Cathy Le Feuvre

A Little Welsh Doll

If you take any notice of this blog at all, then you will have realised that it's been a whole twelve months since I posted anything.

My last blog post was March 1st 2022 when I wished you all a 'Happy St David's Day'!

And today I repeat that greeting ... including in Welsh ... because, of course, St David is the patron saint of Wales, and today is his patronal day.

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!

And in honour of the day, I share with you a Little Welsh Doll ... dressed in traditional Welsh attire ... but more of that later.

When I wrote my blog post last year,  I little realised what the succeeding 12 months would bring.

Let me explain ... and this will also explain my absence.

For quite a few years now I've been living with my darling Mum here in Jersey in the Channel Islands and although she grew older she remained well and happy and active. That is, until the COVID pandemic hit us and, in 2020, forced us all into 'lockdown'.

This affected Mum as it did many elderly folk across the world. We were together as a family (Mum and myself and one of my brothers) but our lives became 'smaller'. Mum's mobility altered and she became frailer. I worked from home for a couple of years but then, at the end of March 2022 I left my job, to work more 'freely' and give myself time to spend more time with Mum as her needs grew.

This time last year Mum was forgetful and not very mobile, and often terribly anxious about pretty much everything, but still herself really. Although we kept isolated, COVID finally got us in late March, and that seemed to speed up Mum's ailments. She quickly became very poorly and her forgetfulness developed into what we now know was full on dementia, with moments when she barely knew us. And yet, there were still moments of clarity and personality, and love.

In The Salvation Army, the Christian denomination (church) that Mum and I are aligned with, when someone dies we say they are 'Promoted to Glory' because we believe that when we die we do not 'disappear' into nothingness, but rather as believers we go to Heaven to be with God and Jesus and all those who have gone before.

In early May last year, our darling Mum was 'promoted to glory'. And although I know that, at the end, she was ready to go ... so tired and so poorly ... the shock of losing her was immense for us all, especially her family.

Mum was the centre of our family, the secure point in my life certainly. She had a special relationship with all her children and I, as the only girl, was privileged to have a beautiful relationship with her. She was not just my mother, but my role model in life and faith, my friend, the person to whom I turned for recognition and affirmation and wise counsel.

And, suddenly, she was gone. No more smiles or laughter, stories, kisses and hugs, support and advice.

The grief I've experienced in the past year has been ... well ... earth shattering for me.

For months I just couldn't operate at all. I was so tired - physically and emotionally exhausted - from the many months of caring for Mum as she became less well and less mobile, more anxious and more vulnerable. Not to mention the last six weeks or so including the final few weeks sitting beside her, holding her hand in hospital as she slowly slipped away. As a family we were able to say our final 'goodbyes' but the whole process ... including hospital issues which I won't go into right now ... was devastating. Losing her has also brought other challenges and anxieties for me and often I have found myself wanting some advice and not having Mum, my sounding board, to turn to.

Right now I'm still tearful at times because I miss Mum so much...but the gut wrenching grief, which overwhelmed me in those first days, weeks and months and which rendered me immobile at times ... is beginning to level out. A little.

And these days I find myself remembering and smiling, sometimes through a few tears, but more often with thanks for the lovely person Mum was, and the relationship I had with her, and the legacy of faith and love that she left us, her family, with.

Today was one of those days and this is where the Little Welsh Doll comes in.

My Mum was originally from Wales and she was very proud of her Welsh heritage ... she kept the traces of her Welsh accent even though she lived out of that country for most of her life. 

Years ago my 'Auntie' Lil, one of my Mum's 'Best Friends' in Wales, made this little doll, probably for a Salvation Army church fair, knitting the outfit which represents the traditional Welsh female national dress. Mum often said that when she was a little girl, she used to be dressed up in the dress, apron, shawl and big hat on St David's Day and for other special occasions. She loved that doll because it reminded her of her childhood and her family who raised her, her heritage, and her friends. The shawl also reminded her that when we, her four children, were babies, she swaddled us close to herself in a Welsh blanket or shawl as generations of Welsh mothers had done before her.

That Little Welsh Doll usually sits on her dresser, but in the past few years we've placed it on the other side of the lounge, on the fireplace mantlepiece where it was in her line of sight from her chair. Seeing it there made Mum smile, and brought memories flooding back.

This time last year when the doll was once again placed on the mantlepiece, we again had a conversation, as we had so many times, about the Welsh costume days, and the Salvation Army bring and buy 'fairs' or sales, especially in the early days of my Mum and Dad's Christian ministry as officers or church leaders of The Salvation Army, some of those spent in South Wales itself.

So, today, I took Mum's Little Welsh Doll from the dresser, blew off a few specks of dust which had gathered on the dress, and placed it on the mantlepiece.

And I smiled, albeit through a few tears, and remembered my Mum with all the love in the world.

I miss our conversations, even if we had them over and over in the past few years. I miss her so much, and every day, and probably will do so until it is my time to cross over to that other land. 

But today, as I remember St David and all my Welsh family and friends, scattered across the world, I smile and remember my darling Mum and give thanks to God that we as her family and friends, and the world, was privileged to have her for so long (nine decades) and we were privileged to be able to care for her at home until almost the end. I give thanks even for those final hours as we watched her slip into Heaven, heart breaking as it was.

Thanks Mum! Love you Lots! See you in the morning!

Hope you're enjoying your first St David's Day in Heaven!

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!

Happy St David's Day!

Today is St David's Day!

And if you're from the country of Wales, if you're Welsh, or part-Welsh (as I am) this is an important day.

On March 1st every year the people of Wales, and those of Welsh heritage wherever they are in the world, celebrate their patron saint. 

My Mum is Welsh so in our family we've always known about St David's Day. But it was when I spent my final two years of schooling in Wales that I realised how passionate people are about their saint, their history, their culture and their language. 

On this day, people wear the traditional symbols of Wales - daffodils or leeks - and in fact at school I remember one girl coming to class with a leek ... a huge vegetable ... pinned to her chest.

It WAS, of course, very funny ... and wow did it smell by the end of the day ... but it also impressed me as being a great show of 'nationality'.

On this day we may also enjoy traditional Welsh food ... my favourites are Welsh cakes which are like little griddle pancakes. Yum!

Today - St David's Day 2022  - also happens to be Shrove Tuesday, the start of the season of Lent, 40 days during which Christians prepare for Easter.

Shrove Tuesday is also known as 'Pancake Day' ... if you want to find out more about that maybe you'd like to read my blog post from 2021 when I wrote a blog every day of the year ... 'One Day at a time'.

But let's get back to St David, and you might be asking this question ... who was he?

Well in the 6th century, he was a Bishop of a place called 'Mynyw', which is the modern day St Davids, a city in the county of Pembrokeshire  in the southwest of the country.

David (Dewi) was born in Wales, although there's no clear evidence as to the year that happened. It is known that he was a celebrated teacher and preacher and that he founded monasteries and churches in Wales - St David's Cathedral is situated on the site of a monastery he founded in the Glyn Rhosyn valley of Pembrokeshire - in 'Dumnonia' (a kingdom in the southwest of England) and even Brittany in France. David is even believed to have visited the ancient religious site of Glastonbury. 

David established his own Monastic Rule, a system of religious and daily living for monks, and one of David's main rules was that when his followers were tilling the soil, THEY had to pull the plough themselves, rather than animals. Monks living by the Monastic Rule of David drank only water and ate only bread with salt and herbs - no meat, and certainly no beer. They were allowed no personal possessions and while David's monks worked in the day, they spent the evenings reading, writing and praying. 

So, why is David's feast day March 1st? 

That's the day when it's thought he died. As with his birth, there's a question mark over what year that was. Some say 601AD, others 589AD. 

David was buried in St David's Cathedral and his shrine was a popular place of pilgrimage throughout the Middle Ages. Invading Vikings removed the shrine during the 10th and 11th centuries but in 1275 a new shrine was constructed, the ruined base of which remains to this day.  

Although St David had been a popular saint in Wales since the 12th century, his religious feast day didn't become a national festival until the 18th century. And it's on March 1st every year that Welsh heritage people celebrate the man who now is their patron saint. Children especially are encouraged to celebrate as they learn about their history, and they often head to school for the day dressed as coal miners or in the traditional Welsh woman costume, with the girls often wearing a leek in their lapel. I remember at school one girl wearing such a BIG leek, a huge green vegetable, that it covered her whole chest and ... boy did it smell (like onion).

But why daffodils, and why leeks ? 

Well the leek became a symbol of the Welsh spirit because one legend says that St David advised his people to wear leeks in a battle against the Saxons. It was the days of hand-to-hand combat and wearing the leek meant that they would be recognised as Welsh by their compatriots in the heat of the battle - so no chance of someone killing a fellow Welshman! That's just one of the stories, but leeks were a popular food for many centuries and were also used for medicinal purposes, and the link with St David's Day is thought to be especially through the Tudors, who had strong Welsh roots and heritage.

And the daffodil?

This lovely yellow blooms appears in early Spring, around the time of St David's Day and it's just a joyful flower, isn't it?

But the floral link with Wales is fairly recent really and is thought to have been adopted as an alternative to the leek in the early 20th century, by which time the wearing of vegetables on your coat on March 1st had become a bit of a joke. Welsh politician and elder statesman David Lloyd George, who was British Prime Minister from 1916 to 1922, was said to be an advocate of the daffodil being used as a symbol of his Homeland.

The Welsh are a proud people and on St David's Day that pride is more obvious than ever.

If you're not aware, the country (now called the Principality) has its own ancient language. Welsh is a Celtic language - with links to the ancient Celtic Britons - and although for centuries Welsh was the common language of the people, it did fall into decline in the early 20th century as English became dominant. However in the 1990's the value of the native language was formerly recognised for its importance to the Welsh culture, heritage and future, with The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998  regulating that the Welsh and English languages should be treated equally in the public sector, where sensible and possible.

These days there's Welsh speaking media, the language is taught in schools, as well as there being educational establishments where Welsh is the predominant language for conversation and teaching. I read recently that as of September 2020, it was reckoned that about a third of the population of Wales could speak the language and more than 15% spoke Welsh every day. It's been a real success story for the reinvigoration of a mother language that could easily have died out. And if you visit Wales, you'll see signs everywhere in Welsh and English.  

I know just a few words of Welsh ... passed down through my Welsh heritage ... but I'm no expert.

So, finally, today I could say 'Happy St. David’s Day!

But I instead will sign off by wishing you ...  'Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant Hapus!'

Happy New Year!

Hi everyone!

Happy New Year!

It's 2022!

If you've been following me for the past year or so - thanks so much by the way - you'll know that during the whole of 2021 I wrote a daily blog called 'One Day at a Time'.

I managed to write or post something every day, which was a bit of a miracle at times ... and it was quite a journey.

Anyway, as I said on my final 'One Day at a Time' post of 2021 ... I'm still writing. I enjoyed the daily writing and was really encouraged by last year's experience and actually the daily post became a bit of a ritual so I'll still continue to ramble a bit from time to time - perhaps not EVERY day but more frequently anyway.

I have lots of exciting things coming up this year - including a new book - so do keep in touch!

From now I'll be posting again on this site, my main blog ... but 'One Day at a Time' is still there so please feel free to go back and read my year if you feel up to it! Click on that tab up there at the top of this page and you can read everything from Jan 1st 2021 onwards!

Meanwhile, on this first day of 2022 ... all I want to say is ... HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I trust 2022 will be healthy, happy and peaceful for you all! 

Live your dreams!

Have a great year everyone! 

 

 

Never Forget!

Where were you on Tuesday September 11th 2001? 

It's a date that, of course, goes down in history as one of the saddest and most shocking of modern times.

And today it's 20 years since what has become known as '9/11', that infamous terrorist attack on the United States of America

Four commercial airlines were hijacked mid-flight by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists.  Two of the aircraft were deliberately crashed into the World Trade Centre,  the iconic Twin Towers in New York City, with the subsequent collapse of those towers. A third was crashed into the west side of the Pentagon in Washington DC, the headquarters of the American military. A fourth was also hijacked and was also destined for the USA capital, but the brave passengers on board attempted to gain back control of the aircraft, which subsequently crashed instead in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Of course, it's the image of the burning Twin Towers that remains in most of our memories and that's why many of us remember where we were on that day.

At the time I was Head of Broadcast of a small (somewhat experimental) TV station in Hertfordshire in England. It was called 'Home TV' and it broadcast just to the towns of Hertford and nearby Ware and surrounding areas ... the forerunner, one might say, of the small digital and cable stations that sprang up later. We ran locally generated news, sports and weather mostly, mixed in with other interesting 'bought in' programmes and national news from SKY TV.

Some members of my small team and I were in the operations room, the control room from which we controlled transmission. It's a room with lots of TV monitors which allow the directors and engineers to see what's coming in and what being transmitted to our viewers. The SKY TV news feed monitor was always on so we could see what they were running, even if we were not 'taking' the live feed at the time.

It was around 3 o'clock in the afternoon and we were having a meeting about the upcoming local news bulletin - scheduled for 6pm - when we looked up to see the SKY TV monitor flick to pictures of the World Trade Centre in New York, with one of the towers (the North Tower)  ablaze. We turned up the sound to hear those words 'News coming in of ....'

We all stood there, pretty shocked, I have to say. And then, a few moments later,  we saw it ... the second aircraft plough into the South Tower.

It was devastating! It was at at THAT point that I realised that this had to be a terrorist attack rather than an airline crash or accident.

But with my news head on I also realised that we needed to break into our regular programmes and show what was happening there across the Atlantic in New York City and, as it transpired, in Washington DC and other parts of the USA.

We had to have special permission to dip into SKY TV outside of our contracted hours, so I picked up the phone to their control desk.

All I said was 'Home TV in Hertford, we're taking your news feed now!' I guessed that no one there would be able to answer questions because of the seriousness of the events unfolding, and I figured that if we were in trouble for taking the feed, we'd deal with that later. We flicked live to the SKY TV feed and stayed with it all day. Somehow, news of what was happening in two small provisional towns in the UK seemed immaterial at the time, as did re-runs of cartoons and natural history programmes and sports compilations.

I really can't remember if we did a 6 o'clock bulletin. What with trying to get reaction from local people and working with the small team of largely young and inexperienced staff who were, understandably, rather traumatised by the day, September 11 2001 became a bit of a blur.

It was only when I went home late that night and sat down to watch the national BBC News that the enormity of the day began to settle on me. 

That day 2,977 people were killed and more than 6,000 others were injured. The immediate deaths included 265 on the four planes (including the terrorists), 2,606 in the World Trade Centre and in the surrounding area, and 125 at the Pentagon.  Most of those who died were civilians but we know that 344 firefighters and 71 law enforcement officers died in the World Trade Centre and on the ground in New York City. Another law enforcement officer died when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into that  field near Shanksville and 55 military personnel perished in the attack on the Pentagon.

Of the 2,977 people who died, 2,605 were U.S. citizens and 372 non-U.S. citizens - all were loved, had families, some were dads and mums and grandparents. Each person is a hole in the life of someone else. 

9/11 is the deadliest terrorist attack on the USA and, in fact, in world history. Over the past two decades we've seen the experiences of that day played out on TV over and over and over. I think that must just be awful for those who lost someone that day, especially in the Towers, as they are being constantly reminded of their precious loved ones final moments of life.

Of course, we know that the 9/11 attacks led to an invasion of Afghanistan, where the al-Qaeda terrorists were allowed sanctuary, the eventual killing of the mastermind behind it - Osama bin Laden - and 20 years of Allied troops on the ground, with the loss of many more thousands of lives. American and British and other military personnel who were killed or injured in the subsequent years of battle and not forgetting the many many thousands of  innocent Afghanis who got caught in the cross fire. It's only last month - August 2021 - that the allies have moved out, leaving the country once again in disarray and once again under the control of the Taliban ... itself a radical Islamic group. But that's another story.

In the intervening years I was privileged to hear some of the personal stories of those who were directly affected by the events of 9/11. People who were on holiday in New York city and saw the events unfold in front of them. People who served at 'Ground Zero' (the place where the towers fell) for many months afterward, including chaplains and others from The Salvation Army in New York City and the wider north eastern provinces. People back here in the UK who were also affected and traumatised.

So today, as I have done every year  since that infamous day in 2001, I take time out to remember all those precious souls lost on that dreadful day.

I pray for their family, friends, loved ones, colleagues. I pray for the children who never knew their fathers, all those lives unfulfilled and the doors closed too soon.

And I remember them.

It's twenty years since that terrible day and we should NEVER forget them!

*This post also appears on my One Day at a Time blog, which is a daily blog for every day of 2021.

But I thought it was worth sharing here as well!

Never Forget!

Caution! World Under Repair

It's New Year's Eve 2020.

And if you weren't already aware, we're at the end of ... here we go ... I'll say it .... 'a very strange year'!

There - that's done! 

I could say much about the different ways we've learned to live, the things we've missed out on, the expectations dashed, the woes of the past almost 12 months during which a microscopic virus has locked us in, locked us out! Of life, of love, of the things and people and activities and experiences we love.

But I won't! Done that, been there, along with millions of others who have put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard this year!

I'll just tell you about a walk I took this lunchtime which, weirdly, turned out to be a bit of an analogy for life as we travel from 2020 into 2021. 

I live in a lovely place called Jersey - it's one of the Channel Islands, just off the coast of France, but British - and walks on the beach, or at least along the coastline, are my favourite!

One of my usual walks is from West Park, St Helier, to First Tower and back ... not more than a mile or two all told, but bracing on a winter's day!

I set out in the sunshine but we've been having a lot of showers recently and right at the start of my walk I spotted a rainbow.

Not a massive arc in the sky, but certainly a rainbow ... the kind which popped up in the early days of the pandemic in windows and on pebbles on the beach, drawn by unknown people as a symbol of hope in the darkness.

And straightaway I was filled with a strange optimism.

 

Yes, the sky was dark on the horizon, clouds still full of rain, ominous over Elizabeth Castle on the little islet in St Aubin's Bay,  but the sky above was strikingly blue.

2020 might have been full of gloom but in all that there has also been some brightness. Remember how we all pulled together in those early days, to keep ourselves safe, to keep others safe?  Remember how we kept our distance, washed our hands, wore our masks ?Remember how we clapped for our carers at 8pm on a Thursday evening, showing our appreciation for all those who were caring for us in hospitals and care homes, serving us in the shops and on public transport ? Keeping our communities working ? Saying 'thank you' to those who are usually forgotten but who, for a while, we realised were the real heroes of our communities.

But I looked into those dark clouds and was reminded  that it's not over yet. The second spike of this wretched coronavirus is hitting us hard not just here in Jersey but across the world. People are still sick, dying in vast numbers, isolating. Some people are still unfortunately not behaving like we are in the midst of a global pandemic. Some seem to have forgotten the sacrifices of the early months of this year, and the ongoing sacrifices that some are still making to ensure the ones they love stay safe. For some of us that means still working from home after nearly a year, forgoing the company of even our close family at Christmas and New Year and on birthdays and other special anniversaries. 

But as I peered into the horizon I spotted something really beautiful ... like a golden line just on the sealine, under the cloud. Just where the sun was hitting the water.

And then I looked up ... there IS blue sky overhead.

Could I equate that to the Covid-19 vaccines which are on the way ?

Perhaps! That's one way of looking at it.

But maybe it's about more  than that. 

It reminded me that when we pull together and remember that others matter as much as ourselves, maybe sometimes more than ourselves, we can get a handle on this! We did it in the spring and summer of 2020 and then we lost focus. We thought we could relax. We believed that we were invincible. We were wrong!

Along the seafront in St Aubin's Bay in Jersey the pink granite seawalls have recently taken a battering from the storms, the high seas, the winds of winter. They are hardy and strong, but even they couldn't stand the onslaught of nature.

But they are being repaired - even on New Year's Eve the guys were out doing their stuff to rebuild these beautiful defences.  It's not a job that will be completed overnight. It must be done with precision and care to ensure that the wall survives when the storms come again, as we know they will! 

As we enter 2021 I am reminded that we are in this for the long haul. Our World is 'Under Repair'!

We are not there yet. Even with the much acclaimed and longed for vaccines, we still have a long way to go. We still need to wear masks, keep our distances, endlessly sanitise our hands. There's no letting up. 

But if we all pull together, try to forgo our personal agendas and think of the wider common good, then with the added bonus of the vaccines, we may find that this coming year will be healthier and better than the last. We need to stay alert and not forget the year that was 2020. There are lessons in that there time for us all! 

The storm is still there ... over the horizon ... and it will come back I'm sure. But the blues skies are overhead! 

Happy New Year everyone! Stay safe! 

*All pictures /images by Cathy Le Feuvre

                                                                                                                                                      

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday Blog Hop - Debbie Duncan writes

My second Monday Blog friend is Debbie Duncan. She's a brilliant friend to me, and as you'll find out when you read her blog we're about to have a book published which we have co-authored. It's been great fun but has nuggets of truth and reality which we hope people will find interesting, thought-provoking, real and even challenging ... as they laugh out loud while reading!

Debbie's own blog is called 'Debbie's Deeds' ... so here she is to tell us more about her writing...

 

What I am working on?

 

At the moment I am writing a commissioned article for a nursing journal due in on the 18th June. The skeleton is in place ! 

 

I have just written a book with Cathy Le Feuvre. It is a novel about two women who are best of friends. They email and text each other about their everyday 'walking around' lives : family , singleness, work and life and faith. Some of the issues they discuss are sensitive issues we all deal within church life. It is sensitive, serious and silly at times.

It was a joy to write and there are loose threads for a possible Book Two! Watch Cathy's and my communications over the next couple of months for more information!  

 

Why do I write what I do?

 

I believe we all communicate in different ways to pass on what it is at our core. I am an educationist - I lecture in nursing at Kings College in London. I do communicate facts but I am also passionate about my faith. Writing is a medium I believe I can use to communicate that passion. 

 

How does my work differ from others in its genre?

 

I write with two hats on. One is as a nurse - I have had over 40 articles published in the nursing and medical press. I take the knowledge I have from my 20+ years as a nurse and blend it with my 20+ years as a Christian, wife and mother.  

How does my writing process work?

 

I usually think of the title before it becomes a book or an article. I agree it is a strange concept, much like a painter naming a painting before it is finished. But then you know what you want to invent before you have a working model. I then spend several months thinking about the idea. In my mind it grows arms and legs. When it is fully formed then I sit down to write. In a way I feel I live the book before it is fully formed. 

 

Articles are similar but obviously much quicker in their birthing. If they are for nursing journals then I also have to digest the context of recent research and use them to help form the body of the text. 

 

That's my contribution to the Monday Blog Hop. Now I am passing the baton to a brilliant writer and blogger ... it's your turn Dave Criddle ...

Dave writes a brilliant blog - 'Limping into Truth' - and he may not tell you this, so I will,  last year Dave was voted Young Blogger of the Year at the Christian New Media conference.

 

 

Monday Blog Hop - Bex Lewis on Writing

SO... The Monday Blog Hop continues....and the multi-talented Bex Lewis, who I first met at a Church and Media Network (formerly Churches Media Council) Conference some years ago, is my first guest on this blog.

Bex is, among other things, a polymath (yes, I needed to look it up too!) and a Research Fellow in Social Media and Online Learning at the University of Durham's CODEC. She's also posted her Monday Blog on her own website. Welcome Bex! It's over to you....

 

I haven’t had time to look at what others have written for this, if there’s a particular style, and I’ve been working hard on getting to bed early – so – on a Sunday evening – let me do my usual writing style of whatever comes out of my fingers …

What am I working on?

Well, nearly 4 months ago Raising Child in a Digital Age: Enjoying the Best, Avoiding the Worst came out, sold 2000 copies in its first 10 weeks, and I’m still doing articles, etc. related to that…

I still have a number of half-planned articles, etc. sketched out/part-written, but in the past week I have finally been putting into place plans that have been swirling around my head for 10 years, when I finished my PhD, which I am now planning on turning into a book. There’s several hoops with image rights, etc. to jump through, but finally I have done a version of the book proposal, had an hour long Skype with my PhD supervisor, which has left me with about 40 things to action…

For CODEC, aside from blogs for BIGBible, I’m working on a book review of Digital Religion (eds, Heidi Campbell), and starting to think about how to structure research around digital culture, specifically discipleship in a digital age, with ideas for a ‘big data’ project built around ‘photoshopped selves’ and self-representation of religious types on social media platforms … and I’d love to put my history skills to use taking a more longitudinal look at digital engagement in/by the church.

Why do I write what I do?

The best material I write is the stuff that I find interesting, or I passionately believe that it will help others. Occasionally I’ll write stuff to get it out of my head (especially if I haven’t got anyone to talk it over with) – but that stuff is rarely for public consumption. I self-describe as a polymath (but people aren’t surprised once they find out what one of these is – a person who’s expertise spans many different subject areas… sometimes known as renaissance woman – it considers all areas of knowledge as important - intellectual, artistic, social and physical … and polymaths are often quickly bored!!)… so cover a wide range of topics. My blogs can therefore feel a bit ‘scrapbooky’ as I collect different things, and my mind weaves them together in strange ways!!!

How does my work differ from others in its genre?

Well, that’s a big question, and assumes that I work within a particular genre! As we have just said … that’s not quite true for me! Fundamentally, I can see my academic/historian roots coming through in every piece of writing that I do … especially in looking for the source for things. I was disparagingly told that I was “doing meedja studies” whilst I was doing my PhD – I took that and went on to teach it, and that now affects the kind of stuff I’m involved in now. My work typically works more at the ‘public engagement’ level, which is still not that well valued in academia … but paid off with my book. And, on that note…. most books aimed re: children/the internet flash “danger, danger, danger”, whereas mine says ‘respect the space, but embrace the opportunities’!

How does my writing process work?

When I was doing my undergraduate thesis, I would get up around midday, do shopping/gym/socialising, then settle down to work sometime between 6pm and midnight and work through til about 4-5am… Doesn’t really work so much any more, but I still do my best writing on days where I have had the day before off (and got all the household tasks, etc. done), then sleep in without an alarm, do a few tasks in the PJs, maybe go for a swim, then finally get going around 2pm…

As an overall process, let’s talk about the book. I tracked down book titles on Amazon/university library, then sketched out ideas of the kind of topics that I thought I wanted to write about, asked around what others thought was important, focused in on particular books – read my way through those making a lot of notes, and continuing to scribble new ideas. I then dump all the notes into a word file (I played around with Scrivener, but didn’t really get the hang of it in time) – which is usually excruciatingly long. Print off 2 pages to a page … ID what each section focuses all, coming up with what tends to become my subheadings. Move everything around in a file under those subheadings and start to shape out each section at a time, so I can feel a sense of achievement. I will always start with the bit I feel most inspired to work on – as this gets me going, and soon have the pleasing look that there’s a pile of writing in front of me, and it encourages me to keep going. Introduction/conclusions always written last and together. Always bear in mind what I learned from my PhD – what is the job of this section, being ruthless – treating each word as a bar of gold, but also treating each version as a ‘draft’ so the pressure to ‘produce perfection’ is lifted … As I’m more of a starter-chasing after new things, I then have to grit my teeth to finish things … and am seeking rewards that aren’t food for doing this… much of my reward in the past has been to get on with another piece of work, but I’m trying to learn to focus, clap myself, and do something other than work, before starting the next thing…. One day I’m sure I’ll actually manage that properly!

Now – I need 2 other people who write to answer the same questions next Monday – any takers (maybe a couple of #digidisciple(s)? I’ll link from this blogpost once agreed…

*If you want to get hold of Bex the best way is through Twitter - @drbexl

Monday Blog Hop – talking writing

I recently received an invitation to take part in something called the "Monday Blog Hop". Writers ask others to blog on given themes and then post them on their own sites. I was invited by Amy Boucher Pye and so my blog (below) appears on her website today....thought I'd also share it on my site. I should be hosting Debbie Duncan's blog next week....

Thanks to Amy (Boucher Pye) for nominating me for the Monday Blog Tour. It’s been great getting to know Amy these past few months, since we first met in her home in North London over lunch and a very long chat. Amy is the editor for my latest book, which I’m co-authoring with Debbie Duncan…but more of that later!

As with the other Monday blog hoppers before me, I’ve been presented with a series of questions to answer. Just between us, this is a little strange for me. I’ve been a journalist for thirty odd years, off and on, so I’m usually the one asking the questions.

However … here goes!

What I am working on?

Right now? I’m researching and writing a new book for Lion Hudson publishers which is due to be completed by early autumn and is scheduled for publication next spring. It means I’m spending half my time in Victorian England.

It feels really strange seeing those words in print – ‘I’m researching and writing a book’ – because I think ever since I can remember I’ve had stories in my head and have been telling stories – to my teddies, my dollies, school mates in the dorm (I went to boarding school) and then various nieces, nephews, godchildren and anyone else who would listen. Ever since I can remember I’ve yearned to be a ‘writer’, an ‘author’, but secretly I was always a little scared to take that leap of faith. Although I don’t consider myself a natural crowd pleaser, I suppose I was always worried about whether I would cut the mustard. What would people think of my writing, my ‘ambition’? Would people think me arrogant? If I made my ‘dream life’ a reality would it all come crashing down?  And then where would I be?

So, I became a journalist! Local newspapers, local radio then news and current affairs reporting and presenting in regional television and a career as a producer in network TV where I worked mostly in ‘religious’ broadcasting. Finally I found myself in PR and working for The Salvation Army UK church and charity organization – The Salvation Army also happens to be my church of choice. I was Head of Media in charge of a press office, reputation management and so much more.

I was writing. Every day. I wrote news stories and reports and TV and radio scripts. I wrote press releases and official business reports. I helped others to write. I learned to write with purpose. And in my ‘spare time’ I still scribbled my stories and poems, and scripts for church plays and presentations, and started and sometimes completed numerous stories, novels and books. I was shortlisted in a national Children’s Short Story competition and began to think “maybe I CAN DO THIS!”

To cut a long story short, finally, five years ago I took a deep breath and stepped  out in faith and quit my full-time job. Within months of going freelance, I was commissioned by Lion Hudson publishers to produce a book about The Salvation Army in advance of the Christian movement’s 150^th anniversary next year – 2015. I said ‘Yes!” Obviously.

Of course, I still work in PR, journalism, broadcasting and training to pay the bills but the creative writing has developed beyond my wildest dreams even if it doesn’t yet pay much. I’m learning to live on trust. Sometimes it’s touch-and-go at the end of the month, but God has been good. More writing projects/books are coming in and doors have opened for some paid work which keeps me afloat, is extraordinarily interesting and has introduced me to new friends and opportunities. There’s a passage from the Bible which has popped up time and again over the past years and I live with the words in my heart – ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ (Jeremiah Ch 29 v 11 NIV)

In September 2013 my first book was published. William and Catherine, the love story of the founders of The Salvation Army told through their letters (Monarch books).

The second book is on the horizon. This autumn Debbie (Deborah) Duncan and I will publish a book called Life Lines – which is basically an online/email ‘conversation’ between two fictional friends, both Christians, both of a ‘certain age’, one married with family, one single. This started out as a fun project based on conversations Debbie and I had while commuting together into London. We live near each other at the moment so when travelling into work we often shared a vehicle to the station and took the train together into the city. We swapped life stories and laughed so much we decided to write something down in the form of a fictional story of friendship. And, thanks to Authentic Media and the magnificent Amy Boucher Pye we have a book which, we hope, will make people laugh but will also provide moments of reflection as we all think about why we do what we do, as Christians, women, and friends. Life Lines has been great fun to write and we’re very excited about its upcoming publication.

As I said at the start of this question, I’m currently researching and writing my next book for Lion. It’s the story of a scandalous and intriguing court case in Victorian England – a court case which highlighted an evil of the times and ultimately helped to change the course of history. It means I’m spending a good deal of my time in Victorian England and the Old Bailey. Fascinating!

Why do I write what I do?

WHY do I write? Because it’s my living and my passion. Simple!

I write every day – either for magazines (articles) or clients (ghost writing/press and media/reports/social media). I have also thoroughly enjoyed writing devotional material – Bible Reading Notes – for Scripture Union’s Closer to God series over the past three years which has also encouraged me to delve more deeply myself into God’s word.

Over the past three years I’ve also learned to build basic websites and I write (sometimes rather intermittently) on my own website and  blog and daily on my own social media networks (various Facebook sites, and Twitter @CathyLeFeuvre). I also write articles for various online sites, like Hub Pages, which is good fun and keeps my tight writing skills up to spec.

How does my work differ from others in its genre?

The publication of William and Catherine was very special for this first-time author. Experiencing my first book launch last September, seeing my book in bookshops, and featured on online sales sites like Amazon, attending promotional events and actually signing copies and running events/evenings/afternoons where I talk about the Booths and how the book came about is a great honour. Next weekend (Sat May 31^st  - 10am) I’ll be speaking at the Bloxham Festival of Faith and Literature. What a buzz!

The fact that I’ve been first commissioned to write ‘serious’ historical-based narratives is great for me because it’s well within my skillset as a journalist. I love to research! I’m current loving my digging around into life in the under-belly of Victorian society!

But even with my ‘serious’ work I aim to make it ‘user friendly’ and to incorporate my creative writing skills whenever possible. William and Catherine is a biography of the founders of The Salvation Army, William and Catherine Booth. But the word ‘biography’ sometimes puts people off reading, so I wanted to come at it from a different perspective. I leave the very serious, theological stuff to others more learned than myself. As the full title of the book implies, I used the personal letters of William and Catherine Booth to build their story. The letters are held in trust in the British Library and I loved spending time in the library in London pouring over the hand-written notes and letters which they exchanged over nearly 40 years, from their first meeting until Catherine’s death in 1890. What a privilege to read their inner-most thoughts and to experience something of the deep love they shared for God and each other over a lifetime.

Alongside edited extracts from the Booth letters I also included historical narrative – explaining their lives and times, the background to what they are saying in the letters. But, in addition, I included ‘creative’ cameos, little stories in which I attempted to draw the reader into the Booth’s world. Many of these stories included information I’d gleaned through research, except it was presented from either William and Catherine’s or other perspectives. People have been kind enough to say that William and Catherine has helped them to get to know the founders of this great international Christian movement, which today impacts millions of lives across the world, as ‘real’ human beings. That’s what I wanted and I’m aiming for my next Lion book to incorporate similar elements – extracts from contemporaneous documents, historical narrative and explanation and ‘creative stories’ to help transport my readers back to 1885 and Victorian London.

I’m also still writing creative stories although finding time can be a challenge. I have a couple of full length children’s stories which I hope one day will also be out there in the world. Re-writing is a big thing with me and these are being re-written quite a lot at the moment! And, of course, there is Life Lines.

I don’t really have a master plan on what type of books/writing I want to be ‘known’ for but I don’t particularly want to get ‘pigeon-holed’. I know some ‘experts’ say one should become known for one particular ‘genre’ but now I’ve started (almost) full time writing I find the ideas come thick and fast and the opportunities for different kinds of writing just keep opening up. Those stories which have always been inside my head are now being allowed to have lives of their own.

How does my writing process work?

Sometimes I’m rather tied up with working for clients as part of the ‘day job’ but I always try to write something ‘creative’ every day even if it’s just some notes on my latest project or an online piece.  I do try to ‘timetable’ my activities, to ensure that all essential work is completed on time. I even have a whiteboard! But ultimately when there’s a deadline looming or the creative juices are flowing I can, like most writers, spend many hours in front of the computer, with the obligatory short breaks. I think my longest stint was 18 hours before I had to lie down for a bit.

I work mostly from home and have my ‘office’ in my little ‘Spare ‘Oom’. It’s not always as tidy as I’d like it to be, especially when I have all my research laid out on the spare bed, so sometimes I set up on the kitchen table, from where I have a good window view to the gardens below. When I have a writing project to complete, I try not to get too distracted by squirrels, birds, social media and emails. I heard recently from an eminent pastor and theologian that one is 20% less efficient when ‘multi-tasking’ and certainly when completing William and Catherine I learned to switch off my email. Thus I avoided being suddenly distracted by an in-coming ‘ping’ on my computer which alerted me to a message and sucked the next hour out of my life when I should have been working. I check emails during ‘breaks’ and, as I learned to do during my fulltime journalism days, I try to prioritise my responses. However, I do sometimes listen online to music and to the radio (my ‘home station’ BBC Jersey is my favoured station of choice, along with BBC Radio 4) especially when I’m researching.

By Waddington. Reproduced by permission

I find being outside helps to clear my thoughts … The rhythm of walking somehow helps me to sort out any writing issues. While stepping out I find I can see more clearly where the structure of my story needs to go or how a character might want to speak to my reader.

When working on a big writing project, I often find myself stopping to chat to God…I guess it’s praying…especially when the words won’t come or I get myself into a fix. When I was a child The Chronicles of Narnia were among my favourite books. You might have picked that up from the ‘Spare ‘Oom’ reference (Mr Tumnus/The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe). CS Lewis is one of my favourite writers. Many years ago I became aware of a quote attributed to him – “The world does not need more Christian literature. What it needs is more Christians writing good literature” – and this has lived with me and is part of my motivation. Not all my writing is ‘overtly Christian’ but I very much see my writing and would-be creativity as part of my faith life and I give it to God every day, for him to use.

So that’s me. Now, to continue the blog tour, I have to nominate two more writers. Of course I nominate my fabulous friend and writing partner Debbie Duncan, and I'm Dr Bex Lewis (Codec Durham) has also agreed. Click on their names to take you to there posts, and I'll also be reposting here on this site.

St George's Day - making the world a better place

It's St George's Day - the day when, theoretically, England celebrates its patron saint.

The emblem of St George - a red cross on a white background - is embedded in British culture. It's the recognised flag of England and is integral to the (Union) Jack, the British flag. The life of St George has been celebrated for more than 1,000 years. His reputation is immense - he's the saint who slayed a dragon - and the English, and indeed many other nations, have claimed him for their own.

But was he real? Is St George's reputation merited? Is he important to us, today, or is he merely a myth and irrelevant in the 21st century?

If we believe the stories, St George WAS an extremely brave person and one well worth celebrating. There are various versions of the St George legend but all involve the usual ingredients - a dragon, a fair maiden and a handsome knight on a horse who comes to her rescue when the dragon threatens to eat her!

The age-old story goes something like this.

St George is travelling around looking for good deeds to perform as all good knights do. He meets an old man who tells him about a village which is terrorised by a hideous and enormous dragon. Every day the dragon demands that a beautiful maiden is sacrificed to him or he will destroy the village. All the young girls have been killed save one, the king's daughter who is due to be sacrificed the very next day. If a knight can be found who will slay the dragon, he may win the hand of the princess.

George sets out at daybreak and arrives in the village just as the girl is being taken to the dragon. He persuades her to return home, and goes up, alone, to the dragon's cave where, after a long battle in which he fights for his life, George finally defeats the creature.

He has been hailed as a hero ever since.

This sounds pretty much like many of the ancient and later fairy tales which relate a story, real or otherwise, of good triumphant over evil and concludes with 'happy ever after' for the good guys.

It's an interesting legend but what was the reality of St George's life and what is his legacy? And WHY is he the patron saint of England?

A little research will tell you that there was, apparently, a person who lived in the third century who became St George. But he wasn't English.  The perceived wisdom is that he was a Roman soldier who was born in Turkey into a Christian family at a time when Christianity was quite new. He served under pagan Roman authority but eventually protested against Rome's persecution of Christians. He was imprisoned and tortured but remained true to his faith and was eventually martyred - beheaded at Lydda in Palestine.

It's unlikely he ever set foot in England. I can't tell you how the dragon legend developed but even that didn't happen in the British Isles - the setting for the story is North Africa! Yet his story grabbed the attention of the English who some say identified with George's chivalry, gallantry and bravery. He became important in the British psyche and in England, St George's Day has been celebrated since the 15th century - in those days it was as big a celebration as Christmas! His feast day on April 23rd is the accepted date of his death in AD 303.

Today, although the flag of St George is flying along the length of my village High Street and I'm aware that some communities celebrate and there have been attempts to revive interest in England's patron saint in recent years, mostly the day goes largely unnoticed.

Unlike St Patrick's Day in Ireland (March 17th) and even St David's Day in Wales (March 1st) poor old St George is ignored by the population of the country that claims him as their patron saint. On St Patrick's Day loads of people wished me 'Happy St Paddy's Day' on Facebook and not one of them is Irish! I've not had one 'Happy St George's Day' message today! Weird that.

But, although he's become a bit of a cariacture with his slaying of the dragon thing, and his reputation may have got slightly lost or at least muddled up it in the mists of time, I believe St George can still be an example to us all. Not in the way which some people use his memory.... for some the 'English' St George and his flag are central to a rather warped view of nationalism.... but in that his story and his life stands for real integrity and bravery in the face of adversity and also talks of self sacrifice of the sort which is rather rare these days.

Many people believe that the 'dragon' in the tale represents the Devil and it's St George's defeat of evil, or at least his efforts to prevent evil (the persecution of the early Christians) that is the central point of the ages old story. It's that bravery and sacrifice which is St George's legacy and which, even in these modern times, can be a lesson to us all.

As this St George's Day draws to a close I'm left with several questions in my mind, for myself. 

What am I doing to make the world a better place, to fight injustice and wrong? Are there any 'dragons' which I should be standing up to? Do I have the courage to swim against the tide of cultural indifference to the sufferings of others? And what might MY legacy be for future generations?

And while I'm thinking about it all....I do hope you have all had a very Happy St George's Day!

You've heard of the Borrowers? What about 'Tomorrowers'?

I'm sure most home-workers, freelancers working from home or home-based consultants will agree that one of the most difficult challenges (apart from actually getting work) is discipline. It's very easy, when you work most days in your little office in your spare bedroom or from the shed in the bottom of your garden, to let things slip. I've heard of home-workers who find it's lunchtime and they are still in their PJs. Not that that's happened to me (!) and I've also never found myself sitting endlessly at the computer only to suddenly realise that it's midafternoon and I've forgotten to take a lunch break. Not me! No!

Working alone and at home means the word 'distraction' takes on a whole new meaning. If you're not careful, that little piece of internet research you planned this morning can turn into a half day of web surfing while the jobs you had planned - the ones you've written on your whiteboard, or pinned to your cork noticeboard - are left undone. There's always the 'have another cup of tea' distraction and knowing that the TV is in the room next door, or downstairs, is also a temptation. If you're not careful 'I'll just catch the news while I have this cup of coffee' becomes several hours of mind-numbingly tedious Daytime TV - all, of course, in the name of 'research'. 

However, not all 'distractions' turn out to be unworthy. Yesterday I tuned into the BBC 1 TV quiz show 'Pointless' - it's on at 5.15pm so I don't feel quite so bad if I catch it as theoretically the working day IS nearly over (!) for most normal human beings.

If you don't know the show... the blurb says it's a 'Quiz in which contestants try to score as few points as possible by plumbing the depths of their general knowledge to come up with the answers no-one else can think of...' Basically the winner is the duo who gets the LEAST amount of points ... fantastic!

Back to yesterday - and one category in the quiz ...."name words which end in '...ower'...."

I leave you to draw up your list. One guy (a cool vicar) came up with 'overpower' and that was 'pointless'. At the end of the round, co-host Richard Osman (the main host is comedian Alexander Armstrong) then gave examples of other 'pointless' answers the guests COULD have given.

And one was .....

'TOMORROWER'

I'd never heard of it,  but it is in the dictionary. I checked - Mariam Webster!

'Tomorrower' means 'putting off to tomorrow things that you should do today'. It's another word for 'Procrastinator' - which means 'to put off intentionally and habitually' and 'to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done'.

Note the important words in the definition - 'intentionally' and 'habitually'. To be a 'tomorrower' it appears you have to KNOW that you're procrastinating and do it often.

So ... no excuses.... if you're juggling several contracts and jobs, and are inclined to flitter and flutter between different tasks and subjects on any particular day, and as a result are not getting anything completed, it might not be because you have a low boredom threshold. You might be a Tomorrower.

So the question is - Am I a 'tomorrower?' Well, I hope not. But it is easy as a home-worker, especially if you're not working to any deadlines or timelines and you haven't set yourself specific targets, to become something resembling a 'tomorrower'. It's certainly worth reminding yourself from time to time, to ensure you DON'T get off track. I've stuck a little note on my cork noticeboard (which sits alongside my whiteboard work planner). I look up and the bright orange notelet asks me the question 'Are YOU a Tomorrower'?

However,  if I am - if you are - then we're in good company. In my research into the word this morning I noted, from the Oxford English Dictionary, that the word 'tomorrower' comes up in letter from the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge to his wife. In 1810 he wrote: 

'He is as great a to-morrower to the full as your poor husband.'

Now where's that cup of tea?