tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-356195892024-03-13T04:09:08.719+00:00My New Notebookthe eclectic personal blog of a writer...Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.comBlogger701125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-19326924850835685162013-01-01T13:11:00.000+00:002013-01-01T13:11:58.706+00:00A new year, a new blogAs 2013 starts I am moving to a new blog at<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.catherinewalter.blogspot.co.uk/
">http://www.catherinewalter.blogspot.co.uk/<br />
</a><br />
This blog will remain here for now, but at some time in the future I may remove it to preserve the privacy of my family, as it has documented what has been an eventful six year period for all of us.<br />
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I hope you will follow me to my new blog and I look forward to seeing you there.Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-72757034348571592882012-12-24T14:30:00.000+00:002012-12-24T14:37:03.580+00:00 2012 encapsulated<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TdN5GyTl8K0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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Season's Greetings to you all.Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-51951785465336354072012-11-18T18:58:00.000+00:002012-11-18T18:58:19.466+00:00A confessionYou've probably been wondering where I was. In fact for much of this year I've been wondering where I am too. I've been lost.<br />
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It has been a difficult year. On the positive side, Son 1 did exceptionally well at college and is now at his first choice university. On the negative side Son 2 regressed into increasingly difficult behaviour. His anxiety increased and his mood darkened. We still don't know whether home or school was the cause, but I suspect both. Without wanting to go into too much detail, I became a victim of abuse.<br />
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I was lucky that Son 2 currently has an excellent social worker who responded very quickly, but he and I were badly let down by another professional who was supposed to be helping with his behaviour. The crisis escalated to the point where we had no choice but to let social services accomodate him in order to safeguard me, as a physically vulnerable adult myself.<br />
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The wonderful social worker swung into action again and just a couple of weeks later Son 2 was able to move from respite care into a specialist residential placement which will hopefully be his long term home. It means that he has left school a year earlier than planned, but he can get consistent care and regular psychology input at the home as well as learning life skills and trying new activities. It is a lovely, newly renovated building and he was the second resident into this brand new service. He seems very happy and settled there and it is very much what we'd have been wanting for him next year anyway.<br />
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Of course you don't stop being a carer just because someone no longer lives under the same roof. Son 2 now lives 50 miles away from us but we visit when we can and I am in regular contact with his carers by phone. I organise his finances, liaise with his social worker and attend meetings about his placement. He is still very much part of our family, even though, like his brother, he has reached the age to leave home.<br />
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The events of this year have left me shaken and for a while I understood exactly how women who victims of any sort of abuse feel. My health is currently suffering and I have not been able to write creatively since the start of the year. I'd had lots of plans for the next year, to bring me to the place I wanted to be when both boys had left home. The timetable has been thrown into disarray, but I shall still go ahead.<br />
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But that brings me to the future of this blog. It's been a record of my sons and my writing. The boys are now both independent adults and it is no longer appropriate to write much about them. The creative writing has temporarily stalled. This is the 700th post on this blog but it could be one of the last. <br />
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I'm planning a new writing and creativity related blog to accompany what I hope will be my future life path. I'll be sure to let you know when that is up and running and I hope you'll follow me there. In the meantime thanks for reading about my journey so far and bear with me while I reinvent myself.<br />
Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-6502205024142038612012-07-28T11:42:00.001+01:002012-11-18T18:58:54.944+00:00London 2012On 6th July 2005 I attended a yoga class and then did my weekly food shop as usual. After loading the car I turned the ignition key and the radio came on, just as the announcement was being made about the location of the 2012 Olympics. I held my breath and stayed listening in the car park until it was announced that London, my adopted home town, had won.<br />
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Fast forward 24 hours and the city was reeling from the aftermath of the 7/7 bombings. The gloss had been taken off the previous day's announcement and from then on in the Olympics has seemed low key and, in the current financial climate, an expense and inconvenience Londoners could do without. There no longer seemed to be any excitement and we didn't even bother to apply for any tickets. It was only last week that I realised exactly how close the Olympic Park is to where we bought our first home 25 years ago.<br />
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But over the last weeks, with the torch procession, everything seems to have slowly changed. Son 1 saw the torch in Maidenhead a couple of weeks ago, as he knows one of the torch bearers there. Three days ago it passed just a mile from our house and he saw it again. I would have loved to observe this once in a lifetime event but am not strong enough to stand for ages, especially in the recent heat.<br />
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Yesterday the building excitement culminated in a magnificent opening ceremony. It was quirky and very British, packed full of so many historical and cultural references that I think it would take many reruns on iPlayer to pick them all up. It portrayed Great Britain in all its tolerant, multicultural glory, even including a tasteful tribute to the dead. And who could fail to love the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW5abat5NEU">parachuting Queen</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVM0FzHlDVI">Mr Bean in Chariots of Fire</a>? Or the unique <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKXGqQLPRnM">cauldron</a>?<br />
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I wonder what the rest of the world made of Danny Boyle's spectacular love letter to his country. I hope they liked it as much as we did.Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-24921683479296503252012-05-31T19:14:00.000+01:002012-05-31T19:14:59.421+01:00100 RPM<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDX8qBuFIwKiZrGFJLDoq-JrrDYg4DCpLh1X2kQD0sUrx804rfKpf4FNdnzFvXiO5uvfxMLJw1w7yWKbBcpqm3bDDTdEtICoZ535AWZYXBa_LICdjglTih7PDTCeJpB1_nHIUqaQ/s1600/33976_10150798274271957_548046956_9831721_943845377_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDX8qBuFIwKiZrGFJLDoq-JrrDYg4DCpLh1X2kQD0sUrx804rfKpf4FNdnzFvXiO5uvfxMLJw1w7yWKbBcpqm3bDDTdEtICoZ535AWZYXBa_LICdjglTih7PDTCeJpB1_nHIUqaQ/s320/33976_10150798274271957_548046956_9831721_943845377_n.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I have a tiny flash fiction in this book, published today. <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/100-RPM-Hundred-Inspired-ebook/dp/B0087IOCIS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1338486500&sr=1-1">100 RPM</a> is a collection of stories inspired by music found on YouTube, each story being 100 words or less.<br />
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The anthology, to benefit the charity <a href="http://oneinfour.org.uk/wordpress/?page_id=2">One in Four</a>, was edited by <a href="http://www.carolinesmailes.co.uk/about-caroline-smailes">Caroline Smailes</a>, who explains <a href="http://www.carolinesmailes.co.uk/publishing-100-rpm">here</a> how she went about publishing it as a Kindle ebook. I'm proud to be included with so many brilliant writers and look forward to discovering the work of those I don't yet know.<br />
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My own story, number 48, is called Barricades. It might not surprise you to learn that it was inspired by a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLR9yyI9CHg">famous Spandau Ballet song</a>.<br />
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100 RPM is currently very cheap on Amazon and all profits will go to help survivors of sexual abuse. What's not to like?Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-58967040366598572052012-05-22T19:42:00.001+01:002012-05-22T19:44:26.329+01:00Another legend goneThe last few months have been full of nostalgia. <br />
<br />
There have been numerous television programmes about the 1970's, the decade in which I was a teenager. I'm currently watching <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_Series">56 Up</a>, the latest instalment of a series which which has followed a group of people from the age of seven. Although the participants are a few years older than me, the film clips are so very familiar, making me wonder if I ever looked and sounded like that too. The answer is, I think, yes. I can't help comparing how different we were back in the 70s to teens of today.<br />
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Then there has been the demise this year of three mighty pop legends of the 70s and early 80s, which has led me to rediscover their music on YouTube. <br />
<br />
RIP Robin Gibb.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XpqqjU7u5Yc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-49253259273943428202012-05-17T17:47:00.000+01:002012-05-22T19:43:55.594+01:00Death of a disco queen<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3eQOYimLUt4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <br />
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It's always sad when you hear of the passing of a music legend, whose songs formed part of the soundtrack of your life as you were growing up. Today is no exception, with the news that Donna Summer has died of cancer. Perhaps her most famous song was Love To Love You Baby, but I've always loved this Jimmy Webb classic, so what better way to remember Donna?Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-45233498147667658372012-04-13T12:31:00.000+01:002012-04-13T12:31:49.524+01:00Two little lettersWhat do the letters MS mean to you?<br />
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Microsoft? I think we will all recognise that one.<br />
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Manuscript? Many of my writer friends will relate to this.<br />
<br />
Or multiple sclerosis? How many people really know what this means, I wonder. That question hit home the other day, when I had to explain my hidden disability. <br />
<br />
Right from the beginning I've not been shy about my diagnosis. After all, I did announce it online and I've subsequently written <a href="http://www.inthepowderroom.com/read/shit-happens/not-the-end-of-the-world.html">an article</a> about it. This approach would not be right for all, especially people whose employment might be put in jeopardy, but I'd rather that people knew that the underlying reason for wobbliness or occasional slurred speech is illness or MS fatigue, rather than assume I'd had a surplus of alcohol.<br />
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On Monday I took the bus into town to shop. I had a number of errands to run and was tired even before I started out. Waiting at the bus stop a lady smiled at me, but we didn't engage in conversation. Later that afternoon, when I was too exhausted to walk any further and the rain had started, I headed for home. On my bus I found the same lady, who pointed at the disabled seat next to her.<br />
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"I saw you in Marks & Spencer," she said. "You looked as if you were in pain."<br />
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I explained to her that I have multiple sclerosis, that walking is very tiring and can be painful due to stiffness and spasms, which aren't always well-controlled by my medication. I joked that on that afternoon I'd staggered from one bench to another and she said she'd often seen me out and about locally, walking at my very slow pace.<br />
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It was a bit of a conversation killer, to be honest. Most people don't have much idea what MS is like, especially in the earlier stages. The fact that each person with MS is affected in different ways doesn't help either. Before I was diagnosed I had imagined that the majority of people with MS were in wheelchairs, but that is definitely not the case.<br />
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We both got off at the same stop. My lovely fellow traveller, who looked considerably older than me, shot off at high speed, while I made my way slowly and painfully home to crash out on the sofa.Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-53328633286150544942012-03-31T12:25:00.000+01:002012-03-31T12:25:02.485+01:00End of an eraI often get to the end of a month and take stock of what has happened and what I have achieved. This month was no exception and the achievement was a significant one.<br />
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Earlier this month Son 2 turned eighteen, which means that we have safely raised both our children to adulthood. Now that might not seem like anything special, but anyone who knows our family history will realise that even from the very first days of parenthood it might not have been the case and there have been other scares along the way. <br />
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Our next task as parents is to prepare them both to fly the nest over the coming eighteen months, if all goes to plan. I can no longer tick a box which says I have a child here, we now only have adult children living with us, which is legally something completely different. After more than twenty years, it's the end of an era.Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-65396904755473013092012-03-26T11:42:00.001+01:002012-03-26T16:51:44.282+01:00Dear Mr Cowell<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vyRFEtdLIHA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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Never judge a book by its cover. You really haven't learned that yet, have you? (For those who didn't see the programme, his pre-audition comment on <a href="http://youtu.be/ZsNlcr4frs4">this clip</a>, which can't be embedded, will show what I mean.)<br />
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Jonathan is undoubtedly a very talented young man but he is also clearly very vulnerable. <a href="http://talent.itv.com/">Britain's Got Talent</a> will hopefully make him, but it could equally break him. For now, at least, he needs Charlotte with him on the journey and she needs to be given the opportunity to shine too. Please don't mess with their heads, there's far too much at stake.Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-7864245284951814772012-03-10T08:50:00.000+00:002012-03-10T08:50:54.207+00:00Checking inI'm still here.<br />
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I haven't posted for almost a month. There is no excuse, except that I have been insanely busy and my creative juices seem to have dried up. My caring responsibilities have increased over the last few weeks, with a knock-on effect in the form of physical and mental fatigue. I'm sure I'll get used to it in time, but for now there don't seem to be enough hours in the day to fit in everything I want and need to do, whilst still trying to comply with doctor's orders.<br />
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I'll be back just as soon as I have something more interesting to say.Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-45481856293285355152012-02-12T07:04:00.000+00:002012-02-12T07:04:44.278+00:00Whitney Houston 1963-2012<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/i_4PlM85NJo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-22953146152322929032012-02-06T14:57:00.000+00:002012-02-06T14:57:14.152+00:00BorgenWe don't have much time to watch television nowadays, so when my husband suggested that we spent our Saturday evenings watching a subtitled Danish series about politics, I have to admit I was less than impressed. Even the fact that it was from the producers of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b017h7m1">The Killing</a>, to which we came very late, didn't convince me.<br />
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But I couldn't have been more wrong. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b019ch5q">Borgen</a>, about a newly elected female Prime Minister trying to hold together a fragile coalition government as well as family life, quickly became must-see viewing. It focused on the worlds of both politicians and journalists, linked by the Prime Minister's spin doctor. There were strong and believable female roles on both sides of the fence but for me Sidse Babett Knudsen, who played Birgitte Nyborg, the Prime Minister, stood out. An actress who can portray so much through just subtle facial expressions, she managed to balance the strengths and vulnerability of her character to great effect.<br />
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Borgen has been perhaps a surprise hit, but all ten episodes are currently still available on BBC iPlayer, at least until Saturday. Along with <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b018ttws">Sherlock</a>, it has provided some quality viewing at the start of the year, so I was pleased to find out that a second series has just been bought by the BBC and a third is being filmed.Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-49429363555818512862012-02-01T10:46:00.002+00:002012-02-01T10:50:06.878+00:00JanuarySo January slipped away before I knew it. <br />
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What have I been doing? Well, I had a birthday. I've been organising, but not going on, two uni applicant days for Son 1. I've been downloading lots of cheap and free books to my Kindle. I've been trying to deal with Son 2's increasing behavioural issues.<br />
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And I've been writing. <br />
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I completed the 31 days of the <a href="http://cwnotebook.blogspot.com/2012/01/another-river-of-stones.html">River of Stones </a>project. To be fair I did on a few occasions forget to post the stone which was germinating in my mind, but I always caught up the next day and I ended the month with 31 stones written.<br />
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I've also started doing <a href="http://www.helenmhunt.co.uk/?page_id=37">Helen M Hunt's Hop On, Hop Off short story course</a> and I'm enjoying it very much. As some of you may know, womag story writing is an area in which I've had no success so far and I'm a great admirer of Helen's stories for that market, so I'm hoping some of her skill will rub off on me. Woman's Weekly has always been the weekly magazine which I feel suits my writing style best and Helen has had significant success in that very competitive market. Although womag stories require the same writing skills as other genres there are definite restrictions on content and I'm trying hard to rein in my darker side!<br />
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Helen also runs face to face <a href="http://www.helenmhunt.co.uk/?page_id=10">workshops</a> but if you are looking for something very flexible the Hop On, Hop Off course might just fit the bill.Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-38161519964584387882012-01-16T10:15:00.000+00:002012-01-16T10:15:25.322+00:00SuccessI told you about <a href="http://www.carolinesmailes.co.uk/">Caroline Smailes' </a>flash fiction writing challenge <a href="http://cwnotebook.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-writing-challenge.html">here</a>. Well it was a <a href="http://www.carolinesmailes.co.uk/the-post-where-the-results-of-my-100-word-challenge-are-announced">huge success</a>. Over 350 stories were submitted of which 100 were chosen for the anthology and I'm delighted to tell you that my story <i>Barricades</i> was one of them.<br />
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I'll give you the details of the Kindle book as soon as it is released, but don't forget you won't have to own a Kindle to read it.Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-64809478005752867192012-01-06T17:07:00.000+00:002012-01-06T17:07:26.930+00:00A new writing challengeThere are writing challenges out there at almost any time: <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a> and <a href="http://quillersplace.wordpress.com/100k-in-100-days-1st-january-2012-9th-april-2012/">Sally Quilford's 100,000 words in 100 days</a> being two recent and current ones. But I'm not a fast writer and have to fit my writing in between so many other commitments that I've never dared tackle a big challenge like that.<br />
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I do, however, enjoy the challenge of writing short snippets such as <a href="http://cwsmallstones.blogspot.com/">small stones</a> and like to use my writing to support worthy charities. In fact my first publication came in a charity fundraiser as a result of a 300 word blog challenge, Your Messages.<br />
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So I was delighted to read that <a href="http://www.carolinesmailes.co.uk/">Caroline Smailes</a> has set up a new challenge for 100 word flash pieces to be included in a Kindle book to raise funds for <a href="http://www.oneinfour.org.uk/">One in Four</a>. The catch is that each piece must be based on, inspired by or linked to a song on YouTube and the closing date is next Wednesday,11th January.<br />
<br />
I'll leave Caroline to explain all the rules and the story behind why she has again chosen to support that charity <a href="http://www.carolinesmailes.co.uk/a-challenge-and-the-chance-to-see-your-story-in-print?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CarolineSmailes+%28Caroline+Smailes%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">here</a>. <br />
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I've already entered, please join me.Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-17044882923625660792012-01-01T17:57:00.000+00:002012-01-01T17:57:56.679+00:00Another river of stones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFstaIU41XnEFQi0NM-oq1jou6UoQ0Wi2U2ZuqRHNjYBheXycfzPi3v00w3ULnJy8TfaDoffyka3dGTQ0pYYIosX2qgKOmro5fyUH88q-2X4YOPxnGybpbNEfLHvNjt0-CIR09g/s1600/aros2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFstaIU41XnEFQi0NM-oq1jou6UoQ0Wi2U2ZuqRHNjYBheXycfzPi3v00w3ULnJy8TfaDoffyka3dGTQ0pYYIosX2qgKOmro5fyUH88q-2X4YOPxnGybpbNEfLHvNjt0-CIR09g/s320/aros2012.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I forgot to mention that I am once again taking part in the <a href="http://www.writingourwayhome.com/2012/01/welcome-to-river-of-stones.html">River of<br />
Stones</a> writing project this January and you can find all my recent small stones on a separate blog, <a href="http://cwsmallstones.blogspot.com/">small stones in a river</a>.<br />
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I've already shown myself to be rubbish at remembering to update the blog regularly between projects. But even just writing small stones daily for two months a year, and knowing others are doing the same, has proven to be very satisfying.<br />
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For more information on the River of Stones project, and how you can join us, visit Fiona and Kaspa here at <a href="http://www.writingourwayhome.com/p/river-jan-12.html">Writing Our Way Home</a>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-43454828778208281262011-12-30T15:13:00.000+00:002011-12-30T15:13:16.128+00:00Tiptoeing into 2012I'm not keen on New Year resolutions. You know, the sort where you pledge to give up something or lose a ridiculous amount of weight in next to no time. They are the sort which you break almost immediately and then cause you guilt.<br />
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But I have been taking a look at my life and how I can better prioritise in 2012. The last few months of 2011 have been a rollercoaster, from a desperate low to a fantastic high and back to low again. It's not been easy and some things had to give, mostly my creative writing, which made me sad.<br />
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In terms of writing, my currently small scale commercial work has to take first place, as it reliably pays. I then intend to concentrate on short stories for a few months, whilst I further flesh out my plot for novel two. Having already made one false start on novel two, I've had to go back to the drawing board, and will eventually start to write again in a different genre, with a different main character and more plot points on the scaffold. But I'll get there, I really will.<br />
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I also need to start sending <i>Walking on Tiptoe</i> out again. It is currently out with a few agents but I suspect that the silence from two of those can by now be construed as a no. I think that this will be the year when I start sending it out to indie publishers, whilst also looking into electronic possibilities. I'd love to see it on the Kindle one day, but if I go down that route I'd probably need help with the cover and formatting, which is fairly complex, and I don't have the funds to invest right now.<br />
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2012 promises to be an interesting year for the boys. If all goes to plan we will be waving Son 1 off to his first choice university in the autumn, whilst concurrently making plans for Son 2's future. This is likely to be less straightforward.<br />
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I have a secret project, which I hope to start working on quietly in the background during the year, building perhaps towards something for the future, when the nest is finally empty.<br />
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Last, but definitely not least, December has shown me that I need to take even more care to preserve my health. I'm doing okay, but there is still room for improvement, still a need to be more selfish sometimes and take a little more time out for myself. Recently I have felt as if I am spending almost every waking hour either caring or working (I include thinking about work here!) and my body is telling me that it can't continue. It's difficult to balance Hubby's ad hoc work against my needs but obviously the guaranteed money has to take priority at times.<br />
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So what are your plans for 2012?Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-51822573543084869412011-12-23T18:17:00.000+00:002011-12-23T18:17:15.996+00:00Merry Christmas<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/j9jbdgZidu8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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Can you believe that Fairytale of New York by The Pogues, featuring the late Kirsty MacColl, was first released in 1987? No, neither can I. Enjoy.Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-41757314146825356032011-12-03T16:59:00.002+00:002011-12-03T17:04:01.831+00:00Thirty years onThis time last week I travelled into the West End to meet up with six friends from university. Two I hadn't seen since our graduation day almost thirty years ago, others I hadn't seen for at least seven years and the last meeting with some of those was sadly at a funeral.<br />
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It was a reunion which grew out of a chance comment on Facebook and an effort to get in touch with the fellow students for whom I still had contact details, some of whom then brought in others. The only thing we all have in common is that we studied single or joint honours German at The University of Reading in the same year group. But it was amazing how we immediately fell back into easy conversation. Someone brought along the departmental photo (which I'd missed as I was at a job interview) and time was spent trying to recall the names of other students and sharing anecdotes. I was glad to discover I was not the only person who struggled to put names to the familiar faces in the picture.<br />
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Some of those present had lived in my hall of residence, others spent the year abroad in the same location as me. As well as the memories we talked about families, jobs and our fears that some of our children will be going out into the world during a recession, just as we did. I wonder if our career paths might have taken different courses if that had not been the case.<br />
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Whether or not we ever manage to get together as a group again, the afternoon was life-affirming. It showed that most people's lives don't follow the path they had expected, yet we have all survived. And it proved that friendships based on shared experiences never quite die, however long they are neglected.Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-38142955709481326372011-11-30T18:51:00.003+00:002011-12-01T17:15:34.412+00:00Depression in the newsThe tragic death of the Wales football mamager, Gary Speed, last weekend brought depression into the limelight.<br />
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Now I don't intend to speculate on any individual case, but some of what I read online over the next few days both encouraged and upset me because I think it generalised too much. 'Talk to someone' was the general mantra being bandied about the social media. Now I have no argument with this, CBT and counselling are widely and successfully used in mental health treatment and the Samaritans do a fantastic job. It would be wonderful if everyone with depression could confide in a friend or family member and be gently pointed towards the doctor as a starting point for timely and appropriate treatment.<br />
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But real life isn't like that. In real life a person who is clinically depressed or experiencing other mental health symptoms may internalise their pain and confusion to such an extent that they are unable to open up to anyone. In real life a seriously depressed person may be clinging onto everyday life with such success that their true condition is not obvious to even close family and friends. Most of us have an impression of a clinically depressed person as being unable to get out of bed and unable to function, but it isn't always like that. In real life depression can cause paranoia, even psychosis, and can be part of another disorder. In real life medication handed out readily by doctors can, in rare cases, actually make the depressed patient suicidal. And there are significant waiting times to see a psychiatrist on the NHS even after a referral has been made.<br />
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So yes, if you suspect someone is depressed encourage them to talk. But if someone is, or appears to be, having suicidal thoughts get emergency help for them. A visit to Accident and Emergency will enable a proper assessment to be made and can be a fast track into psychiatric services. It doesn't necessarily mean that the patient will be hospitalised, as if needed there are intensive crisis services operating in the community nowadays. But it might just save a life.Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-13771781524361659342011-11-22T13:51:00.001+00:002011-11-22T13:53:03.364+00:00Creativity as therapy?I've been taking a brief break from the blog while I toss around a few ideas for future projects. Possibly not for the immediate future, but I'm beginning to see a glimmer of light at the end of a very long tunnel and starting to plan, in my head at least, for the day when I may have more time available. Not just more time to actually write, but time to expand my interests into other writing-related projects.<br />
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One of the questions I've been asking myself is why do we write? I'm guessing that the answer to this will be different for every writer. Some may write as therapy, others just to let out the stories which are swirling around their heads. I guess for many writers it will, initially at least, be a combination of the two.<br />
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My first novel, Walking on Tiptoe, has its seeds in my own experience. But it's not my story, nor that of anyone I know. It was created from a mish-mash of things of things I've seen, heard and read over many years, with a lot of imagination thrown in. Most of my short stories have started in the same way.<br />
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Actual life writing (memoir) is much harder. I find that I can only write about life events from which I now have a considerable distance. When Son 1 was a new-born, struggling for life in intensive care, my writer's instinct told me I should be keeping a diary. But I could only live in the moment, I couldn't even revisit the trauma of earlier the same day. Perhaps my brain was protecting me.<br />
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I've only written about our experiences in the neonatal unit once, a poem which is on my <a href="http://www.catherinewalter.co.uk/#/poetry/4526424997"> website</a>. I rarely write poetry, except for writing course assignments, but almost sixteen years after the event I was compelled to write that one and doing so was hugely beneficial at another difficult time. <br />
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I truly believe in creativity being therapeutic. Not just writing but fine art and handicrafts, music and dramatic arts. I've always had the urge to create, to write, to knit and sew, or even create greetings cards and jewellery. I find such creativity both relaxing and occasionally frustrating when things go wrong. It's not coincidental that creative arts therapies are used to much with people who have disabilities or mental health issues.<br />
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I wish that more people had the time to explore their own creative sides. The product doesn't have to be beautiful or saleable, it is the process of creation which provides the benefit. Whether we sell our work or not we should be proud of it.Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-91234525516532112032011-11-07T11:03:00.000+00:002011-11-07T11:03:57.924+00:00National Short Story WeekI've just started to dip my toes back into short story writing after a break of about a year, when I was concentrating on other forms of writing. So I was delighted to find the <a href="http://www.nationalshortstoryweek.org.uk/short-stories-we-recommend.htm">website of National Short Story Week</a>, which starts today.<br />
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The website is a treasure trove of writing tips and resources for short story enthusiasts, both young and old. I'm particularly looking forward to listening to the <a href="http://www.nationalshortstoryweek.org.uk/thewritelines.htm">exclusive interviews from Sue Cook's The Write Lines radio show.<br />
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I'm off to read more and hopefully become inspired. Why don't you join me?Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-60710977887080067642011-10-25T17:44:00.000+01:002011-10-25T17:44:12.277+01:00An MS updateI've just realised that I've not written about my MS for a long time. Now this is partly, of course, because it means that there has been no significant change to write about. Given that it is a progressive disorder, just pootling along in a sort of equilibrium has had to be good, right?<br />
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Over the past two years since diagnosis I've become much more body aware than I ever was. I notice small changes that indicate that something is starting to go wrong and I can act accordingly. Luckily my doctors recognise this. After all it's probably not every doctor that would accept that I know a bladder infection is about to start because my eyes feel strange. Especially when the urine test is clear. But the requested prescription always does the trick and gets me back to normal. I've since learned that this sort of weird occurrence is quite common in MS.<br />
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I feel at my best in the late spring, early summer and early autumn. My body hates cold and damp weather, but it doesn't like too much heat either. I am conscious that I walk better and further in pleasant weather but I'm not afraid to use a stick or even, on rare occasions, a walker with a seat if that will enable me to do some of the things I want with confidence. I've been on medication for stiffness and the pain of leg spasms since the start of the year and that has helped too.<br />
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I've been seeing a lovely physiotherapist for the last few months to work on dizziness and my core stability, as one side of my body is definitely weaker than the other. She is part of a rehabilitation team and that has led on to appointments next week with an occupational therapist and a speech therapist, because I have some functional weakness in my right hand and arm and a tendency to slur words a little when I am ill or very tired. None of this is earth shattering or even too horribly restrictive yet, but such problems are best tackled early if the access to therapists is offered, so my work doesn't become affected.<br />
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I feel lucky to be getting so much help. Sometimes I worry that it is because I am worse than I think I am, but just chatting to doctors or therapists makes me realise that I am at the higher functioning end of MS and that is where I want to stay. I think the input may be influenced by the fact that I am a carer and I am honest about the fact that because of Son 2 I don't get the amount of sleep I should, which is probably a factor in my dizziness. I'm usually pretty good at pacing myself, at taking notice of <a href="http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory-written-by-christine-miserandino/">the spoon theory</a>, but occasionally I forget that even on a good day I can't rush around like I used to and it takes me days to recover. It seems I never learn!Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35619589.post-83010001466888808432011-10-16T18:54:00.000+01:002011-10-16T18:54:08.516+01:00Self publishingSelf publishing is something I've been thinking about a lot recently. In the past, when it was so closely linked to vanity publishing, I wouldn't have even considered it. But now, with the success of the Kindle, it is becoming a much more credible route for a book that is perhaps not commercial enough for the big presses and it's certainly not one I'd discount for the future.<br />
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One of the things I've frequently done since I got my Kindle is to download samples, including many of self published books from both sides of the Atlantic. I've been surprised by the variation in quality. Some are easily up there with commercially published books, while some contain enough typos and grammatical errors to make them unreadable for me. Others contain faults which confuse me because I can't work out, for example, whether the author really doesn't know how to set out paragraphs or speech properly or whether the formatting errors are arising in the conversion of a document to a Kindle book.<br />
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Now as a writer I'm probably more tuned in to errors than the average reader and I also know none of us are perfect. We all make mistakes, of course, but most of them should be picked up in the editing process. For me more than an odd slip in a Kindle sample will make sure I don't go on to buy the book, however promising the story itself might seem, because I know I'd find it too distracting to read.<br />
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Yes, I am a language geek and perhaps I'm a bit anal about this, but I think if a writer wants to self publish it's important to make the book the best it can be before letting it loose on the world. When you've spent months or years writing a novel, why not give it the polish it deserves? If a writer doesn't yet have the skills to edit or alternatively the funds to pay a professional editor, then maybe they are not quite ready to launch a book via the self publishing route.<br />
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But please don't think I'm knocking all self published books, because I'm not. There are some really good ones out there and just because a book isn't picked up by a mainstream publisher doesn't necessarily make it bad. It's just that when you read some samples on the Kindle you can start to understand what agents have to wade through on a daily basis and you can see how occasionally books with promise must slip through the net.<br />
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There's a lot to think about before deciding to self publish. Whilst I'd much rather find a traditional publisher for my work, if in the future I decided to go down the self publishing route I would want to educate myself on the pitfalls before rushing in.Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14103529618681254875noreply@blogger.com4