Thursday 30 March 2017

Celebrate the small things

It's been another busy couple of weeks here which is why I haven't joined in this hop for a while but thought it was time to drop in and catch up a bit this week!

I'm celebrating lighter evenings and the appearance of the sunshine. We were visiting family last weekend and it was so nice to feel a little sun as we were out-and-about. Had some rain since, but it makes you feel that brighter days are ahead.

Also celebrating youngest daughter coming home from university this weekend for the Easter break. It will be nice to have her around for a while and give her some home cooking!

Not had a huge amount of time for writing but have been working on some edits and I hope to get quite a bit done next week, so progress is continuing.

Still sticking to the 'no chocolate' challenge until Easter. It's been about five weeks now.


Happy weekend

                                                     Thanks to Lexa and her lovely co-hosts
            L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge 
   Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Friday 10 March 2017

Birthstones revisited (March) & Celebrate the small things

I have been re-posting my series of Birthstone posts from a couple of years ago so as we are into March here is this month's offering on the sea-inspired Aquamarine. Hope you enjoy.


The word Aquamarine is derived from the Latin words, 'aqua' meaning water and 'marina' meaning sea. Hence the translation 'Sea Water.' The colour of this lovely gem reflects its name perfectly as it is usually found in a transparent blue or sea green. One legend suggests they are found in the treasure chest of mermaids. 

The connections with the sea are obvious and legend suggests that sailors would wear an aquamarine to protect them and keep them safe at sea.

Here are some other facts and myths surrounding the lovely aquamarine, not surprisingly a lot of stories feature connections with water:


  • Archaeologists have found the stone carved in statues of the god Poseidon. 
  • Romans thought the stone capable of absorbing young love. 
  • Another Roman legend said that carving the image of a frog onto an aquamarine would reconcile enemies and indeed make them friends.
  • In Medieval times, aquamarines were believed to reawaken the love of married couples. 
  • Worn as an amulet aquamarines have been said to bring relief of pain, make the wearer friendlier and cure laziness!
  • Aquamarines have long been prized by sailors as a prevention for seasickness and as protection at sea.  Having such powers as warding off sea monsters, storms and other perils of the sea. Egyptians, Romans and Greeks believed the gem conjured the good spirits of the water.
  • The largest aquamarine was found in Brazil in 1910, it weighed around 243 pounds.
  • Aquamarine is suggested as a gem to give on the 16th and 19th wedding anniversaries. 
  • The gem has been thought to have magical healing powers for ailments relating to the stomach, liver, throat and jaw. It has even been used as an antidote against poison.
  • Fortune tellers have used aquamarines to help them look into the future and make predictions.

The verse from the traditional Gregorian Poem for this month is one of the nicest I think.

"A March born shall always be
soothed by Aqua, gem of sea
This mermaids' treasured stone you wear
Will bring happiness, love, affection and care."

Happy Birthday to all celebrating this month.

And on the topic of celebrations ...

This week I'm celebrating a couple of good writing sessions, getting over a cold and the restorative benefits of chamomile tea!

        Thanks to Lexa and her lovely co-hosts
           L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge 
   Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Wednesday 1 March 2017

IWSG (March)

Welcome to this month's gathering of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. The chance to share our own writing insecurities and help and encourage our fellow writers.

So, what am I particularly insecure about this month? Well, to be honest, it sort of relates to this month's question too!

I started off the year full of enthusiasm for my new story. I wrote 10,000 words and generally I was humming along quite nicely thank you very much. 

BUT, then I started reading through an old manuscript . . . one I hadn't worked on for a few years. And I fell in love with it all over again! A good thing right? I liked the characters, the plot was fundamentally sound and I got sucked right back into it. It does need a good edit and a bit of re-working. I feel my writing has improved so much in the interim time that I can see where I can improve things. Anyway, I liked it so much that I have spent my last few writing sessions working on it.

The only problem is, I'm feeling a bit guilty about my other newer manuscript. I have sort of left it hanging! Does anyone else do this? I suppose I can go back and work on it again later, but I think I owe it to the older one to give it a go. 

This month's group question is: Have you ever pulled out a really old story and reworked it? Did it work out?

Well, I think I have answered the first part of that question . . . you may have to wait a while before I can answer the second!



Thanks to Alex. J. Cavanaugh 

                                                              And this months Co-Hosts:
                                                                        Tamara Narayan
                                                                           Patsy Collins
                                                                             M.J. Fifield
                                                                 Nicohle Christopherson