A Real Valentines Day (by sarah)

It is another valentines day and again me and Alaric have failed to do the traditional type of thing.

This time we built shelves for the kitchen (well got half way through building them with the help of my Dad).

We had take away pizza deal with wedges and stuff for 6 of us and I started reading the girls the complete works of Will S. on Jean's request.

We went through some songs that ment things to us and went to bed - mostly Nick Cave and Tori Amos.

We are happy with this - I don't think either of us was cut out for the standard hyped mush that happens with V-Day. As Alaric said it has become something repulsive with all the commercial stuff. The idea of having to buy expensive gifts to show your love :/

This doesn't mean we don't celebrate but it's more making cardboard hearts with the girls and covering stuff with glitter. Last year I knitted a phone cover for Al - that sort of thing.

This year I wrote him a poem.

Muse Monster Cards (by sarah)

Years ago now I made a little game up to help inspire writers which I would take along to meetings. The first ones were hand made and coloured in, then I cut shapes from cards and glued them together for mark two and then I made a digital version and got a set printed with moo...

Since then I have made a large version which I take to festivals and kid's workshops and so on.

Now as part of World Poetry Writing Month a couple of packs of the cards are being given away. All you need to do is make a comment in on the WoPo site here.

The cards are not yet for sale so this is probably your only chance to get a copy for a while yet and I know some of you have been waiting for them to be launched 🙂

Pancakes! (by sarah)

I ment to start cooking them at like 5 but I went for what was supposed to be a short nap and nobody wanted to wake me up so I got up at 7:30 :/

I was grumpy but it was decided that the girls could stay up late and at 9 o'clock we finally had pancakes!

We had savoury and sweet and so on and the girls really enjoyed it!

Jean’s First Electronics age 5 (by sarah)

Again old photos but this is Jean doing her first ever electronics with Alaric - it was the first Christmas Holiday of Jean starting school - Daddy explained and Jean drew a sort of circuit diagram and then they made it 🙂

Shortly after this Jean received two electronics kits as presents.

Free Things (by sarah)

Saturday I went to Arts Cafe at Centre Arts in Cheltenham to again soak up some creative vibes - I was writing my novel this time rather than poetry.

But whilst there I was given four lovely glasses - just the sort I want for serving deserts in!

Then on the way out a man stops me and Jean and says the green grocer is giving away the stuff that wont last till Monday - so I'm thinking he's selling it off for pennies and go round there and no it's free and he starts giving me bags of stuff!

It would all go to waste other wise - it was strange how everyone was apologising about taking free food - so British.

Alaric just looked at me and said 'I see your waif and stray field kicked in again' cheeky sod!

We took some of it around to our neighbours and some of it was just beyond, we eat a load of it and had enough for some jam making etc...