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Fleur Blüm

~ writer, performer, musician

Fleur Blüm

Category Archives: Uncategorized

End of year round up 2022

26 Monday Dec 2022

Posted by toearlyretirement in Uncategorized

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Art, Goals, Inspiration, Melbourne, Music, Poetry, wrap up, Writing, Writing goals

This year has felt very long. I don’t know about anyone else, but it’s felt like 2022 has been going for a while. In comparison to 2020, it’s been pretty good but there have been plenty of challenges to work through.

I changed jobs, or more accurately I changed employers for my day job; the job itself performs the same function. After almost six years with the previous day job, I took an opportunity with a similar, but much larger organisation. I’ve got to know most of my key stakeholders, and people have started coming to me directly with questions.

So back to the wrap-up. In my 2022 goals post from January, I had a few things I wanted to achieve; some I’ve done, some I haven’t.

  • Publish two manuscripts (titles and covers coming soon)
  • Finish manuscript for Singular Focus 2 (working title)
  • NaPoWriMo 2022 (April)
  • NaNoWriMo 2022 (November)
  • Keep up the blog
  • Painting projects, including a proposal for a mural in my apartment building hallway
  • Wasted Monday performances*
  • Piano open mic performance*

The first two I can tick off; Sins of the Father and The Mother’s Fault were published early in the year. And I’m finalising edits on my sequel to Singular Focus, now available for pre-order: Singular Purpose. I have a few changes still to be done, then a final proofread, and it will be ready to go live 1 February 2023.

NaPoWriMo went well, I managed my goal of one poem for every day in April. Some of them were excellent, and have been workshopped with my poetry group, and some others will stay in the vault not to be read by the general public.

After that, my goals were harder to keep. The new job is more hours than the previous job, in addition to which I’ve had some chronic pain issues and other stuff that have hindered my ability to do projects.

I decided not to do NaNoWriMo this year, I’ve done a fair amount of writing over the year and November turned out to be a hectic month.

I kept up entries on the blog, perhaps not as many as I would have liked, but I’m counting that one.

My painting projects did not happen either, though I spent some time learning how to crochet instead. The mural project for my apartment building didn’t happen. It’s a big project, and I don’t have capacity to do all that planning and painting and everything that goes along with it. Especially given that the hallway is a public space, I would feel pressure to get it done quickly which would be an added level of difficulty.

As for music, I’ve still been having piano lessons with a local teacher every week, but I haven’t managed to do any open mics. I’m not ready to play piano in front of strangers, plus I don’t know enough songs well enough for a whole 15-minute set. My piano teacher arranges small concerts with her students every six months or so, and I played in those.

The band is on a bit of a hiatus, we’re all busy and one of our members is moving back overseas soon. Maybe I’ll have time for more performance stuff next year, but maybe not. Since the pandemic I’ve been more of a home body than I used to be. It could be that the the world has changed, and of course the lingering threat of catching the plague, but it might just be that I’m getting older, and more tired.

I’ve had a number of challenging situations in the last few months, some interpersonal conflict in my volunteer work, and a family member involved in an accident and caring duties associated with that. I’ve been feeling a distinct kinship with Bilbo when he describes feeling ‘thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread.’

I’ve enjoyed being able to go out and socialise with people, I’ve seen a couple of gigs, had some excellent gatherings, and caught up with friends. On the other hand, I’ve had a couple of colds which didn’t happen when I was stuck inside not seeing anyone, I guess there are drawbacks to interacting with other people.

I’m not much good at resting, I hope next year I’ll be able to balance things more effectively. I haven’t decided what to put on my 2023 goals list yet; I’ll think about it over the next few days and post my goals in my first post of the new year. I hope to see you there.

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What’s in a name?

04 Monday Oct 2021

Posted by toearlyretirement in Uncategorized

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Fleur de lys
Fleur Delacour
Floriade
Florida

French. Noun. Popular in the Netherlands
misheard as Laura or Claire
my name evokes many moods
saccharine, feminine, delicate

Brings to mind
old wallpaper, couches
vintage polyester dresses
plastic plant arrangements

I like my name, especially the double
with Eloise between them for contrast.
Despite disdain towards my father
I keep his name; it suits me

Grown from the dirt to bloom in the world
there is something in a flower’s nature
that resonates. I create beauty
attract others to my presence despite insecurities

I like being the centre of attention.
Am yet to produce fruit
merely decorative with a hint of danger
with thorns to prick if held wrong

To bloom and eventually fade
my flower changes over time
A legacy of joy, or perhaps
contentment will be my gift.

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The end is near*

22 Wednesday Sep 2021

Posted by toearlyretirement in Uncategorized

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Birthday, COVID-19, Melbourne, Writing

*or nearer than before.

Next Monday will be my birthday. The second to be celebrated in significant restrictions as a result of COVID-19. Back at the start of all of this, in March of 2020, people said it would take two years to get through and out the otherside. We’re already well into a year and a half and I’m not confident we’ll be out the other side into COVID-normal in another six months.

On top of the usual pandemic nonsense, Melbourne has been hectic the last few days. Yesterday we have people protesting in the city, where everybody involved seemed violent, shouty and not wearing masks, and this morning we had a 6-magnitude earthquake which was unsettling to say the least.

Chocolate bundt cake with coloured smarties and candles on top.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels.com

On Monday I’ll be having the day off work (which I do from home) and am heading out to a local park for a coffee and cake date with my mum, who I haven’t seen for several months. At least we’re allowed to sit down to have a chat now without breaking the law.

The good news is I’ve managed to have two shots of the COVID-19 vaccine, with minimal side-effects. Sadly my 5G is not improved, and I am not magnetic, however I’m confident my resistance to the plague has increased.

My birthday will consist of making myself a cake (possibly cupcakes), and ordering take-away to eat while having a catch up online with friends. What a world we live in! I’ve been drafting a new novel and I found myself writing all of their scenes at home. I’ll have to send them out to see a band or something, since the book is set in a non-COVID world.

A friend suggested lockdown birthdays don’t count, and I have therefore not aged. I love the idea, but at the same time, I feel like I’ve aged ten years since January 2020. So much (and yet also so little) has happened. Part of me thinks this will be a defining era in my lifetime, on the other hand, everything changes all the time, and maybe we’ll forget the whole thing and get back to living our lives.

Until then, it’s Happy Birthday to me from inside my house. I hope you’re all safe and maybe I’ll see you in the real world one day soon.

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Anniversary Gift – New Release

27 Friday Aug 2021

Posted by toearlyretirement in Uncategorized

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Anniversary, Art, chapbook, Melbourne, new release, Poetry, poetry groups, Writing

Time in the last year or two has become meaningless in a lot of ways. 2020 started with being hit by a car (I refuse to call it an accident), and then we all went into the long lockdown. Things were looking up in early 2021 but we’re back in long lockdown again, perhaps we’ll be able to get out by November? It’s hard to know and I’m not holding my breath.

It dawned on me yesterday (possibly the day before, again, time is weird) that November will mark ten years since I started this blog. I know, what the actual hell, right? I have my thinking cap on for ways to celebrate the anniversary. If it were a wedding anniversary it would be tin (sounds very Kiwi if you ask me), perhaps I’ll work that in somewhere.

The project I can announce that will be ready for November is the release of my new poetry chapbook: Consider the Watchmaker. It is a collection of poems, some of which have been featured here on my blog, and others that are unpublished.

Consider the Watchmaker is available for pre-order on Amazon and various other platforms. At the moment it is only available in ebook format, however I will probably put together print copies, zine style, one day when I’m allowed back into a print shop.

I think of this collection as my anniversary gift to myself, and to you, my loyal fans. It’s been an amazing journey and I’m so glad you’ve been there to experience it with me. May we continue to evolve and adventure for many more years (hopefully with less car collisions and pandemics, thanks all the same).

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The Painter

22 Monday Apr 2019

Posted by toearlyretirement in Uncategorized, Writing

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Tags

Art, Friendship, Inspiration, NaPoWriMo, National Poetry Writing Month, painter, Painting

‘I have done five layers of background
I want to make it twenty,’ she says.
‘What’s the background of?’ I ask.
‘Just colours, like everything I do.’

‘I spent hours on this one
making the background.
I was really pleased with it –
a rich matte black
but then I got drunk when I did
the foreground and now it’s ruined.’

I don’t agree. I think it looks like galaxies or
cells joined together with shining
bridges of silver and ink, but I’m not
the painter so what I think isn’t worth much.

Her works fill her lounge room
vast pieces of converted detritus
‘These are wardrobe doors
I found on the street one time,’ she says.
Now they are covered in
splotches and splashes of riotous
flamboyant colour. They didn’t deserve
to die on the side of the road
as doors, so she saved them.

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Romance Guest Blog

24 Tuesday Jul 2018

Posted by toearlyretirement in Uncategorized

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Big things are happening behind the scenes here at Fleur Blum HQ – especially with regard to the show. But, I managed to find some time to write a guest blog for the Melbourne Romance Writers Guild.

Find it here and tell them I sent you.

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Continuous Improvement

05 Wednesday Oct 2016

Posted by toearlyretirement in My Journey, Uncategorized

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improvement, Inspiration, Learning, Meeting new people, NaNoWriMo, Writing, Writing Group

The day job that I have at the moment is working in Quality. That means that I spend all day reviewing, rewording and proof reading policies, and doing what’s referred to as continuous improvement. It’s my first job in Quality and I don’t have a strong background in it, but I think continuous improvement comes from manufacturing.

My birthday was last week, I turned 32. I don’t know how to feel about it. One of my gifts, from my family, was to pay for a writing short course. My mum was worried that I would take the course as a criticism,  that’s not a helpful way to look at learning.

So we looked at a few options and I have enrolled in a course starting tomorrow. I’m hoping to get a few things out of it.

  1. New perspectives. The feedback that I’ve been getting from one of the writing groups I’m in has started to feel like the same stuff every time.
  2. New contacts. Writing can be a solitary pursuit and it’s always good to meet people who do the same thing you do. Networking is always good. People who share that passion and can help to reignite the fire.
  3. New techniques. I’ve done a couple of short courses in creative writing before, but this new course will be five hours a week for ten weeks. That’s 50 hours at least of concentrated writing time. I’m sure there will also be homework.
  4. Renewed enthusiasm. I’m probably still coming out of the post-Fringe slump, but I’m feeling a bit lacklustre. Hopefully fresh  faces will spur me on.

The course also runs over November, NaNoWriMo time. This year I am planning to do it again. Perhaps I’ll be able to workshop the structure and plot with the class. I think my plot and character development would probably benefit from a more structured approach.

I don’t have an idea or story yet, but perhaps I’ll try to stick more closely to a genre than I have in the past. I’m also kind of obsessed with crime at the moment, in TV and podcasts, and maybe I’ll bite the bullet (if you’ll pardon the pun) and write a crime novel.

I’ve been reluctant to do crime because of the research involved, but maybe I can get most of it out without needing to get deep into research mode. Otherwise I’ll probably go back to romance, which is where most of my other stories have been. I’d also like to do young adult some time. So many possibilities!

I hope this course be an opportunity to consolidate the things I already know, and to learn some new things. I hope to meet some cool new people and get inspired by them. But I also hope that prioritising my writing, setting aside time specifically to work on it, will provide the motivation and stamina I’ll need to get through NaNoWriMo one more time!

I want this journey to be one of continuous improvement: always learning, always curious. A journey where I can learn from, and be inspired by others and where I can also teach and inspire others.

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Blasphememes*

28 Saturday Nov 2015

Posted by toearlyretirement in Uncategorized

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In the last week of NaNoWriMo, I’ve been having a poorly photoshopped war with my sister…

Dances with Cucumbers

*deface religious art with a visual pun, it’s a Blasphememe!

We’ve decided that the ‘art’ we’re creating by mashing art works and puns together should be called Blasphememes. Here are some more.

Berry Caesar

We start with Jacqui’s “I came to Berry Caesar, not to praise him”.

Primavera

Then we have Fleur’s “Primavera”, after Botticelli. It’s a bowl of pasta, not a pizza, by the way.

lamb of god

Next, Jacqui’s “Roast Lamb of God”, served with roast pumpkin of God.

Saint Sebastan Speared with Asparagus

Fleur’s “St Sebastian Speared with Asparagus”, sticking with the food theme.

st asparagustine

To which Jaqui’s reply was obviously “St Asparagustine”.

Judith Warheading Holofernes

Then Fleur got a bit more expansive in her definition of food, “Judith Warheading Holofernes”.

et tu

Going for the King of all puns, the Latin pun, Jacqui’s “Et tu Brighteyes?”

Venus and Mars

Fleur seems to be rather obsessed with Botticelli, again, here’s “Venus and Mars”.

parsleyfal

Then we went a bit Arthurian, Jacqui’s “Parsleyfal” (this guy’s name is Percival…

View original post 64 more words

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Roasted Beetroot and Feta Salad

31 Sunday Aug 2014

Posted by toearlyretirement in Uncategorized

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Adventure, Balsamic vinegar, Beetroot, Chickpeas, Feta, Food, Inspiration, Sweet Potato

I haven’t posted a recipe before, and I feel a bit awkward that I don’t have a picture to go with this one either, but here goes, this one’s for you Ben, in case you want to make it for yourself.

 

Ingredients:

  • Fresh beetroot
  • Sweet potato
  • Chickpeas (canned/fresh soaked)
  • Red onion
  • Feta
  • Balsamic vinegar

 

Method:

Chop the beetroot and sweet potato into 2-3cm cubes, and roast until soft and slightly crispy. The beetroot will probably take longer than the sweet potato, so maybe but the beetroot in about 20min before the sweet potato.

Once roasted, allow to cool before assembling the rest of the salad.

To assemble, but into a bowl, place the cool roasted veg, drained chickpeas, finely chopped red onion and crumbled feta.

For dressing, add balsamic vinegar to taste. You can probably add salad greens if you want it to be a bit more, well, green.

 

It’s a pretty easy recipe, but it’s so, so tasty and pretty healthy I think. I should have taken a picture, but we ate it all before I could.

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Recent Posts

  • Singular Purpose available to read in two weeks!
  • Welcome to 2023!
  • End of year round up 2022
  • Disconnect
  • If I only could: or leaving things behind
  • Cover Reveal – Singular Purpose
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Melbourne, Australia
fleurblum@hotmail.com

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