Blogs by Jill

Christmas in February

Friday 26th February 2010

Although Christmas seems a long time ago now, I'm just about to enjoy my present from my husband. He did amazingly well, I must say. First I opened a long handled shoehorn, some silver coins and CDs of South American music. And last but not least there was a guidebook to Argentina! We're off...

And All the Lights Went Out!

Monday 18th January 2010

2010 is here and it came in with a huge blast – the snow came down in our part of South East England as if it would never stop. Consequently, I’ve hardly left the house for 6 days and I’m getting very bored. Normally I would definitely be catching up with...

The MOTB becomes the MOTC

Sunday 27th December 2009

What an exciting year it’s been! We’ve had the wedding which I so enjoyed organising; I think being the MOTB is one of the best things I have ever done apart from becoming the M in the first place! Daughter No 3 has bought a flat with her boyfriend and we have...

Christmas is Coming...Again!

Friday 4th December 2009

Christmas is looming and I'm running my usual “National Elf Line” to which I ask my family to subscribe so that there’s a chance that they might get at least one gift that they’ll really like. I'm also being bombarded by their husband/boyfriends as to what all the daughters would like and it never...

A Mad Weekend in Wales

Tuesday 3rd November 2009

My husband is a bit crazy - he would probably agree as why else would he have married me?! Every now and then his craziness overflows onto the rest of the family and that’s what happened last weekend. As a rite of passage our four daughters had to climb Snowdon. They...

MOTB Goes Into Temporary Retirement

Friday 2nd October 2009

One down, three to go, but I’m hoping for a bit of a rest before the next wedding, which allows me time for a bit of reflection... Or does it? Oh no! One daughter buys a flat with her boyfriend and I am on waiting for deliveries duty (currently awaiting the arrival of this...

MOTB: The 1st Anniversary

Friday 21st August 2009

Can you believe it – we’re about to celebrate the 1st anniversary of the engagement of daughter No 1. I can’t believe that it’s been a year since we have organised the marquee, the caterer, THE DRESS, the wine and champagne, the band, flowers, cake – the list goes on and on and I...

The Diary of the MOTB Continues...

Monday 20th July 2009

Well – it’s all over – for the moment anyway but for the mother of four daughters there’s a slight feeling that this was only the beginning! (FOTB is feeling faint reading this over my shoulder). The trouble is that it DID go really well and when BTB Mark 2 reveals herself there...

MOTB: The Wedding

Friday 29th May 2009

Well, it’s all over. The happy couple are on their honeymoon, the marquee is down, I've given away most of the amazing flowers and the dress is in its bag waiting to be sent away to be cleaned and packed. In fact, looking out of the study window no-one would believe that anything...

MOTB: The Final Few Days

Thursday 21st May 2009

Monday before the wedding... Spoken to caterers – well, tried but ended up leaving several frantic messages on answer phone Spoken to marquee people who are also trying to speak to caterers who are on answer phone Spoken to photographer – he’s fine Dresses are all hanging up in two different rooms One pair of shoes still...

MOTB: 8 Days to Go

Tuesday 12th May 2009

OK, now I’m beginning to panic. 8 days to go – today I have to pick up the last bridesmaid’s dress after they were altered by a lovely lady called Caroline Arthur who actually makes wedding dresses as well as alterations, so do check out her portfolio. I’ve finally sorted out Granny of the...

MOTB: Under Four Weeks to Go!

Monday 27th April 2009

The Bride was at another wedding this weekend but that didn’t mean that the rest of us had time off – except for the FOTB who felt the need to go sailing ‘to get away from it all’! Two of the bridesmaids came with me for the final fittings of their dresses...

MOTB: Seven Saturdays to Go!

Friday 3rd April 2009

Sunny weather just brings out the dirt and dust – well, it’s always been there but the gloom of winter keeps it well hidden. This weekend it was revealed in our sunroom; the sun was actually in it for once, which is unusual, and which is why it fills up with clutter and...

MOTB: The Final Countdown

Thursday 12th March 2009

Only nine and a half weeks to go! 'I DON”T BELIEVE IT!!!' as some TV comedian puts it. Where did the time go? One minute it’s all about getting the announcements in the paper and now it’s just a few weeks away and I’m in a panic – what have I forgotten to...

MOTB: Booze in Battersea

Tuesday 24th February 2009

So off we went, the Bride and I, to the Designer Wedding Show in Battersea Park to see what we could find. We’ve got most things organised, but wanted to seek out those little extras, such as lingerie, rose petal confetti and suchlike. We soon realised that the show is best for those...

MOTB goes to a Wedding Show

Monday 9th February 2009

You may have noticed (if you’ve got your mind on wedding bells) that there are dozens of wedding shows on at the moment. We passed through Liverpool last week and I saw ads for at least two, and that’s without the major shows at Battersea, Earls Court et al. I went to...

Diary of a MOTB (The Countdown Begins...)

Friday 16th January 2009

Help! It’s getting closer- we are all on post-Christmas diets – and I wake up in the middle of the night remembering something else that hasn’t been done, only to find when I wake up that it has. By that time I am sooo exhausted by lack of sleep it’s just as well...

Diary of a MOTB (part 7)

Monday 5th January 2009

Well this IS strange– the last Christmas over when we, the immediate family that is, shared the same surname. Now I know how my parents felt when, after all the effort you put into your offspring, they dump their identity at the first opportunity! Not that I would have done differently so I...

Diary of a MOTB (part 6)

Wednesday 26th November 2008

Well, everything is coming along, we have a tasting by the caterers this weekend and it would seem that the entire family is flocking home to try the tasty bits. I've spent the weekend with the friend who used to be a professional wedding video man (he is doing it as his...

Diary of a MOTB (Hitting the Bottle...)

Wednesday 5th November 2008

This MOTB is ready for another case of New Zealand white but it seems we're on a mission to find the right wines for the BIG DAY! If it was my decision I would have Oyster Bay – of course – and I really like Marques de Caceres or Marques de Riscal for...

Diary of a MOTB (The Dress)

Wednesday 15th October 2008

We've been everywhere! The Bride stated what she did not want and then proceeded to look at just that. The H-to-be's instructions were 'No meringues, please', so obviously the wonderful ladies at Miss Bush, the wedding dress emporium to which blooming brides flock from miles around, encouraged her to try on the biggest dress...

Diary of a MOTB (part 3)

Wednesday 24th September 2008

Well, I’m getting through the old Oyster Bay! Always a firm follower of the 7 o’ clock rule, a friend from South Africa sensibly pointed out the other day that it’s always 7 o’clock somewhere in the world... Wedding wise I’ve come to the conclusion that whilst recommendations are always a good starting point,...

Diary of a MOTB (part 2)...

Wednesday 10th September 2008

Well we have had the first meeting with the first caterer and the husband is in shock. Thinks if he has to do this for four daughters he will never be able to stop working. He can’t actually but that is more to do with keeping him out of the house and...

Diary of a MOTB...

Monday 1st September 2008

Well, it has finally happened, the first of the four daughters has got engaged and I’m in full flow as the mother of the bride, or MOTB as the daughters now call me, has to be. First and foremost, the wedding apparently, can’t be like all the many others she has been to... But...

Only On Alderney

Friday 8th August 2008

As those of you who have ever read my blogs before will know, we have a cottage on a small island in the middle of the English Channel called Alderney. It’s an extraordinary place which we sometimes take for granted but yesterday it excelled itself. My friend Marcia and I have taken on...

How Green Is Your Milk...

Friday 1st August 2008

A very nice man has just called on me. Normally if this happens I’m rather stand-offish but on this occasion I decided to listen to his patter. His name is John and he comes from Dairy Crest, the dairy that delivers to the door. Yes, someone delivers milk (and fresh fruit...

Enjoying Life In The Kitchen...

Wednesday 16th July 2008

I think some things may skip a generation; my grandmother could always feed five thousand with hardly anything in the house, my mother on the other hand has always made a production out of every meal including morning coffee! My daughters all have lots of friends and we love having them around and somehow,...

Hand Baggage...

Friday 4th July 2008

Summer is here and off we all fly, adding to the carbon footprint... Thanks to the credit crunch I know I’m not alone in looking at the low cost airlines - there are some amazing offers out there, my husband recently found a flight to Shannon with Ryanair for 1 Euro – plus taxes...

It's Fun To Celebrate...

Tuesday 17th June 2008

Have you ever used Moonpig? If not then you really must give it a go. It makes the task of buying someone a birthday card not just a task but a REAL pleasure. Whenever we have a family birthday or event coming up off I go, and this week I have a daughter...

What to Wear to The Races...

Thursday 5th June 2008

I spent yesterday evening at the races where my eldest nephew who is an apprentice jockey had three rides. It seemed to me, having looked around at my fellow female race goers, that they needed a bit of help on the fashion front. Now we all like to dress up a...

What A Load Of Rubbish...

Wednesday 21st May 2008

Those of you who ever read my blogs may have already concluded that I do talk a load of rubbish, so today I will justify myself by talking ABOUT rubbish instead of just spouting it In the environmentally aware society that we live in I find myself having an ever increasing conscience that I...

A Tale of Two Scarves...

Saturday 26th April 2008

I’ve just returned from the most hectic couple of weeks I’ve had in a very long time and I don’t sit about! Firstly we’d been invited to birthday party in Yorkshire so we piled into the car turning the boot into a bedroom for the dogs and off we went. The weather was...

Confucius He Say...

Friday 11th April 2008

The sentiment of the following poem (the origin of which is not known) drives our household and in particular my husband, who uses it as an excuse to get away with MURDER but it makes us all think – In an ancient wall in China A brooding Buddha blinks Deeply graven is the Image “It is...

Go Fish...

Friday 28th March 2008

Wishing I was on a tropical island is a bit of a waste of time and really - I love our island paradise here in Alderney even if being out in the rain is a bit like the ad on the television at the moment showing a woman being power showered by...

Why I Love ilovejeans.com

Friday 14th March 2008

When you get to a certain age two things happen, firstly bits of your body start to descend to places you really would rather they did not and only such drastic plastic surgery as to mean that your eyebrows were on the back of your head might help... The second is a...

Be Careful Where You Put It...

Wednesday 5th March 2008

You've had a hard day’s shopping and all you want to do is sit down for a revitalising Espresso or a refreshing glass of Oyster Bay (or any other New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for that matter), the sun is shining and the tables and chairs are all out in front of your favourite...

Oops I’ve Been Cloned – Again!

Tuesday 19th February 2008

I‘m in a bit of a grump today as I’m severely restricted in the amount of shopping I can do due to the fact that I’ve had my credit card, to use bank speak, ‘compromised’. This is the third time it has happened to me and it’s making me pretty twitchy. I’ve spent this...

Smart Sun Specs...

Tuesday 5th February 2008

A recent trip to Scotland was met with the most awful weather. The snow came down, the wind raged and the birds (you guessed it this was a few days shooting) knew best and did not fly well! Thankfully we were well wrapped up and kept filled up with the odd Sloegasm...

My very own Cardigan Bay...

Monday 21st January 2008

I used to have a distinct loathing of cardigans, probably because of the ghastly grey and purple ones I had to wear at prep school, which for some reason always developed a hole in only one arm (I’ve never quite understood why). My dislike of the cardigan lasted for years - until...

New Year's Resolutions 2008

Monday 7th January 2008

1. To never book into a hotel for New Years Eve again – if they get it right the chances are that you’ll be with a whole lot of people that you don’t know – and I’m way past kissing strangers! 2. To remind my husband that he’s really not 25 any longer and...

The Twelve Days Of Christmas

Sunday 9th December 2007

(With a political slant) On the first day of Christmas for Gordon Brown I’d dream Of filling his stocking with soap, shampoos and cream Carter and Bond can supply them all it would seem On the second day of Christmas on Dave Cameron I would bestow A Thesaurus so he could change some of those phrases...

The Snows Are Acoming...

Monday 26th November 2007

The forecast over the next few days is abysmal – first the temperature is supposed to drop, then there’ll be black ice, then snow and then the temperature will warm up a bit before we revert back to rain and surface water! With all this to look forward to I’m heading online...

Catalogue Heaven

Tuesday 6th November 2007

My husband thinks I’m barmy and you probably will too but this time of year gives me enormous pleasure as the Christmas catalogues fall through the letterbox with a huge thud. Kevin, our postman, certainly earns his money as he lugs piles of these massive tomes up our drive, a real workout for...

Getting Cosy...

Tuesday 23rd October 2007

At last autumn has taken hold, the leaves are falling and the colours are changing; the sun is doing amazing things in the morning and evening, and those contours as I look out of my bedroom window first thing through the early morning mist are quite stunning. And as long as I’m feeling...

Shooting Times...

Sunday 7th October 2007

Well, here we are in October, husband back on his peg and me standing by – occasionally loading but usually just enjoying the beauty of the day waiting for the partridge and pheasants to fly towards us to meet their, unfortunately some might say, not inevitable end. A sporting chance it really...

I Thank You, Thank You, Thank You...

Wednesday 19th September 2007

I don’t know about you but I find myself doing an awful lot of ‘thank you’s in September: thank you for having us to stay; thank you for helping me out of a hole; thank you for entertaining my daughter (several of those); thank you for feeding the cats, having the dogs…...

Putting The Spot Light On Food...

Thursday 6th September 2007

Or not in my case, I love having spotlights over the working end of my kitchen but I’ve been looking on and off for over eleven years for a light to go over the kitchen table where we do most of our everyday eating. I’ve tried down-lighters, big shades, small glass pendants,...

Laptops & Handbags: Today’s Accessories...

Friday 31st August 2007

Number 4 daughter turns 18 in about ten days time. Having been away I’ve done little about it and am now in a complete blue funk about what to give her. Never being one to go for the fake when the real label is on offer I dread to think what the present list...

Taking Things For Granted...

Tuesday 31st July 2007

Well, here I am on the glorious island of Alderney, after a couple of disgustingly wet days, the skies are blue, the sea clear and the beaches beginning to have a few people on them – not many of course – this is Alderney. The masses have started to arrive – I had one...

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend...

Tuesday 24th July 2007

As I prepare for my annual silliness on the small Channel Island where we have a holiday home, I reflected on the parts that I've been given for the yearly ‘Spectacular’ that occurs during the week of fun and games known as Alderney Week. All can’t be revealed just in case any of...

Brushed off

Sunday 15th July 2007

If you like to change your hair with times (I do otherwise I’d still be sporting the perm and it wasn’t pretty) after a visit to the hairdressers the ‘new do’ and the ‘new you’ has to be cared for in a different way from the old. And updating your brushes isn’t...

Getting It Off My Chest...

Sunday 1st July 2007

As you know by now I just love shopping online - the freedom of seeing huge ranges, and browsing virtual catalogues over a cup of coffee, without having to traipse round endless grubby streets is so attractive if not somewhat addictive – just wait until the husband sees this months Mastercard bill… Well...

A Spenny Week...

Monday 25th June 2007

Christmas aside, I’ve just had the most expensive week of the year. With four birthdays in three days, it really is second mortgage time. All of them (sister-in-law, a daughter, sister and brother-in-law) are pretty difficult to please, so by the end of May I’m panicking as the days approach, so this online...

A Sailing Game...

Monday 11th June 2007

My husband always says I don’t like travelling, so for someone who hates to leave home I’ve been away rather a lot this year, and after extolling the virtues of Elemis after a trip to South Africa I am now about to regale you with my exploits sailing in Scotland. I left home and...

Fight the Flights, Sun & Dehydration...

Friday 1st June 2007

I have just returned from one of those ‘holiday of a lifetime’ experiences in South Africa, covering places as diverse as the Zulu battlefields at Fugitives Drift, Phinda Game Reserve and the most amazing train trip on the Rovos Rail from Pretoria to Cape Town. Towards the end of the trip...

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