What a numpty

Boxing DAY - I only went and locked us all out the house - 2.5 hours to get back in and £80 for a locksmith - which was cheap as the first one wanted £160 - and the 2nd one came in an hour and managed to get us in.

Thank you mr locksmith.

Have a nasty cold and cough - feeling really rough and back at work tomorrow. Yak yak and triple yak yak yak.

Where did Christmas go huh.#

Christmas Day 25.12.11

Wouldn't be christmas without the obligatory Radio Times, we used to have to buy the TV times too - they must have gone out of business since The radio times now lists every TV programme going all over the festive season.

And a blingy watch - journalling a bit out of sequence but you get the drift.

love these blingy earings

I'm a very lucky lady, my blingy purse, Korin remembered I wanted.

Another pressie i asked for and got - thanks again to hubby.

I;'ve wanted these for ages but because they're so expensive I put them on my christmas list - thank you my lovely hubby.

Christmas Eve -

Well, it all comes together in the end,.

Had to take DH to Badger clinic as he has a terrible chest infection - poor thing - having said that my throat is sore and I keep nodding off to sleep so hope I don't get it too.

Eaten far far too much - as per usual - feel fat and bloated and can't wait now until the festive food is out of the way - how ridiculous is that...........................watched text santa and really want to do something volunteer wise in 2012 - will have a scout around to see what I fancy doing. I suppose I could help with reflexology in a hospice or something along those lines.

Hoping CHRISTMAS DAY is a good day - that we can all enjoy the food and relax and keep calm etc.

so so tired and worn out

work is just the most boring thing I have ever done in my life - thank goodness i have my reflexology to go and talk to people who are normal.

I work with people who basically need to nit pick over things, and stand around talking and messing about rather than working - I am so sick to death of the radio blarring all the time - and turn it down when I can, now that one girl sits RIGHT IN FRONT OF IT ? it's difficult to get at - maybe that is why she sits right in front of it - HOW can you do effective work if you are sitting listening to the radio?

I have applied for a reduction in hours by 3 per week - it's not a lot, but I don't mind my 1 pm finish so much - the boss said no 3 months ago, but now they have a new policy to cut down costs - cost improvement programme - so maybe they'll let me - i know the girls won't be happy but I gotta think about me. I am fed up doing things to please other people. 2012 is going to be my year, I'll be 56 years old and I'm sick of dancing to other peoples tunes. I will also try and rebuild my reflexology business, maybe get some teaching again? Fingers crosssed.

Gotta lose a stone again though too - back to Slimming World in the new year.

I & my beautiful DD are devastated

the chap my DD has been seeing since February of this year is STILL with a girl whom he has been with for nearly 4 years - they have broken up a few times, so he told my DD (it now transpires that he has NEVER broken up with her) - last September for instance when he met my DD and went out with her for about 8 weeks and then broke up with my DD because he said he couldn't get his ex out of his head ( more like he felt guilty cheating on his girlfriend - I just wish my DD knew then what she knows now ) - then February he came back to my DD saying he had been a fool and he'd definitely finished it with his girlfriend (lying toerag ) and has been at our house 2 - 3 nights a week, sitting chatting with her dad, having lifts home, bringing DVD's for us to watch - and generally being a nice lad - saying to my DD that he loved her to bits, and that he wanted to share the rest of his life with her and have kids with her AND ALL THE TIME LYING TO HER AND HE WAS STILL WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND. We are all devastated really, I probably don't feel as badly as her (obviously) but she's just so so lost and upset and angry and hurt and low. She has text this girl the true facts and HE has said that my DD is stalking him and won't leave him alone, more lies - can't believe he's turned out to be such a scumbag. We are all hurt and upset. His GF Believes him.

DD has since seen him and she told him he was lucky to have gotten away with it, where his GF is concerned, he said he has gotten away with nothing and Karma has certainly turned back on him - WE HOPE IT STAYS TURNED ON HIM AND HE LOSES HIS GF TOO AND HAS A TERRIBLE CHRISTMAS.

I hate it when you get to this stage .....

When I've written a few cards (don't send many anyway) - but have ran out of stamps too send the others and waiting on someone getting back to me with an address ........

When I've managed to wrap two presents - people I am seeing first - but won't be handing them over until Tuesday/Wednesday this week when we are having 'meet up's' - so I've had to put lists besides the presents in my treatment room ready to go - feeling anxious about it - I know it's stupid .................

When I've just written a list of food to get - and already panicking that the shops are going to be overly busy and I'm rushing around finding that the stuff I want is already out of stock .........

and I could go on and on about how many 'when's i actually have, I am letting all this Christmas malarkey to get to me - when, lets face it, it's for one full day - Tescos and asda normally open again on Boxing Day !

Right, panic over, just had to get my head straight.

Floral Fantasy ..................

You really should take a look at this blog - brilliant. & blog candy too. Excellent.

7th December 2011

Days go by so quickly. Annual leave today - took Keir to his counsellor and then to doctors and then home for half hour - quick lunch and then out to take him to college and then home - but thought I'd have my hair cut - which I did - then home and got on with accounts for accountant - all done - just got to parcel them up and get them sent tomorrow - so will be with her in much better time than last year - she has warned us that she would charge us if we didn't get them to her until january, I suppose it must be awful having everyones accounts to do all in the month of january.

Not looking forward to the bill though.

Didn't get the job,

Really quite gutted. Don't feel I have the energy to keep applying - keeping looking, going for interviews. TIRED>

and the CHRISTMAS TREE

exactly the same as last year - I have been looking for a fibre optic 4' tree rather than having to decorate the christmas tree again this year, but sadly couldn't find one - I will go and get some crackers to put on the tree too........feeling festive - nah not really yet!

CHRISTMAS IS DEFINITELY GETTING CLOSER !

How strange is that - decided to photograph our christmas pressie to each other - a 43" plasma TV and at the same time the coke-cola advert was on - DEFINITELY CHRISTMAS NOW.

A Shiney christmas tree for either side of the french doors.

my £3.99 bargain for the front door - frames the glass perfectly.

The Start of my Christmas Journal

start of the front cover - I'm hoping to journal everyday - I won't be following Shimelle on UKS but will be doing my own thing.

I made this 6 x 6 album buying the posts & 6 x 6 page protectors from the auction site and making the front covers with chipboard and covered with patterned paper - simples

The finished front cover

16 page protectors to fill - double sided so that's 32 days - IF I get that far.

24th Back on Slimming World properly - I hope

would love to be back down to 11 stones for Christmas Day., I hope I can do it - even IF i only lose a few pounds it would be better than feeling how 'full and bloated' I am feeling at this moment in time.

Plus we have a meal to go to on Boxing Day and our Nigels Christmas/New Year party on Friday 30th December - so looking forward to that - will buy something nice to wear IF I've lost the weight.

Interview

seemed to go well, but they are interviewing quite a number of people so who knows if I shall get a job - it's my luck that I won't - don't like being negative but I feel so stuck in MR and all the problems that occur in there - they are so awful at times - just the messing about all the time and the breaks they have and breakfasts and music blarring at times - whilst I work work work. I try so hard to ignore it but it's so difficult.

I pray I get this job - in Lichfield - won't know until Monday though - keep trying to be positive.

Girl at work at to have her horse put to sleep

this week - it has me thinking of how much I so love my dog and cats - they are all getting old and I know that GUNNER is slowing month by month. I wish with all my heart that he was young again, we'd just had him, I was working from home again and could take him 'walkies' whenever I wanted to, like I used to be able to, before working outside the home 28 hours a week - and feeling so knackered when I get home that it's a quick drag around the block for him - poor soul. I wish I could have my happy old life back again - but we can't, we have to work like everyone else to pay the bills and so my dog doesn't get the exercise or attention he once had.

BUT he has a roof over his head - a loving home and food in his belly - and lots of cuddles and is loved by us all.

I hope he's with us a couple more years yet - but I doubt it - I pray he's ok.

Korin passed her driving test !

Yippeeeeeeeeee - so pleased for her, she so needed it. A BIT MORE GOOD LUCK FOR US> Just hope she stays safe and drives carefully.

Worry to death every time she goes out alone.

Have been really rough -

with my back .............. feeling really down too, because of work, reckon it'll be me that is made redundant next february - everyone else has been in NHS for a lot longer than me ! OK I know i've moaned on at how boring the job is - it IS exceptionally boring, but I so enjoyed clinic prep and that has all been taken from me. Now I have a bad back to contend with, stretching and bending and carrying loads of files etc - I really don't know how I shall do it.

Tired and worn out and fed up - hope this interview goes well and I get the job. Massive good luck vibes to myself and fingers crossed a million times too. IF only boss lady had told M that is wasn't fair to shove me back in MR - but that would never happen for me.

Back at work tomorrow - and back is much improved (thankfully) - but dreading going in. I never take time off work but even when sick you feel guilty about not being there.

What a difference a week makes.

It has been awful at work - M decided that she was going back into her office and so I had to return to MR - I know that M did this out of spite because I had the nerve to complain to the boss that she was bossing me around - well Iwasn't going to stand for it ! BUT then she decides also to say that I had been 'talking' behind her back, this is untrue - and the whole week just went from bad to worse. To make matters worse last night my bottom back/right leg was in spasm (I think because of all the stress) and got up this morning, didn't sleep well and pain pain pain. Took painkillers but decided to stay at home................I really couldn't have made it in today and done stretching and bending and the like at work. So ............... I felt terrible not going in because it now looks like I didn't go in because of the troubles at work. But hey ho - yet another bloody week in the birch household.

Having said all this - our redundancies at work have been put off - really - until next february - so that was a bit of a bonus - PLUS K has had mega troubles at work, but that has eased a bit towards the end of the week - and good news is that we found out that K's pension is worth a lot lot more than we could have imagined - and we shall draw some money down to put in the bank for a rainy day - or the day we really need it. It will mean that we can have a bit of a better christmas and have my garden done at the front to make it look nicer for christmas and have a new TV for Christmas as our pressie. GIVING the kids a thousand pounds each too.

AND I got an interview for 21st of the month - it seems like a really interesting job - hope so anyway, and hope I get it to get away from this place and the threat of redundancy. It is full time though, but I would give my reflexology up and just do that and have each evening to myself, that would be kinda nice after 14 years of doing evenings.

This week has been quite eventful - stressful - exhausting - sad - upsetting - anxious - but has turned out quite OK. Fingers crossed that things continue on OK as we never seem to make those two steps forward and stay FORWARD......................

This could be the start of something big ........

or small as the case may be. It's a little tag book someone on UKS wanted the template and when I saw it I thought it was perfect for Linda's Christmas card/little something - we don't buy each other presents but I always send something that I have taken time over and she loves them. So this will be completely masked with Christmas papers and little tags made to go in the pockets and the 'twas the night before christmas' poem will be on the little tags - then I shall embellish the outside - hope she likes it. think she will.

we went to meet 'our' George

Here he is and isn't he JUST gorgeous !

How wonderful is this:

Brenda's FLORAL FANTASY - Blog, for some unknown reason blogger doesn't allow me to post pic's in my sidebar???? Anyway, anyone who crafts needs to go nosey at Brendas blog



http://stamping-fantasies.blogspot.com/2011/09/recycling-candy.html?showComment=1318029555086#c5255950594198487995





she is running blog candy - I just came across this bloggy and it's wonderful - not just for the blog candy but the beautiful creations.





SPREAD THE WORD

phew

another week done - and I enjoyed this week much better than MR's - doing the clinics on my own, little errors but nothing major - but bad news that they are now saying this is only temporary so M can get experience in MR - I'm not happy - and will voice my unhappiness if they try and get me to go back. As I',m not in MR now theyhave the radio on really loudly and it's bad for my ear.............................ah well just see how things go. STILL desperately trying to find a new job away from them - away from NHS

my head is spinning

Bev is training me - but she's one of those who does things for you rather than letting you do things for yourself. BUT once I know what I'm doing I think I will enjoy being in CP much better than MR's. I hope - very hot in there though.

Went back into MR's for the last hour and again the radio is VERY loud - I just cannot concentrate.

AH WELL - lets see how it goes.

Fed up to the back teeth really.

Went to Welshpool to Marians caravan on Sunday it was a good day out, Key fished and we had a picnic by the side of the lake..........................dreadful journey home though as it was so so busy. END OF THE SUMMER NOW THOUGH so won't be going again.

Keir getting a bike tomorrow - dreading it - please God keep him safe.

I went into other office for training today

It was all very rushed but that is how our jobs are - rush rush rush ............. plus M didn't go into Med Rec's - I think she was 'listening' to whether I was taking it in or not - actually I remembered quite a bit from when I was training briefly last year sometime, probably about 10 months ago.

Wasn't good news that the last hour I have to go back into Med Rec's to work and the radio was EXCEPTIONALLY LOUD and I couldn't concentrate on my job. ah well, can't have it all ways.

BUT it was nice to be AWAY from them - leapfrogging today and exercising - having breakfast and talking and wasting time, all in NHS time! disgusting really disgusting. THANKFULLY I'M NOT PART OF IT.

Is this good news or not?

Michelle said ' you still up for swapsee's' - meaning swapping hours with her from med recs to clinic prep. I said yes straight away. I NEED to get away from the music blasting from the radio all day long - and need to get away from one particular person. SHE came back to work today and the atmosphere in the office wasn't nice.

So from monday I do 20 hours of my 28 hours in clinic prep - I hope I like - I hope I can do it without making too many mistakes - I should be able to do it - the other girls are only the same as me - I have to stop putting myself down.

BUT Fi and Charl and Michelle wanted me to go do training in there today - I felt that once again I hadn;'t been consulted and they just wanted me to go - so I shall just go along with it but if things aren't good in there I shall just tell Michelle it's not working and we need to go back to how we were. Don't think my work colleagues are happy about how it's worked out - but you know, I don't give a kipper dick !

Olivia came to stay for the weekend

Plants are dying in the garden - winter is on it's way.

house is lovely n clean .......

Love the new 'top' floss - both top & head - highlights ! wow

My beautiful boy - Gunny Bunny

Melt art UTEE poured onto some embossing plates I bought - I thought they would frazzle and shrink as they are flimsy plastic but NO they can be used over and over - I hope. Will need to alcohol ink these though

A background for an ATC on the trail on UKS - metal embossed. Scrumptious eh !

A few new craft items to have a play with - IF I get any time that is !

the view from my window today - pleasant sunny day too.

more of my kitty pic's

Keir bit his tongue badly - ouch !

Bad week -

work was awful ................ really awful.

Both me and Korin going to sign up to do some volunteer work - for the people of TAMWORTH don't really know where I will get the time, but I really fancy doing something.

Tired.

Worn out. My stomach not good.

AND big news - I rejoined SW - this time at Strykers Saturday am - 9.30 - they seem a good lot and not so much happy clapping. BUT I was 11.13/5 - thank goodness I wasn't 12 stone......that means I am a stone heavier than Christmas - and I have therefore gained 8lb's or thereabouts since my April holiday - but I was HALF A POUND lighter than I was this time last year and still 20lb's lighter than I was when I started back at Slimming World 15 months ago. Just gotta get to 10.7 for Christmas Day - I hope I can do it.

Finally finished my bathroom with a nautical look

My last purchase today from The Range - love that shop............I think I may still embellish my bathroom ordinary mirror which was a brown pine, painted white - and I may stick some shells onto the corner to make it look a little more nautical/beachy theme.

Loved this picture of a beach-hut, again off ebay, when it arrived though I didn't think it was worth the £10 I had bid for it - told the seller but they didn't bother to reply.

Loved this little boat.

Pleased with this lighthouse online until I saw them half the price in Devon whilst we were away last week - story of my life. The large shell was from Keir on my very first Mothers Day - I have kept it all these years.

loved this hanging off ebay - where-else?

Wonderful 5 days in Devon - my favourite place in the world

Ilfracombe, our lovely family holidays were spent here - many a year - and Woolacombe, didn't get back to Woolacombe this year though, wish we had, but didn't have enough time and did a lot of sightseeing this year - came home refreshed and really enjoyed it.

Clovelly, of course, my legs were wobbly going down and I ruined a new pair of shoes into the bargain - coming back up, a bit out of puff but not too bad. Don't think I shall ever go again, again it was quite boring having no one around really.

Didn't stay long in Appledore, again it was so very quiet, but we went beginning of September and their season had already finished according to the shopkeepers.

A walk along the beachfront at Lynton - and by the river which was really flowing - a picnic by the side of the river, all in all a lovely day.

The Lynmouth/Lynton rail - up the hill, fantastic how this works, by water replacement, so clever for all those years ago.

this was simply scrumptious, but I gained 4lb's whilst away to add to the other 5lb's I have gained from previous hoidays and bad weekends, got to knuckle down now and do something about my weight again.

Instow - Loved it as a kid, pretty drab and dreary the late afternoon we went, but it brought back lots of lovely memories of mom and dad and times gone by

tidied up a bit -

Yes, believe it or believe it not, this is tidier than before. Everything is filled to capacity.

all those boxes are filled with scrapping stuff - my spending has to stop. I also need to list what is in the boxes so at a glance I can craft. I get frustrated at the moment that I don't really know what I have and haven't got.