Hair today...

This photograph was taken two years ago.

The last week has been one of ups and downs. One might say it has been like a day at the park - a ride on the swing, the exhilaration of the slide and the odd tumble thrown in.

I didn't get the agent I wanted but I got a piece of flash accepted for the April edition of Eclectic Flash.

My daughter is about to turn nine. She has never had her hair cut. Lately she hasn't wanted me to brush it and has complained of kids at school tugging it - even though it's against school rules to touch another person without their permission - she doesn't tell on people though so she decided to take matters into her own hands.

The result is in a bag in the bathroom. I cried all night. Not for the hair - you wouldn't think the tangle in that bag could have looked so beautiful - but because brushing it was one of the last things my daughter needed me for.

She was sad for a while, too, but now she feels lighter. I am still weighed to the ground and can only watch her soar. I had spent so much time making wings for my novel I hadn't even noticed my daughter was trying out a pair of her own.

Stuff IT

Some stuff that did and didn't happen.

S. IT trouble.

My laptop broke. My button was wobbly. I thought, for a while, it might fall off but it didn't: it jammed. I had to send my laptop off to be fixed. It's all mended now though.

T. I had a request from an agent to read one of my novels.

I sent an email and had a positive response, then my laptop broke. After much perspiring and use of pen drives I was able to send the requested MS. I am crossing my fingers and hoping said agent likes my story. I'll report back as and when.

U. I had a new blog post all done but for a few pictures.

My laptop broke. I have to do it all again. And I will. Soon. There were three things I wanted to do but Valentine's day is like the world's fastest cake and I am going to spend this week's writing time catching up on all of your blogs and making a list of questions instead of worrying about what's gone (scone).

F. Serendipity.

I posted a letter. I received a lovely reply and I'm meeting a lady on Saturday who grew up in the town I am writing about and is the granddaughter of the man who is the central character of my triptych. The really interesting thing is, she lives just five minutes drive from me - but the best bit: my laptop could not impede good old fashioned post and I have an actual little bit of paper history all of my own to tie me to the lives of those I am writing about. Am I writing myself into fiction or bringing my fiction to life?

F. I thought about using numbers to mark these bullet points but numbers only add up to more numbers and I don't want numbers, I want words. That was my stuff for today. More and less of the same coming soon.

Swedeness

Would a rose carved from any other vegetable smell as swede?

Do you ever make a random observation and find yourself desperate to use it in a story?

Here's mine:

I sipped tea from a thermos cup which emitted an odour from the rim not dissimilar to cooked swede.