Hello, is there anybody there?

It’s a while since I’ve been here, but I thought I’d pop along and see if there is anybody out there?

I may well pop along and post the odd item that is probably not related to walking, just to keep things ticking along and separate and to help clear my mind. It does get very messy in there from time to time and I should sort through it from time to time.

At this time, we are nearing the end of the second week of the summer school holidays and my mother has just left to return home after her stay with us. I’m sorry, but I’m glad to have my home back. We can relax and be ourselves, be normal, fight, laugh, love and cry, just as we like. The relief. The peace!

After the disaster of the car breaking down on the way back from our recent trip to Edinburgh and David having to waste so much leave over the last week, it doesn’t look like we’ll be going away this year. I’m gutted. Our eldest, Rhiannon, won’t join us anymore any way, but I still really look forward to our family camping trip and it’s not fair that we’ll have to give it a miss this year. Unless we win the lottery or have some other unexpected windfall, we’ll just have to wait.

Having said that, David and I will still be getting out in a tent. We are supervising another Duke of Edinburgh Expedition next week, the Rangers attached to the Guide unit I help at are doing their Silver Qualifier. Unfortunately, it’s around the Rothiemurchus area and we will be midgied to death. I_can’t_wait.

Oh well, laters!!

Because Anne asked us to.

Anne asked us to do this, so I am.

Grab the nearest book.
Open the book to page 56.
Find the fifth sentence.
Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.

Don’t dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the CLOSEST.

“This giant, unlike the rest of it's family, eats very little other than insects.”

From The Life of Mammals, by David Attenborough (doesn't have the 'Sir' bit, I checked.)

How I giggled that my toe was touching this book, otherwise it would have been something by Barbara Erskine. Gives an entirely different view of me!

Chortle

I've just been reading some of my older posts and came across (another) pinch, forty questions about me, basically. One question was "Do you have a secret nobody knows?" the answer to which was, "Yes, that's why it's a secret." Good answer.

Now, tell me, what was my secret?

It's like those things you put in a safe place, but then forget where the safe place is. Speaks volumes about my memory...

Causing a bit of a stir

I'm a bit of a saddo at times and just out of complete curiosity, I've installed a Stats Counter. It's interesting stuff, but I'm not entirely sure what I can get out of it, so I'll probably drop it sometime when I get bored. However, I've noticed alot of interest in one particular post recently, "I've been getting messages" and I suspect for all the wrong reasons.

Especially as this activity seems to come from the Houses of Parliament.

(There you go, I'll have done it again now, saying all the wrong things.)

Just for the record, I have never had, nor do I ever want to have an MP of any kind in my bath. Unless David has a change of career, but I can't see that happening somehow.

Nor do I want a cup of tea in my bath. It's got to be wine!

Makes you wonder though...

Oh, ok

You scored as Albus Dumbledore. You are very wise, observant, and analyctical. You have a very "well-organized" mind, which makes you function in a calm and fair manner. Though you get angered easily, its rare of you to ever act our of temper. You are constantly seeing the good in people and are naturally forgiving because of it. You're easy to please and a great person to learn from. Albus Dumbledore 66% Neville Longbottom 63% Bellatrix Lestrange 63% Remus Lupin 63% Ron Weasley 63% Luna Lovegood 59% Oliver Wood 53% Sirius Black 53% Hermione Granger 53% Harry Potter 50% Severus Snape 50% Draco Malfoy 34% Percy Weasley 28% Lord Voldemort 25% Harry Potter Character Combatibility Test created with QuizFarm.com

Admittedly, another pinch...

Post champers

I've been reading the links from Anne's Blog about Valentine's Day and I enjoyed them all. The first in particular made me smile, because I agree wholeheartedly and I appreciate how lucky I am, (we are!) to have the relationship that we do. It is honest, supportive, reliable, loyal, fun, everything I am (and he is) as a person is our relationship. I feel lucky that we don't have to work at our relationship, it works itself because it is us.

That is not perhaps the most eloquent piece of writing, I'm sure someone somewhere could have made it far more beautiful to read, but it does just what it says on the tin, and so does my marriage!

So anyway, last night we cooked ourselves a beautiful meal, because we can produce something fabulous for a fraction of the cost of a babysitter, two taxis and the disappointing meal at a restaurant.

Goats Cheese Souffle

Baked Halibut (well, they didn't have any, so it was Talapia, or something, from Jamaica...) with Cabbage and Bacon, a Tarragon Cream Sauce and Potato Rosti

Baked Chocolate Torte with Raspberry Sauce

Lush. Not to mention the perfectly chilled Tattinger (I may have mentioned that before?) and some Chardonnay Columbard.

The children aren't at school today. Or tomorrow. Or Monday.

Happy days!

Look at my Weather Pixie!

How cute is that? I love it!

PS I've been writing again, if you haven't visited the other blog recently. Or maybe you have and it's just too rubbish to comment.

PPS Was that a subtle enough hint? Sorry, halfway through a bottle of champagne for Valentine's Day. Can't guarantee my Cheese Souflees are going to turn out. Especially as I can't spell them...

UPDATE 15th February, 2007

It's gone now...

A little 'silent' poetry reading

I've been to Annes' Blog and she's taking part in this wonderful idea of a silent poetry reading. Just leave a comment and post a poem on your blog, your favourite or even one of your own!

I found it hard to choose, my favourite Wilfred Owen, from English Lit days, one of my own, (but I already have a blog for that!) or a good one for a nice Friday, like this one...

Breavin' on the Window-pane

It's cold an' grey an' still outside,
And everything is wet with rain.
I'm standing on the cushion seat,
And breavin' on the window-pane.
An' drawin' pictures with me 'and.
The window's high against the sky-
I can't see out unless I stand.

I've drawn a house an' chimley-pot;
I've drawn a man an' child'en too,
A napple an' a toasting fork,
An' someone who is jus' like you,
And Gran'ma sittin' in the rain.
The pane's so small I've filled it all,
And 'specks I'll have to breave again.

But Jane has spoilt it now; she says
I want a whippin'-an' I don't.
She's rubbed the window clean, and says
She'll fetch a policeman-but she won't.
And now she's gone downstairs again
I'm breavin' on the window-pane.
I'll draw a nugly one of Jane.

Happy Hogmanay!

Wishing all my family, friends, virtual friends and fellow bloggers

all the best for the New Year, 2007!

(Sorry, couldn't decide between the photographs, both were a bit of fun!)

So that's how it's done Ruth!

You are 100% English.

Congratulations! You may now take your place as a subject of Her Majesty.
"And did those feetIn ancient times,Walk upon England's mountains green?And was the holy Lamb of GodIn England's pleasant pastures seen?"
Well, no, but it's a cracking good tune.

How English are you?
Create a Quiz

Deliveries

The parcel that I waited in for last Friday arrived today, after a second phonecall yesterday, which was lucky, because if I hadn't got David to ring again, we wouldn't have known that his first call "...hadn't been logged" and therefore, I would have been staging a futile wait as my parcel winged it's merry way back from whence it came. Anyway, it's arrived. The children can, once again, wash their hair.

Little man-in-a-van came today, which was nice. I make my order a week in advance, I am quite organised with my menu planning, so when it arrives, I've often forgotten what little treats I've ordered. Some nice little surprises sometimes.

My one query about it all is the plastic carrier bags. I do send them back with the driver to be recycled, but I'm somewhat bewildered by the amount of carrier bags used in the first place. I often have one or two items in one bag that could quite easily take several more. Sometimes I even get things in a bag that don't need to be in one at all, like the four packs of orange juice. These are encased in polythene with a handle attached, (the handle is soooo well attached, you can't get them off.) so simply don't need more packaging. Where's the enviromental awareness in this?

I've had a little fun too, just to brighten my day. I've been filing my posts and giving them labels. What joy!

All change

I'm waiting for David to come back to the farm shop and I'm bored. I need him because there is a spider on the ceiling in our bedroom. I may have got better with the eight legged monsters over recent years, but I still can't bear them on the ceiling.

He's not going to like me. I've sent him there for potatoes. I've just remembered, we need green veg for dinner tonight.

And tomorrow.

I can feel a walk in the fresh air coming on.

Once this spider is gone and I've got some clothes on. I'm used to funny looks, but that's taking it a bit too far...

Frustration!

I am so cross! I finally remembered Saturday Sky, had camera to hand, (explained by the other photograph) and took two photographs of a glorious sky this evening, here in Scotland, but there is a problem and I CAN'T UPLOAD IT TO MY BLOG!

I'm upset now, it's not fair.

I'm going to sulk.

Update

Still misbehaving.

I'M STILL SULKING.

Update updated

Grrrrr

One book

Oh what?

Ruth didn't tag me, that was a relief. So Anne got me instead. Oh help!

Here goes.

1. One book that changed your life.
Oh my word, this was a toughy. Like John, I would have said it was people that had changed my life, not a book. However, having scanned my bookshelves, I came up with Oxford Babies Names, then changed my mind. Instead I've picked AA 50 Walks in Scottish Highlands and Islands. The first walk I did in the Highlands was Meall a Bhuachaille, near Cairngorm and since then, I have adored Scotland, walking here, the nature, everything and now I know where I want to live and what I want to do with my life in the future. I've since found out that that was my first Corbett, wey hey!

2. One book you've read more than once.
Do you know, there aren't many of these. Once I've read a book, I know what's going to happen, so it will be consigned to gather dust on the bookshelf. However, I recently read Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder again, so that will have to do!

3. One book you'd want on a desert island.
the game cookbook by Clarissa Dickson Wright and Johnny Scott. Why? It covers all bases of the kind of meat you could possibly find in the wild, so I thought quite useful, if I want to eat. Got to catch it first though...

4. One book that made you laugh.
Quite a few, mainly autobiographies like Terry Wogan's or Alan Titchmarsh's, I like a good giggle, but I have this one, courtesy of my big brother, Richard. To people that know him, (Ruth) it'll say more about him than me, but it is a really good laugh. The History of Farting by Dr Benjamine Bart. Say no more.

5. One book that made you cry.
Before I Say Goodbye by Ruth Picardie. Read it.

6. One book you wish you'd written.
The Truth About Pregnancy, Childbirth and Babies. Why? Because nobody ever tells you what it's really like and that it's ok to feel the way that you do. We are, after all, all individual.

7. One book you wish had never been written.
I could have been sooooo controversial with this one and said The Bible, or the Kuran (spelling? Even less idea!) or other such books, simply because they all cause sooooo much trouble in the world, but I don't really wish that, they are rather important books, after all. So, I'll go for Vanity Fair by Thackeray. I hate that book with a passion, I never got past the third chapter, which made my A' Level English Literature a little difficult. In fact, I failed. Ooops.

8. One book you are currently reading.
Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis. Actually, I could have put The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe for number 2, come to think of it. I've recently decided to read the whole series, seeing as I have only read that one, so I started at the beginning with The Magician's Nephew and I'm getting on fine.

9. One book you've been meaning to read.
Aldeburgh's Affectionate Poet by Roger Frith. It's about, and contains poetry by, my great-grandad, who celebrated his one hundredth birthday when I was eleven years old and I rememeber him well. I may have inherited his talent, but I'm afraid to read it, incase I find out I haven't and my poetry is really rubbish.

10. One book you wish you'd written.
My book of poetry, which is going to earn me a fortune so that I can buy that house in Gairloch! Oh and ofcourse bring enjoyment to so many others with my lovely poetry...

Next thing is six weird (W.E.I.R.D. Ruth.) things about me.

I take exception to that, I'm not weird.

Ok.
1. I am obsessive about the order clothes have to be hung out on the washing line. Apparently, that is weird. I think it's organised.
2. Nobody is allowed to write on my lists and I have to complete them using the same pen/pencil.
3. My shopping list has to be made in the order I will go round Tesco. A bit awkward now I use dotcom...
4. I make individual piles of clothes for all of us on the spare bed before I pack for a holiday.
5. David thinks I have weird feet. I don't.
6. Some people like me. I think that's weird.

I had no idea how hard that would be. You don't think of yourself as weird, do you?

As I don't know anyone with blogs except Ruth and Anne, (virtually), I shall invite anyone who happens along my blog to tag themselves. Neat!

At it again

I thought, "Oh, another pinch!", then I thought, "No, can't answer some of these and I shouldn't copy again.", then Ruth said please copy this.

So, I have. Here goes.

1. I was born in North Devon
2. I have lived in Grimsby
3. I have lived in Scotland
4. I have 8 O' Levels
5. 1 A' Level (it was deliberate to fail the rest, don't ask)
6. I have my Stage One BHS Exam
7. I have grade 5 clarinet
8. I used to be a Sea Cadet
9. I have worked for two local papers
10. I met Jack Brymer
11. I have seen The King Singers in rehersal
12. I was a Trainee Legal Executive
13. My husband is Scottish
14. I have four children
15. I have a brother and a sister
16. I've never lived in a remarkable building
17. I once represented my 'house' at hurdles (?!) at sports day
18. I was in the tennis and hockey squads but never played. I did run cross country for my school. Once. I wasn't last...
19. I was a flunky in the school pantomime
20. I passed AO General Studies
21. I was Chair of the Ardersier Mother and Toddler group
22. I am a lapsed member of the British Horse Society
23. I am a member of the RSPB
24. My youngest daughter has given flowers to Barbara Dickson
25. I speak English, fluently
26. I prefer fiction to non-fiction
27. I have been to London once, when I was 12
28. I love Radio 2
29. II still have no idea where my maiden name (Flower) comes from
31. My father was an Insurance Inspector and I have never met his brother
32. I am anxiety prone
33. I'm TERRIFIED of spiders
34. I worked in a nursing home for a month
35. I used to go to PTA meetings
36. I have never been a bridesmaid
37. I have never been asked to be a god parent
38. My favourite book is Nick Nairn's New Scottish Cookery
39. I have read lots of books by Barbara Erskine
40. I have read lots of books by James Herriot
41. I have read every Harry Potter
42. I have read (I think) all of the Inspector Morse stories
43. I prefer food shopping to clothes shopping
44. I'd rather spend my money on a nice pair of boots than on shoes
45. I walked past The Glasshouse in Ambleside (Gordon Ramsay's Nightmare Kitchen thingy)
46. I still have the ticket stub from the Peter Gabriel concert I went to in 1988
47. I would love to see Billy Connolly live
48. As a child I would occasionally pinch small sums of money and spend it on sweets (scarey similarity here)
49. My favourite film is... that's too hard, too many to choose from
50. My favourite place to be is the Scotland, perferably the West Coast or the Cairngorms
51. I have had a general anaesthetic, once
52. I have no major scars
53. I have a small scar on my calf, where I was wellied by a pony
54. I am allergic to most animals with fur
55. I love cats, but they are not good for me
56. I am a bit scared of cows
57. I like zoos to be a part of a conservation breeding programme
58. I lurve chocolate
59. I don't like other sweets
60. I do not to mix chocolate with wine
61. I have read lots about depression, but have so far failed to accept help
62. I don't eat properly when my husband is away
63. I enjoy cooking
64. I plan to study for a degree
65. I also plan to run a B & B
66. I love my kenwood chef
67. I shout at my children waaay too much
68. They still say mummy's the best (daddy or chips, daddy or chips, the Mcaines ad...)
69. No-one else would put up with me like my husband does!!!!)
70. I am distinctly lacking in qualifications
71. I am not liscensed for anything
72. I am not a member of any institutes
73. My brother was a member of MENSA, does that count?
74. I have family in Australia but have never visited
75. Today has not been a funny day, but a very strange one
76. I feel loved and wanted by some of the people I know
77. I feel that some of the people I know are indifferent to me
78. I know that some of the people I know don't like me at all
79. I am short tempered, especially when hormonal
80. I can be great fun on a night out
81. I, too, did things in my teens that were plain stoopid and I could have ended up dead in a ditch
82. I once attended court for a traumatic child custody case, as Legal Executive
83. We honeymooned in, wait for it, Malta. Mmmm
84. Flying terrifies me, it makes me cry
85. I have seen a a golden eagle
86. I once found a hair in my risotto whilst having a meal at a posh Italien restaurant
87. I recently lost two and a half stone and have kept most of it off
88. I have no tatoos
89. I dyed my hair once- I went for black. My natural colour is brunett
90. I had my ears pierced when I was 14
91. I refuse to let my daughters have theirs pierced
92. I have a pierced naval
93. I breast-fed all of my children
94. I hate upsetting people
95. Only one friendship has ended in complete disaster, two years ago
96. I believe in love at first sight
97. I have lots of bad hair days
98. I had a teenage crush on Lewis Collins in The Proffessionals
99. I am currently the happiest I've ever been
100. ...most days

Obviously far too much time on my hands

find your inner PIE @ stvlive.com
discover your dog breed @ quiz meme

David Evans is my stinky butt http://www.quizmeme.com/petname/quiz.php

Oh ho! THAT is so appropriate

Thanks Anne!

I am an Echinacea What Flower Are You?

"You are a health conscious person, both your health and the health of others. You know all about the health benefits and dangers of the world around you."

Really? Gosh, I'm a useful person to know!

Just don't

Don't ask me what is going on, I have no idea and I don't think I can be bothered to try to find out and sort it, so we are all going to have to be adult about this and get on with it, ok?
Good.

Ofcourse, it may all look normal to you and you may be wondering what on earth I'm talking about. From where I'm blogging, the photograph I just posted on my last post is being wrapped around by the post before it.

Just don't.

Oo er, matron

I've been having a little play, getting click-happy. Now, I'm nervous. I've got lots of new toys to play with and I could make a real mess of things. Oh well, we'll see how it goes.

Here's to beta.blogger and long may I sail in her!

Tink, the light goes on

So that's what being spammed is! Or at least, I assume that's what it is, two very strange 'comments' on my other blog that lead to different links, totally unconnected to anything contained within my poetry. Hmm, we'll see if it becomes a problem or not.

Actually, my own title for this very post has given my an idea. I'll be back!