Spring is in the Air

Spring is in the Air .... all the birds and squirrels are busy seeking out and fighting over food and mates. The badger has upturned and broken 3 of my pots. I'll have to buy new pots now to house the huge hostas which are just about budding above the surface. Shame the badger is a protected species... they are always digging up the lawn, my shrubs or breaking pots. I'd break their necks given the chance ...

A Laugh A Minute

Well to cheer myself up again I listened to Brian Johnson and Aggers giggling. Giggling is contagious.

It was interesting that so many listeners rang in to the BBC today requesting to hear once again Charlotte Green unable to speak for giggling. We all want more laughter in our lives.

Then I've just found this website that has many radio sporting 'bloomers' to listen to - enjoy..

A Moving Tale

Well in more ways than one my life is a moving tale. We have been busy de-cluttering. It is a mammoth task that can only be done in dribs and drabs owing to my spouse's ill health. It is traumatic and stressful for us both. We are thinking of where and when we should next move. There is still a part of me that wishes to move back to my old home county of Surrey. In fact when I was up there in December I did have a cast around looking at various locations. I even went as far as going into a few estate agents. In one I found them busy with a painter/decorator in the middle of refurbishing their office. When he heard where I lived (he himself commuted from Stockland near Honiton), he wondered whether I was 'taking leave of my senses' to want to move back to the mad hurly burly of the south east.

By the time we had finished talking and reminiscing about Devon I felt quite homesick. I'd only been away from home for 4 days! The pull of the south east is the family network. I would enjoy being near my sister, sister-in-law and the rest of the family for emotional support when things are tough at home. But having left Surrey over 37 years ago I have a feeling that I will find it difficult to settle there.

We had an uncle who emigrated to Australia in the 1960's. After 25 years he returned to Cornwall where he did nothing but moan about how cold and wet it was and what a beautiful life was his in Australia. Then he'd return to his daughter and grandchildren in Western Australia where he couldn't wait to get back to the lush green fields of Cornwall again. So he was forever discontented and unsettled in both locations.

I wonder whether those of us who have left our home counties are forever doomed to be footloose and rootless.

Heathers

Heather's site - no, not an article on gardening but a quick note about that rather strange woman Heather Mills. I am no Beatles fan. But if this woman cannot see that, every time she opens her mouth to voice her 'thoughts', we viewers can't see her lies, innuendo and delusional beliefs - then she is very obviously so far up her own a**s that she is more away with the fairies than I thought.

I couldn't resist having a peek at her official site but see that she has carefully avoided allowing anyone to leave comments. Perhaps that is the only wise thing she has ever done in her life. Well, after bagging a very wealthy grieving widower as a husband that is.....

I particularly like the Judge's comments that although she claimed to have been so very generous with her money to charities that no record of donations can be identified.

On the plant front though I reckon she's well named (Latin name calluna vulgaris) she is just as tough and woody as an old heather, a common pernicious weed.

Update 31/03/08: Re Mopsa's comment that this is the best article - I agree, it's worth reading.

Apologies

I just want to apologise to all who keep popping in to read any new postings. And there haven't been many at all. What there have been are invariably made up of whinges and a crosspatch moaning. I am sorry but this virus has been a bit of a b*****r to shake off. And being at home so much means I've been listening to the radio or watching TV news; surrounded by doom, gloom and the economy.
Many people are beginning to call it 'flu'. I don't know if this is flu or not. If it's a flu virus then I've got off lightly. But whatever it is it's taken a long time to clear and is still affecting my energy levels. I've only done a little bit of blogging here and there. I've popped in on blogging friends to cheer myself over the last few weeks. I've certainly hardly been out anywhere and feel as if I'm 'stir crazy' sometimes. I go to the chemist each week for essential supplies but otherwise have resorted to Internet grocery shopping to save energy.
My group of friends also have had the virus. 2 of them a month before I started it. 2 others a couple of weeks later. We keep comparing symptoms to see how long before we feel 'back to normal'. From a telephone conversation with a friend who yesterday claimed to be fully recovered I reckon I may have a couple more weeks to go.We keep on talking about arranging a get together. We've cancelled 3 lunch/dinner parties - so far. We just keep on talking about what we'll do when we all feel better.

More Power to the People

I am a perfectly ordinary person (POP) who is feeling very frustrated and annoyed beyond all bearing with what is happening to our country. If you feel the same way then consider joining this group and move to Scotland until we have proper representation for England in parliament.

Counsellor or Councillor

No I'm not going to talk politics again. I saw in the local paper when they are talking about counselling they spelt it incorrectly. It had been missed in the proof reading. I assume this is another example of people relying on a PC spell check.

However, my point is that in the advert along with the usual claim to help with depression, anxiety, bereavement and relationship problems it mentions 'LGBTQ issues'. I have no idea what this could be so I don't know if I have trouble with LGBTQ issues or not. If anyone can enlighten me or even make a mad stab [please, no blush making over vulgar suggestions] I would be interested to hear your comments. I'll look it up tomorrow and see if I can come up with an answer. I have a few ideas but I end up stumped by the 'Q' - apart from a non PC term that is.

Update: 15th March - Mark Wasdsworth is correct. LGBTQ the 'Q' from this site stands for Queer or Questioning youth. I am a little surprised 'queer' is still used but maybe in the USA they are more relaxed than us in UK who fear to use a word that may cause offence.

Power to the People

I hope that this blog will resurrect itself at a later date. I'm sorry that I didn't get to read it before it was taken off line. As Sirona Says the spooks will be looking for her. I just hope that it is only her job Civil Serf loses and she doesn't become an accidental death. I wouldn't put anything past this Govt.
Some links that you may find interesting:
http://www.britishblogs.co.uk/search/civil+serf/

http://my.telegraph.co.uk/mikeyp/march_2008/civil_serf.htm

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3512007.ece

- what a shame that no-one has saved the blog entries to their PC so that those of us a bit slow off the mark could read it. Maybe this would have been a good excuse for whistle blowers to eschew copyright issues - offer their blog to be copied directly on to other bloggers pages. So would all future whistleblowers please note - get us to spread your words so that if your blog is shut down we can still spread the 'truth' for all to hear.

Tags and Meme

Way back when - so long ago now I expect she has forgotten all about it - teeni - tagged me to share 7 random or weird bits of information about myself with my readers/blurkers or virtual friends. Finally I have managed to put my mind to this engrossing task. Here are my confessional 7:

1. I have no ankles. By that I mean although I have shapely [according to my husband] legs my ankles are pudgy and weak. I wish I had boney ankles with a taut visible Achilles tendons. I have to wear sensible shoes when all I crave are high heel scrappy strappy expensive things.
2. My legs - shapely or not - take up more than half my height. I have a small squat body. I can't wear a dress I look far too funny with the waist up under my boobs - so tight around my ribs I can't breathe. I should have made my own dresses so that I could place the waist where it is rather than where dressmakers think it should be.
3. I am by nature an optimist and look at the world through rose tinted specs; believing the best of everyone I meet. However, having a met a lot of people, I do keep a healthy scepticism.
4. I will help anyone but will not allow anyone to 'take advantage'. I believe that God helps those who help themselves. I always try to see the best in people and make allowances for the fact that we all have our own selfish need to get through life the best way we can.
5. I am an imaginative dreamer. I could lose hours in my own thoughts and day dreams - given the chance.
6. I wish I had been a teacher. If we have a second life I will train to be a teacher - juniors 7 - 11 year olds - when they are full of curiosity and imagination.
7. I am opinionated and could run the world far better than any politician - other than the lovely amusing , Boris Johnson that is.

Now for the meme, here are the rules:

Link to the person who tagged you. Post the rules on your blog. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog. Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.

Unfortunately as I am still suffering from/ recovering from this flu type bug along with nursing my husband through it too (He claims he feels far worse than I did/do!) I do not have time to tag 7 people. If you would like to pick up the challenge and do this meme then please pick up the flame and carry it forth proudly. But do let me know via a comment so that I can come over to your place to blurk a look.

Gold Price's Soaring

The price of Gold is soaring and Gordon Brown has nothing in the bank to show for it.... HUH! No wonder all our taxes keep on going up and up...

I also cannot understand just how Tony Blair managed to get taken on as an adviser to J P Morgan. After all Tony Bliar sold his home in Islington just prior to a huge surge in property prices and then bought into property again at the top of the market just before a slump. Maybe J P Morgan is going to use him as a kind of reverse psychology pundit. Sound him out for his views and then take the opposite tack... even that could prove difficult what he believes one day will not necessarily be what he believes on another.

Update: 16:54
This last link on further exploration may or may not be part of BNP - I can't quite figure out if it is or not. However, it does strike a chord and I believe it illustrates just how far a great many of us, the 'general ordinary public', feel a real sense of disappointment and frustration over recent Govt decisions, particularly those made over the last 10-15 years.

Mothers Day

My mother died in 1965. I still think of her on Mothers Day. I envy all the other people who will be sending flowers or chocolates or gathering for a special Sunday lunch to celebrate the day together. In my mind's eye I can still see my mother - invariably laughing or with her head buried in a book. I know how much she missed her mother who also died at an early age. So I'm sure she wouldn't be surprised to know how I still treasure her memory and miss her presence in my life.

The Daily Telegraph have done a lovely article on celebrating Mothers and their role in our lives - do go and explore this link. And if you're still lucky enough to have your's, do be sure to tell her what she means to you while you have the chance. Don't miss the opportunity.

St Davids Day heroes

I see the Prince of Wales dropped a spring onion on his lapel at lunch. It was a shame that Camilla didn't attempt to check he was dressed properly before he rushed of to Brize Norton to welcome Harry home from the wars. Or perhaps do you think it was a princely nose gay? After all Harry has told us he's not had a bath for days and days ' and is now just like an ordinary person'. Now for myself I'd much rather wear a daffodil.

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