It may have come to your attention that all of a sudden I am becoming slightly more prolific with my posts than I have been previously. The reason for this is that I am suddenly at a loose end and need something to do to fill my spare time other than housework - when my children are at home I spend my time with them.

I finished my college course last week and it wasn't until the day after I handed my last couple of assignments in and got everything signed off that I realised just how intense it has been since September. In that time I have written 42 assignments which looking back I can't quite believe. And I've achieved the equivalent of As and Bs at A-level which isn't bad for a girl who left school 25 years ago with just one grade C at GCSE (maths in case you're wondering).

If you're reading this and are considering doing an Access course then I would say go for it. I've loved it, yes it's been hard at times, especially when I've ended up falling behind - I was really ill for a few weeks and couldn't do any work and then just as I caught up from that one of my friends was involved in a car accident and I was visiting her in hospital most days which meant I fell behind again but got myself caught up.

One of my tutors told us we would get bored very quickly once the course was over and I didn't believe her. I've got far too much to do to be getting bored....  Yep, she was right! I'm even going in next week to talk to the potential new students for this September which I'm quite looking forward to.

I'm quite sad to have left, I loved the history classes and the random discussions with the tutor (the one who said I'd get bored) about all sorts of strange things and we had a really good laugh as we both have the same sense of humour (which is a good job really as I finished one of my presentations off with a very bizarre and amazingly well photoshopped picture of a topless Hitler which she thought was hilarious).

I'm also going to miss the friends I've made as a lot of them are going off to various different universities around the country, but a few are going to Lincoln, albeit on different courses, so hopefully I will get to catch up with them occasionally.

My favourite little pens

The title is slightly misleading as I have a few favourite pens but at the moment I am seriously loving these Inkjoy mini pens from PaperMate. I love them so much I have bought several packs of them, partly because I don't want to run out of them and partly because my children have taken a shine to them too (and yes, I have bought some of them their very own too).

I bought my first pack of them because I thought they were cute but it wasn't until a study skills class at college that I really started using them. The class was on note-taking and one of the tips was to use different coloured pens. Now it sounds like a really obvious thing to do but I hadn't thought of it and once I tried it I haven't gone back to using a black pen. I find having my notes in different colours makes finding the info I'm looking for so much easier than trawling through pages of black writing.

Now, I know this sounds weird but although these pens also come in regular size I don't think they're the same and I will only buy the mini ones. They're really handy to have around and I love using them. They're smooth to write with which is yet another bonus. My only complaint is I used one of the black ones for an exam and after all that writing it went a bit 'blobby' and made a mess everywhere.

You can get them on Amazon cheaper than in the shops although they do tend to be an add-on item but that just gives you an excuse to order other stuff. My local WHSmiths had a load in their bargain bin the other week and the only reason I can see is because it was different packaging to the ones they had at full price in the pen section (yeah, I took advantage of the half price offer....)

Anyone who knows me knows that I have an immense love of stationery. Even as a child my favourite time of year was at the end of August when it was time to go and buy new pens, pencils and pencil cases in time for going back to school. Even now, many, many years later I love that time of year when all the shops have got their stationery ready for that first Tuesday in September.

Thanks to the wonders of modern technology and the internet the options have widened beyond the limited range in WHSmiths or Woolworths and I am discovering that the world of stationery is huuuuuuuge!!! I recently discovered a website called Typo thanks to a blogger who is also crazy about stationery and I had to place an order.

First of all, who are they? They're an Australian gift, stationery and lifestyle brand that have become available over here in the UK. If you like quirky fun stuff then you'll love them (and if you don't, and you prefer boring stuff then you'll probably find them far too frivolous for your liking!!!)

Now, admittedly it wasn’t a big order that I placed, I still have several things saved on my wishlist, but I couldn’t afford to buy everything I wanted in one go. I also just wanted to test out the quality of their stuff first too (and having received it I am disappointed that I didn’t buy everything I wanted lol).

I wish I had taken a photo of the box the order arrived in, it was brilliant, and everything was well packaged inside.

I got the A2 mat for my ‘new’ desk (another post for another day), a lovely rose gold pen holder and a box of fab map pens (maps are another big love of mine, so maps and stationery in one are even more exciting than either on their own!!!)

So, would I recommend Typo? Hell yeah!! When you sign up for their newsletter you get a 20% discount code as well which is fab. I will definitely be back there for more goodies sometime in the future.

Muse - April 9 2016

As my eldest son, R, is a huge fan of Muse and they announced a new tour just before his birthday it seemed like a great idea to get him tickets as his birthday present (fortunately he agreed this was a great idea). My partner is also a Muse fan and has wanted to see them live since 2003 so he too was very excited about going. Now, I have to admit to not being a huge fan, in fact not really a fan at all. I thought their music was ok, although I absolutely love Psycho and find myself singing one particular line in my head when dealing with particular people. One of these days I’m going to end up singing it out loud though, lol. Anyway, I went along for the ride especially as it was in Manchester.

After a day wandering round my home town and introducing R to the delights of some of my old haunts we joined the crowds heading to the Manchester Arena and found our seats. By the time we’d booked the tickets back in September there weren’t a lot left so we were right up at the top in tier two which for me and R wasn’t exactly fun as we looked down from a great height, at least until the seats in front of us filled up and we felt a bit more secure that if we were to somehow fall we would be caught by the people in front (that was until it was pointed out there would be a domino effect..)

It’s been two weeks since the concert and I’ve been trying to think of a way of describing it other than AMAZING!!!!!! But I can’t. It was just amazing. And I wasn’t even a fan until about 30 seconds into the first song. Then they played Psycho second and that was it. You know it’s a good show when it’s finished and you think “oh, is that it??” and then look at your watch and discover that actually 2 hours have just flown past in an amazing, breathtaking blur! Now, I love New Order more than any other band on this planet and their show last year was amazing but, sorry guys, it was nothing on Muse. I still love you, but Muse were just even more AMAZING!!! (Am I getting across that I like it at all??)

I would love to talk you through it song by song but as I say it passed in a blur so I will just show you some of the photos we took. I must apologise for the fact they are not great quality as they were taken on my phone.

This guy, and another one, spent the whole show on the rig waaaaaaaayyyyyy up above the stage.

This gives an idea of how high up we were

Throughout the show these globes came out from above the stage and floated around above the audience and then went back onto the rigging again, they also changed colour.

At intervals throughout the show screens dropped down from the rigging that had images projected onto them. During 'The Handler' holographic hands appeared above the band with strings coming down from them so the band were puppets being controlled by these huge hands in the sky. It looked amazing (have I used this word too much yet???)

At one point during the show huge balloons were released into the audience. The idea, I think, was for the audience to knock them around and eventually burst them, releasing confetti onto those below. One ended up on the stage which the bass player popped with his bass and then of course the rest of them ended up on the stage so he chased them around bursting them to huge cheers and much applause from the audience. That was definitely the funniest part of the show.

Above are some of the images projected onto the screens.

The only thing that could have made this show any more amazing would be them flying a plane round the auditorium above the audience.

Oh........

Yep, they even flew a plane (ok, maybe it was a blimp thing, but who cares??) around above the audience. How amazing is that???????

Next time they tour I'm getting tickets for two shows because I really regret only seeing them once. And yes, I am now a huge fan of Muse.

But, just to show that I still love New Order, here's a quick photo from their show last year....

Yes, we were *that* close!!!

Weekend in Whitby

We have just had a wonderful weekend away in Whitby and now I feel very relaxed and refreshed (after a good night's sleep!!)

A while ago my best friend asked if we fancied going away to Whitby for the weekend with them as they had booked to go for her birthday so we of course said yes. Funnily enough, it turned out that the B&B we booked was only a few doors along from the one they were staying at which was quite handy. As it was Adi's birthday last weekend we decided that gave us yet another excuse to go and then my divorce came through so that meant we could make it a triple celebration!!

We stayed at Launceston Villa which was absolutely lovely and we would highly recommend it. The owners are lovely and the place was spotless, the breakfast was amazing too.

On the drive up we stopped off at the Humber Bridge foreshore for a quick walk and an Abbyo's ice-cream - this is no ordinary ice-cream van!! It is amazing ice-cream and well worth the diversion. I had the hazelnut one and have already decided to try the honeycomb one next time.

After we checked into our B&B we wandered into Whitby and grabbed a coffee then had a mooch around the streets looking at all the little shops and deciding which ones to go into the following day. We found a pub with a lovely view over the harbour to wait in for Mel and Steve and after a couple of drinks went off to find food. After an amazing meal we went onto another pub which had live music playing. I will admit the walk back to the B&B's wasn't quite as pleasant as the walk into the town - living in Lincolnshire for 13 years has ruined my ability to walk up steep hills so I was quite breathless by the time we got back!!

Saturday was spent sightseeing - we did the abbey which may have been more enjoyable had it not been chucking it down with icy rain and a strong wind, but it's a tick on the list of things I'd like to do. There's 199 steps up to the abbey. There is also a road leading up to it with a carpark at the top. Our excuse for going for the easy option was that afterwards we went to Robin Hoods Bay which is lovely, but the steep slope is, well, very steep!! We had another wander around Whitby in the afternoon, had sandwiches in a lovely little cafe with a 1940's blitz theme and bought a few bits and pieces for the children.

Saturday evening was spent relaxing with our friends again - fish and chips (of course!!) then onto another pub that had live music and real ales which we had to sample - it would have been rude not to!!

After a huge breakfast in the B&B on Sunday morning we checked out and headed to York going via the North Yorks moors rather than taking the main routes. It's beautiful up there and has been added to our list of places we want to go camping.

We both love York and really enjoyed our wander round, taking the occasional stop off for a coffee in some of the lovely independent coffee shops around the city.

While we had a fantastic weekend, I have to admit it was lovely to be back in my own bed last night and I had the best night's sleep I've had in months after all that fresh air and exercise. Now I'm home and refreshed I'm ready to crack on with my outstanding assignments for college and to enjoy the rest of the Easter holidays with the children when they come back later today.

Long time no see....

So, it’s been two years since I last updated my blog. Once again I’ve been useless at this blogging lark. Does it make it any better that I have regularly thought about writing posts for the blog, but the longer I’ve left it the harder it’s been to actually get round to it.

If you know me, or you’ve followed my previous blogs, you’ll know things tend to change a lot for me!! My last post was about me having met a lovely guy (G) and being really happy and of course things have moved on somewhat since then!!!

I’m no longer seeing him, we’re still friends as he is a really nice guy, but two years ago I decided I wanted to be single and stay single. I loved having my own space and spending my time how I wanted to and not worrying about anyone else apart from my children. I decided that I would stay single until my children were grown up and then I’d consider another relationship, but until then I’d be happily single. There was no way I would consider having anyone move in with me, as I say, I liked my space far too much and really didn’t want to share it with anyone else apart from the children.

A week or so later I got a message from a friend I’d met at dancing a couple of years earlier but who I hadn’t seen or heard from for over a year. He wondered if I fancied meeting up for lunch and a catch-up…

Well, to cut a long story very short, despite me being adamant that I was staying single and under no circumstances would be allowing any man to move into my house we have now been living together for over a year. Sometimes, no matter what you do or say, if you’re meant to be with someone then you’ll end up together….  And yes, I am happier than I ever could have imagined!!

One of the (very many) things I love about Adi is that right from the very start he has been adamant that the children come first and has always taken a genuine interest in them and wanted to get to know them, accepting that each one of them is an individual and that they all have their own quirks and likes and dislikes. The first time he came round to meet the children they immediately took to him and there was a moment when my youngest asked him if he’d play a game with him. Adi got straight down on the floor and played the game with him and that little voice in my head said, “He’s the one!!”

It’s lovely to see how well all of the children get on with him, he treats them with respect although he also regularly makes them groan with his awful jokes. My eldest especially has developed a good relationship with him and they will have a laugh and a joke, often at my expense, lol.

Apart from all of that excitement there’s been lots of other things going on too.  I’m no longer studying with the Open University, instead I’m currently doing an Access course at my local college and have been offered a place at Lincoln University which I am incredibly excited about. I had signed up to do the Access course way back in 2009 but a wobble in my confidence about my ability to do it and no support from anyone around me meant I gave it up before I even began, but studying with the OU made me realise that I could easily do the Access course if I could cope with the equivalent of second year at uni level study and Adi has been incredibly supportive, to the point of giving up his job and taking a more local one with flexible hours to help me out when I’ve needed it. I know if I’d ever had a moment where I thought I couldn’t do it then he’d have done whatever it took to make sure I didn’t give up.

In other exciting news I am now divorced at last. It’s been six years but I now have that piece of paper that marks my freedom.  Once I’d got over the initial excitement of receiving the final paperwork I did feel a bit like when it’s your birthday and you don’t actually feel any different to how you did the day before but every now and then I have moments when I think, “I’m free! I’m free!” The children all took the news well, as I had expected them to as it’s been so long since I left their dad anyway. They did ask if I was going to change my name now but I like my surname, I chose it for us when we all changed our surname about 10 years ago because my married name was just so horrendously awful. So, the answer is no, I’m not going to change it just for the sake of it.

As exciting as getting divorced was, something even MORE exciting happened last year – I went to see New Order play live for the very first time (for me, not for them!!). I’ve been a fan of theirs since the late 80s when I was growing up in Manchester and I still have very vivid memories of listening to their CDs on my discman on the bus to college of a morning. Yet in all that time I’ve never seen them live. Adi bought me the CD of them playing at Bestival and I told him that next time they do a concert I’m going to see them no matter how much it costs, so you can imagine my excitement when they announced last year that along with their new album (which is fantastic) they were doing a tour and I managed to get the first tickets for their Wolverhampton gig as soon as they came on sale.

The show was amazing, not only were we first in the queue (much to one fan’s disgust as he apparently is always the first in the queue but we’d been there for an hour already when he turned up) but we also got to the front of the stage and just happened to be right where Bernard stood for most of the show. I can’t put into words how fantastic it was to actually see them play live and to be in a crowd of several thousand people all singing along together.

Of course, being human we’re never satisfied, and getting to see them once wasn’t enough, next I decided I have to see them live in Manchester where it all began. No prizes for guessing where we’re off to in July…..!!!!!!

I’ve seen quite a few music and comedy gigs over the past year or so – Josh Widdicombe with my eldest was just brilliant. He is absolutely hilarious live, we will definitely be going to see him again next time he tours. Joe Lycett was really good too although I was really surprised that he was on in such a small venue with only a couple of hundred in the audience. Sarah Millican was good, but not as good as I was expecting her to be from seeing her on TV.

We took my 15yo to see Imagine Dragons last year and they were amazing. I have to admit to not knowing their music that well until that night but the show was amazing and I am now a huge fan. We hadn’t planned to take her to it, but I got two of my other daughters tickets to see Panic! At the Disco and didn’t want M to feel left out so knowing she liked Imagine Dragons I looked to see if they were touring and it just so happened they were on in Nottingham the following Friday, hence a very quick purchase. It was M’s first concert and it was so lovely to see her face, she absolutely loved it, and I happened to bump into someone from college too   Panic! Was fab too. That was S’s first concert and she loved it too despite the noise. Amazingly, although we were a long way back in the queue we managed to get into the front row for that too so both girls were extremely happy!! Next week it’s my eldest son’s turn and we’re going to see Muse which I’m sure will be great too.

Happy New Year!

So, it's New Year, the time to look back on the previous year and look ahead to the new one stretched out in front of us like a big blank page ready to be filled in with all the things that happen to us over the next 12 months.

2013 was quite a good year for me.  I fulfilled several ambitions, started on yet another Open University module, made a big decision and had a lot of fun times with my friends and children.

It didn't end too well, my Christmas plans went out of the window when J developed appendicitus and had to have surgery on Christmas Eve.  He was such a brave little man, didn't complain too much, was really good when they gave him the anaesthetic and when he came round afterwards he told the nurse looking after him that "It hurts a bit but that's to be expected as I have just had an operation".  Awwwww!!!!!

He recovered really quickly and was eating and drinking very soon after he got back up to the ward.  We had to stay in two nights so we woke up on the ward on Christmas morning and being very tired and a bit emotional I shed a tear or two when I discovered that Santa had left a pillowcase of presents on J's bed overnight (I must have been fast asleep as I normally wake up at every little sound when I'm in that place).  What a lovely thing to do for all the children, and he even left me a box of chocolates.

We did get a big Christmas dinner in the hospital before we came home which was nice, then it was back to the house to wait for the rest of the children to come back from their unexpected stay at their dad's and opening more presents.  Three of J's older sisters and his brothers all made him get well soon cards which he seemed pleased with (his eldest sister didn't as she was at home alone keeping things running here).

We had our Christmas dinner on Boxing day and then a quiet rest of the week as I was exhausted and a bit stressed out plus J needed to fully recover as well.

So, it wasn't our best Christmas ever but I will hopefully make up for it next year with them as long as there are no more emergencies.  It wasn't my worst one either though.  That was 10 years ago when I lost a baby just a few days before Christmas and then the central heating broke down at 7pm on Christmas eve.  Now *that* was a shit Christmas!!

No photos as they're all on my phone, sorry.