A Guiding Life

>> Tuesday, August 31, 2010

I find the resemblance rather striking!

He can fix It for you and you and you...

>> Sunday, August 29, 2010

This advert is appearing a lot in our local paper. I am very intrigued. I'm tempted to give him a ring and ask him to fix my shower.

>> Friday, August 27, 2010

I often park the car at Leicester to go to London but today we left the car at Harborough.

It's 17:51 St Pancras train station platform 4. "Yep that's ours, Leicester, and it leaves in 4 in minutes"

We run up the platform dive into the last 2 seats (being diligently double seat coveted by 2 laptop users, who weren't amused).

"Mum, LEICESTER"
"SHIT, the car's not at Leicester!"

We dive out of seats, open door and out, and capped man puts down his paddle : OOOOPS. At least the laptop users get their spread out space back, and we poddle back down the platform.

But now we are train side of the barriers, no screens to view. We go down to the wrong side of the information desk and she tells us the 18:15 on platform 3 goes to Harborough and yes we can board it now. And we do....

The carriage is spookily empty, something feels wrong, I live in commuter belt, this is commuter time!

"Harborough?!!!!!" I enquire to a lady. The only other person in the carriage turns round and says "NO, this is the 18:15 it goes straight from Kettering to Leicester"

*sigh* We poddle back down the platform to the information desk "The train you said went to Harborough doesn't"

"oohhh, then you want the 18:25 on platform 2, you have a long wait would you like to come back through the barrier"

Those of you that know St Pancras will know that this all happened in full view of the business fraternity, stood Latte in hand with knowing certainty of the train they need to catch. I try to hold my head high as I do the walk of shame back past them and disappear into Chopp'd (love that place).

18:15 on platform 2, to capped man rather meekly "Harborough?"

And the business man behind me laughs..........*sigh*........shame though, I have a soft spot for a business man in a good suit, would have prefered to impress him !!!!!!!!!

Still he had been in the office all day whereas we had been having a ball ...... I think I had the last laugh as he slumped into a seat and we happily chattered all the way home about our day!

A photo I am proud off

>> Wednesday, August 25, 2010

This weeks Gallery is 'A photo I am proud of'.

I have shown this photo before, but I love it so much. I am proud of it.

Miserabubble no more

>> Sunday, August 22, 2010

I've been feeling really fed up since I got back from PGL.

I think it's getting back to the drudgery of cooking, ironing, cleaning and generally being everyone's whipping boy.

Today I was alone, because everyone else had something interesting to do, whereas I was presumably expected to cook in anticipation of their hungry return.

I decided to take myself off for a while and I saw the cure.

As soon as I saw, I knew they were the answer. The second my credit card pin went in the machine I felt myself de-stress. I was happy once more, satisfied in the way chocolate satisfies.

How can that be? How can a pair of shoes give me such a joyous buzz?

I have no idea but I think they will look rather snazzy with a pair of jeans!

PGL - 1

>> Saturday, August 21, 2010

I have had the most fantastic week with 160 Guides and Brownies at a PGL. I am too tired to say too much...but I will blog more about it soon. In the meantime, let me just tell you:

Oh yes, the kids all had a great time too!
This is my daughter hanging from a trapeze!!!!!

Family Benefit

>> Friday, August 20, 2010

I became a Brownie Leader at 17. I helped run a Guide pack for a while too. I had a year out just before I had my daughter at 30 and then rejoined when she was 3 months old as a Brownie leader in my local area.

She joined Rainbows at 5 but only joined me at Brownies when she was 7. So I did 21 years of volunteering for other people's kids.

I don't begrudge it at all, I love it (mostly).

Once she was a Brownie, I believed if I was going on Pack Holiday then she should get a place regardless of how many others wanted to go. If there was a trip I was going on then she would be going too. Often I would be paying for both of us to go (sometimes Leaders are funded).

She is now a Guide, I still find myself tagging her onto Brownie trips. I see her as an extra pair of helping hands and it saves me having to worry about where she would spend the day without me. She wants to be a Pack Leader when she is old enough and would willingly give up Guides to be a helper at Brownies. (I am not encouraging this, I want her to stay at Guides).

There are 3 leaders in our pack with Guide age girls. Someone discussing a particular trip said to me "You have to be careful, by taking leader's girls along it could be seen as a glorified family trip with a few brownies tagged on".

Is she right is it nepotism or am I allowing my daughter to have opportunities to develop herself?

One half of me firmly believes that if I'm going to continue to volunteer then why should my daughter not benefit. Leaders children so often have to compensate. Many times it's her hama, pencils, books, drawing paper, pjs and all else that is raided and taken as extras to camp. She has regularly 'donated' her stuff and time. She cuts out for prep for evenings, she's labelled packs, she was my guinea pig for ideas meaning she missed the 'surprise'.

But one half of me knows that people may point the finger and say she is only allowed to go because her mum is a leader. Does that matter?

Over all I think not but sometimes it bothers me.

M'Pa

>> Wednesday, August 18, 2010

This weeks Gallery is A Memory.

My Pa was always ill from my earliest memory. But always a happy man.

He came to see me, long after he died, we sat and talked for quite sometime. It is a strange experience I find very hard to share for two reasons. The first is that most people doubt me and the second it that it was so amazingly incredible that it makes me cry when I recall it.

It is the most incredible memory that I can relive anytime I want to.

Efficient Homemakers and Cheery Companions!

>> Sunday, August 15, 2010

Oh BP : we've come a long long way

This week I am away, climbing walls, swinging from ropes, making new friends, learning about myself and helping young girls learn about themselves and equiping them for the life ahead. Oh BP, if only you could see us now!!!!

Softly Softly Catchee Monkey

>> Friday, August 13, 2010

HWMBO* has previously failed the observation test for marriage but today I took the upper hand:

"Have you had your hair coloured?"

"yes dear"

"I like it"

"thank you dear"

"when did you get it done?"

"3 weeks ago dear"

"ahhhhhh"

"yes, actually it was 2 days before you went to the hairdressers and complained at me for not immediately commenting on your new hair cut"

"ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"

"exactly dear!"

Metal Widow

>> Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Must every man go through it and why don't women get the same issue? Or maybe they do.

I read recently this quote from an article relating to men having affairs :

"A woman has childbirth to sustain her. This, or even the notion of this, links her, mentally and physically, to the future. The child in her mind, in her womb, at her breast, at her feet, blocks the very possibility of the one question that sets men and women apart: what’s it all for?"

Mid-life crisis isn't necessary about affairs and that isn't where I was going, but the statement rings home a little. Do women cope better because we have child birth to sustain us or is the women's Harley Davidson equivalent botox?

August drives me insane, in so much as it is Metal Festival season. I must sustain extended time alone whilst receiving the odd "AAAARRRRRRRRRRGHHHHH METAL" phone call usually followed up a few hours later by the "I wuv you, I weeelly wuv you" call.

*sigh*

If HWMBO had childbirth to sustain him would he be any less likely to be drinking his way around Northern Europe dressed in black and playing air guitar? Now there's a deep question.

Given that this has now been happening for at least 5 years, I'd say it's a bloomin' long crisis.

Maize Maze

>> Monday, August 09, 2010

It's maze time again! It's become a yearly tradition for H & I. Another way to mark the passage of time and her growing up.

This year she went in with a friend armed with a mobile, map and pen. I went in with my friend and spent a few hours seeking here and there!

2009

2008

2007

2005

We are really lucky to have this on our door step.

The man who has planted it for many years has been extremely ill this year and is unlikely to plant it in the future. A big thank you to him for years of fun.

Youths being Youths

>> Saturday, August 07, 2010

Robbin' the fish

Playing on roof tops

Walking the streets

Fighting the locals

Breaking

Hanging around

How lucky is my kid to have been given all these experiences.

Playing with our children's minds

>> Thursday, August 05, 2010

How do your children feel about themselves when they look in the mirror? What do they see on the bill boards, on posters in magazines?

Growing up is hard, and chilidren are influenced by unrealistic pictures. These pictures can destroy the confidence which should be helping girls blossom into tomorrow’s leading women.

GuidingUK are pushing this campaign but it isn't restricted to girls. Boys suffer too, but I suspect more silently. (Please go to the link to sign the petition)

It's time to tell them the truth, let them know what is fiction and what is real.

RTFM posted a link on the history of photo tampering

Strictly Guiding

From Marketing To Milk is talking about Plastic Surgery.

These links are all worth a look.

Kim and Aggie shut your eyes now

>> Wednesday, August 04, 2010

This weeks Gallery is Playing

Ever the Guider, I have always been happy with messy play

Check out Pooh Tracks:

The cleaning up afterwards wasn't as bad as it might seem and it left me with was this beautiful picture.

(In)Appropriate Swearing

>> Sunday, August 01, 2010

I know I have touched before on the usefulness of the f-word.

I urge you to go read that last link, go on...I'll wait..

I often have to think about not swearing, I fell into bad habits at an early age (I blame my friends!) and sometimes under stress, extreme fun, loss for words, general interjection, I let slip.

Now the people in Pays Basque pride themselves on their culture and language and it felt a lot like Wales. You know where you walk into a shop where everyone is happily jabbering away in English, they realise you have walked in and they start talking Welsh.

The Basque people were not very forgiving of my poor French. I managed to buy return train tickets, I managed to work out the times, the cheapest fare, by I could not work out how long we were allowed to get off for and which trains the ticket was valid for on the return. We sat on the train near a Swiss family who were having similar trouble. The French people around refused to catch my eye or proffer help. It was very frustrating.

You may also know that Europeans (those not the correct side of the English channel) do not know how to form an orderly line or queue. My complete lack of understanding of the ticket and the fact that I was being barged from all directions whilst trying to get off the train left me with only one thing to say....

"FUCKING FRENCH"

...and the looks I got! "ahhhhh yes, y'all understood that" I muttered.

"ooooh mum" pipes in daughter "you alliterated!"