Monthly Archives: May 2009

Cette Semaine

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Apparently I’m feeling French today. Maybe it’s the sunshine, but I was talking to my chocolate pudding in a fake french accent earlier…

So this week…

…I recounted tales of what happened when I got a navel piercing to my friends’ 4 year old daughter. I believe my description was something along the lines of it’s kind of like having snot and bogeys coming out your belly button. Yep, I’ve been corrupting children again…

…I fell asleep (twice) in the front row during a Child Protection training course. Big oops!! (sorry)

…posted a Facebook status asking on advice about good places to get baby clothes, maternity clothes and baby equipment at bargain prices on behalf of a friend (who isn’t on facebook). Of course, I didn’t mention it was for a friend or work. So people then thought I was pregnant.

…which seems to be a recurring theme…

…I was left with a toddler in my care. After he had done some jigsaws, drawn a picture and got tired of laughing at me pretending to struggle to reach cars and trains we shot across the room to each other, he decided to lift at my top. Why? To find the baby in my tummy. While holding down my top (seriously this kid was DETERMINED to find my non-existent baby) I tried to explain that I didn’t have a baby in my tummy. He just frowned and made it perfectly clear that he so didn’t believe me.

…Sarah and I got lazy. We couldn’t be bothered to go out and get food. So we ordered pizza to be delivered to the centre. From round the corner. 

…found out that Ian Rankin was at my uncle’s funeral. And that another of my uncles knows Alexander McCall Smith (one of my fave authors!!)

…I knew I wasn’t good at the whole grace and peace thing, but discovered that when it comes to football, I really am terrible with the grace and peace thing. This became apparent when my friends informed me that a certain football manager had been in a local Starbucks last weekend. And I responded ‘Oh, glad I wasn’t there, I would have had to shoot darts at him’. I also took great enjoyment on gloating at Man Utd losing on Wednesday night anyone who wanted them to win.

…I got a vaccination. And later got sent home from smallgroup as side-effects kicked in. And basically had a mini-meltdown on Twitter as I tried not to cry because I thought I was going to be sick when I drove home. 

(Yes, I know….I’m such a baby!!)

…I got mistaken for a school pupil twice in one day.

…I missed American TV Drama night because I was at a fundraiser. Not just any American TV Drama night….the final ever episode of ER. That’s a serious sacrifice.

…I have discovered that I have a new addiction to blueberries.

…and discovered that you can get cakes in shape of The Stig. Very excited about that, as is my friend Cat (another Top Gear fan). Ended up watching a re-run of Top Gear over lunch afterward, and they had the Aston Martin DB9 on it…

Oh, and by the way…No. I’m not pregnant.

I’d just like to confirm that! ;)

American to British/Scottish Translator: Bathroom-related

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Yep, today we’re talking about things bathroom related. So this is the translator post that is most likely to make you cringe and/or blush. But then it could save some potentially embarrassing situations too…

Toilet (?) = Bog/loo/can

Restroom/John/Bathroom = Loo/toilet/bathroom

Toilet Paper = Toilet paper/loo roll/bog roll

Using the restroom = Going to see Mike/Going for a wee/Spending a penny/taking a whizz/having a slash/powder your nose…

Puke/hurl = spew (less said about that the better)

Poop = poo (small)/jobbie (bigger)

Sanitary napkin/maxi pad = sanitary towel

Diaper = Nappy

Q tip = cotton bud

Fart = fart/pump/let off

Period = mollies (Scotland only I think for that one!) or my least favourite descriptions ‘on the blob‘ and ‘time of the month‘. We also just use the same term you use…

Bum/butt = bum/bottom/bahookey

Stall = cubicle

Diaper = nappy

My Sister’s Keeper

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When I was at school I read books like they were about to go out of fashion. I would easily read 6-8 books during one 2 week holiday. However, when I went to university I started off in an Master of Arts degree which meant hours and hours of reading some of the most boring writing you could possibly imagine. Contract Law? Or actually no, Delict…Donoghue vs. Stevenson (who is thy neighbour indeed) Journal articles about the geomorphology of glacial landscapes? (they’re pretty, can we not just leave it at that?) Erving Goffman? (a sociologist…enough said really)

It seriously put me off reading for a very long time. 

There are only 3 authors who caught my attention enough to read their books while I was at university… J.K. Rowling, Alexander McCall Smith & Jodi Picoult.

I got intrigued by one of Picoult’s novels by the fact that it seemed to be the only work of fiction that for some reason resided in the Medical School bookshop. So I decided to read it so I could discover what the fuss was all about…

…I was blown away by it, as it is one of the best examples of how art can bring such a controversial issue into a debate remembering what’s important, to open minds and respecting all parties involved. And by involved I mean those directly affected by these issues.

My Sister’s Keeper remains one of my favourite books to this day (it comes second only to my all-time favourite Tully by Paullina Simons that I’m currently re-reading for like the zillionth time since I was 14/15).

A few weeks ago I was in the cinema and saw a trailer for the film adaption they have made of the book. I would love to go and see it, but I doubt I will because I remember the many puke scenes (2 characters in the film have cancer…).

Check out the official trailer on YouTube below:

Travelling Tuesday: My Hometown

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Just to show you that sometimes Leith is sunny…these pictures are taken around the area where I lived during my ‘high school years’. It has changed a lot since I moved to Aberdeen, but my friend now lives in Newhaven, and most of the time if I go shopping or to the cinema we will go to Ocean Terminal. It’s just such a chilled out space and has the comfiest cinema seats of anywhere in Edinburgh.

A lot of the disused factories have been turned into bistro restaurants, luxury apartments and so on. But much of the deprivation and social issues (drugs, prostitution, unemployment) still remain behind facades of affluence, lurking around corners hidden from view of the business people and tourists. 

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Newhaven & Leith from Wardie

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The Shore

(what used to be our Red Light District)

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Royal Yacht Britannia @ Ocean Terminal

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Ocean Terminal

 

One classy lassie

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the dress Just in case you didn’t believe, here’s the proof that I did wear a dress on Saturday night.

Now I’d just like to clarify that when I was in public, I was in fact wearing a pair of tights (that’s English for pantyhose - all you who speak Americanese) not pyjama bottoms. Don’t ask me why I decided to take off my heels and tights as soon as I got home, put on pyjama bottoms but keep the dress and my shrug cardigan on while I sent a few tweets, took off my make up etc. and didn’t just take the whole outfit off. Clearly, I’m just weird like that!

 

My malteser moment of Saturday…? Well, this dress has a zip in the side so you can pull it on over your head. 

I didn’t realise that.

So I just put the dress on…got my bag together…decided on which shoes to wear…phoned Cat in a panic when I realised I didn’t have any suitable pairs of tights in my drawer (she did had 2 spare pairs with her…Go Cat!!)….jumped in my car and headed to Vikki’s.

I am so unbelievably thankful that I’d stopped for petrol the day before on my way to Kate’s. 

Because after spending time getting ready, having some nibbles and drinking (well they drank, I didn’t) with the girlies, we headed up the street to my car and was just getting in when Fuz said ‘um, Laurie…is your zip undone?‘

‘What zip?‘ I said, and looked down.

How could I have failed to notice the large gaping hole in the side of Kate’s dress?!

All I can say is, thank goodness I at least had put my ‘posh pants’ on.

And had worn a satin top (also Kate’s) underneath the dress to make the front of it a little less um, revealing…but clearly all my efforts not be too revealing failed with my major lack of observation while dressing!

Second malteser moment…they had a bowl of olives on the table. I like olives. So me and Cat (hungry…cos we waited 45 minutes for our starter!) started nibbling on some. I thought it was really handy how they had an empty bowl next to the olives for the stones.

Apparently not an empty bowl.

No.

A bowl filled with olive oil to dip bread in when it arrived with our tapas.

Oops.

To finish that off my malteser filled evening nicely, I managed to flick my fork into the air in an acrobatic move which I’ll probably never be able to re-enact where it landed on the floor with an almighty clang.

Yup, you can’t take this unclassy lady anywhere…

Some people thought I was a classy lady though (ok, one person), even if they had a rather bizarre way of communicating it. Let’s just say there’s a new way of chatting up the ladies (at least new to me) and I’ve nicknamed it the bump and slide.

So single guys, if you’d like to learn this impressive move that is sure to win over the ladies ensure you never ever ‘pull’ just let me know & I can pass on my new found knowledge. Or any member of my smallgroup really as I was showing some of them how to do the bump and slide yesterday. 

;)

Night on the town

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I think it’s the longest I’ve ever not posted on this blog for! I’m alive, I promise. 

Just back from a night on the town celebrating my friend’s birthday. She made us all get dressed up – the guys were in trousers, shirt & tie, the girls all in dresses. We are very much a ‘jeans’ crowd!

If you know me well, you’ll know that I’m not a fan of skirts or dresses. I have my 3 wedding outfits & 2 ball dresses (I went to at least 1 ball a year when I was a student) that get rotated. Yep, you can see by my Facebook photos…the same silver dress made it to at least 3 weddings last year, and the pale green one one made it to 2 others…

The girls were really lovely, they know I’m trying to save money and therefore couldn’t go out and buy a dress, so they let me borrow something.

The downside to this was that they insisted I try on 8 different dresses on Friday night!

I did manage to wear the dress and heels to the very end – at Jekyll & Hyde for drinks, at Café Andaluz for dinner and dancing at Lulu. I admit as soon as we left Lulu I pulled out a pair of black flats from my bag (which I did buy today to go with the dress….I know….shopping addict) to walk back to my car and drive home in.

And of course, the night was not without its malteser moments.

However, it’s now almost 3 a.m. and I said I’d have breakfast at Chez Smallgroup tomorrow morning….if I make it to (and through) the 11.15 service it’ll be a small miracle. And of course, there’ll be the person that thinks I’m hungover. Which would be amazing when all I’ve really drank is council juice.

I may tell you/show you malteser moments later…!

Sunshine + flip flops = rest

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Thursday is my ‘sabbath’ day this week

(since I’ll be working on Saturday & at church most of the day Sunday!)

This photo symbolises how I plan to spend it knowing that…

…I can’t do anything right now except pray and wait

…I’m drained physically & emotionally (but not spiritually) I need rest and some time alone to process.

In the spirit of one Aussie blogger’s Be Thankful Thursday…I’m choosing to give thanks even though there’s a lot I’m angry about, and a few things I’m even more worried about than I was a couple of days ago.

1. I’m thankful for friends and family who are always so supportive even though I’ve been a rubbish friend. That’s grace my blog readers!

2. I’m thankful for the fact it’s Thursday…Thursday nights mean I can spend a few hours in American TV Drama world with the folks at the California Bureau of Investigation, the Walker Family, the FBI missing persons unit & staff at County General (minus Neela, Abby & Kovac though…sniff sniff). 

3. I’m thankful for this

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…it might mean a higher risk of osteoporosis, it might make me angry  my previous consultant refused this particular treatment to me 3 years ago, but I’m so thankful I’ve been allowed it now, and even more thankful that it now seems to be working! Minus the tooth issues, I’ve been pain free since the last Sunday in March. Without any surgeries!

Hallelujah!!

4. I’m thankful for my Mum. She may drive me crazy at times but I’m so glad she’s still alive and here. 

5. I’m thankful for blogging and Twitter. It’s seriously been like therapy these last 2 years. And I’ve met some really cool, encouraging and generous hearted people that I hope I will be given the chance to meet face-to-face before the apocalypse. :)

6. I’m thankful that we’ve had some sunshiney days. They give me hope for the future!

7. I’m thankful for grace. And I love that part of my first name means exactly that. It’s very fitting. God has to pour a lot of it out on me. I hog his grace a lot (sorry if any of you feel you’re being cheated out of it on my account). 

 

 

 

Abortion in the church

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I gathered with people working in pregnancy crisis centres from all over Scotland in Stirling today.

We had an amazing couple who run one of the first UK PCCs come to speak and give seminars.

This statistic though shocked even me.

The abortion rate within the church is almost exactly the same as it is outwith the church.

I wonder how many pastors realise that.

I wonder how many people are in need of healing relating to pregnancy loss.

If you are someone who works as a pastor or leads up a pastoral ministry, can I recommend a book to you? It’s not heavy, but I think it would encourage and inspire you.

SPSTANDARD.9781850786634

You can buy it on Amazon, but I can probably get you a copy for £5 (if you live in the UK).

Life faster, blogging slower

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Realise that I don’t have as much time as I usually do to blog. Life is moving fast at the moment,

…trying to get everything sorted for going to South Africa (vaccination, clothes and equipment, insurance, passport)

…work is busy especially during next 2 weeks as my fellow centre coordinator, Sarah, is currently on holiday visiting friends and family ‘across the pond’ at the moment. And it’s the Scottish conference where all the pregnancy crisis centres in Scotland come together tomorrow. 

…speaking of work, if you’d like to support us in prayer, practical help (it’s not all counselling) or otherwise, please do get in touch with me via e-mail. Sarah and I would particularly appreciate it. Being a Christian in the job we’re doing is really tough going at times. And we’re not very clued up on certain things…we need all the help and support we can get I think!

…I’ve been watching Gilmore Girls. I’m sorry!

…trying to get into surfing…discovered though that I’m even blinder than I was before, which means I can’t get daily disposable contact lenses as they give me double vision. This is probably going to mean new glasses too.

…I haven’t seen many of my friends in so long…that needs sorting.

Anyway, so the blogging may be slow in coming. Sorry about that. I do have the two other blogs though….for all things worship-y go here and for all things about getting prepared for South Africa go here.

 

The tragic materialistic side of BK…

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Ok, so on Wednesday I wore the rocketdog shoes ‘Niddrie style’ (that means with no socks on for those of you who didn’t grow up in Edinburgh). Anyway, they cut up my feet…often…great for sticking on if I’m singing or nipping somewhere in Cassie the Corsa. Not great if I’m going to be walking more than 100 yards.

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rocketdog shoes, purchased summer 2006

 

I’m trying to be more environmentally friendly with the whole not using the car when I don’t have to thing. I went into the ‘village’ bit of my suburb to do some work and personal errands at the Post Office/Bank. I thought I’d better wear something sensible on my feet so I wore these trainers (bought circa 2004 at McArthur Glen – yeah, I remember every single shoe purchase I’ve ever made…pretty much!) 

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the blue trainers, purchased summer 2004

They blistered and cut up my heels within about 20 minutes. In the end, before my errands were done, I gave in, took my shoes off and walked back home in my socks. Just as kids from the local high school were coming out of their exam. Excellent.

So yes, I decided today was the day to end my ‘no shopping’ strike. I needed shoes that are comfortable, and are not winter boots that leak or flip flops. Amongst some other things…

Anyway, I’m not big on the whole shopping taking hours thing. So I always buy stuff try it on at home (which means I can see if things are practical, if I have other stuff to go with it etc.) and whatever isn’t suitable I’ll return.

But I couldn’t decide on the shoes…

Exhibit A: the black hush puppy

Exhibit A: the black hush puppy

This is option number one. Obviously we’ve got the advantage of the fact they’re black and will hopefully go with most things. A bit flat so I doubt I’ll be able to wear them with my one pair of work trousers (used for days were I can’t get away with wearing jeans). They are comfy, but not as comfortable as Exhibit B.

 

Exhibit B: the purple hush puppy

Exhibit B: the purple hush puppy

This is option number two. Now these I think are the comfiest shoes ever since the flip flops I bought for $10 in Byron Bay. Or my black merrells (RIP black merrells, I miss you…). And yes, they are my favourite colour purple. But they have 2 disadvantages in that I’m not a big fan of flat shoes with a strap, and they won’t go with everything in the same way the black ones would.

This doesn’t even come close to the whole clothing dilemma. Especially as I went into a store I love today, which has really funky decent quality clothes for really cheap, and then noticed the labels ‘Made in Bangladesh’ ‘Made in India‘…and just felt convicted to dump the items and walk out the store.

I’ve been trying to find ethically made clothes and shoes that actually fit me. 

I’ll be the first to admit that when I’m not great at being environmental or ethical, but feel I need to try more in the choices I made with the resources I have…

Hmm….

(and I admit I don’t know about the shoe company, but I know the shoes are good quality and aren’t dirt cheap but also aren’t ridiculously expensive either…so I’m hoping that if they are made abroad, the people making them get a decent wage compared to other places).