a peek inside...

Nice one 2011, you did good!

2011-12-30T23:57:00.006Z

Whoa, so here comes a cheeky wee blog sneaking in right at the end of 2011!! Admittedly it's been my most lacklustre year on the blog thus far, but as real life goes 2011 has trumped all the others! :) turns out that producing a human is quite time-consuming & does not leave much space, (or brain power) for doing anything more productive, in my now rare moments of peace, than reading Harry Potter or Heat magazine! Still, here I am to wish any readers who might happen across this a very happy new year indeed!

2011 went basically something along the lines of this:

Jan- was 4 months pregnant but in the dismal stage of just looking fatter & still occassionally vomiting / fainting! partied in the new year with friends in Stockholm- a true delight!

Feb- stopped feeling so unwell & consumed every pregnancy book known to man(woman)kind in an attempt to prepare for giving birth! Spent my days completely distracted & additionally consuming combinations of sweet/salty treats!

Mar- long wknd in London to see the family & enjoy last wknd away with husband before tiny human arrived! Shopped, dined, theatred & still failed to spot a celeb, on my ever-failing quest!

Apr- work got v busy, i spent my days trying to prepare for a year on mat leave & spent many hours indecisively researching, purchasing & returning baby-related items. As suspected, I am indeed a marketers dream!

May- began prep for finishing work & relaxing for 3 wks before my due date! Enjoyed a yummy- mummy tea party thrown by family & friends, & a delicious cocktail (ok, mocktails) evening with work girls!
- 7th may as I got ready for a friends wedding my waters broke!! Eek! 3 days of contractions & a stay in hospital ensued, passed time by freaking out/ sunbathing/reading all my books again!
- 10th may I spent 14 hours in the labour suite & finally gave birth! 3 weeks earlier than expected! Gorgeous baby boy appeared & I fell madly in love!

June, Jul- spent most of the summer in a blur on the sofa! Or in the park! Realised I forgot to read any books on actual babies/ parenting & experienced steep but most excellent learning curve based around nappies, feeding, dressing tiny people (trickier than u may think!) & sorting baby-related stuff! Surprised myself with how little sleep one can survive on!

Aug/ Sep- first family holiday to cottage in Northumberland! Swapped my couch for armchair by log fire & enjoyed my extremely cute baby! Visited various castles, beaches, chippies & realised prams are not easy to drag across sand!

Oct/ Nov- started participating in more 'parent-type'' activities with my other new- mum- friends & felt like part of a new unofficial club where it's all a bit uncool but totally excellent! Days now generally consist of coffees, 'bounce & rhyme' time, buggyfit exercise classes, shopping, blowing raspberries/silly faces/playing, etc & I couldn't be happier! Have gradually re-discovered my social life, albeit at slower pace, but then who really wants to be out every night anyway!?!

Dec- baby now 7 months & a definite adorable cheeky wee monkey! Festive merriment inspired new sparkly-themed clothes for me & Santa/elf/reindeer themed clothes for my poor son who will no doubt look back in disgust when older! Enjoyed Christmas parties, lunches & other festivities with various friends, family & folks from our most welcoming church! :)

So, all in, 2011 was a bit of a life-changer! I've never had such little sleep, so much time on the sofa & so much pleasure from a tiny new human!

Nice one 2011, you did well! :)

Hope 2012 brings more excitement, satisfaction & adventure! & my waistline back!

Happy new year everyone! Xox

THINK boutique Fashion launch

2010-09-11T22:11:00.009+01:00

Last night saw the pop-up shop, DJ spun, and very well attended launch of {Think} Boutique, a brand new ethical fashion company run by Vic McQuillan! In Glasgow's Merchant city the beats were fast, wine flowing and excitement mounting for the fashion show and for many, a first peek at the clothes and accessories available. I did succeed in gaining a sneak preview of the range, as Vic kindly lent us her collection for the NYA2010 Stepping Up ethical fashion show last weekend (more on that later!).

So what is the company all about...

"Stocking the

most exciting and

fashion-forward ethical brands {Think}

Boutique strives to retail

clothing that have the highest possible social

and environmental credentials. Products are from Fair Trade,

organic, sustainable, up-cycled or

locally produced sources." (from website)

{Think} currently stocks 8 suppliers, all varying in their styles and backgrounds, but consistent in their creation of fashionable pieces made from recycled, up-cycled, fairly-traded materials.

There were some fabulous items, including coats, dresses, cute knitted tops with sparkle as well as winter woolie accessories.

The camel coat is predicted to be a top trend for the autumn season so if you're looking to invest a little more in an item which you can wear, in the confident knowledge that not only will you look stylin' but are helping the environment, it's a serious win-win! :)

Up-and-comings...!

2010-09-09T22:21:00.004+01:00

ok, so it's been a while, I admit it!

However, I like to think I have made resourceful use of my time away from blogging: doing some travelling, expanding things in my job (really I mean increasing my hours, sigh), planning events, meeting new people and more! and from this year I have a few more ideas to share and exciting ventures to blog about! excellent!

a few blogs to watch this space for:

Think Boutique's fashion launch- a new ethical fashion company, launching this weekend in Glasgow's Merchant City!

NYA 2010- it happened last weekend in Stirling, it was excellent, and it involved around 200 young people having a voice within the CofS! Discussions were focused around Violence, Ethical Fashion, Politics, Mental Health and much more... Check the COSY blog for more!

a variety of upcoming gigs! phew! similar to 2009, the first half of the year has been a laid back one! Now it would appear gig season is descending and I am thoroughly pleased! Gig thirst: about to be quenched! it starts tomorrow with RBRBR, Bright Light Bright Light and Mopp at King Tuts! and the guest list! I'm all about the guest list these days! :)

Photos: i have a new camera. And a new iphone. And a new photo app which i've just started to play with! *PLEASED*

So it's happy times here! nice to see you again friends :)

Yeah Yeah Yeah

2009-12-29T12:19:00.004Z

December saw my unintended gig-drought come to an end as the 4th Dec brought one of my favourite bands, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, to the O2 Academy! Support band were way too metal for my liking so after warming up with a few drinks in the bar we snuck thru the crowds down into the main floor and secured our spot!!! a giant sphere hung over the stage, and as the lights began flashing it rolled round and eye-balled us all, a little freakishly!!!

Karen O absolutely owned the stage when she appeared throughout the night in a downright bizarre range of outifts, including metres of draped fabric hung over wooden arm extensions, hoods and masks!! the music and atmosphere were electric, everyone was well into it and they played a great mix of tracks from their most recent album 'It's Blitz'- stand-out performances were definitely Zero and Heads Will Roll! one of the best moments was when she switched things down a gear and played a more laid back version of Maps from their older album 'Fever to Tell', with the whole crowd joining in !!

'wait, they don't love you like i love you'!

sandwich solutions!

2009-08-06T13:01:00.009+01:00

this morning radio 1 had a genius idea! rather than spending hard-earned pennies on new lunchboxes for the school/ office/ picnic experience, u can instead give the VHS case a well-earned comeback!

1) take one sandwich

2) clean out a VHS case from one of ur favourite videos

3) and Voila, a fabulous looking, highly affordable, and rather kitsch lunch box!! :)

what katie wore

2009-08-04T13:54:00.003+01:00

my friend Ing discovered this most excellent blog site by katie and joe! it's simple really:

katie wears a different outfit every day of the year.

joe photographs her and writes a wee blurb.

people like you and me have a nosey and see whatkatiewore!

lovely!

Drops like stars

2009-08-03T23:30:00.003+01:00

is the title of rob bell's new book, just out on aug 1st! looks very interesting! his books always provoke some new sort of appreciation of the bible and faith in an actual relevant way! i find them refreshing! and am looking forward to engaging with Drops Like Stars!

'Official Description:

We plot. We plan. We assume things are going to go a certain way. And when they don’t, we find ourselves in a new place—a place we haven’t been before, a place we never would have imagined on our own.

It is the difficult and the unexpected, and maybe even the tragic, that opens us up and frees us to see things in new ways.

Many of the most significant moments in our lives come not because it all went right but because it all fell apart.

Suffering does that. It hurts, but it also creates.

This book is an exploration of the complex relationship between suffering and creativity, driven by the belief that there is art in the agony.

a few things of note, for tonite!

2009-08-02T22:58:00.003+01:00

i am tired and exhausted in every way!
i have had an outrageously fun weekend involving coffee's, deep chat, bbq's, a 4am bedtime, probably too much rosy, some great company, top tunes and a highly satisfying full breakfast brunch at stravaigins!
this evening 6 of us went to the Arches for Alien Wars... only 3 went in, of which i was not one!! i suspected nervous disposition and nightmare tendencies would not combine well with massive alien, sharp claws, darkness, confined spaces and being chased!!
costa coffee only charged me £1 for a mug of steamed soya milk, vanilla syrup and marshmallows :)
fopp is my favourite shop. even when i can't afford anything it's so nice to wander about and lose yourself amongst it all! books, cds, dvds= perfect! it might (might!) even beat clothes shopping!
in the Oxfam bookshop on Byres Rd my friend's book is being sold! 'God's Never Offside'! now sitting at front of shelf of religious books!

that's all really!

in a blink...

2009-07-28T20:16:00.006+01:00

life is short. in the grand scheme of eternity we really are a drop in the ocean. sometimes i wonder where the time goes and wonder why i waste so much time doing silly, pointless things. i'm not beating myself up for it, just wondering why.

on friday night i saw a lady dying on the street. she had been run over by a van only a few moments before and as the paramedics worked on her my car was stopped by the police to let other vehicles by. i only saw her for a short time, probably only ten seconds, but it felt like minutes were going by as i watched her, surrounded by blood and her handbag sitting on the road. it was brown and so was her curly hair. i heard later she died on the street and that it was a hit and run- police are still looking for the driver that killed her.

it has really hit home how fragile how life is and how in a second it can be taken away. i wonder about who she has left behind and how many lives have been impacted by her passing. about how many other people have been shaken and shocked by seeing her lying there. i had to pass the spot today on my way to work and flowers now colourfully mark the spot where tragedy occurred. our world is so full of contrasts and conflicting images... words... behaviour... opinions... reactions... and in the blink of an eye it, or we, can be gone.

so, what are you living for?

a world of readers...

2009-06-17T22:12:00.004+01:00

My little cluster map (bottom right of my blog page!) is about to get its yearly clear and refresh so my little map of readers will be all sad and empty in a few days! on the nice side, my blog has had 819 views since 17th june last year so i hope u'v all been enjoying my reviews and ponderings! its fun to see where people are reading from and there's been some curious views from far flung lands! so here's to all of u, familiar and new!

the Britney Circus comes to london!!

2009-06-17T19:58:00.015+01:00

and i was there to experience it!! arriving at the o2 with hazel we were both slightly tired but rather excited! we were about to see Britney Spears live in London, or as live as seeing Britney can get!! outside the venue were a variety of circus/ fun fair rides incl a helter skelter and carousel, which made us giddy on sight!! once inside we grabbed some food and ascended to the heights of level 4 where our glorious seats were to be found-not recommended for those with vertigo! the upper floor of the o2 is so steep its almost vertical, i feared that with one wrong step i would topple over the edge!!

thanx to the tube strike we were a little late

for doors open but just in time for supporting act, Ciara!!! she was fantastic, the ideal performer to warm up the crowd with funky r& b beats and impressive vocals! then, the lights dimmed, the stage shifted and out of

nowhere appeared... clowns!! and magicians!! and acrobats!!

and lots of colourful and sparkly props!! there was an impressive circular screen hanging over the central stage area with videos, graphics and images of circus and britney related footage!! then came

the opening beats of Britney's hit song "Circus' and there she appeared before us, descending from the centre of the arena

in a golden sphere!!

the rest of the evening was non-stop!! the overall performance and show was high energy with some amazing stage props and dance moves from the accompanying dance troupe!!

however, as much as i love and am loyal to britney, she was

definitely lacking a certain sparkle!

her costumes certainly tried to make up for that, but having been prepared for her miming i was at least expecting some outstanding and energetic dance moves! which were sadly lacking from the leading lady herself! lots of strutting around and being twirled on various props but not u got the impression she was just not on top her game! i am convinced that on thurs evening i was singing and dancing at the 02 more than britney!! however, she performed/ mimed a great variety of her tracks including new remixes of Baby One More Time, Slave 4 U and Me Against the Music,

the atmosphere was buzzing and we were all on out feet dancing and singing along!!! fabulous!! and to be fair to her, she did sing Everytime (her one live song!) whilst suspended from the ceiling attached to a giant sparkly umbrella!! and did mid-air acrobatics which was pretty impressive!

So despite my slight disappointment at her lack of effort we still overall had an amazin time! the show was a colourful explosion of some classic hits, impressive stage performance and lots of sparkle!!! and i got a circus mask for free!! what's not to love...! :)

Millport Magic!

2009-05-24T21:30:00.003+01:00

fresh sea air, picnics on the beach, entertaining island features, the joke shop, a bitter wind, 10 miles, 3 bicycles and 3 of us.. why yes, it was a day out to Millport!! sadly minus the luvly ing, but karen, roo and i braved the elements for our fun trip round the isle of cumbrae!! i think we also beat the record for most modes of transport used in one day: taxi, train, ferry, bus and bicycle!! we set out from sunny glasgow and as the sky became increasingly grayer the hilarity heightened! i had already changed my outfit at least 10 times before leaving, and the nearer we got to millport the more layers went on!

it was such a funny day out! we got our bikes, helmets, waterproof gear on and after cycling for, oh, about 8 mins, stopped for picnic: part 1! this was closely followed about 9 mins later with picnic part 2: at the cafe! :) however, we then got some serious cycling under way, had some photo stops to capture those classic millport sights- the indian rock, lion rock, crocodile rock, to buy some rock! we also create some art of our own in a tribute to dear ingrid who had been got by the hangover monster!!! the day was complete with a visit to the joke shop for some exploding bangers and fake cigarettes, haha!! and a trip to the very retro Rio cafe on the sea front where we proudly presented each other with our We Cycled Round Millport certificates!! the perfect ending to a jolly day out at the seaside!! and now a little achey and very appreciative of a seat which isn't made solely of rubber and springs- ouch!!

the beauty of Bell X1 :)

2009-05-23T10:39:00.002+01:00

Bell X1 have long been one of my favourite alternative bands and having just release album no 4 'Bluelights on the Runway' they were winding up their tour in Glasgow on Thurs nite at the mighty King Tut's! along with Ing, Miss Bliss and Olivia Lovely (genuine name, amazing, and claim to fame of being David Kitt's 2nd cousin!!) we began in Nice and Sleazy's for a few drinks, which brought back fond memories of singing at their open mic nights in years gone by!

The Villagers were supporting but we missed most of their set being too distracted by our own entertaining chat! we managed to claim a decent spot before the band came on and opened with How Your Heart is Wired, which wouldn't have been my first choice, not the catchiest opener but it seemed to do the trick! They played a great selection of tracks from their earlier albums which was pleasing, including Alphabet Soup, Eve the Apple of My Eye and Rocky Took a Lover!! I sadly missed Flame due to a trip to the loo but was back in time for The Ribs of a Broken Umbrella, hurrah! It was a fairly mellow and chilled out gig but every now and then they upped the ante with a more upbeat song and lead singer, Paul Noonan, was full of the Irish banter!! Overall I loved the whole nite and the others seemed to enjoy it too- Olivia has also been a die-hard fan since day one but this was Ing and Miss Bliss's first encounter! I even kept up gig tradition and bumped into a couple of folk i knew and hadn't seen for ages! Lovely!

Andrew Bird at the Oran Mor

2009-05-15T21:21:00.003+01:00

Last nite was spent most enjoyably experiencing Andrew Bird present his musical genius at the Oran Mor! what a guy! after a tasty (and massive!) burger in Ashton Lane's 'Loft', myself, Karen, Rich and Scott made our merry way to the corner of Byres Rd to the basement of the Oran Mor, which was a pretty cool gig venue! after some deliberation we chose a drink in the bar over listening to the support act, and a fruity pimms and cranberry later we meandered down to the gig!

Andrew Bird has a really unusual style, his newest album Noble Beast is lovely but i had completely not appreciated how multi-talented he is! His performance had me in awe! basically, he began his songs playing an instrument, mainly violin in which he is classically trained, but as he performed he also recorded it and played it back on a loop! he would then do the same with another instrument, record, playback on loop, etc until the track was layered with various rhythms, sounds, melodies, whistling, glockenspiel, etc, before his vocals rolled across the top as the icing on the cake!

his lyrics are always interesting and the overall sounds merged beautifully throughout the evening- i actually felt transported at times into different places! like, during one song i felt as though i should have been running thru a victorian house in the country; in another that i was in China- it was reminiscent of the movie Memoirs of a Geisha; during another i felt like playing with a giant dolls house! the rose wine perhaps contributed to this too! i felt happy and excited and inspired by his creative musical genius!

Lovely :)

10k accomplished!! :)

2009-05-15T20:43:00.002+01:00

hooray!!! i did it!! i can now say with pride that i have run my 10k race!! in precisely 1 hour, 13 mins and 13 secs!

so... last sunday i woke at 6:30am, rather anxious about what my day held, had a wee breakfast, a luvly tropical Berocca energy drink and got my running gear on! chris dropped me near the start point which, despite reading all the pre-course info, wasn't where i was expecting it to be! as in, not even in the park but on a street! i braved a portaloo before the queues became utterly mad, found the Yellow Zone and hovered around trying to look casual and nonchalant as i scoured the sea of faces for a familiar one! amazingly, the meeting place which sandra and i had agreed was actually successful and we did the warm up, smiled for photos and psyched ourselves up!! i swung rapidly from being outrageously excited, soaking up the atmosphere to the dreaded realisation that i was about to run for a very long distance!!

we were started in stages depending on our colour group and at 10am the race kicked off with the very fast people taking off at a mighty pace, followed by fairly fast runners, followed by us, followed by people dressed as banana's and bumble bees!! classic! there were over 10, 500 runners and the atmosphere was VERY exciting, i kept laughing, at nothing really other than how brilliant it all was!! the first km flew by the quickest, and throughout the race there were hundreds of people cheering us on- crowds lining the streets, people hanging out of their flat windows, drivers tooting enthusiastically, members of the public handing us water/ energy sweets, and at every km mark there were bagpipers!!!

sandra and i both successfully ran the ENTIRE way, of which i feel very proud of us!! i think back to when i first started running and literally couldn't run more than 2 mins at a time! we had some luvly chat on the route round, cheering each other on and being generally impressed with ourselves that we hadn't collapsed in a ditch along the way!

crossing the finish line was magical, and a wee bit emotional too! as i approached the final stretch i heard my name being shouted and managed to spot my plews cheerleaders, gave them a quick wave and pressed on for the finish! what a feeling!! we were then given a medal, banana and goodie bag (which was potentially exciting but contained pretty random things including a herbal sweet(yes, just one!) and a jar of cranberry sauce!)

there have been many positive things related to training for and running this 10k- general feelings of health and well-being; becoming part of an informal community of fellow runners; actually disciplining myself enough to complete what i set out to do- this was a biggie as i tend to love something passionately and then find something else and move on and love the new thing passionately, and then find something else, etc...! but best of all has been all the support and money raised for Stop the Traffik through my JustGiving website, it has truly blown me away! Your generosity has been incredible and going to a really worthy cause! so a final MASSIVE THANKYOU to each of u! :)

a new running phenomenon!!!

2009-05-08T18:18:00.003+01:00

eek, it is finally here- RACE WEEKEND!! having now been training for roughly 9 weeks and starting from scratch i must say i am rather pleased with myself to have reached this point!! i went out for my final pre-race run this morning, a quick 15 min blast round the park, in the lashing rain! gripped by the clutches of spontaneity i dashed out into the rain, not fully appreciating the icy drench until it had overtaken my entire being! thru gritted teeth i pushed on, and started enjoying it! and, haha, i had watched Friends the other nite, and it was The One Where Phoebe Runs Like a Maniac, so feeling inspired i decided to try it, and it was invigorating!! for those of u who have somehow missed this episode, Phoebe runs with limbs flailing at full pelt, just because its more fun that way, and reminds her of when she used to run when she was little!! i did feel a tad self-conscious but the mad flailing of arms enabled me to shake that off and i ran like an out-of-control maniac!!! i would SO recommend doing this at least once in ur life!!

this week has been a bit of a struggle due to feeling a bit under the weather and having a bad few days with my stomach, but i am now recovered i think, have my race pack through and am all set!! Race pack is quite exciting and includes: a free underground pass for 4 people for sunday; a parking permit; information on the race and route; my cool electronic chip which will give me my time, and a brand new race t-shirt!! having spoken to fellow runners, apparently it is not cool to wear this on the day, but afterwards u can wear it with pride!

i also want to say a massive THANKYOU to everyone who has sponsored me so far!! i have been overwhelmed by the amount of support raised for Stop The Traffik, and the total before gift aid is currently at £450.01!!! and incl Gift Aid it comes to an amazing £562.83! You people are wonderful! And for anyone still wishing to donate to Stop the Traffik, my sponsor page will be live for the next wee while so if u would still like to give then it's not too late :)

only 2 sleeps til race day....

2009-04-27T20:33:00.006+01:00

Stop the Traffik is an amazing charity who work to fight to prevent the sale of people, protect the victims and prosecute the traffickers.

They are based in countries around the world including the UK, India, Australia, Belgium, USA and Bangla

desh and all money raised through my 10k will go toward the Global Fund. Stop the Traffik will make sure that funding tackles root causes such as poverty and gender

discrimination amongst the most vulnerable groups, targets early intervention and rescue, safe houses, good options for either going home and building a new life, or if that is too dangerous, finding a new place to live and work or study. Finally, the fund will help frontline professionals follow through on prosecuting traffickers and seeing that this does not remain a crime with high benefits and low costs.

Some more information taken from the Stop the Traffik official website:

TRAFFICKING IS...
to be deceived or taken against your will, bought, sold and transported into slavery for sexual exploitation, sweat shops, child brides, circuses, sacrificial worship, forced begging, sale of human organs, farm labour, domestic servitude.
TRAFFICKING IS…
where family members and friends deceive parents to release their children or sell themfor as little as $20 each, selling them on to local gangmasters or serious organised international trafficking rings.
TRAFFICKING IS…
growing. 2–4 MILLION men, women and children are trafficked across borders and within their own country every year. More than one person is trafficked across borders EVERY MINUTE, which is equivalent to five jumbo jets every day. a trade that earns twice as much worldwide revenue as Coca Cola.
TRAFFICKING IS…
where victims usually suffer repeated physical abuse, fear, torture and threats to families to break their spirits and turn them into saleable commodities. a person can be sold and trafficked many times.

Stop the Traffik focuses on 3 main areas:

Education: Spreading the message, creating awareness and understanding of people trafficking.
Advocacy: When people act things change. Engaging with those who have the power to minimise the trafficking of people.
Fundraising: Financing anti-trafficking work around the world working with those vulnerable to and those who have been trafficked.

We have to work together to fight to prevent the sale of people, protect the victims and prosecute the traffickers.

we are SO in the running groove!!

2009-04-27T20:04:00.002+01:00

today ladies and gents, i found my groove!!! not on the dancefloor, for that groove was unleashed many years ago, but on the streets!!! today i ran 8km!!! in just about an hour!!! and i feel amazing!! admittedly a little achy now, but so worth it!! Lady Gaga had been replaced by Chris and after a difficult start with crampy legs, visit to the loo after about 15 mins, and a giant blister, i persevered and found my running groove!! a nirvana state which i had heard talk of from experienced runners but never imagined i would ever attain myself!!

yet here we are! happy sigh!! and lots of these!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what is the secret i hear u all ask!! well, once u push thru the leg crampy pain, get your breathing under control and work thru the barrier which tends to hit at around 23 mins, u just keep running! and running... and running! usually 35 mins is my average, i have managed 45 on a couple of occassions but this evening we were out for 68 minutes! including toilet break in the park (in the public toilets, please note, not behind a tree!!) and a couple of pauses to shake off cramp/ cross the busy road/ make up an excuse so i could pause for breath!! and once in the groove i discovered it is actually possible to hold a conversation whilst running, something i have attempted and failed at many times! oh the joy! no need to temporarily withhold my thoughts any longer (altho i suspect chris may have been enjoying some welcome peace!)!

and incase u are wondering, or have read previous blog where i mentioned that i was going to be doing this as a sponsored run, i am indeed raising some awareness and funds for a very worthy cause! See blog above this for more details!! :)

run into the ground!

2009-04-22T19:50:00.003+01:00

after today's run i feel officially terrible! disgusting really. sore. achy. trembly. too weak to get off the couch and into the shower. to even move and get a much-needed glass of water. i think last week's craziness has got to me. spring harvest. 7200 guests. 55 stewards. 8am start and 1am bed. non-stop activity, cheerfulness and enthusiasm. it's finally got the better of me!

moan. about running. moan.

that is all.

(disclaimer: a more positive blog can be anticipated shortly- in the meantime let me encourage u to visit my 10k race sponsor page for a most worthy cause! and to make this wretched pain worthwhile!!)

Barcelona!

2009-04-07T22:56:00.008+01:00

such a beautiful city! despite the rain we had a wonderful weekend wandering the streets (yes, i think we covered every street!), soaking up the culture, taking in the architecture, visiting real places of interest and enjoying some delicious local cuisine! our wonderful hosts are extremely familiar with the city and we were treated to an impressive tour, complete with history, places of interests and unusual wee coffee shops and stores we probably never would have found ourselves!we were cooked a fabulous dinner on the Friday evening, complete with delicious cocktails and a Brazilian recipe cake for Chris's birthday!! After a leisurely morning we became familiar with the transport system (genius, you can travel on any bus, train, fenicular, etc and go as far as u like, changing as often as u like for up to 1 hour 15 mins and it only counts as one single!!) our stroll along the beach became a race to get to the cafe at the end due to the monsoon style rain and wind we were out in! after drying off a little we walked to the Sagrada Familia- having seen it 6 year ago i was impressed at how much work had been done on it since then, altho it is still not completed!

the afternoon was spent wandering the

streets of the Gothic Quarter, popping into very cute shops and being given an unofficial Shadow of the Wind (one of my favourite books, set in Barcelona!)

tour which had me most enthralled! the evening took us to one of the nicest restaurants i have ever been in, the food was outstanding, very healthy and the atmosphere was just lovely! over there it's considered normal to go out for dinner at like, 9pm earliest, with happy hour in bars from 10pm- midnight!! so we were very happy by midnight, especially visiting the Fairy Forest bar, complete with a actual trees, twinkly lights and a wee pond!!

the following day we wandered down to the Marina, explored the shops,

tried some Spanish snacks and then caught the fenicular up the mountain to Parc Montjuic where we then took a cable car to the top!! here we had a luvly time at Montjuic castle, dating back to 1640! our weekend was complete with a final wander down Las Ramblas, the main street in the city where there are countless cafes, market stalls, artists and street performers! when we visited Barcelona in 2003 we stayed in a rooftop youth hostel on Las Ramblas which was basically a small rooftop sauna with bunkbeds and a sliding door- most unusual! our journey

home was uneventful and whilst i was sad to leave the beautiful city behind i am now happily anticipating our return there in the summer! taster weekends are SO the way forward!!

first 5k complete!

2009-04-07T22:43:00.003+01:00

i feel knackered, accomplished and rather pleased with myself!

i was excited at being able to run for 43 mins today, was pleased that i'd actually done my first ever 5k run, but will now need to work on bringing the time down and the distance up for the actual 10k, or this race could take me a while!! actually, my initial aim was to actually just complete the race, then i began thinking ok, if i can do it in 1 hour 15 that'll be good, now i might aim for 1 hour 10!!!

however, i feel having started from a level of 0% fitness with week 1 involving having to run 2 mins, walk 2 mins 5 times, being able to run for this long is a bit of a miracle!!

see, miracles happen! :)

new tunes!!!

2009-04-06T20:30:00.005+01:00

i am havin such a luvly nite exploring music! thanx to some top tip-offs from musically-inclined mates i have been enjoying the likes of Bon Iver, The Kills, Holly Golightly, and discovered a website 4AD which has a bunch of bands and musicians and includes a free sampler album you can download! there is a nice sounding band called It Hugs Back who's song Work Day is fairly cheery and easy to listen to!

Tickets for the Wee Chill music festival go on sale soon, and Camera Obscura are playing king tuts this month along with Attic Lights which should be a good nite all in! :) they recently filmed the video for their new single in Stereo, and were looking for folk to come and be in it! unfortunately i couldn't round up the troops at short notice so missed a good wee free gig!

and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs new album, It's Blitz, just came out- i'm excited! i'm holding off til i can get the actual cd in Fopp tomoro, but couldn't resist downloading their single 'Zero' which i LoVe!!

so, there's some links to keep u all entertained!

another step forward!

2009-04-03T23:21:00.003+01:00

ok, i'v finally done it and registered for the women's 10k! there's no backing out now as £23 of my well-earned cash has now secured my place at the start line! my training is fairly varied, ranging from 20 mins of feeling horrendous and wanting to crawl, to actually being able to run for 32 mins and feeling pretty good! i'v discovered the worst time for me is straight after work when i'm already tired after a long day! unfortunately that is the best time as it fits in my day! so we're pushing on through!

however, there is a potential *disasterous* clash- my X factor audition has also been registered but here's the bad news- round one is on Sat 9th May and if i just so happen to make it to round two i will have to choose between running the 10k or the possibility of stardom, fame and fortune (really the huge tempter is getting to possibly meet Simon and Cheryl!!!!!).

Dilemma! however, i think we'll just cross that bridge IF and when we come to it!!

10k in the making!

2009-03-20T11:03:00.005Z

i am just in the door, fresh from my 2nd run of the spring!! when i say fresh i actually mean completely the opposite- hot, sweaty, thirsty and very red in the face!! however, i must admit that now its over for today, it feels good! despite proclaiming to hate running, there does come a point (admittedly near the beginning!!) where i sort of love it!! pounding the streets, thru the park, sun shining, colourful spring flowers cheering me on my way, smiling and saying hello to people i pass by (again, when i say hello i actually mean trying to make a noise that sounds close to hello as i can barely breathe as it is!!)

so, the aim... Womens 10k on May 10th!

According to their website countdown i have 50 days left to get myself in shape and be able to run 10k in a reasonable time! having put off training for as long as possible the crunch time has come to either commit to doing it or stop kidding myself! so, i figure that if i go public then i'll have to do!

my other purpose in doing this 10k is to raise money and awareness for an extremely worthy cause! OM (Operation Mobilisation) do a lot of work in India to support the Dalit women and after speaking to one of their workers I am going to be raising money to fund a specific project! so, watch this space for more details of how u can get involved too :)

howling bells and spiders!!

2009-03-12T20:19:00.011Z

last nite saw another much-looked-forward-to gig as the Howling Bells appeared in glasgow! hurrah! i love it when bands u'r totally familiar with come and play live! as mentioned in previous blog, their new album came out last week so after immersing myself fully in it i was totally prepared! we had a nice wee group gathered incl. Rich, Scott and some of the luvlies from work, for a bite at the Arches (where the scary Alien chases are currently happening!!)! the band played at the Classic Grand, a kind of weird venue next to the Academy of Music and Sound where i started my guitar lessons (but the only sign advertising what's in the building is for the pole dancing club on the 2nd floor so i used to feel rather self conscious waiting for them to buzz me in!!!) anyway, it was a nice little venue but the stage is really low so if ur like me and a mere 5'3" then its tricky to see! which lets be honest, is one of the reasons u go- most important to suss out their look and see if u can replicate the world's most glossy fringe (as featured on the luvly Juanita bell!)

the support band were fairly bland- their music was alright, i just wasn't feeling the vibe!! this may have been partly due to the very sticky wet top i was then wearing after some randomer knocked my drink all over me! sigh!

however, when the Howling Bells came on the nite became lovely! they mostly played from their new album, of which i am particularly loving 'It Ain't You', 'How Long' and 'Cities Burning Down'! they played a handful of older stuff incl. Broken Bones which karen and i swayed to

with a bit of attitude! there was a great energy from the stage and i loved how she performed and used her hands all the time! i almost missed the coolest moment of the whole gig when, during their performance of Golden Web (at which i get creeped out cos its about spiders!) Juanita meandered down into the crowd and was standing Right At Us!! major gold stars to Rich for elbowing me hard enough to point this out!!

so we sang to each other for a moment or two, connecting thru our cool fringes! i believe the lines she gazed at me whilst singing were 'yeah u bit me, and u ran, away, just like a spider', and 'i'v been bitten by a spider, and now there's nowhere to run'!!!!!

spiders and running are two of the things i loathe most in life, how ironic!! now i have a warm fuzzy feeling when i think of them! :)

so in conclusion, it was a top gig- they were great live and altho their encore song was a bit mince i think we can forgive them as they sounded so good the rest of the nite and had a guitarist who wore a fedora and looked like brad pitt!! smile! :)

i'm a superhero i am!

2009-03-12T19:30:00.003Z

tonite i popped along to sainsburys garage for an innocent wee shop, only to turn a corner and be affronted by a man shoving a bottle of white wine down his jeans, and hiding it with his coat!!! shocked as i was, i picked up a jar of something useless and marched (subtly of course) to the security guard at the door to report this heinous crime! the 2 of us then crept round the store til i spotted him and could point him out!!

as key witness i then hovered around the biscuits keeping my beady eye on this crook, only to once again be privy to him stuffing packets of sausages in his coat pocket!!! what is the world coming to!?! i caught the eye of a girl who had seen this too, we both had a shocked giggle and i updated the security guard who by this point had been joined by 2 colleagues, all rather fierce looking and practically blocking the exit!

what happened next u ask...

well, our shoplifting friend then attempts to leave and is stopped by the men in uniform! who challenge him very politely, at first! the stealer denies he has any store produce hidden on him, but this is quickly disproved as everyone can see the sausages sticking out his pocket!! disaster! upon being asked to open his (rather smart leather!) coat he gives up the pretense, pulls out the bottle of wine and a packet of sweets!! and then proceeds to ask for leniency as he is apparently homeless- question: where was he planning to cook the sausages!?!

the security guards let him off with a warning and a ban on returning to the store! What!?!? no punishment!? no being led away in handcuffs, or spending a nite in the cells!? the man staggered away and the security men thanked me for all my hard investigative work, before having a rather boisterous chuckle at " the world's worst shoplifter"!!!

weekly musings

2009-03-10T20:10:00.003Z

feeling inspired by scott's 'white noise' weekly review/ preview, here is a brief summary of things happening/ have happened!:

My week in reverse:

today did not have enough minutes in it to complete the outrageous amount of work i have on just now!

yesterday evening was spent clearing out everything i hid in my old bedroom cupboard when i moved out!! it was even more difficult than i expected- i am an epic hoarder of meaningless junk and still struggled to part with: my childhood badge and stamp collections (no wonder i was bullied at school!!); approx one million photographs; shoeboxes filled with letters, cards and notes from a rather broad range of people such as my irish penpal from when i was 8, my gran who lives in london, funny notes sent back and forth to friends in school; folders filled with handwritten, colour-coded notes from high school, including repeat notes of Higher biology which i sat twice and gained a D and C for!

sunday i slept a lot

fri and sat were spent in edinburgh at the Women Walking With God conference- it was luvly spending time with friends and whilst i slept thru some of the teaching, the seminars were great and Lou Fellingham and band led the music extremely well!

wed, thurs and fri were jam-packed with work and visiting my grandpa in hospital. he has been in now for 4 weeks and is thankfully starting to show signs of improvement after having a number of strokes and then catching the C Diff infection.

tomoro i am sooo looking forward to the Howling Bells gig!! their new album 'Radio Wars' is great,a bit perkier than

their previous one, altho there is a song about a spider

(Golden Web) which i just cant listen to!! it makes me paranoid that there might be one on me, i mean, really, there is no need to remind people that such creepy things exist and sneak around!!

Russell Brand- Scandalous!

2009-02-28T09:49:00.003Z

last sunday nite we ventured thru to Edinburgh to see Russell Brand's live show at the Playhouse! The place was full, the warm-up act distinctly average and then RB (as i will now refer to him for ease of typing!) walked out on stage and instantly his persona captured the attention of everyone in the theatre!! there really is quite a magical presence about him that draws you to him and holds you there! his show was hilariously, stomach-achingly funny- entitled 'Scandalous' a fair proportion of it was based on his recent escapades featured on the news and in various papers and magazines!! a self-confessed egotist he showed us all clips of himself on the news, delighted that he now had his 'brand new own show' at such prime time viewing!! admittedly i used to really dislike him, but after reading his Booky Wook and watching him some more on tv i have become rather fond of this crazy-haired, tight-jeaned, extremely intellectual comedian!! his use of the english language is quite something, he's clearly very intelligent and uses this to enhance his chat!!

the highlight of the evening (for me anyway!!) was right at the end of the nite when he came down to meet his fans in the foyer!! we hovered around with about a million others, nowhere near the door which he was due to exit! i managed to sneak into the inner foyer at the opposite corner of the room, and i could just see his hair above the crowd! however... he then made his way diagonally across the room, straight toward me, and then jumped up onto a counter-top directly in front of me!!! woooooohooooo!!! i was like, one person away from Russell Brand!!! he then started reaching down and shook my hand!! a girl then handed him a pen and asked him to sign her book, so i grabbed my ticket, yelled ' could u sign this please?!'. To which he looked down at me, said 'sure love', took my ticket and signed it!!!! score!!! so i am now the proud owner of a signed Russell Brand ticket, after having one of the funniest nights of my life!!! :)

snow snow snow!

2009-02-08T23:35:00.003Z

today there is crazy snow again in glasgow!! i was travelling back thru from st andrews today and as we approached glasgow it was getting thicker and thicker!

so tonite it was too snowy to resist and we went a wander at around half 10 to the park, which was totally jumping! there were literally hundreds of people, probably all students, out sledging, ski-ing and even snowboarding in kelvingrove park!! it was so pretty and we built a wee snowman with proper twig arms and a face!! he was very cute, i felt bad leaving him alone!! this is a picture of our car park at about 8pm tonite!

2009 hopes and plans!

2009-02-01T18:09:00.003Z

boo, i have a virus! having not felt great for a couple of days i put it down to too much partying, and whilst this may be a factor i am now officially suffering from the sniffles, a temp, feeling sick and aching all over:( boo, rubbish!

however, as it is now january and we are far away enough from new year to make actual goals and plans for this year! i always find making new years resolutions are a bit trivial and i always come up with a massive list of things which i a) never stick to, b) feel guilt and disappointment over when i cant keep to them! so, my actual hopes and plans for this year are:

to complete the women's 10k race in may
to stick in with learning guitar
to do some more travelling- some plans are already in place, but more on that later!
to see Britney Spears live in concert!
to then attend some way cooler gigs to redeem my reputation!!
to visit some more of my friends in their new locations (Grenoble would be just lovely!)
to become an aunt again (yes, this one is already on the cards!! congratulations brother and sis-in-law!!)
to actually finish reading a christian book (i just cant ever seem to get to the end without getting distracted!!)
to write, record and play some new songs! it's been way too long!
to audition for the X Factor and meet Simon and Cheryl!!

so, those are my plans for now! they may change, they may be achieved, they may be abandoned but i am happy with them, today, at this moment!

love love love (with a sprinkling of humiliation!!)

2009-01-31T13:16:00.006Z

i am currently still in my pyjama's recovering from another week of work, and another super fun weekend of celebrations! admittedly i have had an alarming number of embarrassing moments over the past 7 days, including:

realising on the train that i was wearing odd shoes to work
having my dress caught up in my tights whilst meandering thru paisley (cringe!)
being approached by a sweet old lady to tell me that my dress was caught up, again, on the same day!!! (this time in my jacket- what is wrong with me!?!!)
participating on the dance floor last nite in a burlesque performance with all the hens, only to realise that as i strutted and wiggled forward in a showgirl-style walk, no-one else was with me!!!! *mortified*

despite my shortcomings and humiliation we had a fabulous day yesterday at ruth and colin's wedding!! they are the cutest couple ever and everything was perfect, from the ceremony (where they each read out their own vows!!) to the meal to the evening reception!! so much fun! i met loads of lovely and amazing people and ruth looked absolutely gorgeous! unfortunately my preparation did not go quite so well as i had a complete wardrobe malfunction- the new dress i bought caused me great distress when the zip broke and 20 mins was spent trying to fix it, without success! so a last-minute outfit change was required leaving me rather flustered and enraged!! however, the rest of the day was wonderful, at the House for an Art Lover in Glasgow's Bellahouston Park.

the hen weekend last week was also outstanding!! the day began with a champagne breakfast

before the 17 of us got the train to edinburgh where we had a lot of fun at a burlesque class!!

i was slightly nervous about it but it was such a laugh- we learned a variety of moves and finally a dance routine where we totally outshone the pussycat dolls!! dinner and drinks the

n followed, with lots of amazin hen activities, pink fluffy feather boa's and hilarious photos!!

Travelocity!

2009-01-09T11:20:00.005Z

Another new year, another new office, another experience as the new girl! my first day's commute did not come without a little trauma- being splashed by a lorry; dropping all 3 of my bags whilst rummaging for my purse, and for my finale, colliding with a girl who was rushing onto the train as i was getting off, only for her to throw her frothy coffee all down her front and scream profanities at me!!! luvly! welcome to paisley! admittedly, a daily hour long commute each way is not my ideal- perhaps i'v been spoiled by being able to walk everywhere in my previous job, but the joy at being able to leave lengthy public transport journeys behind after graduating uni did seem too good to be true!

so today i'm off to purchase a travel zonecard! i kinda like the idea of just flashing my card to gain access to various modes of transport! sadly the photo booth i went to for my ID pic just did not do me justice, ahem, and after ensuring i adhered to all the guidelines for passport photos had 3 rather unfortunate pictures to choose from! £3.50 not best spent! only to get home and have husband point out that i wasn't getting them taken for a passport and could have smiled normally without worrying about the guidelines!! ah!

climbing out of the box

2008-12-18T23:03:00.002Z

today i had to attend a reflective practice workshop all morning with some of my work colleagues and we have been challenged to create a critical incident reflective piece which we have a month to work on, and then feed back to the group in January! we can do this however we like- journalling, peer discussion, poetry, drawing, singing, drama, etc, which is a refreshing change from the usual 'discuss in small groups and feedback on a flip chart'!

i found it hard to focus due to being officially on christmas hols as of 1pm- the excitement was almost too much- but i did find it fairly challenging. i do seem to have to spend a lot of time reflecting on my work as for the past 12 months i've been working toward completing my monthly training plan and various assignments for the VQ. perhaps i just wasn't focused enough today, but it did strike me that in the run up to Christmas this year i feel like i've not really paused to reflect much on the whole Christian side of it all, which is really the whole point.

(pause for thought)

actually, i think i have been reflecting on everything but not in what i would consider the conventional way of taking time out to ponder life, etc! i've been asking lots of questions. of life. of faith. of the Bible. of the difference between truth and fact. of relationships. of the meaning. of the plan. if there is a plan. and have been searching and reflecting thru music, and in the pub-which i seem to be frequenting rather more regularly these days- and thru reading, and basically thru being in relationships with a broad range of people, and absolutely loving it.

i guess i am getting out of a box i hadn't quite realised i was in.

festive cheer! but retail uncertainty!!

2008-12-14T19:15:00.004Z

december has got to be the best month of the whole year!! we have just decorated the cutest christmas tree in the world, my amy grant christmas album is back in the player and i have just licked about 50 envelopes and have a weird taste in my mouth!! everything is just so jolly! i am also the most organised i have ever been and once i sort out one more christmas present i have officially finished my shopping!! buying presents for people is so fun, altho a fair challenge at times, especially when trying to think of what an 82 year old grandpa would appreciate that isn't really boring or sock-shaped!!

the social whirl has also now officially begun, with a variety of parties, lunches, cocktail evenings and dinner parties now the order of the day!! this brings with it the need for party outfits, so the search is now on for a cute, affordable, sparkly outfit!! however, having done some research into ethical shopping this year i am now left a bit unsure as to where is good to shop with regards to workers being paid a decent wage, etc! the Lift the Label website has some useful information but really, i'd love to find, or even create, a comprehensive list of decent shops in Scotland which trade fairly and still sell cute stuff!! Shops including Primark were all over the news again last week as their worker's are paid as little as 7p per day, work 80 hour weeks and include children in the workforce, so despite their very non-descript ethical disclaimer which now adorns their stores, it is still no surprise that clothes that cost about £3 to buy are not made in an ethical way!! however, they do claim that they are still providing employment and a wage for people who would otherwise be unemployed and not earning a living, which may be true. I just think that surely there must be a better way!

X Factor feat. Britney!!

2008-11-30T14:49:00.007Z

well i am currently enjoying a lazy afternoon, having left the boys at the pub to watch more football than is healthy for one day!!

right, so last nite's X Factor was shaping up to be an exciting one, what with it being Britney Spears night but i was actually left fairly disappointed! amid much slagging from those around me, the final 5

contestants belted out some Britney classics but for some reason it just didn't seem to work!! JLS performing Baby One More Time was definitively lacking and came across as bland, despite the original clearly being a catchy masterpiece!! ;) and Diana didn't really get going til the end of the song!!

it's probably due to Britney being so outstanding, no other artists quite measure up!!! however, after she came on the X Factor and mimed along to her latest hit Womanizer, i am now in the even trickier position of trying to convince husband that purchasing tickets for her 2009 European tour is a sound investment which will bring great joy and fulfill the top request on my Christmas wish list! sigh...

Death Cab at the Corn Exchange!

2008-11-17T21:52:00.003Z

so, on Friday nite we road-tripped to the Edinburgh Corn Exchange where Death Cab for Cutie were bringing some Seattle-flavoured melodies! the evening kicked off with the successful selling of our spare ticket( i'm rather proud of this!!) and kay and i bumping into people we knew! weirdly, the guy she knew was someone i sang in a band with a few years ago!! very random!! altho i had never heard of the support, Rich pre-empted the 3/4 bearded Frightened Rabbit as a 'great Glasgow band' and their warm up set did prove this true!! quite upbeat songs that made you want to dance around the house and be productive- i liked them!! there was something slightly Glasvegas- sounding about them too(haha, probably the glasgow accent thing!)! altho i spent most of the nite not being able to see over tall people, we were perfectly positioned to see the reflection of the 2 guitarists in these weird panels on the ceiling!

DCFC kicked off with 'Bixby Canyon Bridge' and then performed an array of songs from Narrow Stairs, Plans and Transatlanticism! I was pleasantly surprised by this, i guess i was expecting them to really focus on their latest album, which i actually don't love as much as the others! And as much as i love DCFC it was strange because i actually began feeling a bit bored about 2/3rd's of the way thru! perhaps it was the venue- last time we saw them was in the Barrowlands which is always great, but the Corn Exchange feels a bit like a school gym hall (when we saw the Fray there i was transported back to being surrounded by 16 year olds and half expected a school dance to begin!!), and i was more aware than usual of really sweaty guys standing way too close for comfort!!! or perhaps it's because Narrow Stairs is more mellow than their previous couple of albums- the songs haven't grabbed me as much!

however, they played some of my favourite tracks which sounded great: 'Your New Twin sized bed', 'No sunlight' and 'You can do better than me'! The highlight was when they played ' I will follow you into the dark' - it almost got me all emotional! And we were all in agreement that their encore was fabulous and ended the nite on a definite high note! so altho the gig was quite different from their last one it was still a great evening that i wouldn't have missed!!

now, off to find out more about Frightened Rabbit...

a (very) little courtroom drama

2008-11-17T18:45:00.005Z

i'v just started this blog about 6 times and my spelling is atrocious! examples are blob and bob instead of blog, spilling and speeling instead of spelling and don't even start me on atrocious!!! i blame it on the non-stop weekend of fun i just had, which included:

a gig on friday, some quality time with a fab friend, a whole day of celebrating another friend becoming a clever doctor (the PHD kind!), a tasty wheat free pizza, a hilarious dinner party and chat til 4am, followed by spending the whole of sunday in my pyjama's watching the x factor/ 24 and eating celebrations!!!

last week was spent popping in and out of court as i was cited for jury duty!! despite

many attempts to warn me it was going to be dull and boring i remained optimistic and hopeful that it would be exciting, interesting and that i'd get picked! unfortunately, i did not come out the winner there! however, i did meet some interesting people and bumped into an old school mate as well! inside court was a fairly depressing chamber- dark wood panelling (with secret doors!), grey seating and lots of miserable people moaning about how inconvenient the whole thing was!

i decided to dress cheerfully and must admit that in all honesty, the most interesting thing about the week was my outfits!! my new favourite red tights are amazing and made of organic fairtrade fabric which keeps you nice and toasty! coloured tights and helping people- what a combination!

musings on today!

2008-10-30T15:43:00.004Z

well, my irritating coughing and sneezing of last blog turned into a bit of a vicious chest infection resulting in a week off work and having to sleep upright so i can breathe without choking! not fun! however, after an emergency trip to the doctor i was given some nice strong antibiotics which finally seem to be doing the trick! hmm, altho havin researched this on the nhs website i'v been given the treatment for pneumonia rather than chest infection! anyway, i can now taste properly for the first time in about 5 days and am enjoying some sugary marshmallows and lemon zinger tea- zesty!!

despite being very bored this week and watching far too many episodes of One Tree Hill i have had a fairly pleasant afternoon sitting in bed and watching the world go by my window!! and there are a lot of interesting folk wandering around! here are some examples:

a menancing looking girl with green hair, black leather jacket, nose rings and a surly expression!
an old man with a big old beard on an old fold-up bicycle!
a man out running wearing a luminous yellow waistcoat thing and woolly hat!
a very well-dressed couple, the lady wearing an enormous fur coat, heavy dramatic make-up and with her hair in a giant bee hive! amazing!
2 teenage boys chasing and trying to hit each other with their school bags!

i also had a nice chat with angus, our postie, this morning, as we keep getting mail thu our door addressed to this flat but to a different name. he said i can write RTS (Return to sender!) on it, but often it just gets chucked out. however, it has made me curious about this person who is not getting their mail, and i wonder if i've ever been sent anything of significance which has never reached me!?

i've also just discovered a whole new way of editing my blogs which allow me to use rainbow colours for typing! while this has me momentarily excited, i wonder if it'll be harder to read!? feel free to feedback!

mad bongos 'n' that!

2008-10-26T17:28:00.003Z

Today we took a wee wander down Ashton Lane, only to be greeted by the funky, rhythmic beats of Sambayabamba!! Oxjam had taken over the West end and the band had returned to raise funds for Oxfam by bringing a Latin flavour to another rainy afternoon in Glasgow!! they were fantastic and it was impossible not to shake it a little to their Brazilian- influenced tunes!! Vodkawodka were also hosting an afternoon of Scottish music to raise funds and there was, as usual, a great atmosphere down the Lane! so despite my incessant coughing and sneezing, it was a cheery wee afternoon!

6 uninteresting things about me...

2008-10-25T17:48:00.003+01:00

i just realised i was tagged by Rich to play this fun game!! or rather, to make this uninteresting list! here goes...

1. every day i get home from work and watch friends, scrubs then hollyoaks
2. i, like rich, also love making lists! its kind of a thing
3. i spent the other nite dressed in a giant paper bag
4. when i was ten i had an operation which left a big scar on my back
5. i have intolerance's to wheat, dairy and caffeine
6. right now my fingers hurt from guitar playing

I tag... San, JJ, Simon- uh-oh, i have to stop at 3 due due to time constraints, but watch out, i'll get 3 more of u!!!

Meme Terms and Conditions:

Link to the person who tagged you

Mention the rules on your blog

List 6 uninteresting things about you

Tag 6 other bloggers by linking to them

i heart jenny lewis!!

2008-10-23T20:09:00.007+01:00

well, having finally had a spare second to sit down and blog, i can now revel in the beauty that was saturday nite! sweet sigh! jenny lewis was totally, completely, wonderfully amazing!! having reached almost new levels of inner excitement i was on the verge of exploding when, half way thru being served at the bar i heard the opening bars of her first song of the nite coming from the other room!! having marked saturday in my diary for weeks i am please to report she did not disappoint, and i fear i now have a complete female crush, haha! her vocals were rich and warm, she managed to pull off high waisted jeans and a polka dot, swim-suit style top with a hat and chunky red necklace in a way that almost had u rushing out to do the same (i say almost because in real life, there's just no way i could ever make that work!!!), and her stage presence was so captivating!

performing a perfect mix of songs from her latest album Acid Tongue, and some of her older stuff it was one of my favourite gigs, ever!! Under the blacklight was fabulous and a nice wee surprise toward the end! rich and scott were also v excited (on the inside, u could tell!!) but we had a bit of debate over her stage performance! scott felt she didn't really bring much performance wise, but really, when u ooze that much soul there's no need to prance around or whip up some audience interaction! everything about her was totally mesmerizing- she's so confident and even got away with kneeling down and crouching over whilst singing; she drank her water in time with the band, and just sounded wonderful!!! so, i guess i officially love her!!

i also had a wee peek thru the window of her tour bus and saw some very exciting, star- esque items such as, erm, a bowl of fruit, mircowave, kettle and some paper!!! oh yes, it was pretty cool!!

its just too early...

2008-10-18T10:22:00.005+01:00

ugh, does anyone else agree that it is just way too early in the day to be watching food programmes on tv!? my husband is refusing to change the channel, so here, at 10:20am i am feeling slightly nauseous at the sights and sounds of fancy tv chef's pan-frying big slabs of tuna, yuck, and now a guy is eating squidgy, wriggly snails!!!!! its just too much for a saturday morning!

the other day i went to visit the Academy of Music and Sound in Glasgow, where they run a variety of music courses and teach lessons! needless to say i was pretty excited, and was on the verge of quitting my job to sign up to full-time guitar and vocals courses!! thankfully such extreme measures were not necessary as, before we left, the manager offered me a complimentary guitar lesson!! hee! so today i am off for my first lesson! and tonite sees the fabulous jenny lewis playing in glasgow- all in all a great day is comin up!!

Live Your Calling

2008-10-13T22:38:00.007+01:00

today saw the arrival of a book i ordered a week ago and have been hotly anticipating! Live Your Calling by the Brennflecks is described as a 'practical guide to finding and fulfilling your mission in life', and i came across it last week whilst researching into christian careers services! having spent some time looking into this, i came up with very little in the UK. As both a christian and a careers adviser i have recently found myself being approached on a fairly regular basis by people looking for advice and guidance regarding what to do with their lives/ how to discover their purpose/ how to recognise God's calling and what their practical response should be.

It got me thinking that there are so many people out there seeking direction, purpose and for a bigger sense of meaning in their lives. Everyone has different priorities, giftings, skills, abilities, experience and passions and it can sometimes be really tricky trying to even identify these, let alone try and work out what these mean, and what life direction to take. Every day i meet with people who have reached some sort of crossroad or turning point, and need support (sometimes a little, sometimes a lot) to work out what their next step should be! it is something i love doing and i guess this book got me excited because it appears to combine 2 of my main passions inside the one cover, a rare find thus far! so, as i begin to turn the pages i am curious and hopeful that it will have ben worth the wait...

fisharama drama!

2008-10-01T15:27:00.004+01:00

well, i am sad to report that i have somehow managed to no longer own any tropical fish! despite investing a small fortune in equipment (heater, filter system, thermometer, lightbulb, weird fish tank hoover suction thing), decorative features (namely fake purple plants!) and countless tropical fish i am grudgingly havin to admit defeat!!! (see sad-looking, empty tank below!)
my husband let out a small shout of joy as i flushed away our final fish, who, despite having rented room in my aquarium for the past 6 months or so, has decided to move on to a bigger and better place!! now i'm not saying i am giving up entirely on my aquarium dream, as this may be in fact the perfect opportunity to look into getting the ultimate pet dream- aquatic frogs!! either those or terrapins!! altho i have heard thru the tropical fish owners grapevine that terrapins can actually live for like, 15 years, and i'm not sure how ready i am for that sort of commitment!! perhaps some further research is required...!

A Very Spiritual Starbucks!

2008-09-30T10:01:00.004+01:00

A few weeks ago i was at a 'Light and Life' night in Starbucks, where there was the opportunity to meet with others and hear God speak thru different mediums incl. art, prayer, massage, music and dream interpretation. Having (typically!) arrived late most slots were already full but my friend and i managed to squeeze our names down for a spiritual reading and a hand massage! now, having been brought up a christian, and with a strong faith of my own i have always been slightly wary of 'spiritual readings' as there is always a certain element of risk involved when dipping into the spirit realm and i believe it must be done thru really discerningly seeking God, rather than attempting to go thru another channel. However, the nature of these readings simply involved 2 women praying for you and sharing what they sensed or heard God saying, something which i have experienced and been totally blessed by many times!

All i told them was my name and that i would like them to pray for me regarding my job. I did not mention what my job is or say anything more than that. As they prayed it was amazing as God really spoke thru them, they described many features of my job and re-assured me that i had no need to worry about the future of it. Now this interested me as i have been on a temporary contract since starting and a year down the line, when on my 3rd extension of it, i had just been summoned to a meeting to officially notify me of my 6 month contract end period beginning! they also encouraged me in different aspects of my life, mentioning specific areas of which i had told them nothing about, and i left with a real excitement and certainty that God is indeed very real and most definitely speaks today, as well as a calm reassurance about His plans for me!

So, skip on a few weeks to last Thursday! i had attended my meeting and was officially notified my contract would end in 6 months, thus began the back-of-my-mind deliberations about the future; sigh, what does this mean, should i start keeping an eye-out for new jobs, stress, stress, etc!! i know, i know,i can hear u cry, ' but what about what God said, have u forgotten already!?'. well, yes sort of. because ashamedly, circumstances can get the better of us and when faced with negative life happenings it can become all too easy to overlook God in it all, and return to our small, blinkered views of ourselves and our bleak outlooks!!

However, on that same week, just a few days ago, my chin was lifted as half way thru my working day I received a completely unexpected email saying that my temporary contract was to be made permanent!!! Permanent!!! a small miracle which not only left me totally excited and relieved, but served as a reminder of Gods word to me of a few weeks before, and how silly I was to doubt Him! I am now doubly excited given the other areas he spoke to me about thru the 2 women praying for me in Starbucks and i am already beginning to see the first few buds of something else coming into existence!! so watch this space...!!

a busker's delight!

2008-09-25T19:55:00.005+01:00

my little bro is a busking hero and now features in online cult busking magazine:buskerworld, your complete online guide to busking!! i know, its an awful lot of busking for one paragraph but it's a fairly exciting place to feature, and he is rumoured to soon star as busker of the month!!!

when i was in sydney in the summer i spent an evening busking with my bro in the delightful area of Kings cross (where i naively stood on a street corner, and kept wondering why cars were slowing down and men were shouting things at me from their vehicles!!!) regardless, it was a very entertaining way to spend a friday nite, and we even made $40, about £20!! and some new friends, albeit they were rather wasted and only paused for a few moments before staggering on!

so to buskers everywhere, i take my cap off to you...or should it be the other way round!?!

things i'm pretty excited about RIGHT NOW!!!

2008-09-23T20:31:00.004+01:00

firstly, the fact that i am now blogging from the comfort of my own couch!! or actually, to be extremely accurate, from the chair at my table as my laptop is charging!! regardless, we have internet access in our flat!!! in fact, not just our flat, anywhere we go thanx to the handy little plug-in stick (black and pink, no less!!) from T-mobile! due to husband starting a post grad distance learning course internet has become a necessity, as attempting to produce top notch essays from countless hours in internet cafes is not ideal!! and so, i can now plug in and blog!

next up, i am ridiculously excited at the release of not one, but TWO of my favourite artists new albums! yesterday was hotly anticipated in my diary and i am now LOVIN the Kings of Leon 'Only by the Night', espec tracks 'Use Somebody' and 'Revelry', and the wonderful Jenny Lewis with her new 'Acid Tongue'!! mmm hmmm!!! what a joyful happening!

last but not least, i am in the process of becoming a Skyper!! i know, it's almost too much for one day!! lots of additional communication from this household!! and espec useful to keep in touch with various and numerous friends and family who are no longer just round the corner! soon i will be catching up with st andrews, sydney, london, bristol, japan, birmingham, arizona, and perhaps even my mum, who despite only living 20 mins away gets quite excited by the prospect of skyping and is just a little like me!! scary!!

so today gets 2 very enthusiastic thumbs up!!

peter pan no more!

2008-09-01T20:24:00.005+01:00

having not blogged for a while it is quite nice to return to my very own blogspot and seek comfort in my old familiar love! i reckon my perspective on life has changed somewhat over the past year or so and havin now reached the grand ol' age of 26 i consider myself to sort of be a proper adult now! oh yes, the mid-20's are most definitely here, bringing with them a sense of actually growing up a little bit! my job involves advising people on their life decisions and future plans, which for a while rendered me feeling rather inadequate and not entirely sure i was up for that smidgen of responsibility. but as a colleague kindly reminded, careers advising is not the 4th emergency service and if i ever actually tell someone what i think they should do i'm pretty much missing the point of my role!

so 26 began with a wonderfully extended birthday wknd, incl an overnight in a treehouse lodge in Aviemore, an extremely fun party with 30 of my nearerst and dearest in Ashton Lane, a golden oldies tea party with my grandparents and great-aunt, a joint family birthday lunch with my bro-in-law (sharing is caring guys!) and then it was my actual birthday!!! fun fun!

so i do feel a bit more grown up now! however, we were in hong kong this summer and spent a day at disneyland there (only in phase 1- i'd hold off on a visit until there's more than one rollercoaster!!) and outrageously, there was no peter pan ride! it being my favourite i was fairly upset, and then felt perhaps it was time to move on... just a little bit mind!!

2 years on...

2007-12-03T21:02:00.000Z

bizzarrely having not been much of a blogger recently i'v logged in tonite and realised it was about 2 years ago i entered the land of blog and initiated myself!! it's amazing how much has changed, and how much has stayed the same! changes incl:
- getting married
- moving out
- starting new jobs
- some amazing new friendships
- a new, definitively more mature approach to shopping
- getting involved at a new church
- falling in love with tropical fish!

- not having a computer of our own, thus spending more time than is normal in internet cafe's!!

which leads nicely to me finishing this, as in 4 mins i will be charged an additional £1 for another 15 mins of their time!!

so, in the words of a wise man called jamieson, that is all.

nothing in life is certain.

2007-03-18T00:28:00.000Z

so, tonight it suddenly hit me all the changes that are taking place just now. in 7 weeks i am getting married! MARRIED! what a huge life-changing event! that also means that i will be moving out, for the first time, in a few weeks time... which is indeed about time! we were trying to choose things for our gift list over the past couple of weeks and its so hard cos we a) dont know where we'll be living or what our home will be like, or how much space we'll have; b) are not entirely sure of all the things u actually need, e.g. does anyone ever really use a slow cooker, or a george foreman grill, or a picnic basket!? c) have differing tastes and ideas of what will look nice! to be fair most stuff has been relatively easy to agree on, other than the phone (he won), an amazing vase (I won) and a picnic set which neither of us could agree on (no-one won)!

in the past few weeks i have lost my job, got a new job, been for another interview, didnt get that job, been offered another job that i dont want, and find myself back at my original job where i started out all those years ago! which has been great, for now. but what is going to happen in the future? nothing is ever certain. i've recently become addicted to watching Grey's Anatomy and have observed that no-one in that hospital ever expected to be there. who ever expects to get sick? or to need surgery? or to have your boyfriend's wife show up (thankfully i am still referring to the show!).

i have no idea what the future holds. i have ideas based on all the plans and decisions i have made. but things keep changing, making me very aware of the fact that because nothing in life is certain it's important not to miss opportunities. and not to put all our hopes in one person, or one job, or one single event.

Present day Persecution

2007-02-18T23:42:00.000Z

tonite at Deeper (at St Silas) the focus was on persecution, and the ways in which Christians in the UK have been subject to this, despite it being a free country here. A lot of it is indirect, jokes, sneers, comments from people, nothing too drastic compared to the suffering undergone in a number of other countries and cultures. Africa, Central and South East Asia, the Gulf, Latin America and the Middle East are all areas identified where Christian believers are tortured, imprisoned, abused, and killed. Where bibles are burned, families are ripped apart and people have to go into hiding and meet secretly in order to spend time with other Christians and have fellowship together.

I was inspired tonight to do some more research into the persecuted church worldwide and the various ways that we can actually provide support, encouragement and help. Open Doors is a Christian charity, originating in 1955 when Brother Andrew secretely smuggled a suitcase of Bibles into Eastern Europe. His passion and ministry grew enormously and now Open Doors work to meet the practical and spiritual needs of those living under threat of persecution, or indeed those being persecuted. There is information on how we can get involved, on a small or large scale and can be as simple as sending an email to encourage those who are suffering.

It becomes so easy to forget that not everyone has the luxury of freedom in faith, speech and actions, and i remember reading the book 'Jesus Freaks' by DC Talk when i was about 15 and feeling incredulous at the reality some Christians are facing around the world, even in our modern day and age. But the passion and total conviction these people had, their faith in God and the amazing things they had seen Him do were so inspirng and have never quite left me.

So take 10 minutes out of your week and say a prayer, or send an email, or contribute some money to pay for a bible that someone will appreciate more than we'll ever know.

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40

oh how the tables turn

2007-02-10T02:05:00.000Z

well here's a twist of irony. the honeymoon period i revelled in at work is well and truly over, and as of last week i am officially unemployed. how totally crap. this whole week i'v been trying to stay positive about it all, but now, in the harsh reality of 2 in the morning, it is just crap.

we ended on surprisingly positive terms. i'm getting a full month's pay, glowing reference and the assurance that if anything guidance-based comes up i'll be first in line for the job. the past 6 weeks have been hellish. i cried almost every day after work for the last 2 weeks and spent my evenings job hunting for a new job more suited to what i really wanted to do. which at the end of the day is to help people work out what they want to do and how they can realistically get there. what i did not want to do was to shove people into jobs for the sake of hitting a few targets, even if in my professional opinion it was not in the persons best interests. i did not want to create false information in order to claim outcomes that we had not actually achieved, or be forced to offer people false incentives to register with us so we could get their details and claim them as a target. it goes against everything i believe is true, and useful, and person-centred. so in theory i am happy to be out of there. i just hate that it was them that let me go and not the other way round. and i know that's my pride taking a hit, and i know i can deal with that. and i do know that something better will come out of this and that i'll probably look back and think, yes, what a blessing in disguise that turned out to be. but for now, in this moment, it is officially crap.

working the new work thing...

2006-11-14T21:25:00.000Z

hmm, tis been a while since my last blog, i fear that i am now too busy enjoying life to blog about it quite so much! so 2 very enthusiastic thumbs up to that! it's so great being healthy and full of energy, something i took completely for granted up until about 10 minutes ago when i stopped to consider it.

i enjoy my job, at this stage probably more than the average person and amidst warnings that my honeymoon period is due to expire around christmas time where the reality of working 9-5, 5 days a week should kick in leaving me deflated and ready for returning to studentdom. i won't argue that i don't miss the student lifestyle, it certainly has its perks in the form of flexible days, self-regulated timetables (to an extent!) and plenty time for drinking coffees and waxing lyrical about all things academic, philosophical and theoretical. but there is something so satisfying about finally putting years of theory and academia into practice. each day is busy, yes. with challenges, awkward people, targets to meet and a more structured regime which begins only a few hours after most students are going to bed.

but i am so ready for this!

the battle

2006-10-23T22:18:00.000+01:00

cancer. it destroys. it ruins. it steals.

it affects too many. it is hard to control, to tame.

it takes over. if we let it. even if we fight it, its shadow lingers.

Christ. He rebuilds. He replaces. He returns life.

He affects many. He is in control.

He can take over. if we let him. even if we fight him, his presence lingers.

the domino effect

2006-10-09T01:05:00.000+01:00

it's interesting that we find it very easy to criticise church and different styles of music that are used during the 'worship time'. tonite doug came and spoke at our new group for 18-30's about music and the impact it's had on his life. it was a real eye opener and it struck me the ways in which music can be used positively and negatively. the Apologetix are a band who take secular songs and change the lyrics to christian based ones, and whilst my jury remains out on them for now, it was strange to hear Papa Roach's 'Last Resort' with the new lyrics of "Plug my life into Jesus – this gets my life restored".

if God gave us the gift of music then do we have to write songs about him specifically to glorify him, or is it enough to use our musical talents to produce the best songs we can about whatever is real to us, whether it be relationships, events, God, etc? if we are to honour God and point others to God in all we do this should include our attitudes, behaviour, language, body language and thoughts. therefore should all music produced by christians point to God blatantly? it's an area that some artists seem torn over... being a christian in a band, or being a 'christian band'. there's a distinct difference, and some watery lines between the two emerge on a regular basis. last year i was into a band who branded themselves as a christian band but actually, none of their lyrics made mention of God, Jesus and other key aspects of the christian faith. this surprised me. their music was based on relationships gone wrong, relationships gone right, yet maybe they haven't missed the point because relationships are key to what christianity is all about.

it comes back to the basic call to love God and love others. to be in relationship with God and relationship with others. interesting point made by Rob Bell in his book, 'Velvet Elvis' that nowhere in the bible does it say that we have to have a relationship with God. it's something that's inferred from what we know of God's character and the way he relates (key word there!) to His people.

so how did i get here?? i guess that it goes full circle. we write or sing about what we know. relationships are what we know- everyone is in a relationship with someone. they're funny things that change and develop and change us in the process. they can be positive or negative, or both. either way, they are a huge, unmissable part of life. pouring out into songs is a creative outlet. so whether songs are written to God, about God or have no mention of God, if we know him then what we write about, or our perspective, will be affected, perhaps without us even realising it!

i dont know if i reached any conclusions on that... i keep coming up with different ideas that aren't directly related to my previous ones!

would you notice it missing??

2006-10-05T23:50:00.000+01:00

today i received a letter from my sponsor child in El Salvador!! it's so cute, he draws me little pictures, this time of his house (made of green aluminium and tin), some trees and a little flower that unfolds in a cool way and has a secret message hidden inside!! it takes a couple months for letters to be translated and delivered which means that we need to send christmas cards now! thankfully shops like wesley owen and marks and spencers are slightly insane and have already started displaying christmas stock, a process which distressed me no end when working in Wesley's since it was still the summer!!!

so if u are looking for a great way of spending a tiny amount of your monthly income/ student loan, sign up with Compassion and support a child! The money you send will support and pay for all the neccessities your child should have, including education, health care, food, clothes, vocational training, social and emotional care and spiritual care too!

And it's not just about sending money each month! Compassion encourages you to build a relationship with your sponsor child through writing letters/emails which are translated! it's such an encouragement to hear from the child who is actually benefitting from your sponsorship because you really get to see the difference being part of the Compassion programme makes to their lives!! plus, you get really cute pictures of them- last year wee Erick sent a photo holding a toy car and wearing new shoes that like, a fiver i sent had bought him!

it's amazing, the price of a night out can make such an impact on someone else's life.

sick and tired of always being sick and tired

2006-09-18T14:11:00.000+01:00

well, it has indeed been a while since i last blogged here! since having found myspace i have been chattering away there and admit i have neglected my fans here- apologies faithful readers! having an awful lot of time on my hands these days has not really inspired much blog-worthy material- being in the house all day does wonders for killing off brain cells and de-motivating you to complete any useful tasks!

since the beginning of august i have been signed off work and been very ill. it all began with labyrinthitis, a delightful inner ear viral infection that makes you dizzy, nauseous, exhausted and comes complete with vertigo and sore ears!! this developed into post-viral fatigue, and as the name suggests, causes complete fatigue after a virus. it's a very frustrating thing to have- the symptoms are not visible and it takes some effort trying to explain to people that it's more than feeling tired. i have never, in all my days, felt this exhausted. it drains you in every possible way. going out for a few hours becomes a major ordeal, resulting in the need to have at least a full day to recover. at night you can't sleep and wake at all hours. long, frustrated days are spent lying in bed or on the couch, too tired to read anything that involves much concentration. meeting someone for coffee becomes a huge effort and excitement!

i am beginning to feel a little better, but it is a long slow process that does not have a cure. my brother had ME (post viral fatigue that lasts more than 6 months!) for a number of years when he was in his early teens and his recovery began when he started seeing a nutritionist and dietician who was able to put him on a de-tox programme to help his body have the best chance of recovering. it totally worked, so i have now gone to the same nutritionist and have started a de-tox!! the first week was the hardest as i have to cut out sugar, wheat, caffeine and dairy from my diet!! i love the natural treatment in the programme- i am now taking 12 different forms of vitamins and mineral supplements to detox the liver, increase energy and provide the body with all the things it needs!! it's not easy and one of the supplements is flor-essence, a totally rank tea that has to be boiled in a pan and filtered, and contains ingredients including: slippery elm bark, Burdock root, sheep sorrel herb, watercress herb and Turkish rhubarb root!!! it smells like compost and i have to drink it later!!

so we shall see how it goes...
( i also can't seem to insert any pictures, they're just refusing to appear, hmmm!)

Shadow of the Wind (post 100)!

2006-08-15T18:57:00.000+01:00

in honour of this 100th post i will share my recent pleasure captured within the pages of 'The Shadow of the Wind'. this quickly became a beautiful refuge and distraction from feeling under the weather as i was transported back to early 1900's Barcelona. the story takes us through the life of a boy Daniel, whose father took him to the 'Cemetery of forgotten books', a labryinthine library where his journey began. it is such a compelling read, beautifully written and very hard to put down. Carlos Ruiz Zafon has outdone himself in this book, despite it being his first novel. It was originally written in Catalan (Spanish/ French) and retains the original beauty of the language throughout its pages. it's such a magical and poetic read, i loved it and wished it wouldn't end!

crazy little thing called love...

2006-08-04T17:04:00.000+01:00

I am engaged! to Chris! since wednesday 26th june at approx. 1700 hours!!

once i arrived back from the states we drove down to Troon beach, where it was beautiful and sunny, altho a little chilly compared to 120 degrees i had become accustomed to! and after some luvly chat he asked if i would marry him!! of course i said.. "oh my goodness, oh my goodness"! and then yes!

so i am now a fiancee! and have a fiance! we're planning the wedding for early next summer and i have now been launched into the world of wedding planning! it's a fun place to be, slightly chaotic, and white, but i love it!

our LA missions trip in a very detailed nutshell!!

2006-07-17T17:43:00.000+01:00

now into week 3 of my time in US of A which has so far been brilliant! i love that even though it wasn't in my plans to come here this summer it was clearly in God's, and He has been so faithful throughout everything! today is a bit of a relaxing one before speaking at another youth group tonite- since i landed a couple weeks ago it's been non-stop so it's nice to have no real plans! i have met so many amazing people, and made some really good friends here- i love how u can travel thousands of miles away from home and still find people u totally connect with.

last week i was on the music ministry trip, with 3 other leaders and 10 teenagers from Desert Hills, Phoenix. somehow i'm finding it hard to really explain all that went on-we had an incredible time, with a lot of challenges, and a lot of great things happen. the kids are brilliant, each and every one, and i already miss not being with them! we had a band with steve on bass, tom/ jess on drums, gonzo on guitar, and me and erin singing. it was a lot of fun and the guys worked hard at the songs and sounded brilliant. we led worship at some youth groups and played some outreach gigs too, incl. a water/ theme park! there was a drama involving beth the theif, julianna the slut, ashley the addict, erin the gossip and charlie/ brian as jesus. it was really powerful and spoke to a lot of people. americans are generally very open with their feelings/ opinions and so we actually got some pretty encouraging feedback which i hope the kids hold onto and know they really did make a difference. there was also a dance which allie and carly choreographed themselves- it was really good and added a new dimension to our programme! beth also learned sign language and signed along to a song which was so beautiful, and again another way to communicate with people God's love.

the theme of the week was based around the story of the prodigal son, and we had a few common verses or ideas that kept popping up!

proverbs 3; 5-6- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do and he will direct your paths." one of the guys spotted someone at disneyland with the verse tattooed on their arm, and none of us could remember what it was (terrible i know!!) then in our devotions time God put this verse in my mind, and all of a sudden it clicked and we were like, oh yeah!
philippians 4:13- " I can do all things through God who gives me the strength i need." this was mentioned at a couple of our group times, and at the Los Angeles Mission we were each given a bracelet with this verse on it!

we had a plan for the week, but as so often happens, our plans are not exactly the same as God's, and so there were a number of challenges and changes that occurred! here's a wuick rundown of the week:

DAY 1- SATURDAY

we spent the whole day driving from Phoenix, Arizona to Los Angeles, California!! the drive was fun and i was kept entertained by the guys in dick's van!! we checked into our motel, had some fast-food (yuck, i feel like its all i ate all week!), a team time and some fun chat!

DAY 2- SUNDAY

we drove to Lakewood for 9am and spent the first hour or so in their morning service. the preacher was great and very encouraging! our team then led the youth group service- it was our first time and not highly polished but that was ok because i think it motivated everyone to work hard in their role and become more committed to what we were doing. it went really well and we got Krsipy Kreme donuts too! we spent the afternoon there, rehearsing thru our programme, the girls choreographing their dance, and the band learning some more new songs, incl. dick's rockabilly/ gospel ones! i struggled singing them initially but once i got into the swing of things it was fun!!

DAY 3- MONDAY

our van broke down! we had travelled in a minubus and dick's van, and the ignition switch in the van was dead. we were supposed to be doing outreach at the water park, but couldn't get everything and everyone there so our plans changed and we spent the day at disneyland which was right next to where we were staying! thsi was supposed to happen on thurs as a day off for everyone, but i think it worked out better this way as it gave us all a chance to get to know each other and bond as a group! it was such a fun day- i was with allie, carly, steve, tom and gonzo, who are hilarious! they made me laugh all day and they had fun mocking my accent and finding out about scotland! space mountain was the best, we went on it twice! charlie also arrived and met us at disneyland so our team was complete.

DAY 4- TUESDAY

we set off at 7:30 am for the Los Angeles Mission, situated in downtown LA. the area is very poor, run down and there were so many homeless people sleeping on the streets as we arrived. it was a real eye opening day- we were volunteering at the mission and working alongside the other staff and the students on the rehabilitation programme. the work that goes on their is incredible and a real example of serving the community and living as Christ calls us to. we were broken into smaller groups and given different tasks- me, erin, allie and jess were working in the laundry and clothes sorting area where we spent a couple of hours sorting through all the donated clothes and sorting underwear into the correct sizes. as we worked we chatted with Elsa, a student on the prog who is such an amazing person. she has had such a hard life and told us her story of how she began taking mild drugs and how it led her down the worst path- she became a crack addict, a dealer and after getting shot in the leg she realised she had to change. the programme at the missions is intense, involving a 13 month rehabilitation where all rights are basically taken away to give them the best possible chance of recovery. the success rate is very high and as we walked down a corridor i was so overcome to see the 'graduates' of the prog in their year photos, dating back over 20 years. please pray for the work of the LA mission, there;s so much more they do incl. providing a bed, food, showers, clothes, etc for over 180 people every nite. we ate lunch in the hall with some of the other students, and it was just such an amazing time. God is so busy transforming the lives of thousands of people and so often we don;t even think of what goes on outside of our own world.

the afternoon was spent at the Hollywood Urban Project, based in another part of LA, right next to Paramount Studios. Again the area was pretty run down and there are a lot of problems with gangs, drugs, shootings, and graffitti on absolutely everything (some of it was pretty impressive, but the gangs each have their own 'tag' and we learned of the different types of tagging and how locals are forced into one or other of the gangs). HUP do a lot of outreach and are based in the centre of the neighbourhood- they take on year long volunteers but at the moment there is just Sam running everything. they are about to merge with another organisation so they can acccomplish more together, so please pray for the merge and the continuing work and witness of these volunteers.

DAY 5- WEDNESDAY

today we travelled over to Whittier community church and spent time meeting with the youth there and practising through our programme. in the evening we ran the service, and it was a lot of fun- most of the youth workers/ pastors we'v met have been in their twenties and very lively, so the evening was entertaining as well as really meaningful! they played this game ' how well do u kn0w ur bible' where each leader picks a kid to answer a bible related question- if the kid gets it wrong the leader is shot in the arm with this little air gun thing! actually, when i explain it back there it doesnt sound so fun, but it was at the time! God really spoke to a number of people that nite, again on the prodigal son theme, and i think that for our kids, even tho they'd heard the message a number of times before, they seem to 'get' new things from it each time. we had a really open small group time with our girls and God was really working in them too.

altho we were there on a ministry/ outreach tour, the main ways God worked was perhaps in the kids themselves, as they were challenged, stretched and not all of them are strong christians so it was interesting and encouraging to see the changes in them throughout the week.

on the way back from Whittier we stopped at Denny's and a couple of the guys were messing around. one choked the other (to see what would happen) who passed out and cracked his head open on the floor. they had run on ahead into denny's and i got there just in time to see it happen. it was so scary, i got such a fright to see him lying there unconscious with so much blood pouring from his head but one of the customers called 911 and i sat there with him until the ambulance arrived. he needed 6 stitches and is fine now, but it was horrible at the time, and interesting to see the ways it impacted on the group. a number of the girls were really upset and got a real fright seeing their friend like that. we had a really open time of sharing the following nite with the girls and i think God used that whole episode in allowing them to share their reactions which were related to other difficult situations some of them are trying to deal with. please pray for the kids who came on the trip, that God would really speak to them and be real to them in their every day lives, as they go back to school and as they deal with all the things that being a teenager involves.

DAY 6- THURSDAY

after an abundance of phonecalls Brain managed to reshedule our day of outreach at the waterpark, Pharoah's Lost Kingdom. we drove there early, unloaded all the equipment and started setting up on this massive stage next to the food court and the entrance. it was burning hot sun with no shelter so everyone was roasting! we set up, plugged in, turned the system on... and got nothing! our sound board was blown! dick and brian spent a couple of hours trying to fix it, and trying to hook it all up to a sound board the park found (which was from the 70's and not responding either!) while we killed some time in the water park itself! the flumes were fun, especially the black one which u go on in a double/triple inflatable ring! we spent some time praying that God would fix it, and not long after that, he did!!! it was so great, and we then spent the next couple of hours running thru our programme, performing on stage and sharing the gospel with people who were passing by! we weren't playing to a massive crowd or anything but everyone who came or left the park, or bought some food or drink, heard and saw what we were doing, and it wasn't til afterwards we really appreciated the way God used us! a number of folk spoke to our team and said how that was just what they needed to hear or that they had been encouraged, etc! especially one man who was about to leave for Iraq with the army. it was a great time. we then all went on the bumper boats, which have water guns on them (stupidly i didnt realise and had my skirt on, which got completely soaked!!! but the sun is so hot it dried really fast!)

DAY 7- FRIDAY

once again, we had a change of plan! today we were going to travel 4 hours back toward Phoenix but going to Lake Havasu to run an outreach event with a group there, and stay in people's homes. however, the temp. is at an all-time high at the moment, and at Lake Havasu it was 122 degrees! i cant even imagine how hot that is, altho we had 116 the other day! so we prayed and had a number of options. we ended up driving back to phoenix and in the evening we ran our programme for all the parents of the kids on the trip! it wasn't what we had planned, but it actually was maybe the best thing as it gave the kids a chance to show their parents exactly what they'd been doing. not all the parents are christians so it was a great opportunity to share God with them, especially as it came from their own kids! we then stayed over at the church on our final night, and had some hilarious times! we played some crazy games, rocked out to some heavy music, and made a movie which is amazing, if i do say so myself! altho it's probably one of these things where we all find it the funniest thing we'v ever done and no one else gets it! no matter, it's for us anyway! steve also got stuck in the guys bathroom- the handle just completely broke and we couldnt get the door open, so gonzo got a ladder, lifted the ceiling panels out of the girls loo and hauled steve over the roof!!! erin and i could not stop laughing! we then all watched a movie which was really sad at the end, i cant remember the name but keanu reeves was in it as a baseball coach for some inner city kids, and at the end 1 of them gets shot! we were sleeping in the youth building, which has a yucky scratchy carpet and was freezing due to someone turning the thermostat way down! i had no blanket/ pillow/ sleeping bag and got about half an hours sleep all night! at about 20 to 8 gonzo woke and was like, oh there's a spare sleeping bag here- arrrrggghhhh!!! so for the next hour i was cosy and asleep! in the morning we watched our movie, ate donuts for breakfast and had a final team de-brief! i felt so sad, having to say goodbye to them all. i'll hopefully catch a few next sunday at church but a number of them are going away this week so i won't see them again :(

so all in all we had an amazing week! i just wanted to get all this down while it's still fresh in my mind, not even for people to read but so i can have it all here to come back to! i'v been trying to keep a journal but its easier to type it all out!

wow!

2006-06-29T23:06:00.000+01:00

a speedy wee blog to update on current events in the life of me!

1- Shop with a mission fundraiser was an amazing success!!! u HUGE thanx to lorna, kirsteen, laura, carole and colleen for all the help in pulling it off, and to everyone who bought a ticket and came along!!! the grand total raised was £321.72!!!! i am amazed and astounded at how generous people were and how God completely provided through this event!!

2- on 6th June my savings account had a total of £ 10.60 in it, and as u could perhaps tell from my blogging escapades i had no idea (not one!) as to how to fund this trip!! someone told me that when God calls us to do something, He also calls the resources, and i have been so excited to see the ways He has been faithful in doing this!! i fly off in less than 48 hours and my new savings account balance is... £1003!! wowowowowow!!!! i am once again astounded and amazed at how God has completely provided everything!!! see, He who has called us will be faithful...

3- i love my job! i'm actually quite sad to be leaving it so soon as i'm really getting into it and am keen to get the project underway! there are so many folk who just need a bit of motivation and encouragament to tackle barriers they have to progressing in life, and i can't wait to help in whatever way i can!!

oops, must rush off, will blog again soon!!

My mission trip & Fundraiser!

2006-06-21T20:33:00.000+01:00

(this is the wee flyer i made with information, if u are interested to find out more about my trip!)

Over the past few months God has been really challenging
my whole concept of ‘mission’ work, and what it means to serve him and tell others about Him. For the past few years I have been praying about going on a mission trip and having just recently completed my postgraduate degree (hurrah!) have sensed God’s timing and definite calling to take a big leap of faith!

In April this year a team from the USA worked with us in what was a very exciting outreach week for the young people in Newton Mearns: running music workshops (for 35 local young people), playing gigs, building relationships and sharing our faith with many people in & around Glasgow. As a result we now have 6 successful new youth bands meeting regularly at the church, and exciting prospects for developing this further.

As some of you may know, my passions in life revolve around music, people and travel (and obviously, God!). Having envisioned my ‘mission’ trip involving a 3rd world country, extensive social deprivation and a lot of dirt, I must admit I wasn’t entirely comfortable when I felt God calling me to the USA!! However, I believe God has given me these passions and gifts in order for me to use them for Him, so it is with excitement that on 1st July I am flying out to Phoenix, Arizona to spend almost a month working with Desert Hills Presbyterian Church and Dick Dietrich who brought the team over in April!

Some of the things I will be doing include:
· Being a team leader on a music ministry outreach tour with a group of 20 teenagers, playing gigs and travelling from Phoenix to Los Angeles!
· Helping run a vocational bible school for native American Indians in the local community
· Speaking at a variety of youth events/ young adult groups
· Visiting and helping lead worship at a number of contemporary services
· Meeting and sharing information with the church group visiting us again in October (including their minister Jim Noble), to continue developing a partnership with them

It is such an amazing opportunity and I am excited to see all that God will do. I would ask throughout this time for your support in prayer, as there will be many opportunities for people to hear the gospel, and many challenges which will undoubtedly arise. If you would like to support me financially it would also be much appreciated- please just get in touch, or send any cheques to Maxwell Mearns Castle Church, Waterfoot Rd. Newton Mearns, Glasgow, and mark them for me!

With many thanks and blessings, Lynz xox

And remember to come to what will be a most excellent fundraising evening:

SHOP WITH A MISSION!
CLOTHES, BAGS & ACCESSORIES for sale
LIVE MUSIC, DRINKS & LIGHT BUFFET
ALL FOR £3.50
To raise funds for Lyndsay Camerons overseas mission trip
WEDNESDAY 28TH JUNE, 7:45pm
Basement @Maxwell Mearns Castle ChurchWaterfoot Rd. Newton Mearns
(WISH YOU WEAR HERE!!!)

i am now officially a young professional!

2006-06-21T20:24:00.000+01:00

i started my new job on monday and actually *love* it! everyone is really nice, and because i'm the first of the new recruits to start i got to choose my desk! so i now have a job, a desk, a computer, some post-it's and a pen, which sits in my drawer filling the gaping space!
this morning was a very interesting Employment Law seminar, which began with bacon rolls and pastries to go with the tea, coffee and bottled water! i learned a lot, so don't ever try and harrass me at work! or out of work for that matter! i won't start my client caseload until i'm back from the sunny states, but i'm chomping at the bit to get going! the induction is excellent, and involves meeting with people from each project and dept over the next few weeks! already i'm feeling exhausted, but it's a total change, in that my student lifestyle does not compliment the young professional lifestyle i now have!! yes, i can now click my heels across the office floor, with my pen tucked into my bun and my briefcase at my side... well, not exactly! but it's good!
off to Arizona in a mere 10 days! how exciting! it hasn't quite sunk in yet, altho i'v been hearing the temp. is averaging at 110 degrees, and dropping to a cool 80 or 90 in the evenings!! meh! i have my suncream already, courtesy of my luvly man, but i think i'm going to need some shorts, altho i don't like them! maybe some new skirts... shopping anyone!?
speaking of shopping, come and SHOP WITH A MISSION! GO ON, DO IT! it's going to be a great nite, and i started going thru all my clothes and bags the other day and hadn't realised i had quite so much nice stuff, barely worn or still with tags!!
there's loads, so please come and buy it all from me! if u do i'll provide u with a buffet, drinks and live music from me and mark, and also from Jenny Purse! and it's only £3.50 for all that, wow!!

SHOP WITH A MISSION!
CLOTHES, BAGS & ACCESSORIES for sale
LIVE MUSIC, DRINKS & LIGHT BUFFET
FOR £3.50

To raise funds for Lyndsay Camerons overseas mission trip

WEDNESDAY 28TH JUNE, 7:45pm
Basement @Maxwell Mearns Castle Church
Waterfoot Rd. Newton Mearns

(WISH YOU WEAR HERE!!)

truth at the core

2006-06-16T01:14:00.000+01:00

tonite i was workin the bookstall at an event where Josh McDowell and Roy Crowne (YFC) were speaking. it was really interesting, the main message being that a child's relationship with their father has the most significant impact on how they turn out. they had a lot of statistics, many of which surprised me, incl. a scientific study which found the most significant predictor of 5 diseases was the person's lack of closeness to their parents - it related to stress and the findings that those who had a close and secure relationship coped much better with stress, which in turn reduced the risk of these diseases.

an interesting point made was that nowadays a lot of parents attach more value and worth to education than on their child's spiritual development and relationship with God. this is a sad reflection, perhaps not specifically of our times, but of the state of our world. there's always something more important or more pressing, that is given too much weight and can have an adverse impact on a relationship, causing it to strain and become weaker and even to end. over something which in the grand scheme of things has no great bearing on the important issues and relationships in life. like little fights over small stupid things, which build up and begin to trickle into every encounter with that person, whether its with a parent or sibling or friend or b/g friend or colleague. don't let the sun go down on your anger is a pearl of wisdom from paul there in his letter to the folk in Ephesus. (eph 4:26)

one of josh mcdowell's key points he returned to and built on was that:

our beliefs form our values, which drive our behaviour, and these initial beliefs are grounded in relationships and ultimately, truth.

Absolute, or universal, truth is that which is true beyond yourself. one of my friends at uni asked me out of the blue a few months ago if i had absolute faith. at the time i said yes without hesitating, but to really consider absolute faith in relation to absolute truth is a bit mind-boggling! tonite the meeting began with the speaker asking who could really give true reasons for their faith, why they believe the Bible to be true and the Word of God... what are we basing our beliefs on? how do we know what is real and absolute truth?

i have seen and experienced God working in my life, and the lives of others. i have prayed and seen and heard God answer. i have asked for help and guidance and received so many that i cannot call it coincidence. i have questioned and doubted 'christianity', but my doubts returned void because there is too much proof to deny the existence of God, and the resurrection and hope to be found in the person of Jesus Christ. i am now trying to help other young people ask the challenging questions and not to become comfortable with church, and God, because when we get comfortable we get lazy and complacent and we stop pursuing God with a passion and risk becoming happily settled rather than good or honest or Christ-like. Happiness and comfort have become core to who we are, rather than looking to reach others with the truth of Jesus, if it means becoming uncomfortable or doing things we don't particularly like.

grand finale!

2006-06-09T23:26:00.000+01:00

no, not of the world cup (more's the pity as we have now to suffer weeks of football obsessed boys re-arranging their priorities and lifestyles in order to fit around the excessive schedule of 3 games a day! ever heard of too much of a ... thing!?)

anyway, today was the grand finale of my 6 years at University!! i can't quite believe it's all over! as of 12 noon today i am now a fully qualified careers adviser! we had a nice wee morning of celebrating and saying nice things to each other, all very lovely and encouraging, before hitting the pub for the afternoon! it was another beautiful sunny day and i have a nice tan from sitting out on the picnic benches! it's surreal to finally have completed my postgrad degree, this year has actually flown by and it's crazy to realise i am now ready to start a career! we don't graduate officially til november tho, but still...

..."about time", to quote a friend who also said i can now stop sponging off his taxes and start paying for his pregnant wife's maternity leave!

speaking of which, i'm going to be an aunt!! exciting congratulations to my bro matt and his fiance billie, expecting their 1st baby in december!!

oh happy day!

2006-05-31T17:15:00.000+01:00

for i have a job!!
i can't quite believe it, but i'm so pleased! so here's what happened:

the application...

i applied for 5 jobs, 2 of which i really wanted, on the friday
i receive a letter on the tuesday inviting me for an interview (to the job i wanted!)
the next day another letter arrives, for another interview (for the other job i wanted!)
here's the catch... both interviews are at exactly the same time!
after a small panic, i rationalise, pray and read over both job descriptions and person spec's, and realise the 1st one is definitely for me!

the interview:

i arrive and there are 21 of us in total, all looking very smart and professional!
we're split into 4 groups, and for the next 2 hours have team working, problem solving and individual tasks, whilst being observed and written about! (we had to protect an egg being dropped from 8 ft!)
a buffet lunch is served, where they announce that they will only be interviewing 10 people individually, the rest will be sent home!
after a nail/sandwich- biting hour, we are called out of the room 1 by 1, with our coats and things, to be told if we were successful to stage 2! it was so nervy, people were leaving and not coming back.... eek!
i was called, dropped my lipgloss, then my bag, then couldnt find my coat, and finally made it to the room, to be told i was successful and would be interviewed!! yeah! and that i would be last, boo!
a 2 hour wait ensued, including chatting to other prospective colleagues (and completely tidying the room- my nervous energy needed an outlet, so i also very geekily organised everything on the table into order of height! when on my own, i hasten to add!)
i was called thru, managed not to drop anything this time, and had what i felt was quite a good interview, being as it was my first ever!

the wait...

this was all on thursday! due to the holiday weekend i was told we would all be phoned on tuesday, thus spent a nervous weekend anxiously awaiting 'the call'!
yesterday i was completely on the verge of a small breakdown after my uni ' friends' called my mobile from a 'withheld number' to wind me up! grrrrr....

the news...

after giving myself the 'it obviously wasn't meant to be' pep-talk, the luvly project manager phoned at 4:50 pm and offered me the job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this was quickly followed by actual screaming with pammy, some celebratory car dancing, and a round of phone calls and texts!

so i am very excited and happy! i start as a personal adviser at a company in 2 weeks! i'm so looking forward to it!

not much really

2006-05-22T21:09:00.000+01:00

the sky is beautiful, pink and lilac and pale blue, very pretty :)

i was going to blog but i think i might go for a walk. i have a lot of work to do but my mind's not on it, i think some fresh air might help. at the moment it's like as soon as i finish one thing there's another to start, i know its only for a couple more weeks but it's knackering. i'v been listening to Keane tonite, the Hopes and Dreams album, i forgot how good it is!

Harlem Globetrotters!!

2006-05-19T21:19:00.000+01:00

well, last nite saw the world famous Harlem Globetrotter's vs the New York Nationals at Braehead Arena! for those of u not in the know, this is basketball we're talking 'bout, yeah, slam dunk da funk!! this was Chris's birthday present, and i had high hopes after we watched a documentary film on them- they play amazing basketball, but the real secret to their success is their tricks- very impressive, and entertaining!!
We had a really fun nite, but they weren't quite what we were expecting... it was more choreographed basketball, so they could show all their tricks, and included some scripted fights and audience participation! i was a little disappointed, looking for some high-paced competition, but their tricks were great! actually, the funniest part was when their mascot, Big G (a large inflatable globe/ man in a suit!) came on and did some break-dancing moves, spinning on his head- i guess u had to be there, but i was crying with laughter!

perhaps more family fun than pure sporting entertainment, but we had a good time!

[oh, and i have another interview! but it's at the same time as the other one, so hopefully they'll let me come at a different time! how exciting tho!]

interviewer and interviewee!!

2006-05-16T16:31:00.000+01:00

so today i did a great final assessed interview!! it's a good feeling to have another bit of the course complete!! and...

i have an interview!! it's a week on thursday with what i think is my first choice of job!! so i'm very excited, although a little apprehensive as it's my 1st proper job interview! involving group exercises, lunch and a panel interview! i'd better not fight over the last sandwich!

back to typing action research project now...

sad news

2006-05-16T16:26:00.000+01:00

graeme, our church officer, passed away at half 1 this morning.

please pray for his family and friends, especially his wife eleanor.

sadness and a prayer request

2006-05-15T20:40:00.000+01:00

today was dull and rainy. i ate a cookie and it did not cheer me up. there is a lot of sadness in the world, sometimes it's easy to forget but other times it's all you can think about. hurting people, sick people, troubled people- so many people. it's amazing the impact people have on one another. even if you're not that close to someone you can still feel such empathy and hurt for them. when you know that someone does not have long to live you know they will leave behind a whole world of people who care for them, and love them and will miss them incredibly. and even if you know they are going to a better place, which is a joyful thing, you can't help but feel sad.

our church officer graeme is in intensive care just now, and is not expected to live much longer. he is a wonderful man and has served in our church for years. he just overcame a long battle with cancer, and now has a critical lung infection which has left him struggling for life. please pray for him and his family, especially in the next few days.

a little bit of blog for the road...

2006-05-08T00:12:00.000+01:00

ok, so i know some of u who read this will despair of my blogging tonite, given we chatted about using blogging as a great way to procrastinate and put off the essential tasks, that often arrive in the form of uni deadlines! [WARNING- other distractions may include alphabetising ur cd collection, or labelling and re-organising everything in ur freezer (thats a good 1, thanx R!), so if u find urself doing either of these take a long hard look at yourself!!] thus, my blog may be a little quiet this coming week, and prayers for high productiveness are more than welcome!

tonite i had the honour of meeting simon varwell! after emailing a couple of times, i finally met the man who has been church-hoppping around glasgow, searching for the church God is calling him to! i have followed his notes with interest, as i'v also visted a number of churches he's rated, and whilst not necessarily agreeing with the concept of rating churches, it has certainly provoked some interesting and entertaining feedback! so simon, it was nice to finally meet u!!

tomorrow i'm meeting my tutor and i fear i will have to confess my brilliant research project is not coming along quite so brilliantly! due in approx 8 days, it has yet to be begun- this is part lack of organisation, part having-a-nightmare-with-interviewee's, and part having so much other work to do it somehow got lodged in the 'denial' pile! so if anyone reading this knows any offenders/ ex-offender's who'v had any careers guidance whatsoever, i'd love to hear from u! by wednesday if poss!!! haha!

on a more exciting note, my mum bought me a ballgown!! she sneakily sneaked onto the internet after i had resigned myself to the fact that i cannot afford a new dress, and managed to purchase the beautiful dress i fell in love with whilst twirling in it in the changing rooms! so a huge thanx to mum!
who is currently in Romania, with a team of 6 others, working again at the baby hospital, orphanage and boys transition house! her and a friend set up a charity, Heart to Heart Scotland, last year to support the wonderful work going on there! check their website for more info. on the wonderful work they do!

alas i have run out of things to say- 'what?!' i hear u cry, 'not possible!'.
as true as that may be, instead of mindless drivel about the fact i have one finger nail painted a luvly shade of pink; bought some hot new plectrums (also pink); and took 10 mins to decide whether or not to have a bowl of ricicles and sultana's (i decided against, they'r more of a morning treat!), i will turn my mind to greater things!

sleep...

motivational speech to self!

2006-05-03T21:31:00.000+01:00

ok, i can do this. i have 10 days... nope, 12 days until it's due. i can easily type 500 words an hour, including a wee break and some reading. more probably.

focus on the task, and don't let stupid things distract you. there is plenty of time for emailing friends and blogging after your postgrad degree is completed. do not freak out, do not panic. there is also no need to scare yourself over nothing just because you are home alone and hearing noises. it is the wind and the oldness of the house. concentrate on your work, because you can easily do this. by 11, and then you can watch desperate housewives and actually relax because you know another assignment is complete. just focus on this one essay tonight, that is all you need to do. and you know what you are talking about, so type quickly and confidently.

go lynzy go!

Most exciting things happening!!!

2006-05-01T13:41:00.001+01:00

ok, so i know i'm supposed to be typing an essay, but life is just far too exciting for that!!

so here's the thing:i'v been totally praying about the possibility of going to the states (Arizona, Phoenix to be precise!) in the summer to do some mission work through music, involving going on a 'ministry tour' road trip, singing in different places, working with the church there and learning things to take back home to my church here! i has asked God for some confirmation either way, and He has made it abundantly clear where i have to go! in like, 6 different ways!!

1. on april 19th i prayed about it, turned over my calendar, to a picture of Arizona!

2. last week i saw my friend kirst, who appeard wearing a luvly pink hoodie with Arizona emblazoned across the front!

3. on saturday just there i prayed before going to work, turned my calendar again and there was a picture of California! (where the ministry tour is going to!)

4. this is the freakiest and most exciting so far... yesterday morning i was leading the youth prog. and so wasn't in the main church service. i got home that afternoon and saw i had 4 missed calls on my mobile.. from my mum and my voicemail, from 11:23 that morning! my mum sings in church, and i was like, why on earth was she callin me half way thru the service!? i called my voicemail, was told it was a 4 min. message, and it began to play!

(how can i explain this...) my mum's mobile was locked and zipped away in her bag in the church. it had somehow called my mobile in the middle of a set of songs, and recorded on my voicemail, everyone in church singing a song called 'I the Lord of sea and sky'! if u dont know it, the chorus of this song goes, 'Here i am Lord, is it I Lord, I have heard u calling in the night. I will go Lord, where u need me, i will hold your people in my heart'..! what is even more significant about this is that this song is special to me as it was used to send us off on the last mission trip i went on, coincidentally, to the States!! so this blew me away!

5. my mum came home and i asked her if she called me, and explained everything and she was like, eeek, no, how exciting!!! she then re-appeared 10 mins later and asked if there was a particular verse in Joshua that was meaningful for me?! i was like, ohmygoodness, why?! she said she'd been looking at the California calendar picture and realised it was of the Joshua tree, and it came to her mind that maybe God wanted to tell me something else...

guess what we'd been looking at that morning in the youth group!? Joshua 1 v1-9!! with the focus being on verse 9, which says, " I command you- be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." !!!!

wowowowowowowowowow!!! isn't that the most exciting thing ever!? i know this is a long blog, but i hope ur encouraged as u read this that God is so real and totally speaks to us today if we ask Him!! so i guess i've to go to Arizona then! this is the last thing i thought i'd be doing this summer, but i'm so excited God wants to use me doing something i love! The trip involves music, singing, young people, travelling and sharing and meeting lots of people!!

The other day at work i was speaking with Doug (who is so wise!) and he asked if it was a God-sized task! the answer is a resounding yes! at the moment i have no money, and no idea where and how to raise enough in the next 8 weeks! but i am completely trusting God with it- He's made it abundantly clear where i'v to go, and i know He'll provide a way to get there!! it's so exciting!

i'll keep u posted as to how He does it!! i hope u have a great day and feel mightily encouraged!!

What's Your Flavour?

2006-04-30T16:09:00.000+01:00

Before i return to boring report writing i took a flavoursome personality test!!
What's Your Flavour?
These are my results! what's yours?!?!

Mmm ... peppermint! Crisp and refreshing, you're the flavour of refreshing chewing gum and elegant after-dinner mints. If you were a season, you'd be winter -- bracing and energising, but cosy, too. Your honesty and forthright personality make people feel like they've known you forever -- they can't help but be drawn to your sweet, fresh nature. Perhaps a little old-fashioned, and occasionally shy, you're generally happy and well liked. Traditional and invigorating, you're a truly tasty treat.

Haha, thank goodness for bored psychology graduates... why am i not in this line of work!?!?

tadpoles are a bit creepy...

2006-04-27T23:00:00.000+01:00

i am tired. my course is nearing its end- only 6 weeks to go which in some ways seems ridiculously close, but the mountain of work due makes it seem like a long way away! i'v still not made any decisions about the summer, and am finding out more info at the mo! in relation to signs, i met my friend tonite and she was randomly wearing an Arizona sweatshirt! we fished in her pond and i caught 3 tadpoles on a teaspoon- i feel this deserves some sort of recognition! as i said earlier, teaspoons are small and tadpoles are wriggly!

this summer i have been invited to 4 weddings!! isn't that crazy!? and very nice! however, i will sadly have to restrict my outfit purchasing, and maybe make do with a new top that can be mixed and matched... we shall see!

i think it's funny how we so often live in a state of denial about things needing done, or dealt with- today in our counselling class our lecturer spoke about 6 faces we go thru, beginning with immobilisation, then into denial! i realised as she was speaking that i am totally in that place with regards to my research project, which is due in 2 weeks and giving me small panics every time it's mentioned! i finally faced up to reality and will have to start making phonecalls and arranging interviews tomorrow, including a focus group with some prisoners! i may be too late, but i'll put on my best phone voice and see what happens!! time for bed, i know it's relatively early for me but i'v been in a state of sleepiness since about 4 this afternoon! back to the Northern Lights- it's getting very exciting!!

wow, this is post 80!!

2006-04-24T00:11:00.000+01:00

wow, THIS is post 80!! i must have a lot of really important things to say!! hmm...

so, tonite i finally finished 2 of the assignments for my course, with a grand word total of.... (dramatic drum rolls please!) 11032 words!! this is the most insane time of year re: sheer volume of uni work- i have another big one due next monday, a presentation to do this wednesday, and my large action research project for the 15th may, which sounds far away but really, really isn't! so i'm a little stressed! last week was so much fun, but as one of my friends pointed out, when i get involved with something i usually throw myself into it with great fervour, and manage to block out anything else!! thus resulting in the pendulum of denial and panic where i seem to be a regular guest! the upshot of that being, that, in theory, i should now throw myself into my uni work and let it consume me => extremely productive and accomplish lots!!

relatively interesting things from this week gone by...

i quit my job at the indian! after the heated disagreement on thurs, i felt it best to part ways and not get drawn into deceiving customers and feeling morally corrupt! laura and i went together and he took it well, e.g. no yelling this time! i think we managed to make our point, in the most christian way- who knows!
fri nite was a fun get together of loads of my friends who had all been super busy, so we had a party and it was a great laugh and chance to relax and catch up! congratulations to: craig for being accepted into teacher training; chris, for completing and handing in his dissertation; chris b for achieving his police diploma, and scott for getting thru a 3 month placement in aberdeen, away from his luvly fiance!
one of my songs is being recorded!! 1 of my american friends, christopher, heard the tsunami song i wrote last year and has taken it back with him to USof A to record it onto his album which he is just starting on! and to play at gigs he's doin over the next month or 2!!!! i'm excited to hear how God will use it to reach people over there!
myspace is taking over! i was so not into it at the start, but now i'v been converted! it's great- u can listen to music, blog, leave msg's for people, post photos, in a big giant community of all ur friends! i like to think blogging here is a little less exposed- i am happy in the land of pink!

with a spring in ur step, tralalala!

2006-04-22T10:29:00.000+01:00

another luvly spring day! another chance to go to work and be helpful and friendly and cheerful! and not to get yelled at by my boss, as happened the other nite at my waitressing job! he wants us to basically lie to customers about the fact that we dont get to keep our tips, and as laura and i tried to explain we felt morally uncomfortable doing this, he told us if we dont like things his way we can get another job, "nobody's getting any of my tips"! so fairwell to the indian restaurant!

here's a picture i took of some beautiful spring flowers in edinburgh! have a happy day!

bizzy giraffes

2006-04-20T01:01:00.000+01:00

help, i'v taken a mind blank and have no idea how to spell the word pronounced bizness!

is it:

business
buisness
buisiness

the top one looks correct, but then surely that reads as busy-ness!?? the internet is no help, cos people spell words wrong on it, and they come up too...

the more i think about it, the stranger the word appears! it's like saying giraffe over and over, eventually it makes no sense as a word, and u wonder what a giraffe is anyway, and who made up such a ridiculous language!!!

seriously- look how weird a creature it is ! ->

sign or coincidence?

2006-04-19T15:28:00.000+01:00

today my calendar had a picture of Arizona on it!

a sign or a coincidence?

and is there ever really such a thing as a coincidence ?

Northern Lights leading the way!

2006-04-19T15:04:00.000+01:00

when we were up in Skye one of my life ambitions was fulfilled without me even trying! to see the Northern Lights, aka Aurora Borealis! when i was small i used to love reading 'Northern Lights' by Philip Pullman, i practically permanently had it out from the library (dont know why i didnt just get a copy but hey, i was young and poor!)! so yesterday chris gave me an exciting, sparkly wrapped present... any guesses what was inside!? wrong! not just 'Northern Lights' but the whole trilogy in one!! how exciting! but wait, it gets even better... inside the book was another present!!

2 tickets to the Law Society Grad Ball!!! hee! i have always wanted to go to a grad ball, but last year i didnt know anyone in my year, so i never went!! so in May i will be gettin dolled up in a hot new outfit, maybe even getting some new shoes, and going to the ball! phew, what an exciting gift! thanx chris!

plus, my quest for ultimate fitness and losing weight has not exactly gone to plan, in that i havent really started exercising yet, but i have managed to lose a stone and drop a dress size via healthy eating!! nice- here's to apples and banana's! and a ball gown in another size down!

how exciting!! (a nice long blog!)

2006-04-17T00:15:00.000+01:00

well, i have officially stopped crying (nothing personal, i just felt it was time!) and am now very excited! the work that began last week is inspiring and real- real is the key phrase to describe the work God is doing. last week we took christian bands/ bands of christians to do gigs in a variety of bars in Glasgow, incl Firewater, Stereo and Elliott's. it was real. it wasn't intrusive evangelism; we weren't trying to get people to come into 'church' where things are unfamiliar and often not overtly friendly; we didn't preach or read scripture or proclaim the message of salvation from a pulpit. we played some gigs, shared our passion for music, and chatted to the punters.
and from that stemmed the opportunity to share our faith, and beliefs and love for God, who for many is as far from their minds as counting how many sheets of toilet paper are on a roll! traditional evangelism... thankfully not! but God used us to reach out to people and some of the conversations had were challenging, inspiring and beautiful. my dad had the opportunity to pray for a complete stranger in the middle of Glasgow city centre, on a thursday night, as bars were emptying and God was moving.

i have been challenged on my whole concept of 'mission work' and what it means. i think so often its easy to limit our ideas to working with children or in orphanages or building wells and houses in foreign countries. all extremely worthwhile work, which can considerably impact many, but not the only way. God has called us to 'go and make disciples of all nations'; to love Him and love others. let's think outside the box...

the nite i was challenged on my dreams and future, kenny borthwick set us an interesting notion. that instead of having churches and ministries where we focus on filling gaps, and finding people to do the job, often by squeezing them into a mold someone else has formed and left, we need to build churches and ministries based on people's gifts and dreams.

what are the things you are passionate about? what excites and motivates you? what are you gifted at doing?

for me it is music- singing, songwriting, learning.
also people, particularly those in their teens and 20's.
and communicating- writing, talking, listening, sharing.

so what is so weird about a missions trip that involves all of these things. of serving God here using these passions. is it because it sounds like too much fun? it doesnt sound dirty enough to be a proper mission trip? it involves everything i love doing... it just seems to be too... ideal. well why not. God has given us these passions and gifts and desires for a very good reason! because at the end of the day, it's all about Him! and all He has given and done for us. even when life seems unfair and unjust and dismal, and we question him, and doubt him and reject him, he still loves us. and has still given His life, so that we can have life! isn't that enough?

more than. yet how easy it is to complain and ignore him, and blame him when things are difficult and heartbreaking. He feels our pain, and knows our heartbreak, and has his own heart broken over and over as people turn away and reject him. but he still perseveres and will never give up on us. so the least i can do is live my life for him! and make use of what he has given me- really it would be rude not to!!

i have just been offered the opportunity to go to America this summer, and be involved in a missions trip that is based around music; people in their teens and 20's; building relationships, and doing outreach!!! it's all a bit new, but already i'm excited at the prospect! if u like, please pray I would be wise and listen to God's voice in this! it screams a huge YES, i just want to be 100% sure! i'm currently 98% there, but some more confirmation would be just peachy!

what's your dream?

a sad day today! :(

2006-04-15T00:04:00.000+01:00

this morning the Americans left, and i was very sad, all day. partly because they were such great people and i made some wonderful friendships i hope will last. one of my most special friends is Julie who i met in 1997 on a youth exchange- wow, that's 9 years ago!! so i am really going to miss them. also, partly i was so sad because while they were here we shared a lot, and it was so refreshing and encouraging to be around folk who are so open and honest about their feelings, and struggles, and joys and challenges. including God, somehow, in most conversations was so natural, and inspiring.
real people, with real faith, real struggles and real hope.

as Scot's it can be easy to have a cynical nature when it comes to open and honest sharing- 'cheesy' being the key phrase, especially when its positive and involves talking about love, ' i love you man'!! but i think it's great. what better than to encourage and look for the best in others, to be open and honest about our feelings and the things we are finding hard, and to be willing to pray for each other, whenever and wherever.

i'm not saying we run around doing non-stop hugging, and welling up at the mere mention of our friends, but Jesus encourages us to love each other, because love comes from God, and to pray for each other and enjoy our relationships.
1st commandment: love God. 2nd commandment: love others. it's that simple.

so yes, off my soapbox, and back to the fact that although i cried spontaneously for most of the day, i am so grateful for having the chance to get to know, and work with such wonderful people. our last nite at Elliott's was fantastic- Patrick and Molly (Clover) did another beautiful set, i could easily listen to them all night! Moxie Bliss, unplugged and acoustic, were also once again brilliant- Suburban Angel will forever hold hilarious memories- Mockery Bliss forever!!

Mark and i also played a set, along with Christopher (our rocking drummer! thanx for 'I Will'!), which was SO much better than sunday's! i felt way more relaxed and confident, and was able to really enjoy it this time! now i'm tired and looking forward to some sleep before the build up of uni work hits and overwhelms me next week, which i fear is inevitable! time for some damage control me thinks...

slush puppy beer for me!

2006-04-14T22:15:00.000+01:00

tonite i finally drank my Belgian raspberry beer! i brought it home in December, and had been saving it for a special occassion- i didn't really have one today, but it felt right to drink it! chris put it in the freezer to cool it, and it actually froze and went all icey, like a slush puppy! mmmm! it is 2.5%, just about right for me, i'm such a lightweight! so cheers, here's to fruity beer!

american musical madness!

2006-04-13T01:13:00.000+01:00

wow, i am exhausted! and heading for bed soon, but due to threatening demands by 'anonymous' feel i really must blog at least once this week!
so, i am having a GREAT time just now! the visiting american's are wonderful, extremely cool people who have so much musical talent between them, and God is really doing exciting things here. i am learning so much, i dont have time to blog it all just now, and may need more time to process what God is saying and doing in my life. needless to say my freaking out phase re: my future has hopefully passed, and whilst i am still quite unclear i am trusting God, and learning many things alongside. including the guitar, which i am loving but it is killing my fingers! i can now play: C, G, D, A, Em, F7, G/B, and maybe others if i got those names wrong!!

since the Americans landed, a variety of fun and exciting things have been happening, including bass, guitar and drums workshops every afternoon, and gigs each nite in various pubs and bars around Glasgow, incl. Firewater, Stereo and Elliott's as the final one tomorrow -8pm if ur free! each nite has been better than the gig before, and Mark and I had the chance to play some of our songs aswell- i was so nervous having not performed in months! it went pretty well, i wasn't entirely happy with it but hey, life goes on! it was fun to be singing again, and we'll be doing another set at Elliott's with our band (members incl. Bruce almighty and Christopher, our American drum guru!).

the timing of this visit has been spot on. i'm excited to see what God has in store over the next few months. i feel lots of changes coming, along with some big and scary decisions to be made. shiver, shiver!!

too many thoughts to think

2006-04-07T01:23:00.000+01:00

last week i wrote a bit about dreams and am now a bit more confused about my dreams and ambitions. it seems they're almost split into 2 camps:
what i should be hoping for, e.g a job i enjoy (in theory just around the corner); the chance to move out and get some space, to get married, etc.
what i would love to do without any strings attached, in my ideal world.
and it's not to say these don't overlap at all, but i'm coming to realise that as you get older there are certain expectations of you, that you even put on yourself, and these then limit the 'ideal world' dreams, without you even realising it. but then surely we have choices, to do whatever God has called us to do with our lives, and if we follow him then in theory these should come to pass... if our dreams and his dreams for us are the same. there's so much to think about...

like, i know i'v been training this past year to prepare me for a certain job (careers adviser), and when i'm on placement a huge part of me loves it and is itching to finish the course so i can actually do the work full-time. but another part of me, i think is not quite ready to make that step. some of my friends have already applied for jobs, but it seems a bit soon for me. part of me is scared that once i have 'the job' i'll get sucked into the routine of working life, of 9-5's and limited holidays, and mortgages, and settling down, when there's still so much i want to do and see in the world. i want to go and explore, and live in different cultures, and write music, and learn instruments, and meet people and have freedom, and to help others who need it in tangible ways. some people are cynical when i say i'm a student careers adviser, " what, you can't decide what job to do so you tell other people what they should do", or, " is that seriously a job"?, and although i know it can really help people significantly i'm sometimes struck by the many other, and seemingly more important problems affecting people, and thinking i should maybe be doing something more worthwhile. but then who can place value on helping others, and what is more or less important? and is that really what it's all about?

i think not. maybe it should be, i just don't know. because if it was then issues like poverty and famine would be top priorities for people and communities, and governments, and countries and nations. instead there's millions of starving people, but look, our weapons are bigger than yours. i know it's not that simple, nothing ever is, but i think it's important to think about.

i guess this is what lying in bed for 3 days does to you! i need to go do some more now, all my energy has been sucked into thinking this much...

thanks to Elisa for beautiful pics!

the American's have landed!

2006-04-07T00:31:00.000+01:00

phew, almost 4 whole days without blogging- it's almost like being up north again! today is the 1st day since monday i'v not been throwing up, hurrah! managed to survive some plain old tea biscuits, which saw me thru some rough times with salmonella a couple years back! i can never quite enjoy them now...!

anyway, we have American's! 12 of them descended upon us today, completely jet-lagged after a delayed trip of about 16 hours! they're with us at the church til next friday, on a kind of pilot project for them. the main focus is music outreach, which began today despite their exhaustion and sleep deprivation! during each day they are running bass, guitar and drums workshops which kids from the local area have signed up for, aswell as 'coffee-houses' in the evenings, with some gig's thrown in for good measure! we have a lot of extremely talented musicians with us, including a band called Moxie Bliss from Minnesota- I'v only heard them on Myspace so far but they sound good!
the only thing lacking overall is perhaps the organisation but since i'v not been involved in it i cannot comment further! i know God will do exciting things thru this week- already we had almost 20 kids today, about half with no involvement in church, so i'm excited to see what will come of this visit! it's also awakened in me a desire to get back into music again. for the past few months i'v been focusing more on other things, including hearing lots of new music, and songwriting has been on the backburner, but i'm feeling inspired and that the timing is somehow right again. my voice is a little rusty, altho nothing a lot of singing can't fix! i'v also been learning guitar, which is SORE but fun, and i shall deem to perseve

dreams

2006-04-03T01:13:00.000+01:00

a couple of weeks ago i heard kenny borthwick speak at a 'church without walls' conference. i really only went to get a free meal and see my dad and friends who were there for a few days, but i think God is clever, and had me there for other reasons. (quickly setting the scene... that day at work i was being taught about person-centred planning and used as the guinea pig. this involved thinking ahead, to what my dreams and aspirations and hopes are for the future, and how i could work toward achieving these)that nite Kenny spoke with passion, humour and clarity about the dreams God has given us, and about whether our church is built around 'filling the gaps' or 'living the dreams'. he shared so many amazing stories of how God has spoken to people, and given them dreams, and ambitions, which they have then made reality through trusting Him, and pursuing them in faith.what are your dreams?and what were the chances that i had spent the day considering this question and then beautifully challenged on them that very night? a friend who, at the time, knew little about me, had been praying and given a word for me from God. i keep it hidden in my heart, because i cant quite imagine it ever becoming a reality. but now i'm beginning to wonder what i could be missing doing for God by not pursuing this dream...

facts & questions

2006-04-03T00:00:00.000+01:00

fact:
my throat is still sore and raw and i can't sing high notes, which is quite sad! and brutal for those who happen to hear me try.

fact:
i waitress at a restaurant where the staff don't get to keep any tips.
this is unfair and involves deceiving our customers, and i am uncomfortable doing that.

fact:
my brother is going to Hillsong College in Sydney.
although he doesn't leave til August, i am sad at this prospect, although excited for him.

fact:
boys are very different from girls.
in the obvious ways, but also in the way they think, reason, analyse, relate to each other, etc.

fact:
cherry cinnamon is the new peppermint

fact:
God is real. Jesus is His son. He died on a cross and came back to life. We don't have to be separated from God anymore. I wonder if people realised they were separated from God before Jesus came. And were they actually separated from Him, since there were clearly some Godly and righteous people who God looked upon favourably?

if the distinction in becoming a christian is believing Jesus is God's son, accepting Him into your life, asking for forgiveness and living your life with Him in you accordingly, then before Jesus came, how did anyone know whether they were 'safe' or not? and if there were so few righteous people then will heaven not be quite an empty place?

tonite dave challenged us to start your day with a moment or however long you wanted, with God. whether that means getting out of bed, staying in bed, in the shower, on the toilet, whatever, but to begin each new day, at whatever time it begins for you, by consciously being with God. and to read a verse or chapter or book (if ur mad keen and make the time!), and hide it in your heart, so it stays there and impacts your day. sometimes the most challenging challenges sound the easiest, but are actually the hardest.

today i heard it said that discipline is an accumulation of habits.
a thought can lead to an action. an action can lead to it being repeated. repeating an action can lead to a habit.

definition of habit:

regularly repeated behavior pattern: an action or pattern of behavior that is repeated so often that it becomes typical of somebody, although he or she may be unaware of it.

it's easy to form some habits, usually the 'bad' ones. it's difficult to break some habits, again usually the 'bad' ones. this leaves us in a bit of a pickle. i would like to form good habits, and become more disciplined. this covers a number of areas, including reading my bible, and praying. also in regularly practicing the guitar and keyboard if i ever want them to become second nature, which i do. and in relation to eating healthily and exercising regularly. and in consistently being studious and organised, and on time for things, and being nice and tidy, and being sensible with my money, or rather, lack of. these are all things i would like to improve, because i know that they are good and will benefit me, in so many ways.

so why can't i just do them?

a National Identity!

2006-03-30T16:44:00.000+01:00

http://eclectech.co.uk/clarkeidcards.php

turn on your speakers, sit back, and be politically educated, and entertained, all in the same song!! if only all governement policy was introduced in this form!

Commonwealth bronze lay in my grasp!!

2006-03-30T00:44:00.000+01:00

quite literally!!

today i bumped into my old school friend, Susan Hughes, on her way back from the airport!! having just returned from the Commonwealth Games where she won BRONZE for ladies singles badminton!
She was wearing her medal under her tracksuit (fair enough- she's back in Glasgow now and may get mugged!! ) but i got to see it- it's very shiny and weighs a lot!
so Congratulations Susan!!

Check out an article on her win here!

bowties, bunnies & broken creativeness!

2006-03-28T21:09:00.000+01:00

well, i didn't quite start my new job on monday- have had torrential cold and throat infection, so figured it wasnt the most hygienic way to launch a new restaurant! so i start tomoro now instead! i have heard from a reliable source that they're trying to get us to wear black bowties with our white shirts, but apparently they make us look like playboy bunnies, so they are now hidden in the back of a cupboard!!

went back to uni today and it was great to see everyone! i'v been voted social secretary after asking in our course meeting if we have a grad ball, so now i'll have to organise one! hehe! altho there's only 18 of us, so it could be a little... lacking in numbers!

also, my little creative zen micro developed a faulty connection, and i was highly frustrated to find i cannot find my proof of purchase anywhere. however, i called them up, and they were very helpful and are sending me a replacement free of charge! thankyou Creative people! only problem is, before sending back my dodgy one i had to make sure all my music and files were saved on my computer, and i'm not entirely convinced it worked! most are there, so fingers crossed! it's an excellent mp3 player- i did lots of research before buying and, for me anyway, it's definitely the best!

today was also time to post on the lent blog- there's some really beautiful and thoughtful reflections on there, and it's a great way to stop and take time to ponder and pray. it can be easy to waste so much time on the Internet, and it's refreshing to read so many insights from a variety of people.

in the void

2006-03-28T08:44:00.000+01:00

Lent. Easter. come and go each year. the point and purpose of which is missed by millions of people. including christians. including me.
too familiar. not familiar enough. never fully explained. ears closed to hear. hearts hardened. hearts searching, in all the wrong places.
in the midst of the world’s busiest financial district is the gaping hole of Ground Zero. in the midst of the traffic and noise; the rushing by of people late for meetings, and shoppers seeking to fill their lives through emptying their purses; and the tears of those mourning the loss… stands a cross.
the representation of life lost. the representation of sacrifice. the representation of what stood before evil intervened once more.
the cross…
the representation of life everlasting. the representation of sacrifice. the representation of forgiveness. the representation of hope… and new beginnings… and love.
at Ground Zero, there remains a void. against the skyline stands a cross…

“I have come that you may have life, in all its fullness” John 10:10

Listen, Listen

2006-03-27T12:29:00.000+01:00

(for Jimmy!!!)

When you listen you affirm me
but your listening must be real
sensitive and serious
not looking busily around
not with a worried or distracted frown
not preparing what you are going to say next
but giving me your full attention

You are telling me I am a person of value
important and worth listening to
one with whom you will share yourself

I have ideas to share
feelings which I too often keep to myself
deep questions which struggle inside me for answers
I have hopes only tentatively acknowledged
which are not easy to share
and pain and guilt and fear I try to stifle

These are sensitive areas and a real part of me
but it takes courage to confide in another

I need to listen to if we are to become close
How can I tell you I understand?
I can show interest with my eyes or an occasional word
attuned to pick up not only spoken words
but also the glimmer of a smile
a look of pain, the hesitation, the struggle
which may suggest something as yet too deep for words

So let us take time together
respecting the others freedom
encouraging without hurrying
understanding that some things may never be brought to light
but others may emerge if given time

Each through this listening, enriches the other
with the priceless gift of intimacy.

By Keith Pearson

it's nice to be home!

2006-03-27T12:00:00.000+01:00

i had a great time up North- i loved my work; met loads of wonderful people; did lots of walking, and learned so much (both from my placement, and living with jo!). i think however, that by the middle of week 3 the novelty was wearing off a bit, and i was beginning to miss things- especially people, but other things like my music (mp3 player goin on the blink, boo!), Glasgow, free unlimited internet access, singing, etc!!

i have a new job!

i start tonite working in a new Indian restaurant just down the road from my house! it all seems very unorganised, as it opens tonite, there's been no publicity and the signs aren't even changed, but it should be a laugh! there's 6 waiter/waitresses employed- me, my bro. Mark and my 3 friends Laura, Colleen and Sandy!! and 1 poor girl who none of us know! so tonite shall be interesting!!

it's nice to be home!

tired me

2006-03-21T16:59:00.000Z

very quick blog update in the 5 mins i have left in my highly restricted internet time! week 3 has begun and i'm tired and a little run down. spent an amazing weekend in Skye-more about that later- but today is draining. did 9 pupil interviews, and found that active listening is exhausting. popped down to aviemore on the bus last nite to meet friends and dad for dinner at a church without walls conference. havent really been to church for a while, but God used last nite, well, most of yesterday actually, to speak to me. more on that later too. if inclined, please pray for energy levels and general stuff :)

weekend-ing the Invernessian way!!

2006-03-13T16:41:00.000Z

week 2 off to a good start- have been interviewing in school all day today and am now getting to use their computers while jo's in a meeting! :) had such a fun weekend and sampled the invernessian nightlife at it's finest! if ever in nairn i'd recommend Latino's, a delicious mexican type restaurant with luvly decor, incl. the loo- very funky, yet homely!! then back to inverness to Hootananny's, where a great band were playing live, altho i didnt catch their names, and beards appeared to be the prominent fashion accessory of the night! saturday was spent relaxing, shopping and catching up with old friends which was just loverly! saturday night was... sumthin else!! due to my close friend's loathe of dancing, we never go- well, all this must now change! we must have danced from about 10 pm - 5am with minimal breaks and i LOVED it!! i must confess i did drink more than the usual couple, but then i was out for much longer, so really it all balances out! our nite began in Johnny Foxy's before moving onto Bar Bazza (free entry too- a nice change!) where we boogied away til about 2! bizzarrely we bumped into the depute head from a local school (giving nothing away!) who jo knew so ended up back at his til about 5am!! the very surreal part was monday morning when i was in the school and introduced to 'our depute, Mr.......'!!! and he was all like, 'oh hello, nice to meet u' , followed by a sneaky wink! so saturday night was great, altho i must have caught germs from fellow invernessian dance floor addicts, as i now have a lovely cough/ cold/ throat infection!!
off to parents night now, i wonder if i'll meet any more dancing teachers...!?!

week 1 done!

2006-03-10T16:40:00.000Z

wow, i cant believe its friday and i have jst completed my 1st week on placement! it's going really well, i'm learning loads (the way everything works is so different up here!) and having lots of fun staying with jo! so far our extra-curricular activites have included: making photo boards for brownies; cooking interesting meals; hanging out with new people; shopping and then trying on all of Jo's wardrobe (i am finding my inner goth!); crying at moulin rouge (jst me, jo is tough!), and lots more! tonite we're goin out with sum people, and tomorrow, and sunday, and then karaoke nite on wednesday and a possible cocktail/ chocolate fondue party in the flat! it would be easy to forget i'm here to work, other than the fact im shattered and keep having to set my alarm for 7:30!

Invernessians are so lovely and friendly- i'v made friends with the doormen at work (bob 1 & bob 2), the man running the library, and when i was havin a picnic by the river, 3 people all said hello! and then today i choked on my apple so much that 2 folk came to check i could still breathe!! thanx!

I was thinking last nite how at home I never seem to have any time to relax, and watch TV/ read a book/ sleep, so am finding this very refreshing and a welcome break from the usual busy-ness of life! I never feel I can properly relax at home, either that I have to do something, or someone’s asking me to empty the dishwasher- it never feels right to do nothing! It’s nice to have space! I think I might like to live up here- everything’s so… compact- I’v been walking all over the place, something not so easily done at home- there’s nothing to really walk to! The pace of life seems more laid-back and friendly- even the ‘troubled’ kids I’ve met are lovely compared to some of the ones back in Glasgow! I miss people though- feel free to email or leave a hello on here! I’ve run out of free texts (nightmare!) but will hopefully be due more soon! Going home to choose our outfits now...!

I (heart) Death Cab for Cutie!!!

2006-03-04T23:41:00.000Z

tonite at the barrowlands, they rocked!! the band were A-MA-ZING, kicking off with 2 of my favourites, Marching bands of Manhattan, and The New Year, ending with Transatlanticism and generally being awesome!! u couldnt hear some of the vocals too clearly (sound man should have sorted that!), but even when they played some of the older stuff that was unfamiliar it was great, if not a teeny bit boring since i couldnt sing along! all in all it was a great gig, the crowd were loving it, the lights were very multi-coloured and the dcfc have topped my chart!!!!

favourite song= v. hard to choose, but def. up there is 'I Will Follow You into the Dark' and 'Title and Registration'!! plus the ones mentioned above! so many to choose from, sigh...!

thanx to calamateur for taking most fabulous pics- it's nice to go with tall people!!

blog for lent!

2006-03-04T01:04:00.000Z

tonite i feel a little sad- i just realised i'll be away from chris and all my family and friends for 3 whole weeks! kind of obvious, i know, but it just hit me that 3 weeks is quite a long time, and that i spend a huge amount of time with either chris, my family or my friends! i'll miss u guys!

on a less depressing note, the lent blog is now in full swing and it's excellent. i love that it's added to daily by different people- i could never quite get into the whole 'daily reading books' regime, despite selling many of them on a regular basis! but this is fresh and innovative and contributed to by real people having current reflections, not some guy in a dusty attic space reflecting for a whole year! ( not that i have anything against daily readings, i should really make daily bible reading a priority, its just sometimes they are so... planned!).

so check it out, or sign up for a space, i think there are still a couple free!