Holiday in Moffat

 In half term we went to Moffat for a weeks holiday, which was really good. Moffat is a lovely town with some nice woollen mill shops and a super toffee shop! 

On the whole the weather was not bad for this time of year. Although on the Wednesday we woke up to ice and frost everywhere - we had to scrape the car windscreen. A bit unseasonably cold!

So of course what do you do on a cold day  - you wrap up warmly and go for a 3 mile walk along by the river! It was gloriously sunny - but freezing!!

Some letters

The next prompt from True Stories was about letter writing. I must admit I don't really write many letters these days, I keep in touch with people mainly by email or telephone. I decided to have a bit of fun and write some short letters.

Dear Computer,
   Please don't break down on me. How did I ever manage without you. You keep me connected with so many wonderful people.
               Love  Me xx


Dear Fiona
    We are tired of lying around in this basket. We would really like to be all flat and folded in drawers. Please stop writing in that book and come and iron us.
    Love your ironing pile xx

Dear Washing Machine,
   I am so glad you are working again, that is wasn't anything too serious. We have been together a long time now and I would hate to be without you.
   Love your biggest fan xx


Dear Fiona
   Stop faffing about on that computer and come and read us. We contain all sorts of information and can fire your imagination and give you an escape.
    Love the books on your shelf xx

So who would you write a letter to today?

Mel asked me what I am studying with the OU. My current module is called 'Living Political Ideas' and will (hopefully) be my last module for a BA in Social Sciences. I have already done an Introduction to Social Sciences, Exploring Psychology, Living in Globalised World.

A day in numbers

Following another prompt from True Stories I thought I would share with you a day in numbers

7.15 alarm, had to get up
1 shower
2 children off to school
4 cups camomile tea
2 slices bread
2 loads washing
1 lunch with a friend
13 emails
15 kids at Scripture Union group
1 trip to doctor
1 skeleton taken to school disco
600 words written for assignment
4 pieces of mail - none for me.

This was on Wednesday and I am now glad to say that my assignment is finished and sent off - all 1,951 words of it!

This is the skeleton I took to his school disco:

Scrappyjacky asked me another question: What do you do when you are working?

In life BC (before children) I worked in an insurance company as a secretary, then when I thought I might go back out again after having the children, I retrained as a Nursery Nurse. Sadly Nursery Nurse jobs are hard to come by in this area and I have only managed to find short term supply work occasionally. I thought I would like to try and get back into an office - although this is proving hard as well. In Sept I managed to get a 6 week short term work in a school office, which I really loved, but this is now finished as well - so at the moment I am on the look out for work again.

Some answers and some numbers

Well I asked for questions and thank you to Mel and Rinda who have asked these questions.

Mel asked - Where is your favourite place that you've lived or visited?

My favourite holiday place has to be Gardenstown on the North East coast of Scotland, it is a very small fishing village set into the cliffs. We were fortunate in having friends who owned a house there and they let us go there for holidays for many years until they sold it. It was quiet, had a beach with rocks and water for the boys to play in.  I love watching waves crashing on the beach and over rocks and could watch them all day. My only regret is that I never managed to see dolphins any time we were there - although other people assure me that the dolphins come frequently!!

Rinda asked - I know you're active in your church, but I don't remember your exact position. What is it?

What reaction have you gotten to sharing your faith-based work in blog land?

I suppose as my husband is the minister of the church you could say that I am the 'ministers wife', although I have always tried hard not to be thought of as that or to think that being married to the minister gives me any position. Although recently I have begun to think about that differently and occasionally do things as the ministers wife. Being married to the minister is actually a strange 'no man's land' sometimes. You can't always fully join in with things and some people do treat you differently. I married the man, not the job! But God is good and the good times generally outweigh the problems.

As to sharing my faith-based work on blogland I have only have positive reactions thankfully. It is really only recently that I have actually started to share things about my faith in my blog, when I first started my blog I didn't. I belong to a Christian Craft forum, heART&soul, which has encouraged me in sharing my faith online.
Thanks to you both for your questions.
 
Now for the numbers. Yesterday's prompts talked about numbers and alphabets and I shall probably come back to this again. But my immediate response to the numbers was that I have an assignment due in on Saturday for the Open University - 2,000 words, of which I have done about 600 so far - so a fair number of words still to go.

True Stories

As I am currently not working again I thought I needed something to do (well I don't really have anything do I??) so I have signed up to Shimelle's new class - True Stories, looking at writing and journalling. I have a lovely new fountain pen, which I got for my birthday, which I have been wanting to try out, so just to look for a notebook now - I am sure I might have one somewhere!!

The first prompt looks at questions, so while I go and think about what questions I get asked I thought I would be brave and give you the opportunity to ask me any questions. Not that I guarantee to answer them all, but I might. So ask away...

Tulips from ..

Amsterdam, where else. Hubby and I went to Amsterdam at the start of September for a few days, and we had a lovely time.

We crossed from Newcastle on the DFDS ferry - suffice to day that neither of us will be going on a cruise holiday any time soon!! We were delayed for 4 hours arriving due to gale force winds overnight - thankfully the return journey was much smoother.

Our hotel was nice and very central, which was good.

 

 Of course we went on a canal cruise and enjoyed some lovely views.

 Everywhere you go in Amsterdam there are bikes and people on bikes - you have to really watch out or get run down by one.

We went to the Van Gogh Museum, which was really good and of course the Diamond Museum. We found a Museum and Handbag Museum, which we just had to go to - as I am rather fond of handbags!!

Where did September go to?

And not only September but half of October as well. The last time I looked it was only August.

The day before the schools went back I got a phone call asking if I wanted a job for a few weeks as a clerical asst in a school - well of course I said Yes Please!! So that is where I have been for the last six weeks and I have loved every minute of it. It was in one of schools in an outlying area and involved a half hour drive there in the morning and back again at night, which meant I had to get up early -eek!!! But I managed it!! It was a steep learning curve though and I was really shattered each night - hence my lack of blogging, or crafting in any size, shape or form.

But the six weeks are up and the job has now finished - they now have  a permanent clerical asst appointed (as a redeployment - a sign of the times!) and I am now back to looking for a job - oh and studying!! My exam is a week tomorrow - so if I vanish again this week you will know why.

Hubbie and I did manage a couple of days holiday in Amsterdam together for my birthday which was lovely and I will be back with some photos later.