Some great news this morning as my haiku describing the whole of Shakespeare in just three lines (yes! It can be done ...) can be found at the Ink, Sweat and Tears webzine today - enjoy!
Talking of poems, here's this morning's meditation:
Meditation 101
The Valley of Acacia
is hot with intermingled
breath, the sleek dolphin
shape of limb
on limb, the wooded
warmth of a strange god’s
calling. In the tent
of desire, secretly,
death’s gleaming spear
pierces flesh and bone,
drives sweet disease
down into earth again.
And, interestingly, the lovely people at Strictly Writing have asked me to draft an article on my approach to erotic writing for possible publication in May. Lordy, it's a tough job but someone has to do it, eh ... (thank you, Samantha!). The big (if I may use that word without chortling) difficulty is going to be restricting myself to the 500 word limit, I fear ... It's like being given chocolate, diamonds and instant access to Ioan Gruffudd all at the same time, yummy ... Quite honestly, I can't wait to get started.
Anyway, back to relative normality, I'm now in the 104,000 word zone with Hallsfoot's Battle and still working on those end scenes. I wonder now if this novel is going to be longer than I anticipate, as I feel there's a lot to go back on and add clues about. And a fair amount of things to explain in these final chapters too. Still, better off that way than thinking I've written a whole load of tosh about nothing. In that case, surely it would be Lord of the Rings (hush my mouth) ...
This afternoon, I've been having my regular relax zone with a Clarins facial and massage. Hilary thought my back was very tense today - perhaps it's the aftermath of last week's aches and pains? I've been doing all right this week, I thought. Anyway, the session was lovely and I am now a totally new woman. Hmm, either that or I'll have one delivered.
Tonight, and returning to the subject of Shakespeare once more, Lord H and I are preparing ourselves for a darkly erotic theatrical experience (wait for the end of the sentence, people, please!...) as we're off to Guildford to see Measure for Measure which is described with typical Surrey flair as "a story of passion and power, lust and restraint, sin and virtue and finally forgiveness and mercy". Sounds like a normal day to me, my dears. Anyway, it's a great play and sadly underperformed so good to see it given an airing here.
Today's nice things:
1. A published haiku
2. Poetry
3. Thinking about erotic writing
4. Hallsfoot's Battle
5. Clarins
6. Dark and passionate theatre, hurrah.
Anne Brooke
Anne's website - taking a walk on the wild side tonight ...
ANNE BROOKE BOOKS: Independent writer of modern fiction
Showing posts with label male totty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label male totty. Show all posts
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Getting to grips with the novel, a satisfying critique and hospital miscommunication
Have spent some of today attempting to get more to grip with Hallsfoot's Battle. Much to my relief, I've finally finished the scene with Johan's battle preparations that was giving me so much trauma. Thank the Lord. I think part of the problem for me is that the battle training scenes bring in a fresh supply of new characters as they can't all just be faceless Gathandrians - I have to give some of them a personality and a voice, otherwise the whole scene is dead in the water before it even sets sail. And to me, too many characters can be overwhelming - much as in my own life, I find it sooooo hard to deal with more than four or five people at once. Most of my novels have a very narrow stage with only a few people able to stand on it - that's how I work best and where I'm happiest. Even in The Gifting (of which more later), the character numbers aren't huge as most of that novel is a journey from one place to the other. Now in the second of the trilogy (trilogy - God help me!), they're staying in one place - and, worse, of necessity the novel is set in two countries - so the character numbers have to mount. Doubly. Help! All this makes me feel rather out of control and is giving me the heeby-jeebies, which is thus causing me to view Hallsfoot as a great, unwieldy solid mass of stone tumbling down on me from a great height. And I'm unable to jump out of the way. Lordy, what an exciting hobby writing is, eh ... Still, at least it's a chance to learn new ways of writing. Ho ho. Anyway, I'm now scraping in at 38,000 words and I've put some titles for additional scenes in the few blank pages ahead of where I'm at, so there's hope, Carruthers, hope. Possibly.
I was also hugely thrilled (if you can be hugely thrilled - you're probably either thrilled or you're not, really) by one item of today's post, which contained a very satisfying critique of my short story, "Connections", from the Winchester Writers' Conference. This meant such a lot as, originally, when I took the story to my former writers' group, they disliked it so much that when I'd finished reading it out, there was a terrible, terrible silence in which I felt utterly crushed. The silence was so long and so terrible that I was forced to break it myself and apologise for the tone and subject matter of the story. Dammit. Which brings me to the subject of writers' group etiquette: please, please, please, people - if you're ever giving verbal critique in a public setting, never let a silence of more than two seconds go by after the author has finished reading out. It's soul-destroying. When I was a member of the group, I always tried to say something positive once the reader had stopped, even if I hated the piece with my whole heart. It just breaks that terrible tension. Mind you - good comes out of bad, they say - and at least that experience confirmed my decision to leave the group and not to look for a replacement. Not that I'm saying that writers' groups are a bad idea - they're just not helpful for me, I think. I get my writing kicked more effectively into shape via online groups and professional criticism.
Anyway, here's the critique of the story:
"A very 'cool' and well-controlled account of a sexual encounter. I felt the extremely clear, focused and steady nature of the prose reinforced the slightly detached, almost meditative quality of the woman's retelling. This slightly distanced and objective feel adds considerably to the power of the story; the reader has the sense that the energies flowing through this encounter are part of the wider lives of these two people. The writer manages somehow to convey a strong sense that this encounter - in its urgency and inevitability - is part of a wider rhythm, a bigger picture. To make the reader look beyond this immediate scene into a wider context is a rare achievement."
Thank you, Mr/Mrs/Ms Adjudicator - that means a lot. Even though it wasn't placed in the competition (you can't win 'em all, you know!), it means a huge amount. Thank you.
However, in any day, there's good and bad, double dammit. I had a letter from the hospital today, which told me that as well as the laparoscopy and the ablation (thanks for all the notes about my appalling spelling, people, btw! - though I have to say I still prefer oblation ...!), the scary consultant also thinks I ought to have a hysteroscopy as well. Ye gods, at this rate, I shall be tied up with operations between now and Christmas. If I have any bits at all left by 2009, it will be a bloody miracle (buy my books now while I still have fingers to sign them with, hint hint ...!). I was also rather pissed off by the huge numbers of inaccuracies in the letter (which has also gone to my GP) so I sat down and typed out a two-sided reply correcting them all. Which I have posted to the hospital consultant, the Surrey Park Clinic consultant and to my GP. Honestly, I fear the scary hospital consultant didn't really listen to a word I was saying during that appointment (not that I was able to say very much at all, as there wasn't much space left for replies ...). Deep deep sigh ... Well, this time, I'm not bloody taking it lying down (as it were - though I suspect once they've got their instruments poking round in my essentials I will be lying down - and possibly regretting that letter too), and I want them to know my side of it. Plus I want my medical notes to be as near to the truth as possible, rather than a web of fanciful fiction. It would be nice to get a reply of some kind, and it would be nice to feel listened to in the middle of all this, but my family have in the past had horrendous dealings with the medical profession (after all it took years for them to work out that my father had diabetes - diagnosed at last by a locum on a week's holiday cover by the simple measure of sniffing the breath - and by then the poor bloke was all but dead anyway), so I'm not holding out much hope. Though, unlike my poor father, I have every intention of being alive after the doctors have had their way ...
Harrumph!
Anyway, after all that, I've had a much-needed nap. Bliss. Tonight, I might look at Hallsfoot a little more, and then there's Mock the Week and 8 out of 10 Cats on TV, hurrah. Talking of which, I am loving Lost in Austen, which I watched last night. Elliot Cowan is the best Mr Darcy I've seen. Hot stuff and sharp, focused characterisation - well done, sir! That first almost-kissing scene was far sexier than Colin F's wet shirt moment, and indeed better than Elliot's wet shirt moment. Here's a picture of the man, just to cheer us all up:
And here's a picture below of the man in character as Mr Darcy. Also cheery!
Ooh, and I've decided to make a daily total of the time spent waiting for The Gifting to get a reaction. Today I'll add in a few extra facts about the process of being a writer that you may not have realised - just for the fun of it, eh!:
Time since The Gifting submission to publishers: 3 months, 4 weeks and 1 day.
Number of responses: 0 out of 11
Number of times publishers have been reminded by agent: 1
Number of times author has been in tears about the process: 5
Number of times author has felt like crying: c20, but it's hard to be accurate here. It might be more - probably is, really.
Number of times author has felt remotely hopeful: 2.
Ah well, we struggle on in the silence, eh ...
Today's nice things:
1. Writing some of Hallsfoot
2. The story critique
3. Cowan's version of Mr D
4. TV.
Anne Brooke
Anne's website
I was also hugely thrilled (if you can be hugely thrilled - you're probably either thrilled or you're not, really) by one item of today's post, which contained a very satisfying critique of my short story, "Connections", from the Winchester Writers' Conference. This meant such a lot as, originally, when I took the story to my former writers' group, they disliked it so much that when I'd finished reading it out, there was a terrible, terrible silence in which I felt utterly crushed. The silence was so long and so terrible that I was forced to break it myself and apologise for the tone and subject matter of the story. Dammit. Which brings me to the subject of writers' group etiquette: please, please, please, people - if you're ever giving verbal critique in a public setting, never let a silence of more than two seconds go by after the author has finished reading out. It's soul-destroying. When I was a member of the group, I always tried to say something positive once the reader had stopped, even if I hated the piece with my whole heart. It just breaks that terrible tension. Mind you - good comes out of bad, they say - and at least that experience confirmed my decision to leave the group and not to look for a replacement. Not that I'm saying that writers' groups are a bad idea - they're just not helpful for me, I think. I get my writing kicked more effectively into shape via online groups and professional criticism.
Anyway, here's the critique of the story:
"A very 'cool' and well-controlled account of a sexual encounter. I felt the extremely clear, focused and steady nature of the prose reinforced the slightly detached, almost meditative quality of the woman's retelling. This slightly distanced and objective feel adds considerably to the power of the story; the reader has the sense that the energies flowing through this encounter are part of the wider lives of these two people. The writer manages somehow to convey a strong sense that this encounter - in its urgency and inevitability - is part of a wider rhythm, a bigger picture. To make the reader look beyond this immediate scene into a wider context is a rare achievement."
Thank you, Mr/Mrs/Ms Adjudicator - that means a lot. Even though it wasn't placed in the competition (you can't win 'em all, you know!), it means a huge amount. Thank you.
However, in any day, there's good and bad, double dammit. I had a letter from the hospital today, which told me that as well as the laparoscopy and the ablation (thanks for all the notes about my appalling spelling, people, btw! - though I have to say I still prefer oblation ...!), the scary consultant also thinks I ought to have a hysteroscopy as well. Ye gods, at this rate, I shall be tied up with operations between now and Christmas. If I have any bits at all left by 2009, it will be a bloody miracle (buy my books now while I still have fingers to sign them with, hint hint ...!). I was also rather pissed off by the huge numbers of inaccuracies in the letter (which has also gone to my GP) so I sat down and typed out a two-sided reply correcting them all. Which I have posted to the hospital consultant, the Surrey Park Clinic consultant and to my GP. Honestly, I fear the scary hospital consultant didn't really listen to a word I was saying during that appointment (not that I was able to say very much at all, as there wasn't much space left for replies ...). Deep deep sigh ... Well, this time, I'm not bloody taking it lying down (as it were - though I suspect once they've got their instruments poking round in my essentials I will be lying down - and possibly regretting that letter too), and I want them to know my side of it. Plus I want my medical notes to be as near to the truth as possible, rather than a web of fanciful fiction. It would be nice to get a reply of some kind, and it would be nice to feel listened to in the middle of all this, but my family have in the past had horrendous dealings with the medical profession (after all it took years for them to work out that my father had diabetes - diagnosed at last by a locum on a week's holiday cover by the simple measure of sniffing the breath - and by then the poor bloke was all but dead anyway), so I'm not holding out much hope. Though, unlike my poor father, I have every intention of being alive after the doctors have had their way ...
Harrumph!
Anyway, after all that, I've had a much-needed nap. Bliss. Tonight, I might look at Hallsfoot a little more, and then there's Mock the Week and 8 out of 10 Cats on TV, hurrah. Talking of which, I am loving Lost in Austen, which I watched last night. Elliot Cowan is the best Mr Darcy I've seen. Hot stuff and sharp, focused characterisation - well done, sir! That first almost-kissing scene was far sexier than Colin F's wet shirt moment, and indeed better than Elliot's wet shirt moment. Here's a picture of the man, just to cheer us all up:
And here's a picture below of the man in character as Mr Darcy. Also cheery!
Ooh, and I've decided to make a daily total of the time spent waiting for The Gifting to get a reaction. Today I'll add in a few extra facts about the process of being a writer that you may not have realised - just for the fun of it, eh!:
Time since The Gifting submission to publishers: 3 months, 4 weeks and 1 day.
Number of responses: 0 out of 11
Number of times publishers have been reminded by agent: 1
Number of times author has been in tears about the process: 5
Number of times author has felt like crying: c20, but it's hard to be accurate here. It might be more - probably is, really.
Number of times author has felt remotely hopeful: 2.
Ah well, we struggle on in the silence, eh ...
Today's nice things:
1. Writing some of Hallsfoot
2. The story critique
3. Cowan's version of Mr D
4. TV.
Anne Brooke
Anne's website
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Websites, hot men and song
Have updated the Maloney section of my website today with the latest information on purchasing and prices, and am also trying to catch up with my eBook reading. And Lord H has nipped out super-early today to get to Kingston to buy an i-phone. Apparently, he was Number 4 in the queue at ... um ... 8.15 this morning. And he has one, hurrah! So, I am no longer the person in the flat with the newest - or coolest - phone. Ah well, my glory only lasts for a moment, you know ...
Ooh, and I've been watching the Golf Open rather more avidly than usual due to the presence of this on the course. Slobber. Ah, my loyalty to Seve Ballesteros is rapidly fading, I fear. And the gorgeous Camilo taking his place. Honestly, when Lord H called me in to look at that picture (hell let's have it again just because we can) last night, I was nearly licking the screen. Lordy, I'm nothing if not fickle. Though Seve does still have the sexiest accent in the known universe. And glowers so beautifully. You can't go wrong with a Spaniard really. Mmmm, or a Colombian ... So, sod the tennis - honestly golf is where all the hot men are at these days.
This afternoon, Lord H and I are off to Glyndebourne to see the glorious Albert Herring, which I love. A great comic opera. And we've decided to take tea at the Mildmay restaurant instead of having the full monty meal (as it were). Goodness, how very English we are - anyone for a crumpet, Carruthers?...
Anyway, this explains the horribly early blog, as I now have to spend several hours choosing what on earth to wear before we can set out, plus we'll need to do a bigger lunch, due to the tea option. Ah, if only the servants worked weekends eh ... Noblesse oblige.
Today's nice things:
1. Lord H's new i-phone
2. Golf totty
3. Opera.
Anne Brooke
Anne's website
Ooh, and I've been watching the Golf Open rather more avidly than usual due to the presence of this on the course. Slobber. Ah, my loyalty to Seve Ballesteros is rapidly fading, I fear. And the gorgeous Camilo taking his place. Honestly, when Lord H called me in to look at that picture (hell let's have it again just because we can) last night, I was nearly licking the screen. Lordy, I'm nothing if not fickle. Though Seve does still have the sexiest accent in the known universe. And glowers so beautifully. You can't go wrong with a Spaniard really. Mmmm, or a Colombian ... So, sod the tennis - honestly golf is where all the hot men are at these days.
This afternoon, Lord H and I are off to Glyndebourne to see the glorious Albert Herring, which I love. A great comic opera. And we've decided to take tea at the Mildmay restaurant instead of having the full monty meal (as it were). Goodness, how very English we are - anyone for a crumpet, Carruthers?...
Anyway, this explains the horribly early blog, as I now have to spend several hours choosing what on earth to wear before we can set out, plus we'll need to do a bigger lunch, due to the tea option. Ah, if only the servants worked weekends eh ... Noblesse oblige.
Today's nice things:
1. Lord H's new i-phone
2. Golf totty
3. Opera.
Anne Brooke
Anne's website
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Eyebrows and operas
Had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine yesterday, who'd been to a Chinese healer and had had a face reading. Apparently, he'd spent one-and-a-half hours reading her eyebrows. One-and-a-half hours!!! I mean: weird, or what?? Especially as the friend in question has eyebrows that are barely visible, even though she doesn't pluck them. It appears that such eyebrows mean that you're the sort of person who only does one thing at a time and can't multi-task well. Bloody hell, I could have told her that in one-and-a-half minutes, and done it for free too. Is New Age healing disappearing up its own arse or am I in the twilight zone??
And I'm sure if I had an eyebrow reading, they'd have to spend one-and-a-half days on me as my eyebrows are of the Dennis Healey/Helena Bonham-Carter variety and have to be smoothed down every morning with water and a strong comb. I'm constantly plucking the damn things too - it's amazing I can see at all really. But at least I know where to place the blame for my obsessive multi-tasking orientation - it's all in my bloody eyebrows. Allegedly ...
This morning, I've not done much - though Lord H has nipped into Godalming to ransack the shops and bring the buffalo home. I've watched my video of "New Tricks" - which was great, especially as it had a truly sexy guest actor in, who was Sandra Pullman's love interest. Ye gods, but that was some seriously hot totty - I hope to God it's the start of a long-term relationship. That'll put a smile on my face for sure.
Oh, and I've just finished reading Tomas Transtromer's latest poetry collection, The Deleted World. It was okay, I suppose, though not a patch on his utterly marvellous prose poems - he's a master of that genre. Still, it did have two poems, in particular, which made me stop breathing for a moment or two, so I'm glad I bought it for those alone.
This afternoon, Lord H and I are off to the first of our Glyndebourne (http://www.glyndebourne.com) operas - we're seeing Verdi's "Macbeth", which we haven't seen before, so that should be interesting. I have to say that "Macbeth" is one of my all-time favourite plays. I love all that evil and trauma and a good man gone wrong stuff - just my sort of thing, really. So it will be good to see the opera version. We're not taking a picnic, but have booked a table in one of the restaurants instead - which is lucky as it's the rainy season once more here in the shires. Then again, when is it not?...
Oh, and I've had another rejection for Maloney's Law - from Waywiser Press, which didn't surprise me much as they never ever take anything I offer them. Bastards. I won't bother again. They're obviously too much up their own bottoms to know good stuff when they see it. I always see them as being rather mealy-mouthed too - something in the tone of their letters, I think.
And I fear the wasps might be back - I think we have a nest developing on the flat roof above the bedroom. Deep, deep sigh. We can see them flying in and out just over the window, the little stripy beasts. I'm hoping Lord H will go up and have a look sometime, so we can see how big a machete we might need. Honestly, if I ever ruled the world, I'd take every single wasp and destroy it. Without the use of an anaesthetic. That'd show the buggers! I am indeed so full of the milk of human kindness, not - I'm sure I would have got on with the Macbeths ...
Today's nice things:
1. Hot totty on "New Tricks"
2. Laughing at eyebrows
3. The Glyndebourne season - here at last!
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.pinkchampagneandapplejuice.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk
And I'm sure if I had an eyebrow reading, they'd have to spend one-and-a-half days on me as my eyebrows are of the Dennis Healey/Helena Bonham-Carter variety and have to be smoothed down every morning with water and a strong comb. I'm constantly plucking the damn things too - it's amazing I can see at all really. But at least I know where to place the blame for my obsessive multi-tasking orientation - it's all in my bloody eyebrows. Allegedly ...
This morning, I've not done much - though Lord H has nipped into Godalming to ransack the shops and bring the buffalo home. I've watched my video of "New Tricks" - which was great, especially as it had a truly sexy guest actor in, who was Sandra Pullman's love interest. Ye gods, but that was some seriously hot totty - I hope to God it's the start of a long-term relationship. That'll put a smile on my face for sure.
Oh, and I've just finished reading Tomas Transtromer's latest poetry collection, The Deleted World. It was okay, I suppose, though not a patch on his utterly marvellous prose poems - he's a master of that genre. Still, it did have two poems, in particular, which made me stop breathing for a moment or two, so I'm glad I bought it for those alone.
This afternoon, Lord H and I are off to the first of our Glyndebourne (http://www.glyndebourne.com) operas - we're seeing Verdi's "Macbeth", which we haven't seen before, so that should be interesting. I have to say that "Macbeth" is one of my all-time favourite plays. I love all that evil and trauma and a good man gone wrong stuff - just my sort of thing, really. So it will be good to see the opera version. We're not taking a picnic, but have booked a table in one of the restaurants instead - which is lucky as it's the rainy season once more here in the shires. Then again, when is it not?...
Oh, and I've had another rejection for Maloney's Law - from Waywiser Press, which didn't surprise me much as they never ever take anything I offer them. Bastards. I won't bother again. They're obviously too much up their own bottoms to know good stuff when they see it. I always see them as being rather mealy-mouthed too - something in the tone of their letters, I think.
And I fear the wasps might be back - I think we have a nest developing on the flat roof above the bedroom. Deep, deep sigh. We can see them flying in and out just over the window, the little stripy beasts. I'm hoping Lord H will go up and have a look sometime, so we can see how big a machete we might need. Honestly, if I ever ruled the world, I'd take every single wasp and destroy it. Without the use of an anaesthetic. That'd show the buggers! I am indeed so full of the milk of human kindness, not - I'm sure I would have got on with the Macbeths ...
Today's nice things:
1. Hot totty on "New Tricks"
2. Laughing at eyebrows
3. The Glyndebourne season - here at last!
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.pinkchampagneandapplejuice.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Pessimism and the search for happiness
Gosh, great title, eh? That'll have 'em lining the bookshops ... Anyway, after last night’s book club joy, I came down to earth very rapidly at getting yet another rejection for Maloney’s Law. Deep sigh. Admittedly, it was from a publisher I assumed had already rejected it, but there you go. So, it’s now only out with one US publisher – if they say no, I’m throwing in the towel on the commercial front, I think, as it’s coming up to two years in the market for that one now. Shame really, as it’s been shortlisted for the most awards of all my novels. But I am heartened by the hope that perhaps it might find its way into Goldenford’s (http://www.goldenford.co.uk/) lists at some stage over the next year or so, depending on what my fellow directors say. Mind you, our future publication list is getting longer (which is great!) so I don’t know when that might be.
I had a long chat with Lord H last night when he came back from theology class about why it is that we both admit to being a lot happier and more optimistic about life ‘n’ stuff in our late twenties and throughout our thirties, but now we’re in our forties, all that seems to be slipping away. Is it age? A growing cynicism? Or something more sinister? It’s a mystery really. But I do tend to stare out of my office window whilst at the university and watch all those young 20s walking by and I envy them utterly. Not that I’d want to be that age again – I wouldn’t; it was horrendous. But I envy the sense of optimism I had then and which they must have now about life being hopeful and being able to do anything you might want. One day. That’s the feeling I have less and less these days. And my moments of pure happiness are fewer too. I remember feeling happy whilst at the Japanese Garden in Kew, or at the National Trust house we went to recently, or looking at the blossom on the trees, but it doesn’t stay long and doesn’t come often. And I’m sure I used to have those happy, hopeful moments far more often when younger – even when I was going through hell. Weird really. I don’t know the answer to it.
All this has been sparked off by my reading of Authentic Happiness, my current self-help book. It’s really making me think – I’ve done the Optimism/Pessimism tests and was shocked to find that (far from being optimistic, which I’d hoped to be at heart – somewhere …?), I’m actually a Moderate Pessimist. I’m sure I wouldn’t have been that in my 20s … I was so worried that I actually mentioned this to the boss today, thinking he might express surprise, but he didn’t, darn it. Though he did try to reassure me by saying he didn’t think I was an Extreme Pessimist. Ah well.
Either way, Lord H and I have decided that, although we like being together and couldn’t imagine the alternative, we don’t actually like life that much. Not as a concept anyway. And actually God isn’t proving a barrel of laughs at the moment either. So we’ve decided we should try being outdoors more as, at the very least, if we’re still unhappy, then we’ll be outside being unhappy, rather than inside being miserable. If you see what I mean. We might even draw up a list of what we like doing and try doing more of those sorts of things to cheer ourselves up. (Steady there, at the back ...!)
Hey ho. Life in sunny Godalming is a laugh a minute, I can tell you!
Anyway, I’ve busied myself with catching up at work, and looking at the Health Centre website again, with a view to changing it. At last! And we’ve finally got notification through that the Lead Doctor has resigned. Heck, he was on sabbatical last year and never came back, but nobody would talk about it. I sooo hate that when that happens – honestly, the educational world is getting more like the commercial one every day – much to its detriment in some ways. It's inhumane, as far as I can see. But I for one would have liked to say a proper goodbye to the Good Doctor and am sad – and disappointed – that the powers that be have chosen to do this. Sticks in the gullet rather. Anyway, I’ve sent our former colleague a goodbye and good luck email – hope he gets it somehow.
Had my next reflexology session at lunchtime. Bliss – as ever. I felt really calm afterwards. Where would I be without it? Goodness knows. Next time – which, due to diaries, turns out to be in early June, dammit! – I’m going to try some Reiki, as I am hoping to achieve a new sense of balance and harmony. Pause for cynical comment – but I won’t make one this time, as I’m too pessimistic already, ha!
However, my day has been cheered by a rare sighting of two very hot men on campus - one who opened a door for me this morning (delicious sigh ...) and another, with glorious red hair, this afternoon. More delicious sighing and joy! It's so rare that totty is sighted at work and it's a pleasure to see it now and again. They're obviously raising the standards of meeting attenders in educational circles. Hurrah! Hell, maybe it is the menopause after all ...
Oh, and Laura Wilkinson from Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/lauracwilkinson) – who works with the HagsHarlotsHeroines site (http://www.hagsharlotsheroines.com/) is thoroughly enjoying A Dangerous Man (http://www.flamebooks.com/) and would like to do an interview with me for the HHH site. Thank you hugely, Laura – looking forward to that for sure!
Tonight, I’m off to the pub seeing Jane H and Tanya, which I’m looking forward to. A girls’ night out, but locally and with only two people. Bliss!
Today’s nice things:
1. Reflexology
2. Laura W’s enthusiasm for ADM
3. Seeing the gals.
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com/
I had a long chat with Lord H last night when he came back from theology class about why it is that we both admit to being a lot happier and more optimistic about life ‘n’ stuff in our late twenties and throughout our thirties, but now we’re in our forties, all that seems to be slipping away. Is it age? A growing cynicism? Or something more sinister? It’s a mystery really. But I do tend to stare out of my office window whilst at the university and watch all those young 20s walking by and I envy them utterly. Not that I’d want to be that age again – I wouldn’t; it was horrendous. But I envy the sense of optimism I had then and which they must have now about life being hopeful and being able to do anything you might want. One day. That’s the feeling I have less and less these days. And my moments of pure happiness are fewer too. I remember feeling happy whilst at the Japanese Garden in Kew, or at the National Trust house we went to recently, or looking at the blossom on the trees, but it doesn’t stay long and doesn’t come often. And I’m sure I used to have those happy, hopeful moments far more often when younger – even when I was going through hell. Weird really. I don’t know the answer to it.
All this has been sparked off by my reading of Authentic Happiness, my current self-help book. It’s really making me think – I’ve done the Optimism/Pessimism tests and was shocked to find that (far from being optimistic, which I’d hoped to be at heart – somewhere …?), I’m actually a Moderate Pessimist. I’m sure I wouldn’t have been that in my 20s … I was so worried that I actually mentioned this to the boss today, thinking he might express surprise, but he didn’t, darn it. Though he did try to reassure me by saying he didn’t think I was an Extreme Pessimist. Ah well.
Either way, Lord H and I have decided that, although we like being together and couldn’t imagine the alternative, we don’t actually like life that much. Not as a concept anyway. And actually God isn’t proving a barrel of laughs at the moment either. So we’ve decided we should try being outdoors more as, at the very least, if we’re still unhappy, then we’ll be outside being unhappy, rather than inside being miserable. If you see what I mean. We might even draw up a list of what we like doing and try doing more of those sorts of things to cheer ourselves up. (Steady there, at the back ...!)
Hey ho. Life in sunny Godalming is a laugh a minute, I can tell you!
Anyway, I’ve busied myself with catching up at work, and looking at the Health Centre website again, with a view to changing it. At last! And we’ve finally got notification through that the Lead Doctor has resigned. Heck, he was on sabbatical last year and never came back, but nobody would talk about it. I sooo hate that when that happens – honestly, the educational world is getting more like the commercial one every day – much to its detriment in some ways. It's inhumane, as far as I can see. But I for one would have liked to say a proper goodbye to the Good Doctor and am sad – and disappointed – that the powers that be have chosen to do this. Sticks in the gullet rather. Anyway, I’ve sent our former colleague a goodbye and good luck email – hope he gets it somehow.
Had my next reflexology session at lunchtime. Bliss – as ever. I felt really calm afterwards. Where would I be without it? Goodness knows. Next time – which, due to diaries, turns out to be in early June, dammit! – I’m going to try some Reiki, as I am hoping to achieve a new sense of balance and harmony. Pause for cynical comment – but I won’t make one this time, as I’m too pessimistic already, ha!
However, my day has been cheered by a rare sighting of two very hot men on campus - one who opened a door for me this morning (delicious sigh ...) and another, with glorious red hair, this afternoon. More delicious sighing and joy! It's so rare that totty is sighted at work and it's a pleasure to see it now and again. They're obviously raising the standards of meeting attenders in educational circles. Hurrah! Hell, maybe it is the menopause after all ...
Oh, and Laura Wilkinson from Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/lauracwilkinson) – who works with the HagsHarlotsHeroines site (http://www.hagsharlotsheroines.com/) is thoroughly enjoying A Dangerous Man (http://www.flamebooks.com/) and would like to do an interview with me for the HHH site. Thank you hugely, Laura – looking forward to that for sure!
Tonight, I’m off to the pub seeing Jane H and Tanya, which I’m looking forward to. A girls’ night out, but locally and with only two people. Bliss!
Today’s nice things:
1. Reflexology
2. Laura W’s enthusiasm for ADM
3. Seeing the gals.
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com/
Monday, November 20, 2006
Back to work
Groan. No, double groan. Hell, Mondays are bad enough, but after a holiday they're triply bad. As if I've been in heaven for a week and then am pushed back out into the lion's den. But without the two companions. Still, it's over, thank the Lord.
And in purely practical terms, it wasn't that bad - I managed to get up-to-date, with all emails sorted, by the middle of the afternoon, which is saying something. Lord H was less lucky - with 522 emails to deal with and a dodgy computer he had to hit with a spanner, and then a bigger spanner, to persuade into action. Ah, the joys of accountancy. That said, highlights of the day were Julia's emailed words of wisdom and a seriously hot picture of Daniel Craig in the new Bond movie emerging from the waves in a pair of speedos. Bliss. Serious bliss - it's part of my work screensave now - thanks, Julia! And Steph & Monique from the Health Centre have bought me a pair of red and white Christmas fluffy pens to add to my rapidly increasing collection. Thanks, gals - much appreciated!
Tonight, Lord H is doing weddings and funerals at his theology course - not that he can take either, as he's not on the vocational strand, but the theory will be fun. And I've got an evening of entering writing competitions planned - my monthly routine. And later on, it's "New Tricks" on tv. So it's not all bad.
Today's nice things:
1. Daniel Craig photo
2. Fluffy Christmas pens
3. Surviving my first day back.
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk
And in purely practical terms, it wasn't that bad - I managed to get up-to-date, with all emails sorted, by the middle of the afternoon, which is saying something. Lord H was less lucky - with 522 emails to deal with and a dodgy computer he had to hit with a spanner, and then a bigger spanner, to persuade into action. Ah, the joys of accountancy. That said, highlights of the day were Julia's emailed words of wisdom and a seriously hot picture of Daniel Craig in the new Bond movie emerging from the waves in a pair of speedos. Bliss. Serious bliss - it's part of my work screensave now - thanks, Julia! And Steph & Monique from the Health Centre have bought me a pair of red and white Christmas fluffy pens to add to my rapidly increasing collection. Thanks, gals - much appreciated!
Tonight, Lord H is doing weddings and funerals at his theology course - not that he can take either, as he's not on the vocational strand, but the theory will be fun. And I've got an evening of entering writing competitions planned - my monthly routine. And later on, it's "New Tricks" on tv. So it's not all bad.
Today's nice things:
1. Daniel Craig photo
2. Fluffy Christmas pens
3. Surviving my first day back.
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk
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