Where I'm at
posted by Nicole Flockton @ 10:48 am
0 Comments
30 January 2010
28 January 2010
Interesting Facts about Me
So I'm procrastinating and instead of doing my edits I was reading blogs. I went over to my friend Rach's blog and voila see she's tagged me for a "Kreativ Blog" award. Woohoo something I can do instead of editting. LOL Also if I don't do it now I won't do it because I'll forget about it.
So what are seven interesting facts about me.
1. I've just moved to Houston Texas with my hubby and two fabulous kids. After living in Perth, Western Australia for over 30 years and being such a family person, it was a very hard decision to move away from everything that I knew to a new country. But I'm here and I am enjoying it.
2. I did Ballroom dancing for 8 years and taught as well.
3. I currently have two requested fulls - one with Desire (been there since Nov 13) and the others is for a medical (the one I should be editting right now!)
4. I started writing after I had my daughter, but according to my school reports, I was telling stories at 5 1/2 years old!
5. My husband is a kiwi and he is incredible in picking out the personality of people the moment he mets them.
6. I had to leave one of my cats in Perth and after having her for over 14 years I miss her every day!
7. I'm addicted to chocolate and coca cola.
So there you have it. Man it was tough to come up with something interesting but I think I did it and I hope you have learnt a little bit about me.
I'm not sure who comes and reads my blogs so I can't think of who else to nominate. :)
JN
posted by Nicole Flockton @ 9:04 pm
4 Comments
22 January 2010
Life Changing Events
Over the last two days I've watched two amazing documentaries.
The first one was called "Brace for Impact". This was about the plane that landed on the Hudson River in New York last January. What an amazing story. I want that captain to fly every plane I go on. All I can say is I think the higher being had something in mind for every single person on that plane, something that I wonder whether the passengers have yet to figure out? Some have and perhaps some others are still searching for a meaning in being on that plane on that day.
The whole incident was just one of those freak things. The flock of birds flying right in the path of the plane. The Captain and First Officer who were in charge of the flight. The weather. The Captain's ability to keep the plane nose up and wings dead straight are, ultimately, what saved the lives of all those people on board.
Seeing the footage of the plane landing on the river was beautiful in it's weirdness. To hear what the people on the plane were thinking as they experienced the event. To hear what the lady in first class heard, the onboard computers, saying 'pull up terrain. Pull up terrain." I don't think they will ever leave her mind. To hear the woman say that, that was it. Selling clothes didn't matter any more, I'm meant for better things, I'm meant to help others and having the courage to follow through with her convictions and changing her career. The Captain hearing the voices of the flight crew saying, 'Brace, Brace, Brace, keep your head down" knowing they were frightened but were on the same page as him.
Even the man who saved those lives, what impact did the event have on him and his family. All things that to me, a person who was on the other side of the world at the time, knew nothing about. Truly amazing show.
The second documentary I watched was "Mega Tsunami - 5 years later". This was about the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. This was gut wrenching to watch. To see actual footage of the waves was amazing - I'd never seen any of that before. I remember the day well, not because of the event, that come after. But because I played a game of Super Golf with my family in our, at the time, annual 'Tommo' event. I won it with my brother.
I can honestly say I didn't know too much about it until the next day. Don't know why I didn't see any news that day but it was at least a day later that I heard about it. To actually see the footage today when I watched it, was mind blowing. I really, really had no concept of just how devastating it was. Maybe because my daughter was 2 and I didn't want her to see the footage, I don't know. All I know is, today it made me cry.
So many peoples lives were changed, by amazing stories of survival, one couple caught up in the hotel and then, after being tossed and bashed and battered about, pop up, literally, in the middle of the ocean. As the husband of that couple said, when they got to the hospital and he didn't know if his wife would walk again, it was nothing compared to the bodies on the ground covered with blankets. My wife may never walk, but we were alive and we had each other.
Lives were changed by the death of loved ones, children, mums, dads, sisters and brothers, husbands and wives. The image of the couple just mere metres from safety, unable to reach the arm leaning out and then swept under and away by the deluge.
With something as tragic as this there is the guilt one suffers for surviving. The mother surviving when her daughter was ripped from her arms and she doesn't remember how or when it happened. The brother that survived when his sister didn't. The person leaning out to save the couple but unable to reach them. That is something no one could ever understand, unless they lived through it.
How many romances came about from these tragic events? Survivors getting together to help each other and then finding love. It does get the mind wondering, but not just yet. For me, at the moment, I feel it would be a little disrespectful to those that have suffered. May seem silly as I don't know those people and they don't know me, but for me it's something I must do.
JN
The first one was called "Brace for Impact". This was about the plane that landed on the Hudson River in New York last January. What an amazing story. I want that captain to fly every plane I go on. All I can say is I think the higher being had something in mind for every single person on that plane, something that I wonder whether the passengers have yet to figure out? Some have and perhaps some others are still searching for a meaning in being on that plane on that day.
The whole incident was just one of those freak things. The flock of birds flying right in the path of the plane. The Captain and First Officer who were in charge of the flight. The weather. The Captain's ability to keep the plane nose up and wings dead straight are, ultimately, what saved the lives of all those people on board.
Seeing the footage of the plane landing on the river was beautiful in it's weirdness. To hear what the people on the plane were thinking as they experienced the event. To hear what the lady in first class heard, the onboard computers, saying 'pull up terrain. Pull up terrain." I don't think they will ever leave her mind. To hear the woman say that, that was it. Selling clothes didn't matter any more, I'm meant for better things, I'm meant to help others and having the courage to follow through with her convictions and changing her career. The Captain hearing the voices of the flight crew saying, 'Brace, Brace, Brace, keep your head down" knowing they were frightened but were on the same page as him.
Even the man who saved those lives, what impact did the event have on him and his family. All things that to me, a person who was on the other side of the world at the time, knew nothing about. Truly amazing show.
The second documentary I watched was "Mega Tsunami - 5 years later". This was about the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. This was gut wrenching to watch. To see actual footage of the waves was amazing - I'd never seen any of that before. I remember the day well, not because of the event, that come after. But because I played a game of Super Golf with my family in our, at the time, annual 'Tommo' event. I won it with my brother.
I can honestly say I didn't know too much about it until the next day. Don't know why I didn't see any news that day but it was at least a day later that I heard about it. To actually see the footage today when I watched it, was mind blowing. I really, really had no concept of just how devastating it was. Maybe because my daughter was 2 and I didn't want her to see the footage, I don't know. All I know is, today it made me cry.
So many peoples lives were changed, by amazing stories of survival, one couple caught up in the hotel and then, after being tossed and bashed and battered about, pop up, literally, in the middle of the ocean. As the husband of that couple said, when they got to the hospital and he didn't know if his wife would walk again, it was nothing compared to the bodies on the ground covered with blankets. My wife may never walk, but we were alive and we had each other.
Lives were changed by the death of loved ones, children, mums, dads, sisters and brothers, husbands and wives. The image of the couple just mere metres from safety, unable to reach the arm leaning out and then swept under and away by the deluge.
With something as tragic as this there is the guilt one suffers for surviving. The mother surviving when her daughter was ripped from her arms and she doesn't remember how or when it happened. The brother that survived when his sister didn't. The person leaning out to save the couple but unable to reach them. That is something no one could ever understand, unless they lived through it.
How many romances came about from these tragic events? Survivors getting together to help each other and then finding love. It does get the mind wondering, but not just yet. For me, at the moment, I feel it would be a little disrespectful to those that have suffered. May seem silly as I don't know those people and they don't know me, but for me it's something I must do.
JN
posted by Nicole Flockton @ 8:39 pm
0 Comments
20 January 2010
General Ramblings
This post is just going to be about things in general. Things that have happened in and around my life since my last blog.
I'm very happy to say that it's only taken my five months but I've FINALLY managed to find a bread that the kids like and will eat. It almost tastes like bread back home. I had despaired of ever finding a tasty bread and something the kids would like. I'll admit to spending sometime just sitting and thinking, "What did bread taste like back home?" LOL, sad but true. It's such a simple food but very complex in taste over here. But now I've solved one problem. YAY!
On a writing level it's been a pretty tough week. Some things happened which turned quite emotional and I don't think it will ever be the same again. Trust and respect has been abused and sadly lost. So I'm going to put it out there, on the worldwide web. That I've written a short story and one of my plot devices was email banter back and forth between the hero and heroine. It's a personal need of mine to put this out there.
What else is happening on the writing front? Well now that I feel happy in how I've tweaked and play with it, I'm ready to send my short story to a contest. Once gone, I'm going to concentrate on getting my medical edited and sent off. I'm itching to start writing something new.
For my family, well we've been here in Houston for 5 months and I think we're getting settled in. The kids have gone through or are going through an intense testing period for their school work. It will be interesting to see their results in the future. My baby boy lost his first tooth on 18th January 2010. It's not possible that he is old enough to be losing teeth. He certainly lost his first tooth well before his big sister did! Speaking of his sister, well she's coping well with her broken leg and come the end of next week she should be out of the cast and then on crutches for a couple more days after that.
So for me everything is falling into place and even though it was an emotional second half of last week, it is something to look upon and learn and grow from it.
JN
I'm very happy to say that it's only taken my five months but I've FINALLY managed to find a bread that the kids like and will eat. It almost tastes like bread back home. I had despaired of ever finding a tasty bread and something the kids would like. I'll admit to spending sometime just sitting and thinking, "What did bread taste like back home?" LOL, sad but true. It's such a simple food but very complex in taste over here. But now I've solved one problem. YAY!
On a writing level it's been a pretty tough week. Some things happened which turned quite emotional and I don't think it will ever be the same again. Trust and respect has been abused and sadly lost. So I'm going to put it out there, on the worldwide web. That I've written a short story and one of my plot devices was email banter back and forth between the hero and heroine. It's a personal need of mine to put this out there.
What else is happening on the writing front? Well now that I feel happy in how I've tweaked and play with it, I'm ready to send my short story to a contest. Once gone, I'm going to concentrate on getting my medical edited and sent off. I'm itching to start writing something new.
For my family, well we've been here in Houston for 5 months and I think we're getting settled in. The kids have gone through or are going through an intense testing period for their school work. It will be interesting to see their results in the future. My baby boy lost his first tooth on 18th January 2010. It's not possible that he is old enough to be losing teeth. He certainly lost his first tooth well before his big sister did! Speaking of his sister, well she's coping well with her broken leg and come the end of next week she should be out of the cast and then on crutches for a couple more days after that.
So for me everything is falling into place and even though it was an emotional second half of last week, it is something to look upon and learn and grow from it.
JN
posted by Nicole Flockton @ 9:47 pm
0 Comments
08 January 2010
100th Post
What a milestone, I can't believe I've written 100 blog posts. I started this blog a long time ago, if I was a bit more prolific perhaps I would have reached the milestone sooner but still I've reached it now.
So should a 100th post be something witty. Or should it be something reflective. Or should it be philosophical. Or should it be a typical Just Nicki post. I think a combination of everything, if I can achieve that.
So I wake up today and the temperature is -4C - wow I don't think I've experienced anything this cold. Then again, when I was in New Zealand it was pretty bloody cold but I didn't have a fancy mobile phone that could tell me what the temperature is. Of course, the house has central heating so you could walk around in just a t-shirt if you want - sadly that's not me, I feel the cold even with the heating on! I think just knowing it's that cold outside is enough to give me the chills. Currently it's -1C, break out the bikini! I am desperate I'm talking about weather.
Actually I've had a pretty eventful week. Kids went back to school on Tuesday - peaceful house YAY!! I'm chatting away to my friend on Skype when my mobile rings, its my DH telling me our beautiful daughter had a fall at school and didn't want to put any weight on her leg. The call came in around 11.15am. Fast forward 3 and a bit hours and we have x-rays showing a broken leg! She is now sporting a beautiful pink cast and crutches. It hits me some time that my baby has a broken leg. I've never had a broken leg so I don't know what she is feeling or the pain she may be experiencing. I've not cried once which surprised me. Skylar has been extremely brave about it all as well. Of course, now her brother wants a green cast and crutches. Let's hope I don't have two children on crutches. What has amazed me is the resilience of kids, she has taken it all in her stride. I'm so proud of her.
I've not done a lot this week. I did some writing, I re-wrote a short story for a contest. Hopefully I've answered the questions that the girls from my critique group mentioned last meeting. I've not been hit with any new ideas but I figure the 3 I had last week is a pretty good start. I really need to concentrate on my writing now.
My good friend from my critique group Shona Husk sold a story at the end of last year to the Wild Rose Press which is so exciting for her. Now this week she's heard from a West Australian publisher that they are buying a short story she has written for their upcoming anthology. And just yesterday she's received an email from Samhain Publishing which was a request for revisions for a story she sent them a little while ago. She is on fire and I for one couldn't be happier for her. Shona has worked hard on her craft over the last couple of years and has been submitting, submitting, submitting, which is the only way to know what or how you are doing. Yay Shona.
Well can't think of much more to say. So there you have it my 100th post. What will the next 100 bring me??
JN
So should a 100th post be something witty. Or should it be something reflective. Or should it be philosophical. Or should it be a typical Just Nicki post. I think a combination of everything, if I can achieve that.
So I wake up today and the temperature is -4C - wow I don't think I've experienced anything this cold. Then again, when I was in New Zealand it was pretty bloody cold but I didn't have a fancy mobile phone that could tell me what the temperature is. Of course, the house has central heating so you could walk around in just a t-shirt if you want - sadly that's not me, I feel the cold even with the heating on! I think just knowing it's that cold outside is enough to give me the chills. Currently it's -1C, break out the bikini! I am desperate I'm talking about weather.
Actually I've had a pretty eventful week. Kids went back to school on Tuesday - peaceful house YAY!! I'm chatting away to my friend on Skype when my mobile rings, its my DH telling me our beautiful daughter had a fall at school and didn't want to put any weight on her leg. The call came in around 11.15am. Fast forward 3 and a bit hours and we have x-rays showing a broken leg! She is now sporting a beautiful pink cast and crutches. It hits me some time that my baby has a broken leg. I've never had a broken leg so I don't know what she is feeling or the pain she may be experiencing. I've not cried once which surprised me. Skylar has been extremely brave about it all as well. Of course, now her brother wants a green cast and crutches. Let's hope I don't have two children on crutches. What has amazed me is the resilience of kids, she has taken it all in her stride. I'm so proud of her.
I've not done a lot this week. I did some writing, I re-wrote a short story for a contest. Hopefully I've answered the questions that the girls from my critique group mentioned last meeting. I've not been hit with any new ideas but I figure the 3 I had last week is a pretty good start. I really need to concentrate on my writing now.
My good friend from my critique group Shona Husk sold a story at the end of last year to the Wild Rose Press which is so exciting for her. Now this week she's heard from a West Australian publisher that they are buying a short story she has written for their upcoming anthology. And just yesterday she's received an email from Samhain Publishing which was a request for revisions for a story she sent them a little while ago. She is on fire and I for one couldn't be happier for her. Shona has worked hard on her craft over the last couple of years and has been submitting, submitting, submitting, which is the only way to know what or how you are doing. Yay Shona.
Well can't think of much more to say. So there you have it my 100th post. What will the next 100 bring me??
JN
Labels: Kids, Samhain Publishing, Shona Husk, The Wild Rose Press
posted by Nicole Flockton @ 11:39 am
1 Comments
03 January 2010
Welcome 2010
Well it's the start of a new decade. The last decade proved to be a very productive and interesting decade for me. I welcomed two children, built a new house, lived in a hovel for the time it took to build said new house, welcomed 1 nephew and 2 nieces as well as 5 honorary nephews, found some fabulous new friends in my writing group, oh and moved countries! Wow what a ride.
So what will the next decade bring me. I'm hoping it will bring me a book contract or three, a move back to Australia, not now but in a few years time, I don't think there will be any new babies - I'm over that. I hope it will bring a whole batch of new friends and new adventures.
I read online that some companies have been hit by a Y2K10 bug - how weird. All that fuss in 1999 about the Y2K bug that never happened and now 10 years later, some weird stuff happened and no one thought about it happening.
I've had a pretty good start to the new year, with 2 new book ideas hitting me. They have been written down in my ideas book ready to look at and work out romantic conflict charts and GMC charts. There is also another idea swimming around my brain but it could prove to be tricky. My hero wants to be a former sports star, so this has to be handled with care - former sports heroes are not common place. So the idea might sit for a while, but we'll see. Sports stars can be pushy so he may start yelling at me to get his story down. I'll wait and see.
Here's hoping that 2010 proves to be a great year for all!
JN
So what will the next decade bring me. I'm hoping it will bring me a book contract or three, a move back to Australia, not now but in a few years time, I don't think there will be any new babies - I'm over that. I hope it will bring a whole batch of new friends and new adventures.
I read online that some companies have been hit by a Y2K10 bug - how weird. All that fuss in 1999 about the Y2K bug that never happened and now 10 years later, some weird stuff happened and no one thought about it happening.
I've had a pretty good start to the new year, with 2 new book ideas hitting me. They have been written down in my ideas book ready to look at and work out romantic conflict charts and GMC charts. There is also another idea swimming around my brain but it could prove to be tricky. My hero wants to be a former sports star, so this has to be handled with care - former sports heroes are not common place. So the idea might sit for a while, but we'll see. Sports stars can be pushy so he may start yelling at me to get his story down. I'll wait and see.
Here's hoping that 2010 proves to be a great year for all!
JN
posted by Nicole Flockton @ 2:41 pm
1 Comments
