Parcel contains a world of bags, aprons, jumpers, pin cushions  . . . beautifully handmade in France and ready for TKOE to sell. Thank you so much Mags. They are wonderful. Will put some pictures up here.

The timing couldn’t have been better. Monday was a bit of a down day all round, so this was really cheery and means we can have a TKOE craft stall in the spring.

Jo

Yes, Rocks for Rosie, you can indeed participate.

Chris is needing some encouragement re public saxophony – he’s quite bashful really. Perhaps though, we could have a TKOE band, using all our talents. What instruments can everyone play?

We’re going out to visit a small work by Mr William Shakespeare tonight. It is possibly a year since we last went to a theatre to see something, and I’m looking forward to it.

Jo

It’s felt like quite a surreal week too, what with that cold spell, shipwrecks, a retail chain a day seeming to go out of business, and the dark mornings and evenings.

But Team Kilburn has carried on doing the business- thanks Jane for the brilliant plan of a year of raising money through tabletop sales.

One of the things I was excited about in the last post, I’m allowed to tell you about – one of Rosie’s old school friends has got together with some other people, and is organising a summer concert for Rosie and TKOE. It sounds really good. Rosie would love it, and there’s even auditions going on. Will give you more info when we have it.

And we now only need to raise £16321, thanks to a totally unexpected, and incredibly welcome donation from the North Halifax Grammar schools association carol concert.

Oh, and Chris can now play 8 notes, and a reasonable rendition (so he says) of Puff the Magic Dragon. He could audition for the concert : )

Jo

Here’s another picture,(subliminal message to Chris, I like these very much and Valentine’s day is soon)

but there are many more here http://www.facebook.com/#!/RocksforRosie, and another on Michelle’s comments on the last post.

And you just look at the pictures, choose what you want, (as a thrilling extra, the stones all sound like they are jewels from Harry Potter) and then email celiaebutler@yahoo.co.uk and she sorts out the rest, in true TKOE fashion.

There’s two other fundraising things being planned, which I really really want to tell you about, but I’m not allowed to yet. Both are really exciting and sooooo Rosie. If I typed them now, without looking at the screen, would that count as me not telling you, but my fingers doing it without me knowing? Nope, I must stay quiet for now.

12th was a bit sad. Today though we watched a DVD today from 2001 and 2002 which were films which Rosie had made at Sue, Dave, Evie and Gwen’s house, which they sent us for her birthday. It was one of those so glad we had it, laughing, crying times. Cal was fascinated because he is only 8/9 and has this tiny, squeaky voice.

The other thing which has happened since the last post, is that we have had two more donations, one from the staff at Newent School – thank you – and one which was a totally unexpected sum from Thorntons, because Rosie died in service. We’ve decided to donate something from this. So, we now only have to raise:

£17,026

We’ve thought long and hard about which charities to support through our £20k challenge, and we’ve decided they will be:

Little Princess Trust – Rosie’s very first worry about having cancer was what would happen to her hair, and she lost it all twice. Trying on wigs and then having one, was both the saddest of times and the funniest, and we know what difference it makes to the whole family and friends. And they are based locally.

The Birmingham Teenage Cancer Trust Young People’s Unit – they supported all of us, and this is a regional centre for us, which makes a difference nationally.

The Forget me Not Trust – so we keep Rosie’s Yorkshire connections and because they are doing things for families and friends which Rosie would totally approve of

The Willow Foundation – because they help everyone by sorting out amazing days out. If it weren’t for them, Rosie and Toby would never have met David Yates and Daniel Radcliffe, or had the best day of her life.

Don’t worry, we’ll still be working with Hope, but we needed help and support from so many different places and we want other families to have that too.

Well, this is a surprisingly long post, so I’d better stop now.

Byeeee

Jo

Then there was Helen and a rhino, of which more another time.

And then there was Celia and Rocks for Rosie. You’ll need to look here http://www.facebook.com/#!/RocksforRosie to see what that is about. It’s REALLY good.

And then today, TKOE found out it only has £18,558 to go to its target, thanks to a phenominally generous donation from the Newent School Winter Concert. Thank you everyone for that.

Sylv is feeling much better; and Chris can now play five notes, tunefully. So I don’t feel quite so fed up any more.

Thanks, Team Kilburn. xxx

TKOE blood donations = 3

Jo

Rosie had a thing about socks. She possessed more socks than anyone else I know. Ones with toes. Ones without toes. Ribbons, spots, strips, lace. All sorts.

Sylvie doesn’t like socks and rarely wears them.

Cal wears his out frequently, but doesn’t tell anyone until we see big areas of bare foot sticking out of the bottom.

I don’t have a thing about socks. Until this Christmas. In answer to the question, the most comfortable socks I have ever worn, relate to two pairs. One are long, stripy, soft and fluffy and come from Joules. Sylv bought me those.  And the other pair are spotty and are made of bamboo. They come from a shop called Ethos in Ledbury, or you can get them on line from all sorts of places.

That’s our Saturday thoughts for you.

TKOE blood donations = 2 now

And we only have £19, 558 to go. Thank you Joys Green PRU and Newland Homes of Cheltenham.

Jo

Bet you all want to know how Rosie’s birthday went?

We had a grand night, thank you very much. A good group of Rosie’s friends came round. We had to improvise a bit because of the weather, but Team Kilburn is nothing if not adaptable. So . . . .

This was our bonfire once Toby and Chris decided that even with a tankerful of petrol, the big bonfire wasn’t going to light

These were some brilliant cakes Georgia made to accompany the burgers, hot dogs and Refresher lollies (you can get Refresher lollies!!)

 We had some bizarre snake fireworks, which started out as round black discs like watch batteries and grew and grew into long twirly tubes. This is part of the epic firework display created by some of the guests

And here is the finale in lieu of a birthday cake. We did have candles to light the room though.

We really enjoyed it, so thank you Rosie’s friends, all of you who came along.  There’s also been cards and birthday greetings people have been putting on the blog and Facebook. We really liked the idea someone put up about who Rosie would be partying with  – as she undoubtedly would be. Her choices are endless and it’s really funny to imagine who she would get to come along.

And, we can report that the first TKOE blood donation has been made. Well done Kate! Mine’s not until March.

And  only  £19,898 to go to hit our target as TKOE has had its  first donations of 2012. Thanks for all the offers of donations to come as well. Will confirm which charities shortly. Very shortly.

And, and, and – have you seen the blog is coming up to 400,000 hits!

Bye

Jo

once we got back, hot water bottles, pain killers, dressing gowns and bed were all that we were up for doing. Can someone convince me this is a good omen for 2012?

And this means that I now have no idea what my thoughtful and profound blog was, because it was clearly made up during my feverish phase and is now lurking somewhere else and not readily available to my tip-tapping fingers.

Still, what I can say is that we are going to go with two New Years resolutions.

The first is that we are going to make sure we donate blood this year. Sylvie is trying to find a way where she is not too young to do that. She can definitely carry an organ donation card, but that’s not quite the same thing.

And the second is that we are going to aim for TKOE itself and followers raising £20,000 this year, to celebrate Rosie’s 20th birthday. We think it’ll be easiest if we pick 4 charities for people to raise up to £5k each for. That’s £5k per charity, not £5k each person has to raise. Although that would be astounding if we did that. . . . can you imagine. . . .

Now, which charities? Will let you know that in the next day or two – we have a good idea, but just need to check out a couple of things with some others.

All I need now is sneezing to stop; headaches to go; wind to stay below 5 mph until 22.00 tomorrow evening and no, absolutely no rain until then too. Because it’s Rosie’s birthday tomorrow and bonfires don’t work as well indoors.

Jo

Do you like the Swedish hello at the start? We’ve not been to Sweden in the last few days, more’s the pity, but I have finished the last of the Stieg Larsson books and read something else which reminded me about Hey! and Tak (thank you, for those not in the know) which is about all I can remember from when we did go to Sweden, ages ago. That and ‘oppet’ outside the shops.

We had a very nice, gentle Christmas. It wasn’t sad, and it was thoughtful.  We’ve seen lots of family and friends which has been good. My favourite present is a tie between some brass haunted house earrings and the most comfortable socks I’ve ever worn.

What I want to know though is why  it so wet? It should be sharp frosts and glittering sunshine. We are having a smallish gathering on Tuesday 3rd for a bonfire party to celebrate Rosie’s 20th, but  if the wet continues, it’ll just be a slightly singed wood party. And thought you’d like to know, Rosie is mentioned in both the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire local papers in their round up of events in 2011.

What’s Swedish for goodbye?

Jo