Saturday 16 January 2010

Workshops, Brilliant Results & Wet Books


I'm starting to plan any trips to the mainland to visit friends, Conferences/workshops or any other possible holidays. This year I'm intending to go to the RNA Conference being held in Greenwich, which means I can meet up with my cousin and his partner over that particular weekend, and also some online friends a month or so before that.

There were several workshops that took my fancy especially this one, Novel In A Day Workshop being held by Victoria Connelly. Victoria is not only a very talented writer - see my review here at Bookersatz about her wonderful book, Molly's Millions - but she's also had one of her books made into a film and is a lovely person. Unfortunately everything I go to is made so much more expensive by having to book flights, so I'll have to wait and see if I can make this, but I really would like to.

This week my daughter found out the results for the three GCSE modules she took back in November, Maths, Physics and Biology. She got A's for all three! I'm presuming she must get her intelligence from her aunt, Gerry - Deputy Headteacher of a school - because there's no way her father and I could possibly be responsible for A's!

Also this week my mother-in-law had water flowing from her living room lightbulb, caused by a problem with the water tank in her roof overflowing - not burst pipe damage - but it has meant that various rooms will need new ceilings etc. So I now have most of the radiators in my house covered with wet/damp paperback books as I try to dry them for her. Makes a change from keeping them in bookcases - or in piles - I suppose.

22 comments:

Debbie said...

Congrats to your daughter! That is a wonderful accomplishment.

Chris Stovell said...

Well done that daughter (and stop being so modest, Mum!). Sorry to hear about mil'stank disaster. Look forwards to hearing about Victoria's class.

Unknown said...

Well done to your daughter! Wet pb - yuck - they take forever to try out and are never the same - poor mil.
lx

ps see you at the conference if not sooner :-)

Queenie said...

Great news about the GCSE results! Not so great about the flood, crinkly dried paperbacks, ewwww. Will your flights be cheaper if you can book them well in advance? Hope so...

Unknown said...

Lovely when they get As! Well done her.

Becky said...

Excellent exam results :-)
Water and lighbulbs ...eek ! I have actually known water from burst pipes to get inside lighbulbs !! Even bigger eek !!!

Melissa Amateis said...

I hope you're able to go to the conference. What fun!

Liane Spicer said...

Congrats to your daughter! Well done!

Water in light bulbs sounds dreadful. O_O

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

debbie - thank you. She was so surprised to do so well.

chrish - thanks, I don't think she could quite believe it. I do hope I can go to Victoria's workshop and will definately let you know how it went if I do manage to.

liz - thanks. My radiators are covered in the pbs, which I keep page turning to try and dry everything out.

I'm looking forward to the conference and it'll be so easy to get to as it's in London.

queenie - thanks. Yes, the flights will be cheaper. However, I'm waiting to hear from my son about his dates so I can book flights for him at Easter too, so there's a lot of flight booking to be done soon.

hodmandod - it is lovely. Thanks.

becky - inside lightbulbs! Now that is frightening.

melissa - the conference is pretty definate. I missed last years, so am determined to go this time.

liane - many thanks, I don't think she could quite believe it, but she's so laid back it's sometimes hard to tell :)

Poor mil isn't having a fun time at the moment with all this damage.

Amanda said...

Congrats to your daughter (and you!) - brilliant results! x

Jen said...

Ooh, top tip - ta! Have just sent an email to Victoria to ask about the workshop.

Big congrats to your daughter too - this GCSE malarkey all seems so different to how it was in our day, doesn't it?

Flowerpot said...

well done that daughter of yours - but sorry aboutthe floods!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

amanda - thanks, m'dear.

spiralskies - I do hope I can make the workshop, I'm sure it'll be wonderful.

You're not kidding, I was completely stumped when my son did his GCSEs, but am slowly getting used to the way they do them now Sas is starting hers.

flowerpot - thanks.

MiL is doing very well with all her damage. She's nearly 82 and has Parkinsons, but is very tough.

Kaye Manro said...

Hi Debs! I gave you a Kreativ Blogger Award. The post on my blog is right below the announcement of the release date for Forbidden Love on Sat. Jan. 16.

If you want, you can email me:

kayemanro at yahoo.com

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

kaye - many thanks for the award. I don't know how I missed that post of yours, but I suppose this week has been a little busier than usual.

I'll post about it in a couple of days. x

Jayne said...

Fantastic results! Well done to your daughter! I hope you can get to as many of your workshops as you want to and, oh no, the poor books! I hope they survive (and don't smell as they dry!)

DJ Kirkby said...

I'm telling you right now, that books on rads look is never going to work :) water from a light bulb sounds pretty scary! Your daughter got her A's because of her hard work and determination not just a health dose of good genes, I bet she's as chuffed as you are, what a lovely reward.

Anna Scott Graham said...

Congrats to your girl!! That's lovely news...

Oh, I miss drying things on radiators!!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

jayne - the books are drying slowly. I can see why mil asked me to look after them as my husband would have simply thrown them all away - can't blame him either really.

dj - she is really chuffed to have done so well, especially as she never expected to do so.

anna - thank you.

Unknown said...

Wow, 3 A's. Excellent results. Well done that girl!

Poor mother-in-law. I sympathise. Hope everything's drying out nicely.

Carol said...

Three A's is bloomin brilliant!! Pass my congratulations to her :-)

Sorry to hear about MIL's water problem...there is nothing worse than water everywhere and soggy books (well, there is but not at the time!!). I hope she gets everything sorted with as little hassle as possible

C x

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

shirley - thanks, she's thrilled, and not a little surprised by her results.

Mil's house is slowly being sorted out, but I think it's taking her toll on her.

carol - will do, thanks.

Thankfully Rob is very good and always there to help her if she needs anything.