Are you a breastfeeding mother? Would you consider donating your excess breast milk to help feed premature babies and those whose mothers are unable to breastfeed for themselves?
Read my #MummyMonday blog post to learn about my experience of breastfeeding and breastmilk donation as a mother with two breastfeeding children.
Breastfeeding a newborn Baby
Breastfeeding and Milk Donation
I am a breastfeeding mother and I donate milk to the Cheshire and North Wales Human Milk Bank. This is a UK charity which I heard about from a close personal friend. This friend was born prematurely in 1981 and was subsequently given donated breast milk which she believes helped her to survive and grow into a healthy adult.
Two years ago this same friend breastfed her own child and donated her breast milk, which is when I first heard about the charity. When I got pregnant last year, my friend instructed me to donate my breast milk. Of course I complied (she can be very persuasive!).
A worthwhile cause
I truly believe that this is a worthwhile cause, and that people need to understand that breastfeeding your baby is the most natural process, and a very important one for your child’s development. Therefore if you are able to donate excess milk as well, you are also helping to potentially save the lives of other premature babies, for which their parents will be eternally grateful.
The process of expressing milk to donate is not difficult. Yes it takes a little time, and it can be frustrating sometimes, but it is a small inconvenience when you consider what is at stake. The charity will provide assistance, they will provide storage bottles for the milk, and they will arrange collection when convenient.
Please search “how to donate breastmilk” to find your local breastmilk donation centre.
Thank You
SpookyMrsGreen breastfeeding in the park
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I think it is time for me to share something rather personal. My journey to being a published author has been a long and very educational one, and it is still in its early stages.
Read my blog post to see how I learned about the Law of Attraction and how I made it work for me as I published my first novel and improved my life. Maybe it can work for you, too!
#WitchyWednesday Cloudy Sky over Rocks in the Sea
Spiritual Awareness in the Real World
Several years ago I threw myself into the study of Mind, Body and Spirit. I had never bothered with self-help books before as I had been raised in a social peer group which didn’t understand them, and therefore didn’t believe in them. Now I have made my own choice. And I believe.
Money and the Law of Attraction: Learning To Attract Wealth, Health And Happiness had a particular impact on me. I only read it recently, but I first learnt about Esther and Jerry Hicks and the teachings of Abraham from a friend a few years ago. ‘Abraham’ is a collective higher energy form which communicates via Esther and Jerry Hicks. Read their book to find out more.
Basically the teaching is about Law of Attraction. This is a belief that whatever we decide upon, we can manifest through our own intentions. I personally have found this to be true, and now I want to share it with others.
It took a while to believe
It took a while for me to truly believe in Law of Attraction. I finally realised that I was manifesting things, just not the ones I had planned. There was a lot of negativity embedded within my subconscious, and until I could clear it, I could not bring about the positive changes in my life. Now, thankfully, I am moving forwards.
Using Law of Attraction, just in the last 18 months alone, I have quit an unfulfilling job to pursue my writing and spiritual aspirations. I also married my long-term partner, had a baby, met a lot of new and very interesting people, and was published in three different books. Not bad going really!
Not just nonsense
It might sound like ‘airy-fairy’ nonsense to some people, but to those of you for whom this theory resonates, please give it a go. What have you got to lose? I had always vowed that by the age of 30 I would have my first child, and I would have a fulfilling career. Well, now I am 29. If that isn’t the strongest example of Law of Attraction, then I don’t know what is!
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.
Note: This article may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you shop using the links I share, I receive a small income at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you for supporting SpookyMrsGreen!
It seems that all of a sudden my life is growing chaotic again. After the initial panic over editing the book, confirming the artwork, and dealing with a new baby, there was a lull while I waited for the book to be printed. The baby still causes chaos of course, but that’s to be expected!
LGBT fantasy book series set in Cornwall. “Love Hurts (The Redcliffe Novels)” #1 by Catherine Green.
Love Hurts and The Redcliffe Novels
Now that the book is out, I am determined to publicize it as much as I can. I have confirmed my appearance in a second local newspaper this week, and have contacted one of my local bookshops, to very positive effect. Now I have a list of further media and retail outlets to contact over the next few days.
But never mind all that, I am lost in Redcliffe again! The sequel to Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) is starting to bite, and I’m struggling to leave it alone. Yesterday, for example, I should have been grocery shopping but I was sitting at the computer writing. It’s fine, we went to a BBQ party last night so at least I didn’t have to cook anything. And we managed with toast for breakfast because there was no milk for cereal.
It’s a small price to pay for the all-consuming double (albeit imaginary) life that I am currently enjoying.
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.
I recently joined a new writers network, Write and Share, and it is really boosting my confidence.
People often say that a writer’s life is a lonely one, and so far I am finding this true.
British Paranormal Author Catherine Green
A Confidence Boost
Personally I am surrounded by loving family and friends, but only a very few of them seem to really understand the importance of my chosen career. Most of them view it as my little hobby while I raise a family and my husband does the ‘serious’ work. These same few people keep asking me whether I am earning money from my work, and what are its prospects. Apparently I will not be considered a successful writer until I am earning lots of money from it.
But back to my point. The Write and Share network is a fabulous resource, because there are people who write both professionally and for personal gratification. They all take time to read my work and comment on it, and while I do my best to return the favour, I am falling behind slightly. There is also a forum where we can bounce ideas off each other, and its main attraction is that it is full of lovely stories, novel excerpts, poetry and articles. Great for a lunchtime read or a bit of late-night entertainment!
“Well Done” means a lot from my community
It is amazing to see how something so simple as a random person saying ‘Well Done’ can change your whole mood. I love reading the comments from my fellow writers, and interacting with like-minded people. I also enjoy their constructive criticism because it helps me to understand what people what to read, and the style of presentation they like.
We all want to make money from our work; that goes without saying. But ultimately we want to share our visions with the world, and when we hear positive comments from other readers, it makes it all worthwhile.
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.
Does that sound strange to you? It has been very difficult for me to embrace my new status after yearning for it all my life.
I still feel a bit of a fraud when I tell strangers that I am a writer, despite the fact that I have published stories, a novel in development, and I write articles for a web magazine.
Paranormal Author Catherine Green
My name is Catherine, and I’m a Writer
Why is it so difficult to confess? I always seem to justify myself to people, and I don’t know why. Well I do know, it is down to my upbringing and the peers of my society. That’s not to say I blame people specifically. It is just a fact that I have been raised with the belief that to be a success I must work for a ‘big corporation’ and have a job with a fancy title and a large salary. But these things eluded me for years and I felt a bit of a failure to be honest.
So I decided to dust off my computer, stop mucking about on the internet, and do some writing. And do you know what? It actually worked! I feel so empowered now, and so excited about all of the positive changes happening around me, and the writer in me wants to ignore my practical responsibilities, and just write.
It hasn’t been an easy journey and I am still battling the voices of negativity inside my head and in some people around me. But now I am finally starting to live my dream career, and it feels fantastic!
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.
Do you believe in ghosts? Have you seen a ghost or experienced ghostly activity? I have!
Read my blog post to see how I understand ghosts in the twenty-first century, and why they still capture public imagination in an age dominated by science and logic.
Catherine Green aka SpookyMrsGreen the Ghost Hunter
Understanding Ghosts in the 21st Century
There is a history of haunting, folklore and ghost stories around the world, and it has been widely publicised and popularised by Western society since the Victorian times. People would happily enter into group seances led by older women who would appear to fall into a trance and call forth the spirits of deceased loved ones to communicate with their kin and friends still on the Earth plane. Over time these seances were dismissed as parlour games, a ‘bit of fun’ and something to be ridiculed by the scientists and scholars who were determined to prove that ghosts did not exist.
Eventually the craze died down amid the horrors of the World Wars and the shift in society towards modern life where people simply didn’t have time for ghosts. These mysterious beings faded into the background of public consciousness. And then came the advent of Hollywood horror movies, designed to grab the attention of teenagers trying to escape parental control. Suddenly ghosts, poltergeists and demons were back at the forefront of the public eye thanks to media coverage. Children were bravely venturing into abandoned old houses only to be chased out by rattling chains, white vapours that took human form, creaking doors and floorboards, and horrible shrieking noises of tormented souls!
What is a ghost?
What is a ghost by today’s standards? People have been actively hunting ghosts and spirits for many years now; a trend made popular by the UK television series Most Haunted and America’s Ghost Hunters. There have been scientific experiments to try and prove the existence or non-existence of these beings. Old buildings and burial sites have been investigated, photographed, videoed and visited by active Mediums who would attempt to communicate with the spirits of these places to learn more about them.
It seems very closely connected to the need for cultural history that people chase ghosts and try to prove once and for all that they do exist. Yet for every piece of live action film taken from CCTV footage, or photographs featuring light anomalies, orbs and mysterious figures that appear to be human or not human, there will always be somebody quick to deny the existence of spirits, who will set out to prove that these anomalies are just imperfections on the film, or reflections of light on camera lenses, or even dust particles.
Now there are a large number of individual ghost hunting organisations, from small amateur operations that visit local public houses and places of historical interest, to larger media-owned groups that travel all over the world in their quest for that final, conclusive piece of evidence into the existence of ghosts.
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.
As I write this I am embarking on another of a series of exciting adventures.
To begin with I took a huge leap of faith and quit my full-time job, took a part-time job, and decided to use the free time to develop my professional writing. While the finances are still being worked out, I believe this is one of the best decisions I made! Since then I have had two short stories published in Young Adult anthologies, and I am working with a publisher to realise my dream of being an independent novelist. More to come on my debut novel later…
Both anthologies available on Amazon:
Devils Demons and Werewolves Short Story Anthology featuring vampire writer Catherine Hargreaves aka LGBT Fantasy Book Writer Catherine Green
I am embarking on an incredible Spiritual journey. It is one I have been on my whole life, but have only recently discovered the joys beyond the society I was raised in.
As far back as I can remember I have felt disconnected from people around me, as though I didn’t belong anywhere. I became obsessed with the study of ghosts, and myths of vampires and werewolves and other mythical creatures, convinced that somewhere along the line I am connected or have a heritage with such beings. And I believe that to be true. But all will be revealed in time, when I am ready and mature enough to handle the truth about my history.
My Spiritual Journey by Reiki Master Catherine Green
My Goddess Guidance
As I have learned that it is alright to express myself, that I can be my own person and that I don’t have to hide behind a twenty-first century mask of independent womanhood, the ways of Spirit have opened up to me. I have rediscovered my childhood Spirit Guides, and have met new ones as I opened myself up. It is indeed a wonderful experience to go for a walk amongst nature, to watch the sky and the grass, the river and canal, all of the beautiful plant life, and to hear the sounds of nature around me.
But I have still been stumbling around trying vaguely to find my way, and to find some place to belong in the modern world. I have discovered like-minded people who show me that I am allowed to express my sometimes radical or unusual beliefs. And part of this ongoing process of learning and developing led me to conduct a personal Goddess Guidance Oracle card reading.
Back then I was thinking deeply about myself and my future. I was preparing to marry my long-term fiancé, I was unhappy at work and made the decision to change that, and I wanted to pursue my Spiritual self and be true to who I really am.
Paranormal Author Catherine Green
Here is the oracle card reading that came through at my request:
1. Athena – Inner Wisdom. “Stop procrastinating. Trust your gut. Don’t second-guess yourself. You are correct. Notice recurring ideas and take action on them.”
Athena helps with creative projects such as writing, arts and crafts.
2. Oonagh – Easy Does it. “Don’t worry about your purpose or your goals. Make no sudden moves. Slow, steady progress is best right now. Do your new work as a part-time venture to begin with, while slowly exiting your old career.”
Oonagh will help with your transitions, and she’ll guide you in creative and magical ways.
3. Mother Mary – Expect a Miracle. “Let go of worrisome thoughts. Keep your thoughts positive. Notice and follow any Divine guidance you may receive. Pray. Engage in spiritual healing.”
4. Sedna – Infinite Supply. “Don’t worry about the future. Know that you’ll always have enough to eat. Your needs will always be provided for. Spend time at the ocean. Go Swimming.”
Sedna will help to gain plentiful supplies for the family.
Each oracle card resonates deeply
Each one of these cards resonated deeply with me, and I reacted with wonder and awe that the Goddesses had spoken in such a way. They truly knew what I was thinking and planning, and I respected and welcomed their guidance. It was such a wonderful sensation!
So now with the guidance of my Goddess friends, my Angel guardians, and all of my Spirit Guides, I move forward into my new life. I am welcomed both by Spirit and by Elementals, Fairies, and all mythical Beings that I have yet to meet and become familiar with.
Thank You My Friends. I Truly Love and Honour You.
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.
Note: This article may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you shop using the links I share, I receive a small income at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you for supporting SpookyMrsGreen!
It is November 2010 and I am attending the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital Outpatients Department for a routine appointment. I am almost seven months pregnant at this time so am feeling quite uncomfortable and tired, but I need to have my check-up so here I am.
Fortunately this newly built hospital is very comfortable as far as hospitals go, and I know what to expect since I have been a patient here for the last six years.
NHS Hospitals Manchester Royal Eye Hospital
An NHS Hospital Waiting Room
The waiting room is full of people but has a hushed atmosphere about it. I select a chair and settle myself down, reaching for my book, expecting to wait for at least an hour because that is what usually happens here. The energy in this room feels tired, lethargic, and it isn’t long before my eyelids start drooping. Of course, my chronic Dry Eye syndrome only adds to the discomfort, but that isn’t the clinic I’m visiting today. Nope, this clinic is plastic surgery, to check the progress (or non-progress) of my in-growing eyelashes!
Anyway, back to the waiting room. It is Friday, and I overhear the nurses at their station talking about an early finish and how they are ready for the weekend. They are jovial and happy to have reached the end of the week, and I don’t blame them, they work hard. Most of the nurses in that place recognize me; I’m practically part of the furniture!
“It’s not fair!”
“It’s not fair!” My attention is drawn to a few of the patients sitting opposite me, and the woman who is getting frustrated with her wait. One of the doctors has called in another female patient who arrived after the couple sitting before me, and they want to know why she gets preferential treatment.
A nurse comes over to try and help, and calmly explains that there are a few doctors in the surgery today, and that patients are seen on a rotation. This couple are on a different rotation, which is decided according to individual patients’ needs and severity of condition. I know this, having been given the same information several years ago on a particularly long wait. The couple are slightly mollified but still unhappy, and sit grumbling and engaging in conversation with a few other patients sharing the same sentiments.
I shift in my seat, pick up my book again, and switch off from listening to their complaining, safe in my own little bubble of protective, warm energy. After all, the doctors are doing their best, and it is surprising how many people are afflicted with eye problems that require hospital treatment.
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.
There are many conflicting and similar accounts of vampires and werewolves in history and folklore. My personal belief is that these mysterious creatures reflect humanity’s greatest desires and their greatest fears all at the same time.
For a start, wherever there is a vampire there is usually a werewolf close by, and vice versa. And then we add a few ghosts and spirits. But why are these creatures so closely connected, why do they appear human but display non-human characteristics, and why even now in the 21st century are we so obsessed with them in popular culture?
LGBT fantasy short stories set in Cornwall. My Vampire Boyfriend (The Redcliffe Novels) by Catherine Green.
Vampires and Werewolves: What do the myths represent?
It is interesting to see how these creatures are used to reflect the Western world’s collective xenophobia. This was first displayed in Bram Stoker’s legendary novel Dracula. A strange and grotesque old man from a foreign land inhabited by bats and wolves, buys a home in a nice part of old London and sets about growing younger by the day and seducing the local young virginal ladies – shocking!
And then we move into the present day, when the world is wiser and we are more accepting of other cultures and faiths – well most of us. We have recently seen the television dramatization of True Blood written by Charlaine Harris. Here we have vampires who were local civil war soldiers who find themselves cast out by Southern American society much like African-American ex-slaves were back in the 1950s and 1960s. And then she threw a shape-shifting dog into the equation! Why not a wolf? Because a dog can be innocent and far less frightening to humans!
What do vampires and werewolves mean to us?
So what do vampires and werewolves actually mean to us humans and why are they so important? Well my first thought is that they represent everything that make us human, but magnified a million times more.
For example, take simple human emotion. We accept that people meet other people and fall in love and that we use the physical act of making love to show our feelings for each other. But society dictates that we are only supposed to do this with one person, our one true love, at any one time in our lives.
We are supposed to find this one person, marry them, have children and grow old together. But humans have sexual appetites that vary greatly. And sometimes people stray from their partners, and when they are discovered they are cast out by those around them, they are made to feel ashamed for their actions, and the poor person on the receiving end is left heartbroken.
It isn’t just love
And it isn’t just love. Vampires and werewolves are physically strong and volatile creatures, with often-intense reactions to people and situations. Humans can only imagine what it must be like to be immortal, to be forever young in appearance, or to have the ability to transform into a fearsome and powerful creature capable of wrecking havoc and destruction on those who would cross it.
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.
SpookyMrsGreen 