Glad tidings of great news!

I recently downloaded the Blogger app for my iPhone and I really want to test it out to see how it works! So far everything seems to be working smoothy. I wonder can I add a picture though?

Yes I can! Welcome to the world, Daisy Joy Craig! Born on the 14th November to Matt and Gayle I am really happy for them and she is just a wee cutie!

Your Twenties ... such a confusing age!

I came across this in my blogger drafts folder, at some stage I probably decided against sharing, but I'm feeling in a sharing mood tonight, so I'll go ahead and post it.  I'm not standing over it as what I think now, I just think it's worth someone other than me reading it!

*** WARNING - this is a personal blog post. If you are chicken, don't read on! ***

I was just thinking while browsing friends' Facebook pictures. Uh-oh I hear you say, Laura's thinking again. Well it probably is one of those silly thoughts you were dreading, but I'm going to say it anyway because I think some other people might find it useful.

So, as I was saying, the thought that came to mind was that some people my age and younger, are married and have babies and look so old and mature simply because of that fact. It makes me think that I (and other of my friends) must look so young, naiive and even immature.

But then I saw some other pictures of married people my age with children, and they just looked weirdly out of place, too young for so much responsibility, and I think, okay maybe it's my friends and I who are normal, and they are not.

And then there are some people that depending on the picture, fit into both categories!!

I think your twenties are such a confusing age, especially in Christian circles, and it's hard to navigate the politics, the social situations, the pitfalls, the increasing responsibility, or lack therof.

And, I think it depends on what your social circle is, how you feel about it. For example, in some circles that I operate in, and these are people between 21 and 30, I am in the minority. I am not married and most people are, or in non-christian circles, are as married as they will be for a while. Many also have children. So in those situations it would be easy to think that you were somehow abnormal. Yet a couple of weekends ago I had the blessed opportunity to hang out with some 40 20/30 somethings, the majority of whom were single. Nothing abnormal about them, they just hadn't found the right person yet. And they were not at all worried. They were out having fun. And so was I.

In your twenties you are neither too young to be married or too old to still be single. That much is fact. But it's how you interpret that, how others around you treat you, and whether you are in the majority or in the minority that determines whether you believe this fact or not. I suppose the really mature of us have learned to believe that fact, regardless of circumstance, company and treatment by others. Those people have found true contentment.

And I'm in...!

So, after trying to jump through lots of hoops to get Google to allow me in here, I finally found the piece of paper with my password on it.  When I say found, I knew exactly where it was once I remembered that it existed!  Blogger has changed an awful lot since I was last here, in fact I'm not even sure I would need to access the HTML code anymore, which is ever so slightly sad as when I did this before it made me feel like I actually knew something about computer programming (which I pretty much don't).

I would really like to revive this blog as I either write too much on Facebook, causing people to switch off, or I don't express myself enough in the written word, as I condense what is going on in my life to a short, witty status.  And that's okay, because I don't really think the 500-odd friends I have on my Facebook page really want to know all about my life.  Many of them have added me and never talked to me.  Some are just curious as to what I'm up to now.  Which is fine.  A handful though will want to read on, these are probably the people who also have blogs, the people who used to have blogs before we really had Facebook, the people who used to read my blog and whose blogs I read, and some who really are just that interested!

I am starting to enjoy writing for writing's sake again and that's really good because ever since I set up this blog back in 2005 (!!) I did enjoy trying to make the mundane sound interesting, or writing some new inspiration I had (usually not very profound)... Anyway, I hope to update this a little more regularly, but I can't promise anything, you ALL know what happens every time I do. 

I am also going to post something I found in my drafts folder which I DO think is quite profound, but I'll not be linking that one to Facebook as it's ever so slightly personal...

So you thought I was done travelling?

I admit I've been a bit quiet on the travel front since returning from New Zealand. It actually started to worry me for a while. But not any more. I've caught the bug again!

A year ago I won a free trip to Scotland in a PTA fundraiser, and I had been waiting til I got my car fixed to take it. I was determined that I was going to drive myself, as it had been a lifelong dream to drive myself the very familiar road between Stranaer and Glasgow! I finally got the car fixed after a whole lot of hiccups, and here I am!

I'm currently relaxing in extremely nice surroundings at The Lime Tree and uploading my photos etc. I'm a bit disappointed in the photos actually. Firstly with my camera battery life, which has dwindled to about 15 good photos, if even. Secondly with the graininess and blurriness of my phone photos, which usually perform well in low light. However if you want to check out the photos you can if you're friends with me on facebook.

I started off this morning with a very early start that I almost didn't make! Thankfully I did arrive at the Port O' Larne in good time to get checked in and wait around for ages. Surprisingly enough I actually felt seasick on the boat, but not sure if it was seasickness or the PG tips tea!

... I will finish this tomorrow night, need to go to sleep as I've another early start in the morning!

Go Debs!

I would just like at this point to give a shout out to someone who I think embodies the essence of great blogging ... the ability to write about our lives in an interesting and entertaining way.

Read it now on http://debsshares.blogspot.com/

I HATE ECO-FRIENDLINESS!!!

Yes I'm writing in caps. For a reason. I'm shouting (can't you tell?)

I have long been a quiet non-supporter of eco-friendliness but I have just reached my limit. Eco-friendliness as an alternative lifestyle which many support is great. But when Government-enforced eco-friendliness encroaches on my life and the ability to lead it as I want, that’s where I get angry!

Example 1: Inhalers
Back in the day I used a dry powder inhaler which worked really well, and a preventer which, while it contained CFCs, worked equally well. Even Asthma UK says CFCs are not harmful for ashmatics. Then about two years ago they changed my prescription and now I no longer have the powder inhaler which I loved, and my preventer doesn’t work as well and tastes different. The powder one is because of NHS economy not being able to afford Ventolin that’s not eco-friendliness, but the other one is because CFCs are being phased out to protect the environment. But they don’t work as well. So my question is IS SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT MORE IMPORTANT THAN MY HEALTH?

Example 2: Fabric Softener
I have been quite happy with Lenor Blue Non-Concentrate for many years. It kept my clothes nice and soft and smelling nice. My friends in Primary School used to sniff my coat when it got washed because of this (but that’s a different story). About a year ago I stopped being able to buy Lenor in the shops. I thought this was just big corporations not selling my favourite brand. I tried everything else and my clothes just felt hard all the time. Then I spotted Lenor Non-Concentrate in Woodsides and bought two bottles. I thought great I’ve found a supplier. Then I went last week to buy more and was told it’d been discontinued and Lenor only produced the concentrate version TO SAVE ON PACKAGING. The concentrate version is no good –I’ve tried it. So my second question is COULD THEY NOT ADVERTISE THE CONCENTRATE VERSION, PUT IT ON OFFER, STOCK MORE OF THEM, BUT STILL GIVE PEOPLE OPTIONS?

Example 3: Recycling collections
I say ‘great’ - give us the option of recycling and please pick it up for us. I am actually a big supporter of recycling paper, I waste so much of it I’m only glad to put it to some use. I keep an old Xerox box top for putting my scrap paper into.
But to force us to do it, to stop our weekly bin collections so we have no choice, and to make us WASH OUT MILK BOTTLES – YUK! That’s where I draw the line. There is only so much watered-down milk I can take without being sick. Maybe if they let us put dirty milk bottles, tins etc in I wouldn’t mind so much – I’d like to think they still did their own washing of the containers before recycling them anyway!
Oh and to FINE someone for getting it wrong? That’s going to stop us even trying!!!

Example 4: Paper
Recycled paper is crap and the ink bleeds through. That is all.

Shopping Trip

So I went shopping this evening, and I got a few bargains. This is what I bought ...

Dress that I thought of buying at £50, reduced to £25 (score - planned purchase!)
Hareem pants that I thought of buying at £25, reduced to £15 (score - planned purchase!)
Topman Boys' T-shirt (they're really comfy especially for PJs!) which was £6, reduced to £2 (okay so this wasn't planned but the price excuses it!)

And some Avoca Scones and Tomato Chutney (this probably cost more than what I saved above LOL!)

I promise not all posts will be as boring as this if you thought this was boring!

Easter Sunday Video

And... just to finish my trilogy of videos... one to remind us all of why we're eating eggs today.

It's Friday ... but Sunday's comin'!

Last year I was at Easter Camp in New Zealand and they played several brilliant movies related to Easter. This was the first one, for Good Friday, and although it's a little late, I thought it would still be worth putting up here to share with you!