Why you should NOT let Teenagers loose with a camera!

Just for fun....

Here is the very reason teenagers should never be allowed free use of a camera/video, and be left unsupervised. After posting TDs GCSE music performance last week here, I thought I should let you see the flip side to having such musical geniuses amongst us (haha..!), and what can happen when it all goes horribly wrong.
This video of outtakes was originally posted on youtube by my 18 yr old son, after their many, many (Oh.So.Many) evenings of rehearsals for music exams. I find it quite funny and it never ever fails to make me smile!

PS. Please feel free to put your fingers in your ears whenever necessary!!

Mind your Heads!

Honestly...I laughed my socks off!

My 22 Yr old son went out clubbing in Brighton last night.
As he went to leave the house he realised it was still raining and he'd broken his brolly, big split or some story, so in to the bin with it.

TD volunteered the use of hers, I know "what?!" how sweet....

On leaving a trendy bar, at some late hour last night, the skies now chucking down cats & dogs...

"It's OK, I've got a brolly!" he informed friends, some of whom are hairdressers, and you know how precious they can sometimes be about their hair.

"Me to the rescue!!" he announced, to his now obviously very impressed friends...'Oooh, what foresight'....

"Taa-daa!" he shouted, pressing the button and pointing the brolly towards the road, so he didn't take any ones eye out, cause he's thoughtful like that...

At which point, TDs brolly shot, like a wayward torpedo travelling at warp speed, across the road, landing unopened, in the gutter on the opposite side.

They all stood staring, slightly stunned, at just the handle left in his hand, followed by much hysterical, alcohol induced laughter....

So if you were out and about in Brighton, in the wee hours of the morning, and just escaped being decapitated by a low flying, fast moving, unidentified object, please accept my sons apologies...

...at least I'm sure he would apologise........if he could stop laughing long enough.

No, I've got nothing....So something for your ears instead...

Grrr..this is so frustrating. I have absolutely no inspiration for a post, funny or otherwise.

Obviously I must be living an extremely boring, mundane life at present.

Nope, still nothing....::sigh::...I was hoping if I just kept writing something would come to me, but no...Hmmph...

So I'm going to post a music track, not just any old track though. Someone very dear to my heart. Just to while away the time, you know, whilst waiting....

No, I've still got nothing....

It's my beautiful TDs GCSE Music practical perfomance. Which she took in May 2009. Her 18yr old brother played guitar for her, with TD singing. The exam board gives you 1 hour and as many attempts as you need, but no editing on the recording.

And in case you're mildly curious, she got a B, even with the hiccup on the lyrics!

So sit back, turn up those speakers and enjoy.....I'll be back once I've unclogged the old brain cells....

Five memorable moments & Stories & songs Meme..

Love Bay - Poros

Slap my wrists, I have been very remiss and I'm now trying to catch up on two tags.

The delightful Dulwich Divorce tagged me with 'Five memorable moments' of 2009, and the ever busy Babyrambles (I applaud you, how on earth are you finding time to blog? Go and have a lay down lovely lady, you're making me tired!) has tagged me with a Stories and Songs Meme, started by Brits in Bosnia

2009, an interesting year. The first has to be from May, when I took Early Severance from my Civil Service career of 28 years. I was only 19 yrs old when I started (a baby) This was a huge decision for me, us civil servants are (were) creatures of habit & like the comfort of a healthy, steady wage. Yes it was a choice, I wasn't pushed. But the job had changed so much over the years, and I truly wasn't enjoying it anymore, so I saw it as a chance to try something completely different. I still haven't found out quite what that is yet, but luckily the redundancy package has given me time to explore.

As a celebration of leaving one phase of my life and starting a new one, I booked the holiday of a lifetime. A beautiful villa called Lemon Tree House, for 10, on the stunningly beautiful Greek island of Poros. Just a little background here. We are not a huge travelling round the world type family. More the sort of stay at home, camping, caravan type. A few week long trips to France over the years, and should I say this out loud? 2 of my children had never even been on a plane! Shock, horror!
So, for us, this holiday was a huge deal. The 6 of us, and a friend each for the kids. My OH had visited Greece before, including Poros, but it was a first for the rest of us.
It was the most perfectly glorious and relaxed 2 weeks....memories which myself, OH and the children will hold dear forever.

My lovely, lovely OH, very chilled! - Poros

My beautiful family & their friends - Poros

In August, my Beautiful Teenage Daughter, my baby, turned 16, and left school. My last one! So I spent a memorable 10mins, in my car, alone, on her GCSE results day, reminiscing and getting misty eyed, on what had gone before, and what was still to come. Bittersweet.

Surprise memory. I discovered I could make a little money from my Art, who knew?!

And thanks to the lovely Emily at Maternal Tales, for an 'Oooh' moment memory, when my eyes were opened to the world of Blogging.

Moving on to the 'Stories and Songs Meme'

I'll try and make it a quickie, before you start falling asleep....

Early 1977 was the year we moved house, yet again. I was 15 yrs old, and within days had found out that in the house behind us, lived a gorgeous, blond, 15 yr old boy. I then developed the biggest, hugest ever crush, my first real crush that wasn't a teeny pop band of some sort, in the way only a romantic 15 yr old girl can. You know the one, the "I can't possibly live without him!"... "Nobody will ever love him the way I do!" kind of way.
We had albums & cassettes back in the day, and the two I played incessantly (oh my poor mother) were Rod stewarts 'Smiler' and Blondies 'Plastic Letters'. I would play them and gaze, longingly out of my bedroom window, dreaming.
By Spring, I had plucked up the courage to talk with him :::swoon::sigh::.
Come the summer we were best friends.
By my 16th Birthday party, at the end of the following February, we were 'together'... yes, put your fingers in your ears and sing loudly "tralalalalala" *cough*....he was my first.....*blush*

During that February of 1978, the single released by Blondie, which reached No 2 in the charts was 'Denis Denis'...




..........................


........The name of my First Love?...


...........................


......Dennis.....

I kid you not...I couldn't make it up if I tried. Although, admittedly, it does sound a little better in French!

I'm passing these tags along to the following lovely bloggers....

Chic Mama

Emily at Maternal Tales

Gigis Ramblings

Ju at Maiaandlarasblog

auntiegwensdiary

The return of the Mobile/Cell phone...It's Love

I have just returned a mobile/cell phone to its rightful owner.

It was alone and probably quite lonely with no one to talk to, but I kept it safe & warm. Although I think it may have wanted to be turned on, touched and stroked, with maybe a little prodding here and there, which of course would have caused it to produce lovely happy, enjoyable little chirps of pleasure.

Instead it has been silently residing in my handbag for 12 whole days...and that's an eternity for a normally gregarious little phone, who is more used to an extremely active lifestyle of images, loud music, texting, msn, facebook and the odd 100 hrs of conversation.

I only hope that, for this little phones future wellbeing, now that it is back home with its one true love...

...aaahhh....altogether now....

......that it's owner will now continue to stick to the rules, attend college when expected to and certainly not lie about not attending when confronted...

Here's hoping for a very contented little phone....::sigh::...beep...beep...

Bloggers for Haiti

As I've found out in the last 6 months, the Blogging world can be a wonderful place, full of unselfish, loving & giving people from all walks of life. Of course, the giving is normally more about sharing advice, invaluable support and very often, a place to have a cry or good old belly laugh with other blogging friends.

But sometimes, and this is one of those times, it needs to get serious....and we should take a moment to step out of our own busy, hectic lives living with toddlers, children, teens and all that brings, and try to envisage, just for that moment, losing absolutely everything...
I find it difficult to, so I can't even imagine what the reality must be like..

English Mum and some blogging friends have created a Justgiving page for the Haiti disaster

The aim is to raise enough money for one of these ShelterBoxes, which cost about £500.


ShelterBox is such a unique organisation, because what they provide is an entire rescue kit in a box. Each box contains:

• A ten-person tent with privacy partitions that allow its occupants to divide the space as they see fit
• A range of other survival equipment including thermal blankets and insulated ground sheets, essential in areas where temperatures plummet at nightfall
• Life-saving means of water purification. Water supplies often become contaminated after a major disaster, as infrastructure and sanitation systems are destroyed, this presents a secondary but no less dangerous threat to survivors than the initial disaster itself.
• A basic tool kit containing a hammer, axe, saw, trenching shovel, hoe head, pliers and wire cutters. These items enable people to improve their immediate environment, by chopping firewood or digging a latrine, for example. Then, when it is possible, to start repairing or rebuilding the home they were forced to leave.
• A wood burning or multi-fuel stove that can burn anything from diesel to old paint. This provides the heart of the new home where water is boiled, food is cooked and families congregate. In addition, there are pans, utensils, bowls, mugs and water storage containers.
• Each box can be adapted to the individual needs of the disaster area, for example, following the Javanese earthquake in 2006, when some resources were available locally or could be salvaged from one storey buildings, the overwhelming need was for shelter – so ShelterBox just sent tents, packing two in each box. The box itself is lightweight and waterproof and has been used for a variety of purposes in the past – from water and food storage containers to a cot for a newly born baby.
• And lastly, but I think just as importantly, each box contains a children’s pack containing drawing books, crayons and pens. For children who have lost most, if not all, of their possessions, these small gifts are treasured.

So, if you're reading this, and you feel the need, please give. Any amount however small or large.
In the words of English Mum "....and whats a tenner?...a bottle of wine? – or two if you drink crappy ones like me"...her mum seems to know all the 'in' places to get the cheap wine!! So all round to hers then....

A small donation from me won't change my life, nor yours, but it can and will make a difference to theirs...

http://www.justgiving.com/Bloggers-For-Haiti

::UPDATE:: The current amount stands at £875... Woop! Woop! Way to go bloggers.....

Creative Juices...Gone AWOL?

Over the last month or so, due to one thing or another I seem to have misplaced my creative juices. They had definitely gone AWOL...

Thankfully, over the last few days, I'm not sure why, I have started to remember where I left them..or at least I think I might remember...erm.. ?



I made these two pieces, to sell in my eBay shop in preparation for Valentines Day.....

I love them, but then I have to say that, don't I? But I am definitely feeling a tad wobbly about those damn juices doing a complete runner again.

Please, let me know what you think...and yes, I realise that makes me sound a little needy, I did just tell you I was a bit wobbly! Indulge me....

Do I have my 'creative mojo' back? Or should I just keep on looking.....because we all know that saying 'it's always in the last place you look' and maybe I haven't got to the last place yet....

A favourite Photo Meme

Ju from DoubleTrouble Maia and Laras blog has tagged me with "a favorite photo meme" which means I have to find a favourite out of the 1000s of photos I have...Eeekk!
Luckily, about 3 months ago we treated ourselves to a scanner and I spent a nostalgic 3-4 days(!) scanning all my old & new photos into the computer. Wonderfully atmospheric black & white shots of my grand-parents, family members long gone but not forgotten. I had such fun!

But this meme has caused a little dilemma, which one to choose? Mmm? I have some lovely ones of the children, and they are snapshots of memories to cherish forever, but still I couldn't choose just one out of so many, as I do have so many children!! OMG!...Which one?!...Nope, I can't do it!

I finally stopped dithering around, because I came back to this one quite a few times. Plus there was the 'Family Joke' which still makes me smile now, and was always said when anyone saw it......

This is me aged 4 (I'm the younger one) and my cousin Kim, 7, at London Zoo in 1966. Probably because we lived fairly close by, in Kilburn Park, and it was only a few tube stops, we went fairly often. It was always a whole day out for us as a family, and I remember we aways saw the 'Chimps Tea Party'. Of course this would never, ever happen today, and I believe it stopped in 1972. But it was a different era, I'm not sure anyone even thought it might be cruel for the chimps, and as little ones we certainly had no thoughts of that.

When I look at this photo all I remember is just the sheer joy of those trips.

Probably a very un-PC photo for me to choose, but for me it's about the warm, happy carefree feelings it represents....

::And before anyone else says it, Haha...yes, it is me & my cousin, and I have absolutely no idea who the two children are! (The Family joke!!)::

Now I have to pass this on, so here goes. To Gigisrambling, chicmama, maternaltales, expatmum and Modernmom

...have fun ladies!

Welcome back to the real world!!

All the Christmas & New Year celebrations are now over and done with, so its all back to normal here. The cards are gone, the tree is down and all the decorations have been put away for another year. I'm sure we are all at least 5lb heavier than we were ::groan::... and we still have tins of chocolates/sweets/biscuits to get through!

Of course normality here means that TD is now attempting to fit almost 2 weeks worth of Art & Photography coursework into 2 days! I know, nothing really changes, does it?
To be honest, TD has done a few bits & pieces, but not nearly enough. So the race is on...::sigh::
Oh well, at least those leftover tins may come in handy....I feel she may need that sugar rush!

So, are you all back to normal now?