Have you read It’s Complicated yet? This cheeky short story comes from the perspective of NHS nurse Sally Frost as she navigates her busy life in Redcliffe, Cornwall.
By day (or night) she is a dedicated NHS hospital nurse, and when she’s not in her day job, she works as pack lieutenant for the Redcliffe werewolves. And she is in love with the alpha, Danny Mason, naturally, but he cannot commit to one person. There is another lieutenant, Simon Bunce, and while he and Sally are good friends, she knows that Danny will always choose Simon over her when it comes to love, and other activities…
LGBT werewolf fantasy story “It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels)” by Catherine Green
#TheRedcliffeNovels series starts out fairly tame as the innocent human Jessica Stone falls in love with Jack Mason. But when she discovers his secrets, and the truth about his identical twin brother, she unleashes a few surprises of her own.
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
We are beginning to settle into a new life of lockdown and restricted movement, where work, play, socialising and downtime all happen within the home and garden. I am currently in the middle of a reiki 3rd Degree Masters course, and my practice must continue even though I am now home alone with two children and a dog 24/7.
So how will I manage to meditate with the children at home? Here are some ideas, although I appreciate they will not work for everyone.
#MummyMonday How to Meditate with Kids at Home
How to Meditate with Kids at Home
1, Meditate while the children are in bed. In theory this is a good idea. I used to meditate at night when my children were toddlers, after I had put them to bed. It seemed the easiest option back then. Now, however, they insist on waiting up to see their daddy when he gets home from work, which invariably is around 9pm every night. Then I have to chase them upstairs and into bed, by which time I am so exhausted with parenting that I would simply fall asleep as soon I got into my meditation space. Maybe that is not the answer right now.
2, Ask your partner to keep the children out of the room for twenty minutes while you meditate. This is not practical for me except perhaps on weekends. If your partner is also working from home or is currently out of work due to lockdown, set a time for each of you every day for yourselves. This could be quiet time to rest, to read, or to meditate, depending on your preferences. I would love to have this opportunity.
3, If your children are older, perhaps they will stay in their bedroom while you meditate? My older daughter is nine, and she spends a lot of time in her room playing with Lego and watching YouTube videos. Sometimes my younger daughter (aged 6) does the same, but not very often. If you can explain to your children the importance of time alone for yourself, they will be considerate and leave you alone. My older daughter has recognised that leaving mummy alone for a while during the day can make a big difference between “shouty Mummy” and “happy Mummy!”
4, Get up early while the children are asleep. This is something that I have tried to do in the past, but I am not really a morning person. Most parents recognise the sleep habits of their children and can generally estimate when they are likely to wake up. If you could try and get up half an hour before your children, you could sit quietly and meditate which would hopefully give you a much more peaceful and relaxed start to the day. It might also give you a sense of purpose, so you feel more positive and less stressed as the day unfolds.
5, Teach the children to meditate with you. This depends on the age of your children. I have tried to encourage my daughters to meditate, and I have allowed them to watch while I do it. This usually lasts for around ten minutes, but it is better than nothing. My daughters have also received reiki treatments on my therapy bed recently, and I was impressed that they could both lie still for twenty minutes – well, mostly! My girls enjoy listening to relaxing music, so we do occasionally manage to meditate and relax.
How do you manage your meditation practice?
There we go, just a few suggestions based on my personal experience. Have you managed to maintain your meditation practice with your children at home? What works for you? Please share in the comments below.
LGBT werewolf fantasy story “It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels)” by Catherine Green
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
Our first week in lockdown has passed and we have survived. To be honest it kind of felt like a normal school holiday week. My husband went out to work every day and came home late every night. The children insisted on waiting up to see him before bed.
We spent our days in the garden, we walked the dog around the block a few times, we attempted some schoolwork and we had lots of screen time. And I won’t try to excuse any of it or paint a picture of a happy family.
#MummyMonday We Survived the First Week of Lockdown
We Survived the First Week of #Lockdown!
Our lives have been ripped apart by Covid-19, and that’s before we lose any friends or family members to the virus. I’m not daft, I know that the worst is yet to come. Some people are still comparing it to the flu and saying it’s a big fuss about nothing. Most of us have accepted that this is a big deal, and we are trying to adjust our lifestyle to help the UK get through the pandemic. We cannot beat Covid-19, but we can try and slow it down.
Yes, I have become a little bit obsessed with BBC News. I have the radio on all day every day as it is, usually in the background while I work at home. Now I find myself watching TV news specials, trying to do “the right thing” to help people, and trying to come to terms with everything. We will not return to school now probably until September, although we hold out hope that we may return for the end of the summer term if our social distancing proves successful. Unfortunately it seems that there are people who blatantly ignore government guidelines and believe themselves to be apart from everybody else, and these people will only change their minds when they start to experience death and serious illness at close quarters.
Trying to stay positive for my children
I am trying to stay positive and cheerful for my children and trying to keep them entertained at home. I am also trying to remember what I was supposed to be doing for myself. Naturally my reiki course is on hold for the foreseeable future. While my teacher will try and hold classes through video calling, my children will not leave me alone to meditate during the day. I will have to do my practice when they are in bed. I tried to work on my laptop one morning last week and ended up shouting for just 5 minutes of peace to write a blog post.
I don’t like being horrible to my children, and of course they are my priority, but what am I supposed to do for work? I don’t have a regular job, and my freelance work isn’t enough to qualify for government benefits. I am one of those people that fall through the cracks. I work damned hard every day, caring for my family and my home, and yet I only earn a wage if I submit to an employer and pay somebody else to care for my children (which I cannot do now, of course, due to lockdown). It is the age-old conundrum: Can I be a housewife and a working mother? Or does something need to change?
Victorian vampire romance novel “The Darkness of Love” by Catherine Green
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
We Are the World BlogFest (#WATWB) celebrates special people and small stories of inspiration and hope in the world. Let’s face it, we need some inspiration and hope during this time of pandemic and social distancing.
I am now officially in lock-down with my children here in the UK, since all the schools closed last week, and we don’t know when they will reopen. We are prepared for this to last until September, but for now we estimate twelve weeks, in the hopes that we might resume at least the tail-end of school summer term.
#WATWB Keeping Busy at Home During a Pandemic
Keeping Busy at Home During a Pandemic #WATWB
In just a few days my elder daughter (aged 9) has discovered the joy of video calling and has managed to speak with some friends from school. Our dance teacher is planning to run online classes using video technology, which will hopefully keep up some of a sense of routine. And our local Girlguiding coordinator for Rainbows (girls aged 5-7) is posting regular videos in our private Facebook group, offering activities that the children can do at home.
My town has organised a Covid-19 support group and already has a wide network of volunteers enabled that can deliver food and medicines to vulnerable people in the community. I haven’t volunteered for this, but I have made it known that I can help friends, neighbours and family where necessary. For now I am at home mostly alone with the children and a high-maintenance dog, so all my energy is focused on them. Our dog is a rescue, and he’s only been with us for four months. His current trick is to escape from the garden at every available opportunity, so we have spent a fortune reinforcing the fences and we watch him closely. He is now known as “Houdini-dog!” I plan to try and post amusing and uplifting blog posts in the coming weeks, my small attempt at lightening the mood during these uncertain times. Stay safe, my friends, and keep your distance!
We are the World BlogFest (#WATWB)
We are the World BlogFest (#WATWB) focuses on positive stories no matter where they’re found. It is all about spreading peace and humanity on social media. All participants post on the last Friday of the month, sharing a positive news story that contributes to making our world a happier, safer, and better place to live.
LGBT fantasy novel set in Manchester, England. “Return of the Vampire Hunter” by Catherine Green.
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
Today I asked the Tarot for guidance on a very personal matter. My emotions are running wild following the death of my grandad and the outbreak of coronavirus here in the UK.
My grandad died on the same day that our pandemic officially took hold, so it has been a strange month as we waited for his funeral and watched the news on world events. Now I am home alone with two children for at least the next twelve weeks, possibly longer, with no possibility of a break.
Tarot Reading for Difficult Times by Catherine Green
A Tarot Reading for Difficult Times
To say I feel highly stressed is an understatement, despite my connection to reiki source energy. I randomly opened my Tarot notebook and focused on the “Foot in Mouth” spread. Here is what the Inner Child (Fairy Tale) Tarot had to say on the matter:
1, Why did I say that?
Three of Hearts – Because it needed to be said. You have a solid network of friends to support you, and they remind you to be joyful in the face of despair. Remember your true self and your connection to a higher source. You are making a change that is needed. You are worth far more than what you currently accept.
2, What positives can come from it?
Little Red Cap (The Fool) – Your spirit is strong, and you are ready for adventure. Life has thrown a few obstacles into your path, and you might have strayed from your spiritual self. Now you may return, having learned to fail and succeed along the way. Your mistakes are lessons learned, nothing more and nothing less. Be proud of your efforts and appreciate what you have achieved.
3, What negatives can come from it?
Three of Wands – Why should you expect negatives? Your life has been a series of disappointments for a long time, and you deserve something better. Rejoice in the company of your divine female guides and welcome a joyful new adventure.
4, How should I proceed now?
Six of Hearts – You have already begun the healing process. All you should do now is welcome deep inner healing using the tools at your disposal. Resolve the hurt that you have harboured for so long. Release it. You are free to move on and find happiness in your life. You deserve peace.
A whirlwind of chaos
There we go. I am in a whirlwind of chaos, trying to comfort my daughters as they make sense of a world that just got a heck of a lot smaller without warning. They see TV adverts warning about the dangers of coronavirus, and yet their daddy still goes off to work in his key worker role and we don’t see him all day. It is just me, my girls, and our dog. We will get along just fine and so will you. Let’s all take some time to heal while we are in lock-down during the pandemic. Blessed Be.
Contemporary adult Gothic fairytale “The Wolf and the Fairy” by Catherine Green.
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
Wow. Our world has come crashing down around us in the space of seven days. Just over a week ago I went out for a meal in Manchester with my husband. At the time we were not sure we should go, but it was to honour a friend who died earlier this year, and we wanted to pay our respects. We knew that was our last night out for a while.
We saw my brother at home on his birthday and he was subdued. Our conversation was dominated by the coronavirus pandemic as we shared advice we had heard from various sources and tried to decide what news was trustworthy. And then came Monday.
#MummyMonday Phew, what a Crazy Week!
Phew, what a Crazy Week! #StayHomeSaveLives
It began with the announcement from school that our Year 4 concert had been cancelled. They had rehearsed for this since last September and it was a big event hosted by the Love Music Trust. A neighbouring school had closed due to a suspected case of Covid-19, and they should have attended this concert with our school and a few others. My daughter was very upset, but our school managed to host a small version of the concert in their main hall, so I still got to watch her perform.
And then came Tuesday. My Grandad’s funeral. He died on 5th March, which apparently was the day when Covid-19 really took hold in the UK. It had passed me in a blur as I grieved with my family. We decided to proceed with the funeral, but we all kept a safe distance from our Nan and my Mum, who are now in self-isolation.
School is closed
Tuesday was also the day when our school swimming lessons were cancelled, and we heard that the planned Year 4 Residential in Wales was cancelled. They were supposed to go on 1st April. Yet another disappointment for our children, who had been preparing for the trip and planning their activities. After that I knew it was only a matter of time, and sure enough we heard the announcement that schools were closing.
In just a few days my whole life changed dramatically. I no longer have to do the school run, but now I have to be Teacher to a 6-year-old and a 9-year-old. We have no more dance classes, no more Girlguiding groups, no more daily walks by the canal with my dog. My children simply refuse to walk that far!
Start a new life in lockdown
Now we are preparing to start up a new life for the foreseeable future. We are lucky that I was already working from home as a freelancer, so my work pattern won’t be disrupted too badly. My husband is a key worker, so his life and routine remains the same. We are also lucky to have a comfortable family home with a large front and back garden, so we can have fresh air and exercise without leaving home if we need to. There is also a convenience store and pharmacy just a few hundred yards up the road, so we really don’t have to go too far for essential items.
I just hope that people as a whole will stop panic buying and that the supermarkets will quieten down. I am feeling anxious about going shopping for food for my family, and I am a healthy person. I really do not want to get this virus or pass it on to my children. Let’s hope people listen to the guidance from government and stay at home. We can do this.
LGBT fantasy book series set in Cornwall. “Love Kills (The Redcliffe Novels) ” #2 by Catherine Green.
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
Wow, what a strange week we are experiencing! Coronavirus has hit the UK, and everyone is veering between panic and ignorance. My children are still in school, but all of their extra-curricular clubs are cancelled until further notice. We have no more swimming lessons, no more Girlguiding groups, and the planned school residential trip is off. Our plans for an Easter party are cancelled, and now I’m wondering how long before the school has to close completely?
And yet, life carries on as normal. Last weekend my husband and I went out in Manchester (and yes, we do feel mildly ashamed). It was a pre-planned meal in memory of a friend who died just after Christmas, and since we missed his funeral, we felt it was only right to honour his memory at his favourite student restaurant. The city was a lot quieter than usual, but people were determined to carry on with their lives as normal.
Coronavirus and Me
Coronavirus and Me
Then there was my Grandad’s funeral yesterday. This was a very strange day. He has been ill for many years, and we didn’t expect him to live past Christmas since he was in and out of hospital. He was a Navy veteran, and I believe that his body had been trained to endure hardship, which is why it took him so long to leave us when his time came. Anyway, we were not going to miss attending his funeral, and mine and my husband’s health is good, so we attended. Besides, if my children are in school, my life has to carry on as normal, doesn’t it? And my husband cannot shut down the waste treatment site that he manages because that has knock-on effects to public health.
The crematorium staff advised us not to stand too close to each other, and we were asked not to hug, shake hands or touch other people wherever possible. My Nan practically had a bubble around her, and my Mum is high-risk due to health complications, so my siblings and I took extra care to shield her where we could. We did attend the planned wake in a local pub, but the staff in there looked very uncomfortable. It was a nice send-off, but a weird one due to the underlying worry about coronavirus. Let’s see where the next week or so takes us…
How is your life impacted (or not) by current events?
LGBT fantasy book series set in Cornwall. “Love Hurts (The Redcliffe Novels)” #1 by Catherine Green.
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
I joined the social network for A Chronic Voice because I needed to find people who understand what life is like with chronic pain.
Today I have written a post using the March link-up prompts, to show my experience of living with a chronic pain disorder. Click here to find other blog posts from fellow chronic pain sufferers, or #spoonies as we call ourselves online.
Chronic Voice blog link-up for March
What Am I Doing Here?
Staying
Life is pretty boring right now. My daily routine revolves around the school run and caring for my family, alongside whatever part-time jobs I can fit in. I wanted to book a vacation for me and my children during the Easter school holiday, but now it looks like we are staying put due to restrictions from the coronavirus pandemic. I would usually send them to my mum’s house for a few days, and I probably will do, unless anything changes during the next few weeks. My mum has a chronic health condition and low immune system, so if coronavirus comes close to my town, I will have to stay away from Mum until I feel it is safe to see her again. It is all very unsettling, and yet for now our boring life is probably the best thing for all of us.
Doing
Despite my life being boring, I have been doing quite a lot during the past month. I took big steps in our home improvement project (well, my home improvement project – my husband refuses to get involved). It took me around four months to strip away the old anaglypta wallpaper that covered our lounge/dining room, and the floral anaglypta wallpaper in our hallway. I still have to finish stripping the hallway and move up to the landing, but I simply don’t have time for all of it. I did get tradesmen in to plaster over the holes that were left from our rewiring and central heating job eighteen months ago, and I feel a huge sense of accomplishment just for having this seemingly small job completed. Now I can seriously consider doing some decorating and putting my personality into our living room. Exciting times!
Being
I am a busy human being, what with family demands, home improvement projects, a large garden to maintain, a rescue dog to train and settle, and my freelance writing work. I like to be busy, but I also recognise when it is time to settle down and be quiet. My reiki practice is what keeps me sane when the world overwhelms me. It is very hard living with a spouse that has severe mental health challenges but refuses to seek medical help. It is very hard feeling like a single parent because of these mental health challenges. Sometimes all I can do is be a human being, which means screaming and shouting to vent my frustration, or meditating to bring in some reiki self-healing energy and regain control of my frazzled mind and body.
Targeting
So, what is the next item on my target list? This week it is a rather sad one: attending my grandad’s funeral. My family has been through huge challenges for the past year, with my Nan, my Mum and my aunts caring for both my uncle and my grandad as their health declined and they finally succumbed, one to cancer, one to old age. My target here is to hold it together and be strong for my family. There has been all sorts of drama and tension, which is to be expected after such stressful times. We are all targeting a better quality of life going forward, where we can grieve quietly and move on with our own plans and activities.
Weighing
My mind is heavy with lots of deep thoughts. Due to the way my life has been recently, and the fact that I feel underappreciated and taken for-granted, I am weighing up my options for how to improve my mood. Some days it feels like I want to run away and start afresh, but I know that is not the answer. Some days I feel thankful for my place in my safe, little life. Other days I want something bigger and more spectacular, but I don’t know what that is. Ultimately whatever life choices I make will impact on my daughters, and so I will weigh up all possibilities before I reach a considered and sensible solution.
LGBT fantasy novel set in Northern England. “Vampire of Blackpool” by Catherine Green.
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
This week began with International Women’s Day, which passed quietly in my family because we are recovering from a very traumatic time.
Late last year my uncle deteriorated and finally lost his battle with brain cancer. The whole family managed to visit him both in the hospital and the hospice where he spent his last days. At around the same time our grandad (and my uncle’s dad) began to fade away. He was in and out of hospital, and with each visit we thought it was his last. He was a military man, however, and I believe that he had trained his body to withstand the worst kind of strain, which explains why he finally passed away last week, almost four months since he began the decline towards death.
Strong Women and Death Midwifery. Image credit Hannah McClane.
Strong Women and Death Midwifery
Today I want to celebrate the strong women in my family (myself included), who have helped support each other and those people who died. I learned about death midwifery from books, although I can’t tell you where exactly I found the phrase. It basically means supporting someone as they die, much the same as midwives in hospital support mothers as they bring new life into the world.
I think in Western society we have forgotten how to celebrate older people, and when they become frail and ill, we leave them in the care of health professionals and tell ourselves that’s the best we can do. Not my family. My Nan has nursed Grandad for over ten years, and they were together for 66 years. She was devoted to him, even though they frequently argued. Their love for each other was clearly obvious, no matter what trivial incidents might put them at odds. The past four months or so have been exhausting for my Nan, and for my mum and my aunts. My cousins also helped with the passing of our uncle and our grandad, as did our other uncle (by marriage). We are a big family!
Nursing our dying family members
Watching my family members nursing the dying and the elderly has touched me in ways that I cannot explain. All those strong women (and men, not forgetting our uncle and male cousins) are brilliant for the unrecognised work that they do for family and beyond. My Nan refused to send grandad to a care home in his final months because she was determined to be with him to the bitter end. Perhaps she pushed herself too far, but I know that she is proud and satisfied that she did her job as wife and mother. Now she can grieve for her lost son and her husband, and we can all come to terms with a new family dynamic.
It is not easy to care for a dying person. There are the practical elements of physical care, assisting with personal hygiene and feeding, administering medicine, and then there are the emotional and mental implications. I won’t give the gory details out of respect for my family, but they all worked very hard to ensure that Grandad and Uncle Bill were not alone when they finally passed away. And I am very thankful that they were able to do that.
LGBT fantasy book series set in Cornwall. “Love Kills (The Redcliffe Novels) ” #2 by Catherine Green.
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
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#FreeforallFriday New Arrivals at English Heritage Shop
Top Gift Ideas for Mother’s Day
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