Ummm…. Psychic Mr Bluecrisps!

Now this is just weird…is it a result of being together for nearly 13 years or something else?

I am a purple and black girl. Not bruising, but colour choices. Today, for example is:

Grey glittery fitflops (yes, I didn’t check the forecast)
Black trousers
Grey swing-your-pants waterfall-type top
Purple/pink/grey striped scarf

And that’s kind of how I rock. Bit of grey occasionally, lots of purple, lots of black. It’s me.

I joined eBay about a month ago, primarily to offload some bits and pieces and then you start searching and finding things you didn’t know you wanted (?).

I decided what I wanted, what I really really wanted, was a pair of Doc Martens, the brighter the better. Found some, did a bit of bidding, won them, kept schtum as we ladies do….

The parcel arrived this morning, Hubbie was there when it arrived and he said:
“What’s that?”
My reply … Enigmatically … “Wait and see” as I wasn’t really sure how he’d take to his wife in DMs.

Before I could open the parcel, he said “they’re pink boots”.

Lol, how did he know? He has no idea of how to use the apps on my phone and wouldn’t have a nose anyway.

Weird, just weird!

What IS my name?

I didn’t like my name when I was growing up. It was too long, no-one ever spelt like correctly – apart from my family. I wanted to change it to Jay.

There were so many variations:
Jeanette
Janette
Janet
Jeannetta
Jinet
and my all time (un) favourite: Ginette.

I was reading something by Kirstie Allsopp yesterday in which she states openly that any correspondence (I took this to be fan mail) received in which the “ie” in Kirstie is replaced by a “y” or her surname is spelt with only one “p”, it’s thrown away without reading it.

I think I’m the opposite, I have got so used to my name being spelt wrongly that if it is correctly spelt, I’m secretly pleased.

My name (and its pesky spelling) originated from my granddad’s name of John; French version of that is Jean, expand that and you get Jeanne (English equivalent Joan), expand further and you get my name (English equivalent Janet).

I had a couple of minutes yesterday so had a quick random search on eBay – you know, as you do – typing in all sorts of searches, wondering what the answers would be.

I typed in “Jeannette” and was quite surprised! I knew that there had been a singer called Jeannette, but also found these:

A street sign in Pennsylvania? Here’s the link. This made me laugh because I used to be a PA and I guess I still am, preparing quotes/invoices/taking messages for a self-employed Hubbie, sorting out medical and other appointments for my children. I’m tempted to buy it and hang it in the house.

Then I found something else which amused me more:

A Moulinex food mixer called Jeannette! Here’s that link. I have nothing against food mixers, I’d better add.

There is also glassware and a bunny (awww!).

It just goes to show, someone somewhere has something that you didn’t know you were looking for, “Jay” now says to me birds, Beyonce’s husband and that pouty woman who used to be in Bucks Fizz.

My name is individual, it’s who I am and if people DO spell it correctly, I’m grateful but I will still read bits and pieces received if they don’t!

Thanks for reading!

A silver lining behind that stress cloud

Yesterday was not a good day – click here for my diary post – it didn’t start well and it certainly didn’t continue well.

One of the downsides about D having a dreadful start was that I wasn’t really focused on what I was meant to be doing. I wrote our Bookworm Wednesday and a review, almost halfheartedly, thinking about my girl and whether her day was improving.

I was meant to have an eye test yesterday, I say meant because I got the time wrong. I thought it was 10.20am when it had been 10.00am. Talk about embarrassing! The opticians were very nice about it and said “don’t worry, it happens”. I never, ever get times or dates wrong, I guess I was too distracted.

Part of me was secretly relieved, I think they’ll be telling me I’ll need glasses for the first time. I had Bells Palsy a few years ago
– to read my post on the experience, click here – and the eye on that side of my face is definitely weaker. You wouldn’t know to look at it, but it is.

So, I know but I don’t, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, another appointment has been made for tomorrow and I left feeling a bit of a numpty.

Someone was outside the shops further down, handing out leaflets and I took one. It was only a voucher for a free Specsavers eye test!

The timing couldn’t have been better and obviously, if I’d gone at the right time (but didn’t, doh!) I’d have paid full price.

The chap handing them out must thought it was his lucky day, not only did I thank him but asked for another. Hubbie is due an eye test too.

So, thinking positive, every cloud DOES have a silver lining! Wish me luck for tomorrow though Jx

Warning by Jenny Joseph

💜Bearing in mind my love of all things purple (see below), I thought I’d share this poem by Jenny Joseph:💜

“WARNING

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter
I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out on my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people’s gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only eat bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beer mats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too
shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Jenny Joseph”

Now I don’t know about the red hat, or brandy (urgh) and certainly not the spitting or the swearing, but I’m certainly practising:

Thanks for reading Jx 💜😍

An empathy moment

Whenever D has a meltdown or is on the way to one or has just done a “bolt”, I will cuddle her tightly – she likes the pressure – and then get her to squeeze on of one my hands.

Sometimes it’s a HUGE squeeze, sometimes it’s not so big but the point is to try & focus all her negative energy and emotion onto something else (my hand), then hopefully she’s calmer, then we can discuss triggers.

So, why am I blogging this? Because my two cats (Itsey & Bitsey) were scrapping this morning, lots of rearing up at each other & paws bashing each other etc.

Even though they’re sisters, from the same litter, Bitsey is nearly twice the size of her sister and she always struts truimphantly away from a confrontation with Itsey’s face kind of “what happened there?”

My 9 year old – T – went over to Itsey, stroking her back and saying “come on Itsey, let it all out”.

Cute & so empathetic, he takes so much in, a very caring son & big brother to D and pet owner!

Laugh out loud moments

The blob became a cat:
In Toy Story 3 there was a scene with Woody & Molly dolly and a big brown blob toy thing Rose up behind them. D became fascinated by this blob toy and wanted one. I knitted her a brown shapeless blob and sewed a face on. Went down well.
Blob thing was at the bottom of our bed. Hubbie was taking something into our room, walked past it and assumed it was a cat. Started talking to it and became worried when it didn’t respond.
Do you think they look alike?