Category: Lazy Sunday

Lazy Sunday #8
Lazy Sunday

Lazy Sunday #8

paulaacton4 Comments

Hello, and happy Mayday, or Beltane depending on your beliefs, am sat here hugging a Dolce Gusto chococino caramel, the weather is rather grey and miserable but not as freaky as the weather you may have witnessed earlier in my vlog for this week. I will apologise for the face you are getting two posts today, I was going to do it as one but decided against it. So this week I have been sorting some files out on my computer and removing some of those duplicate files you get through things autosaving, so enough of my week how has yours been? I am hoping to get out in the garden a little this week as I have a week off work plus am heading to see my parents next Saturday for the day, a rare treat as I normally work Saturdays at the day job.

Now let’s see what gems I have found this week, though I have to say I did lose a couple I bookmarked as part of my technical difficulties this week…

  1. I am going to celebrate a couple of the people who made it through this years, A-Z challenge this week, as you know I failed miserably. One of the things I do love is the different themes people use or decide against using to get through the alphabet, the first up is one who takes the idea of A-Z literally dictionary style with the aid of her camera https://quotidiandose.wordpress.com/2016/04/30/a-to-z-challenge-z/
  2. The next A-Z winner mixes Superheroes and cross stitch to provide a very interesting cast of characters https://nerdygirlconfession.wordpress.com/2016/04/30/zatanna/
  3.  Linda’s A-Z this year has been quite a profound one to read, the monster has his own issues but thankfully hearing is not one of them although given the side effects of meningitis it very well could have been, but I do remember what it was like with his lack of speech for those years when all the other children were already expressing their wants, and the struggles he has still at times to make himself understood, don’t get me wrong he now has the vocabulary but he struggles still to reword things if you do not immediately understand what he is asking, we live in a world that is not forgiving to differences no matter how much we all pretend otherwise https://lindaghill.com/2016/04/30/zip-atoz-challenge/
  4. I love to see other bloggers, writers and creatives succeeding, am just sad that I am across the ocean and unable to show support in person, https://veggiewitch.wordpress.com/2016/04/30/ccee-2016-rocks/
  5. Something different for this one a book/film review, I had to pick this though as I love the book so much and I am sure you know which sister I relate to, she is not the only one who once cut off her hair for a good cause lol https://cafebookbean.com/2016/04/30/saga-saturday-ii-2/
  6. The final blog I am going to share today is responsible for you having to sit through a Glossybox review each month, and this post is another that inspired me, we not this box but I did try out one of the other perfume boxes, not something I would get regularly like Glossybox but it was very interesting to try scents I would not normally have looked at http://whichbeautyboxuk.com/?p=13294

So that rounds up this weeks selection, dinner is in so I shall finish off by adding the tags etc then go dish the pasta bake and garlic bread out, I wish you could be here to join us for lunch but instead I hope you will join me for coffee again next week.

Lazy Sunday #7
7. Sunday · Lazy Sunday

Lazy Sunday #7

paulaacton3 Comments

First sorry for missing last week but if you saw the vlog you will know that I have been struggling finding balance recently, I almost skipped today as I really do need to get the paint in the hall wiped down and mop the floors to remove the marks caused by me dragging my dead fridge out of the house to get ready for the new one coming tomorrow, but I decided you deserve better so a just made a quick latte and have settle down to share a few things with you, not quite all blog posts today as you shall see. I have not decided on the A – Z yet it would mean three letters a day to get back on track to finish on time I might try but we shall see.

  1.  So for the first blog post I shall share a nice quick flash fiction which made me chuckle, perhaps swallow the liquid in your mouth before you read this, I would hate to be responsible for anyone spraying tea or coffee over their screen, https://greenwalledtower.wordpress.com/2016/04/10/hed-make-a-brilliant-lawyer/
  2. As you are probably aware from my nagging I have started a newsletter you can sign up to via the website or in the side bar here, I am still getting to grips with making it really exciting and something you would look forward to receiving but I hope that in the up coming months I will really get to interact with people that way and share some exclusive content on there, after all there has to be a reason to expect people to visit you in more than one place and to show your appreciation for those who do, I do use mail chimp so I found this interesting and I too have a gmail account but so far it does not seem to have been too much of an issue but again is something that may have to be sorted https://sachablack.co.uk/2016/04/11/4-mistakes-to-avoid-when-using-mailchimp/
  3. Sometimes we all get stuck in a rut, trying different things can kick start us into getting back on track or sometimes we have to try various things before we go back to realise we were capable of doing things our way we just needed a push, I know I get like that. For me lists work, planning and gadgets, I do journal but never really got into the gratitude thing mainly because the thing I tend to be most grateful for first thing on a morning are pain meds and finding something to swallow them with, I generally wake up feeling stiff and it takes a little while before I am grateful for anything really profound like my kids or the furries mainly as they all cause me stress while I am waiting for the meds to kick in if only they all would wait 15 to 20 minutes after I have swallowed the tablets… https://mundusmediaink.com/2016/04/22/use-this-ability-to-improve-your-writing/
  4. One of the things I love about the A – Z Challenge each year is that I find really cool new blogs to follow, many of whom stay on my reading list long after the challenge for that year ends, so I would like to share with you one of this years new discoveries which I shall leave you to enjoy for a minute or two as I run out to bring the sheets in off the washing line as the sky has turned black and ominous https://artistpath.wordpress.com/2016/04/21/r-is-for-row-your-boat/
  5. Okay got them in, the heavens have not opened yet but you know it is not far away, you can smell it in the air, and possibly the faint hit of a storm brewing, that little charge that stands the hairs on your arm to attention, for the last blog post I am sharing it is from a lovely lady who has become a very dear friend despite the fact she has still not rounded me up a cowboy (complete with hat) and shipped him over to me, I mean she finds plenty of dishy ones for the covers of her books they must be everywhere, https://stephanie-hurt.com/2016/04/21/almost-back-to-normal/
  6. The final thing I am sharing today was on Tv here last night, but also shown at the cinema where my daughter and I went to watch it, I have to say the big screen way of experiencing live theatre was fantastic, I am hoping overseas friends will be able to see this clip let me know if there are any issues but this was just one of the highlights

I hope you enjoyed this little collection and I shall see you next week with another drink in hand and a few more posts to share with you all, have a lovely week.

Lazy Sunday #6
Lazy Sunday

Lazy Sunday #6

paulaacton2 Comments

(I just added this bit it, I am publishing this Monday morning as not only was my day upside down for the reasons I mention in the post but just before I finished it my daughter rung to say she was coming up and I thought I had actually hit publish but instead I had saved draft to here you are a day late as it was already written and now I shall get on with catching up with A – Z posts)

Well today everything is upside down rather than sitting and reading blogs with a coffee this morning it is now evening and I am sitting with a hot chocolate after a visit to my parents for Sunday dinner. Travelling to my parents takes a couple of hours by public transport, longer on a Sunday as timings never seem to work out but as I was ill during the week when I had planned going over I wanted to fit in a visit as I don’t get over as much as I should, I am sure you can forgive me just this once for an evening post on what has been a lazy Sunday only in the sense I did not have to cook lol.

So let’s see what I found for you this week…

  1.  First up is an incredibly talented young lady who I know personally, in fact we work together at the day job! She is just starting out on an exciting journey through University and onwards to success and I am incredibly proud to class her as a friend, so if you want to get in at the start please go over and follow her and show your support and you never know one day she may be designing your curtains https://eleanoroldham.wordpress.com/
  2. Next up some writing tips, now a lot of these will seem obvious but you know what sometimes it is those very obvious steps we miss by trying to be too clever, I found her posts giving self publishing check-lists really helpful and printed it off so I can refer to it as I do my final checks, https://amdobritt.com/2016/03/26/writing-tip-40/
  3. I love sending letters and writing to people, personally I think you cannot beat the sound of a letter falling unexpectedly onto the mat but today we have a second option, one which it could be argued is actually more environmentally friendly, that is ecards. I don’t know why but I never think of people designing these but obviously they do so here is a chance to support a fellow blogger doing just that https://superphoenix.wordpress.com/2016/03/26/sending-egreetings-to-your-loved-ones/
  4. It is always good to be able to share success by fellow bloggers and I have been thrilled to so more and more posts sharing the news that this lady is having her work acted out https://suehealy.org/2016/04/08/cast-announced/
  5. Regina is currently doing two challenges at once, she is doing the A – Z challenge but also the 26 week challenge her blog is a mix of photography and commentary and a very pleasant way to see things from another perspective http://reginamartins.com/2016/04/08/a-z-challenge-a-is-for-architectural-design/
  6. And the final post for today is to a dear friend of this blog Lucy who is yet again proving what an incredible person she is, her last appearance here as you will remember was for her charity walk, well today it is in her ongoing crusade to prove that not only can you beat the bullies but you can stick a proverbial two fingers up at them while walking the road to success, she has been featured in her local paper regarding the release of her latest work https://lucywilliamspoetry.wordpress.com/2016/04/09/micro-poetry-323/

So next week we shall be back to normal hopefully and I shall be a little more organised, have a good week!

Vlog Time #59 – Getting Sporty, Plus Lazy Sunday #5
8. Vlog Time · Lazy Sunday

Vlog Time #59 – Getting Sporty, Plus Lazy Sunday #5

paulaacton3 Comments

Two for the price of one today… I have a nice double choco-mocha clutched in my hands it is almost lunch time but as the sun is shining I got laundry done first thing, I am not actually having a Lazy Sunday today as later on I shall be heading out to film my colleagues play the managers at football all in the name of charity so if you have your beverage ready I shall begin with the blogs for this week, then move on to the vlog and throw in some bonus bellydancing on the end of it, and no I am not dancing but I might just have arranged a lift to start taking me dancing again so maybe at some point in the future you will see it…

  1. So our first stop off on today’s coffee break is to visit my friend Bridget and grab a quick reminder on something we all frequently need to be reminded of https://bridgetstraub.com/2016/03/17/stay-positive/ life likes to throw those curve balls but with practise and patience we will hit home runs eventually, I even managed to make an analogy using a sport I know nothing about lol.
  2.  Next up a tough call, when you are asked to review a book it is easy if you love it but what if you don’t, Linda discusses the difficulty making that call and you can read my response in the comments although I have also discussed it on here before http://lindaghill.com/2016/03/14/bad-reviews
  3. This week is Sports Relief here in the UK where people dust off their cycles and trainers and do all sorts of sporty things in the name of a good cause but lots of us do these things more frequently than that and Lucy has been fund-raising for a cause very close to her heart which took the life of one of her friends, I do believe that the best way to honour those we lose is to save others in their name https://lucywilliamspoetry.wordpress.com/2016/03/13/lucys-diary-130316/
  4. This is a really helpful informative way to try to track down a pictures origins, sadly it does not work for everything but at least it gives you additional options to research images https://acflory.wordpress.com/2016/03/14/howto-search-for-an-image-on-the-internet/
  5. I love this 5 minutes with series and wish I lived in an area where it would be more practical to do it here, sadly there are only two local shops in walking difference and they are both your bog standard corner shop, as for the town centre fewer and fewer independent shops remain between the takeaways , chain stores, and pound shops https://chiswickmum.wordpress.com/2016/03/18/a-chiswick-5-mins-with-sofia-from-the-chiswick-bookshop/
  6. And finally for today, a brief but meaningful flash fiction, the perfect example of how much can be said with a few words https://greenwalledtower.wordpress.com/2016/03/17/the-giants-bride/

If you would like to refill your cup now is the time to do it and I shall leave you with this weeks vlog…

Lazy Sunday #4
Lazy Sunday

Lazy Sunday #4

paulaactonLeave a comment

It has been a strange lazy day here, I actually awoke quite early but decided to lie in bed and watch the wrestling I had intended staying up to watch last night. Then I got up and did a load of washing which I was thrilled to discover I could peg out and allow to dry in the sunshine.

This was the point when I should have sat at the computer but instead I got it into my head to decoupage an old bathroom cabinet, which turned out to be rather messier than expected.

It is now mid afternoon as I finally sit latte in had and rugby on the radio (the Giants are playing) though at the minute they are not doing well and I might wish I were not listening soon.

So I shall begin our wandering through a few blog from this week, so if you have your beverage of choice in hand and are sat comfortably…

  1. If you have followed this blog for any length of time then you will be aware I hail from an Irish heritage, like so many others. I love this blog because even though the photos are taken all over the Emerald Isle it is easy to dream that ancient ancestors may have strode across the fields or over the streams so often featured, plus the addition of great info and poetry is a bonus, http://nigelborrington.com/2016/03/09/irish-national-tree-week/
  2. I don’t write poetry very often, but that does not mean I do not enjoy reading it so I have several blogs I follow from which I take my poetry fix and one for today is this one which, as someone who enjoys a good soak, I can totally relate to https://magicinthebackyard.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/epiphany/
  3. Another of the blogs I really enjoy is this one which is a specialist photography blog which concentrates on close up photos. Like writing everything can appear so very different when taken out of perspective and this blog constantly reminds me how many things you can miss if you only look at the big picture and not the details http://drawandshoot.me/2016/03/08/frayed-edges-of-winter/
  4. Sometimes you read blogs where the writing expresses feelings that are so raw that you feel the pain and can empathise from your own experiences, life sometimes deals us hands we would rather dismiss, rather not deal with, bury under a million different excuses, to take responsibility for your own life is not an easy thing but I have so much respect for this lady and her journey https://kissthemuse.wordpress.com/2016/03/09/4-3-not-in-vain/
  5. Not much to say about the next blog, if is dark and macabre and he is talking about vampires and mentions my favourite vampires, those created by Anne Rice of course https://lurkingmusings.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/vampire-month-ambrose-hall-interview/
  6. Finally a post written by a friend, she was the first blogger turned friend I ever had the pleasure of meeting in the flesh, just wish she had not moved so far away as to make coffee meetings rather difficult but I chose this post for her honesty which I have come to know is completely genuine. This post is a little different from most of the stuff she posts, if you are easily shocked you might want to put the cup down away from the computer before you explore her blog further but this post I think relates to many of us and to different aspects of our lives. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies and I cannot help think of a certain timelord and the words, “Physician heal thyself” while knowing we never do http://hornygeekgirl.com/perfect-clarity-the-right-thing/

So myfriends I shall leave you now, my cup is empty and shortly I shall wander to the kitchen to see about making dinner, the monster is watching Pokemon and I really should get a little more house work done, I hope you enjoy this weeks choices and will join me again next week for another coffee time xxx

Lazy Sunday #3
Lazy Sunday

Lazy Sunday #3

paulaacton8 Comments

This morning I find myself nursing a vanilla latte macchiato and a headache, if I had drunk a little more I might have said a hangover but I only had three drinks and that was with a meal so I was actually totally sober, I put the headache down to dehydration, maybe I should have had a few more lol.

So coffee in hand, the remnants of last nights make up scrapped off, I sit here and and begin this weeks sharing of blogs I have been reading, I hope you will forgive that I have yet to tackle the hair but I know getting the brush through the tangle of curls I had in my hair last night will be painful so am allowing the painkillers to remove the headache first, I know you guys will forgive it so shall we begin…

  1. First up a new blog by an old friend, the lovely Ms Tribble has decided to begin afresh with a new blog as she makes changes in her real life, I love her to bits even though occasionally she does get me frustrated and make me want to jump on a train and go shake her, please pop over and show her some love http://accidentalspacegirl.com/
  2. In the first post of this series I mentioned a story Cara Thereon had posted previously that had stopped and disappeared, well she has decided to share it with the world so please if you like a raunchy read then go over read it and subscribe so you don’t miss the following parts https://closed2.wordpress.com/2016/03/01/caught/
  3. Lots of bloggers get involved in brilliant themes and serial posts which I never quite get round to but that does not stop me enjoying reading them, I found Linda’s blog via Jason’s over a Opinionated Man and have enjoyed following her ever since one of the things she hosts is SOCS and though I do not take part I fully enjoy reading both her posts and those of others I follow who do partake, check out this weeks here http://lindaghill.com/2016/03/05/socs-excuses/
  4. I love Michelle, she is witty, talented and incredibly generous as I discovered last year when she donated some stuff for a charity raffle, if you don’t follow her you should ask yourself why? She writes some incredible articles which relate not only to her own books but to writing in general and the process of getting those first words on the page to the final act of publishing and beyond into the stress of marketing, this weeks is definitely one every writer will relate to http://michelleproulx.com/2016/03/04/take-bad-reviews-with-a-dash-of-salt/
  5. I have followed Hunter is Writing since I started blogging and have discovered some great software and programmes as a result of the blog right now is a great time to start following as a new series is about to begin and even if it seems obvious sometimes you need a reminder to pay attention to your characters http://hunterswritings.com/2016/03/04/character-archetypes-a-for-alter-ego/
  6. And finally for today a flash fiction so much can be said a a mere 100 words https://thereclininggentleman.wordpress.com/2016/03/04/friday-fictioneers-battery-2/

So our coffee date is over for another week, hope you will join me, cup in hand once more next week until then normal posts shall have to suffice.

 

Lazy Sunday #2
7. Sunday · Lazy Sunday

Lazy Sunday #2

paulaacton3 Comments

I have discovered my new hob top kettle takes longer to boil than the old electric one but there is something exciting about hearing that whistle that signals coffee time has arrived.

This mornings brew is once more a double choca-mocha, one of my favourites but has been set aside for just a little while as I consumed my porridge. I am trying very hard at the minute to actually eat breakfast when I get up not an hour later, this is something I struggle with, I am not a morning person.

Breakfast eaten I put the empty pot to one side and begin reading blogs, mug in hand, I read, smile, hit the like button and begin the task of deciding which posts I shall share this week, I search through my inbox for the couple I spotted during the week that grabbed my attention and I marked with a star so I could find them again.

So let us begin with this weeks choices…

  1. I love photo blogs, they say a picture says a thousand words but it can also show a thousand worlds, places I will never travel to, moments that can never be reproduced. I will never go on a camel ride through the desert, that it not self pity or a complaint that finances will not allow but a reality that with my dodgy back, even if I won the lottery tomorrow (reminds me I must check last nights tickets lol) I could possibly manage to get on one and sit for a few minutes but never travel great distances, my back simply would not take it. I have ridden horses in my life time and would love to do that again but from people I know that have ridden on a camel the ride is a little bumpier and harder on the body, but there will always be a part of me that would like to imagine that journey across the desert, though of course the fell provisioned tourist experience not the starving explorer version. You can see some great photos here https://exxtracts.wordpress.com/2016/02/20/camel-ride/
  2. I want to wish the lovely Cara a happy blogiversary! Those of you who have followed me for a while know I do have a little bit of a naughty side, and though I could never write erotica I do read it occasionally and I love the way Cara writes, I only wish I could wave a magic wand and give her the confidence in her own work that the rest of us have in it, then maybe she would post the rest of the Hunter story I was loving that she suddenly stopped hint hint you can wish her a happy blogiversary here and explore her blog a little more if you enjoy writing that gets the blood pumping in more ways than one lol https://closed2.wordpress.com/2016/02/27/happy-blog-iversary/
  3. Next up is a blog post with a video embedded, if your coffee is running low you might want to go refill before you start on this post. Sandra’s enthusiasm is contagious, I have no idea how she manages to juggle so many things at the same time but this post focuses on one of aspect of her life and interests, asexuality. Until Sandra started talking about it I really did not get what they meant by asexuality and I will be honest I can not really comprehend not having those feelings (just consider my previous share) but as she says everyone in individual and I think part of that is accepting that we do not have to fully understand everyone else but we should respect their differences https://quirkybooks.wordpress.com/2016/02/25/new-asexualise-com-website-coming-soon-update-and-news/
  4. The next one is from my dear friend Rhonda, now she is lots of things, a great friend, hilariously funny at times but she has a way with words that can also evoke such deep feelings from within, I grew up thousands of miles away from the place she is describing but that nostalgia and feeling of being connected to a place resonates with me every time I take a trip back to the village I grew up in where my parents still live, if I had to pick a negative about Rhonda it would be that bloody woman just does not write enough and needs a kick up the butt to make her post more often lol http://50-shades-of-gray-hair.com/2016/02/23/home-is-where-you-learn-to-walk/
  5. I don’t always read the next blog in order and do occasionally wonder if I miss out not reading it that way but as it states the stories are disconnected so I don’t feel too bad dipping in and out and each is in a way its own little vignette, I love the fact the blog is both visual and imaginative and am awed by the talent of Cheryl https://cherylmoore.wordpress.com/2016/02/24/unbound-boxes-limping-gods-disconnected-stories-issue-231-alexand-merek-part-13/
  6. Final one for today and if you have not already refilled your cup you will want to for this one, it is a flash fiction which leads you down a path but lets you chose which fork in the road you want to take at the end, I won’t say here which I took but if you want to come back in comments and tell me what you thought we can discuss it there https://janerisdon.wordpress.com/2016/02/19/the-letter-flash-fiction-by-jane-risdon-c-2013/

So my cup is empty and I need to wash it up before playing fetch with the dog in the garden for a while, I won’t let him bring his favourite ball in the house, it is a grubby leather football he has punctured a dozen times over but it is his favourite so I resist the urge to bin it for now. The I shall do a load of washing, tiddy the house a little before heading back here to the desk to write tomorrows blog post and do a little creating.

Enjoy your Sunday and please let me know if you enjoy these blogs I have shared with you xxx

Lazy Sunday #1
Lazy Sunday

Lazy Sunday #1

paulaacton4 Comments

I had decided to not blog on Sundays but I have changed my mind in a manner of speaking. Sunday is the day I frequently catch up on blog reading if I get behind during the week so I have decided to use Sunday’s as the perfect day to share some reading material with you guys, the blogs I read vary wildly from erotica to legal, fiction and craft, so each week I will create a post to share a few I have read during the week that have excited me one way or another.

So right now stop reading and go make yourself a nice cup of coffee, I have a nice frothy double choc-mocha in my hand (well on my desk can’t type and drink at the same time, well not safely anyway), I am drinking it from my colour changing TARDIS mug, maybe you can share your drink below.

Are you back? Sitting comfortably then let’s begin with this weeks hot half dozen…

  1. I picked this one as it is a fresh start in a new media, I love the spirit of this lady and the way despite going through some really tough times she still remains positive, plus she has a voice like honey, well you will see for your selves http://rarasaur.com/2016/02/14/better-aud-than-even
  2. As we are having coffee here it would be rude not to share it with Willowdot https://willowdot21.wordpress.com/2016/02/14/if-we-were-having-coffee-mil-physiostress/
  3. Sacha Black organises the UK Blogger Bash as well as being a successful writer and blogger she has come up with some events for people in the UK to consider if they can get to any of them http://sachablack.co.uk/2016/02/15/must-attend-writing-events-for-2016/
  4. This is a name that will familiar from my book reviews, however his new release is a whole new genre and I am looking forward to reading this http://robertbryndza.com/2016/02/12/the-girl-in-the-ice-is-now-available/
  5. Now something a little deeper and more profound, some thing to ponder as you sip at your coffee https://jedizaugg.wordpress.com/2016/02/12/unheard-words/
  6. The final one for this week may require a whole cup by itself and if you have not listened to Serial or Undisclosed may not seem interesting but if you have an interest in how they judicial system in the US fail to work and can be manipulated then maybe take a look and if it interests you take a look further into this case and the two pod-casts I just mentioned, personally I find this fascinating, http://viewfromll2.com/2016/02/12/the-absurdity-of-the-states-self-professed-best-evidence/

Let me know if you enjoyed any of these, I am going to be relaxing for the rest of the day, unless you count laundry, there is always laundry to do on a Sunday, school and work uniforms, I hope you enjoy your lazy Sunday too.