Kitchen: Day 4, evening

Kitchen: Day 3, evening

Kitchen: Day 2, Evening

Kitchen:Morning Day 2

This is our kitchen first thing this morning.
Hit the first hiccup earlier but I think it has been sorted out!

Soem of the cupboards are already in...will update later.
All those boxes - its like Christmas!

A couple of Good Causes

Firstly:
ADP is running the London Marathon! Wow! I am so in awe of this commitment. I can't even run down the street. I really admire him. He is running to raise funds for Traidcraft so you can sponsor him at this link...http://www.justgiving.com/adp_london

Secondly:
This cause doesn't want your money it needs your words.
"I can" nurseries support children with communication difficulties. I wish they had been round here when Darling Girl was not even making a sound at 2 and a half. Sometimes I get a wake up when I realise how lucky we have been.
So click on this link...http://www.wallofwords.org.uk/addaword.asp and add a word to their wall. Every word will enable them to get a corporate donation, so it won't cost you a penny!


Thanks.
I have never used my blog like this, but I hope you will be able to help.

Kitchen: Day One

I have been out of it for a few days with work and illness and preparing for a seige. It feels like a seige in the dining room with boxes stacked up and a table laden with kettle and microwave and another with food and plates.
Its only a new kitchen. I am so excited.
Here is the state of the kitchen before Terry the fitter and his mates got to work this morning:

It looks so different now! No cupboards, no black tiles and no flooring. However there is no lighting at the moment so there is no pic! I'll take one in the morning and update then.

Outpost Gallifrey

Outpost Gallifrey is rapidly becoming my favourite forum to visit. I love the humour and the words they have invented; I love the sarcasm and the trivia. But best of all, I love the enthusiasm... and its building as 31st March gets nearer.

And I am getting a bit excited as well! Check out my Doctor Who BBC link for a new trailer and pics of DT , but I won't be looking at the kissing one!

Outpost Gallifrey is here http://www.gallifreyone.com/news.php I love 'em!

Basket 7

First day of Spring Greetings.

This is another post showing off about my Darling Girl who has gone up another level with her reading. She has reached the dizzy heights of Basket 7, plus she now reads books with a yellow sticker on, rather than a red!
We are sooo proud. She wants to read the books she brings home. She still can't quite believe she is allowed to read the books she has at home yet.
I was given a huge pile of Mr Men books (thanks Tree!) before Christmas and we have held onto them for a suitable moment. So we presented them to her today. She was thrilled to bits and couldn't wait to go to bed to choose two for a bedtime story.

I am so proud of her and so pleased that no only do I have a mini-crafter and a Dr Who fan but I also have a reader as well.

Displacement activities

When I was at uni and a big assignment was due I learned about displacement activities from an expert (called Geng, but that is another long story) but I gradually got quite good at these activities as well.

Today I promised my self I would get some assessments completed today (ahead of schedule). Not a chance. I have been: completing an altered project; checking in on forums (need to be at Outpost Gallifrey at the moment); visiting blogs; tidying my desk; and, getting straightened up for the new kitchen arriving next week! I have even been experimenting with food for tea (must be desperate!).
And now I'm writing my blog.
Soon it will be time to collect Darling Girl from school.
At least the deadline isn't this week, but that hasn't stopped me in the past. I only ever get motivated as the deadline passes... At uni, thanks to the expert in displacement activities, I became a master of the 24 hour essay; drafted, edited and all 5000 words rewritten in 24 hours!

"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make when they fly by..."
With apologies to Douglas Adams.

Spoilers

I have done my best to avoid the spoilers for the new series of Doctor Who, but I got sent an email about Life On Mars' John Simm.

My eyes! My eyes!
Why did I go and look??

31st March 2007 cannot come quickly enough...

Mother's Day Breakfast

I was awoken early for a Sunday - at 7.15am - by a little girl who could not wait to help to make me some breakfast and open presents for me.

I am so lucky! It is not hard for me to remember the days I longed for this.

And I got this beautiful card as well.

Red Nosed Teddy Bears' Picnic

Yesterday, Darling Girl loved Red Nose Day, especially since at her school it was combined with a Teddy Bear's Picnic.

She was also allowed to stay up to watch David Tennant on Comic Relief since it had been trailed so much. I don't think she quite associated Catherine Tate with the Runaway Bride, but when DT used his sonic screwdriver, Darling Girl thought it was hilarious!

Although I much preferred David Tennant later on, in the Peter Kay/Proclaimers video, wearing a kilt!

Oversized T-shirts.

After a couple of draining days at work I'm back online, but only because I need to be online to do some work stuff. Although Tuesday is normally my day off I went on a course with A (my jobshare). Afterwards we collected our children from school and took them to Ikea. Unfortunately it wasn't a pure shopping expedition, we were buying for work. We bought the children some tea as they had been so good. But when I finally made it home I was drained.

Same again yesterday, but it was a long day with parents' evening too. Not as emotional as last week but I was utterly weary again. Could barely keep my eyes open and was in bed for 10pm, which is not at all like me!

Darling Girl is very excited about Red Nose Day. She has to wear a "big" (eg mum or dad's) item of clothing. Now my Girl is extra-petite, she is just about the smallest in the class. I am not petite. Hub is tall. All our tops have fallen off her; straight off her shoulders and round her ankles. However, Nana came to the rescue, she bought a size6 t-shirt for Darling Girl - which still falls off her shoulders, but it is an improvement! It's red as well!

So she is kitted out for tomorrow with an oversized T-shirt, red nose and red ribbons in her hair. Plus a teddy for a picnic, who has a matching ribbon.

Plus Darling Girl and I both love this picture:

Compare and Contrast

I was cheering on Colin Murray in Fame Academy tonight, when Hub said he had noticed a pattern. What do you think?
Sorry DT is so small





















Could it be scruffy hair and glasses and a strong accent?
Anyhow vote for Colin, call 09011 32 30 02 or text COLIN to 84466.
But he still doesn't have a TARDIS!

March Hair

Oh, did you see what I did then with the title???

I have been putting off a visit to the hairdressers and I needed desperately to go and get my hair cut, especially with the grey starting to curl out from underneath the red/brown. But the reason I'd been putting it off was that I also neede to change hairdresser's. Since moving house I had still been driving back to the old salon, so I needed to find something in my new home town.

Decided to go where mum goes after checking it out (eg I walked past and looked in). A bonus is they are open on a Sunday.
I walked in at 12noon, and walked out at 3.10pm; I have been coloured and cut. The style isn't that much different to how my hair ought to look, maybe a bit more pixie. The colour isn't as strong. It's back to purply but not aubergine enough for me. After all, it is quite obvious I dye my hair so I go for an utterly unnatural colour.
It'll do, I can pick another colour next time!

Quite pleased with my photo as well! I prefer it to the one Hub took.
Darling Girl back to herself by this evening, off to school in the morning!

An Addition to the Household

Darling Girl not herself today. Very subdued and teary, which is not like her. I knew she wasn't well when I suggested missing Padgate Crop and she didn't complain. We had an afternoon of Disney and snuggling instead whilst Hub got on with everything he had planned to do. This included finishing stripping the walls in the kitchen; listening to rugby; and shopping! And what did he bring home? The latest addition to the family.

I proudly present... Belinda the Dalek!

Scorched!

I have a complaint.
The internet and forums in particular are mainly visual tools working through images and text. So if something is written in a forum you read it. If you want to reply to it, you read it carefully.
Well so I thought!
Then last week I saw a witch hunt over a comment that if it had been said IRL would have been left alone, but type it on a thread in a forum and whoosh! Watch those flames burn.

And today it has happened to me. I have had a post taken so far out of context today that the original meaning is not merely twisted but it is actually sprained. (Can't take the credit for that one...Douglas Adams!). I have been flamed and scorched for being reasonable, stating my opinion and making suggestions in a forum for adults (no, not an adult forum!). However, my points are under analysed and my suggestions ignored. And suddenly there is a lot of talk about hurt!
Are some people so against the idea of opinion and democracy that when someone voices a contrary opinion that they are "hurt"? Debate is all about listening to two sides, and if you can't listen to both sides in an adult conversation, then maybe you shouldn't be taking part.

And as for hurt...this week I witnessed a woman crying over her son's disabilities as she realised he would never have the same options as other children; I also saw a nine year old boy bury his mother.

Don't tell me that an opinion can hurt after days like these...

Some days on forums I just want to say "Bullshit!" Its a website! Its a hobby! Use a pinch of salt and a lot of common sense! And for goodness' sake if you are going to reply to a comment on a thread - READ IT FIRST!!!

Two Worlds Collide

Is this better?

Click on my link to the Doctor Who page to see the teaser trailers which should be hitting the screens next week!

Smith and Jones

Let's not talk about how emotional work has been this week; let's instead look at the new promo picture for Season Three.


Sorry its a bit small...looks better here: www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news
I have tried so hard not to read any spoilers. I want to enjoy the new series as it unfolds. I want to get carried along in the plot and the story and by the Doctor himself!

I know there is all the talk about David Tennant leaving but I think he will do another year. He is a self-confessed fan (even convinced flastmate Arabella Weir to do an audio story years ago) and therefore ought to knows "The Rule of Troughton." For the uninitiated: Patrick Troughton (wonderful Second Doctor) told Peter Davison (young Fifth Doctor) to do 3 years. Something that Davison did; thanking Troughton for the advice.

If David does leave at the end of this series I will be inconsolable....I may have to go off and eat another David Tennnant cake!



As for transmission of Series 3. DWM quietly (very tiny writing hiding on p5) goes for 24th March. But there is an England qualifier that day so the smart money is on 31st March to get that 7pm Saturday night timeslot.



The ticker is counting....

The school run

I love Mondays and Tuesadays, not just because I am not in work, but because I get to act like a proper mum and take my Darling Girl to school.
She is so serious getting ready, trying to zip her coat up (can do it more frequently now) and putting on her "glubs," hat and scarf. I have to carry the lunch box and she carries the book bag. She holds my hand all the way. Just the feeling of that tiny hand in mine makes my day. She chatters all the way. We talk about school and the flowers and trees and the birds and anything that pops into her head. She has a butterfly mind and a chatterbox to match.
Once at school that slightly cool thing happens, when you are just that bit away from your mum and playing with friends, but I always get a hug and a kiss when the door opens before she races in.
Hometime is a bit different. Darling Girl is the proverbial "first one in, last one out." It is such a relief that she enjoys school, but sometimes I come second best to her teacher. I will eventually get a hug, but I end up carrying all her belongings as she races down to the gate with a friend. We usually end up walking with her friend and her mother to their car and then we walk home. She doesn't hold on to my hand all the way home. She loves to race down the hill. But we hold hands when we get to where it is busier and she crosses me across the road as we practice being safe!
Finally home for: cranberry juice and a biscuit; a cup of tea; and a snuggle.
I wish I could do it everyday.

Old Films

Not much of a day off today. I spent my morning (unpaid) at a work thing. Hope the brownie points are worth it. Mind you, I witnessed a wonderful piece of karma in action and it really cheered me up! One of the people responsible for running my efforts down last week had it happen to her today, so what goes around...

I have had a bit if a lazy evening. I watched almost an entire film on TV: Chariots of Fire. I love this film. It is one I could watch again and again. I remeber going to watch it with a friend when we were about 12. It had just won Oscars, but we went because part of it was filmed in our town; but particularly the Olympic changing rooms were our school changing rooms! (Well alright, the boys' changing rooms). But it was exciting to be a small part of Oscar history.
My other memory wrapped up with Chariots of Fire was that it was shown on television the week before we got married. We were decorating our living room and had the film on whilst we added the finishing touches.

But aside from all that that, it is a film I really enjoy, even though I know the ending!

So what are my other favourite films? The ones I could watch over and over? There are too many and like my favourite books it can change from week to week. But you can guarantee that these films are always near the top.

The Wizard of Oz. It is just so magical when the colour kicks in as Dorothy arrives in Oz. I love the songs and I am word perfect. And I always cry at the end.
Moulin Rouge. The Ewan McGregor version. This was robbed of an Oscar. It is magical and entertaining and the blend of pop songs into a musical is so lavish. And, yes, I cry at the end!
Waterloo Bridge. Vivian Leigh meets and marries a rich officer during the war, falls on hard times but cannot approach his family (shades of Tess). She throws herself off Waterloo Bridge. And of course I cry at the ending when he is just too late.
The Ladykillers. Not the remake! I just love the characters. It makes me laugh. And I actually don't cry at the ending!
Star Wars. Could I be a sci-fi geek and not like this film? Even though Empire is better, this is the one to start them all off!
Local Hero The music! The greed! Dennis Lawson! That beach!
Twelve Monkeys. This film is so clever and interesting, and its the only time that Bruce Willis acts (and Brad Pitt) . Plus can you spot Arthur Dent? It just keeps you hooked from weird beginning to mixed up end.

Saluting magpies.

UKS Blog Prompt: Are you superstitious, or do you have an OCD style need to do certain things in certain situations? Do you know why you are superstitious?

Well, I admit to saluting magpies and then have to look for a second one for luck. This annoys Mo who only salutes them and then sasy the second one doubles the bad luck. We look a right pair when we are out and about!
Apart from that I am not really superstitious. However, I do look for signs. I'll give you an example. The most awful day in my life when I nearly lost my Darling Girl at 23weeks gestation, I had to have surgery in the hope it might save her. We had been given no guarantees that it would work; we only knew that doing nothing would mean losing her. The midwife who wheeled me to the OR had the same name we had already chosen for our girl. A real sign that the procedure would work. And, well, you know the rest...

As for OCD...I do have a few quirks, I am sure my family know more than I do, but I will admit to going back to check I have locked the front door - and it is always locked! Plus I cannot drive my car without music or conversation.
And is it OCD to be unable to start the day without a cup of tea?

Totality

Off to Chorley Crop today. We were all in a productive mood, lots more LOs completed than normal. I managed 2 12x12 plus a few pages for my 2007 journal including an 8x8 LO.

The Roses managed to surprise me. I had lots of lovely hand crafted cards plus a cake and the promise of a present (its stuck in the post - apparently!). I was so touched by my thoughtful friends

There was a moment! But there were lots of other moments with hysterical laughter. I promise never to upset Ickleviking, cos she will hit me with a ruler!

This evening have been out playing with camera settings and the tripod, trying to take pics of the lunar eclipse. I have cropped these pics a bit, but I am really pleased with the results and the fact I felt confident enough to experiment with slower shutter speeds. The first photo is of the moon starting to be eclipsed and the second is of totality.

Another Birthday

Apart from Darling Girl having a rough night and waking up to with non-stop coughing, today has not been a bad birthday. Decided to keep Darling Girl off school today. Of course when I phoned my parents for a status report at 10am, she was fine! No reason to be off! Isn't it always the way!

Well Hub and Darling Girl had me up early for presents and cards. My robo is here! Yay! Will only be able to get him out for a proper play tomorrow evening, since am off to Chorley Crop tomorrow. The robo is one of the biggest birthday presents I have ever had, and I am truly thrilled with it. I feel so lucky! They also treated me to some new Dr Who DVDs: The Tom Baker/Peter Davidson boxed set and a Patrick Troughton "Invasion." Sixties cybermen!

Then Darling Girl could not wait to show off the birthday cake they had chosen for me! Yummy! In every sense. No candles for it...and I'm not willing to eat David either!

Thank you everyone for all the good wishes.

And then a final present from the BBC. They have teamed up with You Tube. So here is the link for Davis Tennant's video diary about his first day of filming on Season Three:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffMgFb7nMXU

How old?

I'm 37 tomorrow, and inside I still feel like that self conscious teenager. How did I get to 37? I don't feel that old. I still feel silly and naive and unsure. I don't think I am a proper grown up yet!
Mind you, I was told today that I could pass for 34...and it wasn't one of the children!

Darling Girl has done her best not to tell me I have presents and where they are hiding. "Shhh! I am not allowed to tell you that your presenst are in that cupboard!" She wants to get up early in the morning with Hub and bring me breakfast in bed.
She also wants to know how old I am. So, of course I said, 21. She looked worried. When I asked her why, its because she's not sure if we have that many candles to put on the cake. So its a good job I didn't confess to 37!