The Case of Matching Underwear

Firstly I start this blog with a massive apology. JC I fully and completely apologise. I was wrong (as I often am ) and you should take absolutely no bloody notice of me in the future or ever again!!! Well certainly when it comes to clothing advice anyway.

When JC and I first became friends she used to say that she only wore matching underwear (sorry for putting too much info out there JC but need to for this blog!) and I thought it was well, very anal. What did it matter what was under you clothes as long as they were clean and comfortable. But I was wrong.

Recently I have purchased a couple of sets of matching underwear - nothing expensive and from Adsa but pretty and feminine. And there is the rub - wearing matching underwear makes you feel pretty and feminine. It makes me have that little smile inside when I think about it. I don't even mind too much at looking myself in the mirror in them. I think about my pretty underwear and I think about sex (in a good healthy way - I hope) and I think I am pretty, I am a women. This then leads to other positive thoughts. I do have a voice, I can have my dreams, I can get a job that I want. I have value. All from £9 worth of underwear you ask. But yes, it works for me.

As I walked the dog on the beach this morning, in my matching underwear (and believe me my dog walking coat, Deputy Daug hat and big black boots are not sexy at all - just warm) I thought about my mum who always used to tell us to wear clean underwear in case we had an accident. And it was a nice memory and made me smile. And then I smiled as I thought about my pink flowered bra and matching pants (even though I wanted to pull them out of my bum - I managed to ignore the impulse -well you do have to have some class even on the beach and anyway someone is always watching when you think you are alone).

So what have I discovered, that a simple thing like matching underwear can make me feel better, better about myself and then better in the world.

Matching underwear can help me be 'fortified by optimism'.

What I want to learn in 2011 is that the little things can make life alright.

The little things can make life good.

The little things can make life worth living.

Life has its ups and downs (2010 has felt like lots of downs and not enough ups) but I have learnt in January 2011 that wearing matching underwear can make me feel good. That wearing matching underwear can make life feel good. One little lesson for the month to help the world seem easier. Gotta help - hasn't it??

Dix

ps obviously I look nothing like the picture on my blog - it is just an illustration (and anyway I have never worn a thong although I am told they are comfy - think I will give them a miss for now, perhaps an experience for later in the year??)

Examples of Haiku

Kojo

Night, and the moon!
My neighbor, playing on his flute -
out of tune!

Chris Spruck

Faceless, just numbered.
Lone pixel in the bitmap-
I, anonymous.

The first more traditional, the second modern.
I am starting to understand.

Dix

My First Haiku

Please forgive me. This is my first attempt at an Haiku poem. What do I know about the form - that it consists of 17 syllables - 5 in the first line, 7 in the second and 5 in the third. That is my starting point and a game that my daughter got me for Christmas and I brought JC so that we can write Haiku together. Oh well hear goes - not sure this is right but it is an attempt.

Happy dancing, so
precious to swimming limbs in
my melodic time.

Dix

Should Haiku have a title if so, this could be something like Water Dancing. I think I have a way to go to understand the form but hey its a start.

Any suggestions or guidelines or is it back to my Stephen Fry book and Wikipedia!!

Happy New Year

A new year and a new way of thinking - I hope. I know I try these new year resolutions and fail every year but this year I am just gonna try something simple. Being optimistic.

Life will get better for me if I just think it will. I am fortified with optimism.

I am so determined to start and keep writing. All part of the above.

Whilst I was a Uni we had a writer give us a talk (have to say I read one of his books and didn't think much of it - it felt like a poor copy of Ian Mckewen but hey he is published and he did give good advice). This was his advice that I have pasted up on my wall for years.

This was his advice that I share with you:

• have SELF BELIEF (it means more than everything - if you believe you can succeed you will).
• have SELF DISCIPLINE (that means write regularly)
• TALENT - I think this is something you are born with but you can definitely work at it
• WRITE EVERYDAY (that means everyday however much work you have, however tired you are)
• FIND A HOOK - BE MARKETABLE (not easy but helped by lots of reading, being aware of what is being published and what is being nominated and winning awards)

Good advice - all I need to do is follow it!!!!!!?????!

Books

It has occurred to me that no matter how difficult this year has been (and my god it has been difficult) and no matter how little money I have that I have still continued to buy books. I know it is the last luxury I need to give up if I am to keep trying to get on top of my finances. I will say in my justification, and even I am not sure if this is an excuse, that mainly I have been buying second hand books not new but still I have an extra massive pile to read.

I have shifted through books on car boots, in charity shops, the Pound Shop and a reasonable second hand shop in town. I justify the second hand shop by taking in bags of unwanted books and trading them. Of course I always buy more than I ever receive credit for but I have managed to clear some shelf space. Most of the best books I have read this year have been from these sources. I don't borrow many books and those I do tend to be non fiction books, because most of my friends read different sorts of genres of books.

I have found a method of identifying books that I might like - firstly the title, it has to grab me somehow, secondly the cover of course, I can't help but be drawn in by a cover that I like, then more importantly and the one thing that will make me buy or discard a book, the blub. If it sounds boring or just doesn't grab me then it returns to the shelves. And finally the one thing that seems to have helped me find some good reads is if the book has been nominated or selected for some type of award or book club. They just seem to be slightly better written and have better plot line, not always but so far I have found it a good success rate - 80 - 90% at least.

The only slight failure in this system has been trying to identify good children's/young teenager book. Firstly there is some real crap out there (any potential author take note and think about doing better - I am) and secondly it is hard to identify the good ones. I have talked in book shops, I have got a list from my friend JC who is training to be an English teacher and just trying to keep looking, even reading Amazon reviews which can be hit and miss. I have read some that are frankly, well rubbish and only one that I thought exceptional (The Boy in the Blue Stripped Pyjamas - see below). I need to research more and understand better but will keep trying.

Even so I have a massive pile of unread book and need to save my money and read some of them and stop buying new. It will help my finances greatly and give me some more space in the house.

Dix

The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas by John Boyne

In my opinion everybody should read this book. It was so well written, it tells a story through the naivity of a child when the reader realises the horror that is going on around him. The ending just made me cry although I had realised what was going to happen somehow it didn't matter that I knew I still wanted it to be different.

I hope schools will adopt this book - I hope many will continue to read it so that we don't forget what we as human's are capable of.

I will read it again - I will savour the words and yes I found it amazing research for writing a children's book. Not that I believe for one minute I could write a book like that.

Please if you haven't get a copy, beg, borrow, steal if you have to - but read it and understand.

Dix

BR - The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold

(not kindle edition just this front cover)

My friend got me this book because it was like the work I wrote for my distertation. I have read The Lovely Bones and was not too sure about it. And I have to admit I was not to sure about this. The trouble was I didn't really care about the main character. I understood about her relationship with her mother, I understood that she had reached breaking point but I just didn't really care. And after I didn't understand how she behaved - it made no sense to me.

I am glad I gave it a go - and it made me understand about making the reader like the main character.

But not a keeper I am afraid. Sorry JC

Dix