Another Great Sunrise

Early morning one day last week what a view from the window. Enjoy.

Never Too Old

Never too old for a party they say. However when you get caught out by the youngest grandchild for cheating in a Halloween game and then when attempting to hide said act, another grandchild produces a picture to prove you were cheating - well maybe one has to admit the game's up!! Methinks I need to change my strategy next time!!

Blackberry Preferences

Everyone seems to have a Blackberry these days or sends me messages indicating that it was sent from a Blackberry. How ridiculous is that? Blackberries can't do things like that - well not the ones I know anyway. Mine are like the ones in my pics. Sweet, tasty and make fantastic pies when mixed with apples.

Where on earth did the inventors get the name 'Blackberry' from anyway and why is it called a blackberry?? Looks nor tastes anything like one!! Methinks I must be off this planet again.

I prefer my type apart from the prickles one has to encounter to get at them but it's worth it when you eat them in a pie with loads of Custard. Can't beat it. Give me back my natural blackberry at least it's reliable and not a danger to one's eyes (well only

if you duck the brambly bits that you have to fight back to get to the best berries!!), ears or general health and certainly a lot less stressful to handle!! Now back to my crumble - scrummy:)

What a Wonderful World

Early morning, breakfast over, looking out the window and saw the most amazing sunrise this morning. The clouds were a mass of pinks, greys and stunning blues and I just sat in awe as the dawn started to break. Wake up Sue get the camera and capture this, although its never quite the same on a photo as the real thing but the memory will always be there. Darn it, camera never to hand when I need it time running out and the sky is changing by the minute. Eventually finding said piece of equipment I dashed outside to take these shots all of which only took 10 minutes but the sky changed so dramatically it was like a play unfolding before my eyes - amazing. Is it me or have we been more than blessed with an unusual number of the most gorgeous sunsets and sunrises this year than I can ever remember in my lifetime? Perhaps it's an age thing, you notice more when you get to this end of the life-cycle or what -and you appreciate every single day or perhaps in this case every few minutes as Phoebe (as my Dad always used to call the sun) peeps her head up above the horizon to welcome a new day? I hope I am blessed with an equally gorgeous sunset this evening. No wonder the ancients of this world worshipped the sun I can understand them being in awe - truly amazing. Readers I hope you enjoy a little of what my amateurish capturings have achieved. Don't we live in a truly wonderful world??

The Lunch that Never Was

How can one lose their lunch pal in one of the smallest buildings on Campus?? I'd arranged to meet one of my Students recently returned from Malaysia to catch up. This is the 3rd attempt we've made to have lunch but today we nailed it or so we thought! I was on a training course, she was at a lecture both due to finish at 12.00, agreed to meet at the building where I was on the training course, conveniently close to one of the main eating halls on Campus perfick!! Looking forward to a nice lunch and chat I waited, 12.15 came and went, her lecture must have gone over. I moved my sitting place to a more appropriate viewpoint lest we see each other from afar so to speak. 12.30 came and went, maybe I've got the time wrong and it was supposed to be 12.30 after all. The little grey cells not working so well perhaps?? In and out of the eating hall I traipsed, the student bit, the academic bit, the shop bit but no sign. I even approached another poor student calling out "Oh there you are" thinking it was my lunch pal because she looked just the same from the back - talk about startled look!! DOH!! 12.45 came and went, maybe I've got the wrong venue since originally it was at another eating hall on campus. Do I go or do I stay? I ventured across to the original meeting place but nothing. Back to the original venue 1.00 p.m by now and tummy rumbling getting out of control. Back to my training place no eating pal. Decided I'd better have a quick lunch on my own and head back across campus since by now lunch had been 1 1/2 hours! Had ventured back and forth campus three times now and finally back to my office. Well fit, tummy full but no lunch pal. I emailed her, she replied on her Blackberry! She had been waiting at the same building until 1 p.m. thinking my meeting had ran over and then gone back to her place after also searching in the same area! How did that happen and we never met up?? What was the problem? She was waiting in the Careers section of the building - virtually next door to where I was and yet neither of us managed to see or find each other DOH!!! Got a plan forget it don't always work!!

Kittens Kluster

I heard a news report today that an RSPCA centre was overwhelmed with several donations of kittens - a substantial rise over the last few years and there seems to be no significant reason for the high influx! Errr could be something to do with perhaps a very frisky Tom cat going on his rounds and "doin the buis" so to speak - especially as the kittens all seemed to look the same - or am I just plain "tch - simples"??

I remember as a child on my grandparents' small-holding an abundance of cats could be found on the farm specifically kept there to keep the rat and mice population down and they were very successful at it too!! My grandparents bred chickens, turkeys etc., all free range and the cats were the best form of pest control available at the time - and the cheapest!! The king of the cat clan there was a massive Ginger cat - known affectionately as "Tom" of course at home - and he was a BIG Ginger cat too. However every Spring and late Summer he would disappear from the family small-holding in search of other ladies because he had "serviced" all the ones at home and needed to increase his clan elsewhere so to speak!! Tom became an ugly looking cat over the years because obviously straying on to other tom cat territories he had to fight his way in. Every time he came back to my grand-parent's home he had invariably sustained another fight injury, whether it was another nick in his already battered ears, a bloodied nose and the occasional missing tooth - but he always seemed to be wearing a smile on his face - so one assumes he often won his battles or could it be something else that made the fights worthwhile!! Either way he was the most adorable and affectionate Tom cat on the farm and he lived there for many years. I always remember the year he went off he was 14 years old and still making merry on his usual rounds but he never returned, my grandmother spent a long time looking for him but he was never found. We like to think he just curled up somewhere and died peacefully not making it quite home in time. We missed him and I actually ended up having a kitten of his "Sandy" from his last brood so his memory lived on through Sandy and us. I like to imagine him still doing his rounds and wearing that big smile!! So come on RSPCA use a bit of basic logic and remember how nature and Tom cats work!! :)

WI'Ing it 2

No I haven't attempted a follow up round with my grandchildren lately, having been mercilessly thrashed time and time again by them I couldn't stand the humiliation any longer - well not this week anyway!

Guess what I saw an advert on the tele recently for a new WI Mario cars Game advertising it as "great family fun and entertainment - a time for all the family to share and have great laughs". They obviously do not live in the real word at the WI organisation!!! Because the only family entertainment I recall is of my grandchildren remorsely taking over the controls from me and showing me how it should be done, my frustration at not being able to control such a supposedly simple act of making little men and funny shaped mushrooms jump over obstacles, leap across chasms of fire, dodging prickly hedgehogs or throwing snowballs or balls of fire at the enemy thus surviving attacks from peculiar creatures only to be rewarded by climbing a flag pole with a skull and cross bones on it and gaining more lives only to lose them in yet more strange acts of bravery - well I thinks that's what it's meant to be!!

Sorry having wandered off the track somewhat this new game involves all the family sitting there holding a steering wheel device and presumably attempting similar acts only in a little Mario car I would assume!! O M G - where does that leave me I ask myself?? If I can't make a serious attempt at the basics, I don't stand a hope in H..L of sitting in the armchair - (well actually probably not sitting but remorselessly jumping up and down or leaning left and right in the most bizarre manner in the hope that my physical movements in the room will somehow relate to the screen in front of me - foolish idea of course!!)and being actually able to steer a little computer generated car and flat capped folks over and around a series of courses or objects!! Oh please deliver me from this environment and what the H..L is wrong with an old wooden orange box with pramwheels strapped to the back and front with nothing but a piece of strong chord to steer me around the track - so much more fun, healthier and certainly within my control - because I invariably beat the boys - how satisfying was that!! Ah the joys of childhood!!

Making My Day

On collecting my grandchildren from school recently on what must have been the most coldest, windiest day of the week, my spirits were lifted higher than my skirt which the wind delighted in playing with and embarrasing me to those that were within eyesight of my undies!

A delightful young lady who was probably about the same age as my grandson - i.e. 9 or 10 commented "Oh high there .....'s mum, he will be "out in a minute from his classroom", he asked me to tell you. "You are his mum aren't you"? When I replied "Actually no I'm his grandma" - she said "Oh sorry but you look like you should be his mum - not his grandma" Ah joy - out of the mouth of babes!! - especially when I'm approaching 60!! Made my day!! Don't you just love the innocence of childhood - yes siree - bless you my child live long and prosper!!

Objections at the White House

Switched off a news item tonight fuming at the guy who felt a Mormon should not be amongst the American Parliamentary elite because of the cult he was in what ignorance and short-sightedness!! If that's the case then there are several million members of that cult with a worldwide following that has been in place for over a 100 years are they to be banned too? How long have the Latter Day Saints been founded - someone should educate this guy - big time!! Mormonism is a world wide Christian religion and still growing. Gone are the days of plural marriages (which seems to be the only thing the Latter Day Saints/Mormons are remembered or recognised for sadly) in fact it's not been practised by the church members for many many years. The Church does many many things which are not widely known for in charitable contributions, supporting the world in all types of aid, supports family values, promoting healthy living but being the modest organisation it is, it does not shout from the roof tops these deeds, to their credit. But for the extensive Genealogical archives the Church holds, the research it has carried out, extensive recording and notage voluntarily and diligently produced by church members and the vast Genealogical Libraries across the world that have been set up for public access of all race creeds and religions, many of the world's peoples today would not have been introduced or had access to the joy of Family History. Many of whom who have rejoiced in finding long lost family members or been introduced to family they never knew existed or had thought were permanently lost to them. To call them a cult is so far wide of the mark it's laughable and sheer ignorance. The USA as it's major contributor to political correctness should look at this guy and say "hang on a minute isn't this discrimination on religious grounds"? and what happened to democracy? What about the electorate who put this man up to be a part of their government, surely they have their rights, they gave their support knowing everything about this guy! Just because he stands up and is not afraid to share his openness about Jesus Christ and his beliefs, this should not label him as unfit to be in Government. He should be respected because he has the courage to be open and honest with himself and the people he is there to represent. In today's political environment Worldwide there may be apparent openness from all quarters but sadly all too often the truth is discovered and many people are not what they seem. With this Latter Day Saint - you get what it says on the tin and that's a rarity these days - leave him alone - I thought this type of persecution had died out years ago apparently not so what is there to be afraid of?!!

Wii'ing It

How is it that my grandchildren aged 4, 6 and 10 amongst others can beat the pants off of me on the Wii - Mario to be specific? Now I have a complex about it to the degree that I don't even know how to hold the controller correctly for fear of the little ones losing their patience with me and actually taking over my Mario character to catch up with the rest of the team! only for me to promptly fall behind yet again and lose my final life - for the umpteenth time!! Mega embarrassment or what??

However as The Millionaire said to me "there are lots of areas where we are the champions and they aren't" I just hope they don't catch me up before I'm in my box I need something to be proud of in my life - as I have very little left these days to be proud of as was pointed out to me today!!

A Day's Difference

What a difference a day makes - and how suddenly a few words can turn things inside out and it's not just the words that are lost - there is more at stake - once they are out it is hard to take them back unless you have the courage to admit you are wrong. Admitting the mistake takes more courage and all too often people just don't have it - that's the foolishness of adults. I just wish there were more children in the world - every day would be like sunshine and life would be much simpler. Children forgive and forget far more easily than the supposed adults. So I ask myself - who is the better example - I think we can learn so much more from the children and perhaps we need to stop before we overstep the adult mark! Maybe we should take a step into the child's world once more and learn a lesson from them before it's too late and everything is lost.

I can't believe it's Christmas

Pottering around my local shops at the weekend already the shops are being stocked with Christmas stuff - just why is that?? Why can't we put Christmas back where it belongs? It's the grumpy ole woman speaking out again and well up on my soap box! Christmas should be a joyous family time for just a day or two not 3,4 or even 5 months ahead of schedule. I think when Christmas gets protracted out longer and longer it loses it's significance. Parents are under pressure to buy so much stuff out of their pocket ranges, children get fed up with waiting for Santa to come, families get tired by the time the great day arrives and the real meaning of Christmas - gets overlooked amongst the Commercial hype. So much food seems to come out of the woodwork too - the majority of which gets wasted or not eaten over the Christmas period - because our eyes were way too big for our tummies!! How many Christmas pudding types for example Lordy why we're only going to eat one at a time!! Mother and Grandmothers in my childhood made their Christmas puds at least a year ahead. We all got to have a stir of the pud and made a wish which we kept to ourselves - whilst mum was pouring in the Brandy if she had any (but it was usually Sherry because we couldn't afford Brandy)! The pud was left to improve in the pantry (after being wrapped in clean white muslin tied in a knot at the top) over the months and boy did it taste good after being steamed on the cooker for at least 2 hours (in an old white pudding basin that had a dull aged crack down it which never broke over the years mother used it!!) - luvly!

I remember as a child, Christmas was never prepared for until after Guy Fawkes in November. The excitement was short but intense and the range of gifts although limited were something unique to Christmas, only in the shops for a short while and never seen again until the next Christmas when new stock came in. Turkeys were only seen in the Butchers at the last minute and had to be ordered well in advance to be sure we got one and only available at Christmas. Paxo stuffing was a rare sight at home because all the females in our family usually made their own and so much tastier!! We decorated with a few paper chains which we made ourselves - that was a treat and the decs only went up about a week before - if we were lucky!! The Christmas tree was always fresh which Dad brought home only about a week before. When the first time Christmas lights appeared - boy was that some treat because normally we decorated the trees with little metal candle holders that held ribbed candles only being lit briefly on Christmas Eve! Wouldn't health and safety have a field day today!! The lights actually often didn't have a 3 pin plug on them either; they had a round light fitting with horrible brown intertwined wires as the cord & it was plugged into the side lamp or if we didn't have one of those it was often plugged into the main lamp (after removing the light bulb from the main light of course!!)We used to wrap paper chains around the cord to make it look pretty and less dull - health & safety major heart attack!!

We went to Church on Christmas Eve as a family for the candlelit carol service and it brought meaning to what Christmas was all about. It always seemed to be a white Christmas then - or maybe that's my imagination. Christmas cards always depicted various scenes of the Nativity,Christmas robins or santas and snowy landscapes,without any sense of political correctness creeping in - well it wasn't invented then happy days - thankfully!! Please let's put Christmas back where it belongs, cut down on the commercial hype and lets just have a nice family traditional Christmas that's meaningful, special, no mortgage needed to pay for it and please Lord mercifully short. Sleep now that's all off my chest!! :)