Welcome to my home, come on in, close the door...don't worry about taking shoes off - I don't care anymore. Mind that pile of boxes by the cloakroom, if you need the loo you'll have to go upstairs...just ignore the mess and piles of washing up there won't you.
Come into the lounge and take a seat...oh sorry you can't...more boxes to navigate around. Oh excuse me there's the doorbell, oh hello Mr delivery man, weren't you here just this morning? Oh deep joy something else in a cardboard box to sign for...just dump it there, i'll find somewhere to park it later.
Let's go in the kitchen...Cup of tea? There are clean cups in the dishwasher somewhere, just haven't emptied it yet. Oh sorry no tea bags left. Orange or lemon squash suit you? Diet Coke? We never run out of that. Oh here's a jar of coffee at the back of the cupboard, but hey the milk's off and for some reason the milkman hasn't been today. Did I forget to pay the bill?
Take a seat, oops not THAT one, still haven't got round to clearing up after a scrambled egg breakfast. Yes, that WAS a slice of toast. Shall I take that and pop it in the bin?
DH? Oh he's been in India this past week or so, back Saturday evening. Yes, the packers do arrive next week. No, we're not ready. In fact they're very kindly bringing us some cardboard packing boxes this afternoon, oh really, you saw them? They've left them outside with some tape and tissue paper? Yes, it does look like rain again so i'd better get them in I suppose. Now where shall I put them?
The kids? Oh they're being neglected, watching TV and playing rockstars in the playroom...seeing how quickly they can trash a relatively tidy room, they're very good at that game, less than 5 minutes to total devastation is their record.
Yes, the garden is looking lovely and it will be such a shame to leave it behind but just watch out for all the boxes, please don't let the children attempt to climb the garden cardboard mountain.
Let me just get the phone. Arrghh, that was the estate agent, someone wants to view the house in two hours...help! Look at the mess and cardboard, I wouldn't want to buy or rent my house looking like this, it wouldn't look out of place under Waterloo Bridge.
OK deep breath, count to ten...I'm going on strike. Is there any wine in the fridge? There is...thank goodness for that!
Friday 29 August 2008
Tuesday 26 August 2008
BAD HAIR DAYS AHEAD...v bad
I don't think I'm a particularly vain person but I do like my hair to look OK.
I'd had a few thoughts on hair-care and a few worries and concerns, especially since our visit to Chennai in March when DH told me he thought I should get a new hairstyle (he won't EVER say THAT again) as the humidity effect had taken it's toll and well, quite frankly, it looked terrible. My hair is a chin length, layered bob of sorts, very fine, prone to frizz, fair and coloured so imagine my horror when I read this blog post...
http://my.opera.com/myfamilyinIndia/blog/hair-care-in-chennai
I'm off to Boots in a minute to buy a year's supply of Moisture Barrier Hairspray, wax as advised and I've put in an emergency SOS call to my hairdresser... helllllpppp me
I'd had a few thoughts on hair-care and a few worries and concerns, especially since our visit to Chennai in March when DH told me he thought I should get a new hairstyle (he won't EVER say THAT again) as the humidity effect had taken it's toll and well, quite frankly, it looked terrible. My hair is a chin length, layered bob of sorts, very fine, prone to frizz, fair and coloured so imagine my horror when I read this blog post...
http://my.opera.com/myfamilyinIndia/blog/hair-care-in-chennai
I'm off to Boots in a minute to buy a year's supply of Moisture Barrier Hairspray, wax as advised and I've put in an emergency SOS call to my hairdresser... helllllpppp me
Sunday 24 August 2008
Tourists for the Day
DD has had a yearning for sometime to visit the Queen.
So, on Saturday we got up VERY early (yawn) and caught the train to London.
First stop, The London Eye - the views was fantastic and, for a real change, it wasn't raining so it was a fab clear day. Next, over Westminster Bridge to oooh and aaah at Big Ben and Houses of Parliament. A quick turn right then up to Downing Street...I remember when you could walk right up outside and have your photo taken outside No 10. Not anymore, concrete blocks, iron gates, police with guns...a sad indication as to how times have changed. Next...another right turn up to and through St James's Park and up to Buckingham Palace.
DD thinks HRH is 'grumpy' because she didn't lift a curtain and give us a wave, especially after I explained she was 'at home' as the flag was flying. Her disappointment was soothed by watching the guards although they did little more than march a few paces and stamp their feet and hoist their bayonets from one shoulder to the next. Oh yes, and she really liked their hats. Uh oh...those will be men in uniform then!
After lunch we headed to South Kensington and visited the Natural History Museum. We really needed a full day to take everything in, so another visit sometime in the future will be needed. I tried out DS on his new reigns and he had a great time toddling amongst at all the exhibits and charming all the other visitors...he especially liked the birds, although in his respected opinion they all say 'quack'. There are so many interactive 'toys' for the kids to play with it was a hard task to tear them all away at closing time. DD and her cousins were very impressed with the dinosaurs, she just needed to be reassured that they were models and not for real.
At the end of the day it was another struggle on the tube with the pushchair, upstairs, down stairs...escalators then more stairs, back to Marylebone and back to Warwickshire. When we got off the train DD asks, "Are we back in England now?" I explain that we never left and remind her that we talked about London being the capital city of England and that's where the Queen lives etc etc. "No, no Mummy, we went on the train and it took along time so we must have left England, and now we're back where we started we must be back in England". She still won't have it, so we're going to have a map and geography lesson today - let's hope I can convince her!
It was a late night for all of us by the time we got back and after a long and busy day you'd think the kids would have had a nice lie in this morning wouldn't you? Fat chance!
So, on Saturday we got up VERY early (yawn) and caught the train to London.
First stop, The London Eye - the views was fantastic and, for a real change, it wasn't raining so it was a fab clear day. Next, over Westminster Bridge to oooh and aaah at Big Ben and Houses of Parliament. A quick turn right then up to Downing Street...I remember when you could walk right up outside and have your photo taken outside No 10. Not anymore, concrete blocks, iron gates, police with guns...a sad indication as to how times have changed. Next...another right turn up to and through St James's Park and up to Buckingham Palace.
DD thinks HRH is 'grumpy' because she didn't lift a curtain and give us a wave, especially after I explained she was 'at home' as the flag was flying. Her disappointment was soothed by watching the guards although they did little more than march a few paces and stamp their feet and hoist their bayonets from one shoulder to the next. Oh yes, and she really liked their hats. Uh oh...those will be men in uniform then!
After lunch we headed to South Kensington and visited the Natural History Museum. We really needed a full day to take everything in, so another visit sometime in the future will be needed. I tried out DS on his new reigns and he had a great time toddling amongst at all the exhibits and charming all the other visitors...he especially liked the birds, although in his respected opinion they all say 'quack'. There are so many interactive 'toys' for the kids to play with it was a hard task to tear them all away at closing time. DD and her cousins were very impressed with the dinosaurs, she just needed to be reassured that they were models and not for real.
At the end of the day it was another struggle on the tube with the pushchair, upstairs, down stairs...escalators then more stairs, back to Marylebone and back to Warwickshire. When we got off the train DD asks, "Are we back in England now?" I explain that we never left and remind her that we talked about London being the capital city of England and that's where the Queen lives etc etc. "No, no Mummy, we went on the train and it took along time so we must have left England, and now we're back where we started we must be back in England". She still won't have it, so we're going to have a map and geography lesson today - let's hope I can convince her!
It was a late night for all of us by the time we got back and after a long and busy day you'd think the kids would have had a nice lie in this morning wouldn't you? Fat chance!
Tuesday 19 August 2008
The Farewells Have Begun
...and so have the tears.
I'm not very good at goodbyes, a bit too emotional you see, especially when I think about not seeing all my nearest and dearest for a long time.
In the past few days I've had a 'farewell dinner' with my ante-natal girlfriends. Yup the 7 of us all got down to some real heavy breathing techniques together about 4 years ago, laughed while we watched the Dad's 'bathe' a doll and 'change' it's nappy! They're probably not much better at it now! But, the best part has been the friendships that have evolved between us as we all went through the shock, horror and bliss of having our children...hmmm I think maybe we're all still going through shock, horror and bliss!
The weekend was spent with another lovely friend who came to stay with her eldest daughter (who is great friend of DD). She and her family moved back to Ireland in January and we all miss them, so it was especially lovely that they made the trip back to Blighty to see us before we leave for Chennai. We met up with some more friends at Hatton http://www.hattonworld.com/ where the kids ran around and had a ball, were half eaten by chickens (no word of a lie - they are MEAN beasts) and it hardly rained at all - honest, hard to beleive, we were all in shock too. In the evening the Mum's got a well deserved night off, had a curry and finished the evening with cocktails at The Kenilworth. https://www.thekenilworth.co.uk/pages/cocktaillounge.htm
The tears came at 'dropping off time' at the airport on Sunday and continued again in the car on the way home as DD informed me she was feeling really sad and was missing her friend...the Big Flip Flop spat that occurred in the morning had obviously been forgotten!
Today I visited my lovely Godmother who, having spent all her 80ish years in Coventry is also moving away to Ipswich in the next few weeks, we were both feeling quite emotional I think...big changes afoot for all of us, and probably even more so for her. Her new house looks lovely and I really hope she will be very very happy there, especially as she will now live close to her son and his wife.
Only 5 more weeks of farewells to go...
I'm not very good at goodbyes, a bit too emotional you see, especially when I think about not seeing all my nearest and dearest for a long time.
In the past few days I've had a 'farewell dinner' with my ante-natal girlfriends. Yup the 7 of us all got down to some real heavy breathing techniques together about 4 years ago, laughed while we watched the Dad's 'bathe' a doll and 'change' it's nappy! They're probably not much better at it now! But, the best part has been the friendships that have evolved between us as we all went through the shock, horror and bliss of having our children...hmmm I think maybe we're all still going through shock, horror and bliss!
The weekend was spent with another lovely friend who came to stay with her eldest daughter (who is great friend of DD). She and her family moved back to Ireland in January and we all miss them, so it was especially lovely that they made the trip back to Blighty to see us before we leave for Chennai. We met up with some more friends at Hatton http://www.hattonworld.com/ where the kids ran around and had a ball, were half eaten by chickens (no word of a lie - they are MEAN beasts) and it hardly rained at all - honest, hard to beleive, we were all in shock too. In the evening the Mum's got a well deserved night off, had a curry and finished the evening with cocktails at The Kenilworth. https://www.thekenilworth.co.uk/pages/cocktaillounge.htm
The tears came at 'dropping off time' at the airport on Sunday and continued again in the car on the way home as DD informed me she was feeling really sad and was missing her friend...the Big Flip Flop spat that occurred in the morning had obviously been forgotten!
Today I visited my lovely Godmother who, having spent all her 80ish years in Coventry is also moving away to Ipswich in the next few weeks, we were both feeling quite emotional I think...big changes afoot for all of us, and probably even more so for her. Her new house looks lovely and I really hope she will be very very happy there, especially as she will now live close to her son and his wife.
Only 5 more weeks of farewells to go...
Yay! MollyCat has a New Home
...and it's a huge weight off my mind.
Molly is 13/14 years and is a bit of a scaredy cat! I rescued her when she was about 2 or 3 years old and I can honestly say she has never left our garden and nearly has a heart attack if she steps off the end of the patio. She has only ever caught two birds, cornered one frog and I'm almost certain she is frightened of mice.
She's been to visit the vet alot recently as she was suffering with a hyper-thyroid and I couldn't let her go without making sure she was in the best of health...so 2 operations later and our bank balance a couple of hundred ££'s lighter she's fit as a fiddle and ready for her new home.
She could have come with us, but after consulting our vet we decided no, he was concerned that the flight would traumatise her and then, in 3 years time when we return she'd have to be quarantined for 6 months - not a pretty place for an old lady.
Huge thanks to everyone who responded to my mercy email, I did receive calls from many people who were interested in re-homing her. In the end, someone closer to home came to the rescue. An old neighbour & friend, Fiona, who used to look after her for me when I was a single gal living at The Close has very kindly offered her a home and I am to deliver her there the day after tomorrow. Gulp
Thursday 14 August 2008
Fun In The Sun
No no, don't get excited...it's STILL raining here. The sun does however, shine in Turkey for most of the time.
The reason for our extra and fairly last minute trip to Turkey was to meet up with my sister and my nephews who were holidaying there so that the kids could all have some fun and spend some quality time together before we leave and they really did enjoy themselves. It was sunny and hot, the sea was warm, the food and wine was good and so was the company.
The reason for our extra and fairly last minute trip to Turkey was to meet up with my sister and my nephews who were holidaying there so that the kids could all have some fun and spend some quality time together before we leave and they really did enjoy themselves. It was sunny and hot, the sea was warm, the food and wine was good and so was the company.
My Nephews Thomas (R) and William (L)
This welcome week of R&R was wonderful for me and enabled me to de-stress and re-charge ready for the challenges of the next 6 weeks ahead without constantly running after DS and trying to be one-step-ahead of the next calamity he's about to create, and boy can he create them! Talking of DS he stayed at home for a bit of male bonding(!) time with Daddy and together, they survived and made great progress on clearing out the loft and the shed. Man's work apparently! They're welcome to it!
Splashing About!
Ahoy there! Pirate Spotting
More messing about on the river
Monday 11 August 2008
Turkey Forest Fire Revisited
I mentioned in an earlier post that DD and I had just returned from Turkey and that we'd witnessed a terrible forest fire, well, I've now managed to work out how to add photos so here are some pictures...
It started early afternoon, we had been sitting on the villa terrace having lunch and admiring the clearest and bluest sky any of us had seen in a long time when we noticed a small, and I mean really small plume of smoke, it looked so insignificant at first nothing more than smoke from a chimney. It was only so noticeable because everything else was so clear. Within an hour it looked like this...
By evening it was looking far worse, the lights in the foreground are from the village of Tasagil and to the left the flames have reached Aspendos a beautiful Roman ampitheatre.
Thousands of acres of national forest have been destroyed in an area known for it's outstanding natural beauty, turquoise river and white water rafting. My sister and my nephews were rafting here only the day before.
DD kept asking me whether we were watching a volcano.
By this stage I was phoning home to check our buildings insurance!
The fire continued for at least another 6 days, kept moving by strong winds and low humidity. I really hope it's out now.
It started early afternoon, we had been sitting on the villa terrace having lunch and admiring the clearest and bluest sky any of us had seen in a long time when we noticed a small, and I mean really small plume of smoke, it looked so insignificant at first nothing more than smoke from a chimney. It was only so noticeable because everything else was so clear. Within an hour it looked like this...
By evening it was looking far worse, the lights in the foreground are from the village of Tasagil and to the left the flames have reached Aspendos a beautiful Roman ampitheatre.Thousands of acres of national forest have been destroyed in an area known for it's outstanding natural beauty, turquoise river and white water rafting. My sister and my nephews were rafting here only the day before.
DD kept asking me whether we were watching a volcano.
By this stage I was phoning home to check our buildings insurance!
The fire continued for at least another 6 days, kept moving by strong winds and low humidity. I really hope it's out now.
Creepy Crawlies
The summer here in the UK, so far is a wash out.
We did have great plans to do things with the kids before we leave but every day we make arrangements it's either wet, cool or both.
Given more heavy rain showers yesterday we decided to visit Stratford Butterfly farm - indoor, mildly tropical...lovely...we thought.
In we go, lovely huge big tropical butterflies, beautiful colours. DS is amazed, DD holds an orange and a beautiful specimen lands and begins feeding.
Into the caterpillar section, the pupa section and then into the creepy crawlie bit...
In a tank in the corner is a very large and furry spider, he's BIG, very BIG and VERY FURRY "I don't like this one it's too big and furry, where does this one come from Mummy? DD asks....Hmmmm let's have a look, I say turning to the info panel "Errrrr, errrrm, well errrrm,(how shall I put this I'm thinking)...this one actually comes from South India, Oh! Where we're going Mummy? Hmmmm yes, where we're going darling. I really don't like it" she says. And can you guess? Neither did I!!
I can just about cope with our native spiders, but that one was a whole new world to me, let's hope they stay outside and are too big to crawl under doors - shudder!
We did have great plans to do things with the kids before we leave but every day we make arrangements it's either wet, cool or both.
Given more heavy rain showers yesterday we decided to visit Stratford Butterfly farm - indoor, mildly tropical...lovely...we thought.
In we go, lovely huge big tropical butterflies, beautiful colours. DS is amazed, DD holds an orange and a beautiful specimen lands and begins feeding.
Into the caterpillar section, the pupa section and then into the creepy crawlie bit...
In a tank in the corner is a very large and furry spider, he's BIG, very BIG and VERY FURRY "I don't like this one it's too big and furry, where does this one come from Mummy? DD asks....Hmmmm let's have a look, I say turning to the info panel "Errrrr, errrrm, well errrrm,(how shall I put this I'm thinking)...this one actually comes from South India, Oh! Where we're going Mummy? Hmmmm yes, where we're going darling. I really don't like it" she says. And can you guess? Neither did I!!
I can just about cope with our native spiders, but that one was a whole new world to me, let's hope they stay outside and are too big to crawl under doors - shudder!
Monday 4 August 2008
Dark English Rain Clouds....
...are really far far nicer than black Turkish forest fire smoke clouds any day of your life, and, leave far less destruction, heartache and mess in their wake.
DD and I returned to the UK today after a week in Turkey, but we left behind a terribble forrest fire which was a little too close for comfort...thankfully, after 4 days it's 'under control' so they say, fingers crossed. More to follow, but in the meantime... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7539121.stm
DD and I returned to the UK today after a week in Turkey, but we left behind a terribble forrest fire which was a little too close for comfort...thankfully, after 4 days it's 'under control' so they say, fingers crossed. More to follow, but in the meantime... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7539121.stm
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