an un-expected brilliant weekend

Un-expected because I fully expected to spend the weekend on the couch, I have badly bruised the ligaments and tendons holding my right knee cap in place (falling down concrete steps). This was done on Thursday.
Having had swine flu, I can not spend anymore time on my couch!

So with Theo at my parents house for the weekend and with NHS walking stick at my aid, Nathan and I set off for Warwick Folk Festival, my favourite past time was promptly embarked upon..rambling through on old book shop...I love the smell, the feeling and the stock!! Books were bought at extortionate prices, but a smile was playing on my face

We had a fine dinner at home (after the normal specified set time that a child dictates) and had a really nice, if somewhat painful, evening together.

Today we went back to Warwick for hmmmmm brunch. An anti pasta was had whilst watching morris dancers do their thing in the rain..hahaha..smug feeling, warm with coffee, good food and best of all, dry!!

Then we went to go and pick up Theo who was wired with tiredness. most people get grouchy or upset or just fall asleep when tired...not Theo, he goes into hyper mode.
Knowing that we had a "fun" afternoon and evening ahead of us, we decided on a pleasant nature walk.

Home for wet weather gear and our camera's, off we set.

When we set out it wasn't raining, just very windy.

It was the most relaxing walk EVER. We stopped and listed for the wind in the trees and compared it to the noise of waves breaking, we listened to the bird song, we looked at the tracks to see what we could make out in them - birds feet, dog paws, horse hoofs and different sized human treads.
We stopped in the bird watch den and saw a heron feeding.
It started to rain and it was simply glorious. Everything seemed do dive for shelter but the rain soaked leaves glistened and shone, the water hitting the river made ripples in the murky water.

I am a complete amateur photographer and do it for my very own pleasure, I used to take my camera everywhere when Nathan first bought it for me, but somehow I got out of the habit. But when you are intent on taking pictures of small little flowers and trying to get a good picture of the rain in the water...you do tend to see things that you wouldn't if you just went for a rambling walk (well I wouldn't anyway). (for some really excellent photography, please please go to http://www.chookooloonks.com/)

Having a bad knee I had to set the pace and it was a slow pace through the woods.
We got wet through, we got muddy and a little chilly, but we all had a really good nature walk and promised that as long as its not torrential rain, we would come out at least once a week.

Love Thursday - to my friends

Recently I decided that I like who I am.
This may seem strange to some that at the grand old age of 32, I have only just realized it, but there we go!!!..This is what I came up with....I am a nice person, I like who I am and what I do and generally what I am all about, because I know who I am - I don't need someone telling me, I know what I do makes me happy and I don't have the dread of going to work in the morning, I understand me and appreciate my likes and dislikes and I don't need to be a chameleon to fit with someone else - and because I felt the need to scrutinise myself makes me think of all of my dear friends that would say exactly the right thing had I told them the situation I found myself in...so it is for this reason that I dedicate this Love Thursday to each and every friend.

To all my friends out there, I thank you from the bottom of my soul for always being "there" for me.

I adore meeting new people and sharing experiences with them.

Last night I went to a friends house to attend a clothes swapping party. You may have heard of these, basically you grab a heap of clothes intended for the charity shop, take them to said party and literally dump them on a table!! it was such a hoot and came back with clothes that about 7 other women had tried on and some that I would never look at in a shop!

I met some really funny, wity and adorably people last night who just made the evening.

There was an element of frenzy when we all dumped our clothes onto the table, but it soon calmed down and once some vino was drunk we were all trying on things that were too big / too small or just down right dangerous for us to wear!! But it was all done with a lot of teasing a massive dose of laughter.

I hold all my friends on a pedestal for all of their individual perfections, I have a friend who moved from London to little old leamington - she Knew no one and had 2 kids to get into school and take care of...she is now one of the happiest people I know...another friend moved to Spain and is such a dedicated mother that she is coming back so her daughter can do more studying over here and doesn't want to be without her....another friend recently gave up EVERYTHING to follow a dream - and a bloody good life she is leading now...another friend is just perfectly calm in any given situation nothing seems to faze her....so many people, so many personalities I find each and every one of them special and I couldn't survive without all of their gossip!!

So this love thursday goes out to all of my friends that I have known, know now and will know in the future - I take my hat off to you all...and thanks for sharing you life with me.

a homage to my husband

(a corny picture of us - check out the 5 month pregnancy belly!!!)(scanned so please excuse the picture quality!)

We have been married for 6 glorious years today.

Our love has moulded, evolved and grew with us as 2 individual people.

In my previous life, I had a very turbulent time with regards to men and when I moved to London I was basically running away from a bad situation.
I got transferred there within my job and had only ever visited London about 3 times and knew absolutely no-one there. The person who gave me the job advised me to speak to someone called Nathan about finding somewhere to live, so I did and he helped.

So when I moved to London and started work, I obviously wanted to meet him. My initial reaction was that he was very skinny and dorky looking, he says that he thought I had a nice rack and a decent pair of legs!!!
To cut a very long story short, we hooked up about 2 weeks later and when I look back I fell for him hook line and sinker straight away!
I bullied, cajoled and bribed him and eventually we moved in to our first flat together and our relationship has gone from strength to strength.
We have never ever looked back and we have gone from one adventure to another.
Don't get me wrong we have had our moments, but that's all they have been is moments. I pride our relationship on many things and not arguing is a big one. We can talk things out, yes it may get a little heated at times but I cant remember a time that we have had an all out slanging match saying things that we will regret later.
If one of us has done something to upset the other, we don't let it fester, we immediately say something to get it over and done with.
We have sooo much in common, yet still have our own interests. We are both unique yet we are as one. And our love has no boundaries.

I never thought that one person was made for another, now I do.
I trust him, I adore him, I worship the ground he walks on, he is my "sex on legs", in short - Nathan is my everything and I couldn't be me without him.
He doesn't have a romantic bone in his entire body, but he doesn't need to...its the little things that matter to me. He will go to the shops and will bring me back flowers, he will call me in the middle of the day just to say Hi, every morning - without fail, he will bring me a cup of coffee in bed, he will look at me when I am feeling ugly and tell me I am beautiful and he will be really honest when I ask does my bum look big in this!!!

I love him for all that he is and not all that he could be. I think some women try to change their men into not watching the footie as much or to take them shopping and get mad at their man for not having fun. I married the man because I fell for him just the way he is...who has the right to change perfection???

It is with great honour and with a gratified tear in my eye that I say thank you Nathan for choosing me to be your wife, and thank you for the life we have.

forever yours.

love on love Thursday

I have a deep down dark secret that some would say isn't as deep down as I may think....I love, adore and whoop for joy at ....... weddings.
I am one of those sad people that Love looking at wedding pictures and I cry at weddings, be it a family member getting hitched or a friend or even on TV...I cry with proper tears.

So, one might be forgiven if you think that at my own wedding I was a blubbering wreck...on the contrary my dear friends, I laughed, the whole way through!
I laughed whilst walking the isle, I laughed whilst saying the vows, I was almost hysterical when I said my husbands very long name, in fact, the only time I shed a tear is when a very dear friend read a poem for us.

I loved my wedding day for the fact that all of my nearest and very dearest were there to celebrate with us. We had about 30 people there as we only wanted people there who would celebrate our exchange of vows and not just there for a party. It was a beautiful day and everyone says they still talk about it. I was 5 months pregnant and I am thankful that in some small way my son was present.

At the end of the evening, after a large amount of alcohol was drunk (not by me), I was getting tired so went for a little lie down (we got married and had the reception at the green bank hotel in Falmouth), when I got back into the reception the band were doing "you can leave your hat on" About 6 male friends were dancing and parading as though they were in the full monty film!!! classic, we have it all recorded to add to their shame!!

And this is where Love on love Thursday comes in....
I have a few friends that are in serious relationships and I am desperate for them to get engaged so I can start planning!!! I also add that I have never ever been a bridesmaid (being 2 and stumbling up the isle in a very pink and very frilly dress does not count) and so I am desperate to be a matron of honour. I drop subtle hints like, "I would look fantastic in an empire full length green dress" and "I have the best hen days plan", subtle.

So I dedicate this love Thursday not necessarily to those little things that have made ME appreciate life this week, but to all those people that have new love, the kind of love that is all consuming in passion and exploration of a partners mind and sole. The sort of thing that makes your stomach lurch at the very thought and is both exciting and scary all at the same time. The sort of love that I still have for my husband.

Its our 6 th wedding anniversary next week and we have been together for 10 years this week. i love that man more than I care to express, I don't always show it but I worship the ground that man walks on, I love watching him sleep as I know when he is asleep he is care free, I love to have him cuddle me all up as I feel so safe in his arms, I love the way he makes me tingle with desire and I love the way he looks at me....I simply love Nathan.

So this is to your my "in love" friends. For those of you who have never had this love, you will.

i'm being tested for swine flu

Remember the other day when I was bragging and I mentioned that I have a "sniffle"?
well that sniffle has turned into big flu. I ache - everywhere...I would laugh if I didn't think my head would split open in pain.

My husband called NHS direct yesterday to see about the whole swine flu thing and very non committal the nurse said that she would sent out a testing kit - by post, it may get sent it may not!! I wonder how many cases of swine flu have gone un detected because the kit hasn't been sent. Apparently you have to stick some sort of pipette up your nasal canal, take a sample and then post it back...ergh, I have lots of stuff in my nasal canal that I can take a sample of!!!

My symptoms are as follows...my head has a lightening bolt of pain going thru it every time I move my head...I feel like putting a tampon into each nasal passage just to stop the flow of luminous green snot coming out, my shoulders ache, my back feels battered and bruised, i have lead legs and my feet feel like I have walked the length of the UK on them. this is note a good time for me and no position that I sit or lie in is comfy.

I managed to get down stairs this morning on my own as hubby was off to work (after doing the school run) He said that he would only go to work if i could get up to go to the toilet and also be able to get myself a drink and something to eat.

Ha, i love a challenge. needing a pee, I took the opportunity to prove that I am an independent 30 something and so off I went...got half way up stairs and needed to have a little rest, had my pee and was hungry so I decided to make myself some toast, so I managed to get myself down stairs...little rest on the couch...bread in toaster, buttered toast and sat down, this took about 20 minutes or so!

Hmmppphhhh toast smelt lovely, problem was I was too knackered and exhausted from my little escapade that I couldn't summon the energy to eat the goddam toast. Hubby asked for the truth if I was gonna by OK for him to go to work...I cried, like a child...how pathetic is that...then the head splitting pain came back with a vengeance.

the time of writing this is 9.31 and it has already been a fairly hectic day...I'm going to sleep now and will await the postman for my swine flu test kit..damn those bugs.

So my thought / question for this entry is...how are you today?