Finally started my nano, but I"m not going to kill myself trying to get to 50,000 words. Not with everything else I have going on. Anything I get down in the time is a bonus. :) I was blocked for three days, then the idea came to me in the shower. A terrible cliche, I know, but true all the same!
I"m enjoying my long weekend off; just playing Mum and hanging out at home mostly. My mother moved into her flat on Friday, and we're going to get her a housewarming present and go and see her today. I know it's a good thing for her, much better than rattling around in that big house, but you know, it's weird when the house you grew up in is sold. So I've been babywrangling, and reading, watching TV, and doing a little stitching _ less than I thought I would, but every stitch is a stitch forward, right? I have the cutest chart started of two kittens in a garden, but I'm trying to hold off the cuteness until I've finished the stained glass card for my sister for Christmas. The kittens are calling, but I'm resisting.
For now.
And, of course, last night I just *had* to start the nano while the idea was still fresh. I'm not sure what direction it's going to go in, but I'm happy to be led around by the nose by my characters. The most frustrating thing is that the Nano site seems to keep going down. *Sigh*
We had some excitement yesterday with Patrick as well _ he was on his tummy on his change mat, bent his legs like he always does and he moved!! Just one knee-shuffle forward, but still. He hasn't done that before. 
I do believe that's all I have for now. Must feed baby.

This is the first one that I've done:

What with yesterday being Halloween, and all . . . do you read horror? Stories of things that go bump in the night and keep you from sleeping?
Yes! I love a good horror story _ something that really raises the hackles.  There's nothing better than a good scare.

I thought about asking you about whether you were participating in NaNoWriMo, but I asked that last year. Although . . . if you want to answer that one, too, please feel free to go ahead and do both, or either, your choice!
I did the Nano in 2004 and "won" with 50,000 or so words of ... dross. I never edited it and it put me off both writing and nano for quite some time.
I've signed up again this year, but I don't know how well I'll go. I'm already considering abandoning my first idea and doing something else but I have no idea what.

So Nano is due to start on Thursday. All very exciting and I'm glad I've signed on to do it again, although I'm aiming slightly lower. If I can write 30,000 words, I'll be happy. I can't spare any stress at the moment, the stress I do have is already working overtime and can't possibly handle anymore. So I'll start on Thursday, writing longhand _ that way I can write anywhere _ then the plan is to transcribe the story once a week; I'll see how I go.
Still picking away at TW's Mermaid; boy, is that becoming a broken record! But I really do need to get more threads. It feels like about 206, to be honest. I'm also working on the cat card for Jeremy still, and a stained glass card for my sister for Christmas. If I get it finished. We'll see. 
Work is fine. The cats are fine. The Husband and the baby are fine. 
I'm knackered!

I hope I can remember how to do this ... ah! This is my most recent finish, DD's Here Be Dragons, on 16-count rustico aida. )



This is a cat ,,, Piper in the upturned washing basket (that she got into herself) and lastly but most certainly not least...


Patrick! :)

I hate earthquakes. Oh, how I hate earthquakes. We had a goody _ a 6.7 just after 1.30am this morning. I was just getting ready to go to bed and thought for a minute I was getting dizzy because it was one of those rolling ones. But no. Twas a quake.

Now, I thought cats were supposed to be attuned to this sort of thing. Apparently not my cats. I sat down on the couch, willing it to stop, and two of our cats _ Sam and Marx _ were sitting on the floor looking at me as if to say “What’s happening? We didn’t feel anything.” Thanks for the advance warning, guys.

Thankfully Patrick didn’t seem to notice anything _ I had the baby monitor in the living room with me and all I heard were a couple of sleep-groans. So hopefully he’s taking after his father who, yes, slept through yet another quake.

Patrick was christened on Sunday, and a good time (I think) was had by all. My mother is happy it’s done, and I’m just happy it’s over. I’m not used to our living room being overrun by family members and I’m not sure it’s an experience I really care to repeat, although I don’t know what we’re all doing for Christmas.

It’s far too early to think about that, despite the decorations I saw in the Warehouse.

I’ve signed up for Nano but I’m not optimistic about “winning.” I’m thinking of just using the time to get into good writerly habits again, and just write as much as I can. That way, the pressure isn’t going to kill me.

My boss might, after I was monster-late for work again yesterday, but hopefully the pressure won’t. And I was accidentally monstrously late _ I didn’t have an up to date roster and didn’t realise I was on early.

I’m still working on the “K” of Patrick’s dinosaur alphabet, and picking away at TW’s Mermaid, although it’s going to be a while before I get all the threads I need for that. I’m pretty sure, though, I had a dream about blended threads … h’m.

I’m reading Death of an Expert Witness, which I’ll have to renew at the library, and Momzillas which I just started and it’s eh … it’s okay.

What else. I have to ring the docs and book Patrick’s vaccinations. Speaking of Patrick, it’s time to get him up from his nap.

Baby snuggles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!