Daft pot of daffs

Bloggie friends!

I share with you, the latest pic of my crazy over-crowded pot of daffodils - along with a viola or two – each one of them singing:

“Spring is just round the corner, hang on in there!!!!”

Charlie says: If I stretch longer, next door will see me for sure!

Happy last Day of February!

Another fine mess..!

As Charlie sits on my manuscript and disapproves of the mess I created after 3 hours of solid editing, it's time to say have a great weekend, bloggie friends!



:-)

Y'all wonderful, see you guys and gals on Monday!!

The Best Things in Life are Free

Bloggie friends!!! The things I do for free cake..

I have a Costa Card - you earn points on it whenever you purchase from Costa. Collect enough points to pay for a free coffee - so about once a month I get free coffee!! Yay!

Today the good people at Costa sent me an email with the heading:

"Celebrate with a free cake" - all I needed to do was activate my Costa Card following a handy link.

Except of course a million and ten other people are trying to do the same thing and the website's crashed. Ahem.

Undeterred, I shall try tomorrow again. I want my free Costa Cake.

:-)

Charlie says: I think this is a shorter way to go next door..



One more day to the weekend! Yay!

Victory!

Bloggie Friends!!!

I’ve scored a small silent victory so excuse me if I go “whhhoooppeee!”
LOL!!

My boss has decided to hold our annual “Team Bonding, We Love Each Other Really” Day on MY BIRTHDAY in July.

All leave for that day cancelled.

I said, “Not on your life, missy”!

Well NO, I didn’t - but I stood my ground and refused to cancel my leave. Ahem.

Now it’s been decided that we shall bond with each other the day AFTER my birthday.

No one and nothing should come between a Gal and Her Birthday!

Charlie: No-one comes between me and my string!



Spring - wherefore art thou?

Thoughts and prayers to bloggie friends in New Zealand.

Splashed! But not blogged!

Bloggie friends!

I've been sprayed with puddle water by speeding cars all the way from the station to home while I walked in the cold, rain, wind and darkness so forgive me as I leave you with Charlie while I pour myself something suitably... erm.. medicinal.

Charlie says: I will not look.

Charlie says: Darn.

Special hugs to lovely Trish of Katnip Lounge and beautiful Carol of Ginger Jasper. Trish will be having her surgery on Tuesday, Carol - Wednesday. Charlie and I are sending you both waves of love and best wishes for speedy and safe recoveries!!

Have a blessedly dry day today everyone!

Pleasurable treats

Bloggie friends!!

I had a very rare day off from work yesterday (Sunday), the plan being I was going to do so many, many things like go through my ironing, start with my patio planting and oooh I don’t know, write a story or five !

Instead I went out shopping, baked fig and almond muffins, stayed in bed and read - Afrika Reich (AMAZING - could not put it down!!!!) and Cassastar (Fun, fun, fun!)! LOL!

Look at this lovely purse I treated myself with!


I hope y’all had a pleasurable weekend too!

Charlie says: I had fun sitting infront of your keyboard and screen.


Four days to the weekend!!! :-)

A Yay and a Nay!

Bloggie friends!!

Today I offer you a Yay! And a Nay!

Yay for The Muppets Movie!!! And made not just with any ol muppet but the original cast!!!

Source

There’s Beaker! And The Eagle! And the two old men whose names escape me!! And Kermit and my Ultimate Idol!! Gorgeous Miss Piggy!

Nay to the remake of Footloose. Nay, Nay and thrice Nay!! The Footloose film of 1984 is a classic and strangely of its time too and there it should remain. Good grief!

Charlie says: I give you my Other Evil Eye!


Yesterday was Thursday!! Today is Friday! LOL!! Another Yay!

A Sprinkling of Blog Magic

Bloggie friends!!!

The fabulous Guy Saville who has helped me and many many many others with their writer-ly journeys, is finally having his book Afrika Reich published today.

It has taken him 12 years to get to this stage. The Times calls his book “a horrific re-imagining of the Dark Continent” (29 Jan 2011) and the Daily Telegraph gave his book 4/5 stars (12 Feb 2011). Historian Simon Appleby at Bookgeeks says his book is both “action packed and thought provoking”.

This really could not be happening to a nicer guy – he is one of those quiet types who never self-advertises the assistance he gives, but will always help and advise. I wish him all the best.

If you are able, please do check out his website where you can sample a chapter of The Afrika Reich.

The lovely Kim from Musings on a Small Life/Fuzzy Tales has lost her special kitty, Annie. When I read this, I wept. Kim is a lovely astute and wise woman whose daily life experiences are a joy to read. I feel as if I live next door to her and share many of her ups and downs.

I started this blog when I was losing my cat and I know in the great scheme of things this is tiny and non-pet people may not understand, so it was a lifeline to stumble upon Kim’s blog and to realise I wasn’t alone.

Charlie says: One day I shall learn how to open this window.



It’s nearly Friday!! Have a great weekend, everyone!

A Very Important Distraction

Bloggie friends!!

I’ve just received another of my short stories back from my very unusual critique person – my line manager.

Yep, my boss reads my stories and tells me like it is!!

So as I peruse through his pencil marks and question marks and lots of smiley faces (when he likes something he draws a smiley face!), please be distracted by Larry – the most recent and most important new member of the Prime Minister’s cabinet at 10 Downing Street.



Or go here if this doesn't play or read the story here.

Charlie says: Larry gets my other Evil Eye


I hope to get to all your yummy blogs if not today then tomorrow!

Gobbledegook by any other name...

Bloggie friends!!!

I get an email at work inviting me to attend a course to tell us all about “Mashups”. The email then goes to explain thus:

“What are Mashups?
They are web applications that combine freely available data from various sources to create something new and potentially more useful into a single tool.”

Now why can’t they just say “ It’s like Google - but for academics”?

Charlie says: I stretch therefore I am.


Have a great post-Valentine’s day everyone!

The Scarlet Post

The Scarlet Post by Old Kitty

“The post is here! “ I cry and trill
“And what’s betwixt this junk and bill?
A scarlet envelope, my name so clear!
Tis a Valentine’s card from my Secret Dear!”

LOL!

As I wade through my mountain of valentine's cards (ahem!) let me leave you today with this heartfelt and chocolate and champers strewn wish!!!

May your Valentine's Day be full of love and joy!

Charlie says: I give you my Evil Eye.


Charlie and I heart you all!

Friday frivolities

Bloggie friends!

Today is my other sister’s birthday (yes, I have more than one! LOL!) and of course I’m running late and am posting her card NOW so she’ll receive it tomorrow!

To compensate, I’ve composed a little ditty for her (to be sung in the tune of Happy Birthday)! Ahem.

***********************************
Happy Birthday to my sister!
You are older and I am younger!
I am joking, where’s your humour?!?!
Happy Birthday to my sister!!
***********************************

Oh she doesn’t mind – she’s fabulous!!

Charlie says: Bird TV is the best.


Have a great weekend everyone!!! See y’all on VALENTINE’S DAY!

Potty!

Bloggie friends!!

You are all beautiful and brilliant!! Thank you so much for your kind and supportive words yesterday!! I am so beyond happy about everything! Yay!

Now I shall leave you with what I plan to be my big Easter /Royal Wedding Holiday Job come April.

Re-potting up of my pots!

I mean look at the state of them!!! What’s happened to the plants?!?!

Charlie says: Tut-tut!


Isn't it the weekend already? :-)

My story has found a good home!

Yay and hoozaah Bloggie friends!!

My story “One Tenth of a Second” made it to the final anthology, 100Stories for Queensland. Hoooray!!

And I’m so happy to see Theresa Milstein, Joanne Fox and Sally Quillford there too! Yay! :-)

Ahem. I know, I know, this is probably the first and only time I’ll get a story published this year but hey! It’s for my sister and her kids in Queensland!

And besides, it’s either I blog about this or you get more bad poetry! LOL!

Charlie says: I need to be quick to get to next door!


The anthology should be out on 8 March 2011!!!! All proceeds will go to the Premier Queensland Flood Relief.

A Notebook of Moleskin

Madeleine of Scribble and Edit is giving away a lovely Moleskin Notebook and here is my entry to try and nab this for myself. Ahem.

******************************

An Ode to a Moleskin Notebook by Old Kitty

Oh moleskin notebook
I sing to thee
Let me fill your blank pages
With a word or three!
You are offered to us by the beautiful Maddie
Let me covet your silkiness and set you free!

Oh moleskin notebook
I sing to thee
Come hither not tither
Don't drive me crazy!
What say you oh saucy shiny one?
Let’s go to Costa and have some coffee.

**************************************

I think the above disqualifies me pronto!!!

If you want to win Madeleine’s very generous prize of a beautiful Moleskin Notebook, please don’t do what I've done above, but go here – there’s a snazzy form to fill in!

Charlie says: I think I can land on next door’s hallway with one leap.


Booo to Monday! :-)

Gibber me timbers!

Bloggie friends!



See that blank word doc behind Charlie? I'm hoping to fill it with gibberish over the weekend!! And not just any ol gibberish - but writerly gibberish! :-)

Will it be for Madeleine's Flowing Fonts blogfest? Or more bad poetry? Or will Charlie scupper my bestest writer-ly intentions by his determination to distract me with his utter cuteness?!?!

Watch this space bloggie, watch this space!

It's Friday!!! It's Friday!!! Notice my huge empty pint glass too? Cheers!!!
:-)

Speech! Rabbit! Speech!

Bloggie friends!

This is my review of The King’s Speech:

Grab your popcorn and GO SEE! I loved it! :-)

My viewing pleasure was only ruined very slightly by this young couple who not only insisted on sitting next to me half way through the film, but then proceeded to whisper incessantly and coil themselves around each other.

Now I’m no prude and I didn’t mind, but unfortunately they then committed the most cardinal sin of all.

The silly young man took out his iphone and turned it on.

Charlie says: I am sleepy with my string.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! IT'S THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT!

Enjoy your carrots!

Foot!

Typing at a 45 degree angle should be taught in typing school!

Woo-hoo - it's Wednesday!!!

And according to my Cat Blogosphere and Cat Yoga Calendars - it's Groundhog Day too!

For me, Groundhog Day was a very funny romantic film and speaking of films I may just go and see The King's Speech tonight! Yay!

Missed!

Oh bloggie friends, I am silly!

I was all set to listen to a reading of the wonderful Brigid of Sort of Writing blog’s short story on RTE Radio 1 live for 11.15pm last night and what happens?

I torment Charlie with his string, I play Memory from Cats on youtube infinitum, I’m looking up my horoscope and clicking on the “ask the crystal ball” a yes or no question…

Next thing I know it’s 11.25 pm. The story has been read, the radio programme has changed. I miss the whole thing completely.

Brigid – I am so sorry!!

Charlie says: My head seems to be missing.



Thank you all so much for your words of encouragement for my longlisted story!! Oh well - it's now in the lap of the editorial gods and goddesses!

My blog is one year old today! Yay!