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~

Christmas

Well am back home now having visited my Dad for the last 6 days. I say that but I see him every day as I go to his house for my lunch due to working in the same town that he lives in so its not like I travel miles to see him only once a year!! Think that he's glad to get rid of me though as he reclaims control of the TV now that I'm home.

Sadly the washing machine broke before I left so am waiting for a new one to be delivered on Tuesday; an interesting event as my Dad had to come down to Holywell with me so he could drag the machine into the backyard, lean it on its side so all the water would drain out and then prize the door open screwdriver to get the washing out!! All for a few towels and the mat set from the bathroom. There was no way I was trying it in my party clothes!!

Anyway here are some of the pictures that I took over the holiday....hope you enjoy!

Dad and Lowri: seriously, I am no longer the apple of his eye!!

I love this picture of me and little-un......she is so precious and just grins and giggles whenever she sees me now! She's learnt to say Dada and so my brother cannot go out of her sight now as she pulls a tantrum if he disappears anywhere!!

This was the little man surrounded by all the packaging of his presents.......my Dad was wrestling with the package of a 3 and 1/2 foot long fire truck that he had......was funny that at one point, though he was surrounded by all these hi-tech gifts he was walking around the house with a penny whistle!!

This was Osian parading around the houses with his prizes from the cracker!! Thought you may like this photo Amy as he's wearing the sweater that I bought him from that little shop in Charlevoix after we'd had dinner at that Pizza place! So cute if a little big!

Sadness

Today we cremated my Uncle who died a week ago. Though he had cancer of the bladder it was unexpected. He'd had chemotherapy and then they removed his bladder in an operation a fortnight ago. Sadly he developed pneumonia, a thrombosis and then heart failure. We are such a close family, especially on my Dads side and it was such a shocking devastating loss to the family.
It was a really tough day as this is the first loss in the family since mum died 11 years ago. For me it was hard as I've never been to a cremation before.....There was to be no service at the church and in all truth I really had no idea what to expect....Dad was going to be one of the bearers which I know he was paniced about.......

Anyway it all went very well (though I always feel a little strange saying that about funerals!) and felt like it was a real celebration of his life......my heart just broke for all members of the family......his wife has MS and he was her main carer.......his children, though in their 30's/40's were heartbroken and the grandchildren were gutted......I think it has brought the issue of their own mortality to each of the siblings including my Dad......Uncle Bob was the middle brother with my two aunts older and then my Uncle Dei and my Dad being the youngest, and so Dad says they feel like the link has now been broken......

I thank God that I know Him and I can rest and trust in Him......I wonder how I got through mums death without knowing Him (I can feel the Holy Spirit saying 'But I knew you then')

On a happier note I was able to go with Gareth to pick Osian up from school and took this photo of them walking back to the house......the future.

Washington DC photos

Pretty cool photo of the Capitol building from the Washington monument....it was amazing how many American flags were around the city.......do we have that many British flags around in the UK and I've just never noticed?

This was at the Korean Memroial about 3:30pm.....we were blessed with such awesome weather while we were there
Sunset at the Washington Monument.....words not needed, though photo doesn't really do it justice