~*~Life as Me~*~

Typepad v Blogger

I've been stressing over the lack of my personality on this blog pretty much since I decided to switch from blogger to typepad and while typepad is a very good host with lots of wonderful things I just dont think it is really what I want.

Yes there are some fun backgrounds but nothing that I can edit/adapt to my style/needs. I want to choose what my blog looks like, what is on the sidebars, what the title bars look like etc and unless I am prepared to learn CSS I am pretty much dictated to by typepads own contribution.

Call me ungrateful but i'm paying for this blog, and while the service is phenominal, the people at typepad are very helpful, friendly and know their stuff the sad fact remains that no matter how wonderful they are, unless they add/change to html then there is very little I can gain here.

So i'm looking for the pros and cons of both typepad and blogger that I may not have thought of before I decide to move..........

What do you think? What is your preference? Why?

~*~Debs~*~

Welcome to Lark House

Just because I can, I am going to post a few photos of my new house.....of which we are slowly moving into one car load at a time. Why? Because by doing it this way I will be eliminating the 'living in boxes' scenario if I done it all in one day. So far we have almost all of the smaller stuff from this house over there and as of Wednesday I am taking certain items of furniture that will fit in my car, unpacking a few more boxes and putting up the 3 shelving systems, new blinds and all the photos/pictures. Next week I shall hire the van for the big move, so all I will need to do then is put it where I want it, put the last few things away and voila.....moved in without the hassle!!

That, my friend is how to move house stress free!

Of course in an ideal world a larger car would have been perfect or even some help but as it turns out we are doing just fine on our own! 

Enter:

Turn right:

Oops I lost the photos of the kitchen and dining room! Ok we'll go right ahead:

Twirling back round, head out the living room door we turn right up the stairs:

Onto the first landing:

Which really does it no justice at all because its the size of a bedroom!

Moving on, we turn left into Charley's room:

Must figure out the wide angle on my camera cos again, this doesn't reflect the true size of his room. 

Next we have my work room (happy dance!):

Charleys room and my craft room both measure 23' long by 13' wide....pretty good eh?

Then we have the family bathroom:

We even have a heated towel rail...looksee:

Of which there is one in the downstairs toilet too...not that i've photo'd that room!

So next is the walk in storage cupboard, again not photo'd but its ideal for my food storage! 
Then there is the Princess's room:

Not the easiest room to photo cos its the width of the house and 13' long!

The other side of the room which will be her study area:

 I dread to think what junk will fill up this space...surely she doesn't have that much stuff left now I done my secret recycling bit!! (insert witches laugh)

Then we twist slightly to the second lot of stairs:

Which takes us to the next landing:
 
To the right is the ''loft'':

And to the left is my bedroom door, so going through it we have:

The left of my room! Furter to the left by where I was standing is a HUGE built in wardrobe! Great hiding place if nothing else!! Turning to the right we have:

Now this room is like 2 double rooms in one. The only other furniture to add in here is my double bed and my dressing table and rocking chair, apart from my tv of course! 

Through that door is:

Twist a little:

 Another escape room maybe? 

Reversing back I am so impressed with the ''loft'' space that yes, I have photo'd it! 

To the left:

And straight ahead from the door:

Definitely enough space for a double bed in there, play area or some other extra room.

The storage in this house is truly amazing, what I haven't mentioned is the walk in storage ''room'' that is in the living room and the add-on conservatory part as well as my own separate garage! This is not all though, there is yet so see the back garden:

Charley boy is going to love this, with his slip 'n slide in the summer and the leaves in the autumn he's going to be in fits of excitement!

So the side of the house looks like this:

Then the back view of the house is:

So thats the full tour. Given my poor photography skills I think its shown off the general idea of our new home! I did, however, forget to take a photo of the front of the house, which I shall do next time we are over there as well as the kitchen and dining room!

There are many little quirks in this place that I just love. One of them is a new pretty, sparkling light pendant, wanna see it? Ok:

The reason I say this is a perk is because in most rooms the lighting wouldn't quite hit it so well, but on the first landing, the space and the cream walls it reflects off just seems so perfect. Love it!

Kirsten, Charley and I are so very thankful that we have found this house, we are grateful that the landlord is a man who plays fair, thinks fair and judges fair. Such people as him are rare these days and while I wouldn't take advantage of his nature, I know he and I are going to get along fine. 

Lark House also provides me the backdrop for my expanding business and all the project that are to be offered. My own craft room will cater for my sewing area, my crafting and my custom build desktop computer (thanks Chris!!) for the writing side to my job. Being able to let Kirsten and Charley spread their wings more with their love of cooking and baking will prove priceless to them in the kitchen area while I can sit in the adjoining dining room and be on hand.  The living room is large enough to house the piano comfortably, the regular furniture and a larger tv I have just bought and all without cramping us! I dont think any house we've previously lived in has had so much space, storage and perks as this one.


So, Lark House is going to be a happy place for us to be, to live, relax, laugh, love, play, cook, clean, create and just 'be'. We're all looking forward to the next stage in our lives...... 

Is your life about to make a significant turn or change? Tell me about it...good or bad.... :)

~*~Debs~*~

Today I am grateful for:

1. My new house, just in case you couldn't tell!

2. A very nice landlord

3. The self esteem I feel knowing I am taking back control of my life

4. The hand that I know Heavenly Father has in all of my life

5. Facebook. Never thought i'd say that!

Rant.

Facebook is my sanity right now. Without such interactions on all kinds of subjects and silliness I think I would have gone on meltdown. 

Why?

Because right now we are moving slowly into our new house....one car load at a time. My theory was to do the small stuff gradually then on the final date get a van to move the big stuff but guess what? I lost my bag, purse, cards, driving licence and everything else. As I cant provide the bank with ID I cant withdraw any cash till the new bank card comes. I dont carry cash so i'm kinda in a quandry. Last night I made 2 car loads from here in Gloucester to Coleford, a whole 23 miles from one doorstep to the other and it took me a little over 4 hours. Now that wouldn't be so bad if I had a big car, but I dont, I have a small hatchback and therefore not a lot goes in. At this rate it'll take me till Christmas to get our stuff over there.

It would have been nice to have been offered some help, but when I asked I was told that noone is available. Funny that as I hear about who's doing what and where etc. Must be me.

So now I dont want their help, yes thats pride talking and you know what? Today, I really dont mind at all. I am not in the best of moods and I admit that I am feeling kinda fed up of the whole thing now. I am working my butt off for the website, the projects that will go on there, articles i'm committed to write, sort and pack up and still take care of the kids. All I hear is 'come to church' well heck, i'm so bloody stressed out that i'm hardly sleeping, when I do its totally wrong and its not just church I sometimes miss its many things!

Now if someone clones me I can make all the commitments and deadlines as well as take care of the house, the move, the work and whatever else is on my plate that i've missed.

But guess what?

THERE IS ONLY ONE OF ME.

Rant over. Now to see if my neighbour will follow through with his threats when I ask him for MY lawnmower back!!

~*~Debs~*~

Today I am grateful for:

1. Knowing that this is a temporary frustration

2. Knowing I am not really alone in all of this, God will always be on my side, even when i'm wrong

3. Finding that I am stronger than I thought (mentally)

4. My car for being reliable enough to make all these journeys

5. The patience from my kids as I duck out of cooking again

Apologies? Nope...just real life!

Yet again I have fallen behind here, big time. However, given that I am working my butt round the clock doing the new website, sourcing sponsors, securing deals, making and writing recipes, writing articles for a variety of places and companies plus take care of my kids I think I can be forgiven...for now!

We are also working hard on sorting out, packing up, and getting ready to move into our big, new house in the sticks! Yep, I secured a fantastic new house (5 years old) with a better than perfect rent and its much bigger than this one which means I will yet again have my own office, a large one at that! The kids rooms are way bigger than they've ever had, my room takes over the 3rd floor and as for the living room, lets just say we'll need a megaphone to speak to each other!! The new style business will be run from home in a much better and professional way, the kids have all they need indoors and so much more than they ever dreamed outdoors and locally so for us, its up, up and up!!!

 

{Image borrowed from Coleford Parish Council website}

Cos i've been working like an idiot I have decided to treat myself to a new car too...a gorgeous blue/grey Vauxhaull Tigra convertible! Yep, you read it right, I figured it was about time we moved in style and got back out on that life ladder as we cruise the lanes to freedom, jet the motorway to visit Jay down in Poole and Scott up in Birmingham....just have to find the right shades now to complete the image!! :) Ready to be collected in just 4 loooonng weeks :(

Shallow? Heck yeah but who cares? I worked hard, saved hard and played hard for this...and so did my kids! :)

**************************

So family update:

Charley: Started school this last Monday (separate post to follow with photos) he totally loved it and was more concerned that I was going to stay with him!!

My lil man turned 5 on Thursday and we had a wicked-awesome day! Not one of his fathers side sent him a card or called him, including the father himself. This upset Charley but surprisingly he got angry (not his style usually) and said

'Mum, I dont want to see my daddy anymore, I dont think I like him'

So I said:

'I'm sorry son, just give him time, i'm sure there's people stopping him from seeing you but he'll regret it one day'

Then he said:

'Well bad people should stop being bad and daddy needs to grow up'

At which point I choked on my strawberry icecream and glared at Kirsten!!

Saturday mornings sees Charley doing Karate, Thursday afternoons he has swimming lessons and he seems to have taken up drawing at home lately, good detail for his age too!

Kirsten: Doing totally fantastic! She has stopped hanging out with some people round here and within days I saw a dramatic attitude change, she doesn't need to asked to move her shoes, cook dinner or go to bed. I dont have to remind her to do her homework or bring her washing down. In fact, she is happier now than i've seen her in a long time. She is learning the piano, about to start a part time job at a stables so she can learn about horses before we decide if we can get one of our own in a year or so and loves Young Womens and the fun stuff they do there.

Scott: Two weeks till he goes off to Birmingham University! He is already packed and ready to go! I am so darn proud of him, its been a long, hard road at times but he's stuck to his plan and he's finally got to where he wanted to be!

Jay: Very much settled in his own place down in Poole with his gorgeous girlfriend. He has a good job and gets on very well with her family. They make a fab couple and just seem so perfect together.

Me: Still no news on the knee operation but its definitely getting better. I cant get the ok from the doctor though to start working out again so i'm learning patience and finding new, innovative ways of working out without using the left leg!! Oh the images that must give!! Lol I have been offered a place to do another degree but i'm not sure this year is the best time to do it, so I will most likely opt for a photography course instead, much less pressure and more flexible. I'm learning the piano too, though im not sure my neighbours appreciate me too much so I keep waiting till they go out! Bless them, they never moan but I can see it in their eyes when we're chatting!! Lol Facebook has become a lifeline of sorts, especially with some awesome old school friends and family that I haven't seen for years so I can be found on there most times....no thats not strictly true, I have the tab open but about a million others too that i'm flicking between!

I think thats about it for now........i'm sure i've missed a heap of stuff but it'll come back to me next time i'm here!! :)

I'm feeling very grateful right now in my life and today I am particularly grateful for:

• My wonderful kids who just amaze me each day
• Such a wonderful, loving Heavenly Father
• The awesome people who are working with me on the new website
• My eyes cos they are actually co-operating today!
• Facebook for salvaging my insanity on bad days!

~*~Debs~*~

Dangerous generosity

An interesting title dontcha think? How can generosity be dangerous? Take away the good samaritan scenarios like stopping for someone in the street late at night and think more of every day living. The people we have around us are often the ones that cause us the most pain and pleasure, but why?

One of the downfalls that i've been researching lately is the different types of people around me who are generous to a fault. We've all heard that saying right? And trust me its true. A true Christian hearted person will nurture their compassion, tolerance, loving, service and patient side and find that oftentimes they have outstretched what is reasonably expected of them. Not always, but in some cases.

I'm sure we all make one of two comments when we hear (or see) a 'do-gooder' which is either 'yeah yeah, what do they want?' or 'ohh how sweet is s/he?' yet very rarely do we actually stop and see them from their point of view. Why they chose to do or be something defines who they are, we can make the judgement of it being real or fake all we want but that person will know the truth yet only a few will know what motivates those generous choices.

Getting specific. Being willing to 'do all I can' in a relationship (including friendships, family etc) will almost always put that person immediately in the shadow, not the spot light. Unless that person is able to say no or offer an alternative to the proposed request that person will remain in the shadow. Few will remain there and many will wander off to the pits of dispair and wonder what s/he got wrong.

Thats me. Thats what I done. In my heart I tried to be all I could to be a good person, a good wife, a good friend, daughter, sister etc but not setting a limit or asking for help in return implied that I can do anything and everything without help.

Wrong.

Then comes the time when I needed help and I had no-one I could ask. I needed help with some decorating, a car repair and a home repair that I wasn't able to do myself. I called some people who I thought might be able to help but either they couldn't or they didn't know anyone who could so I was left wondering why I bother. This is not a correct or healthy way of viewing things and is a very deep pitfall to let the mind get into. When I realised this is what I was thinking I began to question my reasons for doing what I do.

On the other side of this there is the real meaningful generosity of doing what we should do when we should do it. Knowing when to listen, when to speak, when to act and when to stop are all essential requirements of the balanced self. Today I had the pleasure of being a friend to someone who I've only known for a short while. My heart goes out to her in a way that I can sympathise from my own experiences and instead of that maternal rush of giving her the answers to fix things up, it was all about sharing a part of me that could hopefully help her. I dont know if my words helped but I know she will make the right choices and she will be ok. I learnt from this lady today and I feel honoured that she trusted me with something so personal. Being there for someone is a beautiful blessing, they let us in, show us who they are and open their world to us....including their vulnerabilities, remember to value that, dont use it, abuse it, judge it or disrespect it, especially if you dont agree or like it. Its too precious.

The truth is I have given more than I should have during my life, I have not allowed others to raise to their potential and inadvertantly I have infringed on their growth and free agency to help themself. Doing too much for someone can be dangerous for them and for the giver. Yes it is great at the time but in reality the giver becomes the shadow and the receiver becomes complacent and reliant in the wrong ways.

So how do you change?

Slowly. Too much too soon is a shock to everyone, and often results in a crashdown of people around us. I done this, I suddenly decided that I had to offer people some solutions and aid rather than go in and do it for them. Because there was no gradual work up to this people were confused and mistook my new found understanding as not caring or not wanting to bother. Family are included in this. They spend time thinking all manner of things which are far from the truth because they dont 'ask' the quesion merely use their assumptions to be the truth.

Over time I have slowly managed to say no at the things I genuinly cant do, offer to help what someone just needs help with and say yes to the things I can do that others cant. A lot of talking and explaining has been required along the way and some shocked expressions and comments have been expressed but in my heart I feel a sense of release, a sense of perspective and a sense of self worth because i'm not running round doing things someone else is able to do themself while my own family/commitments are suffering.

Knowledge is not worth anything without understanding. Understanding what we know is the key to our next move, its the shape that defines us.

Do you have dangerous generousity or do you have a balance? Or are you the sort to stay away and just take care of your own?

~*~Debs~*~