Month: August 2018

What’s happening in my world, this week:

• Work: Finishing revisions on book 84 then working on writing M&B #85 (Medical Romance set in a GP surgery with a PAT dog); updating my website one backlist book per day; and faffing about with my Big Book;
• Reading: Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar (reread for Chloe so she can bounce ideas off me for her long essay – I didn’t enjoy it this time round, either, although some of the writing was beautiful – I couldn’t warm to the central character); Louisa George, The Secret Art of Forgiveness (really enjoyed); Sophia Jenkins, The Forgotten Guide to Happiness (enjoyed); Jan Jones, A Question of Thyme (fantastic)
• Looking forward to: a quiet week, working
• Workouts: I must get back to the gym!
• Planet Kate last week: revisions, revisions, and sneaky trips to the seaside to clear my head. And starting soya isoflavones and sage tablets for hot flushes as they’re becoming miserable. (So far, not working… but I need to give it a couple of weeks.) Also had a trip to Jimmy’s for a family meet-up which was utterly lovely. Chloe was going to drive – but her L-plates blew away so she had to pull into the next lay by and swap with me.
• Fave pic from the last week: an owl butterfly (which is massive), Archie  under my desk, and the sunset at Brancaster

  

  

  

What’s happening in my world, this week:

• Work: revisions to M&B #84 (Florence, art world); writing M&B #85 (Medical Romance set in a GP surgery with a PAT dog); updating my website one backlist book per day; and faffing about with my Big Book;
• Reading: The Zig-Zag Girl, Elly Griffiths (enjoyed); The Woman who Met Her Match, Fiona Gibson (enjoyed); started three others but they didn’t grab me and I’ve given myself permission not to slog through them as life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying
• Looking forward to: a quiet week
• Workouts: dog-walking, last week – wayyyyy too hot to go to the gym
• Planet Kate last week: High point was seeing King Lear on Wednesday – the best Shakespeare performance I’ve seen in the last 35 years. Strong cast, good staging, and Ian McKellen was utterly amazing – really nuanced portrayal. Also visited Leighton’s house in Kensington (amazing interiors), had a quick trip into the National (useful for revisions as there’s a scene set there) and an exhibition at the Design Museum.
• Fave pic from the last week:

What’s happening in my world, this week:

• Work: writing M&B #85 (Medical Romance set in a GP surgery with a PAT dog); updating my website one backlist book per day; and faffing about with my Big Book;
• Reading: CJ Sansom, Lamentation (enjoyed); Sarah Morgan, How to Keep a Secret (think this is her best one to date – really enjoyed it);
• Looking forward to: King Lear at the Duke of York Theatre (Ian McKellen)
• Workouts: dog walking, and lots of walking in Bath and Bristol
• Planet Kate last week: mainly working; took Chloe out in my car for the first time; took Chloe to Bristol for a look round the uni and then stayed overnight (it’s a long way!) and had a bucket-list day in Bath. Was fabulous to visit the Abbey, the Baths (the curse tablets have been on my wishlist for a very long time), trying the spa water (quite sulphurous and WARM!), lunch in a nice indie veggie cafe, a general wander to soak up the architecture, and a visit to Herschel’s house (amazing to stand in the very garden where Uranus was discovered).
• Fave pic from the last week – difficult to choose! So here is the Roman bath; a lead tablet which has the only surviving example of Celtic writing (in Latin letters); William Herschel’s garden, where he discovered Uranus (and Caroline discovered a comet and also corrected Flamsteed’s tables); Caroline Herschel’s dress (she was so tiny, bless her); a night watchman’s sentry box from 1810;  and Norfolk Terrace (my son took his first steps on the grass outside here, 20 years ago)

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