Torchwood Series 2 Finale

Torchwood is I think like Doctor Who (duh obviously) in that the finales of both shows have the potential of either being really good or dangerously bad as they try and be all things to all people. Thankfully though Torchwood Series 2 finale was good, really good.

SPOILERS COMING UP (but I’ll try and keep out the surprises)

Captain John is back and he’s intent on destruction on a massive scale but all is not what it seems when it is revealed that someone else is pulling his strings. Brilliant acting from James Marsters, brilliant acting from the team and a spookily close to Jack’s accent from his brother Gray, even though they haven’t seen each other for how long? Obviously the 51st century accent is American. And with a complete and utter tear jerker of an ending, absolutely brilliant.

Pasty legs

Ahhhhh, spring definitely arrives the first day I feel like I can go out bare legged in a short(ish) skirt. So out comes my favourite skirt, an old patchwork thing from MS Per Una from a couple of years ago, my retro Clarks sandals which I’m in love with and my bare pasty legs which honestly won’t change colour that much between now and next September, except possibly lobster pink if I skimp on the sun tan lotion. Winter, I am most definitely a trousers  jeans girl, I can’t stand tights, so I tend to avoid skirts in winter unless I want to dress up and try and intimidate someone (and as a stay at home mum, that doesn’t happen), but in summer, well the old legs get an airing, I love the wonderful varieties of skirts you can get in the summer, with the most wonderful fabrics, it’s one of the (many) reasons why I’m trying to teach myself to sew, so that I can make my own, but I’ve been jumping ahead of myself a bit on that front (I can’t even do a cushion at the moment) and I’ve been looking at fabrics and they’re not inspiring, I guess the retailers have access to better, in house manufactured (probably) fabrics. I do love the fabrics from Superbuzzy but they’re american , however I have also been drooling over Ikea’s fabrics (although what they’re like for clothing I don’t know) and at least I can get there. Anyway I’m digressing, I love summer skirts, I have a couple of new ones lined up in the wardrobe, Boden’s sunflower skirt (I love Boden’s skirts, I’m currently hankering after their union jack mini) and a cheap red and blue flowery skirt. I also have a couple of brown linen skirts, a Cath Kidston demim skirt, an old red Top Shop skirt an an old floral Gap skirt.

So the weather was sunny, the washing on the line and Girl Lacer on holiday. She’d badgered me into promising a trip to McDonalds yesterday (we were going anyway ), so in town today for a spot of shopping and lunch out. On the way back we stopped by the playground, which was packed (instead of it’s usual winter one or two brave parents occupation levels) and by the time we got home it was nearly tea time. Tea turned out to be late, we have a small kitchen, with a horrible ancient built in single oven that’s not that reliable, so when it came to purchasing a microwave we got one of those combi things, that was nearly 4 years ago and the buttons have been slowly going. It’s been great for cooking the kids tea as it heats up so quickly as opposed to the ancient built in but the button that specified temperature went today, so we’ll have to stick with the ancient thing for the moment and get a new one soon.

Anyway, one final thing. Whilst out I noticed that it was my town’s book festival time again, complete with the usual associated adverts for various creative writing courses from the local university. This year they’re advertising a particular creative writing course that looks veeery attractive, unfortunately, as is the case for me as usual, the price isn’t, will have to keep plugging it alone. Still there is a free session which I’ll attend, something along the lines of ‘how to find time for writing’ and to quote Mr. Lacer “write when the kids leave home”, very true.

Battle for Gullywith and reading

Susan Hill’s blog is full of excitement at the moment with the imminent launch of The Battle for Gullywith (I was lucky enough to read it early, for my review click here). Check out this fantastic trailer which had my 2 and 4 year old flocking to my computer with lots of questions “What’s that?” being the predominant one, now all they have to do is learn to read! Actually talking about them learning to read, it’s getting exciting how close that is actually getting for Girl Lacer, she’s at a nursery attached to the school she’ll hopefully go to (find out at the earliest April 23) and it’s been fantastic, it’s no hot house but they’ve managed to teach her most of her letters by associating her classmates names with the first letters of their names, which is great except for those letters which arn’t the first letter in any of her classmates names! She can also now do basic addition and subtraction, knows how to rhyme and will lecture you at length about what foods are healthy and which arn’t. So school ‘proper’ and the journey to learn to read starts in September and I’m so excited for her, of course she gets read to (lots) now but to be able to open up that ‘uniquely portable magic’ (Stephen King quote) at will, wow all those adventures she’s going to be able to go on! I hope she’s going to be a ‘reader’, I know some kids arn’t and I’m not going to push her but still, no actually all the signs are good, she’s always loved books since a little baby but I’ve sensed recently that she’s getting a little bored of picture books. Boy Lacer I think loves books even more, when he was a baby it wasn’t a teddy he wanted to sleep with it was a book (not anyone in particular), he’d stand up in his cot and go “book, book!” we’d give him one which he’d lay down on his mattress and then promptly lay down on and fall asleep!

But back to Gullywith, there’s a lovely interview in the Independent, with the fantastic news that there will be a sequel, yipee!