I'll Let You Make Your Own Mind Up

By the power of Facebook, here's Lisa!!! From Madam Thenardier in Les Miserables to the delights of Uni!

Photos from 1999 & 2000

These are some old photos of the girls. What brilliant times we had :O) We were reminiscing a lot when we were at Emma's wedding on Saturday lol.

Gemma would never let me take photos of her, but I will find some from when she was younger and post them on here. Lisa & Emma, Sandown BayNichola, Lisa & Emma on the beach in Sandown Lisa, Emma & Nichola on the beach in SandownElena & Jack in the back garden Jack & Elena, Sandown Carnival Elena & Jack outside the beach hut in Sandown Jack & Jordanna eating Jammie Doggers in the front room Lisa, Dan, Josh Jake & Elena at Blackgang Chine.

House

Ooooo I've been waiting for this day for ages and ages. The brand new episode of House, Painless, aired last night across the pond on Fox 8/9 central. So after work and filling & switching on the washing machine & dishwasher, I booted up the lap top and sat back and indulged myself. Was it worth waiting 5 weeks for? You bet ya ~ it's the best program on the TV interweb :O)

Last night I spoke to Lisa on the phone for over an hour. Poor thing had had a REALLY bad day so I tried my hardest to cheer her up. I must have done something right because not long after she put the phone down, I received a lovely e-card with this message ... Thank you for making me feel better and always being there for me!!!! I love you! Your the best! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
How gorgeous is that :O)

Talking of last night ...

This is No. 9 of my 365 photos

Andrew fixed the washing machine last night by fitting some new shock absorbers. I love him more everyday, which is saying something, because I've known him for nearly 10600 days!

Gemma's been to see Elena & I this afternoon. We're going to Newport tomorrow when Elena gets in from school as Gem wants some shoes to go with the outfit she's wearing on Thursday. She's doing some voluntary work for Age Concern in their events department. I hope she enjoys herself.

Decorating

Sunday again, where do the weeks go? I've been at work all day. Managed to get lots of stuff sorted out so it's been OK. Captain John kept me company for about an hour or so this morning. I've always liked John and get on with him really well. I call him Captain John because a few years ago he took me out for a spin round the Island in his helicopter :O) It was a really warm summers day & I was hanging the washing out in the garden when the phone went. It was John asking me what I was up to. Nothing much I said, stood there holding a pair of wet pants and some pegs in my hand. "Do you want to come flying?" Well what would you have said ~ ermm yes!!! So off I went, bursting with excitement, to the airfield in Sandown. We flew over Sandown Bay and saw Mum & Dad sat outside their beach hut. He showed me the river Medina, the coast, Osborne House the lot. We were up there for about 30 minutes, it was fantastic. I walked round for more than a week with a permanent grin on my face lol. Anyway, after putting the world to rights, he left & I was back on my own.

I took my camera with me so thought I would use this as the 7th photo of my 365 project.

No.7

The sun was so warm through the window at work this afternoon, I had to open the door. Fresh air & sunshine makes you feel so much better doesn't it.

I've been pinching photos off Facebook again of my gorgeous Lisa & Liam. They look as if they are having the time of their lives don't they :O)

Lisa & Abby Lisa Lisa & Liam

Elena's been baking today just look at these beauties :O)
They started off like this ...Then with a bit of decorating ended up like this ...And look, some gorgeous chocolate cornflakes too! So much for losing weight lol. Talking of decorating, Andrew's been painting the Utility room. Guess what colour .... white! It looks loads better and has changed it completely. It will change again when the new fridge/freezer is in there. I hope it will look alright.

The utility room last night The Utility room today ROFL, Andrew trying to get away from the photographer Look at those sexy legs! Hubba, hubba ;O)

Senses

A few days ago, my lovely Gemma started a blog of her own and I think it's fab. If you want to have a look it's called Little Gem. It makes me feel so much more closer to her since she moved out. (Lisa & Liam say that about my blog too when they read it, so I now know what they mean.)

Elena's been a good girl too & written on her blog everynight this week. She loves taking photos and seems to have the 'eye' for it. Her blog is here if you're interested :O) I'm hoping it will help her with her English if nothing else.

Here's the fifth photo of my 365 project.

No.5We have some hyacinth bulbs flowering in the conservatory. I wish you could smell the scent, it's gorgeous. It beats any shop bought air freshner hands down.

Lisa & Liam look as if they've been having fun since they went back to Uni. I snook these off facebook, I hope Andy doesn't mind (thank you Andy). All the girls together, Abby, Lisa, Katie, Emily & Andy at Laverstoke GdnsAll the girls again outside the theatre (I'm not jealous, honest) :O) Liam & Abby eating pizza :O)

Andrew had a night off from the utility room last night & I don't blame him either. He did, however, go shopping at lunch time today & get new shock absorbers for the washing machine because it's making such a racket on the spin cycle. He's a real superstar isn't he :O)

Me, well for the first time in my life I feel fat! I know what it's down to, eating the wrong foods (chocolate & cheese being the main culprits) and not enough exercise. When I went to the doctors a few weeks ago for the dreaded smear test the nurse weighed me. As we have no scales in our house I had no idea how much I weighed (not that it matter's really) but I was shocked to find out I was 12 stone ~ yikes! So I'm going to start by walking more & eating a lot less chocolate & cheese ~ easy ;O)

Update: Some bad news today, Andrew's Mum (involuntarily visualisation of a hippo wallowing in mud (thank you Reginald Perrin)) has had a heart attack. The reason she was taken into hospital was because she had fluid on her lungs & round her heart which resulted in an irregular heart beat. This in turn triggered the heart attack. She's poorly obviously but in the best place. There's no love lost sadly but I do feel sorry for Andrew because it's his Mum after all.

I Love SuzyB

Yep, I love SuzyB, it's official :O) She is my source of inspiration in the blogging world (thank you Suzy) and if I could chose anyone to write my diary for me it would be her. She is fab at taking photos, creating scrapbook pages, designing and making cards and has a wicked sense of humour. I was reading the wonderful tales about her family last night and how there seems to be a new craze going on at the moment, where by, everyone's taking a photo a day for 365 days. After googling it and reading more about it I thought I would join in. Don't know how far I'll get but hey. Luckily it doesn't have to be a super dooper photo, just an everyday 'something' or other. I sort of do it already but I really need to get into the habit of taking my camera everywhere. Note to self: I may need a bigger bag ;O)

No.1 Everyday before work I look around to see what I can take with me for lunch & nibbles. I always end up with a couple of pieces of fruit from the dish. You can't beat Comice pears, Pink Lady apples & satsumas :O)

The sad news today is that Lisa & Liam have gone. Now we are back to three bodies rattling around in a much emptier four bedroomed house. I managed to grab this quick photo before they said goodbye and this one as they were getting in the car (I was in the porch still in my dressing gown ~ maybe a bit too much info lol). Elena will be home from school soon, probably soaking wet because it's blowing a hooley out there so I'll say goodbye and go and run a nice hot bath for her. Did someone say they were making tea?

Back now for a late news flash. Gemma's made a blog and it's fab :O)

Mum & Dad have been to see us and have been telling us about Auntie Mal (Marilyn). She is my Dad's youngest sister and is only 1 year older than Andrew. She lives in France with her husband. They went on holiday to Egypt just before Christmas and on the flight back she complained of feeling ill. To cut a long story short she is now in intensive care in a hospital in France. She is paralysed from the waist down with a disease called Guillians Barre. It's an auto immune disease caught in African countries and there is no cure! Poor thing :O(

Other family news; Uncle Vaughn has lost his job and cousin Lee's working a 4 day week. He's split up with his partner & is living at home. Cousin Matthew has lost his job (bless him) and his sister, Alison, has split up from her husband. Everyone else seems to be OK.

Oh and Teresa *waves* you need to update your blog xXx

Eddie The Eagle Edwards?

Just pinched this from Skateboard Steve ~ thank you X Quick update ~ Lisa has finished her last essay :O)

Just remembered... We bought a Mr Potato head for Max for Christmas (Andrew's idea) and he loved it. Andrew wanted to buy it as a joke for Teresa because she loves Daniel Craig but we call him Mr Potato Head. Max was a star and soon picked up on the joke. Every time we asked who it was he would say 'Daniel Craig' lol.

Lisa was on the pill and had to come off it because her blood pressure was sky high. The Doctor suggested that she have injections every few weeks instead (it's a relatively new form of contraception) but you should have seen the state of her skin. Her back and face broke out in huge spots poor thing. So she made yet another appointment at the doctors to see what could be done. This time they suggested an implant in her arm, which she agreed to, so an appointment was made to have it put in. Liam took her to the Doctors and they went to the desk and said Lisa H to see Dr Rocher please. A puzzled looking receptionist said she was sorry but they had no Dr Rocher? Both Lisa & Liam were stumped until the receptionist suggested a Dr Ferroro roflmao. An easy mistake to make I guess ;O) God I love that girl !!!

Resolutions & Passamaquoddy

I have forgotten to blog my New Years resolutions so here goes...
1) To eat less
2) To exercise more
or should that be eat more & exercise less?? I always get those two mixed up ;O)
And just for Teresa
3) DRINK MORE TEA!! lol

So it's Sunday & I'm sat at work on the most uncomfortable chair in the world, (note to self: bring in a cushion to stop certain body parts from falling asleep) waiting for the bookings to pour in. Nothings happened yet so I have decided to read the book Elena bought me for Christmas (along with the Mamma Mia DVD & wheat bag). I can read now, did I tell you :O) It's Stephen Fry's book of his tour around America. Guess what greeted me on the first page! This ... I know, it's nothing to get excited about really, but we are a very rare breed you know, us 'Vanda's' lol.

Anyway, in between phone calls that have since trickled in & the paper work related to them I have begun my tour around all 50 states of the USA courtesy of the wonderful Mr Fry. I'm in Maine at the moment. The only thing I know about Maine is their famous lobsters! You know, in the film Crocodile Dundee, when the baddy announces he's had his lobsters 'flown in from Maine' ;O) Another piece of useless but exciting information (for me anyway) is a place called Passamaquoddy ~ it really exists! Is that not the place they go on about in the Disney film Pete's Dragon? I thought they'd made it up lol.

So Maine & New Hampshire have been and gone (along with a piece of Andrew's homemade bread smothered in homemade lemon curd & several cups of tea) and I'm now about to travel through Massachusetts. The land of Andrew's Godfather, Brian & the source of lots of Andrew's photos before he found me. This is what the title says ~ 'By twelve o'clock it's all over and everyone is in bed. There's more true Gothic horror in a digestive biscuit, but never mind.' ROFL I love Stephen Fry or more to the point, I love the way his brain works :O) Laugh, indeed I have!

A few phone calls for brochures & a couple of bookings later my donkey (ass) is still numb so I've fashioned a pillow out of my coat & made a make shift book stand from a mouse pad & sellotape dispenser (who said all those years of Blue Peter wouldn't come in handy ~ I was built for comfort). This, if you were wondering, is to stop me from getting neck ache, sheeesh it's a hard life! Digressing for just a minute, the coat cushion is wonderful but I could feel something hard between my legs, on investigation it turns out to be a pair of gloves & a small packet of tissues roflmao. Back to the marvellous Stephen Fry in America (and another cup of tea of course)! So I've visited Rhode Island, albeit through words & photographs, Connecticut & we're now wandering happily through Vermont.

Today, as you can imagine has gone super fast. Roll on next Sunday if it's going to be this good :O)

While I've been gallivanting across America, super hero Andrew has been dismantling the utility room and moving the plumbing to accommodate the new & old kitchen appliances. Is there no end to this man's talents :O) The downside to this is... no dishwasher tonight, which I'm not that bothered about and Sponge Bob & Gary the fish, are on holiday in the dining room. Again it's not a great problem except the tank makes a Chinese dripping water torture sound as it's being filtered. I managed 10 minutes in there before I needed to go to the toilet AND our bedroom is directly above it !!! Tonight is the last meal we'll have with Lisa & Liam before they head back to the mainland for another semester at University. The next time they are back will be the Easter holidays unless they come for an odd weekend.

And finally Elena ~ apparently she's bored!

I Can See!!

Poor Lisa didn't pass her driving test, she failed on one thing. When she did the three point turn she didn't look over her left shoulder, just her right one, so she has to go through it all again. It's a pain in the bum for her & very expensive but I know she'll do it.

Elena's mouth is feeling a bit sore still and the hole in the roof of her mouth, is annoying her tongue, but she was a good girl & still went to school.

I have finally got my new glasses today and I have to say they are wonderful. I can actually read now and demonstrated my new found talent by reading the small print on the back of a packet of Beef Savory Rice to Andrew lol. I'm not sure if they look nice or not although everyone has told me they look OK. I don't really care that much as long as I can see. Elena & I went to have our hair trimmed at the hairdressers afterwards and now we are all sorted. Just have to parcel up the bits & pieces Teresa's boys left behind and my jobs list is up to date, for now anyway.

Nerves are a Plenty

Carrying on from yesterday, the electrician has to come back at some point to finish the new fuse box. Apparently there's a fault with one of the downstairs lights and it keeps tripping the switch out. I did suggest that it could be the one in the dining room as it flickers on & off sometimes, for no apparent reason. Lisa suggested it might be the kitchen one as a few years back we had a small flood and part of the ceiling came down. She recalled the time that Elena thought the shower base was a bath & bunged it up until the water escaped over the sides, through the floor and down the kitchen wall, lol. It will get sorted at some point in the near future, I'm sure.

This afternoon, I have to take Elena to the dentist, to have the tooth out that's growing in the roof of her mouth. I'm not looking forward to it but it must be done. I think the kids at school have been telling her of the horrors that are injections, but I have convinced her that the dentist, rather than the hospital, is the best option. Not only that she will get money for being so brave ;O)

Lisa's really nervous today too as she is taking her driving test tomorrow. She really wants to pass and will be so upset if she doesn't. The odds on her passing first time are pretty slim in this day and age though. Not because she isn't any good, because she is. It's just that the driving examiners seem to make people sit more than one test now. They must have their reasons and I suspect one is to get more money??!! She's still working really hard on all her essays for Uni. She's been typing an average of 500 words a day and she now only has one more essay to do.

We're back from the dentist and Elena is now toothless. Well not literally, just one tooth less. Here are the photos to prove it. Anyone with a squeamish disposition should look away now lol. She was very brave. She's still numb but recuperating nicely.

Musical Appliances

Poor Elena is really tired since she started back at school yesterday. It's not that she's been going to bed late or anything like that, she's got a cough. One of those tickly coughs that drives you mad. She sounds like a dog barking & it keeps her awake most of the night. I've suggested ear plugs so she can't hear herself coughing, but she didn't find that funny, she must be tired.

Tomorrow the electrician is coming at something stupid o'clock, to upgrade the fuse box. Good job I've been in a tidying up/sorting out/getting rid of all the cr*p mood, cos if he had tried getting in the under stairs cupboard a month ago, he would never have found his way out lol. Luckily for him, there is only a few coats, the hoover, ironing board, dressing up box etc. under there now. Well I say it's in there, I've just moved it all out so he can see what he's doing. Elena in the under stairs cupboard.The big problem I have with him doing it is that it's my day off. I won't have any electric until he's finished! No heating, no kettle, no computer, no radio, no nothing and it's the coldest week of the year -6o OMG!!!! I'm just going to have to get in bed with Lisa & Liam, there's nothing else for it lol.

Last night Liam helped Andrew move the chest freezer from the utility room to the garage to make room for the fridge. OMG you should have seen the muck underneath! I think a lot of it was saw dust from Monkey the hamster's house, or that's what I'm telling myself *cough*. We are playing musical kitchen appliances at the moment don't you know. Mind you I still haven't got a delivery date for the enormous fridge freezer we ordered from John Lewis. Must give them a ring to see what's happening.

I must phone the opticians tomorrow to see where my glasses have got to too!?? Working for a living takes up too much free time doesn't it!!!

I got in from work this afternoon & Gem had let her self in and made a cup of tea for me. She's a good un. She's made herself a CV which she bought round for me to look at. Apart from adding a couple of things she'd done a brilliant job. I just hope she finds a new job soon. She's a hard worker and an asset to any company.

Andrew cooked us a fry up tonight. I say fry up, most of it was grilled apart from the eggs. He really is Superman :O) What have Lisa & Liam been doing?

Well Liam is on an Xbox marathon & Lisa has been doing work, work & more work in between attending the allergy clinic (she isn't allergic to anything, it's a trial she's been part of since she was a baby) and driving lessons.