Sunday, September 8, 2013

Missing You


 
When tomorrow starts without me
And I'm not there to see;
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me.
I wish so much you wouldn't cry
The way you did today;
While thinking of the many things
We didn't get to say.       

I know how much you love me
As much as I love you;
And each time that you think of me,
I know you'll miss me too.
But when tomorrow starts without me
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name
And took me by the hand.
      
She said my place was ready
In heaven far above;
And that I'd have to leave behind,
All those I dearly love.
But as I turned to walk away,
A tear fell from my eye;
For all my life, I'd always thought
I didn't want to die.

I had so much to live for,
So much yet to do;
It seemed almost impossible,
That I was leaving you.
I thought of all the yesterdays,
The good ones and the bad;
I thought of all the love we shared,
And all the fun we had.

If I could relive yesterday
Just even for awhile,
I'd say goodbye and kiss you
And maybe see you smile.
But then I fully realized
That this could never be;
For emptiness and memories
Would take the place of me.

And when I thought of worldly things
I might miss come tomorrow;
I thought of you, and when I did,
My heart was filled with sorrow.
But when I walked through heaven's gates
I felt so much at home;
When God looked down and smiled at me
From His great golden throne.

He said, "This is eternity
And all I've promised you;
Today your life on earth is past,
But here it all starts anew."
"I promise no tomorrow,
But today will always last;
And since each day's the same day,
There's no longing for the past."
"But you have been so faithful,
So trusting and so true;
Though at times you did do things,
You knew you shouldn't do."
"But you have been forgiven
And now at last you're free;
So won't you take my hand
And share my life with me?"

So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don't think we're far apart
For every time you think of me,
I'm right here in your heart.

attributed to David M. Romano - 1993


 
15 years ago you left us.
Missing you every one of them
xxxxxxxxxx


Monday, September 2, 2013

Storytelling Sunday: September


Oh my, is it that time already??

I cant believe that September has crept up on us so fast....has anyone started the Christmas countdown yet? ;-)

I cant believe it is the first Sunday of the month already, which means that it must be time to join Sian in telling a precious story.

Since it's September, I figured I would tell a love story. Not a common garden slushy one. I am not really a 'romance' kind of person. I like to see the romance in an unconventional way.

I thought I would share my wedding ring since it's our 4 year anniversary this month.

    However, I figured that's a fairly obvious precious and since I am trying to avoid the obvious....!

So, instead, here is something that I hold very dear...




  .....the first present the husband ever bought me.

Professor Yaffle is my favourite character from Bagpuss and knowing this, he rocked home with this little ornament for me. We hadn't been going out for long but it remains my favourite present from him because he saw him in a window and thought of me.
It is a little beaten up (it may have been dropped and repaired a couple of times!!) but I love him and he always serves as a good reminder that my husband knows me better than I realise....

...which has just reminded me of the time he came home from the supermarket with a pair of scissors because my ones had broken. I thought I didn't have them anymore but low and behold....

Isn't it amazing what you keep?!!

The simple things.

 Maybe that is my precious after all.....that my hubby knows I am easily pleased lol


 


 



Friday, August 30, 2013

Scavenger Hunt 4

  1. A few more scavenger finds to share with you.  
18. Your local pub/bar, coffee house or tea shop
This one was pretty easy considering I live within easy reach of a few good ones. The Copper Still is my favourite and I highly recommend it if you are ever in my neck of the woods. Good food, good Guinness and great craic.....and far too easy for me to get to!!! LOL.
 
3. City Hall, Capitol or other similar civic building

This is the civic building in Norwich. It was hard to get a good picture of it with my phone but this was the best one and I like the clock.
 
2. Theater for performing arts (not a movie theater)

Oh, the memories of going to the panto here at Christmas as a kid. Again, a nice big main road stopped me from getting a great picture but yay, I got it.
 
1. Open air market
You can't go to Norwich and not see the market in the centre of the city. Permanently open air come rain, snow or shine :-)
 
 
I will post the rest next week and hopefully, I will find the last couple that I need.....although I think the airplane may be a bit beyond my reach at this stage!!

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Hunting the Gorillas Part 2

Ready for some more gorillas? 

#13: Freddie 'Radio Go Go'
Look at them working together.....such a rare sight lol
 

#14: Whoop! Whoop!
I like this one. It reminds me of comic characters.
 

#18: Georgian Georgie
 

#5: Gareth
 

#46: Walk on the Wild Side



Friday, August 23, 2013

Can I write ok? I think I can!


Hi. My name is Jayne and I am addicted to online classes.

Why?

Well, I am currently doing Hello Story, Grammer-Free journaling and iScrap at BPC and have Design Challenges and The Art + Science of Scrapbooking (sounds very academic right?) waiting in the wings. (Seriously, their classes are great).
I am subscribed for 6 months to Masterful Scrapbook Design and do Story Coach at Get It Scrapped which also has loads of great articles and challenges.
Then there is Kirstins online journaling class Find Your Voice which has just wrapped up (although if you head over there before August 31st, you can download the classes and join the great Facebook community for free or pay $5 for the class from Sept 1st) and 30 lists starts on Sept 1st, hosted by Kam and Amy.

Why am I doing all these classes?
Well, apart from needing a good bit of distraction at the moment, I really want to improve the way I talk on paper. I have a pretty good grasp of the English Language granted, but whenever I read back on my writing, I am never satisfied. I know I am a bit of a perfectionist...that will be the Virgo in me...but I am also not massively confident of my abilities.
What I want to be able to do is write without conscience. To not be looking at the story and thinking 'who'd want to hear that'. I want to remember that no matter how mundane the story may be, someone will want to hear it, whether it's you, my family or myself.

I need to remember that it is good to make mistakes. To write and write and write, then to cross out and rewrite over and over. But I also have to remember not to overthink everything. It doesn't have to be perfect. As long it is readable and I am happy with it.

I want to think outside the box. Write in different ways other than linear. Make a real life event read like a fantasy story. I want the story to be more than just facts.

The LO in the picture is an example of what I guess I am aiming for. It is in response to week 5 of Hello Story where Ali encouraged us to use mathematics in our LOs. Yep, I know that is a fairly daunting idea (especially for someone who took 3 goes to pass her GCSE Maths) but you can interpret it in many ways so I took the main examples and focussed on the plus and equals elements of the subject.

I opted to go for a double page LO as a single page bunched all the photos together too much and I wanted them to breath a little. I cropped the 2 top pictures on the left page as they were of 2 different orientations and since we are dots in the pictures, it helps emphasise us a bit. I don't tend to use many embellishments on my LOs and actually used less paper than I usually do.
I liked how the page turned out....I am finally realising that I am a simple scrapper who likes to edge her pages :-). I tried something different with the journaling as well.

It reads...Its a slow ride to the top and anticipation is high. On arrival, it is a short wait before the cart hurtles down the track. The thrill is high and the shrieks are loud. As the cart floats to the finish post, the dripping after effects of the rising water is felt.

Now, I wouldn't say that I am massively happy with it but I am pleased with how it turned out and now that I have broken through that wall, I am encouraged to keep writing and experimenting and practising....and crossing out.

Who knew addiction could be so much fun :-)

This post is tied in with FYC week 3 prompt.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Hunting the Gorillas part 1

While I was at home, me and the oldest 2 monsters went on the Gorilla hunt.
We didn't find them all but what we did find were fab.
 Here are a few of the ones we found (I hope I have numbered them right....let me know if u have seen them and I have mixed up the names)
 
#47: The Ape'd Crusader
 

#41: Drilla the Gorilla
 

One of the little Gorillas they had around town.

#52: Besty

#11: Gonzo
 
 I will post a few more in a few days. Cool, aren't they?


Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Scavenger Hunt 3

9. something clearly out of place...only on a summers day does the grit bucket look out of place. But since it lives there all year anyway.....
 
 
....my willing assistant points out rubbish which is most clearly out of place!

 
17. candles... aren't these colourful? Found them in a shop in Norwich.

 
14. a mosaic...I am sure I can find a better one but until then, here is the bar area on the Irish Ferry Ulysses.
 


Brought to you with Rindas Scavenger Hunt for 2013

Monday, August 19, 2013

Scavenger Hunt part 2

The nights are drawing in. It's 5.50am and it is still a little dark. Which means that summer is nearly over. So, I better share some more of my Scavenger pictures.
 
13. a fence: I wish I had a story to go with this picture but after staring at it for weeks, I think I will have to admit defeat and just say, here is a pretty fence near to where I live.
 
 
11. animal in a zoo: these little pot belly pigs and their mum live at Glendeer Pet Farm. We had gone there for a work trip and it was great fun. Imagine sitting eating your sandwiches while a llama and donkey look wistfully on at your side.


 
6. monster taking a nap
photo taken by monster #2
 The rare moments where we would get a little break from monster #4 :-)
photo taken by monster #2
 Getting her from my lap to my sister without waking her was some mean feat but we did manage it. Phew!
photo taken by monster #2

As you can see, the last 3 photos were taken by #2.


I took her on a photo walk and she really enjoyed it. She took some good photos, mainly of water and trees but my favourite picture was this one...
 
I really like the detail in the cobweb and the angle to it. Maybe we have a budding photographer in the family after all.
 

Sunday, August 4, 2013

STS- August: Given in love



Sorry about the poor picture but I was a bit impatient to get this documented when I got home :-)

"What's that coming out of your eye, Auntie Jayne?" asks Number 4.
"That's a tear.." I say as more suddenly flow out.
2 little faces look at me with concern as their mum giggles in the background.
Number 3 comes up and hands me a toy car. "Here you go Auntie Jayne, have one of my toys"
Number 4 promptly comes up and does the same.

And that is how 2 seemingly random objects became some of the most precious things I brought back with me from a trip home to see my sister and the monsters.
(Don't mind that my sister giggles....me being able to cry at the drop of a hat has always been a great source of family amusement...the oldest 2 usually join in the mockery but luckily they were out lol)
monster number 4
monster number 3


This is brought to you (by sheer luck since I've only been back a couple of days and had forgotten all about it :-s) via Sians monthly Storytelling Sunday meme. Hop over and have a look at what everyone is writing about and if you fancy it, join in :-)
 

Friday, July 26, 2013

Scavenger hunt

I had planned to have a few 'ready to go' posts while I am at home but time ran away with me.

I have managed to catch up on some posts though and see Rinda is planning a linky on the 31st so thought I'd get a few of my finds up before then.

I am really enjoying doing the hunt and have even found a little helper while I am home ;-)



(An outside bench) ...I have posted several in Instagram (paperwoolthread if u want to see more of my finds so far) but this is my favourite because it is unusual. It is part of the new 'staging area' in the town centre.



(Fisherman) On my phone I cant really see the fishing rod but that's what he's doing. I asked number 2 to pose so I wasn't too obvious. As u can see, she happily obliged.



(Dinosaur) Loved this display when we went to my Uncles favourite hobby store the other day.



(Windmill) I have come across a few windmills in the last couple of days (and my uncle nearly went off the road looking at one I had spotted.!!) but I think Lilliput Lanes version had to win hands down




(Something out of place) rubbish in the river....always depressing to see but number 2 only delighted to point it out once I had described the challenge

(I will put in the links when I get near a computer ....don't know how to link on my phone)


- Posted on the move :)

Monday, July 8, 2013

By Jove, he done it

picture from bbc sports website
Do I need to say anymore?

Well done Andy. You played a great tournament. You played a great match.


Sunday, July 7, 2013

Storytelling Sunday: July

Pictures are wonderful.

They give you snapshots of your life. Things you have enjoyed (or occasionally have not enjoyed). Places you have been. Things you have seen. People you love.

They are precious for bringing back memories that may have been supressed for years...

...I had totally forgotten about that guitar but I remember loving it after finding this picture.

They are precious for sharing stories, even if the picture isn't quite what you want.

They are precious for the images of those that have passed so that you remember them and can share their stories with generations that will never meet them.

But, photographs are not my precious this month.
Because I have found something altogether more fun, heartwarming and memory inducing.

I finally rescued the family videos that have been in my parents storage container for the last few years.

I am not ashamed to admit that when I first heard his voice for the first time in 15 years, I cried.


I can't wait to have a proper look at them and get them onto DVD so everyone can see them.

So far, my most favourite precious to date.

Storytelling Sunday is a meme created by the lovely Sian. If you want to join in or just want to read some wonderful stories, hop over and have a look.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Find Your Voice: Lesson 1

I have always enjoyed writing.
The feel of the pen sliding across the paper.
The skill of forming the letters, then the words.
I enjoy doing bubble writing, dabble in Calligraphy and scribble in all different types of styles.
I can write upside down, backwards and with my left hand. 
I can type with both hands at a reasonable speed.

So, why, as I have got older, has my confidence in my writing become so low?

I was good at English, did it at GCSE and A Level. I wrote stories as a child and always thought that I would end up doing an English Degree (I didn't!)

I devour all sorts of storytelling...tv, films, music, books, magazines, comics, blogs. But when it comes to putting down my words, I struggle.

 I have lots to say. I have stories I want my nieces and nephews to remember in the future. But, how do I put  it into words?

The first step is to look at what I like. So, armed with lesson one from Find Your Voice (the free storytelling workshop by Kristin), I wrote a few notes and this is some of what I came up with.

What is Storytelling to you and what are your goals?
I have been scrapbooking for a while and always struggled with the journalling. Not from lack of stories. More the feeling that no one wants to hear them or what if I don't do them justice. I have an awful tendency to overthink things and that creates a tendency to not go with my instinct, even though 9/10 times, my instinct is pretty good. However, I have just started researching my family tree and it has really highlighted the need for me to get these stories down. 
I want the stories to be interesting, to engage and inform the reader. A little bit of whimsical is fine as long as it has some factual basis to it. It doesn't have to be long but the narrative has to keep the reader involved. A little suspense is always good. 

What are your favourite stories and which storytellers do you admire?
I read and watch pretty much anything. I love fantasy, comedy, sci-fi, historical fiction, social history, horror and the occasional lifestyle/contemporary story. 
Writing wise, the list is endless but ones that spring to mind across the whole word/visual/sound spectrum include: Philippa Gregory, Neil Gaiman, Mark Gatiss, Richard Curtis, Enid Blyton, Terry Pratchett, David Bowie, Ed Sheeran, Ray Davies, Steven Moffat, Julie Kirk, Sian Fair and Ali Edwards.

Ok, now onto Lesson 2!


Saturday, May 11, 2013

Storytelling Sunday: May

I can't get away from them.

They are everywhere. In the car, in the supermarket, in lifts.

Some have words.

Some are just words.

They are sad, happy, funny, moving, informative, offensive, relaxing.

They are guaranteed to change my mood. They usually improve it but sometimes, one can bring it down.

Nearly all of them give me a memory, good or bad, happy or painful.

You know that question, if you had to lose one, sight or hearing, what would it be? I think losing hearing would hurt me more even though it shouldn't affect me since I can sign well enough.

Because without hearing, I can't hear the songs.

And you know what? That is one precious I definately take foregranted.



This precious was brought to you (albeit a little late) as part of Sians Storytelling Sunday.  Hop over and see lots of other wonderful stories from other wonderful ladies. And if you have a preciousyou want to shout about, why not  give it a go? :-)
- Posted on the move :)

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Happy Scrapping Day

I am working all weekend so there will be very little crafting for me :-( (I am on nights though so will get a chance to play when everyone is asleep hopefully)
But I couldn't let the day go past without sharing something with paper so here it is




This is the front cover for my This is Me album as part of the Studio Calico class. It is a fairly random album but has proved to be a jumping off point for me to start properly planning a bigger, more detailed book!







Hope everyone has a good and crafty weekend.
(Hoping to have a precious story ready for tomorrow but chances are, it will be later in the week)
- Posted on the move :)

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

StoryTeliing Sunday: April

 
 This weeks precious is not really mine.
 
It belonged to my Nan...so it currently belongs to my Uncle who kindly let me borrow it. That means he let me bring it out of the country. I am under 'pain of death' to keep it safe.
 
But why, I hear you ask? After all, it is just a book of birthdays right? 
 
 
 
 
Well, sort of. 
 
I won't lie. It does have birthdays in it.
It also has dates where friends/family members have died.
When my dad and uncle had childhood illnesses.
When us grandchildren had childhood illnesses.
When I broke my elbow (imagine the memories that tumbled out when I read that one!)
When my grandparents gave up smoking
dates of in house purchases e.g. when carpet put in, new tv, phone etc
She has even dated when it snowed for some years.
 
It is fascinating.
For me, it not only holds a wealth of information that has helped me date photos or recover memories for my scrapbooks. It also gives me a ton of information to help me start my research into my family tree.
 
I always knew this book existed, just like I always knew that I had inherited my love of lists and writing things down from her (as well as from my mum and maternal Nan of course!)
What I didn't know was just how much there was and how important this book has become to me.
 
I am currently transferring all the information into my own book so I can take it home with me when I visit again in a few months.
 
Until then, I am the proud owner of one of the most precious books in the family.
 
This was brought to you as part of Sians Storytelling Sunday. Head on over there to read more fantastic stores and if you fancy it, why not join in.


Saturday, March 30, 2013

Happy.....Christmas??!!!!! *photo heavy*

Yep, I completed my JYC journal during Paddys weekend and thought I would show it off at Easter.

Nothing like confusing you all.

I will leave you with the pictures but for a quick bit of info:

I used Paperchase album and 6x4 protectors. Loved this format as made it quick to put together
I used the 'Christmas in a box' kit from Shimelle but added a couple of stamps. 
I may add to it. I will make bigger pages of some stories. 

TFL :-)

Oh....and Happy Easter xx


Reindeer provided by a work colleague who knows my love of collecting stuff!!!