I love back-stroke. You lie on the water, supported but with no perceptible pressure and sound is muffled by the water line. Now close your eyes, drift... Only trouble is I get vertigo! So I have to open my eyes, twist upright, swim the stroke. This story began life in the pool. We all come from the pool - remember. NADA - How much would you pay for nothing?
Jan, Feb, March We both had our set-backs in the early months of the year and it just goes to show how iunpredictable and surprising a year can be! I didn't expect any of what happened next. I honestly think it has been the most surprising year of my life and certainly full of memories I will treasure for the rest of it.
Avis and me
family old and new
March April May it all began to change - seeming endings led to new beginnings. In May we made a long overdue visit to family we knew in Suffolk and quite by coincidence, (some would say fate) met family we didn't know we had, who as it turned out live very close to us here and whom we now regard as dear friends. We also caught up with some old friends this year, Avis Hickman Gibb for a start and we met her husband Mike.
A Genie in a Jam Illustrated by Jerry Wright
June JulyAugust
Then our freinds from S Wales, Alun and Mary came to visit with us... we'd not seen them for 17 years and it was great to catch up. Next, change came again in the form of sudden early retirement for my husband. At the start of July - employed - 21st July - desk cleared and feet up :) The we had our 30th Wedding Anniversary in August and decided, instead of Barcelona, our destination should be BALTIMORE :) So we planned that. I always said I'd never fly that far but I knew that this man below was at the other end of that flight and it would be worth every minute to shake his hand.
Nathan and Jenesta
Sept, Oct Nov My Novella, A Genie in a Jam was serialised at Bewildering Stories in the Autumn and Jerry Wright surprised me with that wonderful illustration of DJ, and late Seotember we set off to Baltimore where we had a great time getting to know Nathan Rosen of Microhorror (and I didn't shake his hand I just grabbed the poor guy and hugged the breath out of him and serve him right for being so lovely!) So I got to know Nathan and his beatiful wife, Jenesta, EDP poet Jody Costa and Writewords friend Jennifer Stakes and her husband Fred. I introduced Jennifer and Nathan and she is now Assistant Editor at microhorror :) Good work!
Then I had the privilege of setting and judging the Hallowe'en Competition I'd won for the past three years - thanks for that Nathan! Go along and read the winning entires :)
Another unexpected turn was that I was totally enthralled with Baltimore itself. I didn't want to come home! But let's face it - I'd never survive their summers! I also got to visit D.C. and Philadelphia and the Maryland Rennaissance Festival, Fort McHenry, meet Nathan's mother, Jenesta's brother... two bands of PIRATES :) Oh I enjoyed every single minute!
Born in Ballymena. Graduated B.A. in French & Education. Spent 28 years teaching.
Three Micro Horror prizes and an honoree in The 2009 Binnacle Comp.
Full lists of what went where availble on Facebook Notes and in the Vaults at Parallel Oonahverse.
Judge of The Shine Poetry Competition 2008.
Managing Editor at http://www.everydaypoets.com
Anthologies: The Very Best of Every Day Fiction 2008 and 2009
Toe Tags 2009,
A Man of Few Words
Short Library 2008
Ambition - to have a whole book to myself :)
Live at The Cumberland Arms 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLRoPrvm2zY