New Year, Fresh Start

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2007 EVERYONE!

 

I can’t believe it’s the first of January 2007.  This time last week it was Christmas Day.  Where does the time go?  Days seem to fly away as quickly as they arrive.

 

I spent the last night of 2006 with my grandmother’s house.  The night seemed to disappear so quickly.  Nan was worried where the hours were going.  “Why can’t time just stop? Then none of would get older.  Then we could stay as we are.”   Time waits for no-one; it’s just something we have to make the most of.

 

Usually I like to see the New Year in watching Jools Holland’s AnnualHootenanny concert on BBC2.  The former member of Squeeze conducts an orchestra.  Then he sings with celebrities who have had an impact on the charts that year.

 

This year Nan wanted to watch the conclusion of “A Dinner of Herbs”, a drama based on a novel by Catherine Cookson.   I vaguely remember watching it on T.V years ago.  I didn’t have a clue what it was about.  Well I was only 12 years old at the time.

 

Then we watched the New Years’ Eve celebrations in London broadcast on the BBC.  The firework display was marvelous.  I would have loved to been there.  The atmosphere must have amazing!  

 

The weather in Wales was terrible last night: thunder, lightening and gale force winds.  Many celebrations had to be cancelled because of the awful weather conditions.  It is still raining as I type this.

 

I hope you all had a wonderful New Years’ Day.  I arrived home for my Nan’s to find 43 e-mails waiting for me in my inbox.  I spent most of the afternoon commenting on journal entries.  I didn’t realise how time-consuming writing comments could be.  I’m not going to let Alerts pile up like that again!

 

Hope you all have happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

 

 

Thanks to Donna and Morgan for the lovely graphics. xx

Out With the Old

 

Let us all gather round and cheer,
With a drink of wine or an ice cold beer

Perhaps you're like me and don't drink the swill,
Or you're like my grandparents who live on pills.

Maybe this world seems harsh at times,
or it’s just that most of us just like to whine.

I'd say that this is a great place to be,
it all depends on how we can see.

True we've had bad things in the past,
but we know in our hearts that these will not last.

If we try our best to be simple and pure,
there's nothing our hopes and dreams cannot cure.

So, I don't know the value this is worth,
but lets all try to be happy and heal Mother Earth!

Happy New Year!

 

By Anon

 

I would like to wish you all a “Happy New Year 2007”.  Hope it will be a happy, healthy and prosperous one.  I would like to thank everyone for visiting my journal.  I have made a lot of new friends since joining the J-land community, and thank you for the help, support and encouragement in 2006.

 

If you are celebrating tonight, have a good time.

 

 

The Boys are Back in Town

 

I’m so excited!  On March 21st I am going to see a boy band called Westlife live in concert.

 

 

Mark, Kian, Shane and Nicky hail from Dublin, Ireland and are managed by music mogul, Louis Walsh.  The group has proved immensely popular in Ireland, United Kingdom and the rest of Europe.  The group has had fourteen UK #1 singles between the years 1999 and 2006, the third-highest such total in UK history, behind Elvis Presley and The Beatles, and tied with Cliff Richard.  Westlife are also the only band in UK chart history to have entered straight at number one with their first seven singles.

 

 

Westlife were originally a five-piece band, but Brian McFadden left the group in 2004 to pursue a solo career.  I used to like Westlife in their early days, but then all their songs sounded the same.  Since Brian’s departure, the band has released mostly cover versions.

 

 

 

I bought their latest album “The Love Album” to get in the mood for the tour.  I was really surprised.  Although it’s mostly cover versions I really enjoyed the CD.  It’s rare that I find a CD which I can just put on and listen to the all the way through.

 

 

I don’t usually listen to Westlife but my friend Jennie asked me to accompany her, so I’m going.  Can’t wait, woo hoo!  It was very nice of Jennie to ask me, I'm thrilled!

 

 

 

Westlife – “The Rose”

 

All Over!

 

I can’t believe Christmas has come and gone again for another year.  Now we’ve got 361 day till the next one. Phew! *breathes a huge sigh of relief*.

 

 

I had a wonderful Christmas.  I was awoken at 08:10a.m by my father singing “Santa Claus is coming to Town”.  Then my sack full of presents was brought into my bedroom.  It took me an hour to open all my presents, and there was more downstairs.

 

 

I had so many presents I couldn’t believe it!  I had series 2 of “Lost” and the complete series of “Planet Earth”.  These are two of my favourite shows.  What is it about American T.V that makes shows like “24” and “Lost” so addictive?

 

 

I had some CD’s, DVD’s, clothes, some very nice aftershave and a Digital Camera!  On Christmas morning, all my family meets up in our local pub, and then goes back to our house for dinner.  I was so overjoyed by what I had, but disappointed of the missed opportunity to take photos.

 

 

I was given a book called “Where There’s A Will” by Matt Beaumont.  The novel is about Alvin, a comprehensive school teacher, and how he plans to teach a class of delinquents.  The trouble is, Alvin always sees the good in people.  Then when he stops an old lady getting mugged, he starts to doubt his judgments.  I can’t put the book down!  I’m already on Page 44, it’s really exciting!  You’ll be glad to know the book has not put me off my chosen career path.

 

Have a good evening folks.

 

"It's Christmas!"

I would like to wish all my Journal readers and their families a “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”.  I hope you all got what you wished for, and that you have a lovely day.

 

Slade: “Merry Xmas Everyone”

 

Festive fun!

Well the party season is upon us!  I attended the School Sixth Form Christmas Party last night.  I was really nervous before going, because I don’t usually go to parties, and I didn’t know what to expect.  But when I got to the venue, all the anxieties disappeared because all my friends were there.

 

 

What a great time we had!  Everyone was dancing and having a real good time.  I am afraid to say I bought too many Diet Cokes.  Friends also bought some drinks for me because they had missed my birthday.  They shouldn’t have, but they were my friends and me being in the party mood, I found it hard to refuse a sip.   I feel ashamed to say I had one too many (which did not please my parents).  I promise it was my first and will be my last time that I will do such a thing.  It is Christmas after all, the season of joy and goodwill to all Men.

 

 

 

I have learnt a very hard lesson.  I woke up this morning with a really bad headache.  My hair was standing up on my head.  I felt like a drowned rat that had been run over by a bus.  That’ll teach me to drink alcohol!  Self inflicted pain is never good.

 

 

I feel much better now though, after some paracetamol and several cups of coffee.  My school has finished now for the Christmas holidays, and all the senior students go back to school on 9th January.  Woo hoo!  The other students go back earlier to get settled back into routine.

 

 

 

I am feeling all Christmassy now.  I have spent the afternoon watching festive movies to get me into the spirit.  The local radio stations have been playing seasonal songs.  I’ll leave you now with one another one of my favourites.  In my opinion, it wouldn’t be Christmas without this song:

 

The Progues featuring Kirsty MacColl: “Fairytale of New York”.

 

Brilliant Brussels [Part Three]

To finish my blog on my visit to Brussels, I would like you to see the rest of my photographs.  It took me a while for me to upload them because the software was being stubborn, but there they are.  I could not resist treating myself to some Belgian chocolates.  I was even tempted to buy some Paco Robanne aftershave too.

 

The crossing back to Dover was rough.  As I was sitting in my wheelchair, the movement was exaggerated.  My brakes were on and I was rocking back and forth and side to side.  I tried to eat something onboard the ferry to line my stomach, in case I was sick.  I felt sick, everyone felt sick but I wasn’t.

 

On the coach home, we had a quiz and a few games of bingo.  I won some more sweets, so we shared them.  The last hour on the bus seemed to crawl by.  I think everyone had that feeling.  I had a great time in Brussels with everyone, but I couldn’t wait to get home to see my family.  I also wish we gone during the Half Term holidays, then we could have spent more time exploring the culture of Belgium.

 

~ Brilliant Brussels [Part One] ~

~ Brilliant Brussels [Part Two] ~