Welcome to my perfumed garden

My Year in retrospect, by gillyp, aged.

( Fandom and Fic )( Writing )


( Reading )( Reading )
In general: Life has been a bit rough at times. We’re still doing one week home, one week at Dad’s which is stressful and tiring. Dad is exactly as he was, some days up, some days down (some days very down indeed), it’s become routine really, a bit bothersome. I have to keep reminding myself that in many respects, I have a life that’s pretty good, that many might envy. OK, a bit (very! Oh so very...)  uneventful and dull, but far from arduous and relatively free of pain. I do keep reminding myself of that (but if the Gods are listening, a little more excitement – of the nicer sort - really wouldn’t go amiss in 2010)

So to round off 2009, I’m going to do that first-post, last-post LJ meme and say, have a marvellous 2010 everyone, I think we all deserve a break. Much love to you all, thank you so much, every one of you, for the laughs and the love and for keeping me sane.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

( My Year on LJ )

Sorry I'm a little tardy with the greetings, it's been more than a tad busy here  Congratulations!! to all the winners and nominees - you're all winners in my book.

Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR! to you all, too. We'll be staying in, I expect, watching Graham Norton or Jools, anxiously waiting for Big Ben so we can go to bed. *g*  We live a quiet life around here. Love to you all.

I don't seem to do that very often these days but, good people, I honestly have nothing to say!

Re Entanglement: I'm still waiting on the first agent, I'm told that nothing happens during Frankfurt so I'm giving him another week before I'll proffer up a gentle email prod. I am firmly of the opinion that waiting on decisions entirely out of your control is, to paraphrase the immortal Baldrick, a horrid thing.

While I wait, I've started work on a new story - I had 2 going for ages but finally settled on the Entanglement sequel (sorry mrs_tilford !) because the voices told me I had to various blogs seem to be firmly of the opinion that being able to offer sequels greatly ups your chances of publishing and who am I to argue with various blogs?

Anyway, that's all up and running and a very dark tale it's shaping up to be. Very dark indeed (cue the obligatory evil laugh). I actually did some solid, concerted work on that today - progress has been seen to be made. I am not displeased.

Fannish life - is non existent, really. There's nothing new and the old has lost its shine and that part of my life languishes in dusty, cobwebbed neglect. LJ likewise seems quiet as an old, forgotten grave. I don't know if everyone's lost their mojo too, or if you're all lurking in New Fannish Lands in the parts of LJ where I never tread but it's been dead as a rusty shovel round here lately. I've had to turn to Twiter for kicks, people, that can't be right.

I shall throw out some spangled, golden kisses and chocolate-coated delights anyway, for old time's sake. Use them wisely, I shall be testing you on them later. XXX

So, a quick glance at the flist tells me it's that time of year again. As I've said more than once these past 12 months, my squee is not what it was. The loss of dear friends, scrapping the website, a sense of moving on and a general lack of desire to engage in fannish activity have rather dented the shiny and there is a distinct 'back to school' feel, a sense of the nights drawing in for me whenever Fandom is engaged in these days.

But hey ho the nonny, I am certainly not above joining in when the awards come around! Yes, I really am that vain! I am nominated and managed to stay out of the angst and dark categories this year, which, considering my usual output, is a thing to be celebrated indeed. ::nods::

Blue is up for slash H/C, Established relationship and Post TSbyBS - all new categories for me, which is pretty exciting. It got nommed in a couple of others, too, and I had to prune so thank you, nominators, for your perfect loveliness to what is still (to me) a slightly dodgy story. You're all too kind.

Chasing Rainbows is nommed (again! lol! Will it never die!) for gen H/C

Wind Whispering is up for gen novel

Most amusingly of all, I am up for gen outstanding author. Oh my. I mean, whoever nommed me it's just gorgeous of you and blessings be upon you but lawks a lawdy, talk about not worthy! I've been giggling since I got the email.

Fanfic Hospital (on which I collaborated) is up for a few categories too.

Anyway, I thank you all and bow obsequiously in your general directon.

Don't worry, this is not one of those long, angsty RL-SUKZ! type entries, just something of an apology I suppose, a rather low-key (and somewhat dull) FRIDAY! post if you will.

( Cut in the interest of the disinterested )

I'm remiss in the extreme in my contributions to picspamyou_2009  and worst of all, my long absences from LJ mean I've missed talking to you lovely people. I've missed a fair few birthdays too for which I'm very sorry, most especially that darling delight of a human Earthling  the4ts . I hope your day was perfection, sugarbutton. I'm sorry I took my eye off the ball and missed you completely. Please have some very belated kisses in the flavour of your choosing. XXXXXXX

 A sensible, thoughtful, intelligent and non-judgemental article about fic from none other than the marvellous and mighty John Sutherland! - he even quotes the fabulous sheenaghpugh ::approving nod::

Thanks to hafren for the finding of.

OK, day made. Tea! Then to grips with the novel. ::stern face. looks keen::

When you see THIS and your first, most immediate thoughts are not of the former PM and his lover* Chancellor.






*I am so sorry, I can't apologise enough. Wow. Whatever was I thinking? That image... That's going to stay with me all evening unfortunately.

I’ve been musing a lot on fandom of late – what it used to mean and what it means now. I’ve spent time over the weekend, talking about it with another old fandom-friend who feels much the same and think the time has come for me to bare my breast and bottom to the snowy wastes and admit that  my fandom glory days are probably past.

( Bearing the Breast, or - A Former Fangirl Confesses )

Experienced this weekend =

Number of words added to the tally of my novel = 2,630 (holy shit, that be BAD)
Number of words added to the tally of my wip  = 176 (sorry!)
Number of new! TS-fic ideas currently haunting my brane = 1 (but it's a doozy!)

Number of emails received asking what's happened to The Temple website = 6

Number of Cream Eggs consumed  = 4

Number of eppys of The IT Crowd watched  = 6
Number of Arthur of the Britons ep.s watched = 14
Number of times Michael Gambon's wig was spotted in an episode of Arthur of the Britons = 12
Number of times Rowena appears in Arthur of the Britons = Too. Bloody. Many.

Number of tv-based obsessions currently fogging my psyche = 6.

Amount of fun had = incalculable! 

When everyone's agreeing with you, it's called squee, when they're disagreeing with you, it's called wank.

Ah, fandom.