FULL OF LIFE AND LAUGHTER

Some days you wake up full of the joys of Spring, ready to meet the challenges the new day brings. Other days you drag yourself out of a lovely warm bed, grit your teeth, shuffle into the bathroom, struggle into your clothes. Every step is torn from you and you wonder what life is all about.

Yesterday began as a shitty day, it didn't get much better, rude staff, rude students. Feeling tired and lacking lustre after a spiritually demanding day I took myself home and decided that I was going to immerse myself in TV world. I wanted to watch something that was entertaining, perhaps frivolous but certainly something that would lift my drooping spirit. I found all these things in the following.

I began the evening with a film called 'Beauty Shop', which boasted many well known names, Queen Latifah, Alicia Silverstone, Andie MacDowell, Alfre Woodard, Mena Suvari, Della Reese, Djimon Hounsou and not forgetting Kevin Bacon as a very strange Austrian hairstylist. This film is hilarious, full of life and humour, full of larger than life character. Maybe it's a bit predictable, the baddies get their comeuppance and the downtrodden are raised up, but call me old fashioned, when you are feeling down this type of film is the best medicine.

The other priceless bit of TV history was 'Big Fat Gypsy Weddings', where a little girl wore a giant pink dress, which was double the size of the child and half her weight, it had been embroidered with real crystals!! This poor child thought she looked like a fairy princess, she couldn't walk properly and and had to kick her dress forward and wave her arms about like a demented Barbie blancmange. To add insult to injury her little friends all laughed hysterically as they watched her trying to get into the church - classic!! Link here I hope it works?!! While you are visiting the giant pink blancmange, please also take a look at Josie's wedding dress - apparently she chose it because it is "classy" - oh well each to his own.

I finished the evening feeling incredibly light headed from all the laughter and not at all guilty that I spent the evening watching trash.

Try it sometime you might like it. :)

G'night - I am just going to slip into my diamond encrusted pyjamas.

Jo xx

Life in the life lane

Hello - where am I – Oh it’s Blog World!!!!

I haven’t been here in such a long time, so much and nothing has happened I don’t really know where to start.

My holiday was a bit of a washout for several reasons:

I hate where my parent’s flat is, it’s noisy, smelly, hot and dusty and if you don’t have a car, walking in 40 degrees of heat is no laughing matter.

The nearest beach is 25 minutes walk away – in 40 degrees heat.

The flat – in 40 degrees heat – has no air conditioning!!

My poor niece was ill for most of the holiday and was unable for most of the time to leave the flat or even eat anything and the temperature (40 degrees) for her was unbearable.

Did I mention the heat – heh heh!!

Most of the rest of the holidays was spent DIYing, my eldest son has built himself a wardrobe, it was his first attempt at carpentry and he has built a solid fitted wardrobe in his room – the doors don’t fit too well and are slightly different sizes, he has yet to put on the handles and the whole thing still needs painting, but for a first attempt, I think it is marvellous!!

We got a new garage door, new guttering, new slabs for under the little tool shed, cleared out: the garage, behind the garage, the big garden shed and loads from the attic into a giant skip.


The skip had amazing magical properties as whenever a metallic item was placed into it, the following morning it had disappeared – washing machines, garden rollers, old vacuum cleaners, metal chairs and assorted chains and rusty tools all vanished mysteriously – well actually they were taken away by rag and bone men (scrap merchants), who clambered all over the container looking for anything they might be able to salvage for scrap. This was actually a bonus for us as we were able to get rid of far more rubbish due to the self-emptying properties of this device.

Back to work at the beginning of September and the perennial problem of trying to find a new staff member – I am very fussy and know exactly what I am looking for, so interviewing has been quite a depressing affair, I have now interviewed around 12 people for the post of Librarian/Open learning officer and fussiness aside none of them have been suitable.
They either have no experience working with children, they cannot speak English, they cannot understand English, they do not read books or know anything about books, they know nothing about computers – the list goes on. How do they expect to be able to cope with a job where children are constantly asking, demanding, requesting all sorts of help?? I do find sometimes, that we are holding X factor auditions and have to stop myself laughing at the answers some people give to questions at interviews.

For the last 10 days I have been spending a lot of time with my Dad. My mother has gone away for a well deserved holiday with my brother London Cabby, so the rest of the family: Sister from Palmers Green, Sister from Harrow and Wealdstone and Brother Agnostic Joe, including assorted children and partners have all taken turns in spending as much time as possible with him. Since my Father was literally on death’s door, two years ago, he has been on a huge number of medications, having all kinds of treatments and numerous hospital appointments. For all these reasons we thought that we would draw up a Rota of times when we could all help out – it all worked out really well although it was tiring for all concerned trying to fit in this extra responsibility with out normal busy lives. My Dad loved being fussed over and was delighted with all the attention, he even showed the District Nurse the rota, which had been laid out in chart form by my sister in Harrow & Wealdstone. When my Mum returned from her holiday my Dad also showed it to her and she became quite emotional. I am just glad that my parents have such a big family, because looking after anyone is a huge responsibility and we only did it for a short time, some people have to look after their loved ones for years.

To all of you out there, you unsung heroes, carers of family or friends, my love and admiration goes out to you all.

Best wishes and Big hugs to you all.

Jo xx

VALENTINE'S DAY - AGAIN!!

Here we go again.


He loves me
He loves me not

He loves me
He loves me not

Who bloody cares anyway??

Everyone as usual is going mad, because the advertising campaigns tell us, that if we don’t spend a fortune on our loved ones this day, we are bad, uncaring people

Why the hell would you want to spend £30 on flowers, which would normally cost only £9.99 – why – because we are suckers!!

I am not saying that I wouldn’t want a bunch of flowers, but for £30, I can buy a bunch of flowers and a takeaway on any other day of the year – and enjoy it a lot more.

I have no idea what ‘The Boyfriend’ has been suckered into buying as I haven’t seen him today – later – well at least I know I will be fed, because he is a really good cook and loves cooking.

I being as usual short of the readies, have bought him some: chocolate mini muffins, Cadbury’s crème eggs and two bars of chocolate coated Marzipan, which he loves – Total cost £10 – and I will tell him that I love him – well it seems that men need to be told that they are loved – come to think of it, women do too.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!



Jo xx