Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up every two hours?
If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?
Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are flat?
Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough?
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?
Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?
Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
Whose idea was it to put an "S" in the word "lisp"?
What is the speed of darkness?
If the temperature is zero outside today and it's going to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold will it be?
If it's true that we are here to help others, what are the others doing here?
Do married people live longer than single ones or does it only seem longer?
How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?
Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?
Did you ever stop and wonder......
Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze these pink dangly things here, and drink whatever comes out?"
Who was the first person to say, "See that chicken there... I'm gonna eat the next thing that comes outta it's bum."
Why do toasters always have a setting so high that could burn the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?
Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?
Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don't point to their bum when they ask where the bathroom is?
Why does your Obstetrician, Gynaecologist leave the room when you get undressed if they are going to look up there anyway?
Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!
If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?
If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?
Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?
Stop singing and read on .. . . . .. . . . .
Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?
Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?
Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?
Thursday, 31 May 2007
Answers anyone?......
Wednesday, 30 May 2007
Critters......
We were plagued with critters yesterday.
However there is a petition to the Government that requests
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to immediately and retrospectively give all Gurkha servicemen and their immediate families past and present british citizenship.
If you are a British citizen or resident you can sign the petition here.
Our Goverment should be totally ashamed!
My knee
Wednesday 30th May
Feeling really good, not using the crutch around the house at all now, though I still need it when I go outside.
Tuesday, 29 May 2007
One word........
Monday, 28 May 2007
Sentimental Journey...........
Reminiscent of Brief Encounter with Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson was our day yesterday, which started with a Steam Train ride on The East Lancs Railway from our local station to Ramsbottom. Every May the ELR host a "War Weekend" which is a celebration of all things 1940's. People come from all over the country dressed up in 1940's dress and uniform to enjoy the music and ambience of the era. Of course I'm much too young to remember it but I do love the fashions and music of that time.
This 'young' couple were going up and down the train playing requests on the accordian and singing, and at the same time collecting donations for Cancer Research. The train was full and everyone was singing along to 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary' and 'Roll Out The Barrel'.
When we got to Ramsbottom station it looked like wartime Britain with people dressed in authentic 1940's clothes. and uniforms of every description.
Check them out.
The weather wasn't great, showery and a bit cold, but it didn't deter anyone from enjoying themselves.
We called in a Chip Shop with a little restaurant in the back and had fish, chips and mushy peas and a big mug of tea, then just a short walk to 'The Good Samaritan' pub which was hosting a beer festival.
There were 16 beers on offer with such delilghts as Bikes and Trikes Beer 3.6%, Black Pig Mild 3.6%, No Eye Deer 4%, Bitter & Twisted 3.8%, Nightmare 5%, True Grit 5% and Befuggled 4.2%.
It even had an armed guard!
Company B provided music from the 40's (listen here) which promped people to get up to Jitterbug and Jive.
Then our train came in and it was time to head back home.My knee
Sunday, 27 May 2007
Dear Abby......
LETTERS DEAR ABBY ADMITTED SHE WAS AT A LOSS TO ANSWER
Dear Abby,
Dear Abby,
What can I do about all the sex, nudity, foul language, and violence on my VCR?
Dear Abby,
I'm with a man I can't trust. He cheats so much, I'm not even sure the baby I'm carrying is his.
Dear Abby,
I am a 23 year old liberated woman who has been on the pill for two years. It's getting expensive, and I think my boyfriend should share half the cost, but I don't know him well enough to discuss money with him.
Dear Abby,
I've suspected that my husband has been fooling around, and when confronted with the evidence, he denied everything and said it would never happen again.
Dear Abby,
Our son writes that he is taking Judo. Why would a boy who was raised in a good Christian home turn against his own?
Dear Abby,
I joined the Navy to see the world. I've seen it. Now how do I get out?
Dear Abby,
My 40 year old son has been paying a psychiatrist $50 an hour every week for two and a half years. He must be crazy.
Dear Abby,
I was married to Bill for three months, and I didn't know he drank until one night he came home sober.
Dear Abby,
My mother is mean and short tempered. I think she is going through mental pause.
Dear Abby,
You told some woman, whose husband had lost all interest in sex, to send him to a doctor. Well, my husband lost all interest in sex, and he is a doctor. Now what do I do?
Have a great day, I'm going out, see you tomorrow.
Saturday, 26 May 2007
How I started blogging......
Annelisa has started a new meme here - How I Started Blogging, using the following questions:
How/ why did you get sucked into the blogging whirlpool?
I started blogging after much cajoling by my friend Queenie, who had recently started blogging herself. She insisted it would be a good idea for me to have a blog so we could read each others! Also she knew I would be having a long period of inactivity due to an impending operation. I finally relented and started my blog because I thought it would be a good idea to keep a journal of my recovery after my op. Also I like gossiping!
How long ago did you start?
I started blogging on the 11th February 2007, and apart from the few days I was in hospital having my op and a couple of days afterwards I don't think I've missed a day! How's that for being sad dedication?
Who introduced you?
Queenie, but my son had mentioned it to me about 12 months ago and he showed me how to set the blog up. After that I just found my own way round, first visiting Queenie and some people on her blogroll, then just following other links until I found blogs I resonated with and built up my own blogroll.
Who was your very first visitor, and do you both still visit each other?
Queenie was my first visitor, my son posted annonymously, then Annelisa and yes we still visit each other.
How has your blog changed from your first posts, and did you envisage it developing the way it has?
I don't think my blog has changed very much really, except that I have discovered how to do more things like uploading photographs and I've filled my sidebar more. I didn't envisage anything at all, I didn't really think about it, but it has become all consuming at times!
Have you any other blogs and, if so, what is their purpose?
No, I only have one blog at the moment, but I am considering starting another one. My Dad wrote a biography about his mother (my grandmother) a few years ago, which I typed up for him. It's only short and I did send it to a few publishers for him but they weren't interested, so I am contemplating publishing it on a blog because I think it's really good and I would love others to read it.
Now I suppose I should tag someone else how about Gewels, I think she said she's only been tagged once ever. Maybe La Bellina Mammina and Linda would like to tell us their tale too. But only if you want to ladies, and anyone else who fancies it I TAG you too.
The rules:
Answer the questions
Tag if you want, or leave it open for people to choose to do it or not ...however you feel comfortable.
Leave a comment on this post when you've done the meme,
Link back to this post, so people can see when and why it started
My knee
Saturday 25th May
I think the knee fairy has been at work as it has improved a lot over the past couple of days. Yesterday I hardly used my crutch at all, but then I was only inside the house or out in the garden.
Friday, 25 May 2007
Ship shape............
The weather brightened up yesterday and MWM went out into the garden and got everything ship shape again. I went out afterwards and took some photos whilst taking in a bit of sun. I used to do all the gardening until MWM retired and my knee got really bad. Now, he does it all - I just supervise!
Click on photos to enlarge
photographs copyright 2007
I love my Japanese Acers, especially this one in the pot.
Behind the arbour we have two Pontentilla's - one yellow and one white
The white one is in flower now.
Also hiding behind the arbour are another two Japanese Acers.
My lovely Lilac tree has finished flowering but it's always in use holding the bird feeder, a cow bell and Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
And here's where I sit surveying my beautiful retreat.
The song of the birds for mirth
You're closer to God in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
How true is that?
Thursday, 24 May 2007
Another TAG!.......
I have been tagged by Gewels who was tagged by Not So Little Woman to do the following '4' meme:
4 jobs I've had
Mail Order Clerk
Hospital and Veterinary Sales Clerk
Mother
Careers Administrator
This is not part of the tag but these are what I would have liked to have been
Mother
Artist
Author
Actress
4 movies I can watch over and over
The Green Mile
Pretty Woman
Shrek 1 & 2 Looking forward to 3!
Matrix - all of them.
4 places I've lived
I've only lived in one County in the UK - how boring is that? I've travelled a lot though to make up for it!
4 categories of TV programming
Home Improvement
Cooking
Documentaries
Some Soaps
4 places I've been on holiday
Quite a lot so I'll list my 4 favourites
Maldives
Thailand
Australia
Egypt
4 of my favorite dishes
This is difficult because I like food full stop, so it would be easier to list things I don't like, but I won't.
Roast Lamb
Chicken Kiev
Fresh Tuna
Fillet Steak - Medium Rare
4 web-sites I visit daily
I probably visit about 50 daily - because I'm not working at the moment, so I'll just list the ones I've been visiting longest.
Queenie's Random Ramblings
Words that Flow
A little Piece of Me
The Southern View
4 places I would rather be right now
Well this has got to be places I really want to visit yeah?
Africa
Mexico
India
USA
I think I'm supposed to tag someone else so if you fancy having a go - I tag YOU!
And just to get you into shape here's a new exercise routine for you.
You might want to take it easy at first, then do it faster as you become more proficient.
It may be too strenuous for some.
Always consult your doctor before starting any exercise programme!
SCROLL DOWN........
NOW SCROLL UP
That's enough for the first day.
Great job .
Have a Chardonnay.
Wednesday, 23 May 2007
Which button do I press?.......
Oh Lordy we had a laugh with Dad trying to teach him how to use his mobile phone.
Brother had left written instructions on how to answer the phone but Dad couldn't understand them.
"Don't worry Dad, we'll go through it step by step and you can write down your own instructions" I soothed.
We did and he now has an A4 sheet of instructions of how to turn it on/off, put the key pad lock on/off and answer it!
Just to check that he knew what he was doing I rang him on my mobile phone whilst sitting next to him, I warned him first.
His mobile rang, he picked it up.
"Hello" says I.
Was he taking the michael?
My knee
Wednesday 23rd May
Lot more stable, I think the exercises are working.
Monday, 21 May 2007
Dalai Lama says .....
May I become at all times,
There is often a big disparity between the way in which we perceive things and the way things really are.
Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.
There is often a big disparity between the way in which we perceive things and the way things really are.
So the smart brain must be balanced with a warm heart, a good heart - a sense of responsibility, of concern for the well-being of others.
Ever wondered..............
Have you ever wondered where some of our well used expressions originated?
For instance why is the expression "Long in the tooth" used to describe old 
age?
Apparently, although this expression is mainly used about people it was orginally applied specifically to horses.
As horses get older, their gums recede so although their teeth aren't actually getting longer, they seem to be. Hence "long in the tooth".
There's another expression that arises from this. Since a horse's teeth (or, to be more accurate, gums) are an indication of its age, someone being given a free horse really has no right to start quibbling about its age. From this we get the saying 'never look a gift horse in the mouth'.
Ever wondered how "going off at half-cock" originated?
This came from the 17th century when to fully cock a flintlock musket was to prepare it for firing. The half-cock position was a 'safe' position to which the hammer or cock was drawn to permit access to the priming pan to charge and load the weapon. Pulling the trigger of a flintlock musket at half cock will not fire the weapon. In the heat of the battle, it was easy to forget to fully cock one's musket after loading it and go 'off half-cocked', with the result that nothing would happen.
How about "put one's back up"?
This comes from the action of a cat, which arches its back up when it is angry.
And putting the dampers on?
The analogy is said to be with music, specifically the piano. A damper is a part of a piano which, when applied, presses on the strings and cuts and deadens their sound. Hence hindering and discouraging the progress.
Have you ever "stuck your oar in"?
A shortened version of an expression that can be traced back almost 500 years and may even originate in Latin or Greek: "to have an oar in every man's boat" meant to have a hand in everybody's affairs.
What's your favourite expression? Don't know the meaning, you can look it up here.
My knee
Monday 21st May
No worse, no better.
Sunday, 20 May 2007
Exam Answers.....
Ancient Egypt was inhabited by mummies and they all wrote in hydraulics. They lived in the Sarah Dessert and travelled by Camelot. The climate of the Sarah is such that the inhabitants have to live elsewhere.
The Greeks were a highly sculptured people, and without them we wouldn't have history. The Greeks also had myths. A myth is a female moth
Actually, Homer was not written by Homer, but by another man of that name.
Socrates was a famous Greek teacher who went around giving people advice. They killed him.
Socrates died from an overdose of wedlock. After his death, his career suffered a dramatic decline.
In the Olympic games, Greeks ran races, jumped, hurled the biscuits, and threw the java.
Julius Caesar extinguished himself on the battlefields of Gaul. The Ides of March murdered him because they thought he was going to be made king. Dying, he gasped out: "Tee hee, Brutus."
Joan of Arc was burn to a steak and was canonised by Bernard Shaw. Finally, Magna Carta provided that no man should be hanged twice for the same offence.
In midevil times most people were alliterate. The greatest writer of the futile ages was Chaucer, who wrote many poems and verses and also wrote literature.
Another story was William Tell, who shot an arrow through an apple while standing on his son's head.
It was an age of great inventions and discoveries. Gutenberg invented removable type and the Bible. Another important invention was the circulation of the blood. Sir Walter Raleigh is a historical figure because he invented cigarettes and started smoking.
Beethoven wrote music even though he was deaf. He was so deaf he wrote loud music. He took long walks in the forest even when everyone was calling for him. Beethoven expired in 1827 and later died of this.
During the Renaissance, history began. Christopher Columbus was a great navigator who discovered America whilst cursing about the Atlantic. His ships were called the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Fe.
The sun never set on the British Empire because the British Empire is in the East and the sun sets in the West.
One paper was completely empty apart from one sentence.
“ Jesus, Please Help Me.”
Saturday, 19 May 2007
I have been given an Award.......
Here's what Judd wrote about me...
We love when a post totally NAILS it. We appreciate Akelamalu for being a loyal supporter of this blog. We cannot emphasis enough how much we appreciate readers who take the time to comment. The Rising Blogger seeks out original and unique posts. We have all sang the lyrics incorrectly when singing in the car or the shower, but without an audience, does it matter? In Akelamalu’s post of April 27, 2007, she gives us a lot of laughs as folks get the lyrics wrong. In a post titled Kiss the Guy, the mangling of lyrics is hysterical! Yes, we know that this material was culled from the website of a similar name, Kiss the Guy: The Archive of Misheard Lyrics. But not only had we not heard of the site before, but also Akelamalu highlighted it for us. The blog Everything and Nothing is well titled. It is what we call a “variety” blog because it has a bit of everything, and as its title suggest it is a blog about “nothing” as well. Well, nothing that is but a lot of laughs, interesting stories and a great story teller. Congratulations, Akelamalu, you’ve writer today’s Post of the Day.
Do you think I need a new dress, shoes, bag and jewellery now to accept the award?
Friday, 18 May 2007
I don't want one of these.......
mobile phone things! Is what Dad said when I rang him yesterday.
I asked what exactly had happened re the Warden and he told me that unfortunately the usual one was off sick so a stand in had been appointed. The stand in had been on the intercom yesterday morning to Dad and he had given her both barrels re the fiasco the day before.
Apparently she hadn't even bothered trying the intercom on Wednesday, she had just left it to the control centre to try to contact Dad, and when they couldn't get any reply they had contacted my brother.
Dad told her "It's your job to make sure I'm OK not their's. You are supposed to come to see me, not just buzz, but you didn't do that did you? Then if you can't get any reply you have a key so you can get in to see if I'm OK, but you didn't do that either did you?"
The only excuse she could come up with was that she wasn't allowed to enter his home alone.
Dad said "I know that but all you had to do was get another resident to come with you!" Again she had no defence.
I told Dad we should complain about what has happened but he doesn't want to take it any further so there's not much we can do about it.
As to the mobile phone he can't even get the keypad lock off it at the moment. Brother has written down instructions on how to use it but Dad can't understand them! I will go through it with him when I see him on Saturday. I explained it's only for emergencies and we won't be ringing him on it unless it's absolutely necessary, hopefully that won't happen!
So, for the moment, all is well.
My knee
Friday 18th May
Walking easier and for longer.
Thursday, 17 May 2007
Don't Panic Mr. Mainwaring, don't panic....
In the words of Corporal Jones (Dad's Army).
I had a phone call from my brother around 7.30 p.m. last night.
"Do you know where Dad is?" he asked.
"He usually goes to play whist tonight" I informed him, "He gets back around 9.30 p.m. why?"
"I've had a phone call from the Warden saying she hasn't seen him all day and she can't contact him on the intercom." Dad lives in sheltered accommodation and the Warden usually checks every day to make sure he's OK.
"Well let yourself in and make sure he's not unconscious then" I say.
"I can't find my keys to his place, I'll have to go back home and look for them" he replies
By this time I'm panicking. Normally I would rush down there, I can be there in 15 minutes, but I can't drive yet because of my knee.
"I'm sure he's just gone out but will you hurry back with the keys just to make sure and let me know?"
"Will do " says brother.
I wait anxiously then brother rings back at 9.10 p.m.
"I've been inside and there's no sign of him, what time did you say he gets in?"
"9.30 ish I think. As long as he's out he must be OK".
"I'll hang about until he arrives home just to make sure" says brother.
Ten minutes later I received a text from brother
"Dad's landed, he's been playing whist. I am getting him a mobile phone tomorrow so we can contact him when he's out".
Now Dad is practically deaf and can just about work his television and video recorder - what's he gonna make of a mobile phone?!!!!
Watch this space.
When did we become the parents?
______________________________________________________________
You may remember last week we had cavity wall insulation, well they came yesterday and insulated the loft too - all for free!
______________________________________________________________
My knee
Thursday 17th May
Getting stronger every day, not enough to go out without the crutch though unfortunately!
Wednesday, 16 May 2007
Egypt.....
In 2000 we enjoyed a Nile Cruise, which gave us the opportunity to see the many temples and sites of Egypt.
The paintings inside were amazing but you are not allowed to take photographs in any of the tombs because flash photography harms them apparently, and of course you can buy postcards of said paintings!
Here we approaching Hapsetshut temple. Hapsetshut was the woman who was king.
We were able to take photographs of the wall paintings here. The colours are so vibrant even after thousands of years.
Approaching Philae.
Philae was rebuilt on higher ground when it was almost lost in a flood. Read about it here.
The entrance to Philae and the colonnade inside the temple. MWM said I spoilt this picture because I'm peeping round one of the pillars. Cheek!
Hieroglyphs.
After all that hot and dusty sightseeing we took a sail in a felucca. Once we'd set sail the 'boy' got his bag of goods out - well he'd got a captive audience!
Of course it wasn't all sightseeing we had lots of fun too!
Here's my very own Indiana Jones being very brave putting snakes round his neck. I kept well out of the way and used the zoom on the camera!
Of course there was the obligatory 'Traditional' fancy dress party. The shop on the boat sold everything you could possibly need. Now there's a surprise!
Tuesday, 15 May 2007
Touch typing.........
And Just for a laugh......
Monday, 14 May 2007
Pop Culture....
Letha at A Stitch In Time tagged me for a meme.
Here it is:
- Start Copy -
1. Go to www.popculturemadness.com
2. Pick the year you turned 18
3. Get yourself nostalgic over the song’s of the year
4. Write something about how the song affected you
5. Pass it on to 5 more friends
- Stop Copy -
I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye
I love everything by Marvin Gaye but this is my all time favourite. I loved to dance (before the knee went wrong). I used to go out every night dancing at a local pub where live bands played - Oh to be young again!
Judy In Disguise (With Glasses) - John Fred & His Playboy Band
All the DJs played this regardless of the fact that you couldn't dance to it because of the change in tempo - I hated it! And the lyrics have you ever heard anything so ridiculous?
Judy in disguise, well that's what you are
Lemonade pie with a brand new car
Cantaloupe eyes come to me tonight
Judy in disguise with glasses
Keep a-wearing your bracelets and your new rara
Cross your heart - yeh - with your living bra
Chimney sweep sparrow with guise
Judy in disguise with glasses
Come to me tonight, come to me tonight
Taking everything in sight
Except for the strings on my kite
Judy in disguise, hey that's what you are
Lemonade pies hey got your brand new car
Cantaloupe eyes come to me tonight
Judy in disguise with glasses
Come to me tonight, come to me tonight
Taking everything in sight
Except for the strings on my kite
Judy in disguise, well what you aiming for
A circus of horrors, yeah, well that's what you are
You made me a life of ashes
I guess I'll just take your glasses
What all that about???????
I suppose all my memories of music are to do with whether they were good to dance to or not!
I won't tag anyone but if you want to do it feel free.
_________________________________________________________________
I was also tagged by CG at Compulsive Worrier to do this meme.
1.What do you want to accomplish with your blog?
I started it because I was due to have a knee replacement operation and wanted to keep a journal of how the operation and my recovery went. Something unexpected has happened though - I've met some wonderful people and read some fantastic blogs.
2. Are you a spiritual person?
Oh definitely yes. I am a Reiki Practitioner so I need to be in touch with my spiritual side.
3. If you were stranded on a desert island what three things would you want to have with you?
A book on survival, my glasses to read it and some drinking water.
4. What’s your favourite childhood memory?
Going on holiday to the Isle of Man on the Steamer with my parents, brother and our neighbours. It was wonderful.
5. Is this your first meme?
No, I've done a few. I don't mind being tagged but I don't really like tagging others, so I always say "do it if you want to".
So anyone reading feel free to play along.
My Knee
Monday 14th May
Improving every day! :)
Sunday, 13 May 2007
Thailand......
Now I've got the hang of scanning photos, I thought I'd take the opportunity to sort out some from our holiday in Thailand in 1997.
We spent four nights in Bangkok and ten nights in Pattaya. Over the four day in Bankok we did a lot of sightseeing. The temples are beautiful.
photographs copyright 2007
Click on photos to enlarge and links for more info.
Spectacular statues.
We went on the Chao Praya river in a long-tailed boat and saw this beautiful riverside temple and this river house.
This is the Burma Railway (Bridge over the River Kwai) where thousands of Thai people and Prisoners of War lost their lives. You can read more about it here.
We went on the railway and here's the view on the left side of the train, and the view from the right. The POWs and locals excavated the 17 metre deep and 110-m long cutting through solid limestone and quartz rock in only 12 weeks. This is the infamous Hellfire Pass.
There's also the JEATH museum which replicates the huts that the POWs lived in, here's the legend. JEATH stands for Japan, England, America, Australia, Thailand and Holland, representing the nationalities of the prisoners of war (POW's) who were forced to work on the construction of the famous Bridge over the River Kwai.
We also visited the cemetery at Kanchanaburi . It is beautifully looked after by locals who can be seen on their hands and knees cutting the grass around the memorial stones with scissors. It is heartbreaking to read the memorials, I cried for the young men (some the same age as my sons at the time) who lost their lives there.
Bangkok traffic is a sight to behold as are some of the things that are sold in the street - Pigs snouts!
Suffice to say we didn't try them we opted for the more conventional banquet.
And you can get a manicure anywhere, including on the beach! MWM woke up just as she said "What colour you want on your toes?" She had already put a shiny base coat on!
Of course we had to go to a Ladyboy show.
This kind ladyboy posed for our camera after the show.
And, just to complete a perfect holiday, we were upgraded to Business Class on the flight home!
My knee
Sunday 13th May
Feels really good today. I'm getting about a bit more inside without the crutch.
Saturday, 12 May 2007
It's arrived....
the wormery that is.
We read the instructions first - always a good idea - then unpacked it.
You get the bin and lid, a tap, a plastic platform, a bag of worms, a bag of compost and a bag of lime, actually I think this is crushed egg shells because the instructions say this is what you can use when the bag is empty. You have to check for acidity occasionally, the appearance of any tiny white worms indicates acidity so you add a handful of the lime. The tiger worms are red by the way.
At first I couldn't see the worms but then I noticed the little blighters wriggling (I dropped the bag! Oooops.)
You have to insert the plastic platform in the bin, place a 5" square of newpaper on it then empty the bag of compost on the top of the newspaper. Next you empty the worms onto the top.
Then you add three handfuls of kitchen waste. This is the worms first meal. We had to leave the bin open in the sunshine for ten minutes, apparently this encourages the worms to burrow into the bedding and settle in, before we could put the lid on.
We don't have to feed the worms for another week and then the week after that. After this we can put all our kitchen waste in daily and the first liquid fertiliser should be ready to drain off after about 10 weeks., and is so concentrated it has to be mixed with 10 parts water. The compost will be ready to use in about 8-10 months.
Friday, 11 May 2007
Fake Dog Turd...
I know, I know, but after my post yesterday I got so many comments about it I just had to tell you I remembered something about it. By the way youngest son took said turd home and his dogs ate it! Apparently it was made out of papier mache.
Eldest son bought it from a joke shop, along with itching powder, black soap, whoopee cushion etc., etc. He liked jokes!
We had our lovely dog, Guinness, at the time.
We then heard the car backing onto the drive - Guinness' eyes shot open, he jumped up, trotted over to the 't', picked it up in his mouth and promptly carried it outside and dumped it on the grass. He walked back in the house and lay down in his usual spot and went back to sleep!
Now tell me he didn't know what he was doing!
Thursday, 10 May 2007
Blogging help....
Skeletons.....
No, we didn't find any in the loft whilst MWM was clearing it, thank goodness.
However we did find the following:
2 portable televisions
A roll of carpet
A parasol - pity we forgot about that because we went and bought a new one for the garden only last week.
Lots of wood
Lever arch files - enough to kit out a small office
A Lilo
A huge bag of photoframes
A rocking horse
A sleeping bag
Various Xmas decorations that we didn't know we had
A hanging captains chair bought in Tenerife in 2001 which has never seen the light of day.
Hundreds of books
Various holdalls
and last but not least a fake dog turd! Don't ask!
Can I interest anyone?
Trips to the tip and the charity shop are planned for today, and I may put some things on ebay, but the scary thing is most of this stuff will be going back up in the loft once it's been insulated!
My knee
Thursday 10th May
Feeling better today.
Tuesday, 8 May 2007
Vibrations.........
Is what we endured for two hours yesterday, as the workmen drilled holes in our walls to insert the cavity wall insulation.
It was pouring down whilst they were working and they did try to hose the house down when they'd finished, but there was brick dust stuck to everything, including them. Anyway, about two hours after they'd gone the sun came out and MWM got the hosepipe out again and cleaned everything up.
Now we just have to clear the loft ready to have it insulated too. I'm glad I'm laid up so I can't do it, though youngest son is coming this evening to give MWM some help with it. I bet they find remnants of the Ark up there. I wonder if we'll need a skip?
Onto a totally unrelated subject, I found this blog recently - Bathrooms of the World . I don't know why but it fascinated me. Take a look, you'll want to totally transform your bathroom when you see some of the photographs. There again, there are some that are just holes in the floor! If you have ever taken a photograph of a toilet anywhere in the world you can email it to this blog and have it included. Thinks - I must make sure I have my camera with me when I'm suffering from Delhi Belly on holiday!
MWM has just bought a new gadget. Youngest son calls him Inspector Gadget! I think it's a video come DVD recorder thingy, but it also allows him to copy old video tapes onto DVD. So for the past two days he's been copying the video from 1981 of us on the Generation Game and a feature film he made of one of our holidays onto DVD. It's kept him quiet and happy! If you want a copy of either of our highly prized DVDs, at a very nominal charge + postage, just let me know.
Get to know me even more.......
Linda at "Are we there yet?" tagged me for a Wikepedia meme but I did that a little while ago so I've pinched the "10 things you don't know about me" meme instead.
So here goes....
1. I passed my driving test first time but not until I was 38.
2. I have only ever driven on the motorway twice in my life, and one of those was by mistake - I got in the wrong lane where the road was coned off and didn't have any choice! You will have guessed by now I don't "DO" motorways.
3. I am very good at knitting. I don't knit so much these days but at one time all the family were kitted out with my creations. I even knitted a full length coat once - that was a bit of a mistake though because it turned out to be really heavy!
4. I have medals for tap dancing when I was a child. Shuffle, hop, step, shuffle, hop, step. See I can remember the steps even if I can't do them now.
5. I have pierced ears - nothing else just ears.
6. I have a tattoo of an orchid on my right shoulder. I had always wanted a tattoo so I bought myself one for for 45th birthday.
7. I can touch type 80 words per minute, this makes typing up my drivel very easy. :)
8. I can hang wallpaper. My Dad was a decorator and taught me from being very young.
9. I am a blood donor.
10. I have been on television. I cheated with this one cos you may already know if you read my post 'My Claims to Fame', but I couldn't think of another thing I might not have told you, well not that I could put in print anyway!
As I wasn't exactly tagged for this I'm not going to tag anyone else but please feel free to do it yourself if the mood takes you.
My knee
Tuesday 8th May
Feeling better today I think the extra exercise helped.
Monday, 7 May 2007
Get to know me......
photographs copyright 2007
I was feeling very nostaligic yesterday so I started looking through old photographs.
I thought you might like to see who you're talking to, so this is me.............
Here's me and Mum, I think I'm about three here.
I'm five here. Dad took me to a photographer to have this taken. I'm all dolled up in my new dress and my patent shoes. I loved those shoes!
This is a school photograph taken when I was fourteen, when MWM fell in love with me.
Here's me at 40, on holiday in Turkey. I wasn't drinking wine that night, it looks like Raki and water!
And here I am today. Actually the photo is a couple of years old, but I haven't changed very much, apart from my hair is a different style and I've got a couple more wrinkles!
My knee
Sunday, 6 May 2007
The things they do....
photograph copyright 2007
Kids that is.
Our grandson Kai and his mum are on holiday in Spain at the moment. We've had word that Kai was really good on the flight and is enjoying his holiday. Apparently though, he refuses to take off his cardigan and is walking round with his socks on his hands! Don't ask!
There again, when my eldest son was young, for about two years he would never take his coat off when we went out, no matter how hot it was.
This reminded me of my eldest brother when he was about five. He acquired a leather helmet from somewhere and point blank refused to take it off, even though England was in the midst of a heatwave at the time.
It made me laugh when my sister-in-law had been shopping and bought my niece, who was two at the time, seven pairs of new panties - one for each day of the week, and Niece insisted on putting them on all at the same time.
I remember having a favourite dress, Mum had to bribe me to take it off to let her wash it. I would only agree to this if she promised to wash, dry and iron it ready for me to wear the following day.
Mmmm there seems to be a pattern emerging here, do you think eccentricity is genetic?
Did you or any of your children have little foibles?
My knee
Sunday 6th May
Feeling stronger each day. Must increase the exercises.
Saturday, 5 May 2007
Annoyed.....
I am annoyed!
You know they were supposed to be coming yesterday to do the cavity wall insulation? Well guess what - yep they didn't arrive!
All this was arranged on Wednesday afternoon. Later that day we received a call asking if they could come on Thursday instead of Friday, No we said we're going out. No problem they said. Thursday we received another telephone call to say "can we come on Friday to do the wall insulation?" "You are already coming on Friday" "Oh yes" they said.We were up at 7 a.m. yesterday as they were coming at 8.30 a.m. and we had been asked to move any large pictures/paintings off the walls and any items on windowsills which might fall off because of the vibration. At 9 a.m. we got the phone call "Sorry we can't come today someone has rung in sick so we're a man down, we've rescheduled for next Tuesday".
What can you say apart from Aaaaaarrrrrrgh!
Good news though, I've had an email to say the wormery is on its way!
My knee
Saturday 5th May
I managed to get up and downstairs last night without my crutch - I admit I'd had a couple of glasses of wine so I think my bravery was down to that. I don't seem to be suffering for it this morning
Friday, 4 May 2007
Chat-en-Oeuf........
No I didn't spell it wrong!
This is definitely Chat-en-Oeuf not Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the expensive stuff. A clever play on words don't you think?
I am not a wine connoisseur, but I know what I like and I like this.
I have had the expensive wines and whilst, yes, they are lovely, to be honest for the amount we and our friends drink I'd have to take out a second mortgage to buy anything over a fiver a bottle! We have drunk our way through gallons of wine over the years, some good, some bad but I don't think we've ever paid more than £10 for a bottle and that would have been a special occasion. Oh I tell a lie! We paid £85 for a bottle of champagne in the Maldives on New Year's Eve 1999! Well it was the Millenium and we were a captive market so we didn't have a choice!
We once went wine tasting in the Hunter Valley in Australia. What a day that turned out to be! Another story!
So you see I don't believe you have to spend a fortune to drink good wine, you just have to know what you like and where to look, there's plenty of reasonably priced wines about so there's no need to be a wine snob!
Friday 4th May
Feels good today. Have introduced new exercise into my regime - squats - well little ones!
Thursday, 3 May 2007
Can you believe this........
*NB* We are currently experiencing delivery delays of upto 10 days due to recent positive publicity of our website and the benefits of a Wormery. Stock is still plentiful and we're currently training more staff in our warehouse to ease the current delays. We expect to be back to our normally higher service levels within the next 2 weeks. We much prefer to be up front and honest about these delays - and thank customers for their patience.
Now that definitely wasn't on there when I ordered mine last Sunday! Do you think I should let them know I have been pimping their website?
Anyway I digress. We have received another letter from said council which stated that they in conjunction with the Gas Board are offering FREE yes FREE cavity wall and loft insulation! Ah, too good to be true I hear you saying. Well actually it's true! The man came yesterday to check that we hadn't already got it, which we knew we hadn't, so they said we can have it! The nice man also told us that the cost would normally be about £1200 per house, but he gave us a reciept saying that the cost to us is nil. They are coming tomorrow to do the wall insulation and will come at a later date to do the loft, this is dependent on when MWM clears out the loft. Therein lies another tale!
Wednesday, 2 May 2007
My Artistic Side..............
My dear Annelisa has challenged me to to do a JacksonPollock pic because, she says, I'm up for a challenge!
How could I not take up the challenge when I achieved 'O' level success in Art in the year dot. All my class thought I excelled at Lino Printing and the examiner had particularly commented on the peculiar shades of red in my prints. These were, in fact, bloodstains from the chunks I had taken out of my hand with the gouging tool, but thankfully my tutor didn't let on! The examiner also said my painting of a child enjoying a day at the beach was "a significant piece, depicting the starving in Africa"? So, Salvador Dali move over please.
Now it took me a long little time to get used to the medium I was using, to really get control the feel you understand, but then there was no stopping me. As predicted, not being much cop on a computer technically minded I had to enlist MWM to show me how to save the paintings into Paint, but the art work is all mine. So I proudly present my load of old Pollocks......
An idea for some wallpaper.
And the Pièce de résistance
Blogosphere flowers.
Now to help my
1. The paint starts dripping from the 'paintbrush' (your cursor) the moment it touches the paper. The way to start afresh is to reload the page.
2. The paint comes in black to begin, and each time you left-click it changes colour - you don't have a choice which colour it goes to, but you can click again and see if you like that colour better. Sometimes the colour doesn't show until you move the cursor a bit.
3. I found I liked to do it 'full screen' - by pressing F11 at the top of the keyboard - just to have more space to play with. Then press F11 again once you've saved.
4. The only way I could see to save was to do the 'Print screen' (Prt Sc somewhere to the right of the main keyboard (usually between the main typing area and the numerical keypad on the right). Then you could paste in a program such as 'Paint', but you'd need to cut the edges off...
5. When painting, if you right click this will allow you to take your cursor to another point and start painting again without dragging colour across the page.
Now to choose some
The first person to spring to mind is Cream, because he is very artistic and I think he could do with a change from the doodles.
Then there's Early Bird, who is really creative with her ATCs.
Maybe Catch would like to take up the challenge, she's always game.
What about Denise, she has some great photos, perhaps she's like to do a bit of painting instead of photography.
Of course if any other readers would care to take up the challenge, it's entirely up to you.
ENJOY!
Oh yes, I should also mention that the originator of this meme was Anthony at The Lives and Times...of Anthony McCune, and he'd quite like you to write a comment when you've done the meme, just saying so.
My knee
Wednesday 2nd May
Feeling much stronger today, but then I seem to keep taking one step forward and two steps back - literally!
Tuesday, 1 May 2007
Most Caring..................
