There ain't nobody here but us chickens

OK so its me, two chickens and a dog but that is it for the night. Phil has taken Matt and his friend Braden to Swansea today. It turned out to be
1: expensive
2: impossible to get through London on public transport today (and I am really not exaggerating)
3: a chance to see his babies overnight. Aaahhh.

Bill and Ted have managed to leave a book, some clothes and a phone recharger behind. Doh.
Why do I call them Bill and Ted?
Can there be any other name when they look like this.
No I think not.
They are planning to have a 'most excellent' adventure round Europe...








I have scrapped another 3 whole pages!
Here they are
This one is about how Emrys is a bit contrary!
Using Christina Cole papers
and some painted chipboard accents from the SA kit









This is using elements from the SEI bebop kit that I won at Birmingham. It's very hard to use the papers as I love them so much! The 10 is sizzix lollipop utee'd with some of the kingfisher utee you can get at Joanna Sheen. Actually I think it is just utee mixed with extra fine glitter so I might give it a try...

And finally the first ever photo I took with my (cough sorry our) new digital camera. Apart from the cream cardstock that I printed on its all from the July SA kit and is inspired by Elise challenge number 1.






I'm off for something to eat now and then I might begin the two arty challenges I have set myself before i go to Swansea on Friday - as they are presents.
Or I might just veg in front of the tv and eat ice cream...
It's a hard life.

in laws leave 3, invisible friend arrives 1

and I am a slave to shoe fashion

3 members of the Canada family left yesterday and guess will be home soon. Matt went with them to the airport to collect his friend (ooh did we forget to tell you he was coming a day earlier?). Braden has been here almost 24 hours and I haven't met him yet! I did hear him fall out of bed though... Oh to be 19 and free in a foreign country (your spag bol is still in the oven from last night lads. Guess it was a liquid tea)
Ooh quick update - just met Braden. Big white teeth. Clean.

Phil and I went to London to listen to some bands. Oooh hark at us. I've lived on the outskirts of London for 7 years now and managed a year in Kilburn before that and this is a first!
"My friend Gary P is playing in the Hope and Anchor in Islington, wanna go?"
Not really but couldn't think of a reason why not so we went.

So what do you wear? I've got a nice new skirt from Primark which is turquoise blue with red embroidery. Oh I can show it because I took a picture with a mad plan of turning it into background paper
Yes sort of wrinkled, unironed looking background paper...
Anyhoo decided to wear my patent shiny red loafers. Looked so good.
Tube was hot.
Feet swelled up.
Hope and Anchor seemed miles from Tube Station.
Now have nice red cuts and blisters over feet to match the red on the skirt.
Phil doesn't understand why I can't just wear comfy shoes.
Neither do I to be honest.

we saw two bands in the end.
The first was called kovak. Really enjoyed them. The stage was about as teeny as a stage can be. The lead guy was so tall i thought he was going to hit the roof. Best part of the sound was the keyboard and electronics stuff (pre synth type stuff).
Then came Gary's band. Who apart from the drummer were all blond. Which is unusual for blokes in their 20's and 30's. They were good but slightly put off by the lead guy forgetting his capo. Howl Griff they are called. Griff is Welsh so Phil said I had to like them. Yes I did. But I preferred Kovak. Howl Griff has a good thumping rhythym sound and gary has a good line in ironic facial expressions. Part of their act was marred by the tall guy standing in front of me, snuggling up with his equally tall boyfriend so that their arms blocked what little view there had been before. Gigs should be like photographs, small ones at the front, tall ones at the back or if you must be at the front hands by your sides.

I had this wild dream that we would be home by 10 and I could do some crafty stuff. I had forgotten that
a: bands do not come on at the time they say they will
b: public transport sucks late at night
c: Upminster is right at the end of the District Line
so we got in at 11:40...

Kids gone 3, in laws arrive 4

But just overnight before 3 of them fly back to Canada to be replaced by one 18 year old friend who is going travelling with Matthew. They are starting off in Swansea but the tickets are now so expensive that Phil is going to drive them Sunday afternoon and stay the night at my parents in order to see our babies. Isn't that sweet!

Here is my third scrap page. I'm getting into this now and 8x8 is a nice size. i got this paper in my SA kit and wondered what the heck to do. But then I saw this pic and thought aha! The monogram letters are from the kit, the "ittle onkeys" is an Elsie free font and the photo corners are an Elsie font from 2peas which cost about £1 and has oodles of corners for the lazy like me!

My babies have gone

far, far away.
They have left us for three weeks being transferred from my parents to Phil's mum half way through. It happens every summer as it is hard for us to work and care for them - without them spending all day watching tv and playing on the computer! It may be the last year it happens, at least for Hywel as he is nearly 14 now. But I think all of those involved would miss it in many ways. I think it's important for children to have time alone with their grandparents. Its a very special time and a special bond.
But I don't have to like them being away.

So of course I made the most of their time here by having a huge row with Carys this morning. She is getting more and more like me.... Apparently all her shorts were "too loose". I tried telling her that she has been wearing them for 2 years now but her mind was made up. What was sweet was seeing her brothers try to cheer her up into a good mood. Aw.

I was also put out becasue we spend a LOT of money on CD books (mostly ones the have read) and then can never find a full set of them. Just put them back when you have finished with them - it's not difficult
there, rant over, you can relax now.

Talking about a lot of money, we went to Frankie and Benny's to eat last night. Four adults and three children. Only the three chidlren felt they could eat adult portions. Which they did. Gulp. I don't think we'll be eating out quite so much now....

Oh and I've done another scrapbook page. I was looking through Carys' schoolwork and was inpsired to use some of her handwriting practice as background paper and her hand they she had drawn round and decorated in art. Then I wrote out some notes she has made for her new teacher. No photo but I don't think it needs it.

I'm melting, I'm melting

said in my best wicked witch of the whichever voice...
Actually this evening i've been to the cinema and it had AIR CONDITIONING. Wonderful.
went to see Stormbreaker - the film based on the first Alex Rider novel by Anthony Horowitz. it was really good fun. The cinema had us and one other family in until the film had just started when a gaggle of girls sat in the row behind us. (as there was nowhere else you could sit obviously) and for the first half of the film swooned every time the boy playing Alex Rider came on. He is quite a handsome young man. And I am definately old enough to be his mother...

Lisa's blog had a challenge and I'm never one to pass up a challenge so
If you could choose your own name what would it be and why?
How fiendish is that?
Hhhhmmmm. Now as a person with a strange name I have often thought about having a different one. When I was younger I wanted to be called 'Melanie' apparently. I think i would still like a Welsh name. I love the name Angharad and would have chosen it as a girls name but it does not go with Nevard. I used to love Llinos too but you have to be able to say the 'll' sound which involves sticking the tip of your tongue just behind your top teethand then blowing air down the side of your mouth so the saliva bubbles.
Go on give it a try.
"ll"
now "Llandaff".
Good.
And if you are really getting the hang of it you can try Llanelli and Llangollen.

This is all a bit like mime on the radio really

Anyhoo I also like "Siriol" (sunshine) again vetoed for any daughter of ours as it sounds like 'cereal' to Phil and the harder sounding version of Carys - Cariad - which is kind of like darling, or beloved, but doesn't go with the surname.

I like names with 3 syllables (although we are a strictly 2 syllable first name family) so maybe I'll just go for Tallullah becuase I always wanted to be the one in Bugsy Malone - sort of mysterious and popular with the boys.

Did any mothers actually call their children names that they wanted when they were little?

Other excitements today - made my first ever scrapbook page. Phil was shouting at a fox in the garden at 5:45 (coudln't get to the chickens but we have a laser beam with a noise that is supposed to put them off. DIDn't). Anyway for some strange reason I couldn't get back to sleep so decided to take the bull by the horns and make a page.
And I've got ideas for a few more...


And Phil went out and bought me a new office chair. Been on my too do list for too long. What a sweetie...

Woman of mystery no more

So what was I up to on these weeks of busy work?
4 days of general Assembly (URC WHAT are you doing with these new ideas. Trying not to be too Frazerish and shouting "we're doooooooomed" but that's kind of how I feel...)
3 Days with work stuff morning, afternoon and evening
Speaking at the Havering Strategic Partnership conference on the value of the Compact for Havering
3 days of Church Weekend fun, fun events and youth group.

its an interesting job at times, as I was thinking as I led everyone in 'oops upside your head' at the family party at Church on Sunday night...

Its not often that I have to work so hard for so long - it was good to do but I'm glad it has stopped! we are now heading into the summer lull when I am supposed to catch up with all the stuff I haven't had time for this year!

But I'd rather be doing another blog challenge...
Gone on a blind date -NO
Skipped school - Used to leave early when in the sixth form with no lessons.
Seen someone die -No, but I have seen dead people. Not in a "I can see dead people" way but either just after death or in a coffin. Its a perk of the job. Never quite get used to it though.
Snuck out of your parent's house -No - I was too scared of being caught.
Been in love- Yes
Been dumped - Yes - I was more the dumpee than dumper.
Been laid off/fired - Nope
Quit your job Yes - but always cos i was moving on
Been in a fist fight?- Have you seen me? I am a shrimp of the highest order.
Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back - But of course. many times. I was that ugly teenage girl.
Been arrested -No
Been to Canada -Yes
Been to Mexico -Not yet!
Been on the opposite side of the world - No
Been to Paris - Yes
Cried yourself to sleep -Yes
Played cops and robbers -Yes but I preferred docotrs and nurses...
Recently coloured with crayons - no but with paint and felt pens yes
Sang karaoke -Yes
Paid for a meal with only coins - Yes
Done something you told yourself you wouldn't -Yes
Made prank phone calls -No
Caught a snowflake on your tongue -Yes
Danced like nobody was watching - Yes
Been kissed under the mistletoe -Yes
Watched the sun rise with someone you care about -Yes. well kind of. Once at Uni a group o us stayed up all night to watch the sun rise over the Ashton memorial. it was misty....
Blown bubbles - yes
Crashed a party -Yes
Gone roller-skating-Yes but pants at it
Ice-skating -Yes, slightly less pants at it
Crashed a car -Yes
Swam in the ocean -Yes
Felt like dying -Yes - when I gave blood that one time... oh that was felt like I was dying. Answers still yes though.
Made a bonfire on the beach - No
Drank so much you threw up - Oh yes, far too often. I have such a low alcohol tolerance... My story of biggest shame concerns one such a night.
Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose -No
Knitted ? -Yes
Skinny dipped ? -Not since it stopped being cute and just got plain scary.

I'm back in the land of the living (almost)

will catch you up with my weeks of work (not really used to doing it) later but for now will wean my way back in with Kelly's "four" quiz.

A ) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. opening post at woolworth's accounts offices in Rochdale
2. being the lowest of the low in Employment Services, Oxford
3. teaching English as a foreign language on a one ot one basis
4. Minister

and that's it. I've only ever had four jobs...

B ) Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. Blues Brothers
2. Sond of Music
3 Rocky Horror
4 Gregory's Girl

C ) Four places you have lived:
1. Port Talbot
2. Clapham
3. Hartlepool
4. Lancaster

D ) Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. CSI (Vegas)
2. Neighbours while I eat my lunch
3. Lost
4. Holby City

E ) Places I have been on holiday:
1. Canada
2. Majorca
3. Prague
4. France

F ) Four websites you visit daily:
1. Carolyn's
2. Self addressed
3. Two Peas
4. Jigzone


G ) Four of my favourite foods:
1. Pasta and sauce
2. Gravy and mint sauce
3. Noodles and peppers
4. Vegetarian thali

H ) Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Bed
2. Bath (as in the bath not the place. Although that's not bad either)
3. At my crafting table
4. Outside our tent, somewhere in France, eating crossants, pain au chocolat and fresh baguettes

OK - Next!

Normal service will be resumed shortly

Puff pant. Puff pant.
Just running to keep up with myself.
I've been away at the Church General Assembly in Exeter Friday to Monday then I'm working almost non stop until next Monday so can't spare the time to ramble.
I promise that you will have some exciting words to read (not) next week.

Tra la la!

We will get to those songs in a while...
I really enjoyed the Imperial War Museum to my surprise. We didn't do it all as Phil and I had to be back to pick up Carys from school plus I had seen enough guns... and was hampered by having left my normal glasses in the car - and lots of exhibits are dark... but it was still good - especially the children during WW2 exhibition.
All the stuff about evacuees just made me cry. I know how unbearable it is not to see the kids for 3 weeks in the summer - and we tlak on the phone most days. It wasn't like that then. There was a haunting photo of 3 women seeing their children leave. They are behind metal trellis shutters and all look bereft but completely dry eyed...
I took some pics of the posters dotted around that make me laugh.
And the Mickey Mouse gas mask that my mother talks about - which looks nothing like Mickey Mouse to me...

I also loved the art that was taking place - making these poppies to go round the base of a V2 bomb.

Yesterday was Carys' sports day so I went to the second half (it goes on ALL DAY). She wasn't competing in the races but i did manage to get a good action shot of her friend Ellie during the obstacle race. There is a sports function on the camera but i haven't learnt how to use it yet...

So the songs...
this is soooo hard becasue the list could be very, very long. So just a few off the top of my head. quite a few are to do with feelings of unrequited love as a teenager (spotty, tiny, flat chested (late developer, never give up hope girls!), nerdy).

Never let her slip away - Andrew Gold
I'm not in love - 10CC
Dancing Queen - Abba - which I want at my cremation as the curtains close!
Hard for me to say I'm sorry - Air Supply
Blockbuster - Sweet (my first crush. On all of them but particularly Brian the blond one. I was 6)
Nights in white satin - Moody Blues
Nothing compares 2 U - Sinead o Conner
1999 - Prince
I only have eyes for you - Art Garfunkel
Smells like teen spirit - Nirvana
Freak - Radio head ( I think)
Ever fallen in love - Buzzcocks
My baby just cares for me - Nina Simone
the whole Blues Brothers soundtrack
Echo Beach - Martha and the Muffins
Up all night - talking heads
I'm a beleiver - the Monkees
Never had a dream come true - S Club 7 !!!!! When Carys' was younger we used to sing this to each other and when she went away for aformentioned 3 weeks so PHil and I could work I would play it and sob!

Oooh I've gone all gooey now. There are stories with many of these songs and if I were a scrapbooker they would make some great pages!!

Sleepover success

Well I was rather dreading the sleepover/arrival of tired out relatives from Canada mix on Friday but it went beautifully. The girls were good as gold and Hywel enjoyed being the MC. Carys' friend Rachel had stitches on her face and was not allowed to do any trampolining, so instead they devised some safe games on the trampoline which involved one person gently bouncing and everyone else meditating. then there was 'bounce murder', like wink murder only including bouncing....
They also decorated gingerbread men, played on the dance mats and Jungle Bongos, watched a movie and had face masks and their feet done, ending up with a new Little Miss story in bed. (Carys and Emrys still find these highly amusing. So do I. Our favourite is Little Miss Star. She gets on a plane and the air hostess says "Where are you going" And she says "I am going....to be famous" Sooooo funny:) )
Carys and I had our birthday cake which looked suspiciously like a hand made card on the top! (Although it does mean you can tell I wore my new shirt two days in a row. It is in the washing pile now honest)


Anyway the girls were ikkle angels. It all went quiet at 12:30 (although they insist they were up half the night) and didn't stir too early in the morning
I would say "look how they messed up the sitting room" but to be honest it doesn't look that different to normal...

And here are the Canadians. I'll pop Phil next to his sister so you can see how alike they are...
Then there is Derek the Dad the only one with an English accent now...
Ian (19) and Matthew (18)

Saturday was spent vegging/taking dog for walk/Church BBQ (they have a chef as part of Phil's church. He did BBQ bananas with fudge sauce. MMMMMMmmmmm)/watching the footie (sob for the English!) and then the Bowens and Phil went to meet his brother Martin and sister in law Louise in London as they are down for a Science Fiction Convention (Louise met Hurley from Lost. Cool!). Yesterday was spent at Church/ in the little pool in the garden (kind of a grown ups paddling pool) /vegging.
We are about to go to the Imperial War Museum which I haven't visited since I was about 10....

And note to Kathy - I am compiling that list of songs in my head!

Its our birthday and I'll smile if I want to

Yes! It's my birfday today. 41 (gulpo!) Here I am today wearing my new Birthday Shirt (as opposed to Suit. Trust me. Nightmare stuff) Got the curly hair vibe going.Sometimes when I dry it naturally it goes curly, sometimes its straight. Odd.
Any way I had a gorgeous birthday with other pressies including a new printer for photos and cards, a subscription to cloth/paper/scissors (thanks to 2 lovely friends at Church), Heat mag, a choccy orange (all mine) and some more t-shirts.

I get to celebrate with my best present.
Here she is at just a few minutes old. She is ten now! And although I only look about 20 in this photo those of you who are good at maths will have realised that Carys was born on my 31st birthday...

I pulled some more photos out of her book while I had the scanner on. Here she is a few weeks old with her brothers. I think they wanted a Pokemon instead...
Yes I had 3 children in a short space of time (Hywel the oldest was 3 and 10 months when Carys was born). Yes I am mad. I look at women with kids like that now and wonder how they manage....
Here she is at just over 1. Most of the pics at this stage are of her smiling and absolutely filthy!
Love this one with Hywel patiently lying while Carys sleeps on him
Here she is at two in Hereford park.
And I can't show anymore because it is at this stage that my ability to put pictures into albums gave up on me and they are still in a big shoe box. Now i have my new birthday printer I have no excuse for not scrapping them!!!!!

My dogs are barking

Ow! Ow! Ow!
I'm getting no sympathy from Phil who says that you should only wear shoes that you can walk in because that is what they are for...
Anyway I went to London yesterday with my MBF (Ministerial Best Friend) Anne, to meet up with Father Keith and Metrosexual Cecil, two lovely URC Ministers from Cambridge and Ipswich who happen to be members of London clubs and promised us unsophisticated left wing types a glimpse of how the others live...
They reminded us to dress proper (!) and thought we should not eat in the club dining room in case we were too loud (!). Anyway we did and we weren't.
I bought a new dress for the occasion. It is a jersey type wrap dress which is very flattering but looked better with heels so I thought "well I won't have to walk too far" so decided to go for it. I usually wear flat shoes all the time and having small feet it means that heels are higher that on larger feet (that is my excuse and I'm sticking to it). So I set off looking all smart and gorgeous (as much as I ever can anyway).
Anne and I arrived a little early at the National Liberal Club so sat in the park on the Embankment and chatted a while. We then rather blotted our copybooks by attempting to enter through the servants door.
Anyway we had an amazing time - wonderful company, talking about faith, worship, URC gossip and being very rude: fantastic food and an awesome building. I have now seen the actual Gladstone bag!

Then we walked to Whippels (next to Westminster Abbey) so that Keith could buy a canterbury cap then walked round Clarence House to Green Park and the Royal Overseas League for cream tea on the terrace. I then hobbled home. I have about 6 blisters and aching feet. But also a wide grin from all the fun. Cecil and Keith treated Anne and me so we have to think what to do in return. Its a too up between Walthamstow Dogs or Romford Dogs at the moment, plus a slap up meal of pie and mash (where jellied eels are de rigeur bleurgh!)

Right I'll have loads more to say later today so I'll leave it there!

Lazing on a sunny afternoon

well I'm recovering from the Church BBQ and getting ready to tidy the conservatory and run two youth groups (only Phil the star has already done the hard work for this. Yippee!)

Thanks to those who did my challenge - it wasn't meant to be painful! I know people often have sad memories but I had hoped that earliest memories would be safer....

I went out with Miss Carys last night to watch Barking MAD (an amateur stage show group) doing Calamity Jane. It was pretty good. I spend a lot of time thinking "I could do that" because if my life had taken a different turn I'm sure I would be in one of these groups but can't fit it in! I have a real soft spot for the musical. I watched it first at University (yup sheltered childhood) with my good friend Shaggy. when Doris Day said "Pint of sasparilli barman" and banged her fist on the bar I laughed and laughed. If I'm at someones house for drinkies its what I say now. People look at me funny. Don't know why...

Incidentally Shaggy is not his real name. Its just he looked like Shaggy from Scooby Doo. He is now called Nick and is a Clown who does environmental shows in schools in the South East alongside his adorable wife Booj and their baby Bella. How cool is that!

Carys wore her new crocs... yes we are now a 3 croc family and I think Phil might get some too.
I took the opportunity to try out some crazy angle poses too. Me likey
Now from all the pics i take you would be forgiven for thinking I only had 1 child. Number 1 son doesn't mind posing but would rather play computer games. This one is 'soft focus' (eg slightly out of) but I like it as he is beginning to look older...
Emrys hates having his piccie taken. He approves of these two shots however

Questions, questions

well no-one has taken up my challenge yet. Sulk.
But being the loving, caring sort, I will do KathyB's

1 What was your first pet and what was it's name? Fluffy the Goldfish. I wanted a cat.
2 which WtP character are you? Pooh, Piglet? Eyeore? Or one of the others?Roo
3 Aston Martin or Ferrari? Morris Minor
4 Favourite crisps (potato chips) flavour? Worcester Sauce
5 Money no object sailing trip - where would you go? Oooh possibly the carribean or the one I've done - Greek islands
6 Tea? coffee? or juice? Proper Northern tea.
7 What's your favourite season? The end of the football one. Summer, no autumn, no spring. or is that winder. ove something about each of them.
8 Have you ever seen an eclipse? Yes when i was 6 or 7 in London
9.Would you rather hold a snake or a spider? A hamster and only if I really had to.
10.Which do you play? And which is your favourite? Chess, Monopoly, Backgammon, Scrabble. Please NEVER EVER ask me to play Monopoly - I hate it (have a father and a son who love it though...) Can't play Chess or Backgammon so that leaves Scrabble but I'd rather do Connect 4 because I am good at it. ooh and Cluedo. love Cleudo. So my answer is Cleudo.
11. Do you do Sudoku? That is a rather personal question.
12. 3 favourite flowers? Tulip, poppy and plain.
13. What's you favourite in a box of chocs? Ones with lemon in.
14. How many handbags? none, 1-5, 5-10, 10-15 or more than that? 1-5
15. How many different countries have you visited? 11 - 13 if you count standing on a runway or waiting in an airport for 40 minutes

Tell me about your childhood...

Thought I would issue a blog challenge!
What are your earliest memories?

my earliest is of being pushed along in a stroller by my Grandad (Pop) and pointing at the street lights going on. I have a feeling I said this in Welsh which puts me at under 2 as we moved when I was that age and I was bilingual before we went to London (and I could talk quite a lot it wasn't just 'ga ga' which i do believe is the same on both languages...)

Spookily my mum's first memory is being pushed along the same road by her father but definately a different part of the road and a different pram. Pop was quite an austere father I think, but a very loving Grandfather. He decided that Pop would be a good name because it just might be my first word. And it was... Until we moved he spent a lot of time with me - and that went on until he died when I was 12. We loved each other very much and when I think about him I still miss him - 28 years later...

Anyhoo another early memory is of wearing an Easter outfit with a very scratchy hat and big scratchy knickers. It is a pink costume and I have photos of me wearing it. I was 1 3/4 at the time. All I remember is the sensation of scratchiness and possibly the excitement of new clothes. I was a chubby little thing and basically looked like a marshmallow. WOuld show you but all my photos are at my mum and dad's.

So lets hear your early memories...

We now have a medium sized paddling pool in the garden. Hywel and Carys spent most of the weekend in it. Here are Carys' feet looking cool



Today I spent a fabby time with the wonderful Susan and Anita. we did some chatting and some crafting. I discovered something TERRIBLE. I have put my photo stamps in Cd cases and the little notches in the jewel cases have made indentations in the stamps. Sue, being resourceful created a shim for them but it is a major disaster. so just beware if you buy photo stamps.

This evening was movie night and we watched

which was really great. I am a heretic in that nature programmes bore me rigid. I was forced to watch the whole Big Planet series and I would end the night really bad tempered because I didn't want to watch.
I know, I know.
But this one I enjoyed! The kids did wonder why the penguins didn't just have cars to drive them the perilous route back and fore between feeding and mating grounds....

My first tag!

In honour of this momentous occasion - a tag from NZJane I am blogging for the second time in about 12 hours!
20 things about me! And I will try and make them ones you don't already know.

1. My full name is Lythan Elisabeth Laughing-Eyes Nevard. Laughing-Eyes was giving to me by an American Indian when I was 6. It was her name and I took the giving of it very seriously. It's not on my passport though.
2. I look exactly like both my parents only they don't look alike. Scary.
3. It is my birthday soon. I get a bit over excited waiting for it to happen and then end up being grumpy on the day. My dad is exactly the same.
4. I am left handed. No-one in my parents family is. My mum says its a birth defect cos I was breech (she's almost forgiven me for the trauma 40 odd years later...)
5. I am married to the most patient, loving, wonderful man called Phil. He has put up with my for over 18 years which have flown by and I love him more now that I ever did before. And I haven't only written that because he reads my blog... BUT I met his brother a year or so earlier. Didn' realise they were realted until I was putting Phil's phone number in my address book and realised his was the same as Animal's (not his real name)
6. I am still a little bit scared of dogs even though I have owned one for 13 years.
7. I am a little bit scared of cows when there are more of them that me in a field.
8. I love lime pickle and would put it on all my food but Phil gets upset at his 'delicately flavoured' dishes being ruined by a smack of lime pickle
9. I would love to be a bridesmaid again.
10. If I could do any job in the world I would be a backing singer. Although it would be hard to give up being a Minister as well...
11. I find it hard to eat without reading at the same time.
12. I have the radio on all night in case I wake up so I don't start thinking... 5 live is best for this because they drone on without music which wakes me up...
13. One day I thought I would buy a few cards to put some canvas crosses on. I blinked and then found I had about £500 worth of card making stuff. Oh Phil that was a typo I meant £50.
14. I have more card making stuff than I can ever use but that doesn't stop me buying more. Sigh.
15. If I didn't pluck away (or shave when I get desperate/lazy) I would only have one eyebrow. I'm too tight to pay for electrolysis but the thought of being scary Auntie Lythan with the one monobrow and moustache is the stuff of nightmares.
16. I am an extremely sarcastic and bitchy person who has to work hard as a Christian not to let these traits get the better of me. Miss those days though...
17. I have a very filthy mind. If you see me smirk you know I have twisted what you said into a double entendre worthy of a carry on film.
18. My parents are both 5' 7 so I fully expected to be that height. At almost 41 I am beginning to realise that it won't happen and I am stuck at 5'2 and A HALF.
19. I have a broken knuckle on my right ring finger which won't bend into a fist any more. So I've had to give up the boxing. I can still play the piano and harp and it is an excelltn excuse for when I stuff up.
20. My family make me laugh every day. I thank God that we all share the same sense of humour and can inflict it on the rest of the world.

How old do you think I am in this pic?

16... The other person is Sue from Swansea who also looks a tad more glamorous now!

Here is the most recent but not flattering pic of me (note to self, pull in tum and hitch up top when daughter is taking photo)

Ho hum

Life is pootling along. Actually it is quite hard at the mo but not stuff I can share on here just yet.
Oooh I love the air of mystery :)
So i think we will have some good stuff/bad stuff

Good stuff:

• the boys are doing scarily well in their exams (if they get under 70% I think there is a problem - and that s in maths and everything)
• Carys got 18 out of 20 in her spellings. Her average used to be about 3 so she has made huuuuge improvements
• My Dad got his Fathers Day cards and pressie in time before the holiday and he loved them all! i sent him the boy in the bath one and the person who wanted one chose the golf one which she is really pleased with.
• I posted my flower/sentiment orange card on the Self Addressed Gallery and Michell from Purple Onion hadn't realised that her own mini sentiment stamps fit the hole in the card so well. How chuffed am I!
• Finished Tell No-one and it was good to the end. Made some more flower cards and a congrats for my Goddaughter who did really well in her singing and dancing exams (my influence obviously)

Bad stuff:

• Looks like my church keys were stolen from the door today. An internal door which should be safe. While I was in the room. Someone asked to sit in the church and pray. And wandered about a bit. We suspect that the young man of whom we asked if he had the keys several times, might have dropped them outside and come back. Looks like a job for the metal detector. Life is fun.
• The thing that cannot be named that is hanging over me.
• After school on Monday a friend got into an altercation with someone about dog droppings near the school. I panicked and moved away and now feel hugely guilty about not sticking up for her. I don't often go to school now so haven't been able to apologise (I've only got an old mobile number and she's ex directory). Why am I such a wimp! (Actually it may not have been wise to get involved but i could have checked she was ok)

But life is mostly good and I have many blessings to be thankful for.Here are some I prepared earlier...

I am soppy

and proud of it!
Course i am crying tears of frustration at the moment as my finely honed and amusing blog post about today has disappeared in a bizarre blogger mystery.
I'll try again

I have been sobbing my way through a nights tv while cross stitching (3 years in and about 2 to go I reckon...)
The Estate Choir - about starting a classical choir on the Blackbird Leys estate in Oxford which will sing at the Albert Hall
Sob!
An episode of the West Wing series 4. Some of this I just don't understand, some is very funny, some intelligent and even though i know it is designed to be schmaltzy there is still the odd
Sob!
that escapes.
And then happy reunions on Lost.
Sob!
(though I would also like to know what soap powder they use because Michael's orange shirt was immaculate after days in the jungle...)

Had a FANTASTIC service at my church in Harold Hill today. The tiny congregation has grown from about 10-15 people to anywhere from 15 to 30 each Sunday. This is thanks to 3 new families who have come. we have gone from knowing everyone's names to having names we can't pronounce so we did a name learning session today and Esther one of the new people was interviewed by me about her life and faith. Then we shared communion together. Communion is where we remember Jesus sharing a last meal with his friends and sharing his life with us by dying on the cross. Through bread, wine and prayer together we are in communion with god and with each other. It really felt like that today. praise God!

Then an afternoon in the sauna/conservatory card making. I was listening to 'Tell no-one' by harlan Coben on CD. It is a great one to listen to and I can't wait for more!
Managed to make some cards for the Crafts by Carolyn sketch challenge Fontwerks stamps and twinkling H2O's
SA June paper, Purple Onion alpha stampsMy first SA kit card with PO ribbon phrase stamp in the 'slit' and the fontwerks stamps you may soon tire of seeing...
Carys then got in on the act with a card for Tadcu for Father's Day
. American Crafts paper (we went through my whole Crate Paper collection and none had the right green which was funny as they are all green. Oooh no, one did but it did not meet with Princess Carys' approval); QVC box letter stickers (love having so many alpha stickers!) I knew it needed something else and suggested brads. Carys chose and placed then and think they look fabby. She inked round the edge of the patterned paper - and a bit over it as well (ah just like her mum!)

She also became a sixer in brownies today as she will go up to Guides in September. She carried the flag in Church parade. I made her wash her hair to mark the occassion so it looked lovely and curly. So we had to have a photo session!
NB I would photograph the boys as much but they don't like modelling really...

Ahoy there maties!

My pirate name is:

Red Morgan Bonney

Passion is a big part of your life, which makes sense for a pirate. You can be a little bit unpredictable, but a pirate's life is far from full of certainties, so that fits in pretty well. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.

Well this is about as much fun as you can have in a quiz! Give it a try

Apart from my guess which card is chosen. it has been chosen but no guesses yet.
Come on blog readers!

Father's day

is coming up.
I can never think of what to buy my Dad - he has everything he needs really so i will have to rack my brains. I'll have a bit longer because he is off to Canada on Thursday so won't ge this pressie until July! (What do you mean I could have given it to him early?!!!!)
HOLD THAT THOUGHT
I have just been on Amazon and ordered him some books to arrive on Tuesday so he can decide which, if any, to take with him. see I am a thoughtful daughter after all!
(Watch my mother laugh heartily at that one)

Someone asked me to do a father's Day card for her - ulp!
I've made 5 to choose from and one can also go to Dad. Which would you choose?

ties with lovely Pepper Tharp stickers that I can't find anywhere now!

Golfing rubons, Self Addressed kit (Dec) paper


new stamp! SA Kit as above, ribbons have shrunk :(


Crate paper mm-mm (shame you can't touch it cos its lovely to stroke!), tin embellies from somewhere in a sale. Yes the paper is 'slightly squiffy'. I'm starting a new fashion


Pepper Tharp sticker on acetate over Paris Map paper which was from an old SA kit I bought in their shop. Hadn't worked out how to use it and so pleased I did. And FOUR brads. (Trouble is that detail only makes a card precious to acard maker not the recipient)

Oooh last night someone said their husband hadn't believed I'd made their anniversary card as it was too professional. What a compliment!