Christmas Memories......

You know it's only 36 days to Christmas don't you?

Christmas was always a magical time when I was a child, in fact it still is for me!

When I was a child Christmas would start at the beginning of December when Dad would put up the Christmas tree and the decorations, Mum always said it was too early but Dad loves Christmas and would have left the tree and the decorations up all year if Mum had let him. When I think back our tree was the gaudiest tree you've ever seen - colour co-ordination was unheard of - if it sparkled it went on the tree!

The cupboards would be overflowing with extra food - tins of ham, biscuits, chocolate etc., which Mum had bought over the past few weeks, one item at a time, to ease the cost of Christmas. Then we had to be taken for our new clothes and shoes. We always had new clothes at Christmas, Easter and Whitsun, we probably had new clothes at other times too but clothes for these occasions were always a bit fancier.

I think Mum and Dad probably bought our Christmas presents through the year saving coppers here and there until they had enough, once again to ease the cost. I remember one summer, whilst playing in my parent's bedroom I noticed a box on top of the wardrobe. Being a nosey child I dragged a chair over and managed to climb on the tallboy so I could reach the box and take a peak. Inside was a beautiful bride doll - the one I'd noticed in the shop the Christmas before - it was my Christmas present. That was when I realised that Father Christmas didn't exist. I was wise enough not to let Mum and Dad know I'd found my present, but I was disappointed on Christmas Day as I knew what was in my parcel! That episode did teach me a lesson though as far as present's are concerned, I have been happy to wait until the correct day to open my presents since then so it's still a surprise.

Christmas Day was always spent at home stuffing ourselves with all the lovely Christmas food and playing with our new toys. On Boxing Day we always went to my Aunts house where all the family gathered to enjoy a delicious buffet, on which there was always a magnificent sherry trifle topped with hundreds and thousands and tiny silver edible balls! Some years later Aunty showed me how to make the trifle and now all my family look forward to the one I make every Christmas Day - though mine is a lot more aloholic than Aunty's. Aunty also used to make the most delicious Christmas Cake too with a cake frill round the outside and Father Christmas in his sleigh, reindeers and a snowman on the top nestling in the peaks of icing. The day always ended up with party games and a 'sing-song' with all the family joining in.

Invariably we went to the Pantomime early in the new year. Pantomime was magical - the beautiful dress Cinderella wore to the ball and her glass slippers were my idea of heaven. I loved the way the Fairy Godmother soared across the stage and how the pumpkin turned into a golden coach. It was so much fun shouting 'it's behind you' , 'oh yes it is' and 'oh no it's not' to Buttons and the Ugly Sisters. Yes Cinderella was my favourite Pantomime without a doubt.

Now at our house, when it gets to two weeks before Christmas the tree and decorations come out, much to Victor Meldrew's MWM's dismay, if it was left to him there wouldn't be any decorations, but I insist. I love seeing the grandchildren's faces when they walk in seeing the tree lights twinkling and their excitement as they search the tree for chocolates. As a child I hated when Christmas was over because the tree had to come down along with the decorations and the house looked dull and uninteresting. Even now I hate taking down my Christmas tree and always feel the house needs a lick of paint in the new year to brighten it up.

I know it's only November, but guess what, I'm getting excited!

Another year.......

older and wiser am I today, and it's my Dad's 83rd Birthday on the 20th so

to me and you Dad

Friday 55 Flash Fiction #1 The Last Kiss

This is my first attempt at 55 Flash Fiction - I hope you like it, let me know what you think.

The last kiss.

Kiss me she said, just one last time.
He kissed her tenderly.

I’m too young to die.
You will remember to bring me flowers every week won’t you?

And you won’t forget me ever?

Don’t be silly darling, he said,
The tooth will be out before you know it and then you can come home!

Arrgh No Internet.............

David's (Authorblog) question this week is

How would you cope if you had no way to use the Internet for a week?

If you want to join in here's what David would like you to do:
Please answer today's question on your own blog, any time until next weekend. Just link to this blog (or to this post) so I can follow the progress of the discussion.





Now if this was at work it would be a problem because a lot of my work is done via the internet. However, the problem would soon be fixed as we have a large, efficient IT department who would probably have the internet connection working fairly soon.

If I was without internet connection at home for a week I would probably cry!

Having thought about it -

• I could probably fill my time quite productively by taking up exercise. I have a Pilates machine gathering dust, I could go swimming and there are some lovely walks round where I live, though I don’t like walking in the rain or snow.


• We have an office full of books at home and MWM brings 3 or 4 books home from the library every week, so I could catch up on my reading – I love a good book
  
• All my cupboards and wardrobes are in need of clearing out, then there’s the loft – we have enough stuff to start a shop, perhaps I could sell it on Ebay once the Internet was up and running again.
  
• Our dining room needs decorating but we haven’t got round to it, so that would be a good project, I could rope MWM into that too.
  
• I could help MWM tidy the garden. It looks quite forlorn at this time of year and there are a ton of leaves to be collected.


• I could do some baking. I used to bake every Friday evening when the boys were at home, but it doesn’t seem worth it now because I don’t eat cake and biscuits as I seem to be on a permanent diet and MWM doesn’t eat them either, because if I’m on a diet then so is he!


• I could spring clean the house but MWM does such a good job of the cleaning since he retired that there’s nothing left for me to do.
  
• I could write letters to friends but they’d much rather get an email.


• I could go shopping – I’m really good at shopping!

However, whilst all these things are very productive, I would rather stick pins in my eyeballs than do any of them, with the exception of shopping, so I would probably spend my time composing posts ready to copy onto my blog once the internet was connected again.

I think I'm addicted!!!

To Jab or Not to Jab.....

What do you think about the immunisation of children against childhood diseases?


It has been in the news recently that the Government are toying with the idea of immunising children and/or the elderly against Chickenpox.


My two boys had all their jabs and had the vaccine for Chickenpox been available they would have had that too, after hearing my Dad’s account of how ill I was as a child with Chickenpox. Apparently I was near death and it was only the excellent nursing provided by my Grandmother (KIT) that saved me.


The reason behind wanting to immunise the elderly is because of the risk of Shingles, the adult form of Chickenpox, which can be even more dangerous than Chickenpox in children apparently. I know a few people who have suffered with Shingles and they vouched for how very painful it was and how ill they were, luckily they didn’t suffer any after effects.


Neither of my boys contracted Chickenpox, thankfully, but the elder did contract Measles just before he was due to be immunised. It was the most frightening experience of my life. He was so ill I really though we were going to lose him and, as it turned out, he lost the hearing in his right ear through the disease. Of course immunisation against Measles has been around for quite some time so this particular disease is not as common as it once was.


I know there has been lots of controversy about the MMR vaccine and its possible link to Autism, obviously there are parents who are convinced that the link is there, but I have not had experience of this so cannot come down on that side of the argument. However, from what I have read, the instances of a possible link to Autism are by far outweighed by the numbers of children having the vaccine that are not adversely affected, but are protected from three very serious illnesses. Obviously if you have a child who you think has developed Autism because of having had the MMR vaccine then you would give a different argument but had my two boys had doubts about having their children immunised I would have tried to persuade them to go with the vaccine.


Immunisation, in my opinion, is the best medical intervention and invention next to Penicillin, it had almost eradicated childhood diseases and made such a difference to mortality rates. Unfortunately there has been a decline in the number of parents having their children immunised and we are seeing a rise again of these very dangerous childhood diseases. I am of the opinion Prevention is better than Cure.


What’s your opinion?

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Mimi Queen of Memes awarded me this little beauty

I'm truly honoured to receive an award from the Blogblast for Peace Queen herself.

I think I am supposed to pass it on but as there doesn't seem to be any rules about how many people to pass it on to, I want everyone who reads my drivel blog to take it for their sidebar because I consider you all my friends. xx

Remembrance .....

From The Royal British Legion website....

The National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in Whitehall is a unique expression of national homage devoted to the remembrance of those who have given their lives in war. It was originally conceived as a commemoration of the war dead of the First World War but after the Second World War the scope of the ceremony was extended to focus on the nation's dead of both World Wars, and in 1980 it was widened once again to extend the remembrance to all who have suffered and died in conflict in the service of their country and all those who mourn them.

Lest We Forget

In Flanders field the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

~Major John McCrae, May 1915.~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY.....

to our grandson

Harrison Simon (Harry to his friends)

3 YEARS OLD TODAY

Lots of Love from Nanna and Grandad xxxx

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And look what Dumdad (The Other Side Of Paris) gave me....

A Dummy

Here's what Dumdad said...

Why celebrate my 99th blogpost rather than the usual 100th?Well, just because.Ninety-nine is a cool number. It’s also my children’s favourite ice-cream.To celebrate this momentous occasion I am handing out a special award to some fellow bloggers who have made this blogging lark so much fun. These awards are not of the pass-on variety. It’s yours and yours only.
EVERYTHING AND NOTHING: Akelamalu proclaims her blog is “everything and nothing.” She’s half-right – it’s got everything and more besides. It’s packed full of wit and wisdom and good clean fun.

I had a dummy until I was five but Mum took it off me - she said I was too old. Now I've got another one and I can't pass this on because it's just for me, mine, all mine, you can't have it.

Thankyou Dumdad. xx

Dad's Dilema.....

Dad had to go into hospital yesterday, just for the day, to have a transfusion because he is anaemic. Now Dad has smoked since he was twelve years old, no amount of cajoling, pressure or anything else, from anyone including doctors, will convince him to give up and he wasn’t looking forward to being hooked up to a drip for umpteen hours without being able to have a fag!
He rang me at 5 p.m. to tell me he had just come home, so I went to see him.

“How did you get on today at the hospital Dad?” I asked

“I was asleep most of the day because I was bored and I couldn’t have a cigarette” he told me.

“So you didn’t have a cigarette all day?” I said “That’s good, perhaps you can give up?”

I knew what the answer would be, and I can’t repeat it here, and what he told me next had me laughing so much I could hardly breathe, you couldn’t make it up honestly! Here’s what happened……


Dad had been hooked up to a drip and a BP monitor all day and a couple of times during the day he had asked the nurses if they could unhook him from the drip so he could go outside for a cigarette, but of course they refused which is why he was asleep most of the day because it takes the craving away. At 4.30 p.m ish he awoke and noticed that the drip had finished so he called the nurse over to ask if she would unhook him as he needed the toilet. She said she couldn’t do that as she needed to put some saline through but she could unhook him from the BP monitor and would walk him to the toilet carrying the drip whilst he leaned on his stick (he needs a hip replacement remember). Whilst Dad did need the toilet, what he really wanted was to then be able to go outside for a smoke – this had scuppered his plan!

Once in the toilet the nurse hooked the drip bag on the coat hook on the door and told Dad to pull the help-cord when he was finished so she could help him back to his bed. As soon as she’d gone Dad lit up a cigarette having realised that this was probably the only toilet in the entire hospital not displaying No Smoking signs. After the initial rush of the nicotine he undid his trousers and tried to sit on the toilet but, because of his hip and the toilet being so low, he couldn’t get down that far, eventually in desperation he just fell on the toilet and finished his cigarette.

When he’d finished his cigarette and his ablutions he found that he had no support apart from his stick to heave himself off the seat, and he remonstrated with himself for smoking and getting himself into such a predicament. Eventually he noticed a sort of bar swinging from the ceiling but being unsure as to its purpose he gave it a couple of tugs before he felt confident enough that it would support his weight. Once assured, he tried to pull himself up using the bar and his walking stick for support. Alas it wasn’t working. He then decided if he held onto the bar and jerked himself up he could get himself into a standing position – it worked, but unfortunately as he stood his pants dropped to his ankles! By this time he said he was breathless and couldn’t do anything apart from lean on his stick and hang on to the pole. After what seemed like an eternity he managed to pull his pants up with his stick and get them fastened and holding the drip bag aloft he ventured out of the cubicle leaning heavily on his stick.

Scanning the room for the help-cord he realised that it was over the other side of the room and his hip was hurting so much he couldn’t face the trek so he began trying to hook the cord with his stick. He got the cord swinging and as it ‘flirted’ wildly by he made a grab for it managing to catch and pull it at the same time. All this for a cigarette he remonstrated with himself, but it had taken him so long that all tell-tale signs smoke and smell-wise had dissipated, thankfully.
Within a few minutes the nurse had come to help him back to his bed.

“Are you OK Mr D, you’ve been a long time” she asked.

“Don’t ask, luv, just don’t ask” he replied.

Dona Nobis Pacem

RECIPE FOR PEACE

Perfect harmony among nations

could mean that

Everyone is equal

this requires us all to

Actively promote Peace

it is our

Collective responsibility

to ensure that

Everlasting peace is achieved

GIVE PEACE A CHANCE

ESP and Me.....

David's (Authorblog) question this week is:

Do you have ESP?

If you want to join in here's what David would like you to do:

Please answer today's question on your own blog, any time until next weekend. Just link to this blog (or to this post) so I can follow the progress of the discussion.

Here is Wikepedia’s explanation of ESP:
Extra-Sensory Perception (ESP) is defined as ability to acquire information by paranormal means independent of any known physical senses or deduction from previous experience. The term was coined by Duke University researcher J. B. Rhine to denote psychic abilities such as telepathy, precognition and clairvoyance. ESP is also sometimes casually referred to as a sixth sense. The term implies sources of information currently unexplained by science.

I think most people have ESP but do not use it. I believe it is a basic human knowledge which has been forgotten through lack of use, but it can be brought back to the surface again if one takes the time to concentrate and train oneself. In my opinion ESP explains how Mothers know instinctively if there is something wrong with their child, even if they are not in the same room; knowing who the caller is at the end of the phone as soon as it rings, knowing what a person is going to say before they say it. I have experienced all these things and more.

I have had precognitive dreams. I dreamt of my Grandmother’s death, not unusual you might think given that she was in her eighties at the time, but in my dream I was told that my Grandmother would die to make way for my son to be born, I saw him with a mop of jet black hair and I was saying “he can’t have black hair we’re both blonde”. At the time I hadn’t even got a boyfriend let alone any intentions of starting a family! However, six months later my Grandmother passed away and twelve months after that I found myself with an unplanned pregnancy. When my son was born he had a mop of black hair and I found myself saying “He can’t have black hair, we’re both blonde!”

When watching ‘who done it’ films or books I know who did it quite quickly. There used to be a programme on television where they would show a crime scenario and the contestants had to watch it then pick the villain out of a line up. I would often miss the crime scenario but just watch the line-up and pick the villain out purely by instinct. MWM used to say “How do you do that?” – he couldn’t even pick them out after seeing the scenario!

I am a great believer in our spirit living on after we die, I have had much personal evidence of this, which cannot be explained away. One instance that clearly sticks in my mind happened a few years ago when, on Christmas Eve, I lost my gold watch which had belonged to my mother who had died some years previously. I was heartbroken as you might imagine. I retraced my steps looking for the watch as soon as I realised it was missing and again the next day, in daylight, but to no avail. I kept apologising to Mum for losing it and begging her to let me find it. A week later on Mum’s birthday (2nd January) I opened the coat cupboard and there, on the floor, in full view, was the watch! There is absolutely no way it could have been there for a week in would have been trodden on. MWM suggested that it had been caught in the sleeve of the coat I had worn but I pointed out that I had worn the coat at least twice during the week the watch had been missing and I had checked the coat anyway.

My introduction to Reiki was, I believe, engineered by my friends in spirit. I came across Reiki whilst surfing the web for information about something totally unrelated. What I read fuelled my imagination and I read as much as I could on the subject. I decided I wanted to learn Reiki but needed to find a teacher. Whilst telling my friend, (whom I have known and worked with for 17 years), about what I’d read she stunned me by telling me her daughter-in-law was a Reiki teacher! This fact had never been mentioned in conversation before. There is a saying in Reiki circles – “When the time is right the teacher will appear” – exactly what had happened!

Things like this happen to me quite frequently, so I tend not to remember all instances when it happens. It unnerves MWM sometimes, he says I’m a witch – but in the nicest possible way of course. I just wish I could come up with the winning Lottery numbers!

Am I A Wierdo?........

Jo Beaufoix tagged me for this little meme where I have to share 7 random/and or wierd facts about me, and Mike (Mike's Homefront) tagged me for 8 things about me so, although I have probably told you everything by now, I'll combine the two and I'll give it a whirl. Here goes....

Here are the rules:
A). Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog…

B). Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself…

C). Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs…

D). Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog

1. I have a bent index finger (due to arthritis).

2. I was always in the school choir - now I can't sing for toffee!

3. I always know 'who did it' in 'who done its' before the end of the book or the film.

4. I sometimes have prophetic dreams.

5. There are certain words that I misread i.e. I see Shopfitters as Shoplifters.

6. I can smell snow before it snows.

7. As well as Reiki I have been attuned to Gaia Healing Modality.

I think most have you have done these meme's so I won't tag anyone. If you fancy having a go please feel free.

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HERE'S A STORY WITH A MORAL:

A wealthy old lady decides to go on a photo safari in Africa , taking her faithful aged poodle named Cuddles, along for the company. One day the poodle starts chasing butterflies and before long, Cuddles discovers that he's lost. Wandering about, he notices a leopard heading rapidly in his direction with the intention of having lunch. The old poodle thinks, "Oh, oh! I'm in deep doo-doo now!" Noticing some bones on the ground close by, he immediately settles down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat. Just as the leopard is about to leap the old poodle exclaims loudly, "Boy, that was one delicious leopard! I wonder if there are any more around here?" Hearing this, the young leopard halts his attack in mid-strike, a look of terror comes over him and he slinks away into the trees. "Whew!", says the leopard, "That was close! That old poodle nearly had me!"

Meanwhile, a monkey who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree, figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the leopard. So off he goes, but the old poodle sees him heading after the leopard with great speed, and figures that something must be up. The monkey soon catches up with the leopard, spills the beans and strikes a deal for himself with the leopard. The young leopard is furious at being made a fool of and says, "Here, monkey, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine! Now, the old poodle sees the leopard coming with the monkey on his back and thinks, "What am I going to do now?", but instead of running, the dog sits down with his back to his attackers, pretending he hasn't seen them yet, and just when they get close enough to hear, the old poodle says... "Where's that damn monkey? I sent him off an hour ago to bring me another leopard!

Moral of this story.... Don't mess with old farts...age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill! Bullshit and brilliance only come with age and experience.

Nursery Rhymes Quiz Part 2 Answers......

For all those who took part here's the answers:

1. P.C.P.C.W.H.Y.B. - Pussy Cat Pussy Cat Where Have You Been?

2. O.M.H.W.T.T.C. - Old Mother Hubbard Went To The Cupboard.

3. T.W.A.O.W.W.L.I.A.S. - There Was An Old Woman Who LIved In A Shoe.

4. T.T.L.S. - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star


5. W.W.W.R.T.T.T. - Wee Willie Winkie Runs Through The Town


6. H.D.D.T.C.A.T.F. - Hey Diddle Diddle The Cat And The Fiddle

7. T.Q.O.H.S.M.S.T. - The Queen Of Hearts She Made Some Tarts

8. L.T.T.S.F.H.S. - Little Tommy Tucker Sang For His Supper

9. T.T.T.P.S. - Tom Tom The Pipers Son

10. L.B.B.C.B.Y.H. - Little Boy Blue Come Blow Your Horn

Here's all those who got some right, in the order I received them, those with most right first.

Lettie (Lettuce-Eating)

Cream (Screamers)

Marmie (TWADDLE Everyday Rubbish)

Dumdad (The Other Side Of Paris)

Ruth (Me, My Life, My Garden)

Tisha (Crazy Working Mom)

Ali (A Bit Of This And A Dash Of The Other)

Smalltown RN ( A Place I Call Home)

Jo (Jo Beaufoix)

Linda (Are We There Yet?)

Liz (Finding Life Hard)

Belle (Rosneath)

Elween (Diamond Drops Mansion)

So you can all take a badge to put on your blog.

Well done.

I will be posting 3 Christmas Carol Quizzes in the run up to Christmas so look out for them if you enjoyed doing this.