Storytime

I decided to give PiBoIdMo a go...which is basically Picture Book Idea Month...although I have extended it to picture book and chapter book ideas. One idea a day for the month of November. So far, so good. Some ideas are simple, some have turned into a few lines or paragraphs...one idea has half a page of writing. I always think back to the rumour that Roald Dahl had a notebook with  'write something about chocolate'....the rest became history and Willie Wonka was born. You would think that because I work with children each day, that finding ideas would be easy. But the two days I work with babies and toddlers, there is not that much conversation. I will rephrase that, there is much conversation, but quite difficult to understand. Most babies do love to babble and coo...it's the deciphering that is difficult. It's the Storytime day when I have 3-5 year olds, that's where you get some very interesting stories and ideas. To help gather ideas we happened to ha...

As the eldest child you are often asked to do many things. Lift that, move this, feed the dog, organise the family get together. Most requests don't send shivers of panic down your spine like organising an event. Especially organising family...it's like herding kittens. The trouble begins because we all have families---and children....and some of these children have children. So instead of organising Dad and Kate, myself and three siblings...it grows to attempting to organise many. Then there is the fact that so many of us work weekends (really, how anti social is this? Perhaps it is our way of not ever catching up?) Not to mention children's sports and other regular events that occur on weekends. The first feat was to choose a date. Then a place to meet. I chose a park, halfway between US and THEM....noonish. Then I made the stipulation to bring some games to play, there would be no 'electronic devices'. Aren't I a meanie? With a playground near...

Last night we went and saw Stephen Fry  in his Telling Tales show. I know he's not for everyone but I think he is a very intelligent man, erudite, funny as well as thought provoking. And I was not disappointed in his show (even though he had been given a not so good review for the show the night before). He has some great tales to tell....which of course comes with being an actor / comic / writer / performer and knowing so many people. Some of his stories (complete with accents, although he still has to work on his Australian ) were very funny, others quite tragic and deep. I came not knowing a lot about him as a person and really enjoyed the insights he shared. From his school days (wasted really as he was a trouble maker) to his encounters with the law and drugs, and meeting his friend, and fellow comic / actor Hugh Laurie. But what I loved was when he talked about his discovery, and soon to be passion, with language. He was 12 and he had just read this amaz...

A writing friend of mine has recently won some prizes in competitions, prize money and publication of stories, all very well deserved (she's a great writer). I smiled when another writing friend of mine said 'yes, that's what happens when you send stuff out.' I smiled, if only it was that easy. The work has to be good, the timing has to be right but then I began to think when did I last send something out. Hmmmmmmmmm.......still thinking about that. I"m sure if I looked up my 'paper work' it would tell me but between you and me, I'm afraid of the answer. So what is stopping me? Climbing the Gloucester tree in Western Australia, I was intent in making it to the top. Once there, then safely back down, then I thought of all the things that could have happened. Could have fallen, could have broken something, could have had an anxiety attack and froze half way up. None of this happened....I wasn't the speediest climbing it and my legs turne...