Seems Minti has had an explosion of new members this weekend in America, how exciting!!  I am hoping to find time tomorrow to send out welcomes, maybe anyone who reads this might like to extend a message of friendship and welcome to these people as well.  For now, I am off to bed ... thank you my darling nephew ... seems I have fought too long to no effect, and I have no energy left to fight this cold. 

For those of you in the UK, I hope you are all having a wonderful Bank Holiday weekend and that tomorrow will be a great day of fun and quality family times. 

Emmie, Happy Birthday for today babe ... so sorry I couldn't come through after all that ... shall come through soon as though.

Peace
EF.x

OK, I have just managed to clear about a bilion minti mails  (actually only about 112) and there were a few nominating me for foto tag that happened earlier this year ... sadly I cannot retrieve the pic it would have been as this is a brand new computer and i only have a couple of pics on here so far, however, had I access to my acres of pictures and images in my other computer it would have been some random border that can be used to decorate the various things i used to make ... shall have to load the software on this pooter and continue with that again ... will be a good way to pass those lovely long summer evenings. 

Having said all that I have just peeked into my picture album and this is what I have come up with ... lol!  My darling nephews, playing nicely together on the decking out the back of their apartment.

Now I must get on with after school things ... take care y'all.

Peace
EF.x

When we got home from school today E turned around to me very seriously and informed me that it would not be a good idea to buy a flowery headband, or even to wear one.  Considering this statement was prefixed by our scintilating conversation about what we were going to eat this evening I was off balance and required an explanation. 

Well, the bees might mistake us for blossoms of course! 

Naturally, lol. 

Well, now I am heading off to bed.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, we intend to do nothing much at all.  Shall see how that works out.

Peace
EF.x

At last I got my new computer ... so I can again be on minti sometimes and other places too ... though having a computer that didnt work very well for so long has given me so much freedom ... I am torn.  I miss my friends and family who I keep in touch with online, but i have really enjoyed the other things I have been doing to keep my time occupied ... guess I shall see as time goes on. 

So far this year has been eventful for us in many ways ... our oven 'smoked out' as in one stage off from blowing up in January/February, so we have had to learn to be even more imaginative and economical with our meals and all the firemen were there in their big yellow protective suits.  Birthday cakes were bought (for the first time since E was born) oh how sad that was ... and we have been travelling around locally, nationally and internationally visiting friends and family.  Something that will continue through the year and at some point in the future we will definitely be moving home, so we are saving up for that as well and clearing debts (something that even in this economic crisis should be completed by the end of this year!!!). 

My job is fantastic and I don't see that changing.  Really liking being in my chosen field as well as the bonus of being paid for it and still being able to do the other things I enjoy, such as helping out at the school. 

Big shout out now to my LB sis-in-law, i love you mate.  Thanks for such a wonderful time together,  it was more precious than words allow, and to the rest of the family ... you are all wonderful.  Big hugs to each of you.

Well, I am tired and back to work again tomorrow,
Peace
EF.x

Hi guys, 

My pooter is being norty tonight so this is just a quickie to let you know that I survived my first day working.  It is the best job on the planet.  We played Rummicub (?sp) and I even won one of the games ... lol. 

I got there with a few mins to spare and managed to get back to collect E from school on time, so it is a good distance and shall priovide me with my much needed exercise without me having to feel guilty about having a lazy evening sometimes!!!

Lunch is provided, but I can bring my own if I wish to.  Each day is fairly similar in that people come and do whatever activities are planned and occasionally there are trips out to places, cinema, shopping etc.  Really looking forward to tomorrow and on Thursday apparently one of the other centres from a nearby town is coming to the theatre and will be using our place as a 'base' for the day.  This will be good to meet some of the other staff, some of whom none of the others have ever met either, but have known through various other communications.

I have had a lovely lazy evening (with pooter being norty haven't had much choice , but did turn it on again just to send this!!  As I know you are all checking in every couple of minutes to see it..... lol) 

OK ... anyhow.  Me off to sleeeeeep and dreeeeamm of sitting around drinking coffee and colouring in whlie being paid to do it!  Ah Thank you Lord for this blessing!  I used to work so much harder when I was volunteering 5 days a week.  hehehe.  Aint life funny.

Take care everyone, shall tour blogs tomorrow if pooter stops misbehaving.

Peace
EF.x

Today was a Teacher Training day for E's school, so with one extra day of the holidays we decided to take down the decorations.  Oh how bare the house now looks.  I left it as late in the afternoon as I dared (3ish) before we started to prolong the enjoyment of lights and general Christmassy mess around the house, getting underfoot and much as I dislike the mayhem I feel bare now without it all up cluttering the house more than usual.

This morning I was woken with screams of "It's snowing".  Well, the tense was wrong, but the concept was correct.  Overnight we had had a showering of powdery snow.  Mostly it is now all gone ... we got maybe a centimetre ... but E was happy, she didnt care about getting enough for a snowman (though that would have been a great bonus) her priority was getting me out the front door and throwing as many snowballs at me as she could from then until we walked back inside again.  The fact that her gloves were sodden within minutes and she eventually took them off and continued without (how???  sheer determination I guess) didnt deter her in the least.  I even got to pop three at her ... I couldnt bear to get the snow off the pavement in case it was dirty ... you know ... dogs are not that clean around here ... lol ... so I scraped off the top of some low front garden walls. 

All in all an action packed day, especially as the main purpose of our walk (from my point of view) was to buy a box of Quality Street Chocolate to get the cellophane wrappings (honest!!) for a princess ballroom that we were making this afternoon after the decorations came down.  My idea was to cut out the windows and put the colourful cellophane in place to be like windows.  We neded up cheating and only cutting out three of the 9 windows and using just one piece of the cellophane ... shame, the chocolates were gorgeous! 

Well, the ballroom is mostly finished now.  We finally found some narrow nibbed wax crayons so that the colours showed up and re-coloured the areas we had done in coloured pencil.  It looks pretty good, and if we have time before school tomorrow we will try finish it in time for E to take in and show to her class.

Also, fantastic news!  I can wear jeans to my new job ... so I have not had to go shopping.  I was meant to be given a grant to buy 'work clothes'.  Thankfully in the Charity shop where I used to volunteer quite a few nice tops came in while I worked there, so I have a nice selection that will see me through there.  I am so thankful, as I really didnt want to be dressed too posh and knew that my 'nice trousers' all require heels and that would be too dressy for the job.  Now just to get lunches done ready for tomorrow (including mine!!! yay!) and then early to bed I think. 

Have a great week my friends ... I shall try keep in touch ... my plan is that there is no reason I cant, but hey, I might find a new hobby.  Speaking of which my sign language course runs out soon and I still have two lessons to achieve ... hmmm

Peace
EF.x

I ....

met up with ...

nell18-3, pauline27 and the boys.  It was the first time I have met Pauline and it felt like I had always known her.  E and I really enjoyed seeing them and just 'being' with friends again.  It was fantastic to catch up with Helen and the boys, has been far too long since the last time.  naturally we are planning to 'do-it-again', but this time sooner rather than later.  lol

We had a relaxed time together, sadly I have no pictures, they are safely with Helen!!  hehehee.  I am sure once tomorrow is over and done with she will be online to share them though. 

In the meantime let me leave you with a pic of my E fake-ice-skating last Sunday (28th).  She decidedly dislikes fake ice and can't wait to try out the real stuff next time we manage to kidnap her Uncle and get to a decent rink!

She did really well on the ice when she wasnt holding onto the sides... I was incredibly impressed with her balance and gliding ability regardless of the fact that skating was practically an impossibility on this particular surface.  Maybe next year we will be in London long enough to try the rink there ... it looked such fun when we drove past last Monday....

We went to London to see the Christmas Lights along Oxford St and Regent St, trawl through Hamleys (naturally), and E wanted to see Buckingham Palace where the Queen lives. 

First off we went to see the Palace because it was too light to enjoy the Lights.  As we were coming through town we saw the ice-rink with loads of peole enjoying it and skating around looking beautiful and having heaps of Christmas fun!  After seeing the palace and posing for photos we drove into town and parked up for a wander around Hamleys and soak up some atmosphere.  It was the first time I have taken E there and she has been aware and known who was happening and the purpose - we missed last year and the year before she was a little too over-awed to appreciate it. 

Finally after a couple of hours, we headed back to the car and Dad who often works in and around London took us on a tour of some amazing lights he had found including Harrods outlined like one of the fairy castles in E's princess story books, and whole areas of side streets that were exquisite!  On the way home we travelled up through Marylebone and got to enjoy all the lights up there, some of which moved/flickered to make them look animated. 

It was kinda late by the time we got home that night so I was so thankful to my neighbour who had left milk in the fridge for us ... at least we had a bedtime drink and breakfast even if there was little else in the house!!!  Incredibly we have survived with what we had left on our shelves and a couple of quick trips to the store for perishables, but tomorrow am gonna have to brave a bigger shop for school lunchbox supplies and a little more variety to the kitchen shelves.  Oh and of course my own work-lunchbox!  Yay!  hehe

Well, I am gonna sign off now and have some dinner, we are having a late meal since we forgot the time!  Comes from having a wonderfully lazy day, lol.

Pace
EF.x

I have been given some oil paints by a friend who no longer uses them and wanted to use them with E today - we had planned this a while ago, so we were kinda excited about it!  lol

Anyhoo, we went to start painting today and I cannot get the tubes to open!  We are sad now, though we did paint the picture we drew with ordinary childrens paints - they are just not so vibrant, or for that matter exciting.  I would like to complete the painting properly with the oils - so if anyone could  let me know how to get them open we would really appreciate it!

TIA
Peace
EF.x

I figured this year I would try make a resolution that I could keep.  So along with the new job I am gonna aim to be a better 'all-round' parent.  Giving E the quality time she deserves instead of being so selfish and self-absorbed. 

Well, even if I mess this one up at least it will be one I can make over each new day/week/month as we go along and adjust to suit our needs and maximise the benefits of the time we spend together.  For Christmas we got a recipe program that has some real easy and nice stuff on it ... so far we have cooked together twice using this thing, so shall continue with that, most likely on Friday evenings to keep it consistent.  Shall continue with the movie night  on Sundays and random 'fun stuff' on Saturdays.  Other then that it is gonna be about regular bedtime stories, homework time and maintaining the routine instead of consistently breaking it so expertly!!

I wish you each all the best in the year to come and with whatever resolutions you choose to make and possibly even keep.

Peace
EF.x

Today it was the school production for KeyStage1&2.  What a lot of lines they all had, it was a wonderful performance and my very own elf (she had not indulged me to let me know what she was going to be) was amazing, she joined in, smiled heaps and sung all the songs very well.  I had signed in some medicine for her to have to help give her a boost, and that worked wonders.  She made it throught he whole day despite the soaring temperatures that she experienced yesterday.  What a wonderful answer to prayer. 

Mum and Dad even were able to get in (even though we only had two tickets!! - ssshh!!)  So it was a delightful time and E gave us all big smiles each as and when she caught our eyes, but behaved well and was always on the beat for each action she had to take.  (Can you tell how bursting with pride I am?)  lol.

Tomorrow I am helping escort the children to see 'Cinderella' in Panto which is something I am really looking forward to since it has been years since I have been to a Pantomime.  Not sure who the 'famous faces' are in the cast, but apparently it is very good. 

As for me, today was my last day helping at the Charity Shop.  The manager was rude and behaved terribly when I told her I had a job.  I would have thought she would be pleased for me, but ah well, takes all sorts.  She expected me to have told her sooner, exactly how I could have done that I am not sure since I only found out last Friday and today was the first time I had managed to get down there to find her phone number, and then she arrived at the shop before I could even call her!!!  Never mind, I have made some good friends there and we will continue to meet up for a coffee or lunch every now and then.

Well, this is all from me for now ... thank you to everyone who has sent congratulations through gifts, lounge notes and messages on my previous blog.  I feel like I am in a fairy tale sometimes after all the sadness of 2007, and the healing and taking it easy this year as we have adapted to the way things have changed, and now 2009 looks set to be the 'next step' into happily ever after. 

At least good things happen to temper the sad times.  Proves that it is always worth holding onto HOPE!

Peace
EF.x