Create your own Destiny!

Well, using my new found internet access at my girl's house I thought I would write a blog post.  I am supposed to be using the time to do some much awaited writing as I haven't really done any in a while and seriously need to crack on with it!  But at the moment I am laid curled up on the sofa, in front of the fire, with Rolo snuggled up to my legs, (now that he has finished sniffing my laptop and leaving his wet nose prints all over the keyboard) I also need to get some more emails sent out for my first book as I have pretty much hit stale mate with all the submissions that I have sent so far.  It's about time I pulled my finger out I think!  
These words spring to mind...

There are those who say fate is something beyond our command.

That destiny is not our own, but I know better.

Our fate lives within us,

you only have to be brave enough to see it.

Words spoken by a Disney Princess; they must be true!!  

Princess Merida (Disney's Brave)

Well, whether I'm in control of it or not - I will reach my goal one day, I will see my books on the shelf of a book shop.  It takes hard work and perseverance to reach a dream like the one I have, and I will get there eventually.  I know I have a lot of work to do, and one day I will kick  my self up the ass and actually get on with it at a better pace, but for now - there is no rush.  

My dream may be a stretch towards the moon, but I'd settle for the stars!!

Bye for now,

Louby xx

A little bit of magic...

Well guys and girls... it is half term!  Eight weeks into the new school year and it is about time for a week off.  The sun is shining, the autumn colours are all around, and I have some great plans lined up to keep me busy!

As I know there will be lots to tell by the first of November, I am going to do my sum up of the beginning of the month for you.  Starting with my month of creativity with my school lunches (basically trying to avoid sandwiches all the time) I was pretty much doing this anyway, but now the colder weather has come, I have introduced soup and left over stew for lunches to keep me warm at work!  Work is still going great - I am loving every second of it!  
Vernon even came to visit the other day!  I kept him hiddied in my bag until after all the kids had gone home, but then he went for a little tour - he had a play on the climbing frame, sat on the desk and even stood on a cross for exercise!  Take a look at some of the other pictures on Instagram with #vernonsadventure!

The last day of term was onesie day in support of Type 1 Diabetes!  One little girl is one of only two children in Rotherham to be getting a new pump for her insulin that will help her to control her diabetes and dramatically cut down on the amount of insulin injections she has to have every month.  The trn out of both children and staff in their pajamas and onesies was incredible!  Of course I joined in, anything for something different, and in support of such a good cause too! 

Back at the start of the month, Tara and I went on an adventure to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park to see the new Polar Bear, Victor!  He was so big, and covered in grass stains, it was amazing to see an animal like that so close up.

We had an ace day, without too much rain, and got to see all the animals.  I think my favourite was possibly the little spider monkeys that were running around in the enclosure.  This little fellow was called Dillan and was quite happy to sit and have his photo taken with me :)

Back at the beginning of the month I also finally sorted enough money to fill my little pile of junk with petrol so that I could go see my Momma Kate ad Seth!!  

We donned our raincoats and boots and headed to the seaside in the rain ad wind!  A little bad weather never stopped us having a good day!  We played in the arcades and Seth got a new tractor and trailor, we went for a little walk and did some shopping and took some silly pictures :)  Back at home Sethy didn't share his chocolate buttons, but let me have cuddles, so I can't complain too much!  

And before bed we had a splashtastic time in the bath, where I am actually convinced that I would ave been dryer if I had gotten in the bath with him!  I love seeing him in the water, and his little giggle is incredibly infectious when he gets going - my little water baby!

The majority of the month has been spent decorating!  Tara and I took on the job of decorating her spare room!  We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves stripping all the wallpaper and making a mess.  Then we have proved that you don't need a man for these things; and filled all the holes in the wall, and then painted!  Tara got all stroppy with the cutting in, so I have done most of that, and she has got most of the rollering done - apart from on Friday, when I did the cutting in and the rollering while she laid on the floor and played DJ Curtis!  Oh the life of some - I'm not sure which one of us is more under the thumb!!

 















And although I don't really have any photos from the day Me and Tara spent getting lot in the rain at Clumber Park - I do have to share her blonde moment...
Whilst throwing things at me and me turning around to grumble at her, she tried to retend it was a conker falling from a tree... When I pointed out that the trees we were walking under were in fact Oak trees, so conkers couldn't be falling out of them, her come back was... 
"Those damn oaks, falling on you!"
And the award for blondest moment of the month goes to?!  I couldn't breathe for laughing!  It took me a while to be able to explain that it was in actual fact acorns that fall out of Oak trees!! It's a good job I love her!!

Well, bring on Half Term!  

Speak soon, Louby xx

Happy Birthday Vernon!

Alright, I know I'm a day late with this post, but yesterday was a little bit hectic, and then I have had to transfer all the photos from my phone to the laptop before I could put them on here!

As you may or may not have known, yesterday, Sunday 19th October, was Vernon's first birthday!  Yes, it has been a year since that lovely day in October last year that I came across the Fluffy Bearz stall at Matlock Bath Craft an Gift Fair.  I don't need to go into the story - you all know it already - but for those of you who might be new to the blog, or to Vernon's Adventures, check out my New Year post where I talked all about Vernon and how he came to be mine, and how I decided to show him the country this year as part of my New Year's Resolution to be happy and live more in the moment.
(Check out the original blog post at http://fantasy-element.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/new-years-resolutions-talk-of-school.html)


This was the first photo I ever took of Vernon - he even still had his name tag on around his neck!

 That day we explored Matlock Bath and took a trip up the Heights of Abraham where we took lots of pretty photographs.  Vernon liked the waterfall, and loved the view from the top of the hill!

So, after that quick trip down Memory Lane, back to the present - To celebrate Vernon's birthday, I decided a trip back to Matlock Bath was in order!  So, after a busy morning, Vernon, Sammy and I set off for Matlock in the car.  My poor little pile of scrap metal barely got us up some of the hills on the way there; but we did make it in one piece.

 Lovely weather to drive there - sun roof down and the whole shabang!  We get there and get parked... and what does it do - it rains!  So, in true spontaneity, we found something random to do - we went to the little aquarium!  I think Sammy was more excited that Vernon was and she got a little over excited when we found Nemo and Dory!   





 Vernon and I preferred the Petrifying Well!  The actual well is very pretty and the effects are almost unbelievable!  Plus the lighting effects make it look a little eerie!  

After our trip around the Aquarium, we headed outside and put up with the light drizzle.  We went for a walk across the jubilee bridge, got ice cream and went for a walk in the woods.  It made me laugh that we were walking part of 'Lover's Walk' with a bear, but the joke was on us by the time we had finished.  

... After taking the cute little path to nowhere, which turned out to go up hill... a long way up hill.. we finally made it to the top (where Vernon and I were very naughty and wrote Happy Birthday on the fence for his memory photo!) Sammy discovered that we had to go back down the other side again...

 After the trek back down the other side of the hill, and finding a few rather random trees and other bits an bobs, we discovered that the path we had taken in the fist place was only a few hundred yards from where we now stood at the bottom... It didn't even take us anywhere - what a let down... but a fun hike through the woods - even if Sammy thought she was dying without her inhaler!!

Once back down at the bottom, Vernon and I found a little Band Stand where Sammy very kindly took a cute photo of us for his birthday :)

All in all, a pretty good day I think!! 

Keep an eye out on Instagram for #vernonsadventure to keep up to date with all his exploring.  Not long left now to get him to a few last places before another new year will start!



Bye for now, Louby xx