In my haste to complete last night’s post in 20 minutes I see I missed out the news that I have placed another haibun. The other side of that news is that I now have some poems back, as they aren’t required. This is not actually bad news, although it does involve rejection, as it gives me something to work with for the next set of submissions.
Having placed a few things this month I now feel more like a writer again. This is probably helped by the appearance of some new greenery in the roadside trees, and the first crocuses. I like snowdrops, but you can’t beat a good crocus as a harbinger of spring. Soon I expect the birds will get in amongst them and start tearing them up, but it’s all part of nature, so I won’t complain.
I’ve just been looking at a new house on the internet. It’s in Derbyshire and it overlooks Carsington Water, which I have written about several times. It’s not quite where I had been thinking of retiring to but it cropped up and seemed nice. I note from the links I just added that I mainly seem to talk about eating at Carsington Water rather than bird watching, natural beauty or water. This is probably an accurate reflection of my life. Three links, two about cake.
We had a package back from Portugal today. It had a customs sticker attached telling us that it was being returned for being non-compliant with recent legislation. As far as we can tell, after research on the web, it followed all the necessary laws and guidelines. Portugal is becoming a very difficult place to post to and a number of people we know are now refusing to post to Europe.
Preparing a parcel for its voyage into the unknown
It’s all part of Brexit. First our costs go up, then our business declines and finally we are faced with asking if it is all worthwhile. This is hardly the easier, more profitable life we were led to expect. Could it be that politicians have been lying to us?
It used to be had enough when we had Italy to contend with – a country with a Post Office staffed by thieves, and a population that embraced larceny as a second hobby. Now we can’t send parcels to Portugal and Spain because the system has become devoted to losing mail in a variety of inventive ways.
The new house? Unfortunately we didn’t win the lottery so the £7 million asking price was a little more than a mortgage and a search down the back of the sofa could come up with. However, a man can dream . . .
Crocus at Nottingham
That’s terrible about the package, but at least you got it back. Can you not specify certain countries to which you will not ship? I’m pretty sure my Shopify site lets me do that.
Congratulations on ANOTHER acceptance! Bravo you. You are bouncing back quite nicely!
Lovely crocus. We have some green daffodil leaves starting to show, but they regret it. 14 degrees this morning and that’s not unusual this winter.
Cold, cold, cold . . . We haven’t been that cold all winter. 🙂
We could specify the countries, but it would take time and we would never get it right. Plus the owner doesn’t like anything negative – I am, for instance, not allowed to use the word “but” in any context. He causes a lot of the problems with the postage services he uses – trying to keep things cheap then complaining for three days when something goes wrong. 🙂
I’m no longer self-employed, I just take the money, smile and let him worry. I’m not paid to worry.
I was in the waiting room at the health centre today when an old fellow from the country engaged me in conversation. “Things are bad,” he said, “the virus, Russia and Brexit. Brexit . . .,” he leant down confidentially, and his voice dropped almost to a whisper. “Brexit, I don’t think that we should ever have left.” Rare men of wisdom, these old fellows from the country.
Indeed they are. Did I say we had a letter back from Portugal, still can’t see what we did wrong. And one lost in Cyprus. All blamed on Brexit and new customs regulations.
Hopefully the new house comes with servants and maintenance staff. 🙂 I like the crocuses, too.
Yes, I would need staff. Realistically speaking, even if I had the money (ha ha) it’s just too big. 🙂
I like the crocuses
Daffodils are starting to show now, too. It soon comes round again! Hope you survived the wind.
We hae postal problems here. I posted a letter to my son in Melbourne from Ballarat. From my place to his place in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne it’s a two hour drive. The Post Office is directly across the street from where I live. The letter took thirteen days. I sent a parcel from here to Jersey in the Channel. It was with a commercial parcel carrier. It took six days. Costs about twice as much as if I’d sent it with Australia Post and British Mail. But it could have taken well over a month.
Why aren’t you asleep. It should be 2 and a bit after midnight where you are!!!!
Insomnia. Well spotted!
🙂
I posted my latest insomnia post a couple of days ago. https://wordpress.com/post/paolsoren.wordpress.com/19363
🙂
I could understand if everything was slow, bit it isn’t, some is as fast as ever. I now pay extra for Guaranteed Delivery as it arrives next day instead of up to a week later.