Butterfly

How quiet is your voice? Who hears your writing? I read somewhere the other day that if you put a male butterfly in a box with a big, colourful fake butterfly and a little real female, it will go for the big fake butterfly every single time. Looking at the shelves in the bookstore today, the Christmas Celeb biographies and novelty books I thought again about that big, bold fake butterfly. I've done my bit for the industry - everyone is getting books this year. If you've been feeling a bit like the real thing, quietly flapping your wings in the corner to no avail this is a good time of year to take stock and think what you are going to do next year.

I had one of those conversations yesterday that suddenly pulls everything into focus. My lovely little (she comes up to my waist) 92 year old grandmother was reeling with shock. You know that brilliant line in 'As Good As It Gets' where the art dealer tells Jack Nicholson 'My Grandmother has more Attitude than you!' - well mine has Attitude with a capital A. She still lives - alone - in a remote nunnery with my grandfather's shotgun under the bed. Yesterday for the first time she sounded old. A dear friend of hers suddenly died on the way to pick her up for church. Heart attack. 'She was only young,' Mamgu said faintly (she was 74). It made all my recent worries seem ... insignificant.

People either love or hate American Beauty - I thought it was great and sought out this video clip last night. Dancing carrier bags are my kind of thing. If Christmas does nothing else this year, may it give us all a chance to take stock and appreciate how fleeting this all is and how lucky we are.

Anyone who needs cheering up drop me an email - 'Kate's Calendar' is going down rather well with certain ladies who read this blog. Your free copy could be winging its way via email to you tonight ... x

TODAY'S PROMPT: Have you ever written a book for your children? Depending on their age, or the age of your nieces and nephews, godchildren or little friends - there is nothing like having a book in which you are the main character. They will love it - and who knows it could be the next Alice in Wonderland.