National Memorial Arboretum

Bank Holiday Monday was so cool this year, and a rather strange one too. Mixed emotions as we ended up at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. A beautiful place! We were there to search for my cousin, Stephen Edward Holloway who was killed in 2005 in Malawi on a training exercise. The memorial is dedicated to the men and women of the national and civil forces of this country who have died on duty as a indirect result of war or combat, i.e terrorist attack, accident etc...

We knew Stephen's name was up there and it didn't take us long to find as the names are in date order...so many names....TOO MANY names!!

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM: TODAY, TOMORROW, FOREVER

Help for Heroes

Little do-gooders we are! Myself, Janet and Rachel have literally worked our socks off to put together our ideas and creativeness for fundraising for Help for Heroes. Our date is confirmed on 25th of this month, a start off, a friends private party but our stall will look fab!

I've made real Swarovski crystal earrings, xmas cards, postcard prints (with my drawings of course), Dad's photography prints and flanders poppy seeds. Janet has covered the mugs and eggcups (all fitting with the H4H colours: red, light and dark blue) and Rachel creating her own fabulous Pandora style bracelets!

Check it out!

'Homeward Bound' = a graphite pencil artists watercolour acheivement!

Need I say more....

AFCO

Another trip to the RAF AFCO in Preston left me a little more focused on how to train, when to train and what to prepare myself for mentally. The physical side of the RAF isn't as daunting or as intense as the Royal or the Merchant Navy or the Army but like all military forces, it demands the highest commitment from all it's recruits.

So Mum and I decided to join the local gym, I was recommended to do so by the RAF PT. All I can say is that I have a long way to go and a tough mountain to climb. But these 5 months will be a blessing, as it happens, I was lucky as the position I want was due to open this month but due to government cut backs it's been delayed till Jan 2011. Time is and isn't on my side, I feel like I have so much to cram in but at the same time feels like a long way off! Just staying focused will be tough enough....I just have to remember why I am doing it and think about where I could be!

a little bit of Markus!

Mine and Dan's particular favourite DJ, Mr Markus Schulz came to Manchester and we simply couldn't pass up the opertunity to go and see him in action, man can he work those decks! You literally cannot keep still...we like to party with Mr Markus!

week 4 and still going!

week 4 of training for the RAF and I feel great, I've managed to shake off off quite a few pounds. Can't say how much exactly as I hate weighing myself! But it's a fair shake..infact it must be a wobble and a drop!

I've been sticking to the same routine since I started, mainly 30 minutes each night, 1-2 nights rest a week, depending but pretty solid exercise throughout. Week 1 I ran, and even ran into week 2 but started to feel pains in my hips so I eased off the running, I was told not to run too much as it's not good for the joints in your knees and hips, even your back can be prone to injury. So I've been concentrating on improving my upper body strength, which has been poor for years hence the back problems! I have felt a real difference just from a static bike and rowing machine (many thanks to gardener Paul's sister for that!) plus practicing 5x 10 reps of tricep dips and puss ups, still struggling with push ups!

Also I am keeping my brain active and prepped for the AST test, that will be one of the first things they'll do if I'm sucessful. It's basically a general knowledge testing your abilites and strong points of verbal reasoning, mathmatics, memory, mechanical, electrical and shape rotation. Looks harder than it sounds as the test itself is very very fast in timelength. With mathmatics, you have only 4 minutes to answer 20 questions, not a lot of time considering you have working out to do too! Not looking forward to that one bit!

Then it's a matter of a fitness and asthma test, if I pass those, then I get a formal interview, although not as formal as it's made out to be I've been told. And then it could be up to 2 months before I hear if I have been sucessful or not...scary but exciting stuff! Now excuse me while I go body pump!

an all time low and a rash decision

Well things are pretty darn crap at work to be honest. I've seriously never known the place so quiet, looks like this recession has only just hit us and it's only the beginning, people arn't spending at all. I'm waiting on two commissions to come back to me, BIG ones too..it's such a pain in the arse when you have literally nothing in the bank and you're having to fork out money for your business which is why I'm wait for it....having a change of heart about the job I love!!

I have to be realistic, this is my LIFE, my FUTURE, I have to start thinking about a real, solid, dependable career. Financially now, if I wanted to move out or buy a car or go on holiday I simply could not do it! And for an almost 25 year old..that's bull! I see all my friends from school, rolling on with their lives. Rachels' wedding I think had something to do with this decision..she's married for christ sake, someone's wife..living together..going away together...and me (as much as I love and am grateful for my family) I'm ready to fly the nest too.

Ma thinks it's good thing that I don't owe money to anyone, besides the bank the odd time when I go over limit (thank God for overdraft facilities) but both my folks want to make sure that I'm 100% happy with the choice I'm gonna make in life...now here is the really big news. I'm thinking about....the RAF???

Sure I have to talk to their career advisors, which is why I'm calling them tomorrow to make an appointment. I can ask all the questions I need answering then. This might not be for me at all, but life's full of making choices and what good are those choices if you don't enquire about them first!

My best friends wedding

Rachel and Dave tied the knot on Saturday 15th May 2010. The day was beautiful, it was real shame it came and went so quickly I didn't want to leave!

I got to Rachel's mums house early, about 8.10am where we set off for our make up appointment at 8.30 to arrive at 9am, we were there early so we had more time for our hair appointment at 10am, we arrived there early but didn't leave till 11.15am and the wedding cars were picking us up at 12pm! So it was a matter of quickly slipping into our gowns, grabbing our flowers and anything we needed for the day. In my case, my poem that I would be reading during the ceremony, outside for quick snaps by neighbours and friends and then we were on our way!

We got there bang on time, they due to be married at 1pm, we turned up at five past. Pheww! The reading and service was good, photographs followed outside, the weather was great just a little chilly when the sun wasn't out but no rain which made a change.

Rachel looked gorgeous in her dress, the perfect beautiful bride, I'm still coming to terms with the fact that she is married now, someone's wife, a new family for her..it's crazy makes me feel so old and I'm only 24!!!

an update from The Southward's

My family tree has been growing progressively. Infact I've contacted several distant relatives on both sides about their trees, the information is fancinating. Unfortunately I havn't come across anyone famous yet, although my great great grandfather's sister was the housekeeper for a rather well known Devonshire poet.

My Nan's family were all farmers on the North of Dartmoor, the name was Northmore or North of the Moore, the earliest date is 1560 where the name was Narramore, he lived till he was 99! Amazing age for the time! I found he saw 4 monarchs on the Throne including Elizabeth I and Charles II then he lived about 10 years after Parliament overthrew the monarchy and murdered the King. He died in 1659 and lived his life in Cornwood and Ideford. The Northmore's even had their own family crest but wern't of noble or wealthy families

here I go with a clump of posts!

God I can't believe how long it's been since I posted on here! Too long!

I'm going to attempt to pick up where I left off. First off all some rather sad news our beloved Percy died in March, after what can only be described as a nightmare illness it was a relief when he died. I couldn't bear the responsibility of him being put down, but to be perfectly honest I don't think he could have survived anyway. Talking to Pam (the guinea pig specialist) and she believes it was kindney and liver failure that killed him brought on by diabetes, I know! You wouldn't think a little thing like that could be diabetic!!

In Percy's place now, to save agro from George fretting. We have little Colin, well he was little when we got him. Dan named him and he doesn't shut up! He's a little squeaker, squeaks all the time and talk about eating! He eats more than George or Percy put together! But they are best buds, good to know they get on well the last thing we need is two male pigs fighting all the time

Here's the little nipper:

Happy 65th Birthday Helen!

Auntie Helen turned 65 on the 13th so Frank organised a suprise party for her...gotta say it really went off with a bang!

a new addition to the family!

Meet the newest and cutest member of our family...George! We got him from a friend of a workmate. Percy has had a pretty rough 3 weeks, things were quite serious we initially thought it was his teeth so we took him to the vets £160 spent later things still wern't right. Pam is a trained rodentologist and as far as she was aware they hadn't touched his teeth at all..she called the vets 'IDIOTS!' Conmen as far as I'm concerned, if they didn't know what wrong with him in the forst place they should have refered us or told us they didn't know, don't put a tiny creature like that under anesthetic and simply do nothing with him (they could have killed him, and the anesthetic completely shut his digestive system down)

Poor guinea pig was a little depressed, so we had to get him a buddy....and here he is!

she's leaving me!

I'm gutted my best mate Sam is moving away..leaving and going back to live and work in London, my poor drinking buddy is leaving me here!!

Her shop closed down and they must have found her a new place in one of there places down south. Same job, better pay and better life really, what I wouldn't give to go with her..start anew i'm gonna miss her sooooo much but all the more reason to visit LDN town! I love you my baby girl!

working out

Now the time to declare that I'm keeping fit..yep you heard me right after years of literally no excerise from my job, all I do is sit on my rear all day every day! I decided for Rachel's wedding in May that I would try and lose some weight. Me and mum bought a wii game called 'your shape'. It's very good but does get slightly boring, same old exercises and same music and the same instructor, god that voice gets annoying! It's very clever and came with a camera that sits atop of your t.v and you can see yourself on the screen and it picks up your movements.

Mum and I stuck at that for a few days ha! Then I puchased a couple of dance workout dvds, which I havn't mastered yet, not enough room in the lounge for starters but its does bring out a good sweat. I get trouble with my legs, especially my calves, years ago I was told by the doctors that I needed to stretch the calves muscles otherwise I could do a serious injury, my achilles heel could snaps or tear a muscle!

Well I did do myself an injury, but it was only two strained ankles and a dodgy knee! Oh well I am persevering and am losing weight....sloooowly!

busy days...

You'd think I'd have forgotten this thing but to be perfectly honest I've been trying to customise it..more of a personal touch, unfortunately no such luck. I've been hectic since Christmas! Speaking of Christmas I havn't even posted since then! Crikey, shame on me!

We had a very relaxing Yuletide, doing absolutely nothing for about 4 weeks, the snow was to blame for most of it! Despite Mum being pretty ill on Xmas day we had a good day. Poor dad ended up doing the dinner, he did a damm ace job too ;-) while me a Dan played with our gifts. I was made up with The Beatles Rockband and Dan with his Nintendo DS..good ol' muth and fath!

To cut a long story short here is our Xmas/New Year routine rolled into a few lines of type:

xmas day: eat, drink, entertainment, eat, sleep, feel sick, drink, eat, doze, eat, sleep

boxing day: eat, drink, entertainment, eat, drink, chill, entertainment, eat, sleep

next few days: eat, drink, SALE SHOP! (We managed to squeeze that in despite the snow) eat, chill, play, drink, purchase new years eve outfit, party, visits from gramps, more eats, sleep....

new years eve: eat, drink, prep outfit, shower, make up, hair, dress then PARTY TIME!