FSF- Marriage

                           
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What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie McFerrin will post a one word inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

This weeks inspiration is Marriage.

"We're still married!" Stan grinned an ear to ear grin at me.

"No we are not" I ground out through gritted teeth, so angry all I could see was red. "It's to death do us part, and we are dead". Stan's grin just got wider.

"But don't you remember, I got you to leave that line out".

Dog Sitting

My mum is currently in hospital so I am doggy sitting her two cavalier king charles spaniels, Archie and Marli. I also have my own dog, Bindi, a kelpie cross.

My mums gods are mostly inside dogs, while mine is an outside, but allowed in, dog. So mums dog are sleeping in my bathroom and Bindi has her kennel outside, so far every one is getting along great. As long as I remember to pat Bindi first, otherwise she tends to sit on the other two.

Marli is one of the most timid dogs I have ever met. She's about 18 months old and scared of her own shadow. Doesn't like being patted, or picked up. Runs around with her tail tucked between her legs. Now mum got her as a puppy and she's never been mistreated so I am guessing it's due to her breed.

Though she as my mum organised she was in for a shock when she came to my house. If the dogs bark or cry mum is there immediately to see whats wrong. I'm not. If they don't eat their food after 30 minute, I take it away. They are much better eaters already.

I have a baby gate across the bathroom door so the dogs can't roam the house at night. But it means that I have to pick them up over it. Archie is fine with that, though boy is he a heavy dog (as in overweight heavy). Marli was not amused, at all, and wouldn't let me pick her up. Every time I tried she ran back to her mat out of reach. She's quick though, 15 minutes of crying and barking to get out and she caved and let me pick her up.

FSF- Anchor

                           
                                                                   Source

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie McFerrin will post a one word inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

The word does not have to appear in your five sentences, just use it for direction.

This weeks word is Anchor.


She floated, adrift, free from her troubles for the first time. Dimly she wondered if this was heaven, but then the logical side of her mind stopped thinking.

The pain, when it came, felt like lightening.  Arcing through her body, electrifying every nerve ending.

Through the sudden pain came a voice "we have a heartbeat".

Fit Time!

                     

Before I got pregnant I was reasonably fit. I worked out at the gym 1-2 times a week and ran 3 days a week. At the time my motivation was I needed to be fit for the lifting I do in my job, as well as it helped my CFS and asthma. None of my friends exercised like I did and they thought I was a bit mad (though they would never admit that).

Then I got pregnant and it all went downhill. I had one of those pregnancies where I vomited constantly. Looking back I am not sure how I managed to work as I was not eating much, at all. Just drinking fluids.  I lost approx 15kgs and went down 2 dress sizes. When I wasn't at work I was asleep. And exercising was completely out of the question. I ended up having to go on maternity leave early.

Fast forward almost 6 years and my fitness has not improved much. I put on a whole lot of weight after I had my son and have really struggled to loose it. Motivation to exercise has been difficult when I am juggling working, looking after our son and home. I had hoped since my son started kindergarten that I would have more time but its taken a full term to start getting organised to train.

And my biggest motivation has been going back to karate training with my son. I started years ago and loved it but gave it up due to work.

But boy, has it motivated me. Things that I could do with ease years ago, I struggle with now.

So I have started a health kick. I train once a week in karate and then at the gym 2-3 times a week. My body has started to change shape and I am not so tired anymore.

And the best part? I love it!

To Niche or Not To Niche?

To niche or not to niche? That is the question! And I am sure it is one that most blogger's have asked themselves at some point.

When I first started a blog I had no idea that you were meant to have a niche. I just wrote what I wanted, when I wanted and I enjoyed it. Then I read a few books about blogging and discovered that you were meant (in their opinion) to have a niche.

So I ummed and ahhed and decided to change my approach to writing and book reviews. I was never a very regular poster, another no no apparently.

I participated in the A to Z Challenge and loved it, I finished on a real high with lots of plans. And what happened? Nothing! (As you can probably tell from the almost 3 week gap in posts). Good old writers block with a large dose of lack of motivation.

I can't say it was due to a lack of ideas, as I have had plenty of them. But, you see, none of them was creative writing or book related. And I really do not have the time to have multiple blogs. And a little part of the fun had been taken away I realised.

So the solution?

I am not going to worry if I fit into a particular niche or not. I am going to write what I feel like writing and just enjoy it. After all my blogs not called Random Jumbled Thoughts for nothing.

Did you struggle with the niche question?

A to Z April Challenge Wrap Up

                                             


So that's it. A month of posts based on the letters of the alphabet. This was my first time doing this challenge and I have to admit that I had a few doubts when I started. You know the usual things, would I be able to come up with a short story/ idea every day, would I be able to make regular posts etc etc.

But in the end I thought the only way to go is to throw myself into the deep end and see what happens. And I am glad I did.

I have learnt a lot about organising myself, and what I could do if I was really motivated. I had school holidays and a trip away during this month, yet I still managed to post. Though some of them was a bit late. It still got done.

I thought of a lot of things that I would have liked to do a bit differently as well. More of a theme, pictures to illustrate each post, get a few more posts scheduled so I could read more of the other participants blogs. Ok so maybe the biggest one was to get more posts scheduled. There are a few posts that I would have liked to re-do but ran out of time.

There are so many amazing blogs about. I loved reading through them.

I'm hoping that the things that I have learnt in the last month I continue on with.

And I'm hoping that all of you have enjoyed what I have done and what I am still going to do.