Spreadsheets

I've recently changed to Microsoft Office 2007 - have I told you this before? I find some things work better than the old edition and some don't, but I've got used to the word processing side of things.

For the last two days, though, I've been working on a spreadsheet and I found this very different - certainly not so easy. I've actually been tearing my hair out - no, that's not true - but you know what I mean. Why won't it do this? Why won't it do that? How do you this? How do you do that? Do you know, I much prefer reading instructions from a book than using their on screen help.

Does anyone else think the same way?

News

I've heard from my editor - just as I was starting my paperwork! She likes the first half of Blake & Kara's story, but the second half needs some work doing on it to make it stronger. I'm leaving it, though, until everything else is in order. If I don't I can see the jobs never getting done.

We've had some terrible downpours of rain today and our electricity went off for a few minutes - luckily I'd just saved the work I was doing on a spreadsheet. Because we live in the country we often have power cuts, usually only lasting a few minutes, sometimes seconds, but it can be annoying when I'm working on my computer. I've got into the habit of saving my work every few sentences. But you can bet your bottom dollar that if I forget to save because the muse is working well then that's the time the electric will go.

Life

Life is back to normal. If it ever is normal! I have a mountain of paperwork to cope with - the main one being my annual accounts which I've kept putting off until I can put them off no longer.
And while we've been enjoying ourselves with our grandson the weeds have sneaked back into the garden - so that's another job to be done.

Also - I'm still waiting to hear from my editor. In one respect I want to hear, in another I'd like the time to get all my jobs done.

The Waiting Game

I hate playing the waiting game. I know it's been less than a week but already I'm anxious to know what my ed thinks of my book. Fortunately we now have our eldest grandson to stay with us for the rest of his school holidays - so, I'm going to take a break from my computer, and blogging for the next couple of weeks (she says hopefully) and really enjoy the time we're spending with him.

Friday the 13th

Is it dangerous to send off a manuscript on Friday 13th - because that's what I've just done?

I've spent all day giving Kara and Blake's story its final polish and now it is in my editor's inbox.

I feel drained - but happy. I think I might open a bottle of wine this evening.

I'm nearly there!

The first draft of my latest book is finally finished and over the last few days I have been busy reading through it and making alterations - sorry, I mean improvements. I now have only two chapters left and then a final read through before Kara and Blake leave me to sit on my editor's desk. I hope she enjoys their story as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Titles

I love the way the titles of our books change when theyare published in another country.


I've just received two copies of The Italian's Ruthless Baby Bargain in German with the title:

Die Nanny und der romische Millionar

Perfect!

Writing

I had hoped to finish my current book before the school holidays and visits by grandchildren. But it hasn’t worked out like that. It’s proving quite a slow book to write. Not that I’m complaining, I love the storyline and I love Blake, my hero, he’s totally gorgeous. But whereas writing is sometimes like swimming with the tide, on this occasion it’s like crawling through mud.

Must get on...

Grandchildren

I might be quiet for a few days as we have grandson number one staying with us. Yesterday - just for the day we had grandson number two. And guess who tires us out the most. No 2. Two years old and lively and loud - and wonderful. No 1 is fourteen - and old enough to amuse himself. He's probably loud and noisy too when he's with his friends, but with us he's quiet and polite and has a wicked sense of humour - just like his grandad. Between the two of them my life is not worth living!!! But I wouldn't have it any other way.

Help!

Does anyone know how to overcome a problem I have with Microsoft Office?

After I have used Find and Replace, whenever I try to scroll through my document for other reasons it keeps jumping pages using Find again. I can’t fathom out how to knock it off without actually turning my computer off and on again.

Any help would be appreciated.

Sitting or standing?

I read an article in the newspaper the other day stating that no one should sit down for more than six hours a day - for health reasons. And that even getting up and exercising frequently did not count. Six hours is the max!

So how about office workers? Eight hour days. How about authors? I worked ten hours yesterday. Not the norm I hasten to add, but I always work about seven hours. And even after work I sit down and watch TV - or go out for a meal and sit down. So many people have sitting down jobs.

Fortunately I can't remember what the dire consequences are - and the newspapers were collected this morning so I can't check back.

Thank goodness. Because I shall carry on doing what I've always done.

Writing analysis

I've been reading about other authors having their writing analysed to see who they write like - so I decided to give it a go myself. It was surprisingly quick. I entered a whole chapter and in seconds I was told that I write like:

James Joyce

Mm.......

Food, food, glorious food...

We went to the wedding on Sunday of the son of some very dear friends of ours. Why do I always cry at weddings? The bride looked absolutely radiant. Everything was perfect. The whole day, the food, the venue, the disco (maybe the disco was a bit loud but we stayed until the very end anyway).

We actually stayed the night at the hotel which was once some old farm buildings which have been splendidly converted into a hotel/restaurant. It's a rambling place with secret corners and a perfect place for weddings.

Yesterday we went straight from the venue to some friends for lunch who happened to live in the area. And last night we visited some other friends who we see on a fortnightly basis and usually go out with them for a meal. But we had a light buffet supper at their house instead. Thank goodness!

Today I had fresh fruit for breakfast!

Rain, rain, go away...

After all the hot weather we've had it is now raining. Not continually, thank goodness, at least not in this part of the UK, but it's enough to keep me indoors. Enough to keep me writing without thinking that I'd like to be out there soaking up the sunshine.

I had a lovely surprise in the post today. A photo of my two year old grandson taken at the nursery he attends. He'd just had his hair cut (boo hoo, he had lovely curls) and it's very short and makes him look older. More like a boy than a baby. OK, he's not a baby any more, but I'm sure you know what I mean. He's totally gorgeous, not that I'm biased or anything like that. He lives a little too far away to see him as often as I would like, so this photo is extra special. It's already sitting in a frame on top of my bookcase.