tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78200452604238456872024-03-13T08:51:20.391-07:00Melissa LawrenceMelissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-34565011874852760642024-03-13T08:42:00.000-07:002024-03-13T08:50:46.303-07:0010 Ways I Want To Be More Like My Cat<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Did you watch Crufts on TV at the weekend? I must admit to being more of a dog person than a cat person but sometimes I feel sorry for dogs. They seem to have a "ruff" deal compared with cats who, let's face it, often live the life of Riley. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">This got me thinking about what it would be like to be a cat or at least behave more like one. Full disclosure: I don't actually own a cat but I have known a few felines in my time.</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQoMsA2LcL75RKN112KIC_CSf2pA-iHg0WOdYRcwym_HXNjOjrj9Tae4JtF1IeqD9QD_KnLY49UrFmCtdqb2E8rBUBWxNTbV-cgfNvrUDbtXoVMD-Xh55JpulTOvuE1-sOZO_hVlJ0ClGuKz9lQWf2QlXGg0lNzdqBvI6VUEJkEkCJdxaOHMW6Znj7bqZ/s1280/cat-1045782_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="1280" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQoMsA2LcL75RKN112KIC_CSf2pA-iHg0WOdYRcwym_HXNjOjrj9Tae4JtF1IeqD9QD_KnLY49UrFmCtdqb2E8rBUBWxNTbV-cgfNvrUDbtXoVMD-Xh55JpulTOvuE1-sOZO_hVlJ0ClGuKz9lQWf2QlXGg0lNzdqBvI6VUEJkEkCJdxaOHMW6Znj7bqZ/w423-h289/cat-1045782_1280.jpg" width="423" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><i>Who is this Riley dude? I could definitely take him.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; text-align: left;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;">10 Ways I Want To Be More Like My Cat</span></b></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1.
Be the master, not the servant.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">2.
Fall asleep anytime, anywhere, anyhow.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">3.
Not feel guilty about ending a relationship with someone who thought
I was their best friend.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">4.
Eat when I want to, not when I have to.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">5.
Rub my head against the legs of a complete stranger without getting
arrested.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">6.
Never lose a staring contest.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">7.
Sleep all day and stay out all night.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">8.
Pee in the bath without having to get hammered first.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">9.
Get free meals by just loitering outside someone's door and looking pathetic.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">10.
Be the centre of someone’s world.</span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"></p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwbm030xKHtjLkywUXtcSegQMdvpdD3ryDckcG9pF_qq2eAZiNq0cmfEiGh4tm6ZNI1wObbMNozMwsbwrq5SbFw5JDwhhKV04E-p0l1mpzFEESYUJcAkrxVEtZ-RUMqMaqc5HZ5dbRm2oNhELkCEezGXd0zN2ZREpJL8MiJM5JQSNma74-2ALEdvInvI_/s1280/cat-323262_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwbm030xKHtjLkywUXtcSegQMdvpdD3ryDckcG9pF_qq2eAZiNq0cmfEiGh4tm6ZNI1wObbMNozMwsbwrq5SbFw5JDwhhKV04E-p0l1mpzFEESYUJcAkrxVEtZ-RUMqMaqc5HZ5dbRm2oNhELkCEezGXd0zN2ZREpJL8MiJM5JQSNma74-2ALEdvInvI_/w445-h296/cat-323262_1280.jpg" width="445" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><i>Wake me up when it's next Thursday.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; text-align: left;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thanks for reading. I'm off to pee in the bath!</span></span></p>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-55429631345264607502024-02-23T12:35:00.000-08:002024-02-23T12:36:49.453-08:007 Steps to Self-Motivation For Writers<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.</span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">What can you do when the money
is running out, you haven’t sold any work since Taylor Swift became
more famous than Elvis and you can’t get an agent or editor to take
you on for love nor macaroni. The answer is... keep going! To achieve
success as a writer, you have to be incredibly self-motivated and at
times, that can feel like trying to climb Everest with a large tin of
treacle tied to each ankle. Fortunately, there are things you can do
to get your mojo working again and here are just a few of them.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>1.
When the going gets tough, reach for chocolate</i></b></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Or
herbal tea, Kendal Mint Cake, listening to heavy metal, walking the
hamster or whatever other treat you fancy. Try creating a
work/treat/work sandwich. (You can use an actual sandwich if you
like.) Tell yourself that you’ll write for forty minutes, stop for
your treat and then write for another forty minutes. Repeat as
required.</span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QDy_FMActVjKPUdawETkI8bl0k7capi4513LdBjwInca9jkyOwuXXy4Ax6gJc1B8VjS5ScR49nQc3BtCPITifhBa_chj2wN2oRI_N3kCsaS98UFtXQkE5ziXd-EXQE7Oeaot5YMYmSW413NF1UgtDKA9NNV1c5P8uiiRK_Kl_n6QTsO51MCBLMgcAb86/s1280/chocolate-1312524_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="1280" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QDy_FMActVjKPUdawETkI8bl0k7capi4513LdBjwInca9jkyOwuXXy4Ax6gJc1B8VjS5ScR49nQc3BtCPITifhBa_chj2wN2oRI_N3kCsaS98UFtXQkE5ziXd-EXQE7Oeaot5YMYmSW413NF1UgtDKA9NNV1c5P8uiiRK_Kl_n6QTsO51MCBLMgcAb86/w372-h249/chocolate-1312524_1280.jpg" width="372" /></span></a></div><b style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></b></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #ff00fe;">2.
Write it fast, write it now</span></i></b></div></span></b><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">When
the muse seems to have packed its suitcase and gone off to the South
of France, there is sometimes only one way to get any writing done.
Don’t stop to think. Just grab a pen or tap on your keyboard and
write down the first thing that comes into your head. Then the second
thing, the third thing and so on. Even if what you have written is
complete nonense, at least you will have something to work on at a
later date.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>3.
Be your own writing coach</i></b></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Unless
you can afford to pay for the services of an <i>actual</i> coach, you
need to be your own. Buy yourself a posh notebook or set up a planner
on your computer and use it to log your daily, weekly, monthly,
yearly writing goals. Then add in lots of positive statements
(preferably in bright colours!) such as <i>You’ve got this</i> and
<i>You can do </i><i>it</i> from your “coach” that you can look
at on a regular basis to help you stay motivated and achieve those
goals.</span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6qW1XsTVqLYHzKyBqANEckowTrFYTESjaqZUUITSe-XmN_JI2toDLmM54DcTTwI1GALoRCVAhnp5Xgt5hQPj9h9j8sDJzzZYdTEClh1MrjczrJ9F1qzmSUO0ihgRfSuGNvEBUg8DCN5sNr9AcIDBtVn3kxrN8jpN0rBvxeeHx7dnvpQxjES5MtKumPgL/s1280/coach-6820968_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6qW1XsTVqLYHzKyBqANEckowTrFYTESjaqZUUITSe-XmN_JI2toDLmM54DcTTwI1GALoRCVAhnp5Xgt5hQPj9h9j8sDJzzZYdTEClh1MrjczrJ9F1qzmSUO0ihgRfSuGNvEBUg8DCN5sNr9AcIDBtVn3kxrN8jpN0rBvxeeHx7dnvpQxjES5MtKumPgL/w401-h267/coach-6820968_1280.jpg" width="401" /></span></a></div><b style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></b></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><i>4.
Get on with it</i></span></b></div></span></b><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">If
traffic wardens, surgeons, plumbers or airline pilots spent as much
time agonising over how or when to start work as we writers often do,
the world would have come to a complete standstill by a week on
Wednesday. Don’t stop to think about what to write, when to write
or whether you are wasting your time and someone else’s money by
writing. Just do it!</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>5.
Read, read and read again</i></b></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">It
may seem harsh to hear this but if you aren’t reading, you
shouldn’t really be writing. I’m not talking about having to wade
through <i>War and Peace</i> even
though I believe it’s had one or two five star reviews on
Amazon. Reading can be anything that either inspires you because it’s
so good or has you heading straight back to your writing desk (you do
have one, don’t you?) to prove to yourself that you can produce
something much better.</span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim01KQazvBk-z2JcFJk0wJXcnsmrxWKtByO6MAJca25LgnkqX_sZAB0TwDHIFcvKcb2ydkbXf5at6JbLPeMIAWmYGSAvO5c4glXdg55Xzx-o8ubsdwAbtKq0A72gTtklrpnd-tNoRtAyAdeGGQAvzLQpMhBAxEERfulBmgeQRQcw5SeyLZLMeyfZ6ksQ5k/s1280/books-2585511_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1280" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim01KQazvBk-z2JcFJk0wJXcnsmrxWKtByO6MAJca25LgnkqX_sZAB0TwDHIFcvKcb2ydkbXf5at6JbLPeMIAWmYGSAvO5c4glXdg55Xzx-o8ubsdwAbtKq0A72gTtklrpnd-tNoRtAyAdeGGQAvzLQpMhBAxEERfulBmgeQRQcw5SeyLZLMeyfZ6ksQ5k/w397-h263/books-2585511_1280.jpg" width="397" /></span></a></div><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>6.
Reflect on past glories</i></b></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">“<span>If
you’ve done it once, you can do it again” is a really useful
mantra to add to your coaching statements because when you’re
feeling de-motivated, it’s all too easy to forget about your
previous successes. Make a habit of looking regularly at your
“cuttings file”, whatever form that takes. Trust me, you’ll be
amazed at what a motivator this can be.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>7.
Rework old work</i></b></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Get
that cuttings file out again or any piece of work you’ve had
published or think you <i>should</i> have had published. (Editors
don’t know what they’re talking about, right?) Try rewriting it
in a different form. If it was a short story, rewrite it as a piece
of flash fiction. If it was an opinion piece, rewrite it as a poem.
Or just use some of the themes, words or complete sentences to create
something completely new.</span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWW9Dcun1FvRBMLo8IAOwR7ErI-ztYK8tKPNRbGgYCbK-SkxQVoMNC0wuid29Go_7qGPwxGuQuWu1VJakE9w6K59oCs241-8S0UL3M5gzaxMMNfWfMcpoVKg9Zp53HZpz-oJYfz7BjUvi2jNIw2LwxvYCEgA5CGXOjjL0DYj2662lC8qx9Zp5i0whK80lw/s1280/creative-108545_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1280" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWW9Dcun1FvRBMLo8IAOwR7ErI-ztYK8tKPNRbGgYCbK-SkxQVoMNC0wuid29Go_7qGPwxGuQuWu1VJakE9w6K59oCs241-8S0UL3M5gzaxMMNfWfMcpoVKg9Zp53HZpz-oJYfz7BjUvi2jNIw2LwxvYCEgA5CGXOjjL0DYj2662lC8qx9Zp5i0whK80lw/w417-h278/creative-108545_1280.jpg" width="417" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>I hope some of these suggestions have helped. Good
luck and let me know how you get on.</span></div></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Please
note: This is a revised and updated version of a piece I had
published in </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The New Writer</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> magazine in 2011.</span></span></i></p>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-54324563339852772262024-01-21T13:03:00.000-08:002024-01-21T13:14:46.368-08:00Why I Should Have Paid More Attention To Shakespeare<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Even
though I once had to read 40 Shakespeare plays during the summer
holidays while I was at university (fortunately we had very long
holidays), I always thought it was Shylock from <i>The Merchant of
Venice</i> who spoke the famous line “Neither a borrower, nor a
lender be.” Turns out it was Polonius in the play <i>Hamlet</i>
giving advice to his son Laertes on how to behave at university.
Hopefully Laertes didn’t throw a hissy fit when he discovered that
he had to read forty Shakespeare plays during his summer vacation.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Well,
whether it was Shylock, Polonius or even Stormzy, I really wish I’d
taken that advice in April 2022 when I lent quite a large sum of
money to a neighbour. The money was part of a lump sum of <a href="https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/homes/buying-a-home/what-is-equity-release" target="_blank">equity release</a> that I’d just taken out on my house and it was meant to
last me until I reach State Pension age. Almost two years later,
despite trying everything I possible can to get my money back, I’ve
still only received about a third of it and the whole experience,
while not the worst thing that’s ever happened to me, is definitely
up there.</span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81KFuN395TjHBBo7X9zxYSYB7RqrOaKidAkPVjbe6t3Z_wOcaq1vz6esAfyl2V76F6krIUHllq2EWmwEtC2Zwlc_gu5ehT-hDNTIEZW_l9vsxk7YayEyZO456jxNRzjsGJEgYq0DcK0HHxSF48DYvSMxR4MvkxJg-yRmz7sWgUezjGWvahHJbxAwFb07-/s1280/home-2133655_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81KFuN395TjHBBo7X9zxYSYB7RqrOaKidAkPVjbe6t3Z_wOcaq1vz6esAfyl2V76F6krIUHllq2EWmwEtC2Zwlc_gu5ehT-hDNTIEZW_l9vsxk7YayEyZO456jxNRzjsGJEgYq0DcK0HHxSF48DYvSMxR4MvkxJg-yRmz7sWgUezjGWvahHJbxAwFb07-/w433-h325/home-2133655_1280.jpg" width="433" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Shakespeare</i> </span><i><span style="font-family: arial;">probably didn't need to take out equity release on <b>his</b> house</span>.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><p></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">So what have I learned from it
all, apart from wishing I’d paid more attention to Shakespeare at
University? Well, firstly I’ve learned that even when you think
you’ve done all the right things when you lend someone money, it
can still end up biting you on the backside. </span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">For
instance, I made sure I had a signed agreement from my neighbour that
they would pay me back all of the money by the end of December 2022.
I also spent quite a long time interrogating them about how they
intended to pay me back, in fact I remember saying it was a bit like
<i>Dragons Den</i><i>. </i>Then<i>,</i>
when the deadline had passed with zero contact from them and
no repayment, I put in an online application to the County Court
(formerly the Small Claims Court) almost immediately.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Even
though I paid £455 in court fees and the neighbour was handed a
County Court Judgement (CCJ) in March 2022 ordering them to pay me
the full amount of the loan plus the court fees “<b>forthwith</b>”,
I might as well have saved my money for all the good it did. The
neighbour currently has a total of over £113,000 in unsatisfied CCJs
against them including mine (this information is in the public
domain) and so far, no one seems to have been able to recover their
money. Bailiffs’ powers are surprisingly limited, despite the way
they are often depicted in the media and every enforcement procedure
has to be paid for in advance by the creditor. To try and make
someone bankrupt costs in excess of £2000 and with an “unsecured”
debt like mine, the chances of me getting my money back anytime soon
would rapidly recede, anyway.</span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTKywSO_0xofRh-okcH_mBs8ogLtRuKmo4GIz5fvcZ5JigM5zpUm4wh_vxGIWV5YM9WYqbT_pNTxOh5fd7gnPPiWz0EaPm8U6dLf9CNrUbCdpinPICg0ArBRbgD33JEYuiJ3unMry9tHQdiOHV4rbihsCWjuPPheOaTbzBWuRg2UNNq9iHarb-217-SNn/s5184/melinda-gimpel-9j8k3l9afkc-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTKywSO_0xofRh-okcH_mBs8ogLtRuKmo4GIz5fvcZ5JigM5zpUm4wh_vxGIWV5YM9WYqbT_pNTxOh5fd7gnPPiWz0EaPm8U6dLf9CNrUbCdpinPICg0ArBRbgD33JEYuiJ3unMry9tHQdiOHV4rbihsCWjuPPheOaTbzBWuRg2UNNq9iHarb-217-SNn/w459-h305/melinda-gimpel-9j8k3l9afkc-unsplash.jpg" width="459" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Making someone bankrupt can make you bankrupt.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><p></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">That brings me to the second
lesson I’ve learnt which is that if someone can’t (or won’t)
pay you back, there is remarkably little you can do. And trust me,
I’ve tried. Someone said to me at the start of all this that the
“system” seems weighted in favour of the defendant (the
neighbour) and not the claimant (me) and certainly, that does seem to
be the case. I even have to offer to pay their travelling expenses if
I ever manage to get them to court, even though until quite recently
they were driving around in a BMW!</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">The
third and particularly painful lesson I’m still learning is that
even though I did something kind and generous (I didn’t<i> </i>commit
a crime), some people, including other neighbours, appear to have
taken the view that this is all my fault for lending the money in the
first place. Although I’ve tried hard to understand this and of
course, I’ve berated myself many times for what I did, I’ve been
upset and disappointed by their attitude. It hasn’t helped that, in
my opinion anyway, the neighbour who owes me the money has at times
tended to play the victim themselves in their dealings with me.</span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CNSwlb2LXV-A-qWI69GhnlzVpKOaTQu4Mq_e78L4i8to65hRcuLvVaZSQnmFlmTo8E0FcK02iVMaHNTBK1lpf8Z41yw_YwFOqFmZmTXKKHl6KVvz0S9BLGavMXVvO1xDYtkBxjRrH18pGuFP4JsCoMc9_ENr2NI8bcdF82v9jUyD5J83v8aEtCGCVOjN/s1280/angry-man-274175_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CNSwlb2LXV-A-qWI69GhnlzVpKOaTQu4Mq_e78L4i8to65hRcuLvVaZSQnmFlmTo8E0FcK02iVMaHNTBK1lpf8Z41yw_YwFOqFmZmTXKKHl6KVvz0S9BLGavMXVvO1xDYtkBxjRrH18pGuFP4JsCoMc9_ENr2NI8bcdF82v9jUyD5J83v8aEtCGCVOjN/w493-h328/angry-man-274175_1280.jpg" width="493" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">You've no one to blame but yourself!</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><p></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Of course, it would be wrong
of me not to acknowledge that I have had support from other people
and I’m very grateful for that. Three of my closest friends and a
former neighbour have been extremely helpful both emotionally and
financially, although there is clearly a limit to how much time and
resources they can give. I’ve used the Samaritans a great deal, so
much so that I actually got call-blocked and there will be more of
that in a future blog post! And before my case had to be closed, I
had some useful advice and help from Victim First, my local branch of
Victim Support.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">People
have asked me if this incident has made me lose my trust in other
people and although I know I should probably answer “yes”, I
still feel that one bad apple doesn’t have to make a complete mess
of the apple sauce. But I can promise you this. I will think very,
very long and very, very hard before I even <i>consider</i> lending
anyone any money again, especially if I’m under stress and not
thinking straight. Papa Polonius may have ended up being accidentally
stabbed to death by Hamlet who clearly hadn’t been to Specsavers
recently, but he left us with some extremely sound advice which,
given my own unfortunate experience, I would definitely urge you to
follow.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-59914246470965331672024-01-03T12:02:00.000-08:002024-01-03T12:20:46.638-08:00What Makes A Good Beginning?<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi
everyone.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Happy
New Year!</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I
hope you had an enjoyable Christmas, if you celebrate it of course,
and as it’s now the beginning of another new year, I thought I’d
pose the question “What makes a good beginning?” So if you’ve
not already had enough quizzes over the festive period, you might
like to have a go at seeing how many of these famous novels you can
identify from their opening lines. Answers are at the end of the post
if you want to put yourself out of your misery.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">1.
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>It
was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking
thirteen.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">2.
I write this sitting in the kitchen sink.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>3.
</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>It
is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession
of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">4.
Call me Ishmael.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>5.
</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>The
past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>6.
</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>It
was a pleasure to burn.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>7.
</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>Like
most people I lived for a long time with my mother and father</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>8.
</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>Last
night I dreamt I went to Manderley again</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>9.
</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>Far
out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the
Western Spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>10.
</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>It
was the day my grandmother exploded.</span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ39PELQwuUuNZBImH35WQd0TJAghiuH8HNkYLqMGTFgcY2MDPnd6tcoECKMuaiBw_PEmQmjOotX31cy6A6zHHb3S9kqBRc89ZlfQ2lZKzkl9YQ8K7-BhhEIJFzS-sdsroRg6kdy8-6c2OMS5cTkkRSP_pK6Zmi-nkVb1NOuXXHEozh7D1IdD-yNIVMEEW/s1280/books-1204029_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1280" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ39PELQwuUuNZBImH35WQd0TJAghiuH8HNkYLqMGTFgcY2MDPnd6tcoECKMuaiBw_PEmQmjOotX31cy6A6zHHb3S9kqBRc89ZlfQ2lZKzkl9YQ8K7-BhhEIJFzS-sdsroRg6kdy8-6c2OMS5cTkkRSP_pK6Zmi-nkVb1NOuXXHEozh7D1IdD-yNIVMEEW/w414-h276/books-1204029_1280.jpg" width="414" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><i>How many of these have you read?</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span>So
what do those ten opening lines have in common? In order to answer
that, I’ve come up with a list of criteria that, in my opinion
anyway, make a good beginning. They can be applied not just to novels
but to any piece of writing and you might like to check </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span>each
of</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span>
the above </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span>openings</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span>
to see if they </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span>match</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span>
</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span>at
least one of</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span>
</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span>my</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span>
criteria.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>1.
</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>Make
the reader want to know more.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>If
you can immediately get your reader to start asking any of the
“Who?”, “Why?”, “When?” “Where?” and best of all,
“What the hell is going on?” type </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>of</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>
questions, then you’ve probably already drawn them in before
they’ve </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>even</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>
reached the next sentence.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">2.
Start with a compelling image.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>The
opening of any piece of writing shouldn’t be an “information
dump” and too much description at this stage is not really
required. But an image that focuses on sensory details such as sight,
sound, taste etc can be a great way of hooking </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>in</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>
your reader.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>3.
Subvert a well-worn </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>phrase</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>C</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>lichés</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>
</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>are
best avoided at any point in your writing but definitely at the
beginning. If you can </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>manage
to</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>
say something in your opening lines that has pro</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>b</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>ably
never been said before than you may well be onto a winner.</span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjheak7fGKC1w2VoZ3TZzbe-U4gsk2TquyPVjpbqORGB2BCcD3Hb9xp68RTGSF64qoXr3nVlE8-YWrE5xAShN3rCDyf2rkN3Pywk33T0JF7uoPNFASUjmgN2sIhf_0MEEYj4ax-yWr3YVWoLkqNAq_CbDDCssq2237CHjE3slvfHkaNVPqj4pr1oys4i66Y/s1280/girl-2771936_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="987" data-original-width="1280" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjheak7fGKC1w2VoZ3TZzbe-U4gsk2TquyPVjpbqORGB2BCcD3Hb9xp68RTGSF64qoXr3nVlE8-YWrE5xAShN3rCDyf2rkN3Pywk33T0JF7uoPNFASUjmgN2sIhf_0MEEYj4ax-yWr3YVWoLkqNAq_CbDDCssq2237CHjE3slvfHkaNVPqj4pr1oys4i66Y/w410-h317/girl-2771936_1280.jpg" width="410" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: xx-small;">There are an awful lot of words in this book</span></i><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small;">.</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span>4.
</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span>Have</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span>
the main character introduce themselves.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>S</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>etting
up a character in your reader’s mind with just </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>a
few </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>opening
words can be </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>an
effective way of creating an immediate bond between reader and
protagonist. The reader quickly feels a connection to this person and
wants to know more about them.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>5.
</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>Open</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>
with something unexpected.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>If
you can take your reader in a completely different direction than the
one they may have been expecting and hit them with a beginning that
can surprise or shock, you can be fairly certain that you have
immediately piqued their interest and they will want to read </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>more</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>6.
</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>Build
A Convincing World.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>G</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>rounding
your reader </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>as
quickly as you can</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>
with </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>a
</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>sense
of time and place as well as genre can make them feel more secure and
therefore more inclined to read on. You don’t need to give
everything away at the start, just enough </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>for
them</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>
to know when and where the story is taking pl</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>a</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>ce.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Now
why not try applying some of these criteria to your own writing?</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3cPpUW-m99FoX4AiVlWaQ5jAH9Hm545AJ34o9iz0qJPvLprySeEFLUD-VahP3Xe5qq01KSaxLdCxL6enb-WSj70iLke4f3iINf2Ml1TNRovzdACuimOPJfSzyNAPbohfDxY_-a0SVnV6lquxlfHI6OBo-CDFpcewK2iSWeee-vmIvUt6o2Wd4NRX021A/s1280/boys-3396713_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1280" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3cPpUW-m99FoX4AiVlWaQ5jAH9Hm545AJ34o9iz0qJPvLprySeEFLUD-VahP3Xe5qq01KSaxLdCxL6enb-WSj70iLke4f3iINf2Ml1TNRovzdACuimOPJfSzyNAPbohfDxY_-a0SVnV6lquxlfHI6OBo-CDFpcewK2iSWeee-vmIvUt6o2Wd4NRX021A/w427-h284/boys-3396713_1280.jpg" width="427" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><i>I do hope the author has built a convincing world.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span>And
if you want to see how well you did with those opening lines, here
are the answers, </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span>u</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span>nless
you’ve already googled them, of course!</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">1.
1984 (George Orwell)</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">2.
I Capture </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">T</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">he
Castle (Dodie Smith)</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">3.
Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">4.
Moby Dick (Herman Melville)</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">5.
The Go-Between (L.P. Hartley)</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">6.
Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">7.
Oranges Are Not The Ony Fruit (Jeanette Winterson)</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">8.
Rebecca (Daphne Du Maurier)</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">9.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (Douglas Adams)</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">10.
The Crow Road (Iain Banks)</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">How did you get on? You can let me know in the comments below.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
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</p>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-30468872309066424252023-12-08T10:41:00.000-08:002023-12-10T10:46:00.570-08:00Die Hard - A Christmas Movie? Absolutely!<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Along with the Northern Lights, the Rolling Stones live and a golden eagle, I never thought I would see the movie <i>Die Hard</i>. But now I have and although film buffs may throw down their copies of Barry Norman's biography in horror, I can confirm that in my opinion anyway, it absolutely <i>is</i> a Christmas movie.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">So what qualifies the vest-wearing, Beretta 92F-toting, man-of- few-words Bruce Willis epic to be a fully paid-up member of this Holy of Holies? After all, <i>Home Alone</i>, <i>White Christmas</i> or <i>Love Actually</i>, it most definitely is not.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFH5N9tLUIkPaM18yPyEzKlvtfWTgzVVqSsY5FozaNlmvfnnhjJ4hM8bgaP1fApWE8M6U-8zDRK5bcnHafLxkpvLbR96CLO6mAepU7zZe2o_zPljFUlUxtWlVhBHw5zOgVv7JLakFBkO9Tp7p4bpMp5ukghqw3I5SAHexF2-VLEGp73KwsQQ-7Qeii5Vml/s646/Opera%20Snapshot_2023-12-10_175237_www.theguardian.com.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="646" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFH5N9tLUIkPaM18yPyEzKlvtfWTgzVVqSsY5FozaNlmvfnnhjJ4hM8bgaP1fApWE8M6U-8zDRK5bcnHafLxkpvLbR96CLO6mAepU7zZe2o_zPljFUlUxtWlVhBHw5zOgVv7JLakFBkO9Tp7p4bpMp5ukghqw3I5SAHexF2-VLEGp73KwsQQ-7Qeii5Vml/w404-h245/Opera%20Snapshot_2023-12-10_175237_www.theguardian.com.png" width="404" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><i>I can't believe you got me socks again.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The most obvious answer is that the story takes place on Christmas Eve and continues into Christmas Day and what can be more "Christmassy" than that? The baddies, led by the late great and sweetly sinister Alan Rickman, arrive as an office Christmas party is in full swing and there are numerous references throughout the film to Christmas, including Santa jokes and Christmas music, not to mention lots of violent deaths. (Another slice of turkey, anyone?) </span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">But just because a movie is set at Christmas time and contains recognisable Christmas tropes, does that make it a Christmas movie? And on the flip side of this argument, does a movie <i>have</i> to be set around the festive period to qualify? If that were the case, then the classic 1944 musical <i>Meet Me In St. Louis </i>which covers a whole year wouldn't count, even though it features on many Christmas movie lists and was the official debut of the enduringly, popular Christmas song <i>Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas</i>.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRt8nHCPnJkkD2jzdb-r37dxAxkrEzGJypzPyMquI5MCmXe0w92Okc_wXe3SF9V-vNOfTFI8XohKbu0qxXYQMW4agVMNjOcpvDdzUz6ysHCZTEu9MasOheapcGkUYkqlOz0EuDwHiuFq8ZiQAjEY8ncsJLLHsd7eD5TRatKdkO-P8WD3i1vMx0k3L_4vg/s398/Opera%20Snapshot_2023-12-10_180038_www.npr.org.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="398" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRt8nHCPnJkkD2jzdb-r37dxAxkrEzGJypzPyMquI5MCmXe0w92Okc_wXe3SF9V-vNOfTFI8XohKbu0qxXYQMW4agVMNjOcpvDdzUz6ysHCZTEu9MasOheapcGkUYkqlOz0EuDwHiuFq8ZiQAjEY8ncsJLLHsd7eD5TRatKdkO-P8WD3i1vMx0k3L_4vg/w411-h307/Opera%20Snapshot_2023-12-10_180038_www.npr.org.png" width="411" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>I'm so pleased we subscribed to Disney+ this year.</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"></span><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Maybe the whole Christmas movie debate is more of a marketing issue, anyway. We tend to think of films that are shown around Christmas time as "Christmas movies", simply because the movie moguls planned for their films to be released or repeatedly broadcast in the run up to December, as opposed to the middle of July. After all, I don't remember there being any singing Santas in <i>The Sound of Music</i> and not a single reindeer was in sight when Steve McQueen and his cronies attempted to escape from Stalag Luft III. But if these films are not shown at least somewhere over the Christmas period, we feel cheated.</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">And as for the argument that Christmas movies should focus on the more positive aspects of the festive season such as joy, generosity, love and nostalgia, this implies that Christmas is the same for everyone which is clearly not the case. If every Christmas movie had to be all jolly jingle bells and cute candy canes, then <i>It's A Wonderful Life</i> certainly shouldn't have become a Christmas movie classic. Even <i>Home Alone</i>, with its questionable premise of an abandoned and abused kid, (even though that kid <i>was</i> Macaulay Culkin), shouldn't really have made the cut.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKlO-hGrnMfmkY2aDBoylT1hcEftjU7IpRs0KKP-1R0lfCUOCMOUtWmI6GN-PagaVUlor9ewxlcXrzmkyyTy5oMhdbtkigYvpSVSULvPOu1o0bNuAVhkN8KApWH8ylKmTT7srLCyATn8Ro1KuywIDrzQdidp0U1rc43MPk8rFxb_jCC2RpJp9cljjwAoE/s650/Opera%20Snapshot_2023-12-10_180749_www.theguardian.com.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="650" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKlO-hGrnMfmkY2aDBoylT1hcEftjU7IpRs0KKP-1R0lfCUOCMOUtWmI6GN-PagaVUlor9ewxlcXrzmkyyTy5oMhdbtkigYvpSVSULvPOu1o0bNuAVhkN8KApWH8ylKmTT7srLCyATn8Ro1KuywIDrzQdidp0U1rc43MPk8rFxb_jCC2RpJp9cljjwAoE/w464-h281/Opera%20Snapshot_2023-12-10_180749_www.theguardian.com.png" width="464" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><i>Hurry up, someone else is after that Christmas tree!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">In the end, I think it should come down to your own personal definition of what makes a Christmas movie, regardless of whether someone, somewhere, has classed it as a CM or not. It might be an endearing romantic comedy that you can enjoy after the kids have finally gone to bed, snuggled up on the sofa with your Other Half, of half a bottle of Prosecco if that's your preference. It might be a nostalgic movie that you love to revisit every Christmas and which you can safely watch with all the family, even Great Aunt Flo who thought there was too much sex in </span><i style="text-align: left;">Brief Encounter</i><span style="text-align: left;">. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">Or it might be an action-packed, thrill-a-minute adventure film with amazing special effects (even though it came out in 1988) humour, pathos, romance, a fabulous musical score and (Spoiler Alert) </span><span style="text-align: justify;">a decent, if somewhat reckless central character who,assisted by some likeable minor characters, allows good to triumph over evil and which, if only for two hours and eleven minutes, takes your mind off all the things that are getting you down at this time of year.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqhCUqaz1PE3dv6ha1JXqjhIzovrXbuwwixOkskOvCH3l5dXuZuNLgcJNNkhtNe7GzAl6mZneIQXUO1XzD84vggRlwwJzG1t5tT1yoKphu2P-V8EHjAzj0JowF6xHjaF4_ZN6ye8opegwO3rSEdE0jQhXWC4rGcSQVstjJ2RdfakmCbLXSnORfBQopT8oG/s721/Opera%20Snapshot_2023-12-10_183013_ripetomato2uk.files.wordpress.com.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="721" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqhCUqaz1PE3dv6ha1JXqjhIzovrXbuwwixOkskOvCH3l5dXuZuNLgcJNNkhtNe7GzAl6mZneIQXUO1XzD84vggRlwwJzG1t5tT1yoKphu2P-V8EHjAzj0JowF6xHjaF4_ZN6ye8opegwO3rSEdE0jQhXWC4rGcSQVstjJ2RdfakmCbLXSnORfBQopT8oG/w463-h275/Opera%20Snapshot_2023-12-10_183013_ripetomato2uk.files.wordpress.com.png" width="463" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Can you believe they are charging £2.50 for a mince pie?</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">And that's why, for me, <i>Die Hard</i> is absolutely a Christmas movie. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Let me know what you think! </span></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-51489530661415373552023-11-25T06:49:00.000-08:002023-11-25T15:35:12.953-08:00Cameron And Back To Blogging<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">So if David Cameron (sorry, Lord Cameron) can make an unexpected return to politics having left it behind seven years ago, then I think it's OK for me to return to blogging after having left it behind seven months ago. Actually it was six months ago but then I've never let the truth get in the way of a good analogy.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHsfUFF7Wt7Vfxrpd7ZJeKxs4e9rM6lORcqhtu9vIDuLOtRNBYNgkx_K2bihA9xfz7j9f8pB5zsh5YoVxxG_BNYYw11wHmhqJHbZM4XK0q0aDGxoo19mCQJmA6aJ7UuhGPPaPVlXSTz0CmfdKznM4s49zlH5wVwnr4s99F7gEAJlPfZhWrlVv7xAQ0eKH/s442/Obama,_Cameron,_and_Kenny_at_G8_summit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="442" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHsfUFF7Wt7Vfxrpd7ZJeKxs4e9rM6lORcqhtu9vIDuLOtRNBYNgkx_K2bihA9xfz7j9f8pB5zsh5YoVxxG_BNYYw11wHmhqJHbZM4XK0q0aDGxoo19mCQJmA6aJ7UuhGPPaPVlXSTz0CmfdKznM4s49zlH5wVwnr4s99F7gEAJlPfZhWrlVv7xAQ0eKH/w410-h259/Obama,_Cameron,_and_Kenny_at_G8_summit.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Go back into politics? I'd rather go back into the EU.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify;">Anyway, I'm back with a new look blog and u</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify;">nlike my previous posts here, the future ones won't be covering art, design and crafting. I'm in the process of setting up a new place to blog about those, which leaves this one for "writing" related issues. So I'll be covering topics which I hope will be of interest to both new and established writers, as well as including more random things such as the occasional film or book review and opinion pieces (rants!) on subjects that are dear to my heart but which I hope will also appeal to a wider audience.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKbd3NKdrhedBNcARkeNjfbhjUt1LGW6wbFeDXQK11ISrZtOKrCplNAJJBB68JUv0jA2NMd9FNDF-QyJveRTLZTP3w7zHwCG_xHyuGMVIpDrgS3Ysy4pquj9tb2voDejIGWy4VaoXywHq9Ec3RV7iKsDry7E-VF7nVpZuwGgk0UkYFGY_Pd6EWIJTZRf8/s1280/woman-8234904_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1280" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKbd3NKdrhedBNcARkeNjfbhjUt1LGW6wbFeDXQK11ISrZtOKrCplNAJJBB68JUv0jA2NMd9FNDF-QyJveRTLZTP3w7zHwCG_xHyuGMVIpDrgS3Ysy4pquj9tb2voDejIGWy4VaoXywHq9Ec3RV7iKsDry7E-VF7nVpZuwGgk0UkYFGY_Pd6EWIJTZRf8/w409-h257/woman-8234904_1280.jpg" width="409" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">When life gets you down, get a megaphone.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">I also plan to blog much more frequently than I did before but whether that actually comes to pass is probably akin to how long it might be before Sir Winston Churchill decides to make a return to Parliament. But as my late father used to say, stranger things have happened at sea. Or in politics.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Back soon. (Hopefully!)</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div><p><br /></p></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p> </p></div>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-22478567817910654972023-05-21T15:25:00.002-07:002023-11-25T14:41:55.350-08:00Good News and Bad News<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">So the good news is that I have started writing again after not having written anything "commercial" for longer than I care to admit. It's taken a while to get going again but like riding a bike, I guess, you never really lose it although I think the days of me being a regular writer for national newspapers and magazines are definitely over. And as for books? Well, still not sure if that will happen but you never know!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">The bad news is that partly because of this, I have decided that this will be my last blog post here. I have really appreciated being able to write for a blog, even though the posts have been pretty sparse in recent times. It has kept my writing hand "in" as it were and has given me something to focus on when I couldn't manage to write much else. But now I want to write for other outlets again and not something that feels quite so "indulgent", if you know what I mean.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I also feel that blogging in general may have had it's day and certainly for me, with limited time and energy, I'm not sure that I can keep it up any more and certainly not with the enthusiasm (and the views!) I once had.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I'm currently undertaking a review of my small business (Melissa Lawrence Creative) and part of that is deciding what to keep and what not to keep. I'm not saying that I will never blog again but it certainly feels like the time has come to put this particular blog to bed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">So...thank you for your support over the years and if you have ever read, liked or commented on a post, I am really very grateful.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Onwards and upwards!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Melissa x</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhai_kORmC_rvN3-PSGdpcYqDTJ_OA6rXaRJTc4rS9kl9-CWZ6QLnjjn-o9iVgCVqseRo4uFdtov0IW-mlB78owPX87q2tN6uXPp1QY2Xkc-YyIAKY-K5P4JM6FkjKyWqxPB_VBL2OwK7ahlmzOkCLipZgCUdb7qNmniTOtC6j73pW_yC9b3b48AIawHQ/s1920/suitcase-1412996_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="1920" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhai_kORmC_rvN3-PSGdpcYqDTJ_OA6rXaRJTc4rS9kl9-CWZ6QLnjjn-o9iVgCVqseRo4uFdtov0IW-mlB78owPX87q2tN6uXPp1QY2Xkc-YyIAKY-K5P4JM6FkjKyWqxPB_VBL2OwK7ahlmzOkCLipZgCUdb7qNmniTOtC6j73pW_yC9b3b48AIawHQ/w398-h266/suitcase-1412996_1920.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><p></p><p> </p>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-54991763876333092432023-01-08T08:48:00.002-08:002023-01-08T08:54:16.052-08:0010 Things I Love About New Year<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Hi
everyone.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Happy
New Year!</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>If
you read my previous post </span><b><a href="http://melissalawrencecreative.blogspot.com/2022/12/10-things-i-hate-about-christmas.html" target="_blank">10 Things I Hate About Christmas</a> </b><span>you
can rest assured that this post is much more upbeat because yes,
although my name is still Melissa...I love New Year! And here’s
why</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">1.
It’s A Blank Page</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Most
people seem to hate January but it’s actually my favourite month.
Maybe that’s because it’s my birth month but mainly I like it
because it’s the start of a whole new year. Although as a writer,
having to face the dreaded “blank page” can often feel scary,
when it comes to the blank page of a new year, I’m all for it.</span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRwSKqXx2c0GrkHJvNulAL3MV4qWHULDleFxw5HqJBEUtP0CuBlC6_AuK_dkJ4kkFLdimw4SrPyEs-NmtZyzV6sod23DT0TO1ebVrbA1pVme1uyruV4m5ucwg3npmheq3_LV1UZvOVkgwU6ulxyTgoL6QxOMGiFU5fjF2B20CZZgzMxG3gChfPPJ8Sw/s1920/notebook-1194456_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1265" data-original-width="1920" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRwSKqXx2c0GrkHJvNulAL3MV4qWHULDleFxw5HqJBEUtP0CuBlC6_AuK_dkJ4kkFLdimw4SrPyEs-NmtZyzV6sod23DT0TO1ebVrbA1pVme1uyruV4m5ucwg3npmheq3_LV1UZvOVkgwU6ulxyTgoL6QxOMGiFU5fjF2B20CZZgzMxG3gChfPPJ8Sw/s320/notebook-1194456_1920.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>2.
It’s A Fresh Start</span><p></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Whatever
sort of year you’ve just had whether it was good, bad or frankly
indifferent, New Year provides the perfect opportunity for a re-set.
Although it might only signify a change in the calendar, there’s
always something about this time of year that can allow you to feel
more positive and more optimistic. It’s a chance to put the past
behind you and start over, even if that only lasts until the second
week in February.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3.
There’s No Pressure</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Unlike
Christmas which can bring with it more stress than the rest of the
year put together, New Year is much more relaxed. And as long as you
can manage to sleep through all the fireworks and navigate the last
few pages of the bumper issue of the Christmas TV Guide, you can
pretty much ignore it altogether.</span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsO7cVHWlXGQWFmmYvkkZ402Rxfv0PUhPntbSArEHUwlvmRrFnxHObXihXQZICtXWj6DHDGRsY8WelAvd3_3rG1zHWiVk-x-a7ZU9z115vYJiMQ6ZUO34GZlEJiEHtuv7-uS9e0xeoueTlfuQ4yg4wi7uqzCY88JyE9OerXpfsNqoYe-sVXfdYKb6IlQ/s1920/domestic-animal-5173354_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsO7cVHWlXGQWFmmYvkkZ402Rxfv0PUhPntbSArEHUwlvmRrFnxHObXihXQZICtXWj6DHDGRsY8WelAvd3_3rG1zHWiVk-x-a7ZU9z115vYJiMQ6ZUO34GZlEJiEHtuv7-uS9e0xeoueTlfuQ4yg4wi7uqzCY88JyE9OerXpfsNqoYe-sVXfdYKb6IlQ/s320/domestic-animal-5173354_1920.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>4.
There’s No Cost</span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>Again,
unlike Christmas which you can still be paying for in the middle of
July, New Year doesn’t really have to cost anything. Invite
yourself to a party and you won’t have to pay for any booze. No
turkeys ever get basted in the name of New Year and if you want
fireworks, just open your curtains any time from about 3pm on the
27</span><sup>th</sup><span> December.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">5.
Christmas Is Over</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>I refer the Right Honourable Lady to my previous blog post </span><u><a href="http://melissalawrencecreative.blogspot.com/2022/12/10-things-i-hate-about-christmas.html" target="_blank">10Things I Hate about Christmas.</a></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">6.
You Can Make Resolutions</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Even
though we all know that they never last much longer than Twelfth
Night, we still love to make them. Whether they involve all the usual
suspects like more exercise, less alcohol, more holidays, less
stress, more time spent with the family or less time spent with the
family, they are a kind of promise to ourselves that we can at least
try to be a better person.</span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-3oW5q-oF51CHF-JLsfXyKGDiYeGXFNusR4XHxh7n4Zu2Se9mM2PU-GqYX6RSkM4WQROxgOX-10z689cUHxXwsfbKYF-YWvVE5Rrqcy2Rw2-hebb9QIQYJGo1trZ_ib3gJPUcAzEc9QTCAy7d67ze9MfZd0jEYoFMzUlufeOZ70zgDjXmLRadRnTrg/s1920/dumbbells-2465478_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-3oW5q-oF51CHF-JLsfXyKGDiYeGXFNusR4XHxh7n4Zu2Se9mM2PU-GqYX6RSkM4WQROxgOX-10z689cUHxXwsfbKYF-YWvVE5Rrqcy2Rw2-hebb9QIQYJGo1trZ_ib3gJPUcAzEc9QTCAy7d67ze9MfZd0jEYoFMzUlufeOZ70zgDjXmLRadRnTrg/s320/dumbbells-2465478_1920.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">7.
It’s Time To Party</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>New
Year parties can be anything you want them to be. There are no rules.
So if you want to Go Large and dress up with all your friends as
characters from </span><i>Game of Thrones</i><span> and dance all night to </span><i>Now
That’s What I Call Music 1987</i><span>, you can. But if you just want to
sit on the sofa in the fluffy pyjamas your Nan bought you for
Christmas and watch <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jools%27_Annual_Hootenanny" target="_blank">Jools Holland</a> while sipping a glass of Vimto,
that’s absolutely fine as well.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">8.
You Can Snog A Stranger</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Let’s
face it, the stroke of midnight on the first of January is without
question the only time of year that you can (consensually of course)
kiss someone you only met at ten to twelve without getting arrested.
And unlike the Christmas kiss, it probably won’t involve your Great
Auntie Mabel or a sprig of a parasitic plant that is spread by bird
poo.</span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1gIVh41e84HRc_r6eVj2K_ekkebIWM6-yX52ATLYxBgCEKe4B2NhQQsk8KOWZXaqzOiBOJAjkN2WyejgWb12ZLodApa73W_7xVj-RfUlXXrrdoFNrVKK9Tg3NO16R4y0CTmFio1NxFneVSnILB8YwyoCq8CDbrG-CfMlR-RNnLHZ2yeyAJIaI33bJg/s1920/new-years-day-4718100_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1gIVh41e84HRc_r6eVj2K_ekkebIWM6-yX52ATLYxBgCEKe4B2NhQQsk8KOWZXaqzOiBOJAjkN2WyejgWb12ZLodApa73W_7xVj-RfUlXXrrdoFNrVKK9Tg3NO16R4y0CTmFio1NxFneVSnILB8YwyoCq8CDbrG-CfMlR-RNnLHZ2yeyAJIaI33bJg/s320/new-years-day-4718100_1920.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>9.
You Can Stay Up All Night</span><p></p><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Even
if you are under the age of eleven, there’s something about New
Year that can make even the most regime-orientated of parents be a
bit more relaxed when it comes to bedtime. And for a night-owl like
myself, it’s really the only time of the year that I can stay up
until the early hours of the morning, like I normally do, without
being judged for it.</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">10.
It’s Not Christmas</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Need
I say more?</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Have
a great 2023.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Melissa</span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1_bO0_HNgXHrQaeg8lfhid3jwEoHX6MbSmavXXtzvlD0d73od8NUJ5Icc7u7F8cm3sMLB9r0Vt4jno25KFqblFKJewRq-IS2-qNFMEytOe2Y4ejr0JNF-Ha_ZSsRSWJVyNkoajWYv7iJXbEU8fNNCWRygXRqrliUM3uRHxITBkY4schrBgcxRw7jKw/s1800/unibless.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1_bO0_HNgXHrQaeg8lfhid3jwEoHX6MbSmavXXtzvlD0d73od8NUJ5Icc7u7F8cm3sMLB9r0Vt4jno25KFqblFKJewRq-IS2-qNFMEytOe2Y4ejr0JNF-Ha_ZSsRSWJVyNkoajWYv7iJXbEU8fNNCWRygXRqrliUM3uRHxITBkY4schrBgcxRw7jKw/s320/unibless.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1336081031/new-year-digital-print-instant-download">www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1336081031/new-year-digital-print-instant-download</a></span></div><p></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-72059893961204945202022-12-24T11:32:00.000-08:002023-12-20T10:54:40.989-08:0010 Things I Hate About Christmas<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.<br /><br />My name is Melissa and I hate Christmas. <br /><br />There, I’ve said it and let all the wrath of Rudolph “rein” down on me, I don’t care. <br /><br />To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever been much of a festive fan. It probably dates back to when I discovered three of my mother’s nylon stockings, minus the suspenders but crammed to the toes with tiny parcels wrapped in cheap Christmas paper, hidden under my parents’ bed. I didn’t need to be one of the Wise Men to realise that the stockings had not been put there by Father Christmas. They had actually been put there by Mother Christmas who was probably too exhausted after individually wrapping 137 cheap plastic toys, not to mention the packets of sweet cigarettes (it was the 1960s) and the cut-price satsumas, to look for a better hiding place.</span><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXRT81k92CtN5xpSSAPUVvBRIzppHzM0lconeztanOghYJGej4UPqru7exRs43o1octRu_GupWcKZvtcHRqcBkBOvduWr8VGbfS_Madf_8ye77MMl7LCCwh1jNonO3Nvc-rE2c2A9TQCoAqz0hynx9m6k6T8DkapJLUKE8aneSTHDYFr4HGZNkEQuTg/s1920/christmas-7652190_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXRT81k92CtN5xpSSAPUVvBRIzppHzM0lconeztanOghYJGej4UPqru7exRs43o1octRu_GupWcKZvtcHRqcBkBOvduWr8VGbfS_Madf_8ye77MMl7LCCwh1jNonO3Nvc-rE2c2A9TQCoAqz0hynx9m6k6T8DkapJLUKE8aneSTHDYFr4HGZNkEQuTg/w427-h284/christmas-7652190_1920.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>I hope Santa is wearing flame proof trousers</i>.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-size: x-small;">But
why, you ask yourself, as you force down that final crumb of your
Waitrose All Butter Mince Pie (other mince pies etc etc), would
anyone hate Christmas? Well, obviously I can’t speak for anyone
else but here are 10 of my own reasons. All opinions are solely my
own and do not express the views or opinions of Jesus, Mary, Joseph
or even the wee donkey.</span></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">1.
Sad News In Christmas Cards</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Before
the “advent” of Social Media, the only way we found out what our
far-away friends and family were doing was by something called
letters. Nowadays we know if someone has been diagnosed with an
ingrowing toenail three seconds after the event, thanks to WhatsApp
etc. But for some reason, people still feel it’s acceptable to use
Christmas to tell me, often inside a card with a jolly penguin
wearing a Santa hat on the front, that Aunty Flo sadly passed away in
September after choking on a piece of salted-caramel flavoured
popcorn while watching an old episode of </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Midsomer Murders</i><span style="font-family: arial;">.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">2.
The Feeling That Everyone Else Except You Is Having A Great Time</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I’m
not stupid. I know, intellectually at least, that behind closed doors
draped in plastic holly wreaths and pink frosted candle-shaped bulbs,
all is not necessarily calm and bright. I know this because the calls
to organisations like Relate and the Samaritans increase dramatically
after the Big Day, as does the workload of divorce lawyers. But that
doesn’t stop me from </span><i style="font-family: arial;">feeling </i><span style="font-family: arial;">it.</span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyisKoiy06ELSB-3dw7ALKIY9DEtt_GJQYFV9-Fup9Dr6kWxEVEkM_6nqzW0qnCv-M4C8xxApHq84zeJ_y7noMSBylSDfO5YeMfRNQCKYjNG-ZeSsr3SInQeycYSPbSvuis1TlJARXgZC3j1Lpf40xB0Zfenq8JQ8sSt1oiHnaIZLgFV7G_j0qIYq4zw/s1920/couple-5848656_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyisKoiy06ELSB-3dw7ALKIY9DEtt_GJQYFV9-Fup9Dr6kWxEVEkM_6nqzW0qnCv-M4C8xxApHq84zeJ_y7noMSBylSDfO5YeMfRNQCKYjNG-ZeSsr3SInQeycYSPbSvuis1TlJARXgZC3j1Lpf40xB0Zfenq8JQ8sSt1oiHnaIZLgFV7G_j0qIYq4zw/w438-h290/couple-5848656_1920.jpg" width="438" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><i>If they don't get up soon I'm going to attack that tree</i>.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">3.
You Can’t Ignore It</div></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Easter,
Mothering Sunday, Valentine’s Day, Feast of the Dedication of the
Lateran Basilica...these are all special days in the calendar that
are pretty easy to ignore. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">B</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ut
Christmas? Not so much. Whether it’s wall to wall Christmas music
on the radio, TV adverts that start in October or neighbours’
festive lights that do a pretty good impersonation of Blackpool
Illuminations, Christmas </span><span style="font-family: arial;">can</span><span style="font-family: arial;">
seep its way into your conscious like the air from a slowly deflating
party balloon.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;">4.
Cards From People You Haven’t Been In Touch With For Years</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Just
because you were my hairdresser in 1977, or you shared a
table with my ex-husband’s sister-in-law when you met on holiday
in Greece during the Gulf War, that doesn’t give you the right to
infiltrate my letter box every December. You know nothing about my life now and let’s face it, probably wouldn’t want to know. I'm just on a list. Get over it.</span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrCbnM7q77qgtgF0NtVxx1X_YR99JctHhJfCLlAIxQPuphHuFBnbIY-xCaULJmfHm93BGTvK5XVQU7J0cbO13GBARhcSk-sUmcnPtjYMVydN0qQsQIp5JXFE4skYzrgvEFAPI7lTQpYECiYa8ZwAsyYNfQmJz1Y-FVJ3B1mwFDwcWkJJWfpIf9UHVWA/s1920/christmas-4711785_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="1920" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrCbnM7q77qgtgF0NtVxx1X_YR99JctHhJfCLlAIxQPuphHuFBnbIY-xCaULJmfHm93BGTvK5XVQU7J0cbO13GBARhcSk-sUmcnPtjYMVydN0qQsQIp5JXFE4skYzrgvEFAPI7lTQpYECiYa8ZwAsyYNfQmJz1Y-FVJ3B1mwFDwcWkJJWfpIf9UHVWA/w398-h265/christmas-4711785_1920.jpg" width="398" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>That snowman looks like he's been at the advocaat.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">5.
Adverts That Use Christmas Carols To Sell Stuff</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In
1935 when the composer Arthur Worrell arranged the traditional “We
Wish You A Merry Christmas” into the popular version we sing today,
I doubt very much that he was expecting it to be used as a way of
promoting everything from Christmas Cake Gin to a Sex Toy Advent
Calendar. (Yes, really.) OK, so maybe not that specific carol but you
know what I mean. Ding-Dong Merrily on High, Tesco Tills Are Ringing.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;">6.
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">The Mad Food</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I
think you probably </span><span style="font-family: arial;">know
the sort of things I’m talking about. Pork and Truffle Bon Bons,
Whipped Feta and Mint Parcels, Pigs In Blankets Pizza, Marmalade
Glazed Roast Turkey and Plant Menu Cauliflower Popcorn with Buffalo
Sauce. I was going to say that I made the last one up but I didn’t
need to. And don’t get me started on Brussels Sprouts.</span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyubf8uOeLEu9kcsfbqIcZv0DKn19jPsP11y0siLdLdxnXJNP6iZgr0dcqU9OvFcO__RPQ_fUXh9uyB6xDobzr83blq-SFQgS2JbaXz_64JZVHTqF3BcKVLLrqaF2FZzGj4Yyvkv1sWJ4O_d8QLGZ6v6vsQyazygybcX0pX2NY7EtVqq4tCDWyM7jyA/s1920/duck-2957809_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyubf8uOeLEu9kcsfbqIcZv0DKn19jPsP11y0siLdLdxnXJNP6iZgr0dcqU9OvFcO__RPQ_fUXh9uyB6xDobzr83blq-SFQgS2JbaXz_64JZVHTqF3BcKVLLrqaF2FZzGj4Yyvkv1sWJ4O_d8QLGZ6v6vsQyazygybcX0pX2NY7EtVqq4tCDWyM7jyA/w452-h300/duck-2957809_1920.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">I could have made do with a packet of crisps.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">7.
Fireworks</div></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Having
only </span><span style="font-family: arial;">just
inflicted upon us the</span><span style="font-family: arial;">
aerial onslaught </span><span style="font-family: arial;">that</span><span style="font-family: arial;">
is </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Bonfire
Night and Diwali, some people (possibly the same ones who </span><span style="font-family: arial;">think
</span><span style="font-family: arial;">that</span><span style="font-family: arial;">
it </span><span style="font-family: arial;">i</span><span style="font-family: arial;">s
acceptable </span><span style="font-family: arial;">to
set off fireworks at 2am on a school night) </span><span style="font-family: arial;">firmly
believe</span><span style="font-family: arial;">
that Jesus would like us to celebrate his birthday by letting off a
barrage of rockets, jumping jacks and smoke bombs. This usually
occurs just as I </span><span style="font-family: arial;">have</span><span style="font-family: arial;">
settl</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ed</span><span style="font-family: arial;">
down to listen to the dulcet tones of this year’s cute choir boy
singing the opening lines of </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Once
In Royal David’s City</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;">.
Thanks guys.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="font-style: normal;">8.
</span></span><span><span style="font-style: normal;">It
Exacerbates Any Problems You Already Have</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I
always think that Christmas should come with the same sort of health
warnings that you get on those very scary leaflets inside packets of
pills or other medication. <i>“Like all occasions of forced jollity
and delight, Christmas can cause side-effects, although not everybody
gets them. Anyone already suffering from grief, loneliness, stress,
poor mental health, damaged relationships, family problems or an
aversion to </i></span><i><span style="font-family: arial;">The
Two Ronnies</span><span style="font-family: arial;">
should be particularly cautious.”</span></i></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFYFlhW6BJucpRWnGf4yaQKkpDbg6ZNlEdtfPD99uvUyoaY-u9FK8Gux8poH-YBdlFmcEjBC4agpHVSkjbYXHj_OVMIgP76Pd5Yi4PBrvk50g7fx92_Kn28QV6vBtHqIbbaeDqUhU_j09RfQfffjXFg-zfNRp1gnp283y1DKo_-8-CkKAx-P2JwuNxg/s1920/dog-1926763_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1372" data-original-width="1920" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFYFlhW6BJucpRWnGf4yaQKkpDbg6ZNlEdtfPD99uvUyoaY-u9FK8Gux8poH-YBdlFmcEjBC4agpHVSkjbYXHj_OVMIgP76Pd5Yi4PBrvk50g7fx92_Kn28QV6vBtHqIbbaeDqUhU_j09RfQfffjXFg-zfNRp1gnp283y1DKo_-8-CkKAx-P2JwuNxg/w395-h282/dog-1926763_1920.jpg" width="395" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">Bloody Christmas</span>.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">9.
It’s The Same Every Year</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">That
quote about the definition of insanity being doing the same thing
over and over again and expecting different results seems to me to
have been tailor made for Christmas. It always takes us by surprise
as to how quickly it seems to comes round. We never start the
preparations early enough. We worry that we won’t have enough food
and drink in, even though the shops are only closed for about an hour
and a half. We spend too much money, eat too much food, forget that
Uncle Mike is allergic to carrots and then it’s all over before
we’ve had time to say “</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The
Sound of Music</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;">
starts in fi</span><span style="font-family: arial;">fteen</span><span style="font-family: arial;">
minutes.”</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;">10.
It’s Christmas</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So
</span><span style="font-family: arial;">I’m
not talking about the line in Slade’</span><span style="font-family: arial;">s</span><span style="font-family: arial;">
Christmas Classic where Noddy Holder stretches his vocal chords wider
than Santa’s sleigh, I just mean that “It’s Christmas”,
right?” In other words, for all the reasons I’ve mentioned (and
more) there is something about December </span><span style="font-family: arial;">25th</span><span style="font-family: arial;">
that just </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>is</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;">.
Like that </span><span style="font-family: arial;">perennial</span><span style="font-family: arial;">
festive favourite </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The
Great Escape</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;">,
we can’t fully escape it, however much we might </span><span style="font-family: arial;">w</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ant
to </span><span style="font-family: arial;">try.
It always </span><span style="font-family: arial;">seems
to just </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>be
t</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>here</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;">
in all its tradition, tinsel, tat and terrible Christmas knitted
jumpers. And it will still be there, long after I’ve </span><span style="font-family: arial;">left
the presents under the tree and finished work early to join that </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Great
Office Christmas Party In The Sky.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="font-style: normal;">But nevertheless….</span></span><span><span style="font-style: normal;">Merry
Christmas!</span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNEi9sz-1ucmJzF-1nZPgOZszaM1jRv_IgwtUM475bNcJadQG4n8AIq_JS1eEUG9lEiQj9ixO3obgqIcF6zWnljX7G0T3v0SiMuwFQ77Xm8-mx0SYGPIYLDBlIjm5inImCNYJMk7Pg9pZBmGFCmViVgqYkdzvUKaiD5mpfB9W44oRLKoQvjWIUQGLqOQ/s1920/christmas-1058667_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1279" data-original-width="1920" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNEi9sz-1ucmJzF-1nZPgOZszaM1jRv_IgwtUM475bNcJadQG4n8AIq_JS1eEUG9lEiQj9ixO3obgqIcF6zWnljX7G0T3v0SiMuwFQ77Xm8-mx0SYGPIYLDBlIjm5inImCNYJMk7Pg9pZBmGFCmViVgqYkdzvUKaiD5mpfB9W44oRLKoQvjWIUQGLqOQ/w435-h290/christmas-1058667_1920.jpg" width="435" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I've definitely had too much advocaat.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><br /><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span><p></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And if
you've been affected in any way by the issues raised in this blog
post, please look online </span><span style="font-family: arial;">to see my next post...</span><span style="font-family: arial;">1</span><span style="font-family: arial;">0
Things I </span><span style="font-family: arial;">L</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ove
About New Year!</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-36699743656701321682022-11-10T08:03:00.020-08:002023-11-25T15:23:34.362-08:00Beat The Royal Mail Strikes With Hybrid Crafting<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.<br /> <br />What is hybrid crafting? Along with “How can I hide yet more new craft supplies from my husband?” and “Why are there strips of red liner backing tape all over the dog?”, this is one of the questions that have troubled crafters ever since computers and crafting went to bed together. <br /><br /> There are various definitions for the word hybrid but my personal favourite is “anything composed of elements of different or incongruous kinds”. The key word here is “incongruous”. Put simply, computer and crafting should never have been bedfellows. One is mechanical, impersonal, cold and at times (usually when you’re in a hurry and need to print something out before the kids get back from school), unbearably frustrating. The other is handmade, inviting, warm and relaxing, at least most of the time. (That red liner backing tape again.)</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTn-oDUJmn32gvqT3GonXgBnH7n93foxdXkMJFEnpCGQyD5UCFj60SEQrL-JQOLGiNHigZcmzFxnS6TD2NShjEmik-bmUX05xz66tFBgY9sfXjJ5XOd2cw2RCvUgRQRsUOZYq7FdI03iWeJPrFLeTm9w8PEky7YwEmaH0Nq_Jnn_V-D9CDR2YZvXjKF2G/s7000/art-artistic-arts-and-crafts-395074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4672" data-original-width="7000" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTn-oDUJmn32gvqT3GonXgBnH7n93foxdXkMJFEnpCGQyD5UCFj60SEQrL-JQOLGiNHigZcmzFxnS6TD2NShjEmik-bmUX05xz66tFBgY9sfXjJ5XOd2cw2RCvUgRQRsUOZYq7FdI03iWeJPrFLeTm9w8PEky7YwEmaH0Nq_Jnn_V-D9CDR2YZvXjKF2G/w454-h304/art-artistic-arts-and-crafts-395074.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">In simple terms, hybrid crafting is just a mixture of digital crafting and non-digital crafting. Digital crafting requires an electronic device such as a computer to create cards, scrapbook pages, stationery products etc on a screen from digital graphics that can be downloaded from the internet or a craft company’s CD-Rom/USB and then printed out or left on the device. Non-digital crafting uses a collection of already manufactured items such as background papers, card toppers, embellishments etc have been bought from a shop or ordered online and require scissors, glue, red liner tape (yes, that again) etc to construct a physical product.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">So what does this mean in practice? Well, instead of spending what is often quite a lot of money and only being able to use the items from a physical kit once, with digital crafting you can access an unlimited supply of printable papers, toppers, sentiments, scrapbook material etc at any time of day or night just by clicking and printing. And no having to wait for the postman to arrive either! Not only that but with a very easy to use graphics program such as My Craft Studio, you can re-colour, resize and completely personalise all the items, providing the T&Cs allow it.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1BJddjts4PQDHAHMsr_LFvNHPV4pLTTUk_bk6gBXnU1CaXSDLI73T3XxDqxzYoBB-LM2DjqQTNlZNzbOp-kiqRerPUj-8mMesHkAG4Rgmaq945vC46-HMT0ijHKg1j6VgS2Qt57itWCRK_Bed6JnwcMejb-ppmu8M_Hif0ZpLiYzu0bZIOCtg08gZGiQB/s1280/post-box-2691454_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1BJddjts4PQDHAHMsr_LFvNHPV4pLTTUk_bk6gBXnU1CaXSDLI73T3XxDqxzYoBB-LM2DjqQTNlZNzbOp-kiqRerPUj-8mMesHkAG4Rgmaq945vC46-HMT0ijHKg1j6VgS2Qt57itWCRK_Bed6JnwcMejb-ppmu8M_Hif0ZpLiYzu0bZIOCtg08gZGiQB/w464-h308/post-box-2691454_1280.jpg" width="464" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Of course, no one is suggesting that the quality of a craft item you have created on your home computer and printed out on your home printer (although using high quality paper or card and the right printer inks can make a huge difference) will be as good as a professionally manufactured product. But in my opinion, having access to an infinite range of versatile craft supplies that are always available at the touch of a button and can still be used to create amazing physical products beats waiting for a striking postman to arrive, any day of the week!</span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">But is hybrid crafting “proper” crafting? As someone who is a great advocate of both digital and non-digital crafting, I get asked this question a lot and my answer is always the same. Somebody, somewhere has originally designed your craft kit on a computer and had it professionally printed, then packaged and delivered to a retailer, ready to be sold or delivered to you. All you are doing with hybrid crafting is cutting out the middle man, or woman.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8UTHkT8mm0YlTGqgehu4xsuHYBVBgDrpgpPakbWqJxA2wtV1wIt6VhiSbhRrwfuwJWjkY5ujGWabEn5dPNFC8eCkoFW0csGH1fh27njx6Zt3dAXwp8p1glj3CmCZNiJmYJOxLzwt3YwIrR6PEmInqJqLpPTicCVkAWMhNADM1jxO9SGGJYAr1jkNZZdA/s1280/woman-1851464_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8UTHkT8mm0YlTGqgehu4xsuHYBVBgDrpgpPakbWqJxA2wtV1wIt6VhiSbhRrwfuwJWjkY5ujGWabEn5dPNFC8eCkoFW0csGH1fh27njx6Zt3dAXwp8p1glj3CmCZNiJmYJOxLzwt3YwIrR6PEmInqJqLpPTicCVkAWMhNADM1jxO9SGGJYAr1jkNZZdA/w442-h294/woman-1851464_1280.jpg" width="442" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: justify;">And if you are looking for unique, affordable and very easy to download digital craft supplies that you can use to make products like the ones in the image above, then look no further than my digital craft supplies Etsy shop at:</div></span><br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7820045260423845687/3669974365670132168#">https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MelLawrenceCreative</a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><div style="color: black; font-size: large; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></span></div></div>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-60821250410037893572022-09-17T08:17:00.021-07:002023-11-25T15:31:55.996-08:00Death Of Queen Elizabeth II - Coping With Change<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It’s a strange time here in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region> right now. As they used to say
in times gone by, “The Queen is dead. Long live the King!” </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: left;">Thankfully we are a bit more sensitive in the new </span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">century but nevertheless, everything seems totally out of kilter and off
balance.</span><span> </span></span><span><span style="font-family: arial;">As someone remarked the other day, “There’s
a lot of stuff swirling around at the moment” since Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
II finally came to the end of her long and incredible life and was succeeded with
immediate effect (to use a very new </span><span style="font-family: arial;">century phrase) by her eldest
son who is now King Charles III.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nHMYZE2wccHQsM0-nNMqVREhFcT0gWtHe_IKRizNAFoTOaRaQbwLuD6qHL0Gj7eifaE9lRGud4hO__z8ql5ESagpfgttRRHkSkxE3_ZHuR-H1N-Ao5M30bJNuzr9YWoxJlJxK3Fh7Pfl43TyHQIe5gghLQBydREaStF6WQ60jtzpiJJ1e6PbhxR7rw/s800/800px-The_Queen_and_the_Duchess_of_Cornwall.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nHMYZE2wccHQsM0-nNMqVREhFcT0gWtHe_IKRizNAFoTOaRaQbwLuD6qHL0Gj7eifaE9lRGud4hO__z8ql5ESagpfgttRRHkSkxE3_ZHuR-H1N-Ao5M30bJNuzr9YWoxJlJxK3Fh7Pfl43TyHQIe5gghLQBydREaStF6WQ60jtzpiJJ1e6PbhxR7rw/w436-h290/800px-The_Queen_and_the_Duchess_of_Cornwall.jpg" width="436" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; text-align: justify;"></span><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">This “stuff that is swirling around” is probably an apt way
of describing the wide range of feelings and emotions that many of us seem to
be experiencing, not just in this country but across the world too. Much like
when Princess Diana died so tragically in 1997, a huge number of people (myself
included) seem to have been taken by surprise as to how much the death of a 96
year old woman, whom most of us had never met, has affected us.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2flS06r6e9cBkHWcQnhpZdn1Kl_GtnbDPwtkLjc9kJhkv63uHdRahKhnUyw3-tzBtea3BAMckGoP6-wgnf7Bg3CGtYXe5zyv_w3osLwv0nU-_RC03KIVIVoKtM7NXYZGhHrqiF-lKZyXXzJuLlk0mLnBin01g4nQnUl5ozSewRNrA0hYpUEPEmTWQg/s640/Princess_diana_bristol_1987_02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="640" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2flS06r6e9cBkHWcQnhpZdn1Kl_GtnbDPwtkLjc9kJhkv63uHdRahKhnUyw3-tzBtea3BAMckGoP6-wgnf7Bg3CGtYXe5zyv_w3osLwv0nU-_RC03KIVIVoKtM7NXYZGhHrqiF-lKZyXXzJuLlk0mLnBin01g4nQnUl5ozSewRNrA0hYpUEPEmTWQg/w370-h364/Princess_diana_bristol_1987_02.jpg" width="370" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">Of course, death always seems to come as a bit of a shock to
those left behind, even when it is “expected”. Not only does it bring us that little
bit closer to our own mortality, it also can’t help but remind us of our own
losses. It instantly seems to bring back memories of those we have loved and
lost, whether those losses were forty days or forty years ago.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbIWuvw1BcddStcOHCDhs6YQ3WfIkGjiIVy3mxJAb551NSKceJ1GtXqSvdwEdQVee22ZWju2GrG-_T8f3ru8XhzTdoNlVPiVxOBQJ1E7jeq-sv9Wz_oyW2BsC-_DJ_5Gr2NwWun7n5B0avCBKjI0l02wvvU_EFffczEaTIyB26LGoJcAYDmL7-_y5tw/s1200/scrapbkrosetribu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbIWuvw1BcddStcOHCDhs6YQ3WfIkGjiIVy3mxJAb551NSKceJ1GtXqSvdwEdQVee22ZWju2GrG-_T8f3ru8XhzTdoNlVPiVxOBQJ1E7jeq-sv9Wz_oyW2BsC-_DJ_5Gr2NwWun7n5B0avCBKjI0l02wvvU_EFffczEaTIyB26LGoJcAYDmL7-_y5tw/w351-h351/scrapbkrosetribu.jpg" width="351" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">And this particular death, of a much loved and respected
monarch who has been the figurehead of our country for the majority of us throughout our entire lives, certainly seems to have done that. In addition,
the strong sense of “living through history”, as well as the desire to pay
respect and acknowledge such a tremendous life of dedication and service, has
prompted many acts from many people of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life.
This includes the thousands and thousands of people who, even now, are still
waiting patiently for up to twenty hours to spend 60 seconds gazing
respectfully at a coffin.</span></div></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeSdxCpjRPrNyigvXHeiPzSYoxesLZLQsgPT70wTMa-ut-GWC-B47mbyINTUTBzTo71qz3votsv-KZf6yhRZjF6iCr_oM4r-vqQgScQDm1fbZRqTRCeDutByrZPiPZVAQr6wwTwNIZ65A__756pjP7ueZZFXPej-SsTsfX8CjLmH_Rh4JzJklO4hZOQ/s800/Memorial_Offerings_to_Queen_Elizabeth_II_at_the_George_VI_and_Queen_Elizabeth_Memorial_(11).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="800" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeSdxCpjRPrNyigvXHeiPzSYoxesLZLQsgPT70wTMa-ut-GWC-B47mbyINTUTBzTo71qz3votsv-KZf6yhRZjF6iCr_oM4r-vqQgScQDm1fbZRqTRCeDutByrZPiPZVAQr6wwTwNIZ65A__756pjP7ueZZFXPej-SsTsfX8CjLmH_Rh4JzJklO4hZOQ/w405-h303/Memorial_Offerings_to_Queen_Elizabeth_II_at_the_George_VI_and_Queen_Elizabeth_Memorial_(11).jpg" width="405" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">But perhaps it is the sense of tremendous change that is
affecting us the most. It was already an unsettling time before the Queen
passed away, what with serious concerns about climate change, the economy,
Brexit and the fallout from the pandemic. Now we have a new Prime Minister and
a new monarch both taking office in the same week. No wonder the </span><st1:country-region style="text-align: left;" w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region><span style="text-align: left;"> feels like
it has been rocked on its heels. And as we all know, change can often feel
scary and something to be anxious about. I recently put the house that I’ve
lived in on and off for over 60 years up for sale because things around me in
terms of neighbours etc seem to be changing and I feel anxious about what might
happen in the future.</span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5AEyhklUE_4XeqHWXlvCGnvWm3nQjwPFsE3fTrQ1bGk5F_ekQuZQruUijYHQeXnZJNiRpg6TOg3BhGrYjBF-eCXh-WOEpm7oVM9OdEv0j6LkPe_rp3omTQ4CXDfsr3wBev9LZGCsnnERQI41wfORna7XZn6kNAQ7SHXDs01LoFM_8coB7Irv4--Q6w/s1920/march-for-science-2252980_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="1920" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5AEyhklUE_4XeqHWXlvCGnvWm3nQjwPFsE3fTrQ1bGk5F_ekQuZQruUijYHQeXnZJNiRpg6TOg3BhGrYjBF-eCXh-WOEpm7oVM9OdEv0j6LkPe_rp3omTQ4CXDfsr3wBev9LZGCsnnERQI41wfORna7XZn6kNAQ7SHXDs01LoFM_8coB7Irv4--Q6w/w428-h287/march-for-science-2252980_1920.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: justify;">I have to keep reminding myself though that hard as it
sometimes is to embrace it, change is both inevitable and often a force for good.
The Queen’s own lifetime reflects the most tremendous changes for good including
the huge advances in science, medicine, technology, healthcare and equal
rights, to name but a few. And on the day that I woke up and thought it might
be time to put the central heating on as summer looks as if it’s now changing into
autumn and then winter, there is often nothing to be done except accept the
things we can’t change and do what we can to change the rest.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSXlQsW14oes1Zg9RfdVEYWLcHp1TGUZ15wspNGGVtcyVKUwGewVxH5msXn0LKv0H9Ck0KSTG-gX163GpjJ4mppsv8ESTwyL181PrRKCGzhNdgu3wN8-F9zo4EmThnV6rrLyOdwqA2TxP-6uWGinPlPP5xnp76s-HIQclQNz8Ll0Gu-vhspna7tJbPA/s1240/serenity.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="874" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSXlQsW14oes1Zg9RfdVEYWLcHp1TGUZ15wspNGGVtcyVKUwGewVxH5msXn0LKv0H9Ck0KSTG-gX163GpjJ4mppsv8ESTwyL181PrRKCGzhNdgu3wN8-F9zo4EmThnV6rrLyOdwqA2TxP-6uWGinPlPP5xnp76s-HIQclQNz8Ll0Gu-vhspna7tJbPA/w274-h388/serenity.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></span><p style="font-size: x-large;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Rest In Peace</span></p></span><p></p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">1926-2022</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">We shall never see your like again.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWeD-Ol-JG26HgBZDrsbWL5m1lAfaT6gxL17j3At7s3WtSkgylhqRvW_RLg6woV3Fn_CFQ1uNcPOG_pcvZIFR9KVR1TK5TCmaUgjMTS1oAQolWaPaUbARUmAlmWBDGZ0CzbjPTFXH9NehG2bg5f-Jb--Gyj2AUqkMNId6zS66SfEd3JEvMB8QxeMxtA/s727/Queen_Elizabeth_II_1959_(cropped_2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="727" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWeD-Ol-JG26HgBZDrsbWL5m1lAfaT6gxL17j3At7s3WtSkgylhqRvW_RLg6woV3Fn_CFQ1uNcPOG_pcvZIFR9KVR1TK5TCmaUgjMTS1oAQolWaPaUbARUmAlmWBDGZ0CzbjPTFXH9NehG2bg5f-Jb--Gyj2AUqkMNId6zS66SfEd3JEvMB8QxeMxtA/w403-h285/Queen_Elizabeth_II_1959_(cropped_2).jpg" width="403" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">And if you are struggling with your emotions and feelings at the moment (as I think many of us are), especially if you don't have much of a community around you to share in the collective grief, I found this blog post from Nottingham Trent University both useful and interesting. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/news/news-articles/2022/09/expert-blog-what-can-queen-elizabeths-death-and-life-tell-us-about-the-value-of-group-memberships">https://www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/news/news-articles/2022/09/expert-blog-what-can-queen-elizabeths-death-and-life-tell-us-about-the-value-of-group-memberships</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">And please don't forget that if you are in the UK and it all feels a bit too much at times, for whatever reason, you can always call the Samaritans 24/7 on 116 123.</span></p>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-74209478658032844182022-08-21T10:36:00.001-07:002023-11-25T15:33:52.918-08:00Focus, Focus, Focus<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">How focused would you say you are right now?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I have to be honest and say "Not very". I've been blaming the recent UK heatwave, the menopause, putting my house up for sale, the distractions of working from home, Netflix and anxiety about everything from the war in Ukraine to the rising price of peanut butter.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmk1OWbr1clrs0eH06hIDRYtywI_MhvIcZ7pNUNAIFOpHVMETYls25XBe9p1tW_p3Whg7eyLqZw2VPvZrlsIcZZbU-dX6hRxgdISE0g1p7EyrYQcgX0crOxayBgsxaej_OQWz1ggGSnxmX88U2I4y6BYJwgiV5XONqerKy5CZz4hImXzwBL0TnIcSoQ/s1920/computer-6231224_1920.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1561" data-original-width="1920" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmk1OWbr1clrs0eH06hIDRYtywI_MhvIcZ7pNUNAIFOpHVMETYls25XBe9p1tW_p3Whg7eyLqZw2VPvZrlsIcZZbU-dX6hRxgdISE0g1p7EyrYQcgX0crOxayBgsxaej_OQWz1ggGSnxmX88U2I4y6BYJwgiV5XONqerKy5CZz4hImXzwBL0TnIcSoQ/w358-h291/computer-6231224_1920.png" width="358" /></span></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Of course, when I look back at the items on my list, I do realise that they sound rather like excuses. And what exactly does being focused mean anyway?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">My dictionary has several definitions for the word "focus" and the one that is the most relevant here is "a point upon which attention, activity etc is concentrated". OK, so it's really about concentration then? Now that's more like it. I feel as if I know where I am when it comes to concentration. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Back to my dictionary again. It defines
concentration as "intense mental application". So far, so good,
but how do you get into that zen like state in the first place? And more importantly,
how do you get <i>back </i>into it if it’s been rudely interrupted by an unscheduled Amazon
delivery or the dishwasher suddenly deciding to flood the kitchen floor?</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEEfzHXHTVgmZ1Iktu-1iBKN0d4XoSNeWTz14LlP7MxCxHyrrikV6yLvmV_BD5laDtDVrMaVRCpBylc1HW_BGKYCGC9DZ6_OwQRDNiNgGd29Ja1zFeDMT-A2R5wv4Af3xMqH6BeOwwjfipUuqP6w3bubR5btlOozHGyoC2zR5o4ujBTJu1n-ZfKPg-A/s1920/buddha-4264589_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1173" data-original-width="1920" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEEfzHXHTVgmZ1Iktu-1iBKN0d4XoSNeWTz14LlP7MxCxHyrrikV6yLvmV_BD5laDtDVrMaVRCpBylc1HW_BGKYCGC9DZ6_OwQRDNiNgGd29Ja1zFeDMT-A2R5wv4Af3xMqH6BeOwwjfipUuqP6w3bubR5btlOozHGyoC2zR5o4ujBTJu1n-ZfKPg-A/w394-h241/buddha-4264589_1920.jpg" width="394" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Well, I could go on at length with all the usual tips such as having a designated time and space for what you want to concentrate on, switching off email or voicemail during that time, practising mindfulness or other meditative practices, being more assertive, making a list of priorities and focusing on just one item at a time but you probably know most of these already.</span></span></p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Instead I'm going to leave you with just three things that I've decided to try and put into practice every day from now on. Here they are. I'll let you know how I get on.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVyUDSJXYIOA3qVWsq2CF6dwoOqMu2GYGPwK7JGvRpo9v6N0laqgp3Nrcnjp-RbJ0W5XUOdTRv1rnqGg_POhkeEaggptC6LYrJ8cPnA5-et7WKKOhDVsgz3lPtuQexfe8MMfc92UW80FqYY0gROWFW8zIEvkH4Pql_HKe0DQJ21K0mbfsiJNri9gLQQ/s1169/focus.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1169" data-original-width="827" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVyUDSJXYIOA3qVWsq2CF6dwoOqMu2GYGPwK7JGvRpo9v6N0laqgp3Nrcnjp-RbJ0W5XUOdTRv1rnqGg_POhkeEaggptC6LYrJ8cPnA5-et7WKKOhDVsgz3lPtuQexfe8MMfc92UW80FqYY0gROWFW8zIEvkH4Pql_HKe0DQJ21K0mbfsiJNri9gLQQ/w297-h420/focus.jpg" width="297" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-46790856819099374352022-06-26T10:05:00.006-07:002023-11-25T15:37:26.753-08:00Creativity by John Cleese: A Review<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xStLZkQ8ai6Kj-bjXxgR1UmpIl3Tu5az-H839LNkKv9RQ9Gvl90ynZ7VUxyvMXBFWE5lGORkIftDin8dlFGt9euRoZ5B_yM_HlWWQuB6cFjyWws9RALqS2xqKxzw-BosjRGcIM9qxKz1n2yw6jO6pgj3JU0SEO8bVptAaAFuVz3iZtiu1VzNbnFX2g/s499/41Ba1kagGyL._SX323_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="325" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xStLZkQ8ai6Kj-bjXxgR1UmpIl3Tu5az-H839LNkKv9RQ9Gvl90ynZ7VUxyvMXBFWE5lGORkIftDin8dlFGt9euRoZ5B_yM_HlWWQuB6cFjyWws9RALqS2xqKxzw-BosjRGcIM9qxKz1n2yw6jO6pgj3JU0SEO8bVptAaAFuVz3iZtiu1VzNbnFX2g/s320/41Ba1kagGyL._SX323_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="208" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">I have to start this review with
a confession. I was never a big fan of the comedy juggernaut that was </span><i style="font-family: arial; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.montypython.com" target="_blank">Monty Python</a></i><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"> and I'm afraid that </span><i style="font-family: arial; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072500/" target="_blank">Fawlty Towers</a></i><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"> did nothing for me either.
However, I </span><i style="font-family: arial; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; text-align: left;">am</i><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"> a big fan of the notion
of "creativity", whatever it is, and I had no problem at all, when I heard
about this book, in accepting that </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cleese" style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;" target="_blank">John Cleese</a><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"> would know a thing or two about
it.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">To be honest, I was also
attracted to the book because it says on the cover that it is ‘A Short and
Cheerful Guide’ and as someone who now finds reading a whole book to be quite a
challenge (Netflix has a lot to answer for), I decided to give it a go and much
to my relief, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_and_Peace" target="_blank">War and Peace</a></i> it is
most definitely not.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p><span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Although <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Creativity</i> seems mainly aimed at writers, which makes sense given
the background which Cleese is coming from, as someone who works with
"creativity" on a daily basis not just in writing but in art, design
and crafting too, I’m pleased to say that it still made sense.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKdqTIBueuWj5h8EGLNqDz21Y19nQoLqzCx96wU3nLTI-2g5rnMfZhP7BDVBZ-If_dQg2HxLybdQTeEk-001C1AqXMqnBDX57wwc3HS7ib8d_lj7dYf0d-LqZiClSQbfxzumEoC_k8NGVpAmiCRtESORD9Lj2z22aG_yFlEH7xTlPaJnRrY2DYFaHJw/s1920/art-1840481_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKdqTIBueuWj5h8EGLNqDz21Y19nQoLqzCx96wU3nLTI-2g5rnMfZhP7BDVBZ-If_dQg2HxLybdQTeEk-001C1AqXMqnBDX57wwc3HS7ib8d_lj7dYf0d-LqZiClSQbfxzumEoC_k8NGVpAmiCRtESORD9Lj2z22aG_yFlEH7xTlPaJnRrY2DYFaHJw/s320/art-1840481_1920.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">That’s not to say that the book
will “teach” you to be creative though and neither does it waste any of its 103
pages going into depth about what creativity actually is, if indeed it can be
defined. I would recommend the book </span><i style="font-family: arial; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24453082-big-magic" target="_blank">Big Magic</a></i><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"> by Elizabeth Gilbert if that is more your thing.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Instead, it seems to me, that the
book is actually about how to be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">more</i>
creative and in particular how to be better tuned in to the circumstances, over
which you have some control, which will allow you to do this on a comparatively
consistent basis.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p><span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The section that starts with the
highlighted sentence “The greatest killer of creativity is interruption” is a
good example of this. As someone who has worked from home for over twenty-five
years, I was interested to hear how all the people who suddenly had to come out
of their workplace and into their homes during the pandemic would fair. “Not
very well” was what I heard a lot of the time and it appears that the poet Samuel
Taylor Coleridge’s nemesis, “the person from Porlock” who was apparently to blame
for Coleridge failing to finish his famous poem <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/mar/11/samuel-taylor-coleridge-kubla-khan-poem-manuscript-somerset" target="_blank">Kubla Khan</a></i>, is still active today in the form of the Amazon
delivery driver.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4ccF47mMMw12rG-fUHSqdq1z5kanJzzZBc8huI9uoA6GsB2Mv_V5IJA7GkuHFHGTDeYvWH8vuCKikFCC79My4mCCG9k4hMbTIU0vla4iTmBUwdlg4ATnvRJz02MO3yqK5kywISDPmoxM0b5kkMITWA0z9cJQCF3nFa9n_Aj7AvujcfWX0VEEvddSNQ/s1920/city-trans-3332623_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4ccF47mMMw12rG-fUHSqdq1z5kanJzzZBc8huI9uoA6GsB2Mv_V5IJA7GkuHFHGTDeYvWH8vuCKikFCC79My4mCCG9k4hMbTIU0vla4iTmBUwdlg4ATnvRJz02MO3yqK5kywISDPmoxM0b5kkMITWA0z9cJQCF3nFa9n_Aj7AvujcfWX0VEEvddSNQ/w376-h250/city-trans-3332623_1920.jpg" width="376" /></a></span></div><span><span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">I also found Cleese’s analogy of
the ‘Tortoise Mind’ and the ‘Hare Brain’ particularly useful. As I’m writing
this, I realise that I've been continually switching between my Tortoise Mind and my Hare Brain. The former has already been
slowly ruminating and pondering this piece for several days now, gently pulling
up ideas and phrases that I might use in it, but my Hare Brain is now hard at work reminding
me that this is a book review and not my own version of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal; text-align: left;">War and Peace</i><span style="text-align: left;">, so requires at least some keywords, taut phrases and SEO friendly links if anyone is ever actually going to read it.</span></span></p><p style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEh0lLslwWgFNR-NxTmhqgoTqRCt2OP8NNn66zm2XnqelU1o9FHy4lBstKTPPmsEeDGbUbJyC9GyK4vozCiG3_SDZOG_UR2_WFyDQ5X-iOuyOOkbL7L4ydhs_FK8NiqxWn7kUElc8dWsUIXkgNipCKi-zIXiRl2tUjbPso4e65iZythmw8OEegFTssw/s1920/animal-2597_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEh0lLslwWgFNR-NxTmhqgoTqRCt2OP8NNn66zm2XnqelU1o9FHy4lBstKTPPmsEeDGbUbJyC9GyK4vozCiG3_SDZOG_UR2_WFyDQ5X-iOuyOOkbL7L4ydhs_FK8NiqxWn7kUElc8dWsUIXkgNipCKi-zIXiRl2tUjbPso4e65iZythmw8OEegFTssw/w377-h251/animal-2597_1920.jpg" width="377" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">Then we have the concept of ‘play’
which is clearly something the author feels strongly about as being an
essential part of being creative. This is something I continually struggle with.
Although I can grasp the concept of just being creative for the sake of being
creative and getting “enjoyably absorbed” in something without worrying about
where I’m headed, making a mistake or whether I’m going to earn any money, I
find it really difficult to do. Maybe it’s my entrepreneurial background or
that </span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Protestant-ethic" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Protestant Work Ethic</a><span style="text-align: left;"> thing but even after reading this book, I still don’t
know how to give myself “permission” to play.</span></span></p></span><p style="font-size: large;"></p><span style="text-align: left;"><p style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7ZkLwvYqDZu2GygosvbGoCZ9roEbdI-qFQ9QdfGUk1hJlXUlOML-4OZZUfLNGS3-58H7As8zqx_fB_9L8FnuoeaYsdOuxcUzHcT5UzrOJl9xj2E9iOtEBNWz4UFetCSBxr7DyMjgppaXGmyixr8cMxtjg7yw6XfLh1BVtAielcUVx7eQ10dGSIA8Zg/s1920/thomas-and-friends-2435542_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="1920" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7ZkLwvYqDZu2GygosvbGoCZ9roEbdI-qFQ9QdfGUk1hJlXUlOML-4OZZUfLNGS3-58H7As8zqx_fB_9L8FnuoeaYsdOuxcUzHcT5UzrOJl9xj2E9iOtEBNWz4UFetCSBxr7DyMjgppaXGmyixr8cMxtjg7yw6XfLh1BVtAielcUVx7eQ10dGSIA8Zg/w340-h227/thomas-and-friends-2435542_1920.jpg" width="340" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">So </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal; text-align: left;">Creativity</i><span style="text-align: left;"> doesn’t provide all the answers but maybe that’s the
point. Cleese has provided some useful creative tools and now it’s up to the
reader to work with them to be more creative. And even if that doesn’t happen
for you after you’ve read the book, I can guarantee that you will have spent considerably
less time and been considerably more amused than if you’d chosen to read </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal; text-align: left;">War and Peace</i><span style="text-align: left;"> instead.</span></p></span><p></p></span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span></span><p><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Title: Creativity<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Author: John Cleese<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Publisher: Hutchinson 2020<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">ISBN 978-1786332257 </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Creativity-Short-Cheerful-John-Cleese/dp/1786332256/ref=asc_df_1786332256/">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Creativity-Short-Cheerful-John-Cleese/dp/1786332256/ref=asc_df_1786332256/</a></span></span></p><p><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p><br /></p>
<p><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-77638533867903707482022-04-17T05:28:00.013-07:002023-11-25T15:40:05.375-08:00Why Do We Have Chocolate At Easter?<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Happy Easter!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">I hope you’re enjoying this
special time of year although rather like Christmas, it does seem to have
become less about celebrating a significant Christian festival and more about
how much money the retailers can make.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Anyway, at the risk of
sounding like a cross between Scrooge and the Easter Bunny, it did get me
thinking about why Easter has become so synonymous with chocolate. After all, I
don’t think Jesus ever tucked into a bar of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk (other chocolate
bars are available) when he was on the road with his disciples, so why do we
feel the need to consume our weight in chocolate every time Easter comes
around?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWxH6-DyNUcU7RZnbfCYw8prssUuNw1cqlBYrNZj11hN_2Ua7vpVzU_1vUvNZpAs4taAf8M7W4nGYv4e-uS6ih_tbX_gvILjJ2iGytmDwlR7rTp6wqaf-dLFZ7eYHp0CwSVXx9_BdsB4xiPiv__78FlW25Lh7H3NYir1kwRXaUwKZqn5Kjvpb0cJXCvg/s1920/chocolate-551424_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWxH6-DyNUcU7RZnbfCYw8prssUuNw1cqlBYrNZj11hN_2Ua7vpVzU_1vUvNZpAs4taAf8M7W4nGYv4e-uS6ih_tbX_gvILjJ2iGytmDwlR7rTp6wqaf-dLFZ7eYHp0CwSVXx9_BdsB4xiPiv__78FlW25Lh7H3NYir1kwRXaUwKZqn5Kjvpb0cJXCvg/w400-h266/chocolate-551424_1920.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Back in the day, there was
no chocolate at Easter. (Can you imagine it?) In fact there was no chocolate at
all. (Yes, I know. A world without chocolate. How did they survive?) Although
the cocoa bean which forms the basis of chocolate was first cultivated by the
Aztecs and Mayans over 5000 years ago, sweetened chocolate didn’t appear until after
Christopher Columbus “discovered” the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Americas</st1:place></st1:country-region> in 1492.</span></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9gEC75Cq0TqU1Xrg36ZqwJt16KrsfxJEdfbAST5Y7KdbhecrZtFQHcjHvoLsQSZmg8n_-bCuwWaCaG7DIQpyEqHzDcLyRFWdBKvEHmjTM6T4To7y0B2BCXZJf6xawEYINtrhkjr-UsmV_QUmQz4p2hs3dk3zCiWkzFEUWmN0eq9jgVAOmTiHAqB3Vw/s1920/coffee-1900194_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9gEC75Cq0TqU1Xrg36ZqwJt16KrsfxJEdfbAST5Y7KdbhecrZtFQHcjHvoLsQSZmg8n_-bCuwWaCaG7DIQpyEqHzDcLyRFWdBKvEHmjTM6T4To7y0B2BCXZJf6xawEYINtrhkjr-UsmV_QUmQz4p2hs3dk3zCiWkzFEUWmN0eq9jgVAOmTiHAqB3Vw/w320-h400/coffee-1900194_1920.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>By the start of the 17<sup>th</sup>
Century, drinking (but not eating) chocolate had become popular all over <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place> although it was largely affordable only to the
wealthy. Then, following the discovery in 1828 of a process by which powdered
chocolate could be made into solid chocolate, a British Quaker called Joseph
Fry went one step further and in 1866, the first chocolate bar was invented.
(Hoorah!)</span></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZAEwkgsziNmnROiyyG63vutbliNYPwGCi0QScJV2c1UP6vAfVlJRYtH408yLUz4k3LBC1rg8I1kXyZ3nAtcyb7I4Sc-XzrCcsgCzjv5hCK0aPPvwULEkNfwZri45xjFtXeLEluqwocXGIIXGU8s1MCdMJO0g91vhewzYgzSvPD51RUuGykgMIMH4vQ/s1920/chocolate-bar-1735659_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZAEwkgsziNmnROiyyG63vutbliNYPwGCi0QScJV2c1UP6vAfVlJRYtH408yLUz4k3LBC1rg8I1kXyZ3nAtcyb7I4Sc-XzrCcsgCzjv5hCK0aPPvwULEkNfwZri45xjFtXeLEluqwocXGIIXGU8s1MCdMJO0g91vhewzYgzSvPD51RUuGykgMIMH4vQ/w400-h266/chocolate-bar-1735659_1920.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>But back to why we have to
eat so much chocolate at Easter. Well, the canny chocolate manufactures and
retailers quickly cashed in on the fact that eggs are traditionally associated
with Easter and let’s face it, who wants to eat a boring boiled egg when you could
have a lovely, scrumptious chocolate one? Once a way of hollowing out a solid
chocolate egg was discovered so that it could be filled with even more
chocolate or a sweet paste, it was Easter Egg City.</span></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVK1wcQEeWGL9Z2dhrC60L_13vfWbglw7DcVHEXU3XcJyLoJ6hZwcUTMyhBqmKuyQTfXlfT5hqaNR4h6WAxgE_TfL8rugMO5dpqBBRCaNfYrZNaELqSSyEWKtbh2YIlyShSxAtAoOKomBZ3c3Zadb72ro2k7PAhf2IXrvhmdpyTc8TUDfGfUCfSnBoBg/s1920/easter-2168521_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVK1wcQEeWGL9Z2dhrC60L_13vfWbglw7DcVHEXU3XcJyLoJ6hZwcUTMyhBqmKuyQTfXlfT5hqaNR4h6WAxgE_TfL8rugMO5dpqBBRCaNfYrZNaELqSSyEWKtbh2YIlyShSxAtAoOKomBZ3c3Zadb72ro2k7PAhf2IXrvhmdpyTc8TUDfGfUCfSnBoBg/w400-h266/easter-2168521_1920.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>Actually to be fair, it was
more the Church’s fault, really. Eating eggs of any description, not just
chocolate ones, was originally banned during Holy Week (the week leading up to
Easter) so any unused eggs were decorated and given to children as Easter gifts.
The Victorians, bless them, took it one step further and gave satin-covered cardboard
eggs filled with Easter gifts which has since been adapted into the frenzy of
giving and eating chocolate Easter eggs that we see today.</span></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqc-OYslWSEDl1_hmUg_cHF5QsmNU0XU9n9JfOF6epz8ae3UWuPJIom8TZ-xjA8V3xlszr5IIBpef-4r-T1ZfDpvXCx97TrPk0b9BYeh2ZeofBqjgiUi8X4qbV7m_NK_ofuQ0gn0ijJ2Kx5FrKMskZ6Wo8NMnp3I-wUjV9kheqa-LnlRPxjViAQJzL_A/s1280/smarties-69474_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqc-OYslWSEDl1_hmUg_cHF5QsmNU0XU9n9JfOF6epz8ae3UWuPJIom8TZ-xjA8V3xlszr5IIBpef-4r-T1ZfDpvXCx97TrPk0b9BYeh2ZeofBqjgiUi8X4qbV7m_NK_ofuQ0gn0ijJ2Kx5FrKMskZ6Wo8NMnp3I-wUjV9kheqa-LnlRPxjViAQJzL_A/w400-h266/smarties-69474_1280.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><div style="font-family: Arial; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So when you get on the
scales on Easter Tuesday and nearly fall off in horror, at least you'll now know why!</span></div></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-91858782406074929442022-02-13T09:47:00.008-08:002024-02-14T07:28:09.214-08:00The Single's Survival Guide To Valentine's Day<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVSF2x7Y6qTZogTSfuLmcCXeLnKAdQgCDkM9VGh41-3E6GWg_I4tCL6V_iMrPM_gR6w2-VkS8Q4SBRQAVvDIywZ_8THUFGR5jCgKTu-ncj2m7NR-U2v7Ed6_pn7n-vOP3Ha5-tbUHd7Ip4g7ood82sNVbNyKUJ7qI9citw0CiF2LKg-GWEDz_dh0AEMA=s1024" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVSF2x7Y6qTZogTSfuLmcCXeLnKAdQgCDkM9VGh41-3E6GWg_I4tCL6V_iMrPM_gR6w2-VkS8Q4SBRQAVvDIywZ_8THUFGR5jCgKTu-ncj2m7NR-U2v7Ed6_pn7n-vOP3Ha5-tbUHd7Ip4g7ood82sNVbNyKUJ7qI9citw0CiF2LKg-GWEDz_dh0AEMA=w400-h200" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><span><div style="text-align: justify;">Is it just me or does Valentine's Day get more OTT every year? Once upon a time it was just cards, roses and the occasional fluffy pink "teddy" (in every sense of the word) but now it's personalised star maps, digital radios, spa days, scratch off posters, heart shaped egg boards and hand-casting moulding kits. Check those last three out on <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=valentines+day+gift+ideas&adgrpid=53225729916&gclid=CjwKCAiA9aKQBhBREiwAyGP5lQoT88y_EFkoF_f4mhro3jaUwWNAuZAnMn8R-NQ8nP0MF9DPAsRGxhoCnCgQAvD_BwE&hvadid=259057940108&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1006867&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=9562536846600871874&hvtargid=kwd-300047456765&hydadcr=18481_1816599&tag=googhydr-21&ref=pd_sl_2bqk9nlkqq_e" target="_blank">Amazon</a> if you don't believe me!</div></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Of course if you are single at this time of the Great Love In, whether by choice or necessity, it can feel even worse than Christmas. At least then you can probably find the odd relative or friend (odd often being the word) to help get you through the day and make you feel less of a Social Pariah. And unlike Christmas, there is the ignominy of the postman knowing that you have only received some double glazing junk mail rather than a card that is too big to fit through the letter box.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgljnb3Ni8nfDCIPm6I3kUCqElXTurGzecjsYMIWX09PGscs4WFhev8Hy6yuHlGIsbc3KoefadJvVgQh0b5e-3FUo2zDrS0YoAHHc7IH0k8K0_AkTG2nS2DU-bz6YbMtzUK6gqaAMU79f0n-6VpogQJb_6TUi3Z6j3Ql5I6DufOmRPPTNBhHOwSic1o7w=s1920" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgljnb3Ni8nfDCIPm6I3kUCqElXTurGzecjsYMIWX09PGscs4WFhev8Hy6yuHlGIsbc3KoefadJvVgQh0b5e-3FUo2zDrS0YoAHHc7IH0k8K0_AkTG2nS2DU-bz6YbMtzUK6gqaAMU79f0n-6VpogQJb_6TUi3Z6j3Ql5I6DufOmRPPTNBhHOwSic1o7w=w409-h272" width="409" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">As it happens, I try to treat Valentine's Day in exactly the same way as I do Christmas Day which is basically to ignore it and actually VD (Freudian slip?) is a lot easier to manage. For a start, you can listen to the radio or watch telly without knowing that it's Valentine's Day at all. Try doing that on Christmas Day when you can't find a space in the ether that is not taken up with a Pan Pipes version of </span><i style="text-align: left;">Last Christmas</i><span style="text-align: left;">, the Uncut Version of </span><i style="text-align: left;">Santa Claus The Movie</i><span style="text-align: left;"> or cute kids talking about playing the Christmas version of Minecraft on their PlayStation. (I might have got my tech muddled up there. I'm a bit Old School when it comes to these things.)</span></p></span><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I don't eat anything special at Christmas so I certainly don't feel the need to eat anything special on Valentine's Day and although I may feel like I'm the object of scorn for not consuming vast quantities of frozen pigs in blankets, no one gives a hoot if my table is not laden with chocolate-dipped strawberries, red velvet cookies and seared duck with ginger mash. (Check out the recipes <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/valentines-day-recipes" target="_blank">here</a> if you really want to!)</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipMgFPbRQX9RaIYNS_A_aNcFlcff4nNtkL22904jeVDTr5cbAINlN1a003-ZAzLnfzDhPZY0sTMNFqaOxpxfIv_xBvXRU8WyDZiGvZhRyv-MzfPgRFa3Q8hcfTSeFN8N7sFMOqm8cqaqjSagoLFd9IiwyF0pKtLxLotxCbOhPQSYBtLWimBglvKaKgVQ=s1920" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1271" data-original-width="1920" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipMgFPbRQX9RaIYNS_A_aNcFlcff4nNtkL22904jeVDTr5cbAINlN1a003-ZAzLnfzDhPZY0sTMNFqaOxpxfIv_xBvXRU8WyDZiGvZhRyv-MzfPgRFa3Q8hcfTSeFN8N7sFMOqm8cqaqjSagoLFd9IiwyF0pKtLxLotxCbOhPQSYBtLWimBglvKaKgVQ=w412-h273" width="412" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>But most of all, I don't have to worry about keeping anyone else happy. The pressure from all these Special Days seems to me to be exacerbated by trying to deal with Other People or in the case of Valentine's Day, Other Person. It's no wonder that so many relationships seem to run into trouble around this time of year. "I don't need this pressure on" as someone once sang. At least Easter (or even National Sticker Day) doesn't seem to clobber the divorce rate anything like as much.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaf5bS3xy0TELTmbWi8z1lsfkPoFpCgffzbXh5frV-ggzeE45A0knwlfTIVVFb5nUxfdS8F0RAP2Q8TX0uBQ0j9Un47oIsBedUJ1sMnTPOkdO2LBRxROC-el3UysjFET8kJ8N-EhIiycqeRRoktmAsfKiWaudAShaKcoy4mWje4Ujq4-WfM5nse0cRgw=s1200" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaf5bS3xy0TELTmbWi8z1lsfkPoFpCgffzbXh5frV-ggzeE45A0knwlfTIVVFb5nUxfdS8F0RAP2Q8TX0uBQ0j9Un47oIsBedUJ1sMnTPOkdO2LBRxROC-el3UysjFET8kJ8N-EhIiycqeRRoktmAsfKiWaudAShaKcoy4mWje4Ujq4-WfM5nse0cRgw=w377-h377" width="377" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span> <br /><a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1374335968/love-me-love-my-pet-digital-print">https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1374335968/love-me-love-my-pet-digital-print</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="text-align: left;">Of course, I do realise that I'm beginning to sound like a TOSS (titter ye not) aka Tired Old Sad Spinster. Who is to say that if I finally found "lurve", I wouldn't be knee-deep in chocolate-dipped strawberries while cooking up seared duck on my heart-shaped egg board and listening to </span><i style="text-align: left;">Unchained Melody</i><span style="text-align: left;"> (I told you I was Old School) on my new digital radio? </span></span></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">But until then I will continue to convince myself that February 14th is just the day that falls between February 13th and February 15th and look forward to Boxing Day!</span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-31678245066173972892021-12-18T08:16:00.003-08:002023-11-25T15:42:07.319-08:00So This Is Christmas<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">So this is Christmas, as
someone once sang. Well, almost anyway. This time next week you will probably
be knee-deep in non-recyclable wrapping paper, planning that detox diet for January
after one Brussel sprout too many and wondering if you can possibly face watching <i>The Sound of Music</i> with your Auntie Pat for the 27th Christmas in a row.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRdllqT7Zc-izFedUx2dRCI-MHfMkVHlQQ90xi9IiFh-7KtKOvaodp7cBdEifbW5I3r3AqEImJncmqKlY_D0vOkXKPJmUDbU-vk5JlRvMJlzZw7-LVXDmuS7Qs_XT9cgQsVZNkL-UkjfAMr0XJXkwRiJajbSSQZ_J1DGucogPoudL9ZtS8D2ll8HnBCg=s785" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="785" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRdllqT7Zc-izFedUx2dRCI-MHfMkVHlQQ90xi9IiFh-7KtKOvaodp7cBdEifbW5I3r3AqEImJncmqKlY_D0vOkXKPJmUDbU-vk5JlRvMJlzZw7-LVXDmuS7Qs_XT9cgQsVZNkL-UkjfAMr0XJXkwRiJajbSSQZ_J1DGucogPoudL9ZtS8D2ll8HnBCg=w400-h306" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Of course, you might not be doing
any of these things if a)You don’t celebrate Christmas b)You try to ignore Christmas
c)Christmas has been cancelled or at least severely curtailed (yet again) following
the worrying impact of the omnipotent omicron variant rearing its ugly head. Do viruses have heads? I should have paid more attention in Biology at school.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="2500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRh8mc09-B3GyQaXOJ1O709fcq49_rl40aUZN1L_xDPYI4H69QLw4h82cU706yhdKjrLCHA9TUlf0si7z8cpFTFAm3EDZv1fGOVQiDaJVwaZWBgbCJXCon0Rybj1C5dC4iV4nRlMf8eO_mlpv_vqdPjObAz0_LLQtRK-Qde618tGVbJaL-BtC6d9XNXw=w400-h400" width="400" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">Anyway, whether Christmas in
your household is a chore, a bore or a wonderful furore, I hope you have a
Happy One. Stay safe, stay at home (for as much as you can manage) and stay
away from those pesky roast parsnips. They must be the most disappointing vegetable
in the world.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUN1G5VUG0S7Ixrq8vmu28ObznyLoVBO6vSIGBTP67mKL0lu8NvU77aBRZzRZvVEwofu4JV-urXOMGaqdZ2zxGjsp8TQNUsVDMjf4aJYpN0gm6d6sGVzlARZ604yznCKfWSNDshHe5x_aGu_vdD-6HUS8IyA_eC5LkWBCbhKQg_yZQDvYnWzAlvNmDmQ=s1240" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="1240" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUN1G5VUG0S7Ixrq8vmu28ObznyLoVBO6vSIGBTP67mKL0lu8NvU77aBRZzRZvVEwofu4JV-urXOMGaqdZ2zxGjsp8TQNUsVDMjf4aJYpN0gm6d6sGVzlARZ604yznCKfWSNDshHe5x_aGu_vdD-6HUS8IyA_eC5LkWBCbhKQg_yZQDvYnWzAlvNmDmQ=w400-h283" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-89707729414851394842021-09-12T05:50:00.011-07:002023-11-25T15:43:09.709-08:00Never Give Up<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bsGsZ3yonkPRdSuDc_9PliJSp-EbILX2Lucfj7yILBHgRLIq3o2yEnz4a1otVTRZ3HFFCjUYyT4zfRBFDjv_d7aajsLs_pEwrkMPkYuqWx4l8nW7AOL0nn-fT_Cf5quHfbS-E7vSjnPb/s1152/blog+image+001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1152" height="409" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bsGsZ3yonkPRdSuDc_9PliJSp-EbILX2Lucfj7yILBHgRLIq3o2yEnz4a1otVTRZ3HFFCjUYyT4zfRBFDjv_d7aajsLs_pEwrkMPkYuqWx4l8nW7AOL0nn-fT_Cf5quHfbS-E7vSjnPb/w409-h409/blog+image+001.jpg" width="409" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span>Sorry it's been a while since I last posted. Where has this year gone? I know that September is often referred to as the new January but I didn't mean to miss out on half the year! </span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I won't deny that it has been a frustrating few months and I guess I'm not alone in feeling that. Since the start of the pandemic, everything seems to be taking far longer to achieve and no one seems to be really on top of things any more. Add to that the anxiety and uncertainty about the future and it does feel at times like it would be a lot easier to just curl up on the sofa and watch Netflix until about 2027.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAabdTyrMIGGvki7trfOdam3oMrh5wGnA0lp0EQYgeIt2RLn8mc1SpkFbaNkCX-Vplgen0jAeBzVVzqTbK9gd8HjhPWoWwWaLWa9OEt5ygAYhMPto68q0hQDrboLeZd629_c1YkDpExE7t/s1280/guy-32820_1280.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="993" data-original-width="1280" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAabdTyrMIGGvki7trfOdam3oMrh5wGnA0lp0EQYgeIt2RLn8mc1SpkFbaNkCX-Vplgen0jAeBzVVzqTbK9gd8HjhPWoWwWaLWa9OEt5ygAYhMPto68q0hQDrboLeZd629_c1YkDpExE7t/w433-h335/guy-32820_1280.png" width="433" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">But when it is something you really feel you just have to keep going with, the amount of strength and energy you need to galvanise yourself can be really exhausting and debilitating. Self-care tends to go out of the window but actually, as I know only too well, that is when you really need it the most.</span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">And when things do take a turn for the better, it is one of the most wonderful feelings in the world. On the day that my energy company finally decided that after a seven month battle with them, I didn't owe them over £1800 but instead they owed me over £1100, it felt like I'd won the lottery. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9jN6O5f8zInQg5m0hQzw-SQbbBvXxghxIhgRarZ1dHdoQKMholA3EXzQi2cvI3dQSklqZs16gHIFrUO0mvrC8iObpfNecKWRJtn_aceSy9zUsRXo67V64v9VMIeXWbJju7APK2g_3iPu/s1920/balls-6077901_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9jN6O5f8zInQg5m0hQzw-SQbbBvXxghxIhgRarZ1dHdoQKMholA3EXzQi2cvI3dQSklqZs16gHIFrUO0mvrC8iObpfNecKWRJtn_aceSy9zUsRXo67V64v9VMIeXWbJju7APK2g_3iPu/w462-h260/balls-6077901_1920.jpg" width="462" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Then, when after
a six month wait, I was finally given the go-ahead to contact the potential
copyright holders whose permission I need to be able to publish the book of
letters to my grandmother by her close friend </span><a href="https://ladyburghclereandethel.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Ethel North</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">, it was another momentous moment. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span>So right now, if you are feeling like giving up on something that deep down you really don't want to, then my advice would be to just hang on a little bit longer. You never know just how close you might be to finally succeeding in your goal. After all, as someone much wiser than me once said, "Success is on the other side of failure." </span></p></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FsdyPjic8kFVjEDSJxGjNFZSB5sVKtcMhcvfHMqKIXcdFhg7xPsS0PTQfLAbNymMcHblCvY0HR5y_rdPDcYBpQIYF_ZWHbpyiM_AcnRCQBbwmd0siSQ3Jl7u2g2YiS2dDfrvJpVuatW0/s1920/monkeys-450151_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FsdyPjic8kFVjEDSJxGjNFZSB5sVKtcMhcvfHMqKIXcdFhg7xPsS0PTQfLAbNymMcHblCvY0HR5y_rdPDcYBpQIYF_ZWHbpyiM_AcnRCQBbwmd0siSQ3Jl7u2g2YiS2dDfrvJpVuatW0/w519-h346/monkeys-450151_1920.jpg" width="519" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Take care,</span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Melissa x</span> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-30808532165702989552021-06-18T05:11:00.003-07:002023-11-25T17:23:34.964-08:00Cutting Machine Success <p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I hope you are well and if you are in the UK, enjoyed the warm weather which finally arrived and the greater freedoms we are having. Make the most of them while they last!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">A couple of years ago, as a present to myself for a rather Big Birthday, I bought a Brother ScanNCut cutting machine. If you are not familiar with electronic cutting machines, they are a desk-top sized machine that allows the crafter to cut out virtually any 2D shape in a wide variety of materials including paper, felt, vinyl, fabric and even wood or leather.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYac6X7Q-kFun-xbdSgw1_3QR3YLgihHthRtwqpgT2e1LLYM5TDR_xPjcqgT03OeIG2w6VmW45prLnGqACK77_Pkl7OkBGnitHOkBNHVp3pu4doYBRFCaGWbOd8h673XcBDMTtua8PeyrKrYIW_oaLeldns4mM11qHgRzSS14eDS_V9-Ags88h3vicqvm/s1280/background-1838494_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1280" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYac6X7Q-kFun-xbdSgw1_3QR3YLgihHthRtwqpgT2e1LLYM5TDR_xPjcqgT03OeIG2w6VmW45prLnGqACK77_Pkl7OkBGnitHOkBNHVp3pu4doYBRFCaGWbOd8h673XcBDMTtua8PeyrKrYIW_oaLeldns4mM11qHgRzSS14eDS_V9-Ags88h3vicqvm/w464-h310/background-1838494_1280.jpg" width="464" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You can even cut leather.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; text-align: left;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Brother ScanNCut may well be the “daddy” of them all as it has a built-in scanner and so many other functions including giving you the option to draw your own images with the machine and you can even foil and stamp with it. Although the machines are primarily aimed at crafters, they are great for artists, designers, sewists and model makers too.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I had never owned an electronic cutting machine before so although I did get the machine out of the box within 20 minutes of it being delivered and started cutting basics shapes and then slightly more complicated ones pretty quickly, I really struggled to get to grips with the machine. Although it’s not really all that complicated to use, I somehow never quite felt I could master it and was very envious of all the amazing projects that I saw other people creating.</span></span></div><p></p><div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">To be honest, after about 18 months, I felt that I had made a mistake and was even considering selling it on Ebay. But that well-known proverb "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again" kept going through my mind and I decided to keep at it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I set myself the goal of working my way through cutting out most of the built-in patterns that come with the machine by just doing a few each week. Then, earlier this year, I treated myself to a commercial USB that had more intricate designs on it in the form of SVG cutting files.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJI1PUZ3i9YZ4DtQ4U2Y1E9hTT3AvLCSnwWDEeY7PXEyRNE0yOPuCviocThUcxHQo0oH8VmmvsVHtDDb_qt9FrnKPYTTkiT_ClPfaAxv3l_64C0aCVeF6vWvdvtAHI_kxYlcxziWrPNChC/s1105/blog+image+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="1105" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJI1PUZ3i9YZ4DtQ4U2Y1E9hTT3AvLCSnwWDEeY7PXEyRNE0yOPuCviocThUcxHQo0oH8VmmvsVHtDDb_qt9FrnKPYTTkiT_ClPfaAxv3l_64C0aCVeF6vWvdvtAHI_kxYlcxziWrPNChC/w400-h276/blog+image+1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Creatures I Created From Built-In Patterns</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Once I was able to see what amazing projects the machine was capable of producing when using SVGs, I turned to sourcing free SVGs from the internet and even designing my own. This opened up a whole new world to me as there are so many SVGs available and I even discovered I already had some on my old crafting CD-Roms.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDKqxg21gubynr6JsTT6KVgxczLklRJFVP65brcMV8G2Ue-cW52nA-e1mPgn4X3cyHjRfrytjWePRnK9Yyn8NZgI-R5yCv8pZEZizjKEeQNPgPYbP8Q7hurHMmK63aPaG8bf5dSHJS6Bc/s738/blog+image+3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="738" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDKqxg21gubynr6JsTT6KVgxczLklRJFVP65brcMV8G2Ue-cW52nA-e1mPgn4X3cyHjRfrytjWePRnK9Yyn8NZgI-R5yCv8pZEZizjKEeQNPgPYbP8Q7hurHMmK63aPaG8bf5dSHJS6Bc/w400-h400/blog+image+3.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Card I Created Using A Tattered Lace USB Design</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Finally, I plucked up courage to enter the exciting world of Canvas.</span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">This is a free, cloud-based application that allows you to design or enhance your own designs on the computer and then transfer them to the machine to cut out, as well as giving you dozens of free projects to create.This was the real game-changer for me as being able to design or create on the computer screen and then see my projects come to life by cutting them out on the Brother ScanNCut made me feel happier than I had done in ages!</span></span></div><div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcB2tXs8YohjgBqPCS8-ImHKd5A3ELPv38IbWV0T1ulpxusImY3nDfjaPWZIJ2uxd-Rsni8lhjT7uMiWUddFRhbbK7NRQQaNj5yAtk_GXJc25LLJan-lnXK8xjczXEH8oOW0x2Qu1UROGK/s1123/blog+image+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1123" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcB2tXs8YohjgBqPCS8-ImHKd5A3ELPv38IbWV0T1ulpxusImY3nDfjaPWZIJ2uxd-Rsni8lhjT7uMiWUddFRhbbK7NRQQaNj5yAtk_GXJc25LLJan-lnXK8xjczXEH8oOW0x2Qu1UROGK/w400-h283/blog+image+2.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Wall Plaque I Created In Canvas Workspace</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I've kept a portfolio of many of the things I've produced and I'd highly recommend doing this as it's been a great way of seeing how far I've progressed from cutting those initial basic shapes.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Of course, I still have lots to learn and I know there are many more things that the machine can do which I’ve not even started on yet but I’m so, so pleased that I kept trying and didn’t give up. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Proverbs can be useful! </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><br /><div><br /></div></div>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-26540109349135490082021-04-11T15:37:00.041-07:002023-11-25T15:59:09.687-08:00Motivation, Motivation, Motivation<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">What motivates you?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">One thing I've discovered through the long, weary months of lockdown is what <i>doesn't</i> motivate me. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">For example, looking like the Wild Woman of Borneo because I haven't had my hair cut for over 12 months isn't going to motivate me to make a hair appointment any time soon, even though (thanks to the government's "road map") hairdressers are allowed to open in England from tomorrow.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjADuiHpayg11kOOkxQ_xgL90nOdIAOZWXhcgL92IyRQRHRdUMI_Wq3CeDj2dOtOiaOkBCXB9Drja8Ut4DPUl90WI4Yn7Ks-5FLaoozf6weX-eQAFG5xTPFf-fjnZ4uGjAQNjr-UpJCY8/s1920/blog+image+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjADuiHpayg11kOOkxQ_xgL90nOdIAOZWXhcgL92IyRQRHRdUMI_Wq3CeDj2dOtOiaOkBCXB9Drja8Ut4DPUl90WI4Yn7Ks-5FLaoozf6weX-eQAFG5xTPFf-fjnZ4uGjAQNjr-UpJCY8/w400-h266/blog+image+2.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Following the Government's Road Map</span><br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">And being able to trace not just my name but my entire family history in the dust on top of the piano is not going to persuade me to switch off Netflix and get jiggy with a J-cloth and a bowl of warm water.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">But if I analyse those examples, I know immediately what it is that is standing in the way of me accomplishing two things which actually I'd really like to get done. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Anxiety about catching Covid, despite being vaccinated, is definitely one of them and a perceived lack of energy as in "What's the point? No one but me is going to see it anyway." is another.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMu_HXtdPnfGRIPqHI3WoRMj_Ql_1OQ4wvRooqms1oaQwe_Uanv8kF473r8YuZw0wnsmNJUmmDE83TYW-tWd9jzisDO0guHRhpbsD3qoQmTpsRXmV0rPUBiS9yvt3Bxa1HylalLMJIm05/s1920/syringe-1974677_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMu_HXtdPnfGRIPqHI3WoRMj_Ql_1OQ4wvRooqms1oaQwe_Uanv8kF473r8YuZw0wnsmNJUmmDE83TYW-tWd9jzisDO0guHRhpbsD3qoQmTpsRXmV0rPUBiS9yvt3Bxa1HylalLMJIm05/w400-h266/syringe-1974677_1920.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Still Anxious About Covid</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Maybe it's a lockdown thing, maybe it's a menopause thing (don't get me started on the "M" word) or maybe it's just a getting older thing but wanting and even <i>needing</i> to do something doesn't seem to work for me as a motivator any more.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">So it will be interesting to see, when two out of those three things hopefully come to an end, whether or not I'm motivated to do things again even if I'm not motivated, if you know what I mean.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">But for the time being, I'm going to try not to be too hard on myself and accept that these are strange and not very wonderful times. I really hope you are motivated to do the same.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXhfwCZ-xx9LplhyXm4hQiOp4XW95PtNk39uNY2TCgIwCR9-vNqhuhJpnrkSDnCyFb7j4iimg1PTgEXVDcrkZZFNVK-WgsIg_apdy4ckwGt_e2JIPCXIrMcug2IPyQ-RH40I7WzsrRGdx/s576/blog+image+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXhfwCZ-xx9LplhyXm4hQiOp4XW95PtNk39uNY2TCgIwCR9-vNqhuhJpnrkSDnCyFb7j4iimg1PTgEXVDcrkZZFNVK-WgsIg_apdy4ckwGt_e2JIPCXIrMcug2IPyQ-RH40I7WzsrRGdx/w400-h400/blog+image+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-86980003576643892262021-02-27T05:22:00.137-08:002023-11-25T16:01:33.548-08:00The Mail On Sunday v Meghan Markle <p><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.</span></span></p><p><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">There comes a time in the
life of a writer, unless you are JK Rowling of course, when you have to accept
that the book you’ve been working on for a really long time and which you were
counting on for both personal and financial gain, might not actually get
published.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It’s a really unpleasant
moment and it happened to me a few weeks ago while I was still basking in the
euphoria of having finally finished writing </span><i style="font-family: arial;">My Dear Elsie</i><span style="font-family: arial;">, the
non-fiction book I’ve been writing on and off since 2012.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify;">The book is based on a
collection of old letters and postcards I found in the back of my late mother’s
wardrobe and they are not just any old letters and postcards. They were written
to my maternal grandmother by a friend of hers called Ethel North who was
employed as lady’s maid to Lady Winifred Burghclere, the sister of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, from 1919 to 1933.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96hwkjAdckkR0IwY2ciwhUhFr1u5dpa2FzZjj7XvJ8epxwCAGsfyL-28Q9klUrIp4LrvRVEjqQtGmC_2FXnKVf1ErGeAkk98hfrZ7_yDN5QR16EfSu8DbwyDlQOpymlwdZm0xwBbTKZmb/s450/George_Herbert%252C_5th_Earl_of_Carnarvon%252C_reading.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="340" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96hwkjAdckkR0IwY2ciwhUhFr1u5dpa2FzZjj7XvJ8epxwCAGsfyL-28Q9klUrIp4LrvRVEjqQtGmC_2FXnKVf1ErGeAkk98hfrZ7_yDN5QR16EfSu8DbwyDlQOpymlwdZm0xwBbTKZmb/w303-h400/George_Herbert%252C_5th_Earl_of_Carnarvon%252C_reading.jpg" width="303" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon (Public Domain)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Ethel travelled all over the
world with Lady Burghclere, including to Egypt where they were shown around the tomb of Tutankhamun by Howard Carter who, along with the 5th Earl, had discovered the tomb of the boy Pharaoh in 1922. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">The letters are full of fascinating stories
about life as a domestic servant, foreign travel in the heyday of the steamship
and gossip about “celebrities” of the period such as King Edward VIII and Sir
Winston Churchill. You can find out more about them here:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://ladyburghclereandethel.com" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://ladyburghclereandethel.com</span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">As soon as I discovered Ethel’s
letters and started reading them, I knew I had discovered something really
special. My intention was to get them published in book form as I felt strongly
that I wanted to share Ethel’s fascinating story with the rest of the world and
this seemed to be the best way of doing it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Unfortunately, I was already
several years into the project when I found out that the law on copyright
infringement applies to old, unpublished letters in exactly the same way as it
does to other “creative” work such as art, literature or music. In
other words, although I own the actual physical letters and postcards, I don’t
own the copyright or “intellectual property” on them. That still belongs to
Ethel, the original writer of the letters and as she has only been dead since
1960, she retains the copyright, or at least her estate does, until 70 years
after her death. That means they won’t be in “the public domain” until after
2030.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNs8RvrpfF52FPcMB1ZH9QZN_i8x6WNpWoFyW-dTRvogMRBDDNyfSZu12WZm9X7gedz9XIVBCSjNtckYw4ngtw6YDiQnCPXk8uXrXNaN-ocs-OlzNkN8QUrkLKw8U2w1CsrgZ5CTCTWrPc/s2048/ethelweb+007.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1233" data-original-width="2048" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNs8RvrpfF52FPcMB1ZH9QZN_i8x6WNpWoFyW-dTRvogMRBDDNyfSZu12WZm9X7gedz9XIVBCSjNtckYw4ngtw6YDiQnCPXk8uXrXNaN-ocs-OlzNkN8QUrkLKw8U2w1CsrgZ5CTCTWrPc/w400-h242/ethelweb+007.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Ethel in Egypt</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><span>However, there are some
exceptions to this law and until very recently, I was under the assumption that
I was covered by one of these exceptions. This is something referred to as
“criticism, review and new reporting” and allows for relevant sections of
copyrighted works to be reprinted for comment.</span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Unfortunately, the key word
here is “reprinted” as I have now discovered that the exemption does not apply
to </span><i style="font-family: arial;">unpublished</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> works (such as personal letters) and is also not intended
to cover use of a whole work, only extracts, and I am using at least 90 per
cent of Ethel’s letters in my book.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Ironically, it was the
reporter who wrote a feature on Ethel’s letters for </span><i style="font-family: arial;">The Mail on
Sunday</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> newspaper who convinced me that I was covered by this exemption. The paper recently lost a high court privacy case concerning publication
in the paper of extracts of a “personal and private” unpublished letter that
the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, had written to her estranged father.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/feb/11/meghan-markle-father-duchess-sussex-mail-on-sunday-wins" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/feb/11/meghan-markle-father-duchess-sussex-mail-on-sunday-wins</span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Although the judge’s decision
was mainly concerned with the alleged breach of privacy, he also ruled that the
paper had infringed Meghan’s copyright having “copied a large and important
proportion of the work’s original literary content”. In other words, he did not
accept that the publication of the letter was covered by the “criticism, review
and new reporting” exemption.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJLCJAsztb809grCeZSn-4vWYmqtOVST-siFjaWQAhuqjUG10odyFQ5durITygrVKyD8xk7lc6epbsjV2nSyMbA1edWgjB_Wexi35H0A6sLa-YUo7ltzCwzGWdQRPofsxqJzDwsoPzm-j/s1904/ethelweb+009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1904" data-original-width="1732" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJLCJAsztb809grCeZSn-4vWYmqtOVST-siFjaWQAhuqjUG10odyFQ5durITygrVKyD8xk7lc6epbsjV2nSyMbA1edWgjB_Wexi35H0A6sLa-YUo7ltzCwzGWdQRPofsxqJzDwsoPzm-j/w364-h400/ethelweb+009.jpg" width="364" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">One of Ethel's letters to my grandmother</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Of course, I am well aware
that publishing Ethel’s letters is a very different proposition from publishing
a personal letter from a prominent member of the Royal Family. Nevertheless,
I’ve decided I can’t go ahead with publishing the book until I have done all I
can to obtain permission from the copyright holders.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I am already in contact with
one of them and they have kindly agreed to try and get in touch with the others
(there are about half a dozen altogether as far as I can work out) and in the
meantime, I can only sit back and wait. The book is finished, the illustrations
are more or less resourced and I am ready to go. But will I end up actually
being able to publish it? Only time will tell.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-76696793568008143312021-01-16T09:50:00.004-08:002023-11-25T16:02:33.113-08:00Happy New Year 2021<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Hi everyone.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9J12nfvau8hLeNVqXuZZVTASrVIOETKuUFRzkT6UacRtdM4hGN_ME8wIg8Ys-ZWBZ3ulFO9MMCoWahC9JGDkDGb5v6d77Wnw02_CXhMWjatuJ4SZp1yhLfoFIsTVp9OfK6w3MubNKA5V/s1200/blog+image.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9J12nfvau8hLeNVqXuZZVTASrVIOETKuUFRzkT6UacRtdM4hGN_ME8wIg8Ys-ZWBZ3ulFO9MMCoWahC9JGDkDGb5v6d77Wnw02_CXhMWjatuJ4SZp1yhLfoFIsTVp9OfK6w3MubNKA5V/w400-h400/blog+image.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">So I think it's fair to say that 2020 wasn't exactly the year that we'd all been expecting and as I type this, 2021 isn't showing too many signs of being all that great so far either.</span></p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">But we must have hope! "Things can only get better" as the song says and with the Covid Vaccination Programme well underway and a much-needed changing of the guard in the USA, there is a chink of light at the end of the tunnel which is hopefully not yet another train coming.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Although it surprises most people when I say this, January is my favourite month and not just because it's my birth month. One of the reasons </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I like it so much is the "clean slate" feeling you get at the start of every new year. However challenging the previous year was and let's face it, last year was extraordinarily challenging, there is always the opportunity to press the "refresh" button and start again.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAkhYeSJgIhs92-f59xqFsuc4Bue3ka-3ftWlboZyg8zs2r5WO4tvqx7lYymP6ieNOgbuvd2BL0enOWmnJQFfR0-V08A3egnGdgTjekAYb3hXZriqf01V8VvsAywxtKsBBuyyq-tkxLt8/s1754/january.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="1754" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAkhYeSJgIhs92-f59xqFsuc4Bue3ka-3ftWlboZyg8zs2r5WO4tvqx7lYymP6ieNOgbuvd2BL0enOWmnJQFfR0-V08A3egnGdgTjekAYb3hXZriqf01V8VvsAywxtKsBBuyyq-tkxLt8/w463-h328/january.jpg" width="463" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>That's why we call the goals we often set at this time of year our "New Year Resolutions" and not our "Halfway Through The Year Resolutions". We use the impetus of another fresh start to motivate and inspire us, even if we don't always keep that motivation and inspiration up much beyond Valentine's Day. </span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">There's no doubt though, after all that has happened in 2020, my feelings this January are pretty mixed to say the least. That is why I have designed this slightly sardonic digital print for my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/932198755/feeling-good-nina-simone-parody-digital" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a>, a parody of the famous Nina Simone song lyric. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0oZmnpM1HAyVWGqeVJgJnJa1fRMRnukqIoIaFnYyoyAt2AP6g5LRx6ZLrxfLto8szwby76WUwoZqCY85mRuFsGtSzWWYw3iV3qfV6sS4und0BIVd0jrd5g1llo0fqDavbqRpZVfPRvK3/s1800/whatever.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0oZmnpM1HAyVWGqeVJgJnJa1fRMRnukqIoIaFnYyoyAt2AP6g5LRx6ZLrxfLto8szwby76WUwoZqCY85mRuFsGtSzWWYw3iV3qfV6sS4und0BIVd0jrd5g1llo0fqDavbqRpZVfPRvK3/w400-h400/whatever.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">But "whatever" it is that <i>you</i> are feeling at the moment, I just want to take the opportunity to say that this is OK. We're all currently living through "unprecedented" times (to use the Word of the Year for 2020) and pretty much anything goes on the feelings front. Despite that, I do hope you manage to find some peace and joy in 2021 and I wish you all a very Happy New Year.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Stay safe and well.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Melissa x</span></p>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-36676253048731369502020-11-07T11:38:00.021-08:002023-11-25T16:03:26.854-08:00Lest We Forget<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hi everyone</span><span style="font-family: arial;">.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I'm sorry it has been so long since my last post. Back in April, I think we expected things to have improved by now in terms of the Coronavirus but sadly, things seem to have become very challenging again. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span>My heart goes out to any of you that have lost loved ones, been separated from family and friends, been ill yourselves, lost your job or had your life turned upside down and inside out in any other awful way. </span>And if you are a "key worker" or you have done anything at all to help make life a bit better for someone during the last few months, then thank you!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Of course, this is the time of year when we try to remember those who have served others in the most significant and poignant way. I know that Remembrance Day can't be acknowledged in quite the same way this year because of the virus but hopefully we can still find ways of remembering. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Here are 5 things that might help with that. </span></p><p><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><b>Poppies</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXzawbk-kl6zXz8rb9UVm_vT9vpRdfGeJxrcqfCDAu7H_6NsM39C8m0gF3clTbrnSj1rXPGja-edJ4SOAusY04MgKNHLRNO2HyypnD4Z5kHub0IFG4WbKO6eQm3YgZiRaFeBXuiWz7Xt0/s1920/sunset-815270_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1268" data-original-width="1920" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXzawbk-kl6zXz8rb9UVm_vT9vpRdfGeJxrcqfCDAu7H_6NsM39C8m0gF3clTbrnSj1rXPGja-edJ4SOAusY04MgKNHLRNO2HyypnD4Z5kHub0IFG4WbKO6eQm3YgZiRaFeBXuiWz7Xt0/w400-h263/sunset-815270_1920.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>Poppies are one of my favourite flowers and even if we can't physically visit a field of poppies at the moment, this photo might help you to appreciate their beauty and to remember how significant they are at this time of year especially.</span></span></span><p></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Poetry</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7p195ZGBjT69wqHpO8xTvLf5d_ln1evAM_ImchlRYInibQH_g57xXyBFQ-HqAINpABoNgPuRsjw2ZGFswsoaR9e9tKEe5DUuT-M4T5JnFThDKWv3Jcuzlu3Oyk5lCOTOv4cLJShFRKiGE/s1920/memorial-2419897_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1192" data-original-width="1920" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7p195ZGBjT69wqHpO8xTvLf5d_ln1evAM_ImchlRYInibQH_g57xXyBFQ-HqAINpABoNgPuRsjw2ZGFswsoaR9e9tKEe5DUuT-M4T5JnFThDKWv3Jcuzlu3Oyk5lCOTOv4cLJShFRKiGE/w400-h249/memorial-2419897_1920.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></b></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><p>Even people who never normally read poetry often turn to it at times of great sadness or happiness such as funerals or weddings. Last year, 14 year old Josh Dyer from Leominster in the UK wrote a simple but incredibly evocative poem for Remembrance Day called 'One Thousand Men Are Walking'. His mum posted it on Facebook and it has since been read by hundreds of thousand of people online. </p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-hereford-worcester-50291048">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-hereford-worcester-50291048</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">People</span></b></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: inherit; color: #353535; line-height: 1.48; margin: 0px 0px 20px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_mMa84nq0v4EHyhqfydeLdkVMgANNvD9JabLG92RBEfuxqeB8BdbyynJvVuSSXpWVRPOGtYrDNQB2BQqpVpzhrtyXzzTewVzUuDviipmJ9QoJGjyqRvVgDZnyZHaiLMeXg4I0sm93qpU/s1920/portrait-4616731_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1483" data-original-width="1920" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_mMa84nq0v4EHyhqfydeLdkVMgANNvD9JabLG92RBEfuxqeB8BdbyynJvVuSSXpWVRPOGtYrDNQB2BQqpVpzhrtyXzzTewVzUuDviipmJ9QoJGjyqRvVgDZnyZHaiLMeXg4I0sm93qpU/w400-h309/portrait-4616731_1920.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Although many Remembrance Day commemorations will be severely curtailed this year due to the pandemic, the annual Remembrance Day Service at the Cenotaph in London will go ahead as a closed ceremony. It will be broadcast live on BBC One from 10.15am on Sunday 8 November and you can also watch a live stream of events from the Cenotaph on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPoppyLegion">Royal British Legion Facebook Page</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><b>Philanthropy</b></span></p><p><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgequrpntUzaJhsQIYjC_mr2fEcC5q-COUWKjfMOzoFQlpNqikn2eg09OI_RdhbmXlfhuLcqT7dtlzlCcLO_lBgbXK0rBzViu8guUlJInvG1J9tA7YI7m1olFJJ7uXJ35zcCD7WYDSjn85H/s1920/color-21642_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1279" data-original-width="1920" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgequrpntUzaJhsQIYjC_mr2fEcC5q-COUWKjfMOzoFQlpNqikn2eg09OI_RdhbmXlfhuLcqT7dtlzlCcLO_lBgbXK0rBzViu8guUlJInvG1J9tA7YI7m1olFJJ7uXJ35zcCD7WYDSjn85H/w400-h265/color-21642_1920.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>Defined as the act of performing charitable or benevolent actions, Remembrance Day is a good time of year to practice philanthropy. Even if you've not been able to buy a poppy because of Covid, you can still donate online to the British Legion's Poppy Appeal 2020 and even download a free poppy poster that you can display in your window to encourage others to give. There is also a poppy poster for the kids to colour in too</span></span><b>.</b></p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/ways-to-give/donate">https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/ways-to-give/donate</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Printable</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWySyvEfioGWxL_CNnDyORU11HwKnVVYft3tnlDsW5eXZumt6PGxOC438u1ReXiHlco3E2-osh_qkdntuT1QgosbtV7CPgfkPvfFIzRsck2iWswWQglc6ScmoduEoz9hdGjRvG2E5Oqht/s794/il_794xN.2689076915_t0s1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="794" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWySyvEfioGWxL_CNnDyORU11HwKnVVYft3tnlDsW5eXZumt6PGxOC438u1ReXiHlco3E2-osh_qkdntuT1QgosbtV7CPgfkPvfFIzRsck2iWswWQglc6ScmoduEoz9hdGjRvG2E5Oqht/w400-h400/il_794xN.2689076915_t0s1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></b></div><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">This is a printable poppy collage sheet that I designed recently and which is available to download from my Etsy shop. If you purchase it any time before midnight on 11 November 2020, I will donate the full retail price (£2.50) to the Royal British Legion.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">You can instantly download the printable sheet here:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/894516863/poppy-digital-collage-sheet-digital">https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/894516863/poppy-digital-collage-sheet-digital</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I hope that whatever you do this year for Remembrance Day you are able to stay well and safe.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Take care,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Melissa x</span></p><div><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-30120960509872890772020-04-26T05:45:00.000-07:002023-11-25T16:23:55.740-08:00Rainbow Collage Craft<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Hi everyone.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">We need rainbows more than ever at the moment, don't we? There is something about their bright colours, their simple shape and their symbolism of hope which is perfect for these scary times. So it's no surprise really that the rainbow seems to have become the agreed artistic symbol of the fightback against the coronavirus pandemic and I've certainly enjoyed looking at the various rainbow artwork that has appeared in windows, doors and on driveways when I've been talking my regular walks around the area where I live.</span></span><br />
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</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3qtDofW1aOqTYY3jB74a4aFPQLLzNQfLhUUkqWW4egrEjpcjwJSgRVFGHFK_1NdpDtmwTJMfVJTc3mAElfFgFfEs2BPTNb9fA5PmsPyf6NI2NCqi0LyYtKbOvkemknJpwScoFkV4zo4x/s1600/Coronavirus_rainbow%252C_31_March_2020.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3qtDofW1aOqTYY3jB74a4aFPQLLzNQfLhUUkqWW4egrEjpcjwJSgRVFGHFK_1NdpDtmwTJMfVJTc3mAElfFgFfEs2BPTNb9fA5PmsPyf6NI2NCqi0LyYtKbOvkemknJpwScoFkV4zo4x/s400/Coronavirus_rainbow%252C_31_March_2020.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Coronavirus Rainbow, March 31 2020.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Photo Credit: CC (themostinept )</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Here are three things you might not know about rainbows:</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">1. The word 'rainbow' comes from two Old English words 'regn' and 'boga' meaning 'rain' and 'bow'.</span></span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">2. Although rainbows feature a lot in ancient literature and religious mythology, no one knew what they were until the 17th century.</span></span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">3. Because rainbows don't actually exist (sorry!) and are just a "virtual image" of the sun, in theory we all see a different rainbow.</span></span><br />
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<span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">There are more fascinating facts and information about rainbows in this article if you are interested in finding out more about them.</span><br />
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<span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="https://www.seriousfacts.com/rainbow-facts/">https://www.seriousfacts.com/rainbow-facts/</a></span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Well, I've seen enough lovely rainbows recently, both in the sky and on the street, to feel inspired to create some rainbow artwork of my own and this is a piece of digital art that I designed from a greetings card I bought at my local shops just before lockdown.</span></span><br />
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</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKCTGAfly8EYnYIszqP1aStjHkZIHPixxsPyT56VojGU2NxJEic_jD2HgfXIOfv_F-M0XLr1auv6hLnOaf6EnUgj9EI6iUHxzOJCyqJmLwmOwcuXd2e3yeBxKUFJ0_oyIlFSDAih2GrWi/s1600/wallartrainbow.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="785" data-original-width="1111" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKCTGAfly8EYnYIszqP1aStjHkZIHPixxsPyT56VojGU2NxJEic_jD2HgfXIOfv_F-M0XLr1auv6hLnOaf6EnUgj9EI6iUHxzOJCyqJmLwmOwcuXd2e3yeBxKUFJ0_oyIlFSDAih2GrWi/s400/wallartrainbow.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Rainbow Wall Art</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Final Image Design by Melissa Lawrence</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="text-align: center;">I've also created a rainbow collage sheet which is now available to download from my</span><a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/783815248/rainbow-printable-collage-sheet-instant" style="text-align: center;"> Etsy shop</a><span style="text-align: center;">. You can print it out as many times as you like and use it for cardmaking, collages, window art or whatever you fancy. It's great for crafting with kids, too.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-Xw9nnRYpTU2xZOy6ke2ALZ0fHAvL-S877U5zVsnhzu2VLiyiM56QdZqJV6xIdoo2fMDnfrPVw4U5_vvxmtJ1FWijRk7tokv_qGAxVLAsKz3BTrf2eB6yQlc-pLmfenpND3t_OCRECyg/s1600/collageshtrainbow.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1111" data-original-width="785" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-Xw9nnRYpTU2xZOy6ke2ALZ0fHAvL-S877U5zVsnhzu2VLiyiM56QdZqJV6xIdoo2fMDnfrPVw4U5_vvxmtJ1FWijRk7tokv_qGAxVLAsKz3BTrf2eB6yQlc-pLmfenpND3t_OCRECyg/s400/collageshtrainbow.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Rainbow Collage Sheet<br />Final Image Design by Melissa Lawrence</span></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">And here are a couple of sample cards I made using some of the elements from the collage sheet.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNeKbJQOz0_p0WQQkc4wsvdPAg9GtXsnBVDv_fKlbfMhxiuli3syNdYQXZnBQAxTB7S58pT9tnWN3vhq5C42Y_MdMuDwIG6LjL228vxWSIl89LMPq5B927MK5tkNMwUKLvSnAgJWl02anO/s1600/Craft+Project+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1111" data-original-width="785" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNeKbJQOz0_p0WQQkc4wsvdPAg9GtXsnBVDv_fKlbfMhxiuli3syNdYQXZnBQAxTB7S58pT9tnWN3vhq5C42Y_MdMuDwIG6LjL228vxWSIl89LMPq5B927MK5tkNMwUKLvSnAgJWl02anO/s400/Craft+Project+2.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Sample Rainbow Cards by Melissa Lawrence</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Also, there are some great ideas online for doing rainbow collage art with kids if you are looking for things to keep them busy and creative at the moment. Here is just one example I found for you:</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.artycraftykids.com/art/rainbow-paper-collage-art-project/"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">https://www.artycraftykids.com/art/rainbow-paper-collage-art-project/</span></a></span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Anyway, I do hope that you are managing to stay safe and well at the moment and please, don't give up on chasing your own metaphorical rainbows, however hard it seems the moment. We will get there in the end.</span></span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Stay creative!</span></span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Melissa x</span></span></span><br />
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Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-62950635676628184632020-04-05T11:33:00.003-07:002023-11-25T16:24:50.216-08:00Free Easter Collage Sheet<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Hi everyone.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">It's hard to believe that less than three months after I last wrote a post for this blog, we would be in the middle of a global pandemic. But unfortunately we are, so I do sincerely hope that wherever you are and whatever you are doing you are managing to keep safe and well.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Like many "creatives" I have been wondering whether I should put my work on hold during the pandemic and of course, if I get sick, I shall have to. I think that many of us have probably contemplated giving up what may seem to us (and other people!) like "non-essential" jobs and doing something that seems more important. However, apart from the fact that I'd be about as useful as a wasp in a honey jar for most of these jobs, we probably need the pleasure, light relief and inspiration that creativity can bring, more than ever right now.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAe5RcobozAce-MYDQDvsVng5T4nhKOotGZSNJNUdocdrl04p6WglfsaWtCD0Jo6nfOgUnp5riSEDJa72dM6PoPhJgJAbq5s8RzyPx7cPr-tGsVh0deOzrQXNaSCKPAZo-Gedkpwwvtlrf/s1600/colored-42660_1280.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="929" data-original-width="1280" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAe5RcobozAce-MYDQDvsVng5T4nhKOotGZSNJNUdocdrl04p6WglfsaWtCD0Jo6nfOgUnp5riSEDJa72dM6PoPhJgJAbq5s8RzyPx7cPr-tGsVh0deOzrQXNaSCKPAZo-Gedkpwwvtlrf/s400/colored-42660_1280.png" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">It's still OK to be creative</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">So a week or two ago I made a list of things I felt I could do through my creative work to help other people and sprinkle some "creative magic". I'm gradually working my way through my list although everything seems to be taking a lot longer than usual at the moment, doesn't it?</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Anyway, one thing I have now done is to put a link on my designing website to a FREE Easter Collage Sheet that I have designed and which you are welcome to download, print out as many times as you like and use to craft with. Easter may not seem like all that much of a priority this year but if you do want to find some pretty Easter images for cardmaking, scrapbooking or home decor projects, please head over to my website. You could get the kids involved too. Ideal for keeping them busy during the "lockdown" period.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjImAosJ9CnhsYyt0I0dzeIwZ3oEW03n4h3vEwRVVPHRL44QZpUYAHs-g9BF3haIHK80tuZOXmq-YryAedOP9MI50QNKQomAsZ1I8encC5hCE-Nmpqff59mZ18tp69CRjrQ1L1lEBhoxHLC/s1600/collageshteaster.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1123" data-original-width="794" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjImAosJ9CnhsYyt0I0dzeIwZ3oEW03n4h3vEwRVVPHRL44QZpUYAHs-g9BF3haIHK80tuZOXmq-YryAedOP9MI50QNKQomAsZ1I8encC5hCE-Nmpqff59mZ18tp69CRjrQ1L1lEBhoxHLC/s400/collageshteaster.jpg" width="282" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Easter Collage Sheet designed by Melissa Lawrence</span></td></tr>
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Sorry, this collage sheet is no longer available as a free update but you can purchase it from my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MLDDigitalDesigns">Etsy</a> shop as an instant download instead.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">And let's hope that next time I post there is a tiny speck of light at the end of this dark tunnel.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Please stay safe, stay well and stay indoors.</span></span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Melissa x</span></span></span><br />
<br />Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820045260423845687.post-88412534651760053972020-01-25T18:28:00.000-08:002023-11-25T16:26:59.749-08:00New Year, New Blog!<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span>Hi everyone.</span><br />
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<span>It's a new year, a new decade and a new blog! Well, strictly speaking it's an old blog but it has had a bit of a makeover and instead of just posting about my writing career on here, now I'm combining it with designing and crafting posts too. Yes, it might have been easier to start afresh with a brand new blog but these days, recycling is <i>the</i> thing, isn't it?!</span><br />
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<span>I've been feeling for quite a while now that I just have too much "stuff", both online and offline, so January has seen me having a bit of a declutter and making an attempt to streamline things more. I'm hoping that by having one blog instead of three, and only five social media accounts instead of eight (Yes, I know!), I might be able to post more and panic less. We shall see.</span><br />
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<span>So please bear with me as I get used to the new format. Obviously if you look at all the posts before this one, they will all be related to writing but fear not. Designing and crafting posts will soon appear, I promise.</span><br />
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<span>In the meantime, I've created a quick digital design for you using one of my favourite techniques which is "colouring in" vector graphics and digistamps on the computer. It's a bit time-consuming but I love doing it and I did promise myself that I'd do more of what I love this year.</span><br />
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<span>Have a great 2020!</span><br />
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<span>Melissa x </span></span><br />
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Melissa Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093389887628234733noreply@blogger.com0