Hockey, as I’m going to name her, was the first person I met at University. I got my place at University through the clearing system so was late to register my need for accommodation (should have studied more). As a result, I was allocated a shared room – you want me to move five hours from home and share a room with a random girl I’ve never met? Hockey was the random girl who had the misfortune of sharing with me. Miraculously it worked out really well, we went and explored the kitchen together and bagsied ourselves a space in a cupboard. We went and explored the bathrooms and couldn’t fathom out why there were two showers to one room – do they expect us to leave the door open so someone else can use the other shower? We went and explored the student union together and conquered the dance floor.
After a couple of months Hockey applied to get a single room on her own not because of me, I hope, but because she wanted her own space. This worked out well as it meant I then had a double room all to myself. She continued to use our kitchen and we continued to be friends. We lived four doors away from each other in second and third year and then in fourth year when we decided to move back to University accommodation we decided to share again (with Cee).
The stress of final exams, dissertations, our uncertain future plus the usual domestic disputes* meant that we finished our final year on a less positive note. Hockey could be quite hard work in an over the top enthusiastic, seriously you cannot function at those sorts of energy levels all the time type way**. After graduation, we made a half hearted attempt at keeping in touch but soon it became a text at Christmas and New Year.
Just over a year ago, Cee randomly bumped into Hockey in the street, they chatted briefly, exchanged email addresses and agreed to arrange a reunion with London (an introduction coming soon) and I. We all got on brilliantly, chatting for hours. We have met up several times since and have been in regular email contact. Hockey has been incredibly helpful to me as she was planning her wedding at the same time. She came dress shopping with me on a couple of occasions and has sent me loads of useful links and tips and hints. Hockey got married 17th April and threw a wonderful party (despite the ash cloud which meant some guests couldn’t get there), she made an incredibly beautiful bride – really, it is a shame she’ll only get to be a bride once as she was born for the part.
I’m so glad that we are back in touch she has been the most amazing friend over the last year.
*Hockey used to leave piece of chicken in a freezer bag on the work surface to defrost the rest of the flat residents felt that this should have been on a plate to collect the defrost juice.
**She has definitely mellowed.
You might have guessed, by the name I’ve given her, that Hockey played hockey – I didn’t, in fact I got bullied by the hockey team in high school so I didn’t really have a good impression of the sport and those that play it, not to generalise but the University hockey team weren’t that friendly either. I think however that she got the worse end of the stick though as she had to put up with my stinky riding boots and crop – oh-er missus (sorry couldn’t resist).
Showing posts with label special women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label special women. Show all posts
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
Sunday, 27 June 2010
Race for Life
Today is the ninth year that Mum, #1, #2 and I with our relevant hanger on-er-ers have come together in the summer for Race for Life. It is a female only race so the hanger-on-er-ers are left with the bags/coats/water and sometime *fingers crossed* suntan lotion.
#1 and #2 run the 5km while Mum and I walk as fast as we can. As much as possible we avoid reading with the heartbreaking messages* people write on their backs in memory of loved ones or stories of successes - crying makes walking difficult! The family tradition has grown and my niece has joined in for the last few years now she is old enough.
We take part to raise money for a very good cause, we take part to remember those who have lost the battle with cancer or those who are still struggling against it. We come together to celebrate our family of women and to celebrate other women.
*I'm taking part for my cousin who is currently battling an incredibly rare form of cancer, he was released from hospital this week after another round of treatment because the bastard came back again.
#1 and #2 run the 5km while Mum and I walk as fast as we can. As much as possible we avoid reading with the heartbreaking messages* people write on their backs in memory of loved ones or stories of successes - crying makes walking difficult! The family tradition has grown and my niece has joined in for the last few years now she is old enough.
We take part to raise money for a very good cause, we take part to remember those who have lost the battle with cancer or those who are still struggling against it. We come together to celebrate our family of women and to celebrate other women.
*I'm taking part for my cousin who is currently battling an incredibly rare form of cancer, he was released from hospital this week after another round of treatment because the bastard came back again.
Thursday, 17 June 2010
Special Women 2
Not only do I have two Mums and a fantastic Mum-in-law, I also have an extra sister in my best friend who I'm going to call Cee. I’m not sure where she fits in the #1, #2 and #3 rankings as she is 17 days younger than me (a fact she likes to gloat about), however she is also the eldest of three sisters and often treats me like a younger sister. Cee is infinitely wise but a total klutz, the first words she uttered in my presence, on our third day at university, were ”I’ve just spent ages lost on a flight of stairs,” stairs go up, stairs go down, how do you get lost? - was my reaction. To be fair our halls of residence did have two flights of stairs per corridor and she had been on the wrong one so every time she came out at a floor it looked totally wrong – now I've known her for nearly 11 years that story is the tip of the iceberg of the scrapes she can get herself into.
Cee is the only real life person (apart from O) who knows about the blog, in fact I told her before I told him. Why? Well she has a blog too and was brave enough to tell me about it. If she ever gets back to writing on her blog – she hasn’t for over 2 years (nag) and if she gives me permission I will share it with you, she is hilarious. Why the massive break? Because she has spent the last two years studying for an MSc, she got married and her job got horrible.
Cee welcomed me into her family from the start. She supported and distracted me while I was horribly homesick and not very together. I hope, I supported and distracted her while some members of her family weren’t very together. I love her little sisters as if they were my own. Oh and her grandparents are ah-mazing! Although don’t get her Gran to pour you a drink or you could end up under the table there is nothing like a small measure when Gran Cee is around.
Having lived together for the majority of our university life we decided after graduation that we would go travelling to Canada together. We spent 2 months travelling from Vancouver to Montreal on a greyhound bus with a sly trip to Seattle and New York at either end because it was cheaper to fly in and out of the USA. We had some adventures, we met some characters, we sang to some bears (we were trying to scare them and if you could hear our singing voices you would know that we succeeded in terrifying all nearby living creatures). We had a glass of wine in a Fairmont hotel, we battled a hurricane in Kingston, we scared ourselves witless in Montreal and we had an amazing time!
For what feels like FOREVER she has been battling with this blessed MSc until earlier this month when she has discovered that she passed. I am so over the moon happy for her as I’m acutely aware of all the hard work she has put in. Acutely aware because it has meant that my bestest friend has not been at my beckon call, has had to cancel lunches/dinners so that she could study/cram for an exam and has been stressed to the nth degree. The cheek of it, do I sound suitably spoilt and ungrateful? Good because I’ve missed the heck out of her and can not wait to have her back.
Cee is the only real life person (apart from O) who knows about the blog, in fact I told her before I told him. Why? Well she has a blog too and was brave enough to tell me about it. If she ever gets back to writing on her blog – she hasn’t for over 2 years (nag) and if she gives me permission I will share it with you, she is hilarious. Why the massive break? Because she has spent the last two years studying for an MSc, she got married and her job got horrible.
Cee welcomed me into her family from the start. She supported and distracted me while I was horribly homesick and not very together. I hope, I supported and distracted her while some members of her family weren’t very together. I love her little sisters as if they were my own. Oh and her grandparents are ah-mazing! Although don’t get her Gran to pour you a drink or you could end up under the table there is nothing like a small measure when Gran Cee is around.
Having lived together for the majority of our university life we decided after graduation that we would go travelling to Canada together. We spent 2 months travelling from Vancouver to Montreal on a greyhound bus with a sly trip to Seattle and New York at either end because it was cheaper to fly in and out of the USA. We had some adventures, we met some characters, we sang to some bears (we were trying to scare them and if you could hear our singing voices you would know that we succeeded in terrifying all nearby living creatures). We had a glass of wine in a Fairmont hotel, we battled a hurricane in Kingston, we scared ourselves witless in Montreal and we had an amazing time!
For what feels like FOREVER she has been battling with this blessed MSc until earlier this month when she has discovered that she passed. I am so over the moon happy for her as I’m acutely aware of all the hard work she has put in. Acutely aware because it has meant that my bestest friend has not been at my beckon call, has had to cancel lunches/dinners so that she could study/cram for an exam and has been stressed to the nth degree. The cheek of it, do I sound suitably spoilt and ungrateful? Good because I’ve missed the heck out of her and can not wait to have her back.
Friday, 21 May 2010
Special Women 1
Having told you most of the details that are arranged for the wedding so far I thought I’d tell you a little bit about some of the guests that are coming – lovely readers I'd like you to meet my “Special Women”:
A few weeks ago I got an email from my Mum that had me jumping up and down and crying with joy*. My second Mum is going to come to our wedding. Mum2 was a lady from my village who answered an advert that my Mum placed in the window of the post office for a child minder**. Mum2 was the only person who answered the ad. They met and talked and Mum2 was given the job. She was to look after me and #2 after play-group, nursery, primary school and junior school. We spent so much time with Mum2 that she did literally become like our second Mum***. She first introduced us to Ribena, she never let us watch the TV while we had our dinner. She used to split my dinner plate in half and bargain with me that if I ate one half I could leave the rest. She would always catch me when I tried swapping food onto the other half, you couldn’t get anything past her. She even had a play park right behind her house. I can’t remember when exactly she stopped looking after us and went back to work****, probably when her own children were old enough not to need her around the house as much. I remember never making the same connection with any of the other women that came into to look after us (gosh that doesn’t sound good they were lovely women they just had extremely high standards to live up to). As you might be able to tell she is a very special lady to our family and was on the guest list before some of my Aunts and Uncles.
Maybe 10 years or so ago her daughter moved to Australia met a man and settled down there starting her own family. Some years later Mum2 and her husband went across to visit, tragically while they were there Mum2’s husband had a heart attack and passed away. Mum2 returned to England and tried to return to normal life. After another couple of years she decided that she didn’t want to be in England anymore and emigrated to Australia to help her daughter and look after her grandchildren. I can completely understand her reasoning and how hard it must have been. I am however massively jealous and still holding out hope that when/if we have children she will come to Scotland and look after them – I don’t think that is an unreasonable hope. Other than our parents there is no one else I would trust as much to look after them.
Australia is quite clearly a very long way away so I wasn’t holding out a huge amount of hope that Mum2 would be able to make it across. Until I got that email from my Mum. She had been on the phone to Mum2 who was worrying about what outfit she would wear and trying to work out her flights. I believe my Mum and Dad are currently trying to co-ordinate her flights from London (where her son and other grandchildren live). So that she has some company on the flight and we can go and collect her from the airport (*grinning* at the thought of seeing her).
*I was on my own in the flat so did actually do a happy dance around the coffee table!
**In the days when you didn’t have to have 100 qualifications and health and safety certificates to be a childminder.
***Luckily my Mum loves her as much as we do so she doesn't mind that we call her our second Mum.
****she went to work in a wedding dress shop, while I was shopping for my dress there were endless times I wished that she could be with me. I envy all the girls that she helped with their dresses because I bet she was the nicest wedding dress shop lady ever!
A few weeks ago I got an email from my Mum that had me jumping up and down and crying with joy*. My second Mum is going to come to our wedding. Mum2 was a lady from my village who answered an advert that my Mum placed in the window of the post office for a child minder**. Mum2 was the only person who answered the ad. They met and talked and Mum2 was given the job. She was to look after me and #2 after play-group, nursery, primary school and junior school. We spent so much time with Mum2 that she did literally become like our second Mum***. She first introduced us to Ribena, she never let us watch the TV while we had our dinner. She used to split my dinner plate in half and bargain with me that if I ate one half I could leave the rest. She would always catch me when I tried swapping food onto the other half, you couldn’t get anything past her. She even had a play park right behind her house. I can’t remember when exactly she stopped looking after us and went back to work****, probably when her own children were old enough not to need her around the house as much. I remember never making the same connection with any of the other women that came into to look after us (gosh that doesn’t sound good they were lovely women they just had extremely high standards to live up to). As you might be able to tell she is a very special lady to our family and was on the guest list before some of my Aunts and Uncles.
Maybe 10 years or so ago her daughter moved to Australia met a man and settled down there starting her own family. Some years later Mum2 and her husband went across to visit, tragically while they were there Mum2’s husband had a heart attack and passed away. Mum2 returned to England and tried to return to normal life. After another couple of years she decided that she didn’t want to be in England anymore and emigrated to Australia to help her daughter and look after her grandchildren. I can completely understand her reasoning and how hard it must have been. I am however massively jealous and still holding out hope that when/if we have children she will come to Scotland and look after them – I don’t think that is an unreasonable hope. Other than our parents there is no one else I would trust as much to look after them.
Australia is quite clearly a very long way away so I wasn’t holding out a huge amount of hope that Mum2 would be able to make it across. Until I got that email from my Mum. She had been on the phone to Mum2 who was worrying about what outfit she would wear and trying to work out her flights. I believe my Mum and Dad are currently trying to co-ordinate her flights from London (where her son and other grandchildren live). So that she has some company on the flight and we can go and collect her from the airport (*grinning* at the thought of seeing her).
*I was on my own in the flat so did actually do a happy dance around the coffee table!
**In the days when you didn’t have to have 100 qualifications and health and safety certificates to be a childminder.
***Luckily my Mum loves her as much as we do so she doesn't mind that we call her our second Mum.
****she went to work in a wedding dress shop, while I was shopping for my dress there were endless times I wished that she could be with me. I envy all the girls that she helped with their dresses because I bet she was the nicest wedding dress shop lady ever!
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