Kell

Doing really well this year so far - half way through February, and I've finished 15, and have several others on the go at the moment. I expect to finish at least another 2 by the end of the month. Seeing as how my goal is 52 for the year (1 per week, obviously), I'm well ahead of the game right now, so now might be the time to start pulling out a couple of lengthier tomes that'll take longer to finish.

NNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If Danny Dyer was the Doctor, that would utterly kill the show for me permanently. I cannot stand him!!!

I've only read the first two books so far, but I fully intend to read the third, and any new ones that are published!

I've not been to see it, and I very much doubt I ever will. Everything I've seen and heard about it so far has my teeth on edge. I'm not terribly interested in the storyline, but I tried listening to the soundtrack and actually hated the music. I am NOT a fan of rap and hip-hop, so I am probably rather more prejudiced against it than most people would be. Everyone I know (of the musical/theatre lovers) is going crazy about it, and I just can't get why. I an a HUGE fan of many musicals, but this is one that I can't see me ever getting on board with.

I've had a dreadful end to 2016 and an equally horrid start to 2017. In the week before Xmas (which was the week of my show), Xander got tonsilitis, Josh and I both got a viral infection, Mum got a chest infection, and my Grom fell and broker her hip. Things were just starting to get better, and Grom got home last Friday, but Josh had a relapse of his virus last week (he's fine again now), and now I have a full on nasty bout of flu. Spent Monday in hospital on a drip getting fluids into me because it was impossible to swallow, which wasn't pleasant. I'm home again now, but haven't had much sleep over the last three or four days, so I feel exhausted, and am in a lot of pain, both in my throat, and all my bones and joints, and general headachy-ness. Dale was able to take a few days off work to deal with everything, but he had to go back today (if he doesn't work, we don't eat - LOL!). Fortunately, he was able to refuse overtime and will be home shortly after lunch to take over. Mum can't come and help either, as she's had to move in with Grom till she gets back on her feet properly (which could be several months). She feels horribly guilty, even though I keep telling her there's absolutely no need to - it can't be helped - just a run of bad luck, is all! Ah well, things can only get better, right? I'm on bed rest as much as possible, getting as much fluid into me as a can, and eating what I can (mostly soup, and soft things like mashed veg and pasta). I've had to cry off rehearsals for the panto for the next week or two, but at least we've only just begun rehearsing, and the show isn't till Easter (I'm playing Puss in a panto of Puss in Boots), but I'm also having to miss the Infusion Belated Xmas Party (the company that did The Magic Toy Box that I was in the week before Xmas) - I'm gutted at having to miss that - I was really looking forward to it! Ah well, all the more time for reading (when my brain fog and headache lifts enough to allow it), and watching movies. The boys are both being good and helping as much as they can, and Dale is a total star. <3

Both episodes have been fantastic! Now I'm just so sad that there's only one more to enjoy in this season - how long will we have to wait for more?! Oh, the agony!!!

I also use the Leuchtturm 1917 dot grid - mine is bright orange. I didn't get lucky and spot them going cheap though - LOL! I got mine off Amazon. A few more pages from mine: We decided to introduce the boys to Dr Who from Christopher Eccleston onwards (they've both seen Capaldi to date and loved it), so I devoted a two-page spread to keeping tabs on where we're up to (and some of my other TV shows spilled over from the previous page too). I included a simplified version of my 52 things in 52 weeks challenge too. I'm taking part in the Orange Rhino challenge, the aim of which is to not shout at my kids any more. So far I've succeeded, although part of that may be down to the fact that I currently have flu and can't speak. let alone shout - LOL! My hubby finds it ironic that I used capitals to write "no shouting" lol! And finally, I've finished a few books and watched a few movies, so they've now been added to those spreads:

I've kept a very scrappy one this past year, but I find I like to have things set up in advance, as I use it mostly as a planner and list keeper. I finished setting up the main bulk of my BuJo for 2017 last night. I tend to do little doodles and things in mine when I'm bored, but I've also included some doodles for things I already know are happening, and colour coding in the set up. This is one of my six-month future logs (I have both of them set up already) A monthly overview, complete with goals and To Do list A weekly spread - this is the week I'm performing Puss in Boots, hence the doodles. This is my book log - I've roughly sketched in books on the shelves, but I'll pen them in properly as I finish books, and I'll write the month on the shelf underneath. My movie log is set up like strips of film - I'll write the films I watch into each frame. The month will be written into an upright block between frames. I also watch several shows and occasionally forget where I'm up to (we record them and watch them at our leisure), so I've included check boxes for the seasons I plan to watch this year. I still have LOADS of pages left in my BuJo to include various lists and reminders, which is handy, because it means I won't have to change to a new book this time, like I did part way through 2016 (hence mine became rather scrappy after he change over). There's also a handy pocket in the back of the BuJo, where I can pop little notes until I get a chance to include the info in the relevant place.

I'm currently reading or have yet to read! READ IN 2017 KEY & STATS: K = Kindle e-book C = Carole Matthews Challenge F = Borrowed from family/friend G = Graphic novel L = Borrowed from library 2 = Re-read O = Reading out loud to the kids N = Non-fiction Q = Quick Read/Novella/Short Stories W = World Book Night book Y = Young adult book Red = Abandoned unfinished JANUARY: 1. Derek Landy - THe Lost Art of World Domination (Y/Q/K) - 3/5 2. Julie Smith - Sourdough Wars (Rebecca Schwartz #2) (K) - 2/5 3. P G Wodehouse - Jeeves and the Yuletide Spirit (Q/K) - 4/5 4. Neil Gaiman - How To Talk To Girls At Parties (Q/K) - 1/5 5. Kate Thompson - Highway Robbery (Y/L) - 2/5 6. Jody Revenson - Harry Potter: The Character Vault - 5/5 7. Connie Shelton - Sweet Masterpiece (Samantha Sweet Mysteries #1) (K) - 3/5 8. Jane Austen - Northanger Abbey (2) - 5/5 9. Connie Shelton - Deadly Gamble (Charlie Parker #1) - 3/5 FEBRUARY: 10. Philippa Gregory - Three Sisters, Three Queens - 3/5 11. Connie Shelton - Holidays Can Be Deadly (Charlie Parker #9.1) (K) - 2/5 12. Cate Lawley - Adventures of a Vegan Vamp (Vegan Vamp #1) (K) - 3/5 13. Donna Joy Usher - Cocoa and Chanel (Chanel #1) (K) - 3/5 14. Jody Revenson - Harry Potter: The Creature Vault - 4/5 15. Donna Joy Usher - Goons 'n' Roses (Chanel #2) (K) - 3/5 16. Jennifer L Hart - Skeletons In the Closet (Laundry Hag #1) (K) - 2/5 17. Lilian Watts - Stage Door: A Cue To A Kill (K/Q) - 2/5 18. Lemony Snicket - A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Miserable Mill (#4) (L/O/Y) - 3/5 MARCH: 19. BBC - Dr Who Character Encyclopedia (N) - 4/5 20. Milda Harris - Killer Cupcakes (Celebrity Cupcakes #1) (K/Q) - 2/5 21. Terry Pratchett - The Compleat Discworld Atlas - 4/5 22. Thy Doen Graves - Hand Lettering: Creative Alphabets For Any Occasion (N) - 4/5 23. Josie Brown - Hollywood W-hore (True Hollywood Lies) (K) - 3/5 24. Chloe Kendrick - Murder in the Spotlight (Food Truck Mysteries #2) (K) - 3/5 25. Chloe Kendrick - Leftovers (Food Truck Mysteries #3) (K) - 3/5 26. Chloe Kendrick - A Real Gyro (Food Truck Mysteries #4) (K) - 3/5 27. Chloe Kendrick - Dead Giveaway (Food Truck Mysteries #5) (K) - 2/5 28. Chloe Kendrick - A Thief Of Any Man (Food Truck Mysteries #6) (K) - 2/5 29. Chloe Kendrick - Justice Is Served (Food Truck Mysteries #7) (K) - 2/5 30. Chloe Kendrick - A Grave Concern (Food Truck Mysteries #8) (K) - 2/5 31. Chloe Kendrick - Five Will Get You Twenty (Food Truck Mysteries #9) (K) - 3/5 APRIL: 32. Chloe Kendrick - Deadly Beloved (Food Truck Mysteries #10) (K) - 3/5 33. Chloe Kendrick - Murders and Acquisitions (Food Truck Mysteries #11) (K) - 2/5 34. Chloe Kendrick - Down For the Count (Food Truck Mysteries #12) (K) - 2/5 35. Chloe Kendrick - Slay Bells Ring (Food Truck Mysteries #13) (K) - 2/5 36. Chloe Kendrick - A Formula For Murder (Food Truck Mysteries #14) (K) - 2/5 MAY: 37. Hope Callaghan - Starboard Secrets (Cruise Ship Mystery #1) (K) - 2/5 38. Hope Callaghan - Portside Peril (Cruise Ship Mystery #2) (K) - 2/5 39. Hope Callaghan - Lethal Lobster (Cruise Ship Mystery #3) (K) - 2/5 JUNE: JULY: AUGUST: SEPTEMBER: OCTOBER: NOVEMBER: DECEMBER: RETURN TO MOUNT TBR

Favourite read? Philippa Gregory - The King's Curse (Cousins' War #6) Favourite author? Philippa Gregory Most read author? Carol Matthews Favourite book cover? A toss up between Ransom Riggs - Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, and Cameron Jace - Insanity (Mad In Wonderland #1) Book you abandoned (if there was more than one, the one you read least of)? Matthew S Cox - Emma and the Banderwigh Book that most disappointed you? Andy C E Brown - Declutter And Simplify - 33 Proven Ways To Declutter And Simplify Your Life Funniest book? Richard Grady - It's Never OK To Borrow Someone Else's Toothbrush Favourite literary character? Claire Trevelyan from Shelley Adina - Lady of Devices (Magnificent Devices #1) Favourite children's book? Lemony Snicket - A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning (#1) Favourite classic? n/a Favourite non-fiction book? Victoria Pepe, etc - I Call Myself a Feminist Favourite biography? n/a Favourite collection of short stories? Ruth Manning-Sanders - Folk & Fairy Tales Favourite poetry collection? n/a Favourite illustrated book? Ruth Manning-Sanders - Folk & Fairy Tales Favourite publisher? Simon & Schuster UK (publisher of Philippa Gregory's books) Favourite audiobook? n/a Favourite re-read? Ruth Manning-Sanders - Folk & Fairy Tales

DANNY WAS ROBBED!!!!! That said, if someone other than Danny had to win it, I'm glad it was Ore - he's been bloody good too.

I'd like to see Danny, Ore and Louise in the final. I've never warmed to Claudia, but although I wasn't keen on Louise in he beginning, I rather like her now. Ore is very good, but I didn't think much of his foxtrot. Much as I love Danny, I thought his Tango a little underwhelming (and I LOVE Tango!). Louise stole the show this week with her Deadwood Quickstep - she was marvelous. Even so, I really want to see Danny win it - he's been the strongest dancer from the start, but he's also improved - I just LOVE watching him dance!

I have completed ALL my gift shopping and wrapping - did it all by the end of November, so I wouldn't have to stress about it any more LOL! Rehearsals are going really well for the Xmas show I'm in the week before Xmas, and I'm also booked to do a party next weekend as Candy the Xmas Fairy, which will be a total hoot! So, I'm being kept busy, and will be pretty much AWOL for the month, but I'll try to pop in from time to time. Have a good one, everyone!

I was SO glad both Ed and Judge Rinder went safely through - I love watching both of them. Danny's AT was the highlight of the show for me - I'm not even kidding when I say that at night, I dream of dancing with him!!! The dance off result, I think Daisy new she was going to be in the dance off again - the public just haven't taken to her like the others - and when she realised she was up against Greg, all the fight just seemed to go out of her. She looked like she was doing a walk-through of her routine in the dance off, whereas Greg pulled out all the stops and really nailed it - it was very clear he was hungry for it! I think this will be Ed's last week, and probably rightly so, but he has shown such improvement over the weeks and I love watching him dance - he's always so entertaining and he throws himself into it all, heart and soul. He might find himself up against Louise, as overall, I think she's plateaued a bit and Judge Rinder is so wildly popular, being such a character, that she seems bland by comparison. I'd love to see a final with Danny, Ore and Greg in it - wouldn't that be a turn up for the books? An all-male final? Overall though, I want Danny to win - I think he's an amazing dancer, and my jaw just hits the floor every time he moves. I think the judges don't score him fairly, though - he's consistently the best dancer (I think there has only been one, possibly two, weeks where he wasn't the absolute best by far), and yet they score the others more highly. I mean, Ore got tens before Danny did, and Danny had absolutely blown everyone off the floor the week before. Where were Danny's tens?! Either way, this has been a cracking season so far and I'm very excited to see who ends up in the final!

I cannot wait to see Danny Mac's Argentine tango!!! <3 <3 <3

So, I've decided to audition for another show! It's a panto (Puss in Boots) which will be performed at Easter. I'm going for two parts at the opposite ends of the spectrum - Grim (which is the lead villain, the Ogre's evil henchperson), and the Fairy Queen. We'll see how it goes... Auditions will be a week on Monday. There's a meeting on Friday to look at the parts, so I'll go along to that to...

For the first time this year (and probably in quite a few years), I have read an entire book, from start to finish, in a single day! Josh was having a bit of a pyjama day (dressed, as we had to take Xan to school, but lounging around on the sofa and feeling quite sleepy and quiet), so I settled down next to him and just read all day. I won an uncorrected bound proof of this book from GoodReads earlier this year, and this was the first time I'd thought about picking it up to read. I thought I would flick through and go through it bit by bit, in short installments, but I found it so thoroughly engrossing, I read the whole thing!

Well, Halloween is over for another year. Bonfire night this weekend - we're heading to Newbiggin (a neighbouring town) to see the fireworks there on Saturday night. I'm a bit weird about fireworks - I love how pretty they are, but I absolutely hate all the whizzes and bangs that go with them. Rehearsals for the Xmas show I'm in are going really well. We're six weeks away from our first show!!! Act one is now pretty much set and just needs a little polishing. We're now working on act 2 in earnest. I'm so happy to be working with such a wonderful group of warm, friendly, talented people!

I'd never even heard of it till a couple of weeks ago, and now it seems to be everywhere - LOL! I'm totally going to have to go back and watch all of them from the start.

Some of my answers have now changed... Your real name: Kell Smurthwaite (obviously the same - LOL!) Your detective name: Trevelyan September (Main character's last name of the book you're reading and your birth month) Your soap opera name: Andrea Andrea (the same) (middle name and name of your first best friend) Your star wars name: SmuAn (the same, of course) (first three letters of last name, first two of middle name) Your Superhero name: Magenta Dark (I kinda like that!) (color of your shirt and the weather outside) Your Rockstar name: Green Frog (still the same) (Your favorite color and favourite animal)

I always look forward to the Halloween episode, but I was shockingly disappointed this year. The music choices were ridiculously poor all round, and the choreography wasn't up to scratch either. Is it any wonder even the best dancers scored poorly? That said, I'm glad Ed and Judge Rinder both got through safely, and that Anastasia went - it was the right decision - she was clompy as hell with no bounce at all to her steps!

I've taken all the tests now. At Hogwarts I'm in Ravenclaw, at Ilvermorny I'm in Winged Serpent, and my patronus is a dapple grey mare. My wand is 10 3/4 inch elm wood, quite bendy flexibility with a unicorn hair core.

I did a running commentary on Facebook last week and this week, so I thought I'd just do one post here to show what I thought of it all. Week 2. That was some "hot stuff" from Ore, but not as much cha cha content as I would have liked. I would actually have preferred to see them do a tango to that number! 7 from me. The waltz was OK, but Fragapani looked like she was being dragged around the floor a fair bit, and a bit of ungainliness coming out of spins. She's not as good as I expected she'd be, but Darcy is busy raving about her! 6 from me. Will's jive wasn't bad (he's no Jay though!). I think Karen made a boo boo half way through though - Will turned and she didn't, and it seemed more natural to have the two turns rather than the one she did. 6 from me. That was a lot of energy in Lesley's cha cha. A little clumsy at times, but overall, it was not bad. 6 from me. Jump is NOT a good choice of music for a tango! Greg is holding his posture, but perhaps a bit too stiffly. Some of it was pretty nifty though. Another 6 from me. Tameka's charleston is full of character - as expected! A bit of a fumble in the drag through but got it back quickly. A lot of fun - I really liked it. A 7 from me. Laura really suits that yellow dress - not many could pull off that shade! Very elegant waltz. Needs to lean back further though. A solid 7 from me. Melvin's turn for a tango now. He's a bit clompy and stiff. Not impressed. Barely scrapes a 5 from me. Louise - Viennese waltz. Hideous, unflattering dress. Much better this week - lovely extensions and very elegant. I'd go so far as giving her an 8. Anatasia's salsa had to be rechoreographed due to injury. Such a shame, because that was pretty awful in places (presumable as a result of said injury). A 5 from me. The five from me was barely scraped. If we hadn't been told of the injuries and last minute choreography changes, I would have only given a 4. Ed's Charleston next. What a hideous costume they have him in. Needs more speed and energy. Overall though, I think he acquitted himself fairly well. A solid 6 from me. Naga with long hair!!! She doesn't seem to be doing much though. Found that rather boring to be honest. 4 from me. Judge Rinder American Smooth. Some very nice lifts. Not bad at all! I didn't enjoy it as much as last week, but still very good. 7 from me. Daisy's cha cha. Those legs!!! She could shake her booty a little more... but very good. I might even go so far as an 8. Danny's Viennese Waltz. I LOVE THIS SONG!! He was my fave last week. My favourite again this week too. 9!!! I voted for Danny, Xander chose Ore, and we decided we anted to try and keep Ed in. I thought it would be between Ed and Melvin in the dance off, but it was Anastasia and Melvin. When she came out and said Anastasia couldn't do the dance off, I honestly thought she was going to say that it automatically disqualifies her and she'd be leaving, and I was gutted, till the viewer scores were announced and Anastasia was staying after all. I thought it would be the case that she'd be automatically disqualified, and with her injury, perhaps it would have been for the best. However, of the two of them, she is the far better dancer, so I'm glad she stayed in. I hope she recovers quickly or she'll find herself in the dance off again, and I don't know if the public would save her twice. Week 3 - MOVIE WEEK!!! Daisy - Mary Poppins - quickstep. Too much messing about at the start. Couple of messy and incorrect steps, and the inexplicable inclusion of a bit of Charleston, but overall pretty decent. Xan thinks Daisy looks like a doll. 7 from me. Anastasia - Twilight - Viennese Waltz. I hate Twilight. Just had to get that out the way. She seems very unsteady on her feet, especially in the spins/turns. A bit disappointing. 5 from me. Danny - The Mask of Zorro - Paso Doble. 10. Just 10! That is all! I love watching that man dance!!! Lesley - Easter Parade - Quick Step. Not bad at all. Her shoulders are up a fair bit, but there was quite a bit of energy in there. 6 from me. Will - Slumdog Millionaire - Salsa. Will needs to work his hips a little more in places. Didn't like the bit where he dragged her and there wasn't much salsa content. I did like it though - I might push as high as an 8, but I wish there was more salsa in it. Naga - Mission Impossible - Tango. Unsteady on her feet, and it looked like they had trouble getting the harness off her. Very little passion or drive. Very disappointing. 5 from me. Judge Rinder - The Flintstones - Charleston. A lot of fun, but not as good as I expected or hoped. A few very obvious mistakes, but I enjoyed watching it. 6 from me. Ore - Singing in the Rain - American Smooth. That was excellent! Wonderful footwork and movement - great deportment. A good solid 9 from me! Laura - Moulin Rouge - Salsa. That lift took a little while to get her up there, but some good hip movement. With a little work on getting the lifts smooth, she could be really good. 7 from me. Greg - Robin Hood Prince of Thieves - American Smooth. Those lifts and spins looked effortless! That was very good!!! He's really coming along nicely. Can we all say "journey" !!! 8 from me. Claudia - Bugsy Malone - Charleston. That was excellent - energetic and acrobatic. I would have given a 9 if it hadn't gone out of time near the end. A good solid 8 from me. Tameka - Beverly Hills Cop - Tango. That was pretty impressive. The bits at the start and end she held her shoulders very strangely - high and stiff - but that was fairly decent. A solid 7 from me. Ed - The Mask - Samba. Not such great dancing from Ed this week, but what a character! I still enjoyed watching him, even if I wasn't so keen on the dance itself. Just a 5 from me based on the dance, but I want him to stay in! It's worth mentioning I'm not keen on the samba anyway. He gives his all every time though. Louise - Flashdance - Cha cha. Seemed a bit stilted in places, and strangely lacking in content. I wanted to like that a whole lot more than I actually did. She moved well, though, overall, so I'll scrape a 7 for that. Have voted for Danny and Ore, and Xan chose Claudia this week. I think Naga and Anastasia will be in the dance off tonight. Not sure which of them I would choose to go, to be honest. I actually enjoy Anastasia's dancing more than Naga's, but with her injury, it might be better if she said goodbye.

It's been a busy month, especially the last week or so! Xander turned 8 on Saturday and we took him to a VIP party on the day, then had a small party at home with some of his best friends the next day. Monday was my 40th birthday, which was nice and quiet, which was exactly what I wanted after such a hectic weekend! Tonight I was interviewed TWICE! There's a lass at Infusion (the company I work for) who is studying drama at college, and she needed to interview someone who has worked professionally in the biz, so she chose me! (Totally flattered!). The other interview was to do with my blog - a national magazine is doing an article on people who keep their resolutions past the end of January, and the writer came across my blog with my 52 things in 52 weeks challenge, which I've been doing the last four years, and chose me as one of the three people she wants to write about! Tomorrow night is rehearsal night - work on the Xmas show is going REALLY well. The company are all a joy to work with and things are progressing very quickly - it's so nice to be working with people who LOVE the theatre and just crack on with things. This weekend, I'll be singing at a nursing home - I was spotted singing at Blyth Battery a few weeks ago, and they want me to go round and entertain the old dears for an hour or so on Sunday, which will be a lot of fun. And Josh turns 3 a week on Saturday too, so we'll be taking him to a big soft play centre for the morning to celebrate - he'll have a whale of a time! And now, because it's past midnight, I'm going to go to bed - I really need ot get more rest when I have so much to do!