Okay, firstly I’d like to admit to being very very sad, not sad as in “Pass the Kleenex” but sad as in staying in on a Saturday night curled up on the sofa in my Jim jams, telly on, watching X-Factor.

However, if I didn’t have M.E rest assured I’d be thankful to be out painting the town red, yellow and black, (Come on you Hornets or Watford football club for those tuning in unfamiliar with our team) when I say our team I don’t mean I actually play obviously...but you get the drift? So where was I? Oh yes, painting the town black, red and yellow and any other colour I could fit in my handbag. Not that I like handbags, I’m more of a shove it in ya pocket kinda girl............

I also admit to getting caught up in the X-Factor frenzy of “should they stay, or should they go?” I’m talking about the twins Bill and Ben of course, and like most of the nation I was left wishing they’d “Little weed off”.

I threw my hands to the heavens in relief when they were in the bottom two, certain that Lucie would be saved. This was a singing contest right? That’s what the judges have always said up till recently. If it had been called Twa* factor, (fill in own blank) or who’s got the silliest haircut Factor? Or who can’t dance Factor? Then the boys would’ve won fair and square.

Simon had been saying for weeks how dreadful the boys were and how they shouldn’t be in the competition and then he went and saved them....... Bam! My jaw hit the floor and then I felt betrayed like I’d been taken for a fool, the show suddenly seemed one big joke, and credibility and respect was gone in an instant followed by me vowing never to watch it again.

So now I’ll just stay in on a Saturday night curled up on the sofa in my Jim jams and be very sad with the telly off instead lol!, www.afme.org.uk

Or I could take a leaf out of this lady’s book. I came across a blog by Claudette Mitchell entitled “100 things to be thankful for” and like her, my first thought was I’d be lucky to get to 10. It’s not that I’m not thankful for stuff but there can’t be that much surely? Aha you cynical bunch, think again my friends.

She set herself a challenge to do it and sure enough over a period of time as she thought of things she added them to her list with a little explanation of why she was thankful, and eventually she had a “100 things to be thankful for”.

She doesn’t care whether anybody reads it or not, although I hope you do, it was something she did for herself and on days when she feels a little low or when life seems to be throwing every obstacle in her path she gets out this list and reads it to remind herself of the good things in her life.

She goes from Facebook to sanitation workers, from the moon and stars to having once been whistled at, from soldiers to her husbands’ moustache. As I read her list I began to think of the things I’d have on my own list and it made me feel quite inspired, so now I too will set myself a challenge to write a “100 things to be thankful for”.

There’s no rush, as I think of them I’ll add them to the list, and on days when the M.E is bad and I’m feeling a bit sorry for myself I can pull it out and remind myself of all the things I’ve still to be thankful for, and maybe it’ll inspire you to have a go too? www.squidoo.com/100-things-thankful

Mullaleys are still loitering in the vicinity working on the external stuff, we’d been told we didn’t need much doing, in fact it would probably only take about 2/3 days. I can only say at this point it’s a good job I haven’t been holding my breath, because that was five weeks ago, although to be fair he didn’t say 2/3 consecutive days.

The only problem with it not being consecutive days is you haven’t got a clue what’s going on, bit like Mullaleys. A man did come and rub the dustbin cupboard down, I spotted him through the kitchen window one day, but the only reason I knew someone had come back two days later to paint it was when I went to put some recycling rubbish out one evening, it was cold and dark, and as I put my hand on the handle it felt wet and clammy and was indeed covered in paint, and no, as logical as it seems for someone to knock and tell you they’re gonna be doing a job, they don’t....maybe they’re just going for the surprise factor?

And maybe that’s the same reason the first we knew they were clearing moss from our roof was when I heard a herd of elephants above our heads one morning and thought what the *%&*. But I soon cottoned on to surprise number two as sheets of moss rained passed the bedroom window.

Despite the surprise, I still gave them tea and biscuits, that good ol British tradition. It doesn’t matter whether we’re cross with someone, in the middle of an argument, or about to kill each other, there’s always time to put the kettle on eh?

Onto music, I’m booked into the studio next week to continue on the R n B/indie track “Say” , ideally I’d like a couple of gospel singers to work their magic and do backing vocals but I really can’t afford to hire any at this lowly level. Last year there were some Gospel singers in town handing out leaflets for a show, so I approached this one girl to see if they’d be interested in getting involved.

She seemed keen and said she’d speak to the others, so we swapped numbers, had a laugh and a joke and then suddenly from out of nowhere, BAM!! She changed into this psychotic bible bashing woman, now, being rather naive I hadn’t seen it coming. I make no secret of the fact i believe in the mainman, i believe in prayer, i just don’t need or want a label.

I chat with him whenever i want, don’t need a particular building for that, and his not gonna love me any less if i don’t part with 10% of my wages every week, and since when did he develop such a huge ego that he expects everyone to get together, sing about him and talk about how wonderful he is?....don’t think so, but that’s just my personal take on it, so no giving me grief, each to his/her own huh?

Back to the story, she was firing bible questions at me, quoting passages and yelling at me to repent and I’m thinking “okay, maybe I’ll just do the backing vocals myself after all”. Unable to find a familiar face in the crowd to come save me, i waited till she lost focus and turned her head for a nano second and then made a run for it into the nearest shop which just happened to be the clothes shop Apple snow. I waited behind a railing for a few minutes and then dashed to the back of the shop and out the side door...phew, escaped.

So to cut a long Ronnie Corbett story short, I’m slightly apprehensive to ask anyone again, so it looks as if i will have to do the backing vocals myself and you’ll just have to imagine I’m a small gospel choir. www.myspace.com/mamachill.

My niece Emmas’ got swine flu, so get better piglet, and lay off the bacon sarnies for awhile eh?

Oh, just thought, first thing to go on my thankful list is you lot reading my blogs every week....... So...er...thanks. well, okay, you might not be the first thing, there’s chocolate of course, and beer, and other important stuff but you will be on that list without a doubt, have yourselves a good weekend, stay blessed, see ya next Friday, Back before Elvis :) xxx