Category: Random thoughts

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Life my novel-in-progress Random thoughts Work

Off and running…

So how’s your 2023 shaping up, dear Reader? Mine has been a whirlwind! Although it feels a tiny bit more relaxed, incrementally a little less hectic, than last year.

I’ve added some ‘physical health awareness’ time into my routine this year, and having one child fewer at school has given me a LOT more head-space, for which I’m grateful! And I’ve filled it (but of course) with other things… I’ve paid the Term 1 school fees, closed (and opened) a couple of bank accounts, sold then collected some budgies, had a vegetarian best friend stay for a week, processed a lot of books and kept on top of my ordering, and also done some gardening in there – as evidenced by my aching and stiff lower back as I type.

Oh, and add into the the time spent night driving with my eldest; an extra church activity or two, and more writing this year than any other year I can remember to date… and 2023 is looking good so far!

And the fact I wrote in my last blog post that I’d be querying by mid-March is still front-and-centre of my ‘not just important but urgent’ mental list. Truth be told, it might actually BE the whole list. I’m on track for that still. Kinda…

Speaking of which, I should probably get going now. There’s editing to do. I’ll leave you with this inspirational new(ish) writing from Veronica Roth, shall I?

See you next time!

  • KRidwyn
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Random thoughts

My Stihl Chainsaw

I can’t remember if I’ve blogged about my chainsaw before, but I was looking at it just now (I’m out gardening aka clearing scrub) and realised it’s probably the tool I love best.

Apart from my phone, of course, which I’m blogging on as I sit here looking at my chainsaw.

Because it’s just so incredibly handy (the Stihl chainsaw, that is. Not the phone – although that is too!) And easy to use. And lightweight. And no matter how roughly I treat it (oil? What oil?) it still works.

I love it!

Here’s hoping you have a love-ful day as well, dear Reader!

  • KRidwyn
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Life Random thoughts

Eye sight

Eye sight: mine’s deteriorating. Rapidly. I’m quite sad about it actually; I’d thought I was different from everyone else and my body wouldn’t succumb to this ageing process. Guess I was wrong.

You’d think failing eyesight would be my cue to get a move-along with this whole ‘finishing my novel’ bit, wouldn’t you. Huh. Again, something to regret.

It’s a bit of a maudlin one this morning, I’m afraid, dear Reader. Sorry about that. Here’s hoping you retain your eyesight for much, much longer!

Have a vision-filled day,

KRidwyn

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Life More about me Random thoughts

Shoe size

I don’t own many shoes; I’m just not the type. (Sorry, those of you who are!) So when Hubby convinced me to join his gym several years ago, I splurged on a second pair of sports shoes, to use there. Fast forward to a few weeks back, when I looked at them and realised I should probably replace them.

So I did. Unfortunately though, the shop I went to (and didn’t have time to get to another) didn’t have any size 8 1/2 left – so I bought size 9 and decided to just deal with it. They weren’t too large anyway, I discovered, after wearing them to the gym a few times.

The following week though, school returned. And as per usual, I wore my size 8 1/2, non-gym sports shoes, on the day staff wear sport uniform.

By 3pm, I noticed not only did my shoes feel tight, my feet were really rather sore! Perhaps I’d been wrong all along, and am actually size 9 instead of 8 1/2?

So it was off shoe-shopping again yesterday. And I’ve concluded I really don’t like the current trend of sports shoes. Where have the colours gone from a few years back? Buying plain white or plain black sloes makes me feel like a school kid again. Sigh.

Have a pain-free day today yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

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Random thoughts teaching

Leaping

This came across my Facebook feed the other day:

And when I finished laughing (gotta love those subliminal messages!) I wondered why – from a writer’s point of view – I found it so funny.

I’ve decided it’s because of the leap needed on the part of the reader. The story is headed in one direction (they make each other laugh; they have a good time) but then leaps to a completely different one (I’m in jail) and it’s the juxtaposition of these two ideas that is startling and therefore humorous. We get a clue it may happen (one was a police officer) but the brain does’t immediately think ‘going to be arrested and therefore need bail money’ and so when it happens, it’s a surprise but not an out-of-the-blue one.

Which made me think of my story from a few weeks’ back… again, boy meets girl and mesmerises her with his eyes – but then ends up being a vampire (I tried channelling Twilight with the ‘mesmerising’ bit). And I wonder if this ‘leaping’ idea is why Janet Reid liked my ‘Stillborn story’ where the reader is led in one direction, but then reader understanding is needed to follow the story to the conclusion?

Anyway, just a few random thoughts this morning. Have a leap-full day yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

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Life Random thoughts

Resistant…?

Visitors to my home quickly notice housecleaning is not one of my strengths. Far from it. I’m a believer in ‘good enough’ rather than ‘good’ in this area; living with a husband and three cherubs aged 15, almost 13 and 12 – none of whom I’ve managed to train with any huge degree of success in ‘tidiness’ let along ‘cleanliness’? – this is a battle I choose to NOT pick. Sanity trumps in this matter.

Not that I enjoy the clutter and dirt. I do what I can, within the limits of my sanity and potentially-undiagnosed-OCD-ness. And preparedness helps too.

For example, I buy clothes which don’t need ironing. And which don’t require specialised ‘wash-by-hand’ instructions. Yes, I’m one of *those* people who read the clothes labels!

The other day though, I was bamboozled, flummoxed, mystified (pick your adjective because I’m still so puzzled by this turn of events, I can’t!) because I read the label on my new five-pack of sports socks only when I was home, removing the tags.

Did you catch those bullet-points? The bottom one proudly asserting these socks were resistant to washing and dry-cleaning?

Resistant to washing. Really. On SOCKS???

If there’s anything you’d want for socks – arguably the clothing item prone to the most dirt and smell – you’d want them to love being washed! To embrace the process of cleansing; to relish the removal of smell and dirt and grime from their pores. To long for it, be eager for it, desiring all else to be clean, be greedy for the water and soap detergent more than any other clothes, to savour the cleanliness at the end of the process… and so on and so forth.

To deliberately design clothes – especially socks – with ‘washing resistance’? I don’t know. I guess I’m missing something here. Because to me, that simply beggars belief.

Here’s hoping you have a more enlightened day yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

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Random thoughts Work Writing

Reacquainting

I thought I might try this again today. Reacquaint myself with my blog, with the whole process of writing-and-sharing which hasn’t happened in… well… quite some time now.

I’m healthy, and have been all year. Riddled with guilt for being so healthy, when so many aren’t. But as a teacher, I’ve been run off my feet. How much of ‘not blogging’ is due to the former; how much to the latter? Who knows. And does it matter anyway?

Well, I’m trying again. Blogging regularly. Not sure if it’ll be weekly or – gasp! – daily. The worst that can happen? It doesn’t last. My pride cops another dent. Sigh. But no real biggie. On the flip-side, perhaps I can make blogging into a habit again. I like that idea. And I’ve noticed I’m always happiest when I’m writing.

So. Here goes. All things going well, I’ll see you again soon dear Reader! Until then, keep safe and well…

– KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Random thoughts

#blogJune day 15

So it looks like the rain has set in… meaning our fireplace wood is wet 🙁

 

But… apparently it was Winter Solstice yesterday. Which was good because I don’t like the cold. At all. So the days are getting longer again, and the weather warming up – this is a good thing for me!

Have a warm day yourself, dear Reader!

  • KRidwyn
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#blogjune Random thoughts

#blogJune day12

Check out this sign Miss12 showed me the other day – you might want to zoom in…

Now *that’s* clever marketing. (If you’re wondering – that’s not ‘roast’ duck under the third stream of gravy!)

Have a surprising day yourself, dear Reader 🙂

– KRidwyn

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#blogjune Random thoughts teaching Work

#blogJune day 4

When I first started my current position in July 2019, I was lucky enough to inherit two and a half extra-large containers worth of LEGO. And, of course, the obligatory paraphernalia which always gets dumped in LEGO containers. You know: Connect4 counters; marbles; dinosaurs; assorted playing pieces from various board games; matchbox cars; domino tiles; the odd ear or tongue or feet from a Mr Potato Head; and so on. The containers were rarely used, because when my younger students would dig around looking for pieces they wanted, they’d give up, disappointed.

Fast forward to Term One 2020. My cherubs and I watched LEGOMasters Season One (from 2019) and seemed keen to watch Season Two. So over the Easter school holidays, I lugged home the two and a half extra-large containers, and also purchased a couple of 4-drawer wheeled trolleys, so we could start organising it all.

It took several looooong weeks! But we kept at it, and when the kids tired of sorting, I soldiered on, and finally all the LEGO was sorted. I’ll have to post the photo of the fantastic looking trolleys sometime. But the first ever LEGO photo has to be this:

because it’s something my father made when he first visited, post-COVID19. He and Master11 sat together, building and playing, and it was a lovely sight to see 🙂

Anyway, that’s my LEGO story. Do you have one, dear Reader?

And that’s it from me. Have a great day, and see you tomorrow!

  • KRidwyn