19.12.10
Yup, my chestnuts have been roasting on an open fire for some time now. I'm feeling quite flushed.
So, yeah, somehow it happened again and Christmas is here and, at the mo, it's a pretty white one. The snow in the UK has been pretty heavy and, classically, we have ground to halt and unable to cope (aren't The British just great for that?!).
December has been awesome so far and hit all the right notes. An uxepected promotion at work has left me on a high for pretty much the entire month:Knowing that I'm appreciated and that everything I was doing above and beyond my current role has been acknowledged at last. Another highlight was our (now regular) jaunt to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park with some of the gang. My first Bratwurst and mulled wine of the season will always now mark the 'official start of christmas'! Technically though, my first Bratwurst and mulled wine of the season was a day earlier - down at the Southbank - a splendid day spent in London with just The Hubz - our last proper day of quality time together (prior to christmas day itself). That was a good day. Totally random stuff going to places we hadn't been since we were children;The weird photos for December, if you were wondering, were taken in the Science Museum and Natural History Museum - both had changed beyond recognition over the years and I highly reccomend both (but the Natural History museum in particular - oh, so many beautiful crystals!).
Another majorly awesome high this month was aquiring through work (an occasional perk) VIP Box tickets for the Scissor Sisters at The O2. My joy didn't stop there - imagine my pant wetting excitement when i arrived early enough to catch the support act to see that said support act were Hurts! I tell ya, I was on another planet, lord know what my other work colleague (and her boyfriend) thought as I stood there whooping, cheering, screaming and generally behaving like an adolescent Beatle worshipper back in the 60's!
Did feel pretty bad for Rob though as this is the 2nd time I've called him to ask if there was any way he could possibly get out of work as i had O2 tickets. The first time had been almost a year exactly to the day when The Pet Shop Boys played their christmas gig there - The opening night of panto. Absolutely no way Rob could get out of it and there I was, a year later, not just tormenting him with missing Scissor Sisters but then, later, rubbing it in that he'd missed Hurts as well! Still, at least I can console him in the knowledge that we have tickets for one of Hurt's New Year gigs, he hasn't long to wait.
So, one more working week and then it's time to knuckle down and celebrate, well, not entirely sure what, certainly not the birth of christ seeing as jesus was born in the summer (christians hijaking pagan festivals have alot to answer for!). Still it's Yule/Solstice on the 21st (and a full moon) so a magical day to be had there (even though I didn't have the foresite to book the day off work this year - D'oh!)
Guys 'n Girls, whatever your beliefs and however you celebrate this month, have an awesome one. I'm now off to ding dong merrily on high (which usually results in a bucket load of complaints from the neighbours)
Merry Christmas and a Fabulously Sparkly New Year to you all xxxxxxxxxx
10.10.10
..And at 10am today it was 10.10.10.10!!!! Probably some deep and meaningful binary code shenanigans - I think Uri Geller was going on about it a little while ago. I lost interest.
Anyways, so, creeping into October and great sadness as, with a heavy heart I bid farewell to, what feels like, a great friend over the years, someone who has been there though all the ups and the downs and my life is now a sadder place without you...
...Yep, after 25 years, A-ha have disbanded. Part of the soundtrack to my youth and so much more: they were there to keep me sane in my hospital bed back in 1987; they were there throughout my heady days of Art School; their pretty faces were there to decorate my bedroom walls throughout my adolescence (especially Morten Harket's!) and, in later life, they still wouldn't abandon me as their track 'Summer Moved On' became THE memory of a glorious year in Spain in 2000 - playing constantly on the local radio station down by the Beach Bar Callahonda, it was always the most beautiful soundtrack to a hot Spanish night. Actually, it still is - we still have 'old faithfuls' that get played each year when we're in the villa but, that song in particular, will always epitomise the Spanish nights for us. The video for A-ha's last ever single, 'Butterfly Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)', had me in tears - they've encorporated elements of the last 25 years into the video and it ends with the 3 of them embracing before morphing into butterflies. It really is a beautiful moment.
(To mark the passing of A-ha, this month's HOT! page illustrates just why so many thousands of adolencent girls and confused boys fell in love with them, or, in particular, with Morten Harket!)
Out with the old and in with the new.... A-ha have left a pretty big hole in my heart but 2 guys from Manchester have gone part-way to fill that void.. A fabulous electronic duo 'Hurts'. They've been 'bubbling under' for some time now and whenever I've raved about them, all i've had in return are blank looks but now, with 2 singles under their belts, a duet with Kylie and their debut album released, Hurts are becoming a more familiar name. The sound can take you back to those early OMD/Depeche Mode and Tears for Fears days (before Tears for Fears became crap). One thing that's driving me nuts at the moment are those who are comparing them to the Pet Shop Boys - no offence to Hurts but i don't think that there will ever be a another band on the planet who can truely have that acolade. People see 2 deadpan guys with a keyboard and make ridiculous assumptions. Anyway, Hurts are nothing like the PSBs but are truely amazing in their own right. This link is a bit old now so I don't know if it's going to work but if it does, please scroll to the video - they covered Kylie's 'Confide in Me' and it was utterly mind-blowing. (Kylie later returned the compliment by covering their most successful single to date 'Wonderful life'): http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/bizsessions/3108878/Hurts-celebrity-fanbase-keeps-growing.html
We slipped out of September and into October with a wonderful 24 hours!: We still have a fair number of cyber-buddies that we've never actually met, mainly due to their location. One such buddy became real for us a few weeks ago as he was passing through from finishing his contract on a cruise liner and was heading back home to South Africa (so you can see why we haven't been easily able to meet before!). Rene was an absolute delight and when we returned him safely to Gatwick Airport, all three of us had wished that his visit had been a little longer. Depending on his ever-changing plans though, it looks like (at the mo) Rob and I will feature again in Rene's grand scheme of things! Some photos will probably appear at the end of the month when I have enough from the month to put an album up.
The following week, as we were lamenting over what a glorious distraction Rene had been mid-week, we had another wonderful mid-week distraction as one of our closest friends was down in London on business. When Jamie moved away to start his new life in Bristol, I got quite upset at the thought that this would mean that we would hardly see anything of him but so far, that hasn't proved to be the case so i'm very happy to have been proved wrong. Jamie will be back with us in November, along with another good friend, the calming influence of the fabulous Mr H for a Fireworks Weekend with a difference - 'Dracula - A Gothic musical' at the KMT - think the Theatre Company behind it may have got their weeks a bit screwed up, lol!. Anyways, back to October and if it continues to be a month of 'pleasant distractions' inbetween our cosy weekends at home, looking out upon the dark unwelcoming October nights whilst the heady aromas of another home-made and hearty casserole waft luxuriously from our humble kitchen, then I'm perfectly happy with that!... it's a month to be cosy. A month to feel safe and warm with the ones you love.....
...However....The absolutest, greatest thing about October - I just can't wait for the month to end!!!! - 'cos then it's Samhain! (Halloween). Samhain gets me more excited than Christmas and is always the most eagerly awaited of all the Pagan festivals. I'll happily engage with the commercial aspect but I always ensure that I have time to respect Samhain's traditions. So far this year, we've decided on a 'London Commercial Day' (probably The London Dungeons) and then we're heading on back to Peterborough for some Ghost Hunting with a dear friend of ours.
Come November, once I've come down from the excitement that Samhain always offers, it's time to knuckle down and concentrate on a Surprise Party... (It's ok, the people who this is for, don't read this blog so i'm perfectly safe spilling the beans!)...
November marks the 40th Wedding Anniversary of my Ma & Pa and my Sister has come up with the wonderful idea of a surprise 70's themed Dinner Party for them (without, dear reader, the drama and disaster of Abigail's Party!). Nothing big, just my Sis & Hubby and me and Rob. This only came to the fore yesterday and already i am sooo excited! Delving into the typical dinner party of 1970 has been fascinating and we already have a fabulous collection of recipes to whittle down: from pavlova to the (then exotic) advocado; chicken delights such as kiev, corden bleu and chasseur and (with much excitement from my Brother in law on this one) - Fondue! I've been looking for an excuse to by a fondue set for ages now! There are obviously downsides - the choice wine of the day? Blue Nun! Now, I'm all for authenticity but I think we need to draw the line here. Anyway, these days, you would not recognise Reisling - it's actually a respectable grape variety again and the taste so very far removed from that ghastly stuff my parents used to swig (willingly).
So, me and my Sis in the kitchen and Rob on dress duty (courtesy of the theatre's wardrobe department) after Steve (my Bro-in-Law) thinking that we shouldn't stop at the food but we should be correctly attired for the decade (- I'm just glad that this is happening behind closed doors and not in public!). That just leaves the music - I checked out the top 40 best sellers for the second week of November 1970 this morning and made a mental note at the time - Don't forget to take earplugs!!!
40 years. Well done Parentals! (and well just gloss over the fact that i'm celebrating my 40th only 5 months after their 40th year of marriage, lol!).. Times have changed. These days, it doesn't mean a thing but back then, I'm surprised my Father wasn't escorted to the church by my grandfather brandishing a shotgun, lol!
Guys, wishing you all a awesome October and, please, if you can, don't forget on the 29th October to Wear it Pink and support an incredibly worthwhile cause.... N xx
04.09.10
So, that was Summer.
Pretty good, all in all, well after June's initial upsets anyway:
The last time I wrote, I was waiting to hear about an old friend of mine (feel free to scroll down to my last entry to save me repeating myself!). As I suspected, the news wasn't good and Chris passed a year ago. An awful lot of memories came flooding back, as did an awful lot of tears and some considerable regret that we lost touch so long ago and that i never did get the chance to thank him for everything he did for me and for the man I became. Slightly ironic then, that with those regrets, June's other upset was also regarding a friendship and could easily lead to me not seeing this particular friend again - only difference being that Chris and I never had a cross word and the last time I saw him was a happy occasion - my latest friendship woes included alot of anger and cross words (from both sides):
Friends are amazin' and I've got some fabulous ones. They're not all perfect but you live with their faults, as they do mine (and believe me, i have many faults - my friends would happily agree with that!). Unfortunately, with this particular friend (lets call him 'Tum' for arguments sake), it got to a point, after months of escalation, where his constant negativity, social ineptness (an acutely embarssing episode when we took him with us to visit a rather special friend of mine back in April) and inability to live outside his cyber-world brought me crashing down with a spectacular display of abuse (aimed at 'Tum'). The timing was awful - I was still grieving for Chris - that's why I snapped so badly with 'Tum' - I couldn't bare another moment of his self-pitying 'woe is me, my life is awful' when I'd just lost a friend who treated life so gloriously and made the best of everything he had (and trust me, 'Tum' doesn't have a bad life).
All went quiet for a month, neither of us saying another word to each other but still remaining 'friends' on Face Book. Then, after a month, I went out with two other friends of mine who, lately, have really been hitting it off - they are 2 smashin' guys and it's really lovely to see. Following our day out, photos of the 2 of them were published online (not by me I hasten to add) of the pair of them getting very 'cosy'. This inscenced 'Tum' as he has had, for 6 years now, a rather unhealthy obsession with one of them (purely through a chat room - they had never met in real life until one evening in May this year that didn't continue the way 'Tum' had hoped). 'Tum' raged, via text messaging, at one of the guys involved but then decided, that ultimately, I was to blame and, in his obsessional meltdown, deleted me from Face Book without the slightest of explanations.
The situation, 3 months on, still remains unresolved. We bumped into each other at Brighton Pride but nothing was said. I sent him a message suggesting that the situation needs to be resolved - I was first told to ring him but, before I had the chance, received a text from him to say he was going out and wouldn't be around to talk to.
It's kinda' sad but the longer it drags on, to be honest, the more 'not bothered' I am because of the grief it's causing, which is a shame because we have shared some very good times together and I'm not sure if I want to be looking back in 10 years thinking 'whatever happened to 'Tum'?'
So yeah, was feeling kinda' frazzled... The 2 weeks in Spain couldn't of come at a better time...
Two weeks of sunshine, relaxing, fine food and, rather fabulously, The World Cup! - ok, so we don't talk about England's dire performance but, instead, move our attentions to the amazin' Spaniards who went on to win the bloody thing! - the atmosphere over there was incredible - There's never a bad time to be in Spain but the best time? When Spain are flamenco-ing through The World Cup, for sure!
We came back home in July feeling incredibly re-charged and with a spring in our step. For the most part, the feeling still continues (albeit a brief spell of sickness not long after we returned - I'm not pointing fingers here but Respiratory Infections are not that easy to come by and it's a well-known fact how unclean some aircraft's air-filtering systems are!).
Dispite getting back into the daily grind, we were still in 'holiday mode' and it wasn't long before we were planning our August roadtrip. Jolly exciting as we were going to explore an area of The UK we'd never been to before: A couple of good friends of ours had just moved away from London for a new life in Bristol and so it was the perfect opportunity to go visit. Jamie and Kevin are wonderfully situated with so much to amuse the eager tourist around them...
It was a very memorable 5 days - getting to see Bath, Wooky Hole, the incredible stone circle at Avebury and, after all these years... a pilgrimage to Glastonbury - I was in Hippy Heaven!
We plan to return to Glastonbury next April. We'll take a b&b and stay for a few days so I can explore further. We have a week mapped out for my Birthday as it's a biggie for me - I'll be 40. Until our plans, I had been dreading it and already getting way too philosophical (or should that be maudlin?) and thinking: "I'll have more of my life behind me than I do in front of me" and, "what have I acheived in life? i'm running out of time to acheive anything further" and, "I still have un-realised dreams and ambitions" (Yep, when I get maudlin, I really do get bad!). But, since our plans, I've been ok, and now, I can't wait for next April! - My parents want to do something memorable for me as it's a biggie, and are insisting they buy me a proper Digital SLR (oh, to hold a camera in my hands again that feels like a real camera!), then, it's off to Glastonbury (via a stop over with Jamie & Kev) and then, for the later part of the week, a return to Amsterdam to party in style with Lee & Thom. Yup, My 40th - Bring It On!
Back to the present. A wonderful celebration with my parents the other week to celebrate the end of Mum's 18 gruelling months of breast cancer treatment. Mum looked amazin' and the pair of them are getting ready to jet off on holiday to further celebrate Mum's freedom. One of the darkest, scariest chapters in our family's history, finally at a close.
The Hubz and me are about done with holidays this year now. I have a few days of leave left but, currently, no plans. Halloween would be nice - we were in Peterborough that time last year. Maybe we'll look at work schedules.
Going back to my roots for a couple of one-nighters: Later this month, the Psycic, Tony Stockwell and then, in November, Marc Almond's '30 Years of Music' tour - both at The Cliffs Pavillion in Southend. A smashin' venue full of wonderful memories: Every year, as kids, Mum & Dad would take us to The Cliffs for the Christmas pantomime then, once I'd grown out of that, I was back for gigs - Julian Clary, Clannad, Eartha Kitt - yup, a great place, it must be at least 20 years since I last visited - pretty sure the Eartha concert was the last time I was there.
Yup, Summer.. A bittersweet start but the rocky road soon smoothed out!
06.06.10
Humidity. yep, once again this boring englishman is moaning about the weather!
No, actually, we've only had the humidity since yesterday and prior to that, the weather has been awesome so I'm not really moaning. Just could really do with that storm they're promising....
Anyways, so yeah, fantastic weather - it didn't hold for all of May's 2nd Bank holiday weekend but it had a fair stab at it. I'd taken an extra day off work so i had a 4 day weekend, we also had Timmy down for the duration. It's one of the biggest weekends of the year for me as it was Mind Body Spirit Festival. Two days of mixing with like-minded spiritual and hollistic folk, of demonstrations, aura & tarrot reading, workshops and the craziest healing practises you could imagine. It was all great fun. Actually, apart from one heart-breaking ecounter (more of shortly), the whole 4 days were magical...
When I'm more than prepared to cross the Channel to visit Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, I'm not entirely sure why it has taken me so bloody long to hop on a tube to North London to visit Highgate! (For those not aquainted, Highgate is London's most famous graveyard). The west cemetery is by tour guide only (and a little pricey) so we only explored the east cemetery but, boy, was it impressive. I have some photos online but the scale of Karl Marx's stone can only really be appreciated at first hand. Whilst impressive, I think a trip on a 'gloomier' day would have been more appropriate - a hot summer's day killed the atmospherics that Pere Lachaise could boast.
Still, that hot summer's day did mean that our next stop, Camden, was absolutely ideal!...
Following the fire some years ago, Camden market is now fully restored. Not only restored but it totally outweighs the Camden Market of old. It's incredible, bigger than I ever remember it. The best thing about the day was Timmy's face - it's the first time we'd taken him there - the wonder in his eyes was beautiful, like a child experiencing their first Christmas!
Ok, heartbreak time (you'll already be aware if you skipped to the photos first!)....
Whilst Rob headed off to work after our Camden trip, Timmy and I headed into town for some people watching over a pint and some food. where else but Italian Graffiti - the cosy, wonderful restaurant that I've been frequenting for nearly 20 years... we arrived to find a locked door, the restuarant ripped out and a hand written note tacked to the window... My heart sunk and i physically crumpled. Funnily enough, as i read that note over and over again, another gentleman was standing over my shoulder and echoed my sentiments and we both shared this kind've 'grief'. Almost 20 years of wonderful memories, of always being made to feel so welcome, of being able to call up at the eleventh hour and apologise but 'do you mind, there's 10 of us on our way round for dinner?'. I'm not going to be egotistical here, I wasn't the only one made to feel so special. This is why Italian graffit had such an amazing upstanding for so long, they made every single one of their patrons feel that special. As the note said, 'the end of an era'.
The search for a new restaurant to 'call our own' begins. It's got some doing to ever beat Graffiti!
As my memory stirs with all the wonderful times spent in Wardour Street, other equally aged memories surface.......
...20 years ago, I was a confused teenager, on the verge of 'comming out' and turning my thoughts to moving away, to the bright lights of London.
One guy made that happen. It started with a chance encounter at Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club. I was there to watch a favourite singer of mine, Chris was there photographing said singer (they were friends). A few weeks after that and our paths crossed again, through work with a photographic company. We got talking and really hit it off. Over the coming months, Chris would invite me out clubbing with him and introduce me to all of his friends (including the guy, who, a few years later, would lead me to meeting the man I've spent the last 16 years of my life with). It opened up a whole new world to me. It only got better. On day, Chris announced he was moving out of his West End appartment and would i like to take it? You didn't have to ask me twice! My life had truly changed forever. Although Chris moved out, he was always coming round and our social scene continued. As the years went by, although still 'about' we met up less and, not that I knew it at the time, but 1994 would be the last time we'd see each other. That was a crazy day - Rob and I had headed down to a registry office in South London where we were to be witness at Chris' 'wedding' to some foreign lady who barely spoke english. Chris' boyfriend, Roberto was also present. I believe Chris did okay out of it financially and the ghastly girl got the visa she had always dreamt of.
In the years that have followed, I have searched for Chris, my catalyst, the one guy who changed my life so totally, but my searches have always been in vain.
Until now, it would seem. It's not sounding good....
Mine and Chris' live-in landlord from those hazy West End days has found me through Facebook (he obviously has a better recall for surnames than I). We've exchanged polite conversation via online messages and his last message signed off ' Did you hear what happened to Chris?'. Of course I bloody didn't, this is what i'm frantically trying to find out! I'm playing the waiting game now... just hanging on until the response comes through. I do have a very bad feeling. Chris was always very much a 'live fast die young' kinda' guy.
The life I now lead, those people who share it with me... little could i imagine that it would all be down to a chance encounter in a soho jazz Club 20 years ago... Chris Williams, wherever you are, I owe you everything x
03.05.10
Sheltering from the elements isn't my ideal way of spending a Bank Holiday Monday but at least we did get one decent day out of the extended weekend.
Although not looking that great in London, we took a gamble and headed south to Brighton. It's often been said that Brighton exists within it's own micro-climate and that was certainly true on saturday as, whilst the heaven's opened back home, we were bathing in glorious sunshine all day. Kinda' thinkin' we shoulda' stayed there!
Anyway, so yeah, the Great Britsh climate is, once again, being a total bitch.
That wasn't the case last week, however, and the glorious warm days helped to make another one of those 'perfect moments'......
Whenever we spend time with friends, at home or away, they are always good times. Occasionally though, a trip comes along that is more than just 'good'. Occasionally, every element pulls together perfectly to make one of the those memorable 'perfect moments'. Everything about our trip last week to the Cotswolds was perfect- the company, the activities, the weather, the settings.....
April 21st 2010. We detoured via Cheltenham before heading to our final destination (Tim's place) and that set the mood straight away. Lunchtime in the beer garden of an amazing gothicly -exteriored pub. Good food, cold cider, the hot sun beating down on us and knowing that, this time round, with a little 'careful spending' we had enough money for the trip. Just total contentment.
I need to rewind.... April 21st 2009 - My Birthday and, quite possibly, the crappiest birthday I've ever had. We would have normally been away but, that particular year, I was unable to secure the time off work as, with the account i was then managing, I had no immediate cover and it was a time in the month where the account couldn't be left alone. Not only was i working but it was, quite possibly, the worst ever day I've had in that job. I cried when i got home that evening. Not only that but I was crying on my own as Rob wasn't able to get the evening off. So, all in all, a miserable lonely Birthday.
Rob, bless him, was determined that this year was going to be different. I was spoilt rotten and he made sure that I knew that today was 'My Day'. Not only on my actual Birthday but for the whole trip - it was 'My time'. Tim was wonderful as well and even presented me with a birthday cake! (this is a BIG deal - only my Mum has ever presented me with a birthday cake!). Honestly, the pair of them made me feel so special. I was truely touched.
Yeah, so having such a wonderful Birthday and being treated so great did mean the trip started in a great way and it just continued. Simple, beautiful moments like sitting by The River Avon, eating icecream, slightly more pricey moments like visiting The Lodestone and purchasing my biggest Crystal Skull to date, joyous renunions - catching up with Jay, my Crsytal mentor (who'd recently moved to the area to be with her boyfriend), re-visiting Warwick Castle for their St Georges day celebrations (including food fair and cookery demos - boy, that open woodpigeon sandwich smelt good!) and more unusual moments such as my first vigil at the Creaky Cauldron!....
The Creaky Cauldron, Stratford-upon-Avon, just a few doors up from Shakespeare's house. Supposedly, the most haunted venue in Stratford (but that's coming from the propriotor so he's going to be a little biased!). What is now a Magik shop, museum and coffee house was once an Eighteenth Century Coach house. Now owned by a Mr Dave Matthews, BRMB Radio Host and local celeb Ghost Hunter (he also reads a mean tarrot!). I was introduced to Dave some years ago by Timmy and, although I have a keen interest in the paranormal, had never been able to go to one of his vigils until now (basically because it's taken me 6 years to persuade The Hubz to attend!)...
It was an interesting night. The scrying exercises, although entertaining, were based souly on illusion and I wasn't overly impressed, and nor was Jo (our host for the scrying) with me, when I commented on the fact an obsedian mirror should be used. You see, scrying is an ancient form of divination - the scryer would gaze, beyond their regular field of vision into a 'mirror' carved, from Obsedian (a glassy jet-black crystal formed from volcanic fusion) and images would, supposedly reveal themselves. In ancient times, the Scryer would often indulge in (now) illegal substances prior to the scrying to 'aid' the visions (yep, just like being off your tits on acid and seeing all sorts of crazyness!). Anyway, the 'scrying' this night, took place in front of a regular mirror lit, from below, by a candle. We were insructed to stare deep into the mirror and not blink. Now, obviously, if you're in a darkened room, gazing into a mirror lit only by a candle, your mind will start to play tricks. Yes, of course you will see 'morphing' of feaures. Yes, of course your eyes will narrow, maybe stand out more. All tricks of the mind and light. An entertaining exercise but nothing more than that.
The Ouija Board on the other hand, now that was rewarding!
Can't exactly call it a board - it's a very large and impressive circular table on which, the 'Yes' and 'No' are carved, along with numbers 1 to 10 and letters A-Z. Now, I strongly believe in the existence of spirit but I've always been a bit dubious when watching the likes of 'Most Haunted' on TV when it comes to a glass moving around, supposedly of it's own free will, on tables. It isn't until you've actually experienced it for yourself that you can gain a better understanding. At first, you don't trust anyone. I'm looking to the guy to my left, the girl to my right - 'surely one of you are moving this glass?' They're probably thinking the same thing of me. Then they remove their fingers from the top of the glass and the glass continues to move. That's the moment when you realiase. Wow... (And yes - we checked under the table for wires!).
Even The Hubz, who has always been even more synical than me about these things, now believes and is even prepared to attend more vigils.
Yeah, so a memorable end to a truly wonderful trip. Five days neatly packaged into one 'Perfect Moment'.
May's gonna' be quiet. Regular visitors to Blue-Universe may have noticed that the photo albums aren't updated as much as they used to. Although the country is now, officially, out of recession, it's not like me or The Hubz now have money to burn. It's difficult, with London on our doorstep, to refrain from hitting the town every weekend with friends but 'cautious' is still the watch-word of the day. Quality not Quantity. Saving for those 'perfect moments'!
31.01.10
Hmm.. how's this font working for you? I've always enjoyed comic sans MS.. such a friendly looking font! Anyways, Happy New Year everyone!
I've had a word for 2010 knocking around for a while now, long before it actually began.... RADIANT.
I Really do feel that 2010 will prove to be a 'Radiant' year. Of course, a lot of this is down to positive thinking, but I can really feel it already. Let's face it, nothing can be so grim as the start of 2009 so the law of averages had already dictated that we were already going to be off to a happier start! (-Mum, btw, despite her moods, spent 2009 responding well to treatment. 2010 sees the continual slog with still another 7 months on the herseptin to go but it's all looking good and, at last, the family can stand up with 2 fingers at the bloody evil disease and say 'Yep, you lost this one!')
January is all but wrapped up now and it's been a fun one. I've rekindled my love for the Kenneth Moor Theatre where the Hubz works. 2009's panto was just brilliant with an excellent cast and crew that really gelled, I've really enjoyed hanging around the place and being part of the fun. For several years, I kept my distance as 'it's never like the old days anymore' - back in the early days of Rob and I's 'courtship' you could never keep me away from the place - back then, it was the same old faces each year and a fabulously social time but then people move on and move away. Consequent years were very hit and miss, that is, until now.
2010 will be interesting. The KMT's manager retires this year and it's all change at The Theatre. I can't say too much at the mo as I don't want to jinx anything but I'd love to be able to come back to you in a few months with some wonderful news!
Wether it's wise to make too many plans in advance, I don't know, but we do already have some plans in place for the year - these include a 2 week juant to Spain (yeah - we're predictable!) and my birthday, as usual, in The Cotswolds (hey, it's a wonderful tradition, why change it?!).
The de-cluttering we started last year with the house will continue and whatever 'touching up' and repair work needed will be sorted out in readiness for a move in 2011. This has been our intention for some time now. This house has served us well but it time to move on and, what with being in the Olympic belt, we're hoping to sell up for a tidy sum as house prices will increase the nearer it gets to The 2012 Olympics on our doorstep.
As to where we're moving to, well, so many thoughts have been banded about over the past few years that it's probably best to keep that option open right now. Would we re-visit our shelved plans of 2003 to move to Spain? Or maybe re-think 2008's ideals of relocating closer to The Cotswolds, to where my heart and soul already belong? Who knows.
My Cotswold dream has recently been fired up again as my Crystal Mentor, Jay, is upping sticks and moving to Oxfordshire with her partner. It's an excellent relocation in regards to her Hollistic work and, once again, has really got me thinking.
Anyway, enough of the future, living for today is kinda' how it's working right now. A wonderful January in the bag spent with a great bunch of people, faces old and new and, despite The UK's rather chilly and snow-swept start to the new decade, my heart is full of sushine and the smile on my face cannot be measured.
I am more than ready for 2010 and the joy it is going to bring.
Yep. Radiant, I can feel it in me bones!
...Oh, and Happy 10th Birthday to Blue Universe!
