Thursday 28 June 2018

MOVING ON ... (again)

Well hello Each.  So much has happened since I last blogged that I can hardly believe it.  I got the Young Writer poetry booklet done in time for the final session on 2nd June, thank goodness.  I was dead chuffed the way it finally turned out with its full colour front cover.  Luckily, many moons ago, when I worked at an office supplies company, I had the foresight to buy a long-arm stapler which meant that, not only was I able to print and collate the booklet, I was also able to bind it.  The faces on my Young Writers when I handed them their copies of that sweet little booklet were a joy to behold!  And when I handed them their certificates, printed on proper certificate parchment and decorated with a red seal, I felt such pride in these children, who worked tirelessly and enthusiastically for six years to make Addiscombe Young Writers the huge success it was.  And what a send-off they gave me on 2nd June!  Flowers, plants, chocolates, pens, mugs, writing books and masses of cards were heaped upon me so it was vey lucky indeed that Steve had been able to come along because I would never have got it all home on my own!

A lot of people have asked me since that day if I regret leaving the Young Writers but I don't actually.  At least not yet.  Steve did say that if I started to miss it too much, perhaps I could think about starting a new group once we have settled in our new home.  I am none too sure about that.  I think I would expect too much of it having seen how well the group worked so I shall have to think about it seriously.  Plus I think I would be forever comparing the two groups and I would live in absolute terror of it not working out.

Part of my leaving the group was to find more time to focus on my writing and, now I have not got to worry about preparing stuff for the children, marking their work and all the other paraphanalea that goes with running such a group - as amazing as it was - I am starting to find my own writing again and I am so excited about it.  Working part time is also giving me the opportunity, like today, to sit down and update my blog, look at what writing opportunities are about, go through my MsLexia, plough through my Children's W & A Year Book and just be a writer again.  And I am relishing it, I really am.

As far as the move is concerned, well, we are getting there.  We are back to boxes but we are taking our time with it.  We have already given lots of stuff to charity shops and we have a lot more yet to go.  We have been keeping an eye on what houses are available in or near Southend and hope to be in by Christmas.  Luckily we do not need to rush.  And there's other stuff going on.  We have just got back from a weekend in Margate and before that, a week in Italy (beautiful).  We have a break in Great Yarmouth coming up, a week in Cornwall, several trips out, theatre shows and a wedding in July, as well as having our youngest granddaughter to stay for a week so it is all go, go, go.

But d'you know what? I don't think I have ever been happier!