Yin and Yang

Happy New Year to you all.

I've written this in longhand first, or scribbled should I say. I've got out of the habit of blogging and the computer silently mocks me from the corner of the room. I get so tired in the evenings so most of my important thoughts whirl around my head when I'm in my bed. Yes, yes...I know that my father thinks I am surgically attached to it, but honestly, for a variety of reasons, I have to have a few more 'Duvet Days' than most. So I thought why not go back a step? That way I can scribble away to my hearts content and snooze between sentences.

I also finally caught up with Eden Riley's Blog 'Edenland'. I hate the word AWESOME but thats what she is! I've been reading her Blog for just over a year and she is my inspiration for sticking with it. It wasn't always that way. Some of her posts were downright whiny or far too 'Mommy Blogger' for me. I think she's a bit like Adele, she writes her most impressive stuff when she's facing a challenge in her life. She really has blossomed this year and grown up as a writer, something I need to do! A'hem... What strikes me about Eden is whatever life throws her, she steadfastly Blogs through it, climbing mountains and looking down upon us mere mortals as we fail at the first fence. Eden suggested that we go back to basics, stop giving a shit about what people think and pick up a pen. That's what I did this morning. Thanks for taking the time to encourage me Eden. I wrote this entire Blog in about 20 minutes flat. Result!

From writing to another of my favourite things, reading. My children bought me Kindle for Christmas. Those that know me well understand my life long love affair with books. I could read at three, had my head in Du Maurier at nine and did the entire works of Tolkien at eleven. I love the smell, the feel of paper, the comfort of falling asleep with one upon my chest. I adore used books, scouring charity shops and happily hauling heavy loads home. Leaving books at a bus stop, in a phone box (usually with a peg upon my nose) fills me with pleasure. I linger in the Library and despite my best intentions, I buy half the books from their sale shelf and innocently wonder where I will put them all. Reading 'One Day' by David Nichols was memorable because the whole thing stank of weed - that was fun, a second hand high as well as the one provided by Mr Nicholls!

I lust after new and shiny Art and Travel books on a daily basis. So why on earth would I want a Kindle? Why? Beacause I soon realised that a Kindle would never kill my love for previously cherished books. A passion that deep would not be parted by a cold, hard, electronic box. I have to admit, even I did not realise how big that Brave New World was. Wow! It is stunning. The Kindle is super easy to use, light, warm and smooth. A Kindle does not object to me falling asleep on it or complain when I snore. It switches itself off quietly and never blinks at me with a smug 'low battery light'. I can lay in my bed and scroll happily through hundreds of delicious titles. Even the scrolling is fun. After making my choice, I press a button and Ping, there it is. Actually Kindles are quiet thoughtful souls and have never been heard to speak in public. A slight problem is that during the first week I read SIX book. For some reason I can read stuff on it faster than on paper. I have no idea why.

So there you are, high praise indeed from a technophobic luddite. There is one issue for me but I am sure they will work it out in time. I think that whoever transcribes the books does so using 'voice recognition' technology. A word of caution here Book Editors. If you are determined to Bastardise the entire English language into a 'Mid Western American Twang' then I think you will lose more readers than you gain. Please sort it out. My only other niggle is that I now sleep with far too many electronic devices to be healthy! Yin and Yang, its a weird old world as I revisit my shaky handwriting and embrace a shiny new technology.