February ends...

So February ends and with it our angst over the kids' birthdays. Ed was 21 this year; a big birthday in any life and for him, with all he has faced and overcome recently, a very precious one indeed. Then not that long ago it was Laura's 8th Birthday! I am still reeling about how it got to be 8 years already...

So, with the presents given, unwrapped and used, the cakes eaten and the photographs of the days already archived, my thoughts turn to other things. This month saw the publication of another in the 'Sleeping' strand of collections - 'Also now Sleeping' poems about the death of my mother in 2013. It is available as a paperback at the time of writing but won't be available online for a little while yet.

But let that not deter you - read through my current work here:

www.amazon.co.uk/Alan-R-C-Mitchell/e/B01MDIVETG/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1488373271&sr=8-1: 

as there might be something there you'd like to have a look at?

Now that 'Also now Sleeping' is published and the digital version is almost ready, I'm finalising the latest more general collection - 'Reflections in the Mirror' which will be published next month (all being well).

I had an enjoyable time at my daughters school last week - a call went out from the school to ask if anyone were available to read a short story (or part of one) to the 4 classes on Friday morning (world book day and also Laura's Birthday!). As I had the morning free, I responded and was asked to turn up at about 9.30 am with enough story to last for 10 minutes. The idea is that four of us had a story to read and would go from classroom to classroom in a reading relay; but always reading the same story.

To find a story that is good for the Reception child all the way up to Year 6 is almost beyond anyone. So, I looked and looked and found nothing that I wanted to read. Then I thought that I'd give one of my own an airing - 'Nomor & I'. As a story it's been around for a while, but I re-wrote, tweaked, altered, faffed and furtled it into a 10 minute (ok 9 minute) story and turned up on the day to read it out.

As I thought, the Reception and Class 2 audience was not hooked; but Class 3 was ok (though only my sweet daughter voted for it among the thirty) but the best reception was in Class 4 - several were hooked on it and at least three wanted to know what happened. That got me thinking....

Anyway, birthdays done, a story read out to the children it was aimed at and my Photography Course is going quite well.Not a bad month all told.

​Take care and keep reading....