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Nineteen!

Today my little girl turns 19.  Wow!  It seems like you just blink and all of a sudden years have gone by.  Every year, I reminisce about how far we've come, about how much has changed. Even in the past year Claire has grown up dramatically. She's held down a job and now she's spent 2 months abroad, which completely blows my mind.  Today is her last day at camp and she'll be off to New York City tonight, where she'll stay in a hostel and do some sightseeing. I can't wait to see her next Tuesday, and I am so excited for her to see what I've got for her birthday!!  So, here's to you Claire my darling. Have a wonderful time in The Big Apple and bring back lots of pictures and memories.  Je t'aime jusqu'a la baleine!

For a little glimpse into the past, this is how i felt this time last year.

::Tuesday::

I'm loving the quiet of the house, and I'm making the absolute MOST of it!  This afternoon, after my chores were done, I sat in the garden with a book, a cuppa and the company of our gorgeous Lyle. Because the garden is slightly on the wild side (ahem!) it attracts lots of insects, and every so often he'd take a flying leap at one. Luckily he missed every time. I say luckily, because I'm always worried when he tries to eat wasps...

Back in the house, I look around in despair at all there is to do. I haven't got the right paint to finish the shoe cupboard; it's had a coat of primer and a coat of Dulux white but really it needs some satinwood or something.

I am making a plan of what I can do with very little money: first, pull up the carpets in the hall; paint the ceiling and walls of said hall, and put up some coat hooks and vintage mirrors; paint the front door on the inside, and also the skirting boards and floor; find something pretty to cover the door window with - I'm thinking something embroidered or with a bit of lace on the bottom. 

Then it's on to the bathroom: again, pull up the carpet and paint the floor; whitewash all the orange pine on the ceiling, the louvre doors where the boiler is and the panelling up to the dado rail. I've found that Plastikote do tile paint, so as I hate our tiles I could spray them white.

 

All I'd have to do then is paint the two walls above the dado, and tart up our bathroom cabinet which I've had since Claire was a baby and it was second-hand then!  As most of the bathroom will end up white, I'm going for colour on the two walls, just so it's not too bland and boring.

There's plenty to do after that, but those are things I could get started on soon.  I want to hurry, though, because we are off to France in September, hopefully, and then I've got to get down to the painful business of earning some money!

I can't believe time has flown by - Claire finishes here stint at Camp on Thursday (her birthday).  After that, she's off to NYC for a few days, and she arrives home on TUESDAY!!  When she gets home, we'll be celebrating her birthday, and she's going to have a nice hot shower, a haircut, and a nice long sleep in her own bed. Oh, and some quiet time alone. She hasn't had any time alone for 9 weeks and she's not used to that at all.  

Well, I'm off to bed. Hope you are all well where you are.

Blog button up for grabs

I've just created a little blog button that you can grab and put in your sidebar to show you follow me, should you so wish. All you have to do is go to the right-hand column, copy the code from the little box, and then paste it to your own blog. Let me know if you do it - and let me know if there are any problems!! Although I've tested it, I could have done it wrong, who knows, as I am no html specialist....

 

Giving thanks and other ramblings

I had such a lovely time yesterday evening with some of my ex-colleagues. We got together at a restaurant near the office for drinks after work, and I was so moved by the lovely things people were saying. Words like professionalism and patience and smiles and hard act to follow, and my favourite, what a loss to the company!  Awwww!  I was having such a lovely time and then one of the girls said she didn't think she'd seen me smile continuously like that in a very long time. She even commented on how my dimples were there all the time, which proved I was smiling. It was impossible not to, with that lot!  I got a pitcher of lime and soda, and the others had wine, and we got some food to soak up the alcohol (in fact, I did allow myself a bit of white wine in the soda, which turned it into a spritzer, and everyone was surprised because they know I don't drink!).  Time just flew by, and some of them were rather the worse for wear (ahem!! naming no names) and I hope they don't have sore heads this morning.  A couple of the managers came too, and it was really lovely to have them there. They were, of course, of the not "up themselves" brand of manager, who I've always been able to talk to easily. Unlike some other people in that place, but I suppose it's the same everywhere.  I really hope we keep in touch.  I know I'll keep in touch with 'my girls', but there are plenty of other people whose friendship I value too....  

Anyway, they obviously listen to my ramblings, because they remembered the poster in this post here, and one of the presents they got me is a bag with that saying on the side - unfortunately, because of the postal strike it hadn't arrived so I got an IOU in my card.  I also got some lovely chocs and flowers, and a gift card too. I was so spoilt!!

All in all, it was a lovely lovely occasion, and it warmed my heart.

This morning I'm still researching web hosting and web designers etc, looking for the right package for my future website. I have a photo blog, but it's not professional enough, and I'll need to get everything together in one place with the coaching and a link to the etsy shop as well.

While I'm online, I thought I'd update with some photos that I forgot to post recently. When I was in Pinner with my nephew I found the loveliest shop indeed, and just had to sneak some pics on the iPhone:

First, a couple of pretty pieces of furniture that would go well in my bedroom once it's painted, but that I shan't be buying because I prefer thrifted pieces such as the ones I have already

 

I like their curviness.  I also like the phone in the top picture, or this one (that I think maybe Claire would like, although I could be totally mistaken of course)

And then there's the photo of Lyle that I took the other day when the sun was streaming in through the venetian blinds. He's such a soppy boy; I do love him very very much (and I still miss his sister dreadfully). Oh the life of a cat, eh?

In due course, the nasty carpet is coming up, the floorboards painted white, as well as the horrible reddy-brown mantepiece and grotty walls. It'll look fab in my humble opinion. There are flashes of pink and red in the room so it won't look too clinical.  You can just about see the leg of my second-hand coffee table that I painted white (the boyf's mum asked if he could take it to the dump but he brought it to me instead; he is well-trained), and in the background is the Ikea TV and video unit that was "black ash" and which I painted ages ago with no primer, which is why the scrapes on it show the black underneath. Hey, it all adds to the shabby chic look, doesn't it?

When looking through my pictures, I found these that I'd forgotten about. I love these cards, and I can't remember who they are by, but they tickle my sense of humour.

Can you read that one? It says "So powerful was their spell that ladies sighed with pleasure at their beauty and grown men fell to their knees and wept". 

Last but not least, another bit of nostalgia for the family: Pinner station. Awww. Although it has been modernised, I love the fancy panelling bit at the top there (no idea what you call that), with the cutout. It's pleasing to the eye and gives the station that vintage feel. 

Right, I'd better buckle down and get some work done. And I have to give the shoe cupboard another coat of paint, so I'm outta here. Bye!

Your help is needed!!

Please take a minute to go vote for my friend Koryn, who is battling breast cancer. Thank you!

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I am in the running for a free web site design prize!

Okay. It appears that the little stars above my video are gone and the folks at Ebsi have told me to have you vote for me another way! A different way - A new way! Maybe the star votes never really counted??
I dunno - they tell me now I am in the final running and the comments are what's going to determine the judging (YOUR COMMENTS!)....so here's what you do...would you
PLEASE take just a minute to do this...go to the link below, then click on the little word "COMMENTS" under the video screen. Leave a short comment about why you think I deserve to win this contest. It only takes a second!
PLEASE! And then ask your friends to do the same, ok? Sorry for the inconvenience of going there again....this is what they told me I had to have y'all do. I'm willing to jump through a few hoops! Will you?
Thanks!
Koryn

Go to:

http://ebsiwebsites.com/_blog/EBSI_Main_Blog/post/EBSI_Win_A_Free_Website_Contest_Entry_-_Koryn/

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Day One

Day one of my month off. At least, that's what I've promised myself - a month before I really have to start making money again.  What a relief to not have that Sunday-evening-feeling-of-dread, or that Monday-morning-feeling-of-dread for that matter. I went to bed calmly last night after having a long chat with the other half in Jamaica (mainly consisting of lots of "What was that?" and "Say that again!" because the lines are never very clear).  I woke when the dustmen started making their early Monday morning racket, looked at the clock, smiled to myself, and turned over and went back to sleep.  I got up around 8am which wasn't too bad, I thought.

First I got some laundry on, then I had a leisurely breakfast, and sat down with a milky coffee and my "Goals" notebook. This notebook is broken down into long-term, monthly and weekly goals. I think I read how to do that in "Eat That Frog" by Brian Tracy, but don't quote me on it! Talking of that book, I must get it out and re-read it. At the moment I'm planning my next move. I have some paperwork to finalise, and a holiday to take with Claire when she gets back, and then I'll be officially on to the next step.

Claire's just sent me some more pictures. She's looking so healthy!  

These were taken by some little girls and I think they did rather well, don't you?

So that's all from me at the moment. Back soon with more thrilling adventures of Jen's New Life :) 

Listen!

Can you hear that?  No? Precisely - it's called SILENCE and it's GOLDEN because I have the house to myself!  The Russian is gone (more on him in a minute), my nephew and the boyf are still away, so it's just me and the cat.

So, about the Russian. Well his last day was fun. He had said that he wanted to stay out on his last night after the farewell disco and barbecue, and I said that was ok and I understood but he had to keep in touch. As I hadn't heard anything by 11pm I tried calling him, but couldn't actually get a ring tone till 11.30pm, so when he answered I asked if everything was ok and would he be home soon. He said I don't know. I asked would he be back before midnight, he said I don't know, I will try. I said that was not good enough because I wanted to go to bed. He replied.... I have a key. Red rag to bull anyone?  I reminded him he is only just 16 and the Student Booklet says 16 and 17 yr olds must be in by 11.30pm on weekends and 10.30pm during the week.  Anyway we kind of left it at that and I went upstairs to use the computer. At 00.18am he rattled the letterbox, and I ignored him. Then he rang the bell insistently so I went down to open up and ask where his key was. "I have lost my bag" he says. Oh my! His taxi was coming at 8am that morning to go to the airport!! "Is your passport in that bag??" I asked. Luckily, it wasn't but it had my spare key, his folder of schoolwork, his Russian dictionary and a purse containing maybe 40 quid in it. 

Anyway, he started asking me to call and find it! At which point I kind of lost it and said in no uncertain terms that I couldn't do anything about it till morning and that they'd just have to send it to his home in Russia. I also asked him if he knew the meaning of the word "disrespectful', which he said he did.... Hmmm. Not convinced, and despite his repeated protestations about "what my bag?" etc (to be read in thick Russian accent, and meaning what ABOUT my bag?), I sent him off to bed.

I must have fallen asleep the moment my head hit the pillow because at 1am I was jerked from a deep slumber by the phone and it was his little friend Nikita (boy) who was calling to speak to him. I was like "NIkita? Where on earth are you? Why are you calling so late?", and then "Roman is asleep, GO TO BED!!!!". And I fell asleep again like a flash.

At 6.30am I knocked on R's door, and his answer? "What my bag??"  "WHAT THE F????" more like!! (excuse my French!). I told him I'd texted the coordinator and that we had to wait for her to get up as she was probably still asleep.  I went down, made his packed lunch for the journey, slightly peeved that I'd gone to the trouble to get nice stuff for his last ever snack, and baking a fresh baguette for one of his sandwiches.  When he was dressed he came down and I asked if he wanted toast. "No. What my bag?". Aaaargh!  

To cut a long story short, I got the bus company number, rang them, they couldn't find it and R was finally told he'd just have to wait and see if it got found and would be forwarded to him. I gave him a gift for the family (Earl Grey tea -he drinks a lot of tea- and a miniature London bus and taxi) and his cab came at 8, we said goodbye, no hugs or kisses (yuk) and he was G.O.N.E.   

Guess what I did? Yep I went back to bed and slept till lunchtime!!!!

So that's the saga of The Russian Boy Who Is Obviously Spoilt And Has No Manners. The End.

Blossom

Well, things have been a bit up in the air recently on the job front, but today I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I left my office in London for the very last time. To cut a long story short, I am heading off into the great wide world with projects aplenty and lots of things buzzing round in my head. What I am not going to do is go straight into another corporate job, because that's just not ME any more. I haven't fit the corporate mould for a while but the easiest thing is to keep doing what you've always done because it's less scary than breaking out of that comfort zone. One of my favourite quotes from the author Anais Nin is appropriate today:

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom

Today the bud is opening, and I'm bursting forth into blossom.

...

Sunday dawned bright and sunny, which, considering the forecast, was a lovely surprise.  The Russian had plans to go somewhere with his classmates, so F and I went swimming. We were the only people in the pool, which was lovely!  Shame it closes tomorrow for the rest of the summer. It was rather grimy, though, so it does need a good revamp and it'll be even lovelier in September!

After lunch F agreed to help me in the garden, so he strimmed the grass while I pulled up as many weeds as I could. Now the garden looks a lot better although it's not exactly manicured!!  We had been hoping (and I still do) to extend the house, so there was/is no point landscaping a garden that's going to have builders' rubble dumped in it. Still, if you squint it doesn't look half bad.

The back (where the foxes live) is overrun with brambles, so we picked enough blackberries for me to make apple and blackberry crumble for dinner. A breeze when you have crumble mix still in the freezer!  It'll be a shame to lose the blackberry bushes, but boy do they spread!!  We need to cut them back so that we can still access the back lane, but I suppose they'll have to stay like that a while longer. 

F has a love of chocolate digestives, so we opened a packet. And then the packet got, er, slightly ripped when I tried to pick it up to study the photo on the side...

Oh dear, said F, we'll have to eat all the way down to here.  LOL! (We didn't actually, so we were rather restrained).

So, it's now late, the Russian has gone to bed, F is bedding down too - his last night on cushions on the floor. Tomorrow he is off to stay with cousins in Bristol and when he gets back the Russian will be gone so he can have Claire's room. I'm sure he's relieved. Mel, if you're reading this, he's a lovely boy and a credit to you both. He can come back anytime.

Back to the grindstone in the morning, so I'd better call it a day. Nite nite.

Update on the JK wedding entrance

Further to posting the video of that wonderful, fun wedding entrance, the young couple have set up a website where you can donate to an anti-domestic violence charity. Very a propos seeing as Chris Brown, whose music they used, was convicted recently of attacking his then girlfriend Rihanna. I LIKE these people!! http://www.jkweddingdance.com/