Christmas lights

I remembered to take my camera phone down town when I went Christmas shopping yesterday and took a picture of the centre of Worthing. I didn’t find any Christmas jumpers that I liked. They all had sequins on, which I am trying not to buy, just as I have stopped buying Christmas cards with glitter. All these things that ruin the planet and it is only this year we have been told it is a problem!

Then I walked all over town looking for a specific toy and it was only in the last half hour that I remembered the Guildbourne Centre and, of course, they had loads to choose from! What a pity this place is underused.

There were adverts for the pantomime everywhere. Maybe we could start promoting ourselves as a year-round holiday destination, not just a sea-side day trip place. Here’s hoping we keep the department stores. Happy Christmas, folks!

 

 

 

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Writing a talk

No more poems at present as I am researching Sussex Writers for my 2019 talks at Womens’ Institute meetings.

After talking for about two dozen times on my life and works I thought I should branch out and introduce people to other local writers, old and new but this involves reading about their lives as well as sampling their books so it is taking time. Thank goodness for the internet or it would be a much harder job.

My story for the competition has been posted and, as usual I thought of ways to improve it after it had gone. Never mind, it was a free one!

This weekend is all parties and Christmas lunches. It seems early. I haven’t done my Christmas shopping yet. The weather has been unpredictable so we are beginning to hibernate. I did buy a Christmas wreath for the front door but it isn’t up yet.

Christmas preparations

We had an early Christmas visit from our granddaughter and our son yesterday. I don’t put family photos on line but I did try to take one of our window before they came. It didn’t come out very well due to reflections. I’ll never be a photographer!

Anyway, we had a Christmas dinner with crackers, hats, jokes and funny reindeer that raced when you wound them up! An improvement on the usual trinkets. I didn’t use the Christmas pudding. I’m keeping that for Christmas Eve.

I’m getting a few comments about the panto and I have begun the new novel. Only problem we now have a leak in the bathroom. Why do these things always happen at Christmas!

Xmas party

Woodies Christmas Cracker. Worthing folk club merriment.Well done, Jackie and Mike,

Christmas Fayre

The Sea Scribes attended a Christmas fayre at Heene Road Community Centre in Worthing on December 2nd with plenty of different books for sale, some of which were Christmas themed and would make excellent presents. Our festive stall was well attended but there was so much entertainment going on and such wonderful cakes for sale that many people just smiled and passed by. Friends who already had some of our books came to say hello and say how much they enjoyed our work but how could we compete with donkey rides and a £300 bottle of champagne (in the raffle) ?  It was very festive and a credit to the organisers.

 

Poem -a true story

Christmas Mouse

There once was a white mouse called Poppit, whose owners were going away

They called us and said, could they drop it, for Christmas, two nights and one day.

I said that we’d have him with pleasure and find him a home in the shed

Such a cute little pet I would treasure, with his cage and his wheel and his bed.

We moved all the pots for the flowers and cleared all the tools from the shelves

Then left, to be ready for Santa – his reindeer, his presents, his elves.

Next morning I ran down the garden to see if dear Poppit was fine.

I’d left all my presents unopened for, of course, I had plenty of time.

I looked at the cage in the corner but couldn’t see Poppit inside.

Perhaps he had gone somewhere warmer, under his bedding, to hide?

But alas, he had fled, we had lost him. There was just not a sign of a mouse.

He’d escaped, you might think we had crossed him. We should have kept him in the house!

So the day that was Christmas we started to empty our old garden shed,

The contents on wheelbarrow carted, just hoping the mouse wasn’t dead.

And then, with the day nearly over and the junk on display on the grass

When we’d given up hope for the rover-he was out in the open at last!

That holiday won’t be forgotten. The mouse was returned to his home

And a day that could have been rotten- inspiration for this Christmas poem.

 

 

Sharing and Caring

I find I’m getting bogged down in my blog here on wordpress and twitter. I tried sharing my news but it doesn’t work. The two systems are so different.

Although I feel I would get more people looking at this blog if I advertised it on twitter it limits what I want to write about. Thankfully, folk reading this blog put up with the mix of musings, news and poems with the odd photo but twitter has to be so sharp and immediate that if someone doesn’t catch it while it is up it just gets lost in the general babble. I’ve tried retweeting posts I like and sending messages to people who have liked one of my posts but I’m beginning to think my time could be better spent.

I cleared out a shelf yesterday and found last year’s Christmas list. That will be helpful, as we still send Christmas cards. Tomorrow I am picking up the new print of “Reflections” so that we have some to sell on holiday and when I give my next talks. The first hundred have almost all gone and people keep telling me how they have passed them on to other readers. Do I want to know that? I’m considering a new set of book marks – must keep up the marketing!