Angel Jem's City Cottage

It's my birthday, one of those big birthdays with a 0 at the end. At my last one, 10 years ago, I was teaching, a mother of three aged 10 and under and swept along on a wave of business and busy-ness. My life has altered so much since. I'm no longer teaching, but working as an Office Ninja. I have time to write, and miss it when I'm not writing (I'm between books at the moment, trying to do a proofreading qualification. I miss stringing my own words together, rather than marking up other people's words) so I have the plan in my head for the next book, just gently simmering away at the moment. I'm more confident. I won't take things quietly, and I'm inclined to speak out on the issues that I feel strongly about.  I'm the mother of three young adults. That gives me a degree of freedom and a level of concern that I haven't had for ages. I'm aware that I have lost a degree of control over their lives and decisions even as I have gained back ...

Whatever else you do today (hello! I'm writing this a day late on Thursday: better late than never) go and vote. I don't care who you vote for, just vote. And if there's nobody you want to vote for, go and spoil your ballot. Spoilt ballots get counted as well, and can be a form of protest. On to Wednesday Wind Up. I've had a bit of a slow wake up this week, I think I either have a water infection or a cold, I find it so hard to get out of bed and into work. Or perhaps the sunny mornings just make me wish occasionally I was still a SAHM. Oh, the things I could do with a few days at home now! Never mind, that's not my season. I work 9 to 4 most days, so that's what I do. What am I reading this week? I finished reading Gone Viking by Helen Russell. It was funny, and touching, and all the things I wanted it to be. A good happy read, so that was fun. I also finished Happy by Fearne Cotton. It was interesting: while I was reading it, I could hear Fearne...