Backwards and Forwards

Well what else did you expect on New Years Eve? lol! 


2010 wasn't a good year for a multitude of reasons, in fact, I'd say it was probably one of the worst years I've had. A bold statement maybe, but sadly it's the truth. However, there were some wonderful moments during the year, and it will be those I will keep in mind. Dan finding a perfect job, me getting a promotion and the ever growing, ever changing nature of our relationship which just keeps getting better.


As I said, I'll be glad to see the back of this year, but it's years like this that make you a stronger, better person I think. When you get yourself through the hard times, it makes you enjoy the good times all the more, makes you take that little bit more out of each experience, just in case there is a pothole around the corner.


I'm feeling optimistic about next year, I have set myself a few challenges for the year ahead, I've already blogged about Project 365 and losing weight, but we are also saving for a sofa (exciting I know), I am planning to take a photography course and Dan will be heading back to work at last after his surgery. I don't normally like making resolutions, but the time feels right to pick myself up after 2010 and work on some positives :)


I hope that 2011 is a wonderful year for you all, and brings you whatever you wish for. Keep a positive attitude and don't let the bastards grind you down! Happy New Year! xx

Well That Was Christmas :)

And what a fabulous Christmas it's been so far :) I'm so glad I took Christmas Eve off, as we had a lovely day, and every day since has been good. I can't think of a single low point.
Minor frustrations have stayed just that!! Christmas Day was typical, lots of food, drink and presents with The Parentals. Jenna and Carys were adorable as usual, my parents were enormously generous with gifts and my Mum, as is customary, overcatered massively! I was really pleased that everyone liked their presents as well, we don't have a huge amount of spare cash, so couldn't spend fortunes, so bought personalised gifts for most - the photo calendars were a huge hit with my Sister and Mum, and my Nan seemed to love the photo of the four generations of our family that I had framed for her. Sometimes the simple presents are the best, and the reaction from everyone was well worth the time it took to put the calendars together for them. We even came home to no accidents from The Menagerie!


Boxing Day was in a similar vein, albeit without the roast dinner, but snacky foods which allowed us to graze all day. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with family over Christmas, and it was probably one of the best I can remember of recent years!


Since then we have been at home, Mum gave us a doggie bag on Boxing Day which has kept us in food since then, and we have been working our way through the Carry On box set Dan got for Christmas from my Parents. It's been lovely to be able to chill out together for a few days, having a few drinks and relaxing together, with nothing to do! Heaven!


I have a few things to get sorted in the next few days, a bit of a back to earth of sorts I suppose, but nothing too major, and Friday is the day when we are planning to hit the sales with our Christmas vouchers, and treat ourselves to lunch with more vouchers lol!


I suppose I'd better make the most of it.....I have decided to return to Slimming World on January 3rd, so keep an eye out for a new ticker, hopefully heading downwards all through 2011!


The Big Old List of "What We Got"
Wii Fit Plus
£220 towards our sofa fund
Lush Gift Box
Cinders Ballistics
Russell Brand's Book (well two of them...but these things happen at Christmas lol)
Raving Rabbids Game
West Ham vs Man U programme
2 Raving Rabbids figures
£50 in Love to Shop vouchers
Dinosaur Money Box
Necklace/Watch
Shortbread


PS3 F1 game
Carry On box set
The Expendables on Blu Ray
CK 1
Barnsley Shirt
T-shirt


Amazingly generous, and all greatly appreciated! :)

Christmas!

I'm all done :) It's midday on Christmas Eve and I am now ready. The family cards are written, the last present is wrapped, the shopping for the festive period is all done (and Asda wasn't even that busy), so I'm now able to relax and well and truly enjoy Christmas!


I love Christmas, not the religious aspect, as I'm not Christian, but the whole feeling that is seems to induce in people. Everyone seems smilier, kinder and more likely to do something nice for others. We came in from shopping to a text from Dan's ex asking if he'd like to talk to his youngest today as he was poorly yesterday, a small thing, but one which has really lifted Dan's spirits. What's not to love about a season that seems to bring out all that is good in people? I am now in happy tears after that call. To hear the boys so excited about Christmas and then to hear them singing We Wish You A Merry Christmas has made my Christmas, it was absolutely wonderful. All due to a simple, kind act - Christmas Spirit in action :o)


Today will be spent relaxing, watching the Christmassy fare on television before the huge blow out that Christmas Day will be. I can't wait to be bombarded with Jenna and Carys telling me all about what presents Father Christmas left for them, and playing with just about all of them over the course of the day!


Christmas at The Parentals is traditional, with Turkey, TV and way, way too much food - and I can't wait :)


I hope you all (whoever you may be) have a wonderful Festive Season, regardless of belief, religion or circumstance. Peace, Love and Goodwill to you all xx

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

It most certainly is! I have made a last minute decision to take Christmas Eve off, so as of 4pm today.......IT'S CHRISTMAS! I am really excited this year, so is Hague, and I think we're rubbing off on each other!


He is very shortly going to talk to his wonderful boys, and I'm sure he will get lots of excited talk of Father Christmas and snow! I can't wait to hear them! 


After that call, we shall be settling into Christmas mode! I have 11 days away from work - and I shall be enjoying every single minute of those 11 days!


SO overexcited!!! lol!!!

The 365 Project

If you read my blog regularly you may have noticed the little block of Christmassy pictures that has appeared over there *points to the right* labelled Project 365.

One of my friends on Facebook has undertaken the 365 Project this year - quite a few started it, but she has carried it on all year. I found myself watching for her photos being posted every day, and the idea to start the project myself has been whirling around in my head for several months now.

Every month that passed, on the 1st I pondered starting, but it didn't feel right, but of course, the 1st of January is almost upon us, and so it's the perfect time in my mind to start.

I don't have any themes in mind, I just like the idea of charting every day with a photo of some kind. I know some days it will be a quick snapshot to get a little tick on my internal 365 scorecard, but I'm hoping those days are minimal. I want to try and make each image count, be a record of that day for me. I think I might end up putting them all in a photo book at the end of the year as well.

If I do manage to get the funds together to take the Digital Photography course I have my eye on next year, I hope that I will be able to see a distinct improvement in the pictures I'm taking as well.

So....keep an eye on the little box, from January 1st, there should be a new photo appearing every day! Check me out....a hobby and evryfing? I must be growing up!

Nice Things

Today is Monday, not known for being nice, but there have been niceties in my day so I felt like sharing them :o)

These flowers were given to me on Saturday as a thank you for organising the work party. It was totally unexpected and as I type this they are filling the room with a gorgeous scent, something quite rare from flowers these days, and most definitely a nicety!


The weather at the moment is shockingly cold, well into minus figures so due to the faulty garage door I have to defrost the car, however, driving into work showed me the upside to this sort of temperature. The branches of all the trees were frosted, it wasn't snow on them, they were just covered in a very thick layer of frost - as the frost sparkled in the sunlight the trees just looked stunningly beautiful. Another reminder that I really should take my camera with me everywhere.


I came home to a lovely warm cooked dinner, to a beautiful card from Hague and presents under the tree! Five of them!! To an overgrown, overexcitable immature person like me, this is beyond exciting, and of course very nice indeed!


As I sit here, watching Gremlins, getting cuddled by our cat, surrounded by fairy lights and on the receiving end of a lovely smile from the man I love, I think I can put today down as a nice day all round really :o)

Christmas Spirit arrives at last!

It's less than a week until Christmas and I have finally got the decorations up in the house! This is even more slack when you realise that as a Pagan, I actually celebrate Yule on the 21st, so I'm only just in time ;o)


Regardless of lateness, the house is now looking suitably festive, sparkly and twinkly!  We have 2 trees, 5 separate sets of lights, countless baubles and holly bunches, one singing snowman and a cheesily cute Nativity scene. I think we can safely say Christmas has arrived :o)


It's given me an excuse to have a bit of a play with my camera as well, as I'm hoping to manage a 365 project next year (a photo a day for a year), I'm starting to use my camera a lot more to see what it can do, and what I can do with it!


Looking round the living room now I'm certainly starting to feel the Christmas excitement arriving. I have a mere 5 days of work left, just a few pressies left to wrap and then I'm done, and I can enjoy 10 days away from work, relaxing, celebrating, and spending time with family and loved ones. Which to me, regardless of religion is pretty much the point of this time of year!

Stepping Back

I may come across as someone who is a bit silly, a bit scatty and even childish at times, but I have a worrying control freak side to me.
I tend not to worry about things I can do nothing about, but if I can influence the outcome then I will worry, and worry to a ridiculous degree.
It started off with my ex, who needed encouragement to do anything, as his default setting was not to do a lot. So I would find myself taking the lead, encouraging, cajoling and let's be honest here, nagging to ensure things were done, in the end, it's normally easier just to do it yourself.

Now, I'm with Dan, and much as I love him, he can be someone who will quite happily put his head in the sand about problems and issues if they start to spiral out of control. I know why he is like this, but couldn't deal with being the driving force behind another man and between us we have managed to turn that negative attribute around.

However, much as Dan will now deal with the majority of his problems himself, I still find it hard to stop myself from asking, pushing and encouraging him when he has to deal with something nasty, hard or emotionally draining. This is what has been pushing me over the edge and I now know that I need to step back. It's a simple thing to say, but such a hard thing to actually do! I have such a fear that if I don't push, things won't get done, that passivity will become second nature again for Dan when he has pushed himself further with dealing with things that I have ever seen him.

I think a lot of this boils down to the fact that I know he does still find some things hard, so I want to be there to help him in anyway that I possibly can, and by doing this we have already achieved a hell of a lot together, however, the time has now come for me to ease off the control. I need to believe that if something is important to Dan he will do it for himself, he doesn't need his hand holding, he is a grown man and is more than capable of dealing with any dragons that may appear in his life.

I guess this is what counselling is for, to make you think about your behaviour, and see how it causes self inflicted problems. It has made me think about where the fine line is between support and control, between concern and worrying to such a level that it makes you ill. It has already stopped me doing things which served no purpose other than to upset me, and hopefully will give me a more grounded attitude to dealing with the unpleasantness that life sometimes dishes out. Veering wildly between over optimism and crushing defeatist depression is not a good way of coping!

I can already feel optimism starting to grow again inside me, there is a small spark of the start of a positive attitude, and with the New Year hurtling towards us, it feels like a good place to start :o)

Time is running out......*panic mode*

Christmas seems to be creeping up on me quite quickly. I've not yet finished buying all the presents, the ones I have managed to purchase aren't wrapped. The tree isn't up, the decorations aren't out. I've not even managed to write the Christmas card list, let alone the actual cards! I have 10 days left. I'm working for 8 of them. I am hideously under prepared for a day that should come as no surprise - falling as it does on the same day each year!!


You'd have thought I'd have learnt by now, but I always seem to end up like this, wondering how the hell it's half way through December with me wandering around wondering why Norwich and the supermarkets are SO insanely busy before taking an unwelcome reality check to realise that yes....it really is the 14th of December, I really AM running out of time to get my arse in gear and get my small contribution to the festive spirit sorted out!!


*panics a wee bit more* I think I need a Christmas Fairy Godmother!!

I like it a lot!

After yesterday's blog about my stats - I had a think about the people reading my blog and realised although it's full of my random little days and thoughts, it doesn't contain a lot of information about me - and as my profile is a bit scant I thought I'd post some of my likes :o)

Hopefully it will be interesting for some of my far flung readers to learn a bit more about the person behind my WeirdHeadSpace. Of course, I could have just one reader, hiding behind proxy servers, determined to read whatever inane waffling I post for some reason known only to themselves. I have decided to optimistically cater for the far flung, interesting option A, rather than the sadly pathetic and frankly depressing option B!

So here we go....the random likes, in no particular order, of the MinxyMissKGirl!

1. Hague (the Daniel flavoured one)
2. Snow
3. Rainbows
4. The little people in my life, Jenna, Carys, and Dan's boys (always in my heart if not always in my presence)
5. Living by the sea
6. Walking on the beach
7. The varied animals of The Menagerie
8. Beatiful shoes
9. Beautiful handbags
10. Snuggling in bed
11. The poster on our bedroom door
12. Watching films
13. Being cosy
14. Eating out
15. Italian food
16. Cocktails (especially good Margaritas)
17. Jack Daniels
18. Corsets
19. Stockings and Suspenders
20. 50's style retro clothing
21. Pigtails
22. Mascara (and the never-ending search for the perfect one)
23. Facebook
24. Taking photographs
25. Baking
26. Listening to music
27. Dancing
28. Shopping
29. Lush
30. Vintage jewellery
31. Tattoos
32. Piercings
33. Being silly
34. Cuddles
35. Proper, full on snogging

I think that might be enough for now - a like for every year of my life so far, and a blog that has had me smiling as I type it, so it's all good :o)

Don't be shy!

As I've blogged before, I am fascinated by the Stats page on Blogger. My current figures show that the majority of my views are in the UK, which isn't that surprising to me - but I've had views from 9 other countries as well, including Russia and Israel!


I'd love for some of these random viewers from around the world to say hello! Of course, it could always just be someone using proxy servers.......but I am the eternal optimist, and like to think I have a few people around the world who check in, albeit all on Firefox! :)

Sometimes you just need a good laugh :)

There is nothing like a good laugh to lift your mood. It's been a good weekend, and a very lazy Sunday, which is always a good thing, but a chance link posted by a friend on Facebook has left me helpless from laughter, with tears streaming down my face today, so I just had to share the link here as well :)


Funniest Thing on the T'interwebs EVER!

Please click, you won't regret it - I promise *is still chuckling*

Birthdays and Snow Days and Glum Days

It's been a hectic few days! Tuesday was when the celebrations started for Dan's birthday, although to be fair, most of that was down to the Mighty Hammers and their epic result against Man U in the League Cup! But several bevvies to toast that win turned into a lovely long evening and we didn't see sleep before 4.30am!


Good job I had booked off Wednesday really lol! It was supposed to be a surprise, but being the dimwit that I am, I'd let the cat out of the bag on Monday...oops! Still, the smile on Dan's face when he realised I'd be home for his birthday was lovely, albeit 48 hours early :)


We didn't do a huge amount on Hague's 34th birthday in the end, he had pressies and cards in the morning and we ventured out into town, although as it was abso-bleeding-lutely brass monkey freezing, we didn't stay out for long. Long enough for me to get some candles, a scarf and a new bag though, yes, I know it was Dan's birthday, he did get himself a blu ray though, Alice in Wonderland - which was stunning to watch, the detail just looked amazing in high definition, a truly beautiful film.


Unfortunately I was back at work on Thursday, got to eke out my precious holiday days after all, but it's now Friday, and it started well with me waking up to finally look out of the window and see snow!! The rest of the country has been toiling under inches and inches of the stuff all week whilst Yarmouth has stayed resolutely dry, grey and with a distinct lack of Winter Wonderlandey-ness, but not today! So I left for work in reasonable spirits, soon to be dashed by news of some remarkable contortions by the garage door which had managed to pull itself off the wall and twist through 90 degrees rather than the expected result of just closing when Dan shut it today.


Cue calls to insurers and worry about having a gaping hole in the back of the house rather than a garage door! I came home early as I'm the policyholder, so have to be here (which is another good point in today I suppose - every cloud and all that). When I got here, The Shoes of Utter Gorgeousness mk 3 were here, so I excitedly tried them on.....only to find that my dinky sz 5/6 feet and 13cm heels are just not a good combination, so absolutely stunning, gorgeous, beautiful and delicious they may be, but they have to go back :( Damn that sensible head that appears sometimes!!


TSoUGmk3

Aren't they beautiful? Breaks my heart to send them back, but a girl as big as me just can't spend all night on her tippy toes!


So - not the best of days......but....it IS Friday, the weekend looms, tomorrow I am at the hairdresssers so goodbye boring hair, hello glossy black and mad colours. We're off to the House of Delaunay's as well, for a double celebration of Dan and Gary's birthdays, so as always, things to look forward to and to smile about!!