50! 50? FFS! Cue Time Travel *please*!

Anyway, let's not dwell on how completely 'wrong' it is for me to have reached a half century (there must be a typo on my birth certificate or something, this is NOT right at all)  and whoever just mumbled the word 'denial' can go straight to the back of the line.  NOW!

So, Dear Reader, for your delight and delectation, here is a nice little showing of 'Debs through the Decades' and we'll have no sniggering at how mad the hair's always been please :)

Me aged 0.  Maybe about 4 months or something. 
I don't have any memories of being this young.  All my proper memories begin 3 years later when my brother is born.  They say that traumatic times herald a greater recollection, don't they?  And it don't get more traumatic than finding a pink bundle of stinking dampness inside a blanket when you were told you'd be getting a new playmate and you expected it to be a white rabbit in checked dungarees (don't ask).


Me aged 10.  With Mum and Dad (I can't believe they'd have been aged 36 and 38 respectively - they already seemed ANCIENT from where I was standing... next to my - NOT WHITE RABBIT brother).  Yes I did feel completely foolish with that bridesmaid dress on.  yes, it was handmade and yes that stupid flowery hat was made of polyester and made my head itch like mad all day. Oh and yes, coloured photographs HAD been invented then but a wedding isn't a wedding if you don't get a bit arty with the photos, right?

Aged 20.  Looking every inch the Publicity and PR Co-ordinator that I was back then, for a well-known Packaging company. Note the high perm, the dark kohlled eyes, the princess Diana court shoes and the ridiculous excuse for a word-processor machine on my desk.  I loved my job and I think you'll agree that in this photo, my delight shines from within *snort*.


Aged 30, and very recently married, attending the wedding of another couple we were friends with back then.  I remember it was blisteringly hot that day and the bright orange (ORANGE!) suit I was wearing not only gaped at the buttons down the front of the skirt, but was made of linen and so looked like a concertina around the hips every time I stood up.  I also remember refusing to take the jacket off because I afeared displaying my bingo wings (hereditary).

FFS 40!  And if it looks like I'm a little squizzy round the gills it would be because I WAS! And with good reason; in the decade between the previous photograph and this one I was divorced, became a single mother with (at one stage) 3 part-time jobs and lost my mother to cancer.  The only light at the end of this particular tunnel was that at the time of turning 40 I was dating a 29 year old.  Proving that life DOES begin at 40!



Me at 50.  With the greatest person I've ever met or given birth to.  I can't believe she's my soul mate, the sister I always wanted and the best friend a gal could ask for.  If I do nothing else of worth for the rest of my life I am proud beyond measure that I will always be a part of hers.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR ME, Happy Birthday Dear Me, Happy Biiiirrrthday Dear Me-eeeee, Happy Biiiiirrrthday Deeeeeaaaaaarrrrrr Me!
*dear me* :(

Oh, and just to prove how much I have decided to embrace my advancing years, not only shall I be wearing purple for the day and paying endless trips to the toilet because my plumbing's going, I am also delighted to offer you my book, 'Re: Becca' FREE for the day...

here: 
enjoy!

much love, Debs xxx

Having a Lovely Time - makes a change!

This week I've had some lovely things happen to me.  Apart from ageing 12 months I mean... which has to happen to have a Birthday, so I guess one cancels out the other.  A bit of Yin-Yang.

I had a very unexpected delivery in the shape of an Amazon-gift-wrapped DVD set of Fawlty Towers  from my oldest (and gayest) friend in the world.  I don't mean he's the oldest person I know (although he IS the gayest, as I don't know any others, apart from his husband... oh, you know what I mean) anyway, we've  known each other since we were 5.  Isn't that lovely?  I think it is.  And so is the fact that we can go for months without any form of contact whatsoever (sometimes years, in fact) and then he can call - a proper telephone call, a little worse the wear for beer and have what HE thinks is a laugh (at my expense).  Which makes me realise that ours is a proper Forever Friends friendship. And even though we're officially grown-ups, I still want to stick my tongue out at him and pour a pint of beer over his head because he manages brings out the petulant child in me.

I also took delivery of a book for review by Dorothy Koomson 'The Woman He Loved Before' and although I felt slightly sorry for it (see last post) having to follow in the wake of the FANTABULOUS 'You Don't Have To Say You Love Me' by Sarra Manning, I was delighted to receive it. 
In fact it filled up the following three days, it was so darned good.  EVEN THOUGH it contained three of my Deadliest Sins in a Book:
* a Prologue - which is the work of the Devil
* Flashbacks (the Devils' spawn)  and
* Diary entries (which formed the flashbacks - so double *aaargh* for me)

But I had my head turned.  Not only was I hooked after the first chapter, I actually couldn't put it down... it gave me right-wrist-sprain trying to keep it up in bed (no sniggering at the back, thank you) and even though I desperately wanted to find out how it ended, I wouldn't let myself.  It was a thoroughly gripping read and if I didn't know the meaning of the word 'page-turner' before, I do now.  Fab book.

For my Birthday on Tuesday, my darling, beautiful daughter presented me with the latest 'Writers and Artists Yearbook' and inscribed inside "THIS will be your year, Mummy" (as she has always insisted and inscribed every year for the past 4) and my beloved husband bought me some lovely CD's (Rumer, Paloma Faith, Bach) and then we double-dated on a trip to the cinema to see 'Paul'.

Which was lovely, and British and funny.  Just how I like it.

I also got a surprise present through the post from my lovely writing 'sister' Deborah Durbin which also made me squeak with delight, belying my advancing years!

I had so many Birthday Wishes on Facebook I could have spent all day sobbing with happiness at people's niceness... and

This morning I met someone from work for a coffee and a bun.  Something trivial to anybody else, but the fact I haven't socialised properly since the accident last April, for me, it meant the world - even though I know I was nervous, twitchy and itching to get back home.  I kept repeating in my head "Dolly Steps".

And now, after a fortnight (and 18 months of writing) of simmering and stirring and seasoning the latest book, I've finally managed to pluck up courage to send the first few chapters and synopsis of 'Grounded' off to The Agent who was interested in the last teenage book.... thinking maybe she'd forgotten about me.  A couple of minutes later she e-mailed back saying how she's looking forward to reading this one, and that the other one is still with the other person she passed it to, to read and comment on.

And the sun's out.

It don't get much better, do it?

Happy Easter - and Happy First Birthday to my Blog!

Yes, one year ago today, on Saturday 4th April 2009, I took a big leap into the world of blogging, egged on (did you see what I did there?!) by my fabulous writerly friend, Keris - she's got a book coming out on 6th May called "Della Says OMG!" - I may have mentioned this - and I haven't looked back since. It's one of my better decisions I have to say, and I've met some lovely people during the course of my first 12 months of blogging. To anyone who doesn't have one Id say - go get. You'll be glad you did *wink*.
So thanks to everyone who reads it and still pops back for more of the same - it's great knowing that you're out there in blogland having a bit of read and even greater getting your comments - come on you lot who still haven't signed up to leave them - I must make you want to say something back at times!
And, of course, A very Happy Easter Holiday to you all - may the Easter Bunny bring you everything your little hearts desire - here's to the next 12 months!