The best part of me is......

you........... (click picture for full animation)

Happy in love

Ooooh, I just want to tell the world how happy I am!
It's great being in love!

I love you so much.........

Every day I love you more and more my darling Sharon.
You truly are the most amazing woman in the world and I love you so very much.
You make my life so happy and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you.
Love you forever and ALLways xxxxxxx

Times gone by

Just for a minute, forget everything stressful and read this...............



Close your eyes and go back in time...

Before the Internet...

Before semi-automatics, joy-riders and crack....

Before SEGA or Super Nintendo...

Way back........

I'm talking about Hide and Seek in the park.
The corner shop.
Hopscotch.
Butterscotch.
Skipping.
Handstands.
Football with an old can.
Fingerbob.

Beano, Dandy, Buster, Twinkle and Dennis the Menace.

Roly Poly.
Hula Hoops, jumping the stream, building dams.
The smell of the sun and fresh cut grass.
Bazooka Joe bubble gum.

An ice cream cone on a warm summer night from the van that plays a tune.

Chocolate or vanilla or strawberry or maybe Neapolitan or perhaps screwball.

Wait......

Watching Saturday morning cartoons, short commercials or the flicks.
Children's Film Foundation, The Double Deckers, Red Hand Gang, Tomorrow People, Tiswas or Swapshop?, and 'Why Don't You'? - or staying
up for Doctor Who.

When around the corner seemed far away and going into town seemed like going somewhere.

Earwigs, wasps, stinging nettles and bee stings.
Sticky fingers.
Playing Marbles. Ball bearings. Big 'uns and Little 'uns.
Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, and Zorro.
Climbing trees.
Making igloos out of snow banks.

Walking to school, no matter what the weather.
Running till you were out of breath, laughing so hard that your stomach hurt.
Jumping on the bed. Pillow fights.
Spinning around on roundabouts, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles.
Being tired from playing....remember that?

The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.
Water balloons were the ultimate weapon.
Football cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle.
Choppers and Grifters.

Eating raw jelly. Orange squash ice pops. Vimto and Jubbly lollies

Remember when...

There were two types of trainers - girls and boys, and Dunlop Green Flash
The only time you wore them at School was for P.E. And they were called gym shoes or if you are older - plimsoles

You knew everyone in your street - and so did your parents.
It wasn't odd to have two or three 'best' friends.

You didn't sleep a wink on Christmas Eve.

When nobody owned a pure-bred dog.

When 25p was decent pocket money
Curly Whirlys. Space Dust. Toffo's.
Top Trumps.
When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny.
When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him or use him
to carry groceries and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.

When being sent to the head's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving pupil at home.
Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs etc.


Remember when....

Decisions were made by going "Ip, Dip, Dog Shit"
Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.

Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in Monopoly

The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was germs.
And the worst thing in your day was having to sit next to one.

It was unbelievable that 'British Bulldog 123' wasn't an Olympic event.
Having a weapon in school, meant being caught with a catapult.

Nobody was prettier than Mum.
Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better.

Taking drugs meant orange-flavoured chewable aspirin.
Ice cream was considered a basic food group.
Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true.

Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest
protectors.

If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED.

Life is good!

Well life just seems to be getting better and better at the moment.
It's to be able to feel that things are improving and that a rosy future is ahead.

Our House

Father wears his sunday best
Mothers tired she needs a rest
The kids are playing up downstairs
Sisters sighing in her sleep
Brothers got a date to keep
He cant hang around

Our house, in the middle of our street
Our house, in the middle of our ...

Our house it has a crowd
Theres always something happening
And its usually quite loud
Our mum shes so house-proud
Nothing ever slows her down
And a mess is not allowed

Our house, in the middle of our street
Our house, in the middle of our ...

Our house, in the middle of our street
Our house, in the middle of our ...
Something tells you that youve got to get away from it

Father gets up late for work
Mother has to iron his shirt
Then she sends the kids to school
Sees them off with a small kiss
Shes the one theyre going to miss
In lots of ways

Our house, in the middle of our street
Our house, in the middle of our ...

I remember way back then when everything was true and when
We would have such a very good time such a fine time
Such a happy time
And I remember how wed play simply waste the day away
Then wed say nothing would come between us two dreamers

Father wears his sunday best
Mothers tired she needs a rest
The kids are playing up downstairs
Sisters sighing in her sleep
Brothers got a date to keep
He cant hang around

Our house, in the middle of our street
Our house, in the middle of our street

Our house, in the middle of our street
Our house, in the middle of our ...

Our house, was our castle and our keep
Our house, in the middle of our street

Our house, that was where we used to sleep
Our house, in the middle of our street

Our house, in the middle of our street

- Our House (Madness)

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet

Meaning

What matters is what something is, not what it is called.

Origin

From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, 1594:

JULIET:
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.

My darling Sharon, you are MY beautiful rose!

Happy Birthday Mum!

Happy Birthday Mum.

Hope you have a fantastic day.

All our love

Keith, Sharon, Sophie, Sam, Toby & Zoë

Let's Go Rangers!

New York Rangers make it through to the second round of the NHL Play Offs!

Let's Go Rangers

Where are all the damn houses?

Isn't it typical, casually browsing for potential houses when you aren't ready to buy showed loads of lovely properties that would be ideal. Then when you are ready to look property all those ones are sold or under offer and there is a drought, with hardly anything new coming onto the market!

Want to buy a house?

Then this one comes highly recommended!

For sale in South Woodham Ferrers

This is so cool

Home sweet home

Well this weekend we are starting our hunt for a new home. It's exciting yet scary at the same time. One thing is for certain though, we'll soon have a home sweet home.

Happy Birthday Sophie

Happy Birthday Sophie,
Hope you have a fantastic day.

Love from Dad, Sharon, Zoë, Toby & Sam
(and Jack, Vodka and Coke)

Thank you for being you

My darling Sharon,
I just want to say thank you for being you.
Thanks for our little chats over the weekend.
Our friendship, relationship and love is so wonderful.
I never thought I would find a true friend, lover and soulmate but I have in you.
I love you so much xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Got loads done

Well after the trauma of Sophie being in hospital it was time to knuckle down and get some jobs done. We have now tidied up the garden and planted lots of plants in pots. The front door has been painted white, the cat flap replaced and new black fittings added on to it. All the washing has finally been done and we have a massive list of things to do prior to the final push towards moving but at least now I can see some light at the end of the tunnel.

Happy Easter everybody

Happy Easter to one and all!

Sophie is home again!

Phew, that's a relief. Sophie was finally diagnosed as well enough to return home today.
It's such a shame that whenever she comes down to see us her asthma gets bad.
It was lovely to see her again but such a shame we had to spend nearly all of our time in the hospital.

Bad news

Sophie has had to go to hospital!
She came down and everything was fine and then suddenly she had a bad asthma attack and was admitted to hospital last night :o(
We tried to stabilise her but to no avail and so had to call an ambulance.

God I love this picture

I want get a great big print of it and hang it on the bedroom wall

Henry Fuseli
Brunhild Watching Gunther Suspended from The Ceiling on their Wedding Night 1807
Pencil, ink and wash on paper, 483 x 317 mm
Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery

Sophie is coming down

Sophie is coming down to stay with us for a few days, I am really looking forward to it as we haven't seen for quite a while now.

Sometimes it's just one of those days....

....when you feel you have to shout I LOVE YOU rather than just say it

Today is one of those days, for no other reason than because.

Off to see Rufus again!

Just ordered Sharon and I tickets to see "An Evening With Rufus Wainwright" at the Old Vic Theatre in London on 31/05/07.

We can't wait, it's going to be a fabulous evening and the first time we have seen Rufus perform his own material live!

Good job but boy are we tired

We have just spent the day doing gardening, and scrubbing down the barbeque, and we are both absolutely knackered now!
On the plus side the garden looks really nice and we can now start adding some plants etc to make it really pretty now that the days are warming up.

You mean the world to me

My darling Sharon, you mean the world to me and I just can't live without you.


Love you forever and ALLways xxxxxxxxx

I love my snuggles

I love my snuggles, they are the best thing in the world.
Falling all warm, safe and cosy in your arms is such a wonderful feeling.

I will never get tired of snuggles!

Baby I Love You

Have I ever told you how good it feels to hold you
It isn't easy to explain

And though I'm really trying I think I may stop crying
My heart cant wait another day when you kiss me I just gotta
Kiss me I just gotta kiss me I just gotta say

Baby I love you c'mon baby
Baby I love you ooh-wee-ooh baby
Baby I love I love only you

I cant live without you I love everything about you
I cant help it if I feel this way

Oh, Im so glad I found you I want my arms around you
I love to hear you call my name oh, tell me that ya feel
Tell me that ya feel tell me that ya feel the same

Baby I love you c'mon baby
Baby I love you ooh-wee-ooh baby
Baby I love I love only you

Oh, I'm so glad I found you I want my arms around you
I love to hear you call my name oh, tell me that ya feel
Tell me that ya feel tell me that ya feel the same


- Baby I Love You (The Ramones)

Feeling really low....

Feeling really low and I just don't know why.
I can't put my finger on it but I just feel really bad, as if something bad has happened (or is about to).

Happy Birthday Zoë

Happy Birthday Zoë,



Love from Mum, Keith, Toby and Sam (and Sophie)

The way you make me feel........

Fat Rant

This is brilliant!!!!!!

What more can I say?

What more can I say about this woman other than SHE ROCKS MY WORLD!

POTC3

A small token for you my love

To my darling Sharon,
Here's a small token for you, love you forever and ALLways xxxxxxxxx

Laundry is............

Laundry is the only thing that should be separated by colour!

Beauty comes............

You make me want to sing

Your love for me makes me want to sing and is music to my ears!
Love you darling xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I'm sorry, I don't want to hurt you anymore

I'm sorry, I don't want to hurt you any more. It breaks my hurt to see you like that (and yes I know it's all a consequence of my actions)
Somehow I will make things better.......

The Fool

Well I should be reporting on a great weekend now but instead I'll just leave you with this picture of what I am as words can't cut it.............

Two hearts beat as one

Two hearts beat as one.
I love you forever and ALLways darling xxxxxxxxxxxx

Pirates ahoy!

Ahoy me hearties, here be Pirates! Time to introduce some new Pirate things to the world methinks.

THE BEN GUNN SOCIETY


Check them out: The Ben Gunn Society MySpace Page
The Ben Gunn Society Website


BLAGGARDS

Check them out: Blaggards MySpace Page
Blaggards Website


And let's not forget the great PIRATES MAGAZINE


Check it out: Pirates Magazine MySpace Page
Pirates Magazine Website

Grrrrr, a little more help wouldn't go amiss!

Time for a mini rant!

Hey kids, a little more help around the house wouldn't go amiss.
Some of the things that need doing only take a couple of minutes and Sharon and I are getting tired of having to do everything when we get in from work.
We have been relatively stress free of late but if things start to pile up and we are doing everything again then things won't be much fun for anyone.
So please, a little more help!

Such a lovely weekend

It was a lovely weekend in Stratford upon Avon.
It was great to spend some time with mum and also to see nanny again.
The weather wasn't great so we missed our nice walk along the canal which was a shame. Hopefully next time we go we will have some great weather so we can get our walk and also a bus tour.

Off to Stratford upon Avon

This weekend Sharon and I are taking Toby, Sam and Jack to my mum's in Stratford upon Avon.
Hopefully the weather will be good and we'll be able to take Jack on some nice walks along the canal. Looking forward to a nice weekend where we don't have to worry about washing, cleaning, tidying etc etc

You make me happy

You make me happy,
You fill my world with hope,
You've changed my life
In ways you'll never know....
You have a special way,
Of making me feel
More valuable than I believe I am.
Your soft and gentle smile,
Speaks to my heart in a thousand different ways...
And in those moments,
I know how lucky I am,
To have found,
The love of my life,
And my best friend.
The other half of me,
That makes me complete.

You make me happy every single day!

Call Off The Search

I won't spend my life
Waiting for an angel to descend
Searching for a rainbow with an end
Now that I've found you I'll call off the search
And I won't spend my life
Gazing at the stars up in the sky
Wondering if love will pass me by
Now that I've found you I'll call off the search

Out on my own
I would never have known this world
That I see today
And I've got a feeling
It won't fade away

And I won't end my days
Wishing that love would come along
Because you are in my life where you belong
Now that I've found you I'll call off the search
Now that I've found you I'll call off the search
Now that I've found you I'll call off the search

- Call Off The Search (Katie Melua)

Somewhere over the rainbow

This afternoon began with a nice meal with Dad and Stephanie at the Sofra restaurant near Bond Street before Sharon and I headed off for our real main course.........

We went to the London Palladium to watch Rufus Wainwright peform Judy Garland's famous Carnegie Hall set in it's entirety. The place was packed with celebrities and we saw Ian McKellen, Neil Tennant, Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French, Richard Wilson and many others.

Rufus was amazing, he has such a fantastic voice and despite missing a couple of notes put on one of the best shows I have ever seen. It was a wonderful evening and he was also joined onstage by his mum Kate McGarrigle, his sister Martha and Judy Garland's daughter Lorna Luft. Even better the whole thing was being recorded for a TV special and for DVD release as well, can't wait to see them.


This isn't a great photo as we weren't allowed to use flashes but from left to right it is:
Kate McGarrigle, Rufus Wainwright, Lorna Luft, Martha Wainwright

Time stands still

Well here I am celebrating 37 years of being on this planet and L-if-E is GOOD!
I don't feel any older but I do feel full ov energy and happiness.
Sometimes it feels great to be alive!
Thanks to Sharon and all the kids for the wonderful cards and presents.

I can't live......

I am all sulky because Sharon is going shopping without me tonight. I hate not being able to go shopping with her (even if I do know why she is doing it)

I can't live.................if shopping is without me!

Bumper stickers ahoy!

Cats and dogs

As time goes on things are slowly improving. Jack knows that he has to submit to Vodka and Coke and so is always trying to show that he respects them. Vodka is now coming into the house and pretty much behaving as she did before Jack came, she knows how to get Jack to back off. Coke has now taken Vodka's place at the top of the stairs and is still a scaredy cat but he does at least come in now to eat. Still a fair way to go but things are going better than I had hoped which can only be good.

Pay rise - woohoo!

Had my appraisal today, and despite being with City Financials for only four months I have just been given a pay rise!!!!!

Good luck Sam

Good luck Sam on your first day at William de Ferrers School. Please try not to worry too much, you will be fine and you will soon make friends.

All our love

Dad, Sharon, Toby, Zoe & Sophie

We love you Vodka and Coke!

Vodka and Coke, we love you both very much. I know that things have been hard for you but Jack only wants to be your friend and he won't hurt you. It's good to see that you are both being brave and slowly venturing around the house.

Vodka


Coke

Together As One

Now....is the time....
that we stand...together as one
A new life..inside us will shine....as bright...as the sun
Let's bring...bring in the new...
and do...away with the old
A new love....a new love that's true.....
A love that's never cold...a love that never dies
A love that fills our souls..we will survive
Together as one...we'll stand for the world to see
Together as one...we'll shine throughout eternity
All the dreams..we dreamed of..are now reality
And now the dreams (now the dreams) of a perfect love..will always be...
Together as one...we'll stand for the world to see
Together as one...we'll shine throughout eternity
All the dreams..we dreamed of...are now reality
You and I...in a perfect love...faithfully
All the dreams...we dreamed of... are now reality...
You and I...in a perfect love...faithfully

- Together As One (Stryper)

Good luck Zoe

Good luck Zoe on your first day at work.
I know you are nervous but everything will be fine.

Mum, Keith, Toby, Sam and Sophie

Jack is staying!

Well Sam went to Bingham to get the last of his belongings and Sharon said that he could bring Jack back with him, so we now have five of us living in the same house along with two cats and a dog. It's all a bit mad really. The cats are slowly getting used to Jack but it's going to take a while before everything can be seen as running normally.

A free weekend at last!

This weekend is the first one in a while that Sharon and I have had to ourselves. Toby and Zoe are off with their dad and Sam is going to see his grandad. It is going to be so nice just having the house to ourselves and being able to chill out and relax and do whatever we want to do.


It's great having all the kids around but after all the chaos of the last few weeks it's going to be a very welcome break for us both.