Look at her paws!

Wednesday, December 23, 2023

The Soosh is proud of catching a Lego rat for my diorama.

A damp start

Tuesday, December 02, 2024

Looking out at a drizzly new year...

Happy New Year

Looking back on my New Year's resolutions for 2023, I see I concluded the bulk of them satisfactorily. The one I did fail on was publishing my 1998 novel, Cold Comfort, the 1st draft manuscript of which has lain in a drawer for a quarter of a century! I can promise, though, that this book will definitely see the light of day in 2024... That said, I'm going to be less target-focused and more experience-focused in the next 12 months. I want to enjoy my life a little more and be less bogged down with endless looming deadlines. 

Health issues have again marred the previous 12 months, with my Methotrexate treatment starting to fail in its management of my condition. The drug itself has been very rough on me, with ulcers, tiredness, sore eyes and hair loss having taken its toll on me. Thankfully, my consultant is hoping to start me on a new medication later in January - a twice-monthly injection of Dupilumab - a new-wave biologic treatment that is meant to be a game-changer! Much of my progress and success in reaching my goals in 2024 will be dependent on my health, again encouraging me to forego the previous rigours of deadlines. 

With all going well, though, by this time next year, I hope to have accomplished the following goals: The publication of Cold Comfort, my book on the author Guy N Smith, and new issues of Explore Gower and Avalon, my Gower and Glastonbury guidebooks. 3 holidays - Brussels for a concert in March, Glastonbury for their May Day festival and Japan towards the close of the year. For regular readers of my blog, you may be aware of my log-jams in the writing of Pyewacket and Familar. There really hasn't been much progress on these over the last year, but I do plan to return to them when I find the time. Add to them the novel set in my work office and a sequel to Solstice, with a further collection of dark Christmas stories, and you will see that 2025 should keep me as busy as 2024 is sure to do. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and I wish everyone a fantastic year ahead 😊

Waiting on the Flames

Just waiting on some Lego flames and a more suitable book before adding this to my GNS diorama (or Guyorama as it will now forever be known). Can you guess the novel I'm representing here?

The Man who Fell to Earth by Walter Tevis

Friday, December 29, 2023

Had a lovely delivery this morning - a first edition The Man Who Fell to Earth. This will fit in snugly with my David Bowie cover version of the same novel - the only novel to ever bring a tear to my eye.

Some more Christmas Gardening

Thursday, December 28, 2033

Sorted out a few more plants this morning.

A Boxing Day Project

My Boxing Day green-fingered project. Re-uniting a mother with her offspring. These were grown from a single leaf cutting I took from a plant I took when my daughter was a newborn.

Christmas Chillin'

Monday, December 25, 2023

Christmas Eve, 2023

Sunday, December 24, 2023 

Just delivered my Christmas cheer to my Mum's.

Crimble Tidying

Finished work for Christmas yet still sooooo much to do... Tidying to KLF and The Shamen. Merry Crimble. 

   

    

Ubik on Yule

December 22, 2023

The shortest day of the year but no Winter Solstice celebrations this year. When the kids were younger, we used to attend Glastonbury, Stonehenge and Avebury celebration at this time of year. But not today. No, this morning I had to work a half day at the office :(

Heading out to work

The view from my desk at work.

Work wasn't too bad actually, there was quite a nice mood at the office with just a handful of us there. And we were all out of there at 12, when the building was closed. Not quite Christmas for me yet though, as I left work early as I felt ill last Tuesday so I have to make back the hours before the end of the week - So in I go for a 6-1.45 shift tomorrow morning.

When I got home, my new read had been posted through my letterbox - Philip K Dick's Ubik:

New Year's Resolution 2023: Achieved

Thursday, December 21, 2023  

Well, my New Year's Resolution for this year was to read 20 Guy N Smith books. And yesterday, I accomplished that mission. And I have to say, I enjoyed every minute of it. Now it's time to give my GNS collection a rest:

Work on my Guy N Smith write-up has already started, but it is now time, for a while at least, for a change of direction in my reading matter. The next book on my reading list is already on its way to me, and I'll share its title and author as soon it drops through my letter box...

The Imaginarium of Guy N Smith

Wednesday, December 20, 2023 

 Had trouble sleeping last night as I knew I needed further work done on this cover. Now, at least prospective buyers have a clue what they will find within the covers of the book/fanzine. I still need to add a bit of reflection on the crystal ball, but I don't know how to do that yet...

Worse for Wear

 Tuesday, December 19, 2023

I had to come home early from work today as I was feeling unwell. But the postie had slipped these through my letterbox, warming  my spirits nicely: 

These bring my Guy N Smith collection to a satisfactory conclusion (unless someone offers me something really special I won't be able to say no too lol). Oh, I almost forgot, a couple of the books were unexpectedly signed too :)

Merry Christmas One and All

Monday, December 19, 2023

Reading Caracal. Reaching the part where Bertie gets left out in the dark and rain without his supper...

Reading my last Guy N Smith book for a while as my year-long reading project comes to a close. Which means, it's time to start putting together some thoughts for my write-up of reading, collecting and enjoying Guy's work. This will be featured in a full-colour fanzine book called The Imaginarium. 

The book, dedicated wholly to Guy, is planned to be the first in a series of zines/books celebrating scary storytelling. I've already got an idea for issue 2 percolating in my head (something along the lines of eerie children's books) so I think it's time to crack on with Issue One. Thanks Guy, you've truly entertained me throughout 2023.