First post in 2012

I've been trying to get back to my blog for weeks!  I finally managed this evening and was horrified to find it's been 2 months since I've written anything on here.  The number of people, I was pleasantly surprised to see from my stats, seems to have increased hugely over the last month which is massively encouraging.  So big apology to anyone who is checking out my blog on a regular basis and I promise to do better............

Writing regularly is one of the things I'm going to make a much bigger effort to do this year.  Talking of this year - can anyone believe we're already at the end of January!
I don't know whether it's my age (my mother says I'm at the age where time will be going faster - according to her once I retire it'll start to slow down again so I'll be clinging to this rapidly speeding train for at least another 12 years before I can look forward to having the time to catch my breath!)

Well - in my last post I was just starting to think about Christmas.  True to form, I ended up wrapping most of my presents late Christmas eve, even leaving a few until after Christmas.  You know, the ones for family and friends you're seeing after the actual 'big day' for another 'big day'. 
But once again I had a great Christmas and wonderful time with my family.  My daughter and son-in-law were great hosts, we spent a fabulous couple of days all together, laughing, eating great homemade food, playing games and just enjoying each others company.

But that was a month ago, everyone is back home and back to work and the new year is well under way.

I'm not a great one for making new year resolutions  - like most people I end up breaking them before the end of January. But I promised myself some time ago that I would work on making more time in my life for just being with people.  It's so easy to say 'I haven't got the time' and get caught up with work, church, housework (OK - I can hear my daughter laughing her head off at that one as housework is my number one pet hate). I do what I have to do and most people who visit me don't run screaming from the flat in terror so I guess it's fairly clean and tidy........most of the time........well, some of the time.............ok, ok, occasionally.......when I know someone is coming and I fly round like a demented Mary Poppins (without the magic tricks.)  
Anyway, I digress  - my point is the dust, clothes not hung up and a bit of general untidiness will always be there.  Precious friends and family won't so, I would rather have a bit of a messy flat, or leave a few things undone at work than miss an evening with a few friends enjoying their company, or offering a shoulder to cry on, or planning a family get together. Those times are what real treasure is all about.

So I'm pleased to say I've made a pretty good start.  I've met up with girlfriends the last couple of weekends for coffee or lunch (or both!), arranged to visit my brother for a weekend in February and even made some new friends after going to a 'singles' lunch last week. I did feel sorry for the one lone 30 year old man who turned up.  He got a bit of a baptism of fire with half a dozen very strong 40/50 year old women -the phrase 'rabbit caught in the headlights' sprang to mind as I caught sight of him at the end of the table.  But I think he survived and might even enjoy having a few older opinionated women giving him the benefit of their experience.....

Well, it's Sunday evening and as most of my 'regular' readers know I normally write in the mornings so this is a short, yes I'm still here post before I hit the sack ready for another week at the office.

Hope you've all had a great start to 2012
God bless and I'll be back soon
Jules x

Can someone please find me 2 more days a week....

Morning everyone - yes, I am still alive and kicking! (well, breathing at least)

I've got a perennial problem at the moment.  As anyone who's read this blog in the past knows I tend to use a lot of my life experiences as material to write about and at the moment I'm so busy living that life - I'm just not getting any time to write about it! Believe it or not I started this blog post over a week ago, hit technical problems and this is the first chance I've had to get back to it.
So this may end up posted with typos, no pictures and generally not making a lot of sense (OK, I can hear most of you thinking  'no change there then...') but I am determined to get something on here this morning!
So firstly I'd like to apologise to anyone who's checked out my site in the last few weeks and thought 'Is she still around?  Has she emigrated?  Where is she??????'


Apart from lots going on I've also been suffering from the bane of modern living - temperemental technology.  You know how it is -slow PC, printer not working, can't download the apps on your new phone.  As much as I love the age of instead searches and having your groceries delivered to your door at the touch of a button I do think there are times when we all crave a much simpler existence.  And I don't think there's a better example of that craving than this few weeks leading up to December 25. 

I'm so pleased to say my daughter and son-in-law have, for the past few years,  enthusiastically taken on the role of 'family Christmas hosts'. This year my daughter is very excited about the 'life size' reindeer she's bought with extendable legs.............I know, she has a very tolerant and understanding husband. 

I (and my 2 husbands) have fulfilled this role many times in the past, as indeed my mum and dad did before that. But now, all I have to do is turn up with a couple of dozen of my home made mince pies, the traditional red cabbage to go with the roast turkey, cooked and just ready to re-heat and a few pressies for the family - especially my 2 grandsons.  Gone are the days of planning lots of meals, decorating the house from top to bottom, filling the fridge, freezer and any other cupboard I can find with lots of goodies, extra provisions 'just in case' and all the other frenetic activity associated with Christmas.  I have gladly passed that on to the next generation.

And I have to confess I'm quite relieved. 

Don't get me wrong, come the week leading up to Christmas I'll be getting in the spirit, realising I've missed the second class post deadline for cards (again!), checking pressies bought (not a lot) and pressies to buy(er - most of them) and be up until the early hours of Christmas morning wrapping, decorating and be-ribboning my offerings before I head off to celebrate with my lovely family.  

Because as lovely as all the decorations, food, drink, entertainment on the telly etc etc are, being together as a family is what we all really look forward to each year and what , after Christmas we'll remember the most.  The laughter, the (slightly drunken) attempts to play Christmas songs and Carols on 'water flutes' (the funniest after lunch game), Nan and Grandad snoring on the sofa in the afternoon.  The number of times my son-in-law cracks a mother-in-law joke (and yes, his 2 sons are following admirably in their father's footsteps!)  But as he keeps re-assuring me he only takes the mickey out of those he likes the most........now, where did I put that bright flourescent green shirt with the paisley pattern on, I'm sure he's going to love for Christmas...........

So just remember - come the big day whatever goody or titbit you've forgotten to get, whatever last minute pressie you couldn't find, whichever decorations you haven't got round to putting up, as lovely as all that is being together with others is what really makes Christmas. Whether famly or friends, quietly at home, in the midst of a rousing Carol service or at a party - sharing with others this wonderful time of year is what makes Christmas.

Christ may have been born in a stable, with nothing but a pile of straw to sleep on but the very first Christmas was celebrated by shepherds, angels and kings  - and tha's the everlasting party I love celebrating at this time of year. 

Well, I knew time was going to be against me this morning but I was determined to get this on so as I don't have any more time to tell you all about climbing the village church tower and playing the Shofar (Ram's horn) early one Sunday morning, or not getting the job I really thought was mine, or the fantastic day out with my daughter at the Christmas Craft fair Birmngham NEC, doing my first talk at Alpha (loved it!) and having my hair cut in a style which everyone tells me makes me look 10 years younger (yes - there are times when a few little white lies from your friends are acceptable..........) I thought I would leave you with a few pictures my brother took around this time last year.


How beautiful are these........From August to December.  I just love the variety of seasons we have and the beauty of each one.

Well, I really must get going.

Happy pre-Christmas couple of weeks and I promise I'll make every effort to get back at this keyboard before we're all ripping off the wrapping paper and eating far more than is good for us!

God bless

Jules xx

Glorious time of the year

This is going to be one of those quick 'Hi, how is everyone' as I really should be getting ready for work  - and this is the second time I've started this post in the last week!
When I startd this the sun was still shining and like most people I'm sure I couldn't quite believe the amazing weather we were experiencing.  Having got organised and put all my summer clothes back in their box, shook out my autumn jumpers and found my gloves I needed to raid my boxes for summer tops and sandals!  But it was worth it. Sitting weekend before last with my brother enjoying a coffee outside a little Italian restaurant in Wellingborough, soaking up the sun and enjoying the beautiful autumn colours so vibrant in the sunlight. 


I played a concert that Saturday night with friends - light classical music, which was enjoyed by all, including us performers.  I've just heard today we raised over £1000 for the Bromham Elementary School in Wardhannapet in India so we are all delighted and I'd like to say a big thank you to those who came and supported us.  Watch out for more concerts in the future.


On Sunday we visited a friend in her new home and then on to my daughter's for a fantastic Sunday roast.


What struck me most about the whole weekend was the people. The food was lovely,the scenery spectactular and the weather amazing.  But the best part of all was sharing those things with people.  Some were family, some friends and some complete strangers. Like the owner of the restaurant who we spent a long time chatting to and found out he is a well travlled man with lots of interesting stories to tell.  Or the elderly gentleman sitting on the seat who was happy to have his picture taken (my brother is an enthusiastic and talented photographer).  He loved it when I said I'd post him a copy for his family and my brother has already printed a copy off. Or the ladies in the haberdashery shop who couldn't believe how wondrful a simple basket of woollooked as a photo with it's amazing variey of colour.

Anyway as I said since then I just haven't had time to finish the post as I've had another wonderful weekend away with my church family.  100+ of us went to a beautiful hotel in Bucks and had a fantastic time together - from 8 months, to 80. Will tell you more about that next time and also get some piccies uploaded. 
Going to quickly get this posted now before people think I've disappeared of the face of the earth!

God bless and hope you're not finding the inevitable autumnal air too chilly
Luv
Jules xx 

Who pinched the last couple of months?......

            Can anyone believe it’s September already! 

I know its September because

a)  my school teacher friend and I didn’t get to have a girly day together during the school holidays despite pledging in June ‘This year we’re definitely going to find the time!’       

b) having umm’d and aaaah’d about taking my light weight summer cover off the bed and putting the duvet back the nights have warmed up again and the hot flushes are back with a vengeance

and

c)  yep, you’ve guessed it, the Christmas cards are in the shops and I saw my first Christmas advert last night!

It’s the beginning of SEPTEMBER – don't any of them own a calendar?  It’s almost 4 months to Christmas day – that’s one third of the year we're going to be subjected to all this commercial hype for 1 day! 

I don’t know about anyone else but I used to love Christmas, which I never even started to think about until well after bonfire night – and that’s when I had the whole family coming for days over the holiday and had all the menus to plan, shopping to do, nagging the ex to get the decorating finished he’d started in April so I could cover it all up with Christmas decorations...................I loved all the hustle and bustle.

But this obsession with retailers ‘being the first’ is one of my absolute pet hates and almost makes me dread Christmas (If only we could get back to it being primarily a birthday celebration - how great would that be????...........).

Back to the retailers - they try to justify their greed by saying they’re responding to consumer demand.  Well, I’d love to meet the consumer who’s demanding Christmas goodies (I’m sure there can only be one!)  while most people are still wearing summer tops, eating al fresco and thinking they might take a late summer break because ‘September is usually a lovely month’.  Everyone I’ve ever spoken to hates all this early hype as much as I do.

The card shops are usually the first, although I think some of the supermarkets have already jumped on the band wagon.  I wouldn’t know because from now to the end of November I deliberately avoid those aisles until it gets to the point you can’t go in anywhere from Lidl’s to Waitrose without being smacked in the face with ‘seasonal items’. 

As I said, card shops are always the first offenders.  They grab the consumer from now on to draw their attention to the fact they have oh my gosh only 15 weeks to get their Christmas cards, wrapping paper, and over priced glittery spangly bits ready to stick all over the presents they’re going to be buying each week from now until early December.  They grab you convincing you the earlier you buy all your paper, cards etc the more organised you will be.  You’ll convince yourself that this year, contrary to all the years which have gone before, if you start now you’ll have a stress free, relaxing Christmas.  You’ll be patting yourself on the back thinking of everyone opening carefully selected presents, wrapped beautifully with coordinating ribbon and other assorted decoration, oohing and aahing over your creativity and attention to detail.    

       The reality is you’ll splurge on cards, coordinated paper , ribbon, bows, festive confetti and numerous other paraphernalia, come home and ‘put them in a safe place’.  You’ll then think ‘That’s enough forward planning for a couple of weeks – I’ll start present buying in October’. 

       The next you know you wake up half way through December , realise you’ve missed the last date for 2^nd class postage, haven’t bought a single present, and it’s 3 weeks to pay day which is 31 December so a fat lot of help that's going to be.

          And to add insult to injury you can’t for the life of you remember where you put all those carefully selected cards, wrapping paper, confetti and glittery, spangly bows!  Oh well, there’s always next year.............

I've had a great couple of nights out this week which I’ll tell you all about in my next blog post (and I promise to make it soon but I really must get this posted and get up! Writing in my favourite place this morning wearing my favourite pyjamas and it’s gone lunchtime!)

But I must just tell you this. The weirdest thing happened – on both occasions the performers, one the ring master (now there’s a clue....) and the other a female comedian called Jo told the same opening joke.  It didn’t make it less funny – I laughed both times but I did wonder if Jo and I had been at the same venue the night before????...................

          To finish off this morning and remind us all summer has only just passed over the horizon on its way elsewhere in the world here’s some photo’s my brother recently took and sent me.  He loves going off with his camera early in the morning and capturing creation at it’s finest. I think these remind us nothing man made can compare with mother natures finest...............

Aren't these just beautiful? 
Check out Matthew 6:25-34 and see if you can see the link

Have a great weekend whatever you’re doing and whoever you’re with.

God bless

Jules xx

Not sure if this is going to work as trying to post from my new android phone. Got this yesterday but haven't had time to really find out what it can do - but enjoying playing around with it. It really is like having a little computer in your hand.

Anyway I know I could play around on this late into the night but must get some sleep. Only got 5 hours sleep last night so going to see if I can get this to load up.

God bless and have a lovely weekend.
Jules x

I'm still here folks!........

This is bliss.  I've finally found the time to write my blog, in my favourite place (propped up in bed) with a nice cuppa the side of me.  Even though it's Monday morning the sun is shining and as I write I can feel the stress and tension of the last few weeks slowly oozing out of my fingers.

It's just been so busy!  The last time I wrote I was preparing for a performance at the show in Bromham.  Now, playing at the local village show may not exactly be the X Factor or Britain's got Talent but to me it was just as big a deal.  There would be quite a few people there who know me.  OK - I did invite my family and made them promise to clap and cheer madly but what are grandchildren for if not to be hugely embarrassed by Nana playing a trumpet in a red sequin dress in front of lots of people...eh?  

Not on stage - but a friend kindly took
some pics of me with his vintage sports car!

There was a big central arena, a small raised stage - and me.  I made sure I was well prepared, had done plenty of practice, felt very glam in my favourite red dress (which I was delighted to find I could still get in to!)  and was there in plenty of time.

My biggest enemy is nerves.  My mouth dries, my breathing gets restricted and lets just say the sound coming out the end the trumpet can end up resembling a pathetic half hearted raspberry rather than rich, melodic tones aka Harry James (for the uninitiated very famous trumpet player with beautiful sound who someone once said I reminded him of.........sure he must have had a hearing impediment..?)

Anyway, as I was driving to the show I did what I often do and had a little chat with my heavenly Father.  After all it was His day and here I was all glammed up and I certainly wasn't going to be singing any hymns today.  Then I remembered my reading from earlier that day.  It was all about offering our gifts and talents up to God, whatever they are, in a spirit of thankfulness and  praise.  So that's what I did.  I said 'Well Lord, I won't be getting to church today so when I play Fly me to the Moon, Tuxedo Junction and Sweet Georgia Brown later it will be my offering of worship back to you.  You're the one who gave me the gift of music - thank you'.
It was the best prep I could ever have done because I can honestly say I wasn't nervous at all, I didn't dry up and I was on top of the world when I came off that stage. And I'm pretty certain the Lord enjoyed my sincere if rather unconventional worship that day.......... 

Close up of the icing detail

I've had a number of projects on in the last couple of months.  I was asked to produce 2 wedding cakes this year (one in July and one in August) having not done anything like that for a while.  The first one had to be completed within a week of the show so it was a pretty busy few weeks.  I'm pleased to say they were completed on time and well received.  There's been a few other things going on as well which have been quite time and energy consuming so it has felt like everyone has wanted a piece of me recently.  Don't get me wrong I love being busy, I like being involved in lots of different things but sometimes we have to recognise we can't do it all, can't keep going at that pace indefinitely. 

Cream sugar roses -
fiddly to make but worth it

I count myself so fortunate that I have good friends and family who recognise when I'm hitting 'burn out' and know just when to lend a sympathetic ear, give a few words of wisdom and more often that not offer their shoulder to have a good cry on.  Yesterday was just such a day and as I said at the beginning of this post I feel the tension which was with me all weekend has maybe not gone completely but has lessened a great deal. 
It's not easy to admit when we feel overwhelmed, when we feel out of our depth or just plain exhausted but it is important to recognise when that's how you feel.  As I said to someone yesterday I'm a tough 'old' bird most of the time and for me, a cuppa, my bible and some quality time with my God, who always has time to listen to me, is all I need to get me back on track.  But there are times when He recognises even I need those few words of wisdom from a friend, that sympathetic ear willing to let me just pour out my heart and big strong arms ready to give me hug.  

I was feeling quite drained and spiritually dry yesterday but  instead of not bothering to go out, staying at home feeling sorry for myself (which is what I wanted to do when I first got up) I did go out.  I did get to church (admittedly only in time for coffee!) and spent a great day and evening with friends, playing and singing, eating, drinking some very nice wine and re-charging by reserves.  During that time they all played their part in allowing me to share how I was feeling and helped me re-charge my batteries ready to get up today and face life head on again.

Yep - my cup may have run dry for a little while but thanks to my faith, my friends and my family once again it's filling up and I'm pretty certain it won't be too long before it's brimming over the top again!



God bless as always and I promise (well, try as I hard as I can) not to be so long in writing again.
luv Jules xx

   

Enjoying a few simple pleasures

I had such a great morning today I just felt compelled to sit down and write.  I’ve been very conscious that once again it’s been about 3 weeks since I had the time to compose a blog post.  And to manage that I had to take 2 weeks off work!

Haven’t got that luxury at the moment but I did decide to have some time to myself this weekend to get on top of a few things.  I’ve got some big commitments in the next few weeks and needed to get myself organised. My friends and colleagues who know me reasonably well think I’m a fairly organised person but like the proverbial swan – all serene and calm on the surface, my family and friends who really know me can testify to the frantic, mad paddling that goes on most of the time in my life!

But hey, I always seem to get there in the end and always deliver when I’ve made a commitment to someone so as the song goes I just get on and ‘Do it myyyyyyyyyyyy waaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy’. (imagine me belting that out, arms outstretched, hairbrush microphone in hand aka Shirley Bassey.....get the picture???.............)

Talking of belting it out, the reason I’ve had such a great morning is I’ve been practicing for my performance next Sunday at the Bromham Show (near Bedford if you fancy a lovely day out).  Now it may not be Wembley Arena (did you see Rock Choir last night – fantastic!) but it may as well be to me.  I love playing, I enjoy performing for others (for those who’ve not read my earlier blogs I play trumpet and flugel) but I have to admit the nerves do get to me.  Which isn’t too handy being a brass player as it makes my mouth go dry (not good as you need the spit!) and my breathing can be affected (do I need to say more????).  So the fair people of Northamptonshire are being treated (not too sure they think of it like that) to daily renditions of my programme to make sure I’m as fully prepared as possible. And I’m drawing some very funny looks whilst practicing my breathing driving the car and walking  round the supermarket.........

I’ve just spent a wonderful hour playing along to my backing CD’s, windows wide open with such classics as Summertime, Tuxedo Junction and some selected movie themes wafting over the rooftops.  Living on the top floor of this old shoe factory means I’ve reached loads of people this morning!  One advantage of being high up is if anyone took it into their head to lob something through the window to shut me up they wouldn’t be able to reach - so I can play on blissfully unaware.....  None of my neighbours have banged on the walls so hopefully they enjoyed my playing as well. Either that or they’re all out!

As with many of us life is a bit tough at the moment on the financial front but as I was playing this morning I realised that many of the things I love doing don’t cost any or very little money.  Fortunately I bought a new trumpet a few years ago and although it’s by no means a top of the range instrument it has a lovely tone.  My flugel is a basic instrument, sold to my Dad by a local brass band who no longer needed it as they’d ‘upgraded’.  But again it does the job and I get such a kick out of its beautiful, fat, sexy sound.  It’s a sort of short, tubby version of a trumpet but has the sexiest sound of all the brass instruments – I always think of it the trumpet as the Audrey Hepburn of the brass instruments (tall and elegant) and the Flugel as – well me! I’ve got stacks of music, some with backing CD’s and other accumulated bits like mutes and stands.  So I have everything I need to get on and play to my hearts content.

So in some ways I think not being able to go shopping as much as I used to, or holidaying abroad, or looking for the next job opportunity (so few and far between at the moment) is not all bad.  It’s made me re-visit so many things which I enjoy, which stimulate and motivate me.  I mentioned in my last blog I’d used my 2 weeks holiday not to go and lay around in the sun abroad but to spend time with friends, then to have a week to myself courtesy of friends who leant me their flat.  I walked, played trumpet, read, wrote and generally re-charged by batteries.  I had such a fantastic time!

Since coming home and back to work it has made me appreciate some of the simplest pleasures in life so much more.  And I am determined to make time to go on enjoying them.  Many of us talk about the work/life balance but how many of us actively try and pursue it?  I got caught up last year in a re-structuring at work which resulted in many of us applying for new jobs both in and outside the organisation.  I wasn’t successful in the interviews I had and was slightly puzzled as I had tried to seek God’s guidance as to what I should apply for.  Then earlier this year I had one of my ‘light bulb’ moments and realised if I had been successful, particularly with one job I applied for, it would have taken over my life.  And that would have been disastrous, for me, for the organisation, for everyone.  It would have drained me both physically and mentally but more importantly it would inevitably have damaged my spiritual strength as well.  I would have found it very difficult to start each day with the time to read my bible, direct my thoughts to others in prayer, and just connect with God before plunging into the maelstrom of each day.  

And that, my friends, is not worth risking for any jump in salary and a fancy job title.  I’m not saying with the right opportunity, ensuring I can keep the balance right, I won’t apply for something if it comes along but at the moment I bring home enough each month to pay my way, keep a roof over my head and have the odd treat.  I don’t go hungry and am able to keep my car on the road, despite MOT & Tax all within 3 days of each other-ouch!  I’m reasonably healthy (could do with losing a bit of weight but am trying....) and as I’ve said many times before have an amazing network of friends and family who encourage me constantly. 

I recently went to the Good Food show with my daughter (her treat) and had an amazing day out. I bought a sushi making kit complete with knife (fantastic bargain at £20) so can’t wait to try that out on her, my son-in-law and assorted friends.   This month it might have to be cucumber and rice fillings but hey next month who knows, it could be prawns, creamy chicken and even smoked salmon! 

So yes, to me the work/life balance isn’t something I vaguely dream one day I’ll achieve.  It’s something I actively pursue because there’s an old saying.  No-one on their death bed ever says ‘I wish I’d spent more time at the office’.  I for one want to be able to say ‘I’m glad I didn’t spend more time at the office – I’m glad I spent my time living and enjoying the simple pleasures of life’. 

As another week starts look out for opportunities to give as well as receive those simple pleasures. I guarantee you’ll enjoy them all the more because they are just that – the simple pleasures in life.  

God bless

Jules xx