Thursday, 3 October 2013

Long Time No Blog...

No apologies this time, life is different and rather hectic, and blogging has just fallen completely off the radar.

Having spent the last 4 years or so waiting for a baby to arrive, now that she's here (and 15 months old no less!) it's taken more than a bit of adjusting. It wasn't too bad while I was on maternity leave, because that was a whole lovely time out of time, but going back to work in April... woah. That was tough and I'm really only just settling into it.

While I have to confess I'm enjoying being back at work in some ways (I still love discovering new books and helping other people find them too), I resent work meaning that I only get an hour or so with her a day, not to mention the Saturdays I miss. Yet at the same time, on my midweek days off (like today), she still ends up going to the childminder for the morning so that I can get some house stuff done and get myself an hour just for me. 

I've had a life that I've filled up with distractions over the last few years, in order not to think about the lack of a child. Now that she's here, it's surprisingly hard to get used to a life with no time for these distractions. With not being able to spend the entire weekend on the sofa with Anthony, watching an entire tv series and eating copious quantities of Kettle Chips.

But I'm getting there. I've had to become organised and tidy (don't faint!). We've chopped the number of "must-watch" tv series right down to a mere 15hrs or so a week. I'm trying to write meal plans, and planning my evenings so that I can still play WoW, and cross-stitch, and read blogs, and play addictive ptootly iPad games (Pocket Planes! Pocket Trains! Tapped Out!), yet also not feel that I should be doing all the house-tidying that other people (grown-ups) always seem to be doing.

I think it's actually just the same old revelation, I need to be doing the things that are right for me, and right for my family (family!!!!!), rather than the things I feel I *should* be doing.

So yeah. Same old, same old going on here really.

See you...um...sometime :-)

Sunday, 17 February 2013

Q and A Week 7

10th February


If this day was an animal, which animal would it be?

A cat show cat. Wanting nothing more to curl up in the warm and be cosy and peaceful, but instead being busy, busy, busy.

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11th February


How did you get to work today?

Woke up.

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12th February


What is your biggest obstacle right now?

Lack of money.

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13th February


What's your favourite question to ask people?

What's your favourite book?

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14th February


Did you kiss someone today?

Two people and two cats.

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15th February


Write down the cure for a broken heart.

Time.

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16th February


What was the last performance or concert you went to?

We Will Rock You in August 2010.

Saturday, 16 February 2013

Q and A Week 6

3rd February


On a scale of one to ten, how sad are you? Why?

One - just low level long term background sadness today.

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4th February


Outside, the weather is...

10pm - crazy wind and heavy hail.

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5th February


What are you obsessively listening to?

Imagine Dragons - Round and Round
Eli Young Band - Even if it Breaks Your Heart



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6th February


Are you seeking contentment or excitement?

75% contentment, 25% excitement.

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7th February


What are three things you have to buy?

Bread. Potatoes. Creme Eggs.

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8th February


Are you in love?

Yes.

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9th February


How late did you sleep?

7.45am - when my alarm went off.

Q and A Week 5

27th January


Which art movement best describes you today?

Pointillism

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28th January


How do you describe home?

Warm. Comfortable. Happy. Messy. Full of books.

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29th January


What was the last TV show you watched?

Haven - the penultimate episode of Season Three.

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30th January


What do you want to forget?

Stupid little embarrassments.

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31st January


Who do you want to be?

A stay-at-home, OU degreed, mother of three.

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1st February


What is your resolution for tomorrow?

To be productive.

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2nd February


Who do you live with?

Anthony, Megan, EsmeCat, FoleyCat.

Tuesday, 5 February 2013

Neil Gaiman...

...is doing a project with BlackBerry to write a calendar of stories.

His blog post about it is here. (seeing Cabal made me cry)

I watched my twitter feed fill up with RT's for each month last night, and in my sleep I missed most of August, and all of September.

I thought I would add my answers for each question here.

#JanTale - Why is January so dangerous? - The dark and cold can trick you into thinking it will never be light and warm again.

#FebTale - What's the strangest thing that ever happened to you in February? - The sudden realisation that it's all alright.

#MarTale - What historical figure does March remind you of? - Julius Caesar. It's those Ides.

#AprTale - What's your happiest memory of April? - Meeting a man outside a KFC on Easter Sunday 2006.

#MayTale - What's the weirdest gift you've ever been given in May? - a whole sunny day in London to climb the Monument, wander round The City, buy cupcakes, and meet twitter and book friends.

#JunTale - Where would you spend a perfect June? - In a big sunny house, with family and friends popping in and out as they can.

#JulTale - What is the most unusual thing you have ever seen in July? - some sort of bee/moth/hummingbird that was flying round the geraniums in a house we stayed at in France. I was 11 and it was the size of my hand.

#AugTale - If August could speak, what would it say? - It would speak of hot days and muggy nights. Of the smell of a rain shower on parched grass and hot pavement.

#SeptTale - Tell me something you lost in September that meant a lot to you. - My father.

#OctTale - What mythical creature would you like to meet in October? - a dragon.

#NovTale - What would you burn in November, if you could? - Weaknesses.

#DecTale - Who would you like to see again in December? - My dad, so he could meet his granddaughter.

I wanted to link each hashtag back to Twitter, but it's currently being arsey with me.

Monday, 28 January 2013

Q and A Week 4

20th January


Are you holding a grudge? About?

A few small ones. All regarding things I've been ordered told to do or been pushed into like I'm a child.

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21st January


What are you looking forward to?

Seeing my NCT friends on Wednesday (weather dependent) and on Friday night!

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22nd January


Are you seeking security or adventure?

Argh. Um. Bit of both?

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23rd January


Do you need a break? From what?

I'd like a break from worrying about going back to work!

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24th January


If you were going to start your own company, what would it be?

A bookshop.

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25th January


What makes "you" you?

My past, my memories, my people, my books. And chocolate.

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26th January


Today you needed more...

SLEEP!!!

Sunday, 20 January 2013

Q and A Week 3

13th January


Where do you want to travel next?

France

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14th January


Are you a leader or a follower?

That depends very much on the circumstances.

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15th January


On a scale of one to ten, how was your lunch today?

7 - nice ham rolls, coke and a Boost.

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16th January


Do you owe someone money? Does someone owe you?

No people, just credit cards and a mortgage!

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17th January


What's the oldest thing you're wearing today?

Um, probably my slippers. Think they're from 2006.

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18th January


What was peaceful about today?

Mostly everything. Lots of snow falling all day so Anthony came home early.

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19th January


List three foods you ate today

Apricot and Blueberry cereal bars
Bacon baguette
Tinned peaches

Sunday, 13 January 2013

Q and A Week 2

6th January

 

Today was tough because...

...of rushing around to get ready for jury service tomorrow.

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7th January

 

You are lucky; how so or not so?

I'm healthy (barring stupid post-birth issues). Anthony is healthy. Megan is healthy. My mum and sister and friends are healthy. We also have a roof over our heads and lots of books ;-)

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8th January

 

What song is stuck in your head?

Round and Round - Imagine Dragons

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9th January

 

Was today typical? Why or why not?

Typical in going to Baby Sensory, not typical in having mama staying here.

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10th January

 

Write down something that inspired you today.

All of my NCT ladies in one way or another, particularly Vicky's singing!

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11th January

 

Today you lost...

...nothing! And i got my phone back after its overnight escape into Sammy's changing bag.

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12th January

 

What's your favourite accessory?

I don't worry about accessorising in terms of fashion. Anthony would probably be my criminal accessory.

Sunday, 6 January 2013

Q and A Week 1

1st January


What is your mission?

"To boldly go where no man...." oh hang on, that's someone elses mission.

My mission is to be the best that I can. At mothering. At loving. At being me.

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2nd January


Can people change?

Sometimes. But it depends on what needs to change and if they want to change it.

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3rd January


What are you reading right now?

The Passage by Justin Cronin

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4th January


The best part of today?

Megan singing to her toys after lunch.

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5th January


What was the last restaurant you went to?

The Crown at Wergs for our NCT Christmas lunch.

Tuesday, 1 January 2013

During my...

...sojourn in the armchair in July/August, I did quite a bit of online shopping.

Lots of it was fantasy shopping, filling up baskets and then emptying them again.

Most of the real shopping was things for Megan.

A little of it was for me.

One book I bought was a journal. The Q & A a Day: 5 Year Journal to be precise.


I wasn't sure when I was actually going to start filling it out, I liked the fact that you don't have to start on the 1st of January, you can start whenever in the year you are.

So I started on the 23rd of September 2012, the fifth anniversary of my fathers death. When it reaches the 10th anniversary, I'll have a whole book full of daily thoughts to look through.

Hopefully.

Anyway, as part of my plan for blogging more frequently, I'm hoping to post every Sunday with the questions (and my answers) from the previous week.

But to get the ball rolling, here is today's question and today's answer.

January 1 - What is your mission?

"To boldly go where no man...." oh hang on, that's someone elses mission.

My mission is to be the best that I can. At mothering. At loving. At being me.

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What about you?