Yes I haven't been on here in a while. Yes I have been very busy and then not busy at all! Where do I start? [Thinks chronologically...]
Dianne's memorial service was very emotional and my friend Chris accompanied me, he's a good friend. it's funny because he knew her from our place of work as did i but we never all three met up together. Dianne's sister was there and OMG what a shock we had - DIANNE WAS IN THE ROOM! she looked the spitting image, it was uncanny. the service was beautiful and got me thinking about 'Humanism' and how i would like something like that for my passing. i wore a purple flower print blouse and navy linen skirt, not too bright but not black and dou.
We had a wedding invitation to our friends' wedding being held in Bletchley Park in October, what a fab do that will be. we are very excited and looking forward to a super spiffing night out :D nice one roo!
it was Mops and Pops 40th wedding anniversary in July and they had a party at their local village hall. it was a nice day and evening, we stayed over at their place. My sister was there with her partner and the boys so we stayed well away from them and they did the same too. cut me badly but what can i do?
The hubster passed his probationary period and is really happy with work. he has been doing a lot of additional hours just lately and is getting well known in the office for being the calming influence, so that is great! he's such a superstar :D
i left work on the 23rd july, what an emotional few days they were! it was too hard to leave. i got lots of pressies though and received so many cards from teachers and children alike, even the class i was lunchtime supervisor to! many tears shed there. i have signed up to be the after school club treasurer whilst i am not working so have popped back to the school a few times - very odd without kiddies there. i have been looking (not too hard) for another job, temping or temp to perm, depends what's out there. must crack on with that.
we have been out for days out - jools holland in the park at kew gardens with J & R, fab evening and a day filled with photos. check out flickr for lots of flower pictures lol!
I'm tired and my typing is getting worserer lol!
The theme for the last couple of spoonographer photography challenges have been purple (came second! Well done Jen) and shadow (came second AGAIN! well done Les). the latest theme is Flight and of course we had a couple of days sat at an airport when we went on our hols!
Our hols! well, let's go back a step. when i last mentioned our adoption plans i think i was waiting for either a medical date or to have the medical. in the end it was 15th july! still only just in time to get to panel on 7th august as some of my records were held offsite and they were having building work done to the surgery too. is NOTHING simple???? Sooooo, we got there eventually and we got the paperwork the day before it was supposed to be sent out. we are supposed to have 10 days to read it and we got one! but hey then our date was confirmed as 7th august - only 4 months late!
all the time our SW was saying that there is a lot of stuff they could pick us up on, like how long we have been together, The Hubster and his ex agreeing not to have kids and so on. that was really hard because we felt like she was setting us up for a fall. we thought we would be approved but we think she was saying you wont get 2-3 children, it will just be 2. we noted that the second opinion visit write-up was different to the meeting outcome. we spoke with our SW who said the lady was sorry she hadn't communicated her change of mind but that it would still stand, she would only recommend us for 2. i was disappointed and was wondering if only being approved for 2 would overshadow being approved!
so 2 weeks before panel, we decided to book a holiday to leave the next day after panel. we booked a one-week cruise around greece, the islands and Turkey (i got to have a turkish delight in Turkey and grease in greece! must update the list) .
then we sat around and waited for panel. we would get an indicitive 'recommendation' on the day and a decision from the decision-maker either the next day or the following monday followed by a letter a week later. nothing is guaranteed until the letter, though!
we were required to get there by 10 for a cuppa and a chat with our SW, 2 mins after we arrived they started the panel early so off she went and we were sat on our own. time ticked by and even the next couple arrived before we even went in! that was worrying and we didn't think it a good sign. eventually (75 mins later) out came our SW and the panel Chair with some questions (normal procedure) and we had a few mins with SW to discuss the questions. she said that the first part had gone very positively.
we then went to see the panel - 12 people! - and they asked about how we felt with the process and what skills we could use for 3 rather than 2 children. we were in there for no more than 10 mins and our SW stayed in there for the voting. more waiting! she came back in with the panel chair and said "Yes, you have been approved and for 2-3 children."
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell i just sat there, i couldn't believe it, it was everything that we had wanted! but still we had the following day to wait, or even until the monday so i couldn't assume that was it. Our SW went and got us some more drinks and we had a cuddle and i had a tear - of course! when she came back she said the vote had been unanimous! all of the panel agreed with our social worker! off we went home to pack and have a celebratory pizza :D
2.15 the next morning: 08-08-08 we got up and went to the airport (east mids) to catch the flight to Corfu. we arrived on the boat about lunch time and we went straight to the bar and ordered yummy cocktails lol! i switched on my phone and it bleeped a couple of times. thinking it was just the network providers welcome texts i had a look and one was saying i had a voicemail and the other was from the SW. she said the decision maker had agreed outright with panels decision! the letter was also sent that day! and yes there were more tears!
so that's it! all done all approved, we did it! i am soooooooo happy! WE are so happy!
21 August 2008
20 June 2008
Dianne - By her husband
"Dianne was sadly taken from us on Tuesday 17th June, after a long & brave battle with cancer over the last 3 years. She had to be suddenly taken into Hospital on Monday 9th June with a serious chest-infection, however the complications it caused, brought on by her already poorly condition, finally proved too much for her to be able to overcome. If of any comfort, please know that she was in the company or family and friends right up to the end, and passed away peacefully in her sleep without suffering.
Given her ever-present desire to help others over herself, it was Dianne's wish that her body be donated to medical science for research/training purposes, so that some good could be derived from her death, and these wishes have now been acted upon.
As a result, instead of a funeral there will be a remembrance service to celebrate her life. As you may be aware, having seen the suffering inflicted on innocents in this world Dianne no longer held any religious convictions, and thus is was her desire that such a memorial service should be a Humanist occasion - it will therefore be conducted by a Humanist Officiant.
The Service will be at 11:30am on Sunday 29th June. This will be followed by an informal opportunity to chat and swap memories in the lounge, where drinks and a buffet will be served. All are welcome to come to either or both of these occasions.
Again, in keeping with her desire to help others, it was Dianne's preference that people make charitable donations rather than sending flowers so, if you wish to do so, a web-site has been set up in aid of the Hospice. Whilst everything happened too suddenly for Dianne to be able to be in the Hospice at the end, local palliative-care specialists are based out of there, and we were still able to draw on their expertise and compassion in the final days, which we greatly appreciated.
Dress-code is completely optional. Traditional black... colourful outfits... whatever your own personal preference for honouring Dianne's memory."
Given her ever-present desire to help others over herself, it was Dianne's wish that her body be donated to medical science for research/training purposes, so that some good could be derived from her death, and these wishes have now been acted upon.
As a result, instead of a funeral there will be a remembrance service to celebrate her life. As you may be aware, having seen the suffering inflicted on innocents in this world Dianne no longer held any religious convictions, and thus is was her desire that such a memorial service should be a Humanist occasion - it will therefore be conducted by a Humanist Officiant.
The Service will be at 11:30am on Sunday 29th June. This will be followed by an informal opportunity to chat and swap memories in the lounge, where drinks and a buffet will be served. All are welcome to come to either or both of these occasions.
Again, in keeping with her desire to help others, it was Dianne's preference that people make charitable donations rather than sending flowers so, if you wish to do so, a web-site has been set up in aid of the Hospice. Whilst everything happened too suddenly for Dianne to be able to be in the Hospice at the end, local palliative-care specialists are based out of there, and we were still able to draw on their expertise and compassion in the final days, which we greatly appreciated.
Dress-code is completely optional. Traditional black... colourful outfits... whatever your own personal preference for honouring Dianne's memory."
19 June 2008
11 June 2008
I am to be published!
How cool and exciting is this? My 'Hidden Money' photo (see an earlier post) that was the winning photo in the last Spoonographer Photo Challenge has been selected to be part of a question in a Swiss trivia board game! How coooool is that??
The game developers will be producing a french version and if that is a hit they will produce an english version too. They are going to let me know what happens after release in September / October.
So, thanks Mike for the inspiration (he chose the subject for the competition) and thanks to the rest of the Spoonographers for helping to make the challenge such a great competition!
09 June 2008
Purple Reflections
I am hoping to enter two photo competitions this month, one entitled 'The colour purple' and the other one entitled 'Reflections'. So I could do one photo of a purple reflection and enter it into both lol!
Went on my own walkabout back to Caldecotte to see if the lake was a little more still, which it was - a little, but not enough. Then I went to Great Holm Lake - if that's what it's called - and took some photos there. It was like a millpond but the views were not as good.
I shall have a look at them now and post any possibilities.
Went on my own walkabout back to Caldecotte to see if the lake was a little more still, which it was - a little, but not enough. Then I went to Great Holm Lake - if that's what it's called - and took some photos there. It was like a millpond but the views were not as good.
I shall have a look at them now and post any possibilities.
08 June 2008
Wonderful Women - take a moment to stop and thank
Check out the photos just below this, then read on...
Before:
This is before I started losing weight. Taken in the summer of 2006 in my parents' back garden one sunny afternoon. I had the world on my shoulders then, having experienced some stressfull times - one of our IVF cycles had just failed the day before :( so that day was one of those when I needed calm and to hide. This colour and black in the winter were the two I 'hid behind'.
After:
Well what a difference 2stone 5pounds, Elaine@GreenAndBrown and a glass of wine does to you! This is my friend JacqiB (thanks for the kind permission to publish the photo!) who was helping me to get rid of a box of red wine - and we did a pretty good job too! The stress is gone, I'm a happy lady and a lot of that is down to the good, solid advice from Elaine.
Now:
I have re-discovered colours and been using them to good effect, as can be seen from the photo. My entire wardrobe has been replaced with colour, texture and fun! Every day (no kidding!) I get compliments about my clothes and how good I look. When I wear blues my eyes sparkle, when I wear pink lippy with my fave pinky-purple tops, my face sparkles! My self-esteem has sky-rocketed. The few hours I have spent with Elaine will carry me for the rest of my life and for that I will always be in her debt. A wonderful lady and an amazing talent!
JacqiB has just come into my life and in a few short weeks we have become great friends. We have lots in common and she and her partner, Rik have been very supportive of my photography. She is a wonderful person to chat with and while away a few hours, relaxing and having a laugh.
All of this is said with another special mention to Vicki and Maggie, who helped me on my slimming journey. it took a year almost to the day to lose the weight and if it wasn't for them it would never have happened. Vicki is my Slimming World Consulant. To call her a consultant doesn't go far enough. She became a good friend and cared for me very much. Maggie started me at SW and her initial progress really geared me up and spurred me on during those horrible IFV days.
This also goes to Dianne - who I mentioned in a previous post - and without her I would never have dealth with past issues so well and become the person with whom my husband fell in love.
Five wonderful ladies to whom I owe a large debt of gratitude for moulding me into the person I am today. My thanks will never be enough to show you all how happy you have made me :) I hope that my children will be able to thank you when they are all grown up, in the way your talents will have rubbed off from me to them.
Before:
This is before I started losing weight. Taken in the summer of 2006 in my parents' back garden one sunny afternoon. I had the world on my shoulders then, having experienced some stressfull times - one of our IVF cycles had just failed the day before :( so that day was one of those when I needed calm and to hide. This colour and black in the winter were the two I 'hid behind'.
After:
Well what a difference 2stone 5pounds, Elaine@GreenAndBrown and a glass of wine does to you! This is my friend JacqiB (thanks for the kind permission to publish the photo!) who was helping me to get rid of a box of red wine - and we did a pretty good job too! The stress is gone, I'm a happy lady and a lot of that is down to the good, solid advice from Elaine.
Now:
I have re-discovered colours and been using them to good effect, as can be seen from the photo. My entire wardrobe has been replaced with colour, texture and fun! Every day (no kidding!) I get compliments about my clothes and how good I look. When I wear blues my eyes sparkle, when I wear pink lippy with my fave pinky-purple tops, my face sparkles! My self-esteem has sky-rocketed. The few hours I have spent with Elaine will carry me for the rest of my life and for that I will always be in her debt. A wonderful lady and an amazing talent!
JacqiB has just come into my life and in a few short weeks we have become great friends. We have lots in common and she and her partner, Rik have been very supportive of my photography. She is a wonderful person to chat with and while away a few hours, relaxing and having a laugh.
All of this is said with another special mention to Vicki and Maggie, who helped me on my slimming journey. it took a year almost to the day to lose the weight and if it wasn't for them it would never have happened. Vicki is my Slimming World Consulant. To call her a consultant doesn't go far enough. She became a good friend and cared for me very much. Maggie started me at SW and her initial progress really geared me up and spurred me on during those horrible IFV days.
This also goes to Dianne - who I mentioned in a previous post - and without her I would never have dealth with past issues so well and become the person with whom my husband fell in love.
Five wonderful ladies to whom I owe a large debt of gratitude for moulding me into the person I am today. My thanks will never be enough to show you all how happy you have made me :) I hope that my children will be able to thank you when they are all grown up, in the way your talents will have rubbed off from me to them.
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