FIVA

When we were up North, I found a copy of "Fiva" by Gordon Stainforth.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fiva-Adventure-That-Went-Wrong/dp/0957054300

I had bought a copy, new, via Amazon, some years ago, but it is somewhere in the family's revolving library, so it could even be in Oz. And I was longing to read it again. So I bought another copy (from Oxfam).  What can I say except if you want a gripping read, please read it.  Gordon Stainforth takes us right with him and his brother as they tackle the Fiva route in the Mountains of the Trolls.

They had what mountaineers call "an epic".  And how they survived it, I do not know.

So I thought I would name this blog after their route/book.  Or I could have called it "I Sold a Book!!  Because here is a first.  I, the exact opposite of a salesperson (aka The Despair of Alan Sugar), sold a copy of "Waiting for Gordo" on Wednesday night!

Captain B was giving his talk on The Maldives - wonderful slides of impossibly dazzling fish, corals, sponges etc - and as "Waiting" was inspired by those lovely islands and set among them, he had included a slide of my book and I took some along. The kind Chairman's wife politely bought one. I do hope she likes it.

I really tried to make it a good read. And so far everyone has at least seemed to find it page turning, in that they did want to finish it and find out.  And I spoke to Aunt Jo this week - she is so frail now - and we are both rather deaf - so our conversation is difficult to say the least, but we managed. Anyway, she said she found it very funny!   Hurray. No-one else has said that about it yet. Frightening, yes, I have heard that. But it is meant to be funny too.  My next one is also supposed to be both frightening and funny. And now I have to find a moment to finally finish it.  I have fans - about 2 to be honest - who are actually looking forward to the next one.

Nute says she might try to arrange another writers workshop. This one was so helpful. 
And, with all this hate whirling round in "the world", let me say that her neighbours, who lent us their lovely house for 3 days, are Pakistani Muslims. And I don't see how she and her husband could have better and kinder neighours.

I visited Maggie on Wednesday afternoon, having not seen her last week. She seemed a bit more, I don't know how to say it,  more less-there than the last time I saw her (if that makes sense) but another sister joined us and as we began to talk and laugh, Maggie really brightened up and even managed a sentence - an almost sentence.

I was out with my siblings yesterday  - on the door to door work.  My partner and I both had a lovely call each, and we then Drove to Angmering (how my heart sank when my partner suggested it) and did some returns.  And I was glad we did as we found a lady I had met and talked to months ago, and she remembered me and took some literature.

The only thing is keeping up with all the return visits. 

But, as Isaiah reminds us:
"He gives power to the tired one And full might to those lacking strength.  Boys will tire out and grow weary, And young men will stumble and fall, But those hoping in Jehovah will regain power. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary; They will walk and not tire out.”- Isaiah 40:29-31

And yes, those words are true.  We can keep going with the support of Jehovah's holy spirit.