Brrr!

How did we cope before central heating? It was minus 10 here last night, and now, midday, it's warmed up to minus 7. Yikes. As a child (we had it tough), I remember having ice on the inside of my bedroom window. I must have been a lot hardier then.

We've still got lots of snow, and it won't be thawing anytime soon, and today, we have bright sunshine with it. That's my favourite sort of weather. However, once it starts messing about with the football fixtures, I start going off it. I really, really, really wanted to see Bolton Wanderers get hammered by the mighty Arsenal last night.

While on the subject of football (I promise not to bore you too much), people have expressed surprise that I haven't vented my feelings on the way Owen ('I love being at Burnley', 'I've got a job to finish here', 'loyalty', 'integrity', 'work ethic', blah, blah) Coyle has walked out on Burnley FC at the worst time possible and dumped them in the brown, sticky stuff. Well, I haven't said anything because I don't think Blogger would publish my views. In Burnley, Coyle was God. And now our lovely club is looking like this:

Hey-ho. Burnley has always been bigger than Owen Coyle. Onwards and upwards, you Clarets!

The first post of 2010?

I can't believe it's the 6th January already and I haven't posted anything here. How time flies...

The 6th is a good day for writers as it's the day the Public Lending Right statements are available to view online. This is the money we're paid for having our books borrowed from public libraries. The statements are only available to view, as we don't get the actual cash until February, but it's always a nice boost for moral to see how often the books have been borrowed.

So what have I been up to? Looking at snow and writing. We seem to have been snowed in for weeks and - no surprise here - the council is short of grit so only main roads are being treated. That's great if you can actually get to the main road - which we can't. No rubbish (trash) has been collected since the 16th December because the council's lorries can't get up the road. And the council's lorries can't get up the road because the council's gritters haven't been up the road. Where it hasn't drifted, we've got around 9-inches of snow, but the drifts are massive. The postman, bless him, actually walked up the road yesterday and delivered some New Year cards.

As for the writing, the fifth book in the Jill and Max series is almost there. It just needs tweaking now. I'd better get back to it.

Keep safe in this snow!

Here's to 2010!

On her blog, the hugely talented romance author, Kate Hardy, had a look back at her last decade. This got me thinking about my own highs and lows of the last decade.

The biggest low of course was losing my dad in 2008. We used to speak on the phone most evenings at 6pm and it still feels odd not to be able to phone him and to know that my phone won't ring. Well, it might ring, but it won't be him. Strange not to go to the Grange for lunch with him, too. Looking on the bright side, however, I suppose the death of a man who was just short of his 83rd birthday, and who hardly had a day's illness in that time, isn't too tragic.

I lost three pets in the last decade. My lovely, faithful, wonderful Holly

The cantankerous but absolutely adorable Rabble

and the little stray who only had 6 months left to live when she 'adopted' us

Four more pets have found their way to the door though. My partners in crime and constant companions, Tilly and Muffet. What would I do without them?

The easy-going, take-life-as-it-comes, worry-about-nothing Sam

And the one that likes to leap on you from the top of the wardrobe at 3 am, Tojo

The decade saw me divorced and moving house 3 times.

The high point of the decade was marrying this lovely bloke

I'm so glad my dad was with us on our wedding day.

I also saw The Sainted One 3 times.

I even went to Wembley to see the mighty Clarets, Burnley FC, win their place in top flight football.

In 2000, I was living in Orkney and writing romances under my Shirley Worrall name. Now, I'm living in a beautiful corner of Lancashire writing crime novels as Shirley Wells. Who'd a thought it, eh?

Perhaps most amazing of all, I saw my lovely daughter go from this

to mother of my two gorgeous grandchildren. (And don't you just love that top?)

All in all, it's been a good decade. I'm definitely older than I was when 2000 arrived, I may (or may not) be wiser, but I'm happy, settled and very content with my lot. You can't ask for more than that, can you?

In 2000, I had neither website nor blog. Now, thanks to those, I've made many, many friends. Some I've met in person, others I've only 'met' in cyberspace. To those of you who comment on this blog, those of you who email me and those of you who just read my ramblings, a huge thank you. I wish each and every one of you a happy, healthy and peaceful 2010.

Happy New Year, all!

Did you have a good one?

The first person I spoke to on Christmas Day was Nick - unsurprisingly. The second person was Joe, my gorgeous grandson who was too excited to remember what Santa had brought him. After a chat with his mum and dad (Joe's, not Santa's), I got out of bed and greeted the day.

Our traditional Christmas morning walk was wonderful.
This is Nick with the dogs.
And this is me
Well, it's my shadow. Technically it's me though.

That evening, we went to our neighbour's house and then everyone ended up at our place. A lovely day.

On Boxing Day, it seemed a mad rush to get to Burnley for the football. And boy, was it cold on the terraces. The evening was spent at a party that, thankfully, was within walking distance. Another great day.

On Sunday, I did nothing. Well, I ate too much and drank too much, but hey, it's Christmas. Oh, and I played with one of my Christmas presents (an iPhone).

Yesterday we spent the day with Nick's children in Staffordshire. Apart from the journey home, which took hours, that was another lovely day.

So it's back to work today. Am I in the mood for it? Not in the least.

How was your Christmas? And are you back in the groove today?

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas Eve and all I had to do was get to the hairdresser's. Ha. This is my poor little car sitting in a snow drift. (It looks as if I parked it in a ditch, doesn't it?)

It's still sitting there. Fortunately, the main roads are clear so I phoned for a taxi and walked to the nice, clear road to meet it. You'll be relieved to hear that I'm now nicely blonde for Christmas.

And a miracle occurred. For the first time this week, the postman managed to get up our road. Bless him.

So that's it for me. I'm ready for Christmas. Bring it on!

It's just time to wish each and every one of you a wonderful Christmas. Have a good one, all!

Christmas @ Bopmyspace.com

The reverse snow dance

That snow dance I did? I'm starting to feel guilty now because, in Lancashire at least, driving conditions are quite hazardous. Even the M6 was down to one lane yesterday and one slip road was blocked by vehicles sliding back onto the motorway. Unless it improves, it's going to be a difficult Christmas for people travelling to be with their families.

As I live in the Pennines, on a steep hill with a road that the council doesn't come near, I have a 4x4 vehicle. Yesterday morning, I was supposed to be at the hairdresser's. And, um, my lovely 4x4 was stuck in a snow drift. I had to phone her to say I was snowed in. Anyway, star that she is, she told me I can go on Christmas Eve.

This morning, it's snowing heavily again and the Met Office has issued a flash warning of extreme weather for Lancashire with about 10 cm expected. Hm. We'd planned to do The Big Shop this evening but, looking at the weather, we thought we'd better go early, while we still stood a chance of getting out. Even the main roads round here aren't very good. But - phew - the shopping is done. I had visions of beans on toast for Christmas dinner. Actually, make that beans because we were out of bread. Anyway, we now have enough food in to last until March.

So for all those of you trying to get to your families for Christmas, I apologise for that snow dance. I won't do it again. Honest. (You have to admit that it's very beautiful though...)

Be safe!

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

It seems that my little snow dance paid off. (Apologies to Kate and Pat...) We have a fairly respectable two or three inches. Yippee. I would have taken a photo, but I'm too busy right now.

How about you? Are you snowed in? Are the roads and schools closed?

Have a great weekend! Oh, and don't forget to put the sprouts on...