Tag Archives: violets

Big News!

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Tch!, as they say, I forgot to enter a title for the last post.

I also noted that in the ten minutes between starting the edit and posting the results, I have had a rejection. It’s a very nice rejection but in my world there is no place where a nice rejection feels better than even the worst acceptance. In fact I’m not sure there is such a thing as a bad acceptance.

I have tried that editor four times and four times I have been rejected, so it was not as if it was a surprise. It’s all part of the rich tapestry of life. I looked that up, in case it was a quote from a poem. It isn’t. It seems to have been first used in a 1930s comedy record where Arthur Marshall, best known to me for being on Call My Bluff, used the phrase in the final moments of a mildly amusing record impersonating a Gym Mistress. Oundle  School, Cambridge, comic records as a gym mistress – makes you wonder about the benefits of education doesn’t it?

It’s probably time to announce the big news of the year – I am going to be a grandfather. I’ve known for a while now, but I’m old-fashioned and don’t like announcing these things too soon. I won’t be much of a grandfather as I don’t intend travelling to Canada, I’ll just be a shadowy figure on the family tree  and a vague memory from telephone calls. I may have to write a short memoir for him to read when he’s old enough.

We have had Long-tailed tits in the garden every day this week so far, which is quite good, and have a small patch of violets growing on the back lawn. That means that I have a few weeks until I have to cut the grass (it’s been looking like it needs a trim but this means I have an excuse for procrastination. Biodiversity is a wonderful thing.

Lomg-tailed tit on the feeder – actually a few weeks ago but it will illustrate this post too.

 

Four Minutes to Spare

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A big Bug Hotel

I managed eight submissions this month, one with four minutes to spare. This is slightly better than last month when my final submission went off after midnight my time, and relied on the time zone to get it there on time.

I have been looking at a different way of counting submissions. At the moment I count submissions to editors. If the magazine has two editors and I submit to both, I count it as two submissions. If it has one editor and accepts two forms I count it as one submission. I’m thinking that I may start counting the two forms as two submissions. It seems to me that as I am trying to extend my range, and write more forms, it’s fair to count the different forms as individual submissions. Does this make sense, and does anyone have any thoughts on it?

Yes, I like teasel

I’m also going to have to look at the way |I make submissions. Four minutes makes for a good title, but it’s a poor way to write poetry. As happened last month, some of the poetry is so fresh that if it were paintwork it wouldn’t be dry.

As you can see from the header picture, I was out and about today. The violets are out and I’m regaining my eye for detail. It’s a slow start. It always seems to take a long time to regain a habit once you have lost it.

A very pleasant day

Anyway – nine submissions last month, eight this month. This month will be busy (it’s already twenty minutes into March as I write) – 10 submissions to write, though if I apply the editor rule, I will only be able to count them as six.

This is a Bee Bank – I assume it’s going to feature nesting places, but I’m going to have to find out more.