No more apologising

I read recently a load of old letters from my early days in Bangkok. Severals things struck me about their tone but the most depressing thing was that practically every single one began with an apology. I'm sorry I have taken so long to write; sorry not to write sooner; sorry. Sorry. Sorry. God it was depressing.

A woman in Gap dressing room in New York once told me off for apologising. I'd only been with her for 35 seconds.

There's going to be no more apologising for sporadic posting.

I missed making a fuss of Tea Stains birthday on Friday. So what? I'm not offended and actually, I toasted it several times during the day; the best one being at lunch, with a dahl and a fizzy water in a pretty blue glass. Yay. Get me.

But five years of blogging: that's not bad huh?

I am having a little bit of a change of direction. I am out playing with different ideas. I suppose I shall come here at some point and let you know how and why. Maybe.

In the meantime,

Happy New Lunar Year

Happy Birthday Tea Stains!

*
Well, I jolly nearly missed that, what with all the hard work, wild dreams and food obsessing.

But I'm very pleased to announce that Tea Stains is four years old today. And as well as sharing tea and cup cakes (do try; they're wheat free) to all readers I'm going to have a blog birthday giveaway.

There will be a mystery prize (probably of a Thai flavour unless you live in Thailand) for four winners - one for each year that I've been blogging.

All you have to do is leave a comment or email me at 4pmteatime (at) gmail (dot) com to say you'd like to be entered into the birthday draw. You will have to be prepared to give me a delivery address if your name is picked out of the hat. I will send prizes any where in the world (I hate being excluded because I live in Thailand; it's just not right.)

Do please pass the details on; the more the merrier. You have until Thursday 27 January to register your interest.

Happy Birthday Tea Stains

Today is my 2nd blog birthday.

Before I started tea stains I’d been lurking on Kate Harrison’s blog for several months but I didn’t dare to comment; I’m not sure why. I kept looking at blogger’s front page and wondering about it. Sometimes I’d click on their info to find out how to do it. It all seemed so easy – too easy. What was my name? What did I want to call it? I didn’t know and I’d press back, back, back.

Of course I was reading Kate’s blog because it was about writing. I didn’t want to blog to blog; I wanted to blog to write.

I wanted to write. I couldn’t say that out loud back then.

My first post, Cyberspace-Penpal, was a bit ‘Dear Diary’ self conscious. My fourth, Uncle Paper and Oesophageal Reflux is less embarrassing and I’m beginning to find the voice I recognise.

Then Kate Harrison and Lucy Diamond started the idea of a novel race: that turned out to be the Novel Racers. I lurked some more and then at the beginning of February, I wrote Dithering. I continued to dither for many months but you know what? I did get there eventually.

I’ve tried to write diaries all my life; and failed. Eventually, I learned I was a letter writer. I think it’s because I received feedback. So now I’m a blogger for the same reason - and not to forget – I’m also a writer.

Thank you to everyone who comes by: commentators and lurkers.

Update:

Daughter has made some cakes.

These are the blogbirthday cakes. Please join me in a cup of tea and a cake to celebrate.