<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning /> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas /> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> <w:DontGrowAutofit /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Thank you, Sue, David, Maureen, Laurie and the Writelink community as a whole - because without you, my writing life would&rsquo;ve felt bereft.<span>&nbsp; </span>(No, I&rsquo;m not drunk, even if I have had a sherry or two that was left over from the Christmas Day trifle!).<span>&nbsp; </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Thank you, too, for the Christmas magazine, David, Maureen and Laurie &ndash; the front cover is amazing and the content of variable goodies, darlings, are absolutely fab &ndash; u &ndash; lous.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, I just wanted to say that Writelink has, and still does, play a great part in my writing life, and I&rsquo;m looking forward to popping in as per usual in the New Year of 2012.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The photograph of the robin I took today whilst on a bike ride - come New Year's Day, though, what's the betting I'll still weigh the same!</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">P.S.<span>&nbsp; Nearly </span>forgot to add that I&rsquo;ve been twittering and my other name is @Mazrilyn.<span>&nbsp; </span>What a treasure chest that has proved to be.<span>&nbsp; </span>Whatever you do though, don&rsquo;t look at my Boxing Day Tweet pics.&nbsp; They are scandalous!&nbsp; <em>Blush</em>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The libraries in and around the area where I live, have been selling off books, priced at &pound;1 for a carrier bag full.&nbsp; Altogether, I filled three carrier bags (as if we haven't got enough books, we're drowning in them!). &nbsp;They weren't all for me, only three, the rest were selected for family and friends, who I know will appreciate them.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Susan Hill is a favourite author of mine, and since I've not read: <em>The Risk of Darkness, </em>this was one choice.&nbsp; To be honest, although well written, it left me feeling quite depressed, especially having just finished reading another favourite author's book entitled: <em>The Year of the Flood </em>by Margaret Atwood.&nbsp; After reading the latter, I couldn't face the cooking, or eating of any meat for a while.&nbsp; Still, both books are excellent, even though I did write quite a depressing poem based on the latter read.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Another selected book is entitled: <em>Kiss Chase and Conkers - The Games we Played by </em>Caroline Sanderson.&nbsp; I chose this one for researching childhood memories via of traditional games.&nbsp; It's a little gem, and so too are our libraries.&nbsp;</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> <span class="mceItemObject" classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui> </span> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--></p> <p>After reading Caroline's post on <a href="entry/WoW-2-The-Tree-Year">trees, </a>I got to thinking of all those I often observe, photograph and think about.&nbsp; To begin with, here is an example of my winning poem based on the theme of a tree.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>January 2009</strong> <br /> Firstly, a special thank you to, (Rev) Linda Price; a poet and composer, who voted for my poem as the winner of the first poetry competition to be held in: <em>The Pages </em>magazine, hosted by Marit Meredith and her daughter, Kristina Meredith (Stina).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The poetry competition was based on a beautiful photograph of autumnal trees, which was enough to inspire me to write a poem, entitled: <strong><em>The Memorial Trees</em></strong>. As well as writing about a personal loss that affected our immediate family, and in particular my elder daughter, who shared the same autumnal birthday as her beloved Grandpa, I felt that the demise of the Second World War veterans should also be universally commemorated.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It was a great thrill to be announced the winner and receive a prize of &pound;25, not just on behalf of my family, but for all Normandy veterans like Grandpa and their remaining families. To read the poem, here is the address: <a href="http://www.freewebs.com/theapprenticewriter/">http://www.freewebs.com/theapprenticewriter/</a> Issue 4, page 9.&nbsp; February 2009.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>This year is a Census Year and Sunday 27 March 2011 is Census Day.&nbsp;</p> <p>For the first time ever your census can be filled in online. <a href="http://2011.census.gov.uk/Latest-news" title="Census News">http://2011.census.gov.uk/Latest-news</a></p>