Author: my word (s)

Wordy Wednesday

~ my word (s) ~ 6 Comments

Last week I went to a TenX9 and Kino Kolo combined event. TenX9 is a storytelling event where (usually) 9 people read a true-life story for 10 minutes each. There’s always a theme. For this event, the theme was fashion. Kino Kolo is a community cinema bringing Eastern European films to the East Midlands. For this event, there were short films and TenX9 readers.

The first storyteller’s piece was about shoes. As she described her childhood in Dundee, my interest was piqued by the word dubs. This word, though originally referring to a stagnant pool of water, is now used to refer to puddles. The storyteller referred to splashing through dubs with her wellies. What a wonderful word and a new one for me; I love it.

Even adults love splashing through dubs in their wellies

Sum up Sunday

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How’s your week been? I’d love to hear your sum-ups in 25 words or less. Here’s mine:

Four jackets sold at the charity shop

Another ten thousand words written

Out here and there, cultural stuff

Home to unwind.

Writing requires a lot of thinking too! Lots went into My Books

Flaunt it Friday

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This week, I am pleased with a plodding along sort of week. I’ve plodded on with the first draft of my second children’s book. Plodded on with contacting bookshops and libraries to ask them to stock my book. I’ve volunteered, been out, kept the house (reasonably) clean and tidy, groomed the cats and so on. See what I mean by plodding? It’s good to have a plodding along week sometimes.

What are you pleased with this week?

Benjamin, my tuxedo cat, needs lots of grooming

Wordy Wednesday

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This week, my Wordy Wednesday word is nesh. It’s commonly used in The Midlands and the North of England to describe someone who can’t cope with the cold. You Southerners are so nesh.

The original meaning, according to my trusty dictionary, is delicate, weak or feeble – of a person. Its origin is Old English hnesce, which is of German origin and related to the Dutch dialect nes meaning soft or foolish.

Do you have a word where you live that describes someone nesh?

Don’t be so nesh!

Sum up Sunday

~ my word (s) ~ 13 Comments

Eat ice cream in the heat

Drink tea, listen to stories

Theatre while others eclipsed

Eye follow up – all good

Family time.

That’s my week summed up in 25 words or less; how was your week?

A great evening at the theatre

Flaunt it Friday

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Share something you’ve achieved, or are pleased with, this week. It doesn’t matter how big or small; go ahead and flaunt it.

In the last week, I have taken my children’s book, The Clocker, to two local libraries. I’ve met lots of children and their families and had a wonderful time. Each session has started with me reading a few chapters of my book, followed by a writing/ craft session. I’ve been very impressed at how many children know what a blurb is and where to find it on a book.

Each child, as well as some of their family members, thought of an animal whether real or imaginary they’d like to write a book about. They came up with titles, drew pictures and wrote a mini blurb. What fantastic ideas they had, from Superflea, to The Finx, from Flight (about a bird called Blue Bell), to Fun Facts About Snakes. There’s definitely some budding talent out there.

Thank you to Nottingham Central Library and Wollaton Library for inviting me; I loved it.

This is the first thing I saw when I arrived at Nottingham Central Library My Books

Wordy Wednesday

~ my word (s) ~ 7 Comments

Recently, while I wait to get an accurate prescription for glasses following cataract surgery, I have been listening to audiobooks rather than reading. I started off with a book of Agatha Christie short stories, which I really enjoyed. The word countenance has appeared several times, for example she had a pleasant countenance. It struck me that this word is little used today but I felt it worthy of a Wordy Wednesday.

It is another word with several distinct meanings; the first as above, to describe a person’s appearance. Other meanings are to support, she gave her countenance to the event. It also describes when we do not accept or tolerate something, for example she wouldn’t countenance such behaviour.

Originating from the 13th century, the word is from the Old French, contenance referring to bearing or behaviour, from contenir (contain).

Sum up Sunday

~ my word (s) ~ 11 Comments

How’s your week been? If you’d like to sum it up in 25 words or less, I’d love to hear from you.

Charity shop Monday

Write and clean Tuesday

Write more on Wednesday

Friends on Thursday

Library event Friday

Shop and write Saturday

And it’s Sunday again

Having the chance to read some of my children’s book, The Clocker, at the library was fantastic My Books

Flaunt it Friday

~ my word (s) ~ 10 Comments

Every month at the writing group I go to – Let’s Write – Esther, the facilitator, sets a prompt. A few months back our prompt was music and I wrote a piece about buying my first single at aged 8. Esther asked me to read the piece at the group session and suggested I submit it for the Yesterday Remembered section of Best of British magazine, which I did. https://www.bestofbritishmag.co.uk/

My piece was accepted and, this week, I picked up a copy of the magazine at my local post office shop. It’s a wonderful feeling and worthy of a flaunt. To use a word from a recent Wordy Wednesday, I’m chuffed.

I’m chuffed to see my name in print in Best of British magazine

Wordy Wednesday

~ my word (s) ~ 8 Comments

My word today is confabulate. I used this word last week and the person I was talking to said, ooh that’s a great word. My trusty dictionary, The Oxford English Dictionary, gives two distinct definitions. The first is to talk / engage in conversation. The other, which I’m more familiar with, is to fabricate imaginary sentences in compensation for loss of memory.

The origin of the word confabulate is Latin and from the 17th century. Confabulari – con = together, and fabulari from fabula, fable.

Apologies in advance for any typos – my eyes are a bit blurry for writing following cataract surgery!

Nev, from my children’s book, The Clocker, does a lot of talking with his best friend, Samantha. My Books