Another Open Door

The other day I received an email from my publisher with news of upcoming events and mention of a publication known as "Pocket Poets". This hooked me straight away. I needed to know more and let it be known. My publisher then advised me that my interest would be forwarded to his wife who, is in charge of this publication. By the end of the day I received an email with the necessary info in the form of a pdf.

I perused it and asked a few questions. Satisfied with the answers I got; I have now found another avenue for other publication opportunities. I immediately made a new folder on the old computer and will embark on the project along with the already well advanced anthology.

To put you in the picture as to what I'm babbling on about; we, the author, choose a theme and write twenty poems relevant to our chosen theme. Because it will only be the size of the booklet this is why it is called Pocket Poets. It is published in the same format as a regular anthology but with only twenty poems or less if any of the poems take up more than one page. I can reuse verses previously published but they must be listed on an 'Acknowledgements' page. This also includes blog sites.

It should be easier and quicker to complete a shorter manuscript ready for submission (if I'm lucky) and the cost per unit is set at $5 RRP.

Like I said before it hooked me straight up and; nothing ventured, nothing gained. I will keep you posted.

As of 30/04/18 I will also know if  a poem I wrote with the 'Wild' theme for a competition gets published. Should I be lucky, I will post the details both here and on Facebook.  It will be my third publication since 2012 and my getting published dreams have well truly come to fruition.

Until the next blog, cheers guys.

As a Writer...

Isn't it funny what influences those of us who are writers?

It might be a poem or it could be a story (which I haven't written for quite a while actually). The choice would depend on the topic and what our strengths are. For me, without sounding egotistical; I could go either way.

 Influences such as TV, social issues, our favourite authors or an easy one here; family and friends could become topics of drama or humour (possibly a parody) or a historical event. Music; now there's an option and, for me, it has influenced quite a few poems in the new anthology.

The influences for us scribes are way too many to list.

You, my readers have been subjected to not only my poetry but my short stories and issues that have grabbed my attention (usually to the point of annoyance).

Of all of the lessons I've learnt over the years as a writer both at Para West Adult Campus (now Northern Seniors College) from people such as Eric Payne; my biggest influence, Arthur Poole and Alan Mc Bride,who helped me get published for the first time in ten or so years to the lecturers at TafeSA (Professional Writing 2012-2015) it was Eric, who, in Creative Writing that told us that, as a writer, we had to love what we were about to do(write) and if not; don't start. It makes sense because if your heart isn't in it you will NEVER achieve a final polished, publishable piece that you can be proud of. This is the key factor as to whether you make it or not. It is also something I will always remember because it is what got me published in 2017.

For those of you old enough to remember Cat Stevens or Leo Sayer; these guys were great lyricists and this shone through brightly in such memorable songs as Lady D'Arbanville, Peace Train, Father and Son, How Can I Tell You,  Just A Boy, The Show Must Go On, Moonlighting and Long Tall Glasses respectively. The lyrics were not only honest, almost haunting  but also cleverly written good poetry and I guess this why I still like putting them in the CD player and zoning out while I listen to them.

Two other musical influences on me are the ever popular Neil Diamond and a very gifted keyboard player, Rick Wakeman who put literature (Journey To The Centre Of The Earth) and historically;The Six Wives of Henry VIII to music as well as so many other great albums.

So there you have it... my latest Rambling for now.  So 'til the next one; hope you liked it and can take something away from it apart from the fact that I might possibly be, dare I say, strange.

Memory Relived

Last weekend Zelma and I took a trip away from urban sprawl to Wallaroo, namely North Beach, a place I haven't been since I was sixteen or seventeen.

We spent the weekend with our close friends, Mark and Lorraine and their two grandsons.

With  both cars packed, we left Adelaide about midday from memory and arrived in a very hot Wallaroo. Once we located the house and the keys, the door was quickly opened and the air con turned on.  While the house cooled down we unpacked the cars and then sat down to relax and cool off. We stopped in at Port Wakefield for drinks and a break from behind the wheel. Zelms was suffering with the heat and bought herself a bag of ice of which she put some into another bag on the floor for her poor feet and hugged the remaining ice all the way to our destination.

Kids being kids; they wanted to go to the beach but we were too hot and tired to drop and run. After a while indoors, we, armed with drinks, sat out on the front porch while having a cigarette break and looked out over the beach that sprawled out before us. The tide was out but making its way back in. Cars were parked on the beach with shade shelters and the owners under them.

About two hours after arriving we ventured down to the beach. It was a relatively short walk across the esplanade and onto the hot sand. Once in the water, I felt at home. It was cleaner than local beaches here in Adelaide with little to no seaweed. The water was warm and yet cooling and definitely refreshing. This was, for me, to be the first of five swims.

That night after dinner, I just sat in the recliner on the porch and told Mark of the times I went with family down to the shallows in the evening after the sun set to drag for fish. How sweet those memories were. I took pictures from the porch of the sunset over the beach and posted them on Facebook and openly declared that I could quite easily call the place home... and I would.

On Saturday morning we jumped into the cars and headed over to Kadina for the street markets. After about two hours we left in search of garage sales. There were a couple but nothing to rave about. Mark found another place that offered promise located in a large shed not far from the turn off back to the house. Half an hour later we were heading off back to the beach house.

Sunday morning, we went to Moonta; a venture that Mark admitted was a bad idea as it was hot and oppressive. We didn't stay long and quickly headed 'home', back to North Beach.

Something I forgot to mention; we went into a local building in Kadina after leaving the market and I met a local author (his name escapes me right now) who had quite a few publications for sale. All of his books were based around the towns of ' The Copper Triangle' (Wallaroo, Kadina and Moonta) and for me, it was an interesting chat with this local identity. I told him that I, too, was a published author and told him briefly of the anthology.

It's funny how special moments from forty-five years ago still easily stay with you as fresh as the time you lived them originally. Being a poet, I feel another poem coming on for the new anthology and, yes, I will post here when I've written it.

Well that was my little rant for now, hoped you enjoyed it.

Misssion Accomplished.

A few years ago I started to make things out of unwanted used pallets, some of which, I've posted in here as most of you know only too well.

As the weeks  and months flew by, I got better and better and more confident in what I was doing and, my reward, were the sales of the stuff I'd been asked to make. 

My first commissioned order was two palm screens, a framed mirror and a  stool. Each piece had been 'kissed' with one of my routers. I had loved doing the job and the customer; a friend of mine was very impressed. She has now asked me to make two more larger stools.

From this point I went on to making a wall mounted shelving unit to display my friend's clock collection and a hall stand . With this one, I explored and tried a distressed look simply by using nails, chains, various screws and a hammer... the effects were appealinng both to myself and my customer/friend.

From there I went on to doing dog kennels and mini fencing along with framing leadlight windows. 

My daughter wanted a three planter box/seating combo as well as two small pallet shelf units like I had just done for my friend plus one other unit which was a series of boards fixed to a frame with six boxes for her to put plant pots in.

The planterbox/seat combos I did for my daughter turned out to be a winner as I have, to date, made three others and three more to come(one is a freebie for a long time mate's wife. I did one set as a Christmas Present for a friend's husband who has just recently ordered a third box. His daughter and grand daughter were so impressed they ordered one each. He rang me today telling me I had another order. The planterbox/seat sets are usually comprised of two boxes made to required size with seating in between. 

My neighbour and friend asked me to do a unit for him but his was a single box with two seat sections coming off either side at right angles to form an 'L'  shape with legs at each end. It was different and came up pretty good both before and after he had painted it.

Once these orders are finished I have a 'Pallet Bar' to make as well as a dvd library unit. 

I truly think  2018 is going to be a good year for me with my varioous pallet projects.

'Til next time; be safe, be happy.

 

Up and Running

Up and Running

This year I WILL live up to the resolution I made last year; a new blog at least once a week/month (whichever way I put it).

Speaking of this year; mine got off to a bad start with the passing of my dog that I had, had for 14 wonderful years. I got her when she was a 2 year-old but in the twilight years she had gone blind with cataracts and became cancer ridden.

Despite this, before her passing she still got around on wobbly little legs and a lot slower as well. She became cat-like; sleeping most of the day(and night).

I actually wrote a poem about this a few years ago now when I was doing my Professional Writing diploma ('Goodbye My Little Friend') which was published in my first publication with Ginninderra Press as well as being posted in here and on Facebook.

She is now at rest in our front garden with a plant to mark her special place. As so many of you can relate to.. burying a much loved pet is one of the hardest things we have to do in our life time.

Getting away from the sadness; I'm working on my second(and larger) anthology but can not speculate at this time as to when it will be available.

I have also landed myself paid work, creating 'works of art' with pallet stock. Since making a triple planter box/seat combo for my daughter, the orders have been coming in rather quickly. Three so far and two more in the wings. I'm having a ball earning reasonable sort of money doing what I enjoy most...woodwork. One of the orders filled belongs to a friend's daughter after she had seen what I had made for her father. After a brief chat and dimensions established, the lady asked  me if she gets asked about where she got hers could she refer them to me, to which I said, 'Definitely'. Her daughter also placed an order so, I must be on a winner.

Until the next time, take care my readers.  

More News From Me

In the past few months since my last writing much has happened. 

Five weeks ago I embarked on a new career. I now work for Yellow Couriers aka Aussiefast Transport Solutions as a jockey/driver on the Salvos trucks. It is fun, rewarding and pay's not too shabby at the best of times.

You get to meet interesting people both in the public sector (donors) who offer up all kinds of donations for the shops throughout the metropolitan area and usually get to have a bit of a chin wag and then there are the folk who run and work at the shops. 

They too, a friendly bunch and, at times a funny mob who make you feel welcome each and every time you call in (usually twice a week). I've made some friends in this job both at the shops and at the depot where we are based in Pooraka.

It's a constant learning curve for me and as a jockey I have to use the phone (answering incoming calls, ringing select customers to advise of ETA and the shops as well for the same reason) and ipad to verify that we have or have not collected designated donations. 

After the run is over we usually go back to the warehouse to load up for the next day or we go straight back to the depot depending on what time we finish the run.

Much has changed from my first time with the Salvos back in the '90s when the UBD was our directory for getting from destination to destination. NOW, we have Navman...Thank God! it makes life so much easier and less time consuming. Instead of a woman(wife/girlfriend telling us where to go we have a talking street directory). Either way we don't get lost BUT the best upside is we, the drivers don't get the 'I told you so'. Sorry girls but, I had to put that last bit in. Not really, I just chose to, to add some of my dry humour to the post.

My latest trick is learning to work out the run for the next day which I seem to be doing okay with. My driver and I do this at lunch time as I sit down with a note pad look at the map overview and decide what is the best way to organise the run and write them down in the sequence I would do the run. Ian, my usual driver then checks it over and explains why, if necessary he'd change it. So far I'm doing okay. After we finalise it we then do it on the ipad and our Supervisor back at the warehouse either leaves it as submitted or makes the occassional changes and prints it out. If changes are made, I then reorganise it on the pad. 

Yeah, overall it's a good  job and I'm in no hurry to move on as I feel I have found my niche here. Like the  TV ad implies; 'Love your job and your home life changes for the better because you're doing what you enjoy and NOT what you must do to pay the bills and put food in the house. It also opens channels of communication within the family unit. This, I can testify to. 

In between the new job hours I'm still pursuing my passion of making stuff down in the work shop. I'm one happy camper. 

I hope you enjoyed reading my little ramble as much as I did writing it.

Back Again.

Time has flown past me at an incredible rate and it sems as though I haven't been in here for years but photos posted earlier this year remind me that it hasn't been so long afterall.

Writing has taken a backseat somewhat to my other love; woodwork and the amount of orders I've had recently has come about because I have obviously found myself doing good work and  producing good products... not bad for a non tradesman I'd have to say.

Projects of late have ranged from dog kennels (4 of) to leadlight window framing and indoor projects made of  particle board. It keep the dollars coming so I am not caring what it is that is asked for. Oh, and there has been a large interest in my pallet products as well. 

The smell of wood shavings, putty, paint or varnish has gotten to be addictive in a healthy way. speaking of addictions; crossword games on my phone and tablet have me hooked as well. 

in between all of the workshop projects I do try to write as am working on anthology number two. This will be a larger volume than the last one that was classed a "pamphlet". What an insult? I at least have the right to say I've been published and those that have read (or reread) it have been more than favourable in their responses and feedback. This also includes family and friends in South Africa.

Feel free to browse in the photos part of my blog to see what I was talking about earlier in this piece.

Until next time; safe travels, be happy.