Monday, March 31, 2008

Fun Monday # 60 Inspirational Quotes


Robin is our lovely hostess this week and she wants us to share.........

Quotable quotes and words that inspire.

'she says..............please share words that inspire and motivate you--brief or bloviatory, silly or serious, from great world leaders to last night's Comedy Central...from a Hallmark greeting card to your favorite book. Choose one, choose many; let the quotes stand on their own or tell where you first read or heard them and how they affected you'.


So here are a few:

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. - Jane Austen

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Every man who is high up loves to think that he has done it all himself, and the wife smiles, and lets it go at that. - James M. Barrie

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Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes. -Gandhi

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The following interview has stuck with me since I read it. I have posted it before and I make no apologies for using it again as, in my opinion, this lady is truly inspirational.

Maya Angelou was interviewed by Oprah on her 70+ birthday.

Oprah asked her what she thought of growing older.

And, there on television, she said it was 'exciting.' Regarding body changes, she said there were many, occurring every day...like her breasts.

They seem to be in a race to see which will reach her waist, first.

The audience laughed so hard they cried. She is such a simple and honest woman, with so much wisdom in her words!

Maya Angelou said this:

'I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.'

'I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.'

'I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.'

'I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life.'

'I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.'

'I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.'

'I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.'

'I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.'

'I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone.

People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.'

'I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.'

'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'

The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.

When I was originally sent this I did some research and realised that she is a great lady~ what do you think!
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I'm looking forward to reading all your quotes and seeing who inspires you. You will see from my side bar that we have hosts for the next three Mondays.

Archives:
2007: I'm barely half normal

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Sunday, March 30, 2008

Award and Shoes

forgotThe nekked lizard's decided I deserved a little reward for being a
This is already proudly displayed in my gallery. Although it's not always easy, I do usually, find something to 'show or tell'.............

I also saw this over at the nekked lizard's place and being me I had to have a go!




You Are Flip Flops



You are laid back and very friendly.

Cheery and sunny in disposition, you usually have something to smile about.

Style is important to you, as long as you can stay casual.
It takes a lot to get you to dress up!

You are a loyal and true person, though you can be a bit of a flake.

You tend to "play hooky" and blow off responsibilities a lot more than most people.

You should live: By the beach

You should work: At a casual up and coming company



P.S. I nearly forgot British Summer Time started today three cheers~ hip hip hooray :)
Archives:
2007: Spain cont.

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Saturday, March 29, 2008

I had to know.......

.......and then I wish I hadn't bothered!! Well I always knew I was no genius, unlike my rocking pal where I saw this tempting button.
blog readability test

Go on try it~ you know you want to!

Archives:
2007: My Dilemma

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Friday, March 28, 2008

Rhubarb


I will soon be having the first picking of the season! Rhubarb is very tolerant of cold weather and in fact does need the cold to trigger stem growth. It does not like temperatures over 30 degrees centigrade so it does well in the British climate! I manage to grow several plants in a very small raised bed.

Did you know Rhubarb was first recorded in China in 2700BC, for centuries it was imported for medicinal use as a purgative. Apparently in small doses the powdered root would stimulate the appetite and cure dysentery. It wasn't until 1778 in France that it was mentioned as being eaten for pleasure! Access to sugar from the West Indies soon made it a palatable dish in Britain. Then by 1860 when Mrs Beaton published her 'Book of Household Management' it was being used for pies, jam and wine in many households.

The leaves are dangerous and should not be eaten as they contain oxalic acid; however, this can be made into a safe control for aphids, particularly for roses.

Method:

Cut 1 lb rhubarb leaves, place in an old saucepan with 2pts (1.1 litres) of water and boil for half an hour, topping up as necessary.
When cool, add 1 dessertspoon of soap flakes dissolved in 1/2pt (275ml) of warm water.
Stir thoroughly and use undiluted as a spray.

I don't have roses but I have other plants that suffer from aphids so I'm going give this a try.

Archives:
2007: My dilema

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Thursday, March 27, 2008

Tortoises Feeding

Several of you have asked how Topsy is doing. She has been home from the vet for a week now and is doing well.
I have been giving her a nice warm bath everyday and hand feeding her (well it's more force feeding as I have to physically open her mouth and make sure the peas are pushed right to the back of her throat so that she swallows them). She is fairly cooperative and has not been retracting her head which has made it a lot easier for me.
My mother took these last two photos and they are not really in focus~ but I guess you get the idea!
They are really pleased to be getting the sun and they all gravitate to one place!
This video may be a little disjointed as I've not really got the hang of editing! You will see that Tom keeps muscling in when the ladies are eating. I don't know what was wrong with blogger as it uploaded the video but then didn't finish the process. I left it on overnight and I've even got up at the crack of dawn to check~ no luck damn it~ so I've done it through You tube instead lets hope this works! The angle might look odd on the last part as I was filming from above.


Archives:
2007: Fun Monday 10 sign up

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Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Witty Wednesday # 42

Have I posted this one before ~Oh dear I can't remember ( I do know it came from an ex-colleague, Thank you Carol)

Your Yearly Dementia Test


It's that time of year to take our annual senior citizen test.
Exercise of the brain is as important as exercise of the muscles. As we grow older, it's important to keep mentally alert. If you don't use it, you lose it! Below is a very private way to gauge your loss or non-loss of intelligence.
Take the test presented here to determine if you're losing it or not. The spaces below are so you don't see the answers until you've decided on the answer.
OK, relax, clear your mind and begin.



1. What do you put in a toaster?









Answer: 'bread.' If you said 'toast,' give up now and do something else.
Try not to hurt yourself. If you said, bread, go to Question 2.











2. Say 'silk' five times. Now spell 'silk.' What do cows drink?










Answer: Cows drink water. If you said 'milk,' don't attempt the next question. Your brain is over-stressed and may even overheat. Content yourself with reading a more appropriate literature such as Auto World. However, if you said 'water', proceed to question 3.





3. If a red house is made from red bricks and a blue house is made from blue bricks and a pink house is made from pink bricks and a black house is made from black bricks, what is a green house made from?








Answer: Greenhouses are made from glass. If you said 'green bricks,'
why the hell are you still reading these???
If you said 'glass,' go on to Question 4.





4. It's twenty years ago, and a plane is flying at 20,000 feet over Germany (If you will recall, Germany at the time was politically divided into West Germany and East Germany.) Anyway, during the flight, two engines fail. The pilot, realizing that the last remaining engine is also failing, decides on a crash landing procedure. Unfortunately the engine fails before he can do so and the plane fatally crashes smack in the middle of 'no man’s land' between East Germany and West Germany. Where would you bury the survivors? East Germany, West Germany, or no man's land'?







Answer: You don't bury survivors.
If you said ANYTHING else, you're a dunce and you must stop. If you said, 'You don't bury survivors', proceed to the next question.



5. Without using a calculator - You are driving a bus from London to Milford Haven in Wales . In London , 17 people get on the bus. In Reading , six people get off the bus and nine people get on. In Swindon, two people get off and four get on. In Cardiff, 11 people get off and 16 people get on . In Swansea, three people get off and five people get on. In Carmarthen, six people get off and three get on. You then arrive at Milford Haven.
What was the name of the bus driver?








Answer: Oh, for crying out loud!
Don't you remember your own name? It was YOU!!







Now I'm sure you will all do well at this .......

However, I'm told 95% of people fail most of the questions!!
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These Children's Science Exam answers will make you laugh.
Q: Name the four seasons.
A: Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.

Q: Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink.
A: Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists.

Q: How is dew formed?
A: The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire.

Q: How can you delay milk turning sour? (brilliant, love this!)
A: Keep it in the cow.

Q: What causes the tides in the oceans?
A: The tides are a fight between the Earth and the Moon. All water tends to flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature hates a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight.

Q: What are steroids?
A: Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs.

Q: What happens to your body as you age?
A: When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental.

Q: What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty?
A: He says good-bye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery.

Q: Name a major disease associated with cigarettes
A: Premature death.

Q: How are the main parts of the body categorized? (e.g., abdomen.)
A: The body is consisted into three parts - the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain; the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels, A, E, I, O, and U.

Q: What is the fibula?
A: A small lie.

Q: What does 'varicose' mean? (I do love this one...)
A: Nearby.

Q: Give the meaning of the term 'Caesarian Section'
A: The Caesarian Section is a district in Rome

Q: What does the word 'benign' mean?'
A: Benign is what you will be after you be eight.
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Thank you Barbara~ I think I should have called this one WISDOM!
Old Age, I decided, is a gift.
I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body!
I sometime despair over my body, the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror (who looks like my mother!), but I don't agonize over those things for long.


I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend


I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.


I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.


Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4am and sleep til noon?


I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 & 70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.


I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set .

They, too, will get old.


I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.


I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.


As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.


So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be.
And I shall eat dessert every single day. (If I feel like it)
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Have fun! Archives:
2007: Road to Morocco

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Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Flowers from a Friend....


A friend popped in for coffee today and brought me these pretty flowers to brighten up my day. She is going off to India for three weeks on Thursday. Her itinerary includes a safari and a visit to the Taj Mahal so I can't wait to see all the photos when she gets back. In the mean time I'm going to help keep the greenhouse plants watered.

ALSO CAN ANYONE NAME THE FLOWER BELOW? Embee cannot remember what it is called! The blooms look very much like a tulip.
Postscript~ thanks to House of Purple Worms I now know that this flower is an Imperial Crown Lily.

Archives:

2007: Doggy Sitting

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Monday, March 24, 2008

Fun Monday # 59 My Aphabet....


Swampy has set us a mammoth fun task this week. I'm going to concentrate on me, my family and travel~ of course this might change as I begin to write who knows because I certainly don't!!

A.... I'm mrs Average, an Aquarian, born before Apollo 11 took Armstrong and Aldrin to the moon mrs A is not a high Achiever but she Adores her children and grandchildren, she thinks they are Amazing (grand/mother's prerogative) and takes she pride in all their Accomplishments. mrs A would have been Anonymous if it wasn't for all her blog Amis. Oh and ms A has been to America, she has seen the inside of Alcatraz, relaxed on Anna Marie Island and visited the Alhambra in Spain.

B........her Boobs and Bottom are too Big! she doesn't like Beer and gets easily Bored which is why she had Become an avid Blogger (this also contributes to the Big Bottom syndrome). She was Bred in Berkeley and lived close to Berkeley Castle. She learned to swim in a Brook in the castle meadow, alongside the cows (literally) and now lives in Bristol. She likes Books and still has all her childhood Books and those of her children I know she's pretty Barmy(mad) but that's the way it is! She was planning a Bike ride over Easter But the weather is so Bad she doesn't want to get pneumonia! Travel destinations include Bigbury in Devon (first ever family holiday at the age of 16) and she had to take net and stiff nylon petticoats in a carrier Bag (all the rage in 1960 even if they did take up so much room in the small car)and doesn't that skirt look hideous it was lilac and white! Confirmation enough that she's Barmy!! Her eldest daughter graduated from Bournemouth University so she's been there. She has also Been to Barbados, Boston or Boston cont, Buffalo (great shopping Mall) and Busch Gardens.

C........she has always Considered herself a caring person, others, of Course may not agree! Championing the underdog at school (often got her into trouble) and her Career has taken her from nursing to social services and education for Children. Her husband thinks she is conformist and I suppose she does keep to the rules (well, maybe not always on fun monday!). She can be Cantankerous (never you say!), is often Cautious and because of her inferiority Complex (from childhood~ families can be a pain sometimes) she is extremely Competitive and likes to Challenge herself. She enjoys family Celebrations, such as Christenings of her grand children loves Champagne (yesterday, after a kir royal she shared a bottle of Tattinger Rose Champagne with Embee); Cornwall was the holiday destination for her family for many years and she has wondered whether to move there! She has visited Canada.

D.......she is not Domineering, Dictatorial or Despotic, Despite the fact that someone who shall remain nameless thinks otherwise! After all there are only so many times one asks for something to be done before one goes Demonic. She gets Depressed in the long winter months. She loves Dogs and although she has not had a pet pooch for many years, there have been several much loved Dogs in the family. She regularly visits Dublin, and has been to Dominica

E......she is Energetic (well sometimes) and can be relied on the help out in an Emergency. She could never be called Elegant or Easy on the Eye (sigh Envy) more Earth-mother!! She lives in England one of the European countries and visited Edinburgh in Scotland when she was twenty. Echo Lake in the Fall is somewhere that she feels would be well worth another visit. She has a daughter who used to say 'Elepant' (I forgot this in last week's assignment so just wanted to get it in!!)

F.......she will never see Forty again or Fifty if it comes to that! she makes a loyal Friend who will Fight your corner! Family is the centre of her world she enjoys riding on Ferris wheels, loves Fragrant Flowers~Favourites are Freesias and Fuchsia (I know not Fragrant but pretty). She enjoys Fungi Foraging and always eats her Five a day including plenty of Fruit. She has been to Florida, France and Fuengirola but wouldn't particularly want to go there again!


G.......she is a Good listener and is a Grandmother to three Gorgeous Grandchildren; she has visited Grenada, Gulf of Mexico, Granada; all Great places for Good holidays.

H.......she is Helpful to Her daughters (Hope they agree!); she lived in a suburb of Bristol called Henleaze; her youngest daughter graduated from Hull University and so she has been to Hull a few times; she has Happy memories of various Hobbies in her life. She has been in a Helicopter twice; once to see the Grand Canyon over the Hoover Dam and once to see New York. She has twice been to Ham Farm, in Devon, on a detox retreat!

I.......she is Impatient according to embee, yes I like to get things done immediately~It rarely happens hence the Impatience! Is she Imaginative embee Insists that she is~she is less certain! she Imposes (not really She knows she's welcome but she wanted an 'I') herself on the family in Ireland!

J...... she enjoys Jokes; she used to knit Jumpers for her nearest and dearest; and her first ever trip abroad was when she visited the Jungfrau Ice palace on a school trip in 1960. You probably can't spot mrs A on this small photo! she needed a Jumper there!
She is looking forward to her summer holiday in June this year with Beccy and family.

K......she is Kind according to, at least one friend! her daughter lives in Killiney; she has been to a wedding in Kilkea Castle (which is now a hotel)
and is in County Kildare.

L......she is a Loving mother and grandmother and considers herself Lucky to have close family ties but this doesn't stop her feeling Lonely sometimes; she used to go to London regularly, when Sam lived there; she has been to Las Vagas but did not gamble~ can you believe this woman!

M......she has been know to be Manipulative; there was a time when she had a good Memory; she took a day trip to Morocco when she was holidaying in Spain, she has also visited Mousehole, Mevagissey, Moussey, Marin

N......she is a Non-smoker; she had grandparents who lived in Nettlebed in a cottage in a woodland area of the village; she has visited New York, New England, Niagara during the past two years.

O......she likes to be Organised much to the annoyance of some! she has been to Oxford which is very pretty.

P...... she is generally Punctual; she has been to Portugal twice, last time staying in Porches and she is going again this year.

Q...... she would like to be Quirky but is boringly conventional; she is Quite a Quiet person. She has been to one of the Queen's homes (Windsor Castle)but only seen the outside of Buckingham Palace. She did get a wave from the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret as they drove past her house, when they visited Berkeley Castle, in the 50's.

R...... since she Retired she has been a bit Restless; she Reads Regularly, mainly fiction; she has visited Rosslaire; she had family living in Reading and Russell's Water (quaint name!)

S......she doesn't Swear (at least not often). She enjoys some Sport but not Soccer and is very Sad she can no longer play her favourite game (see 'T')! however she Swims twice a week for exercise; she loves Sunsets and Sun rises; she often feels Stressed~ goodness knows why! she has visited Sausalito, San Francisco, St Lucia, St Vincent, Spain, Scotland and Switzerland.

T......she Tries to be Thoughtful; she absolutely loves Tennis and visited a friend in Toronto last year. This friend is now expecting a baby later in the year.

U......she is not Unconventional; she is often and not the prettiest pebble on the beach~ maybe not the Ugliest either, that's not for her to judge!!
Last year she was Unbelievably lucky enough to have dined with an awesome blogger in Ubuntu in Napa.

V......she would like to think herself Valiant in a difficult situation but would more likely be Vulnerable! she wonders if people consider her Vulgar but her jokes aren't that rude~ are they!!
She once visited Virginia Falls and has been to St Vincent

W......she is often like how to tackle this assignment! she has travelled to the West Indies on a banana boat~ now that's got you wondering!! She has been to Wengen(Switzerland) and she lives not far from a place called Wotten-Under-Edge; and being a tennis fan she has been to Wimbledon but only the once.

X.......she is not Xenophobic and enjoys learning about different cultures and customs; she has seen the film Xanadu I know scraping the bottom of the barrel but it is X! she cannot think of anywhere she has visited beginning with X!

Y.......as she gets older Yesterdays have become important; she has visited Yosemite National Park and would love to go back again; she would also love to visit Yellowstone National Park; she has eaten in Yield wine bar in San Francisco.

Z.......she is sometimes Zany would like to be she has been to Zoos in several countries. Mrs Average is now feeling very
as this has taken her a long time and she still has not even included all the photos as originally intended. However if you have got this far you need a medal and I warn you there may be errors!! See you all over the next couple of days~ Embee is home as we have a Public Holiday and he has started clearing out his study, so it won't look good if I sit at the computer all day!

Archives:
2007: Super Natural Cooking + You are what you eat

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Sunday, March 23, 2008

Happy Easter Everyone


My very quick attempt to decorate an egg!!!! Have a wonderful day and I hope the Easter Bunny brought you lots of eggs~he somehow missed this house!!












PS the last two should have been animated but doesn't seem to be working. Last one will if you click on it!

Archives:
2007: Granada-the Ahambre

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Saturday, March 22, 2008

What is today!


From the card Embee gave me you could be forgiven for thinking this is a Ruby anniversary but it is actually our Pearl anniversary today.

Archives:
2007: Happy Anniversary Embee + Mission Accomplished

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Friday, March 21, 2008

This and that

Mount Usher Gardens:
Anyone interested in seeing the Spring flowers as a follow on from my post on Tuesday will find them here on my other blog.
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My mother update:

I mentioned, on Tuesday, that I was taking my mother back for a check up on her skin graft. To cut a long story short we ended up being at the hospital rather longer than we anticipated (about three and a half hours in total). It took the nurse well over an hour to dress the donor site, remove the clips, then the sutures and clean up the actual wound. There were over 20 clips and about a dozen sutures to be removed. Some were very deeply embedded and the nurse was trying to be very gentle. My mother had to lie on her side, all this time, which was extremely painful for her due to her arthritis. The actual wound was a lot bigger and deeper than originally described and, according to the nurse the skin graft may not have been a total success. There were signs of a haematoma which they tried incising with no affect. Due to Easter it was then decided that the district nurse would have to be approached for home visits to replace the dressings on alternate days. We would then return to the clinic next Wednesday to see the consultant.
I did take my camera but I won't put you off by showing any pictures! I was fascinated, having been a nurse, I was also disgusted at the wastage. I could not believe that the bandage was cut off and not carefully removed, sterilized and reused. All the instruments were disposable (the nurse used, 4 pairs of scissors, clip removers and tweezers plus masses of dressings, saline, 3 pairs of gloves). Now I know why the National Health Service cost so much to run!!

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Tortoise Trio Update:

Embee brought Topsy home yesterday evening and now the fun begins as I have to bath her daily and force feed her which is not exactly fun. By doing this we have cut down the vet fees quite considerably but it was still £182.12 ($364 approx) which is quite a lot.

Secret Squirrel wanted to get an idea of how big the tortoises are and she asked me to take a photo with a hand so here it is!

Archives:
2007: Sunny Spain

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Thursday, March 20, 2008

Happy 15th Birthday Dillon




As you can see from the above photos my grandson has a great little job. He regularly cuts the grass for his other granny and grandad. See the beautiful view they have across the fields at the back of their house towards Sugarloaf mountain (just out of view to the left of the first picture).

Have a great day Dillon
We love you lots
Grandma, Grandpa and Granny Betty
xxx

Archives:
2007: Someone needs your help + Happy 14th Birthday Dillon

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Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Witty Wednesday # 41

This is such an amusing 'Letter from A farm Kid' sent to me by Lisa Marie

Dear Ma and Pa,
I am well. Hope you are.Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.

I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 A.M. but I am getting so I like to sleep late.

Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing.

Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water.

Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, But tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee.
Their food plus yours holds you till noon when you get fed again.

It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much. We go on 'route marches,' which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us.
If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A 'route march' is about as far as to our mailbox at home.
Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.

This will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable like and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.

Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy.
It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home.
I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake .
I only beat him once.
He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6' and 130 pounds and he's 6'8' and near 300 pounds dry.

Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving daughter,
Carol
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john is keeping me well suppled with jokes as you can see!
Dear Dad letter

A father passing by his son's bedroom, was astonished to see the bed was nicely made, and everything was picked up. Then, he saw an envelope, propped up prominently on the pillow. It was addressed,
'Dad.'
With the worst premonition, he opened the envelope and read the letter, with trembling hands.

'Dear Dad. It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I had to elope with my new girlfriend, because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mum and you. I've been finding real passion with Stacy, and she is so nice, but I knew you would not approve of her, because of all her piercing's, tattoos, her tight Motorcycle clothes, and because she is so much older than I am.

But it's not only the passion, Dad. She's pregnant. Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer in the woods, and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children.

Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn't, really hurt anyone. We'll be growing it for ourselves, and trading it with the other people in the commune, for all the cocaine and ecstasy we want.

In the meantime, we'll pray that science will find a cure for AIDS, so Stacy can get better. She sure deserves it!

Don't worry Dad, I'm 15, and I know how to take care of myself. Someday, I'm sure we'll be back to visit, so you can get to know your many grandchildren.


Love, your son, Joshua.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
P.S. Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at Jason's house.

I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than
the school report that's on the kitchen table.

Call when it is safe for me to come home :)


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Archives:
2007: Fun Monday 9 A day in my life or my life in a day

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Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Mount Usher Gardens cont.......

You may remember seeing a couple of the photos I took when I visited Mount Usher Gardens. It was such a beautiful place, that I couldn't resist showing a few lot more of the, many, photos I took during that visit:
I really love this view and I was very pleased with the shot. I have played around with the lighting on all of these just to get some practise.
There are lots of little bridges over the river.........
and many different trees to admire!
Now, look at this little chap who was helping the gardeners. When we first arrived he was very intent on his task . Anyone like to hazard a guess as to what was keeping him so occupied!
Eventually he did come over and make friends and I expect by now you will have gathered I do love dogs.He was so sweet and he reminded me of my dog 'Titch' that I had when I was about 5 years old!
Beccy and Dillon underneath the arch!
Beccy with her mother-in-law.
Dillon is taking his own artistic photos of the pet cemetery. This is such a lovely little area and clearly from the dates on the stones it is still very much in use.
All the paths wind in and out. There were lots of crocus and daffodils (I'll be posting some more photos of those later in the week~ probably on my other blog).
A couple of other views of the river.
I hope you enjoyed seeing these and if you are ever in that neck of the woods it's worth a visit!!

P.S. Later this morning my mother has to go back to the hospital for the first check up. She is just beginning to move around more freely and her leg is less painful, so hopefully all will be well when they remove the dressing.

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2007: Mothering Sunday

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