Writer Review: Alex Cotton

I felt bound to do an author review as I haven’t enjoyed someone’s work so much for a long time!

I picked up the first of Alex’s books on the freebies and I was so hooked, that I had to read them all. Born the same year, we share many of the same experiences from childhood through to teenage and marriage – but  I’m not saying exactly which apart from the country dancing!  However, what struck me through reading these parallel experiences, is as you’re growing, you feel that you are unique and have no conception that others are going through the same experiences and same culture shock – and although we don’t share this one, I never realized just how many other kids went off and got the make-up out after David Bowie’s Starman performance on TOTP until I heard it on a tv programme!

The now completed Quadrology (my word) takes us through Alex’s marriage, birth and  childhood of her daughter until today, and her family doesn’t get any less wacky. The four could easily make one volume, hilarious and well rounded.

Alex has a unique and funny style. The books could have been written as deeply dark and traumatic, but no, they’re treated with humour, tolerance with a straightforward voice that keeps you gripped and want to read on. I hope she never has an editor tell her to change her style, do this and that to the editing of the works, she is unique, but I imagine form reading her work, she would probably just tell the aforesaid editor to get stuffed! I’d love to see her try some fiction!

So any ladies born in the early sixties, who were teenagers in the 70s, read and just enjoy, and see a another perceptive on your own growing years!

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Freaky Friday

Lovely mountain shot to cheer one up!

Yesterday was one of those days you just wonder what is going to happen next!  Having been a follower of Joyce Meyer and Andrew Wommack, I knew quite early on that I could make the decision about how I handled it!

It began with taking Dave to a new Doctors as he’s been suffering a really bad dose of bronchitis this year, and he needed checking out by the specialist.  Appalling we had to wait all of three days to see her!  So as we arrived, we found the door to the Practise locked, I walked around saw some writing about the Doc on the wall, but needing glasses and being in daft mode, I missed the doorbell.  When I rang the Secretary,I felt so stupid, but we had a laugh about it when I walked embarassedly in.  Dave just needed his medication checking and the Doctor wanted to practise her English, so it was all good.  But of course, there was no train for Dave to catch home, I had to get to work at my Friday Cleaning jobs and there was fog everywhere, so we had the complicated arrangement he’d go home and I’d ring when I needed collecting, then drop him off at home and go on to my next job.

When I arrived, it was to find that I’d made another blunder. In cleaning last time, I’d cleaned the tiles in the bathroom, but had missed in spots where there were flecks where it had dried.  Lecture. So I went into nice mode. She was obviously in a strop, went out the door to walk the dog  without a bye.  So there was I sulking and ranting to myself, then  realised I could choose to get over it, so I did.  Then I had a text from my daughter, nasty wasp sting, the mothering kicks in, but what could I do so far away, frustrating? Finished, I walked down the hill and found a Five Euro note – Thanks God, was that a well done for not acting like a five-year old for once????????

The next jobs were ok, but a bit rushed.  Then I got a phonecall.  Some friends of us are going through a messy divorce, and the wife seems to be creating problems.  The husband wants me to go and witness for him about various things she’s said, which to me don’t seem true.  So I agreed, but knowing at the same time, Dave and I don’t know the whole truth, only they do.  But we have to be here for friends. I was as one would say, ‘bricking it’.  I rang Dave and said you’ve got to come with me, I cant do it alone, and for once he said yes straight away. It wouldn’t be right to turn up in court with this husband without Dave if you see what I mean. I was scared, what could it mean for us here, would it threaten us?  In court, in German, I could get stitched up. All a bit paranoid.  So as I drove back to Tamsweg, again I knew I could let this fear ruin my weekend and my life.  So I tried to rationalise and it came to me, maybe when she hears we’ll testify, she may back down and it’ll come to nothing.  My peace returned.

I then had to meet my boss of all my cleaning jobs.  Its been an issue since I started that while I was contracted for 15 hours, there wasn’t that much work. Maybe my fault, I could have looked for extra jobs, but as far as I felt  able, I’ve been doing these jobs well and I wont lie about the hours. But there is a backlog. End of discussion, I have to work a couple of morning extra a week until Christmas then we’ll be square.  Fine. Funny, I’d had it in the back of the mind that I could do more work – God preparing me?  Of course it wasnt until I was home I remembered on these days, I’d been due to have my part-time dog-arrgggggghhhhhhhh!

So I got home feeling a bit world weary, to ring my best mate here, to find one of her horses had had an attack of colic and the vet was saying he may have to be put down. I’ve been there, my horse, Monty was also prone to it -turned  out it was cancer. Oh, I felt so for her, but she was getting a second opinion, the morning would tell.

I still had to pick up Linda from where she works in the local Bookshop, and as I told her, I kept it all light and stressed how I was thrilled with the Fiver, it was all ok.  Am I growing up at last?????