Age ranges and you

It was a dull wet Saturday morning that I started to get to grips with writing this blog as to be honest I've always been a slow starter apart from finding blank pages off putting.

Hovering about from various places a few thoughts mercifully free from much of the groan up drama this weekend came together and really it is about how much of you really fits in one slot or is it that we're a bit of a mixture.

Given I come from more of a age regression/age dysphoria direction one of the things you do tend to see is people saying things such as as "Can I only be one age", some people may have two or more ages which poses questions about how they blend.

In my head I visualize it rather like the relationship between these two illustrations although they've tried to make them individual, as one gets 'older' you do keep parts of the 'younger' as your thoughts become more sophisticated.

You may find the younger side wants to play with the older even so to me rigid ideas about your 'little' or IK age tend not to work.

Another way of looking at this thing is to ask what is it beyond calendar years is age really about, with me for instance I know I'm limited cos of my developmental disabilities so rather than necessarily getting 'older' as in being more mature in some ways it is more getting better through more practice and experience of being at that younger age.

It's a bit like polishing something up, it gets better but is basically the same.

For me hovering around 12, letting out the younger spread of my developmental age makes more sense although that does mean there's more oversight needed from either someone who is letting their older teen out or around as the groan up rather than just letting me sit in corner reading to enable me to do that safely.

That helps me to learn from my younger side those bits that remain badly impacted though practise knowing I won't be allowed to get the point I'm out of my depth and possibly in danger.

Winter Littles Camp 2019

This week we go back about a week and a few days while I was away at the UK Littles Camp somewhere in the Midlands for a meet up that turned out a bit different than normal and not just because we were in a different location.

First off setting off on the Friday was chaotic in the extreme for damage near Norton Bridge that caused over 50 minute delays and cancellations on my train and on many others as it affected the whole West Coast Mainline between Scotland and London.
It was more by luck and following gut instinct I found a train within a few minutes to time although technically it too was delayed by over 50 minutes so arrived something like on time as I waited with a friend to pick up another person.

I like taking pictures so when I spotted this view nearby, I was rewarded with this lovely sunset scene that to me sums up Winter with the rolling hills in the background.
Arrival on Friday afternoon was made easier for it being roughly an hours drive from my friends as we went around the countryside and  through a  town  with walled gates that anyone familiar with this part of the Midlands would recognize.
We unpacked meeting Andi, Daisy and Suzy, putting the food we bought for the week away and had lamb shoulder steaks, mashed potato and greens while everyone else had various Indian foods ordered locally before making a bit of start on one of several jigsaws and I read a couple of comic annuals.

Saturday after getting up and helping set things up for breakfast, Miss Green had organized a cake and biscuit making cookery class where various biscuits and cakes were made in animal shapes such as Dinosaurs using moulds and a caterpillar  from swiss rolls covered in pink icing.
Fudge and I decided to make cupcakes - eighteen of them - using a commercial mix to which two eggs, a portion of margarine, milk and flour were added and whisked by hand before going in the oven.
Above is a few that were decorated with icing sugar, the shapes being cut out using a mould.
The midday meals were meat based salad buffets put together by Daisy and Suzy that were much appreciate with fries too.
Saturday saw Jillian's General knowledge quiz complete with pictures of famous stars in their earlier years you had to identify.
We had mainly fish and chips from a nearby chip shop (where else?) for our evening meal Caroline having places the order earlier  and being picked up just after the mad hour at the store.
It may of been had a little later than normal but I think the quality more than made up for it.
Sunday after going out was more a relaxing day and for tea we had various mainly steak based pies mashed potatoes and peas prepared by Miss Green with help from assorted others followed by  Sammy's home made Strawberry cheesecake having been made the day before was served which was delicious.

Across the days several jigsaw were done including a three dimensional Harry Potter one, one of Amsterdam and this one.
A number of people took advantage of this areas outstanding natural beauty - it has an official status to that effect - to go on walks.
Sunday night meant it was time for the "All purrpuss nekomimi Music Quiz" that was hosted by a certain Neko who has a lot to do with this blog that was run in four teams.
Amazingly there was draw so the Neko had to generate a tie-breaker that put Mr Paul's Tone Def's in the lead followed by the LKMFK's.
This was followed by Miss Green's reading of a farmyard story before bedtime, a ritual I very much like.

On the Monday, a good two cars worth of us walked two miles each way from a parking lot to visit the attractive  medieval market town of Ludlow which can be seen here with St. Laurence's church to the left with the castle, which we visited together with the towns market interacting with people.
Although I didn't make the very top, the Normans not really being into disability access, I did with assistance did get beyond ground level which was great for me personally.

This is Clun Castle that a number of us visited on Sunday as Fudge kindly offered take a few us with them which is more a relic of motte and bailey construction, quite a way up for which I did need a fair amount of assistance.
Monday afternoon was taken up with Alice's enjoyable Disney Princess treasure hunt that was staged in the place we stayed going up down a good number of stairs.
In the evening after the Chilli Con Carne that Karla and Caroline had made with cottage pie for one who cannot be doing with spices and rice that was delicious.

A couple of people left on the Monday due to work and related commitments but as unexpected we'd been allowed to stay an extra night and my train had been booked for midday when everyone had left by around ten am Tuesday, Miss Green and I went to the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre to see the exhibit on the ice age Woolly Mammoths that were found at Condover, Shropshire in 1986/7 and how that part of Shropshire had changed over the centuries covering geography, history and agriculture to the present day.
It's interesting to note how this part of Shropshire played an important part in Great Britain and the significance of the Woolly Mammoth find.
This also included a film presentation in a mini film theatre with seating.
We went on to see the meadows plus a short walk that was accessed via the fire doors and returned where Miss Green enjoyed her cream tea and I had a choco pudding with cream all of which were sourced from local producers and made by hand in the pleasant cafe.
We then moved to a nearby rail station to catch my train straight home but not before seeing a freight train come through on platform one and arrive at the biggest and best rail station in the North-west Midlands, hopping into a taxi in minutes straight home.

Doing something like this doesn't take an ocean of organizing necessarily but does require a certain amount of planning and  co-operation which remarkably worked well even though unlike previous times there was no fixed rota with people just helping out as needed even if you were there to relax and enjoy being in little space.
Thanks to the various persons who bought, fixed and served food, loaded and unloaded the dishwasher, put on events that made things so enjoyable plus thanks to Suzy for organizing and Miss Green and Andi for finding and checking out the place.
As remarked upon in the main text, this time people really went beyond four walls in large numbers enjoying what the area around where we stayed had to offer both in ones and twos and even going as a group out, carpooling as necessary enjoying that time.
If coming to this place can have that effect, let me say this plain: Unless there's a good reason not to, let's return for another Winter because that wasn't just healthier for being outdoors, it brought people more together. This is what I feel we needed.
From a personal point of view this was easily the most rewarding Camp for not just being out but also for doing more challenging things such as getting about Clun Castle and walking to Ludlow and back being helped along the way.
It may of been difficult but your help doing this was so rewarding so to those who literally pulled me up and along helping me to do things I hadn't managed before many many thanks cos you can't know what that feels like.
Roll on Summer Camp.

GHS Halloween Party 2017

As mentioned last week, I was going to away for a few days with friends at our Littles Halloween and Bonfire party at GHS which as ever required a little preparation.
I set out from home at half past Seven  on the Friday morning as in what is supposed to be an hourly bus service from our estate  to the nearest town had a gap in it and this was only slot that would work  before catching a bus to our rail station that offers some of the best  rail connections across the UK to catch my London Midland Train.
Having contacted the person to let them know I was enroute, I then met up with at their local rail station before we caught the local bus to GHS and had a hot drink.
At GHS something very spooky had been going on the building was festooned with ghostly streamers, spiders and skulls and some ghosts were in residence!

 Two other people were coming early as I was although events proper were not to start until noon on the Saturday so apart from chatting I had my dollies to play with when the person who runs GHS had her  nails painted most well.
When they returned there were a number of things to do such  making Spooky Halloween sponge cake which I did with some assistance, making the two sponges although I had to remake one as mixture made from margarine, sugar, eggs and self raising flour  didn't quite work right for one of the pair before applying home made Plum Jam and cream following by green and black icing that was allowed purposely to run off the very edges. 

 As well we were having a beef roast to which as is increasingly the case rightly I'm expected to help out with so I cleaned and cut the home grown potatoes, prepared the cabbage and carrotts ready for the carrot and potato mash with the cabbage being boiled and the potatoes being roasted.
I also helped in making a jam flan with blue berries on top which was served with cream all of which was appreciated when two other guests arrived in time to consume it and I was thanked by Miss Green for my contribution making things easier for her.
After conversation I went to sleep cat style near the fire being a bit tired and slept like a log all night.
I woke up on the Saturday had some shredded wheat for breakfast and around Eleven o clock  got changed into my thicker grey zip up at  the front dress which is easy for me put on by myself before as from Twelve noon the remainder of our group arrived bit by bit  in time for home made Burgers with Onion (cheese slices available for  those that eat it) which that tasty I had two!
After this it was time for our Halloween treasure hunt that took place outside although overnight it had rained and indeed was somewhat overcast for much of the day where hunted for clues that lead to others with prizes.
We also did  Pumpkin carving out of doors with child-proof tools which is as well with me although we interrupted for a period by a shower that required us to huddle in the shed while it passed over.

 Cutting and especially scooping out a pumpkin can be a really sticky job so I the Sticky One was joined by another-me with those sticky paws.
Actually I was fairly quick at getting the actual carving done

 Here's part of the completed group with mine on the right hand side.
We had a kind of bring bits with you tea with quiche, sausage rolls, pork pie and  a variety of desserts such as the Pink Blancmange trifle of Andi's I had and yes my sponge which I was informed by my second best friend was very nice.
The final event of the day after the spooky music quiz was our bonfire which as on previous years we had some competition locally. 

 Here's a picture taken with a slowish exposure of one of fireworks 'going off' while the bonfire was blazing.
We we up rather late so typically I and a n other whose name I won't say to avoid embarrassment were falling asleep around everyone else but other than to say it was probably apt both of us did.
We got up lateish Sunday morning I know I was up around a quarter to Eight  which is late by my standards and having gotten changed had either cereals or a smoked bacon sandwich fried.
After changing clothes (for some of us), we set off for a morning walk though local woodland, passing a canal with ducks, a Kingfisher and narrow boat before we arrived at a Public House for lunch as Miss Green had booked a table.
I had a delicious Turkey roast with trimmings  while others opted for other things such as beef steaks before we waked back to GHS as in small groups we all said our goodbyes.
Suzy and I were kindly driven by Andi to the rail station to catch our way trains home that were running a bit for one of us and somewhat late for another due to an incident in the North.
I got a cab off the taxi rank  straight home which was rather quick and not too expensive as local estate service does not run on Sundays plus it's over a mile to walk over rough and in places step terrain.
I'd like to thank Miss Green for organizing this super event, the hospitality  and her contributions to catering, Andi for lighting the fireworks safely which is so super important, helping with the Burgers and kindly providing Suzy and I a lift.
I'd also like to everyone else who did bring something else to this event, fun and contributions to the food  that all help make  this a most enjoyable weekend get together.

Getting set to go

I don't know if we'll see this outside of the entrance to GHS on Friday but there is always something approaching the feel of camaraderie whenever we are together having fun together and yes if you hadn't worked it out I do look rather more like the girl of far left even if I'd happily lose a couple of inches in height.
You see unless you have actually spent time as a little or middle then as much as I'm of fan of online groups and clubs you are missing that face to face interaction with other age regressors being in effect children together playing with the spontaneity that brings, recreating that time and space when that was all that mattered.
Everybody's 'day' is bound to be different, we played with differing things, watch different things on tv and with the exception of "Smartphone culture", the thing is they have more in common with each other than you might think. That means however 'old' in terms of birth certificate age  you might be you're all around the same level which makes sense as childhood and from that childhood revisited is a space a person from a level of social, emotional, physical and intellectual development resides and that is how it is with me.
Being in with others is what I love the most and where I'll be this weekend.

365 days around the world of Joanne 2016 style

Usually around of now, I tend to look back at the year and forward to the upcoming year and to me chunks have appeared at times overshadowed by the deaths by many stars we grew up with of stage and screen that started with the death of David Bowie and ended with Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) who starred in the original Star Wars movie in Nineteen seventy-seven.
I know for a good number of us it has brought forward concerns about mortality-our own and that of others and of sort of legacy we might leave behind.
For me other people have always mattered so my focus has usually been more on leaving things for them better than they otherwise would be whither it's more an active step I take or just a matter of being around for them helping them work through some problem or other.
Cyberspace it has to be said has been a bit of a mixed experience for me, not that in getting on for nine years it hasn't been always appeared so with the pluses of Tumblr such as my BFF who I can now keep in really good touch with while sharing thoughts and ideas with each other, the many littles and middles I can share and reblog things with, it does has its negative sides such as conflicts around defining terms that are used then to define who can a friend and who cannot regardless of their posts and personal qualities.
And that's before groups start putting each others members on block lists that makes the playground of my school days sound almost grown up by comparison.
Eventually I found  a group who  felt comfortable with with rules that are fairly easy to follow so unless anything happens I'll stop with them in the new year.
The successor to Experience Project, Similar Worlds, is up and running with  some really great features but to be honest apart from feeling overrun at times with teens with a lack of any real 'common sense' and okay manners, I haven't used it much over than just a means of jotting down experiences, a bit like a dummy run for journal or proper blog entry.
In some ways I actually enjoyed more my experiences interacting on FA this last year with people be it on my journal or on others feeling more like a family to me enhanced for actually being with a few of them last year for having more depth although I'm very regressed usually on there. Anyway I can chat with Sammy easily from there!
That actually reminds me one thing I really want to do a bit more of is drawing with pencil and paper although with spacial distortion, dyspraxia and badly damaged hands through R.S.I. as I have been improving in the last few years and I'd like to do more art with my hands apart from my photography given it's an arts site.
Spending more time with people is something I enjoyed a lot last years especially as I'm getting better at dealing in real time with social situations, the "unwritten rules" and that  thanks to some guidance, feedback and reinforcement.  I do see more of the same perhaps with a  few different people this upcoming year.
I made a series of changes to my stereo over the year having had some *ahem* technical problems that have worked out extremely well for me, to the point I upgraded the stylus on the cartridge which brings lots more information from records I play which I bought a good number of this last year and some cds all of which were reviewed on here.
Music is both an art form I appreciate and a part of my age regression, taking me back not just in terms of specific era but also a gateway into little space  which is why it is blogged on here (and why the last bastion of a 'Big' blog was parked). Indeed I do have to remember on one site I am sharing space with grown ups, use groan up language and so on!
Following a series of changes in how my time was used I have been able to resume more reading which with my learning/developmental disabilities is more junior fiction than young adult so I got back in touch with some lovely people at a site devoted at a favourite author of mine and started to read more, reading with friends even at one site and talking about what we've read which is something I rather like.
I see myself doing quite a bit more reading not least with a few new books I had over Christmas  to read for pleasure writing about them on this blog which is something I'm getting much better at these days.
Here's to Twenty-seventeen!

What is a Girl?

I noticed more by accident the other week, something I talked about several years back was being discussed at a site with links back here so thought I'd write something about about it here a few years on.
Being a girl is...being how her feels in you, as it comes out of your own feelings as expressed by you in dress, interests and play.
In so far as being an adult little girl goes, it doesn't matter if you're in a relationship or not, if you have a sexual side in your life or the extent to which you are able to let this side of your life out at home or around your local area.
Being either transgendered or gender fluid/variant and of any and no sexuality does not make a  difference  to being and your ability to let the adult little girl you feel out so long as ...you feel Her in you.
There is no one model you have to confirm to.
You may prefer to dress more like a younger child or 'Baby' , a young child which may be dresses, dungerees or shorts or more Middlish looking Tween or young teen.
You might do more party or school type attire if that's you (I like sitting behind a desk in school attire doing exercises) depending on circumstances such as the ability to spend time with a few others.
You may have a Caregiver in your life.
It really doesn't matter as little girl you is...You.
Some people do find their younger side may have a different gender presentation to their "Big" which may seem odd (and kinda threw me a few years back to be honest) but actually it's okay.
If that's you then please come presenting as that  Little Girl for the period - a little consistency during play helps - bring something with you and you know we'll share teddies, dollies and play even if your "Big" presents as male.
Those of us who aren't super frilly won't kill you if your presentation  goes out that way.
The only thing we aren't so keen on is people who take being a female, especially a little girl and project an overriding sexual side to it (We appreciate Adults often have a sexual side but that stay's in the bedroom and never at little girl playtime!).
It was my experiences elsewhere with "sissies" who tended to push a very full on sexual side linking femininity with subservience, ritual humiliation, who also by clearly linking being a girl as an insult, insulted our sense of being,  co-opting part of our identity for that whole "humiliated as a girl" thing rather than them being a girl if frankly they rather liked it even in short doses or enjoying their maleness if that was them, that troubled me.

Exploring together

I wasn't too good over the last two days although I got up okay, messaging PB and getting the last mammoth blog entry published with links at all the usual spots to make it easier to people to follow it. Shortly afterward I felt a migraine coming rather quickly so I quickly got my tablets out a jug full of water with glass, closed the curtains and went bed.

 It wouldn't be me in the midst of all that to be thinking of other things, I mean it's so funny but sometimes I'm more together when it comes to thinking ideas up when I'm  like that than any other time.
One is how many times we hear of people who do something a little outside of the mainstream such as follow a dress style and wear it, have aspects of our lives that others may not be so keen on such as your gender identity, sexuality and being a little and so on who struggle to have people they feel they can be open with as friends. And this in age of forums, emails and social media.
Sometimes it may be that the individual has difficulties forming and holding down personal relationships which may not be helped if others are way too quick to judge elementary mistakes but life if you appear not to be able to learn from them can be hard.
Sometimes groups have very much a "My way is the only highway" approach, setting very exacting positions people are at least to go along with if not openly endorse which at times is so ironical being in mind the reason for  existence of some groups is the very excludedness those people felt from others they project themselves.
To  me it seems in order to progress we need to be open to difference, able to tolerate difference and understand  the expression of differing views often leads to more informed thoughts and decisions.
If we find understanding something hard - and it genuinely can be -  we need to be prepared to  work with someone who will explain it and engage with them changing what we are doing if it isn't helping us.
We also need to learn to hold hands more with the people who can helps us explore and grow as people which may include learning more about some of things that unite us but may not be part of other peoples lives.
If you're a little/middle you need to find those spaces you can let this side of you out openly without the distractions of regular adult stuff going on.

Lucy's trip out

Just sat on the floor typing up this bit of an account of Lucy trip out in the brilliant sunshine that we don't always get in April here in the Midlands.
Lucy, that adorable 14" doll and I went to visit a couple of close friends earlier on this week after receiving an invite the week before.
For us journeys always start with two bus rides, one from our estate to the nearest town with a direct bus to the rail station where we catch the train to meet with one of friends which is one the main interchanges in the UK. The bus ride in was fairly straightforward with no traffic hold ups and although the station was very busy, our train was on time in its distinctive London Midland livery.
We made our way into the disabled area of the train as one of us is very much disabled requiring space and ease of access to the doors and after two stops we arrived ready to be escorted to Andi's.
The weather that day was really warm and bright, being more like summer as we walked from the rail station through a shopping mall to the parking lot near the towns busy outdoor market.
There are numerous ways of getting to it but this time we went through Sedgley which is somewhere I really could live happily and Tipton with it's modern  leisure centre before arriving.

Tipton Canal: South Staffordshire has some great sights if you know where to look. Honestly!

Having arrived and taken my coat off (!) -I do feel in hindsight I could of done not bringing it with me - There we were in the front room with Lucy in her purple dress with pink bow and I in my black tunic, white blouse, grey socks and red and white striped tie that I had managed to fasten all by myself.
We talked about many things between trying to fix some computer problems (isn't Windows wonderful?) plus some things which were related to those recent events that had hurt a number of us and while I will not disclose the contents, I found what we were able to share to be of great benefit as was being able to give openly vent to my own feelings and part of why this had upset me emotionally so much.
It was a conversation that needed to happen so that that it did while in very much  little mode hugging my dolly made perfect sense.
Between things Evening meal was being prepared by hand and we had roast chicken, carrots, green peas and beans, potatoes and gravy made with stock, which I think is better than just using a cube and boiling water.
As I mentioned ahem 'elsewhere' I wasn't sure if I'd be in chat as usual as I generally don't take computer stuff with me but I and the others were are tied in to Andi's superfast broadband which is even faster than mine. Good job Susan wasn't there otherwise the 'Grrs' would of been out I'm sure!
I had the netbook with me running off the battery that I had fully charged overnight which would be just long enough for that. Because of my ahem problems with computer usage, it was left well away from me overnight too.
Part way through chat, our home made Apple crumble using brown sugar and butter had cooked so we sat eating it with Elmlea cream with me impersonating a cat licking it to the mirth of everyone online. Sorry DeeDee, we ate it all so none left to mail to you!!!
Much Elderberry press was consumed and even Miss Lucy had  some .
I went to bed after one person had left having said ones goodbyes in my fleecy pj's getting a good nights sleep in free from the usually disturbances of Grumpy at home overnight and woke up about 7:30 to have a wash and dress myself this time with a green long sleeved cotton t shirt on under the dress before going downstairs checking FA and GT before the battery said 7% and I was forced to stop.
After chatting for a bit over a cup of tea we had a cooked breakfast of fried sausage, egg, bacon and fried bread which was a bit a treat as Mommy does most things in the oven but it's just not the same(!) before it was time to go.
Do you know you can't trust Sat Nav's? Well this one came up with a route out of town that was supposed to have been quicker but wasn't and hardly direct either but as we we learning about it's limitations then we sure learned that. Sometimes local knowledge is better!
Anyway we arrived back at the rail station with 6 minutes before my train was due in so after mooch hugs Lucy and I departed back to our part of the North-west Midlands.

We'd like to thank the Head Girl of GHS for her company and giving us a much appreciated lift and Andi for the amazingly tasty home made food, great company and internet.

Our day out

As kinda hinted at last week, the week was gonna be busy as I was going out twice and also has the effect of putting out of sync chronologically what should of been the next post but anyway after getting Chat  and Tumblr to work fine in Pale Moon, my default browser we come to this weeks post.
Going out had it's own ahem difficulties thanks to Cheshire East's decision to rapidly move forward resurfacing work requiring closing our main road off completely with very little notice so setting off required literally walking a mile and a bit through the fields to catch a bus to the areas super important rail station catching the train where upon its arrival I met with Jennifer.
Shock alert: I sent a text to Andi on the cellphone!
Traversing the road network in South Staffordshire isn't bad considering the population density outside of the peak hours obviously and it may surprise some but there are a  number of really nice buildings in the towns we went through such as St Peter's, the Parish Church of West Bromwich and the delightful Sandwell Nature Reserve.

All of this was enhanced by the brilliant sunshine and blue skies  on what had turned out to me a warm September's day.

(Above Miss Maisie bunny)
It wasn't long before we arrived at our destination and met with Andi.
Maisie and I  introduce ourselves, sorted our overnight stuff out and proceeded to read this weeks Beano comic  that we'd bought at the Station to the accompaniment of Jean-Michelle Jarre playing from a music server. I'll bet that beats getting up every 18 minutes to change lps!
Andi rustled up a most delicious home made Cottage Pie which was much appreciated while apart from talking about everything and anything including Camp, Andi treated us to hearing the original Captain Kremen  lp, that out of his head radio space fantasy of the DJ , the late Kenny Everett, in a series I remember well for the characters and amazing vocalizations.
I have this vague recollection of going to bed after changing into my kitty nighttime attire and brushing ones teeth sometime before Midnight and waking up around 7:30ish. Maybe it was the Elderberries??? Even Maisie was on that!
Before dashing off to catch the train back, Andi made a lovely cooked British breakfast complete with fried bread.
We'd like to thank Jennifer for the lift down and company as well as Andi for having us as we sure appreciate it all the way.

Millie and I's trip out

Hi Hi peoples.
Before we settle into the so hot we have to warned to stay in here's this weeks  entry.

Millie (above) and I went on an adventure this week that started as most of things do on a train from the big railway station near us after catching a couple of buses to get from our estate to it having package our bags the day before.
When we got to Stafford we encountered a girl around the ages of three to four who started to talk to us about her likes -Play-doh-,  why it was the door near the rest room went BANG! and all about the bus her Mommy and her were going to catch which was kinda fun. She just noticed us with our girlish stuff and started talking away!
When we arrived at our destination Jennifer took us on an exciting car trip across to that elevated part of the Midlands where Andi resides where fortunately Millie had a front seat view as our luggage went in the trunk of the car.
We had a bit of climb to Andi's home  as it's a bit steep but the views certainly do compensate for it even though you can see the trees swaying even on a less than really windy day. Needless to say it was a uniform day for me which I just love
One the best things for any of us littles is just being together face to face talking about anything and everything while playing plus Millie had a bit of a dance in her fetching uniform although later on by night time she was chilling out.
Andi is a great cook using gas no less - we have electric at our house - and made the most scrumptious beef Casserole with side vegetables which was followed by Apple Crumble with vanilla icecream that we like heaps.
As some of you might be aware I don't do alcohol for a lot of reasons we need not mention but enjoyed thoroughly an Eider pressed non alcohol wine like drink  during the evening.
After a sleep surrounded by teddies, I woked up sometime around 7 which is late by my norms to have a cooked breakfast which isn't something I generally have during the week which was lovely and much appreciated as I would be travelling across meal times.
We left with Andi kindly giving us a lift  and were able to catch a train back from the Station without much of wait as the train due didn't need us to take the lift to a platform. Instead we could just cut through the concourse and straight onto platform 2 and make our connecting buses.
We'd like to thank Jennifer for her company and lift as well as Andi for hospitality, wonderful food and generally making us feel at home.

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.

A chance meeting

Today I'm off for the day so I'm preparing this entry so it can published while I'm out so I'm going to have to be super careful to proof-read it beforehand.
Earlier in the week something happened that had been talked about before with  attempts to arrange it  made only to be dashed at the last minute.
In the long long history of my being a little once I even founded out what that was, I had never  encountered others face to face and indeed it had taken a lot of time to find others online joining sites to even have any kind of virtual encounter. I'd met with a number of 'mainstream' Ts people face to face in cafés making arrangements via PM's on site but that had been it.
Well, following talk at a couple of sites plus emails, it happened our First former was going to be at the Head Girls at GHS and asked in chat about meeting up, something that I had been thinking off but following a severe four day migraine that had left my mental functioning seriously  impaired,  I wasn't able to think much (it also caught me by surprise)  but said I'd give it some thought later on when I might be better.

 Following some emailing, we decided this would be a workable meeting up point being easy to find and leads on toward the local canal and recreational amenity area as it wasn't far for me to go plus was the kind of place I'd feel more at ease talking in. It also was a place in area the First former hadn't been before.
Having gone for a short stroll we found a relatively secluded place where we could talk about our histories of being littles,what we got out of it, general life experiences which for me includes work background, experience of being disabled as well as being Ts. It didn't take long for either of them to spot my obvious North American accent and quirky pronunciation aided by Canadian rising although most of you are kinda used to my Can-E written English.
The Head Girl talked about the four letters in the name lg meet ups within the UK, explaining what people do, the structure, locations as as other social events that happen with illustrations inquiring  if it would interest me. We also touched on the differences between the UK events and those held in the States. 
Although much of this year is planned out with me, being away for a period where I can be little in the company of others  does appeal because I like being around others in addition to playing especially as it was explained you could do whatever you felt was right for you being based around your 'age' or interests even if it may be that I'd be looking at stopping over with someone part way there because of the time it would take to travel and how tired that can leave me (being really tired travelling across London isn't a good idea) so it's on next years to-do list as for that matter would be paying a social call or two to the Head Girls as I could get a train to the nearest rail station to GHS which is just at the far end of the County due south of me and there are times when overnight stay, something not a million miles from a sleepover is more what I'm needing not least with the issues with and between my family. I just need to be away from that stuff.
It seems to me more possibilities for just being myself are opening up since encountering everyone at GT and IK some two and half years ago.
So as in real time as you read this I'll be playing somewhere - see the next blog edition for more - I'll conclude by thanking the First former and Head Girl for coming on over to see me as it was a great pleasure to actually see and be with them.