Journal Your Christmas day 2 - Scarey Clause

The only times as a child I remember meeting Santa Clause for the traditional "sit on my knee little girl" experience were at the annual Christmas parties held at my Grandmother's work. I'm sure there must have been others but I cannot for the life of me remember them. I was a shy child who was often too timid to join in party games so meeting a strange man with an obvious fake wig beard and having to sit on his knee and talk to him while everyone else watched was not something I enjoyed especially. But, y'know, the rest of the party was great. I'm sure there was food and music and the rest. But what I remember was the dread of having to get close to Scarey Clause.

And twenty-odd years later in 2004? I have a photo of a tearful Chook being carried up to meet Scarey Santa at her playgroup party. Mini-Me right enough. *g*

My poor wee Mum, doing the tearful festivities all over again!

Blogtober day 30 - flashback Friday

I got a new phone yesterday. A nice new shiny Galaxy S something-or-other (I am very much a droid girl) and it got me thinking about how far phones have come in the last few years. Now, did I have any photos of old phones? I didn't think so until I remembered the Overlooked Project. Overlooked was a scrapbooking series that hoped to document the everyday and one of the prompts was the contents of your handbag. So in May 2008 this was mine.

Ha! What a great wee snapshot! A baby Goya (Chook's sooky blanket), the best Urban Decay make up and, yes, my phone!

I loved that wee Sony Ericsson, it was my first internet capable phone and my last non-smart one. I am finding it hard to believe it was only 8 years ago at Christmas that I got it, it looks so archaic and like a brick now!!

Blogtober day 23 - Flashback Friday

Short and sweet from me today. I've been finishing off the wooly chicken hat and it got me remembering my favourite hat Chookie has ever had. 

My mum bought it for her from Monsoon when she was 18 months old and it had a matching scarf and gloves.

See the wee fairy? It was so cute and she actually got a few winters out of it, she's three and a half here.

And why do I have specific photos of it? Coz I'm a scrapbooker and that's what we do. *g* 

Blogtober day 16 - flashback Friday

Holiday photos!! No, not this holiday (aren't you glad) but first holidays.

First with spouse before he was even fiance, just boyfriend. It is May 1998 and we've been going out since January. We're having a weekend at Alton Towers and this is the only photo I have of the two of us - I did propose to him later this afternoon, though. *g* It was supposed to happen on the Oblivion rollercoaster but it broke down and it threw me so much I took the rest of the day to do it! A very romantic "fancy getting engaged" as we passed the hook-a-duck and whack-a-frog games. Heh heh.

And this is February 2006 and our first family holiday in CentreParcs in Cumbria. Chookie is three and choked with the cold and it was so cold the lake was frozen! But we had a great wee break, nonetheless. And it would be another five years before she knocked her tooth out at a different CentreParcs.  Tsk.

There may be one last hotdog legs post tomorrow,  our last day before heading home tomorrow night! You have been warned. 

Blogtober day 9 - flashback Friday.

I spent some time with friends today under really sad circumstances. Another of our number has lost a parent so at the ripe old age of 41 I am the only one of my four oldest friends to still have both a Mum and a Dad. *blinks* I'm pretty sure we are the unluckiest group of friends in Scotland. But it got me thinking and I fished this out a scrapbook. 

This is us in the Autumn of 1994 - I am bottom left with the Mary Stewart Masterson in "Some Kind of Wonderful" haircut. Or so I thought. Heh heh.  Two of us have just turned 20, two of us are still only 19. So very young and clueless!

I think this is the oldest photo I have of the four of us, someone is always missing in the others - usually behind the camera! A random man in the pub asked if we wanted a photo of us all, I can't thank him enough. And yes, that looks like a lot of vodka (maybe with a Southern Comfort thrown in) alongside that beer! 

Blogtober day 2 - Flashback Friday. Terrible Twos!

My brain hurt trying to decide on what to do for today's nostalgic photos. But when I was chatting about yesterday's song choices I got stuck thinking about Chook being two and doing the Green Day Stomp. So, here she is on her second birthday. Finally with barely enough hair to put a clasp in and a burst bottom lip. Which was fairly common back in the day - she did like to break her fall with her face.

And here is me also aged around 2 - that's my (very young and hairy) Daddy. I think this is his twin brother's wedding and, somewhat unbelievably, I remember this photo being taken. Not my first memory, either. 

Now I haven't any of Spouse being this young but we do have this one of him full of mischief. Others in the set have him with his younger brother as a young toddler so I think he's about 4 here. Great coat, eh? The 70's - the decade style forgot. 

Y'think that's where Chook gets the cheek from?

Definitely.

Blogtoberfest day 31 - the ghosts of Halloween past

Since this is my last Flashback Friday and since my Chook isn't dressing up for Halloween this year I am being indulgent and revisiting our past dressing-up efforts. We've had some stoaters!

2003, age 1. The Wee Devil.

I didn't dress her up for her first Halloween when she was 3 months old so this is her first fancy dress experience. There were fluffy horns, too, but toddlers and many props = many things to chew!

2004, age 2. Fu Manchu.

My Dad brought this wee set of jammies home from a business trip to Hong Kong when Chook was a wee baby. That eyeliner took days to wash completely off!

2005, age 3. The Faiwy Pwincess.

A special request for the nursery party. "A faiwy pwincess wif a 'parkly dwess and a cwown on she's head." D'aaaw.

2006, age 4. Marie the Cat.

A small obsession with Maria from the Aristocats gives us this wee cutie.

2007, age 5. Trick or Treat the My Little Pony.

This might be my favourite. Well, second favourite. Made for her first Halloween disco at school the headpiece is a cornflake packet and some paper mache. I'm still disgruntled she didn't win anything. *g*

2008, age 6. The Cute Bat.

Amazing what you can do with an old brolly! And she was insistent on the "cute, mum please!"

2009, age 7. A Unicorn.

No, this is not the pony head recycled. I had chucked it out about 2 months before. Curses!! Still, I'd had practise making one.

2010, age 8. Harry Potter

A school challenge for an entirely recycled costume gave us this cute Boy Who Lived. Hedwig is a paper machied softener bottle and Harry's wig is an orange net with wool hooked into it. *g*

2011, age 9. The Goth Fairy.

Ah, yes. Growing up this year! This was a super comfy outfit, too.

2012, age 10. The Steampunk Adventurer.

So THIS is my favourite. And her only winning costume from all the school and Beaver/Cubs parties. Not that I'm counting. Or anything.

2013, age 11. Marceline.

The vampire queen from the Adventure Time cartoon last year. That was a surprisingly fiddly prop, that big axe bass.

So that brings me to the end of the Halloween costumes. *sad face* But there's still Comic Con! *yay* Also it's the end of the month and the Blogtoberfest challenge! Thank you for sticking with me, I am looking forward to a few days away from the 'puter and I bet you're all glad. *g*

Blogtoberfest day 30 - Thankful Thursday

Parents. We all have them in some sort of capacity whether you are lucky enough to still have them or have contact with them or not - we're not quite at the stage yet of cloning humans! Here are mine at their wedding 40 years ago.

Now I was quite old before I realised not everyone gets the same gig with parents. I was 20 when my then-boyfriend asked whose favourite I was. At my puzzled look he elaborated that he was his Mum's favourite and his sister was his Dad's. I was mildly horrified and stumbled over my "my parents don't have favourites!" reply and put it down to his family being a bit odd.  Of course, as a not-so-naive 40 year old I now know that, indeed, some parents DO have favourite children. And - even worse - some don't hide the fact!

I am constantly shocked by other people's families. We have a few things going on just now within my larger family. A wedding, a significant birthday, serious illness. And I have friends and colleagues going through a lot of the same things. What always stuns me is how unsupportive and downright selfish some people are to the people who should matter most and what a difference it makes when people DO have a thought outside of themselves. I'm particularly thinking of my uncle (my mum's brother) currently sharing the burden of Wee Granny's palliative radiotherapy with my Mum. She often says how lucky she is to have him.

But those familial bonds obviously don't magically appear or spring forth fully formed. They are like little saplings that need watering and nurturing to do more than just not die - duty will get you so far but it's a bit like existing and not living. And MY parents are awesome gardeners. Our saplings (my brother's and mine) are now a mature silver birch and rowan and we've added to our little wood with a beech, a willow and a wee holly tree. *g*

Mum and Dad being very glam at bro and sis-in-law's wedding in 2006.

So today I am thankful for winning the parental lottery. It really is pure luck who you are born to and my folks really mean it when they say we are the most important thing to them. So thanks to the universe and my Mum and Dad for being marvellous. Although lets get some more photos taken, eh? I have almost none of you both!

Blogtoberfest day 24 - flashback Friday

I don't watch a lot of telly. Normally maybe an hour in the evening of whatever Spouse is watching. But I do have a history with the old goggle box of watching shows not aimed at children.

My mum assures me this was a favourite when I was about 3! "Man from 'Lantis!!!"


Because children's programming in the 70's was miniscule my other favourites were The Muppet Show and this.


Then my Doctor when I was 6 or 7.


And then Friday nights watching this with my mum - I must have been 12 or 13.


And when I was 16 was anyone NOT  watching this?!


Heh heh. So how 'bout you? Any weird not-really-for-kids programmes you fondly remember?

*editing* I've been browsing YouTube and found 3 more classics from pre and early teenhood.

My great love of P7 when I was 11. We used to play this in the playground. I wanted to be Glynis Barber - that's my maiden name. Heh.


I LOVED St Elsewhere.


And this is the best tv theme ever written. Ever. Stewart Copeland, what a man.


No more. Promise.

Blogtoberfest day 17 - Flashback Friday

Yes, I realise that this photo isn't a flashback unless you count yesterday as historical. But little Temple who loves my lap (he's on it right now as I type this - he's really too big but insists on trying to tuck himself in) got me thinking about all my past pets. I obviously have the wee man and big stupid Jones currently. Chook has fish. 

Before the cats we had our lovely ratties. This girl, Riley, was my blog header when I first started blogging in '09. She and her sisters Sniffy and Riley were Chook's 5th birthday present and were the dearest wee creatures.  We had our boys, Wilson and Zepplin after them. I know they are not everyone's cup of tea but in my opinion rats are the BEST small animal you can give a child. They are big enough to comfortably handle, affectionate, clever (trainable!) and clean. 

Going further back? Chook had guppies as an older toddler - fish mad at 3! And pre-parenthood spouse and I had fish, gerbils and zebra finches. And when I was still at home? My main teenage pet was this chap, our Fox Terrier, Dan. He was the best wee dog. I think this photo is in 1989 when Danny boy is 1 and I am 15. And, yes, I see Chookie looking right back at me, too. Spooky.

I had a bunch of gerbils in my early teens. And the house had various budgies, fish, hamsters, a wee white cat called Peanuts. But before all of them there was me, my third birthday portrait and our cat, Lucy.

D'aaw, right? I have almost always had pets and am at the stage now where the house just isn't right without animals. 

Blogtoberfest day 10 - Flashback Friday

I am about to delete my Facebook account. It's something I've been pondering for several months. Maybe as much as 6. It's my least favourite virtual hangout - here and Instagram being my two favourites. Poor old Flickr shot itself in the foot becoming too difficult to interact with and Facebook? Well I haven't been impressed with the changes the last few years. You know, all the privacy type stuff. Anything you "like" showing up in all your friend's feeds (unless the post itself set to friends only), photos you are tagged in being visible to friends of friends (so strangers) and - the biggie for me - everyone knowing when you are online. Now, I obviously have no problem with putting personal things on the internet. But my surname, my location and the names of my family are kept very low key. And, crucially, I am in control of what is seen. I can't control who sees it but I can allow (or not) what is seen. Facebook wasn't giving me that security. There's other things, too, but those were becoming bugbears for me. And it just wasn't fun anymore.

Ironically, this photo was posted on FB by a friend of a friend.  That's me on the left!

It's taken in my friend's student flat in Dundee in '95 or '96, that's her on the right. We were best friends for a loooong time and by this point could hold a conversation with eye rolls, eyebrow lifts and lip curls! Happy days!

So the cold turkey starts tomorrow or Sunday. And I will miss George Takei. But not all the other nonsense.

Blogtoberfest day 9 - Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for a man who has his own hobbies. Hobbies which are consuming enough for me to have lots of time to myself for sewing and knitting and the like - introverts should definitely marry other introverts. *g* (and I do mean the proper definition of an introvert - not someone who is shy. They are not the same thing!)

When we were newly engaged, Spouse (then "Fiance", I suppose......yuk) decided he would have a bash at restoring the old '84 Mini he had inherited. She was nicknamed Bogus which was soon shortened to "The Boag." Here she is round the back of our flat.

(Spouse and Boag, 1998)

We didn't have a garage ourselves but Spouse's folks did and they only live a few miles away. So off she went and work started. I think he told his mum "about 10 weeks" would sort her. *cough-yeahright-cough* This is the wee darling about 7 months later getting her first wee bit of new paint!

And, of course, there was a bit of a rush on since we wanted her in our wedding photos! Which she was. Coz, really, what's not to love about a powder blue Mini? Nothing, I think you'll find!

(Wee Boag, 1999)

Except. As a daily runner? When you're starting to think babies? Not ideal. So 6 months after she was finished we sold her on, bought a proper adult (boring Volvo!) car and Spouse started on his first classic restoration. On his 30th birthday we travelled to Telford (about a 6 hour drive) to pick up Harry Snotter, his 1961 Ford Anglia. He needed quite a bit of work done!

(Harry Snotter, 2000)

And here is my birthday boy. After a pee stop, I think. *g*

And the timescale for Harry? I think was ten months. Things hotted up a bit when I fell pregnant and "oaft! I better get on with the car then, eh?" was uttered. I think Chook was almost FOUR when he was finally finished. But, again, what a magnificent car.

(Harry being shown by his new owner, 2009)

To be fair, there had been another resto halfway through Harry! I got a VW Golf GTI Mk1 for my 30th and it needed a bit of work. So 6 months were lost there and Harry temporarily went to live with my brother-in-law and Gazmatron was prettified. Relatives with empty garages? Priceless.

(my beloved Gaz, 2005)

But only 6 months after finishing Harry? He was sold on and Stinky Eric came home!! So named by almost-five -year-old Chook who proclaimed "he's stinky, Daddy, take him back!" You can see what she means though, eh? He's from 1973 so is older than me!

(why is he called Stinky Eric? *sniggers* 2007)

And once again, he did a phoenix and resurrected a brilliant car.

(Spouse and Stinky's RetroFord magazine shoot, 2012)

And how long did he last finished? A year? Not sure it was that long! He was sold and then Ming, later called Lucky, came to stay.

(Mingin' the Mini, 2013)

That's not our garage! That's my brother's. Weirdly, all our relatives have their outhouses stuffed full of anythingtheycangettheirhandsonquick! these days. *g* Wee Lucky actually got some racing done, too!

(Ming - now Lucky - 2013)

So with Lucky gone the garage is empty. I suspect not for long since there is money burning a hole in his pocket, a plan and a car viewing tomorrow night! Honestly. What a man...

*notes on the photos. These are a really weird mix! From an old instamatic film camera (I think it was blue with sheep on it!) to professional ones for magazine shoots we have it all covered! Much like our cars.*

Blogtoberfest day 3 - Flashback Friday

Just scraping in under the wire here! Thank you all who left a lovely message yesterday about Wee Granny. She is fine. Just the same as she always is but hopefully some treatment will stop things getting messy for her. So I thought maybe I'd share some photos of her as a youngster. Apologies for any photo corners you spy in these pics. They are my copies and consequently in my scrapbooks. 

Granny was born Elizabeth to Maggie and Sandy in 1923. Now we always thought she was born in her home town of Strathaven but when I was gathering all the photos and info from my grandparents about 10 years ago we found out she was actually born here in my hometown!! Her mum was from here and met Sandy (a carpenter) at the local busy harbour. He worked in Stra'ven and that's where the marital home was. It looks like she came home to her Mammy's to give birth! Don't you love this old pram? It's like a bath on wheels!

 This is wee Betty aged 3 or 4. I adore her outfit - those button details on her coat are amazing. This photo makes her giggle "Oh aye, mouth wide open. What a surprise!" Her nickname at school was "Arabocious" meaning having a bit of front. She's a wee quiet woman, my Granny, but was a ballsy kid!

And here she is a young woman - I think this is her 18th birthday. Her hair was her big vanity and she loved ballroom dancing and competed. Often partnered with the butcher's son.

I think this is about the same time - she told me it was about 1941 so she's about 18. Look at that tiny waist!

She married fairly late for the time - into her twenties - and before that worked in a motor garage during the war wiring up the cars. She was demoted for crashing a Studebaker and had to paint the crosses on the side of the ambulances. Up a ladder. She hates heights. So when a cocky GI named Lee badgered her for a date (shaking the ladder and calling her "Tommy" on account of her boiler suit and hair tucked under a baseball cap) she told him to stop or she'd make him. He didn't stop. She poked him with her paintbrush right in his uniform. *g* She got demoted again to scraping the rust off the bottom of the vehicles. And was eventually fired for being "an agitator" after making a fuss over her wee pal Agnes not being paid the same as a man doing the same job. Arabocious indeed!!

I could go on. There are many, many stories I could share. Happy and sad and one or two mental crazy ones. They're my favourites. But I think I'll leave it at pre-marriage Betty for now. She was and still is some fine woman! x

Blogtoberfest day 25 - flashback Friday, vintage dresses

This photo lives in my living room. It is of my maternal Great-Grandfather*, his daughter my Wee Granny and her daughter, my mum. It was taken in our wee town high street around 1960. We reckon Mum is about 4. What I love best about it - apart from the sentimental familial connection - are the fashions. Mum remembers the wee dress she is wearing,  it was red with the white stripes and bows on it. I love that sharp suit Granny has on. And the beret. And oh my,  the gloves. All this for an ordinary Saturday morning trip to the shops? Class.

Vintage style clothes are massively trendy just now. But Mum and I were stunned and amazed when Chook chose this tea dress for her Christmas party outfit! She looks amazing in it, the dropped hem at the back is quirky but stylish and the wee collar is all kinds of modest. But it's really edgy looking on her.

 I've not run them by her yet but I think these shoes will totally rock! Little t-bar patent ballet pumps!

She definitely will NOT go for a rockabilly style pomp hairdo. But I think I might get away with a curly ponytail or small scale up do. It's times like this that I totally love having a girl!!

*My Mum called him Pop instead of Grandpa. And now my Chookie calls her maternal Grandfather (my Dad) Pop in his honour. Dad's not got a bunnet, though. *g*