My Meme

OK, here's my answers. now let's see yours

1. Tell me about something you still own from your childhood, or something you remember and wish you still had.
I have a blue plastic bath brush which is like the face of an elephant and the trunk is the handle. Also Teddy that my aunt made for me before I was born. First person to say antique gets blocked!

2, Name one piece of music that means something to you and why
I listen to a lot of music, mostly classical but some modern. However, I was brought up watching amateur Gilbert and Sullivan and taken to rehearsals practically in my cot so that is womb music for me.

3. Do you ever read a book a second time? What book/s
Yes, I read books more than once. There is a series of books by C.P.Snow that went under the collective title of "Strangers and Brothers" and there are 11 of them. I have read them all twice or three times and it's like going back to visit old friends. Also things by Evelyn Waugh, Olivia Manning, Anthony Powell, that sort of stuff.

4. If you could pass a law what would it be? No Christmas decorations or cards or anything in the shops until the 1st of Decenber

5. What did you have for dinner? Last night had smoked salmon and pasta with some fried onions and red peppers mixed in

6. Do you have a recurring dream? What is it and what does it tell you about yourself?
I dream my teeth are falling out. I suddenly find my mouth full of broken teeth. That's when I know the stress is getting to me.

7. What's the first record you ever bought? Telstar by The Tornados

8. Town or Country? Depends on the time of year my dear, one must spend the appropriate season in the appropriate place (I wish)

Sunday Stealing - the cheek of the woman

This week's SS was boring and asked for too many personal details that might lead to identity theft so I am being cheeky and luring you all here to do my meme instead

1. Tell me about something you still own from your childhood, or something you remember and wish you still had.

2, Name one piece of music that means something to you and why

3. Do you ever read a book a second time? What book/s

4. If you could pass a law what would it be?

5. What did you have for dinner?

6. Do you have a recurring dream? What is it and what does it tell you about yourself?

7. What's the first record you ever bought?

8. Town or Country?

OK My answers are here

Almost there

I know I should go and start clearing the garden but my chocolate cosmos is still flowering so I'll leave it a bit longer, when I have more time - which is about to be the case!
I have found it a bit difficult to blog these last few weeks as I handed in my notice but couldn't say anything about it for reasons I won't bore you with. Consequently I have been working extra hours to catch up a lot of stuff and write a "manual" for my successor plus mum hasn't been well so I have had extra shopping and cooking to do. Then I fell over in the garage and had almighty backache. BUT, as this blog is always positive, I am delighted to say that a successor has been found and as soon as her ruptured achilles tendon has improved I will be FREE, FREE I TELL YOU, FREE.
For a while anyway. The plan is to take a 6 month break, catch up with housework, do a bit of painting (artistic not house) reading, helping mum and OH with whatever they need help with and getting my little ailments under control. And blogging of course. A nostalgiafest probably so you will need to be a certain age to get some of it. Like laundry marks and little doors marked "off licence" and the milk being delivered twi8ce a day.
Watch this space

Sunday Stealing 22/11

Sunday Stealing: The Party Mummy Meme

1. Name someone with the same birthday as you. - My friend Lee and Monty Don - same year as well, and Rob Dunger just same day but he's older!

2. Where was your first kiss? - Front seat of a car

3. Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex? If yes, why? - No

4. Have you ever sung in front of a large number of people? When? - Yes, many times

5. What's the first thing you notice about your preferred sex? - Always had a bit of a thing about bald men

6. What really turns you off? - Bad manners

7. What is your biggest mistake? - Why bother to remember

8. Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose? - No

9. Say something totally random about yourself.- It's time I had my breakfast

10. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity? - I've answered this before - Jane Wyman

11. Do you still watch kiddie movies or TV shows? - Yes, I have all the Shaun the Sheep DVDs

12. Are you comfortable with your height?- Yes unless the ceiling is very low

13. What is the most romantic thing someone of the preferred sex has done for you? - My husband proposed in a very romantic way

14. When do you know it's love? You just do

15. What's something that really annoys you? - People who park half off the road and don't think about the people who need to get past on the pavement

Christmas cards

I've always found that looking at colours cheers me up. If I'm low and near a wool shop I will go and look at all the colours and textures and it makes me feel better. I recently came across a lovely book about Iris Folding, which is a technique for making greetings cards and pictures using folded strips of paper, and this gives me an opportunity to play around with colours and textures again. Today I have been making some Christmas cards and forgetting the time and giving myself the backache because I was so absorbed in what I was doing. If you'd like to see a couple of examples click on this Link

What is it about sparrows?

I went for a walk this afternoon as I had been slaving over a hot computer all morning and had a really sore back. It was a bit windy to go through the woods so I went along the cycle track that follows the line of the original farm track and went and saw my second favourite tree and said hello (Cue song "I talked to the trees - and then they took me away")
In the hedges there is often a flock of sparrows. Now where I used to live we had huge flocks of sparrows, maybe 30 or more, but here we never get any in the garden and I miss them. So I stopped and watched the sparrows in the hedge. I stood very still and after a while they came and watched me and it made me feel very happy. So what is it about sparrows that is so cheerful?

Monday Mayhem Have you/Would you

Decided to start doing another meme, like I need stuff to do in my copious free time (irony)


HAVE YOU or WOULD YOU...
Go Skinny Dipping?
Can't swim, but I did go topless in Portugal about 25 years ago!

Woken up somewhere that you have no idea how you got there?
No

Eaten a rabbit?
Yes, often, I really like rabbit stew

Have a meet-up with another blogger?
No but I met up with a fellow tweeter and it's now a regular occurrence

Stolen a candy bar?
No

Roasted a pig?
Not personally but I have been present at pig roasts

Bounced a check
No

Gone for a balloon ride?
No, would love to but not sure my dodgy back would cope with the landing

Write a really cool Monday Mayhem ?
I'm working on it

Sunday Stealing 15/11

Sunday Stealing: The Over the Top Meme

Part One - Describe:

Your hair? - Short, brown, some grey

Your mother? - 85 on Tuesday and the best mum a girl could have. She's intelligent, very caring and has a deep Christian faith

Your father? - He passed away 35 years ago, an extremely good amateur actor, a drama teacher so spent a lot of time with him in school holidays

Your favorite food? - My very easy home made chicken curry, let me know if you want the recipe

Your dream last night? - Don't remember

Your favorite drink? - Fresh Orange juice

Your dream/goal? - I'll have to get back to you on that one

The room are you in? - My study

Your hobby? - Making cards and bead jewellery and crocheting and a bit of drawing and a few weekly challenges which are Like This

Your fear? - Being ill so that I can't look after mum and hubby

Your TV? - Prefer factual programmes like Natural History and Science but also like SF

Your Pets? - None

Friends? - Only a few but they are good ones

Your life? - Easy most of the time

Your mood? - Ask me in the New Year

If you're missing someone? - Not really although I'm sorry my dad isn't still here

Your best friend? - Don't rate my friends, several would be joint top of the list

Part Two - The Where's?

Where do you want to be in 6 years? - I'll wait and see

Where were you last night? - Here

Where did you grow up? - Brentwood and Billericay, Essex UK

One place that I go to over and over? - Sutton Hoo

Your favorite place to eat out? - Almost never eat out

Wish list items? - To be better organised and tidier

Last time you laughed? - About 10 minutes ago

Last time you cried? - About 10 days ago

Part Three - The What's?

Something that you aren't? - Unhappy

Last thing you did? -Gave my hubby a hug

What are you wearing?- Nightie and dressing gown, only just got up

Something you're not wearing? - Work it out from last question

Your favorite store? - It has to be H.G.Crisp in Saxmundham

Sunday Stealing 8/11

26. What color is your watch?
- Which watch?

27. What do you think of when you hear “Australia”?
- It's a very long way away.

28. Would you strip for money?
-Nobody would pay me

29. Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
- No drive through where I live and don't like fast food

30. What is your favorite number?
- 42

31. Who’s the last person you talked to on the phone?
- My mother

32. Any plans today?
- Church, walk, pottering about

33. In how many states have you lived?
- None unless being in a state of perpetual confusion counts

34. Biggest annoyance right now?
- Meme's that assume everybody lives in the U.S.

35. Last song listened to?
- Bete Noir by Bryan Ferry

36. Can you say the alphabet backwards?
-SEY

37. Do you have a maid service clean your house?
- You are joking aren't you?

38. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
-Anything that will accommodate my bunions

39. Are you jealous of anyone?
-No

40. Is anyone jealous of you?
- Shouldn't think so


41. Do you love anyone?
- Yes

42. Do any of your friends have children?
Yes, and grandchildren and great grandchildren

43. What do you usually do during the day?
- Depends which day. Work Tuesday and Wednesday, housework Monday, Friday, visit mum Thursday

44. Do you hate anyone that you know right now?
-Absolutely not

45. Do you use the word hello daily?
- Yes

46. What color is your car?
- Blue

47. What size wedding ring do you wear?
- Don't know, had it too long to remember

48. Are you thinking about someone right now?
- No, I am concentrating on this meme

49. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
- No, don't even know where it is

50. How did you get your worst scar?
- Chicken pox

Those anti spammer words

I find myself getting more and more fascinated by those random words you have to type in a box before you can post links to your blog on Facebook or comment on some people's blogs. This morning I got "O'Hara Harps" and in my mind's eye saw this funny little back street shop with a leprachaun sitting in the back room surrounded by bits of string and wood and strange tools and a Pratchettesque harp made of sapient pearwood like the luggage (I know, you have to read Discworld novels, it's too complicated to explain) telling him why he's doing things wrong. I have a feeling Alan Coren wrote a piece all about the books that went under titles that were really volumes in an encyclopedia. I will have to see if I can find it. In the meantime let's see what we get when I post the link up to this!
P.S. It was "sneak featherbedding" Is that a mattress that lulls you into a false sense of security?

Sunday Stealing - 01/11

Tried to take the Sunday Stealing a bit more seriously this week!

1. What is the color of your toothbrush?
- White with a bit of blue

2. Name one person who made you smile today.
- @Farctum on Twitter

3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
- It is 8 am and I'm doing this meme

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?
- Sleeping

5. What is your favorite candy bar?
- Toffee Crisp

6. Have you ever been to a strip club?
- No but I've walked past a few

7. What is the last thing you said aloud?
- Good Morning

8. What is your favorite ice cream? How to choose?
- Choosing if you go to the Ice cream Parlour at Aldeburgh is very difficult. If I was there now I think I would have coffee flavour, or maybe Banoffee

9. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Coffee

10. Do you like your wallet?
No, the zip just broke

11. What was the last thing you ate?
Puffed oats with some dried cranberries and soya milk

12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
No

13. The last sporting event you watched?
Watched a bit of Formula one a couple of weeks ago

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?
- Didn't know you could get different flavours

15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to?
A very old and dear friend whose father has just died

16. Ever go camping?
No, NO!

17. Do you take vitamins daily?
-Yes

18. Do you go to church every Sunday?
-Yes, nearly every week although very occasionally I might miss

19. Do you have a tan?
-Bit of a gardeners tan on my forearms

20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza?
-Not sure

21. Do you drink your soda with a straw?
- Never drink soda

22. What did your last text message say?
- It was private so not sharing that

23. What are you doing tomorrow?
- Laundry in the morning, and shopping. House group in the afternoon. Getting ready for work on Tuesday and having a look at the Monday Mayhem meme

24. Favorite color?
- Do you know the variety of Penstemon called "Sour Grapes" ? It's a sort of delicate electric mauve/blue

25. Look to your left; what do you see?
- A big pine tree and rain