2012 Year in Review

1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before? There must be something…erm taking responsibility for/leading a music group.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I didn't make any formal resolutions I did make a list of things I would try to do/be better at so I’ll continue with that. The main one I added in 2012 was to capitalize more on the opportunities that come my way to help someone and I think I did ok (hopefully the people I tried to help would say so too).

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? A friend from uni gave birth to a gorgeous little boy.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No they didn’t and I am grateful for this

5. What countries did you visit? Wales

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012? Stability

7. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? 1st December Jason Mraz gig

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Coping

9. What was your biggest failure? The moments when I let fear/worry paralyse me

10.Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing major

11. What was the best thing you bought? gig tickets particularly for Dara O Briain & Jason Mraz

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration? My mum who was so brave in the face of several scary possible diagnoses and for the way she has handled the recent operation on her spine and being in hospital since.

13. Whose behaviour made you depressed? I can't really think of anyone in my personal life whose behaviour made me depressed. I was depressed by the behaviour of the NRA in regards to their reaction to the Sandy Hook massacre.

14. Where did most of your money go? All the usual things

15. What events did you get really, really, really excited about? Hay-on-Wye trip, K’s hen party & wedding, my friend Hollie’s baby shower,

16. What song will always remind you of 2012? It was pretty difficult to avoid “Gangnam style”, I’ll be forever haunted by the images of Bruce Forsythe doing an impersonation on Strictly.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: i.happier or sadder? ii.thinner or fatter? At this exact moment in time fatter but through most of the year generally the same iii.richer or poorer? Poorer atm but not by much

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? I said this last year and it’s still true I wish I’d spent more time on creative endeavours.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? crying, eating my feelings

20. How will you be spending Christmas? It was a very strange kind of Christmas this year. I spent the day hospital visiting then dad and I had Christmas Dinner just us in the evening.

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with? My Sis-in-law ‘L’

22. Did you fall in love in 2012? No

23. How many one-night stands? None.

24. What was your favourite TV programme? Once upon a time was a new favourite for 2012 and I was much surprised by how much I enjoyed Parades End (Ford Madox Ford and I have a terrible history)

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Hate is a strong word. I try not to hate anyone

26. What was the best book you read? ‘The Floating Admiral’ written by fourteen members of the Detection Club in 1931. They each wrote a chapter building on each others plot points and clues like a literary game of consequences.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery or rediscovery? Also in the last few weeks has seen the resurgence of mighty Mraz

28. What did you want and get? A diagnosis for my mother!

29. What did you want and not get?

30. What were your favourite films of this year? I enjoyed Batman: The Dark Knight Rises and there’s also a warm place in my heart for Despicable Me which I finally saw on dvd this year.

31. What did you do on your birthday? The actual day was a quiet one with family and then the weekend after I had a meal with some friends

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? More opportunities to spend time with the people (family and friends) I love most in the world. I am so grateful for the opportunities I did get but so regret not being able to get to see others or be on hand to help particularly when some were going through tough times. Sometimes being at the end of the phone doesn’t feel enough.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012? Temperamental

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most/least in 2012? The usual suspects

36. What political issue stirred you the most? Every time Cameron tried to distract us with one issue *coughJimmy Carr/Starbucks tax scandalcough* so he could sneak something worse past us *cough stopping under-25s claiming housing benefits as well as cutting benefits for lone parents cough*

37. Whom did you miss? All sorts of people but these last few weeks particularly I’ve missed my big brother a lot. He’s away on his “Sumbumperine” as my gorgeous 2yr old niece calls it and though if he’d been here it probably wouldn’t have meant anything different just knowing I can’t/couldn’t just pick up the phone or contact him easily for example about what was going on with mum was difficult.

38. Who was the best new person you met? My mother’s neurologist- he took things seriously and listened but also was quick to reassure and went out of his way to chase things/people up.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012: Say what you'd want people to know if they were taken from you.

40. Sum up the year in a song lyric/quote “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” Douglas Adams from ‘The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul’

Merry Christmas

Dear reader,
as cheesy as this may sound, all of you have honestly made my year a good one. 2012 wouldn’t have been the same without you. Some of you are friends I know outside of the internet, people I couldn’t go without. Some of you are amazingly talented people with awesome blogs that have entertained and inspired me again and again. Some of you are both and all of you are the people that I love.
Thank you for everything: for making me laugh, cry, for reading my witterings and for sharing a part of your life.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year, I hope 2013 will be your best year yet! ;)

Thoughtful Tuesday

Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment. ― Benjamin Franklin

Living my life with peace in my mind, heart and Soul

This weekend I went to London with four of my favourite people. We went to see Jason Mraz perform at the O2 Arena and spent some time together chilling like ice cream filling. The latter of those things may seem trivial but doesn’t happen nearly as often as we’d like as most of us are spread out across the country.
Quite early in the gig Mraz played ‘The Remedy’. I began singing almost before my brain caught up. Then as we reached the bridge and the line ‘I won't worry my life away’ it was like time stopped just for the briefest of moments. In that moment it was as though everything melted away and I felt free. It seems hard to describe here but it felt as though all the stresses, frustrations and worries of the last two years were physical weights being almost- literally lifted off my shoulders. When reality came filtering back in I was aware that I was surrounded by some of my best friends, some of the people I trust most in this world and I felt safe and supported. I spent the rest of the gig in a giddy bubble. The whole experience was, well the only genuine word I have for it is euphoric. I know that sounds cheesy reader, perhaps a little twee but I don’t use that word lightly.
Over the last couple of days I’ve been floating on a post-weekend high and done my best to maintain the mellow, one might say easy and breezy, approach to life. I do generally try to look for the joy in day to day life but sometimes the skies get rough and though it’s not anyone’s fault sometimes things pile on top of each other. It was a perfectly timed reminder so Mr Mraz I’m taking your advice and I’m looking on the bright side.

Congratulations if you spotted all Mraz lyric references dotted throughout this post by the way- Your prize is 10 extra cool points. Unfortunately at this time aforementioned prize cannot be exchanged for its monetary value or a gift of commensurate value.

Thoughtful Tuesday

When I say 'I am a Christian', I am not shouting that I am clean living.
I'm whispering 'I was lost, but now I'm found and forgiven.'

When I say, ‘I am a Christian’ I don’t speak with human pride
I’m confessing that I stumble needing God to be my guide

When I say, ‘I am a Christian’ I’m not trying to be strong
I’m professing that I’m weak and pray for strength to carry on

When I say, ‘I am a Christian’ I’m not bragging of success
I’m admitting that I’ve failed and cannot ever pay the debt

When I say, ‘I am a Christian’ I don’t think I know it all
I submit to my confusion asking humbly to be taught

When I say, ‘I am a Christian’ I’m not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are far too visible but God believes I’m worth it

When I say, ‘I am a Christian’ I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartache which is why I seek His name

When I say, ‘I am a Christian’ I do not wish to judge
I have no authority I only know I’m loved

-Carol Wimmer

Friday Finds

Don't know what the weather is like where you are reader but here in the uk winter has arrived- Jack Frost is definately nipping at my nose and/or my toes (or any other extremities you care to substitute). During my adventures over on Tumblr I recently came across this tutorial for making Piñata cookies. The perfect colourful stripey treat to brighten even the greyest of wintry days. Best of all when you break open or bite into these cookies the M&Ms come spilling out just like a real Piñata

Souce



Source



Thoughtful Tuesday

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow."

-Mary Anne Radmacher

Thoughtful Tuesday

Equal parts shocked and horrified by this .

I am only two/three degrees of separation away from this man through two different routes.

I’ve heard lots of opinions on this running the gamut from shock and derision ( lots of “what a muppet” -esque comments) to hatred. Not to mention the stereotypical “well I never liked him/ always knew he was a wrong one”.  

No matter what my personal feelings towards Mr D or his actions it makes today’s quote all the more poignant and I have to believe its authenticity, after all we all make mistakes:

The past is a source of knowledge, and the future is a source of hope.

-Stephen Ambrose

Things I Love Thursday

I'm in a grump reader, I have been all evening and for no real discernable reason. Don't worry though I'm not going to wallow or offer you a glass of whine instead I shall focus on the good things in life. I guess then this is less of a things I love list and more a 'things I quite enjoyed this week' list but in the midst of my grump here are some things I've been grateful for this week: * Top of the list is the fact that finally have a probable diagnosis for my mother's health problems. I say probable because after two years and lots of tests I know that there are always opportunities for the doctors to change their mind. However for now I am just super grateful that she has an answer and that it's something they think they can cure, or at least ease with surgery. * Dinner with two precious friends *fireworks- I love bonfire night and although I didn't go to any official events this year I did enjoy watching my neighbours display from the comfort of my lounge (and the chat over the fence before hand) *Mae Martin's stand up That's my list reader, how about you? What's making your week go with a whizz and a bang?

Thoughtful Tuesday

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. -Henry Ford

Things I Love Thursday

It’s a new month-ish and a new season full of new promise. I love Autumn- cozy jumpers, consuming copious mugs of the hot beverage of your choice and the spectacular show of colour and richness nature provides. Since its Thursday here’s a list of some other things I love this week.

Source

High on my list this week, well this…
‘Girls and women of the world, could we stop apologizing for wanting and eating food? Because this is one of the most ridiculous things that we do collectively as lady-people, and not only does it annoy the shit out of me personally, but it is also INCREDIBLY SAD. Could we stop feeling “guilty” for wanting an effing brownie? Or a plate of fries? Could we stop actively seeking permission from our friends to go ahead and “be bad” and order the cheesecake? Could we all just go ahead and order whatever it is that we feel like eating, instead of saying, “Oh, I feel like a pig, you guys are just getting salads”? Because—now I know this will come as a shock—WOMEN EAT. We get hungry. We get hungry for pizzas and Double Stuf Oreos and nachos and ice cream and giant French-toast breakfasts, and you know what? WE DON’T NEED TO FEEL BAD ABOUT THAT.’
— an excerpt from this beautiful article that everyone should read.

Oh and reader, I know I’m way behind the times but I have only just discovered the thing where if you Google any actor's name followed by 'bacon number', Google tells you how many degrees away from Kevin bacon they are. IS THERE ANYTHING IT CAN'T DO?

Also this text from one of my youthlings: “'then it's up to the judges to decide their fate' Dermot [the presenter & speaker of the aforementioned quote], chill babe - it's only xfactor, not the hunger games!”

Now is the time for me to go foraging for dinner, so it’s your turn to share your TILT list! What’s making your week that little bit sweeter reader?

Thoughtful Tuesday

I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me! -Dr. Seuss

Thoughtful Tuesday

If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again - Flavia Weedn

Wednesday Wonderings

When I was just a young boy my mother told me son
She said life is there for living and you’ve only got the one
For dreams can be hard or that’s what it seems
So hold onto your heart and then follow those dreams

So all the possibilities went racing through my head
Of all the things I’d like to do before I am dead
‘cos one day when I grow up I’ll do the job that’s best
And I won’t do data entry with a name tag on my chest

I don’t want a job in admin
I don’t want to earn sixteen grand a year
I don’t want a job in admin
You can take your job and stick it in your ear
(I Don't Wanna Work In Admin- Nick Helm)

The above is taken from a song by comedian Nick Helm and every time I hear it I find myself sympathising with the protagonist as much as chuckling along. I don’t want to work in admin, not that there’s anything wrong with that sort of job, it just isn’t my dream. It’s been a hard-won road to get this far and shows all the signs of continuing in that vein so sometimes, just sometimes though, I do contemplate chucking in my dreams for a 9-5 desk job that does what it says on the tin.

 After all, how do we trust what we are going after will be something in the end that we really want? Just get a job we’re told, be responsible – forget about loving it – love if it is stable and has good benefits.

Yesterday I was reminded that this year, inspired by an idea I saw on my beautiful friend Rach’s old blog, I had chosen a ‘word for my year’. The theory is that rather than have a huge list of resolutions and tasks you choose one word that will help guide you throughout the year. It was supposed to be a reminder to be more intentional about decisions and to focus on my hopes and aspirations, oops. The word I chose for 2012 was cultivate and I’ve realised that even if I forgot about it God didn’t- in so many ways it has been the perfect word for this year. I am changing and I’ve been challenged. That’s life we aren’t promised joy without pain, stepping out of our comfort zone is difficult and sometimes growth hurts but the old adage is true you’ll never know if you never try. A wise friend once told me “Wherever you end up, you try to make a go of it, but if it’s ultimately the wrong place for you, you can go elsewhere.”

Thus I'm going to keep trying and following the opportunities remembering that whatever the result- be it what I expected to happen, something greater than that or even a supreme failure that makes me think well I’m never doing that like that again- it’s okay. I don’t have to rush the process or be perfect (by other people’s standards or my own self-imposed ones) I just need to remind myself why I took this path and to keep trying.

What about you reader, what is your passion? Is there a career that has been calling to you your entire life? What is it?



Nb. I am aware there are those almost mythical beings who manage to do a job they enjoy and that gives them a steady income whilst still managing to indulge in their passions in their ‘spare’ time. Those people really rock at blooming where they are planted and if reader you are one of them please remember that- You rock!

Thoughtful Tuesday

Wherever we look upon this earth, the opportunities take shape within the problems.
 - Nelson A. Rockefeller

Thoughtful Tuesday

‘It’s impossible’ said pride. ‘It’s risky’ said experience. ‘It’s pointless’ said reason. ‘Give it a try’ whispered the heart. - Anonymous

Friday Finds

In last weeks Tilt I mentioned that I love the effect of using an empty wine bottle as a simple vase. This week I came across this tutorial for turning an empty bottle into a lamp. I have to admit to being a little intimidated by the idea of drilling through glass but I'm sure I could have lots of fun emptying the bottles...
Bottle lamp DIY

Thoughtful Tuesday

‘If you obey all of the rules, you miss all of the fun.’ - Katherine Hepburn

Things I Love Thursday

It’s Thursday! Again! Can it really almost be the weekend again? This week I am feeling the gladness of a week well lived so without much more ado here is this weeks Tilt list:

Source

Top of my list this week is wedding dress shopping with one of my longest-known and dearest friends. We had appointments in a couple of lovely shops. You know the sort reader, those ones where you have to ring a bell to gain admittance and incidentally the sort that slightly terrify me- I try to stand as still as possible and to touch as little as possible for fear of tripping, ripping or causing any other sort of accidental damage. It was a victorious trip all round as S decided upon her dress and I managed not to leave a path of destruction in my wake. The dress she has chosen is stunning and her veil is gorgeous too. I have to confess reader, just between us, once she started trying veils on I started to well up a bit. They were all so pretty but the one she decided upon was definitely the perfect choice.

 Noteworthy Niblets: Decadent lunch dates with friends, unexpected kindnesses, empty wine bottles as vases, successful cooking experiments, Newton Faulkner on the Rob Brydon show (particularly the adorable moment with the president of the British Beard club)

That’s the end of my list so over to you reader. What’s making you grin this week? Have you been somewhere special? Eaten something scrumptious? Done something amazing? If so, then it’s time to share, because that’s what we do on Thursdays!

Thoughtful Tuesday

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them
 – Albert Einstein

Well the weather outside may be frightful but thanks to the Wallace & Gromit prom and channel 5 showing ‘The Wizard of Oz’ my bank holiday Monday is proving delightful.
Cuddled up on the sofa with a large cup of tea- “cracking” as Wallace would say

Friday Find

A couple of short videos for this weeks Friday Find

First Olympic medallists Sir Chris Hoy, Jessica Ennis, Victoria Pendleton, Louis Smith and Pete Reed are joined by a number of other athletes from Team GB in their own version of Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' - celebrating the success of London 2012.

Also "CinderFella" by Todrick Hall -A short film made in support of the movement to legalize love in all its shapes and colors. +10 points for all the mash ups and the mean girls reference

Things I Love Thursday

This week has been truly higgledy piggledly and full of false starts but today is Thursday so here’s a list of things I’m loving at the moment:

Source

In a previous tilt list I mentioned a pregnant friend’s text updates well Baby Solomon was born on Friday 27th July and I am loving all the gorgeous pictures and anecdotes on my phone and facebook news feed.

Old school classmates in the Olympics We weren’t particularly friends at school but mutual friends alongside the joys of social networking and our local newspaper means that I’ve kept up with his progress over the years. He’s worked so hard and he and his teammate really deserved to qualify so here’s to Team PatienceBithell in the Sailing. The lads are already on for a silver and are hoping to catch the Australians up. A lack of wind meant that the medal race of the men's 470 class has been postponed until tomorrow but I’ve got everything crossed for them.

Hairy Bikers- I have to ‘fess up that I was already a fan of the Hairy Bikers but their new ‘Hairy Dieters’ show has come along at just the right time. Over the last few months I’ve fallen into the old comfort eating trap and whilst I know I’m not humongous, I am heavier than I should be and well, insert reader all the usual sanctimonious stuff about how important it is to look after yourself. Thus I weighed myself this morning and set a target. No food, drink, sleep, happiness, sense of identity, escape from ennui, or above all, chocolate, til I reach it. I’ll be tuning in tonight, and the rest of the series, then because with their down to earth, ad-libbed approach combined with the mix of recipes and life experiences make it the perfect balance of inspiration and encouragement- like a cheaper alternative to joining one of those weight loss groups and without the fear of the dreaded weekly weigh in.

Also high on my list this week are kind strangers who will take the time to help a person in need.

Happy Thursday reader what’s making your love list this week?

Thoughtful Tuesday

God writes a lot of comedy…the trouble is, he’s stuck with so many bad actors who don’t know how to play funny. -Garrison Keillor

Things I Love Thursday

This week seems to have flown by and I’m feeling a bit scatterbrained as I’ve spent my evening packing (read mostly procrastinating on those ‘essential before I can fully pack’ jobs) ready for a weekend away. However it’s Thursday [check], I’m here [check] and you’re here reader so let’s get this things I love offering underway:

Source

Top of my list this week is the chocolate bar that magically appeared on my desk earlier this week. I have my suspicions about who was responsible for this random act of kindness but as they choose to remain anonymous I shall just be grateful that I know some wonderful people.
Other notable loves this week: This Avengers fanvid entitled ‘You and me and your friend Steve’ – it just makes me giggle:
The original song is by Garfunkel and Oates aka Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci (who amongst her many other roles is Scrub’s Stephanie Gooch)

 The Olympic Opening Ceremony
I think Hugh Dennis summed it up perfectly on The Now Show ‘About Ten minutes into the opening ceremony you could hear this strange sound and that was the sound of a nation’s cynicism thawing faster than Greenland’

That’s the end of my list, what’s winning the gold for you this week reader?

Thoughtful Tuesday

The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense. – Tom Clancy

Things I love Thrusday

Here’s a list of things that have made me smile the last couple of weeks:

Source

Batman: The Dark Knight Rises- Amazing I went to see it last night, really enjoyed it and thought it raised some interesting issues but that’s all I’m going to say for now.

Source

These were my feelings earlier this week so I don’t want to spoil it for anyone else, even accidentally.

 My pregnant friend H’s tri-weekly text updates (we went to uni together and now live at practically opposite ends of the country) - her little one, nicknamed “wotsit”, was due last Thursday so she’s a little impatient to meet him/her. Also, Mobile network O2- A couple of weekends ago, following their 24 hour network blackout and their being unable to confirm whether it would offer compensation to customers who were unable to use fully use their phones for several hours and it seemed like they were shirking their responsibilities I was condemning them and muttering aggrievedly about them being a modern major bit of capitalism. However they’ve really pulled it out of the bag this time- proper compensation for those badly affected and a little sweetener for everyone else under a ‘thanks for your loyalty’ banner. The Hollow Crown: Shakespeare Season, Hanging out with my friends in so many places, catching bubbles while doing dishes and Edinburgh Fringe previews. What’s bringing the sun out for you this summertime reader?

'We never close' Lt.Horatio Caine

Here in the UK we’re about to get the final series of CSI Miami, a fact that has been announced loudly and with increasing frequency by the ad campaign run by its UK home channel 5. If CSI [Las Vegas] is the parent of a myriad of forensic based dramas then Miami is the eccentric uncle.

Over the last few years I’ve found myself drifting in and out, mostly getting annoyed with the constant orange glaze over everything, yes it’s always sunny in Miami -honestly we get it already, or thinking 'Why are all of your lab scenes like 80's music videos, Miami? With all the flashing and flying boxes you can't actually see what's going on.'

Yet in spite of all this and the nagging fears that the plots just keep degenerating into nonsense I can’t seem to ever give up on it fully; so I’ll be watching the final series and hoping for a happy ending, after all you might occasionally find your uncle annoying but you don’t usually want to see him obliterated.

Thoughtful Tuesday

Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself  - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Friday Find

Source

Today's Friday Find because reader, sometimes we all need a little reminder to step out of our comfort zones and to live the life we dream of.

Thoughtful Tuesday

Never let yesterday use up too much of today.
- Will Rogers

Thoughtful Tuesday

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint you can on it.
-Danny Kaye 

DB Russell: [to Greg] “Sometimes blood is all you need”
CSI Series 12  episode 14. Seeing Red

Me: Worst cover version of a Beatles song ever

Thoughtful Tuesday

We are here to add what we can to life, not to get what we can from life.
-William Osler

Friday Find

I’d read this before but it recently floated back into my life via a post by Kristin and it was the perfect prompt at a time when I really needed the reminder. Simple, smart and poignant, several decades later, his words still ring true:

 F Scott Fitzgerald’s list of things not to worry about in a letter to his daughter Scottie.
Sound advice for all of us

I hope you gain as much from this as I did

Thoughtful Tuesday

Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot. -Charlie Chaplin

Friday Find

Crossposted from my tumblr because I think this is so true and I am super grateful for all my kindred spirits I have met or made in so many different ways.
Original source: Rebelrose

Thoughtful Tuesday

What you spend years creating others could destroy overnight. Create anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today will often be forgotten. Do good anyway. Give the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. — Mother Teresa

Thoughtful Tuesday

The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it’s a world, or a relationship… Everything has its time. And everything ends. — Sarah Jane Smith Doctor Who ‘School Reunion’

‘A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.’ Happy Towel Day

Thoughtful Tuesday

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. - Goethe

Things I Love Thursday

Here’s my round-up of, well, A Few of My Favorite Things, rightthissecond.

Source

Top of my list this week definitely has to be Dara O’Briain Lat night I went to see him on his latest tour- Craic Dealer. He was fantastically hilarious, worth every penny of the ticket price, I’m still finding myself having a sly chuckle when things pop up that remind me of a bit of his material. (#racismisbetterthanastrology #youhadtobethere) Quite a bit of audience interaction too, about 70 % based on audience interaction and 30% stand up, so I will be interested in how this show differs from the one he will record. It was made all the more impressive given that he wasn’t very well, don’t ask what was wrong though as it is audience/comedian confidentiality.

Other smaller but no less notable loves:
Tiny treats Mini cakes ,my friend M’s new developed interest in breadmaking (not at all influenced by the fact that I get to sample his creations at all, you understand reader), random bursts of sunshine in the middle of all the gray skies we’ve been having lately

Okay! That’s it for me this week. Sorry it’s been a while but, hey. Life happens. What do you love this week reader?

Thoughtful Tuesday

And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it. - Roald Dahl

Thoughtful Tuesday

I tell my students, ‘When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else. This is not just a grab-bag candy game. — Toni Morrison

Thoughtful Tuesday

If you feel that well-read people are less likely to be evil, and a world full of people sitting quietly with good books in their hands is preferable to a world filled with schisms and sirens and other noisy and troublesome things, then every time you enter a library you might say to yourself, ‘The world is quiet here,’ as a sort of pledge proclaiming reading to be the greater good.
— Lemony Snicket, The Slippery Slope

Thoughtful Tuesday

Don't lеt whаt уоu can't dо stop уоu frоm whаt уоu саn do

Friday Find

Arthur Darvill’s (Doctor Who’s Rory Williams) mother Ellie Darvill voiced and manipulated the Why Bird puppet on the popular BBC children’s programme Playdays

Thoughtful Tuesday

Be good to yourself, be excellent to others, and do everything with love.
— John Wolf,

Wouldn't it be great if I had a super cool reason for not updating, like I'd been on an amazing journey through unexplored wildernesses without internet access, or I'd been involved in a top secret government project on which I was not allowed to report even the slightest detail? That would make this entry much better. I'd be useless in a wilderness, though, and I don't know what I would bring to any government project, aside from being quite good with Google, but they probably have a lot of people who can do that. I do however have many excuses/ reasons for being a rubbish blogger, including but not limited to, feeling like I don’t have much of interest/importance to say at the moment or when inspiration does strike I don’t seem to have the time to sit down and write about it. Still I like having a space to say it if they ever do align. I don't particularly want to abandon it or anything and I do enjoy reading the blogs of all the people I follow so I suppose for now I'll just keep appearing sporadically.
In the spirit of what’s gone before I’m easing myself back in with a quick meme:

I was unofficially tagged by Kristin at http://mylifeasateacup.blogspot.co.uk


Here are the questions if you want to play along as well!
1. What is your name
2. Blog URL
3. Write: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
4. Favourite quote
5. Favourite book (at the moment)
6. Favourite band/singers (at the moment)
7. Say anything you want
8. Tag 3-5 bloggers

Thoughtful Tuesday

There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.
~Edith Wharton

Thoughtful Tuesday

Time is free, but priceless. You can’t own it, but you can spend it wisely. You can’t keep it, but you can use it. And once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.- Harvey MacKay

Thoughtful Tuesday

When you’re a kid, they tell you it’s all… Grow up, get a job, get married, get a house, have a kid, and that’s it. But the truth is, the world is so much stranger than that. It’s so much darker. And so much madder. And so much better.
— Doctor Who, Love and Monsters.

Thoughtful Tuesday

Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first. – Mark Twain

Friday Finds

It is reported that in 1963 Baseball pitcher Gaylord Perry remarked, “they’ll put a man on the moon before I hit a home run”. However other variants on this story attribute the joke to his manager Alvin Dark. Either way on July 20, 1969, just minutes after Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, Gaylord Perry hit his first home run.
An additional fact reader -Gaylord Perry was named after a close friend of his father's, who died while having his teeth pulled.

Thoughtful Tuesday

Exert your talents, and distinguish yourself, and don't think of retiring from the world, until the world will be sorry that you retire.
-Samuel Johnson

Pure Genius:

Thoughtful Tuesday

Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still.
Chinese Proverb

The Dilemma

God heard the embattled nations sing and shout
“Gott strafe England” and “God save the King!”
God this, God that, and God the other thing –
“Good God!” said God, “I’ve got my work cut out!”
-JC Squire

Silent Sunday

Friday Find

In France it’s illegal for a pig to be named Napoleon.
Also in other Napoleon related news apparently reader, after taking a bath, Napoleon liked his valet to brush him down briskly with eau de Cologne, while encouraging him with cries of: "Harder, harder! Pretend I'm a donkey!"

Things I Love Thursday

It’s Thursday and it’s that time again. Yes as we're slumped in a despondent post-Christmas and for me post-holiday heap, Tilt list time arrives to lift the January blues and remind me of all the great things in life. The blogging equivalent of those pick-me-ups Jeeves used to give Bertie Wooster to dispel hangovers:

Source

Top of my list this week is Gorgeous Girl & Little Man.
There were lots of things to love this weekend. My niece is practically potty trained [it’s been two weeks – good work C] and I was especially impressed with how good they both were and how well mannered they were during the birthday party and well the whole weekend really. They aren’t saints of course and they can sometimes, like most children, become the gruesome twosome but on the whole they are well behaved sweethearts. I am also incredibly proud of how they are dealing with daddy being away on deployment. It can be a hard thing for children to deal with at any age but when they are so wee (four and two) it’s difficult to understand why daddy has gone for a bit.

Speaking of which…this week I am also loving and very grateful too HMS Heroes.
A support network for the children of services families in Plymouth schools. They run a number of initiatives to help the children feel settled, happy and encourage them to be friends and support each other, especially in times of need.

Also high on my list this week are Bang Tidy cupcakes
Instead of a birthday cake my Sister-in-Law ordered some birthday cupcakes from a small local business. Each cake is handmade including all toppers. The cakes were delicious and if you ever find yourself in Devon with a cake emergency (it happens more than you think reader) then I’d highly recommend them.
N.b. I’m not affiliated with the business nor am I being paid/bribed to endorse them

Super cute Cats- visiting my brother & family was also an opportunity to meet the two newest additions to the family- Ben & Jerry. Ben is super snugly and adorable, he likes the quiet life whereas his brother Jerry is a bit of a pest really (lots of pouncing, biting fingers, play fighting) but I am smitten with the pair of them.

Also:
The official Roald Dahl stamps, the satisfying feeling of unpacking, playing hide and seek with the children, catching up with friends I haven't seen for a year, surprise packages made of pure win,

What about you reader? What’s brightening your week?

Thoughtful Tuesday

The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things. Henry Ward Beecher

Things I Love Thursday

Yesterday was my gorgeous niece’s 2nd birthday so this weekend I am off a-visiting Today though it means that the house is in packing chaos so I think its time for a cup of tea and to reflect on the things I love this week…Let the gratitude commence:

Source

I have something fun/exciting to look forward to for the first four months of the year niece’s birthday, hen party, girlie weekend and a wedding. My bank balance is less pleased but as this is a ‘things I love’ list I’m choosing to ignore that fact.

On the topic of budget squeezing I am very thankful for cheap but nutritious meals. Post -Christmas my waistline is also very thankful for these simple culinary delights.

Also high on my list this week is this parody of beauty advertisements:

Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Other:
Sherlock Holmes though with particular mention to BBC Sherlock, this how -to glittery gold clutch ideas-appeals to my inner magpie,

Whats making your week glitter and shine reader?

Thoughtful Tuesday

Out of clutter, find simplicity, from discord, find harmony, in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein

Things I Love Thursday

I’ve been a tad unwell so my tilt list this week is rather heavily influenced by things that helped put a spring in my step:

Source

First and foremost though top of my list is that after a year and a half my mum finally has a diagnosis (hopefully). It’s like my very own New Year’s miracle. There’s still a long way to go but its half the battle and it removes a whole lot of anxiety.

Best of the rest:
Hot water bottle, tea (always but especially this week), Doris Day films, chocolate,

Thoughtful Tuesday

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. Mother Theresa

Silent Sunday

2011 Year in Review

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Erm...visited Brian Turner's restaurant and Peppa Pig World (the latter with my nephew & niece)

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make any formal resolutions for 2011 but I did make a list of things I would try to do/be better at. This is an ongoing project and I’m adding several others to it as I go along. The main one at the moment is capitalize more on the opportunities that come my way to help someone.


3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
There seem to be babies everywhere at the moment, but none of my family or close friends gave birth this year.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully no

5. What countries did you visit?
Latvia

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Clarity.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
No specific dates that will remain etched upon my memory this year but lots of happy memories of wonderful times spent with friends and family (Butlins week, Russell Howard night and visiting a dear friend in London for the weekend to name but a few).

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
2011 was a year for supporting other people. Big things were happening to the people around me this year, and it was my job to help them through it as much as I could. I like to think I did alright.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not fighting hard enough to pursue what I want/ lacking confidence to prove my capabilities.

10.Did you suffer illness or injury?
I was pretty healthy this year.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Train tickets/petrol money to visit friends

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
A good friend of mine is dealing with some incredibly difficult things with remarkable grace and maturity and I'm so proud of her.

13. Whose behaviour made you depressed?
I was disappointed by those who celebrated in the deaths of Osama Bin Laden and Kim Jong-Il.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, food, shiny treats

15. What events did you get really, really, really excited about?
Visiting K/M’s birthday weekend, Surprising my mum with a trip to see Top Hat, camping with dear, dear friends

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO I couldn’t escape it in the latter part of the year thanks to one of the youth groups I work with … “Everyday I’m shuffling”

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i.happier or sadder? In general probably about the same
ii.thinner or fatter? Fatter but only a little bit
iii.richer or poorer? Poorer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I wish I’d spent more time on creative endeavours.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Procrastina… eh, I’ll finish this answer later.


20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I had a wonderful Christmas day spent with family and a hilarious boxing day spent with dear friends. I am so privileged and blessed in the people I know

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Tan

22. Did you fall in love in 2011?
no

23. How many one-night stands?
none

24. What was your favourite TV programme?
New in 2011 favourites included The Hour, Silk, Twenty-Twelve


25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No

26. What was the best book you read?
There are two books that win that accolade for me this year- Summer Moonshine by PG Wodehouse and Agatha Christies ‘Star Over Bethlehem’

27. What was your greatest musical discovery or rediscovery?
Caro Emerald

28. What did you want and get?
My answer is the same as last year- opportunities to spend time with the people (family and friends) I love most in the world

29. What did you want and not get?
A diagnosis for my poor mum

30. What were your favourite films of this year?
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part II

31. What did you do on your birthday?
The day itself was a quiet one but a couple of days before it I went to see John Barrowman with some friends and the weekend after some other wonderful friends took me out for a meal and cocktails.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
I wouldn't!

34. What kept you sane?
My nearest and dearest. They know who they are, and I’d have been lost without them this year!

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most/least in 2011?
The usual suspects, can’t think of any 2011 specific crushes off the top of my head

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The cuts. The riots.

37. Whom did you miss?
My grandparents and the beautiful people I’m lucky enough to call friends
but who live far away.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
RC, I met her in late 2010 but got to know her this year and I’m really glad I did

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
Our paths aren’t necessarily direct from point A to point B. Sometimes it appears we are drifting or rambling and that’s okay as long as it’s not all the time. Rest when you need it. Taking a morning/afternoon off on occasion is not a bad thing.

40. Sum up the year in a song lyric/quote
I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing. -Agatha Christie