PEOPLE ARE LOVELY!

I normally have a fairly low opinion of Staples and hate going in the Job Centre, but today my views were, refreshingly, challenged.

I was in Staples to get some new printer cartridges: not only did the helpful assistant advise me that a pack of 4 (as opposed to buying a pack of 3 plus one black separately) was better value as the cartridges held more ink and fitted my printer just as well, but the cashier then knocked almost £20 off a purchase which would otherwise have costed almost £60 (I bought two packs which automatically gives you a 20% discount and then she wangled some other discounts for me as well!).  We also had a nice chat and I went away more than happy with the service I had received in addition to the saving I had made.

In the Job Centre I was seen by a woman called Sharon (I don't normally write people's names in my Blog but she deserves a mention), who again I had a chat with.  She won me over from the first moment she looked at my job-seeking record anyway by saying that I was doing a fantastic job and by being impressed that I was doing a bit of  informal 'teaching English as a foreign language'.  I'm a sucker for compliments....

Likewise I also had a very exciting and pleasant time in Radio Cumbria on Monday morning.  I went in to record the short pieces I'd written for 'Little Cumbria' and not only did that, meeting a guy I had a chat with about music at the same time, but also had another interview about being an 'ancient pregnant mother'.  I came away on a high despite then getting soaked to the skin walking to the Sands to renew my Ultimate Card!  I then heard from a former work colleague who knows people at Radio Cumbria that apparently they're pleased with me as they think I'm good.  I was walking on air!

I've been into Carlisle every day so far this week which has proved tempting to my purse, though so far I have resisted: more or less (food has been my downfall).  I keep looking at baby clothes: there are some adorable ones in Next, Mothercare and Debenhams and I haven't even looked in M&S nor yet visited John Lewis in Newcastle.  I've also seen some clothes I'm very tempted by for me: 'normal' clothes which might last throughout pregnancy such as a baggy knitted long tunic dress and a lovely purple short coat.  But I need to earn some money and I'm near my self-appointed limit for spending money for August, with a couple more weeks to go and places to take the children.

I've also seen the travel system I think I'd like for the baby: it's a carry cot/small pram, buggy and car seat all in one and you can either put the car seat straight onto the chassis or put the pram/buggy there.  It would save buying a Moses basket for him to sleep in initially but it was still pretty expensive.  I must do some shopping around, though my other options are probably John Lewis and Mamas and Papas, which I don't suppose will be any cheaper than Mothercare.  As we are probably going to be able to get a lot of other stuff secondhand I would rather like a new travel system: the poor little thing might be unplanned but he's not unwanted and neither of the other two had only cast-offs.

The more the Little Guy develops the more I want him to be OK.  He was up near my waistline (huh!  what waistline?) yesterday and I felt him move quite a bit: previously he'd been down near the top of my left hip somewhere and movements were less obvious.  We've also decided not to go with the name Frederick as whilst Freddie is OK, Fred Briggs definitely is not.  So this morning we were debating... James (not enough syllables but we both like it); Matthew (possibly); Rhodri (no, 'Rod' is a no go); George (I don't like it); Hector (I don't like it)... and so on.  I like Benedict,shortened to Ben, as it means 'Blessed'; but Husband doesn't and pointed out quite rightly that Ben Briggs doesn't really work either.  So the hunt continues!

More proof that people are lovely: one of the neighbours has just popped across with a bag of delicious damsons.  I now wonder whether I could make Damson Ice Cream or Damson Fool; having bought an Ice Cream Maker a few weeks ago I'm on an ice-cream making spree still.

I've also contacted some friends with whom I haven't been in touch for months, if not years: the great thing about email and Facebook is that you can keep in touch with people from time to time and they don't have to feel that you're stalking them (or vice versa), but you can still keep up to date with what they're doing. 

Many of my friends, those contacted yesterday included, now have elder children who are 18 or coming up to 18: stopping and thinking about it like that makes me feel strange that I have two children who have only just started school and a baby on the way.  The feeling is momentary though: life turned out the way it's turned out, and nature for some reason gave me a fertile body which means I've been able to have children at a time when a lot of women might not consider it or might wish wistfully for more, or be regretting those they never had.  Whilst I may not be back on the career path nor have as much independence as I'm used to, at least I have had those things in the past.  The children will only be children once and for a short time at that, and before I know it mine too will be 18 and ready to leave home and I'll be going on skiing holidays and doing triathlon again: and maybe even living abroad if Husband will come with me!