Napping Blogger Award

So, I've been nominated for the Napping Blogger Award by the rather lovely Miranda Kate.

The rules for the Napping Blogger Award are easy:

1. Link back to the ones who gave you the award.
2. Tell us what you do to take time for YOU! That might be a hobby, a musical break, a favorite movie or show, sitting outside enjoying nature, or even taking a nap!
3. Nominate five other bloggers - especially folks you think deserve a break from their routine.

Well, the mere notion of taking time is hilarious! I swear there is a time thief that sneaks into my house and gobbles it all up. I am a Mum of 3 children, ages 9, 7 and 4. Monday to Friday I have 17 different school journeys to do and the kids keep me pretty busy as I’m sure you can imagine. Also, I have a small craft business where I make bespoke cards and jewellery and accessories to sell both online and at craft fairs. When I’m not doing that I am helping to organise the annual local festival or helping out at school. When I’m not doing that, I’m spending time with my partner, talking at him until his eyes glaze over.

And when I’m not doing ALL OF THAT, I crawl into a corner and hide with a pad of paper and a pen and write as much as I can before someone wants something (which generally is a very small amount of time!). “Mummy.” – The most used word in the history of the world. My kids will walk by Daddy to come and ask Mummy, up flights of stairs if they have to. I’ve never quite got to the bottom of this.

Don’t get me wrong, I love lots of things. I love books and reading, films of all kinds, history, astronomy, the list is a long one. It’s just that I find that I rarely have the time to actually sit and do any of these lovely things. Days fly by and I end up in a flap and a panic, helping my son with his homework while planning the packed lunches and washing school uniforms, tweeting and making cards all at the same time. And then it hits me, the sickening realisation that I haven’t written anything today AGAIN. It drives me potty, I drool over the Arvon site and pretend that, one of these bloody days, I’ll go for it and write in solitude for an entire week. Is this likely? No. Why? Because I’m a Mummy, of course.

So, what I am trying to say is …. it’s the writing that is the *ME* time. It makes me happy. It’s what I want to do. It’s all I’ve ever dreamed of. And should you ever spot me, in a little corner, scribbling like mad, then that’s when I’m full of creative joy because words are appearing on a sheet of paper like magic. From my head! It’s beautiful and therapeutic and blissful. And, yes, one of these days I will find a way to do this a LOT more. But, realistically, this could be quite some years away. So, stolen and snatched scribble time it is.

I've spent AGES wondering who to nominate next, there are so many interesting people (and I am seriously nosey). Finally, I have decided to pick:

Michael Sands @wokingwriter

Michael Crossan @michaelcrossann

Six Words Magazine @sixwordsmag

Helen Yendall @helenyendall  

Della Galton @dellagalton