Wednesday 20 May 2015

Scotland The Brave & Beautiful

Thought I'd say hello.  Off to Scotland this Saturday for a week - can't wait! I am proud of my connection with Scotland and it is the one reason I always said I'd keep my maiden name of Henderson. I am proud of our heritage - we have our own tartan and clan and everything!  My ancestors had their roots in the clan Gunn and somewhere along the line we became mingled with the clan Henderson and my forebears hail from that amalgamation.   I am not clear how it came about. Maybe when I have more time I will look into it a little more deeply.   The two tartans are very similar, I know that.  The first time I went to Scotland with Steve was when we went to a gorgeous little village buried deep in the mountains - Braemar.  Some time later, around ten or twelve years ago - we did a tour of the Western Isles .  As we crossed the border from England,that first time,  I can quite distinctly remember saying to Steve "I have returned to the land of my forefathers..."

Have you ever been to the Western Isles?  The land is alternately lush and barren and the houses are dotted about  everywhere,  all facing different directions.  When we arrived at our hotel, a small boy jumped onto our coach and introduced himself as John.  One of our fellow passengers asked John "Are there any shops?"  John replied seriously "Loads.  We've got the paper shop over there and the supermarket that way."   The hotel was smack bang in the middle of nowhere!  Oh but I have so very many stories about Scotland - where we have been, some of the characters we have met.  One things was for sure - we could not have been made more welcome than we were - and that was repeated when we went to the Shetlands more recently.  It is truly a mysterious, beauteous and magical country and I absolutely love it.

Don't expect to get much done in the way of writing whilst we are away- I will take my travel journal and doubtlessly get some poetry done - it has that effect on me every time.  But my question is - can I stand to leave The Epic behind now I am back in full flow with it?  Answers on a postcard please ....

Monday 4 May 2015

Any Comments ... ?

I am thinking of getting a website.  I have thought of this a number of times before and have even attempted to set them up.  But I don't really know what on earth I am doing and have no idea about getting a domain.  Have seen the Go Daddy ads on TV lately so has anyone reading this blog ever tried them?  Are they any good?  I have a lovely and wonderfully clever eighteen year old nephew who has said he'll put a My Writer page on Facebook but he hasn't come back to me yet so not sure how far he got with it, so my thoughts are once again turning to websites.  All advice and suggestions gratefully received!

Did anyone read the excerpt from The Epic?  I know you can't judge a whole book (especially an unfinished one) by a two hundred word segment but it should give some indication of my abilities so would still appreciate some feedback.  And just for the record, the book itself does have quite a lot of humor running through it so maybe I will put a more humorous bit in next time?  All I know is that I am so enjoying writing it.  It keeps the creative juices flowing and the writing muscle in shape for whatever I attempt next.

Have you had a good Spring Bank Holiday weekend?  On Saturday, we had a smashing family get together which was absolutely lovely - kids running about all over the place and the three babies - Harry aged one year, great nephew Oscar aged six months and grandson Oscar (yes we do have two Oscars in the family as well as two Harrys, albeit from different sides) aged four months meeting for the first time.  It went really well although, as per usual, Steve and I did enough buffet to feed at least fifty people!  And yesterday, having gotten the house back, Steve and I just pottered about - put up some photos, cleared up the lean-to, sorted out the Boot Sale boxes (no idea when we'll actually do another Boot Sale but we still keep adding to the Boot-Sale boxes) and then just chilled out for the rest of the day, which was nice.  Then today I went to see my old Mum.  She seemed quite bright and well for a change although very tired and as confused as ever.  So we have had a great weekend really.  Pity Steve had to go back to work tonight!

Good Young Writer session Saturday as well - see addiscombeyoungwriters.blogspot.co.uk for more info.

That's it for tonight - shattered!