Watson and the other dog trainer.

Rabbits, rodents and wild critters, are in for a stressful and probably short life if they venture into the Westie's path. He will pursue with tenacity anything that moves. 

I see the start of September as the real New Year, and the time to get me into a new and healthy structured day. Now the children are taking the bus to school I am excited. The plan is:

Leave house the same time as the children: 7:50am.

Walk dog : 8 - 8:30 am

Get to gym 8:40 thirty minute work out 9:10am

Watson's second walk (needed if I want to write) 15 minutes

Back home:9:30am

Quick tidy, make a brew and get a piece of fruit - start work at 10 am 

The 2nd of September 2013.

School hadn't started so my youngest daughter came with me. We were at the woods at 7:45. We were all enjoying a lovely walk, and was just approaching the car park after a 30 minutes later,  when we heard something in the undergrowth.

8:15am No Watson.

8:25am we start shouting in a happy voice.

9:10am we are looking in the undergrowth.

9:20am we check he's not waiting for us by the car.

9:25am we stand in the forest loudly discussing going to KFC and whether to buy strips or popcorn chicken. Watson hates popcorn chicken, still no Watson.

9:30am I'm on the path youngest daughter going through the undergrowth and a jolly female dog trainer enter the woods with a gaggle of students with their dogs.

At this point you should know that owners of challenging dogs frequently get trainers pass you their cards on walks, and depressingly sometimes other owners give you trainers numbers. 

I'm now screaming into the trees, 'fine, stay in the damn forest! I'm going to buy a new dog! Good luck living on squirrels. And according to QI - you can eat rabbits every day and if you don't eat veg with them you die of malnutrition!' 

The dog trainer gets the owners to walk their dogs to heel in pairs, she stands near me, and gives me her card. It happens, I smile, now I feel that trainer and group should walk away - they don't.

Dog trainer to group: (I'm not sure if she thinks I can't hear her!) This is a doggy don't.

The group nod, including a pompous chocolate lab.

Dog trainer: I've seen you before, Westie?

Me: Yes.

Dog trainer: Westies, great dog but they are...(she pauses but the group say nothing) terriers. 

Me: He always come back eventually, usually with something dead.

Dog trainer: Terriers like to hunt small animals and the forest is full off...(she pauses but the group say nothing) animals. 

She turns to me

You need energy. You need to be more exciting than a rabbit. You need ...(she pauses, I don't answer, but I don't punch her in the face either) a squeaky toy. Take my number, I will offer you the first walk free (she looks at group and smiles) I'll sort him out.

They leave. I gnash my teeth - but I'm going to take the free walk, I'm from Lancashire.

9:40am Watson barks and lets us know where he is. He is trying to drag a large dead rabbit out of a blackberry bush. The rabbit is attached to the brambles. It takes a while to convince the dog that we aren't going to climb into a bramble patch to get the rabbit and that the dead rabbit is in such a tangle he isn't going to be able to pull it out. 

Life lesson

When you tell people your problems YOU are inviting that person into your life. It's no use getting fed up because you don't like their advice or frustrated if they don't understand. It's your own damn fault you invited them in.

It is really annoying when some stranger comes up to you and gives you I unrequested advice.

Also, Watson is always nice and chilled out after a successful kill.

  

Sun, sea and trains - an English Break

Brilliant and much needed break away. The girls went to the beach and snorkelled everyday. I went crab fishing, a passion of mine. We looked in all the little sea side shops. Took the train to Corfe Castle and followed in the footsteps of Enid Blytons famous five and had some ginger beer. We visited the clay mine at Norton. 

What can I say about the YMCA - clean and good value for money. The food and staff was excellent. But to me two sets of bunk beds in a room felt like a cell. I must be getting soft, I need an en suite bathroom. The antibiotics, although working well, are making me sick sick sick. So around 7 last night when I was a bit fed up of throwing up in teeny tiny toilets, I asked if the family would mind coming home early rather than travelling home after breakfast the next day. Thankfully they jumped at the chance, eager to be in their own beds after all that swimming and climbing around a castle.

Last night I sunk into a bubble bath and then my own bed. Pure undiluted pleasure. I still feel a little green around the gills, and the kidneys are letting me know they are there. But this morning I have awoke (after strange dream with computers, printers and sexually transmitted diseases) full of writing ideas. 

The only fly in the ointment is looking at my diary for next week and deciding where to put in the new exercise programme. I'm so tempted to use the tablets and kidney infection as an excuse - but since I haven't let it stop me from doing anything I like, I don't suppose I can.

Lydia D Brown - Guest Blog

Using Indiegogo.com to fund my Kingdom Kids Series Books

Name: Lynda D. Brown

Author Bio:

I was born and raised in St. Louis MO, where I still reside. I began my journey as an author in 2006, when my first book was published. I learned a lot working with the publishing company, so when I decided to write a Christian Fiction supernatural thriller series, I decided to start my own publishing company so I would have complete control over my work. This decision has worked out great for me.

My books are available in paperback, eBooks, and audio books.  Writing and publishing books bring me great joy and I just recently expanded into writing and publishing children’s books, inspired by the great authors I have interviewed on my Author Chat podcast on blogtalkradio.com

 

Books I have written and published:

Invisible Enemies-Book One of the Invisible Enemies Series

Seed of Satan: Leah’s Story-Book Two of the Invisible Enemies Series

Powerful Prayers to Protect & Bless Your Family

Damien’s New Bike- Book One of the Kingdom Kids Series

 

My latest project is the Kingdom Kids Series. This series was created for pre-school-2nd grade to teach them how to deal with everyday problems and issues using biblical principles. They are very entertaining and not ‘preachy’.  The characters in this series are very diverse; they include Bi-racial, Asians, Latinos, African American and Caucasians, showcasing the wonderful melting pot of this great planet we live on.

Publishing this series requires me to hire an illustrator and I found a wonderful young lady here in the St. Louis area, who shares my vision, so I decided to use crowd-sourcing to help me fund this project.  Another author friend of mine had sent me an email a few weeks ago asking me to donate to his project and I discovered that he was using http://www.indiegogo.com . I checked out the website and decided to use this website to fund my publishing project as well. This is my first time using crowd-sourcing and I’m very excited about it.

I’ve been an avid reader all of my life, books fueled my imagination and while reading, I began writing my own short stories in elementary school. My teachers were always impressed with my essays, and they encouraged me to continue writing. Parents should encourage their children to daydream. This is where the creative process starts.

I’m a huge fan of science fiction, horror and supernatural thrillers, and you can see it in my books. Two authors have truly inspired me, Stephen King and Frank Peretti.  

The feedback that I get from fans of the Invisible Enemies Series truly warms my heart. They have told me that not only are the books entertaining, but more importantly, they assist them in their lives as Christians. The overall message in my book is this: Let go and let God. Put Him first in your life and trust in Him. When Mel Gibson’s the Passion of The Christ came out, I was living a life far from God. I was a Baptist, however, in my teens; I developed a passion for the occult. I loved the power it promised, and since I wasn’t seeing that in the church, I left the church and began reading tarot cards, preparing horoscope charts for friends and family, chanting etc… I was also into drugs and sleeping around. This was my life from age 16 until 2004 when the Passion of the Christ was released, I left the theater in tears, realizing for the first time, what Jesus had went through when he  died on the cross.  I began to read the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and gave my life back to Him. I was led one day in 2006 to Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” I realized that this scripture was referring to Christians!  Thisknowledge led me to write the Invisible Enemies Series.  When book one came out, several Christians shared with me that they had no idea that something as simple as reading your horoscopeor having your fortune told opens the door to demonic activity in my life!

Links to my sites:

http://www.spokenwordpress.webs.com/

http://authorchat.webs.com/

https://www.facebook.com/invisibleenemiesseries

https://twitter.com/LyndaDBrown

http://www.amazon.com/Lynda-D.-Brown/e/B003X8D4V8/

http://www.youtube.com/user/lybrown45

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/damien-the-bully-the-magic-oil

 

Readers can also email me at:lyndadbrown@spokenwordpress.info

 

 

Glass of water and bag of crisps

I get nervous speaking to my publisher. I always feel like I've done something wrong or that I'm in trouble. However, the conversation yesterday was really nice. She told me to enjoy my weekend away, and extended my deadline to next Friday. It's still going to be tight getting the work in by then. But it was a weight off.

So after the phone call at around four in the afternoon, I told my girls they would have to make their own tea and went to bed.  At 5:45 they ended up in bed with me watching a variety of kids movies. My oldest daughter disappeared, and then returned with burgers for them, and a ham sandwich for me. I didn't complain about them eating in my bed. 

Hubby decided he's coming too, he wandered in at 9:30 last night worried about taking two days off work.

I know the dishes aren't washed up AND I haven't packed for our weekend away. Which is unlike me I like to have everything in the car the night before. My temperature is finally down, I'm feeling a lot better, except for the pain. It feels like I have badgers gnawing at my kidneys. 

I am warm, and comfortable writing my blog. Every so often some one pops their face around the door or wants a cuddle because they aren't sure what to do. And I don't feel like jumping up and getting everyone organised. 

In half an hour the plumber will be here to do work in the kitchen.

Hubby popped his head around the door and asked if I needed anything. I told him I'm suppose to take my tablet with food and he's come back with a drink of water, and a packet of crisps. For some mad reason this seems significant to me. 

So this leaves the question...if Mum checks out will we get to Swanage? 

Stupid, stupid, stupid

There's no denying it I feel awful today, but at least now I know what it is. I saw the doc last week and he claims I need lots of tests. Then yesterday morning I went for blood test. I nipped out at lunch to see another writer. When I came home my daughter stood up and in her best 13 year old dramatic voice said 'the GP phoned you need to go to the practice right away.'

I must admit a slight squishy feeling in my gut. But on arrival, waiting for me was a prescription - I have a kidney infection. Of course the pharmacy didn't have my antibiotics so instead of going to a different chemist getting my pills and a large bottle of water (yes once again the cottage has no water - long story.) I took the girls to Fareham to buy school shoes and stationary. 

Did I get my prescription? No

Did I stop to drink while shopping? No

Did I drink lots of fluids when I got home? No

Did I wake up at 3 am weeing blood, throwing up? Yes

What the hell is wrong with me? I know this stuff!

My diet yesterday consisted of nothing in the morning, fasting blood test. Two home made ginger biscuits and lemon drizzle cake for lunch. I love Carol she is a beautiful lady, but she must have sold her soul to the devil to be able to bake like that. I ate the cake she sent home for the children in the car. Big Mac no fries (trying to be healthy by cutting out the potatoes. I had just bought school shoes.) Not forgetting just before going to bed I found a quarter pack of tortilla chips, all that salt, is it any wonder that today I'm in agony?

Small quantities of food which are high in fat, sugar, salt and calories that give little or no nutritious value. I can recite the warnings.

Will I stay at home today, drink fluids and take it easy? No 

 I promised youngest child that I would take her to her new friends house for a play date and I need to once again rehash the Frankenstein MS. Plus I've got to pack for our weekend break to Swanage, we are leaving tomorrow.

I feel, and I have felt rough for the last couple of weeks. I've had a temperature since the Umbrella Festival at the Groundlings on the 9th. But I kept chucking down a couple of paracetamol and ignoring it. When I finally went to sleep last night I dreamt I was hit in the back by a truck - this morning I could believe it happened.

Well it's big lifestyle changes now! I sent an email to friends last night telling them that I will be going to the gym more - and me and the girls have joined a running club. If you admit out loud that you are trying to get healthy people nag.

Once this play date is over, and I'm up to date with my outstanding projects, and I've got the house sorted. I am going to structure zen like relaxation into my day.

 

Stupid, stupid, stupid

There's no denying it I feel awful today, but at least now I know what it is. I saw the doc last week and he claims I need lots of tests. Then yesterday morning I went for blood test. I nipped out at lunch to see another writer. When I came home my daughter stood up and in her best 13 year old dramatic voice said 'the GP phoned you need to go to the practice right away.'

I must admit a slight squishy feeling in my gut. But on arrival, waiting for me was a prescription - I have a kidney infection. Of course the pharmacy didn't have my antibiotics so instead of going to a different chemist getting my pills and a large bottle of water (yes once again the cottage has no water - long story.) I took the girls to Fareham to buy school shoes and stationary. 

Did I get my prescription? No

Did I stop to drink while shopping? No

Did I drink lots of fluids when I got home? No

Did I wake up at 3 am weeing blood, throwing up? Yes

What the hell is wrong with me? I know this stuff!

My diet yesterday consisted of nothing in the morning, fasting blood test. Two home made ginger biscuits and lemon drizzle cake for lunch. I love Carol she is a beautiful lady, but she must have sold her soul to the devil to be able to bake like that. I ate the cake she sent home for the children in the car. Big Mac no fries (trying to be healthy by cutting out the potatoes. I had just bought school shoes.) Not forgetting just before going to bed I found a quarter pack of tortilla chips, all that salt, is it any wonder that today I'm in agony?

Small quantities of food which are high in fat, sugar, salt and calories that give little or no nutritious value. I can recite the warnings.

Will I stay at home today, drink fluids and take it easy? No 

 I promised youngest child that I would take her to her new friends house for a play date and I need to once again rehash the Frankenstein MS. Plus I've got to pack for our weekend break to Swanage, we are leaving tomorrow.

I feel, and I have felt rough for the last couple of weeks. I've had a temperature since the Umbrella Festival at the Groundlings on the 9th. But I kept chucking down a couple of paracetamol and ignoring it. When I finally went to sleep last night I dreamt I was hit in the back by a truck - this morning I could believe it happened.

Well it's big lifestyle changes now! I sent an email to friends last night telling them that I will be going to the gym more - and me and the girls have joined a running club. If you admit out loud that you are trying to get healthy people nag.

Once this play date is over, and I'm up to date with my outstanding projects, and I've got the house sorted. I am going to structure zen like relaxation into my day.

 

Victorious Festival 2013 - a picture blog

I've been going over some of the photographs I took over the weekend. I thought it may be nice to have a photo blog post of the Victorious Festival.

A working microphone, since they are going extinct I thought I better take a photo.

The lovely Zella Compton sharing a fairy tale with a twist! You can

read her work in The Ten Rules of Skimming.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Rules-Skimming-Zella-Compton/dp/1906132267

 The family having a bit of fun.

Trying to get a few arty shots.

Getting a breath of air before the performance.

The talented James Schillemore who organised the Spoken Word Event!

Off the Post a great book for children.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=James%20Schillemore

Joe McQuilken is a great poet with so much energy - I love his work,

once seen never forgotten.

I always enjoy hearing Diana Bretherick read, she knows so much about her subject

matter. I was a little freaked out when she read the chapter of her novel. It was the

same chapter that  I had read the night before the event.

 I'm really enjoying the novel

 (but seriously - what are the odds?)

City of Devils by Diana Bretherick

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_10?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=city+of+devils+diana+bretherick&sprefix=city+of+de%2Cstripbooks%2C309&rh=n%3A266239%2Ck%3Acity+of+devils+diana+bretherick

Will Sutton was revealing some toe tapping talents. He's a

great sport, he even made time to listen to some of my daughters poetry.

I hope you buy his book

Lawless and the Devil of Euston Square

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_14?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=lawless+and+the+devil+of+euston+square&sprefix=Lawless+and+th%2Cstripbooks%2C309&rh=n%3A266239%2Ck%3Alawless+and+the+devil+of+euston+square

The lovely Annie Kirby treated the audience to a couple of chapters from the

novel she's working on. I hope it gets picked up by an agent or publisher, it's so

well written. If you have a story about Portsmouth you should get in touch. Annie is part of

the You, Me and Everyone Project.

 http://youmeeveryone.co.uk/

It's the first time I've heard this kid read - but watch this space, the girl got talent.

I wish I was writing like her at her age. The name is Katie Gill. I'm

hoping she will be a guest on my blog before she gets famous.

Me having a great old time.