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ABOUT ME
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![book flying letters[1] A day in the life of a part-time writer.](https://cristinahodgson.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/book-flying-letters1-1024x768-1160x665.jpg)
A day in the life of a part-time writer.
Cristina ABOUT ME, BLOG, WRITING 2
The alarm clock goes off. 5.30 a.m. I really need another 10 more minutes of sleep (well at least a couple more hours to be honest). I struggle to peep open my eyes and not to fall back into slumber again. Somehow, I loosen myself from the warm bed covers and reach for my housecoat as I fumble to put my slippers on in the dark. I make my way down the dark corridor and amaze myself on a daily basis that, up until now at least, I manage to make my way down the darkened stairs in my sleep-like trance without tripping and landing headfirst on the marble floor (carpet would at least cushion my landing, but I live in Southern Spain where you only have a carpet on the floor if it’s red and have royalty coming).

Valentine’s day. You either love it or…
Cristina ABOUT ME, BLOG, LIFESTYLE 0
So it’s coming up to that time of the year again. St Valentine’s day. For some, a day to just crawl under the the duvet and hide. For others a day to proclaim their love to the four corners of the world. The feast actually originated as a Western Christian liturgical feast day honouring one or more early saints named Valentinus, and is recognized as a significant cultural and commercial celebration in many regions around the world, although it is NOT a public holiday in any country. So why do we all go mad on this day? For better or for worse, there is always a buzz around St Valentine’s day. I could understand it if we actually had the day off work!!
The reality is, each year in Britain, we spend around £503m on cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts for Valentine’s Day. Traditionally these were sent anonymously, but nowadays we often make it clear who is sending each ‘Valentine’. (After all you’re not going to spend a bomb on expensive gifts and let someone else get the credit for it!) More