Oct
31
2009
6

Wedding dress shopping

I have had such a fun couple of days, but I am absolutely shattered! My Mum and Auntie Jen and Auntie Josie flew over yesterday to go wedding dress shopping. We had an appointment booked at Heavenly Bodies Bridal or the Fat Girls Bridal Shop as I like to call it. I was most amused when my Mum genuinely accidentally called it Hefty Bodies Bridal. The best thing about this shop is that it is in a private house and you have the whole of the two hour booking to yourself. No-one else around which means you have one to one attention and no-one else to watch you making a tit of yourself in giant meringues. I had decided that this shopping trip was the chance for me to try on some dresses and see what they looked like, but Mum was going to make it for me. However, I hadn’t banked on finding an absolutely gorgeous dress which my wonderful Mum bought for me. I love it and it is very me.

So, by 2pm yesterday the wedding dress was bought which meant we had to go to Oxford Street to undertake some serious shopping. Anyone who knows me well knows that I HATE shopping. I find it boring and tedious and I end up with a sore back. Well that was all true, at some points, BUT Auntie Jen and Auntie Josie are absolute demon shoppers, They are hilarious and could happily spend hours and hours in each shop, whilst continuing to protest that each is not as bad as the other. They make Mum and I look like amateurs.

It was such fund to spend some time with them and we stayed in a very convenient hotel opposite from Kings Cross Station. We finished off an excellent couple of days shopping with a fantastic lunch, with wine of course, at Carluccio’s at St Pancras Station. So, now I am home alone, knackered, but happy.

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Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized |
Oct
31
2009
5

October books

5132KMJ90SL._SL500_AA240_Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs is another fast-paces forensic anthropology based crime fiction story. She is summoned to help when a plane with a full passenger list drops out of the sky. During the investigation she finds one foot that doesn’t fit any of the possible passengers on the plane and this gruesome discovery leads to an even more gruesome story of a strange cannibalistic cult in a little town. A great read, but I love these sorts of stories!

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41kcu8YQrvL._SL500_AA240_Highland Fling by Katie Fforde was a perfect book to listen to whilst I was driving around last weekend. It was a rather vacuous book but I kind of enjoyed the fact that I didn’t have to think too hard about it, and the fact that I was pretty sure I knew what the ending was going to be. Not one of her best books to be honest, but I enjoyed it all the same!

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51QZBR5ASTL._SL500_AA240_Garden of Beasts by Jeffrey Deaver is a bit different to his usual novels. It is about a contract killer called Paul Schumann who is hired to go to Germany in about 1939 to kill a high profile member of the Nazi government. The story follows his attempts to kill him and looks at some of the issues around Nazi Germany at the time. I really love Jeffrey Deaver’s books which feature the quadriplegic detective Lincoln Rhyme, but this one left me cold and I found it quite hard going.

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41A6z8Zd8tL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU02_Mortal Causes by Ian Rankin is a cracking fast-paced read. A dead body is found in a ssubterranean cellar in Edinburgh. The body has been tortured and the style of torture would suggest that an Irish terrorist group was involved. The story is a fast-paced thriller taking in Edinburgh and Belfast, and the criminal underworld that exists i both. I really enjoy these books about Detective John Rebus. He is a lovely character, well rounded and developed and very believable.

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41N37Y0DKWL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU02_I have made three attempts to read The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler and this time I only got about 60 pages in before putting it down and deciding I am not going to bother to try again.

The premise of the book is that everyone of us has a Jane Austen character in us, and that we all identify with different characters in the story. The book itself follows a group of individuals who meet to discuss Jane Austen novels, and the story flicks back to their past and how they might relate.

I found this book annoying and the characters equally so. This is one of the Richard and Judy’s Book Club choices, but I didn’t get on with it so it will be going to the charity shop and I won’t bother attempting to read it again! Life is too short, and I have too many unread books on my bookshelf!

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41SfP3ClS5L._SL500_AA240_Vet in Harness by James Herriot is the fourth book in his series. This book is set just before he is called up for active service. He is now married to Helen and they are living in a bedsit above the veterinary surgery. The book is gentle and funny and focuses on the Yorkshire folk and animals he meets. I always love reading these books because they are such a delightful read. Each story blends one into the other, and are more about Yorkshire as they are about James Herriot.

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51H45NCC9CL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU02_I thought that Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani was going to be a really dull read. Instead what I got was a rather sweet tale of a 30-something spinster who lived in a small town in America. She finds out that she is not the daughter of the man she thought was her father, and eventually she discovers a large and loving Italian family. The characters of the story were both sweet and believable, but the ending wrapped things up a little to quickly and conveniently for my liking. Very sweet story though.

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51VB9MSB78L._SL500_AA240_The Bone Collector by Jeffrey Deaver is the first in the Lincoln Rhyme series. He is a criminalist who is now a quadraplegic who is considering taking his own life because he feels so useless. In the search for a serial killer, who is taking his inspiration from historical killings, Lincoln Rhyme gets roped into doing some investigative work of his own, from the comfort of his luxury bed. A fab book and it is a cracking fast-paced read. I love this series of books as I think they are a really exciting read.

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51EGSWT28ML._SL500_AA240_A double bill of Jeffrey Deaver with Pryaing for Sleep. Initially I was disappointed because I thought it was another Lincoln Rhyme novel, but this is an entirely different style.

Michael Hrubek, a convicted killer escapes from a secure psychiatric hospital and goes on a hunt for the woman who gave evidence at his trial. He is a paranoid schizophrenic who has been undergoing some weird type of therapy, but he is clearly far from cured. This book follows the chase through a rampaging storm, and ends with a dramatic and unexpected twist. An excellent read.

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41-ln9n3MVL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU02_Italian Fever by Valerie Martin is part ghost story, part romantic novel and part travel biography of Italy. When Lucy Stark’s reclusive author boss dies in a small town she is forced to go out there to sort out his affairs. Whilst out there she falls in love with her married interpreter and guide and believes she has seen a ghost. This book was rather lack-lustre and didn’t do much for me I am afraid. Rather tedious and I only just managed to finish it.

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51aLMdFaW1L._SL500_AA240_The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a truly curious and moving book. I was extremely confused for about the first 100 pages until I realised (by reading the back cover of the book!) that the narrator of the story is Death.

The book is about a nine-year-old girl called Liesel who is living in Nazi Germany with her foster parents. The story shows the war from the perspective of ordinary Germans, some who are in The Party and some who weren’t. Most of all though, this book is about a little girl’s love of books, her new papa, a little boy called Rudy and a Jew who was living in their basement.

I loved this book. It is truly beautiful.

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51XW93KEMCL._SL500_AA240_Isobel’s Wedding by Sheila O’ Flanagan is about an Irish girl called Isobel (funnily enough) who ends up with a cancelled wedding two weeks before the big day. In order to get over her shock she decides to move to Italy to start a new job and to lick her wounds. This book was an easy enough read but that main character was unbelievably wet and not an especially nice person. So, a fairly vacuous read, with not much storyline and rather wet characters. Not a keeper!!!

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Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized |
Oct
25
2009
1

Jessica has made it to 21!!! Yay!!!

I have had an excellent weekend, not least because The Mister was here and I haven’t seen him for about a fortnight. Last night we went to my friend Jess’s surprise pink and black themed 21st birthday party. Occasionally on my blog I have mentioned my friend Auntie Billie, and Jess is her daughter. Surprisingly everyone had (just about!) managed to keep their big gobs shut and it truly was a surprise. Jess thought she was going out to a Chinese restaurant with her family for meal, so when she arrived and saw everyone she was delighted. She was dressed AMAZINGLY… especially as she thought she was just going out for a meal! I call her look Lady Gaga/pole-dancer/drag queen/Barbie chic. Anyway, I just want to say how proud of her I am and how much she has changed in the last few years (Thank God!). I should also say, it was a real pleasure not having to drive… now The Mister has passed his driving test he can be designated driver for a while!!!!

Here is a couple of pics of the birthday girl. To see more of the party click one of these pics and go to Flickr!

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Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized |
Oct
22
2009
1

Family

Having arrived back safely on the mainland today from my unexpected expected trip back to Guernsey, once again I am forced to reflect on what an amazing family I have and how fortunate I am. So often I take them for granted, particularly as I see more of my Mum’s side of the family than Dad’s.

For the first time in ages I have realised what a privilege it is to have both sides of the fmaily who are so diverse and interesting, as well as supportive and loving. Partly this was due to the fact that we were all together to celebrate the life of my lovely Grandpa, but what was also overwhelming was the delight from everyone about our engagement an the excitement from them about our forthcoming wedding. This is one of the reasons that I want to get married in Guernsey. My friends are incredibly important to me but it is my family who have helped to shape me into the person I am today. My friends have really done some of the icing on the cake, but it is my family who baked the cake in the first place (admittedly it is probably a fruit cake!). They have provided a strong, loving and challenging foundation for me and they have continued to love me despite my faults and when I have let them down.

Uncle John gave a lovely tribute at Grandpa’s funeral, and Dad gave me a transcript of what he said. This little bit really stuck in my mind…

“Our father had a very simple faith. The secret of his faith was also very simple He always felt he was a vulnerable human being. He knew that he could not serve God in his own strength. So every morning he had a time of quiet devotion, reading a passage from scripture, contemplating its truths and praying. We as children wish to thank our parents for their constant devotion to God and their Godly example during our formative years. They were both ordinary, humble Christians with human frailties that we human beings all share. We thank God for giving us the parents he did, in the same way as they themselves thanks God for us children. We thanks Dad and Mary for praying for all of us individually by name every day for so many decades. Only eternity will reveal the effectiveness of those prayers. Our parents’ constant prayer, and that of Mary too, was that we children and all our offspring would follow Christ so that when we leave this earth we shall be together in heaven and that family circle will not be broken.”

When I consider this as my family heritage I realise more than ever just how privileged I am. I also think of my lovely Gran Nora and include her in this tribute along with my Grandpa who died when I was 9 years old. I have been lucky enough to have had grandparents and parents who have continually prayed for me. What an amazing background to have.

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags: , , ,
Oct
20
2009
9

Grandpa’s funeral

Today has been a wonderful day, which might seem a little strange as it has been Grandpa’s funeral. However, this has been a chance for us to celebrate the life of a truly extraordinary man who has influenced all our lives.

We started with the interment, which was great as it kind of got the really visibly sad bit out of the way, before moving onto church for a thanksgiving service. Grandma had chosen a gorgeous white cross with red roses as the floral tribute. Mum told me that it was symbolic. The three red roses in the middle represented Grandpa, his first wife Grandma Anita and his second wife Grandma Mary. The four red roses in each corner of the cross represent the four children. I thought that was lovely!

Grandpa had chosen all his own readings and his hymns which wereOh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing, Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness, Jesus, the Name High Over All and How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds. The singing was magnificent and it was so nice to hear these lovely hymns sung properly. My Uncle John gave a lovely tribute to Grandpa and I learnt lots of things I didn’t know already. I knew that Grandma and Grandpa had lots of missionaries to stay, but I hadn’t realised that one of them was Gladys Aylward which I thought was quite cool. Grandpa was very committed to supporting people who were serving God overseas, as well as being a founding member of the The Gideons. It was a very lovely tribute, and very fitting. My cousin Tim also read the following poem, which Grandpa gave out to everyone he could…


I Met God in the Morning by Ralph Cushman

I met God in the morning
When my day was at its best.
And his presence came like sunrise:
Like a glory in my breast.
All day long the presence lingered,
All day long he stayed with me;
And we sailed in perfect calmness
O’er very troubled sea.
Other ships were blown and battered,
Other ships were sore distressed;
But the winds that seemed to drive them,
Brought to us rest and peace.
Then I thought of other mornings
With a keen remorse of mind,
When I too had loosed the moorings:
With the presence left behind.
So I think I know the secret
Learned from nay a troubled way:
You must seek him in the morning
If you want him through the day.

I met God in the morning
when the world was still.
I met God in the morning
when I sought his will.
I met God in the morning
when I knelt to pray.
I met God in the morning
and he stayed with me all day.

After the service we went to Les Cotils for afternoon tea. It was lovely that so many people came and the food was fantastic. It was also rather convenient as this is where we are going to have our wedding reception so I got to test out the food, as well as have a little look around the place.

So, all in all, a sad day, but not a really sad day. It was good to celebrate the life of my lovely Grandpa, but as we say in Guernsey patois, a la perchoine… which means until we meet again because I am very, very sure that we will meet again in heaven.

So, here are a few photos for you to peruse (there are a few more on Flickr if you want to click through from one of these pictures)…

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Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , ,
Oct
19
2009
8

Home

Arrived back on the Mother Ship today for Grandpa’s funeral today.

Weird thing though. I was showing my sister my engagement ring and it turns out that it is nearly identical to hers. I had never really noticed what hers was like to be honest. So, here are the two pics. Guess whose is whose….

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Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags: ,
Oct
16
2009
12

RIP Grandpa

22

My Mum phoned me this morning to tell me that my lovely Grandpa had died peacefully in the early hours of the morning. He had been deteriorating for some time, really since this photo was taken at my Dad’s 60th birthday party a couple of years ago, and he was in a nursing home now.

Grandpa was an amazing man. He told terrible jokes… for example whenever you asked him if he was well he would always reply “You can never be too well” or if you asked him if he was alright he would reply “No, I’m half left”. He had a beautiful wide smile that greeted you every time you walked in the room and his smile always reached his eyes.

He certainly didn’t have an easy life. His first wife Grandma Anita died of breast cancer when my Dad was 19. He then went onto marry Grandma Mary and today would have been their 40th wedding anniversary. They exchanged their gifts just two days ago, and today Grandpa went to be with Jesus. Grandpa was also a Gideon, and I blogged about that here. His faithfulness in talking to people about Jesus was unwavering, and even when in hospital he always had a Gideon Testament ready to give out if he was able to. Such faith, and such conviction.

Every time I went home over the last year I said my goodbyes to him. I always knew that it could, and at some point would, be the last time I could say my goodbyes to him. He prayed for us regularly and I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that Grandpa loved me passionately. I also know, beyond anything else, that Grandpa is where he most wanted to be. Safe with his beloved Saviour. The one in whom he has put his trust for 90+ years and the one to whom he was continually running, even when he couldn’t get out of his bed.

He kept this little poem in his bible and i think it sums him up perfectly.

From My Heart

I’ve known the Master for many years
And I’ve tried him o’er and o’er,
Honest I can tell you know
I truly love Him more and more
With every passing year.

Nobody loves you like Jesus loves
Nobody cares like He cares.
You’ll never have a truer friend:
He died that you might live again.

He will bring peace to your troubled heart,
Comfort from every pain.
He will bring you joy like you’ve never known.
So trust Him and you will have life again.
Make Jesus your very own.

So, a la perchoine Grandpa. I love you and I know that you are now resting where you have always wanted to be. xxx

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , ,
Oct
14
2009
2

Losing Our Religion

My friend William Crawley directed me to a documentary he made about faith in Northern Ireland and this has changed over a period of time. The documentary is called Losing Our Religion and can still be viewed here and is well worth a look.

William’s own story follows through from conversion at a tent mission, to preaching at several churches on a Sunday, to becoming a questioner and ultimately an individual whose faith is based on questions rather than answers. I met William through Peterson Toscano and spent several hours chewing the fat with them both – it was fun and they both made me think a lot.

I was fascinated with this documentary though. Watching William go back to some of his own haunts, re-examine where he has been from and ponder what this might mean him at the moment was really interesting. I wonder where the next stop on this journey will be though.

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , ,
Oct
11
2009
0

The weekend

I feel like I have been somewhat neglectful of this blog recently. Life has just been so incredibly busy and I am trying to pack up my flat a bit and get things a little more organised. The Mister came down this weekend and helped me out with this, mainly with moving some of the stuff I don’t need to a friends garage. It is amazing how much crap it is possible to shoehorn into a small space. Every single corner had crap in it! So far I have put 5 bin bags full of stuff into the bin and 5 bin bags to a charity stuff, and a pile of stuff on ebay. I think I am getting there though, but it is tiring, and boring!!

Other than packing this weekend The Mister and I went to the christening of one of my client’s daugther. It was such a pleasure to be able to share this experience with her and her family, and to see just how far she has come in her recovery. Moments like these are what make doing the job worthwhile. Seeing people retrieve their lives and make something out of themselves is undeniably pleasurable and so satisfying. I am so proud of her, as I am of all my clients who manage to pull themselves out of the disasters they have often made for themselves. Seeing her up there with her beautiful little girl, and her son with whom she has recently resumed contact, makes me so proud to have been part of her life. It makes work bearable, as well as making it hopeful.

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags:
Oct
07
2009
2

Hmmm

It’s been a funny week. I got the news that my friend Kevin McGee hung himself. That in itself wouldn’t be newsworthy except to the people who knew and loved him, but the fact that he was Matt Lucas’s ex husband certainly does make it newsworthy. I don’t want to say too much, but I will say that Kev was one of the people who I knew through friends. We caught up at parties, chatted on facebook and gossiped about all sorts of things. I knew life had been tough, but I hadn’t realised how much. What is hard though, is seeing his face on the front page of every paper, on the tv and all over the internet. I will miss Kev very much, despite our infrequent contact, because he was an individual who was unforgettable and truly, truly a one-off!

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags: ,

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