Stampin' Up Party 2

One of the girls from the crop had a stampin' up party so we all gathered again to enjoy some great company, to have some fun making things, have a good look at all of the lovely Stampin' Up goodies and have a generally great time.  This time we made a 'Thank-you' card doing some stamping and cutting out, personally speaking in crafting straight lines are very much overrated (well they are for me!!)

I bought a couple of items, I have been so impressed with the cardstock, that I decided to stock up and bought a selection of the 12x12 to keep me going scrapbooking for a while and this cardstock can be seen in some of the upcoming posts of pages I've done.

I bought a range of colours which I hope will keep me going for some time, everything from brights to neutrals and some lovely rich jewel tones in between.

I also bought a stamp roller to allow me to put some images onto the card stock and play around with a few ideas for layouts - a big swirly pattern - because I like big swirls!!

I also bought a set of stamps (I love the way they come in the DVD case, makes them so easy to store and find when needed!) and these were the ones used on the card, they have some lovely delicate images on, damask pattern, flower, butterfly - all really useful images.  And they were on special offer too, so were a good price.  I think these can be used to create backgrounds on layouts and little added areas of interest too, I might even use them if I go for the card making at Bucks County Show again!!

A great fun evening, a fantastic cake from N, thanks for the doggy bag for the boys they loved it, in fact Jamie was waiting up to see if there was any cake, and made it downstairs in about 0.5 seconds to devour it - he wasn't waiting until Saturday!!

Ciao
Sue
XX 

Book Review - Learn to Be an Optimist by Lucy MacDonald

Hooray!!  I have finally finished my reading list (well a little while ago now as I am so behind!)  but here goes.

Learn to Be an Optimist by Lucy MacDonald

This was of course not a straightforward read, and whilst I have read it I am still working through it and probably will for some time to come.

This book is a great introduction to optimism and covers the subject well, there are great explanations of a variety of issues concerning and surrounding optimism and many exercises and sections to work through to allow the reader to analyse where they are on a optimism scale at the moment and then to work on themselves to improve their skills and abilities to be more optimistic.

The book gives the reader a thorough understanding of the subject, using some very good examples from those who are more optimistic, it explores optimistic attitudes and how to gain, nurture and use them in problem solving, to build confidence amongst others.  It also explores optimism and both physical and mental health and then helps you put it all into action.

The book can be read just as it is and gives the reader lots of food for thought and areas where they may be able to improve on their own beliefs and thinking or it can be read and worked through, like going on a self-development programme.  One of the suggestions the book makes is to create an optimism journal and that is where I am at the moment - working my way through the book and the exercises again with the journal - once complete the journal will be something which I can use and dip into as and when the need arises, something I can use when the black dog appears to be heading my way.

I would thoroughly recommend this book as a great way to explore and understand optimism, and for anyone like myself who has by nature and nurture a pessimistic outlook then this is a great place to start to work on improving ones optimistic outlooks on life.

Ciao
Sue
XX

Reading challenge 16/16 - finished!!

Mick Karn

I so didn't want to write this blog and had prayed and hoped that after returning to London the treatment he was receiving would allow Mick to get well but that was not to be.  Condolences to his family and friends who must be feeling his loss so deeply.  Of course its the rock and roll cliche but they must have been having a sensational jam session in heaven that day as the world lost not only the wonderful and so talented Mick Karn but Gerry Rafferty too.

Mick Karn was born in Cyprus in 1958 and moved with his family to London 3 years later.  Growing up in south-east London, he attended the Catford Boys' School where he met David Batt (later to become  David Sylvian), his brother Steve (later Steve Jansen) and Richard Barbieri.  Playing music together in the 1970's and with the addition of Rob Dean they became Japan.  Signed in the late 70's to Hansa where they created glamrock/disco based/ New York Dollesque music and then to Virgin where they acquired both critical and commercial success.  Albums such as Gentlemen Take Polaroids and Tin Drum allowed them to create both musical and visual artistry which won them fans in Europe and Japan. 
Sadly the success came at the time when the band had professional differences which became personal when Mick Karn's girlfriend moved in with David Sylvian - they disbanded at the end of a tour in Japan in 1982.  A brief reunion followed in 1991 under the name of Rain Tree Crow which produced the anonymously titled album which was very much in the style of Sylvian's solo work, the album was not a huge success. The writing and production of the album were increasingly controlled by Sylvian and the album may have stood more of a chance if it had been marketed under the Japan name which was favoured by most members, but this was prevented by Sylvian. 

Mick Karn embarked on a solo project which produced the album Titles and the single Sensitive, which I still love.  He was a regular in the Princes Trust Concerts 'Supergroups', worked with Midge Ure and then went onto form Dali's Car with Pete Murphy of Bauhaus.  He also worked with Kate Bush, Gary Numan, Bill Nelson and Joan Armatrading amongst many others.  He continued to write and record working in different styles including jazz.  It is here that there is one a great sadness to Mick's story, that despite having great success in the 1980's and being a sought after musician he struggled to maintain any standard of living from music.  In 2004 Mick returned to Cyprus with his family to allow him to continue working as a musician and artist. 

Mick Karn was more than a musician he was also a very accomplished sculptor who exhibited his work through The Hamilton Gallery as well as being a talented photographer.  But it will be as a musician that Mick will be best remembered and as a bass player who changed how the bass guitar was used as an instrument in the 1980's and onwards.  Two areas always stood out for me in Japan's music, one was Sylvian's voice and the other was Mick Karn's bass.  Do I still listen to David Sylvian - well no not much as most of his solo output I have found self-indulgent, pretentious what I often refer to as art for his sake, his Japan output I can still listen to.  But Mick Karn's bass still moves me, his sculptures I still find intriguing, a mixture of beauty and mischievous creativity.

Mick Karn's bass playing did bring a new dimension to the bassist, and so many have emulated his style since, his playing was an integral part of Japan and of the 1980's. Mick Karn was an artist with a breadth of work spanning music, sculpture and photography, as well as being a trained psychotherapist, he was a modest and thoughtful man.  His death at such a young age is a tragic loss to his family and friends, to the legions of Japan fans out there and to music and art. 
With great sadness

Sue

Mother's Day

Mother's Day today, Mike and Jamie took me and Mike's Mum out for a lovely meal at The Bell Hotel in Winslow, which did as it always does an excellent carvery.  Jamie and Mike had the Tomato and Basil soup as their starter which when I had a little taste was lovely, Vera and I had melon.

There was a choice of Gammon, Turkey or Beef and lots of roast potatoes, the meat and roasties were yummy and Mike and Jamie said the cheesy potato gratin was lovely too.  The gravy was excellent lovely, thick and rich.  Deserts were lovely too Jamie and I had the fudge cake, which was remarkably light.

Coffee was served in the lounge area and Jamie did the honours pouring our coffees and then had his first cup of coffee himself (very weak) which he really enjoyed.  Although not likely to be encouraged too often - don't want him being hyper and running around like the furry creature in the film Over  the Edge!!

As always at The Bell the Mums were given a gift, this time it was a pansy in a bag, I got a lovely deep purple one, whose leaves looked like velvet, it will look nice in a pot in the garden.

Ciao
Sue
XX
Reading challenge 15/16 - currently reading Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (not off my reading challenge)

Book Review - Martin Misunderstood by Karin Slaughter

Beware spoilers!

This is a novella of about 150 pages and quite easily readable in an hour or so, but an enjoyable hour!  It is different from her other books as it centres around the sad and unfortunate Martin Reed, an accountant at a toilet supply company, the butt of everyone jokes and pranks at work and the long suffering son of a cranky and foul-mouthed mother.  The book is fast paced, funny at times (not laugh out loud but amusing), well written and you can fully understand Martin's frustrations with his life.

The changes in his life come when one of his work colleagues is murdered and he is the main suspect.  It is through this that Martin meets Detective Anther Albada.  Martin is an avid reader of crime thrillers and in the book Karin Slaughter gives a nod to all of her main 'literary rivals' - Cornwell, Reichs, Evanovich etc and it is from reading these books that Martin uses as the basis for his actions when arrested.  Det Albada sees something in Martin which reminds her of herself, she has a fantasy life where her 'lesbian partner' (although she is not actually gay - just awkward and lonely) died of breast cancer which gave her kudos amongst her work colleagues and she had kept up the pretence for many years.  Martin is released from custody and another of his work colleagues dies, is Martin the killer - well he ends up on death row for the murders.  

Once there he and Albada come to an arrangement and they 'marry', is Martin the killer well we do find out, we find out why the killer committed the crimes and we also realise that Martin has a better life on death row than he did in the outside world.  As a serial killer (?), he has respect in jail, he works in the prison offices as an accountant and has Albada and she herself seems content with her lot, and his mother, well I'll let you read the book.

Ciao
Sue
XX
Reading challenge 15/16 - currently reading Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (not off my reading challenge)

Broken Wrist!!

Jamie was off on his usual Saturday activities guitar and drama and when I returned to collect him he was a little upset.  He'd hurt his wrist, but it didn't seem  to be too bad, so we got on with the rest of our jobs, which was to  get his Scout uniform sorted out.    He had been walking backwards at his Drama class and tripped over a girl sat on the floor, accidents happen and there was no need to make a fuss.  So off we went, he was still in some distress when we got the the local scout shop and after we got the uniform sorted I asked the leader there is he knew first aid, as most of the scout leaders do.

He checked out Jamie's arm for me and he suggested I head to the Walk-In Centre at the hospital which is where I was thinking of going as Jamie was not settling down and it did not seem to be easing.  We headed to the walk in and every jolt seemed to be hurting Jamie.  As Mike was on nights I left him to sleep and thought we would have a good story to tell him when he woke!  We didn't have to wait too long and Jamie was triaged - and having told the story of how it happened a couple of times, we were sent off to A and E, as the nurse thought he would need an X-Ray.  So lots of new experiences for Jamie, although casualty is not my ideal way of spending a Saturday afternoon.
So we headed to A and E, told our story again, and settled in for a long wait, Jamie was triaged again and then booked in for an x-ray.  We headed along to x-ray and then settled in for a wait - Jamie was still in a lot of discomfort and had not at this point had any Calpol or any painkiller.  After the x-ray I called Mike and he headed down to the hospital too.

When we saw the doctor, he was unable to determine if Jamie's wrist was broken because of where it was hurt, there is a bone in the wrist called the scaphoid, which does not always show the break immediately.  (This is also the bone that old ladies tend to break when they fall over, it is a typical injury when you put your hand out to stop you falling)  So Jamie was sent away with a splint/wrist support and we were asked to come back again in a week so they could review his arm and have another look to see if it was broken.  I think the Doctor thought it wasn't and I thought that it was unlikely.  Jamie did improve as the days went on so I was expecting a fairly quick appointment at the fracture clinic.

Jamie was examined again and as he still had a lot of discomfort in his wrist which the Doctor didn't like so we were sent off to get an MRI, they don't like any pain or discomfort to pass it as ok - but we were new to all of the broken bone business.  We weren't able to get him seen straight away so had to wait a couple of days and took him in for his scan on the Saturday.  He was pretty uptight about going for the MRI but we watched a video and looked at some information before we went to try to alleviate any fears, oh and he got the Michael Jackson album too, to listen too whilst he was in there.

Well he was pretty scared by the time he got in there but got on with it, I was pleased to see that it wasn't entirely enclosed and so I was able to stand at the other end and talk to him and encourage him even though he couldn't hear me.  Those things are loud, we both had industrial style ear protectors on  and it was still very loud.  Thankfully Jamie doesn't have any fillings but I do and my mouth certainly felt strange in there, I don't understand the science of it, but it affected my fillings!!

After the MRI scan we had to wait another few days and headed back to the fracture clinic, I was confidently saying to Jamie that he didn't need to worry and that it was so unlikely that it was broken.  Jamie was totally delighted to see my face when we were told that yes it was several small/tiny fractures but broken nevertheless.  I was absolutely gobsmacked!! 

Jamie was given the option of having it put into a cast, but the Doctor said it was clearly healing well and that he would only be in a cast for a week or so, so we had a quick think and just kept his splint/support which he would continue wearing for a couple of weeks.  He also had his guitar exam coming up so it would be easier to practice without a cast.

I am not sure what gave Jamie more pleasure, the fact that he had broken a bone or the fact that I was speechless when we found out as I had been so confident it wasn't broken!!  Thankfully he is fully repaired now, although he missed out on lots of rugby and karate, which was a shame and only managed a couple of end of season rugby matches once he was healed.  Of course children view broken bones as a badge of honour!!
Ciao

Sue
XX

Reading challenge 15/16 - currently reading Learn To Be An Optimist by Lucy MacDonald

Book Review - The New Rector by Rebecca Shaw

Beware Spoiler!

This is the first in the Turnham Malpas series, I had read a much later one a couple of years ago and found this in the library so thought I'd start the series from the beginning.  This story introduces all of the colourful characters in the village and you learn about them just as the New Rector of the title is settling into his new Parish.  Yes this is easy reading, there is nothing about the books or I suspect the series which is challenging but they are comfortable.  I guess like putting on a favourite cardigan and slippers and sitting in your favourite chair with a drink - something which sustains and leaves you relaxed and refreshed.

The characters are largely gentle and caring, although there are some surprising events in the books including a lesbian suicide, a murder, stalking and an significant dalliance with surprising consequences, but they are all handled in the quintessentially English fashion of getting on with it and not saying too much.  I've seen this series of books described as the literary equivalent of the Sunday evening TV slot and I can very easily understand this or even an alternative Archers. 

The cast of characters and village map also make this series very easy to read and allow you to fit the characters into their geographical positions in the village as well as their relationships to each other and handy to refer back as and when needed.  Enjoyable, relaxing and escapist in a very gentle, genteel and comfortable way, well worth a dip into.

Ciao
Sue
XX

Reading challenge 15/16 - currently reading Learn to Be an Optimist by Lucy MacDonald