Writing and Reading log – January 2017

The last post of this month is not one of those I wrote during the holidays, but I thought that this year I’d start putting some order in my life and in my head…at least where I can.

Hence, I’ve decided that maybe the wisest thing to do was to merge my writing and reading logs into one.

 

Following is the listing of the books I’m reading at the moment and the updates on the status of them. To be honest with you, what I’m trying to do, is to reduce the number of the books I’m reading at the same time, so to be mentally more organized.

Outlander– Not gone very far, I’m at page 362 on 863.

Hunger– Here no news, I’m at page 234 on 586. It still makes me anxious to read it. But it’s very good, I have to win the battle.

Irish ghost stories– Here no news, I’m still at page 42 on 1102.

Wizards first rule– Here no news, I’m still at page 114 on 764.

 

Memorie del sottosuolo– I found it and I’m at page 28 on 196-ish

Delitto e castigo– I went on a bit on and I’m at page 184 on 684.

The wisdom of the dead man –  I’m still at page 37 on 469. Probably I will start again from the beginning in order to enjoy it more.

A Song of Ice and Fire –  volume three- Here no news, I’m still at page 192 on 569.

 

The scorch trials– Finished. I’m really waiting to see what will happen with the third film. Muhahahaha! They’ll so made a terrible mess!

City of bones – Went on for a while. I’m at page 208 on 506.

 

The book thief – I’m still at page 58 on 554.

 

Enciclopedia. Tutta la seconda Guerra Mondiale-volume 1– I’m still at page 53 on 493.

Madame Bovary– It’s lost in the phone somewhere but haven’t touch it from the last time! Again!

Shadowmagic– Ongoing, cannot exactly quantify as it’s an audiobook too! And once again I haven’t moved from the last time.

As for the writing, folks, I’m not going that fast unfortunately, but I have to be honest, I’ve been more consistent than the past few months.

You’ll read in one of my next posts, that the wrong approach I was having in my life was related to the goal setting.

I probably expected too much from myself. But it didn’t work and the result was just frustration and interruption of what I was doing.

During my Christmas break then, I came up with the idea of trying smaller goals. But, most of all, I’m trying not to be mean with myself and not get frustrated if I don’t manage to do what I’m supposed to do.

The smaller goals correspond to three pages of notebook written daily. I know that it seems just a little.

However, here what Stephen King says and actually helps me a lot: “Write a page a day, only 300 words, and in a year, you have written a novel”

See? I’ve actually counted.

Since I’m writing on a notebook, to avoid the internet distractions and to have a portable thing on which I can write potentially everywhere, I counted that 3 notebook pages correspond to 300 words.

Ok, it’s not much. Some days I manage to write more. Still, it’s doable the most of the times.

And the big pro is that my self-confidence is benefiting from that.

Also, once a week I set the goal of publishing a post on this blog, of plotting for 30 minutes and of preparing the draft for the next week’s post.

I’m still proceeding slowly and sometimes I don’t meet my goals, but I’m working hard.

I know that some of you will do more and I respect you. I wish I could, but for the moment this is my best, considering the roller coaster-like life I’m living.

And how do you do?

How do you get organized?

Tell me in the comments below, I’m open to suggestions!

Christmas holiday’s family misfortunes!

 

Didn’t know what insert, but this is mocking enough and Maya likes it! Of course Google search!

 

Here again another post related to my annual leave!

I was so looking forward to my holiday, so looking forward to sleep, to relax and enjoy life that what happened gave me the most powerful slap in the face the 2016 could think of!

Immediately before my annual leave I started to feel sick, developing high temperature and so did Maya. Because I was worried she would miss her play in school and, most importantly, her birthday party, I decided to bring her to the Dub Doc – here in Dublin so it’s called that place where doctors are available after office hours or festive days – so to be given something. The diagnosis was tonsillitis…for the both of us!  

While there, in fact, I was visited as well, learning that I got the same problem and also that my temperature at the moment was higher than Maya’s. This brought me to spend what was supposed to be my last day in work at home sick.

After over a week I wasn’t feeling very well.

At the moment, while writing this post, the situation hadn’t changed and I was supposed to go back in work in one day…I was so freaking afraid, really.

Maya feels better but the temperature comes and goes and meanwhile, my partner was sick with 39 degrees’ temperature.

On the top of that the boiler, started to make a weird sound on the 22^nd.

It sounded like an airplane taking off.

I promised to myself that I would call someone to have a look at it asap. That day, in fact, was the last day of school and Maya’s birthday so I didn’t mind much, in particular because the noise was much less by the evening.

Since it become very quiet, I didn’t worry…until my mum communicated that there was no hot water…

Oh, no…

We went to check the boiler and a happy orange light kept flashing at us! I started immediately to call number after number. Unfortunately, those who picked up the phone couldn’t help and those who could help were closed until next year.

Only one guy tried his best to help us via phone but then he went to check the user manual of this particular boiler and it was clear that we couldn’t win. The emissions were involved.

Eventually even my plumber came over but he told me it was too dangerous to go near it.

We had to give up and wait the supplier, who’s in co. Kerry, the only one in Ireland, to return from holiday.

We went immediately to buy a couple of small heaters and we did with those until the first week of January.  

2016 was an awful, horrible, mean year and I’m glad is over and I hope against hope that everything will go as smooth as possible in 2017.

But considering how’s started, I wouldn’t bet on it either!

How about you?

How did your holiday go?

Anybody with last minute surprises?

Maya’s 5th birthday!

The second post of the year, will be related to a very important event happened in December: Maya’s birthday!

I mentioned already the following posts will be a bit messed up timeline-wise, but it’s OK I guess!

I cannot believe Maya is 5 already! She’s growing so fast, it’s unbelievable.

The birthday party I’m talking about in this post was organized for the 3^rd birthday we celebrated in Ireland, but it was the first one spent with her friends.

In the past couple of years, I organized her parties in Italy. I have there a couple of friends with kids.

Their age is different from Maya’s though and they weren’t available at all the times.

The rest of the guests were just grownups; sure, family and friends but still adults. We used to organize it in a pub owned by a friend of us.

It had been very nice, but I realize only now that it was more for us that we decided to organize them that way, rather than for Maya.

This year, however, since we were stuck in Ireland, I had to organize the birthday party here.

It was a totally different experience, not only from the organization point of view but also from my own experience! It was incredibly fun!

First of all, we found a place for the party. I had to ask information to other mums in school as I didn’t have the slightest idea of where it was best to organize a party. I went to a couple of parties in the past few years, but it never occurred to me to ask information for some reason.

I was advised about a place not very far from our house. We went to have a look on the way back from a holiday we took in county Clare – I still have to tell you about it. I will, I promise – and Maya loved it immediately. It’s a huge place of soft toys, slides and circuits. A great way to release energies!

Found the location, I asked Maya to give me a list of kids she would like to invite. We sent the cards and also prepared the goodie bags, something absolutely new to me. In Italy, we don’t use the goodie bags, but I prefer this way, it’s nicer!

It was great preparing everything with her. Now that she’s older she’s participating with ideas and help and I think that it’s important in these occasions. Most of all being aware of what you’re doing, makes the realization more interesting.

I have to admit that I was a bit anxious; this time not for me but for her. For a long while the replies didn’t arrive, and I was afraid that the kids won’t show up for some reason. Eventually we had 6 guests and Maya was over the moon and me with her! I could breathe again!

The real fun, then, was to see Maya with her friends, the ones she personally picked, to be part of her special day. They were running up and down the play area, discovering the bits and pieces of that huge place! I found deeply amusing and satisfactory watching her to play with children she knows and of her same age.

So, although almost a month later, I renew once again my happy birthday’s wishes, my love, 100 of these days to the loveliest girl in the world!

Dear 2017

Hello everybody, how are you?

I’m finally back! I missed these pages.

I’ve managed to put aside a few post drafts while rattling sick at home in the past couple of weeks.

Apologies in advance if the timing frame of the next posts will seem confused.

But let’s start with this!

2016 hasn’t been easy as it set for us several trials. I really hope against hope that 2017 will be easier and nicer to me and my family and friends, hence this brief message to it:

Dear 2017,

It’s me, Franny. Welcome!

You’re a new year, so you might not be interested in me, but let me introduce myself.

I’m 37, Leo and I have a nice family.

Please, leave all this as it is for another 365 days, I like my family as it is with pros and cons.

It’d be nice to have another little one, but it could be next year, I’m not that fussy!

I have a nice job, I love my workplace and the majority of people who work there, so please, be good, let me stay there!

And I have a big dream and I’d love this dream to become a reality.

I’m aware I’ll have to work some more to even try to make it real, but please assist me with some strength and spare time to make this reality a tad closer.

Dear 2017, I’ve just been through a very nasty year, I don’t really want much from you and I promise I’ll be very, very good, but, please, be nice and more understanding than your last counterpart.

I promise that I will not only be good but I’ll try to take more care of myself, so please give me a hand, will you?

I don’t think that asking for health, loving family and some spare time is a big request, but if it is, I’ll do with just the health and loving family.

I’ll be good, dear 2017, very good and I’ll do my best, that’s a promise.

With love,

Franny.

Well, reading it sounds really like I’m pleading, but I’m seriously sick and tired of being sick and tired and unlucky. I’m taking some actions, but at the same time I need external help, for example a year that doesn’t squash me under its foot!

How about you? How’s the 2106 been for you, readers?

What do you want from your 2017?

Let me know in the comments below!