Writing again

Ten or so years ago, had you asked me what I wanted to do, I'd have answered 'Writing'. I did the temping that paid for the journalism course, did the course, got the first (terrible) job in journalism, moved onto the second, got promoted...and kind of fell out of love with it all. It wasn't the writing, it was the media world surrounding it, where I was a fish out of water, far too shy and rubbish at networking to succeed.
So, instead of a sideways move into PR or something similar, I jacked it all in and retrained as a primary school teacher. Suddenly I was a fish in water (I know, I don't think that's a real saying either). I loved it. Never looked back to journalism, unless it was when I was writing press releases to promote the school, or teaching newspaper writing in Literacy lessons.
All was great, then, until the world's finances went belly up, DH lost his job, we moved up here for his new job so I had to give up my old teaching job, DD arrived and...now that I'm looking to go back to my beloved teaching I find myself with no connections in a part of the country where teaching jobs are few and competition is fierce.
Amid the gloom of job-searching, though, there's been an unexpected development. A friend was printing a job application out for me and noticed my writing background. He asked if I'd be interested in a paid (!) writing project for the group he works for. I went along for a meeting and got the gig. While working out what I should charge, I contacted another old friend who's a successful freelance writer and editor to ask for advice, and she asked if I wanted her to put some other bits of writing work my way. I said yes and the other week I submitted my first invoice as a freelancer. Someone want to go back and tell myself ten years ago that I'm here, sort of networking and actually getting a (albeit very small) pay cheque from writing?!
All this leaves me with a whole bag of mixed feelings. I hate the idea of not going back to teaching, so I've not written that off. I love writing and can't deny that it has the potential to fit well around the commitments of young children. But then again, I was looking forward to having a job that expanded my social horizons a little...but we need the money and there isn't much doing on the teaching job front just now. I've decided to just go with the flow and not look to the future too much at the moment (gosh, that's hard for me to do, I'm a natural worrier).
Flow is an appropriate word at the moment. The paid writing projects seem to have turned on a tap and I've now found myself volunteering to write for free for a new local magazine, plus I'm fired up with a new idea for a children's novel. Maybe if I just gave up sleeping I'd have the time I need for all these words...

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember. Inspired by SouleMama.

Spring part two

Our Season Shelf. A work in progress.

Spring part one

After a long weekend away of glorious sunshine, family, friends, barefoot running in the garden and a trip on a steam train through the forest, the weather today is reminding us that Spring is a fickle creature. It's grey, damp and chilly, but we're not having our enthusiasm for the season squashed that easily. For the next post or so I'm going to write about how we're celebrating and anticipating the return of the sun.
Today- planting. We have word that sowing is well under way at the farm, despite an expected influx of new gimmer sheep coming with unexpected baggage- unborn lambs! We thought that a bit of sowing was in order here too. I had hoped that this Spring we'd be getting a full on vegetable garden underway, but I'd reckoned without a new house that generates a lot of jobs, two babies that also generate a lot of jobs, plus a garden that needs a lot of stripping back and tidying up. So this year the priority is to get rid of lots of the concrete and paving, get rid of all the junk that's stuffed behind various structures, establish a compost heap, extend the amount of grass there is, construct a hen run (and get more hens!) and get the veg patch cleared and prepared so we can either put a green manure in over winter, or maybe get some winter crop veggies.
Just a few jobs then- and it's not as if the house is by any means finished! Anyway, in the meantime, in the sunshine of last week we planted the sunflower seeds Aunty Katy had sent for P, because we can pop them in a corner somewhere once they're big enough. P loved the kinaesthetic experiences of handling the seeds, dibbing holes in the soil, poking in one seed at a time, sprinkling on water...I think we could have seeded a whole field of sunflowers! If we get some success we can save the seed heads for birds next winter- maybe even for the hens.
Hopefully the humans round here won't be completely deprived of veg from the garden, either. While at my parent's at the weekend, P continued his gardening education by planting some borlotti beans to bring home with us. If I get around to having a sort out in the greenhouse and installing some tomato plants, there'll be some soup on the go!

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember. Inspired by SouleMama.

Welcome back, sunshine!

Coming in from the garden today, I went to shut the door and discovered a red admiral butterfly had found its way into the kitchen and needed ushering out. Yes, we may have a few cold and wet days to come in fickle April, but today it was definitely promising the Spring and Summer warmth that had tempted this creature to spread its wings.
Trying to console myself for the fact that I'm going to be limited to the domestic sphere as far as work goes for the time being (although I have got some paid writing work to do from home), I gave in to the housewife within and set to with running errands, tidying up and, since it was the perfect blustery, sunshiney weather for drying, two loads of washing. There had to be some consolation to be had in being outdoors with the sun on my back, hanging washing, with one baby kicking her toes in the fresh air and yes, removing her hat as quickly as I put it back on again, the other (big now!) baby scampering around on his bike, while our venerable hen hurried from one to the other of us, on the offchance of a snack. Yes, it beats being in an office.


Back indoors, I've decided today is the day to tackle the sun room. All winter it's been a chilly, unlit at night place to scurry in and out of to fetch toys and books. As a result it's become more than a little- ahem- disorganised. With the sun out, however, it turns into a gloriously light, comfortingly warm little nook where I want to spend time with the children. So, supervised by Penelope the hen, it's getting a Spring clean.

Post bag of goodies

Just for a change, the post brought nothing but goodness today. No bills or junk, just bits and bobs we'd ordered from the internet, good news and letters. My bits and bobs were the yarns above, ordered from Deramores and Texere Yarns. There's the requisite materials to finish a couple of sweaters I've been working on. In theory they're for P, but given his distrust of all new clothes, in particular when they're knitted (could be down to his sensitive, eczema prone skin, could be just two year old attitude), they may not get a lot of real wear. No matter, as their other purpose is to try out patterns I've written myself and hope to publish, one way or another.
The pink, blue and cream yarn is the stash I need to use first, however, as I'm hoping to knock out a couple of my Union Jack teacosies for my Folksy shop in time for the Royal Wedding street party frenzy at the end of this month. We'll see whether that works out, but meanwhile I need to gird my knitting loins for all that intarsia.
Also in our post bag...news that P has got a place at the nursery school we hoped for. This means from September he'll go there each morning- I think he'll really love the social interaction, while it'll also mean M gets one on one 'mummy time' that hasn't featured much in her life to date. I think we'll all enjoy it.
We also recieved a lovely 'goodbye' card from our friends at the Steiner playgroup we used to attend in Lancaster. We had to stop going because it was just getting untenable to drive all the way there each week, with rising fuel costs. We do miss going, but I'll treasure all that we learned there.
Lastly P had a postcard from my parents. A while ago I asked his grandparents and great grandparents if they could send him the occasional card or letter, as he was so interested in the post being delivered every day as well as the written word in every form. It's worked really well- he loves getting the letters, as well as going through the tin he keeps all his correspondence in. I'm often asked to read the same letter to him over and over again. When we can get ourselves organised, I help him to 'write' back to people who've written to him and I'm hoping that in this way I can nurture the old fashioned but beautiful and valuable habit of handwritten correspondence in him, and in time M as well.