A lovely lady

There is a certain lovely lady who is well known to the blogging community and has so very kindly forwarded a very special award to my blog and me. Many of you will know her as Shinade and I value her friendship for she offers it without any strings and with true kindness. She always offers help and inspiring words when people are in trouble or are feeling down and she simply is golden. So although you cannot hear my words in my very broad middle England dialect ~ “Thank you for just being you and thank you for this very special award to me!”

This is the photograph of Shinade.

A very special award from Shinade to me and my blog …

Please visit this very special lady’s blog at The Painted Veil

Meme theme

Those of you who know me will be surprised at this particular posting as ‘I never do memes’ so I have made an exception just this once. My blogging friends Karen and Gerard Zemek presented me with this unusual one and thought I might like to try it out. So here I am ‘dipping my toe’ into a meme theme! Karen and Gerard have two blogs by the way so why not take a trip over to each of them to take a look … Karen & Gerard Zemek and My funny dad, Harry.

Now ……. let me get down to the business in hand, namely that of the meme. Firstly, I need to pick a book. I am told that it should not be my favourite book so I will need to close my eyes – can I do that without peeping? I will try. Right, I have managed to do this without squinting – the first book that I have put my hand onto is called Song of BE it is by Lesley Beake it is published by Hamish Hamilton Ltd who are part of the Penguin Group. It was first published in South Africa in 1991 and in Great Britain in 1995.

The actual meme reads as follows:

1 Pick up a book

2 Open the book at page 56

3 Find the fifth sentence

4 Post the text of the next two to five sentences

5 Choose something other than your favourite book, don’t look for one that you think others will be impressed with.

6 Tag five people to do the same

Those are the rules … and so here are the contents of the book …

‘I went to /Aotcha which was my n!lore, the place where I belonged, the place of my fathers. I went there and I found my people had gone to a new place which was not our n!lore, a place where the white people said we must come, because they wanted to help us. They said they would build houses for us and there would be jobs and we would be … civilized. Yes, civilized was the word they used. For us it was a place of death.’

Not everyone will want to join in and try this meme but I would like to pass is on to the following blogs for them to do a post on it if they would like:

Mommy's Little Corner

On The Bricks

Lainy's Musings

This Is My Life

My footprints on the Paths

and a special little note … for those of you who have not yet had a go at a post on a meme … why not have a go at this one … you could leave your website link in my comments box and join in. :)

I hope that the rest of you enjoyed my mystery book … it is a very small, sad, interesting book – but if you choose to read it be prepared to feel upset – a taste of real life can sometimes be very upsetting!

Number 5

The number five has become quite important to me. A few years ago, I had a lingering cough. It was a nuisance during the day and at night I would wake up choking, gasping for breath. I had tried every cough remedy I could find but nothing seemed to appease it. At the time we didn't have any pets so there seemed to be no explanation for it.

Every time I went out shopping I would scour the shelves looking for a cough treatment that I had not yet tried ... then one day, whilst in a health store, I came across a display of tissue salts. At the time I had never heard of these before. This was my first introduction to homeopathy. The tissue salts contain a minute amount of something which allegedly acts on the body similarly to an inoculation. I picked up pot after pot and eventually found 'New Era Biochemic Tissue Salts Number 5' in my hand.

The little tub bravely declared "A biochemic remedy for minor respiratory ailments and for coughs, colds and children's feverish ailments" with 450 moulded tablets.

I purchased the pot and placed four of the small pills in the centre of my tongue as directed. The tablets were tiny and sweet and dissolved slowly. When first taking them, if the complaint is severe, the directions advise that the process should be repeated every half-an-hour until symptoms subside ....... amazingly, the tiny tablets worked. I have been a fan of tissue salts ever since.

One Christmas, a long while ago, my husband treated me to a bottle of Chanel No 5. I sprayed it onto my neck and wrists and sucked in it's fragrance ... I don't know whether it's my imagination but deep within its smell, I fancy that I can smell the faintest suggestion of daffodil. Since that very first application I have never used any other perfume ... I just adore its soft, sweet, haunting, feminine smell.

So you see ... the number five has become quite important to me.

Christmas cactus - Angel

It is Sunday and although it is early, my Christmas cactus is at last in flower. This is a very special variety as it resembles a beautiful angel - but that is not the only reason why I like this particular plant. It is slightly different to its cousin the standard pink Christmas cactus - the leaves are much thinner and slightly leathery with a dark plum serrated finish to their edges. The flowers are more open like slender waisted ladies with open skirts and wings. It is truly angelic as it thrives - no matter how bad a person might be at keeping plants.

My plant is kept on a sunny windowsill slightly out of reach of direct sunlight and receives an occasional splash of water it is very slow growing and every year, around Christmas time it produces small 'white angels' at the tips of its leaves. Magical ...

A Yorkshire man's advice to his son

The following is a very old saying from Yorkshire - it is the advice that fathers would pass on to their sons and is entitled:

Yorkshire man's advice to his son

"See all, hear all, say now't ... Eat all, sup all, pay now't ... And if ever tha does owt for now't, allus do it for thisen."

A little translation for those who are not familiar with the dialect -

See everything and hear everything but say nothing, Eat everything and drink everything but pay nothing. And if ever you do anything for nothing, always do it for yourself.

*A very old saying ... :)

Sweet soft snowberry secretly sneaks ...

Although winter is obviously on the way and much of the traditional weather of the Autumn hasn't really happened it is still interesting to take a look at the various borders and see what new items have arrived. Today, whilst snipping back a little of the honeysuckle I was surprised to see some white berries peeping up through the rambling branches. It was a snowberry. It was well hidden as the leaves resemble those of the variety of honeysuckle that rambles along the fence. I was more than a little surprised as I hadn't planted a snowberry bush and as it isn't native to Britain the berries are alleged to not ripen enough for the seeds to germinate into new plants in our gardens. So perhaps a bird had dropped a seed and somehow it has managed to grow. As this one apparently had defied all odds and has not only grown but also developed quite a strong base section.

These plants usually throw out new shoots from below and this is the easiest way to produce a new plant. They are apparently quite prolific shoot producers - so my question is should I dig this lovely winter berry up or should I keep it and hope that it doesn't kill off my lovely old woody honeysuckle or woodbine?

My honeysuckle is especially precious to me as it is a cutting off my mother's plant which she loved very much.

Reflection

Yesterday, at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month - Britain stood still for two silent minutes of reflection. This tradition sprang up after the war of all wars, The Great War (WW1). So many young men who were sons, husbands and fathers were thrown into battle to fight over a few square yards of mud. What these vibrant young men endured is legendary. They dug deep trenches in deep solid clay to try and maintain protection against the bullets that whistled past them. It has always been claimed that 'you never hear the one that hits you.'

My grandfather served in the First World War. He was a young man that had recently married and his wife, my grandmother was carrying their first child when she kissed and waved goodbye to him. He came back wounded with shrapnel with horrors playing over and over in his head. Although I came into his life a long time afterwards ... he was not one for discussing the events of this devastating tragedy.

Like many children, I was persistent in my queries as to what it was like and eventually he relented and told me little pieces of information of what it was like.

When it rained, the trenches filled up with water that seeped through the leather boots and sometimes lapped over the tops filling any gaps between sock and leather. So sodden did boot and foot become that the flesh became wrinkled and began to rot. Even if they could take off the boots there was no means of drying them so day after day after day they endured icy cold water permeating their flesh. There were gas attacks which included the dreaded mustard gas - truly a viscous weapon as it burnt eyes, skin and lungs and caused bleeding inside and out those that died from it slowly and painfully suffered until they closed their eyes for the last time. There were rifles with bayonets and machine guns and miles and miles of barbed wire that ripped through uniforms and gouged into skin.

When the conflict was over, the land being a sea of mud and bodies not a blade of grass remained but eventually the ground became a red glow as million after million poppies pushed their way up from the slaughter ground and opened their red petals in the day light. We now recognise the poppy as a symbol of the fallen ...

When you next see a poppy take a moment and reflect ... not just for the fallen in the First World War. Remember also those who have had their lives taken or have received serious injury and who have taken up arms in our name to protect us all and keep our freedom and make this planet a safe place so that we may go about our daily lives. Let us hope that somewhere in the not too distant future we will eventually see the end of all conflict and may be we can then share a wonderful life of peace!

Peepo pus

From the very first day that our cat became a member of our family (as a kitten), she enjoyed playing her own version of 'peepo.' She has several variations of this that she has developed over the years. As a kitten, she would hide underneath a cover and as you walked passed calling out her name wondering where on earth she could be ... out would pounce one of her paws ... and catch your foot. She became very adept at this and the result of the capture of your foot became quite painful for the recipient - usually me. "Ouch - Look what you've done." I would say - but of course - my foot was mouse practise and I am not a person that gets cross ... it's not my nature.

As this lovely little kitten grew ... she took the game into the garden and began waiting behind bushes ... she was very patient and would wait and wait and wait until finally someone in the family would walk past (usually me) and out her paw would strike. As those who have ever had cats know, their claws are like a series of scalpels and just as effective!

Now my cat is ten years old and she is still playing peepo - although looking half asleep in the pictures above ... just moments before she was lying curled up in a circle fast asleep. If I am sitting in the chair she often will walk along the side of it - sit down and stretch her head above the arm - then quickly dip it down again. If I don't respond after she has repeated the move three or four times - she will jump onto the arm and pull her face around so that it is directly in front of mine and look me straight in the eyes! What a shock this can be. From a peepo game to almost a 'boo!'

Kangaroo - ancient answers?

I have always found Australia fascinating and have admired the way that they have embraced nature. People over the years have pontificated about what undiscovered cures may be available to us in the rain forests of the world. The human race has taken animals and bred in certain qualities and bred out others to achieve the farm animals that we have today. We have gained valuable food sources by doing this but what have we lost? It is now evident that kangaroos being primitive creatures untouched by man have a secret weapon. Their digestive system is the same as all other mammals with the exception that the bacteria in their guts create acetate which fully aids their digestion resulting in totally gas free bowels. They simply do not produce any gas whatsoever - they do not fart! Kangaroos therefore do not produce any greenhouse gasses and when that is compared to cattle - the average cow produces enough gas to fill a 40 to 45 gallon drum - approximately 250 litres of methane per animal, per day.

Beautiful blogging bling

I have received these two wonderful blogging awards from two of my most favourite bloggers - the Uber Amazing Blog! was very kindly given to me by Heidi who has a most wonderful blog - Health Nut Wannabee Mom

and the 'My Favourite Blog Award' was most kindly forwarded to me by Maitri - Magic and Moments at Dragonfly Cottage ...

So I want to thank both of these lovely bloggers for thinking of me and would highly recommend a visit to their sites.

Now I would like to pass either both awards or one of their choice to the following extra special bloggers whose sites I have grown fond of and I hope that my visitors may have time to take a peek and discover them as well.

Lainy's Musings

The Matthias Chronicles

Money Maker Times.Com

In The Eyes Of The Beholder

Marriage and Beyond

The first terrorist?

Today is November 5th and throughout the United Kingdom people up and down the country prepare to remember Guy Fawkes' escapades. A gang of men that nowadays would be labelled as terrorists tried to blow up The Houses of Parliament. The gang were English Roman Catholics and regarded themselves as revolutionaries. They were lead by a man called Robert Catesby. Parliament was due to be opened by King James on 5th November 1605. An anonymous letter was received by Lord Monteagle, a Catholic peer that warned him not to attend parliament. Monteagle immediately set about warning the government and a search of both houses (House of Commons and House of Lords) was ordered. Guy Fawkes was discovered guarding 20 barrels of gunpowder which was hidden under a pile of coal and faggots.

The name of Guy Fawkes is taught to all children - many of whom are encouraged to make full scale images of him to place on the top of a bonfires and the whole thing is set fire to. At the same time, a fireworks display is arranged to represent the barrels of gunpowder that didn't go off!

For those who may be interested here is an account of the actual trial ... Gunpowder Plot Trial

Children are taught the following rhyme:

Remember, Remember ...

Remember, remember the fifth of November

Gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see no reason why - gunpowder, treason -

Should ever be forgot ...

The list of the main conspiritors: Robert Catesby, Christopher Wright, John Wright, Thomas Percy, Guy Fawkes, Thomas Winter, Robert Winter and Thomas Bates.

Blue Peter

Blue Peter is a children's television programme that has been running on BBC 1 for fifty years. It has become so famous that the Queen invited presenters both old and new to Buckingham Palace as a celebration of longevity and popularity. For those of you who saw the very early programmes you may remember Valerie Singleton - she has now got together with some old pals (or chums) and formed a website to save us all money. It was originally devised with the over sixties in mind but in these times of world-wide hardship it is being promoted as a useful bookmark for us all to have on our PC's.

So, when you need information or to buy something or if you are just curious ... then access http://www.discount-age.co.uk/

A thosand thank you's to all my visitors

This is a special 'little' thank you to everyone that has visited my blog over the last month. Directly below are the blogs that are listed on the statistics page of Entrecard which sadly only lists these few out of the many visitors I have had ... there are quite a lot more including many new blogs and there are some who no longer are with Entrecard. So ... as with previous months I will gradually add the 'top droppers' that are not included in this list. A little note to Entrecard: thank you also for the opportunity of both finding some interesting and entertaining blogs and a wide variety of very special blogging friends. Cheeky little addition ... if possible could we have statistics for our top fifty droppers? Is there anyone else that would like, if possible, to have sight of the highest fifty droppers for the month?

My note's

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What I'm looking and thinking

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Mommy's Little Corner

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A blog that talks about my adventures of being a wife and a mom. This blog also focuses on food, nutrition and health.

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WORLDWIDE TRAVEL BLOG

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Worldwide travel blog offers travel articles, links to discount travel services and travel planning resources. Top 15 droppers are featured on a widget in my sidebar.

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Everyday Living

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Weight-loss tips and stories, mixed together with humor and fun. All this and more, to help you get through the journey of Everyday Living.

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eastcoastlife

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Turned away, threatened, silenced.... a woman's determination to save her only son and expose the dark side of the civil service!! I drop cards EVERYDAY and only to those who drop back. If you want to exchange daily drops, leave a message. Blog awards winner. Good traffic to my blog.

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Beaker's 3 Dimensions

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This blog shows the work I have created using computer graphics. It encompasses 3D modeling, animations, simulations, 3D renders and other CGI creations.

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moms..... check nyo

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I’m a 40 year old mom of two. I love to bake, cook, plant herbs (in pots cause i don’t have a garden), cross stitching, hardanger embroidery, bowling and just like any typical pinay moms i love watching telenovelas.

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SFV Blog

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Building the Income & Lifestyle Most People Only Dream. Shepherd Family Values - Business Consultant offer Free online and face-to-face business counseling. We coach, mentor, and train entrepreneur.

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Authority Directory

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Premium directory of quality internet resources with a free gallery of art and a diverse blog that has a focus towards business.

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Chica & Pumuckl - 2 Egyptian Cats in Germany

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Funny Blog about 2 Funny Cats. -----*****----- If you drop me your card please stay for a while and read my posts. Maybe you'll like it. Thanks!

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Thailand Land of Smiles

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All about the jewel of the orient, Thailand. Thailand, Land of Smiles brings you news, stories, and attractions around Thailand from the major tourist centers of Bangkok and Pattaya to the rural areas. Travel tips and stories as well as current CDC and visa information. The gallery boasts over 4000 pictures of the beauty that is Thailand.

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Stud Kickass: The Webcomic

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Stud Kickass is a webcomic updated daily. It gets an average of 2300 page views a day with a PR of 3.

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The Way I See It

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A collection of my thoughts, opinions and personal observations on a wide variety of subejects. News and views from my perspective

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Marriage and Beyond

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on marriage, everything in between and thereafter

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From the Eyes of my Heart

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About things I am dealing with and learning as I live life.

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Confessions of a Fitness Diva

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The Fitness Diva shows you how to be fit and fabulous while still indulging in some of the more "sinful" things in life. Tips on how to be decadent, but still smart enough to stay looking amazing!

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Lainy's Musings

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A blog showcasing my mutterings, random rants, raves and whinings on life's daily maneuvers. I would so love to talk about fashion and lifestyle, sports, environment, health and home, love and relationships, and etc.

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Everything Under the Sun

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About life, relationship, church,people. Anything we can talk about under the big big sun.

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The Success

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Tips and success story of : business, make money online, financial, advertise, marketing online and soccer news

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The Ad Master

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Tons of Tips and Tricks to help you advertise online. From lists of free traffic resources to advice on keyword placement and linkbuilding.

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verITableLIFE

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VerITableLIFE is a place to learn about technology and how it is being used; providing recommendations about technology and technology products.

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Lofty Matters

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A general collection of what I find interesting

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MJG's Rambling Thoughts

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My rambling thoughts and stuff. Such as Music Videos from You tube,Photos, Awards,Prayer Requests,And my rants. To my advertisers. repeat ads are welcomed and preaproved. A note on how I do my drops. I drop the favorites first that the inbox until I reach the 300 drop limit that is allowed daily. I ALSO CHECK ONE THE DROPS DONE BY PEOPLE IN MY FAVORITES NO DROPS AND I HAVE BEEN STEADLY DROPPING ON YOU,THAN OUT OF MY FAVS YOU GO!!

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Holy Cuteness

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Holy Cuteness is a family friendly site which purpose is to brighten up your day ( if your day isn't bright already :-) ) with cute animal pictures and videos.

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More Than Sew So

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40 years experience. We own our own sewing machine repair business and know sewing machines inside and out. Crafts, hobbies, this, that and everything in between. Mom of 7, gramma of 13 and great-gramma of 1. My loves, my passions, my life.

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Mischief making

When I was a child Halloween was a lovely, innocent, magical event. It was the one night of the year when children were allowed to be 'a little bit naughty.' Halloween is linked to the mischief that 'the little people' get up to on one night of the year. The Elves, Pixies, Leprechauns, Goblins and other fairy folk were supposed to go afoot throughout the land on Halloween creating mischief at everyone's door ... because children were little people they too were allowed to have fun on this night.

Many youngsters would choose to do the age old pranks of their parents and grandparents before them ... the favourites being to knock on someone's door and run and hide and then stifle the giggles as they came to answer finding no-one there. The adults would shout "Who's there, who is it?" ... and those who were decidedly grumpy would add "... be off with you." Children would tie gates so that they couldn't be opened. Milk bottles would be clanged together. Pine cones or acorns would be tied to a piece of thread and hung near windows to that the breeze would cause them to knock with each gust. All was innocent and would result in ever increasing fits of laughter that made the belly ache until it was supper time.

Nowadays, such innocence has been lost and there is a pseudo Halloween practice that has billowed up resulting in shops being crammed with orange and black plastic items. Knocks come to the doors and there are little children often walking the dark, cold, silent streets alone, some holding hands with another of around the same age ... from about three upwards. Then there is the other end of the spectrum, youths who appear to range from 14 to 18 knocking doors, looking decidedly menacing and indicating that a gift of money would be a good option.

This latter idea of Halloween has been transported from over the ocean but as with most traditions has somehow changed in its translation when it reached our shores.

Antacids - indigestion medicines

Did you know ... it has been alleged that people who have taken antacids or indigestion medicines at some time during their life are more likely to develop food allergies? Many develop allergy towards gluten and some find that they have problems with certain food groups these are wide ranging. It is wise, if at some point in your life you may have taken medicine to aid with heartburn, indigestion or other wide ranging acidic problems resulting in impaired digestion problems in later life (including bloating, stomach aches, constipation, diarrhea, headache, nausea, and so on) to visit your doctor and ask for a food allergy test.