What would you save?

Thinking of all who’ve had to cope with floods.  Stay safe.

Huge thanks to those who’ve supported me through this crazy week of flood warnings let alone month of writing.. I’ve had enough priorities lessons to last a lifetime since Monday.. There’s this gene I have, which says ‘panic’ at the slightest emergency even when no-one else bats an eyelid.. Let’s just say I hope you’re able to laugh if you’ve spoken to me this week…

I’ve not blogged for a while, sorry if you enjoy reading them.  I’ve been writing. It’s November, what else would I be doing?  This week has reminded me that I’m always learning.. Whilst I participated in a learning and development workshop at work I was thinking of what I’ve learnt in this week alone.  Instead of spending the last week manically writing during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), like I have done for the past two years, I’ve been worrying, madly.  I got an automated phone-called flood warning at 5am Monday morning (there’s been 3 now this week) and since then I’ve been trying to work out what to do.  I’m not the most practical of people, it’s not been an easy learning week.

Do you know how expensive it is to buy filled sand bags?  Do you have a flood kit, if not what would you put in one?  Have you tried working out how to cover your air bricks?  I had to bear the brunt of a builders yard’s staff ‘helper’ showing me the air brick covers that aren’t designed for what I needed then telling me to get some plastic and fix it to the bricks.  Apparently legislation prevents you blocking them.  Not in a flood situation, when you’re being told to do so and you haven’t a clue how to, presumably.  Sorry for the tone.  It’s been a stressful week, not least because others living in this part of town seem not to be in the least bit concerned.  I’m convinced I’m the only one working out where and how to get sandbags and I doubt everyone elses insides of their house look anything like mine does.  For an unpractical woman that makes you feel rather overly dramatic and even more useless than I already do.  The warning phone calls kept coming..

Each morning I’ve been getting a welcome phone call from a very close friend checking I’m ok.  She’s got other friends who were closer to the river than I am, but I was the one who got the calls, thank you, Charron, I’m very grateful.  Colleagues at work had to help me work out how and where to get sand bags.  Thank you, Denise.  Friends online have been asking if my toes are dry.  Thank you, you made me smile.   My local community may not be the closest but my friends, colleagues and online community have made sure I got through the week intact, with valued possessions safely upstairs, a flood pack ready and waiting and the house protected, to some degree,  from water.  In case you’re wondering, there’s a bag of sand waiting to be thrown over where the air brick is.. That will have to do for that one.

I finally decided to put sand bags inside my house.. I know.. don’t ask..

The river level’s expected to fall from today so my worry genes are busy packing ready to take a well deserved holiday.

I’ll write about writing over 50 thousand words next week.  I am so glad I had a target of 75K and got to 50K on day 18.  The *winners* certificate is something that went upstairs first!  What else did I *save*?  Christmas cakes; A friends book sent over from Wisconsin; Friends paintings; Photographs; whiskey and cheese (what else would you want to live off that goes with Christmas cakes.. ); portable hard drive with my draft novels and pictures on it; My passport (one day I’ll use it again); Dad’s ration book; Mums hand written home recipe book; A wooden box.. (that box has more memories than I can imagine);  as the week went on they were joined by the TV and a few other items..

The photo’s are a bit dark (camera stressed too..) You might see the jazzy zebra patterned new wellies, bottled water and brand new first aid kit in one..

If your home was flooded, are you prepared?  What would you save?  If you’ve been unfortunate enough to have been flooded but fortunate to have a little warning what did you save?

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Halloween over and now the writing begins

And so it begins.  Waking up after Halloween I settle into my routine for the next 30 days.  I’ve not posted pre National Novel Writing Month and doubt I’ll do many posts during.  I did, however, want to mark the beginning.

For some reason, I know not why, I have been more apprehensive this year.  I’d picked a story that I thought had legs so to speak and wanted to do it justice.  How many cliché’s so far, my writing tutor will be horrified..

When I’m at home on 31 October I always put out a pumpkin.  Lovingly hollowed and carved with a single lit tea light, signalling to any passing that my home will welcome them if they arrive costumed up, I may also have some goodies for them to take away.  This year I forgot the satsumas I bought and only offered the chocolates and orange coloured cake bars.  I had some visitors, not many, but enough to make it a fun night and worthwhile.

Inside the house I lit candles and thought of friends and family who are no longer with me.  I thought of the 3 funerals I’ve been to this year and how much the individuals had influenced my life.

This is the third year I’ve done NaNoWriMo, do check out their website if this means nothing to you. (Sorry, I’m not brilliant at putting links in.).  Not having edited either of the past two year’s efforts I’m hoping to write something with a bit more structure so it might be easier to edit.

To my friends who are still around me.  I love you all dearly and please forgive my November antics as I rush from writing to work and back to writing again.  Can we book dates in the diary to meet up in say December or early next year rather than over the next few weeks. Unless you’re writing too and we meet at write-ins!

For those interested, (doing National Novel Writing Month you get obsessed with word counts) this posts word count’s over 300 and that’s over half of what I need to do to achieve my daily word count goal of 2500 if I’m to meet 75K words this month.  Yes, I know my target’s only 50K and I’ve passed the obligatory 1666 words for that but 50k does not a novel make especially when it has to be edited as much as mine.

Good luck with any challenges you’re attempting this November and I hope my novel’s not as horrific as hopefully my pumpkin looked last night.

ps Day one and I’ve written 2664 words.  Here’s hoping I stay on target.