As I said yesterday, the challenges are back on after a month off!
Today it is Colleen’s turn, with her Tanka Tuesday which is not just about Tankas, but rather a chance to use different syllabic poetic forms.
Usually, she gives us two words which we need to use synonyms of within our verses… but on the first Tuesday of the month, we get free rein, and this month, the suggestion was to think of love related poems, as Valentine’s is so close…
Colleen recently introduced us to a new form, called a Haiga, where the words, usually a haiku or senryu, are echoed by an image, traditionally painted, but nowadays, can be a photo too.
I thought I’d try the traditional way, and even painted my own quick watercolour to go with it! It’s simplistic but effective, I hope!
A senryu for you all.
My words are Together and Heart
Two Hearts By Ritu
Two hearts beating fast Ten fingers firmly entwined One life together
Have you got that drink ready? My chai is waiting!
If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that I was ill… oh so ill… this week. I ended up being off work for three days, Monday to Wednesday, and quite possibly could have been off the whole week, but the guilt factor of not being at school drove me back… It started with the vomiting and upset stomach bug, causing me to have really bad lower back pain. I swear, I had a hot water bottle attached to my person for almost 72 hours! Then a cough developed, which is still with me… It was definitely not nice being off…
If we were sipping chai together I’d whisper that the only plus side to being off sick was that I had many, many hours to read! I actually read 5 books over those few days, and was able to write a big long book review post about them, and the others I had read in January! Did you read it? If not, click HERE!
If we were sipping chai together I’d mention that the children were excitedly hoping for a falling of the white stuff. And well, we got a little bit. On Tuesday there was a sprinkling that turned to ice by the morning. On Friday, all waited with bated breath… would we get that snow day? But no. It seemed a large part of the UK was snowed under/in but not us here. The kids were most disappointed, and even more so when the white stuff did fall… at night on Friday, so there would be no snow day chances as it was the weekend, then, when we woke, it had all but melted! Gutted!
If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that I still haven’t received my feedback from my friend regarding the manuscript, but he’s been busy with a family wedding and his son’s 16th… I think I can forgive him. I have also sent a copy to a really wonderful comedienne friend of mine to get her opinion too. Fingers crossed!
If we were sipping chai together I’d also mention that, whilst on my sick bed, I experimented a lot with Calibre and managed to make my manuscript into a mobi file, so it can be read easily on an e-reader. It’s not ready to be published, but being able to go through it on my Kindle added a different perspective to my editing… and it was a special moment to open my ‘book’ on my Kindle for the first time!
If we were sipping chai together I’d excitedly tell you that my lovely lady friends, the Tootie Frooties, have arranged another outing. Unfortunately, not all can come, but the ones of us who can, are going to a comedy night! It’s not for a month or so. but I’ll be sure to keep you all informed!
If we were sipping chai together I’d also mention that as February is here, we are also full on into birthday month in my in-laws family. Sunday we celebrated my Brother-in-law’s birthday, and we have my Hubby Dearest and Mother-in-law’s to come on Friday, then Lil Princess and my Father-in-law’s a couple of weeks after! It’s gonna be an expensive month… and don’t forget Valentine’s Day!
If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d moan that despite getting a sickness bug, I didn’t lose any weight… so I am still hoping to sort that particular mess out!
If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d tell you that Lil Man’s braces saga is starting up again. He has decided he wants fixed braces now, so I have a few crazy rushes from school to get him to appointments over the next couple of weeks. Mummy’s Taxi? Yup, that’s me!
If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d say that I can’t wait for half term… two weeks to go!
Have a wonderful week Peeps! Let me know how your week went!
“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work. “
Colin Powell
Thanks for that Spidey.
I’ve been doing a lot of dreaming over the last few years.
There are the dreams of a bigger, more organised house, the dreams of being able to jet off to wherever we fancy for holidays, the dreams of being able to see my nephews without the need for a flight, the dreams of becoming a writer…
Some dreams can come true just by time passing, some need a little effort, some need some initiative.
So, the holiday one… well, one day we’ll be able to have saved up enough that we can just swan off whenever…
The house one, Marie Kondo is helping me organise, and we are in the throes of deciding… extension or move?
Seeing my nephews… well, they are in a different country. It’s never going to be easy, but at least I can feel happy at the fact that we will see them in May, and I can finally cuddle my newest baby nephew, who will be two months off being a year old by then!
But the writer dream… well, that’s the one that is mine, and one that only I can push for.
So I have tried my hardest. That first book is written, it has been read by two, and is being read by a couple of others too. And I have entered it into a literary competition, and sent off my first agent submission… eek!
I’m not totally oblivious to the fact that there is a high chance that I shan’t get signed after just one submission, so I shall submit to more… but in case there is still nothing, I have been gathering quotes for professional edits and critiques… so if it happens, I am ready for the Indie adventure.
It’s not easy though. Going Indie can cost you a lot, so my next aim is to slowly fill my writer’s pot with any spare money I have, and I have even requested to Hubby Dearest that instead of presents for me, a donation to the pot would be the best gift!
And to improve my craft, I have started a writers course, to develop my art…
See. I am working on my dreams!
So… tell me, what is your biggest dream, right now, and what are you doing to try and make it come true?
