Tracieisland

Tuesday, February 28, 2006



So; here we are, the first of potentially many ice-skating weekly trips with Claire (9) in the effort to provide her with a bit of fun exercize and quality time with her mum!!

Firstly the quality time kind of went out of window as claire had realized that she had missed having a friend to tea last week and in an attempt to posphone it yesterday found myself saying "oh friend can come skating tomorrow with us; instead of tea today - great idea" !!

After school skate 3.30 - 5.00 great pick kids up from gate bring home get them changed straight to riverside - "come on hurry up hurry up you won't have long on ice etc.....

On journey in car overhear conversation, friend only been once - not confidenent on ice - blow it have to escort child on ice - no journey's to casualty thankyou l thought !!

Have spent today helping in garden - very tired - painting very high fence chocolate brown - am now thinking too tired for skating - tell myself come on first trip be enthuasiastic!!

Over hear more conversation - Pancake day wonder how many we'll have and what toppings! - grreat news l think no ingredients & wheres the "flippin pan" (sorry couldn't resist!!)

Anyway get in rink and queue up for boots, sit down to put on, and then pull out of pocket spare socks grabbed from drawer in hurry, must have been a new pair of Andy's; their about 4 foot long - much embarrassed - tried to descreetly put them on!! just then hear "hello" - scrunching long sock in hand look up to see friends husband, Kevin!! dropping son off for lesson - so l thought.

Got on ice with wobbly children and slowly skated round and round - quite busy. Decided to have a quick spin round on my own as a little reminder of days gone by - boldly skate off - wow really going great - even doing that swayyee thing with arms - ooppss child in front line - veare quickly - too late going too fast - catch front of boot on ice - trying desperately to correct mistakes (frank spencer on rollerskates springs to mind) - l'm going going gone - crashhhh!! - can't laugh;as on own - can't cry although want too - manage to get too knees - then to shaky legs - brush down; super cool as if - look up to see friends husband in spectators gallery - great !!

Join him as if no problem - really thinking wonder if he saw? - dead embarrassed asked him - he was a real gent and said no - probably just thought l'd wet myself !!(wet trousers)

Now home and sporting sore wrist and bruised elbow!! Can't wait for next week !!

suggested we go alone for intended purpose and less rushing - Claire said l must have been showing off and was rather disappointed that she had missed the whole event - nevermind there's always next week!!

Friday, February 24, 2006

I AM A CHRISTIAN
I'm a part of the fellowship of the unashamed.I have Holy Spirit power.The dye has been cast.I have stepped over the line.The decision has been made.I'm a disciple of His.I won't look back, let up, slow down,back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense,my future is secure.I'm finished and done with low living,sight walking, small planning, smooth knees,colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking,cheap living, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity,position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity.I don't have to be right, first, tops,recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven,my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few,my Guide reliable, my mission clear.I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured,lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice,hesitate in the presence of the adversary,negotiate at the table of the enemy,ponder at the pool of popularity,or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up,stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. l am a disciple of Jesus. l must go till He comes, give till l drop,preach till all know, and work till He stops me.And when He comes for His own, He will have no problems recognizing me--my banner will be clear!!!

Written by a young African pastor: It was tacked on the wall of his house,and found after he died as a martyr for the Gospel!

Wednesday, February 22, 2006



Every evening, lying here in bed,this little Prayer keeps running through my head.

God Bless my Mom and Dad and Bless my Children, too ....
And God, There's just one more thingI wish that you would do,
If you don't mind me asking ....Would you Bless my 'computer', too?
Now I know that it's not normal,to Bless a motherboard,
but listen just a second and I'll explain to you, My Lord ....
You see, this little metal box,Holds more than odds and ends.
Inside those small components,Rest Hundreds of Loving Friends.
Some, its true, I've never seenAnd most I've never met,
We've never shaken hands or,Shared a meal, and yet ....
I know for sure they Love me,By the Kindness that they Give
And this little scrap of metal Is how I travel to where they live.
By Faith is how I know them,Much the same as I know You ....
By Sharing what life brings us,Our Friendship grew and grew.
So, if it's Okay with You ....
Please take an extra minute, from your duties up above ....
To Bless this hunk of MetalThat's filled with so much Love.~
Author Unknown ~

Tuesday, February 21, 2006



Not quite swimming with dolphins !!

Monday, February 20, 2006



Well finally l won the war of our teenage son getting a haircut after many comments from every member of the family ( hippy, would you like me to plait your sideburns, liam gallager etc.)Luke has relented it was Friday and he was going out with his mates in the evening on returning from his driving lesson and getting his usual welcome of comments about his hair!! he agreed that if l could get him an appointment in the next hour he would go............So quickly l rang the nearest hairdresser's explaining that my son didn't like having his hair cut but agreed to have it done and could they do it straight away? the receptionist asked the hairdresser could she fit in a lad before her next client and she replied yes bring him straight round! great l thought - on contemplating the conversation on the way to the salon it suddenly dawned on me that the hairdresser had probably had an image of a little boy arriving not liking his haircutting!! not a rather tall 17 year old..................anyway it now looks much more presentable and looks like he takes a bit of pride in himself....... even if pushed!!

Monday, February 13, 2006



What on earth is wrong with the world of drivers today? I had to go through town today at lunchtime you would have thought the world was ending - everyone was buzzing around - that's not the problem though; what really infuriates me is drivers switching lanes with no indication and nearly taking the front wing with them, only to then switch back - this happened 3 times in just encountering parkway today and it wasn't the same person - in fact the first young man that cut me up looked at me in his mirror and so l just gave one of "my dearie me shaking of head slightly" thinking "walley"!! His lane then dropped back slightly and allowed him to witness me being cut up by the next person and can you believe the first lad got along side the second bloke and started staring at him in my defence - talk about one set of rules for himself and another for everyone else !! l tell you "traffic police" what a satisfactory job that would be - perhaps not l'd be pulling everyone over!!

Sunday, February 12, 2006


CHURCH TODAY...... Two things really tickled me today at church:- Mike got up to preach and after a couple of minutes l thought oh l'll get my packet of mints out and offer one to Andy and one to a lady called Maria sitting beside me (to be friendly) when l retreived the packet from the bottom of my bag l found that there only appeared to be three mints left so trying to be as descreet as l could l gently but firmly pulled the packet open to reveal the sweets and offer them around - well the next thing was that the packet came open and two of the mints shot out and went between my and Maria's shoulders to the row behind - so much for being disceet this really gave me the giggles as l couldn't turn round and explain why l had thrown a couple of sweets, my mouth was then really watering as l had geared up for having a bit of mouth freshness and thought l can't very well eat the last one to myself so just dropped it in the bottom of my handbag.

The other thing was that as we were leaving the church today Andy had stopped to talk to John kennett in the corridor and as l was waiting to leave l looked down to notice Andy was standing on something.........it was some joke teeth that our Claire had brought on holiday last year and being the big kids that we are, we've used them more than she!!! Hence they were in Andy's jacket pocket and he must have dropped them - they looked even funnier under his shoe and it gave me the giggles to say Andy you've dropped your teeth, by then he was standing next to Jenny Lee who must have thought l meant real false teeth!! We thought less said the better and made our way home !!
I'm sure Andy is going to love to see this snap on my blog.

Monday, February 06, 2006


Helen's blog saying about Lornas tooth reminded me of when Claire's tooth finally came out. Claire said "ooh great the tooth fairy will be coming tonight"! Well the tooth fairy must have been very busy for the next couple of days as alas the tooth was still there each morning - well during the next two days Laura who's 15 lost her last baby tooth and delightfully looked at me and said, "ooh great the tooth fairy will be able to collect mine whilst she's here"!!
The next morning Claire came running in with her money saying the tooth fairy had been and then remembering that Laura also had put her tooth under her pillow; headed for Laura's room, - on looking Laura found an envelope under her pillow with a note enclosed which read:-
Dear Laura,
Unfortunately for you l havent left any money this of course being because you have denied my existance now for many years, unlike your little sister, Claire. So sorry about that, oh and thanks for the tooth anyway, l'll add it to my collection !!!!!
With much Love
the faithful old tooth fairy!!

Claire and myself found the little note very amusing - funny - Laura wasn't that amused and just gave a typical teenage "yer right"!!