Nearly one month ago I wrote a blog and finally, I feel up to writing a new one. As can be seen, the total infections and deaths have practically tripled since I last wrote about them.
My country Belgium has followed a lot of the other European in now loosening the reins on its population.
Yesterday we were finally allowed to cross the border with our neighbouring countries. We went to visit my son Duncan and his partner, one of my brothers joining us. I’m afraid the 1.5 metres were not respected, as I gave everyone a big fat hug.
So in about 1 week, I know if that was wise.
Lately, I’ve been doing our shopping again. First with a mask and now without, unless the shop is very small or busy.
It has been a relief, I can tell you that. My husband has manfully been shouldering the risk of infection, by doing all our food shopping, but as he was not used to that for over 30 years, he quite often came back with the wrong stuff. Small inconvenience.
The result of all this sitting at home has been that I managed to finish my first draft and I am a quarter on the way with the first round of edits.
I feel I’m rewriting a lot, but I know I have done no edits writing that first part, while later I used to edit the previous chapter before starting the next.
Hopefully, this will have an effect.
There is still a missing Chapter waiting in the wings. I know what it should contain, but not yet where and how to fit it in. It will be the pointer to the second book, which will also be the last.
I have found nearly all my commas were missing and I seem to have this love for the word ‘that’.
Still, this editing is great fun, as I really see some improvement. I am my own strictest judge. Haven’t read over 5000 novels for nothing. The advantage of a long life lived.
Below an overview of my various pursuits during the Lockdown.My quarantine pals – My youngest turned 30, we could not visit – Applesauce making
Drawing(useless)- Shopping – reading up on the Black death
Becoming a barber trimming my husband’s hair – reading- cuddling dog Baking bread – Sewing masks
Even though editing and living life has taken up a lot of time, I still managed to devour some books in the meantime.
Little wars, was a good thriller in a small American town with the archetypical sheriff trying to find out who did it and why, but the way the story went was very surprising.
Knife, by Jo Nesbo, as good as ever. I often like these Swedish detective series. The main character often is an alcoholic and more often divorced. Good pacy story.
Skelly’s square really took me by surprise. It starts a bit slow but soon will have you racing along the pages to find out where it is going. Very original.
The silent corner, was an older Dean Koontz book.
All the rage, a good thriller by Cara Hunter. I like all her books and read them in 1 or 2 days.
Britt Marie was her, Fredrik Bauman at his best. Writing about everyday people, doing extraordinary things.
There were some more but you can see them in my Goodreads account.
Click the link.
Twitter trend is the current mayhem in cities worldwide about the appalling treatment of coloured people by the American police, and other countries in the world.
The Pandemic has resulted in 40 million jobless people, so the scene was set and it was set alight by a policeman actually murdering a coloured man on camera, assisted by 3 or 4 of his colleagues.
This is not the first time this sort of behaviour has occurred, but in the times we live, with a lot of people not having anything to lose, it was the last drop.
The USA is so hopeless, with a president who actually fans the flames of discontent, in the hope his followers will stick by him, to keep them where they are, white and privileged.
Many, many, coloured people never have a chance anywhere. Here it was proven last year that when they go for an interview without a picture, they often are the preferred candidate until they show up and the company hiring, sees them.
That must be so soul-destroying.
But I will always remember my friend, Doris, in the UK, saying to me:” I wish I could scrub this colour off!”
It really came home to me how crazy it was, this wonderful, warmhearted and gorgeous woman, felt like that about her lovely coloured skin.
Or when I heard a mother having to tell her small child, to be extra careful because of his skin tone.
I grew up a very blond, white person in a mainly coloured community, the Antilles, but still never having to suffer that. Life is so unfair.The only thing I can do Is making sure my children don’t have this weird idea that the colour of one’s skin makes people different.
They only divide people in nice and not nice. End of story
