Snow Days

How thrilling that we have had snow...twice!!! I have been dying for the snow to come to see how Sophie would react and react she did. Firsts are such fun....here are some of my favourite pics.

Human Circus

Andy and I spoiled ourselves this week and went to see Cirque du Soleil at The Royal Albert Hall. I continue to be mesmerized by this immensely beautiful artistic force which challenges the human body and mind with such spectacular feats of strength, elasticity and pure genius. Andy was completely overwhelmed as I was with my first time and it leaves you almost wondering ‘what just happened?’.

I love the fact that this handful of people have somewhere and somehow and at sometime in their life taken up this challenge to do something completely different,  so physically taxing and yet dedicated hours, days, months and  years and years to achieve the ultimate perfection of their artistic and physical expression.

We later discussed the freeing expression of art versus science as Andy has to grapple with both in terms of music and mushrooms. Science, the continual exploration of discoveries and theories that are there to be tested, challenged and proved over and over again. There is rarely conclusion and rarely applause. It is arduous, thankless and time consuming.  

Art of the other hand is a framework to express a feeling, a memory, a colour, a shape and for the most part is not and should not be questioned.  We all live in the circus of life and art is our outlet and, EVERYONE has an artist inside them. I take exception to these judges and critics that challenge whether or not someone is an artists by questioning the ‘statement’ they are making. No need for statements...just let the art be …….don’t try to put art on lock down…..don’t question it…..just breath....just enjoy!

Mrs Overall I presume......

May 26th is closing in on us and how excited we are. The wedding is in 16 weeks and promises to be a beautiful occasion. We have booked the car, the photographer, planned the reception, wedding cake and flowers and I already have my dress and veil in hand. I am so excited. I think Andy is excited too and can't believe that he asked the vicar if Sophie could come to the wedding....he's worse than me!!!!

For Valentines Day we are going to get the wedding rings...his will be a simple band of gold and mine will be simple 'big arse' diamond ring.....sorry Andy but I do love to sparkle....

New Years Eve 2011

This has been a remarkable year with devasting losses and heart felt gains, Both Andy and I have lost our Mums this year and how lucky we were that we had each other to help shoulder the losses that there exactly 6 months apart. Andy's Mum was unexpected and for Andy this was hard. One gift his mother did leave was the chance for his to get close to his brother Archie again which includes a sister-in-law, Tracy and two nephews, Adam and Luke. The gift my mother left me was a second cousin that I'd never met before, Caroline. It was quite incredible as in many ways she is like me and I know we have many years of getting to know each other.

Another tick on the plus side was Andy asking me to marry him and we are now planning our May 2012 wedding, and a white one at that! We have now been living together since June and we are completely happy.

Sophie moved over in July which was a weight off my mind and bank account as it cost a fortune to work through the quarantine regulations. Regulations which we have just learned are being eased in January.......typical.....oh well, I couldn't have left her for 6 months could I!!!!!!

Charlotte moved over and left again after several weeks after she realized she had been hired for slave labour. A family looking for help with ironing, cleaning and uncontrollable children. They had deposited her bed in the laundry room and so most of the time she felt she was in sauna. So, all worked out well in the end as she is now enrolled back in school, has a great job at the Outback and is about to have her 21st birthday.

I miss Tom as I don't get to speak to him as often as I would like. He is immersed in his world, his friends, girls and music. He has had many paid gigs now and was recently featured on a radio show.

I also learned a lesson on stage presence as I had to stand in on a video training session after my boss opted out. All would have been well other than the fact my skirt looked non existent on the high stool and my over animated expressions made me look like a complete lunatic. Oh well, live and learn!!

On a broader note this year has given us the usual losses in the world of sports and the arts. The one that touched me the most was Amy Winehouse. After creating such an incredibly emotional portfolio of music her emotional dependancies could not sustain a longer life.

So as we move into to 2012 I will be planning my wedding, visits to the children, wonderful weekends away with Andy, visits to my friends in and outside London and a renewed will to embrace each and every day as if it may  be the last. I will be my best to be kind and find something nice to say to everyone I may talk to........help people when I can........take time to relax.....don't sweat the small stuff and have faith that everything happens for a reason.

Be grateful that I live in a country which gives  so many freedoms that for the most part are taken for granted and celebrate the rise of the of those with less liberties. We are all the same just wrapped in different packages and carrying different baggage....lets celebrate the differences......

Lets remember to laugh at our imperfections as thats what makes us special. Lets not plan a gym and diet for 2012....instead lets plan how we are going to help make our world a better and kinder place.

Happy New Year.....2012......

Christmas Eve 2011

Christmas Eve was spent with Andy's family in his hometown of Braintree Essex and we had a lovely lunch at a local restaurant where we exchanged gifts and embarassing stories. The most embarassed party of all was Frankie when we made him try on his new raincoat!

Andy's present to each of them was especially touching. We made family albums from all of the old photgraphs capturing his Mum and Dad's early years through to last Christmas. As there was only one copy of each photo, Kodaks albums from scanning and uploadings are priceless.

We attended an evening carol service at St. Marys where we are to be married in May and Anita and David joined us. The church looked beautiful and each child was given an orange holding  a candle for a brief candlelight carol.

Andy was shocked that I knew the words to most of the carols but I had been an avid carol singer as a child until I was asked about which charity the money was going to.....I ask you, how else is a teenager to afford Chrsitmas presents!

What a lovely Christmas Eve.....family and church......sweet and simple but somehow it makes the holiday whole!

T-Rex Cafe - Downtown Disney - December 3rd 2011

The one thing you can never fault the U.S. about is their persitence in presenting the best food in the most beautiful and creative environments.  Downtown Disney is an absolute testament to this very fact. This is the T-Rex Cafe which although we did not eat at was too spectacular to pass by without taking this snap.

Instead we decided to eat at The House of Blues where I have eaten several times before. Unfortunately they had changed the menu which resulted in Andy and I spending 20 mins in the bathroom at Miami Airport. Do not order the Chilli Chicken Wings!!!!!

Bon Appetit!

T'is the Season - Part Two - London - December 2011

We have really enjoyed our run up to Chistmas this year now I am firmly planted in London. We have spoiled ourselves to lunches, to dinners and have eaten chinese duck about eight times. We have drank home made sloe gin, lashings of prosecco and gallons of wine. We have gorged on chocolate and home made biscotti, truffles and are still going strong.

We have seen a circus with three mopeds racing around a 30 feet wide sphere at 70 mph, a singing moose and a fire eater. We saw Andys nephew Adam in pantomine waving a 14 inch pink phallus and in extreme contrast a beautiful film based on a true story of a young mans one week encounter with Marilyn Monroe.

Here are some of my favourite pics.

Sophie has been loving the Christmas season. Her low point was eating the hands off the Christmas monkey (don't ask!!!)......the high point is that she now jumps in the bath by herself to be showered after her daily muddy walk.

Well, lets face it...it's Christmas every day for Sophie. So with one year down and another one about to begin Merry, Merry Christmas.