Hi  Brian,

Just wonderful news regarding the paperback publication as this will definitely open up the market a bit more for you.  Wishing you every success with continuing sales.  I am sure your granddaughter will be delighted to see you 'in print' and proud to call you an author too.  As you are an author I follow through Amazon I will be kept informed too.

I know how pleased you will be to be able to potter and plant back in the garden.  Whilst it has been lovely to have the view of outside space during these strange lockdown times, I too have begun to go back out to dig over areas and am 'branching out' this year as having a go at container veggie growing. My dining table currently looks like a mini garden centre but today I will begin planting out the onion sets and some garlic along with the rhubarb.  I have seed potatoes too but they are main crop so cannot go out till mid April.  Just a bit of fun to see what I can do ha ha.  Currently have the daffodills flourishing and have mown the lawn.  It's a start at least.  As I continue to have foxess visiting I will avoid their entry point as nothing will grow there but lovely to have the wildlife both to see and photograph right on my doorstep.

Two of my grandchildren go back to school today whilst the 7 year old has been in all the time as parents are key workers and the youngest (now 2 and a half!!) has continued at nursery throughout whilst my son and daughter in law work from home.  What a juggle life has been but really do hope there is a little more light at the end of the tunnel now. I have been so lucky to have the support bubble so not completely cut off.

Stay well and safe and lets look forward to the warmer weather and lighter evenings. Best regards to you, Mrs B and the family.  Jules

Hi everyone,

It's been a while since I posted but I still pop on most weeks to read and or/chat with others.  This week is a hard one in the year and made more difficult in 2021 asI have also lost a sister in law in the past few months. Because of lockdown was unable to go to her funeral and tomorrow would have been her birthday. She was in remission from breast cancer but sadly suffered a thrombosis and massive heart attack. Was such a terrible shock for our family as our main family link to my late hubby.  On the 3rd it would have been my 44th wedding anniversary and I will, as always,take time to reflect by walking/sitting in nature which helps lift my spirits as well as enjoy my hobby of photography.

Talking with others and spending time with my children/grandchildren continues to bring a lot of pleasure but there will always be that 'someone missing'.  Take care everyone.  Jules 

Hi Jules,

So sorry to have been absent for so long.  So sorry to read about your sister-in-law.  I hope you yourself are keeping well as are the rest of your family.

Mrs B has not been well for some .She has had an iffection and it got so bad I had to call for an ambulance. She was only in hospital fro 24 hours and then they sent her home again. She has had sickness and dioreha. So i have been cook, shopper and  bottle washer ha ha,  She is at last on the mend but it has left her very weak. Regarding some jobs, I am still wearing my L plates but I am improving. It has made me appreciate what you ladies do to keep the house running.  One day when she was in bed all day I went very low with my diabetes twice and had to take some sugary foods quite rapidly.

With my story writting I have found a free program on my computer called Narrator. When I have finnished a story, I now get Narrator to read the story back to me albeit in an american style voice. But it reallt does show up any errors so I have been through all the stories I have put on to Kindle and re- editited them. Mrs B is quite pleased as the runner beans I planted earlier this year are now ready. By the end of the week, she should nearly have as many as she wants. 

Take care my good friend, Brian 

Hi Brian,

So sorry to read that Mrs B has been poorly and hope that she will soon be feeling  much better. I am sure you will be earning lots of gold stars whilst you take on the chores though expect Mrs B, whilst feeling tired, will also be frustrated at not being able to wield the broom to keep you on your toes ha ha. Take care of yourself too as you do not want any more diabetic episodes.

I am thankful that me and the family have been coping okay and that apart from the grandchildren are all double jabbed.  It has certainly been a strange first year of retirement but many walks taken and slowly but surely going further afield for my days out again.  I am currently taking on a walking challenge (virtual entry in support of the RAF charitable trust as the usual Air Tattoo at Fairford had to once again be cancelled). The aim is to complete 50miles or kms in 50 days (or more if you can).....it certainly gives me a reason to fit in an extra walk each day!!

Glad you have found a useful free programme on your computer to assist with your writing.  I am still taking photos for fun  and have joined a few wildlife groups on FB where we can share them as well as learn from each other about local wildlife etc.  Lockdown was made somewhat easier by a family of foxes taking up temporary residence in the garden and I see them most days at the moment. Shame we can no longer share pics. I miss seeing the Inspirational posts you regularly put up.

Sending good wishes to your and Mrs B and take care of yourselves.  Jules 

Hi Jules

Sorry for my long absence.

Hope you are Okay and have been keeping well and still doing thise walks along with your trusty camera. I also hope your family have been kepping well too.

Mrs B can hardly walk now so i have taken on all the shopping now. She keeps apologising I am having to do this but I told her not to worry as I can put things in the trolley that she wouldnt let me buy so it has its compensations. I have now dispensed with my L plates ha ha. I am also doing as much as I can around the house to help her as much as possible.  

I am still writing my short stories and now have 121 completed and 10 childrens stories. I am also working on a frther 31 stories so I have plenty to keep me busy

I have had my second caterct done but have fluid at the back of the eye so it wont focus properly and may possibly have to have an injection in the eye.

Take care my friend, Brian

Hi Brian,

So lovely to hear from you but sad to read that Mrs B has mobility issues.  I am sure you are managing very well with all the chores she normally did but can imagine her frustration.  So pleased that you are still enjoying your writing.  Hope your eye problem can be sorted out (preferably without the injection).

I am still walking and doing my photography and spending time with family as and when our diaries can coincide.  Had a family get together last weekend as my daughter turned 40 on 14th and son was 37 on 21st.  Storn Eunice did her best to interfere but I battled on!!  Phone lines brought down by tree outside which lost a large branch or two and then my back wall succombed to a very high successions of windy gusts and it fell outwards into the back alley.  Very nice neighbour lugged all the blocks back inside my boundary and I am now awaiting quotes for replacement fence (decided on a nicer looking fence!!).

Take care of yourselves and send kind thoughts to you and the family.  The grandchildren are no doubt growing up even more since our last communication (my four are now 13, 8, 5 and 3).  Not sure where the time goes these days but really love being retired and free!

Jules x

Hu Jules,

Thanks for the reply. Glad to hear you and your family are all well.Also that you are getting out and about with your trusty camera. we all need a hobby of some sort i feel. Sorry to hear about your back wall in the wind. But all the roses in the garden are showing new leaves.

Do you still have the fox making his usual visits?

With regards to Mrs B I now roast the spuds of a Sunday and help prepare most of the veg. She keeps apologising I am having to do a lot more but I told her if the boot was on the other foot she would do it for me and indeed I reminded her that she has dome it for many years.

It is a lovely day here this morning with clear blue skies but I read on my computer there is a chance of some of the white stuff next week although they dont say which part of the country may be affected.. 

Your certainly right about the grandchildren. My oldest is still at Warwick university doing creative writing, My oldest grandson will be going to Bournmouth University in the Aiutumn and m youngest (The one with the tracheoctmy) is now at colledge. Make me feel old. The youngest one has told me on many occasions I am as old as the dinosaurs so I suppose I shouldnt be surprised. 

I have just ordered 15 authors copies of my paperbacks from Amazon (5 of each) and they have only cost just over thirty pounds including postage. I hope to sell some at my wood club meetings.I will shortly be adding more stories into the Kindle Library. There never seems to be enough time to do all that I want just lately.

Talking of my woodclub meetings, I have allready given three film/slide shows to our club and will be doing another one next month. I have downloaded some really great woodworking videos from yuo tube and these were well recived by out club members. Using my projector i am able to show them on a plain wall and the speaker is loud enough for everyone to hear. Attendance is still very low at the moment but I hope things will start to improve shortly. This is the reason why we cant afford to pay for any speakers as yet until attendance improves. 

I think that just about brings me up to date.

Sending kind thoughts to you and your family, Brian

Hi Brian,

Hope this finds you well.  I am sure Mrs B feels very frustrated at not being able to do her usual 'chores' but you are right in that when the roles were/are reversed you just do what you have to do.  

Beautiful day here yesterday so went to Kew Gardens; very relaxing and peaceful and far too many photos taken of the birds and flowers.  Carpets of daffodils and the magnolias were stunning.  All change today as it is pouring with rain so time to catch up on indoor stuff.

Yes, the night camera shows I still have a couple of foxes passing through the garden.  However I had the garage cleared and re-roofed at the end of last  year (now a rather large garden shed for me!!) so they cannot access this any more (they used it as a bolt hole and day den with the cubs last summer.

With the back wall taken out by Storm Eunice I currently have a temporary fence in place until new posts/fence panels arrive (I have a lovely neighbour who is doing it for me (his sideline when he is not doing his work shifts)). Even with the temporary panels it looks so much nicer than the wall so perhaps the storm did me a favour!!

I know what you means about feeling old (I know we are!!) and it sounds as though all your grandchildren are doing well.  My son and family have just put their house on the market and are house hunting a little bit further away (20mins extra for them in the car to get to work). Will be staying in Buckinghamshire but wanted a bit more space (inside and out) as well as better schools.  Fingers crossed it does not take them too long.  Saw all the family last Saturday and not often we all manage to get together so was really nice.  I am due to visit my daughter in early April next and we hope to do some garden centre shopping together.

Good luck with the paperback selling and must be lovely to be able to get to the wood club meetings. Hopefully with restrictions lifting and people beginning to be out and about more the attendance.membership can increase again.

Take care of yourself as I know you do of Mrs B.   Best regards to all the family.  Jules