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Giselle replied to the topic Monthly comp – April 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 5 years, 12 months ago
A perfect fit
When my yoga teacher organized a desert trek, I signed up immediately. Something in me wanted – needed – a week away from my life. Time off to think, read and write. I bought a new notebook and fountain pen, packed a few books and before I knew it a plane brought our group of 9 yogis to the Sahara.
Between the full moon I cou…[Read more]
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RichardB started the topic Chasing the Dream in the forum Blogs 6 years ago
Sunday is the ninth anniversary of the day we moved in to our house in South Wales. The first blogs I ever posted on the Word Cloud (four of them, if I remember right) were about how this came to happen, so if anyone reading this (still) remembers them I apologise for the repetition. But being confined to quarters has made me appreciate my home…[Read more]
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Thanks for posting this, Richard. It’s interesting to hear how people land where they do. I’ve visited, briefly, the area you are in and I can visualise it easily from your piece. I can understand why you and Mrs B are so happy there.
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Athelstone posted an update 6 years ago
So, the Festival of Writing will move from York to the Internet this year.
It also seems that what for many is a big attraction, the meeting with…[Read more]
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For me it works, big time. The up-front cost is way less (especially for members) so paying extra for a one to one session is not an issue as far as I am concerned. And it (presumably) keeps the headline price down for those who may not have anything to present to a one to one but simply want to learn.
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That’s a good point. To be honest, I don’t imagine they had much choice and the reduced price is welcome. Plus they promise a session with Neil Gaiman. But never mind that: PHILIPPA EAST in June and AMANDA BERRIMAN in August!!!
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I saw this too – wondered whether to sign up this time.
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I’m not going to rush into it, but it might have some interesting bits – along with those I mentioned earlier 🙂
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I’m thinking about it too although our broadband connection may not be upto it. I’ve told my SE course group about our internet troubles several times recently. I’m becoming a broadband bore. Anyway, a stand-alone 121 therefore might suit me well if I choose to go for one.
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Hello everyone! I’m venturing back into the online writing world, having spent most of my time on Twitter. I see some of you there but not everyone, so this is a means to reconnect. @libby, internect connexions are such a pain. Instead of locking down in our country house where we have oodles of space and nature all around, we stayed in Paris…[Read more]
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Hello @giselle. Lockdown has certainly shown up with extra emphasis the significance of tech in our lives, and especially how its failings can disrupt us. I don’t do social media and live a fairly low-tech life, but making online connections has become vital and so frustrating when they don’t work 🙂
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RichardB replied to the topic Monthly comp – April 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years ago
‘Shall we draw down the blinds?’
One of the things I took away from my mother’s house when she had to go into a care home, not long after our move to Wales in 2011, was a bread-knife. They don’t make ’em like this any more: it has a bone handle, smoothed from decades of use, and a finely serrated blade (in contrast to the great hacking teeth of…[Read more]
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Sandra replied to the topic Monthly comp – April 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years ago
Bringing a little light
I suspected, on reading the rules, if I did submit anything it would be something of a cheat, because there’s not a lot that’s actually old in itself in this room. Not much in the way of ‘things’ really, anywhere in the house (although I do have, in the loft, my great-grandfather’s two writing boxes such as Jill describes…[Read more]
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Raine posted an update in the group
CoronaMo 6 years ago1900 words today despite my computer (actually) screaming at me when I first turned it on this morning! Seems to have exorcised whatever ghost that was – phew. But then realised today’s words were about a ghost of a recording of the Little Red Ridinghood story so am expecting the computer to turn on with a howl tomorrow!
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Raine posted an update 6 years ago
10 days left to post something in the Monthly Comp. Not a ‘create a story’ prompt this time, so much as a ‘play with words’ one. So even if you’re feeling low on inspiration, give it a go.
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I started working on something this morning, enjoying, just at the moment, not to have to think up a story. That’s not because of the virus but because have been editing the novel and my brain isn’t flexible enough for a sudden shift to other fiction.
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JaneShuff posted an update 6 years ago
Is anyone else watching Mark Kermode’s Secrets of Cinema on BBC 4 and on IPlayer? I am really enjoying it and finding it quite interesting on structure and genre. Well worth a watch IMO. Of course it may have been on for ages and I am very behind the times!
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Ah – thank you! I completely forgot that was on. I shall head there forthwith.
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Only a very small proportion of my payments are in cash these days and I think the last cheque I wrote was about 3 years ago. I have two pound coins in my pocket and I think that’s all the cash I’ve had for about a month. These are unusual times in that we are trying to minimise the shopping we do in person, i.e. I’m unlikely to nip out to the…[Read more]
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I had to hunt out our cheque book when confinement started as we’re having to do a lot of payments by cheque. I couldn’t even remember what colour it was.
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I’ve not written a cheque since October 2019. The one before that was written in April 2019. I haven’t handled cash since 31st March when the pharmacist called round with a prescription I had to pay for. Credit card points are building up nicely. Silver linings and all that.
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Amanda Berriman (Skylark) posted an update in the group
CoronaMo 6 years agoHello *waves* How is everyone doing? So much for my intention to spend more time in the Den – it’s been two months!! Things went a bit hectic in Feb/March with a lot of time and energy going into researching/organising stuff for Peter’s ongoing recovery/physical health. Of course many of those plans have now been cancelled! But subsitute dates are…[Read more]
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Great to hear from you, @skylark! I’ve been wondering how you were managing with Peter with all appointments cancelled. Hope you have a good cycle out – I can imagine that big smile of his right now.
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It was a GREAT cycle (see FB post). We’re getting on fine – just muddling through as everyone else is. I’m not sure we’re that brilliant at the physio side of things but doing something is better than nothing. It’s great to have another exercise that he can do now though. Burn up some more energy!
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Lovely to hear your news @skylark. And so glad your bike ride was a success. Enjoy your family time!
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I saw the little clip on FB, and it looks utterly splendid! Especially wonderful to have right now I imagine!
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@raine It is! It’s been a bit of a worry the last month that his only exercise has been doing Wii sports in his standing frame and our unqualified attempts to mimick his physio sessions. I feel better knowing we can go out biking two or three times a week – a good cardio workout for him with the hills we have around here!
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@janeshuff Thanks! We are making the most of what we can of this strange time. Hope you are keeping well xx
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Amanda Berriman (Skylark) replied to the topic Dipping my toe back in in the forum Blogs 6 years ago
Hi @johnalty it’s good to be back, though it would help if I came back and then didn’t disappear again for months! Sigh. I have good intentions and then life happens…
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Raine posted an update in the group
CoronaMo 6 years agoAnyone got swallows back yet? Was looking for them today but no luck yet. Walk along the beach did turn up a white sea brick though (now called Beatrice, mini lugged it home), a bit of sea tile with the letter E on, and a perfect conch shell. Along with the usual sea glass & good painting stones. A moderately good haul which will all end up in one…[Read more]
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None at the palace yet. I checked yesterday.
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“sea glass” – such wonderful connotations.
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No swallows as yet but in the evening the beach (forbidden to humans) is full of birds congregating along the water line. It is getting light enough after supper to slip past the ‘interdit’ signs and watch them dart in and out of the little frothy waves or stand still on the sand and watch the sun set behind the islands.
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What a delightful picture you paint, Raine. No, I have not seen any swallows yet, but many other birds visit our garden, as we have countryside all around our home. We are a long way from the sea and beaches, but we do have terracotta bowls of such items as you describe in our home – many dating as far back as when we lived in Cyprus! Have a…[Read more]
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Looking out for swallows here. We only moved in in January, so not sure what the avian fauna are like, except there a rooks/ravens plucking twigs from trees and then flying off to build nests, and seagulls doing their squawking thing, and since we started putting food out the sparrows, tits and similar have been very enthusiastic, also the rats…[Read more]
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Yes @raine, What is a sea brick?
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😂 It’s a brick that’s been washed up by the sea so it’s all eroded and smooth. We get a fair few normal ones but a white one was special! Sea tiles are my fav – bits of broken and smoothed ceramic from all sorts of things. Old decorated plates are the best.
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Sounds lovely. I’ve never seen them though. Is there a reason why they wash up? Our beach, although lovely in every way, doesn’t get much washed up apart from bits of fishermen’s nets.
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Squidge posted an update in the group
CoronaMo 6 years agoHi all. Been having problems logging in again, but Jules has worked her magic and got me into the Den.
How are you all doing? I’m a bit like Kaz – head space not into writing much, so editing Tilda 3 is very slow going. I mean, how hard can it be to describe an underground (ie in a cavern) market? We’ve taken to cooking and baking with the kids…[Read more]
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Hi Squidge. Much the same as you, my head space is not into writing. I’m doing what I can and have forgiven myself for the fact it’s so slow. Apart from that we’re pottering on, enjoying the glorious weather from the safety of our own garden and surrounding countryside during the permitted hour a day we’re allowed out.Nature is slowly expanding to…[Read more]
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Hello, Squidge and Jane. I was interested to read how present circumstances are affecting your writing. Like you two, I am keeping busy (and maybe distracted) with the simple things of life and enjoying the slower pace, actually. Not to say there isn’t the general underlying anxiety, but trying to keep hopeful and positive despite all the…[Read more]
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Squidge replied to the topic Monthly comp – April 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years ago
Not the best poetry, but hey ho…
It has no chain, though once it might,
It’s on a shelf, mainly out of sight.
I wound it up and heard it tick
Then set the hands with a firmer click.
Triangles mark the quarter hours
and rectangles? The intervals and other hours.
It’s made by Smiths, a British firm
Not Timex, Rolex or another well known.
It’s…[Read more] -
JaneShuff replied to the topic March competition in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years ago
Congratulations Raine. And thanks to everyone for their stories and the pleasure they gave me as well as John for the competition.
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Raine started the topic Monthly comp – April 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years ago
Bit different this time in an attempt to find beauty in our (confined) surroundings – look around the room you are in & find the oldest item (not counting people!). Now tell us something about it. Why is it precious, why have you kept it so long, who owned it before you… whatever.
400 words. Hope it brings a little light. 🙂 -
Raine replied to the topic March competition in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years ago
Thank-you so much John and everyone! I am delighted to have worried you all! I love how utterly different all our stories were, so well dones are due to the rest of you as well – each one was great. 🙂
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