A View From My Summerhouse

A Field of Sheep For A Happy New Year

Posted on January 7, 2016 by Sherri Matthews

Only seven days into 2016, not too late I hope to wish you all a Happy New Year! I’m a straggler, always it seems…

Bogged down with other, behind-blog ‘stuff’ at the moment and finding it pretty impossible to get moving here, nevertheless, I hope to catch up with you all as soon as I can. I plan my first, ‘proper’ post next week in which I hope to share my thoughts about three years of blogging. How did that happen? I have no idea…

Meanwhile, I don’t have any wise or inspirational or motivational words for the New Year, nor do I have any resolutions. It’s all I can do to cross one thing off my to-do list each day. That’s resolution enough for me.

But I can leave you with a photo of some sheep.

There’s a walk hubby and I like to take high above the rolling hills of the Dorset countryside when we want to clear our heads. The path, after endless rain and wind and short, dark days, looked like this and perfectly describes where I stand just about now ~

Stuck In Mud
(c) Sherri Matthews Minterne Magna, Dorset Dec 2015

The view on one side of the path looks like this and describes what I need to do ~

Just Breathe
(c) Sherri Matthews Dec 2015

And on the other side are the sheep which make me smile ~

Hope & Expectation (c) Sherri Matthews 2015

Hope & Expectation
(c) Sherri Matthews Dec 2015

Intrigued by the lone black sheep and wanting a photo, I walked up to the fence as close as I could get amongst the brambles, but another sheep, seemingly just as intrigued by us, ambled across the field right up to the fence and stole centre stage.

We stared at one another like this for a few minutes. I adore her sweet face. In fact, I almost want to cry just looking at it, because something about her expression reminds me not to give up, to keep hopeful expectation alive in my heart, to press on and keep walking on that muddy path until the sun shines again. Which it will.

And it means I do have a New Year message to send you after all: May your 2016 be filled with hopeful expectation no matter how much mud you have to wade through to get to your field of sheep.

See you as soon as I can.

Love Sherri xxx

Posted in Current Affairs, Nature & Wildlife | Tagged Blogging, British Countryside, Dorset, Expectation, Happy New Year, hope, Mintern Magna, Nature & Wildlife, Sheep, Walking | 168 Comments

The Light Of Christmas

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Sherri Matthews

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat
Please to put a penny in the old man’s hat.
If you haven’t got a penny, then a ha’penny will do;
If you haven’t got a ha’penny, then God Bless you.

Children sing cheerfully and grown-ups count down the days excitedly as snow falls softly from the skies, twinkling like starlight as it settles prettily, sprinkled like icing sugar upon the hard-frost ground. Good citizens stop to greet one another on the street with a smile and good wishes to you and your family, and God Bless You, so merry and bright.

Brighton At Christmas 2015 (1) Edited

Stop right there and slam on the breaks (ooops – been there, done that). If this is what your run-up to Christmas is like, then I say, like the song, God Bless You, but mine is nothing like it.

For starters, never mind a goose, I’ve yet to make the mad dash to a certain supermarket this weekend to find the freshest, plumpest, free-range turkey I can ~~grab~~ find before they are sold out by noon.

And this is as unnerving as it is unnatural: forget the snow, what we have here in these tropical climes of south-west England are daffodils. Yes, hundreds of them blooming in all their spring glory along verges as far as the eye can see. This looks beautiful – in March. But in early December? It’s wrong and I’m worried…

For some, it’s all a bit too much ~

Brighton At Christmas 2015 (4)

And as for people greeting one another happily, I’m all for wishing anyone a ‘Happy Christmas’, but if the postman knocks on my door (note: I didn’t say ‘knocks me up’) at the crack of dawn once more, he can forget about getting any hint of a tip on Boxing Day.

Ahh…but I jest. I love Christmas, I really do. What keeps me going is that in all the craziness, I know that by Christmas Eve, what hasn’t been bought, wrapped, baked, decorated, signed, delivered, collected and thrown in the freezer is no longer my concern.

So long as by then I have my family gathered and a glass of bubbly in hand, then I’m happy and more than a little grateful. What better gift can be bought? None, absolutely none.

Maisy would agree ~

As would Eddie, I’m sure (so long as he has plenty of treats) ~

But I know this isn’t how it turns out for a lot of people; I know that Christmas can be a dark and lonely time for some. I’ve had my share of ‘bad’ Christmases, and I know how lonely it can be when your family is thousands of miles away, but I don’t know what it’s like to be homeless at any time, and especially at Christmas.

It’s comforting and humbling to know that charities like Crisis At Christmas exist, which, with a small donation, give so much to so many.

Whether it is the light of human kindness or that of the pale, winter’s sun warming up a stone wall in a church yard, a message of hope and beauty prevails:

And whether the soft glow of candlelight flickering against the honey-coloured stone of a tiny village church at an evening carol service or the twinkling lights adorning the tallest of Christmas trees in an Abbey, their light shines for peace and calm.

Sherborne Abbey Dec 2014 (18)

A few days ago, already dark by four in the afternoon and traipsing back to my car loaded down with shopping bags containing exciting things like one or two presents and loo roll, bleach and foil (because what would Christmas be without plenty of foil?), it was the pretty street lights that cheered me and reminded of the reason for my manic and repeated trawls into town, which, at the best of times, I dislike. Putting it mildy.

Last year, I visited a Christmas Tree Festival and did so again last weekend. The call of Christmas trees bedecked in shimmering fairy lights beckoned, and I was glad to snap a photo which also happened to include a bench or two for Jude for her December Bench Series challenge ~

Cheap Street Church, Sherborne, Dorset (c) Sherri Matthews 2015

Although this bench at Forde Abbey is more unusual and thought I’d add it in for good measure ~

Each tree at the festival bears decorations hand-made by local community groups with donations from visitors going to a chosen charity, which this year is the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). Countless souls have been rescued by the many volunteers in the RNLI who brave the wild seas surrounding these British Isles; more than a few have tragically lost their lives in return.

Christmas Tree Festival Sherborne 2015 (9) Edited

Christmas Tree Festival Sherborne 2015 (8) Edited

Christmas Tree Festival Sherborne 2015 (7) Edited

Christmas Tree Festival Sherborne 2015 (3) Edited

Christmas Tree Festival Sherborne 2015 (1) Edited

Christmas Tree Festival Sherborne 2015 (10) Edited

One look inside this delightful little church at Christmas time makes any dark day shine a little brighter ~

Christmas Tree Festival Sherborne 2015 (11) Edited

Speaking of Christmas trees, having discovered that they, as well as pumpkins, grow at the Pumpkin Farm , I returned with hubby and Aspie D to collect ours, freshly cut, a couple of weeks ago.

Things looked a bit different this time, all the pumpkins long gone, the seasons transitioning one to another ~

Christmas Tree Farm Nov 2015 (14)

But just behind the now empty patch, rows and rows of beautiful Christmas trees, ready and waiting for eager families to take home and decorate. For every tree cut down, six more are planted ~

Here’s hubby tagging ours back in November ~

Christmas Tree Farm Nov 2015 (3)

And here it is now, all dressed up ~

Christmas Tree

For as long as I can remember, we’ve always put a star on top of our tree, and this year, I’m sharing this photo as part of Hugh’s Charity Christmas Tree Topper Challenge for which he hopes to raise £250 for The Dogs Trust.

This is my last post for 2015, but I’ll be hovering for the next couple of days and then I’ll disappear until January. Meanwhile, I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a New Year bringing hope, joy and peace.

A time to celebrate, a time to look up into the skies for a shining star that tells the story of the true Light of Christmas.

Happy Christmas and see you in 2016! Love Sherri xxx

Posted in Bench Photos, Christmas, Family Life | Tagged Bench Series, cats, Christmas, Christmas Tree Festival, Crisis At Christmas, Family Life, Homelessness, joy, Light, RNLI, The Dogs Trust, Weekly Photo Challenge | 111 Comments

Dreaming of a yellow teapot and awaking to publication day #urban fantasy

Posted on December 14, 2015 by Sherri Matthews

This time last year, I was both humbled and thrilled when dear friend Sarah Potter invited me to write a short story as a guest post. As a mostly non-fiction writer, I was way out of my comfort zone, but the encouragement she gave me, and still does, is something I will never forget.

And now it’s my turn to encourage her, for after years of harbouring her dream of book publication, I’m absolutely delighted to share with you, dear friends, the news that Sarah’s wish has come true – but only because of months of sheer hard work and learning how to self-publish from scratch, having never ventured down such a path before. I am immensly proud of her.

Desiccation, a young adult, urban fantasy novel, the story of which takes place in the late 60s at an English boarding school, looks to make for an engrossing, hugely entertaining read. What a fabulous cover too!

I’ll post as usual this week before winding down for Christmas, but I had to share Sarah’s fantastic news with you first, and I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing her many congratulations on this incredible and exciting accomplishment and every success with her book launch. Time to get out the bubbly and raise a glass to you, published author Sarah!

Sarah Potter Writes

Still pinching myself to check that I’m awake, but somehow I’ve managed to achieve publication of my urban fantasy novel Desiccation. It is now available to buy in Kindle or Paperback format at Amazon.

You may ask what a yellow teapot has to do with publication day. Anybody into dream analysis around here? Personally, I think it indicates that writing, editing, formatting, and publishing can take you to the brink of insanity. It also indicates that I watch too much Nordic Noir on television, not that I know if the Scandinavians are into yellow teapots.

In my dream, I was inside a giant yellow teapot manoeuvring it into a parking space outside a golf club. Once I’d parked it, I climbed out of its top (the equivalent of a sunshine roof) and magicked the teapot down to normal size, after which I proceeded into the golf club to search people’s coat…

View original post 71 more words

Posted in Reblogs, Uncategorized | Tagged Book Launch, Reblog, Sarah Potter, Self Publication | 58 Comments

Book Launch – Tales from the Garden – Fairy stories by Sally Cronin

Posted on December 12, 2015 by Sherri Matthews

Once upon a time, Sally Cronin, talented author and friend to many, wrote a fairy story inspired by the statues in her beautiful garden. It was so popular with her readers that other stories followed, and now she’s put them all in a book, ‘Tales from the Garden’. Filled with enchanting fairy tales and photographs from her garden, this is the perfect Christmas present for all ages. Follow the link below to read Sally’s story behind her delightful book…

Posted in Reblogs, Uncategorized | Tagged Fairy Tales, Gardens, Reblog, Story Book | 14 Comments

Guest Post: Author Anne Goodwin

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Sherri Matthews

Today, I’m delighted and honoured to welcome author Anne Goodwin to the Summerhouse.

I first met Anne over a year ago when I took the plunge – or should I say, the saddle – and rode over to Charli Mills’ Carrot Ranch to take a stab at writing 99 Word Flash Fiction.

In that time, Anne has gone on to publish her debut novel, Sugar and Snails, and her journey to publication and kind encouragement has truly inspired me to keep walking (best time for inspiration we both agree) and writing my memoir.

A small few of us memoirists write flash alongside fiction writers at the Ranch, giving rise to some lively, mutually enlightening and fun discussions, with Anne contributing a fascinating psychological perspective which she touches on here.

And on that note, I’ll shut up and hand the reins over to Anne:

Putting the personal into fiction … and taking it out again

A friend emails to say she’s about halfway through my novel, and enjoying it very much. Her husband has read it before her, and he enjoyed it too. But I can’t help chuckling when she says he’s warned her she’ll look at me differently when she’s finished. I know exactly what she means and, like most jokes, it carries more than a grain of truth.

My debut novel, Sugar and Snails, is about a middle-aged woman with an unusual secret, one she’s hung onto for thirty years in fear of friends and colleagues looking at her differently if it ever got out. It’s made her cagey, awkward and prickly; although she has a reasonable life with her own house and a decent job, she’s always holding back. Diana’s story isn’t my story, but I identify with a lot of her struggles.

I write from a love of words and story, as well as a desire to give my own experiences shape. I write because I grew up with a story that somehow couldn’t be told, yet I’ve no desire to produce a memoir. I didn’t give much thought to this until I began interacting with memoirists in the blogosphere. I’ve chewed over the question of what makes the difference, why some of us translate our lives into fiction, while others go for memoir. I still haven’t come up with a satisfactory answer.

I suppose I’m driven less to tell my personal story than to transform it into a story that can be told. Maybe memoirists feel a similar motivation; it’s not for me to say. But while I recognise that my fiction is very personal, and can identify parallels in my own life, the foundation is always a story: the interaction between character and plot.

In Sugar and Snails, I’ve created a character with an unusual biography, a woman with a life very different to mine. But in order to enable myself to fully inhabit her mentality, I’ve written her story as if it were mine. She’s me and not me or the me that, in different circumstances, I might have been.

Yet I’m not entirely sure what people mean when they ask the question, Is it autobiographical? (Or in my case, look at me differently, but don’t dare ask.) I think they’re wondering about the surface issues, the facts of the case, the details that I’m inclined to make up. As a former professional psychologist, and as a writer of literary fiction, I’m more interested in the themes we might discover below the surface, the emotional truth of the novel, so to speak.

Some of the underlying themes of Sugar and Snails are very close to my heart. One of the reasons I’m thanking my therapist is for the help she’s given me both in making sense of my own past and in drawing the line between my fictional alter ego and myself. Yet, three months on from publication, I’m intrigued by how little curiosity there’s been around the possible connections, not just from those who don’t know me so well wondering if I share my character’s secret, but from those who’ve known me for years drawing the deeper parallels.

Of course, there could be whispering in dark corners of which I’m unaware, but I think not. The lack of questioning might stem from the fact that many readers can identify with the underlying themes of my novel, they don’t need to pin them on me. After all, who hasn’t ever felt uncomfortable in their own skin? Ever felt like the ugly duckling and wished you could be transformed into a swan? Traumatic adolescence anyone? Something about you you’d much rather others didn’t know? These themes pop up again and again in life, in novels, and in memoir. Maybe I should stop worrying about why we choose one form of words over the other and focus on readying my next novel to be scrutinised, or not, for the bits that come from the deepest part of me.

*******

Anne Goodwin’s debut novel, Sugar and Snails, about a woman who has kept her past identity a secret for thirty years, was published in July 2015 by Inspired Quill.

Sugar And Snails Book Cover

Her second novel, Underneath, about a man who keeps a woman captive in his cellar, is scheduled for May 2017. A former clinical psychologist, she is also the author of over 60 published short stories, a book blogger and speaker on fictional therapists and on transfiction. Catch up on her website: annethology or on Twitter @Annecdotist.

*******

Thank you so much Anne for taking the time to visit the Summerhouse today and for contributing your wonderfully engaging and thought-provoking guest post. I have your book ready and waiting to read on my Kindle (as with most of us, my TBR list is ever-growing, but I will read every book!) and I wish you every success with your second novel, which, like Sugar and Snails, looks to be an absolute corker.

Posted in Guest Blogs | Tagged Anne Goodwin, Autobiography, Debut novel, Fiction, Fictional Characters, Flash fiction, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Memoir, Novel Writing, Psychology, Psychotherapy, Writing Process | 93 Comments

Pirate Treasure

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Sherri Matthews

When I was sixteen, I had a boyfriend with green eyes, a mischievous smile and a Triumph motorbike that leaked oil. On Friday nights he rode his bike through fog and rain and bitter cold along the stretch between Ipswich and the remote village where I lived, so we could spend the evening together.

And there, with mugs of tea and plates of toast and jam, we sat together in the cosy kitchen of my family’s old farmhouse thanks to the coal-lit AGA range (not vogue back then), listening to the radio.

Not very exciting maybe, but the music we listened to reached us from Radio Caroline, a pirate radio station on a ship anchored somewhere in the North Sea off the Suffolk/Essex coastline, and it was the kind of music we really wanted to hear: rock music from the likes of Led Zeppelin, Hawkwind and our favourite, Radar Love by Golden Earring.

While it never became illegal, ‘Radio Caroline was founded in 1964 by Ronan O’Rahilly to circumvent the record companies’ control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC‘s radio broadcasting monopoly.’ (Credit source: Wikipedia).

Colluding with this piracy late into the night gave us something of a rebellious outlet, and on nights when the wind whipped up a storm, we wondered how it was out at sea for the ship and its modern-day pirates. Some nights, the airwaves brought nothing but silence from the station, and we hoped they hadn’t sunk or been raided.

Radio Caroline was the best thing going for a couple of broke teenagers with nothing else to do on a Friday night in the 1970s.

Which leads me to Charli’s flash fiction prompt this week, which, wouldn’t you know it, is all about pirates and the reason for my Radio Caroline reminiscing:

‘In 99 words (no more, no less) write a pirate story. It can be about pirates or piracy; modern or of yore. Swashbuckling, parrots and rum can be involved or maybe you’ll invent details beyond standard pirates.

Respond by December 8, 2015 to be included in the weekly compilation. Rules are here. All writers are welcome!’

While the 2009 film ‘The Boat That Rocked’ was loosely based on Radio Caroline, it’s another film that captured my thoughts when I wrote my pirate story (in 99 words, no more, no less):

Pirate Treasure

The ring was pretty enough, but she said nothing as Andy slid it on her finger.

Why had she said yes? She didn’t love him; in fact, he bored her.

Every weekend it was the same: fish & chips for lunch and watching Match of the Day with his chain-smoking dad.

She craved adventure and excitement of the kind that only her long-haired, dark-eyed lover could give her, and Andy cried when she broke off their engagement.

Now she was free to seek out her true treasure and sail the wild seas.

If only she could find Johnny Depp.

Posted in Family Memoirs, Flash Fiction | Tagged 99 Word Flash Fiction, AGA, Family Memoir, Johnny Depp, Memoir, Pirate Radio, Pirates, Radio Caroline, Rock Music, Suffolk, Teenagers | 90 Comments

Of Guns And Flowers And A Car Crash

Posted on December 5, 2015 by Sherri Matthews

On Wednesday just before lunchtime, somebody drove across my path in the middle of a roundabout (I had right of way). I barely had time to slam on my brakes before crashing with a sickening thud into the side of her car. It was like slow motion, I could see it coming and there was absolutely nothing I could do to avoid her.

Neither of us injured thankfully, and yes it could have been worse, but…I’ve had my shiny new car for less than three months…

Poor Car Nov 2015 Edited

As it is, my blogging commitments have gone by the wayside these past couple of weeks for myriad reasons, but frustrating, time-sucking dealings with insurance companies and repair centres have set me back further still. Please bear with me…

Not all for bad reasons though: one bright spark, or should I say three in the form of cake sparklers, was celebrating my middle son’s birthday in Brighton last weekend. Eldest Son took this happy photo:

Nicky's Birthday Nov 2015

But then I think this world has gone crazy. So crazy.

Another tragic shooting, this time in San Bernardino, California. And once again in the aftermath we are left to ask: Why?

I remember the day of the Columbine shootings, images etched on my mind as with a sharp knife. Eldest Son was sixteen. He walked home from school as normal, said Hi and headed straight for his room, anxious to check on his pet rat Blue who sadly had a tumour.

His father was home that day and together we sat glued to the television screen watching the live news unfold, of terrified high school students pouring out from their once safe school as police officers with firearms helped usher them away. Away from their dead and dying friends left inside.

“Blue died,” my son said as he walked back into the living room. I turned away from the TV and saw a tear slide down his cheek. I got up and walked over to him and hugged him and then looked down at the small, lifeless body of his pet rat resting in the palms of his gentle hands.

“I’m so sorry sweetheart, we’ll find a good place to bury her in the back…”

My son looked up then at the TV, wondering what his father was so engrossed in. “There’s been a school shooting in Colorado, lots of kids killed,” he said without turning around.

That day on April 20, 1999 changed us forever. After that, a police officer (already armed), patrolled my son’s high school every day which made me feel somewhat safer. But a new kind of fear wormed its way into our family’s heart that day, as it did for millions of others.

There had been one or two school shootings before and those were bad enough, horrifying that kids could actually take guns and shoot other kids. But the Columbine shootings ushered us into a new era, one that filled our collective psyche with trauma and fear for our children’s safety. After all, we asked, if they aren’t safe at school from their peers, where are they safe?

In all the school shootings that have happened since, the question still goes unanswered: what made these young men commit such appalling crimes? We try to find answers so we blame violent video games; bullying; family break ups; drugs; alcohol; Asperger’s Syndrome; antidepressants; the internet; heavy metal music; black tee-shirts; girl problems. And Marylin Manson.

But what about the sickness that lies at the heart of our society that brings these young people to this murderous point of no return? How can we cure that? And how do we stop them from getting hold of weapons that are used for one thing and one thing only: killing people.

9/11 hadn’t happened when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked into their school heavily armed with their own weapons of mass destruction. The world is a different place since they had their day and their deaths and that of thirteen others.

It seems now that barely a few weeks or even days go by without news of yet another attack on innocent people in America be it in churches and cinemas, office buildings and Planned Parenthood, schools and universities.

The aftershocks of 9/11 continue to rumble, exploding into carnage in hot spots throughout the world as recently as Beirut, Turkey and Paris, in street markets and cafes, bars and beaches, not forgetting the thirty British holidaymakers cruelly slaughtered while sunbathing in blissful relaxation on a beach in Tunisia.

My friend Ste J questions a certain silence no matter what our religion or beliefs in his excellent post written just days before the San Bernardino shootings.

The motives behind these attacks might be different, but the end results are the same: untold human suffering thanks to someone else’s final solution.

How do we protect our children from this madness? What do we tell our loved ones when we are afraid and unable to answer our own questions? We know there are no guarantees in life. But we also know that we can’t let this madness destroy us. We fight back one day at a time, one heart at a time, one life at a time and we don’t give up.

And then I watched the video clip below posted by Luanne on her blog and who I thank so much friend for sharing. Made in the aftermath of the Paris attacks, though tragic that it should have been made at all, it exudes heart-melting tenderness between a father and his son and of the redemptive power of love and trust and promise and innocence. It made me weep:

Maybe it is in this little boy’s smile at the end as he looks up at his father, his worries visibly easing, that helps us draw something hopeful and pure back into our hearts and breathe a little easier knowing that we and our children will make it. We have to.

Posted in Current Affairs, Family Life | Tagged America, Car Accidents, Car Crash, Children, Columbine Shootings, Family Life, Guns, hope, love, Pet Rat, San Bernardino Shootings, School Shootings, Terrorist Attacks | 107 Comments

A Trio of Cubs, A Telephone Box And The Love Of Reading

Posted on November 25, 2015 by Sherri Matthews

For bloggers with cameras, photo opportunities turn up in surprising places, with thoughts of friends never far away.

On Sunday, I took a bracing walk around the grounds of the majestic country home of Forde Abbey in Dorset. Dating back originally to the mid 1100s as a monastery, it has been privately owned since the 1600s.

In November, the public can wander around the beautiful gardens free of charge ~

Forde Abbey Nov 2015 (7) Edited

I thought of Hugh when I took the photo below thinking how much he would like this door, as every Thursday he takes part in Norm’s Thursday Door Challenge. I love doors and windows and probably drive hubby mad when I keep stopping to take photos ~

Forde Abbey Nov 2015 (3) Door Edited

There is a bird hide on one side of the lake, made of beech, now in its natural autumnal glory ~

Forde Abbey Nov 2015 (15) Edited

I was in for a surprise when I went inside and found this rustic bench. Perfect for Jude and her Bench Photo Challenge I immediately thought. November’s theme is a bench with a message/plaque or autumn. Hopefully I can get away with the ‘message’ even though is isn’t actually on the bench ~

Forde Abbey Nov 2015 (10) Edited

A different kind of ‘beech house’ warning ~

Forde Abbey Nov 2015 (11)

During a recent trip to Exmoor Zoo, a delightful family owned and award-winning zoo dedicated to extensive conservation, this gorgeous trio of cubs had me mesmerised. I hoped to get a photo of them looking the same way, just in time for the prompt for the Weekly Photo Challenge as it turned out ~

The cubs had something far more interesting than me to keep them amused ~

Exmoor Zoo Oct 2015 (86) Edited

But after a quick shift around, I became more hopeful ~

Exmoor Zoo Oct 2015 (95) Edited

And then at last, they granted me this pose ~

Exmoor Zoo Oct 2015 (94) 2 Edited

This is the third successful litter of Nicco and Fu, all with three cubs, all boys until now; one of these beauties is a girl.

Thank goodness for my mobile phone camera the day we drove through a quiet village and came across this telephone box. Once a familiar sight on every street corner in the Britain I grew up in, the few left now stand empty and abandoned. But not this one.

‘Stop the car!’, I ~~yelled~~ politely asked hubby.

Telephone Box Library (1) Edited

Because you see, this telephone box is filled with books, donated by villagers to encourage reading in the name of one of their own who tragically lost his life too young ~

Telephone Box Library (2) Edited

What a beautiful gesture.

And speaking of books, lovely Julie of An Unexpected Life Chosen nominated me to answer a few questions for a Reading Habit blog hop. Thank you so much Julie for thinking of me…and for your wonderful patience (it’s only July since she asked… *hangs head in shame*…).

I find it impossible to know who to nominate, and I know there are many of you who read avidly. So I nominate any and all, looking forward to reading your answers should you join in.

The questions are in bold, my answers in italics:

READING HABIT

You have 20,000 books on your TBR. How in the world do you decide what to read next? I would ask Eldest Son for his recommendation; he is always saying ‘Mom, you would really like this book…’ And he’s right.

You’re halfway through a book and you’re just not loving it. Do you quit or commit? Quit. No question about it. If I lose interest I can’t keep reading, no matter how hard I try. Reading should be a pleasure, not a slog.

The end of the year is coming and you’re so close yet so far away on your GoodReads challenge. Do you quit or commit? I’ve never done a GoodReads challenge, but if I was so close yet so far on anything, I would keep going as best I could.

The covers of a series you love DO. NOT. MATCH. How do you cope? I never judge a book by its cover, literally. I admire the good ones, yes, but it’s the story inside that counts for me.

Everyone and their mother loves a book you really don’t like. Who do you bond with over shared feelings? I don’t give much thought to what’s popular or not, sticking to what I like, which includes a lot of True Crime, which I know isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I’ve read every one of Ann Rule’s books (she sadly died in July this year) thanks to my dear friend in California introducing me to her years ago.

You’re reading a book and you’re about to start crying in public. How do you deal? I’m weird, I don’t read in public as I can’t concentrate. Even when travelling, I prefer to zone out, watch the world go by. But I always carry a pack of tissues with me, for lots of reasons…

A sequel of a book you loved just came out, but you’ve forgotten a lot from the prior novel. Will you re-read the book? Skip the sequel? Try to find a summary on GoodReads? Cry in frustration? I would read the sequel and hope it would jog my memory…

You don’t want ANYONE borrowing your books. How do you politely tell people “nope” when they ask? I’ve lent paperbacks happily, not worrying about getting them back. We can all be forgetful at times. But a special book? That’s a bit like asking to borrow your granny’s vintage porcelain tea service. Awkward…

You’ve picked up and put- down five different books in the past month. How do you get over the reading slump? I only read one book at a time, but my cure to getting over any slump is to keep writing.

There are so many new books coming out that you are dying to read! How many do you actually buy? Lately, I’ve bought a few (Kindle) recommended and written by blogging friends, but I’m slow to get to them while focusing on writing my memoir.

After you’ve bought a new book you want to get to, how long does it sit on your shelf until you actually read it? I love the idea of knowing it’s there, ready and waiting, that I can pick it up anytime I want to. I like to savour the wait, something special to look forward to later…

*************

I would like to wish my dear American friends a very Happy Thanksgiving. It’s a celebration I embraced with my family when I lived in California, and I miss it. But this weekend is my ‘Thanksgiving Baby’ middle son’s birthday, so I’ll be taking some time out to prepare for a family celebration. I’ll be hanging around blogland for the next couple of days to catch up with you all, and then will be back next week.

Happy, safe travels to all, near and far, and see you soon!

Love Sherri xxx

Posted in Bench Photos, Blog Hops, Books & Reading, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged Ann Rule, Bench Series, Books & Reading, Forde Abbey, postaday, Puma Cubs, Reading Habits, Telephone Box, travel, Weekly Photo Challenge, Zoo | 76 Comments

Sunday Lunch Invitation – Sherri Matthews and Michelle Clements James.

Posted on November 22, 2015 by Sherri Matthews

A guest post in which I share the story of ‘Crazy Grandma’ and the turkey that never was; a summer story just in time for Thanksgiving…thank you so much Sally Cronin for the invitation!

Posted in Family Life, Family Traditions, Guest Blogs, Uncategorized | Tagged Christmas, Family Life, Family Traditions, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Thanksgiving | 30 Comments

Salisbury Cathedral And A Holiday For Fred: 99 Word Flash Fiction

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Sherri Matthews

This week, comfort and refuge is the theme for Charli’s flash fiction prompt:

‘November 11, 2015 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write about a place of comfort that is a refuge. Have fun with it, like a pillow fight between best friends at a slumber party or newlyweds in search of the perfect mattress. Or you can go dark and write about unusual comforts, like a bad habit or a padded cell. Play with the idea of comfort and refuge.’

Walking by Salisbury Cathedral a couple of weeks ago one late afternoon, it was good to take some time out of a busy day to stop and rest and snap a few photos ~

20151107_162214

Set in eight acres of lawn, this medieval cathedral dating back to 1220, is one of Britain’s finest examples of English Gothic Architecture, boasting the tallest church spire and largest cloister in all of the UK.

Salisbury Cathedral Edited 4

As well as containg the world’s oldest working clock dating back to AD 1386, it also houses the best surviving of the four original copies of the Magna Carter. I’ve visited this glorious cathedral many times over the years, most often to walk around its grounds, and I’m always astounded by its beauty.

Salisbury Cathedral Edited 2

Salisbury Cathedral Edited

Thinking of the theme of rest, maybe it’s time to wrap up the adventures of Fred and Ethel. I think Ethel is ready for a rest after Fred’s antics. She wasn’t able to trap him last time in the cage she built in the garage; he escaped, howling into the night. Not one to give up, however, Ethel has ideas for a little getaway, but something tells me that her idea of a holiday is very different to Fred’s…

Entance to Edinburgh Castle, Scotland (c) Sherri Matthews

Entrance to Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
(c) Sherri Matthews

A Holiday For Fred

Furious, Ethel stormed into the house. She grabbed a beer from the fridge and swigged it down in one.

Hours later, Fred stumbled into the kitchen.

“You git, where the ‘ell ‘ave you been now?” Fumed Ethel, slamming her empty bottle down on the table next to the other three.

“I don’t know luv, honest, I don’t remember…”

“Well sit your arse down,” Ethel glared, “‘cos I’m gonna tell you about a little holiday we’re going on…but first, for gawd’s sake, put some bleedin’ clothes on!”

“Great, can’t wait,” beamed Fred as he bounded up the stairs.