In 2013 I did something pretty stupid out of spite. Before that fateful decision, I made a few other equally foolish financial choices. I’d like very much for this to not happen to you.

“Sometimes it takes a wrong turn to get you to the right place.”
― Mandy Hale, The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass

Take care when deciding your future

I found out about a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPs) and moved my private pension away from the clutches of the perceived enemy and into the grasp of an unknown entity. …

The point is, we have to adapt to our circumstances. Or leave. But what about the money? Unless retired or you have other regular income from a lottery win or inheritance, most people need to earn money to survive.

Some even earn enough to live life to the full. Whatever their choices might encompass. Some earn enough and squirrel their gold away for those rainy days that may or may never come. What’s the point of that if you get run over by a truck tomorrow?

Making the most of a situation

Because News Break pays its creators per article, I feel obliged to earn as…

Your favourite approach to life has always been to try it and see. Sometimes you struck gold, others not so much. You asked your husband, what does this button do? Without waiting for an answer, you blew up your new PC back in the eighties.

In 2009, Blogger cured you of crucifying boredom when books were scarce. Living on a dream island, 500 miles south of Essex, England, turned barren rock caused this writer to explore new avenues of entertainment. The bug struck. Not mosquitoes, although their voracious appetites left you irritated and dissatisfied. The writing bug.

Friends in Blighty…

ANECDOTE | HUMOR

The day before the demonstration of how to get the chickens out of the shed and into their assigned cages, I happily accepted responsibility for ten chickens and their ramshackle shed. For a long weekend. My neighbour, Andy, a friendly chap who teaches pole dancing at his studio just off the High Street, had to visit his mum. Luckily, his four tiny dogs would go with him. Phew.

We met up the next morning for Andy to show me the ropes. A chicken in each large hand, he popped the feathered ones into one of three cages set up on…

At Oxford train station, Billie’s mum picked the girls up and took them back to Marston. Sarah’s parents were in Poland for a week with Shaz, so her dad had arranged for her to stay at Billie’s. Sarah made an appointment with the doctor. She needed to know about her eyesight.

In the doctor’s office, she explained what had happened with the church. A bemused crease appeared on Dr Scott’s forehead. He opened a drawer in his desk and rummaged around for something. He produced a hatpin with a bulbous head.

“Put your hand over your bad eye. Can you…

She never liked the aging process. Either too slow as a child or too fast in her fifties. The forty years in between spent in a blur of life. A life that sped up as she reflected on it. Wondering if her diastolic blood pressure would kill her before the new meds eradicated her allergic reactions to life. Well, that’s what she hoped for — curing the chronic rhinitis that is — rather than death by untamed hypertension.

To her, it seemed her immune system overcompensated for the very air she breathed. Maybe salt and sugar played their part, but…

Self Help

For writers who have just arrived here, there are so many publications to choose from. Starting by publishing on your own account demands a firm resolve from a writer. Writing by yourself for yourself, because you do not know your audience, can be a lonely path.

A path you don’t need to follow. Read articles you think will be interesting. If they capture your attention, you might like to follow the author.

If you really liked what you read, you might highlight a phrase, a sentence or even a brief paragraph. Be aware, though, some people frown upon blanket highlighting…