Anna Aden Writes

Nothing much for a hot day. Masking tape, the note books with apples on top, the money pot, a rescued pre-loved stationary arranger, hole punch, calculator and two pair of earrings. 

It's been another busy week at work, so I'm glad for the weekend. Saturday Pub lunch with Big Momma It's been a long time since my mother and I have had a pub lunch. At one point it was a regular thing, or just going for a drink at our local pub. Once in a while, Big Momma, Sis and I would go out, normally for a Sunday roast lunch, at a local pub. Normally near me or near Big Momma. The food varies. This is my favourite place to have ham and eggs, the chips crispy and light. Delicious. This is hard to do since a lot of chips can be fried if the oil isn't heated at temperate or isn't fresh. So Big Momma and I come here once in a while. Big Momma had the vegetarian option which was a bean burger. She said it was the best she had had in a very long time. New Clothes from Jigsaw Sale I can't remember the last time I was in Jigsaw, but I was wondering around King Cross station and I found a store so I went in. They had 70% sale items though I got mine...

Apologies for the late post! I've been so busy I nearly forget, then yesterday I went visiting my mother so I couldn't do it. Anyway, it's not that exciting. So all I could scrap together was sixteen pounds. I did have twenty but when I got home, I got some takeaway chips from the local fish and chip shop. I had a portion of oily chips and a saveloy sausage. They aren't best chips but only local chippy round so they have the market share. The other chip shops sell french fries. I don't think their oil is hot enough when they fry.Yes, there is an art to selling chips, but then again, they are the only ones for miles around. So the cost of the my chips and sausage cut into the twenty leaving me with a handful of change and those two notes. Anyway, before then I had a nice evening with my mother, spoke to my sister and watched a bit of TV.  Not digress anyone, above is a picture of the money jar with money. You can see some of my old IOUs from the pot.

A fairly busy desk compared with previous weeks. So lets start with the folder. That is my one of my writing folders, I have a few scattered around my home. On the left hand side is a pencil, opposite is a famous text called the The Art of Styling Sentences. Yes, I figure I need a little more practice in writing clearer sentences in some of my scenes.  I had a conversation with Big Mama (my mother) about this writing lark. Before I just used to write a draft and go on to the next, but since publishing my books, I've had to really think about editing and making sure I produced a story to the best of my ability, and if you have followed me on the blog you'll know the this current manuscript has been a real task in time, money and effort.  Anyway, I've had this book for years but never used it - but then I had no cause to as the other stories just feel into place. Let's not digress, next are the fruit and veg my mother brought from her garden. Three apples (lar...

There isn't much this week because work has been busy and I've also been trying to focus on editing the novel which is finally making some sense. Harvest of Apples and Veg from Big Mama's garden Big Momma (aka my mother aka Ma) harvested some apples from her apple tree. She's really into gardening so I'm going to collect some later on. I'll probably have them in a smoothie.  These are the cucumbers. They won't look like cucumbers in the supermarket because those are graded and sorted for sale. However if you worked on a farm or you garden, you'll know that vegetables comes in all shapes and sizes. However for aesthetic reasons, supermarkets only take certain produce. In fact, there is probably some regulation else where. A long time ago, when the basic and thrift range was trendy, the supermarkets used to sell odd-shaped vegetable and fruit on the cheap. However they don't look aesthetically pleasing and most people thought there was somet...

Week thirty three and  I can only spare £10 as my own funds are running low. So this means I'll have to owe the money jar, nothing new there. It will probably be like this until payday which is in a few weeks. Maybe I should call this the IOU game. So I went to the cash point thinking I could withdraw at least thirty pounds but I only had forty pounds left in it until payday. This mean I had to be what accountant call 'prudent'. If I took out £30 - yes, I intended on owing £3, I would only have about £10 to live on until payday. I've had a few expenses, like I decided to top up my oyster card, instead of using my bankcard. We are basically cashless in the UK. However I put on a fair amount, probably more than my monthly transport would cost. Then other incidentals which I can't remember. Also I think because I'm now in the thirties so it's a lot of money. So it's getting harder, people, harder. I have seven more weeks in the thirty pound zone, th...

Another tidy desk and it's probably because I'm working on the sofa, so one sofa seat currently acts as as an 'in tray'. Anyway this is my desk. So two note books, the first is notes and the second underneath is more or less for rough scribblings. There is a a pencil. Rymans is a popular stationary chain in the UK, and pricey - well the cost of stationary had really increased in the last year or so. Maybe due to the political climate? Who knows? But paper is expensive so I might have to curtail my  lust for it, maybe start reopening half used notes books.  Beyond the notebooks on the far upper right handsome is the money pot with an eyeliner pencil on top. A littler further to the desks edge is my water bottle. Coming back down is a folder with some writing and composition notes. 

It's been a busy and tiring week so nothing much has happened. I've just being going to work and coming home. Literally that. I've even cut down my walking because I've been so tired after work.  It's more or less the one of the busy seasons of my job.  August Writing Report There is nothing writerly about the image but I thought it was nice. It was taken on Parliament Hill about a week ago, and it shows a misty view of the London skyline. Let's talk writing... I seem to be treading water and my book still isn't coming together so I'm thinking of a 2020 release date. It's a hard one to say why because the big picture works well, and I even took Holly Lisle's How To Edit Your Novel course but it didn't do what I thought it would. I've also tried using my old editing notes and 'how to write' books but I've got overwhelmed with the different approaches to the same thing. Also as I said, funny enough it all works ...

I decided to start paying towards my outstanding money jar debt. So even though this week was £32, I had £35 so I decided instead of taking change back, I was seriously considering picking out £3, I should just cancel the amount from one of the IOUs. Yes, its three ten pound notes and a fiver with the money jar. So I got out the IOU which had a balance of £5 and cancelled £3 pounds leaving on £2 on the debt. I mean the debt for this particular IOU. There are a couple more IOUs in the money pot. I guess, I should be about to cancel off the entire £2 debt in the next money session, provided it's not another IOU because I forget to go the bank to take out money. It defeats at the point doesn't it. Taking out money from the bank to put in a money pot. Who does that? Oh the perils of internet money challenges!

So not much today. My folder of writing notes, but I took time out for some drawings. I have a lot of paper around the place that I use for scrape.  pretty much the same, my jar of organic coconut oil, which has surprisingly being a good moisturiser. However I need to get back to cocoa butter soon. Next to the coconut oil is my water bottle from a health retreat called Amchara Health Retreat. It was in a Somerset stately home, I have pictures.  Sis treated me too, and she booked one of the best rooms for me. It was a lovely four poster bed. The nights were completely dark due to no light pollution so it took some time for me to get used to. You can see my cabin case on the floor, to the right of the desk.  It was about detoxing and I did lose a few pounds and learnt a lot about healthy eating.   Not to digress any further, and back to my desk, next to the water bottle is my packet of Kleenex tissues, then the money pot. Yes, the famous m...

Cakes and Crumble for Konditor A few days ago, for a family get-together gathering, I got ordered two cakes from Konditor (formerly Konditor and Cook). In my opinion they are one of the best cake shops in London. However just a few days before the family event, it got cancelled because my cousin, the host, was feeling under the weather. But yesterday, I collected them and took them over to my mother. Above is the summer crumble - which is a peach and raspberry crumble - very light and great for hot weather. I have a feeling that it was smaller than the shop pieces. That maybe they bake different measurements for the shop pieces (which is what I eat). Anyway it was a great hit with Sis and Big Momma. Its also what I have when I go past the shop - which is now and again, depending on what route I take. This is the popular Red Velvet, but it didn't taste like how it used to. Saying that, I haven't had a slice for about two years and I guess once in a while, cake shops may...

Another week, more money and the pound had dropped. I was only going to take out thirty pounds and do write another IOU but I decided it was time to start paying. So I took out forty pounds, so at least, I could pay my thirty one pounds in full and the change will go towards my one of my debts. To be honest, I first I thought to take out nine pounds change but then thought better of it. I could I take out change when I owned the money jar some cash. At present I owe the money jar SIXTY SIX POUND STERLING in IOU notes. So I decided which IOU should I pay back? Should I go for the thirty pounds and end up with a balance of twenty-one pounds? Or should I do the twenty-two pounds? That would give me thirteen pounds left on the note. Or just scale down to the fourteen pounder and owe five pounds on that bill. There is so much suspense to my choice, right? Well, drumroll...... I went for the fourteen pounds IOU and stuffed the other IOUs back into the money pot.  So no...