Sunday 30 June 2013

Day 113

Musicals! Dear Reader, I love musicals! From age four when Grease came out I have been hooked.  I even love Grease 2.  I have been in a production of Annie when I was younger and I must have seen Calamity Jane a hundred times and more. I think I must have a copy of nearly every musical ever made.

When we did out the kitchen for the work to be done last week, I noticed that all my musical DVDs had made their way into the kitchen. They are something I put on in the background while I am cooking. I was actually surprised to see just how many musicals I have on DVD.

So now the kitchen is all nicely finished I think I will be playing my musical DVDs again. My favourite musical moment does not actually come from a musical that has been made into a film. It is actually from the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which I am a huge fan of). It is in the musical episode 'Once More With Feeling'  I just love this song from it.

Evening all x x x


Saturday 29 June 2013

Day 112

Strange dreams again, dear Reader, first of all I had a naked woman haunting my  bathroom. Whenever I entered my bathroom for a shower I was unable to do so because the naked ghost would already be in the shower. I chose just to ignore the ghost and as she only seemed to be in the one room it was easy just to avoid her. So I never found out who she was in my dream or to what and why she had chose my shower to haunt!

Then in the second part of my dream, I am walking through the park on my own. Something that would never happen in real life after the warnings and stories I got from my mother about what can happen if you walk through the park alone. So I am walking through the park on my own when I suddenly have some flowers in my hand and I decide to float them down the canal. I wanted to do this for a quiet reflection to remember my gran. Then, for no logical reason that would make sense in real life, I take one of the flowers and eat it. No idea why, I think I thought that these were actually edible flowers. After having a bite I clearly knew these were indeed not edible flowers and that they tasted like flowers. I throw my bunch of flowers on the floor and I was suddenly no longer in the park, but in the Mere at Scarborough that we would frequently visit walking the dogs with my grandparents.

People were walking their dogs around the Mere, when out of the group of dog walkers a golden Labrador runs over to me and took a bite out of my finger--not letting go I asked the group of dog walkers who the dog belonged to and that I would now have to go to hospital for a tetanus injection and could they kindly remove their dog from my finger. To which none of the group of dog walkers claimed it was their dog and that they had no idea who it was with.

I would like to have ended my dream recall, with some fascinating ending, dear Reader, but this is when I was awoken by the hubby leaning in for a kiss and scaring me half to death when I opened my eyes to see his big green eyes staring down at me.

I only hope my dream picks up from where it left off tonight so I can have some understanding of what it was all about and a conclusion to the story. But it is most likely to be just like a television series that ends on a cliff-hanger and then get cancelled.

Evening all x x x

Friday 28 June 2013

Day 111

Rain, rain and more rain here today dear Reader. Spook the cat did not even want to go out today. I love this little thing she does of going to the front door and if she sees that the weather is bad she goes straight away to the back door and you open the door and it is still bad weather. It is like she expects the weather to be different when you open a different door.

When we were having the kitchen done she was happily walking through the door and when she saw the fridge had been moved into the kitchen doorway, she just kind of froze with the paw she was about to put down as she was walking in mid air and you could just tell she was thinking. "What the hell is going on here near my food?"

When they were doing their work on my kitchen the guys had their van doors opened on our drive, suddenly a big tom cat jumped out of the van and we were all amazed as no one had seen it going in. But as it jumped out Spook jumped it! There it was looking all innocent and it jumped out of the van only to have Spook pounce on him, stunning him. 

She is a tough cookie my cat.



Evening all x x x

Thursday 27 June 2013

Day 110

Well after having the work done on my kitchen yesterday, dear Reader, there was only one thing for it today. I had to clean the rest of the house to match my new gleaming kitchen!

It is Mr L's prom tonight, he went off looking really smart to meet his friends and limo. I hope he has a really good time. This will be the last time him and all his school friends will be together. It had to rain too, such a shame for the girls and their beautiful dresses. I hope he takes lots of photos.

I don't know when the prom thing started over here in the UK. They also now do a school yearbook too like in the US. I personally like the idea of a prom. I think it is a brilliant way for the children to finish school. The perfect way for them to chill out and let their hair down after months of studying. 

A nice three course meal followed by a disco is what awaits Mr L tonight. A far cry from our old school discos, isn't it dear Reader? Plus a ride in a limo. All very posh now isn't it? It was a new pair of trendy jeans and a top for the school disco or remember pedal pushers and ra ra skirts, dear Reader? A 10p mix (without bubbly) and a Tiptop drinks carton was all that our school had on offer. We even had to provide the music, bringing in our own records.

But we had fun and that was the main thing!

Evening all x x x

Wednesday 26 June 2013

Day 109

Our new kitchen


  Out with the old.



In with the new!

  





Evening all x x x

Tuesday 25 June 2013

Day 108

Join me in the garden today, dear Reader, with a pimms and lemonade. The sun is shining, the birds are singing. At last summer is here! The perfect setting for relaxing and reading for a reviewer like me and ireading is what I did. I am making good progress on my latest book.

What are you reading at the moment dear Reader? The thing I love about my job is that I get to read a good variety of books from all genres. I have learnt so many new and interesting things too with the amount of reading I do. In fact I have learnt far more than I ever did at school.

At high school we had a teacher who was supposed to teach us physics and every lesson he would take the register and then disappear for the whole lesson every week, occasionally popping back into the classroom for a few seconds. as a class of girls left alone with nothing to do for the hour and ten minutes the lesson went on, the only thing for us to do was natter and natter we did! So when the said teacher would pop back he would make us all stand on our stools, then he would disappear again and we would not get down off our stools until the end of the lesson bell went.  Quite why we would stand there like that when we knew the chances of him coming back were very slim, I do not know. Why none of us reported his disappearance to a member of staff I don't know either. This went on the whole school year. So for those of us who wanted to go on and do physics for GCSE had no chance.

I met a similar teacher when I was studying at college, she too would disappear after taking the register; but she never returned all lesson. This is shocking when I look back on it now because these were people studying for a career. 

I wonder where these teachers went, while they were getting money to teach. Probably having crafty fags behind the bike sheds!

Evening all x x x

Monday 24 June 2013

Day 107

Who are you? Du  Du  (theme from CSI)  Today I have worked my way through quite a few CSI's, while I tackled a mountain of ironing. Watching episode, after episode I noticed something strange is going on with Nick's hair. Has he coloured it or is it a wig? Fans of CSI may have noticed this too. Has he coloured it or is it a wig? Worth an investigation in it's own right that is. I hope you are a fan of CSI, dear Reader, or you will not have a clue what I am talking about! Mr Ted "Cheers" Danson is in CSI now and his hair deserves it's own spin of show in its own right.

I am still hooked on Knots Landing too. Although mot enjoying the present series as much as the last. I finished all my Juliet Bravo box sets :( I really enjoyed that. I like a bit of telly time. Usually when I am ironing is my telly time and catch up with the Sky + 

Also if you work in television, then of course you have to like television. I have met many other actors who state they never watch telly. Why? When it is your job and you love what you do then why would you not watch telly? I can understand the ones that say they do not like watching themselves on television, but when you have worked on television programmes and you see just have much time and effort goes into the production, why would you never watch any TV?

It's a bit like a sailor not liking the sea!

Evening all x x x

Sunday 23 June 2013

Day 106

First coat of paint is on the kitchen walls, dear Reader, even though it is the same colour it is going to need another coat. If I would have known it would have needed more than one coat I may have thought about changing the colour, but then again blue does go with everything--so we were better sticking with the blue.

Me and the hubby are having a little domestic over a new bowl for the new sink-- he wants grey and I want blue. What the hell does he want grey for in a blue kitchen? So we will go with blue.

Rooms look so much bigger don't they when they are empty? All that space. I remember when we first set up home together and we had lots of space, with little furniture and a few bits and bobs. Then slowly after you end up with lots and lots of stuff and no space. 

Well it is television dinners for a bit while the kitchen is finished as the table and chairs have been put away now. I do like us all to sit around the table together at meal times, but needs must and the table needed to be put away in order for the work to be done.

Also it is take-away tonight as I cannot get in the kitchen to cook. A good excuse isn't it? Maybe I could say that about the washing and ironing too!

Evening all x x x

Saturday 22 June 2013

Day 105

Well it has started, dear Reader, the house is in a state, everything disorganised, while work on the kitchen is in progress. I hate this part, but I keep telling myself it will be worth it when it is all finished. The new fridge-freezer arrived. So we have cleared out what we can out of the kitchen. Taken pictures down, washed walls down, filled in holes picture hooks had left behind. Tomorrow nice fresh paint will go on and on Wednesday new flooring, a new sink, hob and oven will be fitted. So by this time next week all should be finished and back to normal.

Home improvements, dear Reader, every had the feeling why did I start this?   I have a picture in my minds-eye of how lovely it will look when it is all finished. I am holding on to that picture, dear Reader. I am going to keep calm and hope thinks run smoothly and go to plan.

But knowing me, there will probably be a few bumps along the way!

Evening all x x x

Friday 21 June 2013

Day 104

Busy day today, dear Reader, I have not stopped all day. The work on my kitchen is going ahead on Wednesday, so we went out to buy a brand new fridge freezer to go with all our other new kitchen appliances.

We have had the fridge-freezer over fifteen years and it has became way too small for a growing family. Every week the hubby packs the freezer in such a way that if you remove one item from the freezer it is like a puzzle on the old television show The Krypton Factor to pack everything back in and for the door to shut. It is also covered in postcards that friends and family have sent to us over the years. 

It's all silver now in fridge-freezer fashion. They only have a few white ones to choose from. We have now joined the silver club as all our appliances now are silver. I will be so glad when it is this time next week and hopefully fingers crossed it will all be finished and I have a wonderful kitchen to sit in.

The hubby even agreed to give the walls a lick of paint. So this weekend it will be done. So now I have to quickly defrost my old fridge-freezer as they are taking this one when they bring the new one. The hubby is like Thumper hitting at all the build up of ice to get this little job done. He also was washing it out, which is something I have done every week. But now that it is destined for the tip he now chooses to wash it out?!

There you go, dear Reader, by age thirty-nine you get excited by work getting done on your kitchen and a brand new fridge-freezer!

Evening all X X X

Thursday 20 June 2013

Day 103

A new baby in our family today, dear Reader, a baby boy born this morning in a birthing pool all going to plan for our lovely mum to be. She must be so relieved to have everything go so well and to have it all over and done with and now to be able to hold her little baby boy.

I can't wait to see him. I have already seen a photo and he is a little cutie. It will not be long now until we have a new royal baby too this year. I am thinking William and Kate will have a girl and call her Elizabeth Diana. What do you think, dear Reader?

We did not find out the sex of our first baby, we wanted the surprise. We did however choose to find out the sex of our second, so we knew we were having a girl. All that time to plan on having a girl and I could not decide on a name. My hubby suggested one all the way through my pregnancy and I did not like it. Then when she was born the name he had suggested all the way through just seemed to suit her, so that is the name we went with. Now I can not imagine her being called anything else.

It was easy naming my son. He was called after his grandfather. My own mother wanted to name me Boadicea. I am so glad some one talked her out of that one! I was actually named Nicola but now it's shortened to Nikki, but I prefer either. I think the mum-in-law chooses to call me Nicola sometimes because she thinks it annoys me but I am not bothered my actual full name is Nicola-Jayne.

As long as people are nice to me, they can call me what they want.

Evening all x x x

Wednesday 19 June 2013

Day 102

I don't watch many ads on the TV, dear Reader, I am usually on Sky + so I can fast forward. By the looks of things I am not missing anything either. Some of them are really bad. Some are just down right stupid. Maybe the big advertising companies know that most people fast forward the advertisements so they just do not bother anymore.

Advertisements used to be good and they were entertaining too. With a catchy tune and not with an annoying one like the Go Compare advertisement. Some of the advertisements now you just can not tell what they are advertising until the end of the commercial.
 
Evening all x x x


Tuesday 18 June 2013

Day 101

Back to the doctors, today, dear Reader and I saw a much better doctor this time, so hopefully I am a stage nearer to getting back in control of my allergy. I was in two minds if I should back or not, but I'm so glad I went back now. Hopefully now the 3am baths will stop!

It has been so hard staying awake, when I was in the bath at that time on a morning. Many a time I have dosed off.  My eyes have slowly closed only to have me quickly snap them open again. Then there is the thing, dear Reader, of finding the energy to get out of the bath when you are so tired. A cooler bath is just as hard to get out of as a warm bath.

I have loads of towels in the wash too, from my many baths. I have been having up to four a day. I also have  had a good system of singing TV themes loud when I itch to try and distract my mind. I am worried now because Star Trek has entered the repertoire. Too much Star Trek has been happening on my television, dear Reader, in fact the hubby has it on at the moment.

You take your eyes off the television for a minute and look what happens!

Evening all x x x



Monday 17 June 2013

Day 100

One hundred days of being thirty-nine, dear Reader, and I have discovered something today. The cold bath. A cool bath seems to be much better for my poor skin. I love warm baths--even really hot ones, but even I knew that when my skin flared up due to my allergy that hot baths had to be banned. Warm baths are nice and the thought of having a cold bath would really not appeal to me at all.

However when your allergy as been going on as long as mine has now, you get prepared to try everything. So off I went in a cool bath. I was surprised at just how quickly my skin felt smoother and so much better. I read that you only must stay in around fifteen minutes so I timed myself, thinking I would never last fifteen minutes without the temptation to reach out for the hot tap.

But I surprised myself, dear Reader, I found it okay. Now when I say a cool bath I don't mean a freezing one, although the water does go colder during the fifteen minutes. I can say it is like when you get in the swimming baths and it is cold at first but then your body just adapts. It is like that. Having a cooler bath apparently stops the body releasing histamines, and this stops the itching. Well it is working so far. Although it is going to take a while for my skin to heal, I have to say since doing this cool bath thing there has been a huge improvement. I also add a little E45 bath emollient too.

So now if I itch I hit the cool water, I have now got used to having a bath at 3am in the morning and hearing the birds start singing. I am hoping that as my skin improves further, so there will not be a need for so many cool baths.

Fingers crossed for me, dear Reader, that I could finally have found something that works.

Evening all x x x

Sunday 16 June 2013

Day 99

Today I did something amazing, dear Reader, I sat all the way through a Star Trek film. Yes it was at the cinema, so I did not have much choice really! But myself and my teens treated the hubby for Father's Day today.

Don't ask me what it was about, dear Reader, I have no clue. Another Spock appeared  half-way through adding to my confusion. Nice jumpers though. I can never get used to new people playing characters. For example, Superman to me will always be Christopher Reeves and for me Batman will always be David Jason from Only Fools and Horses.

All in all it was a good day out. A nice family one too. The teens bought the hubby Star Trek: The Next Generation the full collection, so it looks like I am stuck with Star Trek for the time being--help I am being turned into a trekkie!







Evening all x x x

Saturday 15 June 2013

Day 98

A quiet day today, dear Reader, I felt a bit poorly to be honest--although my skin is doing much better. I have slept most of the day. I think my body needs to catch up on all the sleep it missed while my allergy was bad. I have slept too.

Speaking of repair, my day today did not get off to a great start. I mentioned decorating word to the hubby.  I just thought that as we had to lift everything out and empty the kitchen soon for work we are having done on the kitchen, that we might as well give the walls a coat of paint! Should have known better "LATER" is always the hubbies reply

My Gran used to say a job is not worth doing unless it's done properly.

Evening all x x x






Friday 14 June 2013

Day 97

The thing that happens by the time you reach the age of thirty-nine, is that people who are police officers and doctors become younger than you. Today at my doctors appointment my doctor was indeed younger than me. I also now see that although the younger doctors are qualified, they just do not have the experience to know much about a condition, such as mine allergy and do not have a clue how to treat you or what to prescribe.

This is the second new doctor I have seen at our surgery in the last few months and I have to say there is a pattern. First it is when you go in and they are still tapping on their computer. They have their back to you and when you give them a cheery "Good morning" they still have not lifted their gaze from their computer--they do not look at you. They do not listen to you either. No conversation back either, well not much anyway. Neither of these doctors even looked and examined my skin even though I told them I had an allergy rash. Neither doctor had bothered to read my notes or they would see there is actually advice from my specialist what to prescribe me and all about my condition. But the worst thing was they had to keep looking everything up in a handbook. I know maybe I am being too hard, dear Reader, but I want to have confidence in a doctor who knows what they are doing and can keep my allergy under control. 

It would be a lot easier if I could book in to see one of the other two great doctors who have been fantastic and always seem to have a good plan in place. I know this might come with experience for the younger doctors, but with an allergy you just cannot afford to wait around. You need it bringing under control quickly. You need to know you are in good hands.

Our doctors now have a system that you have to call before 8.30 am on a morning for an appointment, and then you do get one the same day. But for me it would be easier to keep seeing the same doctor again and again (one of the good ones). But the system gives you the doctor and you can no longer book in with a doctor that you would like to see.

I have now come again away from the doctors disappointed in knowing that I have not got anything to make my skin better after my bad allergic reaction last Sunday.

What's up Doc????

Evening all x x x

Thursday 13 June 2013

Day 96

Anytime now Spook my cats secrets will be up, dear Reader. I am about to watch Horizon and it is all about pet cats that have had GPS cameras put on their collars, so we can actually get to know what our cats are up to when they are out and about. It is going to be a really interesting watch.

The Secret Life of a Cat. Fifty cats one small village. What do they do once they leave the cat flap?  This is a proper scientific experiment, dear Reader. Surprisingly not a lot is known about our friendly felines. About their behaviour and what they do get up to. It is amazing that out of all the animals we have huge information on, that we know nothing about our cats who live so close to us. You would think we would know everything but we just do not about their outside behaviour.

I saw a little of Spook's outdoor live this morning when strangely she was attacked by a magpie, this was on our front lawn this morning. There Spook was minding her own business, when a magpie started shouting ( I know magpies don't shout but it is only the way I can best describe it) Anyway it was circling Spook squawking (Ha Ha that is the word I am looking for!) and  had it's wings out. Spook was not bothered she did not even stir,just carried on lying there not taking any notice.

Then all of a sudden the magpie went behind Spook's back walked up to her and bit her tail!  While Spook was not looking. She did look but again was not too bothered. So it did it again, this time really squawking at her. Spook just lied down submissive like cats do when they are showing other cats that they are not a threat. But our mad magpie was not having that, wings out he had another go. But by this time Spook had, had enough and she sprang up and got into stalking ninja mode and then she sprung chasing the magpie and it was quite a comical sight the magpie running off on it's legs in a comical way and not flying off!

Evening all x x x

Wednesday 12 June 2013

Day 95

I have noticed a lot of change in schools, dear Reader, with my children's time in school to my own. I have seen that now a lot of the schools my children have attended seem to become adrift from parents so to speak. By this I mean they no longer want to include parents or communicate with them, or even listen to a parents point of view.

Now I am not talking about clingy parents who will not let their children out of their sight and are overbearing and pushy. I am talking about your average 'normal' sensible parent that would only contact the school if there was a problem that you really needed to know was been sorted out. Thsse that also really care about their children's education.

Do schools have any rights to keep things from parents? Can they go over parents heads with things like P.E. excuse notes taking the decision to make them do P.E. even though the parent wrote for the child not to do it. I can understand if a child is bringing in notes every lesson, but what about if this was just a one of P.E. note for a child with good reason for missing P.E.? Does the school then have any right not to inform the parents that their child did actually do P.E.?

Does the school have the right to make a child with a note from home, get into their P.E. kit and then take them for a chat and then for the P.E. teacher to make the decision without talking to the parent for the child to do P.E.? It says strongly to me that if a child is made to put on kit that they are basically been told that they will be doing P.E. that day.

What about when you email the school, would you expect a reply from the teacher you have emailed. Yes you get the lovely friendly secretary kindly letting you know that your email as actually been given to the person. But is it right that some teachers will not even acknowledge your email or even bother to reply. One would expect much more from say a form tutor too, who you trust with the welfare of your child when they are not with you. That they are there to support your child, if your child is having any problems.

And at the end of the day, dear Reader, is there any point in trying to sort things out with school or if you feel the need to complain doing so? In my experience I think it just makes thinks harder for the child in school and that there is a strong divide now between teacher and parent. Where they once worked together they now would appear to be on completely different sides.

So why do we get the call for parents evenings? What is the point anymore? I am strongly considering not going into my children's school again and for me to learn of my children's progress through chatting and communicating with them. Because after all if there was a problem school would not involve the parent.

School as become a place for politicians and politics. It is a mine field of red tape and a total lack of common sense. School is out of date, not modernised for the children who live in a completely different world now to what the education system was written for. But can school survive without parents? Or the way they are treating parents? Only time will tell.

Evening all x x x

Tuesday 11 June 2013

Day 94

I had another bad night last night, with my allergy, dear Reader. My allergy rash had calmed down and came back like a chicken pox rash. It was awful I was in the bath at three am this morning. I have now invested in an air purifier and it really seems to help. I am determined I am going to get rid of my allergies or at least bring it all under control.

So today I spent most of the day with a duvet on the sofa. Intending to rest and read. But because I have not slept all night I soon found myself drifting, so although I do have a lot of book work on at the moment, I have decided that my health has to come first and that for the moment I am not taking anymore deadlines on. I love my book work and will always do it, but there comes a time when you have to think about what is more important and I have to get myself fully better.

I am feeling much better now though, but this time I am not rushing and although I am so tempted to get back to the gym, I know I have to wait though until my allergy rash as completely gone.

It was lovely to be awake this morning and to be up so early and to hear the first tweets from the birds outside. Usually it is the tweets from my twitter account that I find calling when I am first up! Ha Ha

Evening all x x x

Monday 10 June 2013

Day 93

Feeling much better today, dear Reader, managed just to take it easy and got on with my reading. Then the eight steroids I am on must have kicked in as I managed to work through a mountain of ironing, watch Sherlock and catch up on my Knots Landing on Sky +.

I have said before that my teens are really thrilled about me being allergic to broccoli and the fact we can't have it anymore. I should have known I was allergic because one time I was cooking dinner and I seemed to have a lot of broccoli on the go in the pan and I thought this is never going to get eaten so I decided I will eat some while it is cooking, after all, it is good for you to eat vegetables raw. Well the next thing I knew I was on the floor and had come round on the kitchen floor right by the oven--no warning and no signs of fainting whatsoever. I felt so ill and it was the strangest feeling. The doctor did see me straight away at the emergency clinic. I was shaking and sweating. But sadly she was not a very good doctor and she diagnosed me as having a virus. I did say to her I don't think it is because I have the strangest feeling and I felt ill like I had never felt ill before. Just goes to show what happens if you get a wrong diagnosis. It slows everything down to get you fixed and on the mend. The big difference for me was when I saw some brilliant doctors.

 A lot of food contain nickel, one of my allergy triggers, so a lot of fruit and vegatables I do have to avoid now. Things like: broccoli, carrots, peas, cauliflower, spinach, canned vegaetables, brussel sprouts, sprouts, pears, tomatoes, canned fruit cocktails, bananas, rhubarb, raisins and dried fruit are all banned for me now and many more foods. So in my case a lot of fruit and vegatables are bad for my health.

Well I did not sleep too well last night and so my list making was in over drive. I find I make lists when I can't sleep. Lists of things that need doing. Lists of things we need. Lists about lists that I completely forget about once I have fallen asleep and woke up the next morning!

Evening all x x x

Sunday 9 June 2013

Day 92

I would love to tell you, dear Reader, that I am coming to you live from a nice posh hotel. but alas I am coming to you from hospital. I don't even know if I am allowed on this in here, so if todays blog ends suddenly abrubtly you know why!

It's my flipping allergy again, another bad attack, dear Reader, it really as got it's claws into me. My body weakened by too much emotional drainage of my energy by thoughtless people, when I needed all my energy to fight this and for me to keep the upper hand with it. Now it as taken hold of me and at the moment it is winning, so I have had my steroid dosage upped and am in here to rest and recharge the battery, so I can summon up the energy to kick this thing in  the butt once and for all.

The staff have all been lovely. My rash is still all over my body but the itching as stopped at last. I have my books to keep me entertained tomorrow. On the bright side I have been told is is most likely how I will go to meet our maker, but every cloud has a silver lining and right now sitting on a cloud drifting feels like heaven to me! Ha Ha.

But I don't intend going anywhere yet, dear Reader, besides who would clean the house? And my family would be out of clean underwear in no time. So I am doing as my told and resting, with one eye on the door in case someone comes in and catches me on here! Then I intent to fight this thing once and for all and send it packing.

I have television but I am stuck on the National Geographic channel and animals are humping. Luckily there does not seem to be any sound. No remote either which is why I am stuck with humping animals.I have my own room and a single bed is the strangest thing. I have found a switch that moves the bed up and down, sitting me up and lying me down and to be honest, dear Reader, far more entertaining than humping animals on the TV!

Well I better go I hear footsteps approaching.

Evening all x x xx

Saturday 8 June 2013

Day 91

Had a lovely walk today in the sunshine, dear Reader, to break another pair of shoes in. Me and new shoes do not mix, I get terrible blisters. I do buy pairs of shoes in my size but anything leather gives me blisters. I hope it is not another allergy developing.

My feet were kiilling me, but I broke through the pain barrier and they are now broken in. I am wise now, dear Reader, I know now to put plasters on as a barrier to not make it too painful. It still hurts like hell but it's not as bad.

Shoes were something else I had to get rid of  due to my nickel allergy... well trainers. I do wear trainers a lot with all the walking I do. So I had to get rid of most of my trainers with them having nickel on the holes where the laces go. Then handbags and belts too. I do keep a nice pair of heels in my handbag to swap the trainers for when I have done walking.

I love bags. I had quite a nice collection and when it came to replacing my lovely bags, I soon found I was quite limited--because a lot of bags have nickel on them.

My glasses too gave me huge problems so tomorrow (yes on a Sunday) I am taking myself and Miss C to Specsavers to have our eyes tested and for me to buy some nickel free frames. Then hopefully I can pick up the pace with my reading and reviewing. I have a lot of books to get through this month. 

Maybe I might not need specs anymore. I seem to have managed fine with out them. Okay sometimes when reading I end up reading the same line over and over again. I did read a poster in town and thought it was for a Lady GaGa concert and it was actually a lady boy show! But apart from that things have been fine!

Evening all x x x

Friday 7 June 2013

Day 90

PE and Drama teachers can make or break a child's confidence. They have the power to do good or bad in the jobs that they do. I recently wrote an excuse note for Miss C for a genuine reason why she could not do PE. Miss C's teacher chose to ignore my note and to make Chloe do PE anyway. My daughter is almost in year 10 and this must only be her third note for not doing PE.

I was so cross, dear Reader, that I contacted school straight away. The issue being why did this teacher feel she knew better than me what was best for my daughter and why on earth did she not phone me first and check? Miss C felt forced into doing PE and humiliated too.

My daughter as told me she is often shouted at by her PE teacher, with regards to her physical ability in PE and put down. I am so cross about what as happened to my daughter in school. The response I got back from the head of year just was not good enough. In my opinion the easy way out has been done and the problem as not been dealt with at all. 

I think the PE teacher knows Chloe hates PE and she got great pleasure out of making her do it, even when I had sent a note in.

I will take further action in regard of this issue. The teacher has crossed a line and is bang out of order, going over my head like that. My note should have been enough to make her not do PE anyway was just cruel and wasn't called for.

Evening all x x x

Thursday 6 June 2013

Day 89

I have noticed something today, dear Reader, something rather disturbing. I think I am shrinking. Today while cleaning the house I noticed I struggled to reach the light fittings to dust. At five foot eight, this has never been a problem for me--but now I can't even seem to reach standing on tip-toes. 

What is going on, dear Reader, I know we shrink as we get older--but does this start happening at 39? Maybe it is my house that is growing! It was the same when I was cleaning the pictures that go up my staircase, when I got to the top again I could not reach and this has never been a problem before.

I am SHRINKING! Is this normal?  

I also discovered something wonderful today, dear Reader, just how comfortable socks and Crocs are (yes I do own a very nice pair of lilac crocs, in my defence I did buy them for the beach but then they become my outdoor garden shoes)! So today I have had socks on, due to a painful blister from breaking in a new pair of shoes. So when I went into the garden to hang the washing out my sock feet went into the crocs and to my surprise... it was comfortable. Not that I would dare go out of my house in them. But it felt wonderful, especially on my poor blistered feet.

Please comment your views.

Evening all x x x

Wednesday 5 June 2013

Day 88

It is amazing, dear Reader, just how fast time can go buy when you go on eBay. I have being spending what I thought was a quick look on eBay and before I knew it three hours had past! There is just so much interesting stuff on there to look at. The bidding is good fun too. I like to swipe in at the last moment and top the bids. Buy it now is not as much fun. 

My phone is now constantly buzzing to remind me all the stuff I have on watch is ready for me to bid on as the auction is coming to an end. It is far more exciting than buying from a shop. It is the 'will I win it?' Addiction, it gives you such a buzz. 

One of the (useless) things I have bid on is a Womble knitting pattern for my mum to knit me a jumper with my favourite Womble on--Orinoco. I thought it would make a change at  Christmas!

I grew up with the Wombles. I had every Womble toy.  I loved them.. I have started re-collecting Womble things now, thanks to eBay, I have a good collection going.

 My most treasured Womble is my Uncle Bulgaria. After my Gran passed away a couple of years ago, this was found in her belongings--she must have bought it for me and not had a chance to give it to me before she passed away.  You have so many memories of your gran from your childhood, that it seemed to me to be a wonderful thing to be given at that time. This also started me off re-collecting.

My home is a santuary for Wombles. So if you have a Womble or anything with Wombles on that you no longer want you now know who will adopt it!



Evening all x x x

Tuesday 4 June 2013

Day 87

When I was younger and thinking about what career I would like to do when I grew-up, I always wanted to join the police dear Reader. I am talking from a very young age, when I would dress up as a police woman and patrol my local streets--I was aged about seven.  I even wrote to our local police station and a police man came to visit my house bringing me lots of useful information and posters. We had a nice chat.

I don't know quite why my plans changed. I see people from school who I haven't seen for years and they all assume I went into the police. I did apply when a was twenty-nine and did really well, but at the time my children were only quite young and it is just not the sort of job you can knock off at 5pm on the dot is it dear Reader? Also it can be a very dangerous job now.

I do still think it would have been a job that would have suited me though and one I would have been good at. But now I will have to make do with my Juliet Bravo box sets.

Evening all x x x

Monday 3 June 2013

Day 86


 I had a little visitor today, dear Reader in my garden. I had just gone out to hang some more washing out on this lovely sunny day, when I spotted this little fellow.


 He did not seem to be moving, but on closer inspection, he was very much alive. Just very still. I think maybe he had just fledged the nest and was unsure how to fly again. Or maybe he had been unlucky to have a run in with my cat Spook and was just too frightened to move.


 I now had to decide what to do with the little fellow, so after shutting a nosey Spook in the house I came up with a plan.


 So out went my pegs out of the basket and in went the little fellow for transportation.


 The little fellow then decided to have a little poop in my peg basket.


 Gentle I tried the little fellow in a bird bath.


 This did seem to make the little fellow move a little, but it was clear his wings were not yet, quite ready to fly.


 So I popped him on the bird table in the shade. Thinking if he had just fledged he might need a height to try to take off and fly from again.


 We ended up bonding and here he is quite happy to come right up to me and say hello.


 A little rest in a home made nest.


Then he is all ready to give it another go and he did, dear Reader he flew away safe and sound.

Evening all x x x

Sunday 2 June 2013

Day 85

I do give money to charity, dear Reader, in a private and personal way. But lately it would seem that when in town shopping or even in shops I have been approached a number of times by what I am going to call the 'Bib Brigade.' These are charities, well known charities, that employ people to go out on the street wearing bibs and approach  people like you and me dear Reader into giving money to the charity they are representing.

I just think this is an awful way to go about things. What is worse is that the 'Bib Brigade' are now knocking on your doors at home and pestering. Now imagine if like me you have lost a loved one to Cancer and it is a Cancer charity knocking at the door. You feel obliged to hand over your money. But how much of our money collected is actually going on the good cause the charity is doing, dear Reader? For the 'Bib Brigade' are paid. Once in town I counted a dozen of these bib brigade people bothering people in town. Let's do the math, dear Reader, that is a lot of money going out in wages.

I was coming out of shopping in BHS when I was stopped by what I thought was a member of the BHS staff. The young man was collecting money for a good cause. He presented me with a list of money. The list started at a thousand pounds and went down to ten pounds. Only I got to know about the ten pounds when I asked  what was the least amount they would except today, he cleverly covered the prices over. So he asked me if I was willing to donate a grand to the charity. Straight out with it. He also began to shamelessly flirt with me, even going as far as stroking my arm. It would seem for donating the grand I would receive a badge pin.

So why are the people in charge of shops letting them approach and pester customers in this way dear Reader? Maybe the charities are paying the shops to rent space? But this is really beginning to annoy me. I am all for good causes and charity. But the 'Bib Brigade' is press ganging you into handing over your money. It is aggressive selling at its worse, that takes away our free choice. I know some charities are desperate for funds, but this is not the way to go about it. This way really puts me off giving to the charity and I tell you what is annoying too, dear Reader, the false over friendliness that the 'Bib Brigade' put on. Turning on the charm.

Please 'Bib Brigade' leave us alone to do our shopping and let us give to charity in our own way, by our own choice and let's keep it a personal thing.

Evening all x x x

Saturday 1 June 2013

Day 84

There comes a time, dear Reader, when as a mother I feel we have to prepare our children for fledgling. For going out on their own in the big bad world. Today Mr L made another step into growing up and been independent. Mr L has attended his first rock concert in the big smoke with a friend. Not with us as a family but for the first time he now he is grown up and old enough to start going out and about more in the world on his own.

"Why blog about this?"  I hear you say, dear Reader, well I think it is a difficult time when you are a mother and your children are just coming up to being fully grown adults. You worry about them far more now than you do when they are little. When they are little they are with you all the time and know they are safe. When they are young adults you have to trust them and there comes a time when you have to start letting go. Let them have a bit more freedom to make their own lives and find their own place in the world.

I am in no rush for my children to leave home and I know we have created a warm, happy and secure environment in our home for them and they know they are loved. But I know one day it will come when they will leave our home to make a home for themselves. (Hopefully they will only move to the next street) But as parents we will always be there for them to guide them and just to be there.

I am so proud of my son Mr L who as grown into a sensible, mature young man. Also my daughter Miss C too, who now age fourteen is also starting to make her own decisions with picking her options at school. I devoted my life to being a mother, to be there for them and I would not change a thing, every moment I have spent with my children as been a joy. I know we have many more happy moments and memories to come, even though they will soon spent more and more time away from us.

But I know we will remain close and all I will have to do is to get the BBQ out and my Mr L will be there!

Evening all x x x