Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Witty Wednesday # 123


I haven't posted a WW since before Christmas and I was thinking about dropping it altogether. However, I just opened an email from my friend Daffy and I decided to share a few of the cartoons she sent me.


....and with that it's goodnight from me.


Archives:
2009: Hotter Comfort Concept your service sucks!
2008: de Young Fine Arts museum
2007: Shopped til we dropped

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

There's an old mill by a steam.....


I took this view of an old mill on one of our family walks over the New Year.
Archives:
2009: Fun Monday-100 Diets
2008: I nearly didn't join the party. + Keeping Sam Company
2007: A huge thank you

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Monday, January 25, 2010

Fun Monday # 153 Do I have a favourite room !!!!


Some of you may not have been around at the beginning of Fun Monday back on 22nd January 2007. In fact it wasn't even called that on the first Monday when we all posted the view from our front doors. Who would have believed it would still be running all these years later. It was intended to be an easy show and tell and I think you would agree this has been achieved, even if we have re-visited quite a few topics.

Now for today's task that has been set by Janis who says:

...here is what I dreamed up! The big question is ....What is the favorite room in your home? Tell us why and show us a photo if you can.

I'm not sure I really have a favourite room, well actually that is not true but I'm not showing you a picture as it's my mothers bedroom and it wasn't fit to be photographed. This is a room that overlooks the back of the house, is quiet, and catches the afternoon and evening sun. Originally I planned to use this room as my retreat and a cosy sitting room in winter.

Our sitting room is where I tend to sit and watch TV during the evenings.


I did not tidy up so I apoligise for the room looking messy.

I also spend a lot of time in my dining room at the main computer, (you might have noticed I keep my laptop by my chair in the sitting room!)

No prizes for guessing that I enjoy playing Farmville, Cafe World, Fishville and Lexulous!!!!
When we downsize, I'm hoping to have a conservatory and that would definitely be my favourite room!



Anniversary Links
22/1/07
21/1/08
19/1/09


Archives:
2009: I'm so excited
2008: Fun Monday-51-My Bedside Drawers
2007: Who's the Birthday Girl!

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Thursday, January 21, 2010

What's for Breakfast!!


Yummy Yummy Yummy
Who's got Cranberry in their tummy!

It may not be jam but it tasted good as a topping to my breakfast this morning!
It's not poetry either LOL!
Archives:
2009: Witty Wednesday-81 + Fishworks Demise
2008: Fun Monday-50 1st Anniversary
2007: None

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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Winter Wonderland

These are my last few snow pictures (well I hope we've seen the last of it!)

These first two photos were taken from our top bedroom, some 50 feet from ground level. You get a good view of the neighbourhood from here.
Below virgin snow, the postman soon made it look messy!
We saw quite a few animal prints in the snow, some were clearly birds, but not sure if this was made by a cat or fox. As we have walls and fences around the back it had to be a good climber!
We thought we'd seen the last of the snow after a mild weekend, but this morning we woke up to a snow storm which left a dusting of the white stuff. It soon turned to rain and is now completely disappeared.
Will this be the last of it I wonder????

Archives:
2009: Worm Works
2008: Electronic Arts Redwood City
2007: Don't you just love Garfield

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Jam Disaster!!

Having bought just over three pounds of cranberries for just over £1.00 I thought I was going to make some Cranberry Jam. I found a recipe on the internet but sadly for me it didn't work well and the jam wouldn't set properly.

Embee very kindly went off to the supermarket to get me some liquid pectin. I ended up using the whole bottle and it still, in my opinion, remained too runny. I decided to bottle it and let it cool and see what it's like tomorrow.

After advice from friends on FB I might even try boiling it up again tomorrow. The stupid thing is that if my memory was better I could have used a very good recipe from Barbara and I would have ended up with good jam instead of the goo in the jars above.

Anyone fancy some tasty cranberry sauce! I think it would go very well with vanilla icecream, I might even try this tomorrow!!

Archives:
2009: Fun Monday-99 2nd Anniversary
2008: Crouching Spider Sculpture
2007: Pink Saucepans

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Monday, January 18, 2010

Fun Monday # 152 Chores I love to hate


I had every intention of joining in the last three Fun Mondays, and if you could see my drafts I have half finished post languishing there but somehow I didn't get around to completing them. Now that Embee is home, having retired at Christmas, I haven't quite been able to get into a new routine but I guess that's another story!!
Anyway back to the task in hand which has been set by Jill aka Lil Mouse and this is what she wants us to do:

This week’s Fun Monday post will be about chores. What is your least favorite chore? Vacuum get you down? Dust bunnies saying, “oh yeah, you and what army?” Is there a chore that you neglect doing it until the absolute last minute when guests arrive? Do you just pray they won’t look ‘there’? Are you going green with your cleaning? Top tips? If you have any ideas for anyone on Monday, post them in their comment box, because we all know that we LOVE comments!

Where do I begin I'm not keen on any sort of house work. When I was younger I used to take a real pride in maintaining a very high standard. I used to practically Spring clean every room each month-I must have been mad! I foolishly thought I could keep this up even when I had children but I quickly learned it was not possible.

Working full time meant I had to cram housework into the weekends and evenings. Once I retired I imagined that I would soon have the house neat as a new pin; however, after an initial onslaught, somehow in the three years I've been home I've come to resent spending my life clearing up after other people so all my chores are hated.

Now don't get me wrong that doesn't mean I don't do them but it is often with a bad grace. Although having said that I love it when everything is clean and tidy, sadly by the time I've put the cleaning materials away and look around there are muddles everywhere. So beware it's not only children that make a mess, elderly people are equally messy ...well they are in this house!!!!

If I had to name one thing I really dislike that would be ironing. My mother likes a lot of things ironed that I wouldn't bother to iron if it was for me. However, all the cotton things, including cotton bedding do get ironed and I usually wait until I have a full basket before I get the ironing board out.

One exception... I refuse to iron Embee's white shirts.... he complained once so I said never again. For a while he did wash his own but for many years he's taken them to the laundry. I haven't actually asked him what he intends to do now he's retired. He certainly can't say he doesn't have time or he's too tired to do them himself can he!!!!!
I'm not really going to give any cleaning tips but I will say vinegar is a good natural cleaner. I did run a series of blogs on the uses of vinegar taken from a very useful little book I have!
The photo below is my laundry basket (actually I believe it was my mother's basket and it's positively ancient) as it looks today; only one item waiting to be ironed it would be better if it were empty but I can live with this as it will be several weeks before I fill the basket and need to get the iron out!!


I'm rather hoping to pick up some good tips from everyone else and then housework might not be such a chore!!

Archives:
2009: Unusual Playmates
2008: Surprize
2007: Gale Force Winds

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Wednesday, January 06, 2010

More Snow and more on the way!

A good few inches of snow fell over night. I got up to have a look around 4am and it looked beautiful. By the time I got up at 8am my good neighbour, John, was out clearing the road again.

I had a chat with him when I went to get the papers, and I cleared a pathway out to the front gate. I decided to leave the back, as my blister has only just healed from the last time.

I was supposed to be driving Embee to the clinic for an eye test but the snow had drifted against the gate so my car was stuck in the yard. Another reason for not clearing the snow as I'm not keen on driving in these conditions! Embee re-arranged the appointment for next week, and to be honest I don't think he was that keen on venturing out as he's still recovering from a chest infection and he has a nasty cough.

My little bulbs were beginning to peep out but now they are covered in a cosy white blanket!

Now if it had been like this over Christmas the plant below would have been pretty!


This is a fun time for the children who don't have school but it's less fun for those trying to go to work and for the elderly who are trying to keep warm in sub-zero temperatures. My oil gauge is dropping at an alarming rate so I hope it warms up soon.

Archives:
2009: Snow
2008: Meme-7 things about me
2007: Using up Beef

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Friday, January 01, 2010

Happy New Year 2010


Created by Dillon for his grandma (click to enlarge)

I'm very happy that Beccy and the family are here helping us celebrate the New Year. I'm feeling very mellow after a few glasses of champagne.

My daughter, Sam is still in Fiji and I send my love to her and Fred. I know they are having a good time in the sun, but will be heading for home quite soon.

I wish all my blogging friends and their families, a very Happy and Peaceful New Year.

Best wishes
Chris x

Archives:
2009: Happy New Year 2009
2008: Happy New Year
2007: Hello and Goodbye

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