A Switch in Time

Bloggie friends I am silly AGAIN! Yes I am!

Half way through my re-write I realise something.

A character called Philip is suddenly Peter.

I must have had a serious breakdown somewhere! LOL!!

Nevermind, all Peters are now switched to Philips. Cos I got my certificate that proves I am proficient in the use of Word 2007! :-)

Charlie says: Kindly make amends and show evidence of me with the scratching post. And my nip cushion. Thank you.

Have a thrilling Tuesday everyone!

I scratch your back you scratch my bed

Bloggie friends who could do such a thing while I’m busy with my re-write?!?!

Charlie says: Ha-ha! That's got your attention!

Have a miscreant Monday everyone!

I'm still no nearer discovering who gave me the seeds...

Off I go to concentrate on my chapter 15!

A Snake's Head Mystery

Lovely bloggie friends it’s great to be back!! All those roundabouts at Milton Keynes have made me quite dizzy! No more roundabouts please!

Anyway beautiful bloggie friends.... I have a little mystery.

I received a letter and a packet of seeds (snake heads – fritillary) but I have no idea who sent them! The postmark is Tyneside and I really don't know anyone personally from there so I think it's from one of you lovely lovely blogfriends. :-)

Charlie doesn’t know either.

I’m very sorry for my lack of memory.

I just want to say THANK YOU so much to the very kind person who sent me these seeds!!

I love Fritallaries – they are absolutely gorgeous. Thank you, thank you, thank you kind person.

This weekend I’m hoping to finish a couple of short stories to send them out into the big bad world where they will no doubt be thrown right back at me – but hey!! I live in constant optimistic hope!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

Concrete Cows

The good news is that today is the start of a three day weekend (30 August is a Bank Holiday and I have this Sunday off too). Yay!

The bad news is that today I will be in Milton Keynes as part of my department’s er.. Team Building thing. We won’t be visiting MK’s famous concrete cows (created by Canadian born artist Liz Leyh):

Nope. We will instead be cloistered within the hallowed walls of the Open University.

So I will be very and extremely late commenting on all your wonderful blogs!! But at least I’ll have the weekend to do these!! Yay!

Charlie says: No need for concrete cows when you’ve got me! Thank you sweet Sammy and Andy and mum for making me a cow. Wow.

And thank you all so much for your lovely comments on my Ode to Ye Coffee Bean! I was stressing out over my re-write and diversified a little. Into poetry. Next time I’ll try mixing it up a little with a shot of Drambuie! LOL!

All the above have clickable links btw!

Have a ferociously fab Friday everyone - me and Charlie will see you all very soon!

Coffee interlude

The Coffee Bean

I ponder the force of the coffee bean
Grown somewhere tropical, steamy and hot
Do they know the impact they have on us?
Caffeine-addicts too busy or just rushed
Needing a kick - a hit to start the day?

Drawn by the aromatic smell, they burn
These brown jewels that built empires of yore
Pungent, roasted and reeking of tar.
Beans that feed nations dependent them
Raise my blood pressure and give me the burps
These little brown beans, not so little, no more.

[written by Old Kitty!!!]

Charlie says: They also gives you laser eyes!

I apologise for ambushing you all with a poem! Sorry! :-)

Thank you so much for all your theories about the sunflower in the hanging basket! I must really have some acrobatic birds here! LOL!

Have a thoughtful Thursday everyone!

It came from outer space...

Awww Bloggie friends, you are all stars! Thank you for your very helpful comments again! My re-write progresses albeit slowly but ever onwards.

But bloggie friends, I was momentarily diverted into a mystery that has now been thankfully solved!

For weeks some alien plant was growing out of my geranium hanging basket and today, today it revealed itself to me!

Can you guess??

It’s a sunflower!!!

How the devil did it get there?!?!

Charlie says: Well don’t look at me!

Have a wild n whacky Wednesday everyone!

The Simple Joy of Play

Bloggie friends – thank you so much for all your input for my 10 year old childspeak!

The one thing I’m learning as I ponder my chapter 11 is getting in touch not only with my inner 10 year old but how my nephews were at that age.

Also by being my nosey self and grabbing random bits of youth speak - without getting beat up of course.

Most ten year olds are taller than me! LOL!

So while I ponder away, here is a lovely clip of a wild fox finding the simple joy of play - accompanied by one of Chopin’s Nocturne pieces.

Lovely.

Charlie says: I am not impressed with your attempts to play with me.

Have a tuneful Tuesday everyone!

When in Rome...

Bloggie friends, I’m silly.

Yes I am!

Here I am writing as a 10 year old boy and I pepper his point of view with words like “horrible fascination” and “ seamlessly with a feral-like crowd”….

What am I simple?!?! LOL! What 10 year old speaks like that in this day and age?

Maybe I just need breakfast with Ginger:

Charlie says: Be so kind as to let me out so I can go next door. Thank you.

Have a miraculous Monday everyone!

A Glass Half Full or Half Empty

Bloggie friends, I’m beginning to obsess about the most ridiculous things.

Here is something I noticed as I watch telly during my break from my chapter 9-ing.

The scene: The person needs to take their medication. So they fill up a glass of water, take their pills, sip the water, and throw the rest of the water out.

No-one but no-one ever finishes their glass of water.

All programmes/films/tv series have this scene. The rest of the water in the glass always gets thrown.

I kid you not.

Charlie says: Mad woman alert. Mad woman alert. Must. Run. Next. Door. Quick.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Where...?

Charlie helps me look for my Chapter 9:

Have a flowery Friday everyone!

Little things please little minds

Bloggie friends it's MINE ALL MINE!!

Real Hunter Wellies made for traipsing through mud, climbing rock and wading in water and just about great for anything else you can throw at them!

Raspberries to all those horrid ebay bidders who tried to take what was rightfully mine!! And what a bargain!

Charlie says: Oh alright. You bid on ebay I finish Chapter 9 for you. Just as soon as I try and get this microchip thing out through my ear.


Have a tartelette Thursday everyone!

A Chip in Time Saves (chapter) 9

Aww lovely bloggie friends! Thank you for thinking of my torn hair yesterday! LOL!!

Not to worry – I have plenty left.

Being different characters when there’s only one of me is sometimes enough to make my mind explode, so what do I do bloggie friends to create more space in my brain?

1) I bid on ebay – Wellington boots! For when it rains. But I’m up against some very determined bidders…. A plague on all their houses!

2) I bake my FIFTH courgette cake in 3 days! And eat the lot fresh from the oven. I love this cake!

3) I watch a clip of a group from the University of Oregon called On the Rocks perform Lady GaGa’s Bad Romance acapella stylie.

Thank you lovely India Drummond for this – if you have 5 minutes – do check the clip here. These guys ROCK!

4) I harass Charlie even more because – and here is the bestest news – his microchip details have finally been updated. It’s taken 12 weeks of waiting on tenterhooks for this to happen. Yay!!

Charlie says: Yes, the certificate seems to be in order. Now be so kind as to return to your Chapter 9. Thank you.

Have a welly Wednesday everyone!

The Terror of Chapter 7

Bloggie friends here I am tap tapping away on my keyboard in my little office area and tearing my hair out by my Chapter 7 (eeek I switch points of view mid way and didn’t realise!!) when outside of my window I hear a familiar

“Ting-ting-ting-ting–a–ling-ling”

[Yes, bloggie friends the sound of a bell on a cat collar]

I stare out and what do I see???

This:

I’m like "Charlie! Noooooooo!"

Only cos the garden he wants to jump into is owned by a real life police husband and wife team with two gorgeous black cats that Charlie terrorises I mean visits frequently to say hello, please be my friend.

Charlie says: No I don’t. I go there to show them whose boss.

Meanwhile back to tearing my hair out...!
:-)

Have a toe tapping Tuesday everyone!

I "right" therefore I am

Bloggie friends I made a boo-boo! LOL!

I loved a pair of swish and tasty clogs I bought online so much (A BARGAIN at 70% off rrp!!!!) that in my enthusiasm I wrote this review on their site:

These clogs fit perfectly. The heel height is just write for everyday use and everyday walking.

(My bold italics!!)

And worse bloggie friends, I used my full name. So everyone and their brother know that I wrote this with that spelling mistake.

Sigh.

Charlie says: I’m hiding here for shame!

Have a melodious Monday everyone!

Slash n Burn n Bake!

Get thee behind me Chapter 4!

I’m slashing and burning my current manuscript – because by jingo it needs it. I’ve never realised just how much it needs it . It is so a Grade 2. Hah!

Bloggie friends I did get to see the doctor and he mentioned that maybe my monthly viral illness is symptomatic of something hormonal (me: Eh?).

Further tests are warranted. Watch this space is all I can say. Or actually, no, as this ailment is the most boring thing on this planet to blog about. Next to my novel massacree! Yes massa-cree! LOL!

Far more interesting is this cake!!

Thank you lovely Emma of Em’s Shabby Shack for this AMAZING and ABSOLUTELY YUMMY Courgette Cake recipe.

It's not only SUPER EASY it is DELICIOUS. I didn’t do the icing but to be honest it didn’t need it.

I plan to bake some more asap!

Charlie says: Whoopie. I’m so excited. Can’t wait. And no it’s not in my nature to be sarcastic at all. No siree. Not me. Nuh-uh.

Have a sweet n sensible Sunday everyone!

Booty Cut

Ok - so I've started to edit my 78% Grade 2 novel and have snipped nearly all of chapter 1! Hah!

Bloggie friends, it feels painfully good to do so.... NOT!

Eeek!!!

Am I doing the right thing? Who knows? Pass on my next dose of ibuprofen and paracetemol! I'm emboldened by my delirium!

In the meantime, I've found a way of keeping my feet warm because no matter that it's summer outside, my feet are chilly!

So here I am modelling my faux fur booties!!

Charlie says: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz



Have a frollicking fab Friday everyone!

Lemon and Honey, Joy and Despair or Let's Do Yoga!

Fabulous bloggie friends, thank you for reading my Muse’s guest post yesterday. Happily, she is now tucked up in bed with a mug of warm lemon water and honey.

Oh no, hang on that’s me! :-)

In my Ibuprofen fugue I think I’ve managed to write a couple of 6 worded stories for the Arvon Competition that I will of course, not win. But the joy, bloggie friends, the joy is in completing and competing! The despair of losing will come later but let’s save that for another day

Now let’s do some yoga! Here is “Skittles does the Urdhva Dhanurasana, or backbend preparation"

© Photograph: Dan Borris/Barcroft USA

A further selection of pics may be seen here. They're taken from the forthcoming 2011 calendar Yoga Puppies and Kittens that will of course be on my wishlist for anyone wanting to buy me an x-mas pressie now. :-)

Charlie says: My favourite yoga pose is The Perfect Round Fur Creature Asleep on Carpet.

Have a terrific Thursday everyone!

Help! I'm a Muse - get me out of here!

Hello all, Old Kitty’s Muse here.

I thought I would take over her blog for today seeing as she is so poorly and frankly in need of a good scrub, a wash and I daresay, a thorough fumigation.

Bring on the vapours and wear your anti-swine flu masks!

As a Muse none of the above should really matter but she tries my patience continuously. I give her all the inspiration to stimulate her creative juices and she is still none the wiser with her creative writing as she ages and wrinkles.

Worse, her creative output is - to put it mildly – ATROCIOUS!

I look around me and all my sister muses are glowing with their charges who are winning competitions, working on their nth novel, getting published left right and centre, are tall, thin and gorgeous!

No ! That shouldn’t matter! But do you see why I despair? Now even she’s got me flicking through the latest issues of Grazia, Hello! and OK magazines. Ew.

And as for that cat…

Charlie says: One is not a-mused.

[Lovely Sally Quilford is having a Takeover Blog Day today – where creatures take over one’s blog and wreak havoc and mayhem! This is my shoddy entry! LOL! I blame the Muse]

Have a whacky Wednesday everyone!

Herculean bow ties

Thank you all so much for reading my stories and for your generous comments, thank you!! You are all perfect petals of petunias!

Oh bloggie friends I am confined to my sick bed!

I'm in the throes of battling some evil viral infection! :-(

And Charlie tries to stay awake with me while I read Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile.



I’ve read nearly all of Ms Christie's books when I was younger and this one is one of my favourites.

There is absolutely no sense of Egypt here (its culture, people, etc and quite franky it could be Death on Any River on Any Boat but the Nile sounds more exotic and intoxicating than say, the Thames) but it’s a cracking good read nonetheless and keeps my headaches at bay.

And here is Charlie cheering me up some more by dressing smartly! Thank you gorgeous umi_e for his fabulous collar!



Have a toffee caramel Tuesday everyone!

Reading Sunflowers

Brilliant Bloggie Friends – thank you once again for your lovely and encouraging comments about my little third prize win! Thank you!! You are all colours of the rainbow!

The stories are now up on the site here if you want to have a read. Incidentally my other story - The Last Shift - is a runner up too, yay!

And if you want a lovely fun scene, may I offer this?

It's a wonderful sight on my walk to and from the train station.

I hope they brighten your day as they do mine.

Charlie says: I thought I did that already!

Poor Charlie - I think I was too close to his face with my flashy thing! Oh dear!

Have a spiffing Sunday everyone!

Bronze medal for my story!

Beautiful bloggie friends –

Thank you so much for all your kindness and support and LOVE - that sublime word that heals and enriches and above all creates magic because look what I received today in my email:

****************************************************************
Hi Jenny,

Congratulations! You've won third prize in the Twisted Tails Short Story Competition (Spring).

All the very best,

Malcolm Bray

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

Third prize!!!!

And bestest of all my little story has found a home!! And hopefully it will be online soon so you can all read it!! Oh yes! Yay!

Charlie says: Maybe now I can have some proper posh food!

Friday is fun folks, enjoy!!!! You are all shimmering stunning stars that glitter bright and bountiful forever and ever! And ever! :-)

The Average Person

Patient bloggie friends, my results are in!

Yep I got my final assessment of my first three chapters of my ahem… Work In Progress formerly known as A Novel - from my Open University writing course.

And here they are in a nutshell

The grading is: Excellent, Good, Clear Pass, Bare Pass, Fail

Language - good
Voice - good
Structure - clear pass
Ideas -good
Presentation - good

Overall: Grade B, Level 2 or 78% average.

Charlie says: Not to worry. I'll help you after I scratch the life out of this sofa.



Have a tantalizing Thursday everyone!

A Question please

Ever so fabulous bloggie friends!

I have a question to ask.

Why is it that the longer I stare at my blank word document trying to be at one with my writer-ly muse do I suddenly find that my phone is looking very sad?

Well it – or rather Bob as he shall now be known - is.

Charlie says: I am now Head of Quality Control and this one needs some editing. Fail.

To all friends of woofies and kitties and other creatures. Skelly the sweet doggie rescued by Wesley needs all the purrs and grrrs we could muster to help. Please go here for why. Thank you.

Have a warbling Wednesday everyone!

Straw clutching

Bloggie friends – the wonderful Simon of Spellmaking has advertised a couple of flash fiction competitions (click here for further details) that I thought I’d have a go at entering.

One of the competitions is to write a story as sublime as Ernest Hemingway’s “For sale: baby shoes, never worn”.

So far my muse is eluding me.

Nevermind. I console myself that even if I may never be able to create a 6 worded story as superb as Mr H’s at least we have two things in common.

He liked cats and he liked his adult beverages! LOL!

Charlie says: I do not see the point of this blog piece. I am going next door.

Have a terrific Tuesday everyone!

Penguins in Battersea Birthday Blog

Charlie is ever so excited!

Because this year is the 150th Anniversary of of Battersea Dogs' and Cats' Home - the oldest dogs and cats home in the UK. Opened in 1860 it started as "the Temporary home for Lost and Starving Dogs" established by "Mrs Mary Tealby ", gawd bless her!

For a historical timeline of this organisation click here.

It is also the 75th anniversary of the wonderful Penguin Books

Established in 1935 it's main aim was to "make great literature available to everyone at an affordable price". For more, click here.

Hooorah!!

Oh and today is my SEVENTH MONTH blog birthday! Yay!

Charlie is thrilled! Yes he is!!


Have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Sunday everyone!