We need a holiday! I have shared memories of our UK holidays before, and it looks like we will continue to holiday in the UK for at least the rest of this year and possibly into 2021.
#FreeforallFriday We’re Back! Haven Holidays
Haven Hideaway
Luckily, we have Haven Holidays ready to help. Haven Hideaway provides all the fun of the great outdoors but to comply with Government coronavirus rules it is without access to the usual activities, restaurants, pools or entertainments. You can still pick up your essentials from the well-stocked on-park supermarket, the launderette is open, plus plenty of take away food options if you fancy a treat, you are on holiday after all. You’ll find Haven parks in the prettiest parts of the UK. So you and your family can explore miles of beautiful beaches, coastline and cliffs.
All bookings for 2020 and 2021 are automatically covered by our Coronavirus Book with Confidence Guarantee which means you can book your holiday safe in the knowledge that you are covered if the coronavirus pandemic interrupts your plans.
#FreeforallFriday Haven Holidays
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Today is my tenth wedding anniversary. I married my husband at Chester Zoo ten years ago, and it was a wonderful day. I wore a beautiful dress and felt like a princess.
Our family and friends came to celebrate with us, and we went on honeymoon in North Yorkshire. We took our dog, Baxter, because my husband could not put him into kennels and go abroad for a honeymoon. I found us a beautiful holiday cottage on the coast near to Whitby, and we visited the famous Whitby Abbey so that I could indulge in my Gothic fascination.
Two days before our wedding, we discovered I was pregnant, which came as a surprise but a very welcome one. Our honeymoon was spent mostly staring at my stomach in wonder thinking, “How are we going to be parents?!”
It’s my Wedding Anniversary!
It’s my Wedding Anniversary!
I had hoped that my husband might take half a day to work from home on our anniversary, or at least try to finish work on time instead of returning home around 10pm. He has no such intentions, however. Why should he spend time with his wife on our ten-year wedding anniversary? His reasoning is that we can’t go anywhere because of lockdown, so we should do something later in the year instead. I explained that I just want some time with him at home, with his family. We have barely seen him for the past three months as he is so engrossed in his work. His one day off is usually spent doing personal admin, small DIY projects, and sleeping. We have had no quality time since New Year’s Day.
I have mixed feelings about my husband’s complete disregard for our milestone anniversary. We have now been together as a couple for twenty years, which is more than half of our lives. And yet we do not share our lives. We are married but we do not really live together. His life revolves around work, and it always has done. I didn’t notice before we got married because I worked full time and spent my weekends on overnight ghost hunts. I only began to realise that he had anxiety and depression after we were married. He never made it clear to me, and his parents didn’t try to prepare me. Indeed, it is only this year that I found out he has had mental health problems all his life. I knew it was inherited from his mother, as this became apparent during the past ten years.
I am basically a single parent
I have been left to parent our two children completely alone for the past two months while in lockdown, and train our rescue dog, who we adopted in December last year. My marriage has been a lonely one so far, but I still believe it has been mostly happy. I can see the bigger picture, and I am more than capable of looking after myself and my children. We take our holidays with friends when we can, we have outings and parties without my husband, and that’s just the way it is. Maybe he will decide to join us eventually. Today I will celebrate my wedding anniversary with my daughters. They suggested we have a little tea party at home, and that is what we will do. Happy Anniversary, Daniel. Hopefully, we will see you soon…
LGBT werewolf fantasy story “It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels)” by Catherine Green
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A Victorian vampire lord seeks an heir for his estate in this English Gothic novel with passion and flair.
Victorian vampire romance novel “The Darkness of Love” by Catherine Green
“The Darkness of Love” by Catherine Green
Lord Gregory Stockton is a powerful and respected businessman embracing the modern era of the Victorian industrial revolution. His young wife is infatuated with the stable boy, much to Gregory’s amusement. He hatches a plan to bring the would-be lovers together, and then cruelly tear them apart as he continues to build his empire and secure his power base in the south of England. The humans are pawns in the vampire’s game of lust, love and control.
Amelia picked up her glass and took a long sip of the rich red wine. When she spoke again her eyes were glowing and her fangs had extended delicately. Gregory felt her energy filling the room, and he smiled, responding with a lash of his own cold power. He possessed the energy and strength of diamonds, hard and impenetrable. Amelia shivered, her lips curling in a hiss, and wrapped her violet sparks around him in a cold, sharp embrace. To a human there was nothing unusual in this room, but to a vampire, it was electric and very exciting. They played a fine line between safety and danger, and Amelia thrived on danger.
“You wish for me to seduce this young man at your party next week?” Amelia asked, still caressing Gregory with her power, while she stood like a marble statue in front of the fireplace.
Gregory nodded, keeping his cool silver gaze fixed on her black eyes. He tried so hard to ignore his Mistress’ advances, but he could never refuse her. He belonged to her, and he was not strong enough to break free.
“Yes,” he said, “I am sure he will be compliant, for he is a man with vigorous appetites, or so I hear from the villagers. He has a reputation among the workers’ daughters.”
Amelia smiled and nodded, her eyes glowing with excitement. She licked her lips, and her eyes showed a glimmer of fire, deep in the pupils. She was a contradiction of everything the vampires knew about themselves. She burned with both fire and ice, and no-one could escape her trap when she set it.
“I will not disappoint my oldest friend.” she said simply.
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.
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.
#WATWB The Joy of Meeting our Neighbours
The Joy of Meeting our Neighbours
This month I have been working through a personal crisis relating to my husband’s refusal to acknowledge that his mental illness is damaging our marriage. He currently works six days per week, leaving home at around 5:30am and returning from work somewhere between 9 and 10pm every night. These hours are way beyond what his employers expect of him, but he is a site manager and he feels the need to complete his to-do list every single day. This impossible task is something that we all battle with, but he cannot see my point of view. He rarely answers his phone and never attempts to check in with me during the long days of lockdown. I feel I have been abandoned with our children for the past two months. This isn’t very cheerful, you might be thinking, how is this a good news story? Let me tell you…
I have redecorated most of our downstairs space at home during lockdown. Then I moved my attention back to our garden, which had grown wild and unkempt because I could not keep up with the maintenance while working inside. I have engaged the children to help with weeding and digging borders, they have shopped for new plants and helped me make the garden look much nicer and more cheerful.
While I was working in our front garden earlier this week, I glanced up to see my elderly neighbour next door-but-one. My neighbours on either side have continued to work full-time throughout lockdown so I rarely see them to speak to. The elderly lady called out to me, and after a few words shouted across the driveways, I moved to the bottom of her driveway for a more personal conversation. It was the longest I had spoken to her in the two years we have lived in this house, and I came away feeling like a weight had been lifted.
I need the companionship of my neighbours. Our previous home was a terraced house with small gardens, and we used to congregate with our neighbours regularly on the street or in the communal alleyway. I miss those gatherings, and I want to be able to chat over the garden wall like I used to. Hopefully, I can now develop a friendship with my neighbour, observing social distancing guidelines of course. She is a widow and said that she needs company as well. This could be the start of a beautiful new friendship.
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.
It all seems a bit pointless these days, getting out of bed. I mean, what have I got to do with my days? Well, I have two children to care for, and a dog to train. I have my blog work and my freelance writing. I have my novels to write. And I have a house to work on. Our garden requires a lot of maintenance!
So yes, lockdown is keeping me busy, and I barely had time to do today’s Tarot reading, but here it is. See if it makes sense to you.
Daily Tarot Reading for Lockdown Life by Catherine Green
Daily Tarot Reading for Lockdown Life
1, Work – Five of Wands (reversed)
Everything seems upside-down where work is concerned. You struggle to fit it around lockdown life, and yet you feel that you should find the task easier. In my case I have worked from home for almost ten years, so this is my natural environment. My struggle is prioritising work above the children and their needs. I am fortunate to have my husband providing the family income, but I still need to work for myself at some point. Hopefully, it will become easier as time goes on.
2, Home – Eight of Swords (reversed)
This is supposed to be a good time, safe at home, if you don’t catch the dreaded coronavirus. That is what everybody says on social media, isn’t it? We can do home exercise, home working, home leisure, baking, crafts and all the fun stuff. And yet perhaps home hasn’t been the haven that you dreamed about. Real life is not social media. Real life is having children to care for, pets to tend to, bosses to answer to, and so many boring responsibilities. It is all about perspective. There is something about all of this that you have wilfully ignored, but you have plenty of time to formulate a plan.
3, Unexpected – Knight of Pentacles
It was all supposed to happen so smoothly, but then the pandemic hit and now nothing is certain. Your dreams remain on the horizon. All you can do is take one day at a time, with no expectations. It may seem a hard slog, but such is life. Just enjoy the fun when you can.
4, Your Role – Ten of Wands
You carry a heavy burden and you have no idea when you will be able to share it with someone. For now, you are the silent labourer, working quietly. It will all come good eventually.
5, Outcome – Wheel of Fortune
There is a good result awaiting you at the end of this ordeal. Your hard work and perseverance will pay off. Whatever your spiritual beliefs, you will achieve your goal. In fact, you can achieve all your goals. This is just a temporary glitch in the big plan.
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.
Just your average Cheshire housewife – who used to hunt vampires!
Check out my LGBT fantasy book set in Manchester, England, and join the hunt with our retired vampire hunter when she returns to finish one last job.
LGBT fantasy novel set in Manchester, England. “Return of the Vampire Hunter” by Catherine Green.
“Return of the Vampire Hunter” by Catherine Green
Hannah Oakley used to be a vampire hunter. She retired from active service when she fell in love with the female vampire she was hunting, but old wounds refuse to heal. She and the vampire fought almost to the death, and now it seems that the vampire has tracked her down. Hannah must return to work, grudgingly accepting help from a new hunting partner, and she is determined that this time she will finish the job. But can she ignore the old lust for her vampire lover? Is the mother able to be a vampire hunter one more time? And will her marriage survive the ordeal?
Return of the Vampire Hunter is pure urban fantasy with a hint of seduction thrown in for good measure. Set in Manchester, Northern England, it is a contemporary story with all the darkness of classic Gothic monsters.
Return of the Vampire Hunter is available from Amazon US; Amazon UK and in your favourite eBook store – Click here.
Excerptfrom “Return of the Vampire Hunter” by Catherine Green
We were on the motorway and I was in the passenger seat. I had been passing food to the children in the back seat, and as I twisted back round to face forward, I glanced at James. My heart skipped a beat and then pounded heavily as the world spun around me.
“What is that on your neck?” I asked sharply.
James glanced at me and then checked his mirrors as he moved into the middle lane.
“What?” he asked absently.
“That,” I said, “On your neck.”
I reached across and gently touched the mark on his skin. It looked like two small, neat puncture wounds. A vampire bite. Shit.
James touched the bruise, winced, and then shook his head.
“I don’t know,” he said, “I must have cut myself shaving.”
“That is not a shaving wound,” I said.
He glanced at me again and frowned.
“Why are you so upset about it?” he asked curiously, “It’s nothing.”
I stared at the tiny wound as my whole world flipped upside down. Was it Elaine? Had she finally found me? Or was it another stray vampire? One thing was certain; I had to return to work. This one had to be destroyed before it came for my whole family. Gathering my senses, I shook my head and smiled.
“Oh, forget it,” I said lightly, “It looked more serious at first, that’s all. But if it doesn’t hurt then it doesn’t matter. Can you see the sea yet, girls?”
LGBT werewolf fantasy story “It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels)” by Catherine Green
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There are a lot of people that we as a nation are thankful for during this Covid-19 crisis. We are thankful for our NHS workers, community responders, local nurses and GPs. We are thankful for our carers, our supermarket workers, delivery drivers, warehouse staff, waste management teams and so many more.
We should be thankful that we responded so well to the announcement of lockdown. If you are reading this blog post, I am sure you fall into the category of “carer.” I don’t mean someone who does it as a paid profession. I mean as a family member or friend. Perhaps you are at home caring for your children 24/7, like me. Perhaps you have vulnerable older people to consider, or someone with mental illness (like me).
How do we unwind when the stress becomes a burden? What can we do to relax, and how can we honestly say thank you to the people that are helping our lives to continue, even under stressful circumstances?
How to say Thank You to our Key Workers
How to say Thank You to our Key Workers
Are you a crafter with access to a digital cutting machine, like a Silhouette or Cricut? Then you might like to try these svg cuts for your projects. Scalable Vector Graphics can be altered to suit your requirements without spoiling the effect of the image. You can transfer these images onto paper, card, vinyl leather or other fabrics, depending on the capability of your machine. They are ideal for making card toppers, scrap book detail, and to decorate photo frames, tote bags, mugs and t-shirts. There is a lot of scope for the imagination with these bundles! You can use them simply as printed toppers, or you can take a little more time, use some technology, and make a beautiful handmade gift for the carer in your life.
I like the look of the HUGE Dog Quotes SVG bundle, and there are lots of dog people in my life that I could craft for. My husband is a key worker in the waste industry, so perhaps I could make him a special dog themed Father’s Day card from the children (and dog) to cheer him up. We could even use our die cutting machine and get creative, perhaps making him a drinks coaster for his bedside table or make something he could take to work as a reminder of his family. Not only my husband would benefit from this bundle. I have friends with dogs whose birthdays are imminent, and a wider network of family members with rescue dogs that would love some of these quotes to hang in the window or put up on the wall.
There are lots of other SVG bundles available from the Design Bundles website, covering everything from food fun, to joke themes, “handle with care” bundles, and much more. All you need is a funny quote to cheer up an exhausted care worker after a long day at work. Find your bargain bundle and see who smiles when they receive your handmade craft gift.
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As the coronavirus pandemic continued to ravage the UK, and our lockdown showed no sign of easing any time soon, I began to worry that I was distancing from my witchcraft and pagan practices. Not that I practiced the craft specifically before lockdown. I find it is more of a feeling, a way of life, a set of habits that separate me from other people.
Then I realised there is no right or wrong way to be a witch. The old meaning of this word relates to salt, being of the earth, being in service to others. Midwives were previously associated with witchcraft during the Dark Ages, because giving birth was dangerous and mysterious. We might understand the science of having babies nowadays, but it still takes skill and care to nurture a baby, give birth, and raise a healthy child.
Being a Modern Witch means being Mother
Being a Modern Witch means Being Mother
And therein lies my witchcraft of today. Whether I like it or not, I have fallen into the profession of caring. I am the nurturer for my family. I am the sole parent, indeed the sole adult for my children during lockdown while their dad keeps himself busy at work. I cannot send them out to school, they cannot visit their friends’ houses or have sleepovers with their grandparents. I am their everything. I feed them, support them, keep them clean and healthy, and try to entertain them.
I persuaded them to help with my recent home renovation projects which have been ongoing since we moved house two years ago. They enjoyed stripping wallpaper and painting the walls for a little while. The children have helped with some home baking projects, but they refuse to try home cooked meals. We have worked in the garden, tidying borders and replanting flowers. We get through one day at a time, living in a bubble, separated from the rest of society. I hope there is an end in sight for lockdown. I cannot parent alone any longer.
LGBT werewolf fantasy story “It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels)” by Catherine Green
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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 May 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 May
Foreseeing
When I first heard about the impending lockdown, I foresaw a very lonely and trying time for me personally. My husband has severe OCD and high anxiety which translates in him feeling the need to be at work constantly. He is a site manager, and when they received notice that they are classed as key workers, he cheered. When he told me the news, I knew I would see even less of him at home than I did before the pandemic, which was sparse to say the least. He won’t even take holidays willingly.
Panicking
My husband panics constantly about losing his job. He refuses to seek professional help, and he is even prepared to ruin his marriage in favour of staying at work. He says he loves me and the children, but he has a funny way of showing it. His actions do not match his words, and I am sick of making excuses for him. During the past couple of lonely months, I have experienced my own moments of panic, and I am usually a very calm and controlled person. I panicked that my mum would contract coronavirus and I would never see her again. I panicked about my recently widowed Nan, who is home alone, and I am unable to visit. And then I panicked about what might happen if I contract coronavirus, and I am sick at home, unable to care for my children. Luckily, they are self-sufficient enough to know where the food is, and I know they would be fine, but I still worry about them. I am the only person who can care for them right now.
Upbringing
I am quite proud of my achievements in the past couple of weeks. I have single handedly stripped away 30 years’ worth of old wallpaper from our hall, stairs and landing, and I have repainted all the walls, with a little help from my daughters. The task seemed impossible when I first thought about it. I couldn’t reach all those high nooks and crannies above the stairs! But then I realized that nobody else would do it for me, and I wanted the job done. It would make me feel better. So, I got on with it, in the spirit of my Mum and my Nan, who never shy away from manual labour when the need arises. My Nan raised four children while my Grandad was in the Navy, and my Mum raised three children and progressed her career in social services management. I called on the spirit of my ancestors, rolled up my sleeves, and got the job done.
Accessing
The government advised people to use online shopping services as much as possible to avoid visiting supermarkets during lockdown. I found this impossible for the first month, because there were no delivery slots available due to high demand. I waited five weeks for an order to be delivered! I did not want to take my daughters to the supermarket with me, but luckily my husband made time to do our shopping. Since he is going out to work six days per week, he isn’t bothered about visiting the supermarkets. He doesn’t worry about contracting coronavirus, and he definitely doesn’t worry about passing it on to other people. I also struggled to receive timely deliveries of my eye medication for my chronic pain condition, but fortunately I had stocked up ahead of lockdown, so I was ok. I am struggling to access the internet at home. We have a basic service, which is all we can afford, and we have over a dozen devices connected. It drops out frequently, much to the dismay of my daughters! As I write this blog post, my laptop cannot connect to our Wi-Fi because my husband is using his laptop and streaming music on his phone. My phone can connect without problems, but my laptop is always the first device to fail. I cannot understand that, and it is very frustrating when I need to work online.
Soothing
How do I soothe my anxieties during this strange time? Usually I would resort to meditation and quiet time for contemplation. That is now impossible because my children are pretty much attached to me all day. They won’t even go to bed early anymore, which I find frustrating. They are anxious too, and they need me to reassure them. They miss their friends, their school, their regular routine. I miss my friends and family. Oddly, I find it soothing to sit down and play a game that I have become addicted to on my phone. It’s a simple puzzle game where you can earn rewards and refurbish an old mansion. It satisfies the dreamer in me and helps me escape from mundane life for a while. We must take comfort in small pleasures these days.
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.
How long have we been in lockdown now? Six, seven weeks? I don’t know. I half-listen to the BBC news updates on radio and sometimes on the TV, but I haven’t found time to sit and read any online articles.
Why I don’t Want to Meditate
Why I don’t Want to Meditate
Yes, you heard me, I do not have time to read the news these days! Lockdown life is exhausting, and I am currently feeling lost because I should be working on my 3rd Degree Reiki Masters course, but I am not doing the coursework. I have books to read on the subject, I should be keeping a diary of my daily experiences, and most importantly I should be practising daily meditation for at least 20 minutes per day, ideally more. I just can’t do it.
My children have been home with me 24/7 since 23rd March, my husband is out at work for six days of the week, and when he is at home, he is either asleep or on his work laptop. I am lonely. I am bereft of the connections with my friends. It’s just not the same over Zoom! I miss my mum terribly, and she’s not a fan of video calling so we haven’t seen each other properly since my grandad’s funeral in March.
I have no excuse
None of this is a reasonable excuse for not meditating, but I’m not writing this blog post to make excuses. I have heard all sorts of inspirational stories from people on social media, claiming to be doing all kinds of fantastic things from home during lockdown. Some are raising money for charity. Some are making PPE for healthcare workers. Some are still working and keeping our country ticking over. I am home with the children and failing miserably at getting them to study their schoolwork.
I have managed to do some decorating that I’ve been working on since last September, and for now that is more important to me than meditating. I still practise reiki every day because it is a habit. I just don’t sit down and specifically study for my coursework requirements. It’s not a priority for me, and that’s ok. When I have finished the decorating and my house is in better order, perhaps I will feel more inspired to work. Right now I’m just treading water, keeping my children fed and clean, making sure the dog has some attention, trying to get through lockdown one day at a time.
How are you managing this challenging time? It’s OK to say you are struggling. We are only human. We will kick and scream and cry when it gets too much. Then we carry on. I wish you well, my friends.
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.
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