Interesting afternoon.....

Well, we had an interesting afternoon! Jon was down from Stockton visiting so after the fellowship meal in church we came back home for a chat and a cup of tea. We were chatting away and Jon was saying that he hadn't seen our backyard so ended up going out there to see how big (or small) it is.

When he got outside we heard barking and wondered where it was coming from.Will our neighbour that made so much noise passed away around a month ago and though the dog has been taken away, he finds his way back to the house and will bark in the middle of the day and the middle of the night. Anyway we looked down the alleyway between Wills house and ours and Dylan the dog was there shivering on an old piece of carpet. Someone had to have put him there as the alleydoor was closed and he couldn't have found any other way in.

Next was the enticement of Dylan with love, chocolate biscuits, water and warmth into our house by Esther while Jon and I listened, impressed with her negotiation skills. I rang the RSPCA only to find that it is not a matter that they can deal with and we have to wait for the Dog Warden tomorrow who is on call between 9 and 5 Monday-Friday. So I'm currently writing this with a new lodger sitting beside me! He's been watered and fed but how long he'll be with us who knows!!!

OK, how does this happen!

I went upstairs to change my bed linen and put some washing on.....once I'd done the bed linen though I started sorting out some paperwork.....I then looked in my hanging space which is to the left of this picture and began to see things that need to go to the charity shop so started sorting some of those things out......sadly half way through I got distracted and got my clarinet out.....I then went on the hunt for my music books but ended up sorting out my craft items in the process and finding some old journals!! And that is where you find me now.....on the couch with old memories and even my leaving book from Denbigh High School 1997.

The memories in there are so rich and I am so different to the person that was in those pages. Those impresssions that people had of me where of someone dealing with the grief of losing a parent 18 months ago, trying to find their identity in a group, gaining confidence through alcohol in most situations and trying to figure out how I was going to go to University in 3 months and leave my Dad.......Wow, I am so different to that person now. Part of growing up I suppose but also choices and paths that I've chosen within my life......I might e-mail some of the guys with their comments from the book, very funny and will crack them up!

~blessings~

Watch out America!!!

Well, I've given in and booked the flight to go back to the States in June/July time. I was going to hold out as long as possible but there were 2 factors

1) The prices were steadily rising o the flights and they've just announced that they're going to be increasing the cost of passenger tax from £40 to £80. This will be introduced next month but it will be retrospective, so we're probably going to have to pay another £40 on the £370 that we paid today just to leave the country.

2) Dad is coming with me this year and I knew the longer I left it, the more likely he'd be to get cold feet....so now he can't back out of it.

Am still in a bit of shock that Dad is going to see where i lived for a year; visit my old stomping ground and get to tour Chicago; but it's gonna be so cool!!!

Roll on June 21st!!!!

~Blessings~

Am feeling very rough today.....been to the doctors and I've been told that I have a chest infection and if it continues to trigger my asthma then I'm going to have to go on steroids.....ugh!

Doctors surgeries always crack me up as you see people there that you know, but conversation is stilted as you don't want people asking whats wrong with you and people ask one another "How are you?" and you answer "fine" but your in a doctors waiting room. All this while looking at the flowery wallpaper, listening to classical music on Radio 4 and getting irate over the 35 minute delay in your appointment!

At least I am lucky to be able to see a doctor and only have to pay £3 for a prescription

Am looking to buy Matt Redmans new album in the next few days, I get paid later this week so probably then. I was going to buy it on Acorn Direct as it's only £9.99 there but have found that it's £2 cheaper in iTunes and I really don't need the packaging on it.

Anyway I put 'Matt Redman into Youtube just now and made an interesting discovery that he doesn't know how to change his guitar strings. After watching my housemate do it a few times and once or twice helping out (though I don't know if helping is the correct word to use!) I could fathom what to do, yet he wasn't taught how to do it when he was younger and it's too late to learn now.....how funny. Anyway you can watch the clip for yourself.

Hope you're all having a good Sunday, mine has been very chilled, just doing some work on essays and journal entries I need for Ellel this weekend.

~Blessings~

Driving and my abilities

Just had a mad drive home......our car park in work is about 20 spaces short for the number of cars that need to park there so it means that people park there car anywhere and everywhere all over the car park.....I wish I had a picture to show it.

Then everyone decided to either pull out in front of me or do 40 mph on a 60mph then proceed to continue doing 40mph in a 30mph!! Just one of those days really!

Anyway not much else to write.....a million and one things going around in my head but don't think I can articulate them into words at the moment.......I wish at times I had like a little voice recorder thing where I could record some of the things that I think about and work through in my head....then again I think they'd be of no interest to anyone but me.

I was chatting with a friend at the weekend while measuring her windows for curtains before we headed off to Ikea......I also managed to put together her new bookshelf and find our way to Ikea from her house in the fastest easiest way. She then commented that I was probably single as I make men feel inferior as there is pretty much nothing that I won't try. I thought this was silly though I wonder whether any guy would feel useless in a practical sense in my life.....I can decorate, change a plug, change a light bulb, jump start a car, find my way on a map easily, check my oil and water on the car, put up shelves, put together furniture, put up curtains, clean a house etc etc......is that sad or good independent????? Funny thing being that after she left the flush on her toilet broke and I said that is one thing that I've never done in my life and don't know if I could help her with it or not!!!

Anyway, see, you probably didn't want to know all that and that is one of the many thoughts spinning around in my head at the moment!!!

~blessings~

Ugly Betty and my thoughts

Have any of you caught this programme?

Am watching their pilot episode on Channel 4 at the moment.....and don't know how much more I can watch!! The programme is just brutal and I know in some way illustrates how shallow the fashion world can be, it just hurts to see how badly people can be treated because they don't look a certain way or wear specific clothes.

Got me thinking about what is my heart; in that situation it's definitely to stick up for the underdog, my heart just breaks when others are treated like this, maybe because it has happened to me......it was amazing how much it hit me in the gut watching this programme and when you hear the stories of some of the guys in the youth group that have been bullied because they're too tall, too short, too skinny, too big, red hair, blond hair, braces, glasses etc etc. How did we get to a point where all of these things were unacceptable? Where society had decided that you were a freak if you were in any of these categories. Recently I overheard a conversation between 2 people where it was obvious that one of them had the attitude (whether subconscious or not) that if you were overweight there was no way that a good looking guy was going to desire you or want to marry you. What saddened me is this was a Christian........surely we are called to look deeper, too appreciate everyone, to honour, encourage and recognise every person, Christian or not, for the individuality that God has created in each person. Will we ever get to a point where people are accepted for who they are as a person and not for how they look?

OK, thoughts in this subject over! ;-)

Another thing that I realised is that I have changed what I post and how I use my blog. Recently I've been using it more as an update of pictures and haven't really written about things that have challenged or inspired me......procrastination and lack of motivation I think have played a part but also I don't know who reads this any more. Are people interested in my musings are would they be purely self indulgent? Do I hold somethings back as I'm nervous about revealing more of my true self? Hmmm.......something to think about and challenge myself on, but am determined that in 2007 I want to post more, be more honest and write about the quirky little things as well as the big things that happen!

Off to look at Japanese tea sets now on e-bay.......You have me loving Japanese stuff after being at your house for Thanksgiving Amy and the Christmas gifts you sent!!

~Blessings~