The latest copy of Mslexia has been sitting on my bedside table, untouched, for over two weeks now. This is the magazine every woman writer should learn by heart a few days after it drops on her doormat, as it has everything you ever need to know about writing and getting published.For my defence, … [Read more...]
A ride anyone?
I saw this in a car park yesterday and couldn't resist. What I found most alluring was the detail to attention. The mannequin has red lips to match her red stilettos, and red sidecar. A belt, 7/8 pants and even beads around her neck. She looked so real that I had to do a double take when I parked my … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 8
During the two weeks I spent in the UK in August 1981, the sun never stopped shining and the music never stopped playing.At first Radio 1 sounded very American to me. All laughter and superficial chatter. But it played the hits I didn’t even know to crave for in Finland. The station was always on in … [Read more...]
A sign to save us all
Ernest Hemingway said, 'The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shock-resistant shit detector.'My sign is looking a little worn out now. I put it up above my screen in November 2007 after spending a weekend at Westminster College, London. Together with 200 or so other would-be … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 7
The Finnair flight to Heathrow in August 1981 was almost empty. There were two air hostesses and one steward, who kept me topped up with orange juice and water. I was nervous. I’d never been to England before. I was used to travelling on my own, but London was a big city to get lost in.As the plane … [Read more...]
Soup recipes please!
I've made 5 soups in two days. My daughter had maxifollical surgery on Thursday. The hospital sent her home with a pack of 24 Nutri drinks (which taste disgusting), because she's not going to be able to eat anything solid for about two weeks. I believe in the healing qualities of home cooked and … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 6
When I finally saw the Englishman through the glass wall at the Helsinki airport arrivals hall, I felt suddenly calm. I hadn’t imagined how handsome he was. The Naval Officer I’d met at the British Embassy cocktail party six months earlier in October 1980 was real. I hadn’t fooled myself into an … [Read more...]
Broadband problems and too much time in hospital
Apologies for my online absence. Daughter had her long awaited operation on Thursday and at the same time BT Broadband went down. Not sure if these two occurrences are connected.As we spent most of the time in the car between home and hospital, being off-line didn't matter that much. When we brought … [Read more...]
Landlocked
I've always had a thing about islands. I was born in Tampere, an industrial city pegged between two of the 190,000 lakes in Finland, Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi. When my family moved to Stockholm, we didn't get very far from water. The capital of Sweden is made up of beautiful islands. But as a Finn I … [Read more...]
Readers and followers unite
I get many comments from friends and acquaintances about my blog. They enjoy it and often send me an email, facebook message, even text to let me know. Which is really, really nice and great. But....it would be really, really even nicer if those who do like the stuff I post would take just that … [Read more...]
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