Monday 13 December 2021

Share Four Somethings - December

Linking with #RubyTuesdayToo
Something Loved: We had the party and it was so fun and uplifting. I danced for a good two hours non stop and felt wonderful for it. Laughs with friends. Like the old days. About 30 people had to cancel last minute due to covid tests, including one poor couple who walked to our house and three doors away got a phone call from their child who'd been called as a close contact. So they turned around and went home. I had emailed a whole list of rules, it was predominately outside, food was individual covered serves (looks dumb but saves from aerosols - compostible to try and reduce waste). It's a whole palavar but it does make people feel better about coming. A number of people said the next day that it really lifted their spirits. I think we've all been carrying a weight that we've become so used to, we don't even really notice. I'm now nervous I'll get a call from someone and have to then call the guests to tell them I may've infected them. It's just one long stress really, but so far, still worth it.



Linking with #BlueMonday

Something Read (or Said): Reading Ralph Ellison The Black Ball and finishing listening to Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris. My summer line up are Tove Jansson books. Both a thriller and The Summer Book. The thing I want to share though, was something I saw on the internet. It's 100% my vibe at the moment:




Something Treasured: I sent of a story to a Canadian competition and got 4th - it's a story that I need to fix but don't know how so I just sent it off anyway. The characters and story are good, but the structure is shambolic and a mess. I edited it into stupidity and then didn't know how to get it back to something normal. Anyway, the pat on the back felt good, even though I don't get prize money. I'm just named as the 1st Honourable mention (ahead of over 700 others). It's made me think I need to use some of the time off the blog to write again. I've become very demotivated since lockdown. So I treasure the encouragement. It's so easy to lose drive without it from time to time, creatively speaking.

Something Ahead: I will be off until mid Jan (or late Jan) - a few trips away so watch the Insta, and a lot of Festival outings. I am stoked to be off to Furnace tomorrow night as I miss the postponed gig now due to not keeping up with the 5th date change....

I need to warn you there is oddly some state of undress so NSFW. 


I want to wish Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it. To everyone on the globe, may there be peace and good health in your neck of the woods, may there be food on the table with good friends and those you love. To the Australians in particular, may the borders be ever in your favour!


See you next year.

Linking with #ShareFourSomethings #WedBlogShare #WonderfulWednesday





Keep Calm and Carry On Linking Sunday

21 comments:

  1. It's lovely to hear you enjoyed the party, a good dance is good for the soul! Thank you so much for your support with #WedsBlogShare - Merry Christmas! Xx

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  2. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours. Here's hoping 2022 is a bit better. #wedblogshare

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  3. Hi Lydia, I love your dinosaur Santa and it must have felt so good having friends together. It will be very tricky trying to organise get-togethers post-COVID but we do need to try. Congratulations on your recognition of your writing and I hope that you can get back into your writing whilst taking the break from blogging. We have just opened the borders in Qld and already have positive cases springing up everywhere. I don't think the borders will close again (there would be a riot especially near the Qld/NSW border where I live) it is a matter of taking precautions and living with COVID. Merry Christmas to you and your family and keep dancing, my friend. Sue L. xx

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  4. I love Tove Jansson's The Summer Book. Thank you for linking up with #weekendcoffeeshare. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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    1. Just finished Fair Play - quite lovely. Ian Rankin does the foreward, which I thought was odd until I discovered he wrote his PHD on her work.

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  5. I like the idea of walking into 2022 real slow....thanks for sharing.

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  6. How have I missed the word, palavar? Thanks for calling it to my attention. I sympathize with your writing struggles and sometimes think of mine a the literary equivalent of painting myself into a corner. I like trying new things (historical fiction was my latest bright idea) but this one almost self-aborted after spending months getting the basic story down only to find out I'd completely missed a major point of history -- yes -- in a historical fiction. . . It was yet another "back to the keyboard for you pal" kind of moment.
    But you placed in a competition so congrats are due. I just write and post and hope someone reads and enjoys my work and consider real publishing a distant dream.
    I'd like to be in contact with other writers to help me progress my own skills. Ping me if you'd like to trade reads and feedback. All my stories are short but withing that, cover a wide spectrum of clean storytelling.
    Gary

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    1. Happy to. I have read and commented on one of your stiries awhile back. I also find groups like #Auswrites for me to learn things. I learn a lot, actually.

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  7. Congratulations on 4th place, that is an honor. I am glad you were able to have the party and have fun! I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

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  8. That meme about 2022 is so good Lydia. I'm also pleased to hear the party went off so well, it is a weight we've been carrying and I'm extremely nervous about our Christmas plans but we're crossing everything we can and ploughing on. May the borders be ever in your favour - that's my fave saying at the moment!

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  9. Hooray for the party and congrats on the honorable mention! You're right--it's easy to lose writing momentum without some encouragement and positive feedback. Happy holidays!

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  10. Oh them baubles are so pretty x #wedsblogshare #kcacols

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  11. Hi Lydia - well done on the party (well except for those poor neighbours who nearly/not quite/ made it/missed it). You sound like you had a blast and it brightened your spirits significantly. Congrats on the 4th place prize - no small potatoes with 700+ entries! Merry Christmas!

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  12. Amazing that you had the party and dancing away must have felt wonderful. So lovely connecting with friends. Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS

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  13. So glad you had so much fun at the party! Wishing you a merry Christmas as well.

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  14. I'm so glad you were able to have a party! Hopefully no calls need to be made!

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  15. Glad you were able to get together with others. Congrats on your fourth place! Quite an achievement.

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  16. Well done you for the award...and for getting your party vibe back despite the very big challenges of the C word. What a great way to end the Monday Link Up Life This Week with your post! Thanks so much for joining in and I look forward to starting 2022 Life This Week on Monday 3 January 2022. Warm wishes and stay well! Denyse.

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  17. Sounds like a fantastic party, how lovely! And I hope you'll enjoy the Tove Jansson books, I read some of them as a youngster (I grew up in Sweden and she wrote her books in Finland Swedish). I particularly love her artwork/illustrations, but obviously she was a great storyteller as well. Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS, and Merry Christmas! x

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    1. Just finished Fair Play - I thought it was sad her partner got hidden in the books Bio's....until now. Gorgeous book

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  18. What a fun party and love that you danced for 2 hrs no stop! Hope you had a lovely Christmas and Happy New Year! :-) xx #KCACOLS

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