Life, as now it goes...

Having been made redundant from my office job at the end of 2010, I am now working part-time as my Mother's carer, gardener, house-cleaner, handyman, tech-ad visor, decorator and payroll officer, as well as volunteering two mornings a week at Dundonald Primary School, helping with English Projects and French.

I had to be CRB checked for that, which is rather like being taxed to prove one's innocence.

I am, however, quite enjoying the teaching work and am able to provide additional information to colour several of the subjects we have dealt with so far. See, knowledge of the Greek Myths IS useful!.

I am about to start doing some regular gardening work for some of the local old ladies. I've committed to two clients so far and am thinking that it could still be practical to take on two, or three more, as they only want me to do lawn mowing and light weeding once a fortnight. I plan to ask the first lady to pass my name on to a few more...

I am still painting and currently have two oils on the go. I have recently done a commission for the CD cover for a friends group, which turned out very well. I had to work with a designer for the first time and at long distance( as they were in America), but we got on and the result was excellent. Everybody happy! You can see the cover via a link on my website( tomnanson.co.uk) .

The writing is going more patchily. I currently have my first book out with two Beta readers and hope that, eventually, they will come back to me with some feedback and possible editing ideas. As long as they think it's worth going on with, I may well take my Sister Outlaw, Kari's advice and pay to have Liz Williams or Juliet Mckenna have a look at it .I am still in two minds as to whether it would then be worth trying to publish via Lulu, or whether I should do it as a E-book. The advantage of the first option is that I would have a physical book in my hand and that I could paint the cover art myself, but it would be a mostly vanity project and I might break even.

Ho,hum