Fire and Ice

Being pregnant is very, very weird, at least for me. It means that my body does some pretty strange things and I have no control over them – so in a sense it’s a little like being possessed. For example, I have the charmingly named “ restless legs syndrome ” which basically does exactly that. Every evening, when I’ve finally finished all my chores and jobs and I sit down to watch some TV and relax, my legs (in particular my left leg) have other ideas. It is very difficult to describe but basically I can’t just sit there without moving my legs and every minute or so I have to keep wiggling, moving and shaking my legs. Very, very annoying and nothing I can do about it. I’ve also got some weird cravings. Last time I was pregnant I didn’t really crave anything (but I did consume masses of cucumbers and banana nut muffins). However, I kinda knew that those cravings were not really for real ones and I chose to act upon them. This time around, things are different. I really crave terracotta c...

Although I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving as they do over in the USA , it is still nice to stop for a moment and think about those things I’m grateful for: I’m grateful that my family and I are healthy and well. It’s so easy to forget that not everyone is so lucky and that we take health for granted most of the time. I’m grateful for my friends, both near and far, because I think that whenever I need someone to talk to I can usually find someone. I am also grateful for the tools that make it possible for me to easily be in touch with people that are physically very far (or that I’ve never met!) but are close to my heart. Almost every day I give thanks for my son, who is (most of the time); a very good boy and I know that he will go far. I hope his sister has the same sweet disposition and gentle personality (or at least isn’t a screaming diva, gosh how I’m dreading that!) I’m thankful because we seem to be doing okay even with all this talk of economic meltdow...

I am not scrapbooking as much as I used to lately. But it really isn’t because I don’t like doing it, it’s more because I keep running out of photos! As many of you know, I’ve been doing this for so long that I rarely have more than 3 months’ worth of photos in my To-Do pile and because I like to do double layouts with lots of photos (and do lots at once), I get caught up fairly quickly. For a few months now a combination of factors has meant that I have been taking fewer photos than I used to. Probably the main factor is that as I get bigger, I am less and less inclined to be around a camera, in case anyone dares take a photo of me. A lesser factor is that my camera has taken a few knocks and is slightly limiting so often I am a little disappointed with the eventual results. I have also not had many occasions where I’d want to take photos, but that is a lame excuse as I used to take photos of ANYTHING before. So it’s mainly issues with laziness, perceptions of me and the camera. The e...

This is a beach near Bournemouth (UK) in August: Note the grey skies (remember, this is August!), it was actually chilly enough that day for me to be sitting on the beach with a sweater on. It was very crowded as this was the last weekend of summer holidays so people were determined to get out regardless of the grim weather. Also notice those brightly colored windbreaker things: such a weird thing! My thoughts are, if you need those things you shouldn’t be sitting outside… It didn't deter people though - some children were even swimming in the ice-cold seas and of course you can see all these people sitting out in what is pretty ugly weather. This part of Dorset has some of the few beaches in the UK that actually have sand so at least it was soft to sit on, and not on pebbles which is more common. But the beach is pretty small and everyone is crowded on a very tiny space: imagine what it's like on a NICE day! But anyway, compare this to a photo of Miami Bea...

Today is Mickey Mouse’s 80 th birthday . On November 18, 1928 “Steamboat Willie” (incidentally, the first short with synchronous sound) debuted at The Colony Theater in NYC. He’s of course gone on to become one of the most famous (if not THE most famous) animated characters as well as the icon for The Walt Disney Company and appears on countless tons of merchandise all over the world. On a more personal note, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have some sort of Mickey Mouse item around me. Even my nursery (which of course I didn’t decorate personally!) had Mickey Mouse images and from that moment on I guess this little mouse and I were lifelong friends. Even though I have gone on to know and love many other Disney characters, it is Mickey that has always remained my favorite (and the one always on my watch, my earrings and/or my necklaces!) So to celebrate the birthday of this little mouse that r oared, and a beloved friend here is the short that started it all –...

I was sitting on this very beach yesterday, looking out at the sea, enjoying the breeze and feeling the sun on my skin... I'm back in the UK now and needless to say the view isn't as nice (or warm) as this. I'm very tired, very jetlagged, very depressed by the weather here but cheered up by the memories of a brilliant week in Miami. Even though I always hate to leave when I'm on holiday, it's not because I don't want to come home and this time I really missed my boys so in a way, I'm also happy to be back. I just wish it was at the very least sunny!

Tomorrow is a big day for the USA – and the consequences will ripple throughout the world. It is a privilege and a responsibility to exercise your right to vote so make sure you do, if you are a citizen of the USA . I personally hope (probably like most of Europe ) Obama wins and a new era starts in the White House (not to mention a historic new addition to the Hall of Presidents in WDW!). But as long as everyone that can votes and has his or her vote counted, then democracy has worked and proven the system right. So if you can – VOTE. It's not every day that you get to choose what the new animatronic figure will look like in a Disney attraction.