:: friday 22 february 2002

Daisy and i watched "Chocolat" tonight, the film based on Joanne Harris' novel. It wasn't wasn't a film i desperately wanted to see, but rented it out for Daisy who loves Johnny Depp. "He's soooo fine"!! [i'm dead!]

Starring Juliette Binoche, Judy Dench, Alfred Molina, Claire Blume and of course Johnny, all the performances were superb and it would be hard to think of a more suitable cast. The story begins with the arrival of the mysterious Vianne and her daughter Anouk in a quiet, old-fashioned French town at the end of the 1950s. She rents a shop from Armande (Dench) which she turns into the most gloriously decadent 'Chocolaterie Maya.' Despite enormous opposition from the townspeople led by the mayor (Molina,) she gradually wins them over with her wonderful concoctions and refreshing, open attitude to life. Depp provides the love interest as an Irish boat-living traveller. The film has a magical, almost art house quality, and a huge 'feel good' factor. My rating? 9.5 After returning the video to the rental store, i went straight on to the local store and bought a copy. Can't wait to introduce it to George this weekend. It's definitely his kind of film too.                Buy 'Chocolat' at Amazon UK

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:: saturday 23 february 2002

Nice day as the kids were at home and we just chilled out doing stuff together. My brother and his family came round this afternoon and the kids absolutely loved Minnie. Maddie [my niece & goddaughter, had to be bribed to leave her here when they left.] Everyone was on really good form, considering that just a month ago, Richard's business burnt down almost completely in a horrific fire. The business was started by my great grandfather George in 1880 and has been run by subsequent generations ever since. Part of the present building was erected to replace the one [again] completely demolished during the terrible bombing raids on Hull in WW2. The recent fire gutted everything except the offices located in this 'newer' building which thanks to my father, had been rebuilt in the 1940's to be 'bombproof' after the earlier destruction. My bro' isn't a quitter, so i'm sure he'll manage to build everything up again, bigger and better than before. He's had enormous support and help from the many people the family has done business with over the years, proving that fair, honest business practice pays off. Good luck Rich!

Left: My great-grandfather, George Johnston Above: The original site after a WW2 bombing raid.

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:: sunday 24 february 2002

More chilling out and working. Got about six new designs on the go which are nearly done, and i don't feel terribly inclined to finish them - i get bored when stuff's nearly done and hate the 'tidying up' process, desperate to get started on some new idea or concept.
Roast beef for dinner tonight, so the diet went out of the window [again.] ****! Over a stone lighter than when i started, i really must keep it up. Soooo bored with it now, especially having to produce two meals a day for everyone else. It would be so much easier if i didn't have to keep food in the house just waiting to be nibbled.

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:: monday 25 february 2002

Can't write much tonight as i'm still working, but just want to say:



Jenn's one of my fave online babes: fun, bright, witty, and a great friend. Visit her site tho' she's transferring to her own domain soon [url a HUGE secret so far!] Way to go Jenn!!!!!!!!!!!

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:: tuesday 26 february 2002

Just uploaded this weeks linkware set: Violetta

Same old, same old kinda day: work, kids, work, food, work, tv, work. Finding it hard to get motivated and find inspiration at the moment. I desperately need some warm weather, and sunshine to bathe in when i get up in the mornings. Makes me feel good all day.

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:: wednesday 27 february 2002

Oh what a truly fun day.
SOMEONE [who shall remain nameless but THEY know who they are!] borrowed my car a couple of weeks ago and had an accident.
No-one was hurt which obviously is the main thing, but the inconvenience of not being able to come and go as i please/need is beginning to get on my nerves.

I live in the countryside, with no shops/services/facilities accessible on foot and having to rely heavily on my other half/mother/friends to get me about makes me feel 16 again [in a bad sort of way.]

Anyway, i got taken to Asda this morning [funny how two little letters can make a difference to your day: if i could replace 'to' with 'in' things might have been more exciting!] to stock up on all the exciting essentials such as milk, disinfectant, bread, disinfectant, cereal, disinfectant, loo rolls, and oh, did i mention disinfectant? [we have a puppy remember!]

After weaving round all the annoying people who go there for a day out, and avoiding mowing down little kids with those ankle-crunching junior trolleys [which bright spark thought of those huh? i had four children under 6 and am sooo relieved they weren't available then as anything one of them had, the others had to have too] i had to unpack the trolly at the check-out. Paid a small fortune for boring necessities, then back into the trolly, out of the trolly and into the car, out of the car and into the house, out of the bags and into the cupboards.
Within about two days it will all be out of the cupboard and into peoples tummies so i can do it all again. Whoopee!!!!

This evening wasn't much better. In fact it was worse. The hours leading up to Tom's [final] parent's evening saw me shoving food in everyone's faces except my own, clearing up after the dog [again - yuk!] and trying to make myself look halfway decent so the teachers wouldn't assume he had a mad woman for a parent and couldn't be expected to do very well under the circumstances. Drove [well, got driven] the half hour trip to school and pulled into the car park.
Rather spookily, there were no other cars there. Hmmmmmmm.
After trying to get in every door, window [and air vent] in the place, and deciding that the staring cleaning ladies were on the verge of 'phoning the police, i rang Tom:
" Tom, we're at school and there's no-one else here."
"You're joking?"
"No"
"Oh, that's because it must be tomorrow."
"Bye Tom."

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:: thursday 28 february 2002

Well, it gets worse.
Got a 'phone call from the insurance company telling us that we can't get the car repaired as it's going to cost more than its worth.
We're going to the garage tomorrow morning to empty everything out before it's towed away to 'car heaven.'

Even tho' the prospect of a new car is nice, i'll miss my Nissan Previa people carrier a lot. Sounds daft, but i've got lots of memories tied up with that car: picnics with the kids; days at the beach; bringing furniture home from auctions; coming home late at night from parties with a carload of 'merry' friends. I even posted in my blog a couple of weeks ago [rather spookily it seems now] about the 'Burger King' lunches the kids and i have [had] in the car.

Another drawback with a new car, is almost having to learn to drive again. The dimensions are different so you need to practise parking, backing-up etc., and why are the controls of every car in a different place? They seem so keen to standardize everything else, wouldn't it be safer if cars were the same. As Victoria Wood said: you're driving along in a new car when someone cuts in front of you, so you get really angry and give them a quick blast on the windscreen wipers!

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