Just finished watching Saving Mr Banks – we’d recorded it – and I quite enjoyed it. Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson were excellent in their respective roles at Walt Disney and P L Travers. It’s quite a sad film. P L Travers seems to have had quite a hard early life with an alcoholic father who died young which may have been the reason she was so cold and precise and judgemental in her outlook in later life. I looked up her biography and was saddened to see that there was a line from one of her grandchildren which basically said that she liked no-one and no-one like her. I would hate to be remembered like this. It’s just so sad. What a waste of a life despite her writing so many excellent books. I loved the Mary Poppins film – it’s the first one I remember seeing at a local cinema as a very small child – and I really loved the books which I borrowed several times from Neilston Library. Anyway, I still remember the joy those books brought me when I was growing up and their author’s apparently difficult character will not put me off them!

So how are you? Life has been pretty hectic lately – to be truthful it’s always hectic  (well, until the kids go to bed!). Work has been busy busy busy and the kids are just getting back into life at school. They seem to be enjoying it so far although I am NOT enjoying trying to get my son out of bed and dressed in the morning. Where my daughter is like the hare (quick and quiet), my son is a very noisy and objecting tortoise. He just hates to get out of his bed and he takes forever to get ready, to eat his breakfast, to brush his teeth, to get his shoes on and the list goes on…sigh! It’s soul destroying to have to cajole him every single morning. Am hoping this is just a phase he will grow out of!

Our guinea pigs are now back indoors due to the bad weather. It’s been raining a lot and has got a lot colder lately so I thought I’d take them in earlier than planned. They appear to be loving being back in the warmth of the house and I was rewarded with a lot of purring from Darcy this morning when I gave them the additional treat of some kale. They love fresh vegetables! They are very cute and cuddly wee creatures and I sort of missed them from the house. Now they are back, they are easier to visit and talk to and stroke and rub their heads. The only problem is that my study is now a bit of a mess, but not to worry…the hoover will soon sort that out!

Am currently reading Deborah Harkness’ new book The Book of Life. It’s the third in the All Souls trilogy and it is excellent. I cannot keep myself from reading it, it’s all I want to do. It’s the witch/vampire story I’ve spoken about many times before. If you like a good read I’d recommend all three – A Discovery of Witches

Shadow of Night

and The Book of Life

As for my own books, not much to tell you. I have gotten back to working on my adult and children’s books. Nothing else to report apart from that. Such is the life of an author!!

Anyway, talking of writing, I am going to love you and leave you here so that I may get back to it. Til next time!

 

Dawn xx

PS am thinking of getting back to Wednesday Word and the Monday favourites…if anyone can suggest either words or themes for the favourites, please do so. I’d love to hear from you.