Archive for March, 2008

Posted on March 12, 2008 - by MG

Beginning Joshua book 3

I am slowly gearing up to begin book 3. I finally have a draft of the plot, although still some mulling over before I settle. And I have some idea of the extra factor I’ll be putting in – something which usually only comes to me once I’ve started writing.

Aside from that, there are matters of MOOD and MEMORY, which I’ve found a way appropriately to trigger. It’s like slowly allowing myself to be possessed by the character of Josh. Not an easy thing – look at the guy’s situation! Would you like to be him? I think I might like to know him, be pals with him, but actually being Josh would be very tough. Ifnwhen y’all read book 2 you’ll have a better understanding of why I might feel nervous going into book 3…

Posted on March 9, 2008 - by MG

Raving Stage Mom

Who me?

Argghhh, but I just can’t help myself, our daughter was just so darn GREAT in her Stagecoach performance of “We Will Rock You”!

Now’s the time to confess that in my time I have taken my daughter along to an audition for ‘Stars in Their Eyes’ (and listened from behind the door with tears in my eyes to my little 10-year old belting ut the Shoop-shoop song…), driven her back and forth from theatres to be in the chorus for the Bill Kenwright productions of ‘Joseph’, dabbed a hanky to my eyes watching her in the Ellen Kent production of ‘Turandot’.

I even started writing in hope that maybe I could make enough extra cash to send her to an independent stage school…but now she doesn’t want to go.

So it was with immense pride that we watched her finally blowing an audience away with the talent we’d seen at home but never seemed to quite find the right role. As Scaramouche she sang “Somebody to Love”, “I Want To Break Free”, “Under Pressure” and “Who Wants to Live Forever” (the last two as duets). And she totally ROCKED. A crowd of twenty friends from school showed up to support her, and practically carried her out of the theatre…!

We weren’t allowed to go to the Fan Club After Party, of course. We are Old and Sad and must make a Graceful Exit after the appropriately cordial congratulations.

Here’s a photo of our daughter as ‘Scaramouche’ with her co-star – ‘Galileo Figaro’. No video sadly, no photos or recording was allowed.

Plus – another way in which the 15-year old daughter has already surpassed her old mum; her blog has attracted several readers who have no connection to her except the blog (as serafina67 crows in ‘Big Woo’, Susie Day’s LOLarious forthcoming novel about a teen blogger – “I have INTERNET friends!”)

I’m not allowed to disclose the blog address though. It’s anonymous…and a bit scandalous. She’s no Peaches Geldof, still goes to church but…it’s a close thing.

Posted on March 6, 2008 - by MG

The Oxford Stargate

I asked my husband David to swing by Cowley and take a photo of a monument that we call the ‘Oxford Stargate’ on his BlackBerry.

But lookie what he made me instead!!!

Is that not awesooooome? Ooh, I want to go to M35-117…

Also my Brazilian visa arrived today. It is a proper full-page visa valid for 5 years. Yay!

Posted on March 2, 2008 - by MG

Oi, Mephistopheles…

Ah, the bliss of a return to Cuban salsa after many weeks, oh really far too long without a proper session. Last night’s Buena Vista Club in Oxford offered the bonus of a rare appearance by a total salsa diva, Cuban dancer Yanet Fuentes.

Watching her performance, I said to my friend Becs, “Is it just me, or would you give up all your education and job and talent in exchange for being able to dance like Yanet.” Becs considered. “I’d pretty much sell my soul to be able to dance like that.”

It would be a very reasonable deal. Yanet is extraordinarily good and has trained since being a little girl with top dancers in Havana. And she’s risen to be the best of the lot!

Now if Mephistopheles happens to be around, let’s talk. It would be the end of the adventure stories, probably. But look at what I would gain…