Happiness 101 June 15, 2008

In completely random, as they popped into my head, order here we are:

1. My husband
2. My wonderful Mum and Dad
3. My friends who are far away but close to my heart
4. Toast with butter and marmite
5. My iphone
6. My Mac
7. Blogs
8. The lovely , inspirational, interesting people I have met on blogs
9. Sunshine
10. Thunder storms
11. Kisses
12. The Sound of Music
13. TiVo
14. Great TV
15. His Dark Material Trilogy
16. The Twilight series
17. Nancy Mitford books and quotes
18. Hideous Kinky
19. Okay maybe just books before this turns in 100 favourite books
20. But can I just say YA books (especially E Lockhart), who knew they were so good?
21. Wandering round bookstores
22. Coldplay tickets
23. Snail mail
24. Email
25. Amazon packages
26. Sephora (come to the UK!)
27. Anthropoligie - I could buy everything in that shop
28. The Adam and Joe show
29. Champagne - the taste and the sound when it opens
30. Midnight feasts (see no 4)
31. Cups of tea
32. Iced Tea - nice invention USA
33. Living in America
34. 34 My accent
35. Gerberas
36. Walking in the woods
37. Sleeping late
38. High tread count sheets
39. Bone crushing hugs
40. Finding the perfect present for someone
41. Candles
42. The smell of vanilla
43. Baking bread
44. Manicures
45. Pedicures
46. Taking photos
47. Notebooks and stationary
48. Long words
49. Inspirational quotes
50. Funny quotes
51. Larry the lamb - he’s as old as me
52. White bone china plates and mugs
53. Drinking outside
54. The smell of BBQ’s
55. Cookies
56. Running
57. Snow
58. Peanuts ( the comic strip not the food)
59. Holidays
60. Airports - love that sense of possibility and freedom
61. Laughing so hard it hurts
62. Etsy
63. Scuba diving
64. Swimming
65. Old churches
66. Plays
67. Watching penguins walk
68. The Daily Show
69. This American life
70. The Gabfast on Slate Magazine, I want to sound like Emily Bazelon, I want to be as clever as her too.
71. The sea
72. Walking in the sand
73. The smell of summer
74. Full moons
75. Finding the answer on google
76. Not having to wear socks
77. New shoes
78. Hats
79. Green ink
80. Hot chocolate
81. Possibility
82. Freedom
83. Trying new things
84. Learning
85. My engagement and wedding rings and all that they mean
86. Old photos
87. Photo sharing
88. Twitter
89. Long baths
90. Magazines
91. Buffy The Vampire Slayer
92. Fancy dresses
93. T-shirts with logos
94. Holding hands
95. Random chats with strangers
96. Starbucks
97. Cinnamon dolce lattes
98. Fred Basset
99. BLT sandwiches
100. Lists
101. Comments - hint hint!

If you make your own happy list, let me know. It’s fun and happy making and I could probably have done another 100, which is good to know. So thank you Jordyn whose idea this was and who has a pretty cool happy list of her own.

A Bittersweet Day June 15, 2008

Father’s Day no longer destroys me, five years later it is bittersweet. I can remember my Dad without crying but it’s still painful not to have sent a card, not to have picked up the latest biography and a bag of fudge from Thornton’s for him and not to be able to pick up the phone and call.

I’m glad I got to have him for 25 years, although I could have done with another 25. I’m gratefully for so many things. For his unwavering love and support even when I was screwing my life up. For never saying I told you so, even though he could have so many times. For always pushing me on. For teaching me how to be kind, how to say sorry, how to carry on. For taking me book shopping, writing me stories about imaginary animals, and making me love words. For always saying can’t isn’t in the dictionary. For never missing sports day or Christmas plays. For being my biggest fan. For crying when I got my degree results. For cutting up papaya for me because I love it but hate the mess. For not killing me when I crashed his car, twice, in two weeks. For giving me the best start. For staying up to count the spots with me when I couldn’t sleep. For always checking the wardrobe for dalcks. For all the memories and all the love, thanks Dad.

Okay I lied, I can’t remember him without crying but I can smile through the tears.

Happy Father’s Day to Dad’s everywhere, hope you know how important you are to your children.

Singing in the park June 10, 2008

Last night we made it to a concert, finally! We saw Death Cab for Cutie. I was so excited as I am slightly obsessed with their album, Plans. Not as obsessed as with The Fray or The Weepies but close.

It was an outdoor venue and crazy hot. You know people always say the heat hit me? This heat kind of wrapped itself round us and squeezed till our skin was slick with sweat and breathing was difficult. There was very little jumping about; mainly standing still and drinking water.

Although I had a lot of fun I have issues with the set. First they didn’t play my all time favourite song Summer skin, very sad! Second they played too much new stuff. I don’t know about you but one of the things I love about live concerts is that moment when you hear the first strains of a favourite song and the crowd sort of moves and screams as one. Love it. I also love jumping up and down and singing along so I go home exhausted, with ringing ears and an aching throat. We only got two such moments last night when they played Soul Meets Body and Marching Bands of Manhatten.

They did play I will follow you into the dark, which is so lovely. It’s the song where you get to wrap your arms round the one you love and sway.

Some favourite lyrics

If the silence takes you
Then I hope it takes me too
So brown eyes I hold you near
Cause you’re the only song I want to hear
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere

Soul meets Body

In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule
I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black
And I held my tongue as she told me
“Son fear is the heart of love”
So I never went back

I will follow you into the dark

The youthful boy below
who turned your way and saw
Something he was not looking for
Both a beginning and an end

Brother on a hotel bed

Home is where. . . June 8, 2008

It’s weird that as the taxi drew up at our front door I felt like I was home, considering I was living the old Mother Country and returning to the New World!

Home is where you make it though and for me it is where T is. And where my bed is, I seriously love my bed.  I love having all my stuff round me and I LOVE  being back with wireless, broadband internet.  It’s wonderful to see a web page upload in an instant rather than so slowly you want to punch a hole in the screen, yes I do have patience issues!

I also love TiVo, I’ve been gone for nearly two weeks but all my shows are there waiting to be caught up on.

Anyway it is nice to be back, thanks for all your lovely comments.  They were great to get and it was nice to still be connected to you all, I really missed reading all your posts

More later, I am feeling the need to post today.

Lollipop May 23, 2008

Robin hadn’t heard the Mika Lollipop song that inspired, okay that I stole for my 40PC this week. So for anyone else who doesn’t know the oh so talented, and oh so cute Mika here he is -

Mix Tapes May 21, 2008

For all of you who remember the satisfaction of hitting the play/record button on the tape deck at exactly the right moment, go and check out this web site.

I really love it.  I had a quick hunt for my old mix tapes but I can’t find them.  I do remember that T used to write the songs names for me in green fountain pen.  Which at 18 I thought was the coolest thing ever.

Although I can’t find any I’m pretty sure these songs would have featured.  The anthems of our youth, first love, only love and all that.

Live Forever - Oasis

Half the World Away - Oasis

Wonderwall - Oasis (Did any mid 90’s mix tape not include this song?)

Common People - Pulp

Heronine  - Suede

The Two of Us - Suede

Teardrop - Massive Attack

China Girl - David Bowie

Girls and Boys - Blur

Perfect Day - Iggy Pop (anyone remember the BBC ad using this song?)

Something in the way she moves - James Taylor.

Mix Tapes, love them.

Sounds of Summer May 10, 2008

Adam and Joe are doing a whole show on summer. Things you love, things you hate and music that evokes it.  Luckily they have not made us suffer Summertime by Will Smith, yet.

We have had Girl from Mars by Ash which takes me straight back to 1996 - the first summer of me and T.  What I remember is lying in the grass, sitting outside at the pub, late buses home, kissing in the street, making mixed tapes, going to Glastonbury, sleeping late, converse trainers, reading Jane Austen and Jilly Cooper, BBQ’s, A’level results! Thankfully I have blanked out completely the hell of working at Asda (the early morning shift 5.30am to 11am - ouch).

So what songs remind you of summer?  And what do you love/hate?