Thanks to my Mother-in-Law for today's A-Z Challenge idea. Feel free to leave your own suggestions for the rest of the month as I may very easily run out of ideas!! The Oxford English Dictionary defines Escapism as: The tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, especially by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy.… Continue reading E is for Escapism
Author: Barbed Words
D is for Dude on a Bike
Today's A-Z Challenge is this rather snazzily attired gentleman in Piazza Del Popolo in the centre of Rome. I couldn't decide if he was on his way to a lunchtime rendezvous or heading back home to his wife to atone for a lunchtime misdemeanour! I particularly liked the way he stopped in the middle of the… Continue reading D is for Dude on a Bike
C is for (Cigarette) Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Friends in the UK used to ask me if smoking was a problem in Rome. I always said, nope, not at all – no one smokes in restaurants and it’s not too bad on the street. Well, it turns out that I was living in some sort of fantasy Rome, where I only ever went… Continue reading C is for (Cigarette) Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
B is for Book of the Day
I'm still disorganised and probably will be for the next few days, so today's lightweight A-Z Challenge is a picture post. The book of the day is 'Cats in Hats' by Sara Thomas. Haven't read it, have no intention of reading it - but how cute is that cat???
A is for April Skies
As a lapsed blogger, I'm hoping that the A-Z Challenge (26 blog posts over one month with Sundays off for good behaviour) will be the kick up the backside I need to get me blogging again. It’ll either rekindle my love of blogging or you’ll never hear from me again 😉 Unfortunately, I wasn't… Continue reading A is for April Skies
Living it up at the Hotel California
So sad to hear that the wonderful Glenn Frey, who co-wrote some of the Eagle's greatest hits such as Take It Easy, Desperado and the amazing Hotel California, has passed away. Hotel California brings back lots of great memories for me. Not from when it was originally released (I'm not that old!) but for… Continue reading Living it up at the Hotel California
When In Rome
Well, it's been a few months since we returned to the UK and Rome now just seems like a two-week holiday that I enjoyed over the summer. And, just like a holiday, apart from the occasional, 'How was Rome?' from acquaintances I bump into in Waitrose [Ed: what the hell are you doing in Waitrose? You… Continue reading When In Rome
Don’t Leave Me This Way
One of the conditions of my WordPress Least Prolific Blogger (Overseas) award is that I’m only allowed to blog twice a year. So here is my bi-annual update. Unbelievably, we leave Italy in just over a week. Three years have flown by and, despite all my bitching about Italian drivers, Italian shoppers, Italian rudeness, Italian… Continue reading Don’t Leave Me This Way
Big Girls Don’t Cry…Unless They’re Waxing Their Bikini Line
Exciting news! I’ve just been nominated for a WordPress Award in the Least Prolific Blogger (Overseas) category...but as I was hoping to win the Funniest and Best Written Blog (Those Three Streets Between The Football Stadium and The River in North-West Rome) category, I thought it was about time I got off my arse and wrote… Continue reading Big Girls Don’t Cry…Unless They’re Waxing Their Bikini Line
Teenage Dreams – So Hard To Beat
As a child, I was mad on the All Creatures Great and Small books and TV series. Thinking being a vet would be a great career, I tried to practise my techniques on my cat. Unfortunately, unlike my friend’s dog who was perfectly happy to be wrapped in bandages from head to tail and prescribed… Continue reading Teenage Dreams – So Hard To Beat
Under Pressure
I’ve been a bad blogger. I haven’t posted for three months, which in the world of blog is a real no-no. On any list of top tips for bloggers, writing posts is pretty much number one. Mind you, on checking my site stats, I'd actually had a couple of days during my hiatus when I got… Continue reading Under Pressure
The Books of Love
I've been a bit quiet on the old blog front recently but I have managed to do some nice colouring... I read an article about the work of Tom Phillips, an artist who uses pages from one particular book to create an ongoing story, called A Humument, which is a 'meditation on unrequited love and… Continue reading The Books of Love
You CAN Always Get What You Want
Recently I’ve been reading a lot about the benefits of gratitude and kindness on our health, happiness and getting what you want out of life. I used to be a bit of a Cynical Cynthia and poo-poo any hippy dippy ideas about the power of positive thinking or the law of attraction. It was all too… Continue reading You CAN Always Get What You Want
Check Out
Another short story this week, in lieu of a report from Rome... “FUUUCCCKKKK”! The car swerved across the highway as Henley fought against the steering wheel to bring the Chevy under control. He narrowly missed the truck coming the other way, its horn blasting through the silence of the desert. Henley rammed his foot hard… Continue reading Check Out
Paperback Writer
Thank you to the very funny Jim at Gingerfightback, who was not only kind enough to read the first draft of my children's novel and give me some great feedback, but has now invited me to take part in The Writing Process Blog Tour. The tour asks writers to answer a few questions about their work. I don't… Continue reading Paperback Writer
Venice Queen
Venice was amazing. It was just like being on a film set - I kept expecting Casanova (David Tennant version, obviously) to appear or James Bond to drive past in a hovercraft gondola. Every time we turned a corner, I had to snap away with my camera as the bridges and canals got more and more ridiculously picturesque.… Continue reading Venice Queen
Hooray Hooray, It’s a Holi-Holiday
I've just got back from a week's holiday Oop North, staying in places where Wi-fi is obviously just some crazy-assed technology from the future. No Facebook, no emails, no news and no Big Bang Theory. Did I miss much?? Quick Google search...nope, not a lot. Organising holidays is so stressful. Once I'm there, I'm fine but the planning and… Continue reading Hooray Hooray, It’s a Holi-Holiday
Dear Adrian Mole
Dear Adrian, I was so sorry to hear about the death of Sue Townsend, the comic genius who brought your diaries to a wider audience. I know you felt that she was the one who profited from your private life, passing it off as her own work of fiction, but without her, the world would… Continue reading Dear Adrian Mole
The Mighty Pen
This is a short story that I wrote a couple of years ago for a creative writing course. At the end there's a plea for help... The Mighty Pen The printed sheet of A4 paper held disdainfully between his thumb and forefinger, Sebastian tossed it dismissively across the seminar room. It competed briefly with the… Continue reading The Mighty Pen
It’s My Party
Today's my birthday and I planned to celebrate with a cappuccino at a bar with the best view in Rome: it overlooks the Italian Men’s Swimming Team training pool. Forget the Coliseum or the Spanish Steps; this is the first sight you should see in Rome. However, I had a poorly child at home so, instead of… Continue reading It’s My Party
When The Going Gets Tough…The Tough Go All Benny Hill
My memories of my teenage years have become so distorted over the years that I have almost convinced myself that I was a Wild Child, spending weekends cruising the Med on my boyfriend Simon Le Bon-Bon’s boat or going on Christmas ski-ing holidays with Wham. The truth, however, is slightly more mundane. Most of my… Continue reading When The Going Gets Tough…The Tough Go All Benny Hill
You Can’t Keep a Good Weeble Down
Not only am I starting to look like a Weeble but I also have the flexibility of one. I’ve always known that I’m not a naturally lithe person* (being the only person at primary school to fail Level 4 BAGA when I couldn’t perform a crab proved that) but when I found myself thinking how… Continue reading You Can’t Keep a Good Weeble Down
Locked Out of Heaven
Near where I live is Ponte Milvio, Rome’s oldest bridge. First built in 206 B.C., the bridge has always been a site of interest. According to Tacitus, the first century Roman historian and statesman, it was ‘famous for its nocturnal attractions,’ and was where the Emperor Nero conducted his debaucheries. In 312, Constantine, the first… Continue reading Locked Out of Heaven
My favourite recipe: Banana and Chocolate Loaf
I'm back into baking in a big way at the moment. We had a Birthday Party for my daughter last week which needed a chocolate muffin birthday cake, an ice-cream cake, cheesy nibbles, lots of cupcakes for decorating and this loaf. I love this recipe because it's incredibly tasty and moist, quick and easy (not… Continue reading My favourite recipe: Banana and Chocolate Loaf
The Love Bug…Happy Valentine’s Day
This decorated car was parked outside our apartment block this morning. Every single post-it note contained a romantic message, just waiting for the lucky girl (or boy) to leave for work. But would you: a) Think it was the most romantic gesture anyone had ever made and spend the entire day planning how to give… Continue reading The Love Bug…Happy Valentine’s Day
