Saturday, May 13, 2006

An afternoon off

I'd booked the afternoon off on Thursday for an interview and decided to leave it as a holiday as I didn't need to go to the interview any more... So I came home and let the cat out and set to work on the garden. There's a trench down the side that needs sorting out, it's been filled with cement and sand and bricks from when they built the extension and it's something we just never got around to sorting out. So I made headway and added to the pile that Alex had created the day before on his day off. I worked away in the sunshine and got covered in sand and clay, and I decided at about 5pm to take the rubbish out to the front as they'd collect it the next morning. Because it was a very windless day, hot and calm, I didn't put the latch on and pulled the door to behind me to stop the cat going out the front. Pads however had other ideas. She has learned to nose open the door and must have been trying out this new technique when she pushed the door shut.

I was locked out!

The little girls and boys on the close were watching and followed me around the back as I tried vaguely to climb the fence. I was wearing flip flops and there was no way I was going to get over. The children had other ideas...

"No you do it like this, see? Paige, Paige, pass me that pole over there!"
As the 8 year old deftly hung over my back fence she assured me she'd helped the last man who lived here break in too! His wife had locked him out once, I knew this from some other neighbours. She unhooked the back gate, jumped down and let me in!

So I made all 4 of them orange squashes, we chatted, they played around and showed off and I distracted them by teaching them words in Spanish. In the end they left with lists of words, arguing over who could have what... "no Paige you can't have that word, that's MINE!"

And I promised them they'd have their moment of fame on my blog in return for their help, so here they are the Ashbury Covert 'possie'















Paige, the one in pink trying to look well-behaved, is nine and lives next door with her mum Sharon and older brother and sister. They are all lovely kids, really sweet. And they like Pads too, which means I always have people out in the close looking out for her! The other three are eight, seven and six and are two sisters and the little brother. The live on our close and they are best of friends. They've grown up together, the four children and they tend to invite every other kid on the close into their group, including it seems the children of the family who lived here before me. They used to have a paddling pool and they'd all Jump around flooding my garden. It's taken the lawn over a year to recover but never mind!

Yesterday Paige waved and ran over. She said:
"Gemma, I can remember some words! Naranha, pina and limo, and gracias and si!!!"
So Proud...!

Jueves terminaba el trabajo a la 1 d ela tarde por que lo habia organizado medio dia vacacion para una entrevista. Ya que no necesitaba la entrevista me fui a casa y hice mi trabajo en el jardin. Estaba cubierta con polvo y arena y tierra cuando decidi llevar la bolsa de basura al frente de la casa, pero olvide de asegurar que la puerta no podia cerrar bien y quede cerrado afuerra de la casa sin poder entrar otra vez. Que desastre!

Afortunadamente habia las chicas y chocos vecinos vigilando como siempre, e interesados, me preguntaban si me podian ayudar. Segundos mas tarde tenia una chica de ocho anos escalando la cerca de mi jardin, liberando el gancho con un palo largo, y saltando al otro lado para degarme entrar! Claro, tenia que darles las gracias, y les di gotas de jugo de naranja, y les entreteno con clases de espanol. Les explico algunas palabras y parece ser que han recordado algo ya que la mas grande, mi vecina Paige, me dijo ayer
"Gemma! recuerdo unas palabras! Naranha, pina and limo, and gracias and si!!!"
Que orgullo..!

Monday, May 08, 2006

Top news!

I am very excited to hear thatI have a third pregnant friend! My lovely buddy Alisa who I lived with in Sevilla, is expecting a baby with her fiancee Craig and I'm chuffed to bits for them. So expect lots more baby news! What with Hannah and Ruth already getting bigger bumps, I'm expecting life to be awash with baby news over the next few months, and that's not forgetting the ever gorgeous Jack and Emma! Unfortunately Alisa lives in America so I really am going to have to follow this story in virtual reality, but hey, thank goodness for the internet!

Secondly, and I'm exceedingly proud of this, after handing in my notice and accepting the job at Lantra, I was offered an even better position at BioCare which I am very excited about. It is a long term position, and it's walking distance from my house which is good news for everybody! Pads is going to be happy as she'll get a morning run probably! Keep your fingers crossed for me please!

Tengo mas noticias de bebes! Mi amiga buena Alisa, quien conoci en Sevilla cuando compartimos un piso durante seis meses excellentes, esta embarazada. Ella es mi tercera amiga esperando un bebe, asi que esperad muchas mas noticias de bebes! Y esto no cuenta con las historias de mis queridos Jack y Emma. Tristemente Alisa es Americana y vive alli, asi que tendre que seguir su historia con muchos emails, gracias a dios por el internet y los blogs, no?

Mi segunda noticia tambien me da mucha alegria. Despues de la oferta de un puesto de trabajo con Lantra, tambien recibi una oferta de trabajo en una compania casi al lado de mi casa! Se llama BioCare y es un puesto dentro del departamento de marketing. Ademas de darme mas dinerillo me da la oportunidad de caminar al trabajo, algo que no he podido hacer desde que trabaje en la peluquerria cuando tenia 15 anitos! Deseame suerte por favor!

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Embarrassing pics!

On Wednesday Jess organised a special Candlelit church evening called Your House, there were activities in each corner and one of them was me singing! There was an alternative therapist offering hand massages, and the scouts were invited and they generally ran around, there were cakes and drinks available to encourage people to mingle and chat, a prayer corner, and we all shared communiion at the end around a big table, breaking bread and sharing wine like it was done originally.

Seeing as I sing there most weeks and she'd also invited a photographer from the parish newsletter, I thought I'd let you see a few of the pictures.

Jess and Rob joined in for the last of three songs, Amazing Grace.






















Aqui hay unas fotos de mi cantando en la iglesia, donde suelo cantar la mayoria de semanas. Ayudando para la tercera cancion estan Rob y Jess, mis amigos.

Monday, May 01, 2006

May Day

Today was 1st May and so we all had a bank holiday. Nathan has recently acquired his dad's car and it's much nicer than his old banger, so he offered to drive us all to the Malvern Hills, in Worcestershire, for some May day fun.

With me Laura and Emma in the back of his new Rover, and Alex and Nathan palacially stretched out in the front, Nathan drove us out through the gorgeous Worcestershire countryside. We weren't sure what was going to be on but there's always something happening on May day so it was just a question of finding somewhere picturesque with Morris dancers!

Upton Upon Severn was holding its Riverside Folk Festival and it was a lovely day. We sat by the river next to The Plough pub and let Emma crawl around on the grass while some very oddly dressed morris dancers jingle-jangled away. Emma really did giggle at the sight of them and you can imagine some of Nathan and Alex's comments! Emma also had a good day for meeting animals. She managed to get a tiny bit closer to Pads before squealing today, and then the family on the grass next to us introduced her to their golden retriever, Herbie. He was gorgeous and she was fascinated!









There was an eclectic mix of people, comprising big and burly bikers, re-enactment bods, folk people and cultural types. There was everything on sale from tye die tops, to pixie ear tips (£4 each!!!) to pancakes (I had a banana and chocolate one, yum, I couldn't resist!) to accordians!

There was a marina and lots boats passing by on the river, a swell of people, a market and quite a few bands and morris dancer groups.









It was a beautiful day!









Nos pasamos el dia celebrando el primer de Mayo, que en inglaterra es un dia de vacacion. Es tradicional ir a ver bailarines de Morris, normalmente se visten raramente pero adonde fuimos era una festival de folklore y habia unos grupos de bailarines vestido estupendamente raro - figense en la foto de bailarines vestidos en rosa!!! Emma se reia como una loca!