The Gallery - Friendship

I have had a couple of week's off The Gallery but new immediately when I saw this week's prompt that I wanted to take part. My friends are really important to me and I am so lucky that I have so many wonderful friends. We are spread quite far and wide (luckily I have some on my doorstep too!) and each time I spend time (both physically and on-line-ally)with my friends I feel all warm and fuzzy and know how lucky I am.

My girls seem to be like me and love spending time with others - there are few things more lovely than watching your kids making new friends and building relationships.

My picture this week was taken at one of the 4 parties my 7yo attended after her recent First Holy Communion - This was the class party and my word did they have fun?! It was lovely to see all the children mixing and just having enormous fun- a memory I'm sure they will always have. I remember my First Holy Communion party, do you?

The first picture shows the little ladies chatting (my little girl is the one with the yellow dress and the drink in her hand - just like her mother!!) I love how happy she is suurounded by her friends.

I especially love the sencond picture which was just moments later when the scene descended into mayhem with boys doing what they do best - having fun and climbing!

Book Review - Mister Teacher - Jack Sheffield

The last book review I did followed on from an author event I recently attended. Me being me decided that I had to order not 1 but 2 of the author's books and I have just finished the second.

The first book in the series was a hit and I expected more of the same from the second - and I got it. These are easy to read books but not necessarily speedy reads. Again there were elements of the books that had me laughing out loud (I cannot bring myself to say 'LOL' Ugh!)

By now the Headteacher is well settled into life in Ragley Village (A fictional village but the stories are based loosely on the author's real life as a Headteacher)
Most of the old characters appear along with some new ones - The lady who runs the Newsagent is brill!

There is an off and on love saga with Beth and some rivlary between her and her sister, Laura. I know it sounds like a contradiction but the love interest is what I kept reading for but also the bit that irritated me somewhat. I won't spoil the story but there is a cracking cliffhanger at the end (and yes, I will be reading the 3rd book) but I find myself wanting to say to Jack to bin Beth off - she's messing you about. I bet he won't listen!

All in all, another great read!

What's next? 2 more author events and reviews of Della Says: OMG by the delightful Keris Stainton and Like Bees to Honey by the lovely Caroline Smailes

Since I wrote this post I have received an e-mail from Jack Shefield himself (squeal!). He thanked me for the review and said I had the measure of the Jack, Beth and Laura scenario and to watch this space - who knows perhaps he might listen to the voice of reason?! I am now even more determined to get book 3 and see how the story continues! Oh well another book to add to the TBR pile(s)

The Return and the books in my life

A massive gap between blogging I know, but I am back (AGAIN!) Real life really does seem to get in the way of this blogging lark but thats the way I'd always have it be. Lots of exciting things have happened in Casa Costello over the last month (to be blogged at a later date!)

As a result, reading and potential book reviews have really suffered so the book reviews for April are I'm afraid pitiful!

Zoe Heller - The Believers

A none finisher I'm sad to say ... I tried, I really did but just couldn't get to grips with this book. I couldn't even get any sort of story out of it but maybe that would have come together at the end. I felt I was just reading about a family set in current times that I just couldn't get to know and ultimately care for. Just words.

Teacher Teacher - Jack Sheffield

Every now and again, we attend author events at our local library and this was the last one. Jack Sheffield's stories are based on diaries detailing his life and work as a Headteacher in the wonderful North of Yorkshire. The school in question is set in the fictional place of Ragley and the characters are loosely based on people everyone of us must know. The front cover says that if you like Gervase Phinn, you will love these books. I have read Gervase Phinn and enjoyed them but feel Jack's books are better. There seems to be more about him as a human rather than just the job - and you find yourself wanting to know how things turn out. I have heard critisisms of this style of book that the anecdotes feel a little forced and how can things turn out so well - I like to look through that and think of it as clever writing. There are really humurous points in this first book (I think he is currently writing his 5th in the series) - Anyone who doesn't laugh aloud at 'Tonso Lighthouse' is a misery! I am half way through the second book in the series, Mister Teacher and enjoying that too. Hurrah!

Next book reviews = More Jack Sheffield and a concerted effort to reduce that TBR pile!

The Gallery - A very pink member of our household

This week's theme for Tara Cain's Gallery is Portrait.

According to The Free Online Dictionary a portrait is a verbal picture or description, especially of a person.

I took 'especially of a person' to mean that it didn't actually have to be a person! And so here is a very important member of our household.

Meet Ellie the Pink Elephant - She belongs to Violet, our youngest daughter and was a present from a friend when she was 5 months old. I have to admit when I saw her for the first time I thought 'oh great another dust collector' but isn't it strange how some things just click?

Ellie has been everywhere with us in the past three years - She is somewhat paler than she used to be, has had many washes after being vomitted upon, been lost a few times (last found under the shelving at Tesco after a hellish fortnight for us - which shows how often they clean under their shelves!) and has recently had a restuffing courtesy of my mother!

Have you got any unusual members of your household that just seem to have always been there?

My Lovely Dad MBE - The Gallery Week 7 - Joy

I have even dispensed with the TV Theme titles for this week's Gallery (Had anyone even noticed?)

This week's Gallery subject is Joy.

This is my lovely Dad - He became a Master of the British Empire in 2001 for services to the Employment Service. This is a true case of the right person receiving credit where credit is due. My Dad was a quiet, gentle and wonderful person who never craved attention and appreciated everything he had.

The couple of days we spent in London when Dad met the Queen were simply joyful. 6 of us went down (Mum, Dad, the 3 daughters and my husband). We were only allocated 3 tickets into Buckingham Palace which my Mum amazingly gave to us 3 daughters. I have never felt as nervous as when Dad's 'turn' was coming up - I really didn't want him to trip or break any of the millions of rules - He didn't - it was just wonderful! (I broke a rule by taking a piece of Buckingham Palace toilet roll home but we won't say anymore about how classy I am!) I have probably committed treason or similar by copying the official photo too!

An added bonus was always going to be which celebrity received their honours during the same ceremony - We got Jeremy Beadle MBE! Oh well!

After Buckingham Palace, we met up with Mum and my husband and had a trip on the then new London Eye and a sightseeing tour around London followed by a show.

The next day was Dad's 60th and the day he officially retired and time for home - We were upgraded to 1st class when the driver heard about what we were celebrating.

All in all, a wonderful time to be together and see the most wonderful man get some of the attention he deserved.

My Dad passed away a year ago next week - We are all still devastated and will always miss and love you. x

Ugly Betty - The Gallery - Week 6

Wow, what a challenge this week was! There has been loads of talk on Twitter about this week's Gallery subject ...UGLY! I can't even think about the word without singing u.g.l.y, you ain't got no alibi ....Can you? No then, perhaps that's just my music taste!

Anywhoo, back to the task. My immediate thoughts were self-deprecation and posting a picture of me - but I haven't spent all my 21 years (cough!) building up my self-estemm to blow it in one fell swoop - Can you imagine how many comments I would receive though?!

Other items I thought of posting:

* Husband's feet (But they are never still enough and might break the camera)
* The Bottom of the wheely bin (too distressing to go near!)
* The cat sick underneath the trampoline that I am trying to pretend I haven't seen
* Most areas of St Helens

I really don't do UGLY - I even work with pretty things for a living (making cakes in case anyone has been living in a cave for the past 4 years)

So I thought, where am I going during the week that I might encounter ugliness...The Lake District!!! Bloody hell, its one of the lovliest places on earth!


So here is what I came up with - A Sheep! From afar they are cute little white dots on the landscape but nearby? Not so pretty and wooly are you now? This isn't the ugliest sheep we saw but the real minger was so grumpy she did a runner before the camera came out - She really has broken a lens or two in her time.

So Ewe ...Ewe are my ugly post for the week - balanced out by a gratuitous country shot of my children (who are definately not ugly - although this was one of my fears when they were in the womb - but thats a post for another day!)


For other, far better Gallery Posts, visit Tara Cain's Sticky Fingers and laugh or weep with the best of them!

Roulette Nation - Carbon Diaries 2015 - Saci Lloyd - Book Review

Another book Review and I have to admit this book took me longer to read than I anticipated. I really wanted to read this book as I hear so much about our Carbon Footprint and wonder if my thoughts are the same as others.

I'm sure it will come as no surprise that this book is set in 2015 when Climate Change is so dramatic that Carbon Rationing has been introduced in the UK. The book folows the story of teenage Laura as she and her family struggle to deal with the effects that Carbon Rationing have on their lives.

This book is billed as a Young Adult category but sadly I didn't enjoy it quite as much as some other YA books I have read. I felt sometimes the story was a little slapstick and far-fetched but loved other parts.

There were moments that really made me stop and think about the effect on daily life of carbon Rationing such as the impact on Travel & Tourism and consequently people's livelihoods - I thought it was clever that Laura's Dad was a travel & Tourism lecturer rather than something more obvious like a pilot.

All in all, I found the book mainly enjoyable but was glad when I finished as there are others I am desperate to read!

I would give this book a 3 out of 5 star rating.

Would it be made into a film/tv programme - Perhaps it needs to be to make us think about the consequences our actions are having on the planet!

Coming up soon ... Zoe Heller - The Believers