LUCKY 7 MEME - BLOG TAG

I have been tagged by Melissa from Writing with Style with The Lucky 7 Meme.

Meme: an idea, behavior or style that spreads from person to person within a culture.


The Lucky 7 Meme is a fun game between blogging authors, where the one tagged uses specific guidelines (see below) to select a tiny portion of his/her WIP (aka: work-in-progress) to share with their readers. Afterward, seven more bloggers are linked in a post to carry the torch forward.


These are the rules:
1. Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next seven lines/sentences as they are – no cheating
4. Tag 7 other authors




Here are my seven lines:

... Below her on the jetty, Wills directed several stevedores in the unloading of his precious stoats. His cap, pulled low over his eyes, and the set to his shoulders told her how hard he found giving up his companions. The return trip to England would be a long and lonely one for Wills.   

The last of the passengers were straggling down the gangway when Captain Kidley came to escort her from the ship as arranged. She looked up into his weather beaten face and felt a sudden sense of loss. She had shared many an evening dining at his table and would miss his tales of foreign lands. ...

And here are the seven bloggers I'm tagging:


Shirley 


Kura 


Joanne


Clarissa


Ruth


Elisabeth


Tim


If I haven't tagged you, feel free to join in anyway! 

ANZAC DAY

Today is Anzac day in New Zealand and Australia. A day where we remember those that gave their lives in the First and Second World Wars and the wars that followed. 


Around the country it is marked by dawn services with tributes laid on cenotaphs, prayers for the fallen, and gun salutes. It is also a time when we wear a red poppy as a symbol of the blood on Flander's Field.


For me the fourth stanza of Laurence Binyon's poem, Ode of Remembrance, is the most moving tribute to these brave men.   

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

LONG SUNNY DAYS IN AUTUMN

For the last two weeks I have been busy; being unbusy with school holidays. Two kids have been to camp and the oldest, who is presently unemployed, had a temporary part time job which left hubby and me with loads of free time.


The holidays started with Easter, which down here in Dunedin is notorious for bad weather, but this year we have been blessed with the most amazing blue skied, sunny days. Talking about the weather can of course be a cliche, but it really does effect our day to day plans. Would you rather spend a day in bed with a bad bout of sniffles when its cold, rainy and dreary outside or when the sun beats through the windows, making a furnace of your bedroom? I'd pick the rainy day every time. But, when it's sunny I want to be outside listening to the birds, going for a walk or curled up with a good book under a tree, which is what I've been doing these last two weeks.


A couple of days ago we drove up and over the hill behind us to Back Beach. This is a little bay right next to Port Chalmers on the Otago Harbour less than 10 minutes drive from home. Enjoy the photos.

Halfway down the hill. It's low tide so you can see the sand bars.

Back Beach.

The little hill on the left is Goat Island. 

For as long as I can remember there has been a flock of geese living here. Friendly ones, thankfully!

Looking down towards the Heads.

Harbour Cone reflected in the water. I think it's the tallest hill on the Otago Peninsular.

Tomorrow it's back to school, back to Italian lessons and back to normal routines. Only ten weeks until the next school holidays!


Next post I will have my writer's hat firmly attached!

ANOTHER TROPHY ON MY SHELF

Last night's meeting at the Dunedin Writer's Workshop was very memorable. Firstly, it was the first time at our new venue and secondly, I won first place in our latest short story competition.

The rooms where we now meet are modern and purpose built for community groups, so we were toasty warm and very comfortable. We have a large whiteboard in the room and access to a data projector if needed, which will aid the delivery of our writing workshops.

For any Dunedin writers looking for a group to attend, email me at dunedinwriters.workshop@gmail.com for details, or visit our FB page: Dunedin Writers Workshop.

My story: "All For Gold", was based on real life outlaw Henry Garrett. You can read about his exploits, including the event in my story, at a post I wrote last year. You can read it here.

The only photo I could find of Henry Beresford Garrett.