The difference between boys and girls

I was at a barbeque last night with HP and lots of people from my church. I spent part of the evening chatting to a lovely young man (and when I say young I mean it - he's the youngest son of Adrian Warnock, and is 3 (I think)).

We were sat on crossed legged on the floor and I had his plate of crisps ("I want blue crisps" - salt and vinegar pringles) on my lap while he drank his juice. He suddenly said "that's your lap" (pointing to my lap), I agreed that this was the case, and he went on to say "you're a girl, you've got a lap. I don't have a lap. Boy's don't have laps and I'm a boy".

I couldn't stop laughing after that, just why he should think that boys don't have laps is beyond me! Still, it made my evening that extra bit funnier, so I was willing to say "oh I see, that's interesting" and continue to listen - after all, what other things might I learn about the differences between boys and girls?!?!

Basil - still alive, but not kicking much

I feels it's time to own up to those of you who may be still mourning dear Basil's loss. In truth he is still alive (although, as this very bad and taken in a hurry photo shows, not very healthy).

He was left sat in the kitchen sink in a bowl full of water, and it was just about enough to last the two weeks we were away. However, I'm not entirely sure that that much water was actually good for him.

He may never return to his former glory, but as long as his is with us he will be loved.

Scotland in a nutshell

This picture sums up the weather we've had over the last two weeks - both rain and sun, but Scotland somehow managed to look beautiful whatever the weather (even if some days we had to wear a lot more clothes and stay in the car to admire to views).

I'm back

but very tired. I'll be back properly tomorrow, hopefully with pictures.

A lament for Basil

Basil is dying. He sits on the kitchen windowsil, a shaddow of his former self. His leaves are bleached by the sun, and some have even begun to shrivel. Through the long weeks I have remembered him, tended his every need. Given him water to drink and removed any withered leaves. Many times I thought the end had come - during my absences in Cambridge he was much neglected, but I was able to visit enough to keep him going. I was his sustainer, without me he would be nothing.

But now, though he is alive still, there is no room for him to travel with us to far off lands, and I fear he will not survive my absence from his life. Though we have loved him, and used his leaves in many dishes (lasagne sauce is being made with him as we speak) I know this must be the end coming for him.

Some might dare to suggest a replacement could be obtained for him, but it would not be the same. Basil, my basil will be gone. At least his memeory will live on in my heart, and on my blog. Basil we loved you dearly.

pre-holiday blues

We go on holiday on holiday and we've got to that point in the packing where the outlook doesn't look good. Mummy is stressing that we won't be ready in time and that there are too many things to do and noone else will do them. HP has gone to sleep in my parent's bed and is grumpy if anyone tries to talk to her. Daddy has just got home from work and still seems to be in an ok mood, so it can only go downhill from here. I can't really breathe (horrid hot weather and asthma not making a good combination) but otherwise I guess I'm doing ok.

We still need to pack, wash and hoover both cars, go down the market to get a few bits of shopping\bank some cheques etc, some more washing\ironing and pick the blackberries (obviously top priority!).
I expect we'll get most of it done, it may just take a few of us to step up and take action rather than leaving it all to someone else (Mummy). Ok, we'll try...

little us

We were sorting through some drawers and my Mum came across this photo of HP and me aged 6 and 10. I thought it was so cute I had to share it with you. Whatever went wrong? Also, earlier I set fire to some beefburgers in a pan. I was just thinking "hmmm, it seems a waste to use the fire blanket for such a small fire" when it died down a bit and I was able to blow it out.

home grown yummyness

Hurrah for summer and home-grown blackberries.

Debs at Leigh Delamere

Debs at Leigh Delamere
Originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

The picture says it all really. It just had to be taken. Some people will know why. Others may just think I'm odd, but I don't care. It was taken by Bekki on our way back from taking HP to Exeter after the Easter holidays.

You say goodbye, but I say hello.

This week HP has gone off to Newday, but meanwhile we've got Bekki here for a night and a day. This morning we went to Ikea and Bekki got various things she's discovered her new house needs. Ikea is great fun, and today I managed to enjoy looking at all the gadets and bits and pieces and not buy any of them. An real achievement I would say! I've got to head off to the post office now to post the thing I sold on ebay yesterday (it was a bodyshop gift set that I didn't want cos we seem to have loads in our house and it was all getting a bit much). I think I will try and put some more things on, but probably not till after we get back from holiday. We're going to Scotland for two weeks next weekend, so blogging may be a bit light for a while (if fact, given that we're going to a fairly remote place it may well stop for two weeks. But do check back every so often, and I'll say goodbye before we go!)

white elephants

Of the four things I put on ebay this time last week, one of them will actually sell. In fact, it's had 2 bids so far, and it's still got another hour and a half to go. Now that may not sound so exciting to you, but I had these visions of using ebay as a way to get rid of some of my unwanted stuff and maybe make a little bit of money at the same time. This time last week to test the water I put on four things, and for most of the week they've been just that - four things with no interest and certainly no bids. My hopes of getting rid of all that junk were dashed.
But wait, at the eleventh hour (or should that strictly speaking be the 166th hour (out of 168 hours)) someone actually seemed to want my item. And then, no wait it couldn't be.... a second bid... wonders will never cease. Who knows where it might end. Faith in humanity is restored. Although I'm not sure I'll bother putting anything else on, Amazon is a much better place to sell....

Weddings galore

My wedding outfit has come in useful this year. I've already been to two weddings this summer. A few weeks ago Paul and Rebecca tied the knot, and last Saturday Zoe and David were married. (That last sentence sounds a bit odd, but I was trying to say pretty much the same thing twice without actually putting the same thing twice!) I'm planning to post some more wedding photos at some point, but I've got earache at the moment which is a bit distracting. This one of me and HP was taken in the church just after Rebecca and Paul's wedding.

These are the seats where we sat

This post is in memory of the armchairs at my house in GC. To begin with we only had one of these chairs, but after Imogen's parents dropped off the second one (along with some other bits and bobs) Imogen and I were able to have one each. Mine was the one on the left, and Imogen's the one on the right. They were good chairs. I shall miss them greatly.

Loving being back in London

The one thing that I didn''t really like about living in GC was the fact that it was so quiet. Having grown up living just off a main road and not far from both the police and fire stations I'm used to going to sleep to the sound of sirens! Ok, so sometimes they can get annoying, but mostly it's actually quite soothing. And it was quite helpful when the house opposite was on fire (the nearness of the fire station). This was quite a while ago, so it's not quite so dramatic as it sounds, well it was at the time, but the memory is fading now.

the photos are on the other computer

so I can't post any pictures, and I'm really too tired to write anything, so I'm not entirely sure what the purpose of this post is. And since that has been found out Ihad best end it right away. Goodnight. More tomorrow, but hopefully less drivel.

Doing the tourist thing

HP's boyfriend is staying for a week and he came with her and my mum to help move my stuff home from GC yesterday. He comes from (well lives on at the moment, I'm not sure if he's always lived there, but that's not the point I'm really trying to make) the Isle of Wight (think that's spelt correctly). He'd never been to Cambrige so we all drove into the city, parked along the backs and had a bit of a wander round. Here's Steve and HP and the inevitable tourist picture of Kings College chapel as seen from the backs.

HOME

It's funny how when you're a student, or a 'not long since you were a student' how many places you can call home. I've lived in several different places during the last few years, but I am now officially HOME. That's right, I'm in London and so is ALL my stuff. Which is why I can't actually move in my bedroom, and the reason my blogging will either be very light (as I'm too busy tidying and sorting it all) or very frequent (as I'm trying to escape from the tidying and sorting).

It's also very HOT here in London. I know it's a bit of a, hmmm not sure what the right word is - cliche, myth, whatever; but it really is hotter in London that everywhere else, and I don't think I like it.

I have got several photos that I want to put up at some point, but it may take a while. Also, some of them were taken by Imogen and I need her to email them to me (Imogen, if you're reading this please can I have one of the hedgehogs to put on my blog, and one of us outside the house for me to keep?!)

Looking back to look forward

Having been accused of forgetting how to write on my blog (or something like that anyway) I decided it was time I actually posted something I'd written, and not just pictures.

I'm in a "looking back over my last year" sort of mood now that I've started filling up boxes with stuff ready to move back to London (once term finishes). It's my very last day at school (well this school anyway) on Tuesday the 25th July (everyone else I know breaks up on the 21st, but hey!) and it'll be really sad to leave all those fantastic people I've got to know so well over the last year. Especially the boy I work one-to-one with - he may drive me insane sometimes, but overall I wouldn't want to change it - watching him change and improve at so many things over the time I've been working with him.

This time last year I had no idea what I would be doing, and I'd have probably laughed if you'd have suggested I could do some of the stuff I've done this year - I've worked in the school, home tutored two girls, and worked on a home program for an autistic girl. I've learnt so many skills this year. God's got the plan for my life, and he's certainly been keeping me guessing! Whatever I find myself doing this time next year, I know that God knows already what it is, and He's preparing me so I'll have the right skills and connections at the right time.

It's scary and sad saying goodbye to the familiar, but it's downright exciting looking to the future and working out what to do next. I may not ber in this house to see these beautiful autumn leaves in the garden of our house in GC again, but there's be something just as amazing right round the corner. All I want now is a peek at what it is.

This post had kind of turned out sounding a bit cheesy, but I'm gonna post it anyway. I know that God has a plan for my life, even if that sounds corny to some people, to me it's perhaps the only thing keeping me sane through all the decisions I'll be making over the next weeks and months.

Purpleness outside my door

Goodnight all :-)