Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm...

Well, where did April go?  Another month nearly over, and a fresh one ready to start... I wonder what May is getting ready to throw at me?!  Anyway, to stick to the positives, April has been pretty eventful in its own right, and has seen it's fair share of adventures.

Right back at the start of the month I finally got around to going down to see my Momma and my baby boy.  I was greeted by big cuddles before being whisked into the Fun Farm to play.  We went up and down and round and around; Sethy monster definitely knew his way around, and was much more confident about where he was going.  When it was finally time to leave he was totally bribed with lunch at the pub :)

I got an ace surprise when he told his Mommy that he wanted to ride in my car... He was such a good boy, he had his little car seat in the back, he found poor Eeyore on the back seat and gave him a cuddle and kept spotting mum out of the front window while we followed her to the pub!  He's growing up so fast!


At the pub he chose to sit next to me too, and I even managed to get a photo of his dinosaur impression :)  I really cannot put into words how cute he is these days; well, always has been really - but he is coming into his own now and has such a little personality about him!  


As seen as the sun was shining, we chose to go for  walk at Whisby Nature Park - beautiful place!  Sethy had a giggle up in the front with me while Momma Kate sorted some parking tickets out, out then we went for a lovely walk around the lake, watching Seth run up ahead and come bounding back.  We went for a wander across the lake and played on the little adventure trail, we went for a sit on a bench and then had a wander up the path to the play area where Seth played in the water feature :)  Amazing day, one that will have to happen again sooner rather than later - it was too long between visits this time.  I won't be letting that happen again I'll tell ya!

In other news I have started to look after the boys for Christine, I get to spend the night with them when she is away, and share the bed with them lol - No kidding I have less room in that double bed with them three than I do in my own little single!!  They have no boundaries when it comes to personal space!  But I love them - I get to spend more time with Jak, and we even got out for a walk the other day!

That brings me to my next point - exercising by doing the things you love is definitely beneficial!  I have gotten out on the bike with Jayne plenty now; she has even bought a new bike!  We have been cycling down into Rother Valley, round the lakes and then back up the hill home again... I totally made it all the way back up that bugger!  I refused to let it beat me.  Now I think it is getting time to broaden my horizons and venture somewhere new, so tomorrow I am going to attempt Ulley Res instead and see how that differs in time, distance and effort!  I'll keep you posted.

We are still managing out daily walk at lunch time - and slowly improving our time I think, though only by a few seconds at a time.  But to be honest, I'm not too bothered about getting much faster - I'm purely working on the basis of something is better than nothing - and getting out to walk to 1.2 miles after we have had our lunch, is better than sitting on our asses for twenty minutes...  And it's a lovely walk, the weather had been pretty darn good, and we can have a good old chin wag while we're at it!

As for trying something new - yesterday, I went jogging!  Payback for the bike rides, Jayne decided we had to add jogging to our agenda!  In fairness, hitting the pavement is proven as one of the best ways to get into shape fast - so I decided to give it a go.  She drove us down to Treeton Dyke after work, and off we went...  Well, I;m not going to lie - I thought I was going to die - but, I did it!!  And i did it reasonably well for a first attempt!  

So - here it is in writing Jayne - by the end of the summer term, I will have jogged that lap without nearly passing out!  

There's the starting mark - For now we are just going to add it as a once a week thing, and I'm getting out on my bike twice a week - then we will up it as my fitness improves!  

And as a final adventure - if a very wet one - we headed to Whitby at the weekend to catch the Goth weekend!  Sammy and I headed up there with Rachel and Maisy with the great intentions of a lovely day at the seaside... We wanted to go and play on the sand, have a walk around town, go up to the Abbey... well they were great plans - until the heavens opened.  And when I say it rained, I mean it barreled it down; it never let up.  Rach even had to go buy Maisy some Wellies it got that bad!!  It kind of ruined the mood a bit - but we still got in a ride on a boat, some time at the arcades - and Sammy and I even managed a quick walk up to the shops to go spend pennies on Gorjuss Girls and Frightlings!!

 Absolutely love my new clock - Raven, the Fallen Angling has got pride of place above my bookshelf so that he is in clear view when I am pottering around in my room :)

Well, it is now time to put April to bed - and wake up tomorrow for a fresh start for May!  Bring it on I say!

Till next time,
Louby xx

There is always an option...

So, throughout the week of sunshine, I have put this together.  I came up with the idea for a new character and wrote this over a few days.  I hope you like her, and I can't wait to see what other snippets I can come up with about her...

         The low rumble of the engine cut through the silence of the night around me, and I felt every bump in the road as the bus idled down Main Street.  A soft glow from the street lights illuminated the interior of the clumsy vehicle intermittently as we cruised the road and pulled up at the next stop.  Two passengers stepped onto the bus, meaning I was no longer a lone passenger; the first passed by with her head down, a woman with fiery red hair ad a big shopping bag tucked tightly under one arm.  The second however, a tall man in a trilby hat and a smart navy blue suit, glanced up as he made his way up the bus, meeting my gaze with a gentle smile.  That was all it took, I really wish strangers wouldn’t do that.

          As the bus lurched forward, making my stomach jolt anyway, I felt the familiar pull deep in the pit of my abdomen and my head began to spin.  Light and colours exploded in front of my eyes and I reached out to grip the cool metal bar in front of me to steady myself.  The vision rolled in like a storm gathering power; chaos - the vibes were always stronger for chaos than they were for an accidental or natural death.  I considered fighting the vision, using the theory that ignorance is bliss, but thought better of it.  Did I not owe something to this man if I could alter his fate?  Chaos meant that it wasn't his time, this wasn't an old man about to pass in his sleep after a long fulfilling life; it was a man about to be cruelly cut down in the prime of his life.  He probably had a family, a wife, children, hopes and dreams just like I did. 

          I hated it when this happened in public, but more so that this appeared to be tonight.  Then I felt obliged to step in or at least try and defer it.  It wasn't like I could prevent anything long term - but I could put enough of a glitch in death's plan to make it reconsider another time.

          I took a deep breath and let the vision take a hold over me, my damp palms gripping the hand rail harder to keep me grounded as the colours began to take shape.  I saw the man in the suit step from a bus into the dying light of late evening; no, not any bus, this bus.  As the bus pulled away, the man pulled up the collar of his suit jacket and began to stride confidently down the road towards the shop fronts.  A light flickered ominously by a boarded up store, and I saw the flicker of movement in the alleyway that ran down the side of the vacant building.  Knowing exactly where this was heading and deciding that I didn’t want to watch it play out, I gave myself a good hard shake and began to pull free from the vision, teasing it apart thread by thread until I could see the tattered back of the seat in front of me again. 

          Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough and I saw the young teen in the alley jump out on his unsuspecting victim and pull a gun.  I didn’t see what happened next, instead I concentrated on the small hole that was worn into the grubby material on the seat in front of me and tried to steady my breathing.  At least now I knew what I was dealing with, I didn’t need the specifics, I already knew the ending to this tale.  Turning slowly to locate the man in the trilby, I smiled as I met his gaze for the second time tonight.  He was sitting three seats behind me and I realised too late that he probably thought I was flirting, perfect…

          Now I had that killer decision to make…   Let life play out as it had been determined?  Or interfere and avoid the unnecessary death on my conscience by saving his life?  I knew I didn't have long to decide, the stop that I saw in my vision was only a couple of streets away, and the likely hood of the bus stopping between here and there were slim.  After years of battling this decision, I knew that I couldn’t save everyone, but I could stop some of the injustice in the world, like tonight for instance.  My instinct told me that it wasn't this mans time to die.  It didn’t have to work like that, if I could do some good tonight, by eliminating the pain and grief that this tragedy would cause to the people effected by the loss, then why shouldn’t I?  Maybe it would make me feel better and do away with the gloomy mood that had descended upon me after the lousy day that I had endured.  It didn’t matter how I justified it, I had made my decision.

          Fog clung to the ground as I stepped off the bus after the stranger in the suit; four stops before I needed to I might add.  My sense of duty had got the better of me, no matter how much I had tried to reason with myself that it wasn't my problem.  One day I would have to stop messing with this stuff, I still didn’t fully understand the ramifications of a situation once I had messed with it, but for now my conscience had gotten the better of me.  I didn’t even know this man, but I felt it was my responsibility to save him.

          As he turned right and began to walk, his shoes echoing in the brisk evening air, I bent down and untied my shoelace and retying it while I surveyed my surroundings.  This situation couldn’t get anymore ironic if I'd planned it.  I saw the boarded up store front from my vision a few blocks down the badly lit street, the street lamp directly outside it flickering threateningly like something out of a low budget horror movie.

          How much could I alter what I saw, could I merely delay him and dodge the issue, or was I going to have to be more creative and completely change the scenario? 

          Thinking fast, I stood up and turned after the man.

          'Excuse me?' I called ahead.

          He turned and gave me a polite smile lifting his hat and tipping it in my direction whilst cautiously glancing sideways. 

          'Mind if I walk with you rather than follow a few paces behind?  I'm heading just around the corner.'  I gestured to street that branched off the main road a few blocks after the dark alleyway that held the armed teenager. 

          'Of course not,' he answered politely, holding out his arm for me to take.

          Clearly seeing a damsel that needed to be protected out in the late evening darkness, he tightened his arm pulling me close as I took his gesture and fell into step beside him.  The bus turned the corner ahead and took with it the only noise in the empty street other than the metallic click of the flickering street light.  I trained my eyes on the alleyway up ahead and kept looking for any signs of the kid from my vision, whilst trying to pay attention to the man that was now politely trying to make conversation beside me. 

          'You can call me Val,' I answered in response to his posed question after introducing himself as Calvin.

          I noted the wedding band on his left hand as he waved it about animatedly in front of us as he spoke and knew that I was doing some good if I could make sure that he made it home to his wife tonight.  As we neared the alley way between the abandoned store and the novelty gift shop next door, I saw the glint of something shiny move in the darkness and drew a sharp intake of breath.  Calvin looked towards me at the sound and I quickly pretended to stumble so that he could right my step chivalrously. 

          'I'm sorry, I can be clumsy sometimes,' I muttered whilst surreptitiously glancing back to the dark alley entrance. 

         

          I saw my opportunity and gestured for us to cross the road towards the turn off where the bus had gone.  Calvin agreed and stepped off the curb with me into the road.  The teenager didn’t make an appearance from the darkness and I called it a successful intervention.  As we headed down the street under the soft glow of the street lights, we continued to make small talk before we parted ways at the corner where I now had a three stop walk back to my apartment, but the stranger from the bus would go home to his wife.  The teenager was clearly looking for an easy opportunity to prove his rebellious side and a couple walking down the road would not prove easy, and killing a woman would not prove him as anything other than sadistic.

          As I finally climbed the stairs up to my third floor apartment, I shrugged out of my coat as I slipped the key into the lock and released a deep breath, trying hard to let go of all the tension that had built up throughout the day.  I dropped the keys on the bench by the door and flipped the catch before heading straight down the hall and peering around the end doorway into my daughter's room.  Standing in the quiet flat, I watched as she slept soundly, completely unaware of the world around her, and hoped, like I did every night, that her life would turn out differently.

          Yep, that's me, a loving mother, the wife to a successful junior doctor and a Valkyrie.  Oh, did I forget to mention that part?  Yep, that's me, my name is Melissa, but I tend to go by Val when I am out defending the innocent.  Three years ago I discovered that the delusional visions that I had been seeing since I turned sixteen were in actual fact premonitions of up and coming deaths; jolly I know!  So, after spending many painstakingly long years of confusion, upset and self doubt, I have spent the last three years, after finding out what I was, from a most unlikely source I might add, learning how to understand and control my abilities, and even harder, to learn how to deal with my conscience after deciding whether to let destiny play out to plan, or to intervene and piss off the universe by messing up their plan every now and again.   

          It was a hard line to two - one that didn’t seem to be getting any easier no matter how many times I had to deal with it, but I think I was getting there.  In the mean time, I had to settle on the fact that my life was slowly working itself out, and I could be happy, despite my history.

Hope you enjoyed it :)

Louby x

Keeping things simple...

I have always said that I am all for the simple things in life - it doesn't take much to make me smile or keep me happy; anyone who can't keep me happy clearly doesn't know where the book store is for a start!  Buy me a book over flowers any day!!  

Anyway, I have adopted this attitude in other areas of my life recently, making sure to do all the things that keep me happy and make me smile.  It had recently been thrust upon us all that life is too short!  Anyone who lives close to me will have seen the news about the High School student that lost his life at the start of the weekend in a horrible accident.  He was far too young and life is extremely unfair - but you have to remember what they say - when in a garden, which flowers do you pick?  The best ones of course!  I didn't know the kid from school, but someone close to me did, and my heart goes out to his family and friends.  RIP!

I started with my last blog post, and I have stuck to it - I got out in the sunshine on Saturday with Jayne and we hit Rother Valley on our bikes...  We cycled all the way there, round both lakes once, and then around the small lake a second time and then all the way home again, back up the hills to the railway bridge!  I was so proud of myself because I made it all the way up the big hill on one go; granted I nearly died at the top - but I totally made it in one go, it used to take me about four goes!!  So my hard work is definitely paying off...  I estimated that we cycled around five miles in total - I had to take it easy on Jayne as it was her first expedition!  Next time we go harder!!

After having to guess the miles on the bike ride, I downloaded a new app to map my travels in the future and then went for a three mile walk with Callum later on in the night.  It was nice to walk around in the Spring air even though it had dropped pretty cold by then.  

In other areas of keeping things simple - over at Fantasy Stampers this fortnight, their theme is Clean and Simple, so I set to work deciding how I could keep an art journal page simple.  Here's the result - 

I enjoyed using one of mum's mask thingy's to ink up the steam punk background and then used the Inkylicious clear stamp - Imagine as my main stamp. 
I followed it up with the cute bunting from a set that I am getting quite fond of; Happy Day clear stamp set, and the little dickie bird in the bottom corner is from a set called Hot off the Press Inc freebie set.  I loved doing this page, however, I love making backgrounds, so in future I think I am going to steer clear of the plain and simple art journaling!

So this is my entry for Challenge # 34 - Clean and Simple - I can't wait to see what you make of it!



Till next time,
Louby xx

Anyone who says exercise isn't fun, just hasn't found the right kind...

Some motivation needed... I did so well for a while with my motivation - getting up before school and getting on the exercise bike before school etc, however, these last few weeks I seem to have been lacking motivation some what...  So, I have decided that it is time to mix things up a little bit.  

At work Jayne and I decided to start and get moving a little more - so as well as joining in with the kids at morning exercise and pumping out a few star jumps and a quick round of Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, and getting moving during PE (I totally played Tennis this afternoon with one of my Kids - well, his version of hitting the ball and making me run around anyway)- Jayne and I have started going for a walk on the land by the river across from School on our lunch hour.  We don't go far, and we don't go particularly fast, but it is better than sitting on our asses eating cakes, plus the scenery is pretty!!

We all know that I love being out on my bike - I recently went on another adventure where I am sure that Pete was a little kinder to me than normal - either that or some of my working out has paid off and I am a little fitter, because I kept up and didn't hurt anywhere near as much the next day as I have done in the past...   

We went through secret tracks and all sorts - You've seen my Gruffalo photo on one of the last posts, and my random Golden Hand find...  But I am learning from all this, that I need to focus on the stuff I enjoy and just do more of it instead of pushing myself to do stuff that I am getting fed up of...

So, the bike needs to get some use I think - I a feeling some Rother Valley trips, and if I can get the bike in my car, some rides further afield...  Anyone who would like to join me is more than welcome - it's always more fun with company!  

As for company - or competition - I decided yesterday that I  needed a little competition to get myself motivated - I have actually considered a Boot Camp!  I need someone to keep on at me and get me going!  So my compromise was to enlist Jayne's help (and maybe Sammy's, although I haven't asked her yet) and get a little bit competitive - Last one standing!  I'm feeling a bike ride, maybe a run and a gym session!  See who can go for longest - because I know how competitive I can be, and that should be enough to keep me moving - maybe stick a wager of some sorts on it just for an extra boost!

And the easiest of all - I have two little puppies and three boys that will never turn down being taken out for a walk - maybe it's time, now that the weather is picking up, to get out and about more with them - time to reunite the pack I think :)

So - let's see how I get on - I'll keep you posted... Remember that you can keep track of all my adventures and motivation attempts, as well as the rest of me, on Instagram at https://instagram.com/lochnessie89/ or follow me on the app!  

Till next time :)

Louby x

A continuation...

Okay, let's continue from where I left off and get this thing finished :)

Question 8 - Who is one of your mentors?  What do you admire about them?  What makes them unique and what have you learned from them?

This one was too easy - My Mom!  (She's gonna kill me for the photo - but I chose it carefully - I like this one)
There are only a few people that any girl will always be able to rely on, one of those is her Daddy, and I do, I love my Dad.  There is my little sister, who is always there for me now that she has grown up :)  But above and beyond all that, there is my Mom!!  She has believed in me, supported me and encouraged me through everything that I have ever decided to venture through.  It doesn't matter to her how daft of an idea I might have, how ridiculously out there my plans might be, or how much work I will have to do to achieve my goals, she has been there by my side through it all and has never given up on me!  For that, and so much more, I love her eternally and am incredibly thankful for everything that she has ever done for me!

Question 9 - If you had just one day left to live, how would you spend it?  What would you tell your loved ones?

If I had only one day left in this world then I would make sure that I went out with a bang!  I would gather up all my friends and family and spend the day being random and spontaneous; do lots of silly things, take lots of photographs and make sure that no-one was about to forget me in a hurry :p
I would tell everyone that I loved them, and make sure they knew it - and would never forget it.  And I would give all my notes and my story to my Mo and ask her to try and get it published for me!
Enough of that now - it's far too morbid - I am not planning on going anywhere any time soon!!

Question 10 - What is the one, most difficult lesson that you have ever learned?

Haha, to listen to my Mother and and trust her when she tells me that something isn't going to work, or that someone is bad for me, or that I am being ridiculous!!  Just trust that she knows what she is talking about - She is always right!!

Question 11 - What is one of your biggest dreams?  What is getting in your way?

My biggest dream is to walk into a well know book store like W H Smiths and be able to locate my books on the shelves!  What is in my way - Other people's opinions...  I have to find someone that believes in my story as much as I do!  I will not give up however, one day that dream will be my reality - and I can't wait :)

Question 12 - What are the most important aspects in your life right now and how much time do you spend on each?  Is the time you spend proportionate to the importance of each aspect?

Hmmm...  The most important things to me period are my family, my friends and my book (and maybe my little lion haha) - I am very much about the important things; I like to have fun, create memories and act on impulse as far as adventure is concerned.  I love to take photographs, and probably take far too many when I am out and about exploring the world, but they make me happy, I love to edit them after, and have a habit of documenting my highlights on Instagram.  
My sister tops the bil for being important to me, and although we argue plenty and wind each other up, I love to spend time with her and go on adventures.  A lot of my time is taken with outings with her and friends, I spend a lot of time at home with my parents, even if it is just sitting on the sofa reading my book.  I like the knowledge that they are close by, it makes me feel safe and happy.

 
My Soldier is important to me, despite the distance between us, and he makes me very happy.  
And my reading and writing.  My writing probably doesn't get as much attention as it should do, I tend to go through phases with it where I write loads some months, and barely touch it through others.  At the minute it has been rather a brick wall where my writing has been concerned, mainly due to the knock backs that I have received for the first book.  I am hoping that the nicer weather and the possibility of writing out in the sunshine will give me a bit of a boost in creativity.  However, throughout the dry spell for writing, I have more than made up for it with reading, and can get through a book a week when I am on a role...

Question 13 - If you could pick one word to describe yourself, what would it be?  Too hard; pick three...

Haha, oh the possibilities... I'll go with one - and I'mm going to use the word 'Determined' as this word applies to a lot of things in my life.  But in general I am a very determined kind of person, and once I set my mind to something, failure is not an option.   work hard for the things that I believe in, and I live my life for me, making sure that whatever I do, it makes me happy!  

Question 14 - If you could choose one word to represent the your ideal version of yourself, or the person you strive to become, what would it be?  

That is also reasonably easy for me - 'Accomplished' - Or to be more specific - and accomplished writer.  The only thing that I strive to become, is a known writer.  Otherwise, I am happy with who I am, I live my life in a way that I stay happy, because I work for all the things that are important to me.

And last but not least...

Question 15 - Throughout the course of the year, what things can you change or do in order to bring yourself closer to that one word you want to embody?

Work harder!  There is only me standing between me and my goals, and I am not afraid to admit that.  Yes I am relying on the opinions of others and finding someone that wants to represent and publish my work - but at the end of the day, it is my work, and it has to be worth representing.  I have to work hard, and keep working hard to make sure that what I produce is the best that I could possibly write, and then one day, I will find the right person to work with that can get my story out into the world!

(In the words of the Master of Dreams himself - no copyright intended)

All done - I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope that your own answers to some of these through provoking questions make you take stock of the things that are important to you, and the things that you want to achieve in your lives.  Always remember that nothing is handed to you on a silver platter - if you want something, then go out there and damn well work hard for it!  
And above all - remember to keep smiling - if for nothing else, then just to keep others wondering why!  

Over and out,
Louby x

A look at the world...

So, I found this online as decided to give it a whirl; 15 big questions to answer about life...  I figured I'd give it a bash on here, see if I can put a few things into perspective!!  I can't guarantee all 15 in one go, maybe just do a few at a time... we'll see how I get on...
Here goes...

Question 1 - What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?


Does 'learn to fly' count as an answer?!
Well, that's an interesting one, and as number one too.. that has me stumped almost straight away, but not because there aren't things that I would do, but because I like to think of myself as a reasonably optimistic person.  There are a lot of things that I would like to achieve in my life, a lot of places that I would like to see and things that I would like to do, but I plan on doing them...  I don't see failure as an option, if I don't succeed at something then I will purely try again.  For example, my books - I have written my first book and sent out numerous copies to agents by post and email.  I have already received over a dozen replies, all with the same response; 'We're sorry, but we don't feel that we can represent your work.' Has that stopped me?  Does that mean that I have failed?  No!  It just means that I need to try harder... I have sent more emails, more letters, and I have kept writing... Failure is not an option when my dreams are so big and mean so much to me!
So what would I do if I knew that I couldn't fail? - Well I guess I'd achieve a few things a whole lot quicker than I am doing now... But then where would the challenge be?!

Question 2 - What would your life look like if money had no meaning?  Where would you live?  Who would you spend your time with?  What would you do more/less of?

Well there is a loaded question...  First of all I would only work part time in school.  I would never give up my job, I love what I do, I love working with children and I love to see the difference that I can make to a child's life.  But if I didn't have to work for the money, I would reduce my hours to part time so that I had more time to write.  I would want to live in a little cottage on it's own land, with trees close by and a stream running close by...  

This is a Thomas Kinkade painting and just about sums up my ideal home! - Image found on Google images - no copyright intended.

I would set up a writing room that overlooked the water so that when I was sat writing I had a beautiful view out of the window.  It would be big enough for my family to live with me, as I get lonely when I spend too much time alone, and I am very much a family orientated kinda person, so I would want them close.
With the opportunity, I would travel more - There are so many places across the world that I want to see, if money was no issue then I would get a few of them ticked off my bucket list; Kenya Safari, Australia, Route 66, Niagara Falls, all the places that I can only dream about going at the minute!
Oh the possibilities!! 

Question 3 - What did you want to be as a child, and how does that compare to how you define yourself now?

That's an easy one - I grew up wanting to be a teacher, but always loved my books; reading and writing... As I grew up, I slowly realised that writing was what I loved and what I wanted to do.  I went to University to do my degree in English Literature, following a passion for books, and decided against the route into teaching - I settled at being a Teaching Assistant, and then made my way down the behaviour and special needs route.  Now I love what I do and wouldn't change it for the world - but first and foremost, I would always define myself as a writer!

Question 4 - If you could write a letter to your fifteen year old self, what would you say?

Haha, what would I say?  I could be here all day... Firstly, I would tell myself to hang in there, because things really do get better.  I'd tell myself to stand up for what I believe in and never let anyone tell me differently, I am my own person, and nobody should ever try and make me change that.  I would tell myself to go after the things that I want in life, to not give up trying no matter how many times you get knocked back, and that no matter how long it takes - it is totally worth the effort!  For those that know me well enough you know exactly what I am talking about there... And lastly, I would make sure that I reminded myself to keep reaching for my dreams, and to never give up on anything that makes me truly happy!!

Question 5 - What achievements are you most proud of?

Hmmm, this one I have had to think about - but I think the obvious would be my degree - I worked hard to prove to myself that I could do the things that I loved, even if they didn't always come naturally to me.  To have someone who is supposed to support you and nurture your ambitions tell you that they don't think you're capable of achieving them comes as a pretty harsh blow - but that just made me work even harder - and it all paid off - I have a complete novel, that I will one day see on the shelves of popular book stores with my name on the cover!  That will be my greatest achievement!

Question 6 - What do you want to be remembered for?

That's easy - I want to be remembered by those that I love - as a daughter, as a sister, as part of a family that has drifted far and wide across the country - and one day to be remembered as a wife, as a mother, a grandmother...  and maybe even as a writer!

Question 7 - Think about the last time you felt totally on top of the world.  Where were you?  Who were you with?  What were you doing?  What parts of that experience can you recreate today and every day to boost your happiness?

Haha, now answering this would be telling - but to cut it short, it was a person that made me feel on top of the world, and still does.  That happiness is boosted every time they tell me that they love me, and will continue to do so for as long as they continue to say it.  The smile is in place as I am surrounded by things that remind me of that love - and it doesn't take much to pull me from a bad mood or rough spell - just a simple cuddle in a certain hoodie :)

Okay, I think seven is enough for tonight - my bed and my book are calling me... But I will do the rest tomorrow night.  

Night,
Louby xx

Easter Bank Holiday Weekend

Well, where to start... To say that I have had a reasonably lazy bank holiday weekend, I have actually fit quite a bit into it too.  

I started out on Friday with lunch out with Jayne and Kelly and a wander around Meadowhall, we did the girly shopping thing but I only walked away with new pyjamas haha.  I can't complain, they're ace PJ's and they have my little lion on them.
Then in the evening, t celebrate the start of the bank holiday, we started watching the Fast and Furious series at home ready to go and see the new film at the cinema.  

Saturday I had an incredibly pro-active day, I was up early to sort out seeing a man about a job, I got some cleaning done, I enjoyed the start of the sunshine and I got crafty with Mum in the conservatory to sort out my entry into the Fantasy Stampers challenge this fortnight, for which their theme is Easter :)

So, this is what I came up with...

 I had a play around with Mum's Clarity Letter Box Stamps to create my scrabble tiles and used a freebie Happy Day Clear Stamp set to get the tiny numbers from to finish them off.  I'm not going to lie, it took me a while to decide what words to use and how to get them all to link... It's a good job I like playing Scrabble :)

My Easter Bunny is a Somebunny to Love stamp that I coloured in with pencil crayon, and he is in a flowery oval that I crated with another stamp from the Happy Day freebie set.  

The border, which I think is a little unclear on my photos, is quickly becoming a go to stamp - Field of Sky wooden block, which I used to leave the dotty frame all the way around the page.

I hope you like it - this is my entry for Challenge # 33 - Easter Time over at Fantasy Stampers.

Saturday night I found myself in an empty house as Mum and Dad were off out to a Wedding (which Daddy came back from a little tipsy and acting like a naughty little school boy) and Sammy was off out into town with her mates.  Now, I should have had company - and I suppose Ill let him off as seen as he phoned to apologise later on!! 
I spent my night with Pizza, chocolate and TV!  I finally got around to watching Into the Woods - which I'm not gonna lie; to say how much I love Fairy Tales and all the newer takes on them - I found this really hard going!  Then I moved on to Season 4 of American Horror Story - Freak Show - now this I highly recommend!  

Easter Sunday has become my little joke :)  Everyone who knows me and my sister knows how different we are even though we are so alike!  But get this - while I was out in the garden with Daddy, doing my She-Hulk impression, digging up the flowerbeds and shifting bricks and bags of soil while Daddy ripped up the old decking - what was Sammy doing?!  She wasn't outside with us getting her hands dirty and helping, no, she was cooking the bacon sarnies!!  Something not right there haha!!
After cleaning up and having a rest, I took my puppies out in the sunshine to play on the park where they met Brandy, Callum's puppy, and we had fun in the sun chasing a ball.  Lacey hasn't had that much exercise in ages - she was knackered bless her!!

Easter Monday we had a nice relaxed day, I did some more cleaning, some more crafting, I went for a wander with Sammy to the park with Benji and Lacey, and later on we went to play on the park with Fiona, Rachel and her little girl.  Was nice to see the park through a child's eyes again!  

And to finish off the Easter weekend, yesterday I got out in the sunshine in the morning with Pete and did just under twelve miles on the bike out in Sherwood Pines.
My exercise and determination to get fit is clearly paying off, because this was the first time in a while that he hasn't nearly killed me while we've been out - and he didn't exactly take it easy on me... And I totally find the strangest of things - I found the Gruffalo, and an odd Golden hand, that we could find no reason for... it was just there to confuse people I think.

And last night we headed for Playzone!!  Hysteria broke out in the car before we were even half way there, there was a MacDonald's trip and some really cheesy tunes on!  We had an ace time when we got there - got far too hot and ran around like big kids!  The reason we went of course!  There was a game of hide and seek that saw a couple of injuries - but what is a trip to Playzone without the odd accident eh?  At least there were no broken bones this time :p and a slushie fight that had everyone scattering back into the zone of play to take cover!  
Great night all round!  

Well, I think that about covers it - I suppose I should get up now ready for the skip arriving and then get ready to start digging!  Sammy has to come play She-Hulk with me today :)  I made sure that we had two wheelbarrows hehe!

Talk soon,

Louby x

Instincts...

So, by request, here is a quick write to do with an old character - if you have been following my blog since the beginning you may remember them, if not, you may decide to go right back to the beginning and hunt down some of my short stories and extracts.  I hope yo like it...

Footsteps echoed on the wrap around porch, disturbing the peaceful night around me, and I crouched low in the shadows where I was stood waiting.  The shadow fell across the doorway several minutes before the figure appeared, moving slowly, cautiously, as it rounded the side of the house and peered through the frosted glass of the door.  A torch hung by the figure's side, held loosely and switched off; there was something clearly not right here.  I didn’t need a sixth sense to figure that out.  The moon hung low in the sky and a lingering mist just above ground level created the perfect atmosphere for such a creepy situation.  I chuffed gently into the darkness, acknowledging the irony before rolling my eyes and standing up.  No longer would I hide in the shadows awaiting my fate.  I was the hunter now, I no longer had to be afraid, no longer had to cower in corners.  I was the predator, and I'd be damned if I let another predator trespass on my home like this. 

Testing the ground carefully, feeling the damp earth beneath my feet, I took a tentative step forwards, skulking low to the floor and keeping in the edge of the forest to stay hidden from view.  No noise came from my movement, I was much more careful like this, much more stealth like.  I continued to move forwards, closing the distance between the intruder and my hiding spot.  The torch flickered to life in the stranger's hand and I stilled, watching carefully, assessing the danger now that the circumstances had changed, however slight.  Deciding that there was no imminent danger, I continued with my approach, the leafy shrubs in the forest's edge bringing me almost to the edge of the wrap around porch.  As if testing my luck, I purposely moved too far, making the bushes rustle and several leaves flutter to the ground.  The torch beam swung around and I flattened myself to the ground, lying on my belly below the bush.  My breathing accelerated, my pulse quickened and I felt the adrenaline rush through my system; the thrill of the chase.  I realised then that I wanted the stranger to see me, I wanted him to run, wanted to have to chase him.  Shaking my head hard I chuffed again, as if giving myself a stern talking to; I had to be more careful than that.  It wasn't safe to go running around like that.

Shaking my head again to clear the longing for the chase, I waited patiently for the stranger to decide that it had just been a passing rabbit, before assessing the situation again.  I could make the jump from here, straight over the railing, onto the porch and put myself in front of the intruder.  But then what?  I didn’t know what to do next, I had never done this before.  But I had to do something.  This wasn't the first time I had watched someone come and scope out my home; word must have gotten out somehow, I wasn't safe here anymore.  I had to defend my territory, it was in my blood now.  So, I trusted my instincts, something I was slowly learning to do, crouched low into position and held myself there, coiled and ready to spring, sizing up the gap, the height of the railing.  Then without too much thought about strength or power, I let my body release, felt the tension disappear from my body as it leapt into the air, cutting through the distance and soaring over the porch railings with ease. 

The stranger turned right at the last second, and his eyes widened as he saw me soaring through the air towards him.  I let out a growl right at the last second before landing square on his chest.  He fell backwards, the torch flying from his hand and clattering to the wood before rolling out of his reach.  Landing flat on his back with me atop him, shock clearly took a hold of his body and I smelled the fear radiating from him in waves as he obviously tried to size up his options.  There weren't many.  He could try and fight me, but he knew he couldn’t win.  He could try and get away, but he wouldn’t get very far.  Or he could lay here and await my next move.  He chose the latter.  I bore down on him, another growl escaping my lips as he dared to meet my gaze.  I didn’t know the ethics, I didn’t know the protocol for a situation like this, but my body, and my instincts told me when something was wrong.  He shouldn’t have met my stare, he should know to look away, this was my territory, my home, and he was the one invading my space.  I realised then, all at once, that he knew what I was.  He knew who I was.  It was no accident that he was here, he was looking for me.

With the realisation came the need to protect myself, and my home, even more.  He had provided a challenge, and now it was time to meet it.  It was time to accept what I had become and to embrace the changes that it had brought to my life.  No more running.  I had chosen this.  I had wanted this; time to start living my life.  I was a werewolf now, and I would not let this man, or any other, threaten me.  Without thinking too much about it, I knew that I couldn’t let this man get up and walk away.  He had seen me like this; a hundred and fifty pound blonde wolf with eyes of dark brown; human eyes.  He knew exactly who I was and who I was hiding from.  I let the wolf take over.

Afterwards, I lay in the shadows on the wrap around porch, licking my paws, cleaning away any evidence of what I had just done.  I would not let anyone threaten my ever again.  This was my life now, and I would live it in peace, no matter how long it took me to get that peace.  The realisation that shuddered through me at the thought of what I had just done made my skin crawl, but I had to stop looking at it from a human perspective.  The wolf in me knew that I had done the right thing; I had followed my instincts.  It was time to live life trusting those instincts instead of fighting them. 

Louby xx