A Major Award!

Siani has presented me with an award. This award is for mind-power, believe it or not.




Now doesn't that give me something to live up to?!!

Now I must pass this on.

To:
Aileni
Mardé
jmb
Welshcakes Limoncello
Barbara
Teena

All people who keep me thinking and teach me things.

Clever Son!

More about the clever son I mentioned on Saturday.

We have a small single bedroom over the front door. It's been very difficult to fit a bed in there, due to a radiator under the window and a raised wedge in the floor over the stairs.

Over the weekend, Clever Son has built a fitted bed for us, so now we actually have a spare room. All I need now is the mattress, which should arrive by the end of this week. Second daughter arrives for a week at the beginning of next month, and now she'll have a comfy bedroom instead of sleeping in the sitting room. Much nicer for her.

This is the start - the first board on the wall.

Not far to go - fitting the slats.

The finished bed - and shelves on the wall, too.

I'm very pleased. Now - wonder what else I can get him to do . . . . .

Saturday PhotoHunt - Hot

I'm late this week, and I've not been around for a while - sorry about that!

Anyway, here's my contribution this week. It was taken last December in my eldest son's new home. We gave him the stove (suitable house-warming present?) He found the mantelpiece at a demolished house, fitted it, and built the hearth. A young man of many talents.

An Early Anniversary Gift.

Back on November 1st I complained about trouble getting the photos from my mobile/camera. I finally gave in and inquired about the availability of suitable memory cards. On our next visit to "the Big City" (for Stephen to buy his precious scooter!) I bought the card and adapter. Shortly after that Aileni (the nicest husband ever!) handed over the money to pay for the card as an early anniversary present (we'll have been married 35 years next month). You see - men can think of presents without being prompted!

I'm really pleased with the quality of the photos. Some were out of focus, but that's due to me being unable to see the screen clearly in certain lights. Most of them were surprisingly good for such a small camera.

Rinli on an upstairs windowsill

Badger trying out the cat-basket

This last photo was a difficult one, as Badger never keeps still if there's a camera around. So I'm pleased with the camera, and pleased with the gift of the memory card.

Now I have to find a suitable gift for Aileni!

Brave Sophie.

This evening I read a disgusting thing on a friend's blog. A brave little 9 year old girl from Shrewsbury has a diary blog, describing her fight against leukaemia.
The disgusting part is that some sick, twisted, evil person has posted death-threats on her blog.

What is wrong with some people? How could anyone do such a thing to a child?

Wee Sophie has had a bad week, feeling very unwell. Fortunately her father has been able to protect her from the worst of the evil, but she knows something's wrong. She needs even more support now than in the past. If you feel you can visit Sophie's diary, and maybe leave a cheerful message, this is her address http://www.codebrush.com/sophie/

Prepare to be won over by Sophie's bravery and her lovely smile.

Saturday PhotoHunt - I Love .... ear-rings!

This wasn't a difficult choice - after all, I've already mentioned that I have a passion for ear-rings! The difficulty was managing to produce a usable photograph. I do not find it easy to photograph shiny objects. This is the best I could come up with, and I had to leave out all the ones with faceted stones. Still, a selection will give an idea of my madness.

Eight Things Aboout Me!

Siani, of Siani's Pot-Pourri, has tagged me, so I now have to reveal eight random facts about myself - thanks a million Siani! (LOL!)

Rules:
When tagged, you have to link to the person who tagged you. Post the rules just before your list, then list eight random facts about yourself. At the end of your post, you must tag and link to eight other people.

So here goes:

1. I'm terrified of spiders! This is a totally irrational fear, as I've never been hurt by one. They kill flies, which are germ-ridden and disgusting, but it makes no difference. When my first baby was tiny, I was nursing her as a spider ran across the floor. My big black idiot of a cat pounced - and ate it - yeuch!!! I couldn't let the poor cat near me for some time, as I'd last seen that spider in his mouth. Stupid behaviour!

2. I love food. I particularly love chocolate (dark and delicious), chocolate fudge cake, mature cheddar cheese, fresh-baked bread.

3. I'm very good at starting new enthusiasms, and good at giving up part way. Anyone want part-knitted sweaters with missing patterns?

4. I'm bad at putting things away, but every so often I'll have a tidying spree.

5. I have a life-long weight problem (not surprising, considering no.2 above!)

6. I love jewelery, particularly silver. Ear-rings are my passion. In the past I've made my own silver and gemstone jewelery.

7. In the past 18 months I've managed to lose 3.5 stone, and am now struggling to keep that weight off.

8. I taught all my children at home from the time my elder daughter was attacked in school (at the age of five and a half!)

Right, that's done. Now I must find eight people to tag. Eight people I'd like to know better.

Teena
imac
Sarah

Flo
Tom

jmb
Pewari
Welshcakes Limoncello

All interesting people!

Sick Minds

I've just read that there was a bomb-threat today at Eniskillen, the town in Northern Ireland where a bomb killed 11 people at a Remembrance Day parade 30 years ago.
This horrific event gave rise to the Peace People, whose founders, Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan, were later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
I just cannot understand the mentality of someone who could make a threat of this kind.

Garden

Some of you have expressed interest in the work Stephen has done in our garden. Now, as far as I'm concerned, I love a neat lawn surrounded by tidy flower beds. The trouble is that our garden tends to fill with water when the weather's wet (hey, this is Ireland, it's called the Emerald Isle for a good reason, and rain keeps it green!) The grass grows quickly, and then rain stops it being cut. No way can we have a tidy lawn without constant effort. So Stephen has been working to produce a garden that can be used whatever the weather. Here's a slideshow. Hope you like it.

Does this give you any ideas imac?

Seev, we have two girls and three boys - Stephen is the youngest.

Saturday PhotoHunt - Flexible

This was taken in the grounds of a local "castle" , actually a hunting lodge which is now run as a museum.

Two of my boys are posing in front of a green tunnel, formed by rowan trees trained FLEXIBLY over a long tubular metal arch.

Busy

It's been a busy day today, in spite of the fact that Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest.

I came in from walking the dog this morning to find Stephen (my son) hard at work in the garden. We had a tonne of garden pebbles delivered yesterday, and Stephen was busily wheelbarrowing them from the front to the back. I had to trim the black weed-suppressant around some plants, and then the pebbles were spread over half the garden. There's still some left to do, as we need more of the black stuff to finish the job. Once it's complete there'll be a minimum of grass to keep tidy during the growing season.

I sat down with a cuppa, feeling pretty tired, and Stephen picked up a paintbrush. We now have a fresh coat of paint around the windows and doors. It all looks very clean and smart. I'm exhausted, but very pleased.

Saturday PhotoHunt - Classic

This first photo is a normal pile of turf (peat) which is burned on the fires here. Most households use it, and many still cut it from their own bogs. The turf is stacked outside the house, and carried in to light the fire.

This, on the other hand,is a turf pile in the CLASSIC mode, arranged in such a way as to shed as much rain as possible, keeping the insides dry.

Or, if you'd rather something different, this motorbike is now a CLASSIC. 35 years ago my husband and I did our courting on this machine.

Card trouble

Well, I'm not a happy bunny, in spite of having said "White Rabbits" when I woke up this morning.

Last December my husband bought me a new mobile phone, a Sony Ericsson K800i. Not only is this mini-marvel an excellent phone, it's also a lovely 3.2 mega pixel camera.
There was no memory card with the unit, but the phone has a large memory and the accompanying software would allow my photographs to be uploaded to my computer whenever I wanted.
Oh yeah!
The software took several attempts to install, but then my first photos uploaded nicely. Some days later I tried again - no luck. I uninstalled the software, re-installed - still no luck.
Oh ****, thought I. Never mind, I'll buy a card and upload that way. Having investigated the price of cards, I soon changed my mind.
Then I thought of e-bay. A while later my new memory card arrived - without an adapter. No adapter was available from that seller, so I tried elsewhere. I've just received an adapter from Hong Kong (yes, all the way from Hong Kong!). Yippee!
No, not yet. It doesn't work!
All my photos are still on my phone. There could be masterpieces of composition on there, but I wouldn't know. Anyway, I can't do much when they're on the phone. I want them available on my pc!

Grrrrr!!! So much for white rabbits!