I promise that I will do my best

Finding boxes in strange places

2012-01-23T00:16:00.000Z

I had my eye operated on again on Monday, hopefully this will be the last time and they will be even. I have been emailing pictures of it to my surgeon and she seems very pleased with the way it looks so fingers crossed!

We went geocaching this weekend, for the first time this year and it was brilliant, my nose was pink and my ears were cold and it was a lovely feeling. We were finding some of the ones that were local to us here in Aylesbury, one of them was a magnetic container under a metal seat in the town centre, there are about 20 seats all in one spot and it was sods law that the one with the cache under it was the only one being sat on! Luckily we had others to find in town and by the time we came back the chap had gone.

I have begun to study for my AAT qualification, this is an Accounting Technician qualification and I am really enjoying it. It should hopefully mean I can contribute more at work as sometimes when my boss talks about journals and postings, it can go straight over my head. I have just posted off my first progress test in Basic Accounting and I should have the result back within a week. I am finding it challenging but fun as it is making look at all the things my accounts package does at work. In other words, instead of just typing numbers on to a screen I am working out myself where they need to be posted, and what needs to go where.

Sounds sad I know, but playing about with numbers is great fun for me, I know, I know, I am a geek!

This weekends makings and ramblings.....

2012-01-15T14:55:00.000Z

Saturday Al and I went to the sewing machine shop in High Wycombe, I was so pleased that i waited to go there and did not just buy a machine without seeing it. I had been dallying between getting a new Toyota and a Janome, i had spent time at all different places looking at machines and it was those two that I really liked the look of. In the end thanks to a lovely demonstration by the lady in the shop i have a brand spanking new Janome Sewist 525S. It is lovely!

I got to work with it straight away and pieced together the quilt top I am making for my friend at work. She is pregnant at the moment and due in May, I am making a play quilt for her, the backing is a light blue with cute little sheep and all different coloured numbers. I will bind it in either pink or blue depending on what she has. It is a simple disappearing nine patch sewn together randomly, I didn't want it to look too uniform as I wanted it to be fun.

I have finally decided what to do with my jelly roll. I have split into into lights and darks and I am making a log cabin quilt all for myself! It is very strange making something for me, usually I make things for everyone else and I love doing that, so to make something just for me is fun! The jelly roll is really bright and not the sort of colours I would usually go for, but I decided to step outside my comfort zone and buy the bright and modern one. I am really pleased with the way this block has come together, it is a very simple but effective one and I am looking forward to how they will fit together.

I was really pleased yesterday, I went to my Weight Watchers meeting yesterday and I have lost 3lb, after writing of December as a bad job, I am now only 2lb away from what I weighed at the end of November. I am determined to stick to it and get myself to a size 14 by Stacey's wedding in August. Such a busy year ahead!

It is now only 4 weeks until we go away for half term, we have rented a house for a week in Trim in Ireland. Al visited Ireland once years ago with his brother but K and I have never been and we are really looking forward to it. We will be able to walk and visit churches and take pictures to our hearts content.

Taking part in a swap!

2012-01-13T13:18:00.002Z

As you may have noticed I am quite into my sewing at the moment, well you cannot swing a cat on the internet without hitting a quilting bee, or a quilt along or a swap, so I thought it would be nice to give it a go. Doing a full size quilt for a swap is far too adventurous for me so I was chuffed to bits when I came across The Name Game Swap. You make a mini quilt which incorporates your swap partners name, I think it is a lovely idea and I am looking forward to being a part of it.

If you would like to have a go then the sign ups are open until 15th January.

Have fun!

Treated myself....

2012-01-11T12:55:00.002Z

After doing all the quilting and sewing for others in December, I decided to treat myself. Al was working Saturday so I wandered off round the various quilting and sewing shops within my local area. I am looking for a new machine, my one was kindly given to me by my friend Becky. It is a Toyota from the early 80's and sews beautifully, but looking at all the shops I have machine envy. We are going to a large sewing machine shop in High Wycombe on Saturday and I can't wait.

While looking at all the shops that I can think of that sell machines, I of course allowed my eyes to wander over all the lovely material, I could spend soooo much money it is scary! Anyway, I treated myself to a jelly roll in nice bright fabrics but now I am stuck what pattern to use. Any suggestions would be very welcome!

I am also going to sew a quilt for my niece who is getting married in August, she would like it in earthy tones of brown and cream so I am looking at blocks for that too. I could look at quilt patterns for hours!!!

Things are a bit less hectic now.

2012-01-06T23:34:00.002Z

Happy new year one and all!

I had such a busy December, what with Carol Services, Midnight Masses, Cooking, Wrapping, 3 parties on successive weekends, Work, Guides and general living I did not have a moment to blog.

I have been continuing to enjoy my quilting, I finished lap quilts each for my Mum and dad, I forgot to take photos but I will when I am next over. Dads was in Christmas material of red and green with snowmen on it and backed and bound with a cream fabric sprinkled in holly leaves, I used 4 different materials in a rail fence pattern and it was really effective.

Mum’s is in shades of purple and cream and is put together in a block called ‘Oh Susanna’ (I love the names of quilting blocks!) I really enjoyed doing this even though I still have difficulty with getting my points to match up. They are getting better and I am sure in time it will all match up beautifully.

I made 3 cushion covers for Al's mum for Christmas, I couldn't post pictures before as I know she reads this, so here you are, it is also my first attempt at FMQ

I also made a table runner for my manager at work. I really enjoyed making this as it was something totally new.

During the Christmas break we all went to a friend’s house for dinner, now she just happens to run a small on-line quilting shop from her house. I was in my element looking at all the fabrics and jelly rolls she had. She is very very reasonably priced too, so I know where I am going for all my fabric now! Have a look for yourself it is called The Quilted Chameleon. She has helped me to sort out how to finish my bindings so they look neat and I must say it has really helped. Thank you Vicky xx

I am now making my first baby quilt, my friend at work is due in June and I am doing a multicoloured quilt for her and I will hold off binding until I know if she has a boy or a girl. It is so nice to make stuff for others! I know that sounds very twee but it is true.

I had some lovely sewing gifts for Christmas too, I will post more about those later.

Have a good 2012 :)

The Military Wives Choir

2011-12-05T23:37:00.001Z

I watched this program and loved it. Al and I have military wives and girlfriends in our family, in fact our lovely niece Stacey is marrying her soldier next year. The SSAFA and British Legion are both wonderful organisations who offer tremendous support and help to the families of both serving and ex members of HM Forces. This is a beautiful song and it is well worth shelling out £1.49 on Itunes for it so together we can get it to #1.

The Ultimate Guide to Penny Pinching

2011-12-02T09:12:00.001Z

Did any of you see this programme last night? I did and I have to say Iwas impressed. When the lady got hershopping down from £63 to £6 who could not fail to be! However it must take an awful lot of time tofind and get all those coupons and I think normal working people would not havethe time. I also thought that when shesaid that she will buy things to get free stuff even if she doesn't like itwould just be a waste. I did like thetip about emailing companies to say how much you enjoy their product and thefact that they will send you a coupon however I think that some companies maynow be deluged from people hoping to get a freebie. It just goes to show you though, that couponscan be a really effective way of saving money at the tills.

The couple who got married for £1400 are now myheroes! I think wedding costs havespiralled out of control and are just saddling people with unnecessary debt forwhat is essentially just a party! I cansee myself going down the DIY route if I get married, simply because I wouldenjoy all the preparation and the thought of other people being in charge fillsme with dread (control freak, me....never)

The roadkill chap made me laugh! I am a big fan of rabbit and eat it on aregular basis, however mine is caught by my friend with a ferret and a net, theidea of eating something from the side of the car is just wrong! His freezer was like nothing I have seenbefore, but fair play to him, each to their own.

The couple who scan prices really impressed me too, Ihave used the comparison sites myself when doing a big shop, it is a brilliantway of saving money especially if you have your shopping delivered. I would not go as far as scanning as I wentround the shop but there are some products I will only buy from Morrisonsbecause they are always cheaper than Tesco.

I think over all, the program showed that with a littleeffort you can save a little money and with a lot of effort and time then thesavings you can make can be really significant. Just think of all the extra money that could be spent on fabric et al?

Write for Rights

2011-12-01T12:34:00.001Z

It is not very often that I get all preachy on here or anywhere for that matter. I don't go on about my faith or my beliefs nor do I force my opinion on others, this is one exception. I am an active member of Amnesty International, I write letters and send emails on a monthly basis, hoping that my little missives adding to the many will make a difference. Most are not acknowledged but I have received responses from Presidential offices, Ambassadors and just today a response via my MP from Mr Ken Clark QC. See you may not think that one letter can make a difference but it most certainly does.

So here is a request, please take 2 minutes to view the video below, then Visit Amnesty's website and on the 10th December, pick up a sheet of paper and a pen and write a letter or send a card of support. It will take 10 minutes out of your life and it just might change someone else's.

Thank you

Letters from Amnesty International on Vimeo.

I am a lucky girl!

2011-11-14T09:06:00.001Z

This weekend Al and I went shopping and I was treated to some lovely new things. I have bought a pair of jeans with embroidery down the leg which look lovely, the best news of all they are a size 18! We were looking round the shop and I said that I don't know whether I need a size 20 or 22, we picked up a 20, went to try them on and they were too loose. Al grabbed a size 18 and they fitted. Size 18, me! I was so pleased I actually did a happy dance in the shop.

We then went past Boots and they were doing a promotion where they would sort out the correct foundation for your skin colour, now I am no good at make up and very rarely wear it due to that fact, but I am feeling so confident at the moment I thought I would go and ask advice. The lady in there was lovely, not only did she match my foundation, but she gave me tips of the right eyeshadow and lipstick colours too and to top it all I even got a free gift of some more mini bits because I spent over £22.00! I could not believe that make up was so expensive, and this was Number 7 stuff! I am sure the last time I bought lipstick it was only about £3.00, but thinking back that was before Kirsty was born so maybe I am a bit out of date.

To finish a lovely day, I was also treated to some lovely perfume, it is a really nice smell and not too heavy. So there you go, it has taken 36 years but finally I am turning into a girl!

This is what I look like...honest....

We will Remember Them.

2011-11-11T08:00:00.001Z

The Inquisitive Child

Why are they selling poppies, Mummy?
Selling poppies in town today.
The poppies, child, are flowers of love.
For the men who marched away.

But why have they chosen a poppy, Mummy?
Why not a beautiful rose?
Because my child, men fought and died
In the fields where the poppies grow.

But why are the poppies so red, Mummy?
Why are the poppies so red?
Red is the colour of blood, my child.
The blood that our soldiers shed.

The heart of the poppy is black, Mummy.
Why does it have to be black?
Black, my child, is the symbol of grief.
For the men who never came back.

But why, Mummy are you crying so?

Your tears are giving you pain.
My tears are my fears for you my child.
For the world is forgetting again.

Nasty cold!

2011-11-10T13:31:00.000Z

I have been laid up with a stinking cold for the last few days, my poor boss had it at the tail end of last week and then I got it too. Sunday I went to bed at 7pm and didn't even watch Downton! Monday I barely got out of bed at all and Tuesday I had no voice, Me; No voice! My lovely K and Al have looked after me though, K has made me so many cups of tea she is an expert.

The upshot of all this is I have done nothing...not a jot of sewing, or anything. I made my Christmas Puddings Friday night, and that is it. I am slightly worried though, I received a text from Al yesterday, saying how nice the cake I had made was and I can't even remember making it.

A lesson to us all.

2011-11-06T10:56:00.000Z

A few weeks ago I made a quilt which was going to be given as a Christmas gift. I decided on the Ohio star pattern and as it was a gift quilt I would do it in all different Christmas fabric. I carefully washed all my chosen fabric, cut and pieced them together and spent ages laying it all out on the floor to decide how all the blocks went together.

I had bought some of the new fusible batting and carefully ironed it all together with the nice cheery red fabric, I then quilted it very simply with big diagonal crosses as I did not yet have either a walking foot or a darning foot. I then bought some lovely green material to bind it and spent two evenings carefully hand sewing the binding down. I was so pleased with the finished result as it was really effective as you can see here.

Once it was all finished I took the pictures and then remembered I have to wash it to rid it of the temporary adhesive which makes the batting fusible. Into the washing machine it went. You can guess what happened, indeed I had carefully washed all the fabric that made the quilt top, but I forgot to wash the backing fabric, so my beautiful quilt looks like this.

I have since washed it three times with various colour catchers and colour removers and it still has a distinctive pinkness to it. K loves it and has claimed it as her own, and happily wraps her self up in it in the living room. I have just chalked it up to experience. I washed another quilt during the week and anxiously waited to see if it was okay and it was fine. I have gone right off bright red as a backing colour!

Cushions, costumes and charleston dress....

2011-11-02T14:24:00.000Z

I have started making some of the presents I intend to give for Christmas this year. This top one is a cushion I have made for my sister-in-law, it is all in shades of hot pink which is her favourite colour. I have attempted FMQ on it although you can't see it too well I am afraid.

This one is for my bosses birthday, it is just a simple nine patch but I think it is quite effective.

I have now been asked by my sister to help her make 39 nativity costumes for the pre-school she volunteers at. My sewing machine will certainly be getting a workout helping with that little lot. Em has recruited my mum and I into her 'happy band' Mary and Joseph robes, here we come!

On another happy note, I finally made it to the 3 stone mark in my weight loss journey, I have actually lost 1lb over 3 stone which means I am only 7lb from my 50lb certificate. It has made such a difference to my life, I have so much more energy, I even voluntarily walk up the stairs in the car park instead of taking the lift! the best feeling was today though, I have two 1920's parties to go to in December and I have bought myself a dark red charleston dress, I bought an 18-20 hoping I might lose enough weight to get into it by then, it arrived today and it fits! I was so happy I did a little dance. This time last year, I went to a 1940's night dressed in a size 24 tea dress, so to be in an 18-20 is huge! Anyway, I can't sit around on the PC all evening, I have sewing by the bucket load to do. I will post pictures of the costumes as we rustle them up.

Bad Sunday...Bad!

2011-10-19T13:14:00.002+01:00

I am a big fan of autumn this year, it is just lovely out there. There is that slight bite in the mornings and this morning there was a little frost. It then glows all day with that lovely autumny haze and then it is cold enough at night to close the curtains and snuggle down for the evening.

K was in the Trafalgar Day Parade in Milton Keynes on Sunday and they could not have picked a lovelier day for it. the sun was out but it was not too hot and all the Cadets looked marvellous in their pressed uniforms and shiny boots. It was a long day and my girl was knackered by the end of it, the air rifle gets very heavy but she is so proud and I think she looked marvellous.

K is in the middle with TS Broadsword on her cap ribbon.

Sun is in her eyes and my girl is shattered.

Sunday for me was not a good day though. The gas man came for the 3rd time to try to find out what was wrong with the boiler but it would be another day before it was fixed, therefore we had no hot water or heating. I washed a quilt after finishing it and realised I had forgotten to wash the bright red backing fabric so my beautiful red, green and cream Christmas quilt is now pink and has been relegated to a table cloth or may even be relegated to the charity bag. We were then late for K's parade as I got the times mixed up and we only saw her parade out of church instead of parading in as well. Then to top it all I made coffee and walnut cup cakes for Al's mum, overloaded the cases so they looked like demented muffins, all in all it was a disaster from sun up to sun down.

At least now the heating is fixed (touch wood) the cakes tasted good apparently and we did see K parade, it is just the quilt that is not rescuable, but never mind, worse things happen at sea....

October's ramblings

2011-10-13T13:13:00.001+01:00

Well what can I say, it has been a busy month. We took the Guides away for the weekend at the beginning of September. We had a lovely time with them and they all behaved beautifully. We completed the Music Zone badge during the weekend. I love taking the girls away, yes all the preparation does tend to take over space in the flat but it is so worth it when we are all sat round a campfire singing. No matter what happens, the sound of 25 girls singing Barges and Land of the Silver Birch never ever fails to bring a lump to my throat. We were lucky enough to be able to visit Whipsnade Zoo while we were away and I was so proud of all of them. I place a lot of trust in my girls, so they are able to go off in small groups of 3 or more and not have to have a leader with them while they looked round and every single on of them was as good as gold.

There is another reason I have not been here much, I have discovered the joy of quilting, now with that, along with my cross stitch and weekend baking, I just don't have enough hours in the day. Al apparently loves the fact that I am quilting as it keeps me quiet and I stop nagging. Me, nag, NEVER! Here is a picture of the first quilt I have made.

My weightloss is still going brilliantly, I have now lost 41lb which is just 1lb short of 3 stone. I still have a long way to go but people are really noticing now. I have dropped from a size 22-24 to a size 18 and I feel brilliant. I have started doing Jazzercise instead of Zumba as it is on a better night for me and I have great fun. K and Al are so proud of me and to be honest I am proud of myself .

We are off to Milton Keynes on Sunday, it is Trafalgar Day and K is in a big district Sea Cadet Parade. I will no doubt have a little moment as she marches past. She looks so grown up and smart in her 'blues', my little girl truly is gone for ever.See you next month!

Time for an update..

2011-09-01T15:22:00.004+01:00

I don't know what happens to time these days, it just runs away from me. A few days, then a week then almost two months go by and I haven't updated on here!

Well first things first, my lovely K has had all her hair cut short, she now looks so much older it is scary, my little girl has gone for good.

Along with the new hair, she has de cluttered her room, got rid of all her little girl stuff including her dolls house and has basically had a huge clear out. Her room now looks all grown up in teal, white and pink. I have bought myself a sewing machine so I have shortened her curtains and made some cushions for her while having huge fun in the process.

I have continued on with my weight loss, I have now lost 36.5lb which is 2st 8.5lb in old money. I have dropped 2 dress sizes and I am feeling fab. It is really beginning to show on me now and I am noticing a huge difference in my body. I have cheekbones and almost collarbones, I am so excited. I have had another operation on my eyes so that they look the same and I am a lot less self concious about them. I am even wearing mascara! Although my mascara is about 12 years old and I need a new one!

I am not a big one for make-up so all suggestions gratefully received. I will post pics of things I make for my home, I promise.

Al and I celebrated our 8th anniversary a couple of weeks ago. How he puts up with me I don't know, I must drive him crazy, I would definitely be lost without him though!

All sorts of things

2011-07-08T10:40:00.002+01:00

So much has happened in the last couple of weeks. I lost the 2lb I needed to get my second stone award and my 10% at Weight Watchers. I still have a long way to go but I have dropped two dress sizes and I am feeling so much better.

K's confirmation was a lovely day, I got a bit emotional when Bishop Alan confirmed her and then I laughed at her face when she took the wine. It was an absolute picture! We had lovely weather and a lovely meal with Em and her family. G took a picture of the three of us which has become a firm favourite of mine.

Next Saturday night we are doing our Midnight Gemstone Walk for our local Hospice. K, Em and I will be walking 6 miles wearing hi-vis neckers in honour of our Guiding status. If you can spare a pound to sponsor us, please do so in the top right hand corner of my blog.

Here is the pic of us, I hate having my picture taken, but even I like this one.

Special weekend coming up.

2011-06-16T09:13:00.004+01:00

Last week was lovely, Al and I had a couple of days off together to recharge our batteries and just chill. We went to Oxford and looked round the Ashmolean Museum which was lovely, we had a nice lunch and then just a wander round the city centre. Al took some great photos and we did a couple of geocaches and some waymarking, all in all it was really nice.

Friday we picked up K's new bike, got my new phone which I love and went to the new Go Outdoors shop in Bedford. It is huge! I could spend a fortune in there and not even blink, it has everything you could possibly need for camping and general outdoorsy stuff.

Saturday was weigh in and I lost a whopping 4lb! This means I have lost 26lb and when I put my new weight in on-line I got my a lovely bouncing 25lb star going across my screen. My meeting leader Emily has said that if I take the printout of my weight losses so far, she will add them to my record and I can continue the record through her. This means that if I can hopefully lose 2lb again this week it will take me to my 10%! I must confess if I do manage it, I will probably shed a little tear.

This week I am on my own at work. My manager is away on holiday so it is just me in our little corner of the world. It is weird and by the second week I really miss her, the bonus is I do get to have my music louder than normal which is always good.

Coming up though is a very special weekend for us. Saturday is Em's birthday and I am making her a cake, she wants dolly mixtures on it, yes, my sister is going to be 33 but is secretly 7! In addition to this Sunday is Fathers Day, but more importantly than that, it is the day that K is Confirmed. I am so proud of my girl for making this decision to renew the promises made at her Christening. She has been going to lessons for the last month or so, exploring what it all means and how it is relevant to her. She has a lovely new blue dress to wear and she will look lovely. She came to the Pentecost service with me last week and realised that it is the last time she will have a Blessing at Communion, next time she will be taking part in the Supper herself. I remember how special my Confirmation felt to me at the time and I know she will feel really special too. We are going out for a family meal afterwards to celebrate with all of us being together. I can't wait.

Not an imposter

2011-06-07T23:04:00.003+01:00

This is going to sound really weird but I am beginning to not feel like an imposter. When I first became a Guider many years ago and started going to District Meetings, I felt like an imposter, this feeling gradually diminished over time and now I am confident of my opinion and that I will be listened to. I have never had a problem being heard as many of you know in real life I am a little loud. Being loud does not always lead to being listened to though and a lot of the bravado and confidence I portray is a just a mask though and half the time I am quaking inside.

It was the same when I became Treasurer of the church, I was welcomed wholeheartedly onto the PCC and have always felt a part of my church family, but deep inside I have always felt that one day some one is going to open the door and say 'Come on Nicky, you know you are not really supposed to be here'.

In the last few months I have been involved in the appointment panel to find a new Vicar for our parish and our two neighbouring ones and again I kept waiting for the door to open. I am really happy though, as I have got more involved with the mechanics of how the church runs at different levels I have realised I am not an imposter, I truly am a part of these proceedings and my contribution is valued. Call it a calling, an obligation or just a need to be needed, the more I do it, the more I enjoy it and feel that perhaps my voice can make a difference.

My faith is something that is very important to me and underpins my life, I am so pleased that I can give back just a little of what my faith has given to me.

Lovely weekend.

2011-06-06T08:46:00.003+01:00

This weekend was truly what weekends should be. I have had a lovely time! On Friday I sat up late into the night talking to my friends on-line. I am lucky I have a great set of ladies that are also doing Weight Watchers and they are truly an inspiration! We meet up in an on-line chat room and gab about anything and everything, it is all very 21st century.

Al came in from work at 6am so I tried to be very quiet when I got up to got to my meeting, I wasn't very good at it but heigh ho. At lunch time we dropped K off at the local lake as she was going rowing with the Sea Cadets, we went and had some lunch and then went back and had a nice walk round the lake before picked her up. The sun was shining there were ducks and geese on the lake, the birds were singing, it was just lovely.

We had a meal out on Saturday evening and on Sunday we have chilled at home watching DVD's and just enjoying each others company. All in all it was a lovely birthday weekend for Al. Happy Birthday :)

My 'my' has gone!

2011-06-02T09:43:00.000+01:00

I have had such a good week. it has been one of those where everything falls into place. I have done well with keeping to plan so hopefully that little half pound will be gone and have taken a couple of its mates with it!

I have completed W1D1 of C25K twice now and I am hoping to go out again tonight if I can get the ironing all sorted, if not I will do an hour on the Wii as I am finding I actually miss exercise if I leave it more than a couple of days which is unheard of before now!

It is Al's birthday on Sunday, hopefully he will like what I have got him, I know he will like the coffee and walnut cake I am making as it is his favourite. I will resist and only have a small piece instead of the quarter I would normally eat. Hopefully the weather will be nice so we can go for a nice walk and have a drink which will be nice.

My lovely K got enrolled at Sea Cadets last night, she has now got her coveted beret and her 'Blues' which is her dress uniform. She looks so grown up it is scary. I was a good mum though, I did not have a moment or get all emotional until we got home. I am the lucky one now though, I have to get her new uniform dry cleaned and then sew the badges on.

Now for the title of the post....On a side note to her growing up, I have lost my 'my' no longer does my girl call me mummy, it is just mum now. I can't pinpoint when it happened but I know I miss it! So be prepared all you parents of young children, you too will lose your 'my' one day too.

Stupid Pimms!

2011-05-27T08:37:00.003+01:00

After the high of earlier in the week I have come down to earth with a bang! Wednesday, we went round to Em's as K needed to borrow some of D's dinosaurs for a science project at school. We did not get back until nearly 6 and K has Sea Cadets at 7, and I have Zumba at 7.30 so for convenience's sake we ordered a pizza. This would not normally be a problem as I can account for it in my weekly points. However, because I had pizza so close to Zumba time, I could not go at it with my normal gusto and I felt somewhat deflated.

The worst was yet to come, yesterday we had a works summer lunch as one of the directors is leaving. I had pimms and caesar salad and cheesecake and more pimms and then because I had drunk alcohol I could have eaten K when I got home! To top it all, thanks to the rain I could not even go out on my C25K run last night!

The upshot of all this excess is that I have put on half a pound. Things will be better this week as I am determined that this half will go and take a couple of its little friends with it!

We have a Rogation service on Sunday, it will be different this year as we are joining up with a couple of other churches and having it on a farm in the next village to our church. I will be doing a short reading from Genesis and it should be really nice. Our Vicar is also going to ask K why she wants to be confirmed in a couple of weeks. I am proud of my girl as she is going to say that she sees it as a way to deepen her faith and to remake the promises made for her as a baby.

Once she we have been to church we have got to shoot of back into town as she is taking part in a local fayre with her Sea Cadets. It is all go in the Tawny household!

It is showing!

2011-05-25T15:01:00.000+01:00

I have had a couple of people comment in the last few days that you can start to see my weight loss. These have had me walking on air! Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing the scales count down and the graph on the Wii and on the tracker on WW show that steady line heading down to the right but to have people notice is just fabulous!

I notice little things myself, my feet are slipping in my shoes that I wear for work, I am starting to see the beginnings of cheekbones and I am pretty sure I have nearly lost one of my chins! I think the thing that is helping keep my weight loss steady is the increase in exercise. I now walk a lot more and at my 6th attempt I finally managed W1D1 of the C25K program without having to walk through one of the runs. I know running for 8 minutes in 60 second bursts sounds easy to most people but when you are over 18 stone it is bloody hard. I never believed it when people said they get a high from exercise but last night when I dragged my sweaty aching legs up the stairs to my front door I felt invincible!

K is cooking at school today, last week we had lovely fairy cakes with 2 inch thick butter icing and 6 cherries on each one! This week we have mini quiches with cheese, onion, ham and tomato. I can’t wait.....honest.

Plus point

2011-05-21T10:23:00.002+01:00

One of the huge plus points I am finding with doing Weight Watchers and exercising more is I have loads of energy. I think it is a combination of eating healthily and sleeping so much better. I used to to toss and turn and not always feel refreshed when I got up. I now have energy that I haven't felt since I was a teenager. Last night I completed my 2.25 mile walk with no trouble at all, I even powered up the hills.

For instance this morning so far, I have got up, hung out the washing that I did overnight, put another load on, been out to do my C25K still can't do the 8 runs but I managed 6, come back, had banana and yoghurt for breakfast, hung out second load of washing, had a shower, watered the plants and the window box and now sat down with a coffee to catch up with twitter, Facebook and blogs and it is only just 10.30! I have lost 22lb now, which is a huge amount, it is more than a car tyre! No wonder I have energy. I am thinking I might walk into town later which is just over a mile and a half, have a look round the shops, get my stamps and then get the bus back.

I just need to transfer some of that to K, she is currently lounging on the sofa in her pyjamas, my poor girl, Saturday is her recovery day, well it is until lunchtime when I am afraid my sympathy runs out and I put my mean mummy head on and make her do something, anything!

Why am I enjoying it?

2011-05-20T08:53:00.003+01:00

I have always shied away from exercise in anyway shape or form, the only thing I have really done in the last few years is the walking from geocaching. So why suddenly am I enjoying it? I am finding myself actually looking forward to my Zumba session on a Wednesday! Yes it half kills me and I sweat like a demon but I love it. I can't do all the jumpy bits for a whole hour but I give it a damn good go.

I am also (SHOCK HORROR) looking forward to my C25K every other day. I managed 5 of the runs yesterday and I am determined to get through week one by the end of May. I feel a real sense of accomplishment when I drag my bum back up the stairs to my flat!

Oh dear, what is happening to me, 3 months ago I was happily munching pringles and not moving and now I have even been to a proper sports shop to get decent trainers! There is no hope left!

I am even going to walk tonight while K is at choir practise at Church. I will have 45 minutes to do 2.25 miles, I should be able to that with no problem, I just need to get my butt up the hills! The joy of going to church in one of the villages is the lovely scenery and area, sadly with that comes hills!

Keep on running.....

2011-05-15T18:25:00.004+01:00

Well stumbling...

I decided Friday that I would start the NHS Couch to 5k Program. It reckons it can take you from sitting on your couch to running 5Km in 90 days. I downloaded the pod casts and away I went. I know how unfit I am and I also know that I have not run a step for about 20 years.

You start off with a brisk 5 minute walk and then you run for 60 seconds, walk for 90 seconds, run for 60 seconds etc. The first day I managed to run for 4 and a half of the 8 sections but I did not stop walking once. I then had a rest day yesterday as instructed and went out again today. This time I managed to run for 6 of the 8 sessions. I am determined that by the end of May I will be easily running the 8 sessions and then move on to week 2. I know it is going to take me longer than the 90 days, I reckon about 6 months should have me comfortably running for 20-25 minutes.

I am shattered when I get home but in my head I feel like I have really achieved something and that is a brilliant feeling. Em, K and I are walking a 6 mile walk in aid of our local hospice on the 16th July at midnight and I am determined I will complete it. My little route that I walk/run/stumble round is just under 2 miles so I figure in 8 weeks I should be able to walk for 6 miles. If you could spare a few pence to sponsor us for this very worthy cause, we would be really grateful.

This will be hard!

2011-05-10T08:43:00.002+01:00

K came home from school yesterday with a form in her hand and a hopeful expression on her face. The school are running a trip to Germany in December and she wanted to go. After reading all the details it looks like it will be really good for her. She will be visiting Cologne, going to the Christmas Markets and the Cathedral and on a day trip to Aachen and things like that.

We are not a family who travel abroad much, and the last time we went was in 2003 when I took her to EuroDisney, so you can imagine her excitement.

How I am going to cope I don't know, it is bad enough when she goes away in this country, let along hundreds of miles away!!!! I know full well I will be a wreck when she goes early on that dark December morning and I will be lost for the 4 day she will be gone. I also know that this is another brick in her wall of independence and she will grow up a little more while she is there. I am not sure which is worse!

Fabulous Friends!

2011-05-03T07:43:00.001+01:00

So there I was, Sunday afternoon trundling up the M6 to Manchester. My lovely sat nav took me straight to the hotel where I settled in and enjoyed a lovely caesar salad and profiteroles (all within daily and weeklies). All the time in the back of my head I was wondering 'what if I don't get on with her?' 'what if she doesn't like me?'. I was waiting for Hyper Haggis. A group of us were meeting up for a shopping trip in the Trafford Centre and HH and I were sharing a room.

Anyway, she arrived with Hoopylass, so we dropped Hoopy at her hotel across town and we went back to the hotel. We started to talk, started to laugh and that was it. We had a brilliant night talking about anything and everything.

The next day, we met up with Auntie Ali and StrawbsnCream and took the Trafford Centre by storm! We all got on like a house on fire, I have never been on shopping trip that is such fun. Usually I end up really despondent after about an hour but yesterday was fab! HH had her huge NSV when she fitted in a size 16 dress and we were so pleased we were there to share it with her.

We had a lovely lunch in Pesto, even if the waiter was very rude, we felt justified in not leaving a tip and complaining to the Manager, nobody messes with us girlies. The 5 of us did not stop talking and laughing all day and I was so pleased I went. I feel renewed and refreshed and totally inspired. Roll on the next trip!

Thank you ladies for being my fabulous friends.

It was all going so well

2011-04-28T10:39:00.001+01:00

I decided I would not point this weekend as we were on holiday and I wanted to enjoy myself with Al and K, We walked loads, ate ice-cream, had fish and chips all the holiday things. I then got up Monday morning and felt awful. I had picked up some sickness and diarrhoea bug and we had a 3 hour drive home. Lovely!

The upshot of it is I spent the rest of Monday and a some of Tuesday in bed or curled up on the sofa which was not good as it was K's birthday. My little baby is now 12, I cannot believe it, the time has flown past and it only seems 5 minutes ago she was learning to walk and now she is growing up so fast!

Next week we are going shopping so she can spend her birthday money. Heaven help Primark and H&M, they will not know what has hit them!

Proud mum moment again

2011-04-21T09:27:00.004+01:00

Back in March, my lovely K started going to Sea Cadets. I wanted her to have an interest that was outside of Guiding as I did not want her to feel that I was 'making' her go to Guides because I am a leader. We looked around and searched the web and I came up with the idea of the cadets, we decided that because she loved water activities like canoeing, rowing and kayaking that we would try Sea Cadets.

She absolutely loves it! She loves the camaraderie with her new friends and all her instructors are apparently 'ace'. Last night she was given her uniform. This is called her 'working rig' or 'number 4s'. Once she has completed her recruit training in a few weeks she will be given the coveted beret and another uniform which is called her 'blues' with the sailors collar, lanyard and all that sort of thing.

She has also been given a pair of cadet boots. G (who is in the TA) is going to help her learn how to clean them so she can look after them properly. With her boots on she stands a good 3 inches taller than me! Anyway, here she is in all her glory.

Who has run off with the year?

2011-04-20T08:41:00.004+01:00

Okay, come on, admit it, it was you wasn't it! You have nicked February and March. it does not seem two minutes ago that I was at Church on a Saturday morning, trying to be creative. We always have a team of ladies who decorate the church for the major festivals and for Christmas it is all candles, holly and sparkly things. Now in three days the church will be decorated again for Easter! I just don't understand where the year has gone.

I am sure it is since I turned 30 that time has sped up. My lovely, sweet little angel is 12 next week, 12, it can't be possible. Inside my head I feel about 18, there is no way on earth I can have a 12 year old daughter, let alone one who is 3 inches taller than me. Yes, you read correctly, K is now 5'5" and taller than me! When will it all slow down? I am afraid that I will turn round one day and she will be 18 and off to university. So until then, I am savouring the years where my word is still law, and she still looks at me as the font of all knowledge, except for fashion, pop music and what is cool, because apparently where those things are concerned, I have no idea!

I am back!

2011-04-18T13:53:00.002+01:00

You may well have noticed my absence. Nothing was wrong I just had a bit of writers block and took some time out. I have decided once again to do something about my weight. I know, I know I have tried before but on 1st March I decided to bite the bullet and join Weight Watchers. My starting weight actually made me cry and I have decided I will never ever be that weight again. I am 7 weeks in now and have lost 14.75lbs. I am really pleased and have thrown myself whole heartedly into the plan. There is a blog feature on the site and I have been writing the odd post there so I thought I would post here too. I actually felt guilty as this started off as a parenting blog, but I figure it is my blog and I can post what I want to.

Here is my latest post from WW and I promise to update here more often.

Do you know what, some people on here have a lot to answer for. They are so blooming inspiring you just want to emulate them all the time! Take exercise for example, you read on blogs and on the boards that people are going to aquafit, aerobics, dance classes, jazzercise, zumba and heaven knows what else. I had been toying with the idea or zumba for a while and my WW friends said it was great fun and I would enjoy it. Not really believing them but being pretty open minded I booked in for a class on Saturday and went along not expecting to really like it.

I LOVED IT! Yes I was the biggest in the class by far but no one looked down their noses at me. Yes I couldn't keep up and kind of did my own thing in parts. Yes I found it difficult to keep up but I kept trying and finally YES I sweat like a demon and was knackered at the end of it. It was however so worth it, I felt really amazing afterwards like I had taken another step on this walk.

So all of you who have doubts, go on, do it, what have you got to lose except inches!

Horrible person!

2011-02-08T20:07:00.003Z

There I was tonight, dozing on the couch in front of David Attenborough ( I could listen to that man for hours, but that is a whole other blog post) when the phone rings. It is the bank. After verifying my ID they have phoned to say that some snivelly, smelly, toadlike, snakey, horrible, little git has tried to use my card details to buy stuff on various websites.

The upshot of it is that I have had to cut my card up and they will send me a new one. It doesn't sound much I know and I am lucky that my bank caught it before it cost me anything, but it is so annoying!!!!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Guide numbers

2011-01-17T13:19:00.003Z

We have had 4 Guides leave since we finished for Christmas. We always get this our unit goes in peaks and troughs. Sometimes we can have nearly 30 and at one time we were down to 9! It always worries me because I think we are doing something wrong, but it just seems that when some girls reach 12 Guides is not 'cool' any more.

Guiding has meant so much to me since I was 7, I suppose I feel a little aggrieved that it is not the same for everyone. We have 20 Guides now and they a fun group, we are going shopping, doing a bring a friend night and working on a Mary Poppins and Fair Trade Challenge and that is all before half term! Busy Busy Busy!

Scared, Me, Totally!

2011-01-12T09:16:00.003Z

I have to go to the dentist. A normal sentence for most people but for me it encompasses absolute gut wrenching dread, fear, terror and every other horrible feeling known to man. I have an absolute dread of the dentist and have only been 3 times in the last 15 years as I only go when self medicating at home no longer works, which is why I have to go now.

Before Christmas I had bad toothache and my face swelled like a balloon, I finally acknowledged I had to do something so I went to the doctors for some antibiotics. My Doctor gave me one course on the express instruction that I must see a dentist. I have found one near me that is phobic friendly and they have promised not to put anything in my mouth if I don’t want them to. They dentist is going to look tomorrow and then when I have to have anything done I will come back in a month or so and be sedated.

I know this is completely illogical, irrational and stupid but I am so terrified I have had to have tranquilisers given to me so I can get through the door. I am fine taking K every six months as long as I don’t have to go in the actual room where the chair is. My lovely Al has taken a night off work so he can take me as he knows how scared I am.

So think of me tomorrow at 3.30 and send me prayers/positive thoughts so that may be I won’t be a quivering, crying, sobbing wreck in the corner!

Another blessing I forgot.....

2010-12-25T01:07:00.004Z

My Faith, Quite a big one to forget but these things happen. My faith underpins my life and influences my decisions more than I realise. It is special times of the year like this that make my faith real to me. This evening I went to the local Parish Church here in Aylesbury for Midnight Mass. It was lovely with choir singing, bells and smells, communion and a real feeling of togetherness. I am not used to worshipping in such a big church, our All Saints would fit in the chancel!

The sermon preached by Fr David was very good, speaking about the choice we had all made to come to Church to be together in our faith on that cold night and that we can all give our hearts this Christmas Time.

Anyway, I am off to bed now, K will no doubt be up early in the morning, she may be a grown up 11 but at heart she is still a little girl and all excited.

So Here It Is

2010-12-24T13:50:00.001Z

Merry Christmas….

After all the waiting, planning and excitement the big day is just one day away. It is this time of year when we look around us and count our blessings. I have decided to do that so here are mine.

K, she is the absolute joy of my life, she drives me to distraction sometimes, infuriates me to the point of explosion and leaves me looking at her open mouthed in wonder. She inspires me every day to want to be a better mum, she makes me proud to the point of bursting and when she sang the first verse of Once in Royal David's City solo at our church Carol Service she once again reduced me to tears. I never knew that I could love one person as completely as I do her and it grows stronger day by day.

Al, he loves me and completes me. With him I can be my neurotic, crazy, scared self and he just takes it in his stride. I know I drive him mad sometimes and I try so hard not to nag, but without him I don’t even want to think what life would be like. He makes me happy just by being here and I can’t wait to wake up Christmas Morning with him.

Em, she is my sister and my best friend. She is always there for me no matter what and I know that if I asked she would drop everything to help me. She was with me when K was born and has been by my side for the last 32 years and I love her for it. We have had a fantastic year with Guiding and I know that we will have many many more.

My Family, both my close and extended. I have the best parents in the world and I count them as some of my best friends, I had the most wonderful childhood and if I do half as good a job with K as they did with Em and I then she will be just fine. My brother-in-law G is like the big brother I never had I love him dearly. My fabulous nephews D and C show me how magical life is through the eyes of young children, everything is wonderful to them and they are the most loving little boys you will ever meet. My network of cousins, aunts and uncles as ever make our family complete. We are very close and I pray we will always be so.

My Home, This year I finally moved into my own home, it is a wonderful feeling to close that door when I get in and know that this little domain is mine. I could not have done it without the support and help of all those mentioned above and as I sit here looking at our own Christmas Tree in our own living room I have such a feeling of happiness you would not believe.

Thank you all who read my blog and for the lovely comments I have received this year. I will continue after Christmas so until then have fun and stay safe

Nicky

Preparations

2010-12-17T09:32:00.000Z

The Christmas party was brilliant, the food was a bit rubbish but the party, venue and atmosphere was fantastic. I left about 11.30 with my friend; we didn’t make it to the night club which I am quite glad about really. The people who did go did not get in until gone 4 in the morning and that is far too late for a 35 year old!

I am really enjoying the preparations for Christmas this year, being in my own home is making so much of a difference. It is going to be very very strange though because for the first time in my life I will not be with Mum and Dad this Christmas morning. We are all going over in the afternoon for Christmas Dinner, but I have always opened my presents with them and I am sure I will miss them.

In the meantime Al, K and I are creating our own little Christmas traditions. We have decided that we will have a big fry up brunch to keep us going until dinner and we will pull the sofa out so we can get to the tree properly. I am so looking forward to waking up with Al this Christmas morning, usually he comes over in the evening but this year he will be with us as his mum is going to his brothers.

It is our carol service on Sunday, K will be singing in the choir and I am doing a reading. My reading is from Micah Ch5 V2 so I have to say Ephrathah! I know I will muck it up so keep your fingers crossed. Instead of going out to All Saints this year for Midnight Mass I will be going to the big parish church in Aylesbury. I am looking forward to saying hello to a fellow blogger who is the vicar there; his blog is really good and I have enjoyed reading it. As I have mentioned before, Midnight Mass is one of my favourite services of the year, there is something about welcoming Christ’s birth with Communion that makes me feel renewed, hopeful and ready to face the world!

Party time!

2010-12-10T11:32:00.001Z

It is our Christmas Party tonight and for the first time ever I have organised it. We are going to a 40’s themed night so some of us will be dressing up. I personally have a ‘tea dress’ and some of my fronds have 1940’s outfits or uniforms to wear. It should be a really good night; however it is a complete departure from what we normally do. We usually go for a nice meal with a disco afterwards. This has a live swing band and all sorts. I am all excited but very nervous at the same time. If it all goes wrong then I am going to feel awful!

Afterwards some friends at work have convinced me to join them in going on to a night club, now I have not been to a club for about 10 years! I will feel very old I think but at least it should be a laugh! I am sure I will feel very delicate tomorrow, but hopefully it will all be worth it!

Smelling lovely!

2010-12-08T22:39:00.001Z

I finally have got the hang of the oven in my flat. yes I know I have been here 5 months, but I rarely use the oven, all I have done so far is the Christmas cake, and you can;t muck that up as it is cooked long and slow.

Anyway, the last couple of days I have been growing in confidence, on Sunday I did a proper roast with chicken, roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding.

Last night I had a go at mince pies and today I have made jam tarts, marmalade tarts and cupcakes. Sadly my cupcakes look nothing like the glorious creations that Working Mum makes but they look okay. I am taking them to work tomorrow instead of Christmas Cards for everyone.

With all the baking I have done tonight my flat smells gorgeous and I know that it will linger into tomorrow.

Hello Wall, Meet my head

2010-12-03T21:32:00.002Z

I love being a parent, I really do, but please, will someone tell me what happened to my articulate, careful ten year old? Can someone please explain to me how I have been saddled with this eleven year old child with hormones, attitude and absolutely no common sense at all.

A good example of this is tonight. As all parents who have children who have to wear a white shirt to school know; no matter how much you scrub your child the colours and cuffs get filthy. K has worn a white shirt every day since she was four and a half and I have tried everything to get them clean and the best product on the market is probably the oldest, it is green fairy household soap. Anyway, it is K’s job to rub the soap into her shirt before I wash it. Tonight she could not find the soap. I asked her through gritted teeth how she had managed to lose the soap as she is the only one who uses it. She then blanched and said ‘When I rubbed the soap in Tuesday, I wrapped the soap up in my shirt so I didn’t forget to put it away” she went on “ I left the shirt in the sink so it didn’t drip everywhere”. How thoughtful you might think, what a good girl, she will put it away and all will be fine.

Nothing of the sort.

She went off into K’s world, doing K’s thing and forgot about it. 2 hours later when I am collecting up the whites from our laundry bins and putting the washing on, I scoop up said shirt and bung it in with the rest. You guessed it, I have washed the flipping soap and it is all gone!

Head –> Wall –> bang repeatedly!

Fun from across the sea!

2010-12-03T08:04:00.007Z

I mentioned back in July that I had started postcrossing. This a lovely hobby, you register on the website and send a postcard to someone across the world and then you start to received them back. K and I have now received 33 postcards from everywhere from Taiwan to America and Lithuania to Finland. K's face lights up when we have a card, they are so pretty and the stamps are fascinating too.

I am going to stop there because I am heading into the realm of nerdiness. Here are a few of our postcards below.

Germany

Los Angeles

Russia

Lithuania

Finland

My girl loves the winter!

2010-12-02T10:12:00.004Z

K seems to thrive whatever season it is, in the summer she goes brown at the slightest hint of sun, her hair goes all highlighted and she just looks so healthy and happy.

This morning as she was getting ready for school, I offered her a lift as it was snowing and she didn't want it. She wrapped herself up in her gloves scarf and hat, stuck her walking boots on and off she went. I stood at the window to wave her goodbye as I do most mornings and she looked back at me with a pink nose and bright eyes looking fabulous!

We are finally having a night in tonight. With her rehearsing for Bugsy Malone, Guides, Dentist appointments and meetings about the parish profile for the new vicar, we have not stopped this week. My meeting ran on last night but luckily G bought K home so she was in bed on time. It was very interesting though, seeing what the different parishes need and want from their new priest. I personally would like someone who can take our small village church forward, we have a strong family feel and if we can build on that it will be brilliant. I can't see them wanting someone too progressive though, I don't think our little rural middle England parishes are quite ready for 'happy clappy' services. Some people find it difficult when we share the peace!

I think some people who do not go to church very often feel a bit uncomfortable with how inclusive and friendly it is now. Fellowship and friendship is just as important as the act of worship and for those who are 'hatch, match and dispatch' church goers I suppose it can be a bit overwhelming. I have seen this happening gradually since I was a child and I think it is great, little things like being offered a cup of coffee after the service can make a world of difference to someone who is unsure of themselves. I know it did to me! I was offered coffee when I first attended the small church I go to now, within 6 weeks I was on the coffee rota and within 6 months I was treasurer and now I am helping to write the Parish Profile to recruit a new vicar. I have never felt more at home at a church than I do at All Saints, so go on, if you are curious give it a try a warm welcome will no doubt await you.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-11-30T07:51:00.005Z

There are interesting times at Church at the moment. Our vicar left at the beginning of November so we are now starting the process of advertising for a new one. I am lucky enough to be involved with the panel that is sorting out the type of person we need and what qualities we would like our new vicar to have. You would not believe how long a process this is, we will probably start advertising in the new year and hope to have a new chap or chapess in place within a couple of months. I know it is not funny, but I have vision of clergy all over the country reading the 'Situations Vacant' section of the Church Times over their morning tea and toast.
We have woken up this morning to a lovely half inch or so of snow. K is of course gutted because she wants the schools to close. I am quite happy as I will be walking to work in this and do not want it to be deep!

I must be too old - surely!

2010-11-19T09:24:00.001Z

I cannot believe it. I have woken up this morning with a spot right in the middle of my neckline. If you draw a line from where a necklace naturally falls, it is about 4 finger widths above that! I am 35 for heaven’s sake; surely spots should have passed me over by now. The thing is, I am really conscious of it so I know that I will keep touching it that will just make it worse. It looks like a belisha beacon!

I am off shopping tonight in Milton Keynes with Mum. Luckily I finish at 4.30pm so we should be there just after 5pm which will give us 3 lovely hours shopping. Mum needs a new outfit for a Christening and I need to get something for Al. What do you but the man who has everything? All suggestions gratefully received.....

Guide Holiday from hell

2010-11-16T15:24:00.001Z

Remember me saying we were away this weekend. Well it all went horribly wrong. Em explains it much better than I can so please read her post

We Will Remember.

2010-11-11T11:35:00.006Z

I will be away this weekend with the Guides, but we will have our own Remembrance Day service, I will explain all about the Poppy and why we wear it. We will have a 2 minute silence and the girls I know will behave beautifully and with respect as the flag is lowered. Times like these make me proud to be a Guider.

In the meantime here is a poem written by my sister

For All Mothers

For all Mothers who stand at school gates and stare
At my children with poppies showing they care.
"Why aren't yours?" I ask, knowing the reply.
"What's the point?" they say, rolling eyes to the sky.

I try to explain, but it falls on deaf ears,
"Why should we, after this many years?"
I say, "Close your eyes and imagine this:
It's 2030 and something's amiss.

The world has changed and hatred runs high,
The country's at war, our planes in the sky.
An envelope drops on the mat one morning
The call for soldiers once more is dawning.

Your children go and answer the call,
To serve, to fight and stand up tall.
You may get letters, emails, but what if they stop?
What if one comes with death at the top?

What if your child in some foreign field
Gets shot for refusing to give in and yield.
They lie in the mud and the blood and the rain,
Thinking of you who they won't see again.

Should we forget them and let them die in vain.
Or should we remember though it causes us pain.
Would your child's biggest sacrifice go
Forgotten by those who really should know?"

"STOP!" they shout, "I promise I will
Get poppies for Peter and Sally and Bill!"
Tomorrow they come with their poppies on coats
They know about men in the air, land and boats.

They come to me and ask what to do about others
I say, "Remind them that all soldiers have mothers."

© Emma Compton

45 days to go!

2010-11-10T07:51:00.003Z

I know this will sound silly but I am already counting down the days until Christmas. This will be my first Christmas ever in my own home. Al's mum is going to his sister so he will be here for the whole day too.

I am so looking forward to starting our own traditions and creating memories that will be very special. I know many people hype Christmas up and end up being disappointed but for me it will be the little things.

Living with my parents, Christmas has always been done Mum's way, quite right too. Em and I always had input but a the end of the day it was her choices. This year I can do what I like! Mum has always gone with the adage 'Less is more' and her living room always looks classy and lovely. I however love gaudy and bright. I will have things hanging from the ceiling and I will have lights round my window and everything I can think of.

I will go to Midnight Mass as always but I know, this year, I will get a very special thrill as I walk out into the night, knowing that I am going home to my own home.

Its not fair!

2010-11-04T09:27:00.004Z

I am not a happy bunny. I had a lovely evening planned for tonight. It is Thursday so Mum and Dad come round. They started this tradition with my sister when she moved out and it has carried on with me, they go to Em's for the evening on a Wednesday and to me on a Thursday.

This evening was going to be lovely, I have K's first parents evening at her new school tonight, so I have a casserole in the slow cooker. After parents evening we would go home for dinner and then Mum and I were going to pick my sister up and go and visit our friend Rachel who has just had a new baby girl. After this we were going to buy the fireworks for our party on Saturday and then we were going swimming.

This has now all gone for a burton because I have woken up with a streaming cold! I have the blocked up nose, the watery eyes and the nasty taste in my mouth. I am gutted! I was so looking forward to seeing the new baby and now all I will be able to do is wave at her through the living room window.

If I had the energy I would stamp my foot and sulk like a 5 year old but I don't so I will just carry on cuddling my lemsip mug and feel sorry for myself.

Oh how stupid

2010-11-03T09:40:00.004Z

I don't usually mention any products on my blog because I am sick of the PR emails I get sent, however I have to mention this one.

Dettol touch-less hand soap dispenser, have you ever seen anything so ridiculous? The advert states that 'you need never touch a germy hand pump again'. Excuse me for being thick, but surely it doesn't matter if you touch a 'germy' pump because you wash your hands straight away!

I watched this and it made me cross, society is already obsessed with germs and bacteria and things like this just make it worse. Some people will go out and buy this completely unnecessary thing because they think it is 'better'. When there is absolutely no need to whatsoever!

Rant over!

Small Pleasures

2010-11-02T09:43:00.003Z

As the song goes in Oliver 'Small Pleasures, small Pleasures, who can deny us these' I have had lots of small pleasures recently. Nothing major, no lottery win or windfalls, just little things.

Making casserole, I am a huge slow cooker fan. I love the fact that I can dump a load of stuff in it at 7.00am in the morning and come home and be able to smell my casserole from the bottom of the stairs.

My new duvet. Al bought us a new winter duvet and it is quite possibly the highlight of my life at the moment, it is so snuggly I could stay in it all day. Couple this with the smell of the newly laundered duvet cover and I am quite possibly in heaven.

These small pleasures are nothing compared to the beauty outside at the moment, the leaves have all turned, here from my office window I can see green through to red covering yellow, orange, russet and all sorts. Last week there was a nip in the air that said autumn is really here. Roll on winter! Living as close as I do to work there is no more defrosting of my car, I will just wrap up in my coat and scarf and walk. After 35 years of living off the 'gritting route' that will be a welcome change.

I have broken Tesco.....

2010-10-31T09:26:00.002Z

Oops, Sorry. My lovely mum works in Tesco, she is a bit old fashioned and doesn't like on-line shopping so she always goes to the store. Because of this, on the odd occasion when she did buy anything on-line it was through my email address but with her details.

I set up another account when I moved out and I wanted to sort it all out. I have now moved mums account to her own email address, tried to change my account to my own email address which was originally linked to mums account (Are you still with me?)

The upshot of it all is I have now broken Tesco and I can't log in with either of my email addresses! I have broken it. This means I may have to do my shopping in the store and then the wily people at Tesco will tempt me with their 2 for 1's and their BOGOF's and me being weak and useless will not be able to resist.!

My point is, if I could just have left well alone it would all be well, but I had to meddle, didn't I!

It has started

2010-10-27T08:59:00.003+01:00

I thought it would take a bit longer. I thought I had a couple more years yet. I was sure it would not happen this soon, but it has. I now know that this is just the tip of the iceberg, it is a slippery slope from here on in.

What am I talking about?

Monopolisation of the phone. Monday night K was on the phone to her friend for over an hour, she was in her room and all I could hear was giggles and snatches of animated conversation. It will only get worse I know, think of me all you parents who have young children, those who happily say a quick hello on the phone and then go off and play. Never again will my phone be silent in the evening, all I can say is thank heavens for 'free evening and weekend calls'

Learning something new

2010-10-25T14:13:00.004+01:00

I confess, I love the internet. I was introduced to the wonders of it when K was a baby and I have loved it ever since. Whether is is updating facebook and twitter, writing a post on here, playing games, or just general surfing, I can lose myself in websites and realise hours have gone past.

I did not, however, have a clue on how to build a website. I had tried various times in the past to build a site for our Brownies and then for Guides and it has just failed miserably and looked a bit rubbish.

However with G's help, suggestions and a really good on line package I have had another go. Most of you are parents so you will be able to give me some good feedback on anything else you think it should contain.

www.girlguidingwhitchurch.org.uk

The Uniform and Photo Pages are not completed yet, but the rest is....... tell me what you think.

Stir Up Sunday

2010-10-22T16:12:00.003+01:00

I know the 'real' Stir Up Sunday is not for a few weeks but it has been bought forward in the Tawny household. I went to Tesco last night and bought all my ingredients so tomorrow I will set to and make my Christmas Puddings and my Christmas Cake. I have taken this tradition with me from mum and dads because for the last 5 or 6 years I have made the pudding and cake. Last year I even made my own mincemeat! I still have some left over so hopefully it will be okay for this year too.

Anyway back to the cooking. I decided that I would try a new recipe this year and I have turned to Delia, I will be making her cake just as long as I can get some mixed peel. Aylesbury seems to have run out! I have given Al a mission to find me some.

I am looking forward to this because I know this weekend my house will smell all warm and fruity and spicy, I may even knock up some jam tarts too. What are you up to this weekend?

I am so glad I moved!

2010-10-21T09:57:00.004+01:00

Little things now make me realise I am so lucky to have moved. I woke up this morning all snuggly and warm in the new duvet that Al bought me. I opened the curtains, looked out of the window and saw the lovely white gleaming frost. Now that would normally make one shiver however, I now live within walking distance of work, so while others were getting the de-icer and scrapers out, I buttoned my coat and strolled to work. I arrived with a pink nose and that glowing feeling in my cheeks. I love crisp days like this.
Image courtesy of Free Images

Our Vision event last night was fabulous. 500 members reaffirmed their promise under the stars by candle light, it was just magical. We have had a brilliant Centenary Year and I have done things I will never forget!

My Best Friend

2010-10-20T09:30:00.002+01:00

Tonight we celebrate the end of our Centenary Year. I could not do the things I do within Guiding without my little sis. She is my best friend

Happy VISION day, One and all!

Christmas Shoeboxes

2010-10-19T10:09:00.006+01:00

K and I are doing one of our end of year traditions this weekend, we are filling a couple of shoe boxes for the Operation Christmas Child project. Each year they ship thousands and thousands of filled shoe boxes all over the world so that children who never get gifts can have a little joy this Christmas Time.

The boxes are filled with all sorts of little things from tooth brushes and soap to small toys and notebooks and pencils. There are some lovely stories on the website of the joy this has brought to children from Belarus to Mozambique.

This video demonstrates it brilliantly. Please, if you can, fill a box and drop it off at your local drop off point and spread a little happiness across the sea....Thank you.

Patience paid off.

2010-10-18T07:38:00.004+01:00

As many of you may remember from this post, My lovely Al got made redundant last year after 21 years at the same company. Not being one to sit in his bum doing nothing, he worked where I do for a couple of months as a temp on basic wage and then started driving for an agency. The agency has a contract with DHL to supply drivers to deliver to High Street Shops.

Al loves this, but being an agency driver there is no job security or guaranteed hours. Some weeks he would drive a full 45 hours but others he might only drive for 20. Anyway, a few weeks ago a notice went up to say that DHL were looking for permanent drivers on full time contracts. He applied and although he has only been to two interviews in his life (over 20 years ago) he got the job!

He now is a permanent driver for DHL, on a full time contract and I am so happy for him you have no idea.

Congratulations my love xx

20:10 20/10 2010...why don't you

2010-10-15T17:55:00.005+01:00

At the beginning of the year, Em and I were asked if we would like to be on the committee to organise the Division Finale event for the end of the Centenary. Well it all happens next Wednesday, we have had meeting after meeting, talked about everything from the thickness of paper to the length of ribbon. We have had our venue changed because the stupid place we had first of all double booked us.

I have cried tears of frustration, I have sat up late with my sister putting badges in bags, I banked countless numbers of cheques and I have woken up in a cold sweat thinking I have forgotten something. I even had Al helping me last weekend. (it is a rule with Emma and us, love us, love Guiding)

There is no going back now, 500 girls and leaders will be descending on us at 6.30 next Wednesday and it will be so special when at 20:10pm we, along with the rest of the country will renew our Promise.

So, here is my 'Why don't you'. at 20:10 on 20/10 2010, if you were ever a member of Girlguiding, be it a Rainbow, Brownie, Guide, Ranger or Leader, just take a minute and renew your promise too. Its not a bad life rule to live by really. As most of you know, I am proud to be a Guider and proud of all we do.

I Promise that I will do my best,

To love my God,

To serve the Queen and my Country,

To help other people and

Keep the Guide Law

Come on Town!

2010-09-23T07:26:00.003+01:00

A few years ago I used to be a season ticket holder at Northampton Town, in fact it is where I met Al. I don't usually comment on football on here but I still follow them although from afar. I cannot let last nights major events go past without comment though.

My little team, currently placed 17th in League 2 dumped the mighty Liverpool out of the Carling Cup last night. What makes this even more special is that this did not happen at our little ground in the East Midlands but at Anfield!

I was on the phone with Al at the time of the penalty shootout and we could not believe our ears!

Just to put it in perspective, what Liverpool pay one of their top players for a week would pay two of ours for a year!

COME ON TOWN!

Loving it!

2010-09-20T23:00:00.003+01:00

Well here I am 2 and half months into living away from home and I am loving it. I miss my parents, especially when K has gone to bed and I am on my own, but the good far outweighs the bad.

I love the fact that what I want to watch is on TV and on Sky+. When K is in bed if I want to watch documentaries about World War II all night I can.

I love the fact that I can cook all the stir fries, spicy food, herby food, pasta and rice that I like and not turn my dads stomach.

I love the fact that if K and I want to come home from work and school, have a shower and veg in our pyjamas we can.

I love the fact that I am the first to hear about K's day at school.

I love the fact that my books are on book cases in my living room and not in a cupboard because I had no space to have them out before.

I love the fact that I can have my music on and not annoy anyone.

I love the fact that Al, K and I can have totally lazy days together at the weekends and truly relax as a family.

Don't get me wrong, I was a lucky lucky girl to have such great parents and I fully acknowledge that I would not be the person I am and K would not be the girl she is if it wasn't for them. However that does not make me bad for sitting in my living room with a coffee in hand surveying my little domain and thanking God that it is my home.

Its a Mystery.....

2010-09-14T08:38:00.004+01:00

When I lived with Mum and Dad, Al used to take the mickey out of us because at the bottom of the ironing basket there was always a bunch of odd socks. Being determined to never repeat this, I dutifully make sure I wash socks in pairs so that this never happens. Bearing this in mind, can someone please explain to me how after only two months I can have two odd socks? The worse thing is that they are not K's socks they are mine! She wears socks every day, I wear them maybe once a fortnight! Oh well, I will just have to track it down somehow. Then again, I could just chuck them out and pretend it never happened......but I will always know, deep down

The day is here

2010-09-03T08:12:00.007+01:00

6 and a half years ago, my K set off on her first day at school, she had a little pinafore and looked so cute in her uniform. I was in bits and as soon as I had walked her to school I cried a tear as I knew her babyhood had gone.

Today, my grown up 11 year old young lady has just left for her first day at secondary school. I am not sure how I feel at the moment, I feel a tear pricking the back of my eye at how grown up she looks, I feel nervous about letting her go off in to the big bad world all by her self. But one look at her beaming smile and that all goes away. K, I am so proud of you xx

All you mums who have little ones, believe me, the years whip past faster than you can believe.

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking!

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep...

by Ruth Hulbert Hamilton, in Lady's Home Journal. 1958

Food, cleaning and the toilet roll thief

2010-08-24T07:38:00.006+01:00

These are things I have learned since K and I moved out.

Due to my diet plan K and I are eating food with the most wonderful flavours, I am cooking things I have never eaten before. We are discovering a great love of chilli and rice, along with stir fries, curries and all sorts of things. It was difficult to have things like that at mum and dads as dad doesn't like anything like that.

I am discovering a love of cleaning, this is actually quite worrying. I spent 2 hours doing my kitchen out at the weekend and loved every minute of it. I actually found myself singing at one point.

What on earth happens to toilet roll? There are only two of us here most of the time and I go through toilet roll like water! I am sure someone must be coming in during the night and stealing it as there is no way my daughter uses that much.....is there?

It is nearly here.

2010-08-19T08:30:00.005+01:00

It is, it is creeping up on me slowly. No matter how much I try and slow it down it is there heading towards me. In two weeks my baby, my little innocent baby is going to secondary school. She is so excited, we bought her shoes the other day and we are trying to decide whether she will wear socks or tights on her first day. Seeing her excitement and her eyes shining when she talks about it is wonderful but I am so nervous for her.

I just wish I could go with her, to be in front of her and protect her from the big world out there. I know that the K who leaves to walk to school in a fortnight will be gone forever and a new K will walk in the door at four o'clock. I know deep down she is a confident assured young lady and that she will thrive in her new environment, she will love the variety and will make friends easily she always does. I just wish the first day would slow down in its approach, just a little so I can hold onto her just a few minutes more.

Wordless Wednesday - But Mum.....

2010-08-18T07:33:00.001+01:00

Trying to lose weight again.

2010-08-17T12:22:00.003+01:00

I know I have said it before and I always fall off the wagon, but as of today I am trying to lose weight again. I am hoping that having my own home will make it easier as I control what is bought, cooked and prepared.

K and Al are really happy that I am trying to do something about it too. It was our 8th anniversary yesterday and I am hoping that by the time we reach our 9th there will be significantly less of me. He puts up with a lot from me and I know I am lucky to have him, I am lucky to have a man who loves me no matter what and I love him to bits.

I have decided to treat myself to something lovely from Lush every time I lose half a stone. I started using their products a while ago and I love them. My favourites are the shampoo bars, they smell so lovely and my hair has never felt or looked as good as it does now. K loves the products too, we have a cleanser called Angels with Bare Faces and it is really good. Now, I just need to lose half a stone...

Hectic ...no just a bit busy!

2010-08-06T07:54:00.004+01:00

We got back from Guide Camp on Wednesday, exhausted but happy. K went to sleep straight away and slept the clock round, I decided to do the responsible thing and get all the washing done and on the drier, get a bit of shopping in so we actually had some food and do all the unpacking. I knew that if I sat down I would just sleep so I got it all done by 9pm and then myself had a ten hour stretch.

The reason I had to get it all done is we are going on holiday on Saturday! Oh yes, Saturday morning at 7.00am we will be meeting the family at Mum and Dads and heading north. We are not going camping this year as Emma and need walls! We have rented a large house for all 9 of us in Bridlington in Yorkshire and it is going to be brilliant.

We are about 200 yards from the sea, there is excellent geocaching and lovely sandy beaches, all we need is weather like we had this week and we will be set. So all together now 'We're all going on a summer holiday'

What a fabulous event!

2010-08-05T13:42:00.007+01:00

Bucksfest was awesome, brilliant, great fun, inspiring and any other adjectives you can think of.

From the military organisation of the dropping off of the girls to the fact that there was never a toilet without paper the whole thing was fabulous. On Sunday we arrived at about 9ish, and were allowed to drive to our site, we emptied Alan's tardis of a car and then went and parked it in the long stay car park. By the time all this was done it was time for the girls to arrive. They were dropped off on time carrying their bags and bed rolls and started to put up our camp.

3 hours later the tents were all up, everything was unpacked and we were ready to explore. There was a main event field and all the camping fields. Everywhere you looked there were girls laughing and enjoying them selves. Over the next few days they tried everything from pyrography to climbing, walking on custard to scrap booking and climbing the spiders web to drumming.

Each night there was music and entertainment on the big stage, it was like a festival and the girls loved every minute. To round off this post, this is a picture of K, having a wonderful time.

Here's to the first 100 years of Guiding and may we Be Prepared for the next 100!

I am so excited!

2010-07-31T22:59:00.004+01:00

Tomorrow is Bucks100fest. It is the first big camp Em and I have been on and we are taking 8 Guides and 2 Rangers with us (including my K).

We are all packed and ready and I am really excited, it feels like Christmas Eve! This is going to be a brilliant celebration of our Centenary and will be amazing fun! Not only are Bucks Guides going to be there but we have girls coming from all over the country.

I am now going to try and go to sleep but I can see me tossing and turning with excitement all night!

This is a place I love

2010-07-28T18:15:00.005+01:00

Living in Buckinghamshire, we are about as inland as you can get. Because of this I have a love of the sea. Just to sit and hear the waves and to drink in the vastness of it all is heaven to me.

The picture below was taken on Tenby beach last year, in the distance you can just see D building a castle. This is nature at its finest, and is my submission to the gallery

A Smile on the mat

2010-07-26T13:34:00.005+01:00

A couple of years ago I was browsing round the internet when I came across something called Postcrossing. I had never heard of it before so I had a a look. It involves registering on the site and sending postcards to other people who had registered and receiving some back. It sounded totally like my kind of thing but one thing led to another and I never actually sent any.

A couple of weeks ago, I heard it mentioned again and I thought to myself that this would be something that K and I could enjoy in our new home, so I duly activated my membership and requested some addresses. Five of my cards have been received so far, two in Finland, one in Germany, one in Lithuania and one in the USA.

I have received three so far, one from Taiwan (below) one from Belgium and one from Germany. It is a lovely hobby and for the cost of a postcard and 60 or 67p in postage you can make someone smile and then smile yourself when nice sentiments arrive from all over the world.

Wistful memories

2010-07-21T10:30:00.002+01:00

My wonderful K left school yesterday, she goes to Secondary School in September and she can't wait. At the assembly yesterday, she was called up in front of the whole school and given an award for 'Outstanding Services to the School'. She was told that throughout her 6 and a half years there, she has always shown commitment, loyalty and has gone above and beyond what is expected. I could not be prouder.

This is a picture taken when she was about 6 when she was a bridesmaid to my cousin, she was stood off to one side waiting for something and the photographer took this quick snap. It is one of my favourite ever pictures of her.

Happiness is found in the smallest things.

2010-07-20T21:17:00.003+01:00

Yesterday I had my washing machine delivered. Em and I installed it and in the process I managed to stand on her leg. I am not a small person and she now has a huge bruise on her leg (sorry Em). Anyway, we managed to install it and G came round to check we had done it right and we had..yippeee!

After they left I put my first load of washing on, my machine has a quick wash function so 29 minutes later my moment of happiness arrived. I opened the door and the lovely smell of newly washed laundry was floating happily round my flat. I breathed in deep and smiled to myself now this truly is home.

At last! I have left home....

2010-07-16T15:50:00.000+01:00

I did it! I have finally moved into my own place! K and I are renting a flat in Aylesbury, it is nice and airy and spacious but most of all, we close the door at night and it is OURS!

My lovely Al took 2 two days off last week to help me move in, we started on Thursday morning and I unpacked the last box on Sunday at 4.30! All I have to do now is remember where we put everything. I am loving the fact that all my stuff like my huge DVD collection and all my books are readily at hand instead of being in cupboards or boxes.

One thing I need to learn to do is not go to Tesco every day. I am thinking of shopping online so I keep to a list....

More to follow, my Broadband is connected on Monday along with my washing machine being delivered, I will then have all I need.

Finally I am a grown up!

Where has it gone?

2010-06-10T09:56:00.001+01:00

There are many pro's for having one child as well as there being many con's. Due to circumsatances I only had my K, I will be unlikely to have another one. I know the friendship and support I have received all my life from my little sister and feel sad that K will not experience that, but then on the pro side, she is always centre of my attention. Anyway, this is not a post about this subject.

One of the huge pro's about only having one is that when she goes away with the school for 5 days, Al and I get to go away too. Last year we went camping in Canterbury, and this year we have rented a little cottage in Derbyshire. we had such plans, we were going to go walking and geocaching and visiting the lovely houses and castles around here.

What we didn't bargain on was the weather, we drove up here on Monday and it was lovely, the rest of the time it has rained! Not good weather for going walking and geocaching, the cloud has been so low that even when we drove up on the the moors we could not see good views. However while up there we did get to see the fascinating Guide Stoops of Derbyshire which are well worth reading about.

We are off to Bolsover today and hoping that the weather will hold long enough for us to have a look around. Fingers crossed....

Mud mud and a brilliant weekend.

2010-06-04T18:05:00.003+01:00

There we were Saturday morning, looking despairingly at the sky as it rained down! We had 4 patrol tents, a mess tent, a shelter tent and two guiders tents to get up. So we knuckled down. We got the mess tent up first and the girls started to arrive so they dumped their stuff and came to help. At first they were all 'euuughhh mud' and picking things up between thumb and fingers. Within an hour or so, they had all got over that and were happily damp and muddy.

After the first night, my girls were like seasoned campers. They soon adopted the standard Guide camp clothing of wellies and shorts and smiles on their faces. Sunday was beautifully sunny, they did kayaking and canoeing and we were forever saying 'put your hat on' or 'suncream time girls'.

Monday dawned clear but not sunny, but still fun was had by all, by this time, they were well used to the timetable of camp and the cooks emerged bleary eyed at 7.00am. Bell boating and gig rowing were on the activity list and in the evening we had our campfire. As we were singing, the scouts in the next campsite started theirs with 'Oggy Oggy Oggy' this then turned into a competition, in the end the scouter came across and asked if they could join us. They did and it was great fun. As always we closed our campfire with the old song 'Go well and Safely' and for me it sent tingles up my spine as the girls and the scouts drifted away singing this softly.

Go well and safely
Go well and safely
Go well and safely
The Lord be ever with you

Tuesday was wet again, so we had to do the hated thing and strike camp in the rain. Everyone pulled their weight and before we knew it, it was time for the girls to be picked up. 13 tired, muddy but very happy girls went home having learned new skills and gaining 4 badges.

The thanks we received from parents and the spontaneous hugs and shouted goodbyes is what Guiding is all about and long may it continue!

A little rant.....

2010-05-25T10:53:00.003+01:00

I live near Aylesbury, this has been designated a 'cycle town' and we have lovely wide cycle paths, safe places for people to walk and bike together without getting in each others way.

Why then, do the cyclists insist on going on the road forcing the traffic to go round them? When there is no cycle path, I have no problem with cyclists on the road, they have as much right to be there as I do. However when they are riding along next to the cycle path it makes me cross! If it was a pedestrian we would say they were jaywalking. What can we say about the cyclists?

Ahhh I feel better now, back to organising stuff for Guide Camp, 4 days to go me and my Guides are really excited!

You dare!

2010-05-18T11:22:00.003+01:00

We moved premesis for Guides over Easter, we had just out grown the hall we used, so we moved to the Methodist School rooms which are under the chapel in our village. it is lovely, it has two big rooms, an excellent kitchen and a small side room our BP Challenge Girls can use. It also has a small lawned area out the back. Last night we were practising putting up our new tents. The girls were their usual boisterous selves but nothing too bad. They attracted the attention of a teenaged boy who lived next door and made a point of being out in the garden the whole time. This too was not a problem.

However, as we were singing Taps to end the meeting, he reappeared with a supersoaker, I don't know what we would have done if he had used it, but Emma and I fixed him with such a stare he didn't!

I don't know what would have made us more cross, him soaking our girls or our beautiful new tents!

Guide Camping

2010-05-13T11:24:00.005+01:00

I am beginning to get nervous. Em and I are taking our guides camping for the first time at the end of the month. We have taken them for residential weekedns before but they have always been in holiday houses not under canvas. We have also not taken them for this long before. Usually we arrive on a Friday night and leave on Sunday afternoon. This one is from Saturday to Tuesday. We are camping with another unit which is run by one of our best Guiding friends, we helped out on a camp with her unit a couple of years ago and decided that we would take ours too!

It will be a really busy weekend, the girls will be doing all sorts of activites like rafting, dragon boating, kayaking, bell boating, canoeing and climbing. We are hoping they will go home Tuesday knackered but happy.

For many of our girls, it will be the first time they have ever camped under canvas and they are really excited. We have bought new tents and we are going to practise putting them up on Monday, along with making up a bed roll! I have to remember how to do a packers knot. I haven't tied a bed roll since I was 12.

Here is a picture of the tents we have bought, they have been produced on behalf of Girlguiding by outwell and look lovely. We have been saving for ages, so we bought one in each colour!

Its Carnival Time!

2010-05-11T09:46:00.003+01:00

It is time for another Bloggers Carnival, this week we are being hosted by the lovely Kelly over at A Place of My Own. Here you will find a selection of the best Mummy and Daddy blog posts on the net.

Kelly asked us to link our posts to a song title for her 'Karaoke Carnival' Theme so get your vocal chords open and song out loud and proud!

Honestly Mum, I would not be seen dead in that

2010-05-10T09:44:00.006+01:00

My lovely K turned 11 at the end of April. After repeatedly being asked what she wanted for her birthday, she asked for money so she can go shopping. She ended up with a tidy sum so the week before last Al and I took her shopping.

I forgot how hard shopping is! I have never been a clothes type of girl, I was never fashionable and even now dress for comfort and not fashion. For instance, even though I work in an office, you will never ever see me in a skirt. In fact I only have two skirts, one is black for funerals and I have a huge turquoise one that I chuck on over a swimming costume at the beach. However I digress....

We went to Wycombe because it has Primark, H&M and places like that. if we looked at one thing, we looked at a million. We looked at everything from underwear to shoes, form hats to flip flops. K is really beginning to develop her own style, she loves to wear jeggings or leggings with a vest top and a plaid shirt over the top. She has also taken to wearing really wide hair bands to keep her fringe out of her eyes. 'I can't possible have a fringe when I go to secondary school mum'

What got me though is the looks I get for suggesting something, not nasty dirty looks, but just ones of pure amazement that I could ever suggest such an awful item. You can see her mind working out how to (almost) politely put me down. So Al and I gave up in the end and quietly stood in the background to offer advice when asked and to carry bags. If she is like this at 11, I am dreading 14...

How Much!

2010-05-08T19:25:00.006+01:00

Last Monday it was Mayday. In our village we have an annual May Feast to celebrate the granting of a charter in the thirteenth century to allow our little village to hold a market. Anyway, in reality it is a little village fete and our main fundraiser for our Guiding units.

This year I was a very very proud mummy, my K was chosen to be one of the May Queen Attendants, she looked absolutely beautiful and I will confess I had a little tear in my eye when I saw her. It also rubbed in how tall she is, her friend at her side is 4 months older than she is!

While I was up in the barn with her and the other mums, Em and the others were setting out our stall. The wind was really strong so the gazebos were double tied down and until they were fully guyed and pegged they always had a person holding on to the poles. However the people at the stall next to us were not so careful! Their gazebo was left unattended before it was pegged down and the poles went flying through the air and hit the back of my car! I have a huge dent in the boot and two long scratches across the roof.

Accidents happen, so keeping my cool I approached the stall holder and asked for their insurance detail. When we do things like this for Guides we always check that we are insured in case of accidents like this, it turns out that the stall holder was not insured. I had a quote today and it is going to cost over £500 to have it resprayed and filled. It put such a damper on what was a wonderful day and I am still annoyed!

Its all over then....

2010-05-07T09:38:00.003+01:00

As I type this, we have a hung parliament, the Conservatives are ahead but not by enough. This election has been a very strange one for us because we are in the constituency of Buckingham and our incumbent MP was the Speaker we did not have a Conservative, Labour or Lib Dem candidate. To top it all, our result is not expected until 2.30pm this afternoon.

The story of the day though is the people who were unable to vote and got shut out. Even worse, some polling stations ran out of ballot papers. How can this happen, surely each polling station knows how many people are registered and should provide that amount of papers. I must admit if I went into my polling station and they had no ballot papers I would be fuming!

Me, rest my voice...yeah right!

2010-05-05T22:33:00.003+01:00

I woke up last week with my tongue stuck to the top of my mouth because I had been sleeping like a wide mouthed frog! Instead of feeling and looking like my usual fabulous self, I had the distinct feeling of blocked nose and tingly throat.

I started self medicating as all normal people do until last night when I woke up 5 times unable to swallow without paid so I hoofed off to the docs. We have open surgery in our village so you take a seat and wait. I waited for just over an hour which was pretty good going and then Dr Joe called me in. It turns out I have an infection down by my larynx and I have strong antibiotics and have been told to rest my voice.

REST MY VOICE! IS HE MAD! Those of you who actually know me may be chuckling ever so slightly. I am not exactly known for being quiet and shy, this is so hard you would not believe!

It has inspired me to write again and I have lots to say over the next few posts. I will hopefully catch up with other blogs over the next few days and will leave some lovely comments!

'C' is Three!

2010-04-01T16:01:00.002+01:00

I am very lucky lady, not only do I have a beautiful daughter but I have two wonderful nephews as well. You can see them in the picture to the right. Today my littlest nephew is 3, he is very excited and I am going to see him tonight. He told me very gravely that on his birthday he will become a big boy and will soon get as big as his brother. Both my nephews are very special to me. The eldest one is D, he will be 6 this year, and he is the one who christened me ‘Nits’. When he was learning to speak, he could not say Aunty Nicky, there was a whole ‘icky’ ‘sicky’ phase and he landed on Nits and Nits I have stayed. D is really really advanced for his age, he has a reading age of about 11 or 12 and his maths is way ahead too. He is allowed to play on my sisters DS at the weekends for a couple of hours and he has cleared all the lego games like Batman, Indiana Jones and Starwars. I however am a complete clutz when I try and play so he helps me, I am sure it is not embarrassing to be helped by a 5 year old is it?

C is our little miracle, Em had all sorts of trouble during her pregnancy and was told that he might not survive birth or if he did he would probably be severely brain damaged, he hung on until 33 weeks and when he was born he was in special care. But all turned out well and he is perfect. We have got him some Mickey Mouse and Handy Manny books for his birthday and a card with elmo on it. We are going round there for dinner tonight so I will no doubt have to sit and read each of the books.

I must remember to get some flowers on the way home, I am decorating the Church tomorrow and I will look daft if I turn up empty handed! Happy Easter one and all and Al, I do hope you feel better soon (he has shingles)xx

Well Hello!

2010-03-29T18:29:00.002+01:00

Thanks for the nice comments and I hoping I am now through my 'block'

Since when have I been 'She who knows all'. My darling 10 year old is currently walking round her bedroom looking confused. She has lost her necker for Guides. I have no idea where she has put it, I give up. I spend my life looking for things she swears she has put away!

Usually I relent and help her look, but this time I am being mean mummy, it is hard but I am sure it will help. I know soon she is going to cry and i will feel terrible! When is the guilt going to end?

Struggling

2010-02-24T09:50:00.000Z

I have hit a blog wall in the last little while, and I have been struggling to find topics to write about. When I first started this up I would blog two or three times a week but as I said I am now struggling. I am sure ideas will come flooding back to me, and normal service will be resumed.

Catching up!

2010-02-08T12:22:00.000Z

I haven’t typed anything for ages! I have just had so much going on.

Firstly we have been attacked by the Norovirus. Over the last week, one by one me and my family have fallen foul of it. I cannot believe how quickly it comes on, it hits you like a train. I was first last Monday, then Al, Dad, Mum, K, C, D, Em and now G in that order! I have got to do Guides alone tonight because Em is ill and does not know which end it uppermost poor girl. I will have to get in touch with my mate Sarah and see if she can help out.

The Geocaching I wrote about in my last blog was fabulous. Even though we collected half the mud in Buckinghamshire on our boots it was a lovely day. We found all the ones we set out to get and were very pleased. Al has ordered us a new GPS so I don’t have to sit and punch in the cords by hand all the time. We will just be able to load them straight in from the PC, which means there is no chance of me getting numbers round the wrong way which I have been known to do!

The next thing in my Guiding Calendar this year is Thinking day, I have written a church service for our district and we are holding it on the 28th Feb. We will be having readings all about the last 100 years and a full flag display and things like that. It should be great fun.

This year is so hectic, it is all go go go go!

I am going stir crazy

2010-01-22T09:27:00.001Z

That’s it; I have had enough of being camped indoors. Excepting a couple of shopping trips and 2 walks in the snow (I am not big fan) I have been shut in since before Christmas and I have had it up to here.

Al and I were talking yesterday and we have decided that barring torrential rain we are going geocaching tomorrow, we will pull on the walking boots wrap up warm and off we will go. There have been some new ones released a few miles from me and should take us an afternoon, I have missed my new hobby a lot over the winter and can’t wait to get out walking again!

I have now agreed to help out at another pack holiday this year so that will make 5 residential events, either camping or indoors. I am lucky, now that K is 10 and in Guides she can come on all of them. There have been a couple of raised eye brows from some of the other Guides because she is going on both camps (we can’t take them all, names were drawn). However they know it is very simple, if K doesn’t go, I can’t go and if I can’t go then nobody can. I even heard a couple of them bemoaning the fact that their mum’s were not Guide Leaders, because Guide Leaders are so cool! I am not sure K would agree…

Looking forward to summer

2010-01-14T10:32:00.001Z

I had a not very nice experience at work the other day, usually things don’t get to me but this time they did. I was talking to a couple of my friends in the warehouse, now I know I am loud and that my voice carries. I have worked for this company for 5 years so everyone else knows it too. Anyway, as I walked through the kitchen one of my colleagues jokingly said to me ‘Has anyone ever told you that you are loud?’ I laughed and said ‘Yep, too old to change now’

As I walked into the sales office, it was blatantly obvious that a group of people had been talking about me. They all stopped talking as soon as I walked in and either flamed bright red or looked down. I carried on delivering what I had to and as I walked out I said ‘Next time you want to talk about me behind my back, try not to make it so blindingly obvious, I find it incredibly rude.’ I know it is nothing in the grand scheme of things but it really got to me and made me upset.

On a much much happier note, we have decided that as we can only go on holiday for a week this year (Guiding commitments) we are going to rent a house instead of our usual camping trip, we have managed to rent one for all nine of us which is only yards from the beach. So come August, Bridlington here we come! I am really looking forward to it, I am very lucky because when we go on holiday, the whole family come and we have a brilliant time. I can’t wait ‘Oh I do like to be beside the seaside’

Before then, I am a very lucky girl. K goes away in June with the school, and only having one child means Al and I can get away too. We want to go somewhere with good geocaches and nice scenery, we are tied between Herefordshire and the Peak District. 5 days, just me and him, I am smiling just thinking about it.

Shopping and stuff

2010-01-04T13:06:00.001Z

So there we have it, Christmas is over and done with for another year. I don’t know about you but I had a lovely time. Right from when we decorated the Church ready for Christmas, to when I took down our little tree in the office today, I have loved it.

K had a great time, she got a mobile phone and an ipod nano as her present and she loves both of them. She listens to her ipod for hours while texting me and Al, I never thought she would pick it up do quickly. Within about an hour, her thumbs were flying over the keys like a natural. She received money from some people, so we took her shopping on Saturday. We went to Hemel Hempstead for a change because we are fed up of the same old shops in Aylesbury and Al can’t stand Milton Keynes. We had a brilliant day; K is finally beginning to learn some money sense. She realises that you do not have to spend all your money in the first shop we go to. She tried stuff on, looked at every garment going and used Al as her own personal pack horse and she loved every minute of it.

It still shocks me how grown up she is, not two years ago her knickers came in packs of 6 with a different coloured bow on each one, her vests came in packs of two and she had plain white knee and ankle socks and that was all she needed. Now we don’t have knickers, we have ‘girl boxers’ we don’t have vests we have bras and her non school socks are every colour of the luminous rainbow and come up over her knee! Jeans were plain blue and sat on her waist as jeans do. Now we have dark blue skinny jeans with glitter and studs in them, they all stop at her hips and apparently look ‘fab’. It is very strange to me to see her developing her own sense of style, she wears and looks great in everything she chooses and I am happy to say she has much better taste than me in most things.

I know the strops and tantrums of teenagedom, are on their way in a couple of years so I will savour this time where she wants to be seen with me and wants to shop with me for as long as possible.

Guidance for Christmas songs

2009-12-23T14:48:00.003Z

Please read the below and ensure you adopt the recommended practices/guidelines

Guidance on 'Festive' Songs
Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities
December 2009

The Rocking Song
Little Jesus, sweetly sleep, do not stir;
We will lend a coat of fur,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you:

Fur is no longer appropriate wear for small infants, both due to risk of allergy to animal fur, and for ethical reasons. Therefore faux fur, a nice cellular blanket or perhaps microfleece material should be considered a suitable alternative.
Please note, only persons who have been subject to a Criminal Records Bureau check and have enhanced clearance will be permitted to rock baby Jesus. Persons must carry their CRB disclosure with them at all times and be prepared to provide three forms of identification before rocking commences.

Jingle Bells
Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way

A risk assessment must be submitted before an open sleigh is considered safe for members of the public to travel on. The risk assessment must also consider whether it is appropriate to use only one horse for such a venture, particularly if passengers are of larger proportions. Please note, permission must be gained from landowners before entering their fields.
To avoid offending those not participating in celebrations, we would request that laughter is moderate only and not loud enough to be considered a noise nuisance.

While Shepherds Watched
While shepherds watched
Their flocks by night
All seated on the ground
The angel of the Lord came down
And glory shone around

The Union of Shepherds has complained that it breaches health and safety regulations to insist that shepherds watch their flocks without appropriate seating arrangements being provided, therefore benches, stools and orthopaedic chairs are now available. Shepherds have also requested that due to the inclement weather conditions at this time of year that they should watch their flocks via CCTV cameras from centrally heated shepherd observation huts. Please note, the angel of the lord is reminded that before
shining his / her glory all around she / he must ascertain that all shepherds have been issued with glasses capable of filtering out the harmful effects of UVA, UVB and Glory.

Little Donkey
Little donkey, little donkey on the dusty road
Got to keep on plodding onwards with your precious load

Animal welfare organisations have issued strict guidelines with regard to how heavy a load that a donkey of small stature is permitted to carry. Also included in the guidelines is guidance regarding how often to feed the donkey and how many rest breaks are required over a four hour plodding period.
Please note that due to the increased risk of pollution from the dusty road, Mary and Joseph are required to wear face masks to prevent inhalation of any airborne particles. The donkey has expressed his discomfort at being labelled 'little' and would prefer just to be simply referred to as Mr. Donkey. To comment upon his height or lack thereof may be considered an infringement of his equine rights.

We Three Kings
We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star

Whilst the gift of gold is still considered acceptable - as it may be redeemed at a later date through such organisations as 'cash for gold' etc., gifts of frankincense and myrrh are not appropriate due to the potential risk of oils and fragrances causing allergic reactions. A suggested gift alternative would be to make a donation to a worthy cause in the recipient’s name or perhaps give a gift voucher.
We would not advise that the traversing kings rely on navigation by stars in order to reach their destinations and suggest the use of RAC routefinder or satellite navigation, which will provide the quickest route and advice regarding fuel consumption.

Rudolph the red nosed reindeer
Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny nose?
And if you ever saw him,
you would even say it glows

You are advised that under the Equal Opportunities for All policy, it is inappropriate for persons to make comment with regard to the ruddiness of any part of Mr. R. Reindeer.
Further to this, exclusion of Mr R Reindeer from the Reindeer Games will be considered discriminatory and disciplinary action will be taken against those found guilty of this offence. A full investigation will be implemented and sanctions - including suspension on full pay - will be considered whilst this investigation takes place.

This was posted by one of the lovely Guiders on the Guiders message board I loved it so I thought I would share it with you all :)

Feeling all Christmassy

2009-12-17T14:01:00.005Z

I am not sure why, but today I am really feeling Christmassy. There is no particular reason for it but it is nice. I have had carols on the iPod and it has been snowing today, just the odd flurry but it is nice to watch.

I love this time of year, it is K's carol service tonight at school, it will be her last one in Primary School so it will be quite emotional for me. She will be singing in the choir and playing her tenor as well. K has so loved her time at school it is a week of lasts. Her last Carol Service, her last Christmas Party, her last Christmas Assembly. This last 6 years has gone so fast, it is unbelievable!

Next week is Christmas week, one of my favourite weeks of the whole year, people just seem happier, there is less traffic on the road and it is a short week. I am finishing on 23rd so I have all Christmas Eve to get everything sorted.

I made my mincemeat on Monday night so that will be ready for the Mince Pies. I have never made it before and it was great fun! I went a bit overboard on the apples but apart from that it tastes really good. I did a test dozen Mince Pies on Tuesday and the family scoffed them down before they were cool so it must have been good. I shall make a batch on Sunday to take to the church for the evening service, we always have Mince Pies and Mulled Wine afterwards.

In case I don't get to post again. I wish you and yours a very Happy Christmas and may 2010 bring you all you ask for.

God Bless

Nicky

Jaw drop moment

2009-12-11T10:29:00.005Z

I do so like a jaw drop moment. Let me explain, I am the most ungirly girl you will ever meet. I am a larger lady, I have shoulder length dark blonde hair (always tied back) I never ever wear a skirt, never wear heels and never ever wear make up.

Last night was our work 'Christmas do' It was a very posh affair being at Waddesdon Manor, I decided to shock them all. I left work at 4.30 and went straight to the hair dressers, I have had 4 inches cut off my hair so it is all layered and 'fashionably messy'. I wore a skirt, a sparkly top and knee high heeled boots, I even went the whole hog and had make up on too.

I walked in to the Manor last night and created my own jaw dropping moment and I felt fantastic!

Why?

2009-12-08T09:41:00.000Z

I have some questions that need answering:

Why when I have a cold, can it not just be over and done with? I have had my flu jab and the swine flu jab and still I am suffering.

Why does everything have to happen at once? In the last month I have had 4 meetings, two residential weekends and a training day, I am beginning to forget what my Al looks like.

Why do Christmas cards not write themselves?

Why have they not made the top I want to wear to the Christmas do?

Why can it not snow really hard so roads and schools are shut so K and I can curl up under a duvet and watch tv?

Why no matter what I do, does my ‘to do list’ not get any shorter

On a more general note….

Why can people who drive white or silver cars not put their lights on in the fog?

Why do supermarket shelves have to be so high? I am 5’2” not a midget and I can’t reach.

Why is Tesco heaving everyday? There are still 3 weeks to go for heavens sake!

I have many more questions that I ponder, the real question is this….. Why have I listed them here when I could have made blog posts out of each one of them!

Create a Snowflake

2009-12-02T16:20:00.001Z

I do love daft things near Christmas, this was bought to my attention by the nice folks at the Ship of Fools. Give it a go, its fun.

The future - Post 100

2009-11-26T11:27:00.004Z

Well we got her results, K didn’t pass but she got a very respectable score. I never really expected her to pass; she is very much in the ‘middle’. K reads well above her age group but she has problems with maths. I am over the moon though; I am not one of those parents who paid hundreds to have their child tutored through the 11+. I did not put undue pressure on her so she does not feel she has let anyone down. She is a very happy bunny, she will be going to our local catchment school which we were really impressed with when we visited.

It seems so strange to think that my little baby will be going to secondary school in less than a year, the kids I see walking along to school in the morning all seem so grown up compared to her. She is so excited though, she can’t wait to experience going to school on the bus, having a different teacher for each subject and a different class room for each subject too. I worry if it will be a huge culture shock, I remember the sense of bewilderment I got when I first went. I went from a school of 120 pupils to one of 800 and felt very small and alone.

Things are a lot better these days though; K will go on a couple more visits to her school next year and will spend two whole days there in July. She will also meet her future form tutor and some of her new class mates. She will be told what ‘college’ she will be in (posh name for houses) and things like that. If she had her way, I would be buying the uniform now!

The last 10 years have flown by so quickly, next thing I know I will helping with GCSEs then A levels!

Well there you have it, this is my 100th post on my blog. I love writing them and thank you for reading them :)

D-Day

2009-11-20T10:38:00.001Z

Well, today is the day I find out how K has done in her 11+ exam. I am taking a late lunch so I can be at home when she arrives with the letter in her hot little fist. To be honest, I am not hugely worried, we went to see all the local schools and we settled on the ones she likes best, I know she tried her best and that is all that matters.

We are off to Milton Keynes after work tonight, we will have a look at the lights in the Middleton Hall and have a look round the shops, I am still like a child when it comes to pretty lights and trees etc. I still love to drive round our town and see the decorations people put up on the outside of their houses.

I will buy K a little something to say well done no matter what her grade; no doubt it will be something sparkly or pink! She is such a girly girl.