As we move into a new month and the promise of the Spring season, I feel especially excited because this coming week it is all about the books!
I mean, every week is all about books for me (and children of course), but this week we celebrate World Book Day on Thursday 6th March.
#MummyMonday World Book Day 2014
It’s All About the Books!
World Book Day not only means my daughter can dress up for the day at pre-school, and we get vouchers for money off children’s books, but World Book Day UK sees the (un)official launch of the very first Middlewich Literary Festival, and I have been invited as a guest author. I am very honoured! There will be short story competitions for local school children, featured authors and poets showcasing their work, the offer of literary critiques from speakers (possibly me), and a general gathering of readers and writers sharing the book love. In fact, I want to start a new Twitter handle for it: #MidLitFest
Not only that, but on Monday 2nd March the Middlewich Readers book club will be discussing my first novel Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel), and I will be present to answer questions and join the chat. I am excited but a little bit nervous about the experience…
Have a fantastic week everybody!
“It’s Complicated” (A Redcliffe Short Story) by paranormal author Catherine Green
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I have to take this opportunity to talk about recent news stories regarding the figures for the number of unemployed people in the UK.
I don’t like to be negative, but I couldn’t help but grumble about the cynicism of a recent Huffington Post story that reported about the fall in the unemployed people of our country. Yes, it is excellent news that ‘recorded’ jobseekers are at an all-time low. But that isn’t necessarily a true picture.
UK Political Parties to Vote For
The Untold Story of the UK Economy Statistics
Take myself as an example. I gave up a minimum wage part-time job (for which I was over-qualified anyway) in order to stay home and be Mother and Housewife. When my maternity leave lapsed I decided to register as self employed. This did not work out well for a variety of reasons, including the fact that I couldn’t afford childcare in order to go out and do the freelance work that is available. Eventually I closed down that particular business venture after earning absolutely nothing and feeling rather flat and fed up about my own naivety and the situation I was in.
For six months while being a ‘Stay at home Mother’ I claimed Jobseekers Allowance, in a desperate attempt to give myself something of an income. That was stopped by the government when they declared that my husband can afford to ‘keep’ me. My only option now is to continue as I am with no regular personal income, or to figure out a way to afford nursery care for my baby and toddler, and find transport to get me to where the jobs are. My husband’s monthly wage is all taken up in household payments, utilities, living expenses, travel costs etc, and we already spend less than the national average (I think) on food shopping.
We are not poor and we are not affluent
We are by no means ‘poor.’ I certainly don’t feel any self pity, except on those odd occasions when my hormones run riot and I can’t face another stinky nappy or crying child. We never go hungry, our children have all of their needs met, and our house is clean and comfortable, if a little cramped. But now my desires are turning to more cosmetic and frivolous desires. I really miss having my own car. I want to extend our house and create an extra bedroom and bigger kitchen, but that would lead to a full renovation and where do we get the money? I want to go shopping and not have to restrict myself to sale rails and charity shops, as much as I enjoy visiting those places.
I know that I am not alone in this situation. My personal solution is to get tough and work from home at the expense of spending more time with my children. I have battled with this desire for several months now, telling myself that I should wait until they are in school and then I can work. But they won’t be happy if I am not happy. I need an income to make me secure, and I need to do it for myself for a large variety of reasons.
Is there a better way to help us?
I don’t expect handouts, which is fine because we don’t get any, but surely there is a way to improve our economy so that everybody benefits? I know, I know, it is the ultimate conundrum. We can blame the rich folks for keeping us in oppression, the Tory government for supporting the rich folks, and all sorts of other excuses. Ultimately I have to focus on my own little world for now, and do what makes me and my family happy. Then we can try and fix the rest of the country.
“It’s Complicated” (A Redcliffe Short Story) by paranormal author Catherine Green
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Becoming a mother has been a massive learning curve for me. I know that sounds cliché, but it is the absolute truth.
It wasn’t so long ago that I used to commute to work full time and everything revolved around me and my then fiancé (now husband). We agreed that we wanted to have children, but were both a little frightened by all the horror stories that people told us.
I was never particularly worried about giving birth, it was more the after-effects that concerned me. I mean, you know that physical labour will end eventually because your baby has to come out! But what happens after that, when you are home alone with a tiny baby to care for?
#MummyMonday Catherine with her Baby Daughter
I’m in The Motherhood
I recently read an article in Mother and Baby magazine (my new lifestyle bible, where previously it was Marie Claire or similar) that talked about being in The Motherhood. It explained that women are becoming feminists after they have children, because that is when they really start to notice the blatant inequalities in society. It starts when a woman announces her pregnancy at work. All of a sudden she has to make way for regular health checks which might mean taking time off more frequently. She has to plan her workload and start delegating in preparation for the birth of her baby and her subsequent maternity leave. Then she might possibly drop out of her career for a few years, if it makes better sense for her to stay home with the children full-time rather than pay for childcare so she can return to work.
The Motherhood has been around for as long as women have been having babies. I think it is only now becoming more of a movement or organization because women are speaking out about their experiences in the home. My mother worked several jobs while raising three children, and she did all the housework, all of the doctors’ appointments, planning for school trips etc. She just did it, along with all the other working mothers and housewives around the world, and nobody ever appreciated her for it, myself included. Sorry Mum! I truly appreciate you now, that’s for sure.
Accepting my new role
Part of my difficulty recently has been accepting that I am a wife and mother. I absolutely adore my children, and I loved being pregnant despite all the pain and discomfort it caused. But I still feel a huge loss of my independence. I cannot switch off anymore. Even when my children are in bed I am either sitting anxiously waiting for them to wake up, or I am busy tidying, sorting and catching up on my household chores. What I and all the other mothers in the world want, is simply to be recognized for the work that we do in the home. We do not get paid for our work, and yet if we didn’t produce children the entire human population would die out!
Being a mother is a full time job. We do not receive annual leave, or sick pay, or bonuses. We don’t even receive a regular wage, because most of the time our working husbands or partners cannot spare any of their wages after the household finances are taken care of. I can’t actually see a resolution to this problem. But I would feel a whole lot better if we could identify ourselves as ‘working mothers’ even if we don’t have an external job. The term ‘housewife’ has become somehow a dirty word, at least to my mind, because society as a whole has devalued the work of women in the home. I don’t know how to change it, but at least with The Motherhood I am among friends.
#RedcliffeNovels LGBT Fantasy Book Series for Adults
Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
My eldest daughter, aged 3 years, is totally obsessed with the popular children’s cartoon series Peppa Pig. She is not alone, as I am fully aware. And actually I quite enjoy Peppa Pig myself in small doses.
I have noticed a few things about the series and its characters and stories. It has a certain whimsical charm, but there are lots of very modern themes. Indeed, my daughter already compares me to ‘Mummy Pig’ when I am sitting at my computer doing ‘busy work.’
“Mummy Pig” from Peppa Pig
Miss Rabbit the Role Model
It struck me that there may just be some quite useful role models on Peppa Pig, especially for our daughters. Perhaps I am being selective, but here is what I have noticed. Miss Rabbit, the twin sister of Mummy Rabbit, is very much an all-powerful multitasking superwoman. So far I have watched her work the checkout in the supermarket, operate the computer system in the local library, drive the fire engine to save the daddies, pilot a helicopter, fly a hot air balloon and run an ice-cream stall. Have I missed anything? Oh yes, she also drives the bus and the train and probably a whole list of other vehicles I have not yet noticed!
OK, so that list of feats is very exhaustive and perhaps not quite so positive in hindsight. I mean, it is good to show our girls the scope of their capabilities and that they literally can turn their talents to whatever they choose. My daughter decided one day to pretend to be Miss Rabbit driving her fire engine, and of course I was happy to encourage the game and to join in (I might also add that her aunt is a firefighter). Ultimately I do appreciate the positive aspects of Peppa Pig, and the humour with which it is presented. It offers a light-hearted approach to daily life, which is something that I think we all need to do more often.
“It’s Complicated” (A Redcliffe Short Story) by paranormal author Catherine Green
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During 2013 I became so overwhelmed with being a mother, housewife and publishing two novels, that I feel I strayed ‘off the path’ from my spiritual pursuits. As it turned out I never did. Everything I do in my life relates to my spiritual journey.
I realised late on in the year that I spent too much time berating myself for not actively taking time out to meditate, or for ignoring my studies, and somehow equated that to not being spiritual. In truth it is nothing of the sort.
#WitchyWednesday Cloudy Sky over Rocks in the Sea
My Spiritual Journey: A New Attitude for the New Year
Every day I notice the weather, I feel the energy of Mother Earth, and my daily routine actually revolves around being a spiritual person. I think I confused spirituality with academia and religion in terms of being a studious practitioner of whatever art or path I choose at any one time. I identify myself as pagan, but I still believe in Christianity since I grew up in a Christian family and I always find a sense of peace and love when I visit churches.
Some of my confusion in late 2013 came from my experiences with the church community. When my second child was born I did struggle to adjust to life with two young children. My husband works long hours, and is often out of the house for around 15 hours per day anything up to six days per week when he works overtime. While I have a wonderful close circle of friends with children, we all lead busy lives and sometimes I have found myself feeling isolated on those long days when I am stuck at home with the children.
Finding solace in community groups
It is the church community and local parent/child groups that offer solace in times like these. I actually found myself visiting a church playgroup one afternoon quite without planning to, but I felt so much better for doing it. I recognised at lot of the people in there from our regular attendance at my local library, and we were welcomed with open arms. Similarly we have adopted the church café as a venue of choice for a weekly lunch outing. They are very child-friendly and family oriented, and that is important to me right now.
And so I begin 2014 with a new attitude, and a new understanding of what it means to live a spiritual life in a 21st century urban environment. For example, my husband does not identify with any particular religion or path (he is christened Catholic), but he is a warrior for environmentalism. He is a Chartered Waste Manager by profession, we recycle 95% of our household waste, we use cloth nappies, we drive an eco-efficient car, and we make sure our children have plenty of time outside in the countryside or at the beach, even when the weather is not especially pleasant. That is my spiritual journey at the moment. We respect our Earth, our community, and we live comfortably and happily within it.
“It’s Complicated” (A Redcliffe Short Story) by paranormal author Catherine Green
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I read somewhere this morning that today has been dubbed ‘Blue Monday’ because this is the day when most people in the UK have returned to work after their Christmas holidays, they are broke, they hate the bad weather, and they are just plain grumpy with the whole month of January. How very glum!
I totally refute this claim, and here is why:
I’ve Got the January Blues
Why I Refuse to Accept Blue Monday
January is a good month. We begin the new calendar year full of high expectations, which in turn motivates us to get started on fixing the parts of ourselves that we no longer need. For many people it begins with a fitness regime, for others it means clearing out the junk from their houses to free up space and energy for new projects. Some people decide they have reached the end of their relationships and so they use this month to start afresh, and some people go in for a makeover to feel better.
I like January for several reasons, some of which I have mentioned above. My main reason for loving the month is that my birthday falls on the 22nd and I am (just about) young enough to still enjoy celebrating it! Also, and more importantly, my eldest daughter has her birthday 2 days before mine. This year I have the joy of a toddler soft play party at a local pub, what an experience that will be…
What do you think about January?
What do you make of the month of January? Do you fall into depression and agree with the ‘blue Monday’ theory? Or do you shake it off, throw back your head, smile brightly and get on with your life? Happy Return to Work day…
“It’s Complicated” (A Redcliffe Short Story) by paranormal author 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 switched on my computer with the intention of sitting down to do some ‘proper’ work after I lost December in a whirl of domestic chaos, excited children and the magic of a family Christmas. I ended up taking a rather extended holiday during the festivities, and it even began sooner than I planned.
I did manage to find a few days to relax and regroup, and this gave me some space to realise what had happened during 2013.
#WitchyWednesday Cloudy Sky over Rocks in the Sea
Not Your Average New Year Resolution
Last year was chaotic. There is no other way to describe it. I was pregnant for the first half of the year, and while I had no major health complications, I struggled with it because I was hot, heavy and tired for most of the time. It didn’t help that I found myself at home alone with my elder daughter who is a very lively toddler. My husband has been working away from home for long hours, and is somehow managing to fit 5 weeks’ worth of working hours into each month. I’m not sure how he does it, but the strain has finally begun to show.
Today I feel like I should be happy and positive. It is a New Year. This is the time for resolutions, plans and excitement. I just do not feel that excitement right now. I am happy with myself for having a fairly productive morning, but I have also been jumping up and down like a Jack-in-the-Box attending to my children and their needs. Of course I wouldn’t have it any other way. But that doesn’t mean I find it easy to cope with motherhood.
My New Year’s Resolution is
My New Year Resolution is to be kinder to myself. This in turn will make me happier, more relaxed, and ultimately a better parent and wife. Those are the most important targets for me right now. And I also intend to play more this year. We didn’t manage to take a proper family holiday in 2013. Instead I despaired of my husband taking any time off work, and I packed my children off to Scotland for a couple of holidays with our friends. While I cannot force my husband to book time off for holidays, I can at least take control of my own workload. I have to do what I can, when I can, and stop trying to force immediate results for my endeavours.
Happy New Year everyone!
“It’s Complicated” (A Redcliffe Short Story) by paranormal author 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 have the pleasure of welcoming my friend and fellow author, Flossie Benton Rogers with her new novel, MIND YOUR GODDESS – WYTCHFAE 3.
#BookTalk Mind Your Goddess by Flossie Benton Rogers
Guest Author Feature: Mind Your Goddess (Wytchfae 3)
Cool jazz and hot kisses…
The Goddess Epona awakens in the Roaring 20’s. Can this flapper summon the razzle dazzle to reclaim her powers and the heart of her dark Guardian?
Opening Paragraph:
Epona massaged her numb derriere, stimulating the blood flow after hours of sitting and listening to the pleas, complaints, and often preposterous wishes of supplicants. Bring back my man—put a curse on my rival—as if the Goddess of fruitfulness dealt in curses—make me pretty. Didn’t anyone care about bountiful crops anymore? Or babies?
Teaser:
He took her in his arms once more, his aura winding around her, cocooning the two of them in tendrils of delicious heat. His low voice and words drugged her senses. “You are my Goddess, and you always will be.”
WYTCHFAE SERIES:
Wytchfae – Runes Now Available Guardian of the Deep – Wytchfae 2 Now Available Mind Your Goddess – Wytchfae 3 Coming December 13, 2013 Coming Soon: Time Singer – Wytchfae 4 Lord of Fire – Wytchfae 5 Demoness Dreams – Wytchfae 6 Soul Weaver – Wytchfae 7
Bio:
Flossie Benton Rogers is the author of Wytchfae, a paranormal romance series published by Secret Cravings Publishing. A fifth generation Floridian, she is a former teacher and library director, and a founding member and secretary of the Sunshine State Romance Authors, Romance Writers of America Chapter #225. Her writing buddy is her 14-year-old Basset hound, Daisy Josette. Benton Rogers is grateful for the opportunity to pursue her passion for mythology by writing romances with fairies, goddesses, ghosts, and other magical beings.
“It’s Complicated” (A Redcliffe Short Story) by paranormal author Catherine Green
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I am a little late posting this, but here is a short Autumn poem I wrote last week one morning while out for a walk with my dog and my baby daughter:
#WitchyWednesday Frosty Autumn Trees in Middlewich
#Poem: A Frosty Autumn Walk
The sun shines down
Over a carpet of leaves,
Once golden brown
Now sparkling like jewels.
——-
Shimmering and twinkling
My diamonds of ice,
As Mother Nature turns the wheel
Once, twice and thrice.
END
“It’s Complicated” (A Redcliffe Short Story) by paranormal author 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 have been prompted to write this post in response to an emailed newsletter from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in London.
Although I have never visited that particular dogs’ home since it is in a different part of the country, I fully support their campaign to rescue and re-home as many abandoned and abused Staffordshire Bull Terrier dogs as they can.
Staffies. They’re Softer Than You Think Campaign at Battersea Dog’s Home
#SofterThanYouThink My Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Our dog is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier X (part Border Terrier we think), and he is the best family dog you could ask for. We met Baxter 5 years ago when he was a resident at Stoke-on-Trent dogs’ home. Prior to that he had been at a dogs’ home in Wrexham, so we think he is native to Wales but we cannot be sure. Either way, on that fateful day when I visited the home seeking a new companion, his big brown eyes and velvet ears were enough to melt my heart.
We had Baxter for about 2 and a half years before our first child came along. Prior to that Baxter had some interaction with our young next door neighbour, and he was always playful when out for walks. He has proved a most loving and loyal family pet. When I was pregnant he was always watching over me, and now he is the playmate to our toddler and acts as teddy bear to our young baby. I trust him completely with my children, and every day he shows his love and devotion to us.
So today I want to say, yes there has been some more negative press about the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. But the stories that we hear on the news are, fortunately, in the minority. If you are thinking of getting a dog, please consider the Staffy. They are intelligent, loving, playful and a constant source of entertainment. If you are still in doubt, check out this photo of my Baxter, and I am sure you will change your mind!
Baxter the Superstar Dog #MummyMonday Baxter and Mummy.#MummyMonday Baxter the Staffy X rescue dog on New Brighton Beach
Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
