Anna Aden Writes

I guess its a bit of an occasion having a clear desk. Nothing my laptop and red desk top. I'm working on tidying up the area around me, it's currently cluttered with things I keep saving, so hence the reason why desk is clear.  A collage of the past Let's face it, my desk will probably be back to normal -or it's cluttered state very soon.

It's been one of those hectic but uneventful weeks. First, I've had a string of work deadlines, and the family is still dealing with bereavement. It's also been very hot, I think it's being a record breaking 38C or 100F in London. At one point, trains were cancelled - the wrong kind of steel on the tracks. On a more serious note, there was fear the steel in the railway tracks could expand, and that could be dangerous especially at the high speeds. Quite a few people worked from home. Local Park Gets Shut Down in the Heat  for a Christmas Movie It was a bit odd to see the local park shut down and covered in fake snow since the temperature was about 26C. You can see the fake snow littered underneath the big tree, and a production people prepping the scene for filming. We tend to have a lot of movie sets around, especially with the posher timeless looking buildings. Summer is also a good time because of the available natural light. Waitrose Pims Displ

I'm late again! I forget to get some money out yesterday, then forgot again when I went out so I'm dropping in another IOU for week thirty. Yes, another IOU. I guess this makes it all unpredictable but so much is going on at work and in life. It's one of the busiest times of the year in my area and I'm working to a hard deadline.  Yesterday was so the hottest day on record in the London, and I didn't leave the office until about 7pmish. It's fine, there is air con installed, so it wasn't so bad. Anyway let's talk money...or my IOU. So that's the money jar and the IOU behind it is my remote control and yes, I still have a CD Hi-Fi. You can see my taped lead, as I said before I don't think some Apple products are as sustainable as PC. This lead is fast wearing and I need to tape in again to stop exposed wires. Also the insulation tape doesn't stick properly so I reenforce it with sticky/cello tape. PLEASE DO NOT FOLLOW THIS  WAY, AND IN

My desk is tidier than normal, though probably needs a wipe down. I guess, I've been actively working on editing so I've really needed to use it. Normally, I write anyway in my home with the laptop since it's fairly lightweight.  Let's crack on. At the far edge, is a notebook where I'm putting down editing comments, further up is a pencil sharpener which I tend to use more for my eye liner pencils, than actual pencils. After that is my desk lamp, a pen, pencil holder and the big jar of organic coconut oil. I use this as a hair and body moisturiser. Normally, I use Palmers cocoa butter but I haven't been to the area where I get the big jar, and it's quite expensive in my local area.  Next is the Big Boss's book on Mastery - still unread, underneath is a folder of sorts which either photoshop or writing notes. This reminds me I need to sort out my cover.  After which is my glasses's case and MacBook air. So that's my desk for this today. 

It's been a slow week but I think that's just due the family bereavement so things are out of kilter and emotions are dulled at present. I've also been escaping into my writing so nothing much. Summer Body Treatment: Waxing It's that time of year when all bare legs are out, so I decided to do a home-waxing treatment.  I don't shave my legs (too much information, I know) because I end up cutting myself and scarring. I've tried twice and have the scars to show for it. So normally, I just go the salon for a wax treatment but I decided try it at home. Again, I'd done it once before with the honey pots and found that messy. So I went to the local drugstore (Super Drug) and they had a few on special offer. I opted for the Veet brand, and it was okay. Not as good as going to the beauty salon. I think these treatment only work with very thick hairs, mine are thinner. So shaving would be ideal but I cut myself and scar. Therefore next time, I'm goin

It's been a funny old week, I forgot to post my 'show my desk', I wrote it but didn't publishing. My family is still coming to terms with our bereavement so things have been a bit up in the air. This week, I only have £15 cash to put in the money pot so it been £29, I've put in an IOU for £14.  Nothing much to say, other than my phone fell again, so I might put the money cash towards getting me a new phone. I'm currently on android One Plus but I miss my iPhone with all the apps. But again there is always a but, this one has a dual sim so I can have two sims cards. I don't know. At first the One Plus was a good buy until the screen broke and I had to replace it. Yes, that was where I got stung for nearly two thirds of the phone. I could have got a new phone but it's all about data...data. Which reminds me, I need to do a backup. I'm not sure how much there is, as I currently owe £36 plus the first weeks I didn't pay in. So far, I'm st

Not much. Just my On Editing book which has been useful above it is the 52 week money challenge's money pot. After that is my desklamp, penholder and my big boss's book called Mastery. I haven't had a chance to look at it yet, I'll have to do that when I finish editing my book. Next is just a pile of notes from editing. 

Music at South Bank Centre's Tonic Friday  I'm a regular visitor as the Southbank Centre after work so I can do some writing, and every Friday they have a free music session called Tonic Friday. I caught a young man rapping last week, this time it was a jazz singer. I heard her during the sound check and stayed a while for the performance, it was very good. My Aunt passed away yesterday. Big Momma received tragic news that her sister passed away, it was very unexpected, so it been a strange weekend.   Bees buzzing away It's been a good summer for the bee population, I hope it is the local population rather than migrant bees.  I took this picture of the honey bees at work, outside Big Momma's home. With this said I've only seen a bumble bee about twice in my life, the rest of honey bees. It's a bit like the red vs grey squirrel. I've only seen a red once. Self indulgence  I've visited my favourite bakery shop called Cook and Kond

I decided it as time to start play back my debt so the money jar so I saved a five pound sterling note and swapped it for five pounds worth IOUs. Don't get excited, I still owe about twenty-two pounds though, and there is still the first six weeks to play up. Plus this challenge is going to get a wee more difficult. Current change for week 28 of £28 So this week, I finally managed to get the right change as you can see two tens, a fiver and three coins. The top picture of one of me walking over the Waterloo bridge and the sunlight spread across the River Thames. I thought it was a nice moment to capture on my phone. Back to savings. Note this is a bit political so move on if you aren't inclined. Well it seems the pound sterling is losing its power against other world currencies which is such a pain. The exchange rate has plummeted, the politicians just seem like characters in a cheap reality show. The entire situation is bizarre, and obvious the markets have no conf

A neater desk to start to week. Yay! Starting from the left hand side, is my blue notebook - there I keep random writing, tasks lists and to-do lists. Underneath is my A4 refill pad from Rymans and this is where I write out scenes and other stuff before I type them up.  Next is my desk lamp and penholder. After which is the book on Mastery, and no I haven't read it. I think that has been sitting there for a few months now. It's really my big boss's book. He's really kind and generous man. Moving on is my Spellbinding Sentence book by Barbara Baig I'm working through. The main issue with Baig's book is that she assumes all writer writes the same.  And if you don't write the way she assumes or according to her premise, it's can be tedious.  The assumption? Well she assumes as writers we all have the same type of imagination, as in visual. But we are all different, some of us are aural based, or sensory based and others are visual. We all proc

Early this week, there was some filming in a park, not sure what it was since I rarely watch TV. I'm either writing, working, reading or on social media. I got out of watching TV when I was studying for exams. Litterbugs in the Parks  Why do people insist on putting their rubbish in a full bin without considering the wind would blow i away? Not only that, it's a few yard away is an empty bin. I'm not the litter-police but it's just unsightly because the wind blows rubbish from overflowing bins on the lawns.  What happened to people carrying their rubbish home? I do, or at least to the nearest bin. Walking up the London West End  I went to the London West End  twice this week and walked up from Trafalgar Square, up Pall Mall East, Haymarket until I came to Piccadilly Circus, and it is practically a tourist circus. I think it's to do with the weak pound because there just seem a higher influx of tourists. The pound is very weak, it's practically £

It's a late one today but I only had £25 pounds so I put in an IOU for £2. Those are the pictures, the picture above was taken in St Pancras Square, King Cross - where Google is -  where I saw waterlilies growing in the fountain. Total IOU I decide to see how much I owed the money pot and it came up to £27 and maybe a bit more because I missed the first six weeks- I started in week seven, but I'll see if I see if I can afford to do it. That is a picture of the City (business district) of London below the picture of my IOUs.

Today I have more of a writerly desk, so let's roll. From the far left handside is my writing magazine, I treat myself to it, and it has some interesting articles at times. It's just something I flick though the way other people buy GQ, Vougue or Marie Claire. It's my monthly interest magazine, and no I don't do the writing exercises but then who buys all the clothes, make-up and perfume advertised in the high-end women's magazines.  Next is a bottle of vitamins, this was a gift from Sis. Yes, as you probably realise, Sis is very generous with her gifts as they are normally featured on my desk. If fact the Apple Notebook is also one.  A small fact is that I bought my first phone only two years ago because for the last ten years, Sis gave me all her hand-me-downs. She's very on top of technology - ahead of the curve, wave or early adaptor.  Anyway she got me them because she's into healthy eating and body care, and probably got them on discount.