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| TOO much to say. |
I had a brilliant opening topic all lined up. You know the drill. I start the Weekly Update with something topical; a story from the news or maybe the seasonal times we're in. I give you one or two paragraphs, tempting you to read on, getting you comfy, offering a LOL or two. Then the Update kicks in. That's the routine, week in, week out.
This time, that didn't happen. I had the topic lined up. I'd made some notes and knew how I was going to riff on them. Then things went awry. As I started to type, it became clear. I had TOO much to say. I typed and typed. Next thing you know, I've got a whole blog post about the random topic staring back from the screen. It's way too much for this opening - your time's precious. But look, it's OK. I'm going to polish it up and use it for the last Long Ramble of the year. In a couple of week's time, you'll see just what it was I was so verbose about. It'll be a good read, I promise.
In the meantime...
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| This is exactly like my writing group. Except we're in a pub, and no one is sitting on the floor. |
Writing News
I've seen a colourised front cover and chosen some specifics about the design. It's looking FAB and I can't wait to share it with you. Soon, I hope. I also went to my fortnightly writing group on Wednesday. What I love is that the same group of people have heard me read consecutive extracts of Leeza's story for the past eighteen months. They know the characters almost as well as I do. This week, one of my writing friends made a comment about a phrase Leeza had used. She wasn't sure it was something Leeza would say in that situation. As soon as she pointed it out, I knew she was right. It's fab when people know my characters that well. (I'm now trying to rethink the vocab in question and decide how to convey the same sentiments differently.)
Culture isn't all art galleries and boxsets. (And if you read this regularly you'll know it's usually just boxsets here.) No, the past weeks have seen me watch large chunks of the Covid Inquiry. Now, I know what you're thinking. That's not art! And you'd be right. But we, as a country, went through a seismic cultural event. As much as a pandemic is rooted in science and medicine, its effects are also cultural. We endured it together for more than a year as it effected every aspect of our lives. As much as I struggled to watch Matt Hancock - he was being questioned on Thursday and Friday - I knew it was important to do so. Call it closure or therapy, but seeing the same politicians that stood at the podium spinning bullshit for a year, be forced to answer questions they're trying to evade, feels necessary. It feels worth my time. Boris Johnson gets a turn on Wednesday. Let's hope I've got the stomach for it. Moving on... if that doesn't float your boat, try this. I'm reading Tom Hindle's, The Murder Game. New Years Eve, a big house, and a dead body. Right up my street.
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| Stollen. A little overdone but oh so tasty. |
I did the food shop for Christmas last week. At least, the stuff that can be frozen or shoved in a cupboard, that is. If I can avoid supermarkets in the latter stages of the Christmas build up, I'll be well happy. But there's a problem. It seems all my brain wants me to eat is stollen. As someone who's mantra (one of them) is, I CAN MAKE IT BETTER THAN THAT, when she sees supermarket cakes, I searched for a recipe. This is the one I used, and it made perfectly lovely, big-slab-with-a-cup-of-tea stollen that I'll revisit next year.
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| Zara's Hub in Childwall. |
My writing group takes place in a pub near Lime Street station. Last Wednesday, as I made my way there, I saw the Christmas market outside St. George's Hall. I had no time to wander round but enjoyed the vibes before heading for the warmth of the pub. It looks great, and even though it doesn't sound worthy of an Out and About mention, I'm going to make an effort to go back on another evening. Earlier that day, I'd had brunch in Childwall's Zara's Hub, where their decs all but forced me to take a photo. All in all, last Wednesday's Out and Aboutness was festive AF.
More next week, if you're game. See you here, yes? Excellent.
Have a lovely week, folks.
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