Update, it's been a while.

So, here I am. New rented property, new area. Time to update you all on what's going on. I'm sitting in my conservatory, listening to the hum of the tumble drier, smelling my laundry quietly scorch dry, trying to work out how it's been seven years since I last posted!

Life happened. Covid happened, although so far it hasn't caught me, which is probably just as well. There are perks to being mostly solitary, I looked on at the world doing its best to isolate during lockdown, and mostly failing dismally. My thoughts on it? 'Finally! I don't have to make excuses for not turning up at things. I don't have to accept invitations, only to cancel at the last minute under a tide of anxiety! They were actually some of my most contented times.

I'm not going to delve too deeply into what that says about me. I am an introvert. My therapist daughter would probably find a place for me along the autism spectrum, and while I do have some very obvious character 'quirks' I can live with them, label or no.

I tend to agree with Kryten from Red Dwarf: "Over the years I've developed some serious character flaws of which I'm extremely proud!"

I'm rambling again.

I became interested in stained glass and learned how to make it, mainly from YouTube, an excellent place, so I'm told, to learn pretty much everything. Now that's a theory I want to explore. Can you indeed learn anything? Can you imagine if Dexter started creating how-to videos? Or what if a rogue ChatGPT suddenly decided to become a creator, and all those inane, somewhat sketchy questions we ask it suddenly started appearing in video form?? Ok stop it... step away from the side quest!!!

(Where's hyper-focus when you need it!)

Ok so, the stained glass. I started off rubbish and got better. That's usually how it works. I loved colour and this was the perfect way to show it off. Over the months, yes only months, hyper-focus was my friend back then, I amassed a lot of pieces, finally deciding to branch out into glass fusing as well. I created a Facebook page to show off what I'd been doing, called myself 'Breaking Glass' started doing craft fairs to sell off some of my creations, the only reason being so I had room, and money, to make more. It did tend to consume me for a lot of the missing years and while I still have an Etsy shop, and my Facebook page, and the craft fairs (got two this month), my attention is turning back to writing.

Someone has been sitting on the sidelines for a few years now. Watching as I gave him a beginning, a damp, freezing doorway and a chance (so he thought) meeting with a little girl. Then I left him there. Occasionally when I've been free-thinking while soldering a new glass piece, he's tapped me politely on the shoulder and asked if I could write him somewhere warmer while he waits for my attention. When we moved back in July, DIY consumed me until I had this new place to my liking and stained glass was ignored.

One day, while sorting through things to throw away, I came across a writing course I'd done. Cue a side quest that would put me back firmly in writer mode. I read my submissions, and the responses, noting that every assignment came back with a Distinction from the tutor, and praise, coupled with constructive criticism covered the response. I remembered how much I'd loved crafting the two books, I felt the need to write again. My patient hero sat himself front and centre in my brain and said "Right, my turn now."

So here we are. You might be pleased to know that he's not in the cold doorway anymore. I might say he's going to get himself in some very hot water soon, but I don't want to discourage him from sticking around. This is his time now and I look forward to seeing where he's going to go now he's free.

The reason for the random cap picture? It says "Choose Love" no, not Cheese Love, no cheese was harmed in the making of this cap. NO. It does not say Cheese.. stop it!

Stick around, things could get interesting.