Enter May, server down

Another month and we're in late Spring with last week being jolly hot until friday so layers were off, much liquid consumed and windows opened here.

It was an odd week for Fur Affinity as it was down with technical issues and is currently down as they need to reinstall the database and doing that checking everything is as it should be is taking time but is best done properly.

That of course meant no journals with blog links on site and comments, one reason I hung around Discord more than usual apart from concerns about one persons welfare.

 

Discourse around what girls *should* wear especially in regressive/re-enactment  contexts do really try my patience, especially of the "everything should be like it was xx years ago" nature cos there were very good reasons why we progressed as I recall female staff demanding the right to wear trousers at school and to basically do whatever you personally liked rather than saying in effect "Can I do this as a girl?".

So today we wear what we feel comfortable in, we work in fields that match our abilities not gender expectations and play whatever games or take part in sporting endeavours we wish and that's how I approach things personally.

You can understand people not being personally comfortable with some sorts of presentation when may remind them of things best forgotten but as someone whoes worst enemies tended to wear grey skirts and white socks I sometimes wonder if they consider how I might feel when they're being somewhat prescriptive about what to wear.

 Given like most girls today I've embraced change and like football for females it was hardly surprising that in my uniform are big girls sports shorts, designed for females fitting very well.

The world I'm around may be in 2025 even when my head is still in the 70's and 80's but I'm a modern girl at heart with a much fuller notion of what a girl is than some others.

Easter Party 2024

 This is coming a bit later than scheduled because it is written immediately after the event and anyway I'm actually a bit tired and sneezing probably due to pollen but anyway I did after an awful lot of mither and faff get to the LG Easter Event.

Trains were removed and this year I had to travel a day late and get a cab of the taxi rank to the venue with sets my anxieties off around being understood and being bad at remembering routes in areas I don't spend most of my time in (and then I can get lost).

Thankfully it did work out all right so changing from train to cab was seamless and even going in a less usually way but more direct in some respects didn't fox me so I got dropped at point I was very familiar with to walk with case to the venue.

It wasn't long before ringing the doorbell before half nine and moewing I was greeted by this welcoming sign, changing into something more comfortable before catching up with people while our host was setting things up.

The cans were set up to see armed with bean bags who could knock the most over and surprisingly I didn't do too badly at that but was it the strong wind which was preferable to anticipated rain?

The Egg Hunt was underway, hidden in all manner of weird and wonderful places and everybody found at least a few which as you went around you put into your colourful box.

We had a buffet evening meal with thing provided by our host and things we bought of which one had to be cooked - Faggots from the delightful town of Penkridge which I did have and enjoy on top of salad, various pies and Andi's excellent trifle with cream.

We had an Easter themed bingo which was different having surprisingly enough never played it and by the time I got four lines we were on full cards! 

Much talking and yarn sharing followed until one by one people either left or for those staying overnight, went to bed so I fell asleep to the glow of the coal fire before waking up around 8 o clock getting wash and changed for the next morning where we talked over a Bacon sandwich before heading to lunch.

It was around this point I was getting a bit concerned cos while the rails strikes had stopped it's not unknown for drivers on Sundays just not to turn in for work and there seemed to be a dirth of services showing on one site.

I consumed a turkey roast, sticky toffee pudding with cream and a half pint of orange which was very tasty and would keep me going until I got home.

People said their goodbyes and I left aided by a lift from Andi on something of a high from the events to catch the 16:32 Preston service that  stopped at one of the two stations nearby before catching can home.

Thanks to Jennifer for hosting, the event, Andi for the lift to the station and everyone for what they brought to the event both by way of physical and personal contributions.

Thoughts on the 2016 Summer Olympics

This is been written on what has been a very wet and windy weekend here in the English Midlands where it hasn't been really fit enough to go out so I've been studying, doing some reading, colouring and watching the tv a bit.
One thing that I have been watching is the coverage of the 2016 Summer Olympics from Brazil, following the athletes in their attempts to win their own and their team medals  in their various stages from cycling to boxing.
Seasoned readers of this blog know one sport I do love is Hockey so it was a pleasure to watch the Women's field hockey competition that saw the British defeat New Zealand and then the Netherlands to take the gold medal in an exciting closely matched performance settled by a penalty shout out.

 In fact the British Olympic team have come second only to the United States in the standings with 27 gold medals included in its 67, beating their record from the 2012 games held in London, here in the UK which is a momentous achievement they can be proud of.
From a personal angle there are some life lessons you can draw from what was achieved, the importance of focus, being centred on what matters to achieve your aims, the preparedness to practise the skills you need to do it and personal self-discipline.
It also was interesting that a a number of teams had both a black out from social media use around an event and also curfews so people got the rest they needed and no distractions from what they needed to do.
Perhaps as a country the UK can believe in itself rather more than  has in the past having the ability to hold its own in the world for what it has to offer and its talented citizens.

Summer LG Camp

If you were expecting a post on Friday, well you didn't miss anything cos with getting back here later on Thursday writing something  for then really wasn't going to happen not least feeling a bit stiff and tired.
For six days I was a long away from home on something of an adventure for littles and middles in Southern England that for me started with visiting two friends by train where I changed into my green pleated skirt and had to help out by doing things like popping pea pods which wasn't something with my co-ordination I was exactly good at, being more mediocre at best.
We had pork chops and vegetables followed by home grown rhubarb  and ice cream between talking among ourselves and listening to some music.
On the Saturday when the event proper was to start, after breakfast we collected some of the food we were taking with us as well as other things like games equipment, a chalk board and our own cases to travel for a good number of hours starting out from South Staffordshire but because of traffic and Spaghetti Junction (J 6) on the M6 motorway was closed we took a different route through Tipton that left Susan convinced for a period we weren't going in the right direction although we could see Wednesbury parish church and Wednesbury is directly connected to the motorway.
I travelled down in my black pinafore dress (tunic) with "Junior Prefect" badge on, white blouse, tie and grey socks.
The journey down was fairly smooth apart from some delays and diversions  around of Huntingdon (Hunts) and Cambridge that did delay us a bit before one of our group needed to talk with the venue owner before we unloaded the car.
As quite some time had elapsed since we ate after taking stuff to our rooms and the equipment to where it was needed we had a pork pie and some salad as everyone else arrived some twenty-one people in total, introduced themselves.
Soon it was time for our first evening meal and while most people ordered Indian cuisine, Susan and Jennifer prepped the vegetables cooking  together with the pie for ours although I did scrape the potatoes and kept an eye on the vegetables.  
As it was very warm we ate outside on an outdoor wooden table facing the garden.
This time my assigned duty on the chore list was to set everything for breakfast in the morning although I did help out with a few other things too.
One thing did quite a bit of between other activities was colouring my Frozen colouring book as I could start and resume working a page  with my Staetdler pencils in addition to having fun playing with Sylvanian Families.
The theme of our get together was The Sea so many of the activities related to it.
On the Sunday I tried using a tricycle which was fun as I haven't the balance to use a bicycle but found I needed assistance as I couldn't get it started by myself  lacking the strength to turn the peddles  around. It was a enjoyable experience to go around the field in it though.
In the morning we worked as a team on making a Pirate Ship from cardboard pinned with plastic pins (Makedo) and other bits decorated and cut out to make sails, steering wheel and big branches for oars and so on which came together well give there wasn't a formal blue print or similar to go by, pretty much deciding as went along how it was to look.
We even had a message in a bottle!
I think it did help get people to co-operate apart from being fun.
In the afternoon, Jennifer had a painting class with people painting things that reminded them about the Sea and what it means to them.
I painted a picture "Jo at the Beach" showing a child Jo looking on admiring her sand castle and bucket and spade in the summer, having done the outlines in pencil.

The completed pictures were displayed and the best one chosen.
After a scrumptious chicken evening meal, we had a mainly 80's music quiz where you had to guess from twenty fifteen second  the artist (or group) and the track from each with people in teams.
The team I was with, the "Radioactive Cats" comprising of Fudge, Kelly and I scored thirty-five out of a possible forty-two and so  won it comfortably.
Because the weather looked a bit poor for later on we decided to move the Girl Olympics to the Monday morning.
We had a variety of events such as a relay race, filling the water bucket event, archery which I was rubbish at and an Egg and aSpoon race except golf balls substituted for hard boiled eggs.

 

Get set to go, Jo!

With my disabilities anything like this is very hard going from following instructions to actually having the strength to take part and most of my childhood school games were wheelchair based but I enjoyed it and probably learnt something about the importance of taking an active part having the support of your team rather than just deeking out of it.
After a salad lunch, we had a 60th birthday anniversary party for Linda's dolly, Sally, where we had cake and tea feeding our dolls which was something I quite enjoyed not least for being in something very much in little headspace.
I and an other snucked out to a deserted recreational ground where I went on a slide with help cos I couldn't climb on to it with the physical side of my disabilities, swung from a swing feeling the breeze caressing me in my pink gingham dress and played on a see-saw feeling very much middle/little..
Upon our return it was time for the arts and crafts  session so being a bit exhausted but as high as kite, I did a load of colouring in felt tip pen which is different cos I usually colour in pencil  from the colouring in sheets provided although you could do oil painting, bead work and chain making if you wanted and others did.

 

The classroom is never far from my thoughts as a middle.

We ordered fish and chips with a few exceptions and Samantha and Becky drove down to pay and collect our order which was very yummy.
In the evening we had a disco where the resident Cat Girl danced to The Cure's Love Cats and M's Pop Music with Sammy  as well as Auntie C a bit as this was the one night I was in bed a bit later than normal. I grew up, allegedly, dancing in a wheelchair which is much easier for me but it was very enjoyable to sway about with friends who understand how hard it it can be.
Tuesday saw Sammy take on the persona of Miss Take delivering a fun but effective lesson about Sea Monsters different ones and their characteristics ending with drawing a Sea Monster of your own so I drew a Kelpie in Northern Scotland.
After lunch, Alice did a Sea based Treasure Hunt with a twist, the twist being a making three minute scripted video of "Little Pirates of the Carribean and the Curse of the Plastic  Pearls", a adventure on the high seas involving plastic pearls with several of us having acting and spoken parts around our home made Pirate Ship of which one was with a Scottish accent, one Canadian and one American which was hilarious.
Perhaps it was near Greenland?
Jennifer and Susan cooked a Meat Pie and vegetable tea with help in scraping potatoes which was followed by cheese cake.
In the evening Daisy played guitar and sang Streets of London, Romeo and Juliet, The Boxer plus Donovan's Universal Soldier pretty well and we presented a birthday card and shared cake for a friend whose birthday was in a few days time.
Jennifer read a Tale from the Farmyard out about Scarecrows and why they help farmers in her strong Black Country accent with Southern English translation provided by Susan.
Having lived in the Midlands now for over fifteen years I didn't need it!
The Wednesday  was more a last minute play, hug and leave half day as people needed to leave at different times with one having to travel to the United States too with a group of us having a buffet lunch of left overs before setting off to South Staffordshire where I had a much appreciated overnight stay before catching my train home here in the North-west Midlands and taking a taxi straight home.
I would like to thank Jennifer and Susan for organizing a dead kewl camp, putting together the program and bringing quite a bit of the sports equipment  together with the food plus Alice, Daisy, Debbie, Linda, Mr Paul, Sammy and Suzy for their activities

Games kit 2016

Phew! What a scorcher of a week, eh? The sort of week  you sleep on the top of your bed with windows open hoping nothing buzzing comes in overnight but my mind is elsewhere right now getting ready for being away next weekend
A  part of that is going to involve some physical activity in form of games, no not board games but the sort of games you had as part of your education at school although this will be more for fun than winning for your house team.

Games definitely involves physical exertion which takes us into the area of one's PE Kit, the failure to bring in did get me in trouble a few times in my school life but I shall bring mine with me including this yellow cotton top.

Proper green gym knickers

This is my tradition box pleated green wrap around PE skirt although I do have a navy blue one too.

White cotton socks cos something has to absorb sweat between your feet and my black plimsolls as sensible footwear was indicated as desirable by the event organizer and it is hardly the place for heels!

Get set to go!

Another wet end to the week, probably going to have some chores to do this weekend as it's that time of the month so I'm writing this up in advance, ready to publish although this piece isn't the one I had I mind.

Followers -and there's 36 of them - of my Tumblr that's usually about stuff that doesn't really quite fit this blog like photo sets, will know I've been posting a bit around uniforms specifically Sailor Suits from South Korea and Japan and that one day I might just get one as I can see myself in my head wearing one.
One big difference with Tumblr is captions and photo's are often reblogged, following site trends with comments added directly in the post and recently within those I follow there's been a number around uniforms.
Now, I can't mention the 'U' word without touching on that one of kind school, GHS and it's upcoming activities as I most definitely will be in attendance although I might have to be really careful not to be put  in 'Corner Time'!   Us First Formers can be a wild bunch!!!
Not surprisingly then, for most of this week, I'll be sorting out what to take when it comes to clothes although I prefer to travel light, making sure I have things like my tickets and cellphone safe, packing away and mentally preparing myself.
It was reassuring to hear this week 'Matron' was going to look out for me as it will the first time I've been 'out' with such a lot of girls under one roof  including overnight although they're all people I know online and I've been with three before there.
Although this all kind of new to me and anything new easily leads to you feeling nervous, I am so looking forward to it.
Also on Sunday I will be putting up my HK Advent calendar.
As I'll be away that weekend I should point out the next post won't be until at least late Monday next onward as I'll need to rest and then write it.

Junior Art

Most of us encountered art either around us on maybe on the things people bought us such as books, packaging of toys and so on.
As you slowly and for some of us definitely slowly developed your fine motor skills  you may of started to doodle on pieces of paper, done some colouring before doing art in the nursery or infants class usually around the things you know starting say with faces of siblings and so on.
Later on in juniors you'd of had lessons where you might be given a subject to interpret and draw which in my case included drawing things like branches, pussy willow, acorns and flowers that we'd seen in nature study. In my case we went outside to draw them too!
A while ago I did draw some Canada Geese in pencil as I'm a bit of a techophobe when it comes to using tablet and computer software and here is the picture.

Yes that's a Hello Kitty pencil I used to draw it with!

Space age living

The week it had to be said  had a turbulent start but ended quite well all be considered gaining a few fans at one place, seeing a misunderstanding led disagreement get to the point of accommodation and finally late spring weather came to match late spring so I was able to not bother with coat wearing.
People often hear the groan ups talking about how we live, the type of environment they plan and how that affects things and this taps into some of things we recall of the past.
For instance in the late 1960's and 1970's the way children lived was changing rapidly brought on by both the idea of keeping more green spaces and also using less land for housing.
One famous children's tv series caught it well.

Yes that is a lift to the flat Mary lived in with Mungo the dog and Midge the inquisitive mouse in their town. They had a flat with a balcony that served as their garden and if they wanted more space then they'd go the communal park where fairs and other things go on.

Here's Mary playing with the bright colourful building blocks.
 I often harboured the thought they were trying to prepare us to this more isolated existance where everyone kept themselves to themselves, a far cry from the sort of life my folks had.
For one thing you couldn't just play in each others gardens or on the street, just in doors in the park away from the neighbours and the other is it remove the wonder of seeing the natural environment with it's calming effects.

The return of play

This week something came to me in all this heat being out of doors for a bit of the time.
When was the last time you played in a public space?
I think it would of been about around age 13 and 2/3rds and in the process of reading a book around inner child rediscovery, the topic of when  and how the inner child got put away came up.


Here's a dialogue between mine and it's bigger self that follows the first one I printed a short while back.
Initials: LG - My younger side BG Big Girl/Adult side
BG: Hello again
LG Hi. You came back to see me?
BG: Yes.
LG: Why?
BG: It's been a short while since you and I made a pact. I need to know how you feel about it.
LG: When you said I could come out?
BG:Yes, that is it.
LG:I feel happy now. 
BG:That's good. Do you feel safe?
LG:I feel safer cos I know you will come and  protect me.
BG:I understand. You had a bad time in the past. Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?
LG: I want to run around and play outside. But I can't.
BG: You do? Why not?
LG: Before I got put away Mommy said too old for it.But I want to.
BG: Okay then, I say you go out and have a run around. Lot's of people run and there's no reason for you not to.
LG: You mean I can just run around?
BG: Yes but think about where, that's all. I'll help you with that.

On Sunday I run around a tree lined garden without a care in the world for the first time in ages in an area that was a bit secluded so I wouldn't feel too self consious but with plenty of light and near a sidewalk in case I needed help. It felt great

Maypole

Yay! A bank holiday over here so I'm able to relax a bit  read and yes write today's blog entry although the idea came to me a few days ago so i just jotted down the initial thoughts cos my short term memory isn't good at all.
Seeing it's May Bank Holiday I was starting to think about what kinds of things I used to around this time of year and one of the things that stuck in my mind was school maypole dancing

While that  picture wasn't taken it my school, it was taken at a school in Gloucestershire, England actually, it is very very similar to how we did it.
Those who had two left feet were selected as 'ballast' to hold the maypole down, the uniform was similar except the boys nearly always had shorts on and in alternate boy/girl pairings we'd dance weaving in and out creating the plait you can see from the top of the pole downward.
One difference is we have what in England you'd call 'Pumps'  a cotton with rubber soled gym type shoe that you had to clean and polish before the public performance with matching three-quarter length socks.
I use to take me ages to polish and whiten mine!
I was pretty good at it actually having a good ear for the tunes we danced to so we kept in time with the music as well as each other. Well it kinda helps, eh?

Fun and Games edition

Seeing it's the annual Greenland's Bonfire and ghoulish weekend to which a number of my friends are attending although I'm going through a pawley spell so aren't, I thought I'd add something from a far as a contribution in kind to that magical spirit.

Pumpkins will be carved making them into lanterns, food will no doubt be consumed and finally that there bonfire will be lit which I think is a British tradition.
Meanwhile all the stores are gearing up to Christmas time getting new stock  in and starting the promotions for toys and games which kinda reminded me of one we used to play both at school and at home.

The great thing about Junior Scrabble the word based games is there are two tways of playing.Younger players can begin with the exciting, ‘Words and Pictures’, a game expressly created to help with the recognition and formation of complex words. Once someone has mastered that there's ‘Rainbow Scrabble’, which is the more challenging version intended for younger players of age seven and upwards. The scoring system is identical to the ‘grown-up’ version, yet far easier to use and keep track of. In a clever move both games are also conveniently located on each side of the board, making it easy to swap from ‘Words and Pictures’ to ‘Rainbow Scrabble’.

Blue Peter

 There's a fair chance some of you may well remember having these annuals during your childhood as avid viewers of the BBC TV Blue Peter program. It may surprise you to know I also have a number that are co-related to the period I was (officially) a child having not just information about what was shown during that 12 month period, but also on the news of the day such as with this edition information about the US space carrier, Skylab and some good illustrated bits about British History.

It all helps to jog my memory back to the year and what mattered to me as a child during it such as the arts and crafts which at all the schools I attended we did.

As far as I'm aware that's John Noakes a Northern English presenter during most of the 1970's with Shep, the Boarder collie to the left of him.

Games we'd play

This is one the games I enjoyed playing as a young child and still do, Marbles.

It is more fun playing with others so here's how.

How To Play the Classic Marble Game of Ringer
Most children understand the game of marbles the first time it is explained, but to make it easier, these drawings show the most common plays.

FIG. 1: To start a game of Ringer the children lag from a line, drawn tangent to the ring, to a parallel line across the ring, which would be 10 feet away. The child whose shooter comes nearest the line has the first shot. Players must lag before each game. Practice lagging, as the first shot may mean the winning of the game before your opponent gets a shot. In lagging, a child may toss his or her shooter to the other line, or he or she may knuckle down and shoot it.

FIG. 2: This shows child No. 1 who won the lag, preparing to knuckle down. His knuckle has not quite reached the ground, which is necessary before shooting. He can take any position about the ring he chooses. (The process of picking the best possible position for starting is referred to as "taking rounders.") The 13 marbles in the ring are arranged as in tournament play. For casual games, a one foot ring is drawn inside of the ten foot ring and each player puts in some 5/8" marbles, so that there is about a dozen marbles in the smaller ring.

FIG. 3: Child No. 1 knocks a marble from the ring on his first shot and his shooter stays in the ring. He picks up the marble. As he has knocked one from the ring, he is entitled to another try. Players are not permitted to walk inside the ring unless their shooter comes to a stop inside the ring. Penalty is a fine of one marble.

FIG. 4: Here we see child No. 1 continuing play. He "knuckles down" inside the ring where his shooter stopped on the last shot. This gives him the advantage of being nearer to the big group of marbles in the centre of the ring for his next shot. Expert marble shots try to hit a marble, knock it out of ring and make their shooter "stick" in the spot. "Sticking" or shooting seven consecutive marbles out of the ring and winning the game without giving an opponent a turn is usually good for two days of playground bragging rights .

FIG 5: On this play, No. 1 hit a marble, but did not knock it from the ring. At the same time his shooter, too, stays inside the ring. He can not pick up the marble, and whether he is allowed to pick up his shooter depends on the type of play - in tournament play, if your shooter is in the ring at the end of your turn, you must remove it. In casual games, if your shooter is in the ring at the end of your turn, it becomes a legitimate target and any player who hits it out collects a forfeit from you, or even your shooter! (Players should agree in advance whether to use this rule.)

FIG. 6: Child No. 2 may start by "knuckling down" anywhere at the ring edge. In this case he may shoot at the 11 marbles in the center or if he wishes, he may go to the other side and try for the marble that No.1 almost knocked from the ring. In a casual game he might also try to knock the other player's shooter from the ring.

FIG. 7: Child No. 2 chooses to try for No. 1 child's shooter and knocks it out of ring, winning all the marbles No. 1 has taken (and his shooter, if that rule is being followed) and putting No. 1 out of that game. Or he could shoot as shown in Fig. 8.

FIG. 8: Child No. 2 hits a marble but does not knock it out of the ring, yet his shooter goes thru the ring and stops outside where he may pick it up. The target marble remains where it stopped in the ring, and as No. 2 did not score, it is now the turn of No. 1 to shoot again.

FIG. 9: No. 1 "knuckles down" inside the ring where his shooter stopped (Fig. 5). he is going to shoot at the marble nearest his shooter. By hitting it at the proper angle and knocking it from the ring he can get his shooter near the center of the ring for his next shot. Play alternates until one player has knocked a majority of the marbles out of the ring.

Team games III

Here go in the last of the current Team Sports series looking at the the time sports I loved  from Junior and High school.
Field Hockey

We're on the case of the ball!

Fielding, what you need to be good at

Overall view as the match is well underway. 

It's no wonder I've always followed the NHL don'tcha think?

Disability and getting on

How different people handle changed especially life changing conditions or disabilities has always interested me not least for possessing several and having known a good number of people in a variety of situations who have too.

It's often interesting to see how people who on the face of may have similar conditions have made of their lives, how they may differ and how others are quite different although I'd like to stress from the get go I don't feel a 'my disability is worse or better than yours' take is really helpful not least for only you alone know how that affects your life or 'mine is more or less “real” than yours either for the same reason.

This being said it is my personal conviction how much you are able to make of your life even though you have disabilities depends very much on not only what opportunities may be available to you (and certainly there can be a lack of them that does our society no great favours) and what our own attitudes toward making the most of our lives can be when they are.

This can be more difficult when it comes to dealing with things such as social anxiety which as someone does find things like meeting people or using the telephone difficult I readily understand but unless we are prepared to explore how we may get more confident or better able to communicate, then our opportunities are limited.

I think it's that which sometimes is the harder thing because on top everything there is insecurity and a blanket feeling that you are not being understood.

There is though I feel a difference between an understanding that says “I am prepared to try to improve on the things I struggle with however hard that might be” and one that simply isn't prepared to even explore what options may be available even if they may not be a “total cure” because you may be limiting yourself from the experiences and opportunities that would enrich your life. You can't advance by staying still.

It's hardly fair on the face of it but those of us who have disabilities who in some way or other wish to make the most of our lives in mainstream society need to do as much as can for ourselves to find ways of maximizing it, perhaps in some respects even more than those who don't face the same challenges.

Things just don't come easy to us although I'd also add trying to compensate by excusing other things like 'fitting in' and following the accepted social conventions and rules as everyone else can of itself set you back simply because we have to 'hold our own' and isn't fair to everyone else even though I do recognize that's something I have been guilty of in the past.

Photo details: Illinois wheelchair basketball player Shelby Gruss a student of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC photo). This was a sport I played growing up.

Card games

Well when I was young I loved playing cards either with my school friends in the Dorm or when at my Nans usually if Mom was busy away someplace for the day or so.
We played shape games  using Snap and similar games or games like Top Trumps where you have facts on the reverse and you trade information around subjects like travel, cars or sports such as Soccer.
It was fun!
Recently I got some new cards to replace those I lost from my youth trough thinks like Mom's saying you don't need 'em anymore or cos I was ill and Mom was concerned in case they had Germs on them.
As you'll see there's a common theme running through them yes that cat Hello Kitty and her friends as I'm sure if Nan were alive she'd of bought these to play with me loving cute stuff like me.
First pictured is the Hello Kitty Travels top trumps set that can join my 'vintage' Top trumps sets and then some ordinary cards made by Waddington's that have Kitty on around by the hearts, ace of diamonds etc. Last one is the HK twist on the British classic Whot!

The onset of uniformity [Pre-blog]

Although my in so far as clothes go at least, I'm more interested in female clothes domestic issues aside, my mind keeps returning to the concept of having some kind of simplified clothing, conceptually a bit like like a uniform, that I just put on rather messing about trying to match everything. I'm not really big on making choices.
It's probably a bit of hang over really from the very kid side of me,  just wanting something unfussy to play having adventures in but after waiting for the special offer hour at C&A, I walk out with a tracksuit I can wear with a t shirt underneath, that'll match my Puma shorts for everyday wear.
As crazy as it sounds my folk never bought me one while I was at school