Monday 25 April 2011

View From Richmond Park


I'm too pushed for time to write a blogpost  today, so I thought I'd show you the view from our picnic spot in Richmond Park a couple of weeks ago. We had a lovely lazy time in this beautiful spot while the sun shone for us.

Monday 18 April 2011

Brain Work

Do you ever write a word and then ralise you're not quite sure of the meaning and whether it's appropriate;  so you look it up and find it's perfect, and you needn't have worried?  I do that all the time.  Yesterday it was the word 'bijou', which turned out to mean 'small and elegant', absolutely right for the expensive little shops I was trying to describe. 

I must have this store of words in my subconscious that I've forgotten, but they pop up when they're needed. Isn't the human brain an amazingly wonderful thing?

Friday 15 April 2011

York Minster

I've been writing about the city of York today, and I've just found a mass of photos of the famous York Minster released into the public domain by a couple of very generous photographers at Wikimedia Commons. Here is a small selection.



Wednesday 13 April 2011

Good Times and Bad Times

My blogging activities might be a bit slow this month, because there is so much going on.  I've already missed 3 of my scheduled blog postings for my two blogs.  Usually I post here on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, when I also adgitize and drop EC cards.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays I comment and post in my Writelink blog, and keep up with my friends over there.

I came home yesterday from a long weekend with my daughter and granddaughter, who treated me for my birthday to a ticket to The Lion King musical at the Lyceum Theatre in London (pictured alongside).  We went together and marvelled at the way the show was staged and performed.  Three generations from age seven to nearly 70 were all equally impressed. We were also busy enjoying ourselves for the rest of the time, and were really lucky with the gorgeous weather.

The only downside was hearing how my son went to a hospital appointment on Monday and now knows that he has a tumour in his head which needs to be operated on within a month. Naturally he's pretty scared and although we were expecting this, the shock is just sinking in.  I feel that I want to stay close to home now to be with him until we get the actual dates, and I'm trying to rearrange quite a few things that have been planned, so I'll be able to do that.

On top of all that, my writing commissions have picked up and I've received my first private requests from a Constant Content customer.  I'm pleased about that, but a little anxious about fitting everything in.  At least it will keep my mind off the domestic dramas.                               

Monday 4 April 2011

Gold: a Wise Investment

I keep hearing how your savings can make you more money if you invest in gold. Gold is often referred to as a crisis commodity.  This is because it rises in value when there is a downturn in the economy. Not surprisingly, its value is high at the moment, and the forecasts indicate it will continue to rise.  I looked up a website I've blogged  about before in June 2009, and found it's still full of useful information, including a fascinating article on the history of gold coins. You can find out all about gold bullion if you click the link to take a look.

In 2009 I reported that the 24 karat gold bullion coin, the American Buffalo would cost just over $1,000 dollars.  Today its price is almost $1,500, nearly half as much again.  That's quite a hike in around 18 months, and I think it proves my point. This is the way to buy bullion.

Other gold coins have similar stories. The Gold Canadian Maple Leaf has risen in value by over 180% in the last  five years.  The 1 oz Chinese Gold Panda is currently valued at over $1,500, and is sometimes incorporated in valuable pieces of jewellery.

If you think you might like to buy gold bullion, you might like to get a move on, and make your investment before the price spirals too far.

Friday 1 April 2011

Musings on Australia

100 Stories for Queensland should have gone to press today.  I've got a story in this anthology which is going to be sold to raise money for the flood victims.  Can't wait for it to be available.

Still on the subject of Australia, I've just learnt that The Buzz insurance company was the first to offer Australians the online method of buying and managing their car insurance, and in 2010 it was awarded the Australian Business Award for Innovation. 

Here in the UK, we can get multiple car insurance quotes and pay premiums on the internet, but it seems this is the only company down under that offers car insurance Australia that way.  It's part of the Insurance Australia Group (IAG) which also owns Equity Red Star, the UK's fifth largest vehicle insurance operator.

I always use the internet for my car insurance, although sometimes I need to check something I can't find, so I  have tom make a phone call.  The telephone number is always displayed on the website, so thta's not a problem. When you are on The Buzz site, you can use their live chat facility so you don't even have to use the phone.  I must remember to tell my Aussie pal, Annie, about  this.

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