Posy

Just a quickie

There is no photo accompanying this post on the grounds of decency.  Yup, I had a couple of incidents today at school that caused a bit of a kerfuffle.  At sometime during the morning I had to leave class and use the toilet.  I then realised that I needed to make a quick phone call and was standing in the staff room, phone in hand when I heard my name being shouted rather urgently, "Jane!"  I looked up and saw a colleague frantically gesturing to my behind..yeah you guessed it..I had my skirt tucked into my knickers and tights! I quickly adjusted myself and thought what a lucky escape the children in my class had- not to mention giving anyone on the way back to the class room an eyeful!

It was later in the afternoon when I visited the toilet again.  As I washed my hands I ran through in my head how I could word the whole funny incident for the blog and made sure I had adjusted my skirt. As I quickly left to go back to class the most enormous screech of laughter filled the staffroom and a voice boomed out, "AHHHH, STOP! JANE STOP! JANE!" People came running to see what had happened and fell about laughing. I looked on confused and then saw a looong trail of toilet paper snaking behind me!  I had somehow tucked the end of the roll into my knickers/tights!  What silly girl.

I think the combination of a skirt with a lining and a very strong, twangy elastic waistband on my tights was the problem. Once was OK but twice...what a day!  I'm now off to take them off - well, it's far too warm for tights isn't it?!

My Nice Letter Book

Last week I found a second-hand book called, 'Everything I've Ever Done That Worked' by Lesley Garner.  It is a series of short essays to help you become more content and lead a happier life. As I flicked through it I was surprised to see that I already did one of her suggestions and that was to keep a 'Nice Letter File'.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the kind comments that are left on this blog; it is something that never fails to touch me that there are people who actually read this and are motivated to contribute themselves.  But there is something else; a wonderful bonus which enriches my life; I have received the nicest, most generous emails. I'm probably like a lot of woman when I tell you that I spend too much time comparing myself to others - feeling that I never quite hit the mark, that it so often hinders me from trying anything new - and that when I am fortunate to be complimented I want to reply with a, "Yeah but.."

I'm trying hard not to do "yeah buts.." and to help me Anth suggested doing something he heard about on a course or such like; that I try and remember the good things that people have said to me over the years and store them away as 'mental lockets.'  Only problem is I forget them! But over the 2 years of blogging I have received the sweetest of emails so I've been able to print them out and stick them in this..

..my 'Nice Letter' book, (well emails and comments to be exact!) and I want to encourage you to do the same. So all those meaningful little cards, letters and emails, keep them and make yourself a book or even a box that you can dip into every time you feel a.."Yeah but.." slip into your head.  I practically carry mine around!!

Now, I'm so conscious of this post sounding all wrong - that I'm showing off or fishing for compliments. I'm not. I just want to encourage you for encouraging me, and to start a book that could also double as a place to keep your thrifted, sparkly clip earrings!

To my Valentine

A lot of bridges I shouldn't be so scared to move. 

A lot of lessons I shouldn't be so scared to learn.

If I could lose the worst of me, hold on to what remains.

And all I need to know is that you treasure me.

And help me be the most that I can be.

And turn into the one last missing piece,

When it all comes down.

A lot of people don't seem to understand my point of view.

It doesn't matter because I love the way I am with you.

Because you can take the worst of me, hold on to what remains. 

And all I need to know is that you treasure me.

And help me be the most that I can be.

And turn into the one last missing piece,

When it all comes down.

I love, I love, I love the way you let me,

Love you, love you, love you like I do.

And all I need to know is that you treasure me.

And help me be the most that I can be.

And turn into the one last missing piece.

When it all comes down...    

"All I Need To Know"  by Emma Bunton         

Listen here.   

Hurry home, Anty, I'm waiting for you with such longing...xx            

Wishing you...

..all the above; a wish; much joy; and a very peaceful 2008. 

Cath goes to school

...well, not her exactly, but I wore my CK half apron at school today.  It was really a desperate measure, on my behalf, to try and bring some festive cheer into my rather fraught life.  I haven't had the best week and these last 2 days have been rather awful.  Nothing major, just stroppy teenagers; ill husband and son; nothing posted; dirty house; read very dirty, messy house; nothing wrapped...again.  I never thought I would get into this situation again, but hey, guess what, I am!!

So I put on my holly apron and it has stayed on all day, and yes, I'm feeling a little better.  But I'll feel hugely better when I finish all this wrapping so I must go. I'll leave you with a photo of our banisters, yes it's the only place actually finished, though it has fallen down once already. You really do have to laugh don't you?

My Little Obsession (..yet another!)

I'm not sure if you remember this post from last year; but another highlight of my year - probably #436 - is buying the Christmas double issue of the Radio Times.  I just love it and eagerly await it's arrival wondering about the seasonal cover and what telly visual delights the festive season will bring.  I go as far as writing the day of it's arrival in the shops on our calender causing comments like, "Jane, what does 'RT out' mean on the calender?"

So imagine my disappointment when after reading that it was due out last Saturday I dashed to our corner shop in the most torrential rain (bringing not one but 2 plastic bags to keep it dry) only to discover, yet again, that it hadn't arrived. URRR! This happens every year..every year.. and I get a little desperate as I politely show the shop assistant the advertised date in the current issue.

"Doesn't really matter what it says...we don't have it!" they say with a sniff.

Well, 3 days later it has finally fallen into my hands. Well actually my friend Catherine bought it for me at lunchtime today, (thanks again Catherine!)

And seeing the picture of Father Christmas reminded me of one of my sweeter moments yesterday... as the class were lining up to go and play outside, one little boy started rolling around on the floor and before I could tell him to stand up a little voice from the back of the line said,

"Quick, come and line up, Farmer Christmas is watching you know!"

He is indeed!

Thank you for all your wonderful comments about my flower sponges. I bought them from a shop in Totnes but they have a sticker on which says Foamulations Belmar, NJ 07719 USA. Hope that helps and I wish I could buy you all some. Goodness knows you all deserve it.  Perhaps Farmer Christmas could help!

Birthday

Oh my, life has been hectic over the past few days. It was my birthday on Wednesday and I chose to take a day trip to London with Anth.

I've had my eye on a ipod with a bigger memory and really wanted a red one. Having never seen one before as Apple only sell them online or in their stores, I decided that I wanted to see it before I bought one. Plus I could squeeze in a trip to Cath. So Anth and I took a day off work, and got up very early to catch the train. I love the train track from Newton Abbot to Exeter; it has to be one of the most dramatic in the country as it runs along the coast line, yards away from the sea   and plunging into tunnels carved out of the red cliffs.

 

I was feeling slightly under the weather (still am, and I'm blaming 29 little runny noses that are wiped on sleeves and various tummy ailments. Ooh, I've been susceptable to everything this term) and was worried that I might take ill in Cath's and have to lie down on the display bed. But I didn't want to cancelled as I had been looking forward to this trip for weeks. So I pushed onwards. On our arrival we went straight to Regent Street to the huge Apple store.

Talk about feeling all of my 44 years, both of felt complete country bumpkins. I don't know what I was expecting but it was huge - there were hundreds of computers for you to use (for free!) even a special children's section, classes going on to help you get the most from your purchase, experts on hand if you had problems at the Genius Bar. I laughed to myself and cringe when I think that last week I spent too long on the phone to the Regent St store asking if they definitely would have a red Nano on Wednesday as I was coming up from Devon!! Oh the embarrassment! There must have been at least 700 Red Nanos on the shop floor alone! So I left with the most gorgeous ipod - it looks better than I thought, though I wouldn't call it red, it's the exact shade of our bookcase and my CK wallpaper. Very me.

Then we crossed the road to Liberty's where my favourite part of the fabulous building are the chimneys.

Off to Borders where I bought some Christmas magazines from the US and a wonderful book which I'll blog about later. Then it was off to Cath's.

You know I have a problem whenever I go into a Cath Kidston shop. Perhaps it's because I have only been 3 or 4 times and it's a big deal ,or, that I am now a lady of a certain age.. but as soon as I step foot inside I turn into a human waterfall! A hyperventilating, puce, waterfall. The girls who work there must wonder who this woman is, who, after removing as many clothes as decently possible; does at least 4 circuits of the shop, v e r y s l o w l y looking at everything. I eyed the bed longingly but didn't succumb. I bought a table cloth (the one on the cover of Country Living) a wallet, and some rose paisley fabric which I don't think I can bring myself to cut. I had previously bought the mini fabric chest of drawers and box files by mail order as I had learned my lesson about carrying heavy bags last time.

So, finally Anth led me away after explaining to the assistants that my glazed expression was probably due to being slightly under the weather plus the fact that we had had an early start from Devon.

Gasping for a cup of reviving tea we stopped at a wonderful patisserie where I looked even more weird as I insisted in taking photos through the window of the cakes for Alice.

On the late train home we sat, exhausted, but still doing our Sudoku. Should I mention that one of the things that both of us were looking forward to most was doing Sudoku on the train...how sad is that?!

I glanced up, smiled, thought of you and took out my camera to take a photograph at the seat infront..

..evidence of a good day! 

A little anxious

Over the years we now recognize when our sweet Posy feels vulnerable. She goes and sits half way up the stairs, pokes hers head through the banisters and surveys the goings on below; at a safe distance. If family life gets too hectic or we have visitors, there she will sit. Slightly worried and slightly blurred, oops.

I too am slightly worried at the moment. Worry is something I do too much of and although I try my best not to, silly thoughts creep into my head. You see at the beginning of January, Anth and I will be going to New Zealand, without the children. Now, I know that we are very fortunate to have the opportunity and my beloved husband sacrifices so much to live in the UK, but I'm still feeling wobbly about leaving my children for 3 weeks and being half a world away from them. I'm scared too about the flying. 24 hours on a plane and then whilst we're in NZ a few internal flights thrown in as well. How do I feel about that, well in 4 words I can sum it up..we've updating our wills. I have flown many times before so it isn't fear of the unknown; our last long haul flight back to NZ was in 2002 (we went for the first time as a family) was quite hilarious; I dined out on that story for weeks after - especially the sniffer dog!

But joking aside, I am trying to prepare the house as my mother and Robin will be staying here with the children. I am trying to write some notes about boilers, logs, plumbers, sheds, loft access, rubbish collections, children routines, packed lunches, cat food etc.. We are so, so grateful to them for having the children. Anth's parents will be celebrating their 60th Wedding Anniversary, his brother will have a big birthday and our niece will have her 1st - so there will be parties galore. It means so much to Anth that I go with him this time and I'm trying not to let my fears spoil his excitement but they are slowly creeping up on me..it's the saying goodbye to them all, that, even now makes my eyes shiny.

So yesterday (and today I hope) I went to my 'safe' place, like Po, and sat behind my sewing machine. There is Christmas and New Year to get through before our trip so I'm pushing my fears to the back of my mind and cracking on with my Wildflower Lavender Bags. These should be ready in day or two. Thank you, as always, for all your emails and comments...would you be surprised if I told you that I have saved nearly every kind email I have received? No? Good, at least we're not strangers anymore. Enjoy your Friday.

Embarrassed

I've spent the last 2 days in various degrees of embarrassing self-consciousness, some amusing some not...well perhaps yesterdays were but Thursdays weren't.

I had posted all my lavender bags on Thursday morning and happily settled down to make some more; but by the evening I received an email from a dear lady in Australia (Hi Lynn) which reminded me of the postal restrictions for Australia. Gulp, I hadn't even thought about sending 'plant matter' and have subsequently discovered that I can't post lavender outside of Europe. Ahh, huge sigh. I feel so stupid, silly, dumb..you name it. So that was Thursday night.

Friday morning 9am. Trip to the dentist. Big, big thing for me. Gigantic thing for me as I have had a bad experience before and have managed to go since 1983 without having another filling. That was until yesterday. Boy, was I scared and I felt embarrassed/mortified at sounding so irrational when explaining my fears to the dentist. After 2 injections and 7 fillings in the one tooth, (part of it had broken) I left the dentist with a dumb cheek and mouth mumbling like a fool. I still had things to do so kept having to explain to strangers why I was dribbling and incommunicable.

Then there was this,

my trolley at Sainsburys with nothing but Christmas editions of most of the woman's magazines available.

Oh yes, friends, I'm sure there are people who are still talking about the wild eyed, drooling, mumbling woman who seems to live on nothing but December magazines.

Shop open here. SORRY, ALL SOLD BUT MORE SOON!

Thanks

I just want to say a heartfelt thank you for all the lovely words of support, here on the blog and those of you who emailed me. You are most kind and I appreciate everything that comes my way, I really do. I will be re-stocking with more lavender bags on Saturday (not tomorrow (Thursday) as previously stated) as things with me take a little longer than I imagine them to take. Umm I wonder why!

Now, I wanted to show you something that I got from my latest Ludlow trip.  On Friday I went to this charity shop on our way to Shrewsbury; it is situated in a very quiet road, in fact in a residential 'Coronation Street' looking street. I left Anth in the car with a cheery, "I wont be long" and walked into a gold mine. Well, my sort of gold mine with nothing costing more than a pound or 2. There were plates, tiny floral dishes (that I use for the cats - don't tell Alfie they're flowers) tea sets, sparkly clip-on earrings (that I use instead of paper clips) bevelled mirrors, an embroidered picture, an 'almost like new' tin commemorating the Coronation, embroideries, buttons. Oh, I was like a child in a sweet shop, not knowing which way to turn. As most things were up high I had to ask for things to be taken down. I ended up having 3 dear ladies running around after me as I walked around the shop saying, "Ooh, may I look at this?" and "I'll have that please."  One lady was searching for linen for me out in the back and kept bringing me things, another was wrapping things and when it came time to leave they all thanked me very much and told me to come again. I will.  I'm still smiling at the whole scenario, and everytime I look at my treasures. What do you think of my new sugar bowl? The tiny floral spoon was bought in August from Oxfam and it looks perfect.

I had this marvelous idea to photograph the small chest of drawers, used as a bedside table, at my father's house. You see it is where I put all my booty from my treasure hunts and as the days progress the pile gets bigger (hopefully) and I love to watch it grow. I thought I would photograph it each day so you could see it grow. Well yeah, it was half way home that I realised that I had forgotten..

Next time..