There is ALWAYS too much month left at the end of the money......

Yet again I find myself trying to stretch out the last of my dosh before the arrival of payday.  Which is always like a life raft to a drowning man.  I overspend.  It is no secret.  I like stuff.  I buy stuff.  And I have bugger all stuff to show for my love of overspending.  Since my well known financial meltdown a couple of years ago, and my new, debt-free existence, I am constantly amazed at the speed with money leaves my bank/purse/grubby little mitts.  Of course, my money is not to be confused with the family budget - I am responsible with my salary, for covering the food bill, my stuff and Oliver's activities.  Everything else is paid for, so hold fire on the pity (if you had any) for my plight.  This morning I sold £25 worth of scrapbooking materials, half an hour later I was writing out a cheque at the dentist for £17.  Easy come easy go.  That was fast, even for me.

Next Friday is payday - I will get my NHS salary, and the money I earned doing polling station duties earlier this month.  A nice sum to come....  I have mentally spent the surplus a million times over.  Here is my current list of extra wants:

- haircut (outrageous charge for what it is)
- Project Life kit
- trip to Paignton Zoo
- cross stitch kit

No, not a huge list I grant you, but over a hundred quid, easily.   Meanwhile I am limping down to the 27th with a meagre few pounds in hand, determined not to overdraw just before the money comes in.....

I found out, after my enthusiastic Project Life kit post, that it is not available in the UK.  Worse, you can't even get the bloody thing shipped here from the US.  It has suddenly become an item of supreme value, now that I can't get it.  It seems that it will be available from June on Amazon over here - so for the first time in recorded history, I am having to wait to buy something I really want, and I will have the money to pay for it.  Sacre bleu.  What is the world coming to I ask myself.

Getting a new cross stitch kit is very exciting for me.  Last year at some craft fair, I decided I would give cross stitching a go (again) as I remember it as being a quite soothingly repetitive occupation.  I plumped for a Celtic design, can't be doing with twee-ness.  (sorry if you are a twee fan).  I have, unbelievably, nearly finished it.

I have my eye on this one:

Gorgeous, isn't it?  I am slightly troubled by the fact this is billed as an 'advanced' kit, but, buoyed up with confidence and enthusiasm with my near-success with the Celtic piece, I am up for the challenge.  Watch this space.

I have, in a fit of unnatural helpfulness and sudden rush of improving oneself, volunteered to cover the front desk at the hospital when necessary.  Weirdly,  such a necessary occasion has come up within 48 hours..... I find myself agreeing to go in later today to sit like a chump on the general enquiries desk to face a barrage of doubtless stupid, unanswerable questions and deal with the local nutters who wander in for a chat.  Is this worth the money, I ask myself.  We'll see.

updates and rants. Ooh goody.

hmmmm, what has been going on chez nous since my last post...?  We have slipped back into a bit of a routine with home edding, which has been a relief after the extended Easter/bank hols to tell you the truth.  I feel all out of sorts with too many weird holidays.  Oliver does a picture crossword every day, as his spelling is not great, but think that's down to me pushing him to read by word recognition rather than phonically.  Hence he can read pretty well, but he just would not be able to sit down and write a passage of - well - writing. His actual writing (when he thinks about it) is really well formed.  So the picture crosswords are helping a lot with his confidence in spelling and understanding the general rules of bonkers English.  Maths is still excellent, the Saxon maths book is working really well for him and he is confident of his ability with numbers, which helps.  Still going with the Story Of The World 2 (Susan Wise Bauer), what's not to like? And Oliver is really enjoying Science and Spanish lessons at the hut on a weekly basis.  Physical efforts are taken care of with Judo and Swimming.  He has just attained his first orange bar in Judo, and thrashes his way up and down the pool quite impressively with various swimming strokes and seems he will move up to level 6 soon.  But, best of all these things - he likes people.  He enjoys all his clubs because he likes being with people - all sorts of people.  And I love that.  I feel intensely proud that he doesn't judge people (like I do) and that he seems able to tolerate and accept people's funny little ways (like I don't) and that he doesn't seek to criticise (like I do).  He doesn't seem to have that 'mean streak' that kids pick up from being at school, that little touch of playground savvy that keeps you OK in the dog eat dog world of state education.  I keep telling him to be aware that not all kids will be nice to him, some kids will be out and out mean.  Don't expect it, but don't be surprised by it.  Recognise it, but don't accept it as your responsibility or fault.  And if it makes you feel bad - shun it.  If it's really too bad - come and see me and I'll kick some ass.  Ha ha.

But, I won't always be able to steam in and make it better for him. I read in a Jodi Picoult book once about the feeling of helplessness about protecting your child.  It was something like,  it seems impossible that two people (ie parents) can protect a child from all the dangers in the world.  As they get older, the hazards just change - they don't get any less....  Something to look forward to there, then. 

Talking of books, I have been buying a few old favourites (which I must have ditched over the years) from Amazon:

- Under The Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes.  Makes me want to up sticks and move to Italy immediately.
- A Short Walk From Harrods by Dirk Bogarde.  I love his books - used to have them all - and this was my favourite.
- Past Caring by Robert Goddard.  He is a brilliant storyteller - this was the first one I ever read of his, and love how he weaves in historical events with the tale.
- The Fifth Summer by Titia Sutherland.  Based around a family holiday in Italy - great.

Now to ranting.  I used to read Judy Astley (Muddy Waters, Just For The Summer - brilliant) but she just got 'got', I think, by her publishers to churn out more similar stuff - and it got shit.  Her latest reads are flimsy, frothy, girly shite - and, I hate this genre - CHICK LIT.  Chick lit is shit.  And that's a fact.  I am sick to death of row upon row of books at the library about females in their 20s/30's behaving like bimbos about getting the handsome and sexy man.  The female leads are all, without exception, pretty, scatty and looking for Mr Right.  Or - the other current favourite is a group of unconnected people all co-incidentally meeting up at a holiday villa/dilapidated pile in the Scotland/evening class for dullards.  Irritating and lightweight.  Shame on you ladies.  Even the great Joanna Trollope, Queen of the Aga Saga, has fallen foul of the pink and fluffy paragraph with some of her latest offerings.  Tsk tsk. 

More talking of books, I found out that one of Oliver's friends is reading his way through Harry Potter.  His Mum was lamenting yesterday about waiting for the next one to come in at the library.  I said that I had them all and she was welcome to borrow them, and her delight made me feel a bit small.  I completely take it for granted that if I want a book - I can just go and buy it.  The financial demands of one kid is completely different to those of several children, and waiting for a book to become available at the library is something I have had not needed to experience.  As I was at work, I left the books for her to collect when she dropped Oliver off last night, along with a note urging her to keep them as long as necessary.  She text to say her boy was thrilled, had run all the way home (it's not far away!) with the next book and was now head deep into the Goblet Of Fire.  I felt quite moved to have been able to spread such pleasure in such an easy way, and humbled by the recognition of my own, very fortunate circumstances.

So to baking.  Had a go at the great P&B book a couple of days ago - carrot and coconut fairy cakes with cream cheese frosting.  Well - I didn't have enough carrots, so I chucked in a courgette, and they came out like very robust muffins - nothing fairy about my cakes, let me tell you.  Anyhow, they were greatly improved by a generous topping of heart-stopping butter, cream cheese and a box of icing sugar.  Yesterday they were whisked off to the Scouts coffee morning and book sale along with a banana cake and ubiquitous cream cheese topping.  The banana cake was the first sale of the day - the whole cake for £4.50!!! I am so chuffed, it is embarrassing.  Now, where did I put that WI application.....

Eureka!

As my four year love affair with traditional scrapbooking draws to a sad end, I have been poking about trying to A) find another 'do-able' craft, and B) find a solution to my need to record/document our lives in a pleasing/easy way.  I am crap at knitting and sewing, but wish I wasn't, and can't crochet, but wish I could.  (Actually, I am hopeful of some tuition coming my way in the very near future :)  I have to resign myself to the fact that I think papercrafting is my thing despite my yearning to weave jumpers from ethnic wools and yarns.

I have sold a large chunk of my trad scrap stuff, and I am battling to close the door on it (can't ever let go without a struggle) and during a recent random blog hop, I have stumbled across Project Life.  Now, rocket science it is not, but it has sparked a Eureka moment for me.  It seems to combine visual appeal with speed and simplicity, and finally I think I have found the perfect way to record events/moments using pics, journalling and memorabillia effectively.  Oh happy days. 

There is a competition on this blog: (Ella Publishing) to win the Project Life kit, so here is my entry for it:

The theme is hidden journalling.  This layout tells the tale of how I have turned out to not be a pink and fluffy girly, but I might have liked the opportunity to.....hence the title 'Lady In Waiting.'

Easter

Ooh, look at my luverrly sponge....

And Oliver's Easter haul.

I have been writing out a weekly menu (not uncommon amongst the home edder community I note!) and find this saves a fair old chunk on the weekly shop.  Last nights delights were a peppered mushroom and stilton pie for Mark, and smoked haddock for me and Oliver.  The pie was a new effort, a Simon Rimmer recipe, and I was trying to get Oliver to find a fondness for smoked fish (again).  Whilst consuming these edible 'lovelies', we decided to catch up on our tv viewing and put on Filthy Cities.  Bit of a mistake I realise now - it was as gross as ever, but the association of a rancid and fetid 18th century Paris is now indelibly associated in my mind with the smell of smoked haddock and pongy stilton, which I don't like at the best of times.  In fact I can feel a little retch even remembering it.  bleurghh.  Going for quiche and salad tonight.  No strong pongs will cross the Newson threshold tonight. 

Sarah's Cards monthly sketch challenge

  Here is my take on the monthly sketch over on Sarah's Cards:

Ta for dropping by!

I love cook books.  I would love to say I love cooking too - I do, but it so very often gets the better of me that I think I talk a better dish than produce one.  Anyhoo, I have just purchased this beauty:

Sexy huh?  It is a real proper baking book with puds, biscuits, cakes and bread. I am newly inspired by it to actually have a regular baking day - y'know, a real old fashioned afternoon session in the kitchen with the radio for company and the waft of cooking smells permeating the walls.....  Haven't yet decided on a day - I fancy Saturday afternoon, but think this is down to the draw of wintry grey weekends in my wildly unreliable imagination.  Realistically I should go for a weekay afternoon - from June I will be reducing my working hours to just two evenings a week - so I have 5 whole days/nights to plan out!!!! Tres exciting.

And lately I have scrapped a bit too.  Nothing great, but a little nod to my former passion.

Took a trip up the M5 last weekend to see.......

Now (again) one of those things I was not fully looking forward to, worried about driving that far alone (well, just me and Oliver) worried about whether the seats would be ok, blah blah blah, and I have to say, it  was the best concert/event I have ever been to.  The audience was mainly families, so nice atmosphere, the venue (Cardiff Indoor Arena) was not too big and very easy to get to and park, and the show was - well, it was bloody fantastic.  The acts (you know the names and faces surely...) performed well and were (with the exception of that twat Wagner) note perfect.  They all thanked the audience profusely for their votes and support during the X Factor competition, and for 'our' continued support.  Matt Cardle (surely the nicest person in the world ever) made a special effort to point and wave at the youngsters with banners during his set, and told us we were 'far too kind' with our applause!  He is so sweet.  One Direction turned in a brilliant performance, and before the show I could take or leave them, but I am a convert - they were great!

Enough now, I am starting to sound like a groupie.  Oh, and Oliver had a good time.  In between eating all the pringles in the car and being sarcastic about me doing 4 laps too many of Cardiff city centre, that is.  

Some crappy pics to follow - honestly there were people with mobile phones with a better zoom than my camera.



Lying in the sun outside the NIA, waiting to go in





The view from our seats



Oliver and the One Direction boys

Harry from One Direction

The lovely Mr Cardle

'When We Collide'



The finalists performing 'We Could Be Heroes'

I urge you to go - it truly was a great day out and worth the effort.