Days like these

The re-writing continues, slowly but surely.

This picture frame allows me to rotate Little Planet's artwork.

Little Planet made a combined Valentine's Day and 5th Wedding Anniversary card for us.

I got this cute little knitting counter free in a magazine.

My mother bought this cushion cover in Assam, India.

A light snack.

Little Planet's breakfast plate.

My first cable scarf; my first ever attempt at cable stitch.

I finished sewing these linen tablemats yesterday.

Little Planet is so into her princesses these days that they marry each other, have children together (only daughters), and men are strictly not allowed to enter their world.

Weekend chilling

This weekend, we visited Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park...

And ate an Argentinian lunch at Garufa in Highbury, North London...

But the rest of the weekend was spent at home. Painting...

Jumping on the bed whilst the sheets were in the wash...

Going to Mass...

Eating Paul A. Young artisan chocolates...

Reading...

Knitting...

Preparing to sew a patchwork cushion for Little Planet's bed...

Putting up Christmas decorations...

Finishing the second draft of my novel. Hurrah!

Tweet tweet

Since I am tweeting far more than I am blogging, I thought I'd compile some of my tweets since easter. Please read from the bottom up :-)

• Still following Paul McKenna's eating principles. Feels like second nature now. Combined with the running, I feel really trim & fit.
  
  
• 2 chapters left to write and draft 2 of my novel will be written. Will have to a draft 3 though...
  
  
• Still doing my Couch to 5k runs three times a week but have had to repeat a few weeks as I find this running lark a bit tough.
  
  
• Lil P is having a Halloween party with her childminders this afternoon. From 7pm bedtime my lights will be off & I'll be ignoring the bell!
  
  
• I was (am) so lazy & NEVER wanted kids as I liked my life but Mr P persuaded me & am so happy he did! It's an adventure
  
  
• I am thankful for the time change and am looking forward to running in daylight again tomorrow (I am an early morning runner)...
  
  
• Clocks went back in the early hours of this morning but we still got a lie in and had to WAKE Little Planet up. Hurrah!
  
  
• Little Planet dressed all day today in her Halloween witch's dress & hat, running around like a crazy loon with her magic wand.
  
  
• Kali puja yesterday, pheasant & pumpkin pie for dinner tonight, slow cook venison stew on hob for dinner tomorrow, preschool starts again.
  
  
• I am naturally lazy so follow the "benign neglect" school of parenting. Little Planet seems fine inspite of it :-)
  
  
• Besides, you're not with your kid all day long - they go to school, sleep loads (hopefully). You DO get time for you.
  
  
• Yes, kids a lot of work but LIFE is a lot of work and that makes it so much more rewarding. Think about the longterm.
  
  
• I love fireworks but not when they keep 3 year olds, recovering from colds and still coughing, awake when they want to be sleeping.
  
  
• finished A Village Affair by Joanna Trollope amzn.to/s3Serk #Kindle
  
  
• I've actually stopped watching it (Downton) as I've lost interest in the plot. Sunday night is now just Curb Your Enthusiasm :-)
  
  
• finished The Photograph by Penelope Lively amzn.to/mXO0hc #Kindle
  
  
• We're back from NYC. Will post photos soon.
  
  
• finished The Summer Without Men by Siri Hustvedt amzn.to/etWgfG #Kindle
  
  
• Today we're off to check out diners, galleries and boutiques in Williamsburg. But first, brunch at Freeman's. The weather is glorious!
  
  
• Saw the great Sam Shepard as Butch Cassidy in Blackthorn last night in a fab indie cinema on the Lower East Side. A great Western for 2011.
  
  
• Great NYC eating: strawberry milk & bagel bombs @ Momofoku Milk Bar, pizzas @ Keste, burgers & sausages @ DBGB, coffee/cake @ Ground Support
  
  
• Little Planet happy w. Grandma back in London but I am missing her like crazy. I admit I shed tears leaving her at nursery before flight.
  
  
• Lots of shopping in NYC - DKNY, JCrew, Barney's; biscuits & gravy at Peels in the East Village; De Kooning retro at MOMA.
  
  
• Momofoku Noodle Bar (NYC) in two words: Delicious, NOISY! I'm getting old.
  
  
• Off to NYC. Back next week.
  
  
• We have such great weekends. Love having Mr Planet home so we can enjoy life as a family. Must blog about our weekends again but time lacks.
  
  
• Lovely day today: Morning in Hyde Park, lunch at Rowley Leigh's very child-friendly & elegant Le Cafe Anglais, book shopping in Piccadilly.
  
  
• Countdown to our trip to NYC next week begins. Yippee!
  
  
• finished An Experiment in Love by Hilary Mantel. superb story of growing up in 60s england. amzn.to/rtxra5 #Kindle
  
  
• Lovely day today: Yang Fudong films at Parasol Unit, beef/bone marrow & pork/apple sliders at Spuntino, home for fun in paddling pool.
  
  
• Will stick to Anne Rice I think. Silly me for reading a teen book and thinking I might enjoy it. Oh, wait, Judy Bloom was awesome...
  
  
• Only a third of the way through the teen novel Twilight but really, it's quite poorly written isn't it. Still not understanding the hype...
  
  
• Struck down by food poisoning AGAIN! This time Mr Planet too. Will give eating out a wide berth for a while...
  
  
• finished Every Last One by Anna Quindlen. intense and detailed account of a family tragedy. amzn.to/m0wCS3 #Kindle
  
  
• There is something strangely meditative about ironing name tags to tiny pairs of socks.
  
  
• I've been ironing name tags to socks. I used to be so fun. (Actually, I really enjoyed it, ironing, listening to music loudly!)
  
  
• Really loved Great House - so beautifully written. Only issue I had with it is that all the characters had the same "voice".
  
  
• finished Great House by Nicole Krauss amzn.to/qI0b2D #Kindle
  
  
• Been ill for a week with food poisoning and a cold. Feel better now but am so glad I don't have to go into an office: I feel a bit skanky.
  
  
• ......And Twilight for when Little P is careening around me and reading concentration is not required.
  
  
• Currently reading 2 books: Nicole Krauss' Great House for the hours I can read without interruption (usually after Little P's bedtime)......
  
  
• As the "I Don't Know How She Does It" film is released SJP is annoying the hell out of me. Yes she's a mother but she has HELP & LOTS of it!
  
  
• At last, a reason to watch TV on a Sunday eve: Curb Your Enthusiasm & Downton Abbey return. Hurrah!
  
  
• finished Black Album, The by Hanif Kureishi amzn.to/rdYDNF #Kindle
  
  
• Week three of Couch to 5k completed. Still finding it hard though.
  
  
• It's time to apply for a September 2012 primary school place for Little Planet. Currently surrounded by OFSTED reports and SATS results.
  
  
• This little program (Mac & Win) forces me to turn off the Internet for a specified amount of time, forcing me to work: macfreedom.com
  
  
• 1st run of week 3 of Couch to 5K completed. Phew! It was hard. Can't believe I'm supposed to be running non-stop for 25 mins in 7 weeks?!?
  
  
• finished The Pile of Stuff at the Bottom of the Stairs by Christina Hopkinson amzn.to/gL2vGF #Kindle
  
  
• finished The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood amzn.to/pgtMJJ #Kindle
  
  
• I am spending so much time reading novels on my Kindle that I'm no longer surfing the net so much. Result!
  
  
• Da Polpo do delicious Nutella pizzettas. Also this weekend, a trip to the Childhood Museum in Bethnal Green.
  
  
• We had a pizza weekend. Saturday lunch at Da Polpo in Covent Garden and Sunday lunch at Pizza East in Shoreditch (the best pizza ever, IMO).
  
  
• I managed an afternoon nap today too, albeit with Little Planet bouncing around on the bed singing. The things mothers get used to!
  
  
• Holiday Monday spent at Hampstead Heath fun fair (candy floss!) then long lunch at Burgh House (showing Little Planet where we got married).
  
  
• Sunday morning in fabulous Clissold Park. Now a lazy afternoon at home: Little Planet playing, Mr P gardening before it rains & I'm reading.
  
  
• Mr Planet transforms the humble pork chop with buttery mashed potatoes & cabbage stir fried with onions & juniper berries. Comfort food.
  
  
• Lovely Saturday spent in Hyde Park & the very Zen Serpentine Pavilion with beautiful flowers. Survived the freakish downpour under a tree.
  
  
• Have bought a Kindle. Arrives Tue. Have already downloaded Siri Hustvedt's latest & Hanif Kureishi's The Black Album to my iPad Kindle app.
  
  
• Week 2, run 1 of couch to 5k done! Yipppeeee!
  
  
• Final week 1 run of Couch to 5k completed this morning. Hurrah! Week 2 commences Saturday.
  
  
• Finished 2nd (W1R2) Couch to 5k run today in the pouring rain. Feeling terrific!
  
  
• Actually, Little Planet's 3 and the "Whys?" have already started. At least she keeps me on my toes and my brain ticking over.
  
  
• Maybe I need to start tuning out occasionally... We want our kids to be bright & enquiring but we also want them to quiet down!
  
  
• Bliss, she's totally absorbed in playing. Peace at last... for now...
  
  
• Argh, why can't 3 year olds come with a mute button?
  
  
• Week 1, run 1 of Couch to 5k completed. Feels good!
  
  
• ... enjoy some art (Richard Long, Chapman Brothers). Blog post coming. Also bought beef & bone marrow burgers from Ginger Pig. Yum!
  
  
• And Mr Planet & I had Friday off to shop (DKNY, UNIQLO), eat (Nordic Bakery, So Sushi), buy books (Anita Desai, Julian Barnes) &...
  
  
• Great morning @ V&A Museum of Childhood, delicious pizzas @ Pizza East in Shoreditch then stroll through & play in Finsbury Park (the park).
  
  
• My new exercise regime: Couch to 5K - Live Well - NHS Choices - nhs.uk/LiveWell/c25k/…
  
  
• All appears calm here. Loads of locals protecting the streets it seems & most businesses open as usual.
  
  
• Police all over here too, but hoping it's precautionary rather than expecting trouble.
  
  
• Every time I hear a police helicopter over the house I think Shit! We're not in the thick of it but we're close so we could be #londonriots
  
  
• So first #londonriots and now #birminghamriots? Crazy.
  
  
• Walking barefoot in wet grass after dark. A most blissful meditation.
  
  
• I am Little Planet's PA. So far I have arranged her first playdate & booked her ballet & gym classes for next term. She needs her own diary.
  
  
• Early birthday present from Mr Planet: an iPad 2. Bliss! Though I'm spending more time downloading apps for Little Planet than for me.
  
  
• Recent outings - Southbank and Portobello Road Market. Photos soon.
  
  
• ... drink and eat out in the garden!
  
  
• I've prayed all day for rain because I'm not good with the heat, but Mr Planet has bought home beers & is making tonkatsu & I want to...
  
  
• Animation exhibition at Barbican (disappointing), pizza, Carter's Steam Fair at Clissold Park, lots of gardening. Lovely weekend & weather.
  
  
• ...I distracted her with a story about a giant dollshouse where Mr Moon lived in the attic and soon she was trotting nicely beside me. Phew!
  
  
• ... she had a little tantrum at the beginning and I thought "Uh oh, it's wet and she's on the wet pavement refusing to move!" But
  
  
• Weather like this makes me wish we still used a buggy. Fortunately she managed to huddle under the umbrella next to me and run along... but
  
  
• Mr Planet is making pasta ribbons with chicken livers for dinner tonight. Can't wait!: bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/p…
  
  
• Since Lil Planet turned 3, we've ditched the buggy altogether. She's walking absolutely everywhere now & building up her stamina. So proud!
  
  
• And excellent shops on the Blackstock Road - so much better than I remembered it. We found a Scandi '70s armchair there for our living room.
  
  
• The new & improved Clissold Park is really great - can't wait for all the improvements to be 100% completed.
  
  
• We're now thinking of introducing Little Planet to sushi. Perhaps at one of those conveyor belt places first.
  
  
• A three-parks-weekend this w/e: Finsbury Park, Clissold Park & Highbury Fields, plus delicious Mexican food at Mercado Cantina in Stokey.
  
  
• A weekend at home doing nothing and everything but most of all chilling. Taking walks, baking, cooking, gardening, playing, reading. Bliss.
  
  
• Got my hair done @ Aveda tday. It's no longer cascading down my back but barely skimming the top of my shoulders. Looks stylish but... gulp.
  
  
• Lovely day: boat on Thames to Greenwich, pizza for lunch, Maritime Museum where Little Planet made paper pirate ship, dinner chicken & figs.
  
  
• Attended a sublime Rabindra Sangeet (Tagore songs) concert today. Voice like honey. I'm in love.
  
  
• This "eating when only genuinely and physically hungry" makes food taste even better than before. Loving intuitive eating & am still losing.
  
  
• Sunday: Church (very good for training Little P to sit still-ish for 45 mins and try-not-to-talking) then Islington (Highbury end) shopping.
  
  
• Dinner was tuna steak, very lightly grilled, with wasabi mayo, watercress rocket salad w. orange zest made by Mr Planet.
  
  
• Grt wknd: sci-fi @BritLibrary, sliders @Spuntino, Phil-Lorca diCorcia @SpruthMagers, shopping @APC,Albam,Fenwick,RLauren,OliverSpencer,Folk
  
  
• Little Planet particularly loved the samosas, aloo chaat, uthappam and sag & paneer dosa at Ravi Shankar. She loves spicy food. Hurrah!
  
  
• Natural History & Science Museums then Hyde Park yesterday; Church, London Zoo then lunch at Ravi Shankar on Drummond St today. Lovely days.
  
  
• Ok, am getting all gushy but for a woman who once didn't care whether she had children or not, I sure am so so happy Little P is in my life.
  
  
• Then both Mr Planet & Little Planet crashed into sleep at 7.15pm - all that fresh air & chocolate! I'm left alone to surf the Net in peace.
  
  
• Fab Easter, made so special by having Little Planet :-) Church, brunch, Easter egg hunt, gardening, roast lamb & chickpea mash & asparagus.

Daily routine

Now that 3 year old Little Planet has started preschool (5 mornings a week), I have a new daily weekday routine that I thought I'd record here. She still goes to her childminder but now only two afternoons a week so that I have two full days for writing.

Monday:
7am - Wake up Little Planet, get her ready and give her breakfast whilst we read together.
7.30am - I go out for a run (30 minutes); return, shower, eat breakfast; Mr Planet goes to work.
9am - Drop Little Planet off at preschool (2min walk away).
9.15am - Return home, sit at desk with coffee, write, stare out of window, write some more.
12pm - Pick Little Planet up and walk her to the childminder where she will have lunch, play, then have dinner.
12.30pm - Return home, have lunch, write, drift, write, do a few chores, look at time and in a panic write some more.
5.30pm - Collect Little Planet.
6pm - Return home, play with Little Planet, tidy up together.
7pm - Stories, milk and bedtime for Little Planet.
7.30pm - Make dinner and read, write some more, watch TV, surf Internet, knit, potter until Mr Planet comes home (anytime after 8.30pm) then eat dinner.
10.30pm - Bedtime (I like my sleep).

Tuesday:
As Monday except no running.

Wednesday:
Morning routine as Monday (including running).
12pm - Pick up Little Planet from preschool, bring her home, have lunch together then play.
2pm - Take Little Planet to her gym class.
3pm - Back home and playing including painting and/or phonics and/or numbers and/or computer and/or baking plus I try and fit in some chores.
5pm - Little Planet's dinner then a bit of TV then playtime.
7pm - Little Planet's bedtime routine then my evening as Monday.

Thursday:
Same day as Wednesday but no morning run, and instead of gym class Little Planet has a sports class in the afternoon.

Friday:
Same day as Wednesday (including my morning run) then the afternoon is completely free for Little Planet and me. Her Dida (my Mum) will usually pop round for the afternoon to play with Little Planet, or we'll go to the library and/or the park.

Weekends:
Out and about as a family!

Random shots...

... from recent weeks. Building storage shelves for our understair cupboard:

Driving the double decker bus at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden:

New shelves for Little Planet's toys in one corner of our living room:

An afternoon of Rabindranath Tagore songs at the Tagore Centre, North London:

Homemade pizzas and a mozzarella and tomato salad for dinner one evening:

Homemade pistachio biscuits with ice cream and strawberries for dessert:

Little Planet made a pirate ship (with a little help from her dad) at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich:

Little Planet helped Mr Planet make oat biscuits on a very wet Sunday:

Plotting out the final few chapters of my novel:

We've enjoyed a few meals out:

We've enjoyed a few rounds of croquet in the garden:

A warm Ottolenghi salad of butter beans, feta cheese, sumac, garlic and parsley for lunch:

A boat trip down the River Thames. Little Planet pretended to steer:

Newsflashes

Little Planet news #1: She's now doing poos and wees in the toilet and potty. Daytime nappies and pullups are now history. Not 100% sure whether success will be maintained on long days out. We have pretty little knickers hanging on the line.

Little Planet news #2: We're weaning her off her buggy, getting her to walk more, building up her stamina so we can ditch the buggy altogether. I'll miss her buggy because it is a divine red Bugaboo Bee that we've had since her birth. It will be a while till we ditch it completely, I think, as we tend to go out for long days on the weekend and walk for miles. But the point is, we're working on it.

Little Planet news #3: I'm taking her to Church every Sunday now. Just me and her. Mr Planet is an athiest. I'm very proud of her - she's a fidget and I need to take stickers and plastic dinosaurs with me, but she manages to keep fairly still and quiet for forty-five minutes. I think it's the perfect way to get her used to being patient and keeping quiet, excellent preparation for school. More importantly, she enjoys it and likes saying hello to the Father at Communion.

Little Planet news #4: She's a week and a half away from turning three!

Little Planet news #5: This September, she starts preschool. Next September, she starts primary school, gulp. Like me, she's a Summer baby, so will start primary school just turned four. To be honest, she's ready for proper school now.

Mrs Planethalder news #1: I'm one month away from completing draft two of the novel. Thereafter, I want to do a third draft but that should only take a month (fingers crossed) and then I will send it off to agents whilst at the same time start writing a new novel.

Mrs Planethalder news #2: I'm taking another year off, coinciding with Little Planet starting preschool and an idea for a new novel that I'm itching to write. I want to take Little Planet to activities such as football and/or ballet, I want to bake cakes with her, I want to do dropoffs and pickups and chat about her day. And I want to write. Simple.

Mr Planethalder news #1: Mr Planet starts a new job soon - still in law, still in the City, but at a new firm that he is very, very excited about.

Mr Planethalder news #2: He's still very much in love with David Chang's Momofuku cookbook and I am very much in love with eating David Chang's recipes.

Planethalder family news #1: In between potty-training, buggy-weaning, winding down in old jobs and getting excited about pastures new, we're dashing about London enjoying ourselves - the science fiction exhibition at the British Library was sci-fi-tastic and the Philip-Lorca DiCorcia Polaroids at Spruth Magers were inspiring; I highly recommend the sliders of ground beef & bone marrow and the salt beef & mustard at Spuntino in Soho, alongside the shoestring fries, cheddar grits, brown sugar cheesecake and pretty young male servers with tattoos; much shopping and browsing at A.P.C on Dover Street, Skandium & Divertimenti in Marylebone, Albam & Postcard Teas in and around Soho, Oliver Spencer & Folk on Lambs Conduit, and toy shops in Islington (Highbury end) for Little Planet's upcoming birthday.

Planethalder family news #2: And much cooking and eating, of course - everything from seared tuna steaks with rocket & orange salad plus wasabi mayo; through paneer, tomato & pea curry and chicken curry with fenugreek leaves; to sausages with fennel seeds & Marsala gravy with buttery mash. Tonight, either pizzas from Princi or linguine with artichokes, chives, lemon zest and Dijon mustard.

Planethalder family news #3: This Bank Holiday weekend? Oh lots and lots. Stay tuned.

A spring day

Mr Planet had the day off work today. Together, we dropped Little Planet off at daycare then returned home. He prepared us both a simple and delicious breakfast of egg with guacamole.

We inspected our garden as it bursts into Spring. Here are our tulips budding to life.

Mr Planet enjoyed his coffee and magazine in the sunshine.

He decided to freshen up one of our outside walls with white paint. He'll cover a portion of this wall with blackboard paint so Little Planet can chalk on it to her heart's content.

Meanwhile, I got on with revising my second draft. Goodness, I've found loads of holes in the manuscript that need plugging.

Little things

I don't have a lot of weight to lose, but I do want to shift a few pounds. So I have started to eat more intuitively - that is to eat only when hungry, to eat slowly, to stop eating when I'm satisfied or full (even if this means leaving food on my plate) and to eat anything I want. Basically, it's eating like a toddler but without the fussiness and tantrums! I lost 7lbs in the first two weeks of eating like this. I don't weigh myself again until another week or so but feel so much lighter, more energetic, less bloated.

Recent meals we've cooked have included a curry of paneer, tomatoes and peas - a chickpea and chorizo stew with spinach - linguine with crab, rocket leaves, capers and red chilli flakes - lightly seared tuna steaks with a salad of rocket leaves, oranges and toasted pine nuts - a tagine of chicken with saffron, green olives and lemons served with brown rice - sausages in a sauce of Marsala wine, Dijon mustard, onions, fennel seeds and served with, of course, buttery mash - tofu marinated in soy sauce and red chilli flakes and served with an okra and oyster mushroom stir-fry. I'm eating anything I want, even chocolate and ice cream, but my portion sizes have gone down by half or, in some cases, by more than half.

We tend to go out on Saturdays and on Sunday mornings or else entertain friends and family, but Sunday afternoons are reserved exclusively for Mr Planet and Little Planet to bake bread, biscuits or cakes. Little Planet loves pouring in the ingredients, mixing them in the bowl and eating them raw!

The coming of Spring means washing hung out to dry on the line. There is no better sight, for me, than white cotton sheets hanging out to dry.

I have two knitting projects on the go: an orange merino wool scarf for me and a charcoal grey wool scarf for Mr Planet. One day I will progress to something more challenging, like a cardigan for Little Planet or some gloves for me. For now I am enjoying the hour of easy knitting I do when Little Planet is in bed and Mr Planet has yet to return home from work - after a day of writing (or trying to write, see previous post), there is nothing better than to knit and contemplate. I get a lot of ideas when knitting, so my laptop is always on.

Television programmes I've been enjoying have included Marchlands, South Riding, The Big C and Great British Food Revival.

Easter is coming up and I am planning an Easter Egg Hunt for Little Planet. I'll buy lots of smaller chocolate eggs and hide them inside her toy cooker, her doll's house, her doll's buggy, her Lego box, her toy garage, the toy box in her bedroom, behind the books on one of her book shelves, inside empty flower pots in the garden, inside the shed... Oh, it's going to be so much fun!

I haven't given up anything for Lent, but I have reduced the time I spend on the Internet. On that note, cheerio!

Daily rhythm

Writing, writing, stalling, stalling, stalling, stalling, writing, stalling, stalling, stalling, stalling, stalling.... Argh!

Popping in...

...for a quick update though little in my routine has changed: My weekends are filled with the usual activity - museums and galleries (alone with Mr Planet, or en famille as Little Planet is beginning to love these spaces too - that's my girl!), eating out, going for walks, cooking, baking, chilling, visiting with family and friends. I'm reading a lot too. Recent books I've loved include The Cookbook Collector, The Hand That First Held Mine and Ms. Hempel Chronicles. And I'm still knitting - mainly scarves for Little Planet and myself as I don't have to concentrate too much and can knit whilst Little Planet plays.

A few weekends ago, Little Planet had her favourite books blessed at a Saraswati puja here in North London. Saraswati is the Hindu goddess for learning and the books blessed included Where The Wild Things Are, The Cat In The Hat, Gruffalo's Child and In The Night Kitchen.

In a couple of weekends, Little Planet will be Christened - as a Catholic, like myself. Though it may be interesting for you to know that her father is an atheist, her maternal grandparents are Hindu, her paternal grandmother is Methodist, her paternal grandfather is Jewish and her childminders are Muslim. And when I was younger, I called myself a Zen Catholic - go ahead and Google the term, it makes for interesting reading - as I segued from Buddhism to Catholicism (but that's a whole other story). We truly are a 21st Century family as far as belief goes.

Here's her Christening dress:

My weekdays are filled with writing the second draft. That's it.

This is my life right now. So, until later...

The long re-edit

The first draft of the novel is complete! Now the long re-write, because it really, really needs it. I think this is how I will attempt the re-draft:

1. Print out each chapter
2. Read paper copy of each chapter and annotate changes after a fresh re-read
3. Re-type the chapter fresh into a new document and re-write as I do so
4. Then put aside and start on the next chapter
5. Try not to think about the next book, as I have the idea, structure and notes for that already. Step away, Planethalder!

I started re-drafting Chapter 1 yesterday using this process and it seems to be working. But we'll see. It can all change if I discover plot holes or weak characters etc.

Butt in chair

Uh oh, the three week Christmas and New Year break has made me lazy and my writing has careened to a halt. So, to reinstate the discipline required to finish this book I am reciting the following routine first thing each morning (well, as soon as Mr and Little Planet are out of the house - I try and usher them out by 8.30am):

1. Butt in chair

2. Step away from the internet

3. Open up Word

4. Start tapping away

That's all there is to writing really and I need to get my butt back in the chair and write.

Head down

Well, I've completed the chapter-by-chapter, scene-by-scene outline for my novel. It's run to 33 pages so it's quite detailed. I know from experience of writing my previous two novels that some or many of the scenes will change as I write, but for now I am very happy and excited with the plot, characters, structure and scenes. The novel's set in present-day London and Calcutta and there are two main characters whose stories intersect, and several more minor characters. Now I have the scenes all laid out, I've identified the research I need to do to bring the scenes to life. So, it's head down now. Blog posts will be few and far between, I suspect, and limited to photos. See you soon!

Tweet, tweet

We had a lovely weekend, the highlight of which was going out for a Turkish lunch with six of us. In lieu of a proper weekend post (aside from the wonderful lunch, we did little else but play and relax at home), here are some recent Tweets:

• Cauliflower cheese for dinner tonight. Comfort food of the highest order.
• Happy wedding anniversary, Mum and Dad! I love you both xxx
• Homemade potato salad with spring onions, chives, parsley and mayo for lunch today.
• When M is home, Little P can never get enough of him. She's his little shadow which he loves, but he then gets worn out from no down time.
• I can never get bored of baklava. Yum.
• Downpour and soaking aside, it was a lovely day with a Turkish lunch for six.
• I was a good host and lent my umbrella to a guest and then got stuck in a torrential downpour. I was soaked, of course.
• I have to collect Little Planet from daycare soon and it's not only pouring with rain but I hear thunder too. And no car. Help!
• M and I have both taken today, Friday, off work so we're heading into town for a day of fun :-)
• This morning Lil P woke up so I called out "Hello" & opened her door. She shouted at me "No, go away Mummy, it's Daddy's turn to say Hello!"
• Little P is experiencing her first celebrity crush: Carrie & David Grant from CBeebies' Pop Shop. She gets excited & shy by turns. So sweet! (Photo above)
  
• The sheer size of A Suitable Boy is proving a little intimidating. I'm still (slowly) reading it but also dipping into A Married Woman by Manju Kapur (re-reading it actually) and Anita Desai's Fasting, Feasting.
• Saw Toy Story 3. Exhilarating, funny, emotional. Brilliant!
• Uh oh, storyline for one of my major characters has changed completely. Time for a major reworking. All good tho as the story is stronger.
• Fancied simple dal and rice for lunch today. So that's what I'm cooking.
• Am beginning to get so lost in my writing that I forget that I have to pick up Little Planet. I need to set the alarm for 5.15pm each day.
• Just started to read Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy. Brilliant! I can't believe I've never read it before - a veritable literary soap opera.
• Little Planet woke up this morning wanting Feta cheese with her Cheerios.
• Squirrels eating my Gerberas - buds and all. Googled a solution & laid down red chilli flakes all around the plant. Seems to be working.
• I love the rain now that I've got green fingers.

Mid-week interlude

A break for lunch today - a delicious Byron burger, fries and freshly-squeezed lemonade in Islington.

Butterfly sun hat for Little Planet from Green Baby next door - the store we virtually lived at when Little Planet was a baby.

Organic baby creams also from Green Baby.

Back home to work. Having completed detailed outlines for the plot, sub plots, characters, setting and structure, I am now working on mapping out the novel's scenes.

Homemade tonkatsu and carrot and daikon pickles for dinner tonight when M returns home. And the planting of two more tomato plants.