So another few days have elapsed and I've only just managed to crawl forward a few hundred more words so I've finally passed 1,000 words but am way behind my 11,667 word target at this point .
I'm not sure if this is more to do with the fact that I'm not keen on the story I'm writing or because I have no sort of peer pressure to keep me moving forwards. In previous years I've posted about my writing on Facebook and updated my status on a daily basis about my word count but this year I haven't done that. (More fool me!)
To be honest it doesn't help that whenever Dylan's asleep I feel like sleeping myself and half the time I do because my night time sleep is so fractured at the moment. Maybe I ought to revise my word count target to 25,000 words... or less!
Thursday, 7 November 2013
Monday, 4 November 2013
NaNoWriMo update.
So it's taken me a while but I've finally got around to starting one of my novel ideas.
It's very slow going as I have to wait until the baby is asleep before writing but I'm making more progress than I did last month even if I am miles behind where I was this time last year.
I just need to remind myself that this year isn't the same as last year I can't get up early to write before work or write on lunch breaks, scribble ideas down on the bus and get my head down to do some serious writing in the evenings as there is no time before work anymore or travelling to work let alone free time in the evenings!
I've looked on a forum for people writing with babies and some people are doing amazingly which makes me feel a bit lazy but thankfully there are a few other parents on there in the same boat as me.
I'm still hoping that I'll be able to catch up to where I need to be but as I've only written 812 words and I should have written 6,667 to hit my 50,000 word target by the end of the month it looks unlikely.
It's very slow going as I have to wait until the baby is asleep before writing but I'm making more progress than I did last month even if I am miles behind where I was this time last year.
I just need to remind myself that this year isn't the same as last year I can't get up early to write before work or write on lunch breaks, scribble ideas down on the bus and get my head down to do some serious writing in the evenings as there is no time before work anymore or travelling to work let alone free time in the evenings!
I've looked on a forum for people writing with babies and some people are doing amazingly which makes me feel a bit lazy but thankfully there are a few other parents on there in the same boat as me.
I'm still hoping that I'll be able to catch up to where I need to be but as I've only written 812 words and I should have written 6,667 to hit my 50,000 word target by the end of the month it looks unlikely.
Friday, 1 November 2013
NaNoWriMo 2013.
For the last two Novembers I've challenged myself to do NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) where I neglect housework, stave off watching much TV, ignore Paul and the cats to attempt to write 50,000 words in a month.
This year I didn't think I was going to do NaNoWriMo after finding out about my changed circumstances and failing to write a short story in June but I've been talked around and am currently trying to work out a story idea to launch into.
Obviously this will be hard work finding time and energy around breastfeeding a baby but what is life without challenges?
Wish me luck I think that I'm going to need it!
This year I didn't think I was going to do NaNoWriMo after finding out about my changed circumstances and failing to write a short story in June but I've been talked around and am currently trying to work out a story idea to launch into.
Obviously this will be hard work finding time and energy around breastfeeding a baby but what is life without challenges?
Wish me luck I think that I'm going to need it!
Monday, 14 October 2013
George and Mary's tomato chutney recipe.
This year has been the first year ever that me and Paul have successfully grown tomatoes. Maybe this is because we got our tomato plant from Paul's Grandad George or maybe this is because we weren't too invested in whether they produced tomatoes or not. We're not sure but the fact of the matter is they grew.
They grew large enough to produce tomatoes, lots of them...
The biggest problem was the fact that we had lots of tomatoes which were mainly green and not ripening very fast. We didn't know what to do with them, then we had a brain wave we'd ask Paul's Grandad George and Nannan Mary if they had a recipe and thankfully they did. So they passed on his recipe for Green Tomato Chutney to us which we decided to try.
To make Green Tomato Chutney you need the following ingredients:
5lb Green Tomatoes
1lb Onions
1/2oz Peppercorns
1oz Salt
1lb Sugar
2 pints Vinegar
1/2lb Raisins
1/2lb Sultanas
The instructions advise to slice the tomatoes and chop the onions and mix together in a basin with the peppercorns and salt. Allow this to stand overnight
Next day boil up the sugar in the vinegar, then add the raisins (which may be chopped) and the sultanas.
Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes and onions, and simmer until thick.
So when we followed this recipe with some slight variations such as we used a could of red tomatoes as well as many green tomatoes to make 5lb weight. We also left the tomatoes and onions to stand for a few days instead of overnight, the only other thing that we did differently was to use mixed fruit as this was the only thing available in the local shop. (Unfortunately this meant that we had to pick out the candied peel which I don't recommend as this is really time consuming.)
The rest of the recipe we followed as instructed and the resulting chutney is very nice; however, the vinegar boiling stage smells like sick and I kind of burnt the pot I made this in... Still it made 3 generous jars full of chutney which helped stop us from wasting the tomatoes and I may one day scrape the burntness from the bottom of that pot. (In a million years probably.)
To make Green Tomato Chutney you need the following ingredients:
5lb Green Tomatoes
1lb Onions
1/2oz Peppercorns
1oz Salt
1lb Sugar
2 pints Vinegar
1/2lb Raisins
1/2lb Sultanas
The instructions advise to slice the tomatoes and chop the onions and mix together in a basin with the peppercorns and salt. Allow this to stand overnight
Next day boil up the sugar in the vinegar, then add the raisins (which may be chopped) and the sultanas.
Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes and onions, and simmer until thick.
So when we followed this recipe with some slight variations such as we used a could of red tomatoes as well as many green tomatoes to make 5lb weight. We also left the tomatoes and onions to stand for a few days instead of overnight, the only other thing that we did differently was to use mixed fruit as this was the only thing available in the local shop. (Unfortunately this meant that we had to pick out the candied peel which I don't recommend as this is really time consuming.)
The rest of the recipe we followed as instructed and the resulting chutney is very nice; however, the vinegar boiling stage smells like sick and I kind of burnt the pot I made this in... Still it made 3 generous jars full of chutney which helped stop us from wasting the tomatoes and I may one day scrape the burntness from the bottom of that pot. (In a million years probably.)
Thursday, 19 September 2013
The alien has escaped! (Aka - the baby's been born.)
As you may have noticed I've been pregnant for a while now and this has meant that I've been busy making preparations for my new arrival.Unfortunately this has left me with less time and energy for blogging...
My due date was the 24th September which felt like ages away but at two minutes past seven today I gave birth (with the help of Paul, midwives, a doctor and a plunger) to a healthy baby boy! As you'd expect I'm tired, and sore but happy.
Tuesday, 3 September 2013
Recent events!
You may have noticed a slight lull in my blog writing recently and this is mainly due to the third trimester of my pregnancy catching up with me. It turns out being gianormous is challenging for a clumsy person, tiring and downright uncomfortable. (The less said about that the better!)
So recently I took a week and a bit off work to start preparing for my new arrival, this involved sorting out some of my impending arrival's things.
It also included tending to the tomatoes in my garden.
As well as going on a road trip over to Jodrell Bank to see Sigur Ros with Paul.
Today has also been my last day at work this year before a few more days holiday and the commencement of my maternity leave. It felt like it would be ages before the Sigur Ros gig and leaving work to have my baby at the start of the year and now it's all come to fruition. Where has the time gone?
So recently I took a week and a bit off work to start preparing for my new arrival, this involved sorting out some of my impending arrival's things.
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
More maternity dresses...
Whilst sorting shopping for my impending new arrival my Step Mum stumbled upon this rather nice navy blue and white heart shaped polkadot dress and decided to treat me.
It's very cute and fits well so obviously I'm pleased with it and hope to put up a picture of me wearing it soon! Here is the Red Herring Maternity dress I got from Paul's sister for my birthday which is lovely, light and lose perfect for sweltering summer days!
This is the Red Herring Maternity Dress my Mum bought for my birthday.
This is a bit smaller and has a lining so it's nicer on warm but not roasting days, it makes me feel a bit like a 50s lady in a stylish rather than oppressed sort of way.
These dresses along with the ones in my previous posts and a few loose fitting/ larger pre-pregancy dresses have been my wardrobe for the past month and a half as I try not to burst into flames at the mearest glimpse of sunshine! I hope this was worth the nosey!
These dresses along with the ones in my previous posts and a few loose fitting/ larger pre-pregancy dresses have been my wardrobe for the past month and a half as I try not to burst into flames at the mearest glimpse of sunshine! I hope this was worth the nosey!
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