Right brain/left brain

Really good training day at work today. All about learning styles and using both sides of the brain and developing creative approaches. It sounds all airy, but it was backed up with concrete examples which A and I are looking forward to trying!
My own preferences, according to the tests today, is for kinasthetic learning. In other words: I write, doodle and wave my hands...no surprises really!
However I was surprised and pleased to learn that I use both sides of my brain equally, so I am either rational yet sensitive or I disorganised and confused! I'll leave you to make your minds up on that one!

We had an interesting debate about creativity. What is it? Is it purely creating something aesthetically pleasing? Or could it be about creating something original? If you like it's the difference between being a musician or being a composer. Being a collector of craft techniques/books/designs and being an original "true to yourself" scrapper.

So I was pleased when I logged on today to find this as today's art quote: To imagine is everything, to know is nothing at all. It sort of summed today up rather nicely!

Sorry about getting maudlin' yesterday - thanks for the support! Promise I won't get like that too often!

PCOS

The news today has made me think. Although we have ruled out IVF for us, the truth is I am now unacceptable. And I worry that this has made me unacceptable for other treatments too. At least I can discuss all this with the consultant in a few weeks.

I have had PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome since I hit puberty, but didn't have it diagnosed until I was 26. PCOS can take a number of forms, but I have the full force of it! I have many little cysts on my ovaries (hence polycystic) caused by eggs failing to reach their potential. This results in having few and irregular periods. No wonder conception is difficult, there is no way to tell if an egg is released from one month to the next.
Then there are the other problems. PCOS is related to insulin resistance, meaning that my body cannot control the release of insulin and stores every scrap of fat it can. However it is not yet known if the IR causes the PCOS, or if the PCOS causes the IR.

As well as the weight problems (and I have seen dieticians...followed their plans and got nowhere) there is the hair and the spots. And the depression. And the increased chances of miscarriage, all of which I have been through.

PCOS has ruined my life. It has made me fat, ugly, infertile and miserable. And now it may stop me getting the treatment I need to try and put that right and the second baby we are longing for. I know when I walk in a room of strangers I am immediatley judged by my size, and that is all down to PCOS.

Grumpy Old Scrapper

Today's blog prompt was: what makes you grumpy....I could have a field day!
So what make me moan and whinge?
Scrapping? It is the need to have the latest paper or embellishment or gadget and if you don't have them, well, your LOs are immediately worthless. And the competitiveness that has crept into scrapping. It's just not for me. I am trying to scrap my family's story, not write a book nor win a contest.
Internet? I hate when pople start to mention how they are in a closed forum...rubbing your nose in how you are not invited. If I'm not invited, well that's fine. Just stop telling me I'm not invited.
Writing? I hate bad grammar and when apostrophes are used incorrectly. Fair enough I am a poor typist and my work is littered with typos; but, when you are selling or promoting! Bah! I am the original "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" girl!
Life? I hate bad manners. Everyone should say "please" and "thank you." It doesn't matter how young or old you are. I use manners with small children as well as with adults. Even acknowledging someone who has let you pass when driving, deserves at least a nod!

I could ramble on more, but I really will get a reputation as a Grumpy Old Scrapper! And, besides, I may need the material for another blog entry. It is so late tonight, but I am trying to keep this up...apparently it takes 16 days to make a habit.
And as for habits.....!!! (what a link) I have signed up for a CJ on UKS, after saying I would not do another after the sci fi one (especially since my Pern CJ never made it home). But I had to do a Doctor Who one! Especially after a couple of PMs, a link on the Chorley thread and a comment on here! Thank you all! So I will be joining Polgara and Ali and the others in the TARDIS!

So "thank you!" for reading my blog today! And "please" call back tomorrow!

Rain on me

Trying to complete a LO for my UKS team's challenge. I have the title, I have the papers, I have the embellies, but do I have the photos? Do I heck! I need it to rain when DD is up and about and not ready for bed. Try again tomorrow.

More evidence of Chaos...Hub has been sorting out the spam/junk mail filter, and poor 3D Jean has been emailing me about paying for her latest kit (they have been superb so far) and I hadn't read any of them. Jean...I am so sorry. I do want your fabby kit - honestly!

Had a lovely afternoon. Finally got round to see my friend C for the first time in weeks, our holidays just have not co-incided at all this summer. Darling Girl was thrilled. She loves the boys, especially R. But more Chaos...no photos. What sort of scrapper am I who leaves her camera at home? Especially when there are trampoline and pop corn pictures to take.

And...we have run out of boxes!

Packing

Look what you find when you pack up your home ready to move house!
OK, I knew exactly where to find my wedding headress and veil, but Darling Girl was enchanted.

We have had a really good go on packing up today. Darling Girl has been so helpful: scrunching newspaper or colouring labels for boxes. Everything that will be going in her room - even the bed - has a pink sticker on it.
I have reached the point where I seriously have to consider packing scrapping stuff. Fortunately my totes and zag should prove a useful place for essential stash, if I can narrow it down.

Tempest

Wow! Home again...its a long time since we have been to Stratford and back in a day! But it was so worthwhile. Patrick Stewart has a glorious voice to listen to...and he brought out the despair and the humour in Prospero. The staging was unusual. Instead of the usual tropical paradise island, this Prospero and Miranda were stranded in the Arctic with Jack Frost instead of Aerial. Lots of Native-American type chanting going on! And poor old Patrick was only wearing a wooly cardy and linen pants, I bet he was freezing!! And the poor souls with no shoes on should have suffered frostbite. And as for: "among the lime trees" surely Hub and I weren't the only ones to have noticed how out of place that line was.
But, pickiness aside, it was an inventive and enjoyable production, and am so pleased to have seen Patrick Stewart on stage for real!

By the way....yay for the Saints! We had these tickets booked so long ago I had not realised it was challenge cup weekend. Fortunately Hub has forgiven me!

Not just a sci -fi geek

Eeeeek! Blogging early today cos we have an exciting day (well Hub and I do, Darling Girl is with her Nan). We are off to Stratford in a bit to watch the Tempest. It is part of the complete works season.
Now I know some people think we are only going because Patrick Stewart is in it...and in a way we are, but not just because we are sci-fi geeks. My main subject at was Eng Lit, and I've always enjoyed watching Shakespeare (not always reading it!). Fortunately the first time I took Hub to watch some, we were students and went with my friends and their other halves to see a brilliant production of the Tempest at the Royal Exchange.

So before Our Girl arrived we were regulars in the cheap seats at the RSC. The last time we went I was preg (about a month before all hell broke loose) and we went to a Birthday Memorial peformance. So 4 years and 4 months later we are going back. Not quite such cheap seats, but a day I have been looking forward to in ages.

Shopping

Thought a would try to add some shop links today in honour of a little shopping trip we made today, but not all the links have come up, or indeed work! Chaos therory strikes again!

So where did Darling Girl and I go? We went to Katy's Corner! Or as it is known in our house: "Cath's Shop!" It feels like so long since I last went. It was so easy to visit before she moved and before my hours changed at work. Now I have to wait for a day off or an early finish. Cath and Lynn were both working hard and sometimes I feel a bit worried that Darling Girl is disturbing them. She is such a chatterbox and loves to choose stamps. But they are both so kind to her and let her rattle on! But they did both get hugs and kisses. They have both seen her grow from a tiny babe, and know what we have been through. It is also good to hear news from Cath about her American friend and her Premmie Daughter who is a bit older than My Girl but a similar early gestation.
Anyhow, I got the watch parts I wanted and some snowy embellies for the snow LO I am determined to finish (inspired by the UKS summer bus). And I picked up some luvverley stamps in the sale. I may have to make the effort to try to get back next week!

I hope I get the links working because I also love Paper Arts (my first internet craft buy) and Crafty Pastimes (Linz is such a lovely person). I was lucky enough to persuade Hub that we ought to visit both these shops on the way home from our holidays last year. So when I am buying stash online, I see both places in my head!
I also like PaperMaze. Just a brilliant selection of papers and embellies and books. Although I have never met nor spoken to Ness, the service is just brilliant and the site easy to navigate.

However, not all shopping is such fun. There is no such thing in the whole of our region as a pair of red shorts aged 3-4. I have even gone back to all the places I tried before and am looking at boys' shorts. I have given up! So I have gone to look for a black pair, boys or girls, but no, nothing in the right size. Ahhhhhgggg!!!
So I will have to spend part of my day in Warwickshire looking for red shorts!

You can smile because he has lived...

You can shed tears that he is gone or you can smile because he has lived...
You can close your eyes and pray that he'll come back or you can open your eyes and see all he's left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see him or you can be full of love.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember him and only that he's gone or you can cherish his memory and let it live on. You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back or you can do what he'd want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

Today we said goodbye to my uncle, and my Dad read the above poem as part of his eulogy.

So I wanted to write about my uncle today, all my fondest memories.

I have a large extended family; although we are not close, we all know we can call on each other for help and support. And all the familiar faces are there at Weddings, Namings and Funerals. My uncle was always there, never the centre of attraction, usually by the bar with a pint. However, he would always buy more than his share of rounds.

When he came to our wedding, he slipped away before the disco got too much for him. He pressed an envelope into Hub's hand: "Just a bit of something. Don't get excited." We thought nothing of it, until we opened it the next day to find an extraordinarily generous sum of money.

When my parents married, his present to them was as a professional decorator to completely paint and decorate their first home. It was a huge commitment and one that my parents are still grateful for.

When Darling Girl was born so early, he stayed away from the hospital. But I found out later how closely he had kept in touch with my Dad to check on her. Then he always insisted on photographs of her on a regular basis. He did not welcome visitors, but he would call round to my parents- often when his smallest great-neice would be there. So it was such a surprise for me today, to be at his home and see a couple of framed photos of my Girl, alongside those of my grandparents and my late uncles and aunts.

I last saw him properly at Christmas (Darling Girl had seen him since!) when he pressed some money into my hand: "Get something extra special for the Little 'Un!" So we used the money for a character breakfast when we visited DLP in June. He knew our plans and wanted a photo! When we got there we toasted him in orange juice! What we didn't know was that the same morning he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.

He wasn't a huge part of my life, but he was always there and now he isn't. In fact today, someone commented that they half expected him to be at the bar toasting us all with a pint.

When I grow up

Brilliant Blog prompt today.

When you were a child, what did you want to be/do when you 'grew up'? Why? I wanted to be a teacher, because I loved school and during primary school I had two very inspiring teachers: Miss Green and Mrs Ashley. Did it happen? Yes, I am a teacher. I love my class. I love it when something "just clicks!" I like my colleagues. I hate loathe and detest the unecessary paperwork that has snaeked into the job over the last 10 years and how much my job gets in the way of the rest of my life.

Were there other unfulfilled goals? Yes! In my teens I wanted to be a television director! I got myself a little job working backstage at the local theatre and got involved with anything to f do with the school arts theatre. My dad hated the whole idea and wanted me to do a "proper job" with "prospects." Television production was never mentioned by any careers advisor, in fact I use to take them leaflets I had sent for from the BBC or articles on production jobs from DWM. So I had no idea about media studies. There was one suggested route into TV, be a teacher and work on educational programmes. It fitted in with my dad, and earlier ambitions...and here I am, still teaching!

Scrapping....my lovely Scraptivity Kit arrived today...beautiful stamps as usual. Just a pity I have sworn not to touch it until the move. Sob! Although the gorgeous AtoZ papers may make a CJ appearance in the sci-fi CJ I am working on!

My Uncle's funeral is tomorrow morning. So pleased that Hub is coming with me. I just keep thinking about my dad. After growing up with 7 siblings, to be the only one left must be so hard to come to terms with for him.

Tuesday Scraps

Thanks to Jane H on UKS for posting blog prompts. Since I had a "Who" day yesterday, I'd better have a scrappy day today!

Which scrapbooking technique(s) have you seen and liked, but not tried yet? Why did you like it?I really want to have a go at making my own rub ons. I keep seeing instructions but I can't "get it. " When I have some quality time after the move I am determined to give it a go...just think of all the fonts I can use...and putting words over photos!!
What scrapbooking technique(s) have you recently tried for the first time? Did you like it and did it work for you? Ummmm...not sure. I am quite happy to rip, ink, paint, mat, mosaic, stamp, doodle, handcut, use my PC and handwrite! Basically I just like to play!


Today Darling Girl and I went to Gulliver's World. She had a blast! There were so many rides that she could go on. I could look with a cynical, jaded, adult eye and spot all the flaws and make sarcastic comments to Hub when we got home (well actually I did!). But on the other hand I had an entranced 4 year old who rode on horses and drove cars and kept her hood up in the queue waiting for the log flume just because she was so excited...and then I realise we had a lovely day! And I love her to bits!

My Sarah Jane....

My own parents have accused me of brainwashing my own child! Darling Girl is a Doctor Who fan and has been pestering for this little collection and a few more(but the TARDIS is mine!). When K9 arrived she was able to tell her cuddly Pluto, who accompanies her to many places: "You don't have to be K9 anymore." The cyberman was bought yesterday and his name is James.

But the real thrill is that not only do I have a little fan in the house, but it is OK to be a fan - and a girl. Two of Darling Girl's little girl friends have happily played Dr Who with her. One is even writing her own script!
And she has has her "own" Doctor. I haven't had to resort to showing her old videos and DVDs of past stories. David Tennant is "her" Doctor. She can even tell Nana his real name!
And David T is my Doctor too. On TV tonight was "School Reunion" and when he says good bye to Sarah Jane (how much did I want to be Sarah-Jane when I was little?)I'm in floods of tears...even having seen it a few times before and with Hub laughing at me.

OK...thats anorak comment over! Onto CHAOS...I swear that somewhere in the North West there is a strange bermuda (no pun) triangle-like force that is eating red shorts. Not only can I not find Darling Girl's red PE shorts but I cannot find a pair of red shorts to buy!
Please all I we need for September is a pair of red shorts!

Bits and Pieces Day

Today has been one of those typical chaos days, a bits and pieces day...I am not sure that apart form fixing that slideshow (thanks Cath xx) that I have actually achieved anything today.
Have included the 2 photos of Darling Girl to make you smile. Although they don't suit her she insisted on having plaits today. That is all she wanted today...oh yes and a cyberman!

The house is a tip and the box collection is breeding...oh for a completion date soon! We did go out in search of bubble wrap today, but came home with a cyberman (called James) and spare blades for a fiskars trimmer.

Oh I remember something I have achieved...all the name label are sewn in Darling Girl's school uniform...apart from the PE shorts, because I cannot find them.

On a more serious note. Dad phoned tonight with the final arrangements for my Uncle's funeral. He had a meeting with my cousins today. It is all quite sobering. Dad has asked me to find a suitable poem for the eulogy. I don't know where to start, it cannot be florid or flowery.

Need to finish with a smile...just look at those awful plaits!

Slide show chaos

In accordance with Chaos Theory I have attempted to create a slideshow for the sidebar. It looks like I have failed!!! But the results don't look that bad. All I have to figure out is how to turn it through 90 degrees and put it somewhere else!
See this isn't chaos for nothing!
BTW...have packed two half boxes today but I have drunk enough tea to sail several ships!

I hate being a girl

Some days I hate being a girl...yes the days when Auntie Flo arrives. Yuk! I am sat here with a cushion on my tummy and drinking gallons of hot tea. Hub has been sent out for chocolate. I was hoping to go cropping this afternoon at gOlbourne to visit the North West crop. I haven't been for months, but I have a pass out since I need adult company after weeks of school holiday.

Although I will regret this when she starts school. I will miss her so much on my days off.
But she is looking forward to school and is already practicing her writing. I have turned this pic into a LO, inspired by Cathy Z and as soon as I can do a slide show I'll include it.

I hope Aunty Flo is gentle with Darling Girl. And as for me, well its another month on metformin and clomid as I wait to see the consultant next month.

Dear First Post

...and if you can remember that TV programme you are showing your age! In fact I actually appeared on it, aged 12.

So here I am jumping on the Blog bandwagon. Why? Because everyone else is! Why else? Well maybe I am approaching a time in my life that I need to record. Hoping to move house soon, to a different town; Darling Girl is starting school next month; and the continuing saga of trying to bring another child into this world.

Maybe if I blog it, it could happen! If you blog it, she will come!!!