Writing Workshop - Wanton Destruction and Chaos

This is my first attempt at The Sleep Is For The Weak Writing Workshop after the advice of a my friend Nickie from Typecast I decided to submit a recently written poem. As ever I am trying to develop my writing skills, so any feed back with be most appreciated.

Blood.

Blood, that of my own or my enemies
It doesn't matter, it runs as one

Clothed in thunderous rage, warm slithers trickle
Caressing my body, drenching my soul
It whispers softly to me, feeding my aggression
Cleansing, soothing, the pain runs with it
Thick and black against the ebbing darkness of my mind

The dull metallic scent sears my senses
Wounding, piercing, bitter as bile
The blistering steel hisses, shrieking a perverse lullaby
It sings sweetly to me, drudging fetid flesh from broken bone
I can no longer hear their demented voices, drowning in boiling crimson seas

Adrenalin throbs, quickening
Tightening to blessed bursting relief
Death rises on hollow wings to greet me
Drawing the dark edges closer, following my fevered footsteps
With salivating jaws it calls gently to me, I no longer hear a sound
Save the guttered gurgle of those lain before me

The things that Amy says

I was discussing the weather with Amy when I asked her why she was wearing a long sleeved top today, fully expecting the answer to be, because it's chilly outside. 'So I can wipe my nose?' asked Amy

Talking about lightening during a storm. 'I don't want the lightening to come in through the window and poke me with it's sharp jabby bit.'

We need to fly my kite somewhere where there aren't trees, like outer space!

A Trip to Ray Mill Island

Here are some photos of our outing to Ray Mill Island in Maidenhead. The Island is situated just behind Boulter's Lock and is great for feeding ducks, picnics and visiting the birds and Guinea Pigs house in the island aviaries

Maiden and Swans

Cockatiels at the aviaries

Cockatiels at the aviaries

Ana, Amy and Daddy walking

The Companions - dedicated to four boys who lost their lives on a school skiing trip with Altwood CE School in April 1988

The Companions Plague

Boulter's Weir at the top of the island - Boulter means miller, there was a flour mill owned by the Ray familyon the island. The mill was constructed in 1726 on the site of a previous mill, and continued to produce flour until the 1920s.

Ana and Amy posing at Boulter's Weir. I was having kittens about them falling into the water at this point.

Canadian Goose on Ray Mill Stream

A male Mallard duck on Ray Mill Stream

A friendly stranger that came to say hello to us. Possibly a Burmese or Burmese cross

Amy being a pixie on a toadstool

The Vivienne Mary coming into Boulter's Lock

A poem set into the bank of the River Thames

It was a lovely sunny Autumn day and we really enjoyed ourselves. Close by is Also the Jubilee River which I thoroughly recommend for a beautiful walk!

Remember them.....

so that they can live on

11th September 2001

My first hair cut in over 10 years!

The last time I had my hair cut was when my eldest daughter (11 years) was 2 weeks old and I was 18!

Today I finally bit the bullet as it where and had it done.

So I have gone from hair that was to my bum to hair just below the shoulder. I think I was a bit of a novelty at the hairdressers as I was asked lots of questions about how I managed to wash/brush my hair and why I hadn't had it cut in over ten years (never got round to it).

I had to stand up for most of the cutting to save the poor stylist's back.

They even had trouble washing my hair as it filled the sink My head feels a lot light and I am really happy with my new managable cut. I even have a new found confidence because my hair looks nice (not like a bird's nest or matted dog hair, I was beginning to look like what you pull out of the bath plughole)

An added bonus, no more kittens swinging from my hair!

To whom it may concern

Could you please stop wiping the toothpaste from your mouth on my clean bath towels? You know who you are!

Thank you.

We've been to the library!

Until recently I had always avoided the library. I had been a few times during the course of my life, but thought it a dark, musky and above all a boring place.

Running out of ideas for what to do with the girls over the summer holidays today I decided it was about time that we all joined our local library. So off we went and 10 minutes later we were all proud owners of our very own library cards and a new perspective.

The library has changed much in those fleeting visits during my youth. Gone is the dark, musty boring atmosphere, replaced by play tables, small child friendly seats. Cuddly vibrant coloured animal cushions to sit on. Shelves made into rideable cars, trains and penguins.

Initially I was worried about taking the girls to a place where you're supposed to be quiet. As lets face it quiet is something that doesn't come naturally to my children, but they managed to impress me with their hushed whispered tones as well as their good behaviour.

We came away armed with some new bedtime reading materiel and a new found love for our local library!

Fun on the trampoline

As Ana was on her second respite session with her buddy at the local swimming pool, Amy and I decided to have some fun on the trampoline in the garden.

I had been so smug, up until now

Amy has been doing really well with this whole toilet training thing. We turned a point when I purchased a childs training seat for for our toilet at home.

Suddenly Amy didn't want to wear nappies anymore and started to use the toilet independantly. It had been several days ,two major trips away from the home and we hadn't experienced a single accident. Something I recounted to anyone who would listen.

Well, yesterday Amy called me up in to her bedroom and showed me with some sense of pride the foul smelling poo splattered all over her pink carpet.

I cleaned it up and was careful to tell Amy that although I wasn't angry I was dissapointed that she hadn't gone when she was on the toilet two minutes before and that she hadn't told me she needed to go.

'But mummy, ' came the reply, 'I blewed it out!'

Odds Farm 2009

Child Beale Wildlife Park

Yesterday my parents took myself and the girls to The Child Beale Wildlife Park in Pangbourne. We were lucky enough to be blessed with a glourious sunny day!

Our Charlie O'Marley is 'famous'

A very wet day at Cotswold Wildlife Park

Today my parents took myself and the girls to the Cotswold Wildlife Park in Oxfordshire.

http://www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk/

We had a glourious sunny day for the first 20 minutes and then the heavens opened and rarely let up for the rest of the day.

The girls didn't let the rain dampen their spirits and still managed to have lots of fun.

Iguana of some sort
A snake in the grass!
Red Panda

Red Eared Sliders

Amy on the Merry-go-round

A very wet Ana and Amy

Ring Tailed Lemurs

2 week old baby Ring Tailed Lemur

Red Lemurs

"Those bloody Ring Tailed Lemurs get all the attention!"

A Trip To The Vet

Today was the day. Lola finally hit that magic 2kg mark, so I booked both her and Charlie in for their spay and neuter at the vets.

I was instructed not the feed them after 8pm the night before and remove the water in the morning. Of course having practically been starved all night Charlie and Lola were climbing the wall come morning.

I dropped them off at the vets at 8:30am with all the relevent paperwork. I then returned home and flung myself into the gardening to take my mind off things. The call to pick them up came at 2:45pm.

Charlie howled all the way home and then spend the first five minutes at home wandering around the house periodically crying. Lola was very unsteady on her feet so I put her in my bedroom to sleep off the anaesthetic and grab some peace and quiet. She chose to sleep under our bed, but upon checking on her several minutes later she looked at me and a swear I could read her mind. She was thinking, 'you utter cow! Look what you've done to me!'

I am actually surprised they have recovered so well. They were both flying around the house after a few hours as if nothing had happened. Charlie keeps crying at me, I think he's trying to say. 'Mum, I seem to be missing two very important parts of my anatomy!'

They have their post op check up on Monday and all being well they can go back outside after that. What's the betting it'll rain from Monday onwards!