Another Happy Birthday

Today my mother celebrates her 86th Birthday, she had a lovely lot of gifts to open and I was trying to get a picture of the pretty hair slide that Beccy sent. As you can see I didn't do a very good job! Beccy it was a perfect colour match for what she was wearing today.

Archives:
2008: Happy Birthday to my Mother on Fun Monday-94
2007: My Mother is Celebrating her Birthday
2006: Birthday Girl

Fun Monday # 146 Worst Christmas Songs

This week Cynicalgirl has set us this task as she asks:

What Christmas (or other holiday) song would you prefer never to hear again, and why? It could be one song in particular, or songs by a certain singer, or a version of a song you usually enjoy that grates on your nerves.

The first and probably only song that came to my mind is Madonna's 'Santa Baby'


Sorry if you like this one but it's a big NO NO from me!

Archives:
2008: Visitors on Two Wheels
2007: What's Not Fare!!
2006: Ronda

Christmas Ornament Swap 2009

I have been very remiss in getting this post up. The main reason being that I"m trying to shake off a nasty virus and have not been well for almost a week now. Emma a blogging buddy organised a Christmas Ornament swap and I eagerly joined in as I've enjoyed adding new ornaments to my tree in similar swaps for the past couple of years.
When I returned from visiting my daughter and the grandchildren I had a card from the Royal Mail to go and pick up a package and I guessed it might be my ornament.
Imagine my delight when I found this lovely little snowman ornament in my package.

I also had a lovely letter from Jennifer, who is actually a friend of Emma's in Edmonton in Canada. Jennifer said that she had chosen the ornament in a store in Newfoundland and although she had no idea of my colour scheme, she made a perfect choice because many of my ornaments are red and gold.
I don't put my tree up until much closer to Christmas so I took the ornament into my back yard and hung it on the Bay tree to get this picture.

A big thank you to Jennifer for her lovely gift and letter; and I also want to thank Emma for organising the exchange as it's such fun to get a surprise in the post and I now have another memory on the tree.

Archives:
2008: Sending Hugs Across the World
2007: Memories of my first thanksgiving
2006: Gibraltar (The Rock)

Fun Monday # 145 The season for giving

This week Sayre asks:

How will you express your inner-Giver this season? Do you donate to a major charity? Do you serve food in a soup kitchen? Is your generosity something private that you do without recognition or do you hand the guy on the corner a dollar whenever you drive by?

Not only do I want to know what you do, but how you do it, why you do it, and a story about your activity and how it made you feel.

I have always thought that charitable acts are not really something I would talk about. Then I realised that I have blogged about 'Race for Life" which I participated in for the past three years year. This is to fund raise for cancer research.

For a couple of years now I have been supporting 'Operation Christmas Child' which is an initiative of Samaritan's Purse. It's all about packing shoe boxes with gifts for a child. I collect items all the year round, it's very easy to go down the aisles in the supermarket and pop something into the trolley each week. It's amazing how quickly you gather up the small toys and craft items. For example, soft toys, crayons, paper, pencil cases, that will make a child happy; as well as much needed things like toiletries. It's often more difficult to get the actual shoe boxes! I probably get as much fun collecting things as the children do opening their presents.

Every Christmas we give a couple of sort toys to a charity Embee supports providing gifts for children who, with their mothers, are in refuges after suffering domestic violence.

I have a small box that I use to collect coppers and when it's full I send it off to the Life Boat Association. It's not much in monetary terms but every little helps.

I always sponsor my three grandchildren when they are raising funds for different charities.

Then I tend to give to all the local collections often outside the supermarket or the ones that come knocking at the door. Having been a volunteer collector in the past I know it's not an easy task.

I'm very late getting this post published, even though I started it on Monday, so as I'm not on the FM list I realise none of the regulars are likely to read it. I'll try and do better next week!

Archives:
2008: Corfu-6 Vidos Island Part 1
2007: Twin Peaks at Sunset
2006: None

Now we are nine!

Just thought I would share my grandson playing with the present he had from his parents. Sam listen carefully to what he says!

Archives:
2008: Marmite is Spreading
2007: Homeward Bound
2006: None

A Birthday Boy

Now I wonder who this is trying on some winter warmers!

You probably guessed that it's my youngest grandson and today he's celebrating his 9th Birthday.

He is always very reluctant to let me take a photo, but yesterday evening his mother had to attend a meeting and I was left in charge at home. So after a bath and hair wash, which he does himself, I managed to snap this picture just before he got into bed. For once he went straight to sleep, instead of finding reasons to come back downstairs. He thought today would come more quickly if he went to sleep early!

Happy Birthday Ben
I hope that you are going to enjoy your special day
Lots of Love Grandma xxx

I would also like to wish all my blogging friends a very Happy Thanksgiving

and

I also hope Sam and Fred enjoy their weekend in Las Vagas.

Archives:
2008: Now we are eight
2007: Birthday Boy Ben
2006: Happy Birthday Ben

Post from Dublin: Avoca Handweavers

Today Beccy and I decided to take a trip to Avoca Handweavers to have a look around the shop and visit their cafe where we had the most delicious hot chocolate.
In the picture below Beccy is posting to Flook on her new iphone!

A not very good picture of the entrance

A random shot in one area of the store.

I noticed this cute little sheep under one of the tables.

Beccy did a little shopping, and as we walked back to the car I took a couple of pictures of a little stream that looked quite pretty.

Archives:
2008: Getting Worried
2007: Postcard from San Francisco-5
2006: None