Writing Tuesday's Child

I'm pleased with myself. I woke three quarters of an hour later than usual at 6.45 a.m. It's now 9 20 a.m. and I've dealt with daily, morning 'writerly' business and written over 1000 words of my new novel, Tuesday's Child a sweet Regency Romance.

Nature's Bounty

After a weekend at my youngest son's house I brought home four pounds of blackberries picked in the woods behind his house. I also came back with a couple of pounds of rosehips from his garden with which I shall make either rosehip syrup or jelly. In addition to the blackberries and rosehips I brought home a large bag of apples from his garden. Added to those from my four apple trees if they store well I'll be lucky. Unfortunately, the internet service at my son's house is  pedestrian.  Yesterday, I was busy so I did not post any messages. Today I got on with writing Tuesday's Child before making four pounds of blackberry and apple jam, after which I went for a deep tissue massage.  Tomorrow, as the masseuse suggested I should take things easy.

Writing Technique for my New Novel

Really pleased with myself. I've kept to my target of writing a minimum number of words every day and have written the first 10,000 words of Tuesday's Child. On good days I exceed my target. I'm writing faster than usual because I'm leaving blanks re:historical details that I need to research. I have a comprehensive library of non-fiction books about the Regency Era so I should be able to fill in most of the blanks without much difficulty.
Rosemary Morris
Historical Novelist
www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

Quiet day today

After the Christmas and my granddaughter's birthday on Boxing Day, I enjoyed a quiet day today. Amongst other things, I added 2,000 words to my novel. After all the rich food during the last few days I decided to eat sparingly. I made soup for lunch - red lentils, leeks, fresh ginger, spice, coconut milk and lemon juice. Delicious! While cooking I looked out of the window from time to time to watch the birds enjoying seeds. A male blackbird perched in the plum tree, three wood pigeons, a sparrow and a robin fed on seeds which had fallen onto the grass, while the blue tits darted backward and forward.

Final research for Monday's Child.

I have a nasty cold so I've been lethargic. However, I completed what I hope is the final research for Monday's Child a traditional Regency novel, which is a follow on story from Sunday's Child. By combining the information in four of my non-fiction books and  photo copies from other  books I am now able to write the next chapter. Phew! Now, where is that box of tissues?

Organic Gardening

As well as growing herbs, fruit and vegetables I also grow ornamentals, sometimes interspersed with the latter. I'm aiming for an English style cottage garden. Today I planted primulas and pansies in the rose bed to give winter colour, and I re-potted my blueberries in fresh ericaceous compost. Another mild day but the weather is about to change. Nevertheless I hope to get a lot more done before the first frosts.

Car was a Write Off

My daughter was driving on the motorway with her 4 year old and her 9 year old in the car. The bonnet opened and slammed against the windscreen. The glass shattered and the roof of the car buckled. She managed to see through a tiny gap at the side of the broken windscreen and stop on the hard shoulder. Thank God she was driving slowly and neither she nor the children were injured. Needless to say she and her son were shocked and he couldn't stop crying for ages. My granddaughter was O.K. One of her brothers came and then collected her eldest son from his gymnastic class, her other brother came and arranged for her car to  be taken to his house. But, as I've written thank God no one was hurt.

My Garden in November

If the rain holds off it's time for me to get on in my organic garden. The broad beans are flourishing and will withstand winter weather. There are bright red apples on a tree, some of which might be ready to pick and store for later in the year. I already have eating and cooking apples and desert pears wrapped in newspaper and stored in trays in my cold greenhouse. Today I plan to harvest the rest of my carrots and store them in a box of dry compost as well as harvesting the beetroot. I shall store some, make beetroot pickle, give some to my daughter and make apple and beetroot juice. Nothing will go to waste - the beetroot greens are delicious cooked like spinach and sprinkled with a little lemon juice.

My organic garden plus a reciepe

Yesterday, I gathered my marrows and summer squash, cleared the  veggie patch where they grew, and then spread lime over it. Recently I bought a tray of winter cabbage and another of purple sprouting broccoli for next to nothing in a sale at a garden centre. It's a little late to plant them in the garden, but I've limed their patch and if I cover them with fleece to protect them from the worst of the weather I hope they will thrive.

The broad beans I planted two weeks ago after enriching the plot with manure are coming up. They are hardy and will survive even the worst winters. The plants toughen up so much that few blackfly attack them. Early next year, after sufficient pods develop, I shall pick the topmost leaves and cook them like spinach.

At the moment I'm enjoying apples, pears and plums from the garden. Today, I plan to make a plum pie, yesterday, I made vegetable marrow soup.

To serve four.

2 lbs of peeled, cubed marrow, seeds and pith removed.
2 ozs butter.
1 & a 1/2 pints vegetable soup stock.
1/2 pint milk.
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp pepper or more to taste
(I added a tbs of hyssop leaves from the garden but it's not essential.)

Watford Writers

Yesterday I attended Watford Writers at Café Cha Cha in Cassiobury Park.

On manuscript evenings members bring something to read and afterwards receive constructive comments from the group.

Yesterday, was a little different. There was a quiz about t.v. films and books. I did not do well but I'm not going to confess how  badly I did. We then played consequences. I chose Charles II for my character. I wrote a bit about him, and then folded the paper down, passed it on and answered the other questions on other papers. At the end the results were read out.

A number of men chose to be David Beckham. I leave you to draw your own conclusions.

From my bookcase Wellington's...

Amongst other books I am reading Wellington's Peninsular War Generals & Their Battles. A Biographical and Historical Dictionary by T. A. Heathcote.

The book "covers the lives of forty-one of the best known divisional commanders, principal staff officers and heads of supporting arms and services in Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese army which famously halted Napoleon's previously invincible eagles and forced them back into France..."