Happy Halloween

Archives:
2008: Happy Halloween
2007: Witty Wednesday-25
2006: Halloween

Tunisia # 4 Visiting a Carpet Shop

If one had wanted a hand made carpet you could certainly have picked one up a lot less expensive than you would find them in the shops at home.

There were plenty of different sizes, colours and designs on show.

Below the lady weaving this carpet is working from behind and she has the pattern in her head, which is amazing when you look at the intricate patterns being produced.

I don't think anyone in our party actually bought a carpet. We were speculating on what the families were actually paid to produce these carpets, and decided it was probably very little for the hours of work involved in producing the finished item.

Archives:
2008: I'm home from the Emerald Isle
2007: London Bridges
2006: Making the most of my bramleys

Tunisia # 3 Camels Crossing!

When we travelled in a 4x4 into the desert, we passed a few places where they had signs for Camels crossing. We had a maniac of a driver so I wasn't able to get a picture of the signs. However he did actually stop to let camels cross the road and I did manage to get some photos.

Just look at the face above. It's like he knows he's holding up the traffic and loving it!

They wanted to get at the water.

The baby camel was so cute.

Archives:
2008: Postcard from Dublin-3 Orphans
2007: Summertime Ends
2006: It's not my birthday!

Tunisia # 2 Great Mosque of Kairouan

We arrived in Tunis at dusk and the sun was just setting as we boarded the coach and left the airport to head to our hotel at Gammarth.

The following day we were up early to travel to Kairouan. Everywhere we went we had to pay to take photos, it was only 50 pence for each place but over a week this mounted up. The flag was on the top of one of the ticket offices, where we climbed up to look at the view.

First we visited the Great Mosque of Kairouan (Mosque of Uqba). Erected on the site of the first Islamic oratory built in the Maghreb by ‘Uqba ibn Nafi, the Great Mosque of Kairouan was later renovated by Hassan ibn Nu’man before being entirely rebuilt by the Aghlabid prince Ziyadat Allah I.
It is the oldest and most prestigious place of worship in the Muslim West, and was used as the architectural model for most of the mosques built in Ifriqiya before the arrival of the Ottomans. With its variety of forms and the wealth of its decorative repertoire, which combines Byzantine and Mesopotamian influences, it embodies most facets of the Kairouanese school.

These pictures show the massive minaret of the mosque (8th-9th century). You can just see the sundial in the courtyard.

Below the facade of the prayer hall.

Below The Prayer Hall.

Below you can see the magnificent Chandeliers in the central nave of the prayer hall (we were not allowed inside but could look from the door). Women have a separate entrance and have their own area at the rear of the mosque.

Colonnade abutting the prayer hall (not sure if you can see the bike that was parked by one of the pillars.

Arches in a gallery below.

Beautiful wooden doors at the entrance to the prayer hall.

Below the rainwater collector.

School children were visiting and they were very friendly and wanted their pictures taken.

Archives:
2008: Postcard from Dublin-2
2007: Childhood Book
2006: Do you serve cocktails

Fun Monday # 140 Not a pretty sight

Our hostess this week is Gattina and she wants to see.....

What we are wearing when we get out of your bed on a Sunday morning. Of course she wants to see a picture of what we wear, with us inside or not.

There was no way you were going to see me first thing in the morning in my 'jim-jams/p-j's' so I had to find another model. Probably not a very clear photo as it was still fairly dark when I got up and I took this on my phone camera for speed.
By the way I'm not really someone who normally wears pale pink but I got these reduced in a sale and there was no colour choice. I rarely get showered and dressed until I've had breakfast, read my emails, plurked and done my farming. As it's getting cooler I would probably wear a dressing gown over the top.

Archives:
2008: Postcard from Dublin
2007: I-spy
2006: Post title

Tunisia # 1 Where am I ?

Having just returned from my trip to Tunisia  I somehow think it might take me a while  to look at and edit the 685 pictures I have just downloaded from my camera. 
So, as a taster,  I thought I would let you guess where I had this taken.

Archives:
2008: None
2007: Open Letter to guest next door
2006: Cape Cod

So much to do and so little time

My bags are almost packed, as tomorrow, I'm off to Tunisia for a week. This is another sight-seeing trip rather than a relaxing by the pool type holiday. We have a lot to pack into eight days and I hope to take a few photos to share with you when I get back.
I need to do some deep breathing and relax, because I still have lots to do before I can go to bed. I think I know just the thing to help me...this song by Susan Boyle



See you all when I get back.

Archives:
2008: Witty Wednesday-68
2007: Fun Monday-37
2006: None

Witty Wednesday # 117

I borrowed this from Grannymar
PARROT TALK
A lady goes to her priest one day and tells him, ‘Father, I have a problem. I have two female parrots, but they only know how to say one thing.’

‘What do they say?’ the priest inquired.

They say, ‘Hi, we’re hookers! Do you want to have some fun?’

That’s obscene!’ the priest exclaimed d, Then he thought for a moment.
‘You know,’ he said, ‘I may have a solution to your problem. I have two male talking parrots, which I have taught to pray and read the Bible. Bring your two parrots over to my house, and we’ll put them in the cage with Francis and Peter.

My parrots can teach your parrots to praise and worship, and your parrots are sure to stop saying that phrase in no time.’
Thank you,’ the woman responded, ‘This may very well be the solution.’
The next day, she brought her female parrots to the priest’s house.

As he ushered her in, she saw that his two male parrots were inside their cage holding rosary beads and praying. Impressed, she walked over and placed her parrots in with them. After a few minutes, the female parrots cried out in unison: ‘Hi, we’re hookers! Do you want to have some fun?’
There was stunned silence. Shocked, one male parrot looked over at the other male parrot and exclaimed, ‘Put the beads away, Frank. Our prayers have been answered!’
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Now what is Embee thinking about sending me this!

Guess The Nationality

American?
Brazilian?
Swiss?
Spanish?
French?
Italian?

All wrong....... POLISH!!!

Don't believe it?

Okay, take a look....







So, what were you thinking?

Archives:
2008: Corfu-Kerkyra-4 Holiday Companions
2007: None
2006: None

It's ok to be different

I don't know about you but I love surprises. My daughter, Beccy, has been asking me if I'd had a parcel arrive, which of course, until now, I hadn't. Today the postman knocked and I guessed it might be more than junk mail or bills.

Many of you will know (probably sick of me wittering on about it) I've recently become addicted to Farmville on Facebook. So I'm delighted with the pressie Beccy has sent me and it will become my new favourite mug for when I'm at the computer.

For those of you who are not familiar with this farming game, the black sheep is often found wandering on farms of neighbours and you can adopt them. I've managed to gather quite a few.

Now what Beccy doesn't know is, that with Christmas in the not too distant future, I'd had my eye on buying some of the items in the FV shop but she has pipped me at the post.

Anyway I love my mug so thank you very much Beccy xxxx

P.S. If anyone out there is looking for a new neighbour let me know!!!!!!!

Archives:
2008: Details of secret ornament exchange
2007: Blog action day is October 15th
2006: None

Fun Monday # 138 Gadgets

This week our hostess is Wendy (as an aside I first met Wendy through plurk and she is great fun). She has chosen gadgets for the topic and she wants to know......

what gadgets we can’t live without and those we could get rid of.

My daughters often say I'm a gadget person but when I actually looked around the house wondering what to choose for this post I couldn't really see much.

So what do I use most and would just hate to be without; well it has to be the computer. I probably spend more time on this than I do on anything else. Especially as I've recently joined Facebook and got myself addicted to Farmville. Yes it was on the screen when I took the picture yesterday.

Alongside the computer my camera is the other thing I would be lost without. I almost always have it in my bag just in case I find something interesting to capture for my blog.

I haven't really come up with anything I would get rid of, what I tend to do is shove it out of sight just in case...not a good practice.
Sorry this is a bit dull and uninspiring but it's the taking part that counts.

Archives:
2008: A Sunday Drive
2007: Yolks on me
2006: Leaving on a Jet Plane

Rescued Hens

About a month ago a friend of mine gave a home to four rescued hens. They have been settling into their new home, and getting used to the garden. They are being very well cared for and are clearly happy because they have been laying eggs on most days.
Sadly one is being bullied by the others, and my friend has been giving her special treatment to make up for it. This is apparently normal behaviour, to have one that is picked on by the others.
They have a hen house with a bedroom.

They quickly learned to go up the ramp to sleep.

As soon as we went out into the garden they were quickly assembling ready to be fed.


Below is the one who is bullied, but she still managed to get enough food, and her extra treats ensures she continues to thrive. Her feathers are beginning to grow back quite well so all seems well.

The hen below looks very healthy and is the main bully.

They now have an outside pen and they really enjoy scratching about on what used to be a grassed area.

Although I enjoyed seeing them I'm not being tempted to get any for myself, but I'll happily use any spare eggs. I forgot to mention my friend is actually allergic to eggs!!

Archives:
2008: None
2007: Jonny did it
2006: Tyntesfield House

National Poetry Day Heroes and Heroines

Today is National Poetry Day and the theme is Heroes and Heroines. I don't know abut you but at school we had to learn a lot of poetry and try and write some. I was absolutely hopeless at this and used to hate it.

Skip a generation and when my own daughters were young they were both quite good at poetry and Sam in particular often wrote poems some I still have. This is why I think she was very good at writing slogans, for competitions, that used to win her some very good prizes.

Skip on another generation and I now have grandchildren who have written poetry for school projects. What I now realise is that this is all part of the creative process and maybe it missed out in me, although when push came to shove I did manage a few feeble attempts when I did some of the 40 or less photo challenges that Robin organised last year. This event focused on a picture and you had to write a caption or poem in 40 words or less.

I am thankful the rest of the family have a much better gift of language and poetry than I do. There are many poems that I enjoy and I wouldn't actually say I have a favourite but I will leave you with this little reminder as it seems apt, given that so many of our young men and women are fighting a futile war and they are all heroes and heroines:

IF by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Kipling is said to have written the poem 'If' with Dr Leander Starr Jameson in mind, who led about five-hundred of his countrymen in a failed raid against the Boers, in southern Africa. The 'Jameson Raid' was later considered a major factor in starting the Boer War (1899-1902).
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Now the brain is very clever so just for fun see if you can read the same poem when the words are jumbled........

The jmbleud wdros torhey datrmneeosts jsut how caalbpe the biarn is at arnboibsg mneaing far mroe qilcuky tahn msot wrietrs wuold eevr iaimnge.

And a fnail daioertomstnn of how celver yuor barin is - can you raed tihs?...

'If' by rrdayud kipilng

If you can keep yuor haed wehn all aobut you

Are lnsiog thiers and bianmlg it on you,

If you can turst yusrleof wehn all men dbout you,

But mkae alanowlce for tehir duontbig too;

If you can wiat and not be tierd by wntiaig,

Or bineg leid auobt, don't dael in leis,

Or benig htead, don't gvie way to hiatng,

And yet don't look too good, nor tlak too wsie:

If you can darem - and not mkae dmaers yuor msater,

If you can tihnk - and not mkae ttghhous yuor aim;

If you can meet wtih Tpumirh and Dtseasir

And traet thsoe two iortmspos jsut the smae;

If you can baer to haer the trtuh you've spoekn

Tesiwtd by kevnas to mkae a tarp for floos,

Or wtcah the tinhgs you gvae yuor lfie to, breokn,

And sotop and bluid 'em up wtih wron-out tolos:

If you can mkae one haep of all yuor wininngs

And rsik it all on one trun of ptich-and-tsos,

And lsoe, and sratt aiagn at yuor bniiggnens

And nveer baerth a wrod aoubt yuor lsos;

If you can froce yuor hraet and nrvee and sniew

To svree yuor trun lnog afetr tehy are gnoe,

And so hlod on wehn trehe is nhontig in you

Epxcet the Wlil whcih syas to tehm: "Hlod on!"

If you can tlak wtih crdwos and keep yuor vturie,

Or wlak wtih kngis - nor lsoe the cmmoon tcuoh,

If nheeitr feos nor liovng fdriens can hrut you,

If all men cunot wtih you, but nnoe too mcuh;

If you can flil the uigrnonvfig mnuite

Wtih stxiy snceods' wotrh of dinstace run,

Yuros is the Etrah and envyeirthg taht's in it,

And - whcih is mroe - you'll be a Man, my son!

Archives:
2008: None
2007: Fun Monday-36
2006: On a clear day

Witty Wednesday # 116

I cannot remember who I borrowed this one from so my apologies for not giving you a mention. It could be one of three people and I don't want to get it wrong. If you let me know I'll add a PS.

I thought it was rather funny!
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Borrowed from Merle

"When to start cussing."

A 6 year old and a 4 year old are upstairs in their bedroom. The 6 year old asks, "You know what? I think it's about time we started cussing."
The 4 year old nods his head in approval. The 6 year old continues, "When we go downstairs for breakfast, I'm gonna say something with 'hell' and you say something with 'a*s'. The 4 year old agrees with enthusiasm.

When the mother walks into the kitchen and asks the 6 year old what he wants for breakfast. he replies, "Aw hell Mom, I guess I'll have some Cheerios."

WHACK ! He flies out of his chair, tumbles across the kitchen floor gets up and runs upstairs crying his eyes out with his mother in hot pursuit, slapping his rear end with every step. She locks him in his room and shouts, "You can stay there until I let you out."

She then comes back downstairs, looks at the 4 year old and asks with a stern voice, "And what do YOU want for breakfast, young man?"

"I don't know," he blubbers, "but you can bet your fat a*s it won't be Cheerios."
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'Blonde'

A blonde gets home from shopping and hears strange noises coming
from the bedroom. She rushes upstairs only to find her husband
naked lying on the bed, sweating and panting.

"What's up?" she asks. "I think I am having a heart attack." cries
the husband.

The blonde rushes downstairs to grab the phone, but just as she is
dialling, her four year old son comes up and says, "Mommy, Mommy,
Auntie Shirley is hiding in your wardrobe and she's got no clothes on."

The blonde slams the phone down and storms back upstairs into the
bedroom, right past her husband, rips open the wardrobe door and
sure enough, there is her sister, totally naked and cowering on the floor.

"You rotten Bitch," she screams. "My husband's having a heart attack,
and you're running around naked playing hide and seek with the kids."
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Archives:
2008: Corfu-Kerkyra-2 New Fortress
2007: Pussycat pussycat where have you been
2006: Well I never knew that

Local News

I've just been listening to the local news and some bones that were found in a bag by a motorway workman, clearing vegetation on the slip road at junction 14 on the M5 yesterday lunchtime, have now been confirmed as human bones. I pass this junction when I go to visit my brother and I guess it's about 10 or 12 miles from where I live.

The police have now got to try and discover who it is. No easy task, it would be very easy to come off the motorway dump something and be miles away in a very short time. On the other hand it could be be a local crime!

Archives:
2008: Corfu Kerkyra-1
2007: None
2006: Elderflower Champagne

Fun Monday # 137 A love of Autumn

This week Hoosier Girl over at The Coffee Table has set us the task of......

Showing or telling what we love about fall (or as we would call it Autumn) - images, smells, sights, activities.

So what does autumn mean to me:

Animals get ready to hibernate, well my tortoises do and I watch the squirrels gathering food for the long winter months ahead.

Umbrellas come out for rainy days- actually this is something I don't like about autumn

Trees change colour and lose their leaves. I love walking at this time of the year.

Unpredictable weather- it can be warm, frosty, foggy, cold, or damp, rainy, and windy.

Mid-day sun is a real pleasure on some autumn days. Last week I was still able to sit outside and enjoy the warmth. When it gets too cold and we have frosty mornings I still hope for some sun to help the day along.

Nights draw in, and whilst I'm not that keen on the long dark winter, there is something quite nice about being indoors, with the curtains closed, tucked up and cosy. I've even been thinking about having a real fire this year.

I leave you with an autumn picture of my garden which I have used before but it looks very much the same every year.

Archives:
2008: Sundays Sunset Sunrise Meme
2007: Le Creuset
2006: Animal Farm

Shine on Harvest Moon

This morning my mother woke me up well before 7am to look at the Harvest Moon. I haven't done it justice in these photos but it was beautiful.

We've been in the garden, this morning, doing a few jobs. I've been putting away the furniture for the winter, there was a chill to the air and it felt very autumnal. Embee has been doing some pruning and he's extended the planter ready for next year.

It might not look much different but it's a lot deeper and, although, it will only give us a few more feet, hopefully the extra space will be enough to grow a few more vegetables.

Archives:
2008: None
2007: Sadness at Cadbury's Somerdale
2006: Visiting

One for my collection

I don't have anything to write about today so I just thought I would share a magnet Beccy and the children bought me when they were here in the summer.

Archives:
2008: None
2007: Witty Wednesday-22 Boobicon
2006: Bearing Gifts

Oolite Ale for a celebration

Embee has been working here for the past 8.5 years. They are coming towards the end of the project and it is likely Embee will be out of a job before Christmas. He's really well past retirement age but wanted to see this project finished as he's been there since the day after it started.

Last Saturday BANES (Bath and North East Somerset-the council) hosted a celebration party for the citizens and employees, for a job well done and the safety of the village that is built over the stone mines.
Apparently they had a jazz band, dog show, Morris dancers, children's pageant to name just some of the activities. We didn't actually attend because Embee was out for the day, but one of his work mates saved him a couple of bottles of this ale which was bottled, specifically, to commemorate the event. The Oolite Ale is a traditional bitter brewed by Box Steam Brewery

(Click to enlarge and read)

Just look at some of the names of the beer they produce.
We have decided that as this was brewed and bottled for the occasion it might well become a collector item in years to come so at the moment Embee is not planning on drinking it. Of course he might change his mind!

Archives:
2008: None
2007: California Dreaming + Dingo 11 Award
2006: I decided to give myself a treat