The Birds and the Bees: Round 2! #MondayBlogs

16 Apr 2018 30 Comments

by Ritu in Children, Family, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Birds And The Bees, Blog, Blog Posts, Blogger, Blogging, Facts Of Life, PSHE, School, Sex, Sex Education

A few short years ago I wrote some posts about the joys of Lil Man having those talks at school.

If you missed them, I highly recommend a click here, here and here for a giggle! Oh, and a guest post here! I can pretty much guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

Well, now the time has come…

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A post shared by Ritu Bhathal ✍🏽📚💜 (@ritubhathalwrites)

We got the letter informing us that our Year Five daughter would be embarking on her very own Sex Ed journey this coming term.

Now, I know the girl is rather knowledgeable already, after a very interesting shopping trip we shared last year… I shan’t repeat myself, but if you read here, you can see all the stuff she already knows (apparently!).

But yeah, the real, official time has come for her to learn of periods and puberty, sex, and the real differences between her and her male classmates!

EEEK!

Kids are just so advanced nowadays, and I have to say, after going through this with my male child already, girls are miles ahead of the boys in what they seem to know even at the tender age of ten!

Lil Man was a true innocent. Even at twelve, he thinks girls stink, but then again, he flushes if we tease him about girlfriends!

Lil Princess, has the swagger, the looks… you know, that mature way of acting. She’s already cottoned on to the fact that there are things a girl can do to get what she wants. She’s also already encountered the awful b*tchiness that even young females seem to have running through their veins… is it a girl thing?

She is fully aware of the inappropriate act you have to perform to produce babies.

We’ve discussed the monthly situation, not least because she is maturing. physically, quite fast, and I feel she may end up experiencing hers much earlier than I had.

My PCOS, which wasn’t even diagnosed until I was in my mid-twenties, meant I had an awful cycle and I never really experienced, PMT, bad skin, belly aches…

She’s hormonal already…

I want her to be totally comfortable talking to me about any worries she has.

Then there is the whole social aspect, talking about relationships, love and cultural expectations.

We are quite open in this house (well, I am, Hubby Dearest can find this whole topic a tad embarrassing!), and we can have quite interesting conversations about all sorts of situations, including relationships and sex, to an extent.

I think that will be the part of her education that will spark some debates…

But, as it stands, apparently she knows everything already. They talk about it in the playground… (Don’t worry, I have told her the real facts, I promise!)… but I tell you what, I don’t envy her teachers!

I can wipe snotty noses and butts, but I could not stand in front of a class of 30 ten-year-olds and discuss the facts of life!

I’ll keep you posted on the knowledge she imparts!

Until then, I must be off, ready to start term 5!

Have a great week, Peeps!

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 165 – Achieving Goal

15 Apr 2018 29 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Achievement, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Dreams, Goals, Positivity, Quote, Serene, Spiderman, Spidey, Walt Disney, WIP

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

Walt Disney

A lovely quote Spidey, very fitting for my recent achievements too!

As many of you know, I finally finished writing my first draft on my WIP – my 18-year-old writing project.

I wrote seven chapters before starting the blog in November 2014. Those seven chapters had been crafted fourteen years previously.

That was when my novel dream was born.

And I continued to dream, but life, and maybe an element of laziness crept in.

I mentioned my idea and fledgeling manuscript to a few friends and family members who were encouraging, but I still didn’t actually do anything with it.

Instead, I had babies, then restarted my teaching career.

But my book baby?

That story wasn’t going to write itself.

Plucking courage from the support of fellow bloggers, I posted those chapters, in order to get some feedback and an idea as to whether it was something worth pursuing.

Boy, did those of you who read it give me a jolt! (In a really positive way!)

I needed to continue it! And I talked (wrote) about it incessantly, but another 2 years went by before I actually took to the screen again, to try and achieve my dream.

My #RiNoWriMo project in August added another 60,000 words to the project, and I was exhausted. It wasn’t finished, but I could see the end!

It took another seven months before I took to it again, but I did a lot of ‘talking’ about my teenage WIP… and how I wanted to finish it… before finally taking that last step and getting to the end.

So, instead of talking too much more, I embarked on a Camp RiNo, and just went for it.

And now, I have that full first draft manuscript in my hands, it feels so good!

The dream of publishing it is still a little while away, but the fact that I have a full story written is the first, huge step that I have taken to reach my goal.

And I WILL get there!

Is there anything you have really wanted; a dream you wish to fulfil, or a goal you want to achieve? Tell me about it in the comments, then start planning how you can actually reach it!!!

Stay positive 🙂

Happy Sunday Peeps!

Support Matters #BloggersBash

14 Apr 2018 70 Comments

by Ritu in #bloggers bash, Family, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #bloggers bash, Awards, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Cake, Children, Family, Hubby Dearest, Public Speaking, Support

It’s not easy being the partner/spouse/family member of a blogger and writer.

I can only imagine what Hubby Dearest and my kids think I am doing, as I sit, reading posts, and laughing to myself, thinking, before feverishly writing comments…

The constant checking my notifications to reply to my Blog Peeps must be so annoying…

Me needing quiet as I write…

Wondering when I am going to bed, as I toy with words on a screen for what seems like forever…

Worrying if I may turn their latest silly comment into a blog post…

Hoping that I might stop soon, to feed them…

But knowing they got my back… Priceless.

The kids have been wonderful, you know, the last couple of weeks, as I finished my WIP. They even listened to snippets, giving me support and encouragement along the way.

Hubby Dearest is a quieter supporter; he lets me get on with things, and is pleased for me when things go well, but doesn’t always really know what I am doing!

But this year he is giving me some extra special support, by accompanying me to the Annual Bloggers Bash! I wanted him to come last year too, so he could meet some of the folks I try to talk about, but it didn’t happen.

This year, he decided that he would do it. Be there for me as I debut as a speaker (more on that below), and cheer me along at the awards too… (again, see below 😉 )

It’s quite a big thing, you know. I’ve been to several events with him over the last 20 years, as his plus one, for company parties. But this is the first time he’s going to be my plus one! (So to speak!)

We’ll try and book somewhere nice for the night, so I don’t have to rush off like a budget Cinderella at 6pm , to catch my train! and share more drinks and chats with my Blogily!

I shall, shamelessly, ask for your support, to think about voting for me… but there are some other AWESOME blogs I am up against…

Nominees:
Retirement Reflections,
Daddy And Dad,
Jenny in Neverland,
Life, Books, and More…,
I’m A Writer, Yes, I Am!,
Me and My Books,
Gin & Lemonade,
Linda’s Book Bag,
A Brummie Home and Abroad,
But I Smile Anyway…,
Smorgasbord-Variety is the Spice of Life,
Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo,
I’m Sick and So Are You

Please check them out, then click here to be directed to the voting post (to vote for me, obviously!)

There are eight other awards that are open for votes too, and believe me, some very deserving blogs on those lists too! Do vote in each category, it is so easy, simply select and click vote! Done!

But you can ONLY VOTE ONCE, so think carefully before voting!

The votes close at the end of April, so make sure you don’t forget!

VOTE HERE!

And, if you hadn’t heard, I am even giving a talk (eek!) sharing

…my top tips from a working mother on how to keep your blog running smoothly and giving it plenty of attention without abandoning your family and real life too!

Your support in not throwing eggs or rotten fruit if you are there would be much appreciated… and hopefully I don’t put you to sleep! (I’ve worked really hard on the handout too!)

Click here for more information about the Guest Speakers for the day!

There will even be a panel discussion too, which is always so informative.

And there just might be some cake involved too…..

Those were my creations last year!

Are you coming to the Bash? Let me know in the comments, I’m excited to know which new blog pals I will get to meet this year, and catch up with my old Blog Buddies too!

If not, why not? Click here to get your tickets!

Best-Overall-e1519401734212

#SoCS April 14/18 – Mon

14 Apr 2018 21 Comments

by Ritu in #SoCS, Poems, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #StreamofConsciousnessSaturday, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Mon, Socs

Linda’s prompt for SoCS this week…

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “mon.” Use the letters “mon” in a word, or use it as a word by itself. Have fun!

The first thing that came to mind was Mon ami – which, in French, means my friend.

I wanted to start the post with a Bonjour, Mon ami! Then I realised that I would be referring to only one of you, and there are so many of you, people I consider my friends, my blog-pals, in the Blogosphere! Though I know there will only be one of you sat there, in your own space, reading it at any one time, so I guess I could make it really personal!

Bonjour, Mon ami!

I hope you are having a wonderful Saturday morning/afternoon/evening/night (delete as appropriate!)

You know what? I am dreading Monday…

These past two weeks have been wonderful, what with our little break, and finally finishing my 18-year-old WIP. And I haven’t really thought about school at all, apart from the one day I had to go in to do some preparation.

I almost don’t want to go back, to be honest!

But, it’s got to be done.

The novel isn’t published yet, it’s not a best-seller, made into a hit Hollywood/Bollywood movie, allowing me to retire and write in peace, happily ever after.

Not yet.

But I can dream, you know…

I’m off to celebrate Vaisakhi now, at the local Nagar Kirtan, or parade around the town centre so will catch up soon!

Oh, and in case you were wondering what happened with regards to my passive/aggressive Hubby Dearest, and the apartments complaint, from past week’s SoCS post… We ended up staying in the same place, but left a night early, and got a FULL REFUND! See, it pays to complain (politely) sometimes!

Happy Saturday Peeps!

https://lindaghill.com/2018/04/13/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-april-14-18/

What Happens After You Finish Your First Draft #AmWriting

13 Apr 2018 133 Comments

by Ritu in #AmWriting, My Writing, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #AmWriting, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, editing, First Draft Editing, Grammarly, Print Outs, ProWritingAid, Wedded Stress

So, you know my BIG news from this week, that WIP is finally a fully formed first draft!

#AmWriting

What is a writer supposed to do once it is all done?

I’ve had many tell me to put it to bed for a little while, before reading it again.

Then, get it out, read it, and start the LOOOOOONG process of editing, and redrafting, getting it beta-read, redrafting, editing, re-reading, more editing… you get the picture…

If it took me 18 years to write the first thing, I may be finally ready to publish in, oh, about 2050! Then it could be classed as historical fiction too!

And all this before thinking of covers and actual publication, and suchlike!

I’m at a loss… Do I think to send it off to traditional publishers or do I go Indie, like I did with my poetry book, Poetic RITUals?

Pah, I’ll think about that after getting some opinions on the manuscript, I think.

Still, the idea of putting it to bed straight away was hard for me.

I wanted a paper copy.

I know many of you said you edit on screen, the paper edit is too tiresome and very paper-heavy… But the feel of that first tome… it just had to be done.

My home printer wouldn’t have coped. I contacted someone local who does printing, and arranged to pop in on Friday morning to get it all ready for me so I could have my copy to scribble on, and generally cherish.

I had it saved on my cloud, my machine, my hard drive and a USB stick, ready for print-off…

But I couldn’t let it lie, could I?

Oh no!

I thought I’d do a quick (Quick? Who was I kidding, there were 300 pages to go through!) spell-check and edit via the Word editor and Grammarly. I did start off with ProWritingAid, which promises so much, but it kept crashing the programme… Sorry, I am not risking losing all those words!

All was going well, then I realised there were a couple of schoolkid errors, like consistency with how I’d written certain words. And Word has a great Find and Replace tool to change them all…

So I used it with a couple of words – all good!

Then I wanted to change Er to Err… as it appeared to show in one of the editors as the best way to write that procrastination “Err” in speech.

So I did it, and instead of changing what I wanted, it changed EVERY word with the letters er in, to having Err in it instead!

mothErr, fathErr, sistErr, watErr… you get my drift?

And it wouldn’t undo!

I was up until midnight trying to correct as many as I could… after all I had a 9.30am appointment with a printer!

Woke up and was determined to get the niggles ironed out before going.

I even found a great discount on the Grammarly Premium… 50% off!

So excited was I that I went through the whole thing!

And it took me to 12 noon!

Dang!

Well, I got the kids ready (remember, I have little-ish people to look out for too) and we raced into town.

The girl at the shop was expecting me. Her colleague was the one I had spoken to, and she was prepared for the mammoth print and bind job that was due in.

She read my mini blurb as it printed, and mentioned that it was intriguing… I liked that! (I left her with my blogger business card!)

Then we left the precious manuscript with her to be bound, whilst I fed the kids and got my nails done – my treat for myself.

And here it is…