Friday 30th November – tomorrow being National Letter Day will see me occupied writing letters to friends and family ready to include with the Christmas card. Why it is I do it every year is beyond me but some seem to appreciate my efforts.

This Blog has seen a dramatic rise in visitors in the last three months with over 21,500 pages viewed by 7,500 visitors over the past eighteen months. Thanks to all those.

As food for thought I include this e-mail from my friend JacDaw (who agreed to share it with you) which reminded me of a poem I first added to the site for last Christmas e zine:

What a disaster! It’s been hellish all round. I’m confused as to why Rae and Bobby are back together, and the children are living with them again.
And whatever made me believe that Nick and I had a future together in Spain? None of it was my fault as he WAS SO DOWN living there, has been since giving up his job as sports presenter. Why did I make the blunder and think moving there was going to make any difference?
It was bad judgement all around - Donny didn’t help, the so-called assistant’s job was a farce! He beggared off as soon as we arrived, leaving a list of European contacts but very little in instructions how Nick should literally foist the company on them! (cold calling to the extreme). When Nick could get hold of Donny in the UK, all their communication was done over the phone or Internet – hopeless!
Don’t misunderstand me - Spain was great (I sent you those pictures remember when we first arrived of the mountain views?) – we had our own apartment and those chickens for our own eggs. Basically though neither of us were happy, being so far away from our families so the whole thing was doomed to failure.
It didn’t help hearing that Jack and Chloe didn’t settle that well with Bobby’s parents so after a few days, Bobby took them back to live with him then when Rae rang him, asking to return, the silly mutt took her in too! He did make sure that she rang me to tell me that she was back home.
If anything that was the final straw. After that phone call, Nick said everything had been a mistake, he called me a hypocrite for being against Rae’s liaison with the teacher from Kingsbridge, seeing as I’d done pretty much the same in my past - Jan we had a huge row. I never knew he had such a temper! He chucked a major wobbly and when I was out, walking around to calm down, he stormed out of the finca.
I had a tearful night on my own, the second night I took some Dutch courage and rang Mags and Pat to find out if he had descended on them, as he’d taken our van and most of his clothes? Seems he ended up back at his brother Davey’s. I sat and thought about it then packed my stuff, rang Donny and later Marie to tell them I planned to leave, locked up and got a flight back to the UK.
I just can’t stop crying since Davey rang my mobile the night before last to say his brother is having some sort of mid life crisis/ breakdown - he’d been instructed to tell me that Nick and I are through.
Jan it doesn’t help having to accept yet another closure. Why am I continually in this fix? My list of contacts gets shorter every time I get myself so messed up with the men in my life. Can’t say I blame them. I’m living with Marie in the interim but she has annoyed me - she contacted Bobby and between them, they have organised some belated birthday party for me next weekend. She says it’ll cheer me up and has promised to drive me down to Devon – but do I want to go? I can’t face seeing my daughter, as I am that disgusted with her for walking out on Bobby and the children.
Nor is it fair to descend on you - suppose I’ve no option but to go along with Marie and Bobby’s plans until the finances get sorted with Nick.
Can’t stay forever under Marie’s roof either - what is wrong with me? Why do I constantly misjudge people Jan?

Jacki

Food For Thought

What if?
You never had done it
Whatever it was
That lead you to here and now

Today, tomorrow, yesterdays
All days that go fast
Yesterday is always
The day that is past
And today is the present
No lies, whereas tomorrow ‘tis
The day that never arrives

© Jan McG

You can view again last years Christmas e zine by clicking on the tag.

New Year’s Resolutions - What to do in your spare time? New Hobby? Why not try studying a subject that interests you at home? Or join a Social networking site and make new friends online? Volunteering is also another worthwhile cause.

Home Learning College http://www.nationalhomestudy.co.uk/welcome.htm
ICS www.icslearn.co.uk
Learning at Home - Home Study, Distance Learning Courseshttp://www.learning-at-home.co.uk
Learning Curve Home Study www.learningcurve-uk.com
National Extension College http://www.nec.ac.uk
Open University www.open.ac.uk
Oxford Open Learning www.ool.co.uk
UK University Home Study www.rdi.co.uk
University of Liverpool http://liverpool.ohecampus.co.uk

Social networking online
Facebook www.facebook.com
MySpace www.myspace.com
over-50s online MyChumsClub (mychumsclub.com)
over-50s online Saga Zone (www2.saga.co.uk/sagazone)

Another Writer Zone: http://windowslivewriter.spaces.live.com/

Volunteering: try contacting www.direct.gov.uk or the National English volunteer development organisation www.volunteering.org.uk or contact your favourite charity and find out how you can help.

Writing Competitions for your 2008 Diary:

Cardiff International Poetry Competition 2008. Closing date 1st January 2008. Entry Fee: £5. Poems of up to 50 lines First Prize - £5,000. All winners will be published in The New Welsh Review. To receive an entry form send a stamped, self addressed envelope to: Academi, CIPC08, Mount Stuart House, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff, CF10 5FQ. For more information call 029 0247 2266 or email post@academi.org http://www.academi.org/academi-competitions/

The Perfect World Competition Closing date: 4 January 2008 Open to students in Years 8 to 13 Asks for stories no longer than 3,000 words on the theme 'the perfect world'. Winners will be published in a book and printed in the Education Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited www.educationguardian.co.uk/schools

The 10th International Mattia Poetry Competition. Closing Date 15th January 2008 Free to enter asking for poems of under 100 words. Entries can be posted daily on the website. Prize is 100 Canadian dollars Good to see a competition where they insist you check your spelling and grammar before entering! http://www.mattia.ca/competition10/rules10.html

Chapter One Promotions Novel Competition. Closing date: 29th January 2008
Entry Fee: £20. Asks for the first two chapters and the last chapter, plus a synopsis, of a novel in progress that you consider can be completed within a year of winning. The overall prize is help from Chapter One Promotions to complete the book ready for publication. The winner will be announced on their website on Thursday 31 July 2008. Chapter One Promotions, P O Box 43667, London, SE22 9XU, England. http://www.chapteronepromotions.com/competitions/novel-competition.htm

The Asham Award Closing date: January 31 2008 Entry £10 Short story prize for new women writers. First prize: £1,000 Second prize: £500 Third prize: £300 Runners up receive £200 each, and have their stories published in a collection by Bloomsbury Entries to Carole Buchan Lewes Town Hall High Street Lewes East Sussex BN7 2QS www.ashamaward.com/

Brian Moore Short Story Award Closing Date 31st January Entry Fee: £5. For entrants of Irish descent but not necessarily resident in N.I. Maximum word count is 2,000. Submissions must be accompanied by the entry form, which can be downloaded from www.creativewritersnetwork.org 1st Prize £500, 2nd: £300, 3rd: £200 Creative Writers Network, 109/113 Royal Ave. Belfast BTI 1FF

Winter Witch Winter Tales Competition. Closing Date 31st January 2008 Entry Fee £3: Competition for short stories up to 7,000 words and up to 100 lines. Winners to be published in an anthology with “ a storytelling atmosphere, reminiscent of sitting round the fire, sharing tales and good company” Prizes: £100 with four runners up of £25 each. Theme is Winter Winter Witch Books, 3 Stoneybeck Cottages, Broughton Cross, Cockermouth, Cumbria. CA13 0TX.

WritersReign Short Story Competition Closing date: 31st January 2008 Entry £3.00 per story Asks for stories 1,000 and 1,500 words on the theme "Make Mine Music!" in which music in one form or another plays a significant role in the plot.http://www.writersreign.co.uk

Kent and Sussex Poetry Society Open Poetry Competition. Closing Date 31st January 2008 Entry Fee: £4. Open style and subject, up to the usual 40 lines. £ 1,350 in prizes Each poem must be typed on a separate sheet of A4 paper. All poems are judged anonymously and should not bear your name, nor any other form of identification. On a separate sheet of A4 paper give a: your name and address, b: a list of poems submitted, and c: where you heard about the competition. Entry form not required. Send to The Competition Organiser, Aspen House, Beech Hill, Wadhurst, East Sussex, TN5 6JT. http://www.kentandsussexpoetrysociety.org/

Countryside Tales Annual Short Story Competition. Closing Date 31st January 2008 Entry Fee: £3.Asking for stories of up to 2,000 words on the theme of A Rural Crime Prizes: £75, £25, £15. The winning story will appear in the spring issue of Countryside Tales (published in March 2008).
http://www.parkpublications.co.uk/writingcompetion.htmpublication.

Scribble Quarterly Short Story Competition. Theme ‘A Rural Crime’ Closing date January 31st 2008 Entry fee £3.00 per story. Asks for short stories up to 2,000 words. The winning story will appear in the spring issue of Countryside Tales (published in March 2008). Prizes: £75, £25, £15. Park Publications, 14 The Park, Stow on the Wold, Cheltenham, Glos. GL54 1DX http://www.parkpublications.co.uk/writingcompetion.htm

February
2nd HappenStance Story Competition Closing date 2nd February Entry Fee £3 Asks for stories of less that 2,500 words accompanied by an entry form First Prize £120 Second prize 375 Third Prize £50 Winners will be published in the HappenSTance chapbook Entry form online Send toSTORY competition Administrator, 2 Parkes Road, Torrington, EX38 7NW http://www.happenstancepress.com

Academi Cardiff International Poetry Competition The website is a little ambiguous, closing date is February (?) with no mention of entry fee, perhaps that is on the entry form which you have to send away for. Asks for poems no longer than 50 lines, unpublished, is in English and not a translation of another authors work and send it, along with your entry form and payment, to Academi.Offers prizes £5000, £500, £250 and five more £50 each. To receive an entry form send a stamped, self addressed envelope to: Academi, CIPC08, Mount Stuart House, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff, CF10 5FQ. academi.org/

Envoi International Poetry Competition. Closing: 20th February 2008 Entry Fee: £3.00 per poem or 5 for £12.00. Asks for poems up to 40 lines. Prizes: £150, £100, £50. Envoi Poetry Competition, Meirion House, Glan yr afon, Tanygrisiau, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, LL41 3SU. http://www.home-education.org.uk/envoi/competitions.htm

Grace Dieu Writers’ Circle Short Story Competition Closing Date 28th February,
2008. Entry fee £5 Additional entries £3 each Asks for a 2,000 words fictional story
on any subject. Prizes £300, £150, £75, £50, £25 Entry forms from The Competition
Organiser, 139 London Road. Coalville. Leicestershire.LE67 3JE For rules check out
www.gracedieuwriterscircle.co.uk

Grace Dieu Writers’ Circle Poetry Competition Closing Date 28th February Entry
fee is £3 for your first entry, £10 for four entries. Asks for a poem of up to 40
lines.Prizes £200, £100, £50, £30 £20 Entry forms from The Competition
Organiser, 139 London Road. Coalville. Leicestershire.LE67 3JE For rules check out
www.gracedieuwriterscircle.co.uk

Chapter One Novel Competition (held once every four years) Closing Date 29th February Entry £20 Writers must submit the first two chapters and the concluding chapter of their manuscript, along with a one-page synopsis. Judges are looking for a manuscript with strong, believable characters that move the narrative along, is informative and engages the reader. It's important that the manuscript has the potential to be completed within a year of winning the competition.
http://www.chapteronepromotions.com/competitions/novel-competition.htm
March

L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest Closing date 31st March No entry fee is required Asks for prose up to 17,000 words in length. All types of science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy are welcome. First Prize $1,000, Second Prize $750 and Third Prize of $500. Send to : L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest P.O. Box 1630 Los Angeles, CA 90078 http://www.writersofthefuture.com

Harry Bowling Prize Bi annual competition Closing date 31st March 2008 Entry fee £10.00 (with official submission form) and is open to anyone who has not had an adult novel published in any genre, including under a pseudonym. Asks for a synopsis (of not more than 500 words) and the first chapter of the novel (of not more than 5,000 words). Each entry must be set in London, but may be in any genre and set in any period. Prize £1,000 - the winner will be announced in September 2008. Harry Bowling Prize, Storytracks, 16 St Briac Way, Exmouth, Devon, EX8 5RN. http://www.harrybowlingprize.net/

Sunpenny Open Short Story Competition Closing date 31st March 2008. Entry fee: £3.00 per entry. International entries accepted. Max 3000 words in any style, on any subject that conforms to good family values and ratings (see website for full details and rules). Entry fee: £3.00 per entry. Professional critique available for an additional £5.00. First prize £150; second prize £75. Third prize is two of our books Open Short Story Competition Sunpenny Publishing Church Cottage North Ferry Road Carleton St. Peter Norfolk NR14 7BD http://www.sunpenny.com/competitions/sscomp.html

16th Annual Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story Contest sponsored by Tom Howard Books. Closing date 31st March Entry Fee: 12 American dollars for any amount of submission. Competition for stories, essays and other works of prose of up to 5,000 words. Any theme, any style Prizes: $2,000, $1,000 and $500 plus High Distinction Awards of $200 and Highly Commended Awards of $100. Submit online http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/tomstory/ts_guidelines.php

Write a Story for Children Competition. Closing date 31st March Entry Fee: £2.10 This international contest from the Academy of Children’s Writers is for stories of up to 2,000 words suitable for children of any age group up to teenage. Entries must be accompanied by an official entry form Prizes: £2,000, £300, £200. Entries : ACW, Competition Entry, P. O. Box 95, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. PE28 5RL. England http://www.childrens-writers.co.uk/competition.htm

April
15th Writersinc Writers of the Year Competition Closing date: Monday 14 April 2008 Entries Poems: Short: £4 for each individual poem up to 80 lines (£10 for 3 entries) Long: £8 for a sequence (up to 400 lines) or individual poems over 80 lines (max 400 lines) Short Stories: £6 per story £13 for three stories Writing for Children £5 per story Feature Journalism £3 per entry There will be five categories for the competition in 2008: Short Poems, Extended Poems, Short Stories, Writing for children and Feature Journalism Entries may be on any subject and in any style. £3,500 in prizes Check website for full details http://www.writersinc-london.org.uk

Norfolk Poets and Writers 6th Davidian Open Poetry Competition Closing Date 23rd April 2008 Entry fee £2 per entry or 6 for £10 Asking for short poems not exceeding 10 lines Open theme any form or free verse Asks you to submit one cover sheet with personal details and list of titles and two SSAE’s or UK postage stamps. Entrants over 18 only, poems in English. Selected poems will be published in a competition anthology. No entry form – only one poem typed per page. This competition promotes the Davidian new poetry form (2002) W Webb (DAV08) 9 Walnut Close Norwich Norfolk NR8 6yn Cheques made payable Wendy Webb Books Enquiries:tipsforwriters@yahoo.co.uk

Pulsar Poetry Competition. Closing date 30th April Entry Fee: £2.50 for the first, £1.50 thereafter. Cheques payable to: Ligden Poetry Society. Pulsar magazine are asking for poems of up to 40 lines on any subject. Winning poems will be published in the September 2008 edition Prizes : £125, £75, £50. Send to: Poetry Competition Administrator, Pulsar Poetry Magazine, 34 Lineacre, Grange Park, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN5 6DA. http://www.pulsarpoetry.com/Pulsar_poetry_competition.htm

The Peter Pook Humorous Novel Competition Closing Date 25th April Free entry to two part competition, in two parts, aimed at finding his modern successor. Answer three questions by reading “Going Through The Motions” by Lesley Bown, which can be borrowed from your local or bought from Emissary Publishing. Part 2 which requires a synopsis and the first 5,000 words of a humorous novel, of any genre, style, location, subject. Entry Forms and full rules from: The Peter Pook Novel Competition, Emissary Publishing, P.O. Box 33, Bicester OX26 4ZZ
www.peterpook.com/peter_pook_competition.html

Sending you all my best wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
This is Jan signing off on the One Hundredth and final posting on this Blog.