Well, hell, it has been a good many moon's since I've sat and had a plonk away at the keyboard to fill out some space on my blog.

Where the hell have I been you ask?

Good question really. Things in my personal life have kept me really busy of late. Some really weird shit, some pretty exciting stuff, and of course, there is the stuff we get up to here at GA that keeps us out of mischief too.

Haha. Ok to explain that a bit more....

Well not so long back, my mom had a TIA or Mini Stroke to some, and it made things at home very very interesting. Right now, mom doesn't fully recognise me as her son. I am the man that looks after her most days, once in a while her dad, and sometimes her lover.

Sound weird?

Yeah, heck it is pretty strange to deal with. The day it happened was pretty damn earth shattering. I had to turn around and walk away, as it was surreal standing talking to my mother and she had no clue I was her son.

You hear stories of this all the time in the world of Dementia and Alzheimer's, but nothing prepares you for it when it happens, and there is an awful lot of adjusting to be made to allow for the unfamiliarity you now share with your loved one. I've done a lot of tongue biting, and shed silent tears behind closed doors of late, but in the burden of despair I've found a new inner strength, and managed to find a way to create a new friendship out of the darkness and gloom that came out of the strangeness.

There is an ability to cope within us on every level. Somehow, when we need it the most, we find a way through. Adaptability is one of our strengths as humans, and I guess one of the prime reasons we are so damn successful as a species.

So yeah, despite the fact that at times I want to scream, and get frustrated at trying to have even a simple conversation at times, I am humbled daily by the strength I see in my mom, and her tenacity and will to fight on and enjoy what she can of her life.

Then there is my ikle business. I set it up as I saw an opportunity through being involved with a community program I work with in the broadcasting world. Not so long back I ventured out into the world of Music Management, and have met with some degree of success on the adventure thus far. Four artists in, two singles, one making it to no 14 on the electro charts, and a music video and promotional tour under my belt, and it's been a roller coaster of fun, energy and things I never imagined when I set out on this new path.

I've not discovered the next Rhianna or found a new Madonna or anything quite that spectacular, but I am thoroughly enjoying working with some amazingly talented people, discovering so much about the music industry every day, and getting to meet and listen to some amazing musicians along the way. Now who wouldn't enjoy that?

And then of course there is GA. So as a part of the WST, I now get to do even more reading than I'd ever thought possible, and Cia challenges us all the time to find little gems of treasure, that when combined will make a treasure junkie green with envy. Yeah, it is really exciting to be involved with some of the stuff that GA is doing to make the site an even better place we can come and share, read and enjoy.

But even more important than that is the time I get to share with some fantastically amazing writers. Every time they send me something to look over, I am blown away by the talent that GA brings together. These are men and women that create worlds inside of their minds, build stunning plot lines, develop characters we fall in love with, identify with and cherish. I have nothing but respect for our writers. One and all, they bring something to the table. It may not be as perfect or as refined as each others stuff, it may be something creative, something historical or simply poetic, yet whatever it is, it enriches our lives, puts a smile on our faces at times, makes the tears run freely at other times.

These writers give so much of themselves. They share with us every time their pen touches the paper, and yeah, maybe we type and use computers these days, but it is still their blood, sweat and tears we get to enjoy. I love the way they are themselves in their work. They get to express things in their way, not my way, they go off on tangents I'd never have seen, and woo me with language I'd never have used.

It only stands to reason that the next time you spend a little time reading, it is only fair to take a little of your own time and make an effort to be yourself in a few words of thanks, feedback, criticism if you dare, or just a simple shout out about a wonderful story you've read. Make an author feel good about themselves next time you enjoy a story. It ain't hard.

Hugs and snuggles to you all. Yettie stylee and all that stuff.

Thought for today - "Look back and smile on perils past." - Walter Scott