Layout?

Why do some blogs fill the whole browser? Why's mine just in the middle of the page? I want it to be wider. How do I do that? I can't find anything that adjusts the margins. Well, there's the Html, but I don't fancy messing about with that because, aside from the basics that I learnt on a little course years ago, I know nothing about that stuff. Well, never mind.

I'm posting summery pictures here at the moment, because I'm cold! I don't usually mind the cold, enjoy wrapping up warm and snuggly and getting out in the fresh air and enjoying the crispness. But this year I'm yearning for Spring and Summer. I'm missing it for some reason. I always thought I was a Winter person, didn't like being too hot (not that it ever really has been too hot in this country!). But I think the kids have made me enjoy Summer. We spend most of the time outside and just messing about, and we love it. We're lucky to have a nice garden - well, it's nice now that we've finished doing the big stuff to it. Actually it's a mess at the moment, and needs its Spring clean :) But that will be so nice to do.

Anyway. Noomski did come over yesterday. We had a good meeting, and decided on quite a lot of details for our project. We both have lots to do before our next meeting, Noomski more than me I think. His work involves more hours than mine, so I will put in the work once the project is completed and do the finding of the agent/publisher and all that. I don't know what I'm doing at all, but I have more of an idea than Noomski because I've got my magical Writers' and Artists' Yearbook!! It's like my writing almanac, has an answer for every question I pose. In the meantime I have to do some writing. And I have to have some writing for Noomski to illustrate by next week. I think I can manage it, now that I've found the story. I found it this morning, while I was making breakfast :) Now I just have to get down to the business of finding the right words. I've never done this kind of writing before, so we'll just see how I get on. I'm a bit nervous, but excited :)

I'm also continuing with my own writing as well. I'll devote about a third of my time to the Noomski project, and the rest to my own. That should be about the right balance. I did some good stuff on my own book yesterday. I had to write my way out of a spell of blandness, but I did it. Invariably, if I keep writing whatever pops into my head I get rid of the dross, and its place is filled with something much better. That's always comforting. When boring stuff starts to appear on the page I always have this moment of dread, in which I imagine that it's all over, that I've lost the words and that I'll never get them back, and that I'm going to have to find something else to fill the void left by the absence of writing. And then something marvellous just comes out of the pen - just as if I've received an inspiration particle :) I was just telling Noomski in a text, that it's like trying to get through a labyrinth, and your finished piece of work is at the end, but to get to it you have to go down the wrong path lots of times, backtrack a bit and then carry on. The wrong turns are useful because they show you what doesn't work, and you learn from them. It's fascinating.

Anyway, I'm now off to print off pictures for my diary. I'm looking for stunning scenery and hidden wonders. I usually put family pictures in my diary, but today I fancy looking at some inspiring sights. Oh! Not that I mean that my family isn't inspiring!!!! It is - my children are the most inspiring creatures in the world, of course :D