I try not to watch too much television, but with Springwatch airing all this week and the French Open Tennis Tournament taking place, I’m finding it hard to resist the remote and sofa combo!  Springwatch is being shown in the afternoon as well as the evening this series, making it doubly difficult to concentrate on words and paper.  However, I’m doing pretty well.  Today, I only watched the tennis as I ate my lunch.  Yesterday, I watched the opening 20 minutes of the afternoon Springwatch before getting back to work.

They have lots of cameras on nests, it’s very rainy and the star of the show seems to be an Osprey, named Monty.

Since moving to the countryside 4 years ago, I must admit the shine has gone off Springwatch, a smidgen.  There’s so much wildlife all around me, it so often surpasses anything on screen.  Saying that, Iolo Williams is a welcome addition to the team.  Who could forget his tantalising pronunciation of the word ‘ruffling’ on ‘Springwatch Unsprung’, a year or two ago?

As I get older, I lose track of years.  They’re like leaves, rushing down river, eventually submerged so that the water clogs up all my memories . . . God knows what I’ll be like when I’m an old woman!

I’ve caught bits and pieces of the tennis over the last couple of days, including Rafael Nadal against  Germany’s Daniel Brands.  This was an interesting encounter, as I haven’t seen Nadal in action for ages.  Brands made a positive start and his heavy serve and flat ground strokes paid dividends.  He went on to take the opening set but Nadal soon found his rhythm and took the next three, closing out the match in memorable style.

Unfortunately, there is little British interest in the tournament.  Andy Murray is out with a back injury and Laura Robson lost her first round match against Caroline Wozniaki.  Heather Watson showed pluck in her first match since contracting Glandular Fever, but lost the fight in a close three setter against Stefanie Voegele.

However, there have been moments of hope and a few stories unfolding for the home crowd, as Gael Monfils appears to be launching a come back and Marion Bartolet shows grit and character as she attempts to get her serve back on track.

Anyway, despite these distractions, I’ve managed to put in some more work on my collection of interlinked stories, or novella, (label undecided)!  I’ve also  registered as a professional artist with local network: Artlinks.  Hopefully, I will be able to avail of some mentoring to help me get more focused when it comes to business matters.  I’ll have to wait until next year if I want to apply for a bursary, but that’s fine as I probably need the time to decide on a suitable project.  I’m looking forward to engaging further with the artistic community in Waterford and feel certain this new venture will lead to exciting developments.  I’d better get planning!

Ooh, I almost forgot to mention, booksales have picked up for my short story collection: ‘Heart Strings’.  In case you weren’t around when I launched the title back in December, these 10  stories are united by their strong, emotional content: the sweet, the magical, the romantic and the ghostly . . .  Go here to meet Athena, an imaginative recluse who buries herself in literature, sweet treats and other people’s lives. Fascinated by her mysterious neighbours, she finds herself tempted by expensive jewels, playing a dangerous game she doesn’t understand.

Click on the book cover and you get to read most of Athena’s story for free!  Let me know what you think.

Springwatch, The French Open and Booksales.