Happy Mother's Day

Mad and Marvy Mutti
That's what my darling daughter wrote in her Mother's Day card. 'Mutti' is German for 'Mummy' and as an ex German student (I have a degree in German and English) our conversations often include a 'misch masch' (another German phrase) of English and German words, plus French and Italian for good measure. In our family, we all like to play with language and have great fun doing it.

I am having a lovely Mother's Day. It's nearly lunchtime and I'm not even dressed! My husband made me breakfast this morning and the children helped. He's also cooking a special lunch. The children gave me lovely cards and a CD I wanted. I'm playing it right now.

Today is a day just for me and a celebration of the fact that I have two fantastic children.

They're both doing homework, but keep popping into the study to see how I am and to give me hugs. Even at 15 my son is still very affectionate, for which I am very grateful.

Shop Til You Drop
My daughter and I spent a day in Cambridge yesterday and had a brilliant time. We had elevenses at the Gros Franck (Big Frank) cafe near the station, then walked into town, went shopping, had lunch, shopped some more, had a drink and shopped some more. My daughter is now the proud owner of four new pairs of shoes and some pretty pink earrings. We had a lot of fun and literally shopped 'til we dropped. She is a definitely her mother's daughter!

Student Days
My student days happened over 25 years ago, but, hopefully, they are about to begin again. I've decided to study for an MA which will open up opportunities for living and working abroad. I went to a university open day last week and felt 18 again. It will be a lot of hard work, but it's something I'm really passionate about and will take me in the career direction I want to go. Now all I have to do is get on the course. I'm seeing the head tutor next week. Wish me luck!

Good and Bad Things

Bad Thing
A friend of mine was recently made redundant without any warning which is a very bad thing. It took me back to the horrible time I had last year when exactly the same thing happened to me.

Being made redundant not only takes away your livelihood when you're the main breadwinner (and we both are), it also saps your confidence and your faith in the future.

It was five months before I found another job. Hopefully, it will be much quicker for my friend.

However, I am now happier (if financially poorer) than I have been for a very long time. I absolutely love what I do and work with a fantastic bunch of people.

So something good came out of something bad - only I couldn't see it or believe in it at the time.

Would I want to go through it again? No. Could it happen again? Yes. Would I cope? Undoubtedly.

The moral of this story? Never give up.

Good Thing
My friend Sam has lost 'two chins and a Bingo wing'. In plain English that's over a stone in weight. She's been battling for the past few months, and has given up smoking at the same, which makes it doubly hard.

So, keep up the good work Sam - we hope to see even less of you soon!

Grand Day Out

A Writer's Life
I had the most amazing day yesterday. I spent it in London at the London Book Fair with a close girlfriend (both of us are mad about books) where we attended two Masterclasses on writing fiction. They were given by a group of fantastic writers, all of whom were dazzling in their talent.

Margaret Atwood
Best of all, I got to meet Margaret Atwood, one of my all time favourite authors, whose books I devour as soon as they are published. I've read all of her novels and they've never failed to entertain, enthrall, perplex and delight me.

Margaret was wonderfully witty, in fact hilariously funny, in a very dry, laconic way. She had the audience in the palm of her hand.

When she signed my book, I thanked her for giving me hours of pleasure through her writing. She smiled at me and her eyes twinkled. I think she is truly wonderful.

Joanna Trollope
I also loved Joanna Trollope who exuded a warmth and generosity which belied her slightly aloof and supremely elegant appearance. She was just so nice and gave us a fascinating insight into her approach to writing. She definitely has her finger on the pulse of the human heart.

When I spoke to her she was very gracious and seemed genuinely pleased that so many people enjoy her books. She wrote 'To Amanda love Joanna Trollope' in my copy of Brother and Sister.

Even though I know she must have written similar messages many times before, I am deeply thrilled.

Sara Paretsky
Although not a fan of crime writing, I found Sara Paretsy a revelation. She was incisive, intelligent and eloquent. She was also smart and sassy in the way that somehow only Americans can be.

Immaculate in her smart red jacket, she put her jet lag to one side and delivered a smooth and professional presentation which gripped you from beginning to end.

I'm definitely going to read one of her books and become acquainted with her famous heroine, V I Warshawski.

Helen Dunmore
I haven't read Helen's work, but I will do now. When she read an extract from her latest book, it sent shivers down my spine, partly because of her beautiful reading voice.

I hung on to her every word, vividly picturing the scene she was describing. Within a few minutes, she'd made me care deeply about the characters and, when she finished, I was desperate to know what happened next.

I knew I would have to buy the book, so I did. Of course, I got Helen to sign it.

I also learned a lot from her about the craft of writing which I now intend to put into practice.

Life-changing
It is very rare that you have a day which changes your life, but this one definitely did.

It was awe-inspiring and inspirational.

It gave me the confidence to continue with my writing.

More importantly, it made me determined to make more time for it.

A day later, I am still on a high.