Julia Phillips

And yet another gentle update as to progress

Hi all,

well this has been a VERY eventful fortnight (that's two weeks by the way).

I went along to the UK in my car; it seems that nowadays I can readily predict that that journey takes very close to 12 hours in each direction, allowing for check-in times for the tunnel or ferry.

So I was in the UK for a birthday party and for house hunting. I saw a few houses but there was always a something or somethings wrong with them, so I drove back to Switz on the Sunday, exactly a week ago.

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Julina of Blackstone - 080 - The Question

Julina wavers back and forth as a certain amount of untidiness precedes the departure of the Royal Party

grakh
 
Julina of Blackstone
Her Chronicles, Book 2

by Julia Phillips

080 – The Question

Flash fiction - a personal ramble that even gets to music

It is suggested that Ernest Hemingway, a writer of some repute, won a bet by writing a tragedy in only six words. Now there is considerable solid evidence that suggests that in fact the story had been around since before EH was born, and a version, less succinct, was published when EH was merely 10 years old.

Nevertheless, the story, in its entirety was as follows:

For Sale: Baby shoes. Never used.

... ... ...

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Julina of Blackstone - 079 - There's a Prince in my Bedchamber

Prince Keren surprises Julina and leaves her speechless – for a little while

grakh
 
Julina of Blackstone
Her Chronicles, Book 2

by Julia Phillips

079 – There’s a Prince in my Bedchamber

OK - time to reconnect, albeit slightly.

Yes, the next Julina is 'ready' - but not polished. It is currently sitting at 25,679 words and will probably end up being close to 30k by the time I polish...

Penny will help me decide how to break it all up. As the author, I find the 'parts' of it too short to be posted alone, but too integrated to just split at natural narrative gaps. The big crescendo to which it is building might be diluted if it takes a few chapters to get there.

These - and many other thoughts - have been racing through what passes for a brain sitting atop my spine.

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Well at least I found it amusing.

Many moons hither, a friend - to my delight - gave me a present of a bra, one which was designed to assist with what would otherwise be an atypical flatness for a female. I loved the curves this bra gave me.

Somehow, it ended up at the back of the drawer and the white straps were gently fading into yellow, and one of the hooks of the hook and eye pair needed sewing back on on one side, and so on and so forth. So said bra gradually dropped from my list of favourites - plus it didn't really sit well with the prosthetics I eventually summoned up both the courage and the dosh to buy.

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Gosh - hasn't time flown?

I have had some kind messages, enquiring about things.

Thank you for worrying, but everything (well most things anyway) are fine. The sick one in my family is the car.

As you are probably aware, I am entering into a long drawn-out phase of moving from Switzerland back to the UK. This process is planned to take a year or so. I have found a flat in Tunbridge Wells and have agreed to rent that for at least a year. As I (we) had no credit history in the UK, then we had to pay an entire year up front!

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Julina of Blackstone - 078 - Dedicated Followers of Fashion

Supervisors old and new, official and unofficial

grakh
 
Julina of Blackstone
Her Chronicles, Book 2

by Julia Phillips

078 – Dedicated Followers of Fashion

Spend, spend, spend

Wow!

Ok, my life has entered what I believe to be the 'final' phase.

The last piece of inheritance from my father (who died in 1973) has been sold.

My brother was in charge of all the negotiations and so on, and ripped off my sister and I, so there is a major change in my relationships. I will never have any other major injection of funds in what remains of my life. I am beyond retirement age, and my SO (Diana) will achieve that milestone later this year.

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Julina of Blackstone - 077 - What Is The Point?

Julina learns much and teaches some, in a matter of mere Bells.

grakh
 
Julina of Blackstone
Her Chronicles, Book 2

by Julia Phillips

077 – What Is The Point?

A scientific report posted on FB as a comment to a transphobe.

I have simply cut and pasted, The following is taken from an FB post ...

I just commented this on a transphobic post that was all like: "In a sexual species, females have two X chromosomes and males have an X and a Y, I'm not a bigot; it's just science."

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Julina of Blackstone - 076 - The Unaware Interviewee

Davabet's first ride in the country culminates in surprising conversations

grakh
 
Julina of Blackstone
Her Chronicles, Book 2

by Julia Phillips

076 – The Unaware Interviewee

Unwanted sex-changes and my a*s

Hi all,

I must publicly thank Kimmie for an excellent job (so far - hint, hint dear - please carry on)

She has undertaken the task of wading through my scribbles again, and has agreed to point out any little errors that might have crept in - despite my many re-readings and the other proofreaders that have been employed.

Anyway, Kimmie pointed out that sometimes I refer to Trumpa (Julina's frayen) as a doe, but on occasion I refer to 'he' and 'him'.

Book 2 instances appear to be in #46, #54 and #62. So these will be updated soonest.

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Julina of Blackstone - 075 - Companionship and Greenery

Family matters precede Davabet's formal employment and an Assembly Meeting tells us much more of what is going on.

grakh
 
Julina of Blackstone
Her Chronicles, Book 2

by Julia Phillips

075 – Companionship and Greenery

Julina of Blackstone - 074 - Team Gatherings

A double surprise leads onto even more surprises as Julina's day progresses. An unexpected encounter ends up with again surprising results.

grakh
 
Julina of Blackstone
Her Chronicles, Book 2

by Julia Phillips

074 – Team Gatherings

Vapourware

Hi all,

There used to be hardware and software, then came along firmware and the rest.

My favourite in those days (yes, back in the last Millenium !!!) was what was called 'Vapourware' - defined as something promised but never actually delivered.

Which is where I hang my head in shame and talk about the next Julina episode.

I see from my notes that the first words for this episode were actually written back in 2015.

(As a further illustration, I have already penned stuff for episode #80.)

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Reading comprehension is apparently one of my failings

On the dreaded facebook, I have just stirred up a shitstorm.

I think I will coin a new word - Megativity. That means mega amounts of negativity.

Here is what happened:

Someone (a well-known singer) posted a reference to a controlled woman who went out and 'enjoyed' herself when the controlling husband died.

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Home, sweet home - and the days now start getting longer

Back home again after 2572 miles, 6 different countries and 7 different beds. And I have to do all the driving, the SO doesn't!

Not bad for a 2-week trip, huh?

When we set out with a car load of goodies and garden furniture to deliver to friends and relatives in the UK, I never believed that we would return with an even fuller car ...

My granddaughter, young Bonnie, was a bit cranky for the time we were with her, but as she was/is teething and had a cold and a cough, that is hardly surprising. Her sunny smiley self came through a lot though.

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Halle fu€&ing loo yah

As some of you might know, I vented here a little while ago.

My brother has now fully redeemed the money he 'borrowed without actual permission' and the situation has been normalised.

Already I feel Ms. Muse working her way back to me.

I leave tomorrow morning at stupid o'clock to drive to England, some 650 miles through a total of 6 different countries and intend to spend 7 of the 14 days with my granddaughter.

I hope to meet some of my contacts here during the non-granddaughter days.

Caution: 

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14 month gestation period

Phew.

Julina #73 is with the beta readers, then I will do one final polish and post it --- later this evening (it is 3 in the afternoon with me right now) or in the morning.

From my diaries, notes, and stored clippings and snippets (do we need a new combined word here, clippets???) I see that the first words in this episode were set down at the beginning of October - 2015!

I would never have believed that 14 months would whizz by before I got it to post stage.

But there we go.

RL distractions have sure taken their toll.

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Is this a record?

It is now 9 days since the latest Bike was posted.

Certainly an eventful 9 days both world-wise and personally.

I don't know about anyone else, but I am missing Cathy and Co.

Do we get together a petition to send to Ang? I hope her studies aren't preventing her from writing at all here.

J.

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So, so, so sad

I'm sorry - I just have to vent.

As you probably know, I live in Switzerland.

But I am English.

I have a few interests in the UK, and I have trusted my brother with looking after them. A job he has been doing for nearly 20 years now.

I have today had a shock and a surprise.

It looks like my brother has ripped off my sister and I to the tune of about £10,000 to £12,000.

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Looking for the Summer

Hi all,

some of you may have read a little deeper into some of my outpourings and recognised that I am often driven by music. Not that EVERY lyric in all the songs is appropriate, but I get a lot of inspiration and indeed a certain amount of soul-ease from songs.

This blog even has an appropriate message in song, so I will open with this one ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIL8PxLmjm4 (which is an appropriate entry for the title of this blog) ... and close with another!

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Somewhat self-indulgent

A few of you have asked in PMs, comments or eMails about my not-quite-so-fresh grand daughter, Bonnie.

So here's a pic of her.

Bonnie 20161021.jpg

Now you see why I am so proud, and why I make ever more frequent trips back to the UK.

There shall be another in December, maybe two weeks long this time, but back here in Switzerland for Christmas as Diana and I have to be on duty at the Hotel.

J.

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The Fancy Dress Party and more ...

Thanks to all who voted by giving kudos to my 'Fancy Dress Party', and also to all who commented.

I took a little time off my normal schedule of proof-reading and inventing things for Julina to invent and scribbled down a tale which had me grinning as I did it.

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A quick trip

Ho hum,

Tomorrow, at noon, I jump in my car with the SO and do a quick 6 country trip in order to take a garden table to my daughter in (near) Tunbridge Wells in the UK.

Start in Switzerland, zoom up through Germany for a bit, cross into France, then Luxembourg, then Belgium and the final 60 odd miles back in France again - then get on the ferry (but we're doing the Tunnel this time, taking up a special deal offer) and into the UK.

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FRUSTRATED - a really silly request

For ever such a long time now, one of my Julina stories has been stuck!

It is the third one, called (logically) #002 - OK I started at 0 - and it has 2499 readers and 99 Kudos.

Can someone please put me out of my misery and just tip those numbers up by one?

Pretty please.

Julia.

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The Fancy Dress Party

The Fancy Dress Party

If the bloody corset wasn't so damned tight, and if my feet weren't already aching from the ridiculously towering heels, and if the mass of tape criss-crossing my chest wasn't so damned itchy, and if the damned 'foundation garment' that was keeping my willy folded backwards between my legs wasn't so tightly uncomfortable, I might have laughed.

In a funny gaspy sort of voice, mostly because I couldn't take deep breaths, I did however manage to call out: “Shin, O. B. Shin – not chin.”

Terra Madre

I am off for a few days.

Tomorrow morning at just after stupid o'clock, when it is at least light, we are driving down to Italy.

Although only 320 kilometers (200 miles) it will take 4 plus hours, since we have to negotiate the second highest mountain pass in Switzerland. So we will stop for lunch, I expect, and take even longer.

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Julina of Blackstone - 072 - Fall Out From The Big Bang

Julina finds life a little different after The Demonstration

grakh
 
Julina of Blackstone
Her Chronicles, Book 2

by Julia Phillips

072 – Fall Out From The Big Bang

Another 'auto-correct' smile

Saw this one the other day, which made me smile.

The author (one of those that strikes me as being one who seems to try to use big words a bit too often in order to be impressive, without necessarily understanding the required word) wanted to write 'commensurate'.

As in something like: "The starting salary will be commensurate with age and experience."

Unfortunately, (s)he chose to write, using the above example: "The starting salary will be commiserate with age and experience."

I suppose you could say I feel sorry for him/her - *grins*.

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Auto-correct or just badly spoken and then misspelt?

I have just seen a post on FB that caused me to laugh out loud - much to the disgust of my trying-to-stay-asleep partner! The author of the post was looking back over the years to events that happened on the 10th August.

I copy and paste the relevant sentence here: "I'd really love to relive those days all over again for sedimental reasons but also to live each day a whole lot smarter than we did before."

Maybe she was used to lying on the bottom?

Another I spotted recently was "inner continental" when talking about a flight from the US to Europe.

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Julina of Blackstone - 071 - Little Parties

Julina gets the first two surprises she mentioned, amongst a series of little 'parties'.

grakh
 
Julina of Blackstone
Her Chronicles, Book 2

by Julia Phillips

071 – Little Parties

That's the way the ...

... cookie crumbles / dice roll / penny drops / knife falls.

So after a week of doing nothing other than forgetting all the threads and sub-threads in Julina, a week in which I learnt much from my esteemed and most delightful visitor, I decided it was time to finally polish my next Julina episode and get it up.

But first, I would peel and chop the 2 kilos (4.5 pounds) of carrots I just purchased over the border in France for about one third of what they would cost here in Switz.

And the kilo of celery.

Peel, peel, peel, peel, peel.

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