As an author, I note that romance stories (aka Mills and Boon etc) sell like hot cakes. So … I thought, it’s not my style, but, what the heck, surely I could write something like that. I sent off to the M&B admin, and they sent back a list of rules that I had to follow if I wanted them to even look at my work – with no guarantees that anything I wrote would even be accepted. The list was amazing! Talk about writing to a formula.
Still, I gave it a shot.
Well, Bugger! It wasn’t as easy as I thought. It was no walk in the garden of Eden, that was for sure. I couldn’t come within a stone’s throw of anything that resembled a good story, let alone good writing quality! I threw up my hands in a gesture of surrender and decided that path was not for me.
By going back to my comfort zone and putting some distance from the ridiculous notion that I could actually make money from my writing, I have enjoyed the writing process for its own worth, the wonderful effect it has on my ability to think and imagine, and the joy of simply having the challenge of finding new ideas and then using those stories to learn self-publishing as well as the use of the computer. I realize that as you get older, it is more and more important to keep your brain active, learn new things and still have dreams and goals.
I also now use my hobby of knitting to donate my finished articles to charities. Maybe, during the harsh winters over in Europe and Asia, someone will enjoy wearing one of my knitted jumpers, or scarves, or gloves. I live in a relatively warm climate and a peaceful country. Here, I can make someone’s day by smiling at them, or simply complimenting a stranger on their lovely outfit etc.
Hopefully the people suffering the ravages of war, poverty or sickness in another country will benefit from my hobby. Funnily enough, even though it’s kind to help someone else, it actually rebounds to a kindness to yourself as well.
Heirloom – a romance of the past?
Rachel stared at the painting above the fireplace for some time. She had always loved it.
The woman in the tableau was sitting on an opulent armchair, staring out of the window. The room was full of the knick knacks of a wealthy Victorian family. The curtains pulled back from the multi- paned window were a rich burgundy velvet and the antimacassar protection on the back and arms of the chair were embroidered with coils of flowers. Behind her on the shelf, a Tiffany lamp stood amongst the displayed plates of a decorated set of crockery.
Outside, the falling snow had created a pristine outlook, which was now about to be ruined by two young boys, rugged up to the nines, flying down the hilly street in what looked like a cardboard box, but was probably a wooden crate from the greengrocers just glimpsed at the top of the hill.
The woman looked serene, yet sad. On her lap, once busy hands that had been creating a patch of lace, were now idly holding the work, forgotten in the moment of reflection. Rachel wondered what she was thinking, what tragedy was causing her pause, or was she merely daydreaming?
Rachel was surprised how much her great- grandmother in the picture looked like her. The hair colour was the same, even the shape of her nose.
Of course, Rachel was modern. The clothes she wore were never considered to be fashionable in her grandmother’s time, let alone her great-grandmother. That period of time had had an elegance that was now lost. Rachel thought it must have been very uncomfortable to wear and truly restrictive.
Now, as she stood looking at the painting, she wore shabby chic jeans. Her knees were poking out of custom-made slashes, and her feet were clad in canvas sneakers. The old threadbare t-shirt, trimmed with lace and bling from a bedazzled machine, was one of her favourite tops.
Rachel smiled.
Her great grandmother in the painting would have been horrified of her style and the way she looked.
But still, Rachel touched the lace on the neckline, lovingly attached by her own hands.
Surely it was the same lace her great grandmother had been making, when the artist had caught and frozen that moment of introspection, those many years ago.
***
Does your child love the ‘Harry Potter’ stories? Well, maybe these two wizard chapter books might be something to enjoy. Written by me and illustrated by a close friend, I’m wondering if I should continue the series? What do you think?
Still only AU$18 each (or $32 for both). Want a catalogue? Let me know by direct message.
***
FREE recipe to try.
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
1 cup Pineapple juice (with water)
2 tblspns cornflour
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tblspns soy sauce
2-3 tblspns tomato sauce
1 cup chopped onions
1 ¼ cup of pineapple pieces
2-3 drops of red food colouring (optional)
other chopped vegetables as desired. (carrot, cabbage, broccoli etc.)
- Blend cornflour, pineapple juice and vinegar in a saucepan.
- Soak onion in red colouring for a few minutes.
- Add everything to saucepan except pineapple pieces.
- Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Serve with rice. Serves 4.
- Veg can be par cooked if desired.
FREE knitting pattern to make.
Scarf.
The beauty of this pattern is that it is so simple, and can be adjusted to your needs. You can use more stitches and smaller needles for a firm cosy scarf – or bigger needles to create a more lacy feel. You can adjust the type of stitch for a pattern, keeping ordinary plain stitch to stop curl (stocking stitch (1 row plain, 1 row purl) will curl.)
I use 6mm or 6.5mm needles and about 20 or 24 stitches, with 8 ply yarn. This gives a soft feel to the scarf. The bigger the needle the softer and lacier the feel. The smaller the needle the more compact the fabric becomes.
The same yarn, 4mm needles and 40 stitches, and still 8 ply, is the second random stripe scarf. These can be stitched together lengthwise to form a knee rug or bigger blanket. The stripes are a way to use up odd bits of yarn (But keep the same ply. The only problem I find with this is having to stitch in all the ends!
The easiest stitch to use is all plain (garter or knit stitch) – quick and easy, but you can vary it as you wish. Length is recommended as the height of the person you are knitting for. E.g. – I am 5foot 6 inches – a perfect length for me would be between 5 foot or 5 foot six inches – but you can change that to your needs.
IF THE ABOVE KNITTING PATTERN DOESN’T MAKE SENSE, OR YOU CAN’T KNIT – PERHAPS YOU’D LIKE TO BUY (or order) ONE OF THE ONES IN THE PICTURES BELOW.
Romance, Eden and Distance.
As an author, I note that romance stories (aka Mills and Boon etc) sell like hot cakes. So … I thought, it’s not my style, but, what the heck, surely I could write something like that. I sent off to the M&B admin, and they sent back a list of rules that I had to follow if I wanted them to even look at my work – with no guarantees that anything I wrote would even be accepted. The list was amazing! Talk about writing to a formula.
Still, I gave it a shot.
Well, Bugger! It wasn’t as easy as I thought. It was no walk in the garden of Eden, that was for sure. I couldn’t come within a stone’s throw of anything that resembled a good story, let alone good writing quality! I threw up my hands in a gesture of surrender and decided that path was not for me.
By going back to my comfort zone and putting some distance from the ridiculous notion that I could actually make money from my writing, I have enjoyed the writing process for its own worth, the wonderful effect it has on my ability to think and imagine, and the joy of simply having the challenge of finding new ideas and then using those stories to learn self-publishing as well as the use of the computer. I realize that as you get older, it is more and more important to keep your brain active, learn new things and still have dreams and goals.
I also now use my hobby of knitting to donate my finished articles to charities. Maybe, during the harsh winters over in Europe and Asia, someone will enjoy wearing one of my knitted jumpers, or scarves, or gloves. I live in a relatively warm climate and a peaceful country. Here, I can make someone’s day by smiling at them, or simply complimenting a stranger on their lovely outfit etc.
Hopefully the people suffering the ravages of war, poverty or sickness in another country will benefit from my hobby. Funnily enough, even though it’s kind to help someone else, it actually rebounds to a kindness to yourself as well.
Heirloom – a romance of the past?
Rachel stared at the painting above the fireplace for some time. She had always loved it.
The woman in the tableau was sitting on an opulent armchair, staring out of the window. The room was full of the knick knacks of a wealthy Victorian family. The curtains pulled back from the multi- paned window were a rich burgundy velvet and the antimacassar protection on the back and arms of the chair were embroidered with coils of flowers. Behind her on the shelf, a Tiffany lamp stood amongst the displayed plates of a decorated set of crockery.
Outside, the falling snow had created a pristine outlook, which was now about to be ruined by two young boys, rugged up to the nines, flying down the hilly street in what looked like a cardboard box, but was probably a wooden crate from the greengrocers just glimpsed at the top of the hill.
The woman looked serene, yet sad. On her lap, once busy hands that had been creating a patch of lace, were now idly holding the work, forgotten in the moment of reflection. Rachel wondered what she was thinking, what tragedy was causing her pause, or was she merely daydreaming?
Rachel was surprised how much her great- grandmother in the picture looked like her. The hair colour was the same, even the shape of her nose.
Of course, Rachel was modern. The clothes she wore were never considered to be fashionable in her grandmother’s time, let alone her great-grandmother. That period of time had had an elegance that was now lost. Rachel thought it must have been very uncomfortable to wear and truly restrictive.
Now, as she stood looking at the painting, she wore shabby chic jeans. Her knees were poking out of custom-made slashes, and her feet were clad in canvas sneakers. The old threadbare t-shirt, trimmed with lace and bling from a bedazzled machine, was one of her favourite tops.
Rachel smiled.
Her great grandmother in the painting would have been horrified of her style and the way she looked.
But still, Rachel touched the lace on the neckline, lovingly attached by her own hands.
Surely it was the same lace her great grandmother had been making, when the artist had caught and frozen that moment of introspection, those many years ago.
***
Does your child love the ‘Harry Potter’ stories? Well, maybe these two wizard chapter books might be something to enjoy. Written by me and illustrated by a close friend, I’m wondering if I should continue the series? What do you think?
Still only AU$18 each (or $32 for both). Want a catalogue? Let me know by direct message.
***
FREE recipe to try.
1 cup Pineapple juice (with water)
2 tblspns cornflour
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tblspns soy sauce
2-3 tblspns tomato sauce
1 cup chopped onions
1 ¼ cup of pineapple pieces
2-3 drops of red food colouring (optional)
other chopped vegetables as desired. (carrot, cabbage, broccoli etc.)
- Blend cornflour, pineapple juice and vinegar in a saucepan.
- Soak onion in red colouring for a few minutes.
- Add everything to saucepan except pineapple pieces.
- Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Serve with rice. Serves 4.
- Veg can be par cooked if desired.
FREE knitting pattern to make.
Scarf.
The beauty of this pattern is that it is so simple, and can be adjusted to your needs. You can use more stitches and smaller needles for a firm cosy scarf – or bigger needles to create a more lacy feel. You can adjust the type of stitch for a pattern, keeping ordinary plain stitch to stop curl (stocking stitch (1 row plain, 1 row purl) will curl.)
I use 6mm or 6.5mm needles and about 20 or 24 stitches, with 8 ply yarn. This gives a soft feel to the scarf. The bigger the needle the softer and lacier the feel. The smaller the needle the more compact the fabric becomes.
The same yarn, 4mm needles and 40 stitches, and still 8 ply, is the second random stripe scarf. These can be stitched together lengthwise to form a knee rug or bigger blanket. The stripes are a way to use up odd bits of yarn (But keep the same ply. The only problem I find with this is having to stitch in all the ends!
The easiest stitch to use is all plain (garter or knit stitch) – quick and easy, but you can vary it as you wish. Length is recommended as the height of the person you are knitting for. E.g. – I am 5foot 6 inches – a perfect length for me would be between 5 foot or 5 foot six inches – but you can change that to your needs.
IF THE ABOVE KNITTING PATTERN DOESN’T MAKE SENSE, OR YOU CAN’T KNIT – PERHAPS YOU’D LIKE TO BUY (or order) ONE OF THE ONES IN THE PICTURES BELOW.
Read. Eat. and Dream. 