365 days past

So, as you do, I've been having a bit of a ponder today. I'm not a fan of new years really, it's always a bit of a let down...however, the idea of a brand new year and lots of new opportunities (as well as the chance to wear my hot new dress) makes today a not too bad day.


2010 has been a year of many things including;

exams, uni applications, a nasty job that sucked the life out of me, a chance to live in a hotel for a week, some terrifying interviews, some hilarious face paint, free champagne, some crushes that came to nothing, some incredible new friendships with the unlikeliest of people, living at a farm, spazzing out about my future, seeing God break in incredibly both financially and through answered prayer, coming to terms with the fact I don't have to do things the same as everyone, starting something I adore, being stretched so much I thought I might snap, cooking billions of dinner, drinking far too much coffee and eating too much cake.

I think if you mixed the above with glitter, books, and the people I love you've got a recipe for a pretty brilliant year, and lets be honest, a pretty blessed life.

I am excited about what 2011 has to offer.
There may be updates with my new years resolutions.

God Bless You Wherever You May Be
xxx

Disgruntled

Don't get me wrong, I love my family, and I love my friends. I love being social, I love chatting, and I love seeing people.

Seven days of seeing family and not getting things done and I am close to shouting. Grrr! Years ago I was an angry person. Now I am much more calm. Or so I thought.

Silly people who don't realise how horribly annoying they've become! Shut up with your stupid comments.
Silly Kings of Leon with their silly new music that is so rubbish.


SILLY SILLY SILLY


I need to escape, and possibly go far far away.

A book will be my method of transportation and I look forward to it.
Farewell
x

Snuggles

Someone said to me the other day, that I (and my friends) are a little like kittens. We find that when we hang out, we just naturally break through all of the 'personal space' barriers that exist between people normally.

It's a little like cats. Often we end up in a bit of a pile, legs and arms everywhere.

I miss them when they're not here. Every girl needs personal contact, and a bit of a head on a shoulder, a squishy hug, a nuzzle, someone playing with your hair. I like it when there are people that are able to break through the careful mask of reserved correctness and just make you be odd.

Hugs are special, and I like that I've been getting lots, and not just on my super sociable Sundays. 

In other news, I am very much enjoying watching too many silly films like Eragon and Enchanted (the kind of stuff you never actually rent, just see on tv) and picking at the Christmas leftovers. There are huge amounts of cheese and puddings and wine in my house. Never good when you're off to Centre Parcs in a few days!

Still, things are nice, I am loving the chilled out time I have and just pottering about and being a bit of a house person. I have bought lots of nice pretty dresses too! Yay!

So, lots of love to my lovely friends and lots of hugs to you too. 

x

Feety and Festive

I have a bit of a feet fear. They're just a bit gross. I mean, I love the idea of running around like a hobbit with no shoes, and I definitely do... but, as body parts....ew. There's definitely a reason why they're far away from your face!

So, four people on a futon bed later, and I've got feet both sides of my face. As I attempt to sleep. Not just that, but I also have someone wriggling around and their feet get remarkably close to my mouth. 

NOT COOL.

However, we did realise that we were a little bit like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I bagseed being Grandpa Joe because he gets to go to the chocolate factory. 

All of this was the after effects of Christmas with the girls. Sounds like a sitcom and indeed, there was definitely much hilarity. I gave little presents in tiny boxes and returned home with lots of fun things and a chance to put all of my tickets and kept things (I'm a magpie) into a scrapbook. That's a job for Boxing Day. Woop!

Anyway, with hideous amounts of sugar and friendship, we turned a little strange.

It was nice to see everyone. And bum around all night and eat an epic roast. 

So yes, Christmas wishes and love and hugs, and prayers for the New Year. 

2011 - the best year yet?

Lots of love chums. I am going to take a little nap because feet scared me too much to sleep properly last night. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS xxxxxxxxxxx

Joy Unspeakable Joy

Today was the Sunday...and Sunday means Church, which, oddly for some, I actually LOVE! Church is not boring, or full of things that you have to repeat or anything, and today was totally one of those days.

With Christmas around the corner, today was a little festive, but we're not really into the meaningless traditions, so we tend to shake things up a bit, which is always exciting. This morning was exactly what I needed after a bit of a rubbish week being ill, getting a bit frustrated at some things and generally feeling kinda disjointed! So what did we do? We daaaaanced!

And I love to dance. I love music, I love God, and I have issues keeping still when I hear music generally so when we start singing songs that have lyrics like

"Because of Your love

There's dancing in my heart

Because of grace I am free

Because of Your faithfulness

There's a song that must be sung

I will sing, I will sing because of You"

I slightly have to move. When you have several hundred other people celebrating with you too...and half an hour of it, not only does it exercise you soul but your body too. Double points to God for inventing that one! 

This afternoon I cooked a roast. And I love to cook, a little like I love to dance, and I love to sing. I cooked for 8 with my friend Charlotte, so it wasn't difficult and it was super fun. It was very entertaining watching some of the boys hopelessly attempt to cut onions/peel potatoes or sort out parsnips...I giggled to myself, mean as I am. 

I'm no whizz in the kitchen, but I was pretty impressed with my roast chicken, potatoes, carrots and parsnips with sage and onion stuffing, pigs in blankets, peas, beans and onion gravy...

OM NOM NOM! I also love food.

Tonight we had a traditional carol service at church, and I know I said we don't tend to do traditional too well, so things were shaken up a bit in the preach with Guy speaking to 'Richard Dawkins', 'Nigella Lawson' and then a Mikey Lee...a real guy whose life has been taken from a place of no hope and into a place of joy, all by Jesus. It was pretty cool I like to think. 

Interesting that Jesus alone seems to have the answer to not just Christmas but to suffering too. Forget trying to find deep within your evolved self, the strength to get through misery, and as yummy as food is, you're not guna find the answer to suffering in a triple basted, bacon covered, slow roasted, giant turkey (sorry Nigella). So, Jesus anyone?

 From a miry pit to a steadfast rock.
 WOOP I think is probably appropriate, if not entirely reverent...

With mulled wine, mince pies and giant things of fire outside after, all surrounded by snow covered trees, and ground, it was amazingly festive and totally buzzing with so many guests! My lovely mum and sister came which was great, and they had a good time so I'm pleased about that. 

Students and Twenties headed to the pub after and after being bought a drink (double woop!) I got a chance to catch up with lots of people, some whom I haven't seen for 3 or 4 months, some whom I haven't seen in a few weeks but miss ridiculous amounts because of the normal amount of time we get to hang out. All in all, it was a pretty good day. 

So I am off to get some rest, fully recover from this dreaded lurgi I appear to still have not got rid of, and prepare myself for a super busy week. 

Night night chums, much love and joy. 

xxx

PS this is one of my favourite songs :) enjoy! 

 

Ill :(

Since my crazy adventure last week I appear to have picked up a billion different bugs which means I feel ROUGH. With a combination of aches, pains, snuffles and barking coughs, I am a not so happy person.

I sound and look hideous.
My life is sad. I've barely seen anyone in a week.
Bahhhhhhhh!

Go away snow and ill, I miss sociable activities!!
xxxxx

Love, amour, die Liebe, sayang, 喜爱, láska or even kärlek

Wikipedia describes love as 'an intense feeling of affection'

Dictionary.com describes love as 'a profoundly tender affection for another person'

eHow.com says 'love is a deep and complex emotion.'

I know that none of these come close to the reality. I may be 19, my life may not have spanned centuries, I may be sheltered in my southern coastal town. I may be inexperienced in 'falling in love'.

Still, love is not just an intense feeling. Love is not just affection. I am affectionate to my cats. Would I die for them? Probably not.

As a Christian, I can honestly say that I know love. 1 John 4v8 and 1 John 4v16 declare that 'God is love'. 

Christianity is not about morals. Nor is it about heaven or hell. It's not about someone who created the world and may or may not be important. 

The Gospel is LOVE. And to know God, is to know LOVE. 

Many people hear these verses at some point in their lives, whether at funerals, or weddings, or quoted in supposedly profound films

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

I agree that 'love' is hard to describe. I think in this world, often true love, love that is of God, that is patient and kind, not self-seeking, and full of truth is even harder to feel. Not because it's not freely available, but perhaps, too many of us look in the wrong place.

If God is love, why look anywhere else for actual love. Genuine love. Not just tender affection, profound feeling, or lust or even care. 

My life is built on love. Not a wishy-washy, whimsical feeling that sometimes I feel. Yes, I take great joy in the love of friends and of family, but as much as I may adore them, as much as I may care for them, I know that true love is the love that God offers. He is unchanging, He is never shaken, and therefore there is no chance of me one day waking up and not being loved. 

Want to know how I know that? 1 John 3:16

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters."

I said Christianity wasn't about rules. It's about a living relationship with a living God - and that's Jesus. He laid down his life for me, and so I lay down my life as a response.

Don't waste your life on 'love' that is not real love. Pour it out to the one who IS love. Jesus. Christmas is about love, a love that caused God to become human, to live as a human and to die as a human.

Love is not just chemicals in the brain, it is not just lust, or a force that causes you to behave in a bizarre manner. Find that relationship with LOVE himself, and be at peace.

With as much love as I can offer (which in comparison, is a pretty frail amount)
I say goodnight
xxxx

One Week, Seven Days and Hundreds of Hours of Fun

I am currently at home, sat on my bed, a cat next to me, and Devendra Banhart playing in the background. To be stationary is quite a novelty after the week I've had.

A few statistics.

13 Trains

9 Buses

30 or so friends I don't get to see very often

10 or so people I've never met

2 Christmas markets

4 Big cities

1 Amazing musician

1 Favourite band

1 Very great God.

Living in Bournemouth, 2 years longer than a lot of my friends of the same age has both its perks and its drawbacks. I love being near my family, I love that in my job, I get to share my life, my knowledge of Bournemouth and because I'm fairly stable I can help those who aren't and I love the expectancy and excitement when people come home for a visit. 

However, I know I'm not meant to be here long-term and so every so often I get itchy feet, the urge to escape and I massive desire to go and do something crazy. FP is amazing in that every month or so I get to escape for a few days to Bristol, a city I love, full of grand buildings, narrow streets and a team of people guaranteed to lift your spirits, your head, and refresh you. 

This time I went a little further than Bristol though. I spent four days in that lovely city, learning several lessons, from the Doctrine of God and the Trinity, to learning styles, how to respond to people in need, and further lessons in courage, faith and honesty. And I can assure you, not all of that was lectured on. Training weeks are always a growing experience, a challenging one and quite often, a chilly one as the building tends to be freezing. Praise God for giant heaters that have recently been installed. 

From Bristol, my travelling continued, as I headed further north into the East Midlands. A close friend of mine lives in Nottingham and so after a year and a bit of her staying there, it was quite fitting that I should go and pay a visit. Due to short time and such, I didn't get to see that much of the place, it was dark when I arrived and we left the following afternoon on part 2 of the travelling adventure.

Liverpool was destination 3 of my week, and a visit to another friend, a pretty wonderful gap year buddy who kept me company and sane for much of the past year. She has left, and now lives so far north I hadn't seen her in three months, so to check out her city, her halls, and her friends was very fun. We concocted a dinner with no oven, and managed to eat some microwave rice and some sausages we cooked on a stolen grill. There was a distinct lack of plates and cutlery as they live in catered halls and so Bridgette ran up and downstairs scrounging crockery and shouting as us to make sure we didn't set the fire alarm off with the sizzling sausages. Fortunately for all we didn't. 

That night we went out on a bit of a bar crawl, and then into Liverpool city centre. It seemed to me that we ended up in several local's pubs, in that they had quite an odd mix of people who seemed they'd been sat in booths and at tables for their whole life. Definitely a possibility. It was very funny, especially in one place where they were playing a mix of classic Queen and Christmas songs. Inevitably there was dancing. 

For one who doesn't go out very often, the whole thing was a little surreal, especially after the four days I'd had at training, my billion train journeys and my general lack of sleep. 

We ended up in a place called Baa Bar, which was probably only funny to me, but I did giggle to myself. I had a mince pie flavoured shot. Quite possibly the highlight of my trip...well not quite, but it was definitely exciting. 

We headed back to halls with a pizza in hand, and snatched a few hours kip, before heading off to Manchester the following day. By this point I'd been tortured by friends trying to  'flood' out my fear of feet by  continually putting feet near my face and my bag was broken. 

The train to Manchester was entertaining in that I got a Nero coffee that didn't taste of coffee, but apart from that, it was a fairly short trip and I was soon in City number 4 of the week. 

Another little trip to Nero for lunch, Jon was picked up from the station and we had a little wander around the city looking in some cool shops before heading to Sam's halls and crashing for a bit. 

THEN

we made t.shirts.

We gobbled some McDonalds for dinner (seriously nutritious) and then lept on a bus back into the city centre for the gig...which if you hadn't realised by T.Shirt designs, was ARCADE FIRE!

I saw them live about 3 years ago, and we went to London and they were amazing and to see them again with even more friends was SO GOOD. They're one of my favourite bands, and probably my favourite band I've seen live because they do such a good performance. They tend to have a billion people on stage, and they're constantly running around playing different instruments and dancing. A little like this...

The venue was huuuge and the music was phenomenal and there was lots of dancing, and some face paint and some crowd friends who then also wore face paint... altogether it was amazing. (If you hadn't picked p on that already)

With a little hyperactivity and excitement in our veins, we went and grabbed a cocktail after the gig, and then watched 500 days of Summer before crashing at around 4am. 

The rest of my time was spent rather sleepily before a 6 hour trip home, leaving Manchester at half 4 and getting back home to Bournemouth at half 10. I am still a little tired, and as a result this blog is majorly rambly. 

Hope you'll forgive me.

Can't wait to see people over Christmas. YAY!

xxxxxxxxxxxx

A little less melancholy

I do apologise, sometimes I have slight tendencies to go over board in spilling my thoughts. So today, I'll keep it simple and fill you in on what I did.

Normally, I'm notorious for my 'non-stories', so for anyone who enjoys them, you've got a treat coming up today.

I got up at about half 11. Pretty late and I felt quite lazy but I was tiiiiiired! And it was nice prep for next week when I won't get to sleep. I spent the day doing my stupid assignment. Now, I'm all for a little work, and I totally love what I get to study with FP buuuut my assignment this time has been a little bit of drudgery that I participate in every Monday on my study day...or on Saturday's when I haven't finished it.

I've attempted to vaguely creatively re-write the story of Jesus' life as a timeline, with some key events. I'm annoyed with it, because it's not how I'd like it to be, and it lacks the pazzaz that I started it with. And yes, pazzaz is totally a word.

Still, it's no exam, I shouldn't be a perfectionist and it's finished. I do need to attempt to find some paper for my printer though...oops!

Later on we put up the Christmas decorations, which, though super early cos I'm away next weekend, was fun. Christmas is a pretty big deal in my house, and seriously family orientated, and we have various odd traditions and such so I always love doing festive type things.

We gobbled some pizza (I'm doing terribly at being healthy currently) and then went to see Harry Potter. Which I LOVE. I am a geek at heart, and Harry Potter and co fulfil my love for all things geeky, magical and out of this world. This was the second time I'd seen it but it was still pretty good. I probably shouldn't start reading the book again or I'll end up all critical. My darling younger sister hasn't read the book so she was super confused but some skittles came in handy with keeping her occupied.

I am now home and packing. Normally I love packing, it's like playing tetris with my own belongings. Instead I am about to have a paddy due to my inability to pack lightly, and my hopeless choice of bags...ie, I have none that I can use.

Still, there are lots of exciting things coming up and I am nice and warm in a giant pink jumper. Life, though not perfect, is a little less melancholy than I believed it to be yesterday.

Sweet dreams children
xxx

Hibernation part 2

I feel as if a little bit of my head has shut down. Not sure if it's due to the horrific amounts of snow and ice, or due to the fact that sometimes I just can't hold all of the ponderings that I have without first going insane, then going emotional and then going quiet.

I'm tempted to lean towards the latter. This week has been fairly quiet. I had a really lovely day on Wednesday, with a cell social and such. I love Christmas for the stupid amounts of cheese and wine you get to eat. Amongst other things. I had one of those moments of looking around at a big roomful of people and realising that they are family. Cheesy yes, but that is one of the reasons that I love the church. The beauty of having brothers and sisters in Christ astounds me. 

Thursday I was meant to be in Salisbury having breakfast and then going to a Regional meeting and seeing all of my FP friends. Snow fell, everything was white and the roads were treacherous; needless to say, it was cancelled. I spent the day at home having snow ball fights, walking to Tesco and putting things in the loft...I now have 2 giant boxes of space in my room. Hurrah!

Today was back to the office after a super fun walk to work in wellies. I like to think I looked pretty cool, or I just looked like an idiot trying not to slip over in all of the ice. Again, I'm guna lean towards the likelihood of the latter. 

I've not really seen that much of people this week, compared to normal this is...and I'm inclined to think it a good thing. I definitely need time on my own and as next week is a full on, super social, crazy learning, mad partying, gig filled week, now is probably a good time to hang out at home, wear big jumpers, look skanky and not see anyone apart from family. 

Today I was having coffee with someone and I began to realise how much I chat about you guys. It's so stupid, you'd think I'd be fairly stable and fine with it all, but it's still hard. I started writing this blog last year when everything changed (hence the name) and I know I hate change but sometimes it still hits me between the eyes, just how different my life is. I love it, don't get me wrong, I'm so so blessed, God is faithful and good, but I, ever the control freak definitely struggle when I can't control situations. 

Probably because in my pride I think I know best. Lots of the time I don't. 

(I am very aware this blog makes very little sense to most people and is full of more waffle than dutch pancakes)

You each amaze me. Each of you inspire me. I see hope in each of your eyes. I'm just waiting. One day, someday, soon. 

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Goodnight
x

Hibernation

I can definitely see why animals decide that winter should be spent asleep and in hiding. Today I was quite tempted to hibernate in my bed, however, I'm up, half awake, and listening to some Paul Simon, about to do some theology study. Fun fun!! I do wonder slightly if cold influences my ability to think though...whether extreme cold kills brain cells, or maybe just the weaker, less needed ones...

Something to ponder when you have a spare moment. 

I know I don't!

Yesterday was a very nice, but very busy day. Church was followed by lunch at Nando's, then a trip to Asda for people to buy pudding, then a walk along the beach, a pit stop in the Harvester to warm up, followed by a few hours spent playing games and cooking dinner at a friend's house before heading to the pub to round up a very sociable day! It was a late one, but it was nice to hang out and not to have to organise lots and lots of people for once. I spent most of my time with these lovely people.

In attempting to get this photo we had a jogger running past and interrupting us. Jogging, how ridiculous! I couldn't feel my fingers and I had super warm mittens on ^^^^ See!!

Madness.

Aaaaaanyway. I am on a bit of a ramble, and I should go and read my book on "The Heart of Refomred Theology". It sounds good.

Keep warm friends, and don't get snowed in.
xxxx

All over the shop

as you would say. I loved seeing you today, even for a short time.

Normally I'd head straight to bed following a night out, and by night out I don't mean I became super social and went to town and such, although I have just been to a bit of a house party. I have that horrible ability to over-think EVERYTHING. And analyse. And criticise... My normal way of shutting my brain off is to sleep. Hence there don't tend to be post night FB status' or blogs.

Well, here's to change. I'm going to rant about my head feeling all over the shop and then hopefully sleep with a few less musings clouding my dreams. John Mayer is going to accompany me as I attempt to explain a little of my current situation. Be prepared, I'll keep it as cheerful as possible.

When I chose to spend another year in Bournemouth, it wasn't without a fair few concerns, the odd voiced worry from friends and a whole heap of fear. I'd spent the previous year absolutely adamant that I would be any where than Bournemouth, and not that I don't love this little seaside town, but it is just that, a small, seaside town...and it's not quite what I want.

Imagine my shock when God said to stay. Imagine my further shock when my adamant no, was a pretty satisfied, yeah okay... I can't take credit for that one, and it was definitely a miracle. In the process God restored a few things that had made me pretty miserable, and so that definitely helped.

The past few months have been a whirl wind of events, new people, theology, lack of sleep, challenges, beautiful moments and lots of laughter. It's been amazing, I know it's exactly what I needed and this is where I'm meant to be. Don't get me wrong, I can without a doubt see the HUGE positives.

But here comes the frustration. I'm one of those stupid people who has the ability to adapt to most situations, I'm good at observation and at camouflage so tend to blend in (hence the fear of being a boring person! Laugh all you like, it's totally true.) This camouflage fandango is in some ways great, in some ways it's really not. Every so often I have a bit of a crisis of personality and forget who I am, or worry too much about what people think.

Before you switch off and call the ambulance, I am aware that occasionally when I spill my thoughts, it does sound like I need my head examined. Hopefully things will come together in a second.

The past few months have been so busy that I've not really spent a lot of time pondering myself...I've pondered a fair few other things, but not me, quite so much. With things a little quieter, me a little tireder and life a little bit more messy, I find myself in a bit of a pickle.

I'm here for another 10 months. I am amazingly excited and I know there will be so many highlights.
Simultaneously I want to run a billion miles and travel the world. All the old fears resurface, and although things are definitely not the same, it's hard to feel that I'm not moving on or doing things at the same pace as some of my closest friends.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, and in need of a slap with a wet fish, I know I need to get my head right. There is a time and a place for all things, and my place is here, and the time is now. I am happy, but occasionally I just get that odd twinge of doubt.

A good christmas present would be a doubt squisher. Or a twinge destroyer. So, if you're stuck for ideas, you've got some planning to do.

Anyway, hopefully after some sleep, a cuddle with my cat and church tomorrow I'll be back to normal. Whatever that is.

Much Love Chums.
xxx



PS - tonight someone applied a tiger tattoo to my hand. It's so I could do tiger puppet by opening my thumb and first finger. I'll leave you to imagine. It's made my evening. x

Just because I love books

Have you read more than 6 of these books? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here. Instructions: Copy this into your NOTES. Bold those books you've read in their entirety, italicize the ones you started but didn't finish or read an excerpt. Tag other book nerds. Tag me as well so I can see your responses!

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

6 The Bible

7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell

9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott

12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hard

13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

14 Complete Works of Shakespeare

15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien

17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk

18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger

19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

20 Middlemarch - George Eliot

21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell

22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

23 Bleak House- Charles Dickens

24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

26 Brideshead Revisited- Evelyn Waugh

27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis

34 Emma -Jane Austen

35 Persuasion - Jane Austen

36 The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - CS Lewis

37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres

39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

40 Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne

41 Animal Farm - George Orwell

42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving

45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery

47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood

49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding

50 Atonement - Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel

52 Dune - Frank Herbert

53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons

54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth

56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt

64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac  

67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding

69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie

70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville

71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens

72 Dracula - Bram Stoker

73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson

75 Ulysses - James Joyce

76 The Inferno - Dante

77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome

78 Germinal - Emile Zola

79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

80 Possession - AS Byatt

81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker

84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

87 Charlotte’s Web - E.B. White

88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

94 Watership Down - Richard Adams

95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole

96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute

97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare

99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo




I have a long way to go, but I am excited about the wealth of books out there. Geeky love to fellow geeks :D
xxx

Ummmm

I want to write but I think this time, my diary might be better. 

So for you lovely little friends, have 8 points why Jesus definitely is alive and the resurrection DID happen, and a nice little song recommendation. I am off to blabber my thoughts to my slightly more private journal. I think then I am less likely to be judged a stupid person. 

1. Jesus definitely died

2. Jesus' tomb was well known

3. Jesus' tomb was well guarded

4. The tomb was empty

5. Women found the tomb

6. 500 People saw Jesus

7. The disciples and others were amazingly transformed from terrified rabbits to bold lions (not literal animals btw)

8. The disciples wouldn't die for a lie

So, if that's true, Christianity is true and has massive implications. Who else can rise from the dead?

It makes me exceedingly satisfied that my faith is not just built on a few nice ideas, a moral suggestion or some traditional rules that have existed, it's based on undeniable, legally approved fact.

Fact.

This is my new favourite album of the week

John Mark McMillan – The Medicine

It's beautiful. 

Love x

PS thank you for my badge :)

Cat update

On Tuesday I came home to find a mouse in the kitchen.
By Thursday it was dead.

Tonight I come home to find a mouse in the cat food bowl.
Clearly cat biscuits don't do it for them any more.

Problem is, the mouse was slightly alive...clearly going to die, but I feel mean that I put it in the bin. I think it's back was broken but I still feel like an animal killer...stupid cats.

Today turned into a bit of a manic day. I think I have finally lost all restraints on the crazy, and I'm getting the odd funny look every now and then.
In other news, I had my first 'FP Cry'. Now, don't become all pitying, in fact it's almost a relief. FP is notoriously tough both for the busy manic life you lead, but also for the emotional upheaval and challenges you have to face. I'm not really a cryer, except when reading or watching films, or occasionally in church.

By the time I had hit my second FP training block in October, I was a bit of a wreck head wise, and just really weary, but I hadn't cried (unlike most of the other girls who had amusing stories of crying in offices on people who were giving them more work) ......until today. I was quite cheerful but a couple of stressful phone calls later, a situation out of my hands and a little more responsibility made me crack.

To the toilets I go to control myself. I think disaster was avoided, salt water didn't pour from my eyes and flood the rest of the office staff; I didn't create another Flood, so luckily Noah and his boat didn't need to be called in. And neither did I have a snot fest, which would've grossed every one out without a doubt.

Perhaps I am becoming that mature person...

HA who am I kidding, I spent youth work tonight pretending to be from Gladiator and shouting 'Are you rrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaadyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?!!!!!!!!!'

Lots of love kids
x

Pyjamas.

Stealing from http://sarahspyjamas.blogspot.com/

Things are a little scary pyjamas in my head currently.
I have too many thoughts, and too much going on.

I'm moving out and announced that one to the parental tonight. Ha, that was taken well...
This weekend I have youth work, seeing two very close friends, a student worship event, HARRY POTTER :D and then church, pub, and alpha.

I fear sleep is going to evaporate. My brain is dead and I am totally unable to control the crazy. Literally unable.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Crazy and pensive. Maybe you can tell?

I realise this blog says nothing, but
1. Follow Sarah's blog ^
2. Watch The West Wing and share my deep geeky love for American politics.
3. Send me post. PLEASE

<3

Cat madness

I am not a crazy cat person, but I do own two crazy cats. There's a difference I promise. 

One cat, nicknamed spasticat for the way he fell out of a window, didn't land on his feet, broke his leg, had bone removed and now has a leg without a socket so it just hangs, decided today to catch a nice cute little mouse. 

This mouse, according to my sister on my arrival home, was dead on the kitchen floor and urgently needed removing by me because she is a wimp. (I thought you became all grown up at 13? No, my mistake...)

I dubiously enter the kitchen.

There's no mouse.

Not one. 

The spasticat enters. Sniffs, and sulks and scurries around trying to find the 'dead' mouse.

I now have an alive mouse hiding behind the washing machine, that is likely injured, likely dying, and likely to make one hell of a smell. 

My other cat prides herself on being snootty. She just slid on our wooden floor and fell backwards. She is also now sulking.

My life is ridiculous. My biggest fear is being a lonely crazy old cat lady. Someone ensure that NEVER happens. And preferably I'd like you to address the alone part of that statement instead of banning me from owning pets. 

Love

Half mad lady

PS - New Newday album out! Yay!

Matt Redman – King of Nations

PPS - Prince William is engaged and I am only jealous because Kate Middleton gets what every girl truly wants...to actually become a real live princess.

PPPS - watch this video. I hope it makes you laugh as much as it made me laugh.

Tell me

"Can you lie next to her
And give her your heart, your heart
As well as your body
And can you lie next to her
And confess your love, your love
As well as your folly
And can you kneel before the king
And say I’m clean, I’m clean..."

Girls

I am a girl (obviously I hope) and I went to an all girls school. Lots of my friends are girls, and I love them dearly. 

Some of them live very far away, and I miss them during term time when we don't get to be together and have ridiculous slobby moments and laugh like loons. They bring out the best in me normally and I love them for it.

Today I am going to see one of them :D YAY! She is ginger, she's going to be a doctor but she is very scatty and I love her very much. 

Sadly, three others favourite people in the world are also congregating in a seaside town, just not mine. It's Kate's birthday on the 17th so she is having a masque party. If you know her this is very fitting. She is like a living blob of glitter and colour. Sarah who is my most distant friend lives in the highest mountains in a strange place called Durham. She is insane but sometimes has to hide this insanity. She is the coolest person I know but occasionally she tends to bite..Odd yes. She is going to Brighton to see Kate.

Then there's Antonia, probably my longest friend. We speak through eyes, and sometimes in our own language because we know what the other says before they say it. She is uber special, totally batty and very curly. 

This is not all of my close friends, just the ones I am thinking about lots today. 

I would like a reunion please. You've been out of my life too long, and I am in need of some stupidity, madness and babbling.

Little sad you aren't here. Come and bring me hugs
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Music

So, another wonderful evening with my student and twenties buddies... Wow, that sounds lame. Still, I love them. Tonight was open mic, I was hosting which meant the constant use of a microphone and many a puzzled face as I realised that I still hadn't got the hang of how to turn it on. Sometimes I wonder why I'm not blonde, and then I understand that I would look HIDEOUS with blonde hair.

I digress, tonight was filled with astoundingly talented people showcasing their music. Everything from Alicia Keys, to Kings of Leon, to Tenth Avenue North to originals (I like those best!) was played tonigIht and added in a fair bit of DJing too. On top of this we had some delicious home made autumn themed cakes because we're cool like that, and some punch.

The punch itself is another story really. Yesterday the huge industrial oven and hob that resides in the church kitchen was announced as unsafe to use because it doesn't meet the most up to date laws. Such twaddle! Anywho, it meant that the wonderful punch we made tonight couldn't be heated. So, using our creative minds, a friend and I decided to make it in the microwave. A few weeks ago one of the guys in the office told me how you can super heat water in the microwave so that when you touch it it explodes in your face (it's a billion times hotter than just boiling water), so with this threat in mind we embarked upon the most epic of punch making missions. Fortunately it was delicious and I drank many a mug-ful of delicious autumn-ness.

So with all of this going on, I was then subjected to the beautiful voices of people who could sing. Needless to say, I wasn't going to complain. My general conclusion is, I love people who play guitar. Namely boys who have music genius. You make me melt at the knees, and in my middle and generally cripple me :)

Well done there.
So, with mush on the brain I'm going to go to bed. My younger sister is having a sleepover. These crazy tweenagers are no doubt going to disrupt my sleep. Nasty children. I am going to be the loving, patient and cool older sibling who does things like open mic and punch making.

Farewell friends.
Lots of insane love xxx


PS Tonight I met someone who recognised me from Facebook because he added me. I feel I have achieved new heights of cool. x

Bubble

I have decided that living in a bubble is a little unhealthy and my insanity is not having enough space to breathe. 

Today is a good day; sunshine, a spotty dress, new DVDs and an open mic night tonight. 

I am looking forward to a night of music and cake and coffee. Sadly lots of people aren't around :'( boo hoo. 

Still, FUN is the theme of tonight, and I plan to have much of it.

Love x

For you:

It started out as a feeling

Which then grew into a hope

Which then turned into a quiet thought

Which then turned into a quiet word

And then that word grew louder and louder

'Til it was a battle cry

I'll come back

When you call me

No need to say goodbye

Just because everything's changing

Doesn't mean it's never

Been this way before

All you can do is try to know

Who your friends are

As you head off to the war

Pick a star on the dark horizon

And follow the light

You'll come back

When it's over

No need to say good bye

You'll come back

When it's over

No need to say good bye

Now we're back to the beginning

It's just a feeling and no one knows yet

But just because they can't feel it too 

Doesn't mean that you have to forget

Let your memories grow stronger and stronger

'Til they're before your eyes

You'll come back

When they call you

No need to say good bye

You'll come back

When they call you

No need to say good bye