Bubbles and Bloggers

On Sunday, which was of course Father's Day, I thought a little about my nephew and my nieces.

Due to family circumstances , I haven't seen my elder niece since 1996, never seen my younger, and saw my nephew once, I think about five years ago.

But on Father's Day I thought about my brother, and how he has missed out by not being the person he ought to be, and how the one time I met my nephew we played with bubbles. I had one of those battery operated things that if you pour bubble liquid into it, it will constantly send bubbles into the air, pretty bubbles ... He loved it.

I haven't seen him since and I may never see him again.

Now there are some Blogs that you take to heart more than others and recently I have been reading one by a lady who lost her baby to SIDS earlier this year. 
My own family isn't a stranger to loss; my eldest niece died aged two of heart failure after an op in GOSH on 30 May 1994. I was pregnant at the time. I know that this isnt in any way akin to the loss of Matilda Mae. But I have been thinking of both of them specially as the anniversary has just passed. 

Anyway today I read a related Blog that said Matilda Mae would love to see bubbles. And I thought of J, my never seen nephew again, and the mini bubble machine.

And here's the weird thing. Hubby's off work this week (aaargh!) and wanted window cleaning stuff so I delved under the sink to see if I could find some Windolene.

I didn't find any cleaning fluids but what I did I find at the back of the under sick cupboard (and I wish I had a Smartphone now so I could ad a photo!) instead were... five.. count 'em FIVE long forgotten bottles of unopened  'Rainbow Bubbles'. Bubble blowing liquid in pink and purple and lime green bottles.

So I have taken the first bottle I reached for (and it's bright pink) and after 

almost spilling the lot trying to peel back the foil on top I have blown a satisfying number of bubbles up to Matilda Mae and all the babies just like her.

xxx

Anyway in other news  I know that it is BritMums this weekend and many of my Twitter friends (and I count you, yes you - as such - Pretend Internet Friends - or PIFs as I have come to call you over the years) will be gathering in London to meet each other for the first time.

I've done a couple of Meets like this myself. Ten years ago, the first one was. I was privileged enough to later attend the wedding of two of the wonderful people who were there that night who had never previously met.  To still be friends with others. To later attend a Meet and and be with two people who took the trouble to drive me all the way home ; and who married and fought and died of individual cancers within months of each other.

There are so many warnings we rightly give to our children about  Internet Stranger Danger. Quite right. But my experiences have been nothing but positive. One PIF is now my ' Northern Twin' as we are alike in everything but geography !

Joining Twitter has enriched my on line life. And starting ridiculous diaries like this which have been supported and re-Tweeted by lovely Followers  has been fabulous and for someone with pretty low self esteem, life enhancing.


And I have been thinking about BritMums and all of the lovely clever wonderful talented mum bloggers who will be there. How they will all embrace each other when the "OMG it's YOU!" moment happens and they start talking as if they had always know each other face to face.

So to Aimee, Sam, Jennie to name just three, and all of you going to BritMums, have a wonderful supportive, happy time and tell us all about it when you get home on a high when the weekend is over !