Hot on the heels (and by hot on the heels, I mean a month later) of the frog cake, comes the anniversary cake for my parents. Fifty Six years. No parole.
Aided and abetted by The Younger One once again, we ended up with a cake sporting a distinctly 'spring like' appearance. Just right for September.
We took a trip to London and walked approximately fifty seven miles. Or thereabouts. We were supposed to be doing museums, shopping and eating, in that order but The Teenager suddenly decided we should 'go look at Notting Hill Carnival' which was all fine and dandy until I realized too late that I am not good in crowds. Not good at all if you can't see a way out. Still, we managed to glimpse a couple of giant glittery butterfly costumes and had our ears boomed out by the bass. And by the time we finally made it to Chinatown, the crispy seaweed tasted extra good. As did the hot and sour, the wonton, the duck, the chicken....
In the photo you will see soft furry creatures gazing in awe at ferocious teenager.
And in this photo .... crowds. As far as the eye can see.
And now a new term. I always think the autumn term is the strangest of all. It starts in sunshine and shirts and ends in darkness at home time. The other two terms are far less radical.
And writing? Novel #1 will be sent off to start its rounds in October(ish). I imagine it as a Gap Year for unpublished manuscripts. It will go out fresh faced and ready for adventure and return older, wiser and hopefully a little grubby but better for the experience. And Novel #2 is underway. I can't tell you how happy I am to be writing something new. And it's got nuns in it which means research. Now, I wonder if there is a nun museum...?
28 comments:
Let's hear it for moving forward. Sounds like both novels are making progress....and a nun museum? What a hysterical idea :-)
A nun museum, what a request! I once had an African missionary visit me, and I thought I`d show him some churches perhaps, but he looked at me as if I was crazy. "All I`d like to see is MOTORBIKES", he said.
Well. Here next door in Poland they are still pretty Catholic. If I look up the word for nun (zakomnica) or nunnery (klasztor zenski) maybe I can ask my way around?
What is your book called? Where can I buy it?
Aren't you brave - making it to the carnival.I can't think of anything worse than being squashed up in the crowd. I'd rather have been helping you make the cake - which looks ever so professional.
Excellent news about the first one making the rounds now - fingers crossed, Laney. As for nuns - will it be full of sex and drugs?
A nun museum? Not sure any taxidermist would be up to that. Better just stick with the lions.
It has nuns in it? Not with unsavoury habits I hope…
Have a delightfully dylan day, Boonie
Brilliant news about the novels Lane and best of luck with the submissions - go for it!
Fingers crossed for novel #1. This may help with novel #2: http://www.bar-convent.org.uk/
A new term and a new novel - excellent! That is what we need to hear - that, of course, to hear about a huge publishing deal for novel 1. Good to hear from you - and to see Teenager - damnit, everything in your house looks so gorgeous! - and congratulations to your parents. What a good job they jobbed of you too!
Sue G - Thanks Sue. A nun musuem would be a bit of a nun- starter I think. Oh dear....
Angela - MOTORBIKES! Of course, what else:-)
Book is unpublished and about to go out and do the rounds of agents etc. I wish it luck:-)
French F - As for the carnival - once was enough.
Nuns, sex, drugs and of course rock 'n roll - that's got to be a winning combination. Or maybe not:-)
Troy - Nuns would be just as fierce but you're right, what taxidermist could cope with such a task?:-)
Boonie - oh very good. Yes, lots of unsavoury habits. Savoury habits too. But no sweet:-)
Flowerpot - thanks fp!
Queenie - you're a star. what a place. Thank you!
Chris S - thanks Chris. Yes, a new term calls for a new pencil (as it were).
I'm quite looking forward to sending novel 1 on its way. It's far too old to be living at home now:-)
The Teenager was gorgeous that day - until she had blisters on her feet. Then, I think the lion would have been better company:-)
I do believe a springy cake and teen who growls louder than lions to be just the sort of thing a writer lady's life should encompass while her novel braves the world.
Good luck with those nuns. Please tell me they won't be getting up to any monk-ey business...
That's a gorgeous cake.
Lovely cake!
And I'm wishing the book best of luck! Keeping my fingers crossed.
Good luck with novels 1 & 2.
The cake is wonderful. It looks professional. Good luck with the books. I hope you make it. It would be wonderful for you to be in print.
What a gorgeous cake, your parents must have been thrilled to receive it.
Good luck with novels 1 and two.
I'm not sure I'd be so good with huge crowds like that to contend with either.
Great-looking cake and happy 56th to your parents!
I'm with you and Debs, I don't 'do' crowds either and think you were very brave to get such a scary pic of one.
Starting new things is exciting, isn't it? Here's to the new term and a new agent. Everything crossed for you x
OMG! I was gonna give you a Nun joke, but I couldn't find none! Great cake, save us a slice or two ;-) TFx
Nuns, crowds, teenagers...I'm sorry but your blog needs an X rating. Just too flipping scary for me.
Good luck with the novel(s).
I wrote a couple in 1993/94 when I first came to Paris to do the "writer" thing. One was read by a publisher but was rejected. I then decided to have children instead! I keep meaning to write another (novel, not child). It's hard work.
P.S. Here's a thing: Chinese restos in Paris don't do seaweed. I really miss that.
Lovely cake! So glad to hear about Novels 1 and 2, Lane. Mind you tell Novel 1 to keep in touch when out on the road - you know how it is, they never phone or email and you wonder if they're safe out there. I mean, there's strangers and all sorts ... Oh, and the nun museum - would watching 'The Sound of Music' and 'Sister Act' help? Just a thought ... x
fab cake. only been to carnival once and I've lived in london over 20 years. beautiful cake and well done for finishing novel and sending it out into big wide world.
Good work on the writing front, Lane. You've been busy!
I've got nuns in my WIP too, and would appreciate it if you point me to the museum when you find it. My nuns are the cloistered kind who lived behind a high wall down the road from our church. I need to know a bit about what went on behind those walls!
Notting Hill Carnival, eh? You're getting an Englishified touch of Trinidad. I don't do crowds either, so I don't do Carnival. Any local who doesn't do Carnival is considered an imposter.
Hard to find autumn colored fondant for September roses, I'm sure. And more than likely the Younger One prefers pink? Congrats to The Parents. And congrats to you Lane, for getting your babes off for public inspection. Hope the critics and reviewers treat them well.
We have a great art fair in the historic part of Louisville but, like you, the crowds make me anxious any more.
oh, very good luck to novel # 1 stepping out there into the big wide world...
Hate crowds too. Use to have boyfriend who dragged me to the classic car show every year at the NEC. Nightmare, I tell you. It was awful. I only ever get claustrophobic in crowds, and I used to bolt for the emergency exits sometimes. Set an alarm off once :-D
Am glad the writing is making you happy. This is a good thing.
We did Madame Tussaud's while my mum was staying and realised we're not very good with crowds either - it was seething with tourists.
Gorgeous cake and 56 years - wow.
Thrilled to hear that the novel's out on its travels! Fingers crossed it'll be back with good news fairly soon, and good luck with the nuns for novel 2 :o)
I've always found Autumn a time for new beginnings....I've always seemed to move house, start a new job or some such thing in Autumn. Good luck with novel 1...I have a feeling that you will be sharing good news with us soon...and novel 2 sounds interesting....Nuns eh...can't wait!
C x
I thought that was Lindsay Lohan standing next to the lion...
Good luck with the new books!
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