Saturday, 31 December 2011
Yesterday
We finished the christmas jigsaw puzzle
then snuggled up on the sofa under the blanket my Mum made for us back in 1988 as a wedding present
and watched the adorable Brian Cox on TV
then snuggled up on the sofa under the blanket my Mum made for us back in 1988 as a wedding present
and watched the adorable Brian Cox on TV
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Week 35/52 240-246/365
I hope you all enjoyed the festivities as much as I did.
240. Three wise men
241. Crackers
242. Jigsaw puzzle
243. Wine
244. Looking forward to next year?
245. A Christmas tree bag charm
246. A book
240. Three wise men
241. Crackers
242. Jigsaw puzzle
243. Wine
244. Looking forward to next year?
245. A Christmas tree bag charm
246. A book
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
New Year, new blog
Hi all, I really hope you enjoyed your christmas celebrations, ours were quiet, restful, drama free and very enjoyable. Now we just draw breath and prepare for the start of 2012, which we hope will be a fairly eventful year for us.
I have decided to continue with my current 365 project, which runs until the end of April, but I also want to do a 365 which covers a complete calendar year, so I have started a new blog specifically for that. If you would like to follow me, you can find it here, it's (very originally) called "2012 Illustrated"
I'm also going to continue to post as and when on my "Never too old" blog, which you can find here.
Hope you enjoy reading my words and viewing my pictures, thanks to all my followers and I hope 2012 is a good year for you.
I have decided to continue with my current 365 project, which runs until the end of April, but I also want to do a 365 which covers a complete calendar year, so I have started a new blog specifically for that. If you would like to follow me, you can find it here, it's (very originally) called "2012 Illustrated"
I'm also going to continue to post as and when on my "Never too old" blog, which you can find here.
Hope you enjoy reading my words and viewing my pictures, thanks to all my followers and I hope 2012 is a good year for you.
Monday, 26 December 2011
Week 34/52 233-239/365
233/365 I love that our buses are all decorated for christmas
234/365 Met Jean for our monthly cuppa
235/365 My christmas present to me (for being a good girl all year!)
236/365 Beautiful blue skies, not seen very often in Wiltshire in December
237/365 All ready to make sausage rolls (cheating, bought Jusrol pastry, usually make my own!)
238/365 Sausage rolls ready to eat
239/365 Lovely card from Rog
234/365 Met Jean for our monthly cuppa
235/365 My christmas present to me (for being a good girl all year!)
236/365 Beautiful blue skies, not seen very often in Wiltshire in December
237/365 All ready to make sausage rolls (cheating, bought Jusrol pastry, usually make my own!)
238/365 Sausage rolls ready to eat
239/365 Lovely card from Rog
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
The bus
I rarely used buses when we lived in Surrey, mostly because they didn't really go to where I wanted to go, and also because they cost money!
Since moving to Wiltshire, which almost coincided with my 60th birthday, I have a bus pass which means I can use them for free. There is a very convenient bus that goes from the market place and stops (as long as its one of the usual drivers) right outside our house.
We have two usual drivers, one does the ten to and the other does the twenty past, and look what they have done. Do bus drivers anywhere else do this?
Since moving to Wiltshire, which almost coincided with my 60th birthday, I have a bus pass which means I can use them for free. There is a very convenient bus that goes from the market place and stops (as long as its one of the usual drivers) right outside our house.
We have two usual drivers, one does the ten to and the other does the twenty past, and look what they have done. Do bus drivers anywhere else do this?
Sunday, 18 December 2011
Week 33/52 226-232/365
226/365 Playing with the moon, early one morning
227/365 Love the texture on this christmas card
228/365 Our first snowfall of the year, thankfully it wasn't much and didn't last long
229/365 Ever since I got this camera, in November 2010, I have been meaning to make myself a bag for it, so it is protected inside my handbag, then suddenly I realized I already had one that would do the job, made several years ago.
230/365 Sign in our "friday" pub
231/365 The start of our annual jigsaw puzzle
232/365 As well as a building site nearby, we also now have the inconvenience of a new gas main being fitted.
227/365 Love the texture on this christmas card
228/365 Our first snowfall of the year, thankfully it wasn't much and didn't last long
229/365 Ever since I got this camera, in November 2010, I have been meaning to make myself a bag for it, so it is protected inside my handbag, then suddenly I realized I already had one that would do the job, made several years ago.
230/365 Sign in our "friday" pub
231/365 The start of our annual jigsaw puzzle
232/365 As well as a building site nearby, we also now have the inconvenience of a new gas main being fitted.
Friday, 16 December 2011
Last minute Christmas cake
I copied this from my friend Eileen, over at In my Playroom, I urge you to read the "recipe" even if you have no intention of making the cake.
Ingredients:
* 2 cups flour
* 1 stick butter
* 1 cup of water
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 cup of sugar
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 cup of brown sugar
* Lemon juice
* 4 large eggs
* Nuts
* 2 bottles wine
* 2 cups of dried fruit
Sample the wine to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the wine again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point it's best to make sure the wine is still OK. Try another cup... just in case. Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 eggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.
Pick the fruit up off floor. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the wine to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something. Check the wine. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window. Finish the wine and wipe counter with the cat. Go to Waitrose and buy cake.
Bingle Jells!
Ingredients:
* 2 cups flour
* 1 stick butter
* 1 cup of water
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 cup of sugar
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 cup of brown sugar
* Lemon juice
* 4 large eggs
* Nuts
* 2 bottles wine
* 2 cups of dried fruit
Sample the wine to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the wine again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point it's best to make sure the wine is still OK. Try another cup... just in case. Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 eggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.
Pick the fruit up off floor. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the wine to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something. Check the wine. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window. Finish the wine and wipe counter with the cat. Go to Waitrose and buy cake.
Bingle Jells!
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Our christmas
We call it christmas, because thats what the whole of the rest of civilization calls it, but as we are non-religious, what we in fact celebrate is the passing of the midwinter solstice.
In pre-christian times, long before the christians hi-jacked the date, people all over the land used to brighten up their homes and surroundings for the shortest day, and celebrate with a huge feast in order to please the sun so that it would once again begin to rise up in the sky.
We were brought up with the reality that christmas was a time for families to get together and exchange small gifts, and that father christmas would bring presents for the children. With the passing of the years this whole thing has exploded into an orgy of stress and guilt-inducing spending, but not for us.
Several years ago, when our children were young and we had not a lot of money to spare, we had an agreement with the adult members of our family that we would no longer indulge in present swapping, which freed up an enormous amount of time wondering what to buy for whom, and money that we could ill-afford to spend, and presents were only purchased for the children. We have continued with this even now that our children are all grown up, and it is with a small amount of sadness that we watch the world mortgaging itself to do the "right" thing by buying presents for everyone they know with money they dont have.
Dont get me wrong, we still enjoy our post-midwinter solstice celebration, we send seasons greetings cards to our friends and family to help brighten up their homes, and our two younger sons who are currently single both come "home" to enjoy a special meal and a glass or two of an alcoholic beverage!
Our grandchildren all have more than enough presents, toys, games etc, so we choose, instead of adding to the pile of soon to be discarded things, to put away money for each of them so that on reaching the age of 18 they should have a sizeable sum to do with as they wish, which, in these uncertain financial times I feel will be far more useful to them.
Our family members are scattered around the country from Plymouth to Surrey, to Essex and beyond so it is quite difficult, especially now that our winter weather is so unpredictable, to gather all family members in one place to celebrate, so instead I arrange for a family get together in the spring which we all look forward to.
And so, to all my blog followers I wish you a very happy post-midwinter solstice celebration and all the very best for the coming new year. Thanks all for your kind comments, I have made many new, and I hope lasting, friendships in this little corner of cyberspace.
In pre-christian times, long before the christians hi-jacked the date, people all over the land used to brighten up their homes and surroundings for the shortest day, and celebrate with a huge feast in order to please the sun so that it would once again begin to rise up in the sky.
We were brought up with the reality that christmas was a time for families to get together and exchange small gifts, and that father christmas would bring presents for the children. With the passing of the years this whole thing has exploded into an orgy of stress and guilt-inducing spending, but not for us.
Several years ago, when our children were young and we had not a lot of money to spare, we had an agreement with the adult members of our family that we would no longer indulge in present swapping, which freed up an enormous amount of time wondering what to buy for whom, and money that we could ill-afford to spend, and presents were only purchased for the children. We have continued with this even now that our children are all grown up, and it is with a small amount of sadness that we watch the world mortgaging itself to do the "right" thing by buying presents for everyone they know with money they dont have.
Dont get me wrong, we still enjoy our post-midwinter solstice celebration, we send seasons greetings cards to our friends and family to help brighten up their homes, and our two younger sons who are currently single both come "home" to enjoy a special meal and a glass or two of an alcoholic beverage!
Our grandchildren all have more than enough presents, toys, games etc, so we choose, instead of adding to the pile of soon to be discarded things, to put away money for each of them so that on reaching the age of 18 they should have a sizeable sum to do with as they wish, which, in these uncertain financial times I feel will be far more useful to them.
Our family members are scattered around the country from Plymouth to Surrey, to Essex and beyond so it is quite difficult, especially now that our winter weather is so unpredictable, to gather all family members in one place to celebrate, so instead I arrange for a family get together in the spring which we all look forward to.
And so, to all my blog followers I wish you a very happy post-midwinter solstice celebration and all the very best for the coming new year. Thanks all for your kind comments, I have made many new, and I hope lasting, friendships in this little corner of cyberspace.
Monday, 12 December 2011
Week 32/52 219-225/365
219/365 Cassie sitting imperiously at the top of the stairs
220/365 bananas
221/365 Saturday's crossword, not getting on too well
222/365 A very shaky moonset
223/365 Removed from my fruit bowl just in time!!
224/365 I love notebooks, doesn't everyone? This is the one in which I write down five positives every day.
225/365 Instead of my usual bottle of Christmas Baileys, its almost the same, but I think it might even be nicer.
220/365 bananas
221/365 Saturday's crossword, not getting on too well
222/365 A very shaky moonset
223/365 Removed from my fruit bowl just in time!!
224/365 I love notebooks, doesn't everyone? This is the one in which I write down five positives every day.
225/365 Instead of my usual bottle of Christmas Baileys, its almost the same, but I think it might even be nicer.
Sunday, 11 December 2011
When the red, red robin . . .
. . . is brought indoors by your cat, not quite dead, and taken into your sitting room without you being aware, can you imagine the mess?
3/26 Self portrait
I'm still taking part in a 26 challenge, thats 26 subjects, one per fortnight, over a year, organised by Karen. This, the third subject, is Self Portrait. I dont, as yet, own a tripod so my photos were taken either hand held or in a mirror, and sadly, I am still not really stepping outside of my comfort zone by changing away from the P setting - I shall do, but at the moment, with an imminent house move, I just cant seem to take any new info on board! So here are my first, favourite and last self-portrait shots.
1) Hand held camera over my head - I quite like my hair sometimes!
2) Again, hand held camera as close to my eye as I could manage, with macro setting. This shot misses the tired look that my eyes usually have when I take my glasses off, thats why I like it.
3) This time a shot in the mirror, cropped to hide the camera.
1) Hand held camera over my head - I quite like my hair sometimes!
2) Again, hand held camera as close to my eye as I could manage, with macro setting. This shot misses the tired look that my eyes usually have when I take my glasses off, thats why I like it.
3) This time a shot in the mirror, cropped to hide the camera.
Friday, 9 December 2011
On the twelfth day of Christmas . . . .
. . . my true love gave to me twelve bottles of Marstons
eleven kitchen utensils
ten socks astripy
nine knives for cutting
eight forks for prodding
seven spoons for slurping
six pies with mince in
five co-old things
four chinese spoons
three fresh rolls
two leather gloves
and a parsnip in a bare tree.
(With apologies to FB friends who have already seen this!)
Wishing a happy and fun-filled festive season to all my readers,
Joy x x x
eleven kitchen utensils
ten socks astripy
nine knives for cutting
eight forks for prodding
seven spoons for slurping
six pies with mince in
five co-old things
four chinese spoons
three fresh rolls
two leather gloves
and a parsnip in a bare tree.
(With apologies to FB friends who have already seen this!)
Wishing a happy and fun-filled festive season to all my readers,
Joy x x x