Tag Archives: wedding

Wednesday Wander – California Dreaming

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It’s a short Wednesday Wander this week. The sickness bug has returned and taken over the entire household, all of us wandering around miserably, wishing it would go away. We live inland now, quite far from the ocean, and I do notice the difference in that things seem to linger, no fresh breezes or salt air sweeping through to clear away the sickness miasma.

And so my mind has wandered. To a place where the air is balmy, fresh with salt and Pacific breezes sweeping off a blue ocean. Where palm trees dance and seafood is served crisp and hot, fresh from the boats.

These shots were all taken the day we arrived in San Francisco just over two years ago, after a week spent in Vancouver and Seattle. We were about to start the next leg of our journey, heading down the California coast for my brother’s wedding.

We’d arrived, weary after a whirwind week, but excited to meet up with the rest of the family, who were flying in later that day. We checked into our hotel, then went to find food, a local restaurant offering excellent coconut prawns and a water view the perfect antidote to the bustle of airports and luggage and taxis, setting the scene for a wonderful week to come.

And it was my favourite time of day, as well. Sunset, the sky and sea reflections of each other, colours blending above and below. As we strolled back along the water to our hotel, I remember the feeling of warmth, within and without, and of happiness to be somewhere so wonderful with my favourite people in the world.

So, as I feel so rotten this week, I’ve decided to wander back there again. Thanks for coming on another Wednesday Wander with me – see you next time!

If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more, you can find me on Twitter @AuthorHelenJ,  Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Plus my latest book release, A Thousand Rooms, is now available on Amazon. Visit my Amazon Author Page to see more.

Wednesday Wander – 17 Mile Drive, Monterey

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This week I’m wandering to sunny California, and to a stretch of road known as 17 Mile Drive. It runs along the coast of the Monterey Peninsula, a small outcrop of land first mapped by Spanish explorers in 1602.

The road was laid out by a consortium of railroad barons, who purchased the land in the late 1800s and built the Hotel Del Monte. The drive was intended for use by hotel guests, taking in the scenic coastline and clear waters of Monterey Bay. It passed by forest and beaches, past landmarks such as the Lone Cypress and Bird Rock, joining up with Highway 1 to head further south. That was the route we were taking, heading down to Cambria after spending a night in Monterey, on our way to a family wedding.

It was a glorious sunny day, and we stopped several times to look around, amused by the small creatures that looked like a cross between a gopher and a squirrel, perched on the rocks.

We passed some lovely houses, mostly built in variations of a grand Victorian style, all with large windows looking out to sea. Pebble Beach is an exclusive gated community and home to the world famous Pebble Beach golf course, so that affluence can be seen in the waterfront homes along the way. However, I didn’t take any photos of the houses, choosing to focus instead on the lovely views of Monterey Bay.

In the distance you could just see the tips of the kelp forests floating on the surface, home to sea otters and other marine wildlife. We kept stopping to get out, taking photos and foraging for beach finds in the clear blue rockpools. However, we had somewhere to be and couldn’t linger too long, so we left our shells where we found them and hit the road once more.

As 17 Mile Drive joined Highway 1 we picked up speed, heading south along the spectacular California Coast. But that’s another Wednesday Wander. Thanks for coming on this one with me, see you next time…

If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more, you can find me on Twitter @AuthorHelenJ,  Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Plus my latest book release, A Thousand Rooms, is now available on Amazon. Visit my Amazon Author Page to see more.

#writespiration – 52 Words in 52 Weeks – Toast

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Sacha Black has set a nice little writing challenge – 52 Words in 52 Weeks. Each week, she gives us a prompt, and we have exactly 52 words, no more, no less, in which to respond. This week’s prompt is Toast, and here is my response:

Last night he had toasted her, declaring her the most beautiful woman in the room.

This morning she sat alone by blue water, hot tears falling. Toast crusts were scattered across the tiles, next to her shattered plate.

Their first fight as a married couple. She doubted it would be their last.

If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more, you can find me on Twitter @AuthorHelenJ,  Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Plus my latest book release, A Thousand Rooms, is now available on Amazon. Visit my Amazon Author Page to see more.

Mad March

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I was a bit absent from blogland last month. I seem to be saying that a lot this year, mainly because my work situation has changed, but I was still finding time to check in every once in a while – at least until March came along.

But what a month it was! I can’t complain because it was wonderful. The first weekend happened to coincide with my birthday, and I decided to go to Paris with a dear friend just arrived from Australia. We had a marvellous time despite the rain and a delay on the Eurostar heading back – Paris is truly one of my favourite cities.

The next weekend was spent in London, a family wedding taking us into Shoreditch and to an ancient church for the ceremony. The old Courthouse, now a hotel, was home to family and friends for the weekend and it was an interesting place, the bar still featuring the old holding cells decorated with images of some of their most famous inmates.

The next week saw things return to a semblance of normality, though we were off again on Sunday to see family, then a snot monster descended and held me hostage for most of the following week. It did lead to some interesting writing, but was pretty awful for everything else.

However, I felt better once the weekend arrived, which was a good thing. It was Mothering Sunday and we’d decided to go on a family adventure, visiting Stonehenge on the Saturday and continuing on to the beautiful city of Bath for the night. We ate pizza, visited the ancient Roman baths and wandered the streets, taking in the sights. The weather was glorious, sunny spring days and clear nights, the warm golden stone of the city lit by fairy lights. I absolutely loved it.

And I’ve also been writing, finally finishing the edit for my fourth Ambeth book and sending it out for a second beta read. The responses are coming in now and are (thank goodness) mostly good – just a few small adjustments to make before it goes to the editor.

So I guess this is a long way of saying I’ve been away and now I’m back, looking forward to spending some time visiting in blogland again. Although I did sign up for Camp NaNoWriMo this month – what was I thinking…?

Happy weekend, everyone! xx

If you enjoyed this post and want to read more, you can find me on Twitter @AuthorHelenJ,  Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Plus my latest book release, A Thousand Rooms, is now available on Amazon. Visit my Amazon Author Page to see more.

Thursday Doors – St Leonards Church, Shoreditch

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This little green door stands in the porch of St Leonard’s Church, Shoreditch, one of London’s oldest churches.

The original church is thought to date back to Saxon times, but was rebuilt in the early 1700’s after the steeple became unstable, resulting in the glorious building you see today. And if you’re familiar with the nursery rhyme ‘Oranges and Lemons’, you’ll know how the bells sound – St Leonard’s is the church referred to in the line, ‘When I grow rich, say the bells of Shoreditch.’

There is a story, we were told, that Shakespeare was partially inspired to write Romeo and Juliet while in the church. However, I’ve been unable to find any corroboration for this and, as the building in its current state was created long after Shakespeare’s death, it’s most likely untrue. However, it doesn’t detract from the church’s strong theatrical history – there are several notable Tudor actors buried there, with a plaque to their memory from the London Shakespeare League. In the 1500s, two of London’s original theatres, The Theatre and The Curtain Theatre, were located nearby, where several of Shakespeare’s plays were first performed.

I visited the church this past weekend for a family wedding. Inside the paint was peeling, the floors back to bare boards. Apparently, they’re about to spend a fortune restoring the building. However, I like it how it is now, all the layers of history apparent, and feel fortunate to have visited when I did.

And as for the Shakespeare story? Well, it may not be true, but you never know…

This is my entry for this week’s Thursday Doors Challenge, courtesy of Norm 2.0. For more doors, or to add one of your own, visit Norm’s site and click the link.

If you enjoyed this post and want to read more, you can find me on Twitter @AuthorHelenJ,  Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Plus my latest book release, A Thousand Rooms, is now available on Amazon.

Wednesday Wander – Koalas Koala-ing

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img_0225I woke up today and felt the need for some cuteness in my life, so for this week’s Wednesday Wander I’ve decided to share some photos of koalas. As you might have guessed, that means we’ve wandered to Australia – the first two pictures were taken at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Queensland, and the last one was taken at the Healesville Animal Sanctuary, just outside Melbourne, Victoria.

img_0227You’ll note that these photos were taken at animal sanctuaries – that’s because koalas often, sadly, get hit by cars, and their joeys are then orphaned and need to be cared for. They also fall prey to forest fires, as seen in the famous image of a firefighter giving water to a burned koala at the time of the Black Saturday fires. Both Currumbin and Healesville offer the koalas sanctuary in a space as close as possible to their natural habitats, where they can be still be cared for. I have seen koalas in the wild – but they were high in the feathery tops of gum trees, small round shapes swaying gently with the breeze.

img_4388This last photo, from Healesville, was actually taken at my hen party. As my family and most of my bridesmaids were overseas, a lovely friend arranged my hen party for me – the day started with lunch in a private dining room hidden among gum trees, then we got to walk around and see the animals afterwards. The fact that I was dressed in several layers of hot pink clothing (due to being the hen) didn’t matter – we had a great time, and it was the perfect choice for a wedding with so many overseas guests.

img_2065And now it’s back to my day. I had some other work planned but, with things as they are, I might just step back through the gate into Ambeth. I have a fourth book to be getting on with, after all! Thanks for coming on another Wednesday Wander with me – see you next time.

Hugh’s Photo Challenge – Week 13: Love

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363 Holding Hands

Another last minute entry for Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge! The theme this week is Love, and so I’ve chosen a photo from my wedding day.

It may seem an obvious choice, and in some ways it is. However, this photo says love to me for reasons beyond the obvious. I had a lovely wedding day and was thrilled to be marrying my husband, yet I also found it quite stressful. Oh, not because I’m some sort of Bridezilla, all caught up in the details. Rather, because I’m not that comfortable being the centre of attention, something you tend to be on your wedding day.

If you notice above, I have my arm across my body as if to protect myself, my hand just touching my husband. He is holding onto my other hand and we are standing close together. I can feel the warmth of him, the support he gave me then and gives me now. And that, to me, is a big part of what love is. That you can rely on the other person to be there for you when you need them, that they are a safe place for you to be.

And so that is why this photo says Love to me.