Musings - Mama Kats Workshop (1st December 2011)

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Today Mama Kat is asking us about ourselves, asking for a list of this and that and those and them. So here goes...

5 Things you don't know about me...
* I have a new celebrity crush every other week.
* My favourite flower is anything shaped like a daisy.
* I got married in an ivory dress but wore pink shoes. :)
* As a teenager I had so many posters on my  bedroom walls that there was not an inch of wallpaper visible.
* I write with my left hand but do everything else with my right.

5 Things I am knowledgeable about...
* How to make the perfect Mocha Coffee without the use of a fancy machine.
* The art of reading even in the most distracting of places.
* Film trivia... who starred in what and the nonsence and what not.
* Okay... I am struggling with this one?
* And this one! I will no doubt think of something in the wee hours and think darn it! :)

5 Things I know nothing about...
* The art of fly fishing.
* Tuning a guitar even though I claim to play one.
* Politics (and I am not even going to try).
* The appeal of Brad Pitt. I just dont get it!
* The engine of my car, I have a husband for that... right?

5 Things I believe...
* Our lives are merely following a pre-determined path.
* That while I grew my baby, the Angel Gabriel nurtured her soul.
* The egg came before the chicken.
* I am a reincarnated soul and I have been 'here' many times before.
* That Great Britian is sadly going to the dogs.


So that's me... :) xx

Musings - Mama Kat's Workshop (24th November 2011)

THANKSGIVING.

This week all the prompts at Mama Kat's Writing Workshop are about Thanksgiving. I'm British. My entire knowledge of Thanksgiving is from watching it in the movies.

Family members get together, even though they don't want to, in order to eat stupid amounts of food, saying what they are thankful for, before an argument breaks out and everyone storms off home in the bad weather... surely that's just Christmas? Or every Sunday family meal?

Trust you Americans to get in another celebration! :) But fair play to you, I think it's great to think about what we are thankful for.

So even though I am a Brit I am going to join in... I am drinking coffee and stuffing myself with toast as I type, so I am trying to get into the spirit of things and here is what I am thankful for this year.

* My wonderful family
* My new daughter
* My Virgin Media TV package :)
* My health (though I could be healthier)
*My Amazon iPhone app for buying all my books
and...
* Mama Kat's workshop for inspiring me. :)

I hope I did that right? I am a beginner afterall.

So to all you thanks givers out there...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

 Join in the fun at http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/

Musings - Mama Kat's Workshop (3rd November 2011)

A day in the life of your pet... how bad do they have it?
So my pooch is a three year old female Border Terrier called Rohan Galadriel Redmond (we are big LOTR fans), official Kennel Club name 'Sweet Little Tinkerbell' (not our doing!).

Here is a day in the life of her...

So today I figured, you know, I'd have a little sleep in but then her alarm went off, the baby chortled through the monitor and his snoring kicked it up a notch. So I dig my claws in his back and steal her warm bit of pillow when she gets up to feed the kid.

Bliss.

I stay still and quiet under the covers as I listen to two blasts of the shower and chatter as the three of them dress and start to head down for breakfast. Today I am unlucky, they remember I'm here and dig my furry ass out of the duvet.

I stand on the doorstep looking out at the rain and then back at him; there is no chance I am peeing in this weather. I stalk pass them, tail wagging on it's own accord, and get in my own bed in the living room. It's not as comfy as a double but it does the trick.

Sleep.

I wake to a people free room, the tv is off so either they snook out or they are camped upstairs. I howl to get their attention and hear a weak 'Ro, shut up!' from somewhere. Good they didn't leave. I head in the direction of the voice having a drink and a sniff on my way and grabbing my toy as I do.

The kid is asleep. If I could jump in that cot, boy that fuzzy chicken would be mine. She is in the library room, stupid amount of books if you ask me. I wag the tail the way she likes it and get an ear tickle in return. I find the blanket laid out for the kid and flop down on it.

More sleep.

I wake as she gathers up the kid for lunch. Great, if I give them my sweetest smile I will get a bowl or two to lick. Score! It's beef and sweet potato. With a satisfied belly I beg with the toy for a few minutes before I waggle to the bed. The tv goes on, Vampire Diaries again. More of a Natural World fan myself.

Yawn, more sleep.

A dog's life is great. Half past five and he gets home. We stand on the doorstep again, nope still raining. I watch half interested and half disgusted as they eat chicken salad for tea. I wander to my bowl, dog food? Really? After a while I sigh dramatically and start on my chew.

More drivel on the tv but I put up with it as I get a bit of cuddle time. The kid yanks my ear, leg, collar, you name it but I secretly love it. I watch Supernatural, Glee and some UFC and before you know it it's eleven thirty.

We stand at the doorstep and it's still raining but I go out anyway before my insides burst. I watch the kids final bottle, watch them get in the bed and then I jump in. After a couple of minutes getting the pillow comfy and pushing them both to the edge of the bed I sigh contented.

And sleep...

:) xx

Writing as part of Mama Kat's Workshop.

Visit her at Mama Kat's Losin It

Musings - Mama Kat's Workshop (20th October 2011)

Mama Kat has this week challenged us to compile a list of 22 things that we have never done.

So here is my list... :)

22 Things I have never done.

1. Been to Buckingham Palace to visit the Queen.

2. Had a real piano lesson even though I really wanted to learn.

3. Made my own Sushi from scratch.

4. Swum in the Ocean. I have stood but never moved horizontal through the waves.

5. Watched all 24 eisodes of a season of the tv show 24 in a 24 hour back to back marathon.

6. Sung Karoke drunk, sober or even in my sleep.

7. Gone through my Facebook friends and culled any unnecessary contacts.

8. Been to America and visited Arlington Cemetery to pay my respects.

9. Completely filled a notebook before starting another.

10. Owned a Hamster.

11. Bought shoes online due to my oddly narrow feet.

12. Finished 'Gone With The Wind' no matter how mant times I try to read it.

13. Thrown out my New Kids On The Block Joey McIntyre doll.

14. Fired a bow and arrow, you know, Robin Hood style.

15. Eaten a at restaurant where the prices are missing from the menu.

16. Bungee jumped from a high bridge in Africa.

17. Painted my finger nails with black nail polish.

18. Made my own soap from a soap making kit.


19. Been an extra in a television show or movie.
 
20. Understood the off side rule or truly wanted to.

21. Grown my own potatoes.

22. Fully embraced the blogging world and tried all that I can to be read by the masses.

Gosh! That was really hard!

:) xx

Visit Mama Kat's Losin It!!! for a great site and fun to be had.

Musings - Mama Kat's Workshop (13th October 2011)

A list if ten things you should never ask your spouse.

So far I only have the one spouse, the current Mr. as I like to refer to him, so my list of ten never to ask questions comes from the single source of an eleven year relationship (five of those married). My list therefore, while I hope humorous to myself and those reading might not necessarily be to the other half because let's face it, he is gonna know it's all about him.

But he can suck it up!
You never know... He might learn something. :)

So without further ado...

1. Do you really need to be doing that right this second?
In relation to fiddling with vehicle parts that have arrived through the post when there is a ton of more important things that could be being undertaken... Like feeding the baby! Saying hello to the wife! Anything! Usually when I ask this I get lectured.

2. Can I ask the boyfriend and get back to you?
For some reason while I have been on maternity leave Kieran thinks I have a secret boyfriend who takes up my time as 'nothing seems to get done' around the house while he is at work. One day I might just call his bluff. I figure being in my thirties means I am fully entitled to take on a toy boy.

3. Kieran, you know how supermarket car parks are notorious for getting you car bumped?
Oops, this comes from only having my new car three weeks before some wally bashed it. Kieran was not best pleased but I bet he secretly loved that it was on my watch.

4. Do you like my hair cut?
Like most women who find a haircut they love I stick with it for a while but as these like minded women know each cut with always be a slight variation on the last. Kieran hates me asking about my hair as he always feels like this is one of those questions that is gonna trap him into always giving a wrong answer. I say just tell me it looks nice before I have to ask and I won't say a word! :)

5. Do your parents have to come?
:) I am going to get in to trouble for that one!

6. Can we just pop to...?
Like most husbands mine hates shopping. Or rather he hates my kind of shopping in my kind of shops as it means ambling for hours yet still coming home empty handed. So the second I say can we just pop to... he gets a resigned look on his face that let's me know I am in for the company of a sulking male.

7. Can I buy our six month old daughter a High School Musical t-shirt?
Yeah, he dreads the day that I get to warp our Katharine with popular culture. I do so love to tease him with it though. :)

8. Don't you think Hugh Jackman is hot?
Well he is! It's not my fault the man is a fine specimen ha ha. :)

9. So you didn't pay any attention to all my hinting, huh?
For an entire month before birthdays and Christmases I hint about what he can get me. I make it so easy for him but something happens between my mouth to his ears to his brain... he always gets me something different. Don't get me wrong, the presents he gets are always lovely... It's just... I have been waiting a year for a Hootie and the Blowfish album! But to ask seems to mean I am ungrateful. Tut. Sigh. :)

10. Can you adjust your tone!?
I don't know about yours but husbands I have come across seem to be unaware that they are talking to you like you are either completely stupid or the biggest nuisance ever encountered. The reigning Mr in our household hates to be called on it. Don't do it I say then I won't need to point it out. Tut.

If fairness to husbands around the world I do fear that they live in our world knowing that they are never going to win, will never be right and may well end up being the topic for ridicule on a public blogging forum.

My spouse isn't all bad I suppose. He might turn into every one of the seven dwarves over the course of twenty four hours but I am quite happy to be his Snow White. :)

Loves ya Fuzz! :) xx

Writing as part of Mama Kats Writing Workshop.

Check her out at www.mamakatslosinit.com.

Musings - Mama Kat's Workshop (15th September 2011)

Advice to new mothers...

I am a new Mum. Well, newish, my daughter is five months and one week old exactly, so I guess as I will be her mother for the next sixty(ish) years, five months is the tip of the iceberg.

So, yeah, I am a new Mum.
But I am not going to be the one giving the advice today, Katharine is.
And she can be quite stern... already.

Hi, I'm Katharine Lorelai, stubborn and bloody minded, five months old, wise beyond my years... listen up!

1. Get Some Fresh Air - Even if you are just stood on the doorstep, breathe. If you are anything like my mother you will find that you go through an entire day without even stepping foot out of the front door. Don't do it! Recycled air makes you grumpy, which makes me (your baby) grumpy and that won't work for anyone!

2. Stop Spending - You are going to see soooo many cute outfits, little t-shirts, shoes and socks, baby jeans which make you go awwww but stop! In the name of reason and a healthy bank balance stop! Babies are going to grow out of anything you buy in about two weeks, trust me, growing is what we do, it's our speciality. :) 

3. Brush Your Hair - So simple yet so important. Your baby will not want to get its first impressions of the matriarch looking like a scarecrow. But at the same time you are going to be feeling gross, you will be feeling hot, sticky, tired and well, like I said... gross. Brushing your hair will make you feel, bizarrely, so much better! It is freaky but taking two minutes to comb your locks will rejuvenate you from feeling like a limp rag to a slightly less limp rag. :)

4. I Might Just Wanna Scream - You have fed me, changed me, hugged me, cooled me, warmed me, napped me and still I scream. Unless there are obvious signs that I am ill or lacking something then trust me I just want to make some noise. Imagine being surrounded by giants who don't have a clue what you are on about, insist on talking to you in exaggerated high pitched tones, strip you naked just because you have done a wee and give you nasty white froth for every meal... yeah you'd wail a bit too!

5. Big Bag Of Stuff -  You don't need to take the entire house with you when you take me out. A bum change, an accident clothing change and maybe something to eat. That's it. To start with, like my mother, you will take bags and boxes of nonsense with you, but never fear, practice makes for a perfectly packed baby bag.

6. Time Out - For sanity's sake try and get some time out. While the baby sleeps try not to think about the washing and cleaning that needs to be done, or the meals that need to be cooked or... you get the picture. Try and sit and relax, have a breather, a cup of coffee, a nap, anything that is just for you and you alone. Sometimes new mums get overwhelmed and the woman that preceded the new mum status is lost. Find her, sooth her, you might need her again some day.

And one last thing, as you are probably reading this with one eye on the screen and one eye on the washing machine...

7. Day Time TV - AVOID IT!!! It will warp your mind.

:) xx

Taking part in Mama Kat's Writing Workshop.

Snippet - Know me by letter (S to Z)...

The last of the letters... while not a conclusion of me, a brief pause in the insight...

KNOW ME BY LETTER

STATIONERY: When I was younger I was obsessed with collecting stationery. Pens, pencils, rubbers, notepads, bookmarks, highlighters, cases... if I am honest I still love visiting Staples just to wander down the isles. And my collection is still stored somewhere at my parents house. :)

TYPEWRITER: In 1993 my Mother and Father bought me a typewriter, I still have it to this day, and I know that it was tapping on those keys that sparked my love of writing. I am going to hunt down some ribbon and hopefully pass it down to Katharine.

UNIVERSITY: I went to Uni to study but came away with so much more than an education... A husband, a best friend, a renewed love of writing, confidence, memories of wild nights, wild men (ssh), an amazing pair of boots, sass and of course my degree but everyone has one of those these days.

VALLEY HIGH: My high school was named after the local Valley even though it sits at the top of the hill. Both my parents went there and because my family is so large, when I was in year 12 I had a relative in years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. :)

WRITING: The thing in life that gives me that burning buzz deep in my stomach when ever I am inspired to put pen to paper, fingertips to keys or voice to recorder. I always carry a notebook and jot down anything that comes to mind.

 X-RAY: Growing up I always seemed to be having Xrays. Age 3 - sweet wrapper in the stomach, Age 7 - broken arm, Age 10 - crushed fingers, Age 14 - badly sprained wrist. In my twenties I seemed to have a lot better control of my body, ha ha.

 YOU: I love meeting and getting to know new people, finding out what makes them, well, them. Through the blogging world I have met some great folk. Some are like minded while others challenge the very way that I think. You... have you in some way broadened me?

ZAI JAIN: For our honeymoon we went to China. 'Zai Jain' is Goodbye in Chinese. We had the most amazing time and even though we had hoped to learn some mandarin before we went we were only able to grasp a few phrases... this was one of them. :)

And that as they say is a wrap... for now...

So, do you know me any better?

:) xx

Musings - Mama Kat's Workshop (28th July 2011)

I don't like to say it but I'm going to... This week I was really disappointed with the writing prompts. Usually there are at least two that catch my eye and there is always one that I can rule out immediately. This week I didn't want to write any of them, which is really sad because... Well I have grown to love waiting for the prompts, completing one, reading others and having others reading mine. I was stuck...

So after two days of contemplating I have conceded and come down off my high horse. The prompts are not just for me after all, there are probably hundreds of people out there who could be inspired by all five. In the end I chose...

A moment you realised your child was growing up.

Katharine hit a milestone this week. For the past three weeks she has be a pain in the neck at meal times, refusing the bottle and screaming until she is looks like her head is going to explode. So in an act of desperation we bought some baby rice. We didn't have high hopes that our stubborn little madam would like it but she loved it! Not only did she love it but now, after only a couple of days, she is back to drinking full bottles. We figure she was bored and needed something a little tastier than the white stuff, milk that is. As usual we documented the momentus occasion with a photo. :)

While not exactly grown up this week has shown me that my daughter is growning, she had another moment in the journey of Katharine Lorelai and, while it is going too fast for me, I love her for it.

This week the prompts also started a little debate in our house and the husband got in on  the writing prompt action. This is our combined rant about prompt number two...

Amy Winehouse died. Another name amidst a growing list of talented celebrities lost to addiction. Your reaction.

Why do we need to have a reaction to this? Another addict overdosed...

While heartbreaking for those who knew her we really don't think the world should once again think someone and something like is a tragedy. If we have to have a reaction to anything why could the prompt not have asked about the horrendous acts in Oslo which happened in the same week but came a second in newsworthiness to an average singer who was more notorious for lack of control and respect than for anything useful to anyone. It is our duty to our daughter to make sure she understands that life is precious and not to be thrown away.

:) xx

Snippet - Know me by letter (M to R)...

Here we are again... who is this woman? Oh yeah... me. :)

KNOW ME BY LETTER.

MALTESERS: I have inherited the love of Maltesers from my Mother. Growing up we had a game where we would see how many we could fit into our mouths at the same time. I will not own to my number... lets just say I could neither breathe nor swallow. :)

NIGHT BLINDNESS: It's my left eye, it's lazy. Stick me in the dark and I will have a bit of trouble. While the average eye takes about 15 minutes to fully adjust to the grey scale of night my left eye just doesn't or on the rare occasion that it does I am going to sleep anyway. Tut.

ORDINARY: There is nothing about me that is particularly spectacular or special. What you see is what you get. It's not that I don't have the dream to do or be something extraordinary because I do... I'm just still working on it.

PHOTOS: I take photos of everything, you might have guessed if you have visited this blog before. I love documenting life. While the Chinese believe that a photo steals a bit of your soul I think it duplicates so that even in death you can never die.

QUOTES: I can quote Shakespeare like the back of my hand, Hamlet and the Sonnets especially. Today I downloaded an APP for my phone which gives me more quotes than old Will's, I am branching out. No doubt the blog will get filled with them.

ROHAN: Our little bundle of fur and enthusiasm. Rohan the Border Terrier, who is quite famous in this blog, will be three in December. I still remember the day we brought her home, it was snowing and I had such a tiny bundle wrapped in my blue cardigan. Bless her.

Feel like you know me yet?... Watch out for the last installment of letters.

Snippet - Know me by letter (G to L)...

The next installment of me... alphabet style...

KNOW ME BY LETTER...

 GABRIEL: I am still not sure if I believe in God. It's odd, I have faith but I dont know what in. I do, however, believe in the Angel Gabriel. I know he got me my daughter and I know that while I grew her body he made the spark of her soul.

 HALIFAX: Born and raised. And that's the Yorkshire 'Fax and not the Nova one. It's a bizarre little place with even more bizarre villages surrounding it. But I love it. It is my home, my daughter was conceived here, born here.  :)

 INCHES: When I was twelve I stopped growing in height. Don't worry though I was a child giant, 5ft 4inches by the time I was ten. Between the age of thirteen and thirty I have only grown half an inch. Half! But hey, I'll take it.

 JAMES: This is the name of the first boy I ever loved. It sparked, I fear, an interest in James'... Marsden. Marsters, Franco, Bond (kidding), McAvoy, Purefoy, Van Der Beek, Morrison, Spader... the list goes on and on and on.

 KIERAN & KATHARINE: My kin... whoa go Stacy on the alliteration! The two great loves of my life. They make getting up worth it. Jeez I sound like a Hallmark card. Erm... he is a grumpy old sod and she does nowt but scream! Ha ha.

LEFT-HANDED: I am left handed. Apparently that means that I use more of my brain and am more likely to have an above average intelligence. Ha ha. Famous lefties include... Bill Clinton, Julius Caesar, Michaelangelo, Mark Twain, Keanu Reeves, Jimi Hendrix, Eminem, Robert DeNiro...

Cool Huh!?

Watch out for the next batch of letters... xx

Snippet - Know me by letter (A to F)...

I love it when the blogs and people that I follow from around the world inspire me. I get that warm feeling that tells me I have connected. Today's post is about me, an A to Z of Stacy (broken into manageable pieces).

And today's post was inspired by Square Peg in a Round Hole...

KNOW ME BY LETTER...

AMUSED: I think, in the most part, I am always amused because of how I was raised. My parents encouraged silliness and it kinda stuck. I can easily laugh at myself and what ever I find funny without the fear of being embarrassed by it.

BOOKS: I own over 1000 books and, at the moment, I can't get through the week without buying another. I love all genres, the smell of the pages, the weight of a book in my hand, the author's notes and i CURSE the Kindle!

COLLECTOR: It's not just books... I collect everything. I have hundreds of postcards, pencils, DVDs, CDs. Whole bunches of necklaces, photo frames, notebooks, cats, coasters, key rings, wooden boxes... I need help, me thinks.

DAUGHTER: I think I appreciate my Mother more now I know what it is like to have a daughter. Being the daughter I think I took a lot for granted, having the daughter I understand what it is to have that bond for another generation.

ETHAN HAWKE: My first real celebrity crush was on Ethan Hawke in White Fang. I have mentioned this many times before but I think it is important. He paved the way for my taste in men, he also made my expectations too high! :)

FANTASY: I daydream far too much. It's how I fall asleep, dream, get through journeys. It's how I write, read and plan my life. I love my fantasy world and how bit by bit I am making it real...

but mostly I love my fantasy world because I get Donnie Walhberg. Ha Ha :)

(Watch out for the next alphabetical segment...)

Musings - Following advice and being inspired by others.

Last night I read a blog post by The Jack B (give it a read yourself) and decided to give his advice some serious thought. I really need to get on with my blogging life and get some interesting posts posted. So today I have been looking at what others have to offer.

For a while now I have been following bethan-no-y but have never really given much thought as to how entertaining she is. And she is, very much so. I have spent the last hour re-reading her blog and being somewhat inspired. Without stealing her ideas I have found that she has been taking part in a 30 day song and book challenge where she details a list of each that fall under certain criteria. It got me thinking.

Now it is a big challenge for me, at the moment, to sit / think / write about 30 songs and 30 books but I am going to give it a go if for no other reason than to follow Jack B's advice and get my creative juices flowing.

It will give me something to focus on in the coming days of impending induced labour and the fear of motherhood.

Thanks Guys. :) x