It’s fair to say that I knew my gardening was a little lax, but I didn’t realise just how bad until this week when I asked for a quote on mowing our lawn. We have a standard Australian garden with two lawns one relatively small and one slightly larger. I had expected to be given a set price. But no, my garden was so scruffy that the lawn mower man couldn’t give me a set price he had to quote me an hourly rate!

Despite that I have to admit that it is nice to see the footpath again.

Writing Exercise

Make the theme for your writing an overgrown garden.

For anybody who read the recent comment (and dare) from my friend the children’s author, Sally Murphy, you will know that she has challenged me to list 7 random or weird facts about myself. Now, Sally, I tempted here to make some smart comment about weirdness but am choosing to bite my tongue for fear that it might come back and haunt me.

So here we go, 7 random or weird facts about me:

1. It took me 5 years to get far enough over my fear of animals so that we could get my daughter the dog she had always wanted.
2. When I lived in England I used to be in my village’s Morris Dancing side.
3. I had never been in a plane until I was 21, and then my first flight was from the UK to Australia and it took 36 hours.
4. The first Do-It-Yourself project my husband and I ever did was putting up a shelf - it fell down within the week. Our second project was to build a kit home, entirely from scratch (we did everything except the concrete pad, electrics and plumbing) - it is still standing 18 years later.
5. I beleive strongly in syncronicity (even if I can’t spell it).
6. I am physically healthier in the country than I am in a city. (So don’t ask me why we haven’t moved to the country yet.)
7. Because of our geographical locations I don’t chat much to my sister yet without prior knowledge the man she married has the same first names as mine, and when she gave birth to her twins (8 weeks before I had my child) she chose both the names we had been considering. Spooky!

The other part of this challenge was to invite 7 more bloggers to be involved (which in honesty is the part I find hardest which is why my 7 actually look like 3.):

Melissa Markham ~ Melissa’s Idea Garden

Heather Goldsmith ~ A Creative Journal

Dotti Enderle ~ Author

I hope you take up the challenge and have some really weird things to share, but I’ll still talk to you if you don’t. Have fun

Well, tomorrow is the big day. It’s the annual Bronze Quill Luncheon and Awards for the Society of Women Writers and whilst I don’t expect to win anything, as President I do have to present them. Besides let’s face it, how often do the presenters get presented to?

So with all the engraving and certificate printing going on around me, as you might expect, today’s writing exercise is based entirely on that.

Writing Exercise

Write a story or poem that is based on receiving or not receiving a trophy.

Another gorgeous day here which means there is no option but to fix the retic and clean out all the sand that has gathered in the sprinklers over winter. Ah the fun of it, but since we are the only state not on sprinkler restrictions I guess we are the lucky ones. And the maintenance certainly beats seeing all my plants die because I keep forgetting to water them.

The writing exercise below as you might guess is triggered by today’s job. Try it out as a first sentence and see where you end up. Have fun

 Writing Exercise

Resting my hand on the tap I turned it gently hoping to coax some water out of it - nothing! What on earth was going ….

I am delighted to say that the Brain Sparking ’Photo Trigger Cards’ we specially designed for Writing to Inspire are now available online. They have been a long time coming but the response so far is that they are worth the wait.

Made up of 50 postcard pictures, this set of cards was created to inspire journal entries, stories, poems, conversations, memories and who knows what else, and it comes packaged in vibrant blue organza bag ideal for easy transportation and safe keeping. All the photos have been professionally taken by Australian photographer, Stephen Bezant, who just happens to be my (sometimes better) other half.

Anyway have a look at our store, they are not the only new thing available this month. And don’t forget if you would rather not buy this item through the store you can always email me at elizabeth@writingtoinspire.com

Brain Sparking Photo Triggers (AU$ 22.50 - US$ 20.00)

Well I guess Summer is definitely here, I’ve just come in from a very pleasant (if dusty) few hours conquering my garden. I can now proudly say that the only weeds I can see from my office window are in the lawn or those that look too pretty to pull out. 

Writing Exercise

You are working in your garden (or a neighbour’s if you don’t have one) and while trimming back a tree you find what appears to be a secret note. But who is it to and what is the treasure it is refering to?

Don’t you love the ecletic collection of things that people do with their lives? One year - singing cute little pre-school songs for ‘Mr Squiggle’, the next - writing internationally proclaimed horror stories.

Of course the former might trigger the latter for some people but … 

Anyway here is the link to the news article. Congratulations Terry, always nice to see Australian writers doing well internationally.

Anybody fancy a drive to Mandurah today? It’s lovely weather for a day by the ocean - and perhaps calling into the the local library to hear a talk from, oh I don’t know, maybe, me.

Yes today I’m giving a talk on ’Stolen Moments’ and signing books. Thankfully Pamela is coming with me too, a good thing considering I am only just getting my voice back.

Anyway, 2pm at Mandurah Library if you feel like dropping in, buying a book would be really nice too.