Stylish Saturday (sort of)

it’s been a fun (nish) week. Well it’s been a rather odd sort of week actually, but more fun than odd – or perhaps that should be more odd than fun but either way it’s been interesting. As some of you know, although it’s possible I may not have told you mainly because I’ve always been very good about hiding my light under a bushel, I’ve been studying for an online Proofreading/Copyediting Course and I took the first module about a month ago and gained 80% which I was very pleased about – it was graded as a Distinction. Well I took the second module about a week ago, which I found a little bit harder and wasn’t sure how I’d done – the pass mark is 60% so I was a little concerned. Imagine my joy when I passed not just with flying colours but with a mark of 100%, which to be honest I found bloody amazing (yes I know I shouldn’t swear but I was alternately flabbergasted and delighted.) Of course Edwin was really pleased which was very nice and when things are a bit better moneywise we will go out and celebrate – in fact we have so much to celebrate I rather suspect I won’t be able to fit them all in this year (of course I suppose I could always defer them until next year – because there will be celebrations.) I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to getting out and about again, trips to the zoo, my Creative Writing Group, my Knitting/Craft Group and then there are people I’d really like to see because the one thing this Pandemic has taught me is that we are fragile beings and that we rely on one another and our social interactions to keep us sane. It hasn’t helped of course that since summer last year my life just seems to have stopped (mainly due to my Mum’s death which has knocked me for six; and my writing ability seems to have just disappeared.)

The only light at the end of the tunnel is that I have actually found some work doing what I enjoy doing which is Proofreading, the money isn’t brilliant, but I am earning and I might be able to pay for Percy’s special food (he needs specialist veterinary food now because he had crystals in his bladder which could cause a blockage.) But as I said I had to push myself to actually write what I’d done and how I’d done it because I’m not good at self-publication, never have been. I’ve written articles for a newspaper in the Middle East; I’ve sailed down the coast of Saudi Arabia in a 32’ Yacht; I’ve made sandcastles with Kings (although I was 5 at the time and don’t remember it very clearly) but if you were to ask me what I’d done with my life or how to promote myself to an employer I’m at a loss for words. I’d love to say it’s annoying, but it isn’t it just that I don’t think that these things are worthy of promoting. Of course I got one of my quick jobs because I did just that, although I still feel guilty about it. I think that it’s an English thing, or maybe it’s a throwback to Boarding School where I never felt that any of my gifts were appreciated. Which of course makes me sound like I’m whingeing again and I seriously don’t mean it to, but I’m convinced that Boarding School screwed me over in ways I’m not even aware of.

Had my first dose of vaccine today and my only complaint is that it was over really, really quickly. It barely hurt, so for those people who don’t like getting injections, I would suggest wearing either a short-sleeved blouse, or a vest like top leaving the upper arm and shoulder bare because then it will hurt less (although to be honest it didn’t hurt at all) and it really was like a conveyor belt. The only real downside was you didn’t even get a cup of tea and a biscuit afterwards! Although I am joking, I realise that it the reason for the success of the vaccine movement is because of the way it has been rolled out – and one should praise the NHS as a whole for being able to do this on a national scale. Well that’s about all my news for now, I’m hoping that by next week while I may not have anything scintillating to relate things might be a little bit better one way or the other. (You never know one of the many remote jobs I have applied for might just hire me at £45,000 a year for working twenty-to 25 hours a week!)