Word Cloud

I used Wordle to create a beautiful world cloud of our life

I want to make Gingerbread cupcakes

I have had an urge to make gingerbread cupcake for a while now, alright since I got some cute little gingerbread topper sin the supermarket the other day.  I have looked all over the internet for a nice easy recipe and I think I have finally found one. It is from one of my new favourite websites Sally's baking addiction. I am planning on giving this recipe a whirl tomorrow as a treat after I finish my planning.

Do little girls still want to be ballerinas?

I have a vague memory of my time at a school in Surrey, it was after we lived in Cyprus and before we moved to Belgium.  The school were putting on a production, it may have been at Christmas time but I remember it being really sunny,  who can tell with the British weather.

Me with my brother in the dress that got me the lead in Coppelia (1981)

The teachers were casting the roles, and as much as I would like to say that I got my role because of my unbelievable acting ability, obviously at the age of 4 I was an acting genius, I now realise that it was just because I had the most realistic costume.

For years I had this vague memory floating around in the back of my head.  I didn't know what the play was called and my parents can't really remember seeing me in any play!  I have had words about this fact.

Then about eight years ago while teaching in the London school the head teacher arranged for a theatre company to come to the school and put on a performance, in the past we had seen The Little Princess and Aladdin.  On this occasion they were showing Coppelia, I had never heard of it, most of the staff had never heard of it.  We were such philistines, so the head bought a selection of books so that we could read up on it before the performance. It was while reading these books that the vague memory came crashing back to me. The play I had performed in was Coppelia and I had played the title character, all because I had a dirndl dress.

I have since then had a soft spot for Coppelia and when I heard the English National Ballet were touring the country with it I knew I had to go.  I badgered G.O who purchased the ticket through Groupon, I wasn't expecting much ticketwise, but as long as I got to watch the performance I was more than happy.

I will be a mother one day

This pretty much sums it up for me

A visit from Deutschland

I have had a lovely weekend,  it's been a lovely autumnal weekend sunny, fresh and not too cold.  And to make matters better my mum and dad popped over (from Germany) for a quick visit.  We spent the time bimbling around Oxford and doing some big supermarket shopping (Costco and Asda).

It's always great to spend time with them, I love them to pieces they are a pair of nutters though.

Christmas is coming, I better get a wriggle on!

Work has finally begun on mamilein's christmas present. I have decided to make her a wreath.

Oxford Beer Fest

Let's go to the beer festival!

After six years attendance, I think it is safe to say that the Oxford Camra beer festival in the Town hall is officially a Murray family tradition.

You pay your entrance fee and are given a list of all the beers/coders/Perry's that  are available, you also receive either a pint or a half pint glass and a sheet with lots of "10's" on.

You decide what  you wish  to  try and off you go.  You can either have a pint, half or third then they cross off a 10 for every 10p you spend.

After years I know that I do not like ale and so I head straight for the cider area.  Which for the past couple of  years has been in the same room as the pies and  pasties, a dangerous but yummy combination.

G.O uses the opportunity  to mingle and  network and always meets people he knows.  We only have to turn around and he bumps into someone.

I have become cheekier over the last few years, I always like to ask for a sample, this  means when I pay for a drink I really like  it, they servers are always happy to oblige, give advice and make suggestions.

And after a trip to the beer festival has  do we do?  Go to the pub.

Hey there Sofa Bear

I've been a bit off my game, so to speak, recently.  I have been picking up germs left right and centre and have had as much energy as a flat battery.  I am as Mamilein is fond of saying felling 'Schlap Schlap!' 

I have hauled my sorry self into school every day and has arrived home feeling drained and head achy for nearly three weeks now, a quick trip to the doctor has  has no affect.  I just can't seem to shrug this feeling of light headed ness.

My grand plans, to go to far flung places and visit friends all over the globe with G.O this weekend, fell flat on its face.  I didn't leave the house and barely left my cocoon under the duvet.  When I did emerge from my bed I hibernated on the sofa.  I am now officially a sofa bear.

I'm hoping that a now that I have prepared the house for winter, I moved the table away from the heater, I can start relaxing into some cozy evenings on the sofa under my blanket.  I may have to dig out my box set of the Buccaneers to set me up for the long cold evenings.

Let's hope this reinvigorates me and puts a spring back into my step, so we can wave auf wiedersehen to MR.  Schalp Schlap.

Gone Girl

So after being stuck in traffic for over an hour on Thursday, for no reason, I decided that G.O and I should go out on Friday, it's the new Saturday don't you know.  So we went to the local cinema complex to watch Gone Girl.

SPOILER ALERT 

I enjoyed the film, as much as you can enjoy a film about a missing woman and her prime suspect husband.  I fell for it hook, line and sinker.

Needing baby dust

I've had a rough four of days.  I was absolutely whacked Friday night so I went to bed early. On Saturday I felt awful, I struggled to keep anything even tomato soup down.  I slept for much of the day and just couldn't move.  I did manage to take a couple of ovulation tests which had very faint lines.  By Sunday I was feeling better, another test showed another faint positive, we got down to some baby dancing.  I had pains in my side, which along with the tests led me to believe that I was actually ovulation, I was over the moon.  I couldn't believe it, I popped into the GP to have a quick check up. She said that my longer cycles were probably anovulatory, and so on day 21 of my next cycle, I would need a blood test.  I thought nothing more of it, until tonight.  I found blood in my underwear, I think I had convinced myself this would be our month...