March – Treading water

From a somewhat hectic beginning, February continued to live up to expectations, and so much more. I’ve barely been treading water, and the constant weight being added onto my shoulders is making it almost impossible to stay afloat.

A nine-year-old daughter with a social life better than my own hasn’t helped matters, as I’m being bombarded with dates and appointments that I’m trying to fit in the diary like Journal Jenga. Any hopes of making a dent in my outstanding wips flew out of the window, making a hasty getaway, never to be seen again.

I jest, but I shouldn’t. I know I have to face the giant elephant in the room. Now, I’m definitely not one to get political, but you can’t avoid or deny the atrocities that are being shown on tv, talked about on radio, or flashed up on screen as you scroll social media. My heart goes out to every innocent person caught up in the Ukraine crisis.

I think I speak for most when I say I wish there was more I could do to help. However, just a look around locally, or even across the web, there all kinds of charities to donate to, both items and money. It may seem small, but to those in need it could be a lifeline. Check out this article from the BBC for ways to help in the UK.

It’s important to stress that whatever you are feeling —worried, helpless, scared, nervous, angry— is also completely valid. Turmoil can inspire and motivate some, yet diminish and steal from others, especially creatively. So, if you are feeling a bit flat, that’s okay.

Certainly within the first week of the conflict, there was a lot said on social media by other authors and the creative community, and some of you may have noticed that I seemed to disappear. I just wanted to make clear that this had nothing to do with being ignorant or uncaring. We have had a family bereavement and I have been in a supporting role whenever I have been needed.

In other news, we have gone through three large storms, which brought some snow, floods, and pulled down our fence with the wind. My husband accidently left the burner on low on the hob so when I put my iPad down later in the day the case set on fire. A bit of quick thinking had me whipping the iPad out and shoving the case under the tap, which luckily saved the iPad but I can’t say the same for the case. Oh, and I had to fork out for four new tyres on the car as we are doing more motorway miles. So, it’s been a great few weeks and I’m doing my best to smile through it.

I’m just hopeful that nothing will derail my plans for March as, touch wood, I should be taking a little trip on an aeroplane for the first time in seven years! This trip was planned for 2020 and was rearranged because of Covid, but more on that later.

For all of my super subscribers of The Archer Express, I will have some exciting news going out to them in the next few days. I’d love for you to find out what it is too, so just pop your email in the box below!

So on to March we go and, like most, I have no idea what it will bring. And, as the song goes, we need to keep on keeping on.

Take care, Jodie xxx

P.S. Don’t forget to keep up with my antics over on Instagram, and keep an eye out for my next Author Q&A.