Thank you for your support!

What lovely comments about my uniform predicament. I don't talk much about my job here, but let me explain a bit about what I do. I am a midwife, but I don't work catching babies much. I am the 'Parent Education Midwife' - which sounds very posh. I devise and run courses and sessions for women and their partners. There's more to it  than that really, but this blog is about the rest of my life so that's enough here. Anyway. I have negotiated to carry on wearing my own clothes (and necklaces, and earrings and stripy tights and green shoes) when I teach. So the uniform is for when I work on the wards. Reprieve!

But now, I am in holiday mode. I have taken some annual leave to allow me to spend more time at home in the garden (sorely in need of attention) and the shed (a haven of creativity) and making food for my family who appreciate the meals rather than the defrosting.

On Sunday, Geoff and I went to the coast. Oh and Poppy too

it was low tide and the rock pools were as warm as bathwater

and as I was wearing my footless tights, paddling was obligatory

blue sky has been such a rarity here... it's raining again today, on and off ... but Sunday was heavenly. There are always interesting birds to see at the coast.

the greater horseshoe-breasted rusty-backed nofly bird. Only one of its kind in existence but easy to spot due to it being concreted to the wall.

Now then. I have been nominated for not one but two blog awards. I feel totally overwhelmed. Sue at Vintage to Victorian has nominated me for a Nice Matters Award. Is this because I am a nice Matter? (person who makes mats?) or (more likely) because Sue thinks I blog about Nice Things. I am really pleased to get this one because it is my aim to post about what I hope people will enjoy reading. I like lots of pictures too. Do you think my pictures are too big? I have them large so I don't have to squint (I usually write this without my glasses on) and as a very visual person I like other blogs that have a lot of pictures! (did you read this far Islay?)

And Emma from Sew Recycled has nominated me for a Blogger Reflection Award which is also lovely as she must think that I blog about things that people may want to muse over and think about for a bit (is this right?)

So I feel like I must walk up to the podium (wearing £3000's worth of designer dress) and accept these awards and thank my family for putting up with me when I am grumpy (frequently) and my colleagues when I moan about work (very often) and my parents without whom none of this would be possible (quite literally)  and my dog (who is sitting downstairs patiently waiting for a walk) and everyone who has ever visited this blog and then called back again (you are precious to me!) and all my knitting friends (who accept my mad schemes - like doing the Moon Walk and knitting hats for drinks bottles, without telling me to get lost)  and lastly, my poor husband, who has done a crash course in understanding the affects of the menopause on women in general and his wife in particular and is still here.

As the applause deafens me and I take my seat clutching these awards to my (ample) designer bosom, I feel a huge sense of gratitude and love to all the women (for I have never visited a blog written by a man) (OK Alan - except for yours) who enrich my life by sharing the crafts, thoughts, anecdotes, triumphs and disasters of their lives.

I won't nominate anyone, for to choose a few would be to select from the many many that I read and enjoy. And I won't paste the award buttons here, because I am pathetically inept and I don't know how to.

I am exhausted!

Comments

[Maddy]

Oh how I would love to be able to negotiate the uniform issue. I wear lime green nickers with pink polka dots to thumb my nose at conformity whilst wearing the most boring uniform in existence.

Your holiday looks wonderful and that bird is very clever.

[Sue]

Love the nofly bird. How clever of you to come up with the amazing name! See, I told you you blogged about Nice Matters!!! At the time I didn't think about you being a nice mat-ter! But I was with you on your acceptance speech because I very nearly wrote a similar one when I received mine. In fact I typed half of it and then deleted it. I'm so glad you wrote yours - it's much better than how mine was shaping up!!!
Sue x

[kim]

Hello and congrats from a fellow nominee! What a lovely blog and well done about sticking to your guns about the uniform. My best friend is a midwife and I have nothing but admiration for all you have to do. Just read some of your earlier posts and being locked up in a shed with the latest Harry Potter with tea being the only interruption is my idea of bliss!
Kim

[Kari]

And this was a perfectly lovely post. Congratulations on your awards. You certainly deserve them. I would love to tell you how to post the awards to the side of your blog but as I only know how to do Blogspot, I don't think I could help you. But someone should because your blog is wonderful and people need to see that when they first sign on! The fact that you can still be pleasant while in the midst of menopause speaks VOLUMES about your innate sweetness. lol

[Alison]

Congratulations on your awards!
They are lovely pictures of your holiday.
I have problems posting other peoples images as well...I just keep getting an error message.
Take care,
Alison x

[Tash]

Well done on standing your ground on the uniform issue! Hurrah! It looks lovely on the beach, we keep meaning to go north, maybe to Craster or Seahouses, but as yet, no luck!

I was sat around the bandstand in Hexham, though I didn't notice anyone who looked like you! hehe, one day, we'll bump into each other, I know it!

[Sandra]

Well deserved awards, your blog is always nice and enjoyable.
Sandra.x.

[bigbucketgirl]

I wish we had sculptures like that bird here! We only get what the tourists have left behind...you'd swear they're trying to prove that there are 101 ways to use dirty nappies and half eaten food in modern art! Shame of it is..if we did have that bird, some miserable so and so would steal it...and the concrete!
Can't go without saying that those tights are wonderful!

[Maddy]

G'day Katie ... Tag You're It.

[julie]

Glad to see that you've been enjoying some sun. I'm afraid I've nominated you for a nice matters award too - see you're doubly nice Katie! Have to say the green tights picture put a big smile on my face - great shot!

[willow]

Love the tidepool photo! Especially love the nofly bird! There's a very large metalwork cow next to the Interstate Freeway 5 that runs north-south along the Pacific Coast states (Washington, Oregon, California) in northern California near the Oregon border. First time tourist slow down and gawk--it's very large.

[weirdbunny]

That bird is so cool.

I love big pictures on blogs too.

[melissa]

i'm so happy you got nominated for those awards- your blog is such an enjoyable read and i always feel so happy and peaceful after a visit here. i've been meaning to tell you that i listened to the clip of you on the bbc website (women's hour)- it was so lovely to 'hear' you too!