Happy Christmas

The Christmas festivities are nearly over and I'm finding myself increasingly contemplating the old year nearly over and the new year nearly begun.
2010 has had some massive highs and some extremely deep lows but I feel like we're emerging stronger and with the potential for a very happy future, albeit with less disposable income!
The life of a singer, singing teacher and, here and there, freelance comms consultant beckons. It's so different from what I've done for the last 11 years that it's almost unimaginable but incredibly exciting and energising at the same time.
So thank you 2010 for adventures and family and weddings and amazing care from brilliant people near and far. You could probably have eased up on the job losses in my family - three out of three siblings made redundant in less than 6 months seems a bit harsh - but I hope your net effect will be for the best.
2011 - You are welcome and please be kind.....

The end of a long summer

I know, I know, I've neglected this blog dreadfully!

The main reason for this is that I heard at the end of May that the organisation I work for was being closed by the government as part of the first "in-year" spending cuts.

As part of the Communications team, I have been busy making sure that the right thing is said at the right time and, having been a bit raw about my own situation, was a bit concerned that every blog I started to write was becoming a rant. Not helpful.

So I've kept quiet for the whole summer! If you know me well, you'll realise what a sacrifice that's been!

The summer hasn't been all about redundancy and sad stuff, however. We've had some brilliant times too. Venice in July/August was a particular highlight. Lots of pasta, pizza, amazing weather, not to mention the amazing and slightly improbable city of Venice. Fantastic.

Our lovely Canadian cousin, Kerry, was back over on these shores at the end of August and we met him in London for a fun day of sightseeing and lots of chat.

We also celebrated my sister-in-law's wedding in September, which was a wonderful day of family, friends and lots and lots of love.

So now I'm looking forwards and not back. This work situation could just be the beginning of something very exciting for me - I'm looking into what I might be able to do that uses my gifts and talents that will still work for the family and gives them back a happy wife and mum.

We're getting there, in spite of the rigours of this summer. Roll on Autumn and Winter, as I think that they might hold good things for us! They might even have a bit more blogging too....

Can we dig it? Yes we can!

We're digging the patio out and replacing it with a new one so Mike spent a happy couple of days last week digging it all out (and down 6 inches). Number 2 son decided to "help" and chose the right hat for the job.....


Next is the concrete and then the slabs. Mike is going to be a shadow of his former self by the time he's finished!

The anatomy of an Easter bonnet

As it's the last time I'm likely to make one, I decided to put a bit of effort into Number Two Son's Easter hat this year. In the end we all did a bit - even Mike painted egg-box daffodils.

I feel that I should share the process - and the pain...

First, make a top hat (far too much swearing and gnashing of teeth involved to take any photos of this but take my word for it that it was an A4 paper box beforehand). Paint it brown.

Then paint grassy bits on it.


Then get slaves to paint more grass and flowers (including the egg box daffs - amazing how much orange paint it takes to cover up a green egg box) to stick on and then endure the moaning about a miniscule dab of green paint hitting the youngest's finger.

Stick random stuff around the top while the rest dries off.

Stick it all on. Swear again as you realise that you should have accounted for the brim being stuck on inside the hat when you were measuring around small person's LARGE head. Ram it on and tell him to walk very carefully....

Watch proudly as he struts his stuff in an extremely noticeable hat at the actual parade, only mildly lamenting that all but one of the orange daffs have dropped off....

Thank goodness Big School doesn't do this kind of thing.

Happy Easter everybody!

And the valleys shall ring!

I've just heard today that I've been selected to sing at the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen this year.

Highly over-excited about this now, not to say more than a little nervous. However, I have a repertoire, I have a voice. I reckon I can probably hold my own and it will be such an amazing experience just trying.

This appeals greatly to the bit of welsh that's in me. Just hoping that they won't expect any Welsh-language singing. Italian, French, German - even the odd smattering of Czech: all great. Welsh is simply a clearing of the throat...

Mamma mia!

I'm supposed to be finishing some work stuff off but have found my mind (and browsing fingers) wandering.

On the upside, I have found potentially the funniest film I've seen in a while, though.

Running all over the... track

Number One Son, my sister-in-law Lesley and I ran the Sport Relief mile today. We had great fun and the weather was very, very kind to us! A good way to spend a morning.

Was really proud of all of us, but particularly of my boy, who just kept chugging along, didn't stop once and only asked a couple of times if he could have a drink!

All in aid of charity, of course, so if you want to donate to the cause, go to www.mysportrelief.com/therhodesteam

Going the distance

Having played around a little bit, trying to get into running over the last couple of years, I think that I'm finally getting the hang of it. This has been helped by Number One Son wanting to do the Sport Relief Mile and so it's given me a goal to work towards. Not as big as the one my sister-in-law has taken on, which is the Sport Relief SIX miles.... Mad.

Really enjoying running, though, and a mile doesn't feel like much at all now. Will look for something longer soon, as the next step up. Looking forward to getting better at it!

Time to get a grip

Have been exploring the world of Twitter over the last couple of days. Not sure how we're going to get on but we're having a bit of a trial period, to get used to each other.

What I hadn't expected was to stumble across the most heart- and gut-wrenching story from across the world on only my second day on the site. I've been a bit grumblesome today, what with one thing and another, but this has made me sit up and remember just how blessed I am. Am furiously thanking God for everything he's given me. And also thinking of this amazing, strong, brave family who've just lost their little girl.

And they say there's nothing in genetics

Number one son has just been confirmed as the latest in a long line of severely colourblind blokes in my family. It's all my fault, as the women generally carry and pass on the gene without having to cope with the not-so-fringe benefits.

However the added and unexpected extra result of the sight test he had to do is that he's also long-sighted. Glasses arrived yesterday and very suave he looks, too.

No farm no good!

Ok. So it was a good job that we checked. The Cotswold Farm Park was shut last week so we went to London instead and missed the snow! We were pretty proud of our superlative efforts on the museum front -we got in a bit of each of the V&A, Natural History Museum and Science Museum!

We even went to see the Queen at Buckingham Palace and waved and everything. She didn't wave back, though....



Then Sunday saw us going down to Surrey to Joshua's baptism. Dave and Pam are old friends from uni and it was so lovely to meet their little boy and his amazing cheeks!

Lemon and sugar

Well, it's half term and the lemon is that I'm working most of the week. The sugar is that the boys and Mike are having great fun doing boys' stuff, uninterrupted by my pesky female slant on things.

We're all off on Thursday and Friday and will be making a trip to the Cotswold Farm Park, which we're all looking forward to. Then we'll get the boys on their bikes on Friday. Should be interesting....

It's Shrove Tuesday today and, ever ones to follow a good tradition where food's concerned, we've done the whole pancake thing. I made quite a lot, it's fair to say. I limited myself to two and Number Two Son had a little bit of my second, preferring to munch his way through an apple "chocked up".

So, faced with a mildly virtuous pair opposite them at the dinner table, Mike and Number One Son resolved to eat their way through about 9 pancakes between them, with lashings of authentic Canadian maple syrup and chocolate sauce. If they aren't both sick tonight, there really isn't any justice in this world.

I'm back

...and not before time. We've had a lovely Christmas, with loads of family, music etc etc, including an amazing visit from our lovely Canadian cousin, Kerry, for Christmas itself.

Then there was lots of snow. Lots. More than Vancouver has been getting lately, certainly!

And, of course, the none-to-small matter of number one son's seventh birthday. Seven! I found myself really reminiscing about when he was first born, more than I usually do around birthdays, certainly. He's such a sophisticated little thing now - so different from the scrawny, anti-sleeping pink thing that we brought home from hospital seven years ago.
A trip was made to Think Tank in Birmingham, followed by a family tea. A good day.

So a cold but good winter so far. Really looking forward to some warmer weather and getting in to the garden, which is desperate for some attention. Roll on spring and enough of the cold stuff!!