room to let

Looking for a new home?
A great opportunity has come up in this brand new single dwelling development.

We are offering a spacious 34 ltr modern home tastefully decorated with white, fine grain gravel flooring throughout. Decorations include a replica shipwreck.
Environmental issues have been addressed and we can guarantee a comfortable, stable room temperature and excellent ventilation.

Landscaping artists will be starting work on the planting of greenery later this week.

Services include food delivered regularly straight to your door.

Premises are suitable for a couple or a family. House share welcome. Premises are also suitable for a school.

Applications to Little Possum.

in case of flu....

A cappella tribute to John Williams

Thanks Sirpa!!

so, I'm a nurse....

I come from a long line of avid readers and as a child I eagerly read through my mother's childhood books like Nancy Drew (I loved Nancy Drew!). She also had a handful books about Nurse Cherry Ames . Much as I enjoyed reading them, I can honestly say that they didn't inspire me into the nursing profession. At the time I seem to remember that I imagined an exciting life in the Foreign Service. My career plans and ambitions changed a few times as I tried my hand at different things ranging from computer programming and secretarial work to translating and subtitling for TV..... all very short and unillustrious careers! It wasn't until I was on my mission and I found myself in the Emergency Department with a fractured foot that the idea of nursing found me. I was talking to the nurse who was plastering my leg about her job, and I liked the sound of it. I had dismissed Medical studies because it would have involved taking more maths courses and I did not get on with maths. Nursing sounded more versatile and flexible as well. So - here I am, a few short years (it seems like) later in a job that I enjoy (probably mostly because I am only part-time so I don't have to get involved in all the politics at work). It's not anything as glamourous as the reality of Cherry Ames, but it's good. I'm not out there in 3rd world countries or disaster areas, but I hope to make a small difference to a few patients each shift.

Just because I am sitting here feeling a little tired after a long on-call shift, I am going to share this (shortened) version of

"You know you're a nurse when....." (Sirpa - enjoy!)

Your kids get their presents in TED stockings and their presents are wrapped with Transpore tape

You can identify different causes of diarrhoea by the smell of it

You've seriously considered catheterising your children before a long car journey

Every time someone asks you for a pen you can find at least 4 of them on you. Most of them have names of laxatives on them.

You live by the motto "to be right is only half the battle, to convince the doctor is more difficult"

You've basted your turkey with a 50ml syringe

Eatings chips out of a sick bowl is perfectly normal

You avoid unhealthy looking people in the shopping mall for fear that they will drop near you and you'll have to do CPR on your day off

Almost everything seems funny....... eventually

yo-yo...

I thought I was doing allright, having mastered "Walking the dog", "the satelitte" and "around the world".... then Peter sent me this clip:


Yo-yo's were really popular when I was in high school, and I hope they come around again (boom-boom) for my kids to play with and maybe become as skilled as the guy in the movie. Until then, we will just continue working on the skill of tying shoelaces....

yearbook fun

Thanks to Teemu who set us onto the website of Yearbook Yourself , we've been belly-laughing for hours playing with our photos to change our appearances. I find myself married to this handsome specimen

I realised I have been letting myself go, so I went and spruced myself up with a lovely beehive to match!

I think the early 60's suited me well. By freaky (or not so freaky) coincidence, I look a lot like my mother did then....

The 80's were a little scary with the perms, so I find myself drawn to the no-fuss bob of the mid 90's.... Come to think of it, I did have a no fuss bob then.... except I wasn't blonde. Looking at it makes me want to cut my hair short again!

Just look at our beautiful offspring:

And another hour went by at the computer, but much hilarity was found....

Tonsils, PCs and public health messages......

This week I became ill this week with two separate infections that require some dynamite antibiotics to conquer them. When I say "dynamite"I am not referring only to their strength, but to their size and shape...... (MOTH thought they were pessaries...). Getting that first pill down past my infected tonsils was a challenge not unlike childbirth minus the epidural, but thankfully of a lot shorter duration :)

I always knew that my PC and I have a strong bond, but until this week I didn't know how strong... As my temperatures soared and I shivered, my PC came down with sympathy illness resulting in a fried motherboard. Panadol doesn't work with PCs... So while MOTH/NOTH* is fixing/rebuilding my PC he has set me up an account on the kids' PC and I am almost back to normal. I just have to wait for my turn :)

Meanwhile Turtle (DS7) has apparently taken on supervising the general health and wellbeing of the family:
T: "Mum, have you had your pap test?"
Me: "pap test?" (mind racing to work out where that question came from....)
T: "Yes, pap test, you should be having one every two years"
(his message delivered, Turtle leaves the kitchen and I pick up my jaw from the floor... and I realise with some relief that he has been paying attention to the current TV campaign, but that he probably doesn't actually know what it entails)

In other words, just another ordinary week in our house.

*NOTH = Nerd Of The House

Where I belong

You Belong in London

A little old fashioned, and a little modern. A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock. A unique soul like you needs a city that offers everything. No wonder you and London will get along so well.

What City Do You Belong In?

I found a link for this little quiz on Anne Heidi's blog and just had to give it a go. Not that I take these quizzes too seriously, but this one actually has some merit..... London and I did get along very well - for 13 years! Peter and I moved out to the countryside in search of more greenery when Doodlebug came along.

I fed my traditional self in concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican, however I don't know if I was as much Punk rock as just plain rock, occasionally heavy. I have memories of very muffled hearing after a Cure concert, but I attended that as a first-aider rather than as a fan, spent the whole time handing out paper bags to hyperventilating girls.

200th post!!!

I wasn't sure what I would do to mark the occasion of my 200th post. I couldn't think of another 100 things to say about myself, besides I wouldn't want to set a trend. I had thought to have a giveaway, but I haven't been organised enough to do it for this post...... I will be doing one in the next week though, so check in once in a while if you would like a chance of winning it :)

What I do want to do is to dedicate this post to Peter who is responsible from bringing me out of my technological Luddite-ness, giving me some Internet savvy and providing the hardware/software (and unlimited download broadband). In honour of Peter I will post what is one of my absolutely favourite music videos........look out for a cameo appearance by Donny Osmond!



(disclaimer: Peter's favourite song is not "Happy Days"........)

my favourite Beatles song (I think)

... continuing on with the theme of musical talent from around the world, I have to shine the spotlight on Wing from New Zealand.

"Ken Lee" by Mariah Carey.....

Don't know how long this one has been around but it's a hoot!!
This contestant on Bulgarian Idol is doing Mariah Carey's lesser known hit "Ken Lee" (I know, you're probably thinking "huh?!?!" right about now)



It cheered me up today!

Stacy tagged me....

The rules:
A. The rules are posted at the beginning
B. Answer the questions about yourself
C. Tag 5 people, let them know in a comment on their blogs that they have been tagged.

What were you doing 10 yrs ago?
10 yrs ago I was living in London, working as a recovery nurse and also doing a one year part-time course at university in nursing research. I was sharing a house with some wonderful people and occasionally had the missionaries over for meals. A Finnish elder by the name of Leppanen came over one time.....

Snacks I enjoy:
Chocolate
Fruit (esp mangoes)
Bombay mix
nachos
cinnamon rolls

Five things on my to-do list today (actually for tomorrow since I didn't have one today):
1. Remember to send library bags to school with the kids
2. work
3. Go with Serena to see her new house
4. A ton of phone calls
5. FHE

Things I would do if I became a billionaire:
1. Tithe
2. Buy a house
3. Buy a new car or two....
4. Engage a personal trainer
5. After the personal training has worked off - buy a new wardrobe
6. Buy lots of books!
7. Go on lots of holidays....

3 bad habits:
1. Short-tempered
2. I am not very kind to myself
3. Completely and utterly disorganised

5 places I have lived:
1. Oslo, Norway
2. Lampang, Thailand
3. Chicago, Illinois,
4. London, England
5. Sydney, Australia

Jobs I have had:
1. On the factory floor of a pharmaceutical company
2. Au-pair
3. Secretary
4. Retail - selling water beds
5. Nurse
6. Mother

Things people don't know about me: (I have to try hard to find something not already covered in my 100th post.....)
1. I am afraid of the dark (goes back to a very scary movie I snuck out of bed to watch on TV as a child)
2. I used to be athletic... (and you wouldn't know that to see me now....)
3. I turned down a job at McKinsey & Company to become a nurse
4. The hardest thing for me to do is to teach a lesson in RS.

I tag:
Joanna
Suzi
Jordan at theWonderwheel
Hanne
May Kristin

"Whose line is it anyway?"

"If you chance to meet a frown,
do not let it stay...."

"Quickly turn it upside down and smile that frown away....."

Thanks to Suzi for this giant zucchini/marrow! Who would have known that in addition to being nutritious, it would provide some entertainment as well...?

"Bubble Bath"

"I emptied my bubble bath into the tub,
Determined to get myself thoroughly scrubbed.
The bottle had said "ONLY ONE CAP OR TWO",
So I poured in the lot to see what it would do!
That still didn't seem quite enough to get clean,
So I followed it up with another fifteen.
Then three bars of soap and a dozen shampoo,
And two broken bath bombs to finish my brew!
I'll cut to the chase, this did not turn out well,
As the burbling, foaming bath bubbles did swell!
It wasn't all bad, I was clean and smelt sweet,
But outside my soap suds had buried the street! "

- Gareth Lancaster

Random music and more

I was going to post a photo of Little Possum's quilt that I finished this week, but the camera has gone missing somewhere in the house. The children borrowed it, so the contents of the SD card will probably bring some surprises like close-up shots of nostrils etc.

Today brought an email from one of my best friends during the high school years - Andrea. The years have brought us to different parts of the world, and it was lovely to hear from her again although I think I aged visibly at the thought of how many years it has been since the last time we met.

And then this evening as I was sitting down at the computer I listed the 10 first songs that played. - bit of a mixed bag again.....
1. Jewel "Cold song"
2. The Clouds "Misery" (good title to follow a song about a cold...)
3. Phil Collins "Take me home" (PC is one of my favourite sing-out-loud-in-the-car artists)
4. Elvis Costello "Good time for the roses"
5. Akasha "Crazy baby" (don't even know where that one came from..... must belong to MOTH)
6. Michelle Shocked "VFD" (definately a MOTH selection)
7. English Patient soundtrack "Cave of Swimmers" (wasn't that the longest movie? Wonderful, but very long)
8. Björk "Army of Me" (MOTH)
9. Flying Lizards "Money (That's what I want)"
10. Mannheim Steamroller "Interlude VII" (will my reputation ever recover...)

a funny little cartoon

This cartoon strip was sent to me and it hit just the right spot with me and my sense of humour, I just had to share........

My superpower............

I saw this quiz on Candace Salima's blog and thought I'd give it a go just for fun.... I must say I am pleased with this superpower, and I exercise it all the time in my parenting. Mothering does require a certain ability to read my children's minds.... At a younger and slightly more gullible age, my children believed me when I told them I had an extra eye in the back of my head. Now I'll just share the real reason I am on to their little tricks....

Your Superpower Should Be Mind Reading

You are brilliant, insightful, and intuitive. You understand people better than they would like to be understood. Highly sensitive, you are good at putting together seemingly irrelevant details. You figure out what's going on before anyone knows that anything is going on! Why you would be a good superhero: You don't care what people think, and you'd do whatever needed to be done Your biggest problem as a superhero: Feeling even more isolated than you do now

What Should Your Superpower Be?

40% normal

I found a website where you can take all sorts of quirky quizzes, and I opted to find out how normal I am. Apparently the results can be either flattering or downright disturbing depending on who I was being compared to..... The illustration below is a little psycho though. Not quite me, I feel. (I hope.)

You Are 40% Normal

While some of your behavior is quite normal... Other things you do are downright strange You've got a little of your freak going on But you mostly keep your weirdness to yourself

How Normal Are You?

Too much Enid Blyton?

Our little Possum was instructing me on the right way to make us a fizzy ginger drink using ginger cordial and soda water. She then urged me to have a taste saying "it'll taste splendid, mummy!" . I was trying to work out where she'd picked that up, but Peter had the answer. It is all down to Enid Blyton. We have been reading "The Enchanted Forest"and its sequels to her at bedtime for the last few months. Splendid, indeed!

25 yrs of singing out loud....

When did I get old? When did that happen? Not that I feel particularly old, but when I saw a list of hits from the past 25 yrs ago I was startled to see that 25 yrs ago started in 1982 and not 1962......

So, I present: 25 years of songs, som of which I have sung along to out loud (at least when alone......)

1982: “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” - Love that one!
1983: “Every Breath You Take” Will always be known to me as the "stalker song".
1984: “Against All Odds” ....mmm.. "take a look at me noooooow...."
1985:”Money For Nothing” Ahh, the year I started watching MTV.
1986:”That’s What Friends Are For” am embarrassed to say I know this one...
1987:”I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”
1988: "Don’t Worry, Be Happy” cue cheerful whistling
1989:”Like a Prayer” Hated the video for this.
1990:”Ice, Ice Baby” Made me gain weight... "Vanilla Ice?..mmm let me check the freezer..."
1991:”Everything I Do I Do it For You” Loved it then, love it now.
1992:” Jump” Always liked a bit of Van Halen
1993:”I Will Always Love You”
1994:”I Swear” I'll pass on the Boyz ll Men, thank-you.
1995:”Have You Really Ever Loved a Woman” Can't remember (the SONG)
1996:”Macarena” danced to this on my hen's night
1997:”Candle In the Wind” sorry Marilyn - Diana hi-jacked this one.
1998:”I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” Fave Aerosmith song by default since it's the only one I know
1999:” Livin’ La Vida Loca” If you don't know this one, it was popular while you were on that deserted island. Personally, I was looking for an island so deserted that I wouldn't hear this.
2000:”Say My Name”
2001:”Bootylicious” And this is where we lose me. Apparently I turned off my radio in 2001 and never went back. Possibly because I had little children?
2002:”Lose Yourself” I did....... more children!
2003:”Crazy in Love”- What?
2004:”Yeah” Huh?
2005″We Belong Together” Sounds nice, couldn't place it.
2006:”Bad Day”-?? Probably had a couple that year.....
2007:”Umbrella” Really? A number one hit this year? Wishful thinking for a country in drought..

How did you go?