Poetry, chocolate and grumpy women.

Not necessarily in that order though. It's very rare to meet a grumpy woman after a chocolate session. Before, of course, is another story ... Anyway, I forgot to say that Lord H came home last night, saying that the 14th Feb had been an interesting day at work, in that he'd been surrounded by 2 happy women and 20 grumpy ones. Being a boy, he hadn't liked to ask why. Probably a wise decision really. Still, at least he could safely wear his Smug Husband expression, knowing that he'd passed the marital test for that day. Ah, say I, but there are so many other days in the year ... the riotous rollercoaster that is married life continues apace, aha!

Also yesterday, but I forgot to say, my lovely colleague Ruth suddenly screeched and began to scrabble in her drawers (careful, people ... office drawers, you know. Please ...), eventually bringing out a chocolate Satan (yes, I have spelled that right) which she'd been saving up for me but had forgotten about when I was ill. And I can tell you that there really is nothing like a chocolate Satan to cheer up the general wellbeing quota. Just the sort of thing a non-church going, church going girl needs. I ate it in seconds. Maybe less. Thanks, Ruth! Though it is strange that I do know a woman who doesn't like chocolate. What is the world coming to?

And, talking of Ruth, she has once again been on her mysterious Number 19 bus, which turned up just when she wanted it to and took her to where she needed to be in the nick of time. This would ordinarily be dull news indeed - but the local timetables don't actually have a Number 19 bus and nobody else local has ever heard of it. Apparently, when she gets on, she never actually sees the driver's face and he doesn't ask for standard fares. And the bus is always virtually empty apart from her. Hmm. I'd suggest making sure she's not giving her hard-earned cash into a skeletal hand or hearing strange, maniacal laughter before she makes herself comfy next time. Still, as long as it works ... and after all stranger things have happened in Surrey, so they say. Just not to me.

Today, I've done more marketing and almost feel like a real author - if only because the sum total of my actual writing has been to (a) change one word in a poem - from "them" to "you", if you're asking - and (b) type a lot of new bumph down for "The Gifting", and then delete a whole load of old scenes, so that my total wordcount came out as significantly less than I had yesterday. God, how I hate it when that happens!! And why on earth do I write ahead when I know I'll probably change or scrap it anyway when I get to that point? It is indeed a mystery ... though if I'm honest I do enjoy dotting around like a goat on a rock when I'm stuck on a scene - it pushes me out of my "stuck" position. Sometimes. But I did get quite excited about the actual words I typed and left in today though - I think I got to the point when I was writing one thing and meaning something else about storytelling and how characters take us (um, for us, read "me" ...) over and don't let go. And, hell, I should know what that feels like (yes, yes, Michael, I can hear you, but not every novel is always about you, eh?...). Weird stuff. But fun.

Other news of today - "A Dangerous Man" is now on the scrolling advertising section of the YouWriteOn (http://www.youwriteon.com) site, so thank you very much to Edward for putting that up for me. And my brother-in-law (http://www.peterandsusan.co.uk/blogs/petersblog.asp - and now to be forever known as Lord B-I-L) has found my blog. Scary biscuits indeed! Soon, news of my oddities will spread through the whole of Lord H's family and I will be found garrotted one dark and lonely night with my hair pinned to the nearest chapel. You heard it here first ...

And I've been a good secretary and done the Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) minutes - better late than never! Sorry, gals ... I got in a muddle over a finance minute ('twas ever thus ...) but thankfully Jackie (http://www.myspace.com/jackieluben) has corrected me. Thank goodness someone has their finger on the pulse, eh?

Oh, and "Borderlines" (the Anglo-Welsh Poetry Society's mag) has turned up. This Winter 2006 edition has one of my poems in ("Silken") - which also appears in "A Stranger's Table". It's one of my intermittent lesbian offerings (and if that doesn't scare Lord B-I-L, nothing will!! But don't worry, people - Lord H is entirely used to me by now ... cue: A lesbian moment? Super! How nice.)

Today's nice things:

1. Seeing "Silken" in Borderlines
2. Getting excited by writing - and wanting to do more: hurrah!
3. Seeing the ADM advert on the YouWriteOn site.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com