Super Sunday Sunshine and Smiles

Happy Sunday!

The sun is shining, I can hear lawnmowers and children playing in the gardens behind my house (though not together, I hope) and my laptop is fixed. Huzzahs all round!

But that's not why I'm writing today. In fact, I'm not sure why I'm writing today. Maybe it's because I've pretty much finished writing The Hungry-Man, but am still surgically attached to my laptop (which, thanks to the wizzards, now has internets again). So, prepare for a ramble while my butterfly-brain decelerates from the epic race that is writing a novel.

I'm on my holibobs this week, and next week too but, before any whinging about teachers and their long holidays, I'll just mention that I'll have worked five days of my two-week break by the time I return to school. But, on the other days, I've been busy having fun- and intend to have a lot more over the next week as I gear up to my last year of being in my early thirties.

Yes, it's my birthday next week! (And I'm hoping that The Hungry-Man will be ready for release on the 21st, major disasters notwithstanding). I'm still waiting to be a proper grown-up that has dinner parties and is organised and brushes her hair every day and washes up regularly... I thought it would happen at 30, but maybe it's 40 instead. I'm off to London to see The Woman in Black and Stomp: two shows that I've been promising myself for years. In fact, I think they were on my list of "Things to do before I'm 30" but, as you know, I am a procrastinator. I'm avoiding mowing the lawn right now, actually.

I've also been playing with Lego. A lot. My dogs bought me the Lord of the Rings pirate ship- complete with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli- and much fun it has been too. I really do love my dogs: they buy me the BEST presents!
This is proper grown-up Lego too, even if it does say it's suitable for teenagers... I don't know many teenagers who could afford it nowadays. When I was a kid, I had a huge box that must be worth hundreds of pounds now- if I knew where it was.



I spent yesterday afternoon sorting out all my clothes that are too big for me now, and it was bizarrely emotional. A mountain of memories, piled up on the bed in the spare room, including the dress I always looked good in and two pairs of my favourite jeans. I almost shed a tear over the jeans. But, they're far too big and I never want to be big enough to fit them again so out they go. I hope they go to a good home, with lots of cake. I miss cake. I have been eating crumpets though, which isn't as good as toast, but is better than bananas.


I'm on the hunt for a new story too, now that The Hungry-Man is almost done. Last night, at the pub, I spotted an old photo with some interesting names and was totally freaked out by a keyhole that I thought was squeaking at me. I scribbled it all down in between bopping to "Gloria" and trying not to laugh rudely at a woman who appeared to be dressed as something in between Annie and Pennywise. "Old Bill" is tickling away in my brain too, and I think his story might be the one I turn to first. Or maybe Katie and Gemma's nasty notes... And there's always the fraudulent, lecherous psychic (who, for legal reasons, I have to say is totally not inspired by a famous psychic I saw last year. Oh no. Definitely not him at all. Or his waistcoat).


Such fun! Right, I think I'm ready for a cup of tea now, and maybe a quick game of Candy Crush before I get the mower out. On seconds thoughts, I'm sure the sky is clouding over... maybe I should mow the lawn tomorrow? I really do need to tidy the shoe cupboard. And I'm at a really good bit in the book I'm reading. That settles it- a cup of tea and a book it is! Enjoy your Sunday, whatever you're doing.

xxx