This was Harry on Saturday 11th January 2014, after I got back from Gill's... he was busy making 'kebabs' out of straws, Cheerios and grapes!
On Thursday 16th, I had a nice day - I've started doing a monthly card making class for some school and church friends, and this was the day we had picked last month. I'd made some card kits up the day before for people to choose and make, and had got the housed cleared up. We had a nice bunch turn up, and spent the morning chatting and playing! It seems quite popular, so we fixed another date for next month. After that Donna Wright drove Jo and I to a restaurant to meet up with some others to celebrate Zoe Dandridge-Brown's 40th birthday, which was at the weekend. We had a lovely time, and a good laugh.
In the evening I'd been invited to meet up with a girl who I used to go to university with in Birmingham - Michyla Hickling. She knew she would be passing near where I live (we are Facebook friends) on the way to her sister's house, so we'd arranged it.. The plan was to meet at Chiquitos because it's straightforward to get to, then go to a pub to catch up. I'd asked the school Mums earlier where would be a good place to go, and they told me somewhere not too far away. I got to Chiquitos first, and hung around the reception area, then Michyla came and she followed me in her car to the pub. It took ages for us to park as it was dead busy, then when got in there was nowhere really to sit, so we where just hovering when a guy with a microphone came out and started a pub quiz! We thought it was hilarious! We ended up driving back to Chiquitos, and asking if we could just have a table and some drinks, but no food, and they were fine with it. Anyway, we finally got down to having a good old catch-up on our lives and what we've been up to in the 17 or so years since we've seen each other! I always liked Michyla - we were never really close, but she was always nice, and very clever. She's from Nottingham too, and we had met up one university holiday at Holme Pierrepont, the National Watersports Centre, and I'd gone white water rafting with her church group. We had a lovely evening anyway, and were the last ones to leave Chiquitos at about 10.30pm. We're going to meet up again next time she comes to visit her sister (who also has a Type 1 Diabetic son, diagnosed about the same time as Lucy).
On Saturday 18th January, I set off at about 11am with Lucy and Chloe Robertson, for a Seminary Super Saturday in Coventry. On the way we picked up Bethany Doughty and Ashtyn Knight - more of Lucy's church friends.
First of all after registration we all went into a huge school auditorium (which they were hiring for the day, just up the road from the church), and we had some talks including one from Elder Boom, of the 3rd Quorum of the Seventy, from the Netherlands. I loved listening to him, especially to his experiences with the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency.
There were then various activities for the youth. I felt a bit if a spare part - there weren't really many other leaders to talk to, though I chatted a little bit with Anne-Marie Beardsmore from Nottingham, and Joe McMorn the Seminary guy, and helped in the kitchen a bit. I also walked to the nearby Asda to get some food for me and the girls, as we'd not had time for lunch.
I sat with Lucy and her friends for the evening meal, and they were keen to ask me questions about my first boyfriend etc! We then had the seminary meeting, which was good, with Joe McMorn, and Arthur Hardy (who used to be my Seminary guy!)
It was the dance after that, and I just hung around, and chatted a bit more with Anne-Marie, then some more people from our Stake turned up, and I chatted for a bit with Ronnie Redpath from Kettering, and then for the rest of the night with President Hirst. The other girls went back with someone else, and Lucy and I drove back on our own, getting home at about half past midnight.
The next day I went to church in our ward, but had a meeting for a couple of hours with my Counselor, Karen Brock. We had a really good and uplifting talk.
In the evening I took Lucy, Carys and Kirsten Cryer to Northampton for a Stake Youth Fireside (Jack had gone to the Collings' after church, so they took him up.) It was about music, and for the second half we practised a song which the youth have been asked to sing at the Saturday session of Stake Conference in a couple of weeks. Almost all the youth joined in, and it sounded pretty good!
Afterwards, I talked for a bit with President Clayton and President Hirst about the youth programme, then President Hirst stuck around while we locked up the building (scaring the life out of Ben and I by jumping out at us in the pitch black...)
On Monday 20th, in the evening I went with Lucy to her school Parents' Evening. We saw various of Lucy's friends - all who had made loads of appointments with teachers, whilst Lucy had made three! I saw them, and was pretty impressed by how well planned they have things, for example knowing exactly where Lucy is, and what she needs to do in order to push up from and A to an A* for example.
On Tuesday I went Visiting Teaching with Jo Waters, to see Carol Robertson and Pat Hodson. We ended up taking some furniture to the dump for Pat (in our high-heeled boots and skirts, as you do!!)
On Wednesday, Harry had a stomach ache again, so I let him have the day off school. I spent the morning catching up on my journal, and speaking to Mum on the phone, while Harry watched his 'Bear Grylls' films! This is him in the evening using my stamps and ink to make some great train pictures.
Yesterday (23rd Jan) I had a wonderful relaxed day at home. I was pretty up to date with housework, and in the post I got a load of rubber stamps free from a company called Purple Onion Designs, so I can make some cards, which they will use the photos of. Michele the owner also sent me a gift bag of all kinds of sparkly stuff - glitters and embossing powders etc. - a really nice surprise! I played music and crafted most the day, and Jo Blackhurst invited me over for lunch.
And finally today, I did some gospel studying in the morning, and sanded down the living room window sill and painted it, then went to Dawn Cryer's to help her with some housework, because her wrists are still bad. At home I gave the window sill a second coat of paint, then we have had a very quiet evening because Harry is at his friend Oliver's house!
Tonight Scott and I are going out for a meal with Jo and Richard Blackhurst, which we're all looking forwards to.
No comments:
Post a Comment