January 2nd, 2009
While trying to tidy a shelf I found an old photo of Anna-Louise aged Four.
She hasn't changed too much. Her hair is slightly darker and much longer but still Blond and she has --oh hell--what is it in English--recently had this -Zahnklammer---fitted to line up her two front teeth which overlap.
January 22nd 2009
Posted a bit on The Torchwood Institute about Spelling and Grammar. I thought I was very polite considering the low standard of Grammar on this site. Had over 200 replies. Many of them were rude and hurtful. I got very upset reading some of them so I have left that site now.
Dan found me feeding the baby and crying. He was mad. He read the posts and said he could join the site and then tell them just what he thought of them. I told him not to bother. Large numbers of people actually said they were dyslexic and said I was being insulting to dyslexics. I don't believe so many are dyslexic. They're just lazy and careless. Well they can carry on posting rubbish now without fear I will read their posts.
I have never ever told anyone their posts were rubbish but other folk seem to feel they can insult me quite freely. I should have known better as I have had all this shit before on this site when I once made the great mistake of saying that I did not like Gwen.
Rhys is a darling. He came up to me and put his head on my lap when I was upset. When I feed BJ he gets his Teddy and feeds that. He holds it to his chest and makes what he obviously thinks are sucking noises. His Teddy has now got a name. He calls it Affer. Hmm.
February 5th, 2009
2/5/09 08:09 pm
Have at last managed to update this. I have had another cold and with great Generosity gave it to the rest of the Family. Then it snowed and Dan couldn't work and the kids Schule was closed for TWO DAYS. Rhys couldn't go to Kindergarten and was VERY cross about it and BJ is grabbing everything in sight wherever he goes--life is so much fun---Anyhow, the Snow meant they were all in the Back Yard and I managed to get some Accounting done. They built an HUGE snowman and I must say it looked good.
Caught BJ crawling through the Cat Flap. I just saw his legs going out. Dan was most amused and said he is obviously going to be an athlete as it must take a lot of dexterity to get through a Cat Flap. Well, he has always been VERY lively.
Gisela E-mailed me some copies of some of my old diaries. Read some entries aloud to Dan, Harry and Anna-Louise. We were all laughing within seconds. They are hilarious. Quite unintentionally I must add. I was an horrible kid and I evidently got into FIGHTS at Schule, something I had conveniently forgotten. I was actually sent home once for hitting a BOY on the nose. He had a nose bleed and in the Diary I say that I wished he had bled to death. It doesn't say what he did to deserve this fate. It just moans about everything being unfair. Everyone keeps saying that BJ is like me--I do hope not--seriously---
We now put BJ to bed at 7.30 with a pile of toys and he sits in his crib banging the toys on the sides and shouting and seems happy enough. We have an alarm and we can hear him shouting and chuckling to himself.
Rhys gets tired and is asleep quite quickly. Luckily he is a deep sleeper! We are getting him a bed. He now has all his baby teeth except 2 and there is no space for them to come in. They are two of the ones I have always had missing so he probably wont get them. I have only got 25 teeth and I am supposed to have 32. I have not had any out, they just weren't there. As a family we are some what deficient in teeth---
Harry has taken his Mocks and did well. His teachers are very pleased with him and he works hard. He is very serious about Schule. However, we have to find out what he is doing from his teachers or friends because he isn't one of the world's greatest talkers.
Anna-Louise told me she has three Boyfriends. She then asked me what a Castrati was. She said she had read it somewhere and she knew it was something to do with singing. I sat down with her and told her all about it and played her a recording of one which I got off the Web ages ago. It isn't a good recording, as you might expect, but it gives you an idea of the sound they made.
I don't believe in lying to kids about these things as sooner or later they will find out anyhow, so it is best to tell them in a sensible and reasonable manner. We agreed that it was cruel and unpleasant. However, it did make some of these men a lot of money and fame--which I explained to Anna-Louise.
I have finished the next Chapter of "A Life" and it is waiting to be spell and grammar and continuity checked. I have also half written another story in which something weird happens to the whole Team---
I don't know if I said but I got the Car fixed and the Insurance sorted. Off now----
February 14th, 2009
Diary--February 14th 2009
2/14/09 10:46 am
Terrible week---on Tuesday Dan went out with some friends and on the way home he was mugged. They walked home, and after separating from his friends Dan was attacked. He didn't have much money or any Credit Cards with him but they stole his Cell Phone.
I was waiting for him to come home and wondered why he was so late when there was a knock at the door and when I looked through the spy hole there were two Policemen standing there. Molly very kindly came in to Babysit {she is an angel} and I went to the Hospital. I was so shocked when I saw Dan. He had a concussion and they had kicked him and broken several ribs. He was awake by the time I got there and his face looked so awful, all swollen and everything, I just sat down and held his hand and cried.
He was able to give a really detailed description of his attackers and the Police evidently have an idea who they are. This means Dan might have to go to Court. After the first shock was over I was just so glad that he was alive--- when they found he hadn't much worth taking they might have killed him. He came home yesterday and is still in bed at the minute, having a lay-in.
I had to explain to the kids what had happened. Harry went very red and then stamped about the house shouting that when the Police get the men he would go and kill them. When he calmed down a little he went to his room and shut the door. I went to see if he was OK and found him lying on his bed sobbing. Big though he is I gave him a cuddle and cried too.
Anna-Louise cried right away and by the next day was telling all her friends that Daddy had fought off a crowd of muggers and was very brave. There were actually three of them---
I had to try to tell Rhys why Daddy's face looked a little strange. He didn't understand and when he saw Dan come in the House he hid his face in a chair. He got over it and was soon sitting on Dan's knee trying to touch the bruises.
BJ is too little to explain anything to but as soon as Dan spoke to him he seemed to be OK. I wonder what he thinks has happened---
I hope they do get these men and that they get a long Prison sentence. In fact, to be honest, I wish they were dead. That is very unchristian but is the truth. Dan has walked that way home lots of times before and been fine---
Other news is that Dan's half-brother is coming, with his wife, for a visit. I told him about the mugging and he was really angry and upset, so perhaps Dan is right to think that he does care about him---
Today is Valentine Day and I gave Dan an Huge card and some chocolates. He just gave me his love which is worth more to me than anything else. I am so grateful that he is alive and recovering well--things might have been so much worse--
Note--mostly complaining--
2/27/09 11:34 pm
Found these two fantastic posts on another site. They sum up Gwen nicely. See below--
Things much better here. Dan is feeling much improved and we are all well.
I have looked at JB's schedule and cannot see how he could do Season 4 of Torchwood if there is one. Anyhow, I have lost interest in it mostly. This is directly as a result of Eve Myles. The more I find out about her and see her and hear her, the more I dislike her. I have a distinct feeling that they intend to kill off Ianto and make Gwen leave Rhys. Then they will get Jack/Gwen. The very idea makes me want to throw up. There is going to be plenty of opportunities to see JB anyhow, without Torchwood.
The writers are obsessed with Gwen. I don't know why. She has always irritated me. She would never get a job in a unit like Torchwood and the rubbish that the other characters say about her is just amazing and ridiculous. I have thus concluded that the various Torchwood writers are not very good. That includes RTD, the most overrated writer in the Country.
Anyhow--here are the posts I found----
The real problem with Gwen is:
The real problem with Gwen's character is... Gwen's character. She has never made any sense on the show. She has no skill that they need. She doesn't bring any special leadership qualities. She's just... there. It's like they walked out the door and pointed to the first person they saw and told them everything, which is pretty much what happened. I know this is the premise of a lot of shows, but it's always been stupid and pointless then and it still is. It's pure "fan" wish fulfillment, making Gwen a kind of RTD "Mary Sue"!
I think Gwen is Torchwood's Rose:
Or, at least that's what she was originally intended to be. The combination of the Doctor and Rose worked extremely well on the revamped Doctor Who and I think that there was a desire to try and recapture that "everywoman" chemistry with Gwen on Torchwood. The more so since Jack, unlike the Doctor, is not a prude and thus real romantic possibilities existed.
But the issue is: it's never really been clearly defined what Gwen brings to the Torchwood table.
She was a beat patrol officer, not a detective or similar. She's not especially technical. She had no particular fighting skills (knocked out in a pub row in episode 1:1) nor did she have any experience with firearms (not all UK cops carry them).
The funny thing is that it hasn't gotten much better with time. Despite having been with Torchwood for over a year, and indeed supposedly having been the team "leader" in Jack's absence (they must have all been hoping she'd charge head-first into danger and get killed), she was totally unaware of who UNIT was when Martha came to visit. This suggests that she's not very studious or inclined to learn about how her world overall works, just her local piece of it.
Even more funny was when she acted as if the device Ianto gave her was some nigh-unknowable piece of advanced technology, and PC Andy snidely informed her it was a GPS. No greater evidence of her cluelessness was needed. How she will survive without Tosh to show her what buttons to push is a mystery. She better not rely on Ianto. He might be jealous and possessive enough of Jack that he'll try to convince her that the Singularity Scalpel is an alien iPod and have it preset to disintegrate her innards when she tries to hit "Play".
In addition, and there's no nice way to put this, they tend to write her as both a bitch and a slag. She can be almost shockingly rude and condescending, especially to people close to her (like Rhys or poor PC Andy). Even worse, she's very blatantly all about herself. Whether it was her affair with Owen or her ongoing apparent interest in taking up polyandry with Rhys and Jack she very clearly has an "its-all-about-me-bitches!" mentality.
Throw in the fact that she's rather glaringly less competent than anyone else on the team and she's rather lacking. She has Rose's "everywoman" cred, but none of her virtues. Instead of genuine curiosity and wonder she's only interested in the things that catch her fancy. Otherwise she gripes and finds fault with everything (something Jack noted in Ep 1:1 and should have realized was a core personality trait). She either blunders into danger herself, usually by refusing to listen to someone wiser, or else puts others in danger or gets them killed, again often because she wasn't open to advice. And her conscience is highly variable, applying mostly when the mood strikes her.
However, she does appear to be very good at printing out photos and wallpapering the Hub with them, which is very artistic, if not very green. Given that they have more LCD's than a Best Buy it's not clear what purpose this serves other than creating an excuse to send Ianto out to buy more photo paper so that she can flirt with Jack while the tea boy's not there to whack her with his hockey stick. You just know he dreams of the day when he'll get to shove her body into one of the morgue drawers....
February 28th 2009
11:08 am
Just read someplace that 3 of the 5 episodes of the Torchwood mini season were written by RTD. So--I won't watch it then--as RTD's ridiculous admiration and obsession with Gwen makes me so mad if I met him I could quite cheerfully throttle him--and I am a pacifist---oh dear--
So, we will probably get Gwen arguing with Jack, as we have already been told by the producer that her abilities etc are now on a par with his---she will do lots of running around, lots of eye popping, and all the men in it will gaze at her in wonder and say she is wonderful--she'll cock up, get kidnapped, cause innocent folk to be killed, and it will all be written as if we are supposed to think this is how women are----
Off now to Airport to collect Dan's brother and wife----
Diary--March 4th 2009
3/4/09 10:50 am
Just a quick note before I go to pick up BJ and Rhys from Kindergarten. BJ started going last week and was so good {??} that they told me I could probably leave him. He doesn't seem to miss me {sob sob}.
My TV producer cousin is back in London doing a program for BBC again. He has told me that there will be no season 4 of Torchwood filming this year, definitely. This is the gossip, so it may not be true. However, the story is that JB cannot fit it in, so they have a choice to go ahead without him or wait to film in 2010, or cancel. I think they will either cancel or just go ahead without John which will be a total disaster. However my cousin isn't involved at all with Drama so this may be untrue gossip. However, the story is John and Gavin have another new project, besides Tonite's the Nite, in hand--so--
On another note Anna had another girl. She was born on March 1st. They are calling her Miranda Arundel. I asked about the Arundel bit and Will said "don't ask" and grinned--so----. I am to be her Godmother.
Aron and Sophia are here and Sophia is lovely. We liked each other right away and she is fantastic with the kids. Aron has changed completely and it is obviously due to Sophia. He has been real nice since he arrived. He is 57 now and told me that he and Sophia {who is 36} want kids. He said he did not want any before. He also apologized for his attitude to me and Dan in the past. He was evidently mad that Dan married a German Catholic. He said he was wrong. It was all very tearful and there was a lot of hugging. Our whole family are into hugging in a big way----
Dan is working and is back to his usual self. Clive, next door had an accident in his car. Another car reversed into him. He was OK luckily, and alone at the time, but the car is a mess. The driving around here is terrible. I am worried every time Harry goes out on his bicycle, but you have to let them go. He will be 15 this year and is quite grown up and very sensible. He is very happy that he has grown taller and is now several centimeters taller than me. His friends are all taller than him though---
Haven't had time to write any more on anything but may get to it now BJ is in Kindergarten 2 mornings a week. Folk without kids seem to have no idea how much time they swallow. Rhys is happy to have BJ with him and keeps telling everyone that BJ is his Brother. He is still tidying up and when he runs into Kindergarten the first thing he always says is "oh --more mess". Anna-Louise took a singing exam and passed. She is sounding very good now. Her teeth brace broke and she had to have a new one--more bother. I have a suspicion that she fiddled with it. She is going to be taller than Harry I think. She is the third tallest Girl in her Schule Class.
Aron and Sophia took Rhys and BJ out yesterday for a walk. Sophia enjoyed it and Aron said he did, but he looked exhausted when they came home. He has a lot of hair but it is mostly Grey. There are blond bits visible. He has blue eyes. Sophia is dark with lots of curly black hair and brown eyes. I can see why he fell in love with her as she is gorgeous looking and is really nice too.
Have to go now and get the little ones. Rhys runs to me when he sees me but BJ just looks at me as if to say "oh--you're back". He is doing a lot of talking in what Dan calls "Chinese". He is very cute. Rhys talks a lot now and we can have conversions with him. He looks like me {poor little man}, but with Dan's eyes.
Diary--March 12 th 2009
3/12/09 07:48 am
Very very busy, so not much posting--if anyone is a fan of my stories {if}, I am sorry I have not the time---Aron and Sophia are going home on Saturday and I will miss them. Kids all well--but all this shooting is very worrying---they go to Schule and you think they will be looked after and some madman shoots them---I would DIE if anything like that happened to one of mine--the poor Parents.
Watched the bit of JB with Al Murray and despite all the posting saying it was funny I did not think it was, and neither did Dan. Perhaps the fact that it featured the word CAMP and had Hitler in it dampened our enthusiasm. I do not find Hitler funny. I know the word CAMP referred to JB being Camp and to Camps, but Dan's family lost people in the Camps--not funny. They were in Warsaw and almost certainly were sent to Auschwitz. Dan's Mothers older half sister and her child would have been Gassed right away, and her Husband probably was worked to death, so, no, it wasn't funny and I am sorry JB did it.
Have to go now as kids to deal with----
Diary--March 16th 2009
3/16/09 04:07 pm
Very hectic weekend here. Aron and Sophia went home and we went to see them go at the Airport and there was a lot of crying and hugging. They gave BJ, Rhys and Anna-Louise Frogs before they went. Sophia collects frogs!!! Harry got a new PC game--Medieval something or other. Anna-Louise's Frog is actually a chair but the little one's Frogs are large and furry. BJ's is purple and he swings it around by one leg and hits things with it. Rhys hugs and kisses his, which is yellow, and calls it Teddy {don't ask}.
We then went home and BJ promptly celebrated by swallowing a Pirates Head. He was coughing and turning red and Dan did that thing where you turn them and thump them on the back {whatever it is called} and the Head flew out. Rhys was most impressed and is now telling everyone that BJ can spit Pirates out of his mouth. I think he is waiting for the body but BJ didn't swallow that. Luckily. Dan is great.
Dealing with BJ makes me realize what it must have been like for Mama, as he is evidently just like I was, and Mama had both me AND Georg.
Yesterday Harry's PC blew up. It was quite old and it burned the wall and the ceiling and some of his desk. Dan is now looking out for a new but used replacement and Harry is using Dan's. We then went out to the Countryside as I thought the kids needed to get out. We got a flat tire and finally found some fields full of sheep. Rhys soon got bored with the sheep and I think it was funny when I heard Anna-Louise saying to him "look Rhys, sheep" and him replying "oh more Sheeps" in a bored voice. We had a Pic-nic by a Pond and fed the Ducks and Swans. BJ wouldn't throw his bread to them, he just kept putting it in his mouth and Dan finally took it from him and he then screamed non stop for ages.
I have written a story called Frogs and Ladder. There are Frogs in it. They are alien Frogs and are loose in Tesco Supermarket. Ianto and Jack spend some quality time on a Ladder. Oh, and the Invisible Elevator isn't any more--invisible that is. It is waiting to be checked over.
I can hear BJ screaming again so have to go-----
March 19th, 2009
Note
3/19/09 08:13 pm
Here are some pics Gisela sent me from Die Familienarchive which she keeps. There is Anna-Louise aged around 4-5 picking wild flowers and Harry {aged 9} as Oliver in the Musical, which his Stage Group enacted.
Awoke in the night to find BJ standing beside the bed. He was holding his Frog by one leg and when he saw me awake he shouted "UMMMM" and I took him into the bed. He actually went to SLEEP between Dan and myself. He likes company so perhaps he is lonely in his crib----just a thought----
Diary----April 6th 2009.
4/6/09 08:54 pm
Very busy and haven't had time to do much here. Managed to finish a story "Great Aunt Margery's Wedding" despite having to write most of it in the middle of the night when tired. Posted it here and on antigwenallience. Had a few nice comments, then someone by the name of kirri1 was very rude and said it was unreadable because of the Capitals. I made a joke of my reply but she/he/it didn't get the joke and neither did mysticshadowcat who was even ruder in their comment.
I was very upset and have left the community. People are so foul. I really do not understand it. I haven't time anyhow. I am doing accounts again and BJ is into EVERYTHING. Rhys is talking a lot and we are all busy all the time. I think Torchwood is finished though. JB is busy all the time on other things and they have packed up the Hub set, I read someplace. I think it is over for good and if these folk are fans I am glad. They are so rude and hurtful.
April 14th, 2009
Diary---April 14th 2009
4/14/09 07:42 pm
Very busy here as usual. Some news--- my Credit Card was misused on line and I had to get a new one. The bank stopped it before I even knew anything was wrong, so I didn't lose any money. Then on Saturday we had a real drama.
It was early and I was busy Bathing BJ upstairs when Rhys fell down the Stairs. We have taught him how to climb up and down safely but of course the stair Gate was shut because of BJ. Rhys must have climbed over it to go down the Stairs and fell. I heard the bump as he fell and Anna-Louise was playing her Violin and even she heard the noise. I stopped watching him for just a moment and he had an accident.
Anyhow, he was at the bottom, lying crumpled against the lower Gate. I must admit I thought he was dead and nearly went mad. Dan was in the Back Yard with Harry and they came running in and Dan called an Ambulance. Naturally, Rhys woke up before they arrived and he didn't like the ambulance at all and screamed all the time he was in it. They checked him over {screaming all the time} and said he was fine and his lungs were obviously very superior. They said watch him carefully and don't let him get excited and come back if there is anything you are worried over. I think they were relived to see us take him away---
He was fine anyhow, except for a large bump on his head which he showed everyone we met. I was most amused to hear him telling our next door neighbors what had happened to him. He said " I fall down stair" to them, and then he said, quite truthfully "I cry--lots".
I was in what Molly next door calls "a state" for hours and I am afraid now when I can't see him. He is real bright though and seems to realize this. When I think what could have happened--. Anyhow, we have a new taller gate which we have to have because of BJ. Rhys is still very small for his age and our stairs are quite steep. At the Hospital they mentioned his size and I said look at me, do you think I am going to produce a giant. He is growing though but he was very small from the start. He is so cute and intelligent and gorgeous.
Last night I went up to check on Rhys and BJ again and found Harry looking at Rhys as he slept. I stood in the doorway and he didn't know I was there and he bent over and kissed Rhys. Harry is not a great talker like Anna-Louise but I know he feels things very deeply. I moved so he wouldn't see me because it was a private moment for him between him and his little brother. Harry has always been fantastic with the younger ones. We are so lucky to have such a lovely son.
Anna-Louise of course was crying for ages after Rhys fell. She told me later she thought for a moment that he was dead. We obviously think alike. Dan says we are both dramatic and passionate and it's true. We both get excited about things very easily and upset easily as well.
Anyhow, today I had a problem with my PC and then I lost my Debit Card and one of my Store Cards. When I told Dan he just laughed and said he was so relieved my head was fixed on as otherwise I would probably mislay it. I canceled both cards and they are sending new ones. No-one evidently has used either of them. Our Sky box had to have a new card also as BJ pulled the other one out and I found him chewing it. When I rang Sky they said they had heard that one before. BJ is fond of chewing things and he isn't fussy about what he puts in his mouth. We feed the cats crunchy food and more than once BJ has chewed that. He seems OK and hasn't meowed yet!
Hope for no more drama in the future----hope also that everyone had a lovely Easter.
April 15th, 2009
Diary--April 15th 2009.
4/15/09 04:57 pm
Anna-Louise seems to have managed to upset Carly's Mother. Evidently, Anna-Louise and Carly were discovered kissing and hugging and Carly's Mother objected. Anna-Louise can't understand why this was wrong. She told me she and Carly love each other and when you love someone you hug and kiss them. She told me in an indignant voice that they didn't take any clothing off and they were not kissing on the lips. I tried to explain that they didn't do anything wrong but that some people do not hug and kiss each other the way we do. As a Family we are all very huggy and kissy and the males hug and kiss as well as the females. I tried to explain that some families never hug and kiss each other unless they are at some important event like a Wedding, a Funeral or something like that, or if they meet someone they haven't seen for years.
Anna-Louise listened very intently to me and then said she thought they must all be very sad and miserable. I said she and Carly have to behave differently when Carly's Mother is there. She said she thought that was wrong, and of course, it is, but what else could I say? Carly and Anna-Louise have known each other for ages and I cannot see anything wrong with loving your best friend. After all, they are only 10 years old. My Mother kisses everyone on the lips when she meets them and when they part again. It is just how we are. It is such a pity that Anna-Louise is now finding out about the world and its insane prejudices.
Read about JB and Scott thinking about Parenting. Some folk seem to think Gay people doing this is disgusting, that the kids would all grow up Gay and that JB and Scott might sexually abuse them if they are boys. I think they would make fantastic Parents. I am quite sure that Gay people of either sex make just as good Parents as anyone else, if the comments noted above are anything to think about, Gay folk would be better Parents. Some people seemed to think that a man wanting to be a Parent at all was odd. Well, my Dan was eager to have kids because he was practically an only child since his Brother is so much older than him, and he had no Father. Despite this he is a fantastic Father and Husband. OK, he isn't quite perfect, but who is? I know I irritate him sometimes when I lose things and get upset about the News or something, and he likes to sing and can't, which irritates me. But we've had our share of trauma and difficulties and overcome them all and life is good.
On a totally different note I am tired of hearing about this E-Mail stuff with the Government. After all David Cameron is the man who was shown giving his kids breakfast accompanied by some rubbish about how he liked to do household chores. Dan thought this was hilarious. He told me no normal man LIKES to do household chores and I said that I didn't like doing them either and if I was a Millionaire I would never do any----EVER.
April 17th, 2009
Diary--April 17th 2009
4/17/09 03:15 pm
Just a quick entry. This morning heard a fascinating conversation between Harry and Rhys--thought I would write it down:
Harry: I'll put on some Music and then we can Dance. What'd you like?
Rhys: Updown Girl.
H: Uptown Girl. OK.
R: Ni, {he means Nein} Updown Girl.
H: Say, Uptown Girl, Rhys.
R: Updown Girl.
H: Say Town.
R: Town.
H: Now say Up.
R: Up.
H: Now say Uptown.
R: Uptown.
H: Now say Uptown Girl.
R: Updown Girl.
H: NO--UP---TOWN---GIRL.
R: UP---TOWN---GIRL.
H: That's it--Uptown Girl.
R: Updown Girl.
H: Groans loudly and puts on the CD.
R: [Trying to sing} Updown Girl --lidin in a updown worl.
Me: {shouting from the Kitchen} Harry, you're beaten--
H: I'm beaten. I give up.
I thought it was funny, anyhow.
Note: Al Murray Personality Disorder with John Barrowman
4/25/09 10:59 am
This segment has surfaced on a number of sites and I watched it again to see if I still found it as unfunny and revolting as I did before. I did.
I have never before found anything JB did objectionable, and everyone else seems to think this is very funny. So I sat and tried to analyze why I found it so terrible. I think it was the word "Camp" that started it. It was used here to mean John is "camp" and a reference to Nazi "camps". I think this double meaning upset me because of Dan and knowing his Mother. Also, to make things even worse, a relation of mine was actually a Nazi. Luckily he died in the WW2.
Dan's Grandparents managed to literally buy their way out of Warsaw. They had money and bought their way to freedom. In the process they lost everything and left behind Dan's Mother's half sister, her Husband and their small daughter. They never heard from them again and they must have died in Auschwitz. The little girl, Eva, and her Mother would have been sent straight to the Gas Chambers. Thus the word "Camp" used in context with the Uniforms, has another meaning entirely in our House. It means Death and Gas Chambers.
The appearance of Murray as a Gay Guard was unpleasant also because the Nazis persecuted Gays. Then to make matters really awful--Hitler appeared and John gave a Nazi salute---UGH.
Funnily enough the film with the sequence "Springtime for Hitler" while not a bit funny, did not revolt me the way this did. It's hard to estimate why.
Anyhow, I am aware that no one will agree with me over this. If anyone objects to my opinion, remember it is only MY opinion and the saying Klug zu reden ist doch schwer, klug zu schweigen noch viel mehr.
Thanks. Jennell.
Quick note with Toddler Joke
5/1/09 09:33 am
You know your kid is developing into a real person when they start to get their own unique sense of humor. Today Rhys choked on a cornflake. I slapped him quickly on the back and he coughed it up. After this bit of minor drama he smiled sweetly at me and said
"Oh dear, Mama, I got Sine Flu". {He can't say Swine.}
Diary--May 5, 2009
5/5/09 03:32 pm
Just a quick entry as the Toddlers are next door and Anna-Louise and Harry have gone to the Potter Family for the evening. Dan is not home yet.
We had a great Weekend and my Niece Mair came with her Boyfriend. He is only about her second or third ever, as she is a bit quiet and restrained. Anyhow, he is called Peter Phillips and he is lovely. Mair is a beautiful girl but rather plain on the outside. I was hoping some day someone would see this and appreciate her. She asked if he could come and of course we said yes. They came on Friday Evening and went home yesterday.
I could see right away that Peter is very attracted to Mair as he could hardly take his eyes off her, and something amazing seems to have happened to her too. She was absolutely glowing all the time she was with us. Just before they left Peter whispered in my ear that he wanted to Marry her when they are finished with Uni. He said "she's so lovely--she's the best thing that's ever happened to me." Love is a very powerful thing in this World.
When Dan and I were finally alone {in Bed} we had a talk about Peter and Mair. We both agreed that she was transformed. Evidently the kids noticed too because the next Morning Anna-Louise said to me that she used to think Mair wasn't very pretty but now she had changed her mind.
Rhys keeps insisting that he is a Girl. Everyone tells him he is a boy and he repeats no, he is a Girl. Then he laughs. I have a feeling Rhys is going to have some weird sense of Humor--rather like his Mama!!
BJ has finally said another word beside Kippe. It is Bum. Oh dear. He pats his rear and says "Bum--bum--bum." Dan reckons it is a sign of intelligence. We do not say Bum so I have no idea where he learned it. Rhys thinks it is funny and does it too, so we have the two of them patting themselves and saying Bum. Dan filmed them. I think he intends to send it someplace. Rhys has added a definite wiggle to his movements which would be quite suggestive in an Adult!!
Talking of Rhys, he is almost completely toilet trained, which is great. Dan is teaching him to Pee standing up now. He stands on a small step stool. Of course it goes everywhere. He laughs and says "Oh dear, it's up the wall." Just what we need. Males of all ages are inclined to--erm--drip shall we say---so why not have it up the wall--it's tiled--. We have a seat which fits into the other seat and when necessary he sits there for ages singing to himself. I heard Harry asking him if he had finished and he said "No, I is contendating." He meant concentrating.
We all watched TNT on Saturday except BJ who was asleep early, so I put him in his crib and he slept through. FANTASTIC. Dan sang along which was not great. Rhys danced. Anna-Louise was mad about Roland Keating. She asked us who the old, bald unshaven man was. She thought the Woman should have sung with JB. Dan said she was being a bit rude whereupon she moaned that she was only telling the truth. I secretly agreed with her. I am just not impressed with unshaveness. I have very, very fair skin and stubble is painful. I didn't think much of RK's singing either. He went flat in three places. There may have been more but I checked BJ while he was on.
My cousin has gotten tickets to the advance showing of the first part of "Children of Earth." She is a Member of the BFI and has been for ages. Public tickets are available next week. If there are any!
Have to go before Rhys and BJ come back. Sorry for no story updates but since BJ started Walking and grabbing I am even more busy than before---
May 6th, 2009
Irritated note about JB cut outs.
5/6/09 09:37 am
Some idiot by the name of Harrison told Anna-Louise that life size Card board cut outs are available of Captain Jack Harkness. You can evidently stand them up. She wants one. So all I get at the minute is "Please Please--I'll do jobs --I'll tidy my room---I'll do ANYTHING-"-----------
I am now going to go away and put my head in the sink---GRRRR
OH and BJ now says Bee. He waves his hands and says Bee----Kippe, Bum and Bee. Hmmm
May 7th, 2009
Even more irritated note about Cut Outs.
5/7/09 06:21 pm
I have grounded Anna-Louise for two weeks. She is at this minute sulking in her room. This afternoon, after we arrived home, she told me she was going into next door. A half hour later she was brought home by Kitchin from down our road. He was mad and she was crying. He told me she was soliciting. I soon discovered that she was going from house to house offering to wash cars. She doesn't wash ours! Anything could have happened to her. We might never have seen her again!
I sat down with her and tried to explain how dangerous her behavior was and also that her Father and I do not want her going up and down a busy street in this manner on her own and lying about it. She cried some more and said she wanted to raise some money to buy a Captain Jack cut out and Dan would not let her take the money from her Bank account and I wouldn't give it to her. I said she might have met with someone unpleasant. She gazed at me, her big blue eyes wide and said "you mean I might get abducted?" I said yes.
I have no idea what Dan will say to her when he gets home. I actually grounded her myself. I was half mad and half upset. This obsession she has with all things JB is getting ridiculous. She is only 10. What will she be like when she hits puberty?
Anyhow, we will soon be friends again because Anna-Louise is not a grudgy kid. I will then suggest that she saves some of her allowance each week toward this wretched cut out. It seems likely we will get it sometime. Just what I need--a life size JB staring at me----I mean he is lovely but there are limits----
May 8th, 2009
Anna-Louise
5/8/09 10:20 am
Anna-Louise and I are friends again. This morning she came over to me and managed to sit on my knees. She put her arms around my neck and said she was sorry for being so dumb and she couldn't clean a car very easily on her own anyhow----hmm---then she jumped off my knees and said "I should have had Fern with me"--then she laughed. I think this is the Sierakowiak idea of Humor---
BJ has added two more words to his collection----foot and ja. Rhys is chatting more and more. His favorite expression is "Oh dear". Yesterday, he was building a Tower and it kept falling down. Each time it fell down he sighed and said Oh dear. Finally he grew exasperated and said "Oh dear, oh dear. oh dear me." Which I thought sounded funny.
May 9th, 2009
Rhys----
5/9/09 08:22 pm
We have always realized that Harry is very intelligent and he has always been at the top in all his school subjects. Anna-Louise is bright but much more average than her big Brother. She is talented in other ways-- she is very musical for example.
This afternoon we had a surprise though. Harry was playing with Rhys and they were lying on the floor. Harry was drawing shapes on paper and Rhys was copying him. When I looked to see what they were doing I was amazed to see that Rhys had copied accurately a circle and a cross. He isn't 3 yet. He was coloring in the circle and when I asked him what the colors were he knew them all--even purple--. I must go about with my eyes and ears shut as I didn't know he knew these things.
When I gave him and BJ their bath I asked him to count the bubbles in the bath tub with me. I then discovered that he can count up to twenty in both German and English. He got quite cross when he couldn't get past twenty so I taught him some more.
I do not know quite if to be pleased about this or not. I am at last starting to have some sympathy with my Mother. She had a kid who at the age of 6 was studying the History of Paper and printing and doing algebra {for fun}. That same child was climbing trees and generally misbehaving. Me, I admit. I actually was often very bored in Schule. I can recall that we were given lists of books to read and I was able to read them all in a week. I still have this thing I do--it's very hard to explain. I can go on reading something after I have turned over the page of the book or moved onto another screen on the PC. I have never met anyone else who can do this. It does mean that I can read very very quickly.
Of course Rhys is his own little person. He has a sense of humor. He loves to clean and tidy up. It seems he is very intelligent too-----I tried him with the coin thing. You line up ten coins in 2 rows of 5 each. You put the coins against one another. Then you spread out the rows and ask the kid if there are are still ten coins. At Rhys's age he should not be aware that moving the coins does not affect the number. I asked him how many coins there were now I had moved them. He grinned happily at me--held up both hands with the fingers spread and said "zehn." Great--- I seem to have bread a mini genius---HELP-----
A moan about John and stubble--
5/11/09 07:27 am
I am irritated that once again John came second in the Gay male top list, or whatever it is called. Neil Patrick Harris, who came first, is quite a talented actor but is not even good looking to me. All the top ones except JB were pictured unshaven, which always turn me off.
This unshaven business has gotten ridiculous. There is even an Advert featuring a Wedding scene where the Bride looks fantastic, and has obviously supposed to have spent hours on her appearance, whereas the Groom is unshaven and looks as if he has spent the night in his clothes. I wish magazines etc would drop this, if you can't be bothered to shave or wash or look tidy this is a great look, theme. Dark haired men look especially grubby if they don't shave. Why don't they just grow a beard? Beards can be quite sexy.
Now we get TV programs in which Doctors are shown unshaven. Hair can be unhygienic, which is why whenever you have any operation all the hair from the area is removed. Unshaven Doctors are the pits---
Then you get women swarming all over an unshaven man. Don't they get stubble burn? Stubble is PRICKLY--------------
5/12/09 10:55 am
There is no doubt that as a family we are--er--weird--this morning Harry was moaning that his eyelashes were too fair and did I think it would be noticeable if he used mascara to make them darker--Rhys was dancing naked in front of a mirror, wiggling his butt and saying "lovely, lovely, lovely"----and Dan was trying on clothes to wear to JB concert and saying "do you think my butt looks big in this?" As for BJ he has added another word to his collection----er---ham----
Being female Anna-Louise and I are obviously above all this oddness----
Meant to add that the Microwave oven blew up--great excitement--especially when the smoke alarm sounded---
Brief Note about Euro Song Contest
5/17/09 01:23 pm
We didn't watch this. Rhys had a Tantrum when I put him to bed--he kept yelling "want to see Euro sing". I think he thinks that Euro is a person----I quieted him by singing "Up town girl" to him---he loves that----I am starting to loathe it----
I still don't know who won----
May 19th, 2009
Good news and sadness
5/19/09 10:14 am
This week is the anniversary of my Little Evie's death. I am never at my best this week as a result. However---
Yesterday, BJ and Rhys were at kindergarten and when I collected them at 12 they both ran to me, both of them saying "Mama". This is the first time I have heard BJ say Mama and the first time he has run to me. Rhys was in front with BJ close behind. I kneeled down and hugged them both.
Dan has gotten another big job. The guy that lives opposite to where he is working now was evidently impressed with him and came over to ask him about an extension. I love extensions. Dan was so pleased he bought us all presents--hmm---. Anyhow, Harry and Anna-Louise have new Cell Phones and Rhys and BJ have an Huge Dinosaur each. Rhys's is Purple and BJ's is Green {YUCK---UGH}. This morning Dan called me from Work and told me he had booked {on the Phone} for us to see La Cage Aux Follies, when JB is in it. Das ist fantastisch----Es ist unmöglich in Worten zu beschreiben--------
Note----Cardiff etc---May 21st 2009
5/21/09 03:12 pm
Just a quick note to say that we are all off to Wales tomorrow afternoon. We are returning Monday Morning and I hope the traffic isn't awful---
We are going to JB's Cardiff Concert. I hope to get some photos----anyhow--Rhys knows how to type his name so here it is
rhys----
He can also say his name and address. I just hope he never needs it--at least--not for a few years anyhow---
Today is the 17th Anniversary of Evie's death. She would have been 18 this November. Harry is nearly 15. How the time goes by and I still feel quite young---
Mama {who nearly always talks as if she were a Saint when young} evidently went off with the Local Trash Collector. The Police got her back unharmed. {Uncle Franz told me this story--it made me see Mama in a totally new way-- she was only 5 though}.
May 24th, 2009
Note
5/24/09 05:10 pm
We didn't get to Cardiff. We had a phone call from Georg saying Mama had had an Heart Attack and was in Hospital. Two hours later we had another call saying she had died. We are all going home tomorrow for the week. The kids are on Vacation from Schule and Dan has left his Foreman in Charge at Work.
Can't say any more--too depressed---
May 31st, 2009
Diary- May 31 2009
5/31/09 10:45 pm
Got home this evening. Exhausted-- after the second most horrible week of my life. The first was when we lost Evie, of course. Everything is being sorted back home and it seems Mama left some money--erm--in Pounds it comes to around 100,000. We had no idea. Where did it come from? Did she rob banks in her youth? The house is to go to Georg and the contents are divided up amongst the four of us. It will all take some sorting.
Gisela and Tom went home with piles of photos and letters and Mama's numerous diaries. She evidently kept a diary since she was 8 years old! The funeral was horrendous and everyone cried. Uncle Franz said some words about Mama and cried all the time he was talking. I never want to go through anything like that again.
Rhys wanted to know where Oma had gone. I said she had gone to be with Opa in Heaven. He wanted to know where was Heaven. I told Rhys it was up in the sky somewhere too far away for us to see. He listened very carefully. Later, Helga couldn't find her purse and Rhys told her it had gone to Heaven. He thought Mama had taken it to Heaven with her.
I had a long talk with Anna-Louise and Harry about Death and Heaven. We read the Bible together and it was very moving for us as we remembered Mama. I was just starting to realize what a great person she was --too late to tell her alas. Gisela told me she had written in her diary at the bottom of each entry that she missed our Father. All those years she missed him. I thought how I would feel if I lost Dan. I think I would go mad but if you have kids you have to go on somehow and Mama did.
Anyhow, discovered a group called Diversity won Britain's Got Talent. Watched them on Youtube--amazing. Wasn't too impressed with the second place--an overweight female who evidently sang flat at one stage. She looked terrible too--awful clothes---horrible hair and dreadful makeup---
The Public seem crazy for her--no idea why as my own choir has at least ten members who can sing better than her and look better too---
JB has been busy wowing people and my cousin Jean appears to have succeeded in selling our tickets. I just couldn't go tomorrow after this last weeks events.
BJ has added some more words to his growing collection--of course they are all German--so useful around here-----his hair has gotten thicker and it seems to be growing STRAIGHT----all he needs now is to have green eyes to be a mini Dan clone--he looks more like him every day---
I wish I could have said a proper goodbye to Mama and to have told her I loved her--never miss a chance to tell someone you love them--you never know what lies ahead---I must remember that--
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