How’s your week been? I’d love to hear your ‘sum ups’ in 25 or less words.
My week:
Volunteer – busy morning
Hospital – pre-cataract
Hairdresser – hair cut
Friends – stroll and lunch
Lawn – mown
Hot, hot, hot
And breathe (try to!)

How’s your week been? I’d love to hear your ‘sum ups’ in 25 or less words.
My week:
Volunteer – busy morning
Hospital – pre-cataract
Hairdresser – hair cut
Friends – stroll and lunch
Lawn – mown
Hot, hot, hot
And breathe (try to!)

I’ve been doing more reaching out to libraries this week. I have dates in my diary for Nottingham libraries and thought I’d see if any in Nottinghamshire would be interested. Libraries are great places where I can read from my children’s book, The Clocker, as well as getting children to do some of their own writing.
I’m feeling positive and looking forward to meeting some of my target audience.
Here is the link to my book at Troubador Publishing bookstore.
https://troubador.co.uk/bookshop/middle-grade/the-clocker

Today’s word is shonky for no other reason than I like it. To me, it’s one of those words that expresses its meaning very well. Shonky is an informal Australian/ New Zealand word referring to a person or action that is dishonest, unreliable or illegal. Shonky goings on, for example. The word shonk describes someone who is engaged in dodgy business dealings and its origin is thought to be from English dialect, shonk, ‘smart’ appearing in the 1970s.
I expect we all know someone, or something, shonky.
I had to add a mark 2 flaunt it Friday having finally cracked my Image Playground problem on Jetpack.
Unfortunately, I can’t claim any great skill in getting it to return despite much faffing about. I sorted it on my laptop, thought I’d check it on my phone and hey presto!

I’ve felt a bit discombobulated this week, maybe returning home after a relaxing holiday or, perhaps, just one of those odd weeks.
I’ve been trying to sort out, since Wordy Wednesday, why my image playground has disappeared. Had lots of helpful suggestions but nothing has worked.
As for Flaunt it Friday, I’ve made it through. Sometimes that’s it and, after all, a nice pot of tea always helps!

For today’s word, I decided to open a page of The New Oxford Dictionary of English and look for a word I’d never heard of before. On my quick scan of the pages from Madeira to magic lantern, I found the word ‘madrilene’. Spell check attempted to push me toward mandrill and mad riding; I held my ground.
Madrilene is, I discovered, a clear soup that is usually served cold. It comes from the French ‘consommé à la madrilene’ – the literal translation being ‘soup in the Madrid style’.
As the saying goes, you learn something new every day.
Have you any words to share? I’d love to hear from you.
I’ve (hopefully temporarily) lost image playground for my usual images – apologies and grr!

It’s Sunday, the day for summing up the week in 25 words or less.
I look forward to hearing what you’ve been doing. Here’s my week:
Sun, rain, hail, storms
And fun, not a care
As I’m held by friendship
Nature, beauty
Scotland …
Alba, tapadh leat

I’m away on holiday this week and it feels really special because, last year, I had to cancel several holidays due to ill health. I’d rebooked this one with fingers firmly crossed that we’d make it. And we did. It feels like a big achievement.
What have you done this week that you’re pleased with?

Yesterday, we went to visit Scone Palace and had just arrived, when so did the rain. A great cry went up from several of the peacocks who call the place home. As I turned, I saw this peacock hop into the tree. I quickly took a photo before we sought our own shelter in the café. Not the greatest photo but it made me smile.
