So, I have been away for a long time - 15 months in fact!! I can't believe it's been so long!!
So much has happened - where do I start?
I failed at a job interview :(
I succeeded at a job interview :)
Mum was very ill - diagnosed with diabetes while in hospital with cellulitis and a bleeding stomach ulcer which was caused by the strong pain killers given to her by her GP. She was then found to have kidney cancer and has had to have a major operation!
I spent 6 months driving to and from Devon every weekend to look after my step-dad as he couldn't cook, wash clothes or iron clothes!!
My nan passed away in the middle of Mum being so ill :(
My son got arrested for shoplifting :(
My son joined army cadets -he will be in the army next :)
My new job is fantastic :)
I miss my old work friends so much :(
Guiding took a back seat for 6 months - my husband says :) I say :(
I met up with my school friends after almost 20 years :)
Celebrated 21 years with my hubby :)
Presented at 2 national conferences with my new job :)
Slept at the National Space Centre - again :)
Been awarded the Midlands Chief Guide Award for Services to Guiding in the Local Community :)
So many blog potentials - but no time to write!!!
I will try and write about some of these times as the weeks go on - hopefully you will dip in every now and then and try and catch up xx
Sunday, 20 January 2013
Monday, 14 January 2013
Well, hello there!!
I am back - well sort of - I know, I have been away for a long long time and having just checked out the blog, I realise how long it has actually been!! I have a new job at work and in Guiding - but I will come back soon and tell you all about it!
Speak soon - I promise !!
Speak soon - I promise !!
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
The Alternative Guider's Saturday Night!
This photo shows how I spent the same Saturday night!!
I was fortunate enough to go to the Centenary Camp at Harewood House last year and met some fantastic people - yes they are in the phonebox!
We have all kept in contact via Facebook and have talked a lot about getting together - last weekend was the first time we had been able to all get the time to do it - although one of the crowd was unable to make it at the last minute :(
6 of us made the convoluted trip to Stratford-upon-Avon on Saturday afternoon/early evening and one even brought along Centenary Bear which she bought at Harewood. He was lucky to travel with us for the next 24 hours!
Lots of girly talk, laughter, food and of course alcohol later we left the pub at kicking out time and decided to see the sights of Stratford by night! Centenary Bear got to visit lots of areas too and we had great fun trying to find a different place each time!
We of course went back in the daytime and behaved much more respectively!
We all had a fantastic time and plan to meet up much sooner this time rather than leave it for 15 months!
The plan is to meet up in the Spring but maybe we may be able to meet up for Thinking Day in London -maybe even be lucky enough to get tickets to to Westminster Abby for the service - fingers crossed.
Yet again it makes me realise how much Guiding has given to me and how lucky I am to have met so many people while travelling along the great Guiding highway!
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
What has Guiding done for me?
I have been involved in Guiding since I was 7 years old when I became a Brownie. I spent the next 3 years as one then moved onto being a Guide - this is where I had a slight difference of opinion with the Guide Captain and left when I was 13 years old! Because I wanted to stay I managed to persuade the Young Leader coordinator that I could start as a Young Leader then instead of waiting until I was 14. I was a Young Leader when we celebrated our 75th anniversary of Guiding and was chosen to meet the Guiding light which was making it's way around the country when it arrived at Exeter - that was a great experience.
While being a Guide I started to help out at a local Brownie pack and have never looked back! I gained my Young Leadership Qualification with them, and then became an Adult Leader. I left my home town when I was just 20 and moved up to the Midlands which is where I live now. I took a break for 6 months to settle into my nurse training and then contacted County HQ to see if they could put me in contact with a unit in the city. I was lucky - there was an inner city Brownie pack who needed help. I started to help them and gained my Adult Leadership Qualification and also my Pack Holiday Licence. I spent just under 3 years with them but then due to moving I had to leave them and look elsewhere for another Pack.
The village where I live now was where I moved to and they had a very large Brownie Pack - 48 and girls in total. They welcomed me with open arms needing as many adults as they could persuade to join in.
I stayed there for approximately 3 years when because of work commitments I had to leave. When it was time for me to return there was no longer a place for me - a long story, upsetting, not worth sharing really! - so the then District Commissioner found me another Brownie Pack in a village about 5 miles away who were just starting up and needed experienced leaders to help them out. Off I trotted - 2 Brownie mums who were doing the daunting thing by starting up the pack - they thought I had been sent along to check up on them! After much reassurance, they welcomed me with open arms, we went on Pack Holiday and generally had a fantastic time.
Then I became pregnant and once monkey had been born I took a few months out but eventually had to leave as his tea, bath and bedtime fell at Brownie time - first time mum, slightly anal about sticking to times to get him into a routine!
Fast forward 6 years later - monkey is starting Beavers and I have decided to improve my computer skills by doing a course - meet the Brown Owl of one of the Brownie Packs in the village - the big pack of 48 had divided into 2 - who after she found out what I had done in the past asked if I would be interested in running the other Pack who were just about to loose their Brown Owl.
Of course I said yes! And I haven't stopped since!
Our unit when I took it over only had 12 Brownies in it, so we had our work cut out to get the numbers up! We had a bring a friend night and put out adverts in our local paper and we got the numbers up. 6 weeks after starting with them I had to take them away on a Pack Holiday which had already been arranged by the previous Brown Owl - even though I had my Licence, I still asked the Division Holiday Advisor to come out and visit to check that we were OK! It gave me the opportunity to get to know the other leaders too!
Since then, we've done scavenger hunts around the village, visited the Fire Station, Police Station, had the Teddy Bear Hospital Visit us, as well as the Animal Hospital, we've written to Brownie Packs in New Zealand and Ireland, make pancakes on the top of baked bean cans, we've done chip and welly walks in the winter in the dark and in the spring in the lovely sun, we've had bonfire parties with edible fireworks and sparklers, numerous Christmas Carol services at the local church, carol singing at a local nursing home, celebrated the Pack's 35th birthday, created individual time capsules for the girls, marched proudly through the village on Remembrance Sunday, done time travel (!), looked after our hearts, made Mother's and Father's day cards and presents, learnt about the stars, line dancing, to play the ocarina - ear plugs definitely needed! - visited our local windmill - not to be done again I might add - had a go at archery, had swimming parties, roller skaing parties, created a centenary collage, hama beading, peg knitting, made tiara's, had a go at hula hooping, had a scooter and bike race night, been on Pack Holiday 5 times and slept at the National Space Centre, and our best experience so far, visited London - No.10 Downing Street and Buckingham Palace!
As a Guider I have become a mentor, Brownie Holiday Advisor, District Commissioner, Division GO! advisor, been part of the staff at the Centenary Camp and most recently been a first aider at Charnwood International camp.
Phew
Despite all of these things - the one thing which will stay with me for ever are the friends I have made along the way. There are 5 of us who regularly run the Pack - me and one other every week, the other 3 pop in and out to help keep the adult : child ratio correct but have also done their fair share of every week as well over the years, but now due to proper job and life commitments, have had to reduce the amount of time they can share with us.
I have been away with them with the girls and without the girls - county training weekends, Centreparcs - we have been out for drinks and meals. We have had great times, panicky times, chill out times! But all of them have been times not to forget!
When I look back on my life, Guiding has been a big big part of it. I have done lots of other things in my life which have been just as memorable - meeting my husband, getting married, having monkey, my nursing career, the friends I have met and made along the way - but Guiding for me has given me so much, that I'm not really sure I will have enough time in my life left to repay it!
I will do my best though to give it a go!
While being a Guide I started to help out at a local Brownie pack and have never looked back! I gained my Young Leadership Qualification with them, and then became an Adult Leader. I left my home town when I was just 20 and moved up to the Midlands which is where I live now. I took a break for 6 months to settle into my nurse training and then contacted County HQ to see if they could put me in contact with a unit in the city. I was lucky - there was an inner city Brownie pack who needed help. I started to help them and gained my Adult Leadership Qualification and also my Pack Holiday Licence. I spent just under 3 years with them but then due to moving I had to leave them and look elsewhere for another Pack.
The village where I live now was where I moved to and they had a very large Brownie Pack - 48 and girls in total. They welcomed me with open arms needing as many adults as they could persuade to join in.
I stayed there for approximately 3 years when because of work commitments I had to leave. When it was time for me to return there was no longer a place for me - a long story, upsetting, not worth sharing really! - so the then District Commissioner found me another Brownie Pack in a village about 5 miles away who were just starting up and needed experienced leaders to help them out. Off I trotted - 2 Brownie mums who were doing the daunting thing by starting up the pack - they thought I had been sent along to check up on them! After much reassurance, they welcomed me with open arms, we went on Pack Holiday and generally had a fantastic time.
Then I became pregnant and once monkey had been born I took a few months out but eventually had to leave as his tea, bath and bedtime fell at Brownie time - first time mum, slightly anal about sticking to times to get him into a routine!
Fast forward 6 years later - monkey is starting Beavers and I have decided to improve my computer skills by doing a course - meet the Brown Owl of one of the Brownie Packs in the village - the big pack of 48 had divided into 2 - who after she found out what I had done in the past asked if I would be interested in running the other Pack who were just about to loose their Brown Owl.
Of course I said yes! And I haven't stopped since!
Our unit when I took it over only had 12 Brownies in it, so we had our work cut out to get the numbers up! We had a bring a friend night and put out adverts in our local paper and we got the numbers up. 6 weeks after starting with them I had to take them away on a Pack Holiday which had already been arranged by the previous Brown Owl - even though I had my Licence, I still asked the Division Holiday Advisor to come out and visit to check that we were OK! It gave me the opportunity to get to know the other leaders too!
Since then, we've done scavenger hunts around the village, visited the Fire Station, Police Station, had the Teddy Bear Hospital Visit us, as well as the Animal Hospital, we've written to Brownie Packs in New Zealand and Ireland, make pancakes on the top of baked bean cans, we've done chip and welly walks in the winter in the dark and in the spring in the lovely sun, we've had bonfire parties with edible fireworks and sparklers, numerous Christmas Carol services at the local church, carol singing at a local nursing home, celebrated the Pack's 35th birthday, created individual time capsules for the girls, marched proudly through the village on Remembrance Sunday, done time travel (!), looked after our hearts, made Mother's and Father's day cards and presents, learnt about the stars, line dancing, to play the ocarina - ear plugs definitely needed! - visited our local windmill - not to be done again I might add - had a go at archery, had swimming parties, roller skaing parties, created a centenary collage, hama beading, peg knitting, made tiara's, had a go at hula hooping, had a scooter and bike race night, been on Pack Holiday 5 times and slept at the National Space Centre, and our best experience so far, visited London - No.10 Downing Street and Buckingham Palace!
As a Guider I have become a mentor, Brownie Holiday Advisor, District Commissioner, Division GO! advisor, been part of the staff at the Centenary Camp and most recently been a first aider at Charnwood International camp.
Phew
Despite all of these things - the one thing which will stay with me for ever are the friends I have made along the way. There are 5 of us who regularly run the Pack - me and one other every week, the other 3 pop in and out to help keep the adult : child ratio correct but have also done their fair share of every week as well over the years, but now due to proper job and life commitments, have had to reduce the amount of time they can share with us.
I have been away with them with the girls and without the girls - county training weekends, Centreparcs - we have been out for drinks and meals. We have had great times, panicky times, chill out times! But all of them have been times not to forget!
When I look back on my life, Guiding has been a big big part of it. I have done lots of other things in my life which have been just as memorable - meeting my husband, getting married, having monkey, my nursing career, the friends I have met and made along the way - but Guiding for me has given me so much, that I'm not really sure I will have enough time in my life left to repay it!
I will do my best though to give it a go!
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Guess where I am??
This is one of my proudest moments
I have another photo of somewhere else we visited but I am not allowed to show it as it should not have been taken - naughty Guiders :)
Saturday, 23 July 2011
Things I have done since Feb
I have done lots of things since I last wrote a post - this cake is my favourite picture of all the things I have been to! This was the cake at my baby brother's wedding April - the theme was Alice in Wonderland and instead of a traditional wedding breakfast we sat down to the Mad Hatter's Tea Party - much to my husband's disgust - "where's the proper food?" he muttered under his breath as they brought out sandwiches, finger food and scones and clotted cream!I came to the conclusion that my baby brother must love his wife very much to have this as his theme! The day was great - my new sister-in-law is Italian and so there was a lot of family and lots of Italian traditions throughout the day and it was a one of the best - and weirdest - weddings I have been to.
The little man has been all over the place with Scouts - he has been on a walking holiday over the Breacon Beacons, several night hikes, he had a practice camp in May half term for a local competition camp which was to be held in June - last year they were the worst performing patrol and did not even gain their camping standard! This year they were 3rd in the competition out of 12 patrols, gained their camping standard and were even congratulated on going from last to 3rd by the District Commissioner! My son has worked out that he will be the PL for next year's camp and is determined to win - "we will beat the girls next year Mum!" He was also made a Patrol Leader at Scouts in January - he is only 11 - and has become very keen to try and get his Patrol to work well together as a team and so then enjoy all the activities.
The big event in his calender - and mine - is next weekend. We are both off to Charnwood 2011. This is an international Scout and Guide camp which is held in our area every 5/6 years depending on what is happening elsewhere! I will let you know how that goes but I am hoping that it will be as good as the Guiding Centenary camp I went to last year!
I have spent Bank Holiday Monday with one of my closest friends who has moved away to Suffolk about 3 years ago and although we don't see each other very often we keep in contact via text, email and Facebook!We had such a lovely time - lunch in the local pub, then went to a vineyard and just had a lovely day all round. I wasn't able to stay so had to drive there and back in the same day but it was well worth it!
As a family we have had our first weekend away in just over 5 years! We went to Centreparcs and even though we haven't been to one in this country before as a family - I had been to this one with Guiding in January as a chill out weekend post centenary - we had a lovely time. Hubby and monkey went and did the high ropes activity, as a family we spent about 3 hours plus each day in the pool - monkey mainly on the rapids! - and we played crazy golf on the Sunday. The holiday could have been very expensive but we managed to keep a sensible eye on the money.
A cousin got married about 6 weeks after my brother - a totally different wedding. This was mainly due to the fact that my Uncle is quite unwell and the decision was made to do it quickly and quietly, but it was lovely and we were able to get together as a family and enjoy all of our time together.
Work remains frantic at the moment but that is more to do with the fact that out of 12 staff with annual leave, maternity leave and sickness we never seem to have more than 8 people available to work at any one time and so we are busy. Luckily, we have not had many patients through so things haven't been dangerous!
I have met up with friends for meals and evenings of lots of laughter, I have also supported another friend through the death of her partner's best friend and even went to the funeral to hold her hand while her partner was carrying the coffin in for the service. Even though I had never met Daggy, I was very touched by the funeral - it made me think very hard about what I would like - he was only 45 years old.
We have been to see Harry Potter - both parts of the Deathly Hallows - as a family and we have now seen them all - how sad it has finished! I am sure we will start to watch something else!
Now we are in the second week of the school holidays - monkey is at Mum's until next Thursday and then will be back to go to Charnwood. After that we have another week together and then he goes back again! And then we are in the last week of the holidays and then he moves up to Big School - it only seems like yesterday that he was off for his first day in Reception - not 7 years ago. Time is definitely flying, it needs to stop now!
I promise - fingers are crossed though! -that I will try and write more often, I just need to find a bit of time in my life! See you soon
Friday, 22 July 2011
Hello?
Hello!
I have been away for a long time since my last rant!
Life has been so busy and even though I have had lots to write about I just haven't seemed to have the time to sit and write about it all.
I plan this weekend to sit and write about some of the things I have been doing and then maybe actually try and start writing again!
See you tomorrow :)
I have been away for a long time since my last rant!
Life has been so busy and even though I have had lots to write about I just haven't seemed to have the time to sit and write about it all.
I plan this weekend to sit and write about some of the things I have been doing and then maybe actually try and start writing again!
See you tomorrow :)
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