacher and scholar that I am I of course dissected these three words. Firstly I wondered is it the past simple- what I read ('read' being an irregular verb and is the same in the simple past as in the simple present, only the pronunciation being different), but considered that if it were the past simple it would need a qualifier-- ie, what I read yesterday, or what I read last year. It clearly could be what I read this year as that would grammatically require the present perfect .. what I have read this year, this year still being current and unfinished. I therefore decided it must be the present simple -what I read -implying tradition or repetitive action, habit ie- what I usually read. Not: what I read now as that implies present continuous - what I am reading.... So after all these pedanticisms (Yeah I know that word doesn't really exist) I decided it means what do I regularly read and here we have it.... (although looking again at the books here, all the above tense could be used one way or another).

 Starting at the top and going clockwise:

• Recipe book(S) - always looking for inspiration, also read the Interweb for those too.
• My books -I read these as I write them, and then re-read them to edit and proof before releasing for sale.
• Novels- well this is the one I am specifically reading at the moment. I usually read about 20 - 25 novels each year.
•  My Diary -or I'd not remember what I was supposed to be doings when or where.
• School text books -I read them at home to plan lessons, then read them at school with the students.

Of course there are lots of things that I rad that aren't featured on 'my table of the day' - I read articles on-line, newsletters that pop through the door and online, internet sites that interest me, other people's blogs,  roadsigns when I'm out, the sky to gauge the weather, faces of people to gauge their moods etc... and so on etc .... So I guess I could say I read constantly ... what about you what do you read, and what are you reading now (apart from my blog)

Back to skool

Just a quickie to round off the day...
OK so day one of school 2012-2013 is well and truly over and out, and a very good evening it was too.
This evening I've had a couple of advanced classes, and despite my usual pre-term nerves all went well. So far I've some very keen and delightful students.
Tomorrow I'll be doing similar stuff, but with a different class, at a different level.
I am so lucky, and grateful, that I enjoy my job, and fortunately am good at it. 
Lucky, Lucky, Lucky.

October Photo Challenge Day THREE

Today's `prompt : 'This happened today'.

I had to get my thinking cap on for this one. Many things happen during the course of a day here at Casa TulStig, but none of them particularly photo-meriting. 
Things that happened today:

• Walking the dogs (photo on Instagram).
• House cleaning and tidying - no photos.
• Shopping at 'Hyper-Simply' supermarket - there were a couple of very interesting shoppers, but I don't think they would have appreciated me taking a photo.
• Tony's doctor's check-up. Tony defo wouldn't have wanted a photo.
• hour's siesta -sleeping so couldn't photo!
• Ah- Facebook, now that's a daily happening here, and one of the more cerebral things I happen on in there is 'Scrabble' ....

Getting Ready....

This morning I attended the first teachers' meeting of the year.  A couple of hours spent with the other teachers in the English department discussing the year ahead and more specifically the first lessons for each course which will take place over the next few days. I also got my timetable for the year, which is still open for changes over the next twenty four hours, but hopefully wont change too much.

After the meeting Julie, Tony and I had lunch in a local restaurant and enjoyed a couple of bottles of wine - a luxury we wont be able to have for the next few weeks- no drinking on school days- at least not before the lessons!

This evening I've been updating the on-line file for 'Take Two' and am almost finished with the edit. Hopefully I shall complete it tomorrow and then upload it soon after... Then I need to get on with some promotion, but without the niche market that 'The Magic of the Camino' has it is more difficult. This is what I have found with promoting 'Winner'.  If you've any bright ideas let me know....

I've also been 'messing about' with my new camera today too -and the animals have been coming in for a lot of attention, but they just wont sit still. However here's a pic of Cuddy that is almost 'good enough'...

I'm now off to do a bit of paper shuffling ready for tomorrow's classes...

October Photo Challenge - Day Two

And today's prompt was 'lunch'

After our first teacher's meeting of the year Julie, Tony and I went for lunch at 'La Parroquia' for a menu of the day- Carrot soup followed by Pizza rucula- and we left full to brimming...

Entertaining, and writing...

SO... October has hit the calendar, where did the Summer go, and more to the point where did the last nine months go? They do say that time flies when you're having fun, so I guess that has something to do with it, cos boy do we have fun.
The end of September was jam-packed with entertaining. Marion (Aka Hatty) and Rosie were in town for their first ever VnG visit so we were busy doing touristy things, as well as catching up on the years in between when we hadn't seen each other. It was great to note that although we've all aged we've hardly changed, and as for growing up - forget it -not on my agenda!!
We ran around sightseeing, ate amply, drank and laughed late into the night... isn't that just what entertaining friends is about.

 And on a literary note: I've spent a lot of the last couple of days finishing off the final proof/edit of Take Two. I've been through the book with a fine tooth comb, and have started updating the PC copy- next step to finish the updating of the on-line file and reload onto Lulu.com - then it'll be open for general sale... watch this space for further news....

October Photo Challenge -Day ONE

And so to a new month and a similar challenge...

I've decided to do a separate poss for the daily photo and then a different one when I have other news to share....Day one - Prompt: Where You Stood...

Well this is where I stood on September 14th 2007 to put a ring on my man's finger, and what a day it was...