Four Generations Together
th my labour and it was never revisited then it was gone for ever. The concept of perception fascinates me and of course the memory of those two weeks is changing with every minute that passes so the longer I leave it the less ‘in the moment’ it’s going to be. Maybe that’s a good thing though? Do I need a bit of distance in order to write it out? I don’t know.
I tried to record it as it was happening but just didn’t have the energy to write for any length of time that week – it was like being on call 24/7 but not getting any time off afterwards! So the result is a hotch-potch of notes of some of the days which I need to try and bring together if I can. Maybe the stream of consciousness format would work quite well there.
When I checked my e-mail on Sunday night there was one from the Features Editor in the People’s Friend telling me they’d accepted my article on Nairn and would pay me £40 for it – £35 for the article and £5 for the photo (it was one of all of us on the beach sitting around the windcheater clad in the inevitable cardigans!). So that was good news.
Even better though was the fact he said he noticed I’d mentioned Dad was a baker and wondered if I’d like to write a short feature on memories of the shop – around 300-500 words? This was really handy because I had a short story already written which was centred around memories of the shop but I hadn’t been able to finish it satisfactorily. So today I lifted the main part of the memories bit and changed the tense to the first person then e-mailed the guy apologising and saying it’s obviously far too long but if he didn’t mind could he have a quick skim of it and let me know which bits would meet his needs and then I could focus on them and get a summary of that down to 500 words?
Of course what I’m hoping is that he’ll like the whole thing and use it as a longer feature rather than cutting it but if not, no harm done and I can reduce it to the shorter feature size.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say!
What a BEAUTIFUL photo of mother and daughter. Those little hands are so sweet. Congrats on the publishing bit. Seeing yourself in print must feel amazing.
Warning Comment
Sweetest baby smile ever.
Warning Comment
Precious baby girl. She looks older than 4 weeks, so alert. I know you are enjoying her.
Warning Comment
Pretty baby. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that crossword puzzle pattern before. Is it Celtic?
Warning Comment
Funny, I gave up my writing room for Regan to come home. I too had my desk up against the window and the window looks out on Shannon’s garden Richard and I made when he died as a tribute to him. How funny is it when we give up our time for others? Do you think the next generation will do that or do you think they are way too selfish? We are the remnants of a giving society and sacrificing one. woman especially. I love lady bug, I am still waiting for her. xxx
Warning Comment
I wonder what a 91 year old thinks as she views the new life. Trust me to go there? xx
Warning Comment
lovely!
Warning Comment
Generations pics are always good – and the cat did make me smile
Warning Comment
Short pieces are always the hardest – pare down and pare down until you get the essence. Great pics of little Lily – Lily the Pink!
Warning Comment
Lily is just BEAUTIFUL. And you so make me laugh – those layby stops.Yep. Last time I found myself squeezed on the back seat between the two car seats, feeding Layla and singing songs to Cameron. Of course, to get there, I have to climb between the two front seats and invariably let everyone know what I’m doing when either boobs or bum hit the steering wheel and blow the horn.
Warning Comment
I go for garages now because a) there’s light and b) I hope that some mad stalking axeman won’t get us quite as easily. Well done on the writing. 7 hours is still very good with all that you now have going on. I was just wondering yesterday how everything was going.
Warning Comment
She’s so cute! RYN. It would be easier if I just saw Amellia and didn’t keep in contact for anything else, but I think that bigg offence would be taken!
Warning Comment
I cannot get over how beautiful she is!!
Warning Comment
Such lovely photos! Congratulations on having your writing accepted.
Warning Comment
Oh, that is SUCH great news about selling the additional features!! I think you are doing fantastically well writing an hour a day with all you have going on, and losing your writing space. You are making me feel like a slackard (which I certainly am) and inspiring me to stop being so lazy. Lilly is just the cutest baby ever, and I love the picture of her and your mom. They both look very very happy-
Warning Comment
Brillaint
Warning Comment
Awww lovely pics 🙂 RYN: I say – when the going gets tough, the tough get cleaning – I’m an angry cleaner too lol. I I find its enough of a physical focus to get my mind off the mad. About the not writing…I have a lot of Ian musing going on – and yes that’s a lot of it right now, but my dad has also been really sick and until I reorganize my diary I can’t write about it because he didn’t want her knowing in case she freaked out. *sigh* I guess I don’t write about a lot of the Ian stuff, because the silence from my regular readers is deafening when I do – or I get well meaning ‘advice’ which is almost worse. People don’t understand, I guess. xx
Warning Comment
what wonderful pictures! Very thoughtful to print your work out for your mum!
Warning Comment
It’s very difficult to write a 500-word story. It is the only limit allowed for mine since it has to fit into particular weekly column space. But it is wonderful that your story made it and you could do some more! Congratulations! Loved the pics. It’s really really special and such a blessing to have four generations in one room.
Warning Comment
please feel better soon my dear! would like to see all of us fully well!
Warning Comment
Lovely pictures. I’ve been trying to find time to write short fiction 55-word stories. I checked a book of them out of the library. Maybe you could look for it and it would give you some ideas on structure? I really need to make the time to do it, but there’s always so many things I want to do. Congratulations on the ones you DID get published. That’s quite an accomplishment andI’m proud of you for sticking to 7 hours a week. I need to find that time, too.
Warning Comment
Lovely photos. I think there’s always something especially heart-warming about seeing the different generations together. 🙂
Warning Comment
RYN’: Oh, you bet I’m not. I am holding on to cynicism just as hard as I possibly can. It’s hard because in some ways he’s being more distant than he was before the other night and in other ways, he’s simply acting the way someone moving on does. Today he told me to have faith – he was fifteen minutes late meeting us and I was convinced he had bailed on us. I *really* want to have faith – but I need more reassurance and he doesn’t have the emotional resources to give me much of that right now. Re Peter – tell me about it! He was such a hard work as a little boy, but such a sweetheart now. Part of me is ready for my parenting years to be over, and part of me is regretful that the time went so damned fast… That being said – I may well find myself being a stepmum to littleys around the same time I become a grandmother lol – so I will have plenty of chances to get my kid fixes lol. Ian has four kids – two 7 year olds ( a son and a stepdaughter), a four year old son and a two year old daughter. Eep! xx
Warning Comment
I see you are a writer of stories. I’ll have to start reading you. I love the old memories and stories that people can recall from the past. Beautiful pictures, of your grandaughter? And is that your mother and daughter holding her? A group picture of all of the mothers and daughters would be good for your family tree. RYN: Yes, that movie is one of my favorites too. I just sitback and I can almost put myself in the movie as a bystander watching every scene. ; )
Warning Comment
RYN. Such a pity that you don’t live nearer and I could hand over some things that Amellia doesn’t need!
Warning Comment
Lovely pic of your mum and Lily. (I have the same chairside beatbox, Sky remote and crossword puzzle arrangement at Fitlike Towers)
Warning Comment
RYN – Hi Marg. bit loose to be an actual ‘theme’ I suppose – I did the Turra Coo and Alford Bull statues last week and the Stenny Coos also followed on slightly from Mackies Dairies. aye the ‘fang’ had been slack for a while. I would have welcomed a punch in the face recently just to knock it straight oot. Couldn’t find any volunteers willing to punch me. (d’ye believe that?)
Warning Comment
RYN: That’s quite a memory you have. ; )
Warning Comment
RYN: No, no I don’t lol. And I haven’t even *talked* about the baby-mamma drama he has with his oldest son – whom I’ve never met but fell in love with the first time I saw his picture. Zach is 7 in January and has had my heart almost as long as his dad has 🙂 Autumn is her daughter and just turned 7, and has never really trusted me 🙁 Matthew will be 5 in April, adores me (and tackles my knees every time he sees me) and Sophia will be three in February. Yep, this could be an adventure lol! xx
Warning Comment
But, but, but what if I die before I get to read them????????????????????????????????????????????
Warning Comment
All pouting aside, CONGRATULATIONS! You kept all that a secret, probably not wanting to “spill the beans” and jinx things? Not at all surprised you’ve got requests. Pretty soon you’ll be HOT in more than one way!
Warning Comment
Your Mum looks enchanted with smiling Lily. A perfect catch.
Warning Comment
A lovely smile
Warning Comment
Aww, gorgeous photos! 😀 Oh, I hate word-limits when I have assignments to do. I enjoy writing stories, though, but have been given an assignment where I have to write an ending for a already-written story…the thought of finishing someone else’s work isn’t quite as appealing, however. 🙁 Good luck with all the short stories. 😉
Warning Comment
Congratulations on having your new articles accepted. I can imagine how delighted your mother was to read them. I love those photos!
Warning Comment
Lily is such a pretty baby!
Warning Comment