Tangled Branches, Roots and Shoots

At last, I’ve got around to making a blog post But that’s not why I’m feeling brave.

The reason is, for the first time since my little stay in hospital in February, I’ve worn a skirt to work! That may not seem like much to some people, but for me is a huge thing.

People can see my legs!

That’s something I’ve been afraid of for ages. Since February I’ve been keeping my legs covered up, I felt like my silly limping walk was bad enough, without drawing attention to it by showing off my long legs. Even though my walking is improving, I’m still very aware that I don’t quite look right.

So I’ve been wearing jeans and scruffy looking clothes for ages now, hoping that if I look dull enough no one will notice me - the slightly disabled looking girl, skulking around the town.

Not anymore, today I’m wearing a smart little dress and suit jacket. I’ve already been stared at by work colleagues and had someone walk up to me and say “You’ve got legs, I’ve not seen them before!”

It feels a bit strange and I know it’ll take a while to feel less self conscious, but I’m glad I’m doing it. I’m determined to be able to walk down the street with my head held high.

Hello

What a weekend! Dafydd arrived on Friday afternoon, earlier than expected, which meant some hurried washing up. Having been stopped by some of the local police, who wanted to know what he was doing with a tent on a motorbike (camping?!), he was in dire need of tea. Tassja arrived scant seconds later, and we spent the evening chilling out.

Saturday morning we awoke to find Dafydd’s bike stolen. We called the police, and scoured the local area, but to no avail. So far, even having checked the CCTV, it’s not been found

Not to be deterred, we headed up to the Wenallt, to take in some of the local scenery.

A quick visit to the top of Caerphilly Mountain, and then home left us absolutely shattered. Tomorrow morning Dafydd has to go home, but I think I can say that the weekend’s already been an adventure. It would have been even without Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this afternoon

Go see

It’s all getting a bit much. Managing the forums at TDN, the Learning project there, and helping them create a brand new website is just taking up… well, everything. It’s getting to the point that I give it more time than anything else in my life, so something has to change.

Last night, Tassja asked if it was okay to email the committee at TDN to get some changes happening. What we’ve suggested before is that she take over the admin of the forums, while I get some rest from them in order to devote more energy to the web project. This morning we had the go ahead for that, so we expect to make a forum announcement this evening.

Personally, I’m just relieved. The forums have been wearing me down for a while, now. I love them, I really do, but I think I need a break. It’s bad when they stop me sleeping.

In other news - babysitting’s pretty cool! We got to do some on Saturday night, with Tassja’s niece and nephew. It woke up all sorts of memories in me, but none of it felt bad, which I think is a first time in the last four years. Who knows where this could lead?
I seem to have rediscovered Anthrax. The band that is, not the virus. I shall use it to combat the foolish people who insist on parking their cars outside our house at 3am, and playing gansta (c)rap at about 7,000 decibels. May their sub woofers rot and their Vauxhall Novas rust.

Right. Back to the grindstone for me - I’ve got a project plan to write, don’tchaknow?

ttfn!

For those that don’t already know me, you soon will. I’m Tassja, the woman that agreed to marry J (without him drugging me). When I get a bit more time and I feel like writing, I might put up an “about me”page to give people an idea of what I’m like. Though I’m sure my posts on here will do a fine job of scaring people off

Since I’ll be joining the Wiseman’s next year and our branches will become tangled, J has very kindly given me access to his blog, which I suppose is now our blog. Crazy guy

Thank you J. I love you so very much and you really do make me very happy

Right, so what’s been going on?

Well, a couple of weekends ago J’s lovely parents came to visit. That was a great fun day involving a visit to Castle Coch, a place I’d not been to since I was a child. It felt good to be able to take them to a place which I have strong childhood memories of.

Later that day we went to the Cardiff Bay Barrage, a place I’ve always loved sitting and watching the boats come and go. I find it so relaxing. Though the water does smell rather a lot, but that’s what happens when you make a big lake filled with river water that’s flowed through a city

We finished the day with going for a meal at one of my old haunts, The Deri Inn. A rather cute place to eat at which normally does yummy food. Though it’s not so great when they deliver your starter and main at the same time, oops

Then last weekend J’s brother came to stay with us. I really enjoyed it. It was a good chance to get to know each other more and have fun. Though I’m not sure how he felt being dragged through the city to the museum. I was rather asleep on my feet that day.

Quite possibly one of the most exciting things for me recently, was a phone call from my Dad. At his wife’s suggestion he phoned me to urge me to go to the shop where the wedding dress I wanted was in the sale and phone them from there so they could pay for it over the phone. I’m so very happy to have my dress bought for me by them, as well as having it safely hanging up in the bedroom. It makes it all feel much more real. I’ll admit that I was very worried that I’d not get the dress. It’s the only wedding dress I tried on and I loved it straight away. I knew it was the one for me.

Well, that’s enough for now. No doubt as soon as I publish this I’ll think of other things I could have said, but never mind.