Welcome to 2015!

(edited version – this is what happens when I am too organised, then can’t access computer due to events…)

Welcome to 2015.
I hope you all had a joyous (and safe) time. We had a ball on New Year’s Eve, seeing in the new year with friends  and family. On Thursday we saw the last installment of The Hobbit
(edit)
Today we are packed, prepared to evacuate if the worst should happen. I have my family, papers, photos, the cat and my manuscript packed. (the downside of handwriting and no computer backup). Some friends have been fighting the fires as volunteer firefighters. Friends have been evacuated from the hills, and closer, due to the bushfires in the Adelaide hills. Relatives decided to stay and protect their property – so far they are safe. We should be safe at home, but the smoke has been an issue; if the weather changes drastically fires are unpredictable – we will reassess our situation.  I pray everyone is safe, the fire is controlled before the return of predicted catastrophic weather conditions.
(end edit)

For new readers, here is a smattering of what I will be chatting about in 2015:

My Writing: Current works-in-progress (WiP) are my steampunk novella, Doctor Jack – now with my beta readers, and my novel-length steampunk adventure, The Department of Curiosities.
The Department of Curiosities – Manuscript Word Progress: (95.75% first projected draft)
Total Words:  

Photography: Life got in the way, last year. I let my photography slip. This year I shall not. I rediscover the beauty in the world through my photography. I need more beauty and wonder in my life. Here are two photos from Christmas gatherings.

My Garden: I love my garden. It calms me. It delights me. Pulling out the weeds is a great way to vent frustrations. Digging the dirt and planting seeds connects me to my roots (pun not intended) and to the Earth. I can watch the bees or listen to the birds for hours. (Right: More gratuitous photography from my garden.)

We share our plot of land with the native bees, blue-tongue lizards, spiders of many persuasions, skinks, geckos, dragonflies and several species of bird – all within 16 km of the city. I love Adelaide!

I could do without the errant fruit rats, termites, redbacks and whitetails, and hope the galahs and cockatoos leave my fruit alone this year.

Costumes and Art: I always try to find time to do something arty – draw or make costumes. I share some costume diaries here occasionally.

Reading: My family know me all too well. I now have wondrous new stories to devour: Gail Carriger’s Waistcoats and Weaponry, and The Extraordinaires series by Michael Pryor. I am still waiting on my Dearheart to finish Terry Pratchett’s Steam, so I can get stuck into it as well.

And, just every now and then, I will sneak in a post about Doctor Who (I have been watching for 40 years now) or the delights of tea and dark chocolate.

I hope you will join me for the rest of 2015. It is a time for new chances, for renewing enthusiasm and rekindling dreams.

What do you want to rediscover this year?

IF YOU WANT MORE INFO ON:
Writing:  You can subscribe to my email newsletter, Tea and Tidings, for updates, extra content and exclusives.
Art & Photography: To buy some of my art, visit Redbubble and Off the Artboard and Zazzle.
Costumes: For more on my costumes, check out my Purple Files/Florence Files page.