Where is your Place?

I know that everyone has a 'place'. A place they can go to escape the worries, drama's and fears of daily living. Weather it be a forest, deep within the tree's, a calm lake, the bedroom or even a five minute escape in the toilet!

I am lucky enough to live on the coast and I have beautiful Beach's that are never far away. I find if I am stressed, worried, deliberating over a difficult decision or just wanting to relax. The beach is my 'place' to go.

I'm not talking about the beach in tourist season with the blistering heat blaring down, sunbathing with ice creams. No. I have always found the beach far more beautiful when no one is around on a cold frost morning. Watching a storm brew in the sky above the waves, watching the moonlight flicker in the ripples of water in the dead at night. This is where it's beauty is hidden!

I find the rolling of the waves crashing the shore somehow therapeutic and to see so clearly so far ahead. Makes me feel, when I am stuck, there is just so much more! Open possibilities, an open space for my thoughts to unfold.

Here is a picture I took yesterday morning;




So where is your 'place'?

You want to get a good gift?

With only 100 days until christmas. Thoughs of christmas presants soon start invading the mind. The worry of what to get people. What do you get the person who has everything?? another pair of novelty socks to put in the drawer. Don't waste your money - put it to good use.

Well if they have everything, why don't you give to someone else who is in desperate need of help. Help someone to help themselevs. What better gift to give at christmas then the sence of positive gratitude.

Go to www.goodgifts.org to view the brouchure.

What is the price of happiness??

Is it all about money? Is that the key to achieve happiness?

It may not be a straight forward as you'd imagine. A snap response would be 'yes.' I mean who wouldn't want to win the lottery? We are all led to believe that money will be the answer to all our problems. If I get rich I could do all the things that I want to do. I could live in my dream house, go on holiday, buy a new car;

But is that all there is? material things. If you delve a little deeper is it really what you would imagine? have you ever herd the term the grass is greener on the other side - sometimes our fantasies are only Paradise if they are left as fantasies.

I'm not convinced money can make your dreams come true or make life any happier. I believe contentment is something you find within, doing things you love surrounded by the people that you love. This is something that money can't buy. Pulling together as families and communities gives a sense of purpose and fulfillment no amount of shopping can fill.

One man wanted to check this out. 31 year old Mark Boyle spent 18 months living without any money and says that he has never been happier. He eats from the earth and is true to himself. He has written a book called The moneyless man with all profits going to his charitable trust freeconomy community. Check out his blog at www.justfortheloveofit.org

The joy of imagination.

Last week I was on holiday in the East country county of Northfolk. Whilst I was there I went to visit two beautiful castles. Now, I don't know what it is, but there is just something about castles that pulls me in and I can't help but imagine! Dream of reasons why they were built. For a love? To defend the land in battle? Who would have lived in the castle? What they would have worn? What kind of feasts and festivities they had?
I even imagine what kind of life the servants would have had. What kind of daily duties they had. The tragic tales or woe and the loss of loved ones!

I can't help but get carried away and dream of all the stories that may have happened or things that really did happen. I enjoyed walking around learning about a totally different way of life. I was taken in all the wonders of the castle. I even wonder about the hard sweaty labour of how they built such a large, heavy building without all the modern technology that we have today such as cranes?

I just want to take a moment to reflect on how great our imaginations are. How great it is to just float away into fantasy worlds that we create and characters they we control - moulding a destiny for each and everyone of them. Hours can pass without me even knowing sometimes................. It's when I open my eyes and face the real world that the problems start.

Back to School!

Well I have done it! I have registered with the open university and am officialy a student (I have a NUS card and everything) I am very excited and very nervous at the same time. I got my 'goodie' box last week with all my brand new and shinny course material. See image to the side. I know what your thinking, as that is what I thought. Oh My ........... Looks like a lot of books, DVD's, CD - Roms! (thats where the slightly nervous part came from!) I'm not quite sure what I have let myself in for really. But I have been busy latley preparing myself the the cousre 'The arts past and present.' I have been reading the course compamion guide, full of study tips and have made an area to study in.
I am hopeing after a hard slog that I will achieve a degree in English Literature. I hope that this course my give me confidence i my writing skills and new skills to develop my writing.
I just hope that I am going to be able to keep up with this Higher education and that i am not going to fall behind or find it too differcult. The only way to find out though is to try! Wish me luck guys I think I am going to need it!

Blog Awards!!

What a real treat to turn on my computer to find out that I have recieved two blog awards from one of my favorite fellow bloggers, madameduck. After much neglect on my blog site I feel unworthy of this award, although it has given me the much needed boost to get back on it! Thank you.

The Rules for The Versatile Blogger Award:

1. Thank and link back to the person that gave you the award.
2. Share seven things about yourself.
3. Pass the award to fifteen bloggers that you think deserve it.
4. Lastly, contact all of the bloggers that you’ve picked for the award.

One Lovely Blog Award Rules:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.
3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Here are 7 things about myself:

1. I live on the south coast of England - Right on the sea.
2. My favorite animal is a giraffe.
3. I got married this year to the most wonderful man.
4. I am studying with the open university to get a degree in English Literature.
5. I love to bake cakes and cookies.
6. I also love to eat cakes and cookies!
7. My favorite colour is green.

And Now the bloggers I am chooseing to award are: - I won't leave comments for them all as you can click to see for yourselves; But all recomendable.

1. http://madameduck.blogspot.com/ - Not only a thank you for the award, but I always look forward to a new post from Madameduck, very addictive reading - a recomended blog.
2. http://abzincandsuchlike.blogspot.com/ - A great friend and love the comments she always leaves me. Love Abz blogs about random matters and motherhood.
3. http://ramblingsofarustywriter.blogspot.com/ - Great for short stories to read.
4. http://fecklessgoblin.blogspot.com - A fellow blogger found on twitter - who I just love to read.
5. http://sarahduncansblog.blogspot.com/ - very good for writing tips.
6. http://mushroomsanddaisys.blogspot.com/ - Great ramblings and poetry.
7. http://thegartnergazette.blogspot.com/ - A young but talented writer.
8. http://thewhimsicalquill.blogspot.com/ - Also has beautiful poetry.
9. http://emmadarwin.typepad.com/thisitchofwriting/
10. http://stroppyauthor.blogspot.com/
11. http://awfullybigblogadventure.blogspot.com/
12. http://crysse.blogspot.com/
13. http://theelephantinthewritingroom.blogspot.com/
14. http://rachelspillowbook.blogspot.com/
15. http://djkirkby.blogspot.com/

Enjoy blogging everyone!

Ellie.

Flash Fiction

He opened the dark mahogany draw and threw in the letter, it landed on a pile of crisp white envelopes just the vibrant red word 'URGENT' printed on the fronts breaking up the whiteness. Slamming the draw shut hastily he took his glasses from the end of his nose and rested them on the deep wood desktop the other hand rubbing the top of his nose, squeezing his eyes tightly together. With a deflated sigh he reached over to a bottle of scotch placed in the corner of the desk next to the reading lamp, clinking it against the thick based whisky glass, without hesitation he gulped the liquid down, enjoying the warming sting. Momentarily erasing the thought of what he had to do next to stop Mr Clayton finding out that his credit cards had been copied.

What do you do when you want to do everything?

There seems to be so much so do (or so much that I want to do) and I am unable to fit it all in to the hours of the day. It can get so intense that I am overwhelmed with all the decisions; shall I write that story that is going around my head, shall I read that book that sounded great in the review, shall I update my social network sites, shall I try and begin writing that novel that won't write itself or shall I get on with the 101 chores I am meant to be doing around the house. that is just the beginning of things that whizz around my mind, even if I start trying one of the things on the list above I am so busy worrying that I am not doing one of the other things that I cannot concentrate on the thing that I'm doing!! therefore in fact wasting my time completely in non productivity. It's as if my mind is travelling at 280MPH but I can only do 30MPH!

The question is what do you do, when you want to do everything??


At least I have motivation on my side (give me credit for something). But I drive myself insane with being unable to commit to one thing without becoming easily distracted, (any tips of time management would be gratefully received - or in fact any answerers to the ubove question!)

In conclusion to my rant of the day I guess I am thankful that we live in a world with so may beautiful and interesting things in it, that I should slow down and appreciate them more. Devour the joy on the time spent doing things that I love. (but things are easier said that done!)

Spooky stories

Well my ghost story is nearly finished now (just typing up my last few corrections! well I'm supposed to be but this blog is distracting me!! :-))I have had a real journey with this story and have realized just how tricky it all is but it has made me see that I do love to do it and that I am really excited about starting my next project! (not that I know what that is just yet!) As I was writing a ghost story I thought I would read some ghost stories to get me into the spirit of the thing (lol - pun not intended) So I read a book called the 'woman in black' by Susan Hill. What a great read this book is, it had me gripped wanting to know what was going to happen next. After reading this book you will be wanting to sleep with the lights on! A brief outline of the story is;

Arthur Kipps a junior solicitor is requested to attend the funreal of Mrs Drablow the sole inhabitor of the Eel Mash house. A solitray house in the middle of the marshes, in a cloud of salt mist, unaware of the tragic secreats which lie hidden in this house. It is not untill he sees a wasted women dressed all in black that his curiouslity and unease start to take hold.




This book has now been made into a fightfuly fantastic west end theatre show, fingers crossed I will get to go and see it soon.


Has anyone read any scary ghost stories latley?
Let me know if you recomend any.

Thanks and bye for now,

Ellie.

I get knocked down, But I keep writing.

When you have finally finished that piece of writing that you have been working on and it’s that excruciating time when you have to prise your fingers away from the papers to share it with others, holding your breath knowing you could change another thousand things on it. It can be terrifying! You may know it’s not the best, that you have ever written, you may not expect people to gasp in amazment or tell you it’s going to be the next best seller. But the feedback we receive can have an effect and really can knock you back, hearing your weaknesses can be tough and hit on your confidence.

After a recent experience I believed I had taken all the constructive criticism on the chin, but the next time it came to sitting down to write. Nothing would come out. My words were lost. Realising that my fears had returned; thoughts like ‘people won’t like it’ I’m rubbish at this and will never be any good’ the usual things.

It played on my mind until I kept coming back to the same question.

Why are you writing?

My answer is I am writing because I love to write, I can’t imagine not writing! So although criticism is important for improvement take the valuable parts and just keep on writing. Next time you sit down and cannot get anything out. Write a word that pops into your head, and then the next, write a random sentence, write what you are going to cook for dinner or need to buy from the super market. Write anything until you break that barrier of being self conscious and your flow returns. Whatever knock - backs you get, get back to your desk and just keep on writing.

An inspirational book I recently came across is a quick read and an instant ‘pick up you’ and can boost your motivation when it is at a low. It called ‘Reaching for the stars’ by Lola Jaye.




http://www.lolajaye.com/books.html



Check it out. Good luck and don’t forget to keep on writing.

All the best,

*Tinkerfly*

The Little Things

It's the little things,
that remind me of you.

The way you smell,
as sweet as a rose but as fierce as a lion.

The way you speak,
every word you say is like a soft kiss to my ear.

The way you look at me,
intent and harsh yet gental and suductive.

The way your body feels against mine,
powerful and protective yet reassuring and tender.

It's the little things,
that remind me of you.


*Tinkerfly*
xxx

promote creative minds

Hey Everyone,

If you are a teacher, parent, planning to have kids, or have an interest in education or being creative then check out this link to a talk by Ken Robinson.

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

I recently came across this link myself on Jason Mraz's blog and after watching it I found myself agreeing with a lot of things this man says in his amusing talk.Why is the arts at the bottom of the schooling system??????? why not encourage freedom of expression and to truly develop ourselves in every way possible. I understands that the core subjects are a valuable tool in education but why is this system more balanced? why are we told as children. "you can't do that as a career". "being a poet isn't a real job why not be a lawyer??" I spent (in school and after school) being some one I didn't really know, or like for that matter as I was afraid of that people though of me and of being laughed at. But now I am beginning to be true to myself of who I really am and thinking that everyone might not like that but it's OK!! As a result I have become much happier.

I've always said that I feel that there is more, and have never felt satisfied and often felt lost, I have always said before that one of my dreams is to write a book, but every time I go to sit down with a pen and paper (or more often at my laptop) nothing will flow afraid of how it might sound and that people will just disregard it and tell me to forget it and go to my 9-5. Is this really what school has taught us??? taught us to resist out creativity? resist being true to our selfs?? being afraid to make mistakes?? just to become generic robots to prepare for what we don't even know will happen???

Well I am going to try to break this cycle in my mind and have started to write jibbish everywhere, to myself, in letters, in emails, in blogs!!! lol then one day writing a book may become more of a reality than a dream.Add a bit of creativity into your day today. Look at something in a completely fresh new way............................................................ what did you come up with????

To a more fulfilling life

*Tinkerfly*
xxx