Easter Apologies and New Developments

Posted on April 21, 2014 by suzie81speaks

mkalty.org

I am crap.

I’ve become so behind with the blog housekeeping that I am now finding it difficult to keep up. Over the last few weeks I have received so many comments that I haven’t replied to and I wanted to take the opportunity to apologise. I’m really sorry. I read and appreciate every single one of them, and I wanted to say that I’m grateful for all the time that everyone has taken to support me and this little blog. I’m going to do my best to catch up…

There’s a few things that I wanted to share with you.

I started a Facebook page for my blog. I was going to delete it after the fiasco last week, but then I decided to not only keep it, but promote it as much as I can. I would love it if you would pay my page a visit, give it a cheeky ‘like’ and share it with your friends!

http://www.facebook.com/Suzie81Speaks

I am also gaining a Twitter following: @suzie81blog and I would love to see you there too!

Finally, and I’m actually quite excited about this, I am going to start my own weekly challenge. I’ve been wanting to do this for a while, I wasn’t sure if anybody would take part, but I decided over the weekend that it’s now or never! It will be an open challenge for everybody to take part in and will be published every Sunday at 7.00pm GMT. However, for this week I am going to post it later today, and I would absolutely love it if you would not only participate, but invite your friends too! The subject will be a single theme in which you can respond to in any way that you like – music, poetry, thoughts, photography – the more the merrier! I will also create a badge that you can add to your blog if you wish.

Happy Blogging!

A Day in the City

Posted on April 20, 2014 by suzie81speaks

After a tough month The Bloke surprised me with train tickets to London. It’s one of our favourite places and we try and go there are few times a year. The timing was perfect – it is the Easter holidays, the weather has been glorious and we both needed a break, so by 8.00am we were stood in London Euston, trying to work out where we wanted to go. We decided to get the Tube down to the Thames – it was a bright, sunny day and we thought that a walk along the river would be a good place to start.

It was a beautiful day!

It was a little colder than I expected, but luckily there was a Starbucks nearby where I could get us a hot chocolate. We saw St. Paul’s Cathedral in the distance and so we walked to it, stopping to take in the sights and sounds along the way. It was a good decision to go in the morning as it was already beginning to get quite crowded.

Our train home was at 4.00pm, so we tried to do as much as possible. We went to the National Portrait Gallery, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Piccadily Circus and I bought macarons from Covent Garden. We were tourists for the day.

I was so tired by the end of it that I slept for half of the train journey home and then again when we got back to the house…

Here are some of the pictures. They were all taken with my iPhone. as always, I’d love to know what you think!

The completed Shard and Tower Bridge in the background

St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Blitz monument

The dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral

Me and my favourite M&M

The top of one of the escaltors in the Tube

You can also find me on Twitter and tumblr @suzie81blog. Hope you are enjoying your Easter!

On Being Vanilla

Posted on April 20, 2014 by suzie81speaks

In the world of ice-cream, my friend is definitely Rocky Road with extra sauce. She’s striking. When she walks into a room, people don’t just notice, they stop what they are doing to stare, and some will even get up and walk over in an effort to speak to her.

The thing is, there isn’t anything specific about my friend that makes her stand out. She’s pretty, but couldn’t anywhere near be classed as model quality, she doesn’t go overboard with her clothes and make-up, she’s intelligent, but not a genius, she’s classy and well-spoken. She possesses that ‘something’ – that special X Factor quality that separates her from the pack. Even more frustratingly, she’s genuinely a very nice person and has no idea about the power that she holds. Her life, to me, seems exciting – she likes to travel and experience new things and isn’t scared of taking risks. She’s a natural leader without being bossy or rude.

I have always been, and always will be, vanilla. This isn’t said in an attempt to hunt for false compliments, it is simply fact – at the age of 32 I have had plenty of time to realise my own strengths and weaknesses. In a group of people I have never been the one to stand out from the crowd – I am that person that merges into the background, the one that blends in. I am not the risk taker – I’ve always been more of a follower than a leader.

Vanilla is used as a derogatory term to describe someone, or their lifestyle as unexciting and conventional. Boring. I used to feel that being thought of as vanilla was a negative thing. Indeed, I used to feel a little short-changed when I was offered ice-cream and then handed vanilla. However, vanilla surprised me. I discovered that:

Vanilla is the second-most expensive spice after saffron.
It is thought to have calming effects and reduce anxiety and stress.
Vanilla is used throughout the baking and cosmetics industry and is often placed in certain foods to eliminate acidity.
Despite its labour – intensive growth and expense, vanilla remains a popular spice in the western world.
From the thousands of ice-cream flavours that exist, vanilla is still consistently voted as the favourite.

As I have aged, I have grown to like being vanilla. It may be a standard flavour, a basic flavour, but to me it is a dependable one that doesn’t change, and yet can be incredibly versatile at the same time in that it compliments the flavours around it. Vanilla doesn’t pretend to be anything else, it is what it is. I like my life and it’s vanilla existence.

And besides, this means that us vanilla girls get to add a cheeky topping occasionally!

What about you? What flavour of ice-cream are you?

You can also find me on Twitter and Tumblr @suzie81blog

A Year of Blogging: Suzie81 Speaks

Posted on April 18, 2014 by suzie81speaks

Last week marked the official anniversary of Suzie81 Speaks. Brace yourself, this is going to be a long one!!!

I’ll start with some numbers:

Followers: 5,000

Comments: 12,000

Posts: 700 (but this is now 300 as I deleted over half of everything I had written)

Unbelievable.

After years of writing in journals, I followed The Bloke’s advice and set up a WordPress account. This little blog started as simply Suzie81 – my name and the year I was born – and served as the opportunity to share the various thoughts and anxieties that had been swamping my brain for a long time. The response and support that I received was immediate and life changing, and within a year I have not only met some fantastic people (you know who you are), but I have now have the direction in life that I had been so desperately seeking before. I purchased a domain name, changing it to ‘Suzie81 Speaks,’ set up an additional Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr and the most exciting thing of all is that I have been asked to write for a monthly online magazine (more on that later)…

In celebration of my year anniversary and to channel my inner narcissism, I posted a competition a few weeks ago. I invited people to ask me any question (within reason), with the winner being awarded two weeks worth of free advertising on my blog. I also promised that I would answer every question and include links to the blogs of every person who took part.

I had a brilliant response. I’ll announce the winner at the end… Here goes!

If you weren’t a teacher what might you be? (Perspiring Poet)

I would definitely be working with animals. If I knew then what I know now I would have gained qualifications in animal care.

If you were stuck on a CD for two weeks, which desert island would you be? (Steve Says)

The one owned by Richard Branson – CD or island. This was the best I could come up with – I attempted to think of a response for two weeks and my brain started to hurt.

If you were writing a novel what would your opening and closing sentences be? (Andrew Seal)

She laughed at the sheer arrogance of his words.

Maybe next time she’ll ask for more.

How long is a short piece of string? (Fearless Leader)

Infinitely long. I think. My brain hurts.

Who in your life has influenced you the most? How did they do it? (Jolene)

My mum. Of course, it has to be my mum. I haven’t always agreed with her at the time but inevitably she’s usually been right. How did she do it? Sheer persistence, support and large bouts of nagging.

In your opinion, what do women want? (mommyx4boys)

To be happy. I think that’s all what anybody wants. Ooh, and a footrub after a long night of wearing high heels.

What do you find most rewarding about teaching? (Heron There & Everywhere)

When a student is able to do something that they didn’t think they would be initially capable of.

If you won the lottery, what three things would you do with it? (Michelle)

I’d set up a no-kill animal sanctuary for all types of animals, with a vetinary surgery attached.

I’d set up a scholarship programme for under-priveleged kids to be able to go to university without ending up in thousands of pounds worth of debt.

On a selfish note, I’d travel the world.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done? (Father At 54)

The father of a girl that I knew as a teenager was in the army and had been sent away to another country. She wasn’t particularly nice to me and after months of standing nasty comments from her I told her that her dad had joined the army to get away from her. I apologised, but twenty years later, I still feel guilty for saying that.

A box of books you just packed away takes a tumble and lands directly on your big toe and you respond by saying: a) ouch! b) f*&# c) BIEBER, you bastard! d) other (please state) (Sandra)

B. Definitely B. Every time. Little Miss Potty Mouth always appears during such incidents.

What has been the best piece of advice someone has given you, and how did it impact your life? (Rebecca Meyer)

Don’t tell anyone anything that you wouldn’t want the whole world to know. There’s only a few people that I trust and I don’t tell people secrets as I’ve been hurt by others in the past.

Mark Twain once said that “the two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” Obviously you have already been born, so my question to you is have you found out why? (adropofno5)

Occasionally I’ll have glimmers of what I know I want to do, but as yet I can’t honestly say why or what my purpose in life is…

Think Dr. Who. If you were able to time travel, (without changing past, present or future) where would you go? (Biker Chick 57)

I’d travel to the Washington Mall and witness Martin Luther King Jr give his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, I’d go to the early 1960’s and watch the Beatles in concert at The Cavern in Liverpool before they became ridiculously famous, I’d go back to 1985 and attend Live Aid at Wembley Stadium, I’d go back to the early 1990’s and spend more time with my Grandfather, I’d go back to the Party in the Park concert where The Spice Girls gave their first concert and this time actually get their autographs (I couldn’t be bothered last time because I didn’t think they’d end up being more than one hit wonders – those autographs would be worth a fortune now) and I would go to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

What has been your favourite moment while working as a teacher? (A Girl With a Piano)

Honestly? There are two moments. The week of the performance of a musical that the kids gave – they were incredible, and the day I left my previous school.

What do value about being a story-teller? (makaedelee)

The opportunity to share what I think and what I believe I know. I love the process of planning what it is that I am going to write, and I love the satisfaction I get when somebody else reads it and enjoys it.

As a teacher, do you think it’s more effective to be lenient or demanding with your students? Or something in between? (Rose F)

New teachers are always told not to smile until Christmas. I think that’s bollocks. Smile, be approachable, friendly and have a good sense of humour, but the most important thing is to have clear, consistent boundaries with sanctions if they are crossed that the students know and respect. There are times when it is possible to be lenient, but I often think that leniency shows a weakness of character with some students. Being fair is more important. Don’t take any nonsense from them.

If you were chosen as leader of Planet Earth what rules or laws would you make or change to help the entire human race? (Phil)

Saying that I would ban religion is against human rights but I do think that religion and religious persecution is an enormous factor in conflicts around the world, and I would prevent religion from being used as a way to discriminate against another. I would legalise gay marriage across the entire planet. I would ban the fur and animal trade, and testing on animals. I would pay women the same as men in every profession. I would enforce fair payment of goods from around the world and make sweatshops illegal. I would have countries near the sea build wind turbines for power. I’d get rid of every countries nuclear weapons.

Oh wow, you’ve opened a can of worms on this – I’m actually going to create a post instead later…

If there was only one book you could take with you to a remote island where you would be for a couple of years and where you would have no access to other reading material of any sort, what would that one book be? (Cathi)

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou. I’ve read it so many times that I had to buy another copy as I wore my first one out. Beautiful book.

Who are your favourite authors? (Tina Bakes Bread)

Maya Angelou, Bill Bryson, Primo Levi, Sue Townsend and, of course, Roald Dahl.

Would you rather travel back in time or into the future (Kim at Awkward Laughter)

I’d definitely rather travel back in time. I like not knowing the future and there are so many events that I wish that I could have experienced.

Thank you so much for all your questions. And the winner? Steve Says. I couldn’t think of a witty enough response to his question – it was awesome. So, congratulations Steve, you have won two weeks of advertising on my blog starting from the first week in May!

Thank you so much for all your support over the last year – you’ve been a wonderful group of people to meet! Here’s to another year of blogging!

Don’t forget that you can also find me on Twitter and Tumblr @suzie81blog

The Glorious Nothing Days

Posted on April 17, 2014 by suzie81speaks

Hooray for the glorious nothing days,

Those rare and brilliant blank diary days,

Days when the cupboard of forgotten tat has its turn,

No birthdays, fancy do’s or fireworks,

No test matches or penalty shockers,

When there is nothing better than doing nothing at all,

When we find the time to potter and piddle about,

With the people that count,

The glorious nothing days are the best days

The cheese on toast days,

The days that matter.

Today’s inspiration comes from an advert for Anchor Cheese, no less. It isn’t often that I am moved by TV advert but when I heard these words I was in the middle of marking hell and I desperately wanted a break. Today is my glorious nothing day. I am going to potter and piddle about in the beautiful weather and appreciate every minute of it. I hope you all have a beautiful day…

You can also find me on Twitter and Tumblr @suzie81blog

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ics1UymGzdA

Die Printer, Die…

Posted on April 16, 2014 by suzie81speaks

In the last ten days my routine has been print, file, print, file, print, file, sleep, aside from lunch with the best mate on Sunday and a lovely girly catch-up at MRH’s house, which was very much needed. I have printed and filed no less than 400 pieces of coursework since I went back to work after being off ill for a month, and if I never see another printer, photocopier or tracking sheet ever again it will be a day too soon. The printer at work has a grudge against me for some reason. It hates me. It seems to sense when the work is at it’s most urgent and will deliberately pretend that it is broken, despite being perfectly fine for the people that have used it just before me. I keep having fantasies about re-enacting the scene from ‘Office Space,’ where a printer is unceremoniously smashed into a million pieces. Unfortunately, I don’t own a baseball bat, but if I ever do you can be assured that the bloody printer is going to know about it.

Consequently, I have barely had time to even think about my blog. Despite the fact that it is the Easter holidays, I have been into work every single day this week to do extra coursework catch-up with the cherubs, and so I was really excited about the prospect that my time this evening could be spent catching up on what I’ve missed in the WordPress world. I tried to write something, but instead found myself staring at a blank screen, and after a while I gave up. It isn’t the first time that this has happened to me over the last month or two – I used to have lots of ideas that inspired me but at the minute all my brain thinks about is work and deadlines. I’ve been having dreams about being in a school that I don’t know and I can’t find my way around or figure out where my classes are. I try calling home but keep dialling the wrong number. Fun.

A much simpler life is needed.

However, tomorrow I am giving myself the day off. The Bloke has surprised me with tickets to London on Saturday so we’re going to have a wander around and play at being tourists for the day. I’m looking forward to it – we try and go several times a year and there are still so many places we need to visit yet, so it will be a nice change of scenery. This also means that I am going to treat myself to a new outfit to wear so I have decided that I am going to go into town tomorrow and have a look around. The weather is going to be beautiful, the day is mine, it’s the only one that I am going to have to myself for a while and I am going to take full advantage. That is, after I have watched cheesy morning chat shows and had a long hot bath. Oh, and I might make a start on the enormous dark chocolate Easter egg that The Bloke bought me.

After all, it would be rude not to…

You can also find me on Twitter and Tumblr @suzie81blog

Waiting…

Posted on April 2, 2014 by suzie81speaks

The kidney infection is back, it has spread to my urinary tract and I am off work until the end of the week. I’ve been feeling ill and constantly tired since being in hospital, so I had blood and urine tests done and it was a relief to get the results back as now I had proof – it has felt at times that those around me thought that I was putting it on.

My Little Friend

Wobbly is currently in the vets having a scan done on her stomach. I wrote about this a few months ago when it was suggested that she may have a tumour, but she improved and got my hopes up until recently when she stopped eating and rapidly lost a ton of weight.

I took her in at 8.30am and I have to wait until 2.00pm today for them to ring me. The waiting is horrible, particularly because my gut is telling me that I know what I have to do today if I get the results that I am expecting from them. At 19 years old (she’ll be 20 in a few weeks) I know that she’s had a long and happy life (she’s been with me for 13 years), so I have decided that I am not going to be selfish and put her through surgery, and I’m certainly not going to let her waste away just so that I can have a few more weeks with her. After everything that she has done for me over the years, she deserves better than that.

I’m distracted and don’t know what to do with the time. I’ve attempted to write several posts and have become disinterested quite quickly with them. I’ve tried to mark coursework but can’t focus. I’ve been for a walk to the shops. I’m half-watching Ina Garten instruct me on how to make a brownie pie, and I started searching around the web for interesting things to read, but I stopped when a horrific story of animal cruelty appeared – I can’t deal with that at the best of times and I’m certainly not in a place where I can deal with it today.

I’m completely lost.

Regardless of what happens today, I am going up to my mum’s house tomorrow for a few days. I need a break. I need to relax and sleep. I need to lie back and not worry about coursework, or house moves, or illness, or the fact that I’m going to lose the best friend I’ve ever had.

But for now, I’m just waiting…

You can also find me on Twitter and tumblr @suzie81blog, and don’t forget to like my brand new Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/Suzie81Speaks

Lies I Tell My Students

Posted on March 29, 2014 by suzie81speaks

I’m in the lucky position that I work at a well – managed school with lots of wonderful children and supportive staff. Generally, I like my job, but over the years I’ve become increasingly frustrated with certain aspects of the role that has left me feeling like I am doing a disservice to my students.

While my job title states that I’m a music teacher, I often take on parental duties and in my career as a Learning Mentor and later as a teacher I’ve dealt with issues with different students that have shocked me and made me appreciate how lucky I was in my own childhood. Our children are exposed to graphic things at a younger age than previous generations and are often more ‘street-wise’ than I certainly ever was. However, despite this, I believe that we don’t truly prepare them for the life ahead of them, and in some cases I feel like I outright lie to my students. While this may seem harsh, we may be setting them up for a fall…

Lie 1: If you work hard and follow the expected route of GCSE’s, A Levels and Degree (or equivalent in other countries) you’ll get a well paid, satisfying job.

Truth: While good qualifications may give students a slightly greater advantage in the pursuit of a job, it’s not guaranteed that they will secure the job that they’re actually qualified for, particularly in the present economic climate. Additionally they are almost certainly likely to start at the bottom and will be expected to work their way up.

Lie 2: If you want something and work hard enough, you’ll eventually achieve it.

Truth: A goal or ambition is always a fantastic thing to have, but it is also important to be realistic. As a music teacher I’ve worked with several students who genuinely believe that they could have a professional singing career (programmes like The X Factor and The Voice have a lot to answer for). Admittedly, they can sing in tune, but even after extensive vocal lessons they haven’t shown much improvement in their expression or musicality and simply don’t have the natural talent that is required to be a successful singer. Ambition is wonderful, but sometimes certain careers require levels of talent that often cannot be taught, and the sad fact of ‘making it’ in the entertainment industry is that sometimes it comes down to not what you know, but rather who you know.

Lie 3: Once you leave school, you’ll never have to deal with bullying again. (I heard this nonsense spouted a few years ago at a school I was visiting).

Truth: Children that bully often become adults that bully. My current school has a strict anti-bullying policy and responds swiftly to allegations, but this isn’t the case everywhere. It’s likely that students will have to deal with bullies in the workplace, and I feel we need to make aggressive students be responsible for their actions and equip weaker students with the tools to deal with it in the future.

Lie 4: A simple apology will make everything go away and all is forgiven.

Truth: An apology is a good start, but it doesn’t automatically make things better. I always believe that each lesson should be treated as a ‘fresh start’ and if student has had a bad day, I’ll accept their apology and move on. However, in the real world, an apology won’t always resolve issues, and if someone had truly felt aggrieved by the behaviour of another they certainly won’t be able to move on and forgive in the same way.

Lie 5: Deadlines can be repeatedly extended if you can’t be bothered and it is still possible to get the same grades as those who have handed their work in on time.

Truth: I’ve lost count of the amount of times where I’ve sat individually with students in my lunch times, after school and during the holidays to allow them to catch up on work that they didn’t fully complete in a lesson because they weren’t ‘in the mood’. After extra time, they passed the course and some achieved a grade equal to those that worked considerably harder during lesson time. In the real world, deadlines are there for a reason, and if they aren’t met there are always consequences. A missed deadline may cost somebody their job.

What are your thoughts? You can also find me on Twitter and Tumblr @suzie81blog and don’t forget to check out my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Suzie81Speaks

This was originally published on my blog last year – as I approach my year anniversary I thought that I would share it with you again – It has been one of my most popular posts!!

Street Life

Posted on March 29, 2014 by suzie81speaks

This week’s theme focuses on different images of ‘street life.’

A side street in Birmingham City Centre, 2013

Montmatre, Paris, 2010

A street artist recreates famous art works, Birmingham, 2013

A stroll down a sidestreet in Brighton, 2013

Do you like my photography? You can also find me on Twitter and tumblr @suzie81blog, and don’t forget to check out my brand new Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Suzie81Speaks

You may also enjoy this post too – simply click the image for the link! Don’t forget to check out my Photography page in my menu!

One, 2013

Why Carrie Bradshaw Needs a Slap

Posted on March 26, 2014 by suzie81speaks

Yes, a slap is needed…

As a teenager I loved Sex and The City. Living in Bolton (near Manchester in the UK) at the time was the polar opposite of the amazing lives of these four women and I desperately wanted to live in New York, wear fabulous clothes, drink cocktails and have a group of wonderful friends to share it all with.

However, as an adult, my opinion of Carrie and her escapades have completely changed. Before I continue, I realise that I’m discussing a fictional character that hasn’t been on our screens now for years, which may seem silly, but I really think that Carrie Bradshaw needs a slap. Why? Two words: Mr. Big.

Let’s ignore her ridiculous dress sense and her obsession with over-priced shoes. Let’s ignore her needy, ungrateful mentality (oh no, I have a brilliant job, a wonderful social life and I live in one of the world’s most amazing cities), her massive insecurities and her equally messed up friends. The main message that Carrie taught us was that if you hang around long enough, the man of your dreams will get bored of giving you crap, leading you on and will eventually give in. It will take ten years, he’ll marry someone else, get jealous when you’re happy with a wonderful man and will leave you at the alter, but when he’s done everything that he wants to do first he’ll settle down with you and you’ll be blissfully happy for the rest of your life. She also taught us that if you meet an ‘Aidan’, the seemingly perfect man, it’s absolutely fine to cheat on him and treat him badly because he’s not edgy enough and doesn’t bring a ridiculous level of drama to life.

Run away!!

I think most people have had a relationship similar to Carrie and Big. I certainly have. My Mr Big was an attractive older man that I met whilst working at a previous job. He was well established in his career, he was successful, intelligent and charming and I couldn’t believe my luck when he asked me out for drinks. My previous relationships had been with men of a similar age to mine and so this was new territory – I was so excited about our first date that I bought a whole new outfit and spent three hours getting ready. Looking back, it is still one of the best nights out that I’ve ever had. We went to a sophisticated cocktail bar, talked, laughed hysterically and ate amazing food, and then we ended up sitting in his car and talked further until the early hours of the morning. It was a wonderful evening.

Over the next few months we saw each other a lot. I waited quite a while to stay over at his because I wanted to do things properly, I got to know his friends and would go out with them, we would go on random day trips out to places I’d never been, we’d cuddle up and watch movies on his couch, and I was genuinely extremely happy.

About eight months into the relationship he had a barbecue at his house and invited his friends. Everything was going well and I was having a lovely time, until his best friend asked him “How’s R doing?”. All the men in the room exchanged panicked looks, and Big mumbled something that she was fine and was thinking of coming home soon. I waited until later to ask who she was, not because I was jealous, but the worried looks from his friends had set off alarm bells for me. He replied that she was his friend who used to live with him, but had gone to Australia for a year to explore the country. I didn’t believe him. After some prodding he informed me that R was actually his girlfriend of four years that lived with him, and the reason why she had gone to Australia was that she had suffered a loss in her family and she needed time away. Big had told her that he’d wait for her. He wasn’t lying, he was waiting for her, it was just that he’d decided to wait for her with me in his bed next to him.

Devastated is not the word. I finished things immediately. He then convinced me that he was planning on breaking up the relationship when she returned from her trip, he wanted to be with me, blah blah blah and I was stupid enough to believe him. Unfortunately, R returned, she moved back in, and I essentially became the other woman. After months of being messed about and waiting I finally came to my senses and told him that I didn’t want to see him anymore. It hurt like hell, but I eventually realised that I deserved better. I didn’t want to wait for my Mr Big to come to his senses. He shouldn’t have needed to.

Carrie-and-Aidan-carrie-bradshaw-12927135-550-400

THIS is where she should have stayed…

When I met The Bloke, I knew immediately what a great man he was, and I’ve no intention of messing around in the way that Carrie did. He’s attractive, fun, caring and considerate, and I know exactly where I stand. I don’t have to play second fiddle to anybody else – he does what he says what he is going to do, he goes where he says is going to go and he is upfront about what he wants. I love him and realise how lucky I am. Carrie should have done the same.

F**k Big. Give me my Aidan any day…

As it is approaching my year anniversary of my blog I am sharing some of my favourite posts again. I first posted this in May 2013 and has been one of my most popular posts to date…

You can also find me on Twitter and tumblr @suzie81blog, and don’t forget to check out my new Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Suzie81Speaks