The 30 days of work

Ciao bellas!

So its actually 28 days but you give up counting eventually!!I'm 19 days in to my workathon and its going well! Tonight I'm chilling out with some wine, some tunes and little else. But then I don't need much else!!
My Christmas shopping has all been done courtesy of my labours at Argos and my hours of liberty at Beauport, during which I regularly peruse Amazon, Ebay and selected other shopping meeca's (including the aforementioned Argos!!). My Christmas cards have all been written at work too. Happy days!

In case any of you were actually wondering and/or thinking I'm mental/lying I'll just clarify that since I went to work at Argos on Sunday 27th Nov I haven't had a day off and will not have one until Christmas Day. Now this is my own choice and not one I entered into lightly I can assure you, but I will admit that my bank balence was my first concern!
After all I may well be facing 2 months of actually doing nothing come the new year!

As I have said to some of you over the last few months, its just a case of waiting and seeing.

I'm also in limbo waiting for the post to come every day! I've got quite a few things coming from Amazon and Ebay - not to mention my AABS Secret Santa that is due imminently. Come on!

Right that is all for now luvvies. Have a good one. We're almost in single figures in the Christmas countdown (yay!) which means it is only 17 days til my birthday! Roll on 2012! I will of course be treating you all to my usual end of year round-up of highlights closer to the time :-)

Tis the season to PARTAY!

Yep that's right peeps, December is the month of the party and I've been to 2 of particular note recently that I felt were totallly worthy of coming together in to one blog post. I am currently struggling with the strangest cold ever, but it didn't stop me from getting out and about to PARTAY in the last couple of weeks.

My first outing was at the invite of my dear friend Sarah, whose Mum was turning 60 and had a number of festivities planned. The second was the Beauport staff Christmas party at Ye Olde Pumpe House. Here's a picture of it, for those of you who aren't local:

 

Don't you just love the building itself? The atmosphere was really lovely, everyone was getting along really well even the cynics had a good time and there was a great deal of Christmas spirit tangible!!

The party weekend at Sarah's was just as great, but in a different way. Sarah and her parents are so generous with their hospitality, that going to visit is effortless and a real joy, even so we did have a house full and there were people everywhere!

So two great occasions, in 2 diffferent worlds! We'll start with the furthest back: my trip to Sarah's: Sarah text me to invite me to come to her Mum's party mainly to provide her with some company during the festivities. Due to work, I could only go Friday & Saturday (the main party was Sat night) and so took the opportunity to hang out with Sarah for an extra day. Soon Tom was in on the act and the 3 muskateers were destined for a meet up!! We had envisioned a trip to the flicks to see "our film" but the only place The Three Muskateers was showing was Leicester Square.... In short, the only time we wanted to go the cinema there was cack all on!

Oh well, we had some time to catch up and chill out before more of Sarah's family came bringing with them a very energetic 3 year old and a teething 9 month old, so we had a whale of a time doing our best to keep both occupied as party preparations continued around us. With the house sooo full, there were people sleeping all over the place - in almost every room!

Sarah and I got very up close and personal on the sofa bed in the lounge and were woken nice and early by Charlie for our pains, still I was introduced to Mr Bloom's Nursery, which is quite cool!

Saturday came around and there were 2 kinds of partys - an afternoon session and a bigger, evening bash. Lots of guests filled the house and the evening was a blur of platters of food, booze of various kinds, chit chat with guests and meeting new people. One of Sarah's Mum's friends had also been to Southampton Uni, so we had a nice catch up about that too!

I always think it's amazing how many people you can fit in to one house and the atmosphere that can be created with a few well-placed candles, a selection of red, white & nibbles, lots of celebrating people and some mood music! Archie had gone to Doggy Day (& Overnight) Care, Charlie to his auntie's and Toby to his cot right at the top of the house!

All in all it was a really pleasent weekend with the party and all the people around; the chance to finally see Tom & Sarah - the 3 of us finally being together again - ws the icing on the proverbial cake! :-D

Thus, I was in full party mode for the Beauport Staff Chrimbo do. Not that I was originally planning on going! The company (for very good reasons) have a policy that seasonal staff do not get invited to eat, drink and be merry at the their expense. However, someone else couldn't go and so the PArk Manager, Paul, basically said "why not?" and off I went!

Got a taxi with the boys and got to the Pump House around 7pm. We had some drinkies in the bar and the boys talked about footie whilst we waited to be seated. We were in a nice little section off from the main bar, where there were others eating and enjoying taking the chance to kickoff the festive season in style! So we got some wine for the table and more drinks so that conversation and alcohol flowed nicely!

Three courses, more booze, some party boxes and a lot of laughs later we got the bill. Considering there were 9 of us and we had a fair bit to drink between us, it only came to just over £300!! I have to say that the food was lush: a prawn cocktail to start, full on (and very large) Christmas dinner for the main which was lovely; lots of turkeys, tasty roasties, pigs in blankets, yorkies and lotsa veg! To finish the was a mint choc chip sundae with real pieces of mint aero in side!! Food baby is not the word for that lot I tell you!

Around 11pm most people called it a night, but me Loz, Tim & Ant decided to go in to town. As soon as we stepped outside of the pub, we got cacked on from a great height as it was raining and the wind was well and truly blowing! So we battled all the way from the Old Town in to town and we could see that apart form a few smokers huddled in doorways, there was NoOne about! We tried a few bars but people were rattling around inside - they were so empty!

In the end we went to Yates, where I spent my only money of the whole night: £2 to get in! We actually bumped in to a couple of people who used to work at Beauport which was nice to catch up! We had a good night overall but I think the guys were disappointed that there weren't more people out. The decision to call it a night was made just before 1am when Ant had fallen asleep in the middle of Yates despite all the music and people and had trapped me in a chair. Loz to the rescue and we all struggled through the gales and drizzle to the taxi rank.

Apart from Ant (who was in no fit state to do anything!) we all had work the following day - needless to say Loz and Tim had a wee headache apiece! I say it was totally worth it, as all the different teams and people were coming together and for one night putting all of the moaning and resentment that usually abides in the office aside in favour of a bit of old-fashioned Christmas cheer.

And you can't ask for any better than that. Here's to the festive season!!

Hastings Remembers (Pt. 2)

So readers, you've just heard and seen all about Saturday in London, now I move on to Sunday and our own Festival in Hastings at The White Rock Theatre.

This, unlike the Albert Hall, is something that has been a labour of love in my house for many months in the run up to November. There is entertainment to source, the programme to design, song choices to be made, cadets to organise and much more besides.
 Now, Remembrance Sunday in Hastings takes the form of two parades: one in the morning and one in the evening. We didn't attend the morning as we got back from London very late indeed! But I took cares to visit Alexandra Park in the weeks that followed to photograph the War Memorial and a rather unusual phenomenon.

 

Now the credit for this stranger phenomenon, which I'll show you below, goes to person or persons unknown! No one has any idea who did this:

If you look closer you will see that there are nearly 400 of these poppies attatched to the tree. There is one for every serviceman and woman who has been killed fighting in Afghanistan. Each poppy has the name and the date of death of one young person. What are your thoughts on this method of commemoration? I rather like it. I think it is striking yet oddly passive: you can pass it and only take in the bigger picture or you can stop and take a closer look, seeing the individual components.The people behind the politics, the real lives beyond the media story.

 

As for the evening, it was a great success with more people than ever attending - around 500! We were selling the programmes and can testify to the fact that there was a lot of activity and hype from very early on in the evening and it is great to see so many of the young people being involved in remembrance and commemoration. We begin with the entertainment; the singalong and performances by the Sea Cadets and St Paul's School, then move in to the Service and Dedication.

Next year I think we should aim to have a sellout show - its the least we can do to support the RBL. I would like to be on the sub-committee that organises it this year, but we don't get the chance to stand until December/January time. In the meantime I've been asked to fill the position of Publicity Officer for our local branch, so I need to consider that possibility too!

Here's one of my pics from the Festival:

 

All in all, I want to thank and publically blog my respects for everyone who donated to this year's Poppy Appeal in Hastings and St Leonards and to all of those who support the work of the Legion all the year round. Together (which is the best way!) we raised £53,000 to help serving and ex-service people and their families. Here is where the money goes: http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/support-us/how-to-give/where-your-money-goes

We remain proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with all who serve.

London Pride (Pt. 1)

Hello everybody, so its time to tell you the story of my Remembrancetide.

So we were in London on the Saturday afternoon. The first thing we did was to eat at TGIs and then took a taxi ride to The Royal Albert Hall. I have to say that the taxi ride cost me a lot of money, but the route has its splendid parts: taking us past Buckingham Palace and along the Mall and then Kensington Gore.

As we approached the Albert Hall, we first of all began to see increasingly large groups of people clutching programmes, sporting ornate poppies and lots of medals. They had just left the afternoon performance! Then we saw barriers - they lined both sides of the road and prevented anyone stopping or getting near the RAH. At either ends of the approach were white marquees and armed policemen lined the pavements and roads.
Disembarking from the taxi, we headed for the marquee where we passed through a metal detector and had our bags searched. All of these measures in place, of course, because HM The Queen and the rest of the Royal Family would be in attendance. Chris had already informed me that mobile phone jamming may be in place so we were constantly texting back and forth to try and arrange where to meet! We were part of a swelling crowd outside of Door 6, which is right opposite the Royal College of the Arts where the participants in the Festival were being fed and rested.

We could see several different types of military personnel milling around amongst the armed police and in the dusk, with the RAH backlit and crowds growing outside, the atmosphere was laced with expectation, sobriety and cameraderie.

Once inside there was a stand selling all kinds of Poppy merchandise and we took time to browse and see all the different ways that the RBL are trying to raise money. Then we met up with Chris!!! Now it has been 3 whole years since I've actually seen Chris and we couldn't believe we had left it that long. We got a drink from the bar and headed up to the gods to marvel at the architechture of the building. This will give you an idea of what its like looking down from way up high

Awesome eh?

The wonderous first sight of the Hall and being reunited with my dear old friend was a great start to the evening. We caught up, checked out the seating arrangements and I was treated to some inside gossip on Katherine Jenkins before I had to go and take my seat and Chris had to change etc. Then on with the show!!

The full muster after the poppy petals have fallen with the drumhead altar, book and torch of Remembrance, Queen's Colour & RBL National Standard. The children present the poppy posy to the RBL National President.

Needless to say, we were NOT meant to be taking pictures, but I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to capture Chris on camera, so these are the fruits of my labour.

Highlights of the Festival for me (there are a LOT):
O Seeing Chris take part in the muster
O Seeing the Chelsea Pensioners and War Widows and the response from the audience towards them
O Being part of such a large group singing the National Anthem and hymns
O Seeing Alfie Boe and the Band of HM Royal Marines perform "Over the Hills"
O Seeing the Military Wives Choir and Gareth Malone perform "Wherever You Are"
O Watching the Poppy Petals fall

Both of these amazing videos are worth a watch and the Military Wives Choir single is definately worth a download or two!

Wathing th ewhole thing back again on the TV completed the experience and I got to see Chris twice! You can't beat being there though and I would almost certainly go again. I would choose different seats though - as you see from the pics, we were rather off to one side. Much to my outrage we were directly above The Queen, so never even saw her for a second. Still, it did feel like everyone was singing towards us!!

Chris was also on parade at the Cenotaph the following morning and so my eyes were peeled for him there too! Overall the visit to London and to the Festival of Remembrance did fill me with pride: of our nation, of its Armed Forces; of the individuals who value service rather than self.

SOS!!

SOS: Support our soldiers!

Another British soldier has been killed in Afghanistan this week. As we honour those who have fallen on the battlefield, we can also support the men and women still serving.

By Jan Bird - Saturday 05 Nov 2011

A soldier from the 2nd Battalion, the Mercian Regiment is the latest British military casualty in Afghanistan. He has been named as Private Matthew Haseldin, aged 21, who had only been deployed to Afghanistan in September having joined the army in February. He was shot dead whilst on patrol in Helmand province on 3 November, bringing the total number of British military deaths in Afghanistan to 384, since “Operation Enduring Freedom” began 10 years ago in 2001.
Lieutenant Colonel Colin Marks, commanding officer of 2 Mercian Regiment, paid tribute to the young soldier, describing him as “hugely popular”. He continued:

“… it was impossible to tell that he was the newest member of 7 Platoon, all of whom loved him like a brother. One of the team, Matthew was at the centre of most things and enjoyed a game of cards during precious rest periods. Steadfast in battle, Matthew faced more challenges in the few short weeks he spent in Helmand than many soldiers experience in a lifetime. He died standing firm in the face of a determined enemy, in the highest traditions of The Mercian Regiment.”

As Remembrance Day approaches, it’s time for all of us, whatever our opinions about war in general or this conflict in particular, to pause and reflect on the lives lost in past and present campaigns and on the sacrifices our soldiers make on a daily basis. Wherever you come from, geographically or figuratively, it’s undeniable that these men and women are doing difficult, dangerous jobs in places most of us would avoid. We should salute them for it and we should say “thank you” far more often.
That’s why I’m so thrilled to have found an organisation that helps UK residents support our soldiers serving in Afghanistan and in other conflict zones. Called “Adopt a Squaddie” (using a British slang word for a soldier), it enables individuals and groups to support serving soldiers with letters and parcels from their home country.
It’s tough to imagine when we’re in our comfortable houses, perhaps enjoying time with our kids, what it’s like being thousands of miles from home, away from your family and under constant threat of attack. I complain about not having a day job but I’m not patrolling streets under threat of sniper fire, or risking my life to save others by defusing a roadside bomb.
Imagine coming back to barracks, exhausted, filthy and hungry, perhaps in shock having lost a friend during the day and finding that someone you don’t know has sent you a parcel with a few special treats and basic necessities from home. These are items that individually may cost little but which, to a serving soldier, will mean the world. That box says someone gives a damn about you even if they don’t know you, someone who recognises your sacrifice and your bravery and wants to say “thank you”.
I’ve already been shopping and packed a box. Mine contains:

• A book of number and word puzzles, pens and playing cards
• Sweets (candy) and gum – not just for comfort but essential for dry, dusty conditions
• Handwarming pads
• Razors, shaving balm, spare toothbrushes and toothpaste
• Ketchup and instant chocolate drinks – a taste of home
• Wet wipes – highly prized given the sand and dust
• Nail brushes and cotton buds
• Glucose tablets

I’ve already bought enough for two boxes!
If you’re not a UK resident and you wish to support troops from your own country, there are organisations operating a similar service which you can easily find on the internet. Do consider supporting such organisations even if you’re not from a military family. I don’t have close relatives serving but that doesn’t make any difference to me. They’re all out there doing a job on our behalf, a job most of us wouldn’t do.
These brave men and women go where their government points them and do their job without question. As we remember their fallen colleagues, so we also remember those still serving. They deserve our support, our kindness and our appreciation.

 This is an article written by Jan Bird, a member of Adopt a British Squaddie, a group that I am proud to be a member of. To date I have adopted 5 squaddies and it is amazing to support these men & women who are doing such an immense job so far away from home.

Without a doubt, visit the website www.adoptabritishsquaddie.co.uk to find out more. They desparately need more adopters, so you should totally sign up and do it if you are able and willing.

Big, small, everchanging worlds...

Hello peeps,

Happy Halloween to you all. Hope you had a scary day! Tomorrow is the first of November and partly because I had a little epiphany the other morning whilst reading two other blogs in bed and partly because I don't like the whole one blog a month thing: I'm blogging!

Let me start with my epiphany: as I said, I was reading two blogs. Both are written by girls called Joy both of whom are doing amazing things to serve God and others where they are. To cut a long thought short, they two blogs just really made me realise that I had fallen in to the trap of having a very small world view.
My world is limited to Beauport, Argos and my house and my world view was the same. I read the news on a daily basis - I like current events and the they interest me, but my world view is so small!

Joy 1 as I'll call her here is doing the Soul 61 Programme with Soul Survivor and was getting really excited about getting an evangelism placement. I just thought wow, how (un)important is evangelism to me right now? She's also getting some seriously good training from that church which will reallly set her up for a good many paths!
Joy 2 also has a blog and she was reflecting on a film she has seen recently called The Help. These were her thoughts after watching it:
"In 50 years, when someone looks back at my generation, what will they see as unforgivable? Will they wonder what possessed us to use the limited resources on our planet so selfishly? Or will they ask how we could have merrily popped along to the supermarket to buy a bag of groceries grown by slaves? Or will it be something else – something I cannot see? Something I would even be foolish enough to argue in favour of? I want to be a prophet in my time, bringing to the fore the injustices we fail to see, the ones the World will one day look back in horror and ask “How could they have just let it happen?”"
and those thoughts impressed me a lot. What do I stand up for? What do I believe in? What injustices am I either endorsing or working to repeal? Challenging!

So those girls really made me stop and think, and also wonder, about my life. How worthy is it? I know, and remain convinced, that I am in the place God wants to me to be. However, he is not a puppeteer God, he gives us free reign to bring about His Kingdom however we like - using our gifts and talents. So I need to keep remembering some old advice: it is God's job to look inwards, it is ours to look upwards. Then when we see Him, to follow His gaze outwards.

Global events this year such as the death of Osama bin Laden and Col Gaddafi, are real moments in history and it made me think even more, how will those events and our actions - and those of the UN and NATO - be seen by the historians of the future?


Returning briefly to my little world, I just want to say, before I go any further, that I love my job at Beauport. The hours are long, holiday makers are demanding, owners moan and sometimes wrong decisions are made and injustices persist but the staff are lovely, there are a lot of laughs and the park is lovely. However it does take up a lot of my time, with Argos too I have nearly been doing a 50hr week sometimes and this doesn't leave time, energy or mental capacity for much else. Is that right or wrong I ask myself? I do have a family to support though....


Still, I had my strongest temptation yet the other day as I was checking my emails! I got an email from Disney with some truly amazing special offers and since it was approaching payday I really had a strong feeling that I would just book it and go for it. Then I wondered who I would go with....and then shelved the idea as I realised the answer was nobody.
That's why I haven't booked any travelling trips despite my real ambitions to see the world. Its no fun alone.


Nonetheless we persevere. Just as Beauport is quietening down, Argos has exploded in to manic business, to the point that I believe we won't have anything left in the whole countryto actually sell! The money in the bank is a welcome reward though, but the sense of it being a crying shame that I have no opportunity to use it is mounting.
Still I am fully aware that I will have no respite this side of Christmas, that's for sure!

At the moment I am on the brink of a plan to make cake. Serious cake. Here it is:
and I'm also plannning on making some glittery Poppy cupcakes too!

Right I think I've waffled enough for the time being! Do feel free to share any feedback with me as ever and let me know that I'm loved!!

Bye :-)

Lots of nice things (except the COLD!!)

Hello there all,

It's me again. Welcome to October the month of extremes in the nation's weather, amongst others!

Well we are now on the 7th and it does not feel in any way like it is X amount of days until certain things:

- 22 days until the end of season Halloween party (note to self: must design posters)
- 24 days until my contract finishes at Beauport...  :"-(
- 36 days until Mum and I travel to London to attend the annual Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall in the presence to HM The Queen.
- 37 days until the Festival of Remembrance at the White Rock Theatre (I design the programme and sell tickets each year)

Slightly further in the future; it is 18 weeks and 1 day until I go away (hopefully) with Ruth and her 'rents to Whitby for a week.
Beyond that, its less than 24 weeks until Mum and I head to Llandudno for the RBLWS Annual Conference (and some tourism).

This time tomorrow and 1240 miles away, the Malta Military Tatoo kicks off - one year we will get there! Also somewhere marginally warmer than it is in England right now!

Speaking of which: can you believe the weather we had in the last few days? Almost at the 30 C mark and then almost overnight the temperature drops by about 15 C!!! Not helpful, thank you.
Still I did meet the most beautiful handbag today - I really want one for myself! Let's see...

Here it is! The perfect completion to any winter outfit methinks :)

So we'll have to wait and see if I've been good enough to find favour with Santa this year eh? ;-)

I borrowed the Twilight series on DVD from Loz this week and have watched them through a couple of times now. Really love that series and really can't wait to see the new one come out at the cinema soon. Maybe Santa will bring me the boks too!!
I've also recently been reading a series by Jennifer Worth: social histories based around London's East End and the lives of nurses and midwives serving the people there. Tis really good!
Other DVDs I've watched recently: The King's Speech, Tron: Legacy and The Social Network.

Now, I'm glad to have seen all of these 3, but none had the big impact on me that I was expecting. So looking forward then to seeing; POTC:On Stranger Tides, The Smurfs Movie and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Narnia) amongst others.

Basically happy days - so long as you don't count being ridiculously busy; working a nearly 50hr week over 6 days, dealing with violently stressy holiday makers and random old people. England played Montenegro this evening and managed a draw (along witht he usual standard of appalling behaviour from Rooney!) and then we face France in the rugby in the morning. Hopefully that match will be played with a great deal more sportsmanship than the football (maybe a better result too???)
Coooome On ENGLAND!!

Right, I'll leave it there peeps. Much love :-)

Time and money

Hello!

So, have you ever heard the saying that if you have the time to enjoy yourself that you don't have the money, but if you have the money you don't have the free time.
Well that's certainly true of me right now.

I'm earning but have no time and quite probably no emotional energy to do much right now, I look forward to my day off but still have no chance to really enjoy it - I just have to play to catch up on that precious Tuesday.
Right now, I'm dreaming in the short term, of a day off where I can go to Eastbourne to go shopping - for the whole day! Just to go, do some shopping, renew my wardrobe, have some fun, eat out etc.

In the long term of course, I absorb myself in my daydreams about travelling the world and my schemes to actually make it happen. You see this blog was always meant to be pondering the "what next?" and to be charting my progress of leaving my carefree youth behind and being a grown up!! I feel like sharing my round-the-world ambitions with you for a bit of escapism.

Here goes:
So... this is based on you leaving London and travelling East around the world!

• France. Specifically Paris (nothing like familiar territory to start the journey).
• Malta. Got to go to my spiritual home on such an epic journey!
• Italy. Always wanted to tour all the famous cities of this wonderous country.
• Croatia. Again, special meaning: the 3 muskateers trip of Sept 10.
• Bosnia. Had a one day glimpse of this lush country, wan tto see more.
• Hungary. Budapest holds a special allure for some reason..I'll let you know when I get there!
• Israel. So many biblically and historically significant places
• Jordan. The Dead Sea, Amman, jeep safaris...Need I say more?
• UAE. Dubai, Abu Dhabi: mega malls, skiing(!!) etc
• Oman. I had penpal from Muscat, so I want to go there. Simples.
• Seychelles. White sand, clear waters, beach huts, sun....
• Mauritius. See above. Plus I know some people whose families come from there...
• Singapore. The history.
• Bali. Have you read "Eat, Pray, Love?"
• Australia. If I only ever climbed the Harbour Bridge, that would be enough, but there's so much more I want to do besides...who wouldn't?
• NZ. Sheep, hobbits, green rolling hills...You could be in Wales!
• (Hawaii). Got to stop at these amazing islands!
• USA. Oh my, where to start? As much of it as possible please!
• Canada. Niagara Falls, Calgary, Quebec. Stunning.
• Cayman Islands. Ah the Caribbean... Disney Cruise anyone?
• Bahamas. See above.
• Gibraltar. Not sure why? Its the colonial in me, want to see it before we (inevitably) give it back!
• Ireland. North and South please. So much beauty and history - like Bosnia, but colder!

So there you have it.Oh course its a lot more likely that I'll achieve these visits one (or a couple) at a time, but its fun to have grand plans! Some of these trips are treks in themselves: USA and Oz, whilst others are small, combined jaunts. Its so exciting.

This leads me inevitably on to another subject: savings. I was in town on my day off and only planning on popping in to the bank to clear up some confusion. Then they told me about this cool lil savings account where you get 2% interest for the first year, so I'm going for it! Its all helping me have vital funds. As is all the extra work I'm doing right now!

In other news, I am now one week in to my Bible in a Year readings with Soul Survivor (51 to go!). It is going really well and I look forward to it each day. So far its been Matthew and Genesis, with bits of Psalms and Proverbs. Can't wait to read more each day!

On that note, I need to be off to bed. Check in day tomorrow at work and I'll need my wits about me!

Ciao belle!

Standing, going and just carrying on

Hello there,

So its the 1st of September tomorrow and those lucky enough to have received a letter, will be heading off to King's Cross to board the Hogwarts Express! As for me, I have another day at work lined up!

I came back from Momentum a week ago and I am full to the brim of all of my experiences from there! I'll start with the highlights to jog my own memory too;

O Meeting Charlotte and having a whale of a time. We got on very well together, spent a great few days in each other's company and it was amazing to find someone who has some different tastes and ideas but at the same time is so very similar to me.

O God speaking to me despite all of my doubts and sceptisisms and Him equipping me for the task He set before me there. To feel significant, the feel as if you are important is crucial to human nature. One lesson I took from Momentum is that God is bringing about His kingdom all by Himself, but just like a parent who allows their children to help in order that they learn, God gets us in on His gameplan!

O Receiving words from Him for all of my work colleagues, the revelation that we will all spend time in desert places in our lives (and that He uses them for our good) and that my office is my desert place right now. Amazingly though He has placed me there for a reason! :-)

O Spending hours at a time relaxing in the paddock with God, worshipping Him and lifting up praise to the Lord unreservedly and without anything to distract from it.

O Seminars from really wise speakers about getting in to actually reading the bible, to relationships, to being a "Full-time Christian Worker" and just the awesomeness of God in general!

O Camping and the weather and just chill and being-away-from-home-and-work time! It was a joy to read my books, my bible, to chill out with a hot choccy, to lie in the sun and get weirdo tan lines, to get burnt and then have rain the next day, to trek through the mud in flip flops, to meet new people and see a few few familiar faces too!

I really want to go again next year too and am really hoping that Tom will be able to join me too, that'll be fun if he can. I did have a lil taste of what its lie to be alone at Momentumand I can do it, but it is NOWHERE near as fun!

Now I'm back at work - that place I felt God say I am called to - and back in to the thick of things. My poor manager Wendy has been off sick and some others have not been 100% either. We've also been flat to the boards with work and I've been battling feelings of uselessness etc. The guys are always so busy and there's always one more job that I'm asking them to do, the sales team bring in the money and I just do little bits and pieces all over the place.
But I try to be salt and light. God never said I had to succeed or to measure that success by human standards, just to stand firm in my faith, to go where He has told me to and to carry on when it all seems to be going pear-shaped!
I do love my job a lot though, so it has that going for it and there are a millionand one little things that I enjoy and relish and take pleasure in - not to mention the people I work with who are just a joy.

All the camping stuff went back up in the loft today. Next time we go up there will probs be to get the Christmas decs down! Gosh, first day of autumn tomorrow! Got flyers from Disneyland Paris about Halloween and Christmas and our entertainments posters at work now have New Year's Eve Party on them!

All my life is consumed by work right now, so its all :-) on the bank balance front, but all :-/ on the having a life and sorting my life out front! Today was triple payday, so that is a nice bright light on the horizon for me. I've got it in to my head that I want to go to Eastbourne for a day's shopping. Personally I blame Charlotte, she planted the idea of doing a big winter shop in one fell swoop in Primark in my mind.
Soul Survivor are starting their Bible in A Year again tomorrow and I really want to get on board, but the worst thing is trying to find the time in the day to do it!! I have to weigh it against my wanting and really feeling I ought to get in to God's Word A LOT more.


So there you have it, a brief summary of what's been occurring in my life in the last few days. Charlotte and I shall keep in touch, so that's all good. Ruth is just getting settled in her new house in Soton. Tom is considering his options for next year and Sarah is approaching her birthday in just over a week's time! We did want to go visit, but boring old me has to go to boring old work!!

Still, Ruth and I have had an idea to go away together next year and Sarah, Tom & I are always on the look out for holiday opportunities for the three muskateers! Need to spend my hard earned pennies on something don't I??

So that's it for this blog. Do comment if and when you read, so I know there is life out there! I'll be back again when interesting life breaks in to my workiverse! :-p

Oh the wonders of the provision of the King in Control!!!

Hello my friends,

Well I just had another one of those a-bit-like Eureka moments where I was reminded of an amazing truth. That truth is that no matter how much you ignore, forget, deny or act as if your life is perfectly fine without Jesus in it; He never lets go of us. Never forgets, ignores or falls out with us.


I love the book of Romans right? I just do. Tonight I want to go back to one of the most significant parts of the book for me: chapter 8. It talks about the tension that pervades all of creation, the tension between the now and the not-yet of the new heavens and the new earth - within which there will be no more suffering, no pain, no mourning.
By verse 25 it has likened this to pregnancy. When a lady is pregnant she is waiting for a long time and there is joy in that waiting as expectancy about the new life grows. But occasionally that waiting drags at you, it tires you out.

 ^26-28Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
 ^29-30God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.

Happy days!

Whatever and wherever, whenever and however; in each and every detail of our lives: Jesus is King in Control.
In our non-Christian work friends, in those dreams we just can't let go of, in a TV programme we watch by chance, in experiences we never want to go through again, because of a seemingly innocent conversation or meeting: in all of our everyday lives He is working them for good.

 Hebrews chapter 11 reminds us of the amazing past. The past faithfulness of Christians to God and He to them.
¹ Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

To quote a very wise man: "The story from Genesis to Revelation is that we cannot do it - but we know a God who can" and that is so true. The thing that is crucial is that we remember; even in the darkest of times, when our hearts are far away, when our minds are clouded by sin and shame that His love, His mercy, His grace, His death on the cross goes further still.

I went from the possibility of losing my job, to the possibility of my job becoming permanent all in the course of one day today and through all of that I'm very grateful that God was in control. I'm excited about what plans He has for my life - despite all of the peaks and troughs, I'm sure that ALL things will go together for good in the lives of those who love and fear the Lord.

Right now I'm grateful to have a job, to have money in the bank, to have plans and dreams in my mind, to have people around me who encourage and support me and to know the one who is Lord and Saviour.

Travel is one of the main dreams in my head right now - of course, it has to come second to working - I really wan tto get out and see more of the world before I pass my mid-twenties altogether! There are so many places and experiences, many of which I'm sure I've already blogged about previously, that I'd like to do. Just the thrill of packing a bag and boarding a plane would be good enough fo rme!
Still in the meantime, I have Momentum in wonderful Shepton Mallet!

I have the lovely Charlotte to meet and have fun with for 5 days! Between then and now however, I have Argos tomorrow and then Beauport right up until I go!!

I'll leave this there for now then and bid you goodnight. I've been watching "I Am Legend" whilst blogging here. I do like that film, despite the stupendously scary bits in it. The next film I have to see is the Smurfs, man that should be amazing!

London's Burning

Thus, I still don't know what to say!! All that's been in the news for the past 4 days are riots...

These started in London, in Tottenham, and have spread to other London boroughs and also throughout the country to other big towns. So riots have been the headlines of all the news: nearly 600 people have been arrested, over 100 police officers have been injured - people up and down the country are outraged, urging the powers that be to man up and use proper force to stop these thugs before it gets any worse.

Yet its not just rioting. Its looting and arson; assault and theft - on a huge scale. I saw this quote on Going Underground's Blog - one person's reaction: "destruction is easy, but what have you created?" All over the news are the stories that other cities are starting to experience this kind of senseless violence.
The other thing that astounds me is this minority's actions - the looting just beggars belief. Youth and children smashing store fronts in and then blithely walking out with goods.
Supermarkets, shops, small businesses, people's homes have been burnt to the ground.

The worst riots for a generation, the news says.

It was my day off today and Mum and I went into town. The first thing we noticed was that H Samuels was closed, its shutters drawn. As the afternoon wore on we saw that many shops in the town centre closed way before 5pm and took extra precautions such as barricading when they did.
Morrisons is closed and barred, my own Argos store closed before 5.30pm and added extra security.
Violence has spread as close to us as Chatham and Gillingham, so maybe its expected to spread???

Rumours are rife. When I checked Facebook back at home, people's statuses seemed to suggest they believed that M&S was on fire and that mobs were gathering in the centre of town. None of this was true of course, as I could personally testify, but the paranoia is extreme. Disturbingly so.

These people seem to be mainly young and male and I've long felt that the disenchantment of this group within society is a huge tragedy. We need to address the underlying issues that caused this unrest and that allow people to feel that blatant theft is acceptable. First however, we need to win back control of the streets and I really pray for the strength and wisdom of the police, our emergency services and the government.
Of course news of this violence has spread throughout the world and the England v Holland friendly scheduled for this week has been cancelled and there are concerns over security for London 2012.

On that note, it is one week until tickets go on sale for the Paralympics and I intend to apply for those tickets too!

One of the most encouraging things is that hundreds of ordinary people took to the streets of areas of London today to clear up their local high streets and communities. They were young and old, black and white, the famous and the ordinary; all coming together to restore some order where chaos had reigned. They are the true face of London, its true and I thank them for the picture of community and peaceful coexistence that they are portraying.

Meanwhile, life goes on. I'm back to work tomorrow, it should be a reasonably boring day, its meant to rain for the next 4 days and I'm continuing to pretend that I'm making adequate preparations for Momentum in 10 days time. I treated myself to some Phish Food ice cream that was half price - so that made me doubly happy!!

So yeeeees..... Stay safe people and don't believe all that you hear! Let's all pray that peace and order are restored swiftly across the nation.

I just don't know what to say...

Hi to you all.

Thank you once again for coming here to read my blog and listen to my incessant and nonsensical ramblings. I have to record my thoughts somewhere:

So I've been home for just over 48 hours. I've just spent 12 of those 48 hours at work. I can't believe all of the different types of carnage that I've had to respond to today. My mind is all over the place trying to pull all of the helter-skelter thoughts in my head back in to some order. Gah.

The best bit is that I get to go back and do it all again tomorrow morning at 9am. At which point some very angry guests are coming in to continue the tyrade I've just had to listen to for the past 2 hours.
There's also various other things I need to do to catch up over the week. Dearie me!

It's wonderful that I can walk in to work and see the people I work with and pick up where we left off 2 weeks ago - they are a fantastic bunch of people. I really looked forward to hearing all that I'd missed and getting stuck back in to the middle of things. I also got a free ice cream!

How do you measure happiness? That is my major question. Is happiness total escape - like I had in Wk2 of Keswick? Is happiness when you are totally fulfilled, kept busy and investing in the lives of young people (with eternal consequences)? Is happiness the smooth running of an office and therefore a holiday park under your control, working with really great people? Is happiness finding there is a guy who likes you, who you have lots in common with, who you can talk to and be real with?

Is happiness when you find out that this same guy - who is not a Christian - is now going around with someone else, therefore saving you the problem of explaining it could never work? Is happiness when you spend time with a friend that you haven't seen for months, as if you'd never been apart? Is happiness solving problems or preventing them? Is happiness when 2 friends get together...finally?

There are 2 sides to every story; when your friends getting together reminds you that that is one less single man is the world. When you realise that escape cannot go on forever and you come back down to Earth with a crash. When you see distant friends and realise that while you'll always have that golden past, your futures are going in totally different directions. When you realise that however much you love your job, you just don't get paid enough for all the cr*p that heads your way.

What is happiness? What is love? What is joy? I just don't know what to say!

Well that was quite a lot of heavy philosophy, but its what was on my heart. Some current events, some old history. Right now, I'm torn between wanting my job to continue and wanting to do lots of other things with my free time. I think I'd be happy with either, but I wish I knew. I wish I knew so much more than what I do. I wish I knew so much more about the world and the people around me.

Right I'm shattered and I need to save the world again tomorrow, so I'll bid you all goodnight and I do solemnly swear that I will blog about Keswick when I'm not in quite such a morbid tone of mind.
By the way: happy August! Enjoy the last of the Brish sunshine!

The wonders of Keswick

Well hello there from the wilds and beauty of the Lake District!

This is a quick blog just to update in a vague way all of the stuff that has happened since I got here last Saturday!

So its now Tuesday of Wk 2-time really flies!! Allow me to summarise briefly what some of the highlights have been:
0Seeing all of the team again and spending a woderful week in their company

0Spending a week hanging out with awesome kids twice a day, getting to make friends with them, teach them from God's Word, do crafts with them and just generally sing and dance through each day!

0Leading a girl to faith in Christ. We had a talk one evening on "How do I become a Christian?" to which many children responded and got to talk and pray with one. :-)

0Being surrounded by the beauty of Creation and so many of God's people in one place is such an encouragement and I really look forward to it.

0Being able to see more of the awesome town of Keswick; the shops, the sights, the churches etc is great because I often regret not getting to see all that by the end of Wk 1

0Climbing Castlehead with Ruth and being able to look down over the whole of Derwentwater, which was an awesome view and totally breath taking!!

So, they are some of the highlights so far: right now I'm eating my second chocolate-covered chocolate skewer of the week and have just had my 3rd smoothie of the week!
We just had a big old meet up in Fitz Park of Wk 1 team who have stayed for Wk2 as "punters"! There was; me & Ruth, Esther & Katie, Becky, Helen B, Rose, Hannah, Ben, Jam & Ems (with Amelia), Harri, Zippy, Ellie and we were joined by Johnnny who is team for a second week! What a lovely afternoon!

The other major thing is the weather!!! It's been so hot, the tops of my shoulders got burnt when we were climbing!! We are so very lucky to have this brilliant weather to enjoy all that Keswick has to offer: the lake, the mountains, the parks etc!

Well I only have 15 mins of internet here, so I ought to head off. I'll probs do another blog when I get home (although I'm back to work on Monday) and add lots of pics hopefully!

Until then, have a great day. I hope it's a sunny one!

Departure in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.....

Hello peeps, I'm blogging on the move, how great is that? As my location suggests I'm at my dear friend Ruth's house and we travel up to Keswick this morning!

Am I ready? Yes, after a few travelling blips yesterday, I got here and all is well with life right now.

So, you may ask, how was the journey yesterday? Weelll it went fine eventually but there were a few issues shall we say. I'll give you a lil teaser for now: trees falling on the train line, cancelled trains, falling off of the tube, trains with missing drivers and signal failure!

Right Ruth needs to teach me how to use her shower and then we can proceed to a mammoth packing session of the car, followed by proceeding up the M6 in the POURING RAIN!!

On that note, the forecast for Keswick can be surmised in one word: RAIN!

Right that's it for now. Wish me a fun 2 weeks in the Lakes!

Loveage.

Summer of joy :-)

I feel like I have to blog because I feel that I need to keep up with updates and that I've read so many great ones from various themes and I continue to do so fervently, that I owe it to myself and everyone reading to do a quality blog entry.

Right now there are a few things occuring in life - as there always are so I ought to get on with the show!!

Today is the last day of June, so now we're officially over half way through the year! Wow. We had a mentally hot day last week, where everyone pretty much melted but that was a rarity amongst a month of torrential showers and cold weather. Now we're in a warm spell and the days just seem to melt away. Its a mere 15 days until Keswick and I'm well up for it!!

We had the Planning Day in London on Saturday and it was wonderful to see all of the familiar faces and hear people's news and also meet new team members (that always makes me feel a little bit old, as they're all 18ish)! I also love getting to grips with a bit of the Bible and its nice to work with it in a child-friendly way, so its nice and simple in my mind!
I've been planning and organising my little bit of the craft over the last couple of days and I'm looking forward to designing my cave with actual stone being rolled away (courtesy of the very-hard-to-find butterfly/split pins).

Some of the highlights of Keswick for me:
Sleeping in the dorm with all the other girls; late night chats, deciding what to wear each day and doing everything as a group.
Sense of community: everyone eating together and working together, having team meetings and prayer meetings, going out into town-there's always someone to go with!
The town of Keswick: wherever you go you can see majestic mountains, lots of cute tearooms and unique shops, great features and attractions and of course the Convention!

This year for the first time I'm looking forward to actually being a conventioner as I'm staying, with Ruth, for Wk 2. Should be great to be able to attend the main meetings, the seminars, the young people's programme and to see more of the town and the wonderful Lake District!
Derwentwater, about a 10 minute walk from where we stay, is an absolutely beautiful lake and it is a fantastic - and semi-traditional - way to start the Convention, to go and see the Lake. Here's a picture of it:

So that's Keswick....now to the wonderful world of Beauport Park! There've been some highs and lows over the past couple of weeks and, not that you're really that interested in that, so I'll give you a little taster....
O A romantic interest
O A "I'd never work with her again - and I'm 100% serious" episode
O Family troubles far away
O New staff
O A few nights at the bar and a lot of gossip
O Mistakes to be corrected, dark moods to be appeased, rumours to be quashed, jobs to be done, office politics to manouvre and friendships to deepen and so much more besides :-)

Right now I'm watching The Choir that Rocks and I love the idea of Rock Choir, wish we had one near to me cos I love to sing and with no audition required it would be absolutely awesome. Its a shame that they seem to have completely missed out the county of East Sussex when deciding locations! Should they reconsider in the future, then watch this space....maybe I'll suggest it!! It would be so great to have it in Hastings or even in Eastbourne or just anywhere near me!!!

Today was just a normal day at work, but it was given a very nice silver lining by the fact that I got paid 3 times over the course of the last 3 days. Get in!

Linked to that is the sense of infinite possibility (can be likend to the feeling that Harry Potter has when he drinks the Felix Felicis) that you feel when you see your bank balance the day after payday. I just feel impulsively drawn to booking a travelling trip; I have the money, I'll most likely have the time (especially with the off season in the winter) and now I have to find someone to go with / somewhere to go and just a plan in general.
I've got to do something before I turn 24!

So what are you all up to??? Lovely people whom I'm lucky enough to call my friends - and you know who you are - I wish the very best summer ever!! I'll probably be back with a pre-Keswick (aka crazy, manic, pre-departure/preparation) blog for 2 weeks away (one of which will be in a tent)!

Here's to July!

Taxies home in the rain and buying tickets for the train!

Hello people! Hope you're all well and haven't got colds bought on by the ridiculous weather we are currently enduring. I keep sitting there shivering and sniffing and thinking any day now I'm going to come down with a cold - or worse, the flu - in June. So far, luckily, I remain healthy despite the draughty caravan I work in.

Since I last blogged Mum and I have been to the Forces Festival in Amesbury and despite the bad weather and the car breaking down between Salisbury and Southampton, managed to enjoy the weekend. Here's a picture of the Human Pyramid perfomed by the Royal Signals motorcycle stunt display team The White Helmets.

So I am glorying today in a day off of work. Yes, that's right, an entire day off. Happy times. I do feel I need it after the events of Friday, Sunday and Tuesday.

So I went to work on Friday 9am - 6pm as is the usual for a Friday. I stayed for a drink after work, also not unusual. Except, I couldn't get away! Drinks kept flowing and we all kept drinking them and then at 11pm (knowing I had to the same hours the next day) I thought it would be a good idea to head home. The guys had promised me a taxi home - at their expense - if I stayed, so I did. So I got a nice warm, dry taxi the 0.4miles and 3mins to my house from work. Aren't they nice!?!? It was absolutely heaving down in the way that it can do only in the middle of summer - reminded me a bit of our Dubrovnik downpour, just without the danger of being swept in to the sea!!

So I was back in work the next day bright-eyed and bushy tailed. Sunday, on the other hand, was the day I felt the effects of Friday. That was not a good day. Enough said about that, the better.

So I'm back in work tomorrow, not sure if I'll stay for a drink though. We'll have to see...

I've also bought my tickets for the train for Keswick. A day return to London with my Young Persons (which runs out 3 days afterwards), a single to Stoke and then a single from Penrith all the way home. Lovely. That little lot cost me £105. This year we also have to have new tshirts and we have the option of hoodies for Kids Team. So I've just ordered a new polo shirt and a hoodie...now to see what they actually look like!!

So with all that, you'd think it was certain that I could actually be on team wouldn't you? Well not so fast!! The Keswick office had a few problems when it came to checking my reference and then I heard no more after a brief phone call with them. So I emailed Tom and basically asked if I was on Team or not. He said I could be, but we HAD to clarify somethings IMMEDIATELY, all surrounding my church attendance and spiritual life.
Basicaly that was very scary and I was like "what do I say, what do I do, argh, oh no..." etc etc. Then I decided that to save confusion, assumptions and all other issues I would just write the whole story down from start to end and email Tom the whole thing. So it was about 2.5 pages of A4 buuuut now Tom has read it, he understands me and my situation entirely. Obviously he has to check and make sure because we have access to young people and are charged with their care and spiritual education during Keswick. I'm glad now that I was honest, that Tom knows the whole story, that I can go to Keswick and that I trusted in God to sort the whole thing out!!

We have exactly one month until I get on the train and head for Stoke to overnight with Ruth and head up to Keswick the next day. Well excited! The Training Day in London is in 9 days time and I'm looking forward to seeing as many people as I can there. Its also nice that we kind of get the big catch up out of the way so that we can also focus when we arrive, on getting ready for the Convention.
I'm even more excited to stay for Wk2 and attend the convention as a conventioner, as I'll get to partake in everything. Happy times ahead.

As I draw this short entry to a close, I'd like to acknowledge how awesome God is: in whatever ways He chooses to act and that has been apparent very much so over this past couple of months. I am reminded that He knows the Big Picture of my life, not me, so to leave the worrying to Him is clearly the best thing to do.

Well I'll leave it there for now. Have a happy weekend.

40 days and 40 nights

Or so it feels!

That's what I'm facing in terms of continuous activity and lack of down days from now on. So I had a day off from work on Saturday, now I have solid work until Bank Holiday Weekend and then from the 31st May through to the 20something of June is again solid work, so you may be thinking that the next 6 weeks are looking very bleak. Well let me expand your horizons on these matters....

Bank Holiday Weekend will be busy, but I won't be in work!! We are off to the Forces Festival in Amesbury, Wiltshire - travelling down there (via Southampton) on the Saturday and then attending the Festival all day (and night) on Sunday and then travelling back on the Sunday. In between these rather clean cut arrangements, we are - as I said above - popping in to Soton where I'd like to have a decent look around Ikea, with the hope of actually finding a display/shelving unit for my room.

We may get to see some other places/people, but it won't be a very long sojourn as it'll be something like a 3 hour journey each way without the added delays of Bank Holiday traffic (oh joy!).

I do love the idea of these little road trips! One I'm particularly looking forward to is the trip to Llandudno we have arranged for next year. I've never been to Wales before and we're planning on taking slightly scenic routes for both legs of the journey to fully be able to appreciate the journey and the National Park so close by. Mum and I are going to the 2012 National Conference of the Royal British Legion Women's Section.
I'm already very excited about the prospect of going on the cable car and seeing Snowdonia National Park and just going to and seeing somewhere completely different. Tis very exciting :-)

The other recent excitement is that the Eurovision Song Contest (aka Annual Europe-Wide Comedey Episode) happened at the weekend. Who would you have thought would win? Probably not a country most people have never heard of, fewer could locate and fewer still could spell: Azerbaijan. So see you all in Baku next year!!
The funniest thing has to be the Moldovans and in particular their choice of head gear and of course Jedward in general!
I am very proud of us geting 100 points and coming in 11th place and then getting points from so many different countries and not just the usual people voting for each other.

So yes...here I go in to my pretty much 40 days (odd) of solid work and flitting back and forth between 3 different places and roles. I'm really looking forward to the variety; something that can sometimes be the best and worst thing, especially when you get in to a routine and build a rapport with the people you work alongside and then have to head off somewhere else for 3 days.

Still, I know it won't totally kill me and therefore it is worth it, to - for once in my life - actually have a decent amount of money in the bank.
YAY!

So I suppose I ought to head off to bed as I'm in for my first day of invigilating tomorrow and also have to go to the Post Office for work.

I shall finish by quoting Dryden:

"Happy the man, and happy he alone,
He who can call today his own;
He who, secure within, can say,
Tomorrow, do thy worst, for I have lived today"

Hope you're all seizing the day too! Lovings.

The job centre returns to haunt me...

Hello m'lovelies!

Happy Spring! Now we've had May Bank Holiday, I feel that its officially spring and summer is firmly on the way.

I've now been in my new job just under 3 weeks although I have actually lost track of the time and am happy to report that all is well and going well. People are nice, friendly and helpful; there are lots of new and interesting things afoot at the Park and I'm managing to do my job without any major disasters.

Currently I'm working 5 full days up there and then Sundays at Argos. We are frantically attempting to recruit another member of staff because I have invigilating coming up from mid-May all the way through June and will only be able to do my contract days.
So at the mo...we're recruiting and have an ad in the JobCentre(!) and have already begun to have responses. So it just remains to be seen who will be the new member of the team...?
Anyway, this overtime has meant that Tuesday and Wednesday I'm running the office all by myself. Now this sounds and IS reasonably scary, but its one of the best ways to learn the ropes...be thrown in at the deep end and either sink or swim. I'm pleased to say that aside from a few minor glitches, I'm primarily swimming.

I have to say that one of the major componants in my being happy there is the people who I'm working alongside. They are warm, welcoming, helpful and there have been a lot of laughs along the way too.
So alas - in addition to the money coming in - I have a lot to be thankful for.

Yes...payday at the end of last month was very nice indeed. Now I'm only looking ahead to the summer - one that will be extremely busy but wonderfully fun too. I won't be able to stop for a moment, but it'll be a great experience. I'm about to book my train tickets for the Keswick Training Day at the end of June and then, so Ruth informs me, its a mere 11 weeks until Keswick!! :-)
A mere 108 days until Momentum too! Charlotte and I are still attempting to meet up before we actually spend almost a week together in a tent, in a field, in Shepton Mallet.

Today is a special day because for Ruth and my Dad, its their birthday! So Happy Birthday to them! Just under a week to go until Tom's birthday too and Sarah and I have managed to coordinate our efforts slightly, so it'll be a nice suprise for him and his living room when he opens them!

In other news we've been preparing for the tombola season to get under way for the RBL. I bought about 40 odd prizes from Argos last week and that cost less than £30 - we were short of them and since I can't give of my time, I decided to get some prizes for them. It also helps Argos to clear out some old stock and have a decent number of units going out > universal :-)

So I'm content for the time being to say the very least. It'll be between me and the new person to see who is kept on over the quieter, winter season but there is a long time to go between then and now and I intend to enjoy working and earning this summer.

All that remains for me to say is thank you for reading my blog, for caring about my new job, for listening to my rants about work and for generally being lovely friends.
:-D

New places and unfamiliar faces

I need to record all of the events that have happened this week as its very significant for my life.

13/04/11

This was the last day of my placement. Sad times. We finished all of the hand over operations and I stayed until home time to say goodbye to everyone. My replacement will have started now, so I wonder how he's doing??
My 11.5 weeks there were really special to me and has made me able to do the job I am doing today. Without realising it, I had fallen in to a lil bit of a rut, almost being content to be unemployed.
Whilst I was on my placement though I got a real sense of job pride and of the significance of being able to serve others by doing seemingly small things. I only hope I was able to be an encouragement to them in some way too.

Now, I am glad to share the news...I have a new job!! as of 14/04/11

So I now officially work for Park Holidays at Beauport Holiday Park on The Ridge, St Leonards on Sea! I'm doing three full days a week there and my basic role is to welcome all the holiday makers and provide them with all the details they need to start their holiday smoothly. Additionally, I provide the usual admin support around the office. This involves using the park's online booking system and liasing with others around the park to solve problems.

You can see the place where I work here: http://www.parkholidaysuk.com/uk-holiday-parks-caravan-holidays-breaks/east-sussex/beauport

Today was only my second day, so everything is still strange and new for me, but everyone is extremely nice, so I feel it should all begin to slot in nicely in a few weeks time. I mean it took me 3 months to really settle in to my placement and to feel like I belonged there and to realise I would miss it. Of course when you consider how long I've been at Argos too, its no wonder this feels like a big change!!

My "office" is half of a static caravan (shared with the sales team) and I also get to drive a golf buggy around the site, which is scary/dangerous/fun/crazy all at once!!

I shall report more on this exciting new development as and when I get taught new stuff and find out more - or indeed make a big mistake that causes mass-meltdown!

Thanks to all of you lovely people who have sent me congratulations and asked me how its all going. Your support, as ever, is soooo awesome and I love you all :-)

Disneystrology

Sooo the wonderful person that is Megan Thorne has a wonderful new book "Disneystrology" that tells you what your birthday character is!

Mine is Jack-Jack Parr from The Incredibles!

You have the enthusiasm and determination to reach your goals. It doesn't take long for others to notice your super-human achievements, because what comes naturally to you sets you apart from your peers. Uninhibited and inventive, you like trying different approaches just to see what happens. Sometimes just being you can confound less imaginative people, but that doesn't stop you from enjoying life or having fun.

Soooo despite me being a bit of a Disney freak, I haven't seen the Incredibles, so I had to google it. Here's a picture of the lil dude:

That's all for now peeps, I'll inform you about my actual life and new-found love of Greggs' sandwiches in a later blog as this is a very busy week!

First contact......again......and again!!!

I know I only blogged yesterday and that it was mammoth, but there are some things that just warrant a blog post.

I heard from my other squaddie and he received the box I sent him!

He sent me a hand written letter, which arrived this morning, but I had to wait until I got home tonight to open and read it.

He said: "The box you sent me was fantastic and just what I needed to boost my morale"

"I'm in the middle of the desert at the moment so mail is few and far between so when we do get mail We're like kids on Christmas Day".

Also got another ebluey from my squadette!!! She sent some helpful feedback on what to send / not send, so I need to get on with writing her a letter this week!

Double joy!!

Happy times. That is all

Doors open ... and doors close

So hello everyone!! I want to blog as I'm feeling quite good about life right now and can't allow March to elapse with only one entry in to this wonderful record of my life, so here I go. What good things can I share with thee?

1. Today was payday! Hooray for money being paid to me from Argos. The paid in column in my bank statement is always woefully empty :-)

2. The weather is nice and sometimes really, really nice. I've been able to go down to the seafront today, sit on a bench and just breathe in the sea air and look out to the horizon. Even the poor burnt out pier looked a lil better in the sunlight.

3. Its little and silly, I know but...every day I've been taking the stairs at work. This is 4.5 flights up to the office I work and 5.5 on Fridays to my job search. My legs used to be like jely and I had to stop half way up! Now my legs don't feel the effect anymore and I can go all the way up now without hardly being out of breath. Its an achievement for me.

4. The working relationships I have with the staff at my placement are just fantastic and has been the highlight of the two months I've spent there so far. I get realy sad when I think that it'll be over by Easter. I never realised how much I'd changed by sitting at home all day.

5. I have had some wonderful compliments from - and just conversations in general with - the people I work with. I've been fortunate that I've had the chance to work independantly on projects and basically prove myself. Its true you get out what you put in. They said that they would give me a job if they possibly could, but they themselves, can't be sure of their jobs. With that knowledge, I'm just happy to have the compliment... :-)

6. My life as a squaddie adopter is also going really well! I have 2, a man and a woman and had my first contact from one of them last week - truly the most exciting mail I've ever had from a total stranger! We have great fun shopping for the contents of the boxes and then doing them up; all the time trying to fit as much in as I can without exceeding the 2kg weight limit. Fun times. If it makes the lives of our boys & girls out there a bit easier, then I'm all for it!

7. Generally being able to dress in lighter, brighter clothes and not have to wrap up everytime you leave the house has had a great effect on my mood. Leaving the house in the morning with the sun shining, my ipod singing in my ears, to go to a job I love... Then to have the chance to go to the beach at lunchtime too is just great.

*******************************************

In Disney news:

A. We should've heard from Yummy Jobs by mid-April, so in 2 weeks time. Interesting... There are a lot of people who have applied. A LOT. Watch this space...! Impatience and exhasperation are at an all time high on WDWIP!!

B. Vicky Pullan got off of the Waiting List today to do F&B 16th August. There is hope yet for the others!!!

*******************************************

Other life news is that I'm applying for jobs all the time, but have had no luck as of yet... Still not sure where I'm going in life!

Jenny's no longer doing placement, she's been signed off by the Doctor, so I'll be flying solo from now on. Oh well, at least her baby has the best chance of being healthy, so that is all good.

27th March 2011 was census day! We filled ours out and returned it - and I hope you did too!?!? I like the idea that in 100 or 200 years time, my decendants will be able to look at it and see me and my mum etc!! Its the third census I've been included on - only 70 years until I can see myself on the census :-)

Thus it is all rosy in the garden. I 've sold a few things on ebay this week and the great thing about it being nearly April is that boot sales will soon get under way again. I love boot sales because they help my household in 2 major ways: we get money and we get rid of junk we don't need/want/use/like anymore!!!

Of course the clocks went forward one hour on Saturday night, so I lost an hour's valuable sleeping time, but it does mean that were are now officially in British Summer Time! Whhop whoop, sunny days all the way! Of course if you happen to be lucky enough to be in Florida, or unlucky enough to be in Helmand Province, its about 30C!!!

That's all for now! Oh and hello to Charlotte who just got back from China yesterday. I hope to hear lots of exciting stories from her time there!

Have fun in the sun people.

There is a time for everything...

...and a season for every purpose under Heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1) and I'm certainly finding that to be the case at the moment.

Allow me to illuminate your mind...

First of all to the topic that is occupying many minds all across the world: Disney applications and Disney departure dates and Disney adventures!

Applications closed like 4 days ago and so I randomly - and without any cause - have been having mini anxiety-panicky moments about how it will go. Silly girl. More and more people have popped up on the WDWIP forum saying that they applied, so they've been welcomed to the family. Only six weeks until we're meant to have heard from Yummy and we will ALL hear from Yummy, cos we've been assured they'll respond to everyone.

Not sure I'll be wanting to open that particular e-mail when the times comes. My method of opening tough emails, and believe me Yummy Jobs have sent me a few in their time, is this:
Obviously I'm in my inbox...and I see an email from YJ. This is what happens:

1. A pain in my chest as my heart leaps in to my mouth. A sense of panic grips me and because I'm a big, grown-up, mature person, I open other tab and go on Facebook!

2. BUT WAIT! Oh no! Someone on Facebook may have something on their profile that gives the game away, or may make me feel worse. Can't go to WDWIP for similar reasons. Damn.

3. I can't escape it, I know its there. Depending on how big, grown-up and mature I'm feeling I may keep flicking back and forth to hotmail and just staring at the unopened message whilst trying to guess fro the subject line what it could say...

4. Finally, I click on the email. It opens, revealing - pretty much - my future. However I don't see this, as I've covered my eyes with my hands. After a while I sneak a peek, woss out, sneek another peek and eventually I give in and read it.

Dun dun derrrr

Other things I'm having to wait patiently for are my allocation from adoptasquaddie.co.uk where I signed up on 25th February. Incredibly, the lady who alloates squaddies to adoptees, has a broken computer until at least 10th March - a whole week longer to wait for something I thoght would have been sorted out last week!

In the meantime, I've been buying some items to put in the boxes to send to my adopted soldier when I eventually get their details. These include: powdered drinks (coffee, hot chocolate and soup), just-add-water snacks (pot noodle etc), sweets (Haribo, jelly babies, mini marshmallows, chewing gum etc), rice cakes, games & puzzle books, toiletaries & pharmecueticals (roll on deodorant, foot powder, insect repellant, bite relief, paracedamol and lip balm etc) and other items of usefulness: socks, fan, condiment sachets and whatever else I think of at the time!

I'm also - and this is really weird when you consider that its the weekend and I'm knackered - quite looking forward to getting back in to the office on Monday morning. We've been given the task of completely rearranging the entire filing system of the whole company: currently based over 4 floors and with at least 10 filing cabinets!
My need to micromanage has really come in to its own during this project and so when I lay in bed at night and randomly throughout the day filing-related tasks come in to my mind. This may just mean I'm enjoying myself!

This Sunday at Argos is our first without our Sunday premium: a difference of £17.85 per week. Its enough to make anyone want to resign. All we have to do is wait until June and we'll get a nice compensation payment! Come ooonnn June....

What else?

OH YEAH! Pancake Day on Tuesday, man am I gonna have fun - home alone - in the kitchen and in charge of the frying pan! To say that I'm one greedy lil person when it comes to pancakes is NOT an understatement!

Lastly, special mention to Charlotte, my Momentum buddy, with whom I'm getting on better and better. Each week one of us sends the other one a message and we then have a great time to take it in, re-read it and be amazed once again at how similar we are! Its been really wonderful time.

Lovage.

One last little tweak...

...and that's it. Done. Never to be touched again.

Yep, so there are now just 2 days until applications are closed for the CRP for 2012ish positions. Last night I went in to my application - which was submitted in December, even before they opened - and edited my CV and the covering letter.

I'm not sure why, it was obviously good enough the first two times I got on to the Waiting List, but I feel like I've learnt a little bit more since I've been at my work placement about how employers receive these kind of things, so, phooey I edited it.

Recently of course, with me having to apply for lots of jobs and actually feeling more enthused about getting a career in general, the whole issue of where my life is going has been more prevalent in my mind. As any of you who have ever applied for the CRP will know, you have to apply so far in advance that planning for the future is a lil hard!

This time around, that's been stepped up a whole notch, with Yummy Jobs and Disney Recruitment looking for people to start work in what potentially could be 18 months time. Talk about limbo.

Enough about that though: what will be, will be. Let's just say I don't envy Yummy Jobs staff in March, having to sort through thousands of applications and sort out the Waiting List from the previous interviews...

On a nice note, yesterday was pay day! Disaster almost struck when I spilt drink on my laptop keyboard, but since I'm writing this now, all seems to be well. I've hardly started paying this laptop off yet, so that would not have made me a happy bunny at all!

So I've been keeping up with various people's blogs/vlogs recently and apparently some of you have actually been reading what I randomly compose, so massive thank you Emma for saying nice things about my blog. Those blogs I'm particularly enjoying are Vikki's http://www.mydisneyjourney.co.uk and Myah's http://doddi92.tumblr.com and Suzie's http://suziewdwcp.blogspot.com
So a big thank you to them and to everyone else who blogs for allowing me to live a lil Disney magic through you all! Keep up the awesome work, especially so you can have a record for years to come of all you got up to. Occasionally I start from the beginning and read my whole blog: it amazes me what it has bourne witness to and reminds me of all the little things I'd forgotten.

Ummm massive amounts of good luck (can't believe I haven't said that yet!) to everyone whose application is in for this round of apps. It's been great to chat on WDWIP about all the ups and downs of this journey we're on together, so be happy the first milestone is almost upon us. Two days til that's it, the apps are officially under review. Thanks heavens for February only having 28 days!

Other things that I'm happy about (apart from the fact my laptop isn't dead!!) is that my JobSearch day has been switched to a Friday, which means now that the weekend starts at lunchtime Friday for me! Soooo good because I only have one day off a week - now its 1.5 days!

So Tom's in his flat, Sarah's in the Cassel, I'm at my work placement, Ellie's been to Istanbul and is teaching Yr 4, Jenny is pregnant (well excited!!) and life goes on.

Charlotte (my Momentum buddy) and I have set a provisional date of April sometime to meet up in London as she's going travelling at the end of March for a little while. We also have another potential buddy - Joy - who may join us at Momentum.

Have everything crossed for those still on the Waiting List as I know how hard it can be to be them.

What else can I tell you of my life, the universe and everything in it? Probably not a lot (will probably think of it after I post this blog).

Toodles!

I happen to think this is the cutest photo ever! So I'm posting it here: