Insomnia

Well, had to start taking my "rescue"pack as my peak flow has been consistently lower than the threshold of when to start it. Pretty sure that I have a chest infection. Unfortunately, because I decided to have a lazy Sunday, watching TV and knitting, I haven't made myself tired.
So, at gone three o'clock in the morning, I am writing this blog post. Bit annoyed with myself really, as Oliver is here, he's come down to see the dentist, but he's not an early riser so I might get away with not getting up to early.
I've tried having a milky drink, but it doesn't seem to have worked.

A little reflection.

I finished part of my friend's Yule and birthday presents, and as I finished "it" off, and started one last thing, a thought came to me.
The thought was how both Oliver and Edwin reacted the same after they had opened the socks that I knitted for them for Xmas.
They both did exactly the same thing, only three days apart.  Xmas day, Oliver opened his present, then pulled off the socks he was wearing, and put the hand knitted ones on. Three days later, Edwin did the same.
Although Kerry is not getting socks, I really hope that she reacts the same way, with obvious pleasure.

Early birthday pressie

Thanks to Samantha, John, Oliver, Edwin and Becki for taking me to Saffron tonight for a meal.
It was an early birthday pressie, and Samantha rang me on Wednesday asking me what I was doing Friday night....When I said nothing much she told me she'd booked a table at Saffron on Friday night, and she was treating me for my birthday!
***Happy Dance***
I really do like Indian food.  Saffron is a "BYOB" place, with a corkage charge.
We had a lovely evening, and I did wonder if Oliver would come as he is off to Italy next weekend.
***Smiley face*** Yes, he did, he has brought me a tiny owl ornament from his trip to Japan.
Right now I am full of delicious food, and happy

2012!

Started pretty innocuously.
Nothing much doing.
Then February came around...Aunty Sylvia, Mum's twin came over to UK, from France, as it was cousin David's 50th.  She had heart problems and was admitted to Blackpool Vic .
My Dad died, the day before Oliver's 23rd birthday.
Baby, Amelia May Hooson was born....on time..a first for a Hooson, on 2nd March 2012.  Just a few minutes before Dad's funeral.
April, Ann was 50.
May, not much.
June, Samantha was 25.
July..again nothing much here, but Olympics started.
August, same as July.
September, Edwin left for Carlisle to study/read illustration.  First time properly, I was left alone or more than 24 hours.
October, Mum's first birthday without Dad around, plus Ofsted in at work.
November...just flew by.
December...at least I saw Oliver and Edwin over the festive season.

Post Yule/Christmas

Well, it's all over for another year.
I hope everyone got what they wanted
Seeing as I didn't particularly want anything, it was nice to get what gifts I did.
Oliver, had been on my Amazon wish list and plucked things from it.  A Symphonic Jean Michel Jarre, and a couple of books about English language.  For two of my three years at uni I took English Language alongside, Literature and Creative Writing.  I dropped it in the third year in favour of Creative Writing. I wish there had been a way to carry all three on.  When you study English Language and it's roots it is very useful if you have an understanding of other languages as well, as you can see where the words that we use in everyday language have come from different roots, due to us being invaded constantly until 1066.  I won't bore you with any more of this.
Other things I got, a whistle/bird call shaped like an owl, an owl handbag, a jigsaw, loads of sweets, liquorice, fudge, drumstick lollies.  I did get a couple of boxes of chocolates, but they were from people at work who don't seem to have noticed that I don't eat chocolate, but I still appreciate the though and will share the sweets with others.
Samantha managed to track down a copy of a Tom Holt book that I had only been able to get for my Kindle, this one isn't signed, but it means, I think, that I now have all his comic novels.
I finished seasonal knitting on Christmas Day and took John, Samantha's partner, his scarf last night and stayed for a short while at their party.
There is one weird thing that has happened.  I have lost some weight! :O, not much, but it is now obvious to me that I definitely "comfort" eat when I am alone, so need to do something about that.
This has meandered around for long enough, so I'll sign off.

Cheshire Cat Moon

Around ....must be twenty years ago now. My two eldest and I were sat in our car waiting for their Dad to come out of work.  One of them said that the moon looked like the Cheshire Cat's mouth, (as in the Disney film, Alice in Wonderland, they'd been watching it on video.)  I wrote this poem because of that comment.  Tonight there was a "Cheshire Cat Moon" again, and it reminded me of the time when my children were young.
So here it is, the poem....

 

Cheshire Cat Moon

Cheshire cat moon

Grinning in the sky.

Why’s he grinning?

He’s eaten the pie.

Then he curled up

Had a little dream,

Woke up again

And ate all the cream.

Cheshire cat moon

Grinning in the sky

When Mum finds out

I’ll be the one to cry

She’ll not believe

That you are real

Call me, “little liar!”

A smack is what I’ll feel.

Cheshire cat moon

Grinning in the sky

Growing bigger and bigger

Night after night

The food you steal

On nights clear and still.

Food people leave

On their windowsill.

Cheshire cat moon

Grinning in the sky

Green cheese diet

Is one you’ll never try?

I am quite pleased with the poem, but it also makes me think back to when both my children and I were so much more innocent.

I'm very pleased.

Oliver has finished his Masters in Physics, and has got a first. I'm very pleased for him. I knew he could do it.
He came home last Saturday, and yesterday he flew to Northern Ireland to visit a friend he made whilst at Uni, after spending the weekend with Steph, he's planning on taking the train down to Dublin. As he puts it, "I might as well do while I'm there!"

Edwin's birthday, and other stuff

Today, 27th March is Edwin's birthday. He has friends around, they have calmed down now, and are playing cheat. One of them is falling asleep.
Oliver is back from University for Easter, and I saw my love this morning. So all in all today is a good day.
Colleagues have been upset at work this week by the highest tier of management. If they carry on as they are doing they will alienate 99% of the staff, and when they leave...NO ONE will miss them!
One of the incidents was a very public denunciation of a member of staff, for organising a "staff association"...Senior management are never asked to these meetings. Yet the organiser was told they were not allowed to do that?
One rule for them, another for us? Senior management have regular meetings ...to which none of the other staff are invited. Usually if senior management want to meet with a member of staff...it is best to take your union rep along.

Insurance again!

This article caught my eye. It doesn't, however, give one very good tip. mind you seeing as the article is littered by insurance adverts, there's a strong possibility that it might be a sponsored article.
My tip is, before your student child goes to university and lives away from home, by all means make sure that they are covered with insurance for the belongings they take with them. However, what it doesn't say is.....before taking out individual insurance for them, check your own household insurance, as many cover for events like this. Mine does, it gives cover for up to £5,000 worth of belongings in circumstances like this. How do I know this? Because Oliver is in student accommodation, and we checked. I do appreciate not all policies will cover, but as a general rule of thumb, check your household insurance, a good household policy might mean slightly higher premiums, but in the long run could save money, as you won't have to take out several smaller policies, covering individual circumstances.

tiredness

One of the things that has happened since I found out I have heart trouble bothers me quite a bit.
Yesterday was very busy, drove to Galgate , boys had their hair cut, and I had my legs waxed, then we called at Asda and did the weekly shop , then called at Matalan for clothes for Edwin for 6th form. I dried some washing, made tea, then after tea Oliver and I walked down to the swimming pool, swum 1/2 a mile, then walked back again.
So....yesterday was very busy, and today I am very tired. I intended going into Lancaster, but as it's 1.15pm and I haven't had my dinner yet....don't think I'll be there today.
I don't have the energy I used to have, and if I have a busy day, I generally end up taking it very easy the next day. I thought this would change when the doctor found a blood pressure pill that suits me, but it doesn't seem to. I might mention it to him when I see him next week.

Tiring Tuesday

Today...I took Oliver across to Leeds for the Leeds Festival, and returned.
Then I shopped on the way back.
Now am relaxing.
The trip was less than 180 miles around, but due to the location, to go on the motorway would have been a much longer, and more boring trip. So...I went via Skipton and the A roads. We arrived just about 1 pm. I set off back around 2 pm...and returned home via Asda..buying pizza for tea..good job, as no-one had even thought of tea despite there being food in the fridge.

Now I am unwinding with a glass of wine.

I am not going to pick Oliver up from Leeds, I'll pick him up from Lancaster train station...if I have to...although there are trains straight through to Morecambe from Leeds....just Bramham Park...where the festival is held..is east of Leeds. [He'll be OK to get a lift to the station.]

Catch up time

Last Wednesday I got Midori back :D :D :D (wish I could do smileys on here.)
On Friday Oliver and I went for a picnic along the Trough of Bowland road.
I've been knitting and reading quite a lot while I have been without my car and pc. I'll post about those on Book Addicts Anonymous and Fidgetty Fingers as soon as I can.
Yesterday I picked my pc back up, it was the power supply that had gone, for a second time.
Today is the first time I have felt fit enough to swim since the end of May, I only did 20 lengths, but that is better than none at all.
Today has been very hectic, what with one thing and another.
There is one thing that really annoys me though, and that is, when I have been to Asda recently, lines are disappearing, and there are frequently single bottles of soda water, but the four packs are nowhere to be seen. I like drinking soda water, so tend to buy quite a bit. 3 single bottles are on offer at £1.20, but 4 packed together cost £1.42....ah well!

Waiting for repairs

At the moment I am waiting for my car, Midori, to be returned, and I have to take my pc to be repaired. Am also waiting for full sensation to return into my left arm and shoulder after trapping the nerve two weeks ago.
One thing I don't have to wait for any longer is Oliver's return from his backpacking trip. I will be driving down to Preston to collect him later, as the trains don't stop at Lancaster after around 10.30pm-ish?
Am just using Samantha's pc to make this post. Don't worry, am still here.

Tying up loose ends

Oliver has gone down to Glastonbury this morning, Sam's already there. Must ring her tomorrow to wish her Happy Birthday. Edwin and Becki took their last exams, and it's two years since they started seeing each other. They are celebrating later on in the week though.

I parcelled up the things I have been making for Blue and sent them with the little man in the rowing boat. There are no books this time so perhaps he won't take as long?

I also filled in an application form for a job. All I have to do now is wait, see what comes of it, if anything.
So really I have spent the day tying up loose ends.

I did find time to finish the book that I had only just started though as well. It was one of those books that you just have to keep going back to and read a little bit more.
It's really quiet here, so am sat here listening to Greenday's newest album, to make it noisy .

Oliver's home!

YAY!!!!!
Oliver's home from uni for summer, but how long he'll be here I'm not sure.
I know he has plans to go around Europe during July, and he's working Glastonbury, with Sam and some others of their friends. I also think he is working Leeds Festival, so perhaps he won't be around much.
I've just put the second load of washing in, and think there isn't much more washing to do, perhaps he's been doing his own this semester.
Sam has gone to Accrington ready for her OU exam tomorrow, she's stopping in a 4 star hotel, overnight, so she doesn't get delayed in traffic in the morning and miss the start of the exam.

Earlier on I walked down to the market with the dogs only to walk past a prize giving of some runners. It's too hot to go running in the middle of the day. They were all looking rather exhausted, if they will run in the middle of the day, what to they expect?

Big grin

Yes, I have a big grin, from ear to ear.
Why?
Cos I'm going to my first ever real "gig" next month. I had hummed and ahhed about it for a couple of weeks, thinking perhaps the tickets were a little pricey. Anyway yesterday I asked Oliver if the price they were asking was OTT. He assured me that it wasn't, and the venue has seats, so I won't have to stand. He also said he wouldn't mind coming with me, as the gig is in Manchester at the MEN arena.
So....next month I go to see Jean Michel Jarre in concert. I have liked his music ever since he appeared on the Uk music scene in 1977 with Oxygene 4. Although I think that is the only "single" that really got anywhere in the charts, I'm not bothered. I think I only have a couple of his albums missing. And even my mobile ring tone is an adaptation of Bach's Toccata and Fugue by JMJ.
I'm sure I will enjoy the gig. I may even go to another if I enjoy it. I had wanted to go to Ozric Tentacles when they were here a couple of years back, but all the venues were standing only.

http://www.jeanmicheljarre.com

Clocks forward

Last night/early this morning , the clocks went forward onto BST. When this happens I usually change the clocks early evening and take what time they show as the true one. Not so bad seeing as I don't watch loads of TV.
I slept until 12.20 today. And am not sure where the rest of the day has gone to.
I did go into Lancaster with Samantha, and visited the bookshop, hey! anyone who knows me would know a visit to Lancaster without calling at the bookshop is nigh impossible. Yes, I bought some books, my books are equal to other people's night's out. At least that is my excuse.....and I'm sticking to it.
After the visit to Lancaster I went down to the market here, bought some wool, vegetables, and other bits.

Oliver is back from uni, and he didn't bring me a huge bag of washing this time. Thanks Oliver!

The horrid chest and throat bug I have had has almost gone, plus the doc has put me back on blood pressure pills, so things are much more under control now. It was scary coughing and sending myself so dizzy I felt like I was going to keel over.
Will be back at work tomorrow, not 100% better but much better than I was this time last week.

Full of a cold

Woke up this morning, my throat feels like cats have been trying to get those birds out, [felt like I have feathers in my throat the last few days.] Nose blocked, have coughed so much my chest aches and have strained a muscle in my stomach, oh! and someone has put cotton wool in my head. I feel terrible, nothing tastes of ANYTHING!

So, am not at work, oh! forgot...feeling very tired as well.

I've sewn all the loose ends into the scarf I have made and now it is going to go flying, but the person who will be receiving it will have to wear it looped around their neck, as they aren't as tall as I am. I hope she likes it. The first picture is of a hat I made, that Oliver claimed

Mother's day :)

It's Mother's day in the UK today, Sunday 22nd March 2009.
Have been slightly spoilt today.
Sam gave me some Guinness and a Guinness glass, she also made me breakfast in bed..."get back in bed Mum!", dinner and tea.
Edwin gave me painting of an owl that he had done, and Oliver sent me text saying that he'd forgotten that there's no post on Sunday, and I have to look for postie tomorrow.
I feel spoilt today, for just being me, and doing "my job"
It has taken my mind off the fact that someone very close has found out their cancer has spread and they need an op. At worst...well...at best he will lose some of his voice. This has made me quite sad, I love him so much, and I know that he knows I love him, even though we never say such to each other any more, on the odd times we talk. after all, he's not supposed to talk at all.

Hat

I finished the earflap hat I was making. I did have to pull it back twice as I got the increases in the wrong place, the first time, the second time I lost track of where I was. My son's gf looked aghast as I just pulled it off the needles and pulled it back. I just had enough yarn to finish it, but there was none spare for pompoms and ties.

However, although I am satisfied with the result, I couldn't see myself wearing it, ever, I'd have different colours. So I put it in the staffroom at work with a note saying if anyone wanted it, they could have it, just give a donation to Children in Need.

Before I did this Sam tried it on, she loved it, but would like a black one. Today I went to the market, bought a huge ball of black wool and a circular needle. Am sure have the correct size in my workbox, but the this moment in time my workbox is buried under a pile of things. And once I knit one black earflap hat, I'm sure that there will be more requests and the black wool will soon disappear.

I also managed to put quite a few more stitches in the remaining birth sampler I have been cross stitching for work colleagues. This last one is taking some time; as it is mother and baby giraffe and the colours are very close. The effect is worth the effort though.

The other thing I have started to do this week is sort out seasonal presents. With only Oliver to sort something major out for now, and my youngest niece. I no longer buy anything for my other nieces and nephews as they are all over 21.

While I was at the market I found three prefect Xmas cards for Mum and Dad, and a couple of good friends. All three are humourous, and although they were expensive, I am sure they will be appreciated.