Happiness is Family Shaped (by sarah)

Excitement (by sarah)

For the first time since I had Jean really, I am starting to be excited about my future and to see something like a career forming. I am not forcing anything, I am not planning or going down approved routes - I am just going with the flow.

I am creating... well STUFF, art, craft, writing and finding people want me to share in the form of workshops more and more. I am getting more short stories and things published and winning awards. I am using my art to communicate science concepts and helping instill a love of learning.

I am so excited that today I actually got some material for my mum to help me make a new skirt for the Poetry Festival which is currently happening in Cheltenham - I am reading on Friday at the Muffin Man and then I am going to be running two lots of childrens' workshops.

I have also very nearly gotten the contacts of all my close school friends - there are still some wholes but it is getting there 🙂

I feel I have achieved more since January than I have done in the last six years. I am finishing off projects and starting ones I'd wanted to do. Our debts are whittling away nicely and I have my purple carpet and a purple butterfly on the outside of the house. Alaric, David and my Dad have worked so hard on the house - it is starting to be lovely 🙂

I fear slightly writing this incase it all suddenly tilts again but it is all feeling just so right. I still feel sad about science and my health but I can do science later on and the health stuff I have things in place to deal with now - no I am not going to be an explorer ever again, trapsing up mountians but I have the memories of when I did and you know there is alot of fantastic stuff I can still see - even if it is from the lense of someone elses camera.

Life is good at last.

Havering Youth Circuit Choir (by sarah)

Back when I was about 13 I joined a choir/singing group based at Upminster Methodist church - this would have been in the mid 90's I suppose. We primarily did religous musicals like Witness. I just find myself wondering where everybody is these days and what they have been up too.

I am really rubbish with names though so only remember that there was like John, Clare (not sure how it was spelt), Martin and so on. I even went on camps and things with these guys - me and my school posse were basically the youngest members. I bumped into the Clare whilst at Uni at a pub but she was still that older cool person so didn't really establish contact with her and that itself is now an age ago.

Basically I'm posting this because I tried googling and didn't find anything but now there is something so if someone else tries hopefully they will find this post 🙂

Communion Book Launch (by sarah)

Monday saw me and Alaric in a Chapel within the Campus of the University of Gloucestershire. We were going to the book launch of Communion a beautiful work of stark images and deeply bleak words.

My friend Anna Saunders had written those words and as always her work was hard hitting and brought forth those sirens of the id. The chapel was atmospheric set out with candles.

We watched a short film of the images and word with haunting music permeating the wonderful acoustics of the building. Then Anna read some of the poems from the book plus some new ones from a work in progress with the same artist.

The Artist Suze Adams images were the perfect accompaniment to Anna's words.

Here is my very poor photography of Anna reading

This was all followed by wine and a piano accordian player who's name I sadly can't remember.

Alaric as always sat stoically through the whole thing.

You can see larger images by clicking on the photos - I apologies the light levels were obviously very low and I'm still running with a cheap happy snappy!

Brilliantly Big Birthday Bonanza BBQ, Banquet and Baffonary (by sarah)

Friday it all started with the arrival of the alien shroom

a.k.a. my father or Ferfer as he is better known. This was accompanied by the rest of my family as in my mum.

My bro and his wife all of whom got family snuggles 🙂

Jean had been preparing treats for the last few days 🙂

Which she forced people to eat - especially people with April birthdays

I'd been baking too.

Lots of DIY and work on the house was done then Saturday night more madness ensued with the arrival of friends who also had April birthdays - they bought yummy vegan cake with them 🙂

We ordered take away - I set the table up nicely - the 'new' table as in my grandmothers dinning table which had come up in my parents car on Friday. It has leaves that fold out to make it a big table - but there were now 11 people in the house so I went for buffet style.

Food arrived - a mix of pizza, chips, curry, and chinese food. Everyone was catered for 🙂

Including the baby

Aunty Michelle kept giving in and feeding her 🙂

The next day - with five birthdays to cater for we decided BBQ was the way to go 🙂

the neighbours bought round cake too as it was their easter celebration 🙂

Of course it had to be lit first

Then the celebrating began 🙂

My Bro on his birthday celebration 🙂

The weekend also saw scrabble playing

And Music!

A good time was had by all 🙂

p.s. almost forgot to mention the welding and papier mache that took place too!