Hands up - guilty as charged!!

Well.........

For the past year or so I've been wondering what all the fuss was about, after all it was only a kid's series of books about a vampire! Wrong, wrong, wrong!!!!!

Over the past ten days or so I've found myself with some unexpected me-time and my all-time passion is reading. So, bought myself, admittedly very sceptically, a copy of Twilight. Couldn't put the damned thing down. I forsook sleep and food to read the book every chance I got. Did it in 36 hours and absolutely adored it! By midnight last Friday I was a firm and committed member of Team Edward. That young man has more sex appeal that I would have thought possible to commit to paper.



By last night I'd managed to finish New Moon and Eclipse and watch Twilight on DVD. Have to admit that I found the DVD a tad disappointing but I'm always the same if I've read the book first.



Finally, I wouldn't say that I'm one for carrying my obsessions to any serious length. However......... this afternoon OH and I decided that given there were still no children in the house, we would head into town to do some bits and pieces of shopping. While we were wandering I commented that I needed a new everyday watch for work etc. Went into one of the jewellers and there it was - shouting at me - come buy me Gill, you know you want me!!!!



The delectable Sekonda Twilight no less! So, I confess, I've finally lost the plot but hey it's all good clean fun and will be even better when I settle down later tonight to start rereading Twilight - I loved that book sooooo much. Carole Griffin - I blame you and Tinks, and thank you at the same time. A little escapism has been a wonderful thing following on some of the stresses of late.

Gillx

What's Rocking Your World Friday

Good evening Rockettes. Hopefully you've come to visit me via the wonderful Virginia over at Celtic House where she has a really wonderful list of things to be grateful for. I can but hope to hold my own over here.

First things first, thank you dear reader for stopping by!!!!

Next, well I actually had today booked as a day's annual leave and, unlike the previous two Fridays, didn't set foot over the University gates and I have to admit it was just fab!!!!!!! I woke to lovely blue skies and a very mild breeze. Felt so invigorated that I stripped the beds and got all the linen and flannel washed and line dried by midday - how virtuous did I feel LOL!!!!!!

As I sit typing tonight it's a gorgeous evening with very little cloud, slight breeze and a gorgeous view of the hills - simple things dear reader.

I am grateful that I felt motivated to continue with a little project I've been working on - an engagement book/album keeper thingy which I mentioned last week. Today I nipped out and picked up some final bits of ribbon and some charms and hey presto - complete!!!!!!!!!!!! Those of you who know me from Facebook will have noticed that I had a bit of a dilemma over the level of embellishment required. My style, despite attempts to change it, is really quite simple so I'm adopting the adage "Less is more" as my line of defence. Hopefully I've managed to load a small slide show to demonstrate my point

Another free photo slideshow by Smilebox

Let me know what you think please - confidence in my crafting is never that great at the best of times and I usually conveniently "forget" to photograph my projects!

My darling daughter is off in Wick at the moment with my parents and niece and by all accounts they are having a lovely time with fine weather, visiting family, beaches, sites and generally having laid back fun. Roll on Sunday when she is returned to us safe and sound. If I'm honest, not that it happens very often, I can't say that I like my house without children. It's way toooooo quiet and three years down the line I still find it strange not having my little man around every day. I'm honest enough to confess that I love the noise and disruption he brings home with him every other weekend. Thanks, as always, to the staff who do such a fab job of caring for him in between his visits home.

It's been a busy old week at work and I'm glad that we only have a week until our financial year end, anew staffmember joins us on Monday to cover for my colleague on maternity leave, and best of all, only two weeks until I'm off on holiday for two whoe weeks and my precious boy will be home for 6 days during that time. As with so many people affected by autism, he depends on his routine. As much as we know he loves being home amongs his belongings and family, we have learned that he can only be with us for short periods if we want to maintain his progress. C'est la vie, but a hard one!!!!!!!

Right, enough for one night. ooooooooooh, justremembered, tonight is Grey's Anatomy night and one of my little weaknesses. It's the only TV programme which I make any conscious effort to watch - love it. Thank you Channel 5 for bringing it bak to me.

Definitely off this time so stay safe and well and let me know that you've been to visit. Until the next time..........

Gillxx

OK Peeps - so What's Rockin' Your World Friday?!!

Well peeps

I have no excuse for missing last weeks post other than that life really just got in the way of blogging. I was supposed to be on a day's holiday last Friday and ended in at work -nuff said!!!

Same has happened again today so I suppose my first grateful should be that I have a job which brings in the pennies which allow me to craft?

My next grateful is to my mum and dad. They know how hectic things are for me at the moment and have asked DD to go off up north with them next week while OH and I are stuck at work. DD is very very happy about this as she loves the chance to visit our family up in Wick



On the craft front I am working on a surprise for one of the girls at work - a sort of scrapper keeper album as she became engaged recently and I wanted to make her a little piece of frippery. I will try and remember to take photos before I pass it on - I'm hoping to finish it this weekend. That said, DS is home from school this weekend so that plan may go west!!!!

I am every grateful to the people who developed Facebook as this is sometimes my only constant link with some of my not-so-nearest and definitely dearest, and is generally a much-loved window to the big wide world out there. It serves well to remind me that there is a world outside of work.

As ever I'm grateful to Virginia over at Celtic House for coming up with this wonderful way of reminding us of all the things large and small which we do have to be grateful for and perhaps forget about.

I started writing this post and felt as angry as a bag of rattlers, not a great deal of it justified I have to say, but am calming as I write and have decided that nothing about my work is so important that I can't finish early and be home for my DS arriving home.

On that point, my final grateful in a somewhat short list is, as every, to the staff at Ross's school. They continue to be the most fantastic people and never fail in their support, even when things are getting a bit scary.

Right, dear reader, that's me over and out for this week. Why don't you join us - it's good for the soul!!!!

Gillxxx

Craft Companion

Evening bloggers

Twice in one week - must be a record for me!!!

Right, at the request of my good blogging friend Sue-Bubbles, here's a picture of my newly tidied work desk this afternoon.



The weather up here today has been overcast and muggy. We had a bit of a shower this morning but it really didn't come to anything. We decided to go ahead with a planned barbecue with my mum and dad at our house. Were sitting finishing our meal about 4'ish when the heavens really opened. It was lovely and cooling and had that beautiful after-the-rain smell from the fields surrounding us.

After mum and dad left, I decided to head back down to the shed



As I got near the door I realised I'd forgotten to close it when last out



and found that I had a visitor. I did wonder where he'd got to after my dad had insisted on feeding him barbecued fresh trout!!!!



There he was, dead to the world, curled up on mu work chair. As I post this blog, ten o'clock at night, he's still out there so I must remember to go and retrieve him and lock up for the night. It's still very mild and very light up here at this time of night. We had some visitors at dusk (about 11'ish) on Friday night (right at the stat of Grey's Anatomy - that's how I know the time!!!). There were three small roe deer in the field. So small and delicate - they were gorgeous.

Right, thatis post has been a real piece of nonsense but will pass two minutes of your time since you've popped in. I will post pictures of the work I got done tomorrow hopefully. The light wasn't good enough by the time I was coming in to get decent photos.

TTFN

Gillx

What's Rocking Your World Friday

A very late evening Friday post from me so her we go



Thanks to Virginia at Celtic House for her insightful list as always.

Me, firstly - it's gotta be that I'm thankful I'm now off work for four days - yay!! The schools up here in Scotland broke up today for summer - a real double-edged sword I know.

My mum for running around after my darling daughter who always, but always, despite my morning cal, always managed to forget either her phone, purse or house key when dashing out to school. Granny to the rescue!!!!!!!

As I'm sure you all are, I'm loving this lovely warm weather and the beautiful scnerey surrounding me at home and especially at work. I work on what is acclaimed as one of the most beautiful university campuses in Europe up here in Stirling. Want a peak - go here?

Facebook - I've found so many of my crafty pals from the Docrafts forum lurking on Facebook and now, as of today, we have a new fun home on Facebook - communication is a wonderful thing - great for the soul!

Talking of craft, I've been working on a secret project all week, something a little different from me - decided to give the paper and scissors a rest for a short time. It reminds me that I forgot to take photos of the scrapbook I did for my dad for Fathers' Day - will do that this weekend and post it for your comments.

This week started really badly for me. Without going into any great details, I was hit by a bit of a panic attack over an issue I've always just gone along with. It's one of those things that's always there, you deal with it and keep going but you tend to avoid dwelling on it. Then one day it creeps up and lodges itself at the forefront of your mind where you just can't shake it. I'm sure we all have or have had these things. Well, mine came to visit on Tuesday and I offer my thanks to my gorgeous friend Nikki for being in the right place at the right time and rescuing me quietly and without fuss. Love you Nikki.

Finally, so glad to be taking part in this year's Graduation ceremonies and honoured to have been asked to lead out the academic procession at two of the ceremonies this year A real honour and so lovely to be taking part in the highlight of the University year. As long as I don;t trip and land flat on my face all will be well LOL!! Flat shoes that day methinks.

Right, dear reader, off you go and catch up with my other Friday Rockettes as Virginia call us.

Take care.

Gillx

What's Rocking Your Friday?

It's days like today on which I feel the real value of participating in WRYF and am grateful to Virginia for initiating the whole wonderful thing. I urge you dear blogger to join in if you haven't already. It's got to be good for the soul!!!

I'm so grateful to the wonderful world of the web. It allows us all to have glimpses, large and small into the lives of those around us, near and far, differing in culture, nationality and existence. Part of this joyous exploration is finding like-minded people, and also the realisation that you're never as alone as you had perhaps believed.

Next, to my work colleagues and friends among them, for making me smile when I think I've forgotten how to. They are a wonderful bunch of academics who combine their academia with high-level sporting achievement, firm social conscience and often the most amazing sense of humour. They accept my for who I am, in so many ways diametrically different from them on a physical and psychological level. Thanks guys one and all.

Again, as always, I express my love and gratitude to the staff at my son's school who have again this week been so supportive to us all as a family, but more so in their education, protection and care of my darling son on all possible levels. It's been a hell of a week but nobody's died so we live to fight another week.

On a crafty point of view, I thank all those individuals who share their beliefs, loves, aspirations and achievements in their blogs. One of my current favourite heroes is Suze Weinberg. I love the way she writes of her diverse interests, love of her family and the way she shares all this unstintingly.

Finally, my darling Dad. Who constantly reminds me in his quiet way to never give up, to hold belief, and that I am loved. Thanks Dad.

Right - time to get on.

Hugs and sparkles to you dear reader.

Gxxx

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY

I'm conscious that at times in this world it's all too easy to become moany, obsessive, introspective and generally ungrateful. Well I'm damned sure I must appear that way to a lot of people a lot of time. I think joining Rocking Your World Friday will be good therapy for these nasty little habits.

So........... today it goes like this:

At 4 o'clock last night I became eternally grateful to the designers at Archos who came up with this little beauty



I bought this for DS some months ago as he loves his gadgets and especially those which offer visual stimulation and whose function he can control infinitely. He is a control junky in the extreme but perhaps that's more than his autism.

Anyway, after much pulling of hair, screaming and gnashing of teeth, I am finally able to download all his favourite Youtube clips via Cnet, convert them into AVI format from MP4, and pop them onto this little gadget. He finally got to view it yesterday when OH went to see him down at school. Verdict - thumbs up (Ross is pretty non-verbal). It's not often I feel that I've done something in his life which I think he truly appreciates, but I get the impression Ross might think his mum has a purpose in life other than to make him sausages and chips on demand!!!

Next - so grateful to be alive and have my nearest and dearest around me. We, as a family, lost someone very close to us this week and the funeral was today. A stark reminder. Over.

My crafting - generally a hit or miss affair but it helps me to focus. When i craft, nothing else gets in the way. I'm out of the house, in my own little world and the house's other inhabitants know better than to disrupt me.

Finally, with the thought of a big review on Monday, to the absolutely stunningly fabulous staff at my son's school. I give them total responsibility for my son's safety, education and social and moral welfare for 11 days out of 14 and he now has more mums and dads (in the nicest possible way) than any little one deserves. They all bring their own brand of humour, compassion and experience into this little boy's life and I love each and everyone of them.

How's this for a first effort?

Gillx