Business Beany! (by sarah)

Having told Jean we didn't have any money to do something she then started collecting stone and filling her pockets, my pockets and daddy's pockets. When asked why she needed the stones her response was:

'So I can sell them to people who make cement.'

I personally was amazed she realised cement makers would need stones :/

Her next stroke of genius came when she started painting lots of pictures very carefully and then handing them too me.

'You need to keep these safe mummy so you can sell them.' :/

There have been a few others like, 'Work more, go out less, then we have more money for yummy food!'

I think this is because I vetoed a Ben Ten cake in the super market!

Mum pointed out that as I child I came up with more involved schemes that I even made money from like making compost and plant feed, potting up cuttings in yogurt pots - these I sold to the little old ladies who would give me seeds to grow for them which they then bought back for like 5-20p.

I made jewellery out of paper I socked and coloured with felt tip - this was all infant school age by the way! This I sold for 10p an item.

Junior School age me and the boy next door trolled the river in a convenient bend just after the golf course and sold the golf balls back to the golfers - some of these fetched a very good price up to £4!

I would find a penny on the floor walk up to the sweet shop, buy one sweet and sell it to the kids who weren't allowed as far as the shop for 2p. I would then go back to the shop untill I had about 20p at which point I bought me and David sweets which we ate up immediatly!

Senior school was a bit boring - I just made friendship braclets which I sold for 20p-£1 depending on intricasies. I also got to school early to go to the stationary shop and bought the sort of things my friends liked and sold them on at a marked up price (they didn't tend to get in early enough!).

Oh and towards the end had a proper job as in a paper round.

I wonder what else Jean will come up with - personally I'm quiet impressed with what she's coming out with - she is still only 4!

Recycling Bags (by sarah)

These are my new recycling bags that go under the kitchen table - they velcro together! We've just had the first week of them being in use, it has made such a huge difference to keeping the kitchen tidy - it's almost unbelievable!

Plus I think they look nice 🙂 and they were cheap!

The only issue is there really needed to be one for cans too - but a) that wouldn't have fitted under the table so well and b) we've doubled up the plastic as tins as well as we don't get that much plastic.

Boundary Walk Flare Up (by sarah)

So yesterday as per usual we did the Boundary Walk or Olives Walk - this year was not the full boundary just 9 miles. Alaric didn't think I should do it as I was in a little bit of pain in the morning but it's sort of an important thing for me to do - it was the first 'real' walking I managed after Jean was born and though I didn't manage all of that first years (full 15 mile boundary!) I did manage the first and last part.

Jean has been on at least part of each walk and last year like this year she did the whole walk and was still running and jumping when we got home. Last year her and daddy brought up the rear - this year Jean spent her time running between mummy and daddy so goodness knows how far she actually walked/run!

The walk was hard going for me I have to say - not as bad as that first year but definatly not as good as subsequent years 🙁

By the time we stopped for tea and cakes my pelvis was clicking and the little 'dimple' on the right had size felt inflamed and ouchy to touch, my whole right hip was on fire too. At this point there was a nice lady offering lifts and for whatever reason I managed to miss her and so found my self coninuing on with the walk.

I was definatly bringing up the rear this time - so much so that Alaric begain hanging back with me and had to be a second 'crutch' (I had my hiking stick) for parts of it.

Olive was nice walking back with me towards the end chatting about walking and about walking on the flat - I confided that's why I go shopping in Cheltenham so I can do a long walk on the flat coving one end of the town to the other.

I got a lift back from the walk meeting place which was gratefully received. I almost couldn't stand when I got back out the car though and walking for the rest of the evening was interesting.

I took the painkillers I'm actually allowed at the moment and had a long bath which helped a lot. (I've generally been avoiding any pain killers as I just don't like the idea whilst being pregnant hence my grumpyness)

We went to bed and I found that all feeling of my pelvis shearing 🙁 actions like just sitting up to sip some water felt like my pelvis was being renched on the right hand side 🙁

I finially feel asleep and had nightmares - well they were more a jumble of memories - crutches, physio, pain clinic etc... not getting my shoulder operation because of the state I was in etc...

I awoke sobbing with Alaric hugging me and you know it hit me - I'm petrified of going through labour again, petrified of finding myself in the state I was in with Jeany. I thought I'd got all this sorted in my head - I'm hoping for a C-section but now apparently there is doubt about weather I can have one because of this whole 'natural birth' scheme going on. But I only didn't have a C-section with Jean because the doctor didn't get there in time (as in I moved into the room where C-sections happen and he got called away to someone who was worse than me and by the time he came back Jean was crowning and very stuck).

Anyway this morning I'm on heat treatments but walking is basically out 🙁

However I'm still glad I did the walk - if I hadn't done it I would probably have felt so down at not being able to 'walk' again.

I am also concerned that my pelvis is acting up this much already - I mentioned it at my initial meet up with the mid-wife and at the Drs but it's too early apparently :/ I know it's never really settled down properlly but this is getting to the rolling over in bed and it goes bang stage which didn't happen until the last trimester with Jean.

I suppose it could be all the passing out 🙁

Last night I went and stared at Jean and stroked her hair - she is so bueatiful she was worth all I went through but at the moment I'm having a hard time equating pain with new baby and it's just scary instead.

Local Hotels (by sarah)

The list of B&B's we have on the blog is a bit out of date but I found a lovely website that tells you all about the different hotels in Cheltenham - it gives a little summary and there are links to take you through to the hotels websites which is always nice 🙂

Now all we need is the same for Gloucester, Stroud and all the outlaying areas!

Anyway it's http://www.hotelscheltenham.org.uk/

Chris Al-Asward (by sarah)

Last night I leaned of some sad news, Chris Al-Asward also known as Lethe Bashar died in July just after his 31st birthday. This came as a bit of a shock as I was just wondering where he had got too so went to check his twitter profile. Being the brains and drive behind Escape Into Life I hadn't noticed a complete absence as his other twitter account was still going strong being the one that drove his EIL project.

On his profile page was a tweet saying he had tragically died 🙁 I couldn't believe it and felt crushed at the same time and then that sinking feeling of - do I have the right to be this upset - after all I have never met him in the flesh. He lives the other side of the world but he had found me on twitter and had encouraged me in the realms of art and writing.

When I have pain flare ups I sometimes cannot sleep and he was often there to talk too. I started my art journal because of a side project he started with the idea of it being sold in the EIL shop. I've took far longer on this than I have expected but I love working on the Art/Visual Poetry Journal.

It is also through him that I found The Flying Trilobite a young artist who seeks to combine science and art, I can't remember but I think he was profiled on EIL. And it was then through him I found the paleo-art site Art Evolved finially giving me a way to combine the two parts of me - The Artist and the Scientist.

Part of my anguish last night was having not noticed that someone I regually talk to was gone, I know the last few months have been pretty much a wipe out for me but still 🙁 Also as Alaric agreed with me - what of his books? His work? His Art? His Creations? What would happen to them?

I have been told since that there are plans to publish these and everyone is working hard to mantain the websites. The is also a Prize in the pipelines The Chris Al-Asward Prize for braking down the barriers in the arts.

I did cry and it made me realise that my definition of friendship is probably quiet different from most peoples. I am sad that Chris is gone. I spent last night trying to track down all his sites and stuff - getting stumped for a while until I remembered he'd gotten rid of one of his twitter accounts and stuff like that.

I also signed his memorial book.

TYCHRIS