Progress and normality

Last Saturday it was mum's birthday, and a glorious day. Sheer summer. We went to Kenilworth and sat in the Queen and Castle, literally opposite the beautiful castle remains. Only trouble was it took so long for the food to arrive that we missed most of the good weather ond only squeezed in a five minute walk before heading back to the car park... Still, mum seemed to enjoy herself and it was a good opportunity to catch up with auntie Shelagh and uncle David who we don't get to see too often. David's always full of stories cause he volunteers for the talking newspaper for the blind in Coventry. I just checked out the newspaper's website and I'm amazed at how much more technologically advanced they've become. Years ago they'd distribute cassettes of magazine-style news and feature stories and interviews. Now you can also download them as a podcast. Uncle David is a driven man. He seizes every opportunity to get a story for the paper. The moment a famous person comes within 50 miles of the city he jumps in his car and uses his charm to get an interview by hook or by crook. This shy man has met everyone from Buzz Aldrin to his holiness the Dalai Lama. It's pretty remarkable actually. As a result the blind community in Coventry benefit from his efforts - It's a gorgeous idea the talking newspaper. And I'm extra fond of it because as a child uncle David got me a few features on the programme, interviewing people or telling stories. It was quite a confidence boost! One time a blind couple wrote in to thank me for my rambling story-telling and sent me a bracelet as a thank you, which I've kep to this day even though it's hopelesly too small for me now. I't's put me touch with people that I'd never have got the chance to meet; like the blind farmer on Kenilworth Rd whose hobby was archery. It's cool.

Last sunday was a normal sunday; church and chilling at home. The weather was still pretty fine, and Alex came home with the usual football injuries but otherwise ok. Mosely Town had lost but he'd scored so overall he was ok! The next day was Uncle Ken's funeral. Uncle Ken Cartwright was a delightful man. He was married to Alex's aunt, one of nan's sisters. Whenever I saw his he had a smile for me, always made a joke, and after decades of living in Birmingham he spoke with a real shropshire accent. He loved his garden and up until the last year he worked on the neighbours' gardens. Twinkly eyes and a smile is what I'll always remember. Alex was particularly fond of his uncle. He recognises that as a child he was very full of beans; the family had to work pretty hard to keep up with him and tried everything they could to tire him out! He has many happy memories of spending days with uncle Ken doing just that; taking him to the hobby shop, or to walk the dog or kick a ball around. The funeral came around and the day was  another glorious one weather wise. We gathered at the crem and it was a sad day obviously but a friendly and warm family occasion in many ways and I was glad to attend with Alex and his parents. In honour of Ken, after the wake, we went home and did our garden and enjoyed the outdoors. With any luck he knew!

Uncle Ken on the left, Nan and uncle Tom at Nan's 95th birthday 3 years ago

On Friday we (Al, Nath, Laura and Phil Blakey) went to the Patrick Kavanagh pub in Mosely for Claire's 30th birthday. As Claire is in the next play alongside me she'd used the evening for some 'shameless self promotion' and put up posters on the walls to help sell tickets. It would be marvellous to sell as many as possible... We had such fun! Half the Billesley Players were there and we all bumped into people we hadn't caught up with in ages. I danced all night and we had a whale of a time!

Everyone!

Birthday girl - Claire - aka Sylvie in the Odd Couple

After a week's effort we've finished the bottom of the garden and it finally looks tidy and something to be proud of. Alex researched plants that grow under connifers and we went out and got some herbs too for that old basin that's been in the garden waiting for us to fill it up. He cut up a new end to the lawn and in the process discovered several massive concrete blocks (aha - no wonder the grass never grew there...). Then we spent yesterday (Saturday) afternoon getting out fresh compost from the composter ( I love that we make our own compost - it's magic! You put crap in at one end and life giving soil comes out at the other!) to bank up the new rockery area and plant it all up. I love looking out of our bedroom window now!

Herbs in the old basin

One half of the new rockery
- wild flower seeds, lavender and daffodils

Researched plants plus mint, rosemary bush and curry plant

Raspberry bushes are growing up! Fruit hopefully this year!

Finally; the play's progress. We had theatre on Thursday and I'm reapplying myself. It was our first rehearsal in a couple of weeks and I felt a little nervous. I'd forgotten large chunks and the scare has really been good for me. Even though everyone else seemed to think it went ok I'm going to be stuck to my script for a few weeks I think. It'm getting into the detail of it now. There are so many elements to research and think through; the intonation, pauses, rhythm, breathing, movements and quirks of every phrase need thinking through and analysing now that I've memorised the broad outline of each conversation. We're getting there!

An invasion and a wedding

Invasion first.

We had all the girls from Griffin visit, Emily, Sarah Susie Hannah, two husbands, Jonathon and Jon, and two babies Samuel (4 months) and Caroline (1 year), followed by Hannah's 2 boys Jack and Oscar for the afternoon and finally Nathan Laura Emma and Ben for good measure. Our house was fit to bursing point and it was marvellous if knackering fun!

After lunch we decided it would be a good idea to go to the park, which is opposite Nathan and Laura's house - and it's the only time I managed to take photos!

Laura and Ben

Sarah and Sam

Oscar

Emily and Caroline

Susie

Hannah with Jack and Oscar

The kids ran around, Emma got stuck in the mud following Jack around, and we all enjoyed a breath of fresh air. All of us that is except Al and John who made the most of the peace and quiet with Nathan to watch sport on telly! Han took Jack and Ozzie back to their grandparents in Wolverhampton and we hung out throughout the house. We had a mattress party in the upstairs room because there was absolutely no floorspace left, it was just mattresses - but add a glass of red wine or two and it becomess a party, right? Then people started bathing their babies and bedtime rituals, Nathan and Laura took the kids home and at last we all sat down, looked around, and: no kids! The curry was on its way, the telly was on and we all just chilled out in front of the box talking nonsence. After the curry people started nodding off and at midnight: bedtime!

After a semi-disturbed night's sleep (but no worse than our gettogethers usually are just this time interrupted by children rather than drunk adults) we awoke at 7.30. It was a very slow start for everyone. Babies were fed, Emily went back to bed, breakfast was made and we all just enjoyed each other's company some more. Then finally people started heading off to pack up their cars, Al had already gone off for his sunday match, and it was just me and the cat. 2 hours of very determined cleaning later I was done in, with almost no energy for anything and a very lazy afternoon slipped into an early night...

One week later it was Pete and Vicky's wedding! It was held at Holy Trinity RC church in Sutton Coldfield. Vicky wore a be-u-ti-ful dress and looked even skinnier than ever. Pete looked like the cat who'd got the cream. Failed to get any good photos of the two of them together - except the dancing ones on video. The priest was Vietnamese and hilarious - a real crowd pleaser wherever the solemnity of the service allowed. He was obviously very fond of them both and of the whole Gilhooly clan. When we got to Aston Villa they ran mini stadium tours before the meal, which was very unnusual for a wedding day and really great. It meant no one got bored waiting for the stragglers to arrive because we were mooching around the dressing rooms and the tunnel pretending to be (very bad) footballers!
Pete's family is part Irish, so after the speeches before the meal Pete's dad led us all in saying Grace and included a Gaelic blessing or grace in there too. After the meal, which was delicious, there was a folk band and lods of Irish dancing before the pop started. I had a go at the Irish dancing and I have just one word to describe it - knackering! I barely lifted by legs but all that jumping around nearly killed me!
The whole day was fab! We drove home at midnight after saying our goodbyes and left the party in full swing - they were going to be carrying on until 3am! But Al had football and I was driving so it was definitely bedtime - not that Pete was entirely happy with our excuses!

Michelle, Teresa me and Kate

Posing in the dressing rooms

Ash 'interviewing' Nick

Pitchside with Chelle and Nick

Leon and Teresa blowing bubbles

Pete with Leon

Laura with Emma and Ben

Nathan and Emma

First dance

First dance

February 2011

It's been another busy month so here's a snap shot.

At church I signed up last year to do the intercessionary prayers. This is the section of the service that is almost meditational, and it's quite a big deal. You write the prayers and then you present them by standing at the front and meditating out loud, leading the congregation. These are usually in several sections - praying for our neighbourhood, our country our world, or thereabouts - but the emphases are up to you entirely. I've been praying in my head since I could think, I think. At church I've stood up to do the readings since I was about 13/14 - I remember practicing the pronounciation of long words and the pacing of the thing with dad when I was still a kid. How hard could this new responsibility be? But then the reality of leading between 50 and 200 people's private, most innermost and deepest thoughts started to sink in. Writing one of these Intercessions is a big deal. Well I've done two now, the most recent in February, and I'm just glad I don't have to do it weekly. But all the same it is a rare thing, and one that gives me some satisfaction. I've had some good feedback, and as I tend to be quite heartfelt they usually see that, at least, I'm in earnest. This was my most recent attempt:

Intercession Prayers

Help us to follow our consciences honestly, and stay close to You in thought and word and deed; not to judge ourselves too harshly and to seek inner peace day by day in this busy world.

Help us to be nurturing, loving missionaries of your truth, Lord. Help us to forgive ourselves and others, letting go of guilt and ridding ourselves of any obstacles to a healthy relationship with You.

In Your mercy... Hear our prayer

This Valentines day and every day help us to build loving relationships with each other; with members of the church congregation, with family and friends. Help us not to succomb to celebrating the superficialities of modern life but to develop meaningful relationships with each other, celebrating the example you set for us. Help us to do this daily in remembrance of You.

In Your mercy... Hear our prayer

Lord God, help us to be mindful of our motivations and integrate our celebration of You into our daily lives and not push you into the corner. We pray that with Your guidance we accept the joy of knowing You; help us to avoid lapses into self doubt or arrogance, and the pitfalls of imposing our particular belief systems onto others. Help us to truly love our neighbour and accept them, not to find them threatening but have the faith that You will guide each of us on our own journey.

Help us to avoid arrogance and self-congratulartion but to seek out humility. Not to be self-congratulatory

In Your mercy... Hear our prayer

Lord, we place our friends and family into Your care for safe-keeping. Guard their hearts, bodies and minds from pain and injury and guide them in their life's journey. Help us to let go of personal sadness and place into your hands that which we cannot control. We commemorate those known particularly to us who are in discomfort or pain, facing financial or emotional problems. We particularly remember...

In Your mercy… Hear our prayer

Finally...

God, grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, Courage to change the things we can, And wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; Taking,

as Jesus did, this sinful world As it is, not as we would have it; Trusting that You will make all things right If we surrender to Your Will; So that we may be reasonably happy in this life And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen

 A few weeks ago Al brought home his newest toy, a very nice silver Ford Mondeo! It's gorgeous to drive and as it's diesel it'll hopefully be more economical to drive... we hope! I drove it to Worcester to see my old workmate from Leukaemia CARE, Kirsty. It was great to see her and her little girl. We hadn't seen each other since her last day at the charity before she went on maternity and now she's got a toddler plus another one on the way! Shocking how time goes by...

Me Lisa and Danielle went to see Russell Howard on tour at the NEC, and despite almost never having seen him on telly and not knowing what to expect, he was really good! We had a great night out anyway. Me and Danielle met in Birmingham at Chez Jules, a gorgeous little french bistro that is around the corner from Cafe Rouge. It's cheaper and nicer I think, and more genuine. The idiosyncratic chaotic organisation of the place just lends to the French bistro feel, the waiters are all french, or nearly, and it's just lovely. Anyway we had a good meal and then headed out to the NEC to meet Lisa, who finished work later than Danielle. I hadn't been at what is now called the 02 Arena since Smash Hits Poll Winners Part in 1993, when I went with mum who sa through the whole thing with her fingers in her ears! To be fair, I don't blame her, some of it was fairly appalling - 2 Unlimited I'm thinking of you. Before that, when we were about 9, me and Lisa had been in the same stadium to see Kylie Monogue on her Locomotion tour!!! And now something like 22 years later we were back there together to see a comedy show! One guy and a comfy chair (a lazy boy recliner, like in Friends) didn't fill the stage quite like Kylie and her band had, but once I got used to the venue and Russel Howard's quirky style I couldn't stop laughing! Must get hold of Danielle's photos from the night.

The next day I went out on Vicky's hen do which was quite a hoot! We met up at Red Pepper in the Mailbox and then hit a few bars. Collette set us all off on a mission to write dares for Vicky to complete and pretty soon she was asking blokes in the bar to wear her veil or buy her a drink; all very innocent but a real giggle. Feeling tired I headed home at about midnight and they were in full swing.  The week after Alex, Nathan and Leon all headed off to Pete's stag do; clay pidgeon shooting followed by drinks in Moseley. Al came home in good spirits, competitive spirit satisfied and once more I mused on how creative the boys have all been when it came to their stag do's. They's had such a variety of activities I've always been a tad jealous at not being an honorary boy!

Kate and Vicky the bride to be

Back to... reality

I'm back at Ernst & Young and pretty much over my cold. Alex has had a course of antibiotics and thankfully is back on top again. We are starting a new shift pattern however of two weeks starting at 8am followed by 1 week starting at 9.30. I thought I'd die when they announced it! Mosely Town FC have even won the last few games so we're full of new year cheer!

Work's going well; it's busy season for us and for Alex too. But we've booked off a few days in April so we have something to aim for - no actual plans yet. We wondered about going awy, maybe abroad, maybe Britain... we'll see.

We've started back at theatre too, which is great cause I was very keen to get going with again. Having had 6 months off I'd really misssed the intereaction, having a project, developing new skills and the weekly fun of being in the group.  Thanks to a combination of factors (in particular a certain A.D.) the last show had been particularly stressful. But I've got gret feelings about the new show. Everyone is gelling and there is a fabulous atmosphere; a real team spirit.

I'll let the poster do the talking:


Odd Couple poster 2011

 That's right - I'm joint lead and thrilled!
Thrilled because my friends have all got parts, but mainly cause I'll learn so much from Sheila. Sheila's brilliant and very experienced and she's going to be hilarious; so wish me luck!

The original Odd Couple film poster is below for you to compare

Original poster

Our photo was shot on Thursday night, thanks to Graham's talents at getting and organising favours. He is 'the man who can' in the group! We went to a photographers' studio in the council house and changed. I had been asked to get a beer and a burger which I'd bought at lunchtime, so by this time it was warm beer and cold burger! We must've had 50 shots taken some were of me eating the burger and drinking the beer; yuuuk! Every so often I'd burst out laughing or Sheila would smile. But in the end they got enough shots that they thought they could do something with them! It was a fun experience. All those times that Uncle David got me to pose when I was growing up might have actually paid off! Wouldn't like to do it for a living though...

Now all I have to do is learn my lines and get the New York accent straight...