Monday, November 06, 2023

My timeline is all skewiff

I put my car keys and glasses next to Daughter's keys on the sideboard in the hall so I would remember to take her keys back when I went out to walk with her later in the morning.

I forgot. 

Got there, slapped myself on the forehead, and said, "You twit!"

Anyway, she, Louie, Toby, whom I'd picked up en route, and I had a lovely walk in the almost dry.


Then it was back to the house and back to writing or, more specifically, trying to untie my timeline. For some reason it's something I really struggle with and as this novel talks about people born in previous generations I need to get it straight. At one point I had a 103-year-old woman popping round for tea. Not impossible it's true but she also needed to be dead by now.

I don't know why I find it so hard to work out when someone's mother must have been born bearing in the mind that the someone is forty-five now. The someone was forty-eight originally but that threw everything else out so she lost a few years.

Husband points out that there's an app for doing family trees but I'd still need to put correct details into the app to begin with. I've got a bit of paper and that's just as good.

I am already in the stage of bemoaning my lack of writing ability. "This is rubbish," I tell myself five times a day. Then I tell myself, "Look at M C Beaton. Her writing really is rubbish but it's addictive rubbish and she has made a fortune. (Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth.)" But that doesn't work. I still think about all my rejections and feel an abject failure. 

But on to happier topics. Husband is doing the cooking for a week. I 'suggested' this after he'd grumbled about dinner being late one day last week, then I forcefully reminded him on Saturday afternoon that he'd agreed. He began last night with Sainsburys takeaway curries - which were very nice - but I am expecting some home cooking. He's very good actually and what's more dinner is always on time. 

And, even more exciting news: I am getting a cleaner!!!

As I was cleaning the bathroom yesterday I thought again about how much I hated cleaning the bath. I considered asking Husband to shower before he bathed but then realised that would only make the shower dirtier and I hate cleaning that too. So I phoned Janet and she asked her cleaner if she can fit me in. 

She can only give me an hour or two once a fortnight but that'll do for me. I only want the toilets and bathroom cleaned. I can do/ignore the rest. I shall have to clean it before she comes first time of course. I wouldn't want her to be deterred by the ring around the bath.

NaNoWriMo word count total = 6992

8 comments:

Boud said...

I have cleaners once a month, a couple who are a terrific team, whip through my house in less than two hours. It's lovely to count on a clean house. I never had cleaners who would agree to do only certain areas. They said they like to leave the whole house clean or it reflects on them. I figured they had a point and anyway I had no choice!

And you're providing employment, always a good thing.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

We're both dealing with genealogy on our blogs today, LOL! You are a marvelous writer, Liz, don't get discoouraged just because lesser writers appear to have more publishing success. Alas, the world is not always a fair place but that's no reflection on you or your abilities.

I could not live without my cleaner, who comes once every two weeks. In fact, she's here right now doing my place. Gawd, I hate housework. Especially cleaning the shower/tub, YES. Seriously, do NOT pre-clean the shower/tub before your cleaner's first visit. They truly earn their money the first time with a hard clean, but thereafter, it's more like simple maintenance on their part to keep things clean. They EXPECT the first clean to be hard.

acorn hollow said...

Congrats on your cleaner! I would love to have one.
Cathy

Marie Smith said...

A cleaner…great!

Anvilcloud said...

We are finding that spraying a cleaner after a shower, keeps it in pretty good condition. Mind you, we are not bathers. It's not that I have ought against taking a bath, but our tub isn't the comfiest.

Ann said...

I would love to have someone come in and do the cleaning for me. The only thing is I would have to clean the place up before they came so they didn't think I was a total slob.

DeniseinVA said...

Wonderful scenery! I do that kind of thing too Liz, it can be frustrating. How wonderful you are writing a book. I wouldn’t worry about the rejections. We’ve all had them and we get there in the end. And when you finally get there, and you will, just think of all the experience and how you’ll be able to help others because of them. Well, you probably think I am a Polly Anna and if we lived closer you could give me a swift kick, lol! Lovely you are getting a cleaner. I was just talking about that with another blogging friend who has one. I don’t but am realizing I might need the extra help now. Just don’t want to admit it. Okay, so I have waffled on and I’ll quit now. Thanks for a lovely read, and for visiting. So nice to have you as a blogging friend.

p.s. I had to laugh at Ann's comment, I'm that way too :) I would have to retrain my brain :)

Cop Car said...

In talking with a man at the company which would be supplying the sliding glass doors for our tub enclosures and the whole free-standing shower unit that would be in the basement, I was given a valuable tip. (Of course, I know that all of Liz's readers know all of the housekeeping tips that are available!) His tip was to use only liquid "soap" in bathing to avoid soap build-up on tubs, showers, and enclosures. I threw out all of our bar soaps and installed little pumper bottles at all sinks, baths, & showers when we moved in 24 years ago. It truly makes a whale of a difference!

P.S. Hunky Husband does insist upon having a bar of soap at his bath's sink, but he does use the little pumper bottle when bathing. I humor him.