"Do They Come Here?"

Following the trip to the docks in the rain and all the twinkly Christmas lights, Mr Whippy and I went to 'Bikers Beach' today.

On a sunday every biker that has a pillion that wants to go with him, or has a permission slip from 'her indoors' rides at alarmingly enormous speeds towards this beach. They line up on the front in a perfectly straight line, drink tea, eat donuts and chat. (they also walk really funny, because of their boots!!)
Today there was loads of bikes, and everywhere you looked there was bikers arriving or leaving or just roaring about.

Normaly Mr W. would be the one riding at huge speeds towards the sea, but as I am The Worst Pillion In The World we went in the car.
The tide was out, so we trundled out to get our feet wet in the sea which was lovely.

On the way back from the sea to where the bikes were parked we were talking about wasps, he was quiet for a moment and then asked in a serious tone:
"Do they come here?" ...him
......hear spluttery noises from me.....
" WHAT?" ....from me again
" yyeeeesssssss" ......big old sarcasm..me again
" well yes, I 'spose they would...they have to go somewhere on their holidays" ......him....seriously


Queue me roaring with laughter, and much taking the piss.

Did he think there was an invisable line that wasps dont cross at the begining of the sand?

Honestly, this is an inteligant man...doing a degree for goodness sake! I often have absolutly no idea what he is talking about, because if he doesnt know about something he spends ages researching what he doesnt know, until he does know it, so consequently he knows alot. We spend hours and hours talking about Big Things and very Little Things, and so when he comes out with something like that it makes my week.....as usually its me that says things that makes him shake his head and roll his eyes.

We drove from Bikers Beach round the coast for a while, stopping at a pub for lunch. I love the area we went to today. I have spent alot of childhood holidays there and have great memories of the area. It was lovely to see it through someone elses eyes, that see things that mine do not.

I have had a fantastic day today. I have slightly caught the sun, spent time in an area that I would like to spend more time in, with a man who I have no choice about.


lybxx

"Quote"

While doing an essay ..title ' Is prison a useful institution to criminals?' I came apon this quote

" Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms - to choose ones attitudes in any given set of circumstances, to choose ones way" Viktor Frankl


How fantastic is that quote?? ...am gonna have to put that in somewhere in the essay, but more importantly, its true about life. And I believe it.


lybxx

More and Louder!

I cant get this to work properly...not being very clever with the old computery stuff!! (help very thankfully received)

You have to copy and paste it in, but listen to it...it brings me great joy...I want this song at my funeral, or thought I did, played classically, now I think I want it done like this, but with MORE OPF THEM...AND MUCH MUCH LOUDER!!

http://isnichwahr.de/redirect11648.html


lybxx


( I dont know why the font is like this.....its having a funny five minutes I think, and also a huge amount of people have linked to this page, so some of the comments are in german!!)









Blimey

I was just having lunch, and thought "ooooo there's some strawberries in the fridge mmmmm"
Anyway I was chopping them and found a couple that were a bit squidgy, so put them to one side.

I spied the Guinea Pigs throught the window in their run. I often give them bits of food... raw veg/fruit or bread that we dont finish or is a bit soft or old, so I thought I'd give them a go at a strawberry each.

I couldnt believe it.....they LOVED them! Running around after each other squeeking their heads off trying to get the strawberry off the the one they were chasing (there are three G.P's and there were three strawberries...clever they are not!!) It made me really laugh!

I havent tried oranges, or raspberries or kiwi or banana. I wonder if they will like them?....I am not going to go shopping just for the G.P's, but we have some kiwi in the fruit bowl...maybe later they can try that if Small has a kiwi after supper.

Hang on ...guinea pigs eat grass carrots and 'girtie guinea pig' ...not exotic fruits......they'll be asking for a 'chilled glass of something' instead of water next!


lybxx

Songs

I have been reading alot of other peoples blogs reciently and one of the posts written repeatedly is " what song best describes you?"

I have no idea. I have favorate songs, and songs that remind me of people places and times in my life, and am nearly always delighted to be reminded of them when I hear them.
Some make me laugh out loud and sing even louder. Some make me really cry and others make me remember fondly. Songs, I think are like smells and can evoke powerful flashbacks.

But as to what lyrics in a song best describe me, I am at a loss to know.

Do the other bloggies have a better music knowledge than me and thousands of CD's to choose from? (actually that wouldnt be difficult!)
Or do they mould their favorate song to themselves and hope it fits?
Or do they choose a song that they hope best describes them because it makes them seem to have the charactor traits they want to have?
Should I know the answer to this question?

(Actually my very little brain has been whorling and wimpering while typing this and I think I have an answer, well the closest I can come to one)
Bitch. Meredith Brookes.

There, I dont know how acurate that particular song/lyrics are, but there is a line or two in there that I think describes me reasonably well. ...And I like the song.

ok, so to continue the theme of lots of other people, and now me (band waggon and jumping are two words to be used here)

"what song best describes you?"

lybxx

There you are!!

Teddy has just been found!!

When my twin and I were born we were bought a teddy each. They were the same shape but mine is all white and his is black and white. (polar and panda!)
EJ, when she was packing Small's room put it in a bag. I have rung her repeatly to ask which bloody bag she put it in, but she was a bit evasive about the whole thing.
Eventually I put it to Small that there was a £5 reward for finding my teddy, and within 15 minutes she squeeled and came running with him in her hands.

It was so good to have him back! He has a particular smell, just between his ears...which now has no fur on it as I fit my nose in there and breathe deeply.
He makes all the bad things go away, as all good teddies do, and he is now sitting in my bedroom as he has for years, there just in case of emergancy!!

...actually, thinking about the speed my daughter got off her backside and really looked for him, instead of 8 year old " I cant fiiiiiiinnnnnddddd it" when asked to get anything, maybe I should just pay her to tidy up the last things left in the dreaded third bedroom!!!


lybxx

Smaller.

Today Small went to Granny's to say goodbye to Smaller.

She was only ever a 'tester pony' to see if Small wanted to ride, and would stick at it, so we got her 'on loan'. Small is now too big for her, and has out grown her in a riding sense which is why we got The Gentleman Jed.

Smaller looks good at the moment. She is a shetland and very white. (grey in horse speak) she has an enormous mane, tail and forlock. (fringe!) She looks just like a thelwell pony. Small said what she wanted to say to her and looked a little red-eyed at one point.

Rest of this blog is dictated by Small.
I must say she was the most amazing pony. She is beautiful and kind and has looked after me alot, once Stinky ran under her feet and Smaller stood completely still so not to tread on her, and another time when I first trotted on my own you could see she said' I'm supposed to be trotting beside an adult, not on my own!' and cantering, she has bucked alot and it wasnt very comfortable, and I fell off a few times. We have taken her to my riding school which was fun, she was scared of my riding teacher who Mummy thinks is lovely because he gave her quite a big hug once.
My favorate thing was when we went in Granny's horse trailer to a different place and I rode her for ages and ages on grassy tracks. She loved it as it was somewhere different to look at.
Granny thinks that she miss her the most though, as she has lived at Granny's house and Granny sees her everyday.
I have riden with Mummy and Blade, and they led me on Smaller and we have been out off the lead rein too.
She is going back tomorrow and I will miss her loads.

Thank you Smaller. Love you byex

Mondeo Man.

Mr. Whippy has a new car, and is not a happy bunny. He used to drive an Alfa Romeo, a red one, and he loved it.

But with 18 months left of his degree to go he has to make decisions that mean the car had to go, and a more economical one had to be bought, aparently running me and the Alfa wasnt cheap, so the Alfa had to go...big old bonus points to him for making the right decision!

We picked it up tonight. Its blue and its great, it goes well and is a diesel so is more cost effective. ...actually he plans to run it on vegtable oil.... I know....how does that work???? Apparently you can run a diesel engine on oil. And it works and everything, and I have witnessed the working of it, we filled up on the way back....with oil from a supermarket and the car didnt grind to a halt or anything!

What was so enormously funny to me this evening, apart from ringing him 500 yards down the road from picking the car up to ask if he was bored of it yet, was driving behind him watching him find out where everything was....lights, windscreen wipers, what was in the glove compartment...etc... and because I know him so well I could hear him making the noises I knew he was making while finding all this out, and I knew he was twiddeling with his beard when he couldnt find the switch to turn off the back windscreen wipers!

This kept me amused all the way back to his house....


lybxx

Sentencing

I have watched the news a fair amount reciently. The cases of Craig Sweeney, who got a sentence of 5 years for kidnapping and abusing a three year old, and will be out of jail in less time than he was sentenced for. Even if the tarrif for this sentence was for the full five years and so therefore could not be allowed to apply for parole until then, how is this appropriate sentencing?

Take as a contrast the recient case of Jody Dobrowski, the bar man who was gay. He was tortured and beaten to death by Thomas Pickford and Scott Walker, and they recieved a minimum of 28 years before being allowed to approach the parole board.

Now I know that Jody was murdered and the victim of Craig was not. And murder is the only crime that recieves a mandatory life sentance, and 'hate crimes' are the latest 'hot potato' the govenment is talking about. And there are strict lawful guidelines layed down by our judical system on sentencing that the judge follows in court.

But havent they got it a teeny weeny bit wrong? I dont know if 'life' should mean ' life'. I dont actually think that prison works for alot of people, its a learning ground surely, a place where you harden yourself and learn from others, but I dont think its the punnishment some people think it is. There has to be other means of ' reporation'. Probation is one of them.

However, in these two cases I think that prison is the only answer. These three men are a danger to society and have shown no remorse for the crimes they committed.
But the sentancing? I absolutly agree with one of them. But have a real problem with the other.
How can Craigs three year old victim, (which was not the first one, because he had just been released early from a three year sentence for indecently assulting a six year old.) only be worth 5 years?


Sentencing laws and guidelines surely have to looked at. Quickly. And re-thought.


Lybxx

Boys/Girls

I would make the most terrible boy. (traditional 'boy')

I have just tried to put together a book shelf. Its so badly done its almost worth taking apart again and re-doing.
I swore and shouted at it while I was doing it, obviously that didnt help one little bit, but I dont get the instructions.....they dont make sense to me....even the bits written in English.

My car. Now I know that it needs oil and water, otherwise it dies immediatly after making a terrible smell and smoke coming out of it in various places. I was aware reciently that my car was running very hot. I worried about it, but didnt actually do anything about it. A friends husband (he's very welsh...which was odd because I hadnt noticed before!) said ' have you got enough water in it?' ( hear lilting Welsh voice) I muttered something incomprehensible as I really didnt know. So off he went and checked it for me. And the oil.
Then he very gently and in 'girl language' explained, after finding very little in each why I must keep them topped up and what would happen if I didnt.
What made all this worse was that I knew everything he was telling me. Alot of men, my Dad, both brothers, my ex-husband, boyfriends and now a very twinkley Welshman have all explained the same thing.

I cant make a DVD or video player work from the T.V. There is a skart lead involved somewhere in this, but I have no idea where it goes or how it makes it all work.

I really cant read maps. Well I can, but only if I have a long time to ponder over it, and I can turn the map round so its pointing in the direstion that I am going in. (there was once an occation where I was in a car with GCD. We had to get somewhere quickly and he asked me to tell him which direction to go in. I had no idea...I didnt have long enough to look at the map and it was the 'wrong way up' ....he got quite unreasonably, in my eyes, snappy and tore the map out of my hands saying something unmentionable about women)

I know that there are things that I or girls in general are better at then men. But what really pisses me off is when the person in question can do things that are generally attributed to members of the opposite sex as well as things attributed to their own.

It makes me look bad, and I think I can do that on my own! (unlike the above)

lybxx

9/11

I went to see 'United 93'.

(the film about the flight on 9/11 that was possibly aiming for the White House and the hostages were overpowered by the passengers on the flight so crashed into a field not a building)

I have read reviews of it and they all say the same thing, which I agree whole-heartedly with. It is, without doubt the most harrowing thing I have ever seen at the cinema.
You know what's going to happen. You get caught up with passengers lives knowing that they are going to die....and thats true of alot for cinema and television, but because its real life and everything about 9/11 was reported so extensively you feel a bit involved in it before you begin watching the film,....everyone knows where they were when the planes went into the Towers.

There was only 8 people in the cinema. Two of them left two thirds of the way through the film, I could not have moved, I was absolutly stuck in my seat watching in horror the depiction portrayed in front of me. The man to my right was openly sobbing.
We came out of the cinema in silence. Walked down the road to the car park. Up the steps and into the car before either of us spoke. In broken words...about 3 each.

We went back to his. Pretty much in silence. Made a drink and spoke more about it. Then we quickly changed the subject and talked furiously about other things. It will be a while I think before I can really give an account of the film, but there are words that we both used.
Anger.
Disbelief.
Admiration at the bravery.
Shock.
Horror.

I was lucky with who I went with.
If your going to go and see it make sure you have someone with you that can put you back together again afterwards.


lybx

ALAN.

Yesterday Laa-Laa, Lindy and I went on our annual pilgrimage to the NEC at Birmingham.

It was as beautiful as always, the flowers and plants presented perfectly, the best desplays getting gold medals for their efforts.

Anyway, we had done the 'ooo look at that' thing, and spent a fair amount of money before Alan was due to be on the guest stage to talk about something or other....water conservation I think.

I was waiting for it to start in a kind of dreamy my feet hurt where will I put those plants kind of way when Laa-Laa rushed up saying that she had seen Alan giving a radio interview 'over there'.
Off we went to 'over there' and stood and watched for a bit before returning to where Lindy was and began to chat and drink our coffee.
Then Alan walked beside us and said 'hello' in responce to our smiles.
I am not a stalker. I am not. Neither do I have restraning orders taken out against me. but, honestly, I couldnt help myself!! I put my hand on his arm near his shoulder (not round his wrist so's he couldnt escape!!) and I said to him in a very tonguetied fashion how much he had taught and inspired so many people (I was interested in gardening at about 29 and from that, and me being me and going on and on and on about it 7 other people have the most beautiful gardens and alot of knowledge, and I know some of them only started to shut me up...anyway I started gardening and being interested because of Alan)

He was delighted...and it seemed really genuine...then ~Laa-Laa got out her mobile and asked if she could take a photo, he was very happy for that to happen and we put our arms arond each others back......i'm sorry I have to re-type that....he put his arm around me, and smiled for the camera.

He was short and its very true that TV puts weight on you as he is quite slim.
He was ....now I want to write 'firm' but I dont want it to sound wrong!!...but he was...outdoors people are..they work hard and have firm bodies.
He smelt clean and fresh.
He was perfectly happy for me to accost him and mutter something and then to have his photo taken with some randem fat bird.
He squeezed me while the photo was being taken and really grinned


For the rest of the day I kept grinning ...face splitting stylie...I know its sad...i really do...but I couldnt care less. Each to their own I say. He has taught me about gardening which I love and he gave me a hug while a picture was taken!!! Teehee. ....


lybxx

Following on....

Following on from my previous rant about ' what not to wear', I have to tell you about Mumby.

Grampy J won a fair amount of money on a horse race. He works hard for a man of any age, as a hobby, if he is not in the veg patch, he has a flutter on the gee-gee's. He is quite good at it! Anyway after this win he gave my Mum a percentage of the winnings.

She was delighted. Off she went to The Shops with barely a limp! She hardly ever spends money on herself, and very very rarely goes into a city, unless she can possibly avoid it.

Clothing wise Mumby is very practical. She leads an outdoor horsey life for the most part, and her clothes match her lifestyle. Having said this, I have noticed reciently that her wardrobe has become one that you would envy. Classical, elegant, classy. Not so much long riding boots as knee high soft elegant leather boots to be worn with a long skirt ....with a side split!! (This is my mother for goodness sake!!! )
I went round to her house earlier to drop off Stinky, ( I am going to see Alan tomorrow and although in my eyes he can do very little wrong I wouldnt want to fall out with him if he didnt 'get' her, ...and she would hate it, far too many people for an old stinky hairy Bassett. ) And Mum fairly ran me and Small up the stairs to see her new perchases. .

Trinny and Suzanna move away from my Mother. She looked stunning.

They were beautiful. Beautiful. All of them. For any occation. And the shoes were fantastic.


Lybxx

What not to wear.

I was walking around clever-university town the other day and was appalled to see what folks were wearing.
Mostly it was the 'young people' , but not always. As I strolled around these were my thoughts. (I dont expect anyone to agree, and the way everyone dresses is obviously up to each individual)

The skinny jean thing. Unless your a size 8, dont do it.
The showing of the toned and tanned tummy thing.....if your over a size 14, dont do it.
The white stilletto thing. DONT DO IT. EVER. (learn from us old people...dont make the same mistakes as us, it didnt looked good in the 80's!)
The hair extention thing, stop it, unless your spending over £300 on it it looks like a matted old dog in about a week and a half, and no matter how cunningly you use slides and clips it still looks like a matted dog hair.
The nasty fake tan thing. PLEEEAAASSSEEE, people are not meant to be orange. They're not. Honestly. If you want to be brown, get better fake tan, or go brown yourself slowly and carefully.
The too small thing, if your clothers feel too tight or look too tight, then they are too small. Get bigger ones, no-one can tell the size of your clothers from the outside, and you might just be a little bit more comfortable.
oh, and the very-long-very-fake-nail thing. Fake nails are fantastic. No doubt about it. But 6 inch nails is the name of a band or items from a hardwear shop. Not things to have on the end of your fingers.

I think this rant shows me once again that I have very little tolerance and am terribly middle aged and need to get a grip! ....its not like I am impecably dressed and effortlessly elegant and classy at all times. (!)

(dont feel the need to agree with me about the last bit!)

lybxx

Garden Invaders.

In celebration of finishing the maths milarkie Laa-Laa and I sorted my garden last night.

We started at 8 pm and thought that starting that late it wouldnt be too hot, we were wrong and the phrase "Sweaty Betty" applied to both of us! ....in defence we did work for a couple of hours and worked very hard.
I had done quite alot already, but in true me and Laa-Laa stylie we got stuck in and cleared a bit of the garden absolutly full of hip high weeds and brambles. We then, with much straining, laughing and grunting moved an enormous planter with the biggest rose in it I have ever seen.
This morning when I 'walked around my estate' (very small garden) I was so chuffed, it looks a bit like a garden now, not a collection of weeds and you can see...if you squint hard...how it will look in a another week or so when I have finished.

This gardenage is all because Laa-Laa and I have our annual pilgrimage to Gardeners World on thursday to see Alan. And if my garden hadnt have looked better than it did, then I wouldnt have had a clue as to what I wanted to buy there. Every year I buy 'a little something' .....I cant wait to wander around the plant stalls pondering and planning what it is exactly that would make a good buy for my garden.

Bliss....Alan and plant shopping.... contented sigh.


lybxx

.....So re-take in November it is then!

Last monday afternoon and this morning I sat the dreaded maths GCSE.

Last week I came out a bit bewildered. Did we really learn all that stuff?...and if we did, where was I? ....really!! I looked back over what we had learnt and thankfully for me about half of what I couldnt do we hadnt been taught, (a two year course taught in 2 hours a week....not going to get everything in!!) ...the other things I hadnt remembered.

This week was better, I only didnt answer about 6% of the paper...(again either not been taught or incredibly stupid) and I came out feeling a bit empty. I have been fighting the maths thing since september and now its over.....we went for drinkies and lunch and chatted about 'the exams' but it was odd.....until we get the results in August we cant make plans about how or when to re-take or get so drunk celebrating we have to stay in bed for three days to get over it.
Time will tell I guess.....but read the title to this post and the bed for three days thing may have to wait!!!


lybxx

Birthday.

Its my Dad's birthday today, and he invited me to a B-B-Q that he is having to celebrate it.

Hugh, my Twin and his wife are going and various close friends of my dad's will be there.
My Dad's wife who is the most fantastic hostess, will have cooked up an absolutly lovely feast for us with ease and panache and it will all be delicious.
Both my Dad and his wife have parents who at the moment are terribly ill and not expected to get better, so it is a difficult time for them, and tonight is an opportunity to let their hair down and enjoy over a drinkie or 6.

It will be, I have no doubt a lovely evening. I have an odd relationship with my Dad, which I dont think I will ever really understand. But tonight that will be put to one side for birthday celebrations.
I have bought a shirt and tie for my Dad.....I think the tie might be a bit 'out there' for him, but he is just really difficult to buy a gift for. And, I cant beat the present I bought him for Xmas..... I bought him his favorate film. When we were little Dad made us watch 'The Great Escape' every damn time it was on TV. Christmas just wasnt the same without it! He would instruct us to 'shhhhh' throughout, and make the same comments at the same time in the same place in the film.
The clearest memory I have when watching this film with him is at the end. He was convinced that the motor bike would make it over the barbed wire fence if only it went faster or had enough people cheering it on. So, at that point in the film he would sit forward in his chair, rocking, shouting 'Go on' 'Faster...go faster' 'You can make it this time' ....when the bike actually took off to try and clear the fence, so would my dad...in a kind of woooshing motion he would stand up and shoot his arms into the air as if him doing so would give the bike just that little bit more lift to get him over the fence.
Every time he was disapointed. Really disapointed. It really made us laugh, and make 'oh Daaaaaad' comments.

Its a good memory.

lybxx

Trit-Trot

Last night Mum rang and asked me if I would like to go over to help her with something.
The new pony, the gentleman Jed, has another string to his bow. Obviously he can be ridden but he can also be driven!
He has a little two wheel cart and pulls like a stream train!!! Mum and I 'attached' him to the cart and set off....he loved it!
It did feel a bit organic and weirdy-beardy (if you know what I mean) but I couldnt stop laughing. We went out for about an hour, walking and trotting both on tracks and a private road. It was really really bumpy, especially when he trotted but it was just the best thing I had done in a long time. Mum even let me have a go, and I have to tell you that the thing I wanted to do more than anything was slap the reins down his back and shout " giddiup" and race off into the sunset movie stylie!! (I didnt do it!)
Small is going to squeel and squeel with delight when mum takes her out......you'll prolly be able to hear her from your houses!!


lybxx

The Third Bedroom

Well.......all clothes now away.

Small's toys in her bedroom tidy. (lots more toys and generic girl crap to unpack, but bedroom is tidy)
My room entirely sorted. There are randem suitcases in various corners, but they are all empty and waiting to go back to their owners.
Dog has been walked.
Guinea Pigs in the run squeeking happily.
Cant find my teddy (one I had a child) anywhere, I was convinced by the end of the day I would have located him, but he is still hiding. ...I bet he is in the last thing I unpack!

Have been in the garden for over an hour!!! grin.

lybxx

Helpage?

Does anyone want to help me finnish the unpacking? (please?)

From downstairs, this house of mine looks grand,.....really bad colours on the walls, but that can be sorted. Upstairs is a different story.
The third bedroom you can just about walk a path I have created to get to the window. Clothes, Smalls toys, ironing (I think my cleaning lady has gone to outer mongolia) and empty suitcases are all crammed into a huge pile of nastyness.

Todays job is to sort it. I shall use various avoidance and delaying messures to put it off for as long as I can......but it has to be done. And done today.

......and I have to stay out of the garden until its done!!!


lybxx

Terrors

Last night I babysat for LV. She has three children and they are all quite different, but all fantastic. Small and I go away with them to Wales every year for a couple of weeks and its all wine-fueled-famous-fivey which sets us all up for the following year until we go back again.

Anway, last night her middle child had real problems going to sleep. She is terrified of sleeping on her own, and although she can do it, her elder brother was staying with a friend and I think that when he is there it gives her faith that nothing will happen, as everyone knows that big brothers will fight to the death for you and kill bogie men with a single sweep of their sword.
So without older brother there she didnt go to sleep until the early hours of the morning and nothing I said or did would reasure her and make it better, which was an odd experiance for me, as she and I get on really well and I can usually make things better for her.

While I was trying to make it all ok, I was reminded about the 'night-terrors' I had as a child.
I was utterly convinced that a big black bull would burst into my room and gore me to death with his very long pointy horns, steam coming out of his nostrils and he would have wide white and red eyes.
I couldnt go under the covers, as then I would not be able to see the mad scarey bull charging into my room, and I wouldnt have time to shout for either my Dad, or my older brother to come and slay said bull. Also if you go under the covers you have to re-breathe your old air....and I dont like that either!

Maybe night terrors are just a stage every child goes through. I wonder what Smalls will be like and what she will have as her nightmere.

lybxx

Curtains, bookshelves and pizza

Last night, after he had finished work Mr W came over with coke (to mix with the Grouse I had bought) his tool kit (see above) and flowers (bonus points!)

We drank a fair amount, not intentionally but it was just so nice and we were chatting away, as you do, and then we realised we were both quite tiddly. He slept in my bed and I took the sofa, as Small had commented on the sleeping arrangements....she said, and I am honestly not making this up...."Dont you think your sheets should get cold before you invite another man into them" !!!!!

WTF?????? I did casualy ask where she got that little nugget from and she said it was from a dvd she had...Mrs Doubtfire....well bloody Robin Williams has a lot to answer for! So this morning we all emerged, one of us quite perky, the older two of the group a bit headachy, to tea and toast and the making of bookcases, curtain tracks and the eating of pizza for lunch.
Everyone got on really well. There was much 'helpage' from Small, and much ganging up on me, and Mr W. didnt look too 'oh-dear-god-get-me-out-of-here' at all.

When he had done all the 'boys things' and had gone home Small and I chatted about him (like you do) and she gave the 8 year old, I'm being taken terribly seriously and my opinion is the only one that counts (well she has a point) comment that he was bigger and 'funner' than she thought he would be, and he let her use the hammer (she was very impressed with that!) and he could stay anytime he wanted to.

So, there's a hurdle over with. ...

lybxx

See 1950's blogg for her answers!

FULL NAME: Cate Elizabeth Woods

LIVING ARRANGEMENT: Me and Small.3 bedroom woefully decorated house

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT OUIJA BOARDS? dont like them. make me feel uneasy.

YOUR FAVOURITE TV SHOW: Lost. ER.

WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? its a laptop darling!

FAVOURITE BOARD GAME: Cranium.

FAVOURITE MAGAZINE: gardeners world, cosmo, country life

FAVOURITE SMELLS: The top of my daughters head. i think smell is very important, and regulally tell complete strangers that they smell good. I wear D&G "light blue"

WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD: missing someone. fear. not knowing what to do about something big.

BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD: knowing that the next thing that happens is gonna be the most amazing awesome thing/feeling in the world.
small wrapping her arms around me whenever she needs her mummy.

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING? what time is it?

DO YOU GET MOTION SICKNESS? Nope.

ROLLER COASTERS hate them

PEN OR PENCIL? pencil.

HOW MANY RINGS BEFORE YOU ANSWER THE PHONE? when i hear it, i answer it.....well not always..caller display is a wonderfull thing!

FUTURE DAUGHTER'S NAME: Grace or Boo.

FUTURE SON'S NAME: George. or Edward.

FAVOURITE FOOD: roast. or a picnic.

DO YOU GET ALONG WITH YOUR PARENTS? Yes, sometimes on a superficial level, sometimes on a real level.

CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA? vanilla...with caramel and nuts.

FAVOURITE ICE CREAM: see above.

DO YOU LIKE TO DRIVE? yes. but only if i can choose the music.

DO YOU SLEEP WITH STUFFED ANIMALS? no. but they are in the room and watching.

STORMS - COOL OR SCARY? very very cool.

WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE POET? Not sure I have one. I don't think I 'get' poetry.

IF YOU COULD MEET ONE PERSON, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD IT BE? ooooo thats a biggie. might have to have a fortnights thinking about that.

FAVOURITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK: gin/wine/whiskey...dependant on mood.

ZODIAC SIGN scorpio....

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? Yes

WHAT KIND & THEIR NAMES?: Auntie. (stinky bassett hound) Mima and Poggle (cats.) various ponys of assorted sizes and shapes that i do alot woth, but dont actually own....ooooo and 3 guinea pigs.

DO YOU EAT THE STEMS OF BROCCOLI? oooo yes

IF A GIRL ASKED YOU FOR THE SHIRT OFF YOUR BACK, WOULD YOU GIVE IT? n/a/

GIRLS, WOULD YOU EVER ASK A GUY FOR THE SHIRT OFF HIS BACK? that would depend on how much i wanted to see him naked, and how much i minded meing naked in front of him.

IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY COLOUR, WHAT WOULD IT BE? ????????.......

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN LOVE? yes.

WHAT IS ON THE WALLS OF YOUR ROOM? deeply dodgy colours!

IS THE GLASS HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL? HALF FULL

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SNAPPLE? What?

FAVOURITE MOVIE: arthur.

FAVOURITE BOOK: i love all books.

ARE YOU A LEFTY, RIGHTY, OR AMBIDEXTROUS? I'writting right handed...others things, i can use both!!

DO YOU TYPE WITH YOUR FINGERS ON THE RIGHT KEYS ...mostly

IF YOU COULD BE ONE GARDENING TOOL, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? hoe

WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED? the cat

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE NUMBER? 16 or 24

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM CAR? ....dont care as long as it does its job.

FAVOURITE SPORT TO WATCH: 6 nations.

YOUR LIFETIME GOALS IN A NUTSHELL: be a good parent. to be happy.

SAY ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON(S) THAT SENT THIS TO YOU: the smell of your skin is addictive. ...and i love it.

PERSON YOU SENT THIS TO WHO IS LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND:n/a

PERSON MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND:nTee (!)

Jed

We have a new member of our family. He is black and has four legs and is such a gentleman.

Small has outgrown her very small in height, but very big on personality pony. We knew when we got her that she wouldnt stay with us for a long time, that didnt stop the major loving that has happened between Small and Smaller.

So, when Jed showed himself to us we jumped at the chance to have him. He is a bit bigger than Smaller and much older so not only has he done it all before and got the t-shirt for doing it, but he doesnt buck all the time.
Smaller has taught Small such a lot. And now its Jed's turn to continue that learning. I have absolutly not doubt at all he will do so with joy and a twinkle in his eye. He is lovely, and whinneys everytime he sees you, if he were a person he would drink real ale or port. (Smaller would be on the alco-pops, and lots of them!!)

Welcome Jed, both to cyberblogg and to our family.


lybxx

Typing typing typing

So, after breathing 'new-house' air for twenty four hours, and unpacking the bare essentials it was time to type furiously....5000 words of typing.

I did it. I sat for hours at a time, referancing like a diva, and when finished I sat back and re-read what I had done. Not too bad......, well one was really good, one good and one okish!! so with any luck it should be grand.

Then I had the saga with the internet connection. Oh dear god!
You obviously have to have (I'm sure you all know this, but I am going to tell you anyway) a B.T. line in. I rang and was polite to the nice lady from BT and answered all the questions she asked. She said that it would be on later that day. Wrong. It took 4 days to sort that out......and the connection via my mobile is fairly randem, so it was off to the payphone three times a day to ring BT!!
Then, after 4 days of BT connection you can get connected to the internet. Excelent.....well it would have been if that actually happened....but you might have noticed that its been longer than 8 days since I was last here......so the whole internet milarkie clearly took longer than they said, and I hoped!

However, its all a distant memory now. when Virgin finally sent me the things I needed, and they actually worked (not such a so distant memory....see...still going on about it!) I was finally connected to the www waves, I was squeeling with joy.

I have missed writting this. I have written a diary at various times in my life and have enjoyed doing so. This is different because I started writting it really for one person, so she could get to re-know me again, as I had her through her blogg. But through writting I have gotten to know myself better, as I randemly write stuff it makes my scrambled thoughts clearer and more coherant...for me at least, and I have comments written both by people I havent met, and some of my nearest and dearest. I love that people comment on what I have written. Its always great to hear other peoples opinions and thoughts.

So I may well post alot over the next couple of days! Bear with me..... as always I have alot to say!!


lybxx

YOOOOO-HOOOOOOO

I'm back! And it feels great!!!!

I dont know where to start.

Moving was huge. Again I was blown away with my friends....why am i still surprised about how utterly fantastic they are? ESHJ packed like a diva. Frankly doing things that scared me in her logical slightly 'faffy' way of doing things. Smalls room, which is chock-a-block-full of 8 year old girl stuff was packed in double quick time. Laa-Laa lifted, moved,packed,unpacked,lifted and organised all day. R.J. arrived with a new cooker, which he put in, and had also, because I trust him completely, chosen me a chest of drawers and a dressing table which he had arranged to be delivered later in the week. L.V. arrived like a whirling dervish and in an hour did more than I had done in 5. My Mum, aka Nigel Mansell, frankly, did more than she should have done, and Hugh did everything else.

I was out of one house and in another in 3 hours.

This feels like home. I used to work in a house 2 doors away, so I know the area and thats oddly reasuring. I am surrounded my old people that are ever so slightly deaf, so music can be loud!
Mima and Poggle arrived on sunday, so we are all together again.

The best bit for me on moving day was this. ...now before I tell you, you have to understand how horrific moving house is for me. I went to boarding school, an experiance I am greatful to my parents for, but actually really hated, so packing and unpacking is a nightmere for me. Every other time I have moved house I have done the absolute minimum . Leaving packing and unpacking to others, and finding solice under the duvet, lieing there with my eyes shut in a small ball wanting it all to go away. This time I packed with gusto. And was reasonably helpfull!!
but the bestest bit......when everyone had gone...and I had stopped thanking who-ever it is you are meant to thank in these situations. I walked around MY house naked. I am not a big fan of being naked..... especially when others might see, but I walked about grinning my head off.

Then I layed in MY bed, in MY house. I cant explain how good it felt. I have been on the sofa since december. And I love my bed, its big, and comfortable, and its mine. And walking round the house naked has been a big no-no for a long time.
I rang Small, who was at her Dads, (bless him, he offered to help move me too!! as he knows all too well how I am about moving) and told her all about it, and described her room and she was a bit scared but was excited as well.
Then for the hundreds and thousands on the icing of my cake of lovelyness, Mr W arrived, we went out for something to eat, and he said something that made me cry..... not in a bad way, you understand, its just that I couldnt do grinning anymore and the only other thing left to me was crying! ...we were listening to my all time favorate piece of music and we were standing looking at the garden from the window and he was hugging me. He said 'Welcome to the next part of your life'.
I passed it off as just a small comment, and I dont think he even realised I was crying (I went to baording school...you learn!) but it felt soooooo good.


I'm ready. Bring it on! I cant wait for it. With all the bits that go with it.

Its good to be back


lybxx