Catzycradle

I remember the adoring love you showed me as a young child. 
Memories of sitting on your shoulders as the Carnival people passed by and the handfuls of coins we would throw together on the proccession of lorries.
And then after the carnival had passed we would head up to Oystermouth Castle and you would buy me a hillium balloon and toffee apple. 
I remember sitting on the red circular kiddies train and how you would wave to me each time I went round. I felt happy and special; I was your little girl and you were the best dad in the world.
We share a special closeness and a bond that will last all time. 
You taught me to be tough yet gentle.  Those days you spent teaching Judo in the community centre to all the kids and me were memorable.  To this day I swear by the " Breakfall" and I still practice my "Taiotoshi" on my kids teaching them about balance and posture.
The importance of a photograph or a rolling camera has certainly rubbed off on me today; documenting time and history with my own.  You always had the up to date technology, having the job you had and I didn't realise at the time how privileged we were as a family.  But that didn't matter to me; so young and carefree, and always living in the moment.
And do you remember our routine in the mornings?
You would wake me with a " Wakey, wakey, rise and shine" then we would eat breakfast, take our daily vitamins and take the pet dog for a walk around the park.  It's probably your influence today why I feel an affinity with nature and animals...And all those hot days spent on Langland beach; melting icecream cornets and having fun in the sea.  Precious clips of the past  are still fresh in my mind and everything I hold dear.  Only the good stuff is worth remembering! 
I remember the struggle you had and how much it hurt to leave when I was ten years old, but to this day, it was all meant to be: All the drama and all the trouble of the years that followed, with one thing and another, are but a blip and a good standing point to learn life's brilliant lessons.
Without a doubt, the two things that I take after you with, is your sense of humour and freewill. That is priceless to me. 
Brought up on Monty Python, Kenny Everett and the Goodies; what more can a girl ask for - It set me up for life!!
And here we are - still like two peas in a pod - and loving and enjoying life to the max.
I want to tell you and all these lovely people in Blogland, that you are the best  Dad a daughter could wish for.
I love you with all my heart.
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY   XXXXXXXXX

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Until I sort this out my post I have written will not appear.  Can anyone enlighten me as to what this means, please. Cheers!

8 O'clock here in Britain people are going to be switching off their lights in their houses and some businesses.  This is happening all round the world at the same time.  It is being done to support Global Changes and the need to save energy and help the Planet.  So just for those of you who want to get involved, I thought I'd let you know.  The duration is for an hour.  So get your candles and board games out and have some family fun whilst saving energy.

Can anyone advise me on what treadmill to buy?  I need to do speed walking and slow walking, not so much jogging as I have knee trouble.  I've seen a reasonably priced manual treadmill which folds up neatly.  Are these good for what I want to use it for or are they just for running.  I would be very grateful for any hints on the best buy.  Cheers guys and gals.

January has been busy - extremely busy!  I was a dresser back stage for a theatre performance my daughter Bec was involved in.  I was so impressed with her performance.  She is a natural.  Me, I couldn't  do what she does, up on that stage in front of an audience!  So, so brave!  She has only been doing it since Sept. 2007.  She had to do a fill in part at the last minute ( on stage on her own, I may add)!  I would choke at the idea if it was me. 
So I've been preoccupied with my college work recently.  And it seems the Spring cleaning has started early... What I mean is, the house has taken on the messy after Christmas look, and what with this weather - all the windows need a good cleaning! Argh!!!  The paint work could do with a touch up and you know what's it's like, so many things just start appearing, you feel like blindfolding yourself and pretending it will go away.  I'm hoping February might be easier and less busy, so I can catch my breath.
College 2moro and back to Spreadsheets, oh what fun!!  And I'm having a filmed interview about the course itself.  Better look my best - and pray for no rain.  Especially as I pain stakenly straighten my hair and the rain just curls it right back!  I must go and sort my little 'un now, ready for beddibize..Take care..catch you soon....XX

All I want for Xmas.... is a new bathroom door handle!  Imagine this ...... Your hubby is trapped in the bathroom because the spring mechanism has bust inside the door handle.   What do you do?  Firstly you get all the family to stand outside the door smirking and offering useless solutions to the problem at hand.  Not forgetting to have a 2 year old scrambling around jumping on the floor boards, running madly from bedroom to bedroom and generally being excited and noisy.  Still hubby in bathroom trying to jimmy the door from the inside with a knife passed under the door.  Ok I say, time to unscrew handle to get to mechanism which doust trapeth my loved one!  Ahh I also keep a spare screw driver in the bathroom cupboard, in case of emergencies....well who doesn't!  Nope that didn't work either.  2 year old getting upset, kids needing the bathroom and me keeping my head...There's only one thing for it.  Yes, break door down.  But not just any break through kind of kick.  It's gotta do the trick and keep door intact.  So imagine me getting the stance right and delivering the two perfect  kicks, and rescueing my darling from the toilet box!  All that judo I learnt when I was young came in handy after all...So all I want is a new super duper handle that won't break again.  All that is left is a blocked up hole in the door stuffed with tissue.  Well it makes for an interesting Xmas story, especially when guests ask to use the loo!

Anyway a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL and a HAPPY NEW YEAR! From Catzy XX

I just love the changing colours of the leaves.

Hubby came out with a right pearler today.  We went out for the day and visited our special haunt, as it were.  When we got there it was pretty quiet.  Jokingly he turned to me and said "  I went to an agoraphobic meeting last night, but nobody turned up!"  Well that tickled me pink.  We had a delightful day.  We arranged to meet up with my grand parents.  They hadn't seen us for a while, and it was a real treat for all.  Here are some pics from the day:

We had beef stew and dumplings and a bottle of fine wine.  And for dessert, chocolate cheesecake.  It was a lovely evening.  We had candles burning in the garden and a few tick or treaters to the door.  Looking forward to a new prosperous year ahead.  Have started a course in I.T. and enjoying that so far.  Am still doing some painting in my spare time and enjoying life with a full house of kids.  Yule next!!! October it was my eldest's 15th birthday and a week later it was my youngest 2nd birthday.  My daughter's birthday in Dec just before xmas.  busy saving, as you can imagine.  Well a prosperous and happy new year to all.  ( Celtic New Year! Of course)!!

Having already spent over an hour writing on this very subject and losing all had written when I pressed save, I'm not going to go full on into the subject again, in case it all gets lost!
Please visit: www.organic-power.co.uk to get the gen on biomethane fuel.
It's big in the west of Sweden, as they are developing the infrastructure to support biomethane cars, buses, waste trucks and even a train.  It is the best alternative we have to fossil fuel.  It is sourced from waste and reduces the greenhouse gas impact of methane.  With its good fuel efficiency, better performance than liquid fuels with a higher octane rating and clean emissions compared to other fuels, it has enormous potential.  Lack of Government support is the only thing standing in the way of progress in this area.  Support it if you can.

I spent over an hour writing on Organic Power, only to press save and have a page say problem with site.  I have lost everything I wrote by the press of one button.  I feel cheated now after all that time and energy spent on writing something close to my heart.  Oh well...Let's see if "Save" works this time?

For half a day I've been stuck with someone else's blog site.  Everything was in German and for half a day I became Dominic.  One minute I'm going through blogs normally and the next moment, it all changed.  Thought I'd never get out.  Been running virus scans and spy software this afternoon, but I think there is a problem on the site itself.  Anyone else had trouble???

There was an old man called Bill,
Who swallowed a gigantic pill.
His nostrils perspired,
His earholes backfired
And they found his false teeth in Blackpill.

My grand father has been telling me this little poem he made up since I was very young.  When I read kevinwilson's blog, it reminded me of it.

Has anyone had a strange phonecall or message left this morning.  I had a muslim type person leave an unusual message on my answer machine this morning.  This is very strange as I am not listed in phone book.  Could be a fluke call, but would like to know if anyone else received one.  The person said they were Achmed and there was alot of background noise and laughing.  Considering the date 9/11, this seems a bit too weird.  The time of 8.30 was also mentioned.  Could be my imagination running away with me, which is why I thought I'd ask anyway.

I'm in major shock. An old friend and someone who was nearly my step- sister appeared in my local newspaper.  She was found in the early hours, in a pool of blood, having fallen from a 15 foot drop.  She lay 2 weeks in a coma, is 37 and has to spend the rest of her life paralysed from the chest down.  She is a landlady of 2 pubs, with a daughter she dotes on and is a really nice person.  During her time in a coma she has lost weight and is down to 5 and half stone.  She has lost her memory and remembers only things from childhood.  There is suspicion that an intruder entered her place of residence, but the case is still under investigation.  I'm in total shock, as you can imagine.  I haven't seen her for 4 years now and I don't know if I should write to her or what?  Her partner saw her and jumped the 15ft to her , also injuring himself, breaking his foot and hips.
I'm flabagasted at the news.  We spent time together in college on an art course.  She is connected to me in a way I can't explain, even though we were never close.  But I feel so upset over this news and want to contact her, but don't quite know what to say!Please if anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to give me your insights.

What a morning;  well in fact a week!  Been on the phone to British  " How many times can we cock up your valuable payment plan" Gas!  I have rang them almost on a weekly basis, trying to sort out their constant mistakes.  I can't believe how, in this day and age, that people putting information into computers can keep making even bigger mistakes, every ef...ing time I ring them up.  I'm losing my rag.  I rang their complaints line today, and was impressed with the person handling my call.  Mind, I was perfectly polite about the whole matter, and spoke in gentle, rhythmic tones.  One doesn't want to get all het up, does one!!!!  Deep breath.  Arrrrrrrgg!  Well fingers crossed, it's all been sorted out.  One can only hope.

The other issue of the week, has been about furthering my education.  As I have waffled on before, certain problems concerning government agendas and funding courses for people on Income Support, with disability premium....has again reared it's ugly head.  It seems ( and this is from the horse's mouth) that even if I managed to save up and fund myself for an educational course, the benefit would be stopped regardless.  Now I can see you questioning this, as I did, and can tell you that , not only that, but if there is funding available to you and you do not claim for it.......they ( the gov) can stop your benefit and take the amount from you, to the value you of funding that is available to you.  That's grants, bursaries etc.  The career advisor in the university I was seeing, could not believe it and exclaimed I must have got it wrong.  But, for those of you in the same boat as me, be very careful about signing up for courses and give the benefit helpline a ring to find out where you stand.  It's a bummer, as I would have liked to have done a part-time degree in Humanities, but alas and alack, if this is the case on benefits, I'm going to have to find another way to better myself.  It's not so easy when you have four kids(one of which is a toddler), four rabbits, a huge daft dog, a hungry for chocolate husband, two humungous gardens to maintain and a house to run.  Think of all the washing I get through!!!  She says, LOL. Oh and not to mention, a computer which needs desperate up-dating, so that it won't keep switching off in the middle of
things.
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Where does Tarzan buy his clothes ?
At a Jungle Sale.

Did you hear about the monster who was known as Captain Kirk ?
He had a left ear, a right ear and a final front ear!

Is anyone else having the same problem with the new improved blog site?  It's taking a while to get pages up, I'm then finding I'm not logged in and also my computer has been turning itself off, because it can't cope with the new programs in blog.  Arrg!  Just when I was getting used to the old system aswell.  I'm fairly new to blogland and was also wondering how do you get put into Featured blogs??? 
  I could do with an updated computer, especially after I've bashed this one apart!!!

It's crazy I've been hanging on the telephone waiting for an adviser for about 20 mins.  I've been selecting options and holding further, then I finally get someone to actually talk to and they pass me on...so  I'm left hanging on again.  Just when you think great another person to talk to, they get so far and tell you to hang on, and guess what I'm sat here writing this blog listening to a ring tone again - waiting for someone to talk to me again...

.It's only a catalogue enquiry; how difficult is it to check on an item.  Ahh, finally someone with sense- and I am quite curt with her, because I am by now losing the will to live!  She deals with my enquiry very well and I apologise for the curtness and explain what has basically pissed me off.  It's all to do with new systems and new staff you see!!!       Isn't it always?       It doesn't make my phonebill worries any better.  I hardly use the phone for personal chats anymore, because most of my bill is taken up by phoning companies, governmental lines and colleges at the moment. 

Well that's my rant over - I can now relax knowing that they've sorted  my account and paid the bill with my cashback earned.......... or have they?????

In case anyone was wondering what kinda prints geese make, well here it is.  I love the bird and dog prints on the beach sand too.  The geese in the park where I took the photo are mad.  You give them some bread and they chase round the whole park for more.  Funny little creatures!

For angelinthedark, glacerim, sony3, Q-Continuum and lOki_.

Copy these questions, post your answers in your blog and tag five more people. 

1) When in doubt.....use the kipper test
2) The most Tagalicious blogger is.......the one with all the Monopoly money
3) Given half a chance, I would........make the queen live in a council house on benefit
4) I'd rather be........a newt playing the harmonica, while drinking a pond of hot chocolate and ammeretto
5) Who knew that.......a plausible platypus pushed a plucky playmate with the pleadings of a poignant pogo stick!

Well, I'm none the wiser than when I started on my quest for further education.  The advisor was not clued up on where I stand being on benefit and the courses they run at DACE (Dept of Adult Continuing Education) at my local University.  The course co-ordinaters were not available to get info from.  I've been advised to phone up the benefit agency, when DACE eventually print the new revised prospectus, and I can actually choose a course.  So for now it's a waiting game.  I'm going to continue investigating all my options, and just keep my options open.  Thank you for everyone's advice who commented on my blog "Catch 22"- and I will keep you posted on how I get on. 

How now brown cow