Growned at Amazon

Just a quick note, mainly for Kindle users. I regret Amazon has again put a price on Growned, having already upped the price so they could put it on offer. I've now repriced it at 99c, which seems to be the nearest to free Amazon will allow permanently. For the cheapskates among you who seem to think everything should be free, I will remind you that Growned is substantially cheaper than a decent (or even awful) cup of coffee, won't make you fat and doesn't need recycling. However, if you are unable to persuade yourself to part with 99c (and I appreciate there are some in the world for whom 99c isn't an option) for a 40,000 words plus story, I suggest you make your way over to Smashwords, where you can download a legal mobi copy for free, and access a plethora- yes, a plethora (or even a surfeit) of free books by other new authors at the same time. You'll also find a couple of free short stories on my page there. And if you enjoyed your free story, then perhaps you can "pay" for it by supporting the author and doing a encouraging review.

Best Laid Plans

  Well, that didn't go how we thought it might. My plan to have an uneventful Christmas, that is. You remember Christmas, don't you? That blur of over-indulgence, crap television and forced bonhomie. Trying not to lose it with the Other Half or the kids. Yes, it's all coming back to you, isn't it? Seems like ages ago.
 We got through Christmas. We didn't over-eat, over-spend or over-indulge generally. The fact the pulling of the Christmas crackers was the most exciting part of the festivities puts things into perspective, doesn't it? Yes, we got through Christmas. But not through Boxing Day.
 Not caring that much for the Festive Season (it was fun when the P&J was small, but now it's just an opportunity to get some work done), I decided to strip the wallpaper in my son's old room. Nothing strenuous, you understand.
 The stuff was coming off easily, and except for going up and down the stairs a few times to fetch tools, it was hardly energetic. And then- well I don't know what triggered it. A tightening in the chest, a burning in the throat, pain in the jaw and cheek bones. Yes, I did, for just a few seconds, think This is extreme heartburn, but then it began to radiate outwards, and I knew what it was. Fortunately, I'd updated my First Aid skills last year, and knew what to do.
 So my husband and I spent the rest of the day in A&E, and the next day at the cardiac unit in the same hospital. We got home on the Wednesday with a pile of pills and the promise of further tests in the near future ringing in our ears.
  I have since been seen by Lipids (fats, if you're at a loss), who weighed and measured me, took more blood samples and then told me I was already doing everything I'm supposed to do re my diet. I was asked about family history, and I think the doctor had a genuine expectation I would be able to tell her what all my grandparents and great grandparents AND their siblings had died of.
 The following Friday I had a heart scan. That was weird in a very disconcerting way. The staff were lovely, and explained every step of the procedure. And now we await my fate.
  The two worse case scenarios in my view are- A) We can't find anything, we haven't got a clue why this happened. B) very much like every builder we've ever had coming to do a job for us- We've never seen one like that before (preceded by a sharp in-drawn breath through the teeth and a perplexed shake of the head).
  Anyway, whatever the outcome, all I can do at the moment is up my game- more fresh fruit and vegetables and less shop-bought ready-made stuff. More fresh fruit and vegetables and less picking when I'm hungry. More fresh fruit and vegetables and less oil recklessly slung into the wok.
  To make up for this broadside to my culinary adventures, I have bought myself a new wok. The vegetables look lovely in it- all those peppers, the garlic, onions. And they don't stick too much to the pan with only a little bit of oil to cook them in.
  I'm getting quite a taste for dates and raw carrot, garnished with a handful of nuts. I'd like to tell you I'm not missing chocolate, but I'd be lying. I cook biscuits for the P&J using recipes that require egg, so I'm not tempted by them (I'm vegan). And I'm trying to reach for the bananas and apples when the munchies strike, not bread and the peanut butter. Wish me luck. I'll let you know how I get on.

 P.S. Don't worry about the camel. No, really, stop worrying about it. There is no reference to it in the text. It was that or a picture of an ambulance.

Tidying Up (and missing blogs).

  For those of you who might care, I have created another blog at https://tracey-meredith-archive.blogspot.co.uk/ to enable me to archive material and publish other stuff that is not necessarily relevant to my career as a struggling writer. Book related stuff will stay here, but my gardening and foodie stuff will probably wend its way over to  Tracey Meredith (Author) Archived Blogs. Just so you know. The link is also below the list of articles currently on this blog.
 And apologies for my continuing lack of regular blogs- I have much to do and don't always have the time  or energy- or, indeed, any news.
  With regard to writing, the sequel to Barry and the Dinosaur King- Barry and the Robot Emperor- is at 15,000 plus words, and I hope to get some work on that done during this Christmas holiday. I am also hoping to finish the final edits on The Angel in Towerhouse Wood and Finding Richard, so that they can join Growned, Never put Your Hand in a Crocodile's Jaws and Barry and the Dinosaur King in being available as paperbacks. And there is a growing collection of silly poems which should form a second anthology in due course. So I haven't been entirely idle/gardening/reorganising, redecorating and repairing. And to those who have shown an interest and encouraged my endeavours, may I wish you, regardless of your faith, a peaceful Christmas and an equally peaceful New Year.

Tracey XX

Spider preparing fly for later

"It Was I," said the Magpie

"It was I,"

Said the Magpie,

As it cast a beady eye,

"It was I who took your gold

And took your trinkets.

It wasn't who you thought it was,

The one you sacked with all that fuss,

As honest as the day is long— how could you think it?"

"It was I,"

Said the Magpie,

As it flew into the sky,

"It was I who took your ring

And took your necklace.

And you, with little thought it seems,

Assaulted her with shrieks and screams

And accusations wild and vile, and reckless."

"It was I,"

Said the Magpie,

As it gave a raucous cry,

"It was I who saw her leave

And saw her weeping.

And you will toss and turn at night,

Now not so sure that you were right.

Is, perhaps, it guilt, that stops you sleeping?"

"It was I,"

Said the Magpie,

"Who watched her shrink and die,

The victim of a deed not of her making.

And you are too proud to concede

That you have done an awful deed

That haunts you at your sleeping and your waking."

Copyright Tracey Meredith 2017

The Garden Makes Its Last Big Effort, and I Say the C Word

 As autumn beckons us from the other side of the hill, things are reaching a crescendo in the garden. The tomatoes are ripening faster than we can eat them, there's only one more lot of potatoes to dig up ( in my new vegetable patch- that should be interesting) and next years gardening has to be thought about now.
 The rest of the spud bunker has been emptied, the spud bunker repaired (an excellent bodge, if I say so myself) and the Christmas (yes, I said the C word) potatoes are in. The tomatoes are gearing up for their last great hurrah and all the oinions and shallots have been pulled and are gently drying out. The second lot of peas are up and running- fingers crossed we have a long summer. Purple sprouting broccoli and kale are putting on weight ready for next year, as are the leaks. Final carrots have gone in. This is why I need 6 weeks holiday in the summer. And I haven't even started painting the windows.

Penmon Priory and Lighthouse

So, after the boat trip to Puffin Island, was there cake? Was there even a cup of tea? No. Barely had my feet touched dry land, when off we went again, through narrow one track lanes towards Penmon- Penmon Priory to be exact. I'd had a taster of it prior to the boat trip, but we decided it would be better to do the boat trip first, seeing as we were pressed for time and the priory didn't shut as such (though, for your reference, should you decide on a visit, the church is locked at 6pm, earlier if there are no cars in the car park).
 If you like your historic buildings and you're in the area, make a point of visiting this. There were a few visitors there when we arrived (about 4pm), but it's not busy, and the car-park attendants (who I assume are volunteers) are very chatty and helpful. The car parking is £3, and that includes access to the priory and your toll to go to the light house later. If you need to leave and come back again, tell the attendant and they will note down your car reg. and not charge you again when you return.  

It's a compact site, so ideal for the weary and foot sore, though the less spritely may need some assistance here and there.
 Most of the buildings here date from the thirteen century, and were probably built on the site of the original Celtic monastery. Further buildings were added in the sixteenth century.
 The original settlement was founded by St Seiriol in the sixth century and St Seiriol's Holy Well can still be accessed through one end of the car park.
 The priory was occupied by Augustinian monks until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the sixteenth century, when it was handed over to the Bulkeley family, who were responsible for the wonderful dovecote.

 Don't forget to visit the church in the complex, as well, which is also very interesting, boasting medieval architecture and some nice stained glass windows. If you want to have a look at what you might be missing, hop over to my Pinterest page, and see all the pictures relating to this.
 So, having had our fill of this site, we headed over to Penmon Lighthouse. This was another interesting place, but for other reasons.
Besides the lighthouse (which you can get to at low tide), there is a wonderful array of rock pools both deep and shallow, with varying amounts of sea-life trapped in them by the retreating tide. If your little ones have been unimpressed with the priory, they will love this.

  If memory serves me correctly, there is a little refreshment hut nearby and this may just be the thing you need to placate and weary any junior members of the family before the long drive home. So don't forget the shrimping nets. Also look out for fossils- there are some very apparent ones under your feet.
 As for the Trwyn Du Lighthouse, it is still in use, and if you click on the highlighted link, you should find some more information on it

So, all in all, an interesting and relatively cheap day out. I believe our next outing will be to the deepest, darkest interior of North Wales in search of obscure chapels, lost Roman outposts and places not even the postman has heard of.