A New Way Of Life – Day 17

Help!!!! There are too may many books to read! (Is that really a thing?)…. No, I don’t really believe there are too many books to read, that could never be the case; there could never be enough books in the world, but sometimes I just become overwhelmed by the quantity that I have on the go at any one time. And that ‘any one time’ is now! Fiction, faction, text books, course notes, online stuff….you name it, I seem to be reading something like it. But in addition to writing, I am struggling to complete any one book – I … Continue reading A New Way Of Life – Day 17

A New Way Of Life – Day 16

Life needs some colour…. I thought I would give myself a short break from the words today, and have a go at something a little different. Having always enjoyed art in one form or another, and creating in general, there has always been blank books and colouring pencils, crayons, paints stored away somewhere. So I dug them out today with the aim of creating something colourful, something that the children in my neighbourhood will hopefully, enjoy seeing in our living room window. This creation is very rough and I am sure it can be improved, but I enjoyed doing it; … Continue reading A New Way Of Life – Day 16

A New Way Of Life – Day 15

Creativity runs in the family…. A number of years ago I agreed to write a series of poems. That series has never got any further than rough notes and a very loose plan. The plan had been to pen around twenty short poems, perhaps more accurately described as verses, to fill a small book that my mum had made. I have always thought that my own creativity has been passed on to me by mum, although I will never be as talented as she is. Over the years, she has tried her hand at so many different arts and crafts; … Continue reading A New Way Of Life – Day 15

A New Way Of Life – Day 14

Whether locked-down or not, learning continues… On day 14 of this new way of life, I received my tutor report and feedback on the fourth assignment of a creative writing degree course. With renewed vigour, I am now getting stuck into the fifth and final part of this first course. The encouraging boost I get from receiving a constructively positive report, gives me the impetus and enthusiasm to dive into the next learning task. So, ‘Plot and Structure’ here I come. Having now completed four parts of the writing skills course, I feel I can see the ‘green shoots’ of … Continue reading A New Way Of Life – Day 14

A New Way Of Life – Day 13

The Whisper on the Breeze Across the fields of her mind, To a sanctuary lost and never found, To a place beyond a green horizon, To a place where a summer breeze, Spoke words of calm, Of tranquillity, Of hope for pastures new. She lay in a field of green, Splayed and facing blue, The whispering breeze danced amongst the blades, The blades danced with freedom, As she whispered back, ‘Take me with you, To pastures new.’ She felt the breeze brush contours smooth, Cooling with sensations divine, Feeling at one with nature’s delight, Maybe this was her pasture new. Continue reading A New Way Of Life – Day 13

A New Way Of Life – Day 12

Normal service was resumed today…. The poor Devonian (Englishman) has been put back in his place…..the rich Italian has returned! After venturing out into the scary new world of face-masks and latex gloves, we gathered some supplies having not gone into a supermarket for around two weeks. Some luxury items were obtained, such as clothes washing liquid, medications and potatoes. There were also some essentials in the trolley like, chocolate, Belgian waffles and of course, a decent supply of……COFFEE! This weird new way of life could not be endured by this poor Devonian without a rich Italian. Cheers! Continue reading A New Way Of Life – Day 12

A New Way Of Life – Day 11

Where is he now; the small man in the dark suit – on the sweltering day? It’s such a worry. People up and down the country, indeed, around the world, are having to think about how they are going to pay the bills, feed their families, feed themselves. They are wondering whether or not they will have a job to return to when Covid-19 has finally been defeated, and if not, what happens next? Over the past weeks, different groups of people have sprung to mind that are probably now struggling to keep their lives on track – to keep … Continue reading A New Way Of Life – Day 11

A New Way Of Life – Day 10

The ‘Rich Italian’ (ground coffee), has run out; I am hoping my lovely wife will be able to make do with a poor Englishman for the time being. Thankfully we have plenty of other types of coffee to keep us going for the foreseeable future. So, we have bread, milk, a variety of foods, each other (you’ve gotta have love), loads of books, and………COFFEE! We all have a vice or two – one of mine is coffee, I love it. So when we get down to about three weeks worth remaining, that will be when I start to get the … Continue reading A New Way Of Life – Day 10

A New Way Of Life – Day 9

There are dark and brooding clouds suspended above us – pressing down on the planet, trying to squeeze the life out of all humankind; not even the strongest of winds seem able to move them on. They obscure what we once referred to as normal. But, peel back the outer layers of these blackened doomsayers, and we may just see it’s perfectly tailored lining. And if we are fortunate enough, the colour of that sumptuous inner layer may be a bright and blinding silver…. Close your eyes. Do you remember those scented Spring days when children would play in the … Continue reading A New Way Of Life – Day 9