Wednesday 29 April 2009

Claim to Fame

I have a link with Simon W in that I used to work in the council he used to work at. It was many moons ago and therefore I doubt it was at the same time. I was only a temp.

I wonder what other things I will discover as my life goes on.

Tuesday 28 April 2009

Being Prepared

I have decided to get prepared for the Boyzone concert so browsed Amazon to buy a cd so I could learn the songs so I would not feel out of place during the concert and not sing along.

It pays to be prepared.

It is the same with writing you have to work out what each publication is looking for, what style and what the readers want. Then you have to look at the word count and make sure your work is in the guidelines.

Once you are satisfied you have met the guidelines then you can confidently send out your work.

So it pays to be prepared.

Good luck

Fee

Monday 27 April 2009

My positive life: I am playing again

Well the links now appear to be working but I then ended up losing my text so had to edit the post yet again. I think I will give up playing for now and go back to doing some serious writing.

After getting an idea in my head this morning in the early hours I had no choice but to commit them to the computer.

I bet the Chair of my writing group will think I am mad, but heyho each to their own.

My positive life: I am playing again

http://fee-mypositivelife.blogspot.com/2009/01/media-day.html

I am playing again

I have been playing with optimising my blog again.

I have therefore linked my sneeze page into the settings so hopefully it will now appear as a footer at the bottom of each post.

It takes a while for me to get to grips with technology.

Still playing and getting somewhere but not the direction I had initially hoped at least I am having a go.

Best wishes

Fee

Saturday 25 April 2009

Trying to be adventurous - Sneeze Page

I have signed up for the 31 day blog challenge and therefore have decided to play at creating a sneeze page just to see if it would work.

I decided to try and link all my media posts together so this is the start of the sneeze page post.

http://fee-mypositivelife.blogspot.com/2009/01/media.html

http://fee-mypositivelife.blogspot.com/2009/01/media-day.html

Best wishes

Fee

I was being cynical but was proved wrong

I got woken up this morning by the doorbell going. It was the postman with a special delivery that needed to be signed for. It was addressed to Mr & Mrs so I was wondering who it was from. I signed for it on the wet piece of paper due to the rain and then returned indoors to open it in the dry.

I was shaking like a leaf as the envelope was thin DL size. It was the tickets for the Boyzone Concert. I honestly thought when I got the email that it was a wind up (that is where I was being cynical). I suppose when you have so many disappointments in life you don't believe anything until it is actually happening or things arrive and they are placed in your hands.

I am now looking forward to June and no doubt will enjoy the evening.

Steve is off to Silverstone today so I hope he enjoys his time out on the track courtesy of the local authority and due to the fact he is my carer.

I have had a good week on the whole and have met some interesting people.

This year is going to be a hectic one with one thing and another at least I haven't got a wedding to organise (unlike last year) on top of everything else. I don't think I could do that all over again with everything that is going on. I suppose we all cope in different ways.

I throw myself wholeheartedly into things and never baulk at responsibility.

It is this passion that keeps me going and this week I have felt so alive. My care workers noticed a difference in me too this week. My counsellor wasn't as worried about me as she had been so I think things are improving.

Sometimes it can feel like two steps forward three steps back but we all feel like that in everything we do in life at various stages of our lives. Writing is the same you can get all positive feedback and then a load of negative feedback arrives all at once and it knocks you down a bit.

I know I have a story to tell and one day it will get published it is just a matter of time and finding the right opening for it.

Best wishes

Fee

Thursday 23 April 2009

A Glimmer of Light

Following yesterday's meeting I plucked up the courage and emailled the link to the Bone Scan article I had written to one of the speakers.

He emailled me back and informed me it was well written and that everyone should read it. I have therefore submitted it to a cancer magazine (altered it slightly) and submitted it to see if they will publish it. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

So am slowly moving forward.

Feeling much better than I did last month and am determined to achieve things in my life.

Best wishes

Fee

Wednesday 22 April 2009

Meetings Meetings and More Meetings

This week has been a hectic week so far with cancer meetings twice yesterday. I attended one as a patient representative and found it very informative but extremely tiring. So when I got home I sat on the sofa and fell asleep for a couple of hours.

Then it was out again to Shrewsbury for the Shropshire and Mid Wales Cancer Forum meeting. This didn't finish until 9pm so by the time we got home I was tired again.

I know these meetings are useful and we won't change the world overnight but by attending these meetings our concerns are voiced and heard by the NHS.

Went to Wolverhampton for yet another cancer conference today the speakers were excellent and we enjoyed the day. Met some wonderful people a couple of who have helped me to come to terms with how I am feeling and to help me cope as best I can with everything.

It is amazing how many people who want to help me without anything in return.

I am off out again tomorrow night as I have a committee meeting with Cancer UK Relay for Life meeting.

So as you can see it is all systems go this end with one thing and another.

I am looking forward to Saturday as I hope to have lots of Writing Opportunities as Steve is going to Silverstone.

Best wishes to everyone

Fee

Monday 20 April 2009

A Success

I wrote an article about preparing for a bone scan the other week. I posted the link to MacMillan Cancer Support and they wanted the whole thing typed out and shared on their website so that it could help others.

I even received a comment that it was well written and informative. http://www.articlealley.com/article_862930_17.html

Judge for yourselves.

I just thought it was useful information that I had gleaned and therefore wanted to pass on to others.

Best wishes

Fee

Sunday 19 April 2009

Aromas

Nothing beats the smell of opening a brand new jar of coffee and having the aroma waft up your nostrils.

Today was a different aroma I was fed up with the bush thing outside our house and had been nagging my dear husband to trim it with the loppers over the last couple of weeks. He couldn't do it last week due to the rain so today with the sun shining down on us the bush finally got its short back and sides done.

Well when we put our hands to our faces the aroma of the hedge sap was uplifting just like when you open a brand new jar of coffee.

Steve sniffed his hands and was amazed at the smell.

Not only now do we have extra light coming in through the window but the added bonus of a wonderful aroma until the garden recycling gets collected tomorrow.

It is surprising what pleases some people.

Best wishes

Fee

Wednesday 15 April 2009

Easter Weekend

Why does time fly when you are having fun?

Saturday I went and saw my dear friend and was able to surprise her by returning the computer that Steve had collected to be repaired very recently.

On the way out of the shop I noticed a lovely navy dress which was in the sale not only that I managed to spy a necklace and bracelet to match. Not very often do I get to see anything I like and want straight away.

I am going out on Friday night to "Dress for Less" a charity event in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support at Wrekin College it is ticket only on Friday night and £2 on the door on Saturday.

As I have my writing group on Saturday I had an easy choice writing of course won.

So am looking forward to going out in my new dress on Friday night and to enjoy the champagne and nibbles included in the ticket price.

After that we went to Shrewsbury and managed to obtain what I wanted to do there. I then planned to go to Attingham Park with Steve by this time it was 1.30 pm. The car park was pretty full and I decided enough was enough of crowds so we just headed off for lunch just the two of us.

We then went shopping in Telford and obtained two outdoor chairs with cup holders so we could at least sit out and enjoy the sun. I soon got cold and headed back indoors to find I was exhausted. I ended up sleeping and didn't wake up until about 9 pm just in time to catch "Casualty" yes I know I am sad and some have told me I need to get a life but I grew up watching this and it came in handy doing medical shorthand for my secretarial course and reading it back when I was younger so I got hooked on that and "the Bill".


Got away with leaving the Easter gift for my mother-in-law in the bathroom. She asked about it just as we were about to leave in the car. She guessed it was from us so thanked us as we drove off.

Not really sure what happened on Monday or where the time went but yesterday was spent getting ready for informing a support group about Cancer Research UK Relay for Life event in September so it looks like I may have recruited some survivors to take part and to buy candle bags ready for the ceremony which takes place at dusk while the event goes on for 24 hours. http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/relay/

So that sums up my busy weekend.

At last I am feeling better and writing again. I have already submitted another article to article alley today. Not sure why ideas come to me in the middle of the night or early hours but there you go that's my life.

Best wishes.

Fee

Friday 10 April 2009

Hooray

At last I can finally make plans to venture out of the house again and start knitting again too. I had avoided all of it to prevent any mishap with the radioactivity coming into contact with newly pregnant mothers and young babies so took the precaution not even to knit the baby blankets I love to knit for charity or whoever wants or needs one.

I have an appointment to see a dear friend tomorrow at 9 am and can't wait to see her.

It is one day at a time and a step in the right direction each day that keeps me going.

Sunday we are going to see my mother-in-law who I adore so will have Easter with her for the first time in our three years together.

I was told not to get any Easter Eggs so I haven't but have something else instead LOL.

Can't wait for the scolding I am going to get but I love her dearly and it is my way of saying thank you for all the support she offers us.

As for the rest of Easter no idea just taking one day at a time and sometimes five minutes at a time to keep on going.

I have finally managed to complete my Chairman's Challenge without feeling morbid and it sounds positive when Steve read it. Lets hope I win it this time. Not succeeded yet in getting placed with any of the chairmans challenges but at least I enter and every point counts towards writer of the year which is no doubt going to be Julie this year.

I hope to be able to concentrate more on my writing in the near future and who knows next month I will may even feel stronger than I do now.

Just plodding along slowly like a snail at the moment but look at the hare and the tortoise who knows I may get there in the end.

Best wishes

Fee

Thursday 9 April 2009

Thanks to Friends

It is at times when things are hardest in your life that you realise how important friends are.

The last few weeks for me have been no exception and Sue has helped me through a very traumatic time indeed. The number of phone calls she has had from me saying I want to give up on everything including writing and the number of times she has told me to "hang on in there" have meant so much.

Without you Sue I would not be posting today. You and Wrekin Writers have been my strength to get through the last few weeks. Everything felt so black and I nearly gave everything up.

I am so glad I can write and love it. I nearly lost this experience thanks to my illnesses. I am so glad my medication has been changed and that I am starting to feel much better.

I am looking forward again not back, I am coping as best I can with various situations but that is what life is all about.

This will make you all laugh.

I had a very strange dream last night which I have decided to post.

"I dreamt that S.W. had been in a wheelchair for ages and had leg clamps on to help him walk due to a motorbike accident years ago and I was pushing his wheelchair. I was calling a man's name "pavlo" and I was on a hill looking for something".

I woke up when my husband walked past the settee and noticed my feet were uncovered from my duvet and moved it to cover them up again.

It took me a while to calm down and realise where I was.

I wonder if any of you have weird dreams like this?

Best wishes

Fee