We have returned from our Big Summer Holiday, and I want to go back! Our family adventure this year took us to Poole in Dorset.
We stayed in a privately owned caravan (not ours!) on the Haven Rockley Park site. It was a lovely little place, although we found that it is not very easy for wheelchair users to navigate.
#MummyMonday Family Holiday in Poole
A Delightful Dorset Holiday
We had a fantastic week away from home. I love caravan holidays, but I had to practically drag my husband over the threshold, as he continues to insist that he doesn’t like portable holiday homes. For me the caravan holds precious memories of childhood holidays, and I am creating new memories with my own children on these family excursions. Their dad just has to like it or lump it!
We took our dog on holiday, and the caravan owner very kindly accommodated him. He absolutely loved digging up the beaches and swimming in the sea. It was lovely to see him behaving like a puppy again, running around and being daft. The only problem was he kept digging up my sandcastles! I will share more stories about Baxter later.
All in all, we had a lovely time away. We explored the English Heritage castle on the Isle of Portland, we visited Portland Bill lighthouse, we explored a few beaches, and we enjoyed a harbour cruise in Poole. We also took our children to Paultons Theme Park and Peppa Pig World, which deserves a whole new blog post because it was such an awesome day.
Did you go on holiday this summer? Please do share your adventures.
#MummyMonday Family Holiday in Poole#MummyMonday Jurassic Cliffs Island Poole Dorset @SpookyMrsGreen#MummyMonday Isle of Portland off the Dorset coast UK
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We had a very busy time last week. It began with a weekend trip to the Blue Planet Aquarium for our younger daughter’s birthday treat. Both my girls had a lovely time, and I really enjoyed it as well.
We had to walk through the shark tunnel at least three times so my eldest daughter could ride on the moving platform, and actually I felt really relaxed in there, watching the sharks and fish swimming about and listening to the relaxing music playing in the background. I could imagine sitting in there out of visiting hours and doing some very healing meditation sessions.
#MummyMonday Family Trip to Blue Planet Aquarium
Birthday Daytrips and Fun with Friends
After that we took advantage of some nice, warm weather and took our children and dog for walks with friends. Just a short drive away from home is a place called Winsford Flash. It is an area of natural beauty where we can walk along the banks of the Weaver river. We walked towards Rilshaw Meadows, our girls had fun paddling in the shallow water, and Baxter the Staffy X ran around like a mad thing and kept fetching huge sticks for us. We really enjoyed our afternoon in the sun, and look forward to many more as the summer holidays progress.
SpookyMrsGreen in the Trees
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July has been a very busy, and very challenging month for the pagan housewife. I have run around being Mother, Wife, Author, Blogger and Business Professional, frantically trying to balance everything that is important in my life at the moment.
One thing I was determined to see through was my participation in the July writing challenge that is Camp NaNoWriMo. And I did it! I completed my challenge, and wrote 30,030 words to finish the first draft of a novel I began writing back in 2013.
LGBT fantasy novel set in Northern England. “Vampire of Blackpool” by Catherine Green.
The Vampire Hunter manuscript by Catherine Green
With a working title of The Vampire Hunter, and a very rough first draft completed, this novel is a long way off publication just yet. But the point is, I did it. I wrote another novel, and added another manuscript to my portfolio that I can work through at my leisure. It felt so good to be writing my stories again, after spending the past month or so focusing solely on blogs and non-fiction projects. The Vampire Hunter definitely needs a new name, and I will take some time to ponder on that later. For now, here is an excerpt, for your eyes only!
Excerpt from a work in progress
It was a tough fight tonight. Jennifer had expected nothing less, but still, she might actually need some hospital treatment when this was over. Her left arm was bleeding heavily, hanging at her side, her chest heaving with exertion. She didn’t feel pain yet thanks to the adrenaline coursing through her body, but she vaguely recognised that this was going to hurt later. Oh well, it was nothing she couldn’t handle. It was just another night in the life of a vampire hunter.
“Jennifer!” Jason yelled from across the room, “Incoming!”
Her head snapped up as she realised she had been about to collapse. With a burst of energy, she blocked the punches of the vampire bassist, sending him tumbling to the floor amid the debris of the pub they had destroyed. The creature hissed and snarled, leaping to his feet and refusing to back down.
“You will die for this, hunter!” the monster screeched.
Jennifer pulled her body upright with huge effort and remembered that she still held a sword in her right hand.
“Maybe,” she agreed grimly, “But not tonight.”
She thrust the blade into the vampire’s chest before he realised what she was doing. He had been toying with the hunters, and now his own arrogance would be his undoing. Jennifer remained unemotional as the silver blade penetrated through a ripped, blood-soaked t-shirt and sliced into cold, icy flesh. It broke the bone and ended in the creature’s heart, such as it was. The vampire stopped moving, lifting its head to stare at her in shock. Everything slowed down to this moment. The creature screamed and tried to dislodge the sword, but it was too late. His body imploded, falling limp and collapsing in a heap of ashes on the floor at Jennifer’s feet. She barely glanced at it before moving to her next target.
LGBT werewolf fantasy story “It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels)” by Catherine Green
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The day has arrived. It is officially the End of Term, and the End of the School Year for us. Twelve months ago I was an emotional wreck as I watched my eldest daughter graduate from preschool, attend her last RhymeTime session in the local library, and all those other milestone events that cropped up in our weekday social circles. It was horrible!
I thought that once all that was over, I would be sorted. I could not be more wrong. The emotional torment continued as we moved into a new routine.
Catherine and children walking by the canal in Middlewich
We Did It! We Survived our First Year at School!
We did the school run five days a week, come rain or shine, walking every day. If the weather is dry, the dog comes with us, if not he stays at home. He is a fair-weather pup! I experienced all of those wonderful events that come with school: the first Christmas performance, the Christmas fair, the Summer fair, the Sports Day, and a few others at odd times. My daughter went on her first school day trip, on a big coach, without Mummy. That was traumatic! And she has grown up so much during the past twelve months. Now she is able to read sentences by herself, she can write and spell lots of words, and she can work with numbers. She even surprised me by looking at our living room clock and reading the time correctly one evening.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from our first year at school, despite all the advice I received from my friends who already had older children in the system. A part of me wanted to hold on to my daughter, keep her close and safe in the home, but I knew that she needed some independence. We needed a break from each other. It wasn’t just for her. I need a break too, and that’s not a bad thing to admit. Sometimes I feel we put too much pressure on ourselves to be the model parents, doing everything correctly, according to what everybody else says. Well, it doesn’t work that way. I am very glad that my daughter is thriving at school. She is excited to move into Year 1 in September, and she is happy to be preparing for our summer holiday.
Taking a break
For my part I am ready for a lie-in, such as we get with young children. Next week we are off to my mum’s house for a break. She will entertain the children, and I will try to relax and unwind after a very challenging few months. We have the prospect of my younger daughter’s third birthday in August, and a family holiday to look forward to. All in all, it should be a wonderful summer. Now all we need is some sunshine and warmth, and no more rain! Happy Summer, my parent friends. We did it!
LGBT werewolf fantasy story “It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels)” by Catherine Green
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This time of year is proving to be one of heightened emotional stress and upheaval, as I navigate the highs and lows of sending my children to school.
My eldest daughter has almost completed her first year at primary school, and my youngest daughter her first year at preschool. Both are very happy in their institutions, they are surrounded by friends and familiar faces, and I am happy with their development. But I am also exhausted by the monotony of the routine.
Spiritual Guidance from Dragonfly by Catherine Green
Guidance from the Dragonfly
Every day for five days we get up, argue about lunches and school uniform, what to have for breakfast, and whether my girls will actually go to bed when I tell them to at night. Then we walk to school. Presently my toddler is at preschool for two and a half days in the week, and the rest of the time we are together constantly. She is very demanding, and I am also attempting to potty train her, which is not going very well at all. My husband is still working ridiculously long hours in his all-consuming day job, so I feel very much like a lone parent most of the time. And then I find myself consumed with the emotional stress from my fellow mum friends and their individual journeys with their children.
As if that stress were not traumatic enough, I am still frantically working away at my business, writing new novels, writing short stories, writing blog posts and articles that I can either pitch to publications, or publish online as appropriate. I am planning new projects, reaching out to new people, and basically expanding what I do in an attempt to earn some regular money that I can save for family holidays and a new car (or campervan). While I am spending so much time working on my computer, my house is falling into neglect, the dust grows thicker, toy mountain threatens to topple, and I desperately need to clean my bathroom. When will it all get done?
“Appreciate your experiences”
I don’t know. And all of these worries, thoughts, plans and challenges were circling in my mind as I walked to school with my toddler to collect her big sister yesterday. The weather was bleak. The sky was grey and heavy, threatening more rain. My energy felt clogged and sluggish. I had neglected myself, as well as my house. Suddenly, a blue blur flew past my face. I followed the creature as it settled on a large wet leaf on the plants at the side of the pavement. It was a beautiful, blue dragonfly. It remained still on the leaf as I approached, and it waited while I took a photo. It spoke to me.
“Do not beat yourself up,” said Dragonfly, “Appreciate your current experiences. Accept them, and move on. Everything is as it should be.”
Later I Googled the shamanic meaning of dragonfly, and this is what I found: The dragonfly, in almost every part of the world, symbolizes change, and change in the perception of self realisation; and the kind of change that has its source in emotional and mental maturity and the understanding of the deeper meaning of life.
Enough said! Thank you, wise Dragonfly.
LGBT werewolf fantasy story “It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels)” by Catherine Green
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 welcome author Suzanne Rogerson with her new book “Visions of Zarua.”
#BookTalk Visions of Zarua by Suzanne Rogerson
“Visions of Zarua” by Suzanne Rogerson
Two wizards, 350 years apart.
Together they must save the realm of Paltria from Zarua’s dark past.
An ancient darkness haunts the realm of Paltria.
Apprentice wizard Paddren is plagued by visions of a city on the brink of annihilation. When his master Kalesh dies in mysterious circumstances, the Royal Order of Wizards refuses to investigate.
Helped by his childhood friend, the skilled tracker Varnia, and her lover Leyoch, Paddren vows to find the killer.
The investigation leads Paddren down a sinister path of assassins, secret sects and creatures conjured by blood magic. But he is guided by a connection with a wizard from centuries ago – a wizard whose history holds the key to the horror at the heart of the abandoned city of Zarua. Can Paddren decipher his visions in time to save the Paltrian people from the dark menace of Zarua’s past?
About the Author
Suzanne lives in Middlesex, England with her hugely encouraging husband and two children.
She wrote her first novel at the age of twelve. She discovered the fantasy genre in her late teens and has never looked back. Giving up work to raise a family gave her the impetus to take her attempts at novel writing beyond the first draft, and she is lucky enough to have a husband who supports her dream – even if he does occasionally hint that she might think about getting a proper job one day.
Suzanne loves gardening and has a Hebe (shrub) fetish. She enjoys cooking with ingredients from the garden, and regularly feeds unsuspecting guests vegetable-based cakes. She collects books, loves going for walks and picnics with the children and sharing with them her love of nature and photography.
Suzanne is interested in history and enjoys wandering around castles. But most of she likes to escape with a great film, or soak in a hot bubble bath with an ice cream and a book.
Meet the author
Follow Suzanne on her latest blog tour, where you can see snippets from the new book, and catch up on her previous work.
#BookTalk Visions of Zarua by Suzanne Rogerson
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The world is a scary place right now, especially here in the UK following the political debacle that we have all witnessed.
Professional Tarot reader and LGBT fantasy book writer Catherine Green
Finding the Best Tarot Readers
Some of us are seeking guidance and answers, and I can recommend the best Tarot readers to help you make sense of the world, and of your place in it at this time.
I used to be a professional Tarot reader a few years ago, but I found the work was too emotionally demanding while I was still in the grip of new motherhood. Perhaps I will return to the profession in later years, I don’t know. I do occasionally ‘play’ with my Tarot cards at home, although I have to say that for any big life decisions or queries, I would seek help from another Tarot reader. The best way to work out a problem, identify a pattern of behaviour, or to find a glaringly obvious answer, is to seek the advice of somebody who is removed from your personal and social circles.
A good Tarot reader will know what you are looking for. They will not simply tell you what you need to hear. They spent many years studying the Tarot, learning about the intricacies and the meanings behind each illustration on those 76-card decks. A Tarot reading is not taken lightly by anybody who reads for a living. They appreciate the mysterious magical forces that operate within the Tarot, and the energy that comes through and manifests in answers and resolutions. The cards are designed to work intuitively with a Tarot reader, and will connect their mystical energy with that of the client during a reading.
Sometimes a Tarot reading will throw up a whole new set of challenges and instructions. Sometimes it will give away very little, and perhaps this is because the person asking questions is not ready to hear the answers that are inevitable. When you seek advice from the Tarot, you must be prepared to have your insides ripped out for inspection, to have your darkest desires and deepest insecurities brought to the surface, and then you must be ready to act on the necessary course of action that will enable you to heal and move on. If you are not ready for this, then you are not ready for a Tarot reading. By all means, go ahead and ask. But do not be surprised if you feel disappointed with the response.
The Tarot Cards will Guide You
The Tarot cards know when you are serious about fixing a problem or reversing a negative pattern of behaviour. And they will give you the brutal truth about how to set yourself straight again. Similarly, if you are an experienced receiver of Tarot card advice, if you make it a habit to have your cards read frequently, and you are becoming familiar with the images and figures on those cards, your reading will be different again.
There are many different versions of the Tarot available. The most popular Tarot cards to study with is the Rider-Waite deck. Their images are clearly defined, and each card is labelled so you know what you are working with. They are very user friendly, and I still use mine regularly for this fact. They look simple, but they work on an incredibly deep level. If you wish to attempt a reading with a more complicated Tarot deck, then you have your pick on the market. My current favourite is the Gilded Tarot. These beautiful cards are sensual and colourful, with a very opulent and decadent feel to them. They are very good for readings about romantic relationships and your relationship with your inner self. They also reveal insights about your life partners, and your soul mates, even if you are currently single in daily life. Your partner is out there, somewhere, and often the Tarot can assist you in how best to attract that partner into your life, or how to find them as you go about your business.
Some people prefer to work with Tarot decks that hold darker energies, often referred to as the “shadow self” entities. I have a vampire Tarot deck that does just this, and again it is very beautiful, and very different to my Rider-Waite and my Gilded Tarot. The images on my vampire Tarot cards are Gothic, in shades of black and grey with splashes of red here and there, and glimpses of pale skin. They reveal our most sensitive core, those parts of us that we keep locked away from the rest of the world, that we dare not show, lest we make a fool of ourselves in public or appear weak to those who would seek to ridicule us. The vampire Tarot, and other similar decks, are not to be used when you feel emotionally fragile.
Tarot is not Scary
It might all sound very complicated, quite unnerving, and maybe even a little scary, especially if you have never had a Tarot reading before. Or perhaps you have had a Tarot reading and it left a bitter taste in your mouth, and you came away believing that you had been tricked somehow. The truth of the matter is that the reading you received would have given insight that you were perhaps not ready to receive at that time. The Tarot reader might have decided to give you the raw truth in order to gauge your reaction, or because they were guided to do so with your best interests in mind. We never know what will be revealed, or what memories will be dragged to the surface, but we do know that every Tarot reading is unique and very special.
Eventually you may find yourself interpreting the cards along with your Tarot card reader. You will be able to notice the answers, to focus on the most important cards in a spread, and to learn from them. The Tarot is a beautiful and mysterious entity, weaving magic and mystery into mundane life. Your best Tarot reader is waiting for you to explore that magic. Go and get them!
Universal Waite-Smith Tarot Cards
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How did this happen? We are now just three weeks away from THE BIG SUMMER HOLIDAY, and that means I have a whole 7 WEEKS alone with my children! Aaagghhhh!!!!
I mean, what a delightful prospect, time with my little angels. They won’t really be tearing each other apart when they get bored, or fighting over the same toy, or tormenting the dog. My daughters are perfect!
Summer Parent Challenge #TheGoodStuff
My First Official Summer Holiday with Kids!
Far from it, and I say this with total love and adoration. My daughters are aged 5 and (nearly) 3, and this summer will be our first official school summer holiday break. I cannot believe my eldest daughter has almost finished her first year at primary school, and my youngest her first year at preschool. Time really does fly. And now I have a long summer ahead of me, because for various reasons, I will mostly be home alone with the children, limited car access, and few available babysitters.
I will continue to work from home, but it will be very much a case of grabbing screen time on the computer as and when the children allow it. We have discovered a rather nifty game that they enjoy playing, and that also allows me to continue working. My daughters are very creative. I sit at my dining room table to work on the laptop, and we have a sofa just behind us. They can stand on the sofa, reach behind me, and play hairdressers while I work. They even included a game of pretend body painting last week, and they spent a good half hour or so tickling my arms and face with dry paintbrushes. It was actually really good fun, not least because it allowed me to read and respond to a few emails, while still spending time with my children.
Here’s to the summer holidays!
LGBT werewolf fantasy story “It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels)” by Catherine Green
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Note: This post is an entry for the BritMums Confessions of a Summer Parent Challenge, sponsored by Anchor.
We are just about recovering from a very busy FAB festival weekend here in Middlewich.
My daughters had lots of fun partaking in the Middlewich Rose Fete parade and arena display, followed by an afternoon of playtime and games. I spent the weekend down at the Middlewich Narrowboats boatyard, displaying my books and watching the musicians perform.
And our dog got himself a very smart new bandana, isn’t he handsome?
#MummyMonday Beloved family dog
Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival
The floating market was a sight to behold. There were boats moored all along the canal as far as the eye could see, stretching all the way from the Kings Lock pub on the Sandbach road, to the Big Lock pub on Webbs Lane. The section of canal that runs from the town centre out to the Big Lock pub forms part of our daily walking route with the dog, and so we could not avoid the bright, colourful boats, and everything they had to offer.
Paranormal Author Catherine Green at Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival
The boatyard was buzzing with activity all weekend, the beer boat ran out of ale, the oatcake boat did a roaring trade, and everybody came away happy and tired. I do believe it was the biggest and best Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival to date, although I am certain there will be many more to come.
Paranormal Author Catherine Green at FAB Festival
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Our walk home from the school run was especially exciting today as we took in the sights of all the boats in town for the Middlewich (FAB) Folk & Boat Festival.
Pirate Boat (FAB) Folk and Boat Festival Middlewich
Boats in Town for Middlewich FAB Festival
I managed to get a few photos despite the grey skies, and we did see a bit of sunshine, I promise!
Anyway, the rain has set in now once again, although I am hopeful that it is clearing the way for a bright and sunny FAB weekend. You can see me in the boatyard all weekend, but first I will do the Rose Fete Festival parade with my daughters on Saturday morning.
See you at FAB!
Pirate and Art Boats FAB Folk and Boat Festival Middlewich
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SpookyMrsGreen 