Seaside and sun

Well hello again. Sorry about the very long silence. I’ve been working in Torquay for the week and just haven’t had any time or spare thinking space to post anything.

I’ve never been to Torquay before. The bay is beautiful and the weather was wonderful. Have you ever eaten gurnard? Ugly but very tasty.

On the way to Torquay we had a day in Cardiff with Sue, Evie and Gwen, helping find clothes for a wedding; we saw Swallows and Amazons at the theatre, which you must, must, must go to see if you get the chance. We had a really good family do where about 45 cousins came together because the only times we come together at the moment are for funerals.

Then a week in Torquay.

And then we’ve just had a couple of days in North London seeing Alfie, Rosie’s nearly godson and all of his family. Which was also really good fun.

And throughout all that we have had some more ideas about things to do to raise money,  sold lots more random rhinos, some Rocks for Rosie and the people I was working with also raised some money for TKOE. So our totalizer is down to £13610.94.  Time for a yay I think. Yay!

Five days and then it’s Dublin. And I am NOT scared of the flight. No, not at all. Because I did promise Rosie I wouldn’t be. I am not. not. not.  scared. Not at all. It’s only a short one after all, and I know all about the windy landings.

Jo xx

Silenced

I have no voice.

I am silenced.

I feel very small because of this.

I wonder if it will return tomorrow. Or will I have to communicate via text and mime and tweet.

Met a baby called Rosie this morning. Babies these days have things that look like small y fronts on their feet which stop their socks falling off. Cute.

Jo xx

Hello there

Just thought I’d drop in to say hello. We are so busy during the week at the moment so this feels like quite a luxury. Just had to say welcome back (almost) to Mags – we will miss your french stories, so we want replacement ones from Glos when you get back.

Advance release Random Rhinos have been captured and will make their way to London and Lochgelly and Gloucester. We should track them. They could post travel blogs. . . . .

Thank you Sheena for the gig information. Will post it properly soon.

And thank you Michelle for the donation. Will put up a new totalizer tomorrow.

What’s Torquay like?

Jo xx

Gigs

Three gigs to go to. I have very nice ads for two of the three,  but for some reason, can’t get them to upload. So will have to link them somewhere/somehow  else. So, I shall describe them here and illustrate with some Random Rhinos.

The first gig is on 11th June, at Fosters in Gloucester Docks from 6.00pm. Everyone welcome. And I’m sure there will be some shapes being thrown like this:

The second is in Scotland in mid-June. This is a big shout to the Scottish part of Team Kilburn and TKOE – SEND US THE DETAILS SO THEY CAN GO ON HERE. The rhinos are waiting expectantly:

And the third is Music of the Night, Friday 29th June, Bacon Theatre, Cheltenham. Cast photo:

June is for birthdays and music and dancing and singing and sun and fun. Even when it rains.

Do something different and go to one of these. Or two. Or even all three.

The Random Rhinos? Oh, they will be on the shop site very shortly. Remember Alan, the giant snail who visited Rosie in the summer? (31st August 2.20am post, if you want to remind yourselves, and see a lovely picture of Rosie)Well, his family have made these brilliant rhinos for TKOE. If you want to grab one before they go on general sale, give us a shout. £3 and you get a Random one.

Jo xx

Respect

to Post Office John, who has brought our bloodometer total to 22.

Although – and just wait for this - he donates plasma which sounds much more complicated than a normal blood trip to your local community hall. You must need more than a cup of tea and a biscuit after that experience. And if we counted up all his plasma donations, we’d be at 164 which would totally smash our target.

Respect too to Keri Jones who cycled all the way to Paris and has raised a huge amount so far.

And respect to Lucy who is going up Snowdon.

And thank you to everyone at Sir Thomas Riches who have chosen to raise money for TKOE in the autumn.

Good night at the cinema last night. Gloucester Guildhall where you can sit in comfy seats with drinks from the bar. No popcorn. It’s overrated I think.

Lovely day in the sun today laughing and chatting with old friends and eating Cal’s cooking. He needs non-slip kitchen shoes for Sept. What? Where?

8 months today.

Jo xx

I’m thinking

It’s Friday night

It’s sunny

Hunky Dory is on at the cinema

There’s a nice bar there

Sylv is out

Cal likes films

The three of us should go there.

Plan!

Will post some news tomorrow.

Jo xx

June 5th please RT

That’s the new closing date for the short story competition. http://threebagsfulluk.com has all the info.

And if you think you can’t write, don’t like writing, will enter later, can’t be bothered, it’s not for you and all that, well just remember this. Rosie didn’t think she could do a load of things like deal with cancer, operations, treatment, losing her hair, terrible news and all that. But she did.

She didn’t often say it, but fundamentally, she didn’t really think cancer was for her either. But it decided it was. So if she could deal with that, we can all deal with entering a short story competition and raising more for the TKOE £20k challenge.

So now you know what to do with your bank holiday when it starts raining again.

Jo xx

 

Dull, dull, dull, dully, dull, dullest

It’s the weather. It makes you feel – or makes me feel anyway – dull and muddly and can’t be bothered and bleurrrrr. And achey like some rhuematicy walrus. And hayfever is about to start. Which is why the blog has been so silent this week.

And despite the weekend being good, with a trip to Sylv’s favourite Chinese restaurant in Southampton with the family to conclude the April celebrations of her birth,  various of us have been pale and headachey and generally out of sorts. So I’m not running a TKOE stall today as I was supposed to be.

I might learn some magic tricks today instead. Later.

Jo xx

 

Stop press

We are down to £13759.56!!!!

Thank you soooo much to everyone at Gloucester City Council and especially Kim Eade for a brilliant round of fundraising. Pictures to follow cos I forgot the TKOE camera. Tsk. Chris  fulfilled an ambition of being presented with one of those giant cheques

And also thank you to Dave the Decorator and Deborah of gin and chutney fame for their donations.

We love all of the wonderings of the past couple of days.

Chris and I are off for a rare evening out just the two of us. Blimey.

Jo xx

Wondering

if now it’s started, this rain will ever stop.

how physically big the cheque TKOE is being presented with on Friday, is.

and how much value it is- very exciting.

why saucepans take so long to boil when you are in a hurry

why the cats have gone on hunger strike

whether we will sell all the MotN tickets – scary

if Cal will ever forgive me for forgetting to take him to see Streetdance 2 3D at the cinema last weekend and if it is on anywhere else

if there is such a thing as saxophonists shoulder which could be the cause of Chris’s discomfort

and what to do in Dublin.

What are you all wondering. I wonder.

Jo xx