Race for Life, Sheffield June 2014

When I first thought about joining the crowd at this year's Race for Life several months ago, it seemed a long way on the future. I have never joined in anything like this and felt it was high time I did. The day arrived all too quickly and today the sun shone, the crowds gathered and 5,000 women donned pink T-shirts and race numbers and ran, jogged and walked the 5km around Meadowhall.

We were walking, as were over half of the field, so we were towards the back of the crowd and took over 10 minutes to reach the start line. The four of us all had our bunny ears, so we could find each other, (Sue is taking the photo) and we managed to walk the 5km in just under and hour.

It was quite warm and we were happy to see this.

Well done everyone who took part, everyone that helped organise it and everyone who stood and applauded our efforts. 

A fun event to join in.

I have a plan but shhhh... don't tell anyone!

After discovering that my book title had been used, I have spent the last couple of weeks cogitating.

And it's worked... I have a new title. My illustrator will re-design my cover and work can proceed...

But, it'll stay under wraps for now, don't want to risk this happening again.

In the meantime, I have a new timescale - end of September publication.

That should give me time to promote it ready to become a Christmas present for all those people who don't know what to get someone...

Watch this space!

The Wrong Colour...

I like blue, my bathroom is duck egg blue, I have a number of blue items in my wardrobe.

I like blue.

I have blue liquid soap, it gives an aura of cleanliness, antiseptic... maybe I believe what is on the label.

I have blue disinfectant, it makes me believe those germs have been obliterated.

So why do I have trouble with blue shampoo?

I use a lot of the Herbal Essences range, I like their shampoo. I am currently using this one and I struggle. It has coconut, which is white, and vanilla, which is cream... so why is it blue?

It feels like I am washing my hair in antiseptic hand-wash. I thought it was the bottle that was blue, but it's not, it's the shampoo.

My hair feels good after use, it is just the perception. The bottle fits my colour scheme, but the shampoo pushes my boundaries of putting a blue lotion on my hair.

So it will remain on the shelf as part of the accessories and I will return to my trusted cream coloured shampoo, and then all will be well in my little world again.

Now, I wonder what else is the wrong colour...

The Case of the Missing Birthday Card.

So, OK, this is just a way of publicising that today is my birthday in order to remind anyone who has forgotten, and for those who did remember, thank you for your cards and birthday greetings.

I had 4 cards to open this morning, more expected from the postman's visit later. I opened them over breakfast and, as I had an errand to run first thing, I stood them all neatly on top of the boom box speaker next to the TV cabinet.

Errand run, I returned home to find Brandy laid on his blanket with one of my birthday cards next to him, the corner having been nibbled away (both my dogs have always enjoyed eating cardboard, but seemed to have given up the habit over the last year or 2)

I delicately retrieved it from him, so as not to upset him too much and went to replace it, when I realised how carefully he had removed it from the top of the speaker box as the other cards remained in place, undisturbed...

Or so I thought...

It didn't take me long to count the multitude of cards and re-count to identify that there were only 2 left standing, the half-nibbled one in my hand made 3...

One was missing.

I scoured around the speaker box to see if it had fallen down the side or behind the tv cabinet... nothing.

I checked all the bed areas we have for the dogs, behind the settee, in the kitchen, under the dining table...nothing.

The only conclusion I can reach is that card number 1 has been eaten in its entirety, not a morsel, a corner, a scrap of evidence remains to say the card even existed. Had I not opened it myself, I would have questioned it's very existence.

So, thank you Shirley & Keith, I did receive my card, read it and enjoy the picture... but it is no more.

Brandy is now snoozing happily with a full tummy.

On the other hand I did get a bit of a surprise when I turned on my computer this morning and found that Google were wishing me a happy birthday... Is there anything they don't know about us?

Have a Great Day Everyone, I know I'm going to.