June's Big Blog Photo Project part 1

We've lived in our little cottage for nearly a year now, and decided it was about time we did something about the garden. So we did.

Lillies

Poppies

Trailing fuschias

There were definite colour schemes in each boarder, but the plants seemed to have slightly different ideas. Apparently that's what they do. Anyway. The next project? Sunflowers and a deck for the BBQ. All because there were two old iron gates in the garden when we moved in. You never can account for my brain.

Love, etc.

xx

Stream of Consciousness part 4

Somehow it's the middle of July. I haven't posted my June photo posts yet. Combination of lack of camera cables and lack of time. So much for making time for the important things. You'd think finishing my course would leave me with all the time in the world, but my summer is rapidly disappearing and my writing is taking over my time. Pre-marketing is a combination of huge incentive to keep going and hugely terrifying. Scared of bad reviews. Scared of lots of things at the moment. Almost certainly directly related to lack of sleep. The curtains in our room are too thin, and waking up at 5.30 each day is starting to not be so fun. Still haven't caught up from Glastonbury either, although the mud has finally all gone. I've never seen so much mud in my life. And never been so proud of my rockstar of a husband - alongside his regular band, his 6 degrees of musical separation is now one, yes just ONE, step removed from Bob Marley. Perks of playing with Junior Marvin. And, I guess, that means my 6 degrees is now two. And all of yours who have played with me? Three. Glad to be of service.

Degrees of separation. That's something that has been playing on my mind recently. Times and seasons of life are constantly changing. When someone told me years ago that friendships are for seasons, I knew that was something that I would never settle to overly easily. I don't like drifting from people. The last 12 months have been hard, but it is nice to come out the other side and discover that those who really matter are still around and that those who aren't are still happy doing their thing.

I'm definitely still happy doing my thing which, for the moment, is enough for me too.

Love, etc.

xx

May's Big Blog Photo Project part 2

I've learnt a few things doing this project, apart from the fact that I appear to have an obsession with food. Namely that I don't have enough time to do everything I would like to do. Ever. But also that if I make time for the things that are important, the things that are necessary are more manageable.

Here's to the important things in life.

Love, etc.

xx

May's Big Blog Photo Project part 1

One of those rare perfect afternoons happened in May. The Drummer peeled me away from my work and dragged me down to the river for some fresh air.

We intended to be out for about half an hour, but three hours and a lockgate later, we'd discovered one of the most beautiful parts of our local world, right on our doorstep, that we didn't even know existed.

However busy life is, you really should stop to take a look around once in a while,

Love, etc.

xx

Stream of Consciousness part 3

I have no idea where time goes. The year is literally flying by at the moment - now it's May and I finish in just over a month. In September, getting to this stage seemed impossible and now I'm here.

Strange.

Some people are being strange at the moment...people who have no place commenting on my life and my choices feel the need to weigh in with their opinion; others whom I'd expect it from are absent.

Some very noticeably absent with poor excuse.

Excuses make me mad (which is ironic, because it seems that PGCE is short for "Sorry, I can't come out again, I have too much work to do) but even so. Some people I thought were here for keeps have gone, which makes me sad, but I have had too much success this year to grieve for them for long - they are missing sharing the good stuff because they aren't around.

The year hasn't really shaped up as I expected, but already May is looking far more like I wanted my first year of marriage to be. Can't believe it's already nearly a year. Planning holidays and spa days and fun days. Graduation. Weddings. Engagements. Maybe even babies but not mine. Not for quite some time.

Time. Always a lack of time.

Blog posts running riot in my brain. Books to write. Books to read before being able to write. Books to read just for fun. For an almost-English teacher I don't read enough. Having a Kindle makes life easier, but life shouldn't always be about easy.

Bible study at our new home-group is focusing on life not always being about the easy. New people were scary at first but now are comfortably routine. God currently has my full attention for two hours on a Tuesday evening and two hours on a Sunday morning. Sunday evening if He's lucky. That should probably read "if I am lucky" I need to work on that.

Lots to work on. In one short month, lots more time to work on it all.

Love, etc.

xx

April's Big Blog Photo Project part 2

Now, I am more than aware that there are not 30 pictures there. I am torn between being sad that I don't even have enough time in my day to take a picture of something somewhere (that isn't lesson planning or marking) but also so blessed that I have had these special moments to bring light to an otherwise fairly dark month.

However, the light at the end of tunnel is getting brighter by the day. Normal service is so nearly resumed. I might even blog with words soon.

Love, etc.

xx

April's Big Blog Photo Project part 1

Now, I am (not so) secretly a bit of a plane geek. Hate flying on them, but LOVE watching them. So when my in-laws suggested a trip to Compton Abbas, there was no chance I was going to say no.

Sometimes planes, no matter how big or small, really can bring perspective to a busy whirl of a life.

Love, etc.

xx

March's Big Blog Photo Project part 2

I think it says a lot about my month that there were a lot of similar photos...marking piles, to-do lists and word sorts...

Here's to hoping for more variety in April...

Love, etc.

xx

March's Big Blog Photo Project part 1

**disclaimer - I am aware that it is now significantly more April than March, but still...**

March saw The Drummer gaining himself some more husband points by taking me to Stratford for my birthday. It was easy to see why Shakespeare found such inspiration in and around the town. It truly is a beautiful place.

Being an English geek, I was more than a little excited for pretty much the whole weekend. I can't wait to go back.

Love, etc.

xx

Treading Water

To quote,

Hacket: Is the water over your head?

CJ: No, the water's exactly at my head

The water is deep, and I don't have enough of my own energy to swim, but I am just about treading water.

Normal service is desperately wanting to be resumed. One day, maybe soon, it will be.

Don't go anywhere; I'll be back.

Love, etc.

xx

February's Big Blog Photo Project part 2

I really do worry about how many of my photos involve food...but the flowers were lovely and my study is beautifully tidy now.

Love, etc.

xx

February's Big Blog Photo Project part 1

So two months in and I have already failed at my target. To be fair, I did take the camera out with me, but was foiled by the lack of charge in the battery. I would officially suck at being a photographer. I'm not even that good of a fauxtographer!!

To keep the momentum, however, I'll share one of the highlights of my collection...Sunset over my favourite beach in the world.

I cannot wait until life calms down enough for us to go and watch the sun set there again.

Love, etc.

xx

Never will I ever...

Something upsetting seems to currently be sweeping the blogosphere - the use of one's husband/other half and his traits as "humorous" blog fodder. Reading blogs where the writers husband bed-making skills are mocked, or tweets where pointed comments are made about having to take the rubbish out when you get back from a trip because it hasn't been done while you were away really upsets me. Some of the people who do this have children, and in all cases, I'm sure both their partner and their parents could see what they were writing. What are they going to do when the children read it and start to treat Daddy in the same derogatory way? Where is his discipline then? And where is the respect for how your in-laws have brought their son up, whether you agree with it or not? How awkward is that going to be around the dinner table next time they come to visit? Whether you mean malice by it or not, those throw-away lines have their repercussions.

When I married The Drummer, I was pledging to become his biggest cheerleader, his absolute supporter in every aspect of our lives together. Our disagreements were to remain private and the examination of our faults were to stay well within our marriage. However much I may poke fun at myself through my blog or my tweets or my Facebook status, I will *never* use such public mediums to put my husband down.

Love, etc.

xx

January's Big Blog Photo Project part 2

Food, flowers, games with friends

I don't know if I should be worried about how many of these photos involve food...

Love, etc.

xx

January's Big Blog Photo Project part 1

So somehow it's suddenly the end of January and I've barely posted anything, let alone anything that contributes towards the Big Blog Photo Project. Fail. So tonight, I will rectify that slightly :)

This gem is from my parents back garden in a rare moment of winter sun. It didn't even need any editing since the sunlight was so obliging in where it fell!! It makes me yearn for a time where life was that peaceful. I can't wait for the summer, the sunshine and some time to read my books again.

Love, etc.

xx

Stream of Consciousness part 2

Time. Never ever enough time to do everything. Occasionally there's enough time to do nearly all of the things I need to do. Sometimes, I get to do the things I want to do too. The Big Blog Photo Project is going quite well. I like to have something to do other than teaching. I'd like to think that I can continue my life outside of teaching, but some days I wonder if such a thing even exists. It certainly teaches you who your friends are. Some new ones have arrived through their understanding of what I'm going through; others appear to have fallen off the face of the earth since I stopped being available 24/7. A few of them I'm sad about; most of them aren't overly missed. It's strange how life goes on while I've put everything on hold. Strange to be planning for the future when I'm living such a day to day existence. As if life isn't busy enough, the job opportunity of dreams has presented itself. Seeking wisdom has been easy; having patience has not been. And continues not to be. I'd like some things to maybe be easy for a while. I know I often make life more difficult for myself than needs be, but even so. I foresee that life may be quite busy between now and Easter. That sounds like ages away but somehow it's February next week. I'm fairly sure I don't need to remember to do anything apart from teach for February. Taking it easy. Apart from writing. That's going to kick off soon. And meetings. Hopefully in town. Every little helps with job applications though, even if they're as dull as they ever were. How many jobs can one person apply for in their lifetime? It must be my turn. Fingers crossed. That's one of the few things I can multi-task with sleep; it's a shame there aren't more.

Love, etc.

xx