Dawdling

Went for a long walk today along the cycle track that goes all the way to Tesco's (and back again)This follows an old farm track for part of the way and so there are some really nice bits of hedgerow that look very old and a few huge trees, plus all sorts of wildflowers and birds. We saw a sparrow hawk being mobbed and a lot of blackbirds and some cheeky cockney sparrers (I suppose they are Suffolk Sparrows here)and we dawdled. Frankly the world would be a better place for a bit more dawdling.

Sunday Stealing 13/09

One day I'm going to do a meme myself. The SS site will tell you all about this.

Sunday Stealing: One Long Meme (Part One)

1. The phone rings. Who will it to be?
My mother

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?
Yes, at my supermarket you have to put a £ in to take it but I would anyway

3. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener?
Depends on who I'm with. I hope I am a good listener for people who need someone to listen to them

4. Do you take compliments well?
I hope so

5. Do you play Sudoku?
No and it really annoys me when people don't get it that it's nothing to do with maths

6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive?
Probably

7. Did you ever go to camp as a kid?
No, nor as an adult

8. What was your favorite game as a kid?
Playing cards with my dad

9. If a sexy person was pursuing you, but you knew she was married, would you?
Would I what?

10. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you?
I'm married to him

11. Do you like to pursue or be pursued?
Not applicable

12. Use three words to describe yourself?
Loyal, curious, menopausal

13. Do any songs make you cry?
Yes, there's one by Alison Moyet that I can't bear to listen to, I had to get rid of the CD it was on. Can't remember the title bit it says "Who will shelter me"

14. Are you continuing your education?
Yes, learn something new every day

15. Do you know how to shoot a gun?
Yes, a shot gun at least. And I can hit things too! Clay pigeons that is

16. Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth?
Yes, for a passport about 40 years ago

17. How often do you read books?
Every day

18. Do you think more about the past, present or future?
Don't think any one predominates

19. What is your favorite children’s book?
Moomintrolls

20.What color are your eyes?
Mud

21. How tall are you?
5ft 4ins and a bit

22. Where is your dream house located?
In a clearing in the forest

23. If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you grabbed?
My toughdrive portable hard disk

24. When was the last time you were at Olive Garden?
What's Olive Garden?

25. Where was the furthest place you traveled today?
Day's not over yet but probably 8 minute walk to church

26. Do you like mustard?
German yes, French and English no

The best laid plans....

I had every intention of writing something here everyday; something happy, uplifting or thought provoking, but always positive. I don't know about you, but it has had an effect on me. I have been feeling so happy, uplifted and positive that I decided to have a real blitz on all sorts of de-cluttering, filing and general sorting jobs and as a consequence haven't had time to sit and provoke thought. Will try to do better. By the way. I don't think I really have had 11,000 visitors in the last 48 hours, the spring's gone on my counter!

If you don't like spiders........

I wrote about the autumn garden spiders a while ago and getting them to cut bits of leaf out of their webs. The little ones are getting bigger now and several lurk in my tomatoes. This picture is of a spider that turned up a couple of years ago in my last garden. It is a wasp spider (bet you can't guess why ho ho) She made a beautiful nest for a big paper ball a bit like a nigella seed head and guarded it well until the cold snap that came. We moved that year so I don't know if another one turned up next year.

Sunday Stealing 06/09

Sunday Stealing: The Random Dozen Meme

1. When you go to Wowmart, what one thing do you get every single time, besides a funky-wheeled squeaking cart full of frustration?

If you mean Tesco (Wowmart sounds much more exciting) then a headache and a carton of orange juice

2. What is something that people are currently “into” that you just don’t get or appreciate?

Reality television

3. What is something that really hoists your sail that other people might feel “ho-hum” about?

Babylon 5

4. Favorite song to sing in the shower or car?

Much too difficult to choose one song from my extensive repetoire

5. A really great salad must have this ingredient:

Those little bits of crunchy onion

6. What advice in a nutshell would you give to new bloggers?

Never forget your mother might read it

7. What was the alternate name that your parents almost named you? Do you wish they had chosen it instead of the one they gave you?

My mum was convinced I was going to be a boy and I was going to be called Mark. She decided on Janine when she found out I was a girl but thought people might think it was too posh so she changed it to Janet. Think I'm quite happy with that.

8. What in your life are you waiting for?

My premium bond to come up

9. You get a package in the mail. What is it, and who is it from?

Probably a book I've ordered from amazon

10. Today–what song represents you?

I heard that Nina Simone thing yesterday "Feeling good", not sure if that's the title but it'll do

11. What is one thing that blogging has taught you about yourself?

As I resolved only to think nice thoughts on this blog it has taught me to think of something positive about every day

12. How are you going to (or how did you) choose the clothes you’re wearing today?
What do they say about you in general or specifically how you’re feeling today?

Layers. It's my age dear!

Ladies who lunch #1

When I was doing a proper job in the 1980s lunch was part of the package. In those days there was an almost bottomless petty cash box and I was expected to take out and be taken out by diverse bank managers, estate agents, the occasional barrister, property developers and the like. As a then single girl it was very useful as I didn't have to cook when I got home but it did mean being nice to people that I might not have otherwise chosen to spend time with (except that barrister, he was gorgeous) Now I have the infinitly more pleasant experience of only spending my occasional lunches out with people who I have chosen and, strange though it may seem, who have chosen me.
Today was my second lunch with she of the random ramblings. We were going to go to Arlingtons again but they were very full so we went back to a little place (positively bijou, my dear) that I had seen earlier and graced them with our presence instead. RR knows how to do the thingy with the link, I must find out how myself sometime, so you will have to visit her blog (see right) to get there but it was called Morgans and is in Arcade Street. Two hours fled by and we learned some more about each other and smiled sweetly at the two ladies who were running the joint as we interrupted their tea when we left.
When I got home it was to find that my new printer had arrived with its promise of hours of fun and frolics trying to get it installed. In fact all seems to have gone well so I can start playing with that tomorrow after Sunday Stealing.

Secret Garden Part 2

Here are some more photos of the lovely garden at the place where I work. Please respect my copyright in them. When I get permission I will post a few that show some of the paintings that are hanging in this open air gallery but if you come to the shop and buy a newspaper you can go and sit there yourself

PHEW!

Been working hard and not felt like sitting at the computer when I got home but now I have a whole 18 days before I go back down the mine - what bliss. Look out for some more photos of the Secret Garden tomorrow

Secret Garden Part one

I'm working some extra hours this week so I can take a break next week. So for once I took a proper lunch break and ate my sandwiches in the garden of the place where I work. It's a very old building with a very old garden. The bosses mum has been doing it up and then someone suggested that the art gallery could overflow there in the summer. I don't know why I haven't been out there for a while but it blew me away. If I ever feel like packing in this job the garden and access to it might just change my mind. I am going to tantalise you with just one photo for now but there will be more and they are worth it i promise. There was a baby blackbird there but having surveyed me with that serious look that baby birds have, and not moved as I walked round it, it got camera shy so I'll try again tomorrow. You see, there are silver linings everywhere if you take the trouble to look.

Bank Holidays

As I don't normally work on a Monday the Bank Holidays tend to pass me by. However, hubby feeling a bit crook today so I sat in the garden and read (Colin Thubron's Shadow of the Silk Road) after I'd hung the washing out. Brilliant blue sky and my usually too shady border was just right. Also had a little wander round Paris on Google Maps Street View, which is just what an armchair traveller like me needs. I tried to find the places I stayed when I was a lot younger. I was lucky enough to have a couple of holidays in Paris crashing out on various people's floors - ah those were the days.

My e-book

Hardly dare let on but I'm posting my novel as an e-book! Chapter one
http://www.webook.com/project/Trophies-of-Innocence

Sunday Stealing 30/08

This meme has slightly scuppered my intention to only have sweetness and joy on my blog but I've done it anyway. By the way, if you copy and paste the questions into Word and then when you have typed your answers you save it as a plain text file, then open it again and copy it you can paste straight into your post and it saves a lot of typing.

what are your most common nicknames?
Not aware of any that other people have given me apart from Fred when I was little and jaydubblah which I gave myself

what is today's weather?
Sunny but autumnal

where did go on vacation this year?
Haven't been away for at least 15 years

what did you do there?
See above

where did you stay?
See above

what job do you do?
Half way between book keeper and accounts manager

describe where you live.
Just outside a large town but I can see trees

what do you usually do on weekends?
Housework Saturday, church Sunday, read, walk.

what food hits your 'bliss spot'?
Sorry, can't really think of anything for this. I like all sorts of food (and drink) but couldn't say there's anything I couldn't do without

what drink really does it for you?
see above

describe the first friend that comes to your head.
Tall, blonde, left handed

what was the last restaurant you went to?
I don't get out much - oh yes, I just remembered lunch at a place called Arlington's

where would you like to live if you had unlimited moneys and nothing stopping your dreams?
India

what is the likeliness of you achieving this dream home?
Zero

what do you like to do in your spare time?
Read, walk, crafting, play games on Facebook

what's your favorite genre for TV programs?
Travel

what's your favorite genre for music?
Depends on my mood. Could be Alice Cooper, could be Vivaldi

what's your favorite song that's sad?
Voir un ami pleurer by Jacques Brel

what's your favorite soppy film?
Don't like soppy films

how about your favorite chick flick?
Don't think I've ever seen one

what are you looking forward to at the moment?
Finishing this meme

what are you dreading at the moment?
Nothing

how would you describe your personality?
My modesty is my best quality

if you had a personality eraser, what part of yours might you erase?
Getting in a tiz

you are given $5000 to spend in 1 day, what do you do with it? remember, no limitations!
Do up my mum's flat for her

what is your biggest fear?
Being old and lonely.

Last of the Sweet Peas

Although it isn't even September yet(well not quite) things in my garden seem to be packing up shop and going home already. I know these sweet peas are probably quite late and they put on a great show for me this year but I wish they would last a little longer. Do you associate a particular flower with a particular person. The sweet peas are my mother's sister, her husband grew them for competition and he often gave her some to put in the house. Anenomes are my nan and freesias are a good friend's mum. My mum is forget-me-nots.Not sure what I am, I'll let you know!

Sleepy head

Being tired is OK if you earned it. Feel like I've worked hard today but not sure what I did. Never mind. Missed Saturday Sketch this week but maybe next week. Glad the weather has cooled down a bit, it's been hot and humid here but the tomatoes have loved it and I still have sweet peas flowering. Maybe do a photo tomorrow. Sweet dreams all

Friends and relatives

Someone said once that God gives you your relatives but you choose your friends. I feel blessed that I would have chosen all my relatives so I thank God for giving them to me. A relative visited today. I went and collected my mum so she could join in, and went for a walk along the sea shore after I had taken her home. Then I thought I'd share the view from my study window. If you have been, thanks for listening

Always carry a camera

I have a very small and very good digital camera which was a present from my husband. I often regret not having it with me. Today I went to a garden that is also an art gallery. The paintings were almost a shock in the setting of old brick and late summer flowers but it worked somehow. I shall go back next week and see if I can do it justice and share it. Yes, OK it happens to be part of the place where I work and I know I should have looked sooner but now I have I will welcome a little oasis amidst the stress and trauma

Time to stand and stare

What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare. Years ago I remember this being written up on one of those big hoardings they put round building sites, next to a letter box shaped hole at convenient height. What a nice thought. I tend to waylay myself when I am watering my tomatoes now as there are lots of those garden spiders that hang there in the evening sunshine waiting for a meal. You know, the ones whose webs do all that magical stuff in the morning when the dew is on them. My dad showed me, when I was little, how to flick a little bit of leaf into the web and then watch the spider carefully cut it out and lean away from the web so that the leaf didn't catch again when the spider dropped it. I still do it but it does mean the watering takes rather longer than it should

A walk in the woods

I went for an early walk this morning. Although there is something slightly autumnal about the quality of the light the air is still warm and before long the sun became almost too hot. Trees look parched and are changing colour already in some places but not golden, just brown. Three blue tits came to my birdfeeder which was good as I don't see many birds in the garden here. Where I used to live we had lots, maybe 30 sparrows at a time, little hooligans but fun to watch, chaff-, gold- and green- finches, blue-, great-, long tailed-, coal- and marsh- tits, robins and blackbirds of course and the occasional pheasant plus the idiot black cockerel from across the road (called Gary?!) Here it's mostly magpies starlings and crows plus pompous pigeons but we have had some others, just not very often.
This place has it's compensations though. I can walk through pretty woods less than 100 yards from my front door and along cycle tracks away from the traffic and which follow old farm tracks so there are wonderful old hedgerows along the way. I'll be blackberrying soon and hunting for the sloes I saw earlier in the year.
Of course, as it's Monday I will be doing the laundry and shopping and house work type things but we can forget all that for now.

Sunday Stealing part 2

Aha - saved it as a Plain Text File and it worked. Not so thick after all!

The artist is Bryan Ferry with or without Roxy Music

-Are you a male or female? -Just one look

-Describe yourself - Beauty Queen

-How do you feel right now? -Time on my hands

-If you could go anywhere, where would you go? -India

-Your favorite form of transportation -Running Wild

-Describe Your Morning Routine -Whirlwind (I wish!)

-Your best friend is - My only love

-What's the weather like -Rain Rain Rain

-Pet Peeve? -Kiss and Tell

-If your life was a TV show, what would it be called - Same Old Scene

-Your relationship -The Right Stuff

-Your Fear- Eight Miles HIGH



-What is the best advice you have to give?- More Than This

-If you could change your name, you would change it to -Sentimental Fool

-What do you say when you are frustrated? -Cry Cry Cry

-Thought for the day- Psalm

-How you would like to die -Don't want to know

-Your soul's present condition - Would You Believe

-Your motto -Stronger thrtough the Years