Ronaldo scores against Stoke City November 15th

It's great to have an afternoon in doing bits and pieces. Catching up and working through a to do list of tasks which are not urgent, or perhaps even important, but fun to do, and interesting.



I have decided to try to put my first video on the blog, and it's a Manchester United one! Taken by husband when he went to see them play at Old Trafford recently for his birthday. They won five nil.



Those of you who don't support soccer- the scorer is a Manchester United icon, and thought to be one of best football players in the world.

So did it work?

Paul is watching another Man Utd match as we speak and said player Ronaldo has just been sent off. Oops.

Another thing I am doing today is a letter to Santa. Yes- I know I may seem a little old for this but other half likes it as part of his present buying strategy. I will publish it on another day. What are you putting on yours?

We went out to order a Christmas tree today but they hadn't been delivered. The garden centre had a view in but we want one that we can put outside after Christmas to use again. We did , however, have more success with ordering our turkey and pork for Christmas day at a local butcher called Higginson's in Grange over Sands. They have a great reputation. Apparently folk queue to collect orders on December 23rd and 24th from 6am!! Aggh!

You may be thinking I am being rather early in my preparations? It is so busy up until Christmas I need to get cracking.

Anyone out there having a bad week.....remember the old saying...

Always remember.....

When life hands you lemons........

Ask for Gin and Ginger beer and call me over!!

The Sevens meme- I have been tagged!

Thank you to Hadriana for tagging me. I think this is my first official tag ( i.e.- where I have been mentioned on a blog by name)

VII Things I plan to do before I die:

1. Go to New York
2. Find out more about my dad's family
3. See NUFC win the premiership ( I will have to be immortal)
4. Enjoy every day and appreciate being here to experience it
5. Weigh ten stone ( or less)
6. Own a top of the range Jaguar sports car
7. Get a million hits on my blog ( ok ok...)
   

VII Things I do now:

1. Plan to change the curtains in the lounge ( still planning- this type of stuff terrifies me)
2. Use moisturiser every day
3. Watch Celebrity Get Me Out of Here ( teenager loves it and is glued every night). It is so bad it is compelling.
4. Hate the rain
5. Get lots of sleep
6. Enjoy my current work projects
7. Look forward to 2009

VII Things I can't do:

1. juggle
2. watch soap operas
3. hang curtains ( see above)
4. Decorate
5. Iron well
6. sew
7. stay cross with Other half or teenager for long

Things that attract me in the opposite sex:

1. strength ( physical
2. strength ( emotional)
3. blue eyes
4. tall
5. big build ( rugby, American football types)
6. intelligence
7. caring

VII Things I say most often:

1. Where are we going for coffee?
2. Where are we going for lunch?
3. Shall we have red or white?
4. What's the score?
5. It can't be raining again?
6. Are you taking a coat or a warm top?
7. Where does the time go?

VII Celebrities that I admire

1. Ronnie Barker
2. Eric Morecambe
3. John Thaw
4. Shay Given
5. Jonny Wilkinson
6. Jane Austen
7. Paul McKenna

VII Favourite foods:

1. macaroni cheese
2. cauliflower cheese
3. roast veg
4. fillet steak
5. calamari
6. onions
7. tomatoes

VII Bloggers who are not obliged to do this if they don't want to:

1. Expat mum
2. Clippy Mat
3. Range Warfare
4. Gill that British Woman
5. Renie Burghardt
6. Travelling Typhoon
7. Jessica ( Jessica's World)

The Cab Ride

Here is a post from Jessica's World. I hope she doesn't mind me using it. She is a very positive and upbeat lady, and I like visiting her blog.

I think this is a great story, and I agree with the sentiment. I try to do one nice thing somewhere every day ( and sometimes more than one!!). You never know what a difference it might make to someone.

I went for my hospital check yesterday. The nurse who was with me was very quiet and efficient, but very warm and encouraging. I was probably just another patient to her and she probably has no idea how her calm and pleasant manner re-assured me. It made such a difference.


The Cab Ride

So I walked to the door and knocked. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knick knacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated'.'Oh, you're such a good boy', she said.

When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?''It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly.'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice'. I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued. 'The doctor says I don't have very long' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said,'I'm tired. Let's go now 'We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' she asked, reaching into her purse. 'Nothing,' I said 'You have to make a living,' she answered.'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said.'Thank you' I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID,~BUT~THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

Carlisle, re-cycling, Woolworth's and off to Starbucks

This post is dedicated to Expat Mum. She wasn't aware there is a Carlisle Football Club. Well- here it is. Brunton Park. The reason it came to my mind- I passed it yesterday on the way to a meeting. The fans are absolutely dedicated and although I don't support them I am always pleased to see them do well. I have given you the link so you can visit their website!

Mum came with me for the trip and we went to a lovely restaurant for lunch after the meeting. We got parked right outside ( miracle) having got our hands on a parking permit ( second miracle). The restaurant ( an italian) was called Adriano's. It was very tasty. It is in the middle of Carlisle City Centre, opposite the Civic Centre.

When I returned home I turned my mind to the re-cycling puzzle. We have news here locally that there are piles and piles of recycled paper and tins piling up because the usual purchasers of the material (presumbably for manufacturing the next lot of stuff) aren't buying it because of the credit crunch. As a result, the recycling is being landfilled. How frustrating is that? I am not naturally 'green' but happy to do my bit if the facilities are in place. I wonder how true those headlines are? Anyway, I will plough on.

Woolworth's. Now in administration and its future is looking uncertain. Since it has happened lots of people have 'come out the closet' and told me they are regular shoppers there. I have no objection to the store at all but I wouldn't say I was a regular visitor. In fact, I can't remember when I visited the store last. Anyone else in the UK fond of it? I think the main problem is it hasn't kept up with the times and the competition has subsumed it. Pity- it's been around a long time.

And finally, today. We are off to Lancaster for my hospital check up ( huge bore) then off to a meeting at Starbucks in Preston ( hurray- what a great venue for a meeting). I hope they have decided to bring back the egg nog latte. Apparently it is not on the UK Christmas menu this year : other half and teenager are distraught. It's a bit too sweet for me but they love it.

Hope everyone has a good day and a fun weekend!

Costa's in Bowness and a lovely day!

You will find me in this building quite a bit. It is a picture of the Costa's ( coffee shop chain) in Bowness in Windermere.

I meet up with pals here, teenager and I pop in for a hot chocolate, other half and I hang out here and chat about business ideas, mum and I get together over a cappucino. It's bright and comfortable, and the staff don't mind how long you hang out. There is free internet access too. All in all, its pretty good. In the summer there is outside seating .... ( what summer? what sun?).

In fact, I was there today. I met up with my pals A and D and we chatted about teenagers and school stuff. I had my favourite : medium sized skinny cappucino. It was the start of nice day. After Costa's, I went to meet up with a colleague of ours for a couple of hours at his house ( he put a real fire on for me - bless him- wonderful man) . I then went to lunch with my mum in a local country house hotel ( real fires, lovely views, nice food) and then I came home and had a rest!

A couple of wonderful customers put good orders in, and I finished the day hearing about teenager's brilliant science test scores ( he gets his talent in this from my dad- he was a science teacher- must be genetic- but is skipped a generation....).

All in all it was a great day- and the weather was grand!

counter update

The number of hits on my counter is not the same as the number of hits on my blog page counter, which means...lots more people visit my blog than I realised. Hurray!

AND YOU ARE ALL WELCOME-IT'S GOOD TO SEE EVERYONE!

Have done lots of miles today but it was fine- a sunny bright day and traffic ok. I went from Windermere to Crook in County Durham, to Darlington, and then back up to Durham. I then came back to Windermere. With all the economic bad news I feel blessed to be busy. We have had a couple of tough years, and feel heart sore for anyone who is challenged at the moment. I know what it's like and I feel for you. I can see some sad stories coming through on a few blogs.

Teenager and I are chilling out in front of the tv. Other half is in Birmingham. Tomorrow I am having a day off. Lunch with mum. Pottering. Catching up on odds and ends. Planning for Christmas. Head space day. Lovely.

I found this on That British Woman's page- she tagged all her readers!! You can get her page on my blog list.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Last week. Nearly. Trying to get a suitcase closed. Other half usually does it. It's a beast.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? I defy anyone to have worse but I am fond of it.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Canned corned beef. Same as Gill That British Woman

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yes, a son

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes I think so.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? I think I can do but I wouldn't like to hurt anyone with it. Its the lowest form of wit ( who said that? Oscar Wilde?)

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS. Yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? If I was younger- I wouldn't be scared.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CEREAL? Ricicles or Alpen

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? I only have one pair with laces, and yes

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Physically- no. Emotionally- not really. But I am resilient ( does that make sense?). I have a great support network.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Not a big ice cream lover, if I had to choose though Pralines and Cream. A direct copy from Gill That British Woman.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their manner.

15. RED OR PINK? Pink

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My weight ( copying Gill again!)

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My dad

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Yes

19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? none- furry slippers!

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Roast Veg

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Teenager is watching the truly hideous I am Celebrity Get me Out of Here. It is appalling. Is it only in the UK we have to suffer this dross?

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOUR WOULD YOU BE? Gold

23. FAVORITE SMELLS? Coffee, lovely aftershave on a lovely man, Jo Malone

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My friend A

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes! From what I read about her. We have never met.

26.FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Football and Rugby

27. HAIR COLOR? Blonde

28. EYE COLOR? Blue

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No.

30. FAVOURITE FOOD? Anything with cooked cheese

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy ending.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Sex and The City

233. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? In pyjamas again-it.s bedtime

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer

35. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs

36. FAVORITE DESSERT? Creme Caramel ( same as Gill)

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Not sure

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND. Not sure

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Where do I start? I always have a load on the go.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? I have a glide pad

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? I didn't

42. FAVORITE SOUND. Teenager laughing

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Neither really

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Chicago or Florida- which is furthest?

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I am good at my job

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? North Shields, Tyne and Wear

Counter

Check out my smart new counter ( see right). I have wondered for a while how to get one. I thought that profile views are the same as blog page hits but maybe I am wrong? Does anyone out there know for sure?



I went to layout and add a gadget, and clicked on it. I then went to the add htlm feature and put the text from the counter website. And there it is! Hope it is clear for those interested? ( as scotch mist I hear you say)

What a shame!

Cape Cod Memories

I sometimes look at the Blogs of Note. There is lovely one on there just now called Cape Cod Memories and the photos are great. I was sad to see that they have removed their comments facility because of the negativity of the comments they have received. I can't see what there is to be unpleasant about.

I have never had a nasty comment on my blog. I have had some unwanted advertising 'comments' dressed up as ordinary bloggers ( hence the comments moderation) but nothing spiteful.

How about anyone else?

I got this list from Moments from Suburbia, a new blog I found on Hadriana's treasures.



I challenge any of my fellow bloggers to take part!



1. Where is your mobile phone? On table-needs charging!



2. Your significant other? Asleep- it's early



3. Your hair? Blond



4.Your mother? Wonderful lady and my great friend. We laugh lots



5. Your father? Died 2001. I loved him dearly and it was a profound loss.



6. Your favorite thing? My family



7. Your dream last night? None- too tired!



8. Your favorite drink? Coffee and white wine



9. Your dream/goal? To stay in good health



10. The room you're in? Warm and bright. There is snow outside the window



11. Your fear? Reverse of 9



12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Here would be fine- I love it.



13. Where were you last night? At our friends' house having a lovely meal and a good laugh



14. What you're not? A supporter of Gordon Brown



15. Muffins? bacon ( I am talking about the savoury bread ones)



16. One of your wish list items? A holiday in New York at the Four Seasons



17. Where you grew up? North Tyneside. Howay the lads.



18. The last thing you did? Have a cup of tea



19. What are you wearing? Dressing gown



20. Your TV? Has Sunday morning Match of the Day on it



21. Your pet? None. We travel too much



22. Your computer? vital - a small and very light laptop



23. Your life? Varied, interesting, challenging and a bit hectic at times



24. Your mood? optimistic



25. Missing someone? My dad. Every day.



26. Your car? Large and comfortable. It is a work horse



27. Something you're not wearing? ear-rings ( yet)



28. Favourite Store? Selfridges



29. Your summer? What's that?



30. Your favourite color? Gold



31. When is the last time you laughed? Today- at Clippy Mat's blog



32. Last time you cried? Nearly on Thursday- trying to get a suitcase closed, and over the Baby P case on the news. Depressing and heart wrenching.

Amsterdam part two

I am trying to give the impression that I was truly immersed in the Dutch lifestyle and culture. Truth is I arrived at Schipol airport, went to the hotel on the shuttle bus, stayed in the ( lovely) hotel from Tuesday evening til Thursday evening, and came back home. Such is the glamour ( not) of international business travel.

It's a long time since I travelled abroad on business. I forgot how stressful it is. I don't miss it. I don't plan to do a lot more of it. Don't mind going with other half abroad for business as long as it means I can swan around site- seeing and hanging out at the hotel pool/ spa. At the moment, we don't have a lot of business travel overseas on the horizon though. Suits me.

Travelling is for holidays in my book, and I can happily stick with that. The furthest I will get on business before the year is out is Newcastle. Suits me!

The conference ( Insights ) was really enjoyable. I spoke for an hour on both days and had a good time at both sessions. The delegates were enthusiastic and supportive, and I had to remember that I was talking to people from many different countries ( no Geordie colloquialisms at this event). It was good to meet new like minded people, and to have a laugh with old friends.

Amsterdam and the busy week part one

I am back and as you can see I haven't had a moment since Tuesday to do a post. It has been a mad mad mad week !

The frustrating thing is- the more interesting things there are to report, the less time I have to report them.

Still a fairly quiet day is ahead of me tomorrow. Once I have done the reading and coffee service at Church I can have an afternoon of peace and blogging....

Today was spent at our Church PCC ( parochial church council) away day at the wonderful Rydal Hall near Ambleside. Anyone visiting- they do extremely reasonably priced bed and breakfast and the views are breathtaking. There is also a wonderful sense of peace there. A great contrast to busy airports and a hectic conference. I needed the re- charge.

First thing to mention about my trip to Holland. We stayed in a lovely hotel. The chain is called the Dorint. I had never heard of it before I went.

The hotel was near the airport. Lovely bedrooms- very quiet and well appointed ( soft comfy beds...). Food was great, service excellent. Folks- I was impressed. If you are taking a trip to Amsterdam I would recommend it.

Smile for the day- Hell and Boyle's law

The following is an actual question given on University of Washington Chemistry mid-term.

The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well:

Bonus question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)? Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time.So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving.I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave.Therefore, no souls are leaving.As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different Religions that exist in the world today.Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell.Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell.With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially.Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.So which is it?If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa, during my freshman year, that:"It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you";and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over.The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct...leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting "Oh my God."


THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY "A"

From Whitehaven to .....

Three guesses where I am going on Tuesday.?

Look to the right.

After spending a day in the rain and the roadworks in Whitehaven (west coast of Cumbria) I am packing up to go to Liverpool airport tomorrow to catch a plane to...

Another clue:

I saw a mouse

Where?

There on the stair

Where on the stair?

Right there.

A little mouse with clogs on

Well I declare

Going clip, clippety clop on the stair.

Right there.

More tomorrow.

( PS-Man Utd won five nil on Saturday and a wonderful time was had by all)

Theatre of Dreams

Other half and teenager are off to the Theatre of Dreams today. For the confused- this is the home ground of Manchester United which is called Old Trafford.

Other half, despite his origins ( born and bred North Easterner) is a glory boy, or prawn sandwich man, as fans from other clubs like to call Man Utd fans. I can't understand why he supports them and will enjoy tormenting him about it on a daily basis for the rest of our lives. As a proud Geordie girl, I will always be a proud Toon Army supporter. We may not have the silver ware folks but we have hearts of gold...anyway... I digress....

Since it is his 40th birthday shortly I was gracious and entered an auction to get him two tickets for today's game which is against Stoke. They are going to have eats and drinks in the Red Cafe and kick off is at three. I think it will be a real experience. Teenager is excited, and so is his dad.

Myself? I am off to continue my campaign of Christmas shopping at the Trafford Centre near the football ground. It has one of my favourite shops in it - Selfridges. This sells my favourite wonderful smelling treats- Jo Malone (if you haven't discovered their products yet you are missing a real treat).

Mum is coming with me and once we have deposited the boys at Old Trafford we will head straight to Starbucks for my favourite coffee before tackling the Christmas shopping once again.

* a footnote. Don't worry about teenager's allegience. He is a die hard Toon Army man. My dad and I worked very hard on this when he was a wee mite, and successful indoctrination was achieved. Other half tried hard, but the black and white army claimed another one for its own.

Check it out- Alice Walker and her letter to Obama

My great friend M has posted Alice Walker's letter to Obama on her blog and it really is worth a read ( as is all her stuff in fact).

You can get M's blog information down below on my blog list or click this link.

I am having a busy week but as per yesterday's post I had the afternoon off. Nice Italian lunch, shopping in the wonderful Corbridge village ( great shops, lovely atmosphere) and a peep in the always quiet Hexham M and S store. Got a ton of Christmas gifts and feel pleased with myself.

Today I am off to the very much busier Eldon Square in Newcastle City Centre. First though I have meetings to go to so over and out!

Time off and recharging the soul

I am writing from my North East office ( Consett McDonalds- see previous posts for explanation..).
Checking emails, working and blogging. Early in the morning.

I saw this on House of Jules blog and it is absolutely right. It's a great blog too- take a look. I am glad I visited.

I am taking a leaf out of this book. I am on a business trip all week and should have a back to back diary. However, I have taken this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon off. I am going to have lunch with mum, shop, potter around and have some down time. Why? See below.

At forty four, and a recovering work- a - holic, I am learning! All of you out there reading- have a great day!


Don't eke out your existence with the assumption that you can put a dollar value on recharging your soul. Get out there. Live so you can breathe.

one of those days....?

I got this cheery cat cartoon from Blogsgrab.

It sums up yesterday.

If I tell you that I was in bed last night at ten having consumed red wine and a glass of whiskey and ginger you may get an idea of where I am heading.

Nothing terrible happened...just an accumulation of horrible bits and pieces.

Having had a busy week last week, Saturday was busy but jolly too. We went to the Holker Hall winter fair. It was lovely but very wet. We got there early ( with everyone else it turns out- what recession?) and I did well with the Christmas shopping.



After getting teenager ( more) trainers for school ( when will he stop growing?) we went to a bonfire party. I hate fireworks ( hate them!) and it was pouring, so I stayed in the house ( fabulous with the most wonderful real fire in a huge fireplace) and snuggled into the sofa in the warm. ( everyone else in the wet and wind getting soaked - I am happy to be wimp).



Drove back in the rain and wind, and woke up the next morning in the same rain and wind. Off to rugby via a serious accident, a wide load hold up and a delay caused by a huge of cows off to milking. Teenager played rugby in wind hail and pouring rain ( they won 33-15 hurray) and was a mud monster afterwards.



The clean up operation on our return home took over thirty minutes - and this included the stress of finding out that the gum guard ( cost £30) was left in the shorts in the washing machine. Less said the better.



I struggle to get ready for a week away in the North East (other half in London over weekend at the NLP conference) and find I have lost a major document which I needed to print out. By now- my usually low blood pressure was rising by the second, and the air was blue.



I drop teenager off at his pals ( James Bond film and a roast chicken dinner) for a sleepover and I set off ( in the wind,rain and hail, and pitch black) to Corbridge. Mum and I arrived around half six and were in the pub at seven. Things started to look up by then.



Today, after eight hours sleep ( and the calm tones of other half telling me he knows where the document is!), the sun is shining ( a bit anyway) and I feel a lot better.

what a little deer- Rupert

My mum's friend sent her this and I thought it was worth showing around. What a delightful little animal!

Here are the notes about him. I am not sure of the original source of the email but this is what it said.

This tiny deer was delivered by Caesarean section at a wildlife hospital after his mother was killed by a car.
Little Rupert, who is so small he can fit in an adult's hand, was born after vets failed in their battle to save his mother.

At just six inches tall and weighing just over a pound, he is now in an incubator in the intensive care unit at Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Buckinghamshire.
He has only recently opened his eyes.
Les Stocker, founder of Tiggywinkles, said: "Rupert's mother had very severe injuries.
We brought him out and got him breathing and then he went into an incubator on oxygen. He is now being fed by a tube."

Staff are optimistic Rupert, now five days old, will make a full recovery.
"Deer are very, very tricky but this one has spirit. He's an extremely feisty little guy and quite pushy",Mr Stocker said.

Just get on with it

It always surprises me why organisations who are supposedly offering a service to the customer will NOT sort things out which are clearly an inconvenience or a problem.

Recently. I went to a garage to the toilet and couldn't find the light. I hunted and hunted on the wall. Eventually, I went out to the counter and found a member of staff. I couldn't 'go' in the pitch dark and don't carry a torch for such problems in my handbag.

"Terribly sorry" I say sheepishly. " I can't find the light for the toilet"

" I will show you where it is" says the member of staff. She comes with me, points up to the ceiling where there is a small piece of string. " It's up there. No-one ever sees it, and we get disturbed about it a hundred times a day".

Bizarre. How about making the string longer? How about calling an electrician? How about putting a huge sign on the door such as:

FOR SOME BIZARRE REASON OUR LIGHT SWITCHES ON USING A TINY PIECE OF STRING HANGING FROM THE CEILING. PLEASE LOOK UP.
IF YOU ARE LESS THAN FIVE FOOT FIVE OR HAVE TROUBLE STANDING ON TIPTOES PLEASE SEE THE ASSISTANT

How about just sorting it out!

tagged

That British Woman says everyone who reads her 4th November post is tagged. Since I have never been officially tagged I will take up the challenge.

We have to think of six things which are interesting or unusual about ourselves:

1. I have met quite a few famous people, and several in elevators: Sting, Axel Rose from Guns and Roses, the rugby player Lawrence Dallaglio, and Damien Duff ( football player) being four examples.


2. I have been to Iceland


3. I used to work in a bookshop in London where Princess Diana bought books for Prince William.


4. One of my favourite pastimes is going out for coffee


5. I would love to visit New York and Hawaii


6. I have a collection of china pug dogs and I would love to own a pug

Congratulations ( and commiserations...?)

A note of congratulations to all the Obama supporters over there in the USA. I am sure you are still partying and celebrating a very exciting victory.

Commiserations to all of you who hoped for John McCain to win- I know what it's like to be disappointed on election night.

We look forward to seeing the impact on UK when the new President comes into office in January.

Toon Army Joke

First of all apologies to all of you out there who are not as follows:

• fans of the Toon army
• fans of football/soccer at all
• fans of sport of any kind
• have no idea who Mike Ashley is
• aware of the North East of England culture

The rest of you- should love this one!

Thanks to my Bolton Wanderer's fan Chris for making me laugh.

Mike Ashley was in Tesco last week when he saw an old lady struggling with a large shopping bag.

"Can you manage pet?" he said.

"Sorry I am not interested" she said -"try Kevin Keegan again".

Obafemi Martins and two goals

The Toon Army have moved six places up the table tonight and are now 14th. They scored two goals against the much fancied Aston Villa. Both goals scored by the wonderful Oba Martins who is loved as much for his celebration gymnastics as he is for his goal-scoring. It is wonderful to see them start to win again.

Our friend Chris is a great fan of Bolton Wanderers. We have great fun bantering about football all season. I am delighted to say that they are back in the relegation zone. This is mainly because he has to cook for us if the Toon finish higher in the table. Looking good at the moment....

Lakeland Cam

I got this blog from That British Woman ( see my blog list). It's called Lakeland Cam and the photos are great. Well worth a look.I have added to my blog list. If you love the Lakes, you will love these pics.

Goodbye to Ireland!

I am always happy to go back home to the beautiful Lake District. It is never a hard place to return to. Now I have sussed out how to load pictures I will be able to show you some shots of where I live.

First though, it's a fond goodbye to Northern Ireland. We will come back again- it has been a lovely rest and there is much still to look at. Thanks to Edith and Maurice at Croft Cottages: they have given us a great welcome and we have a lovely time in their wonderful cottage.

This is a wonderful shot of teenager on the trampoline here. It shows the exuberance of youth and it really makes me smile.

Spooks and Ghouls- a dead night

Have to admit being a bit disappointed last night. There has been such a build up all week to Halloween, and so many promises of fireworks too ( much as I hate them, I love bonfires). We booked a meal out at the local pub last night and expected much festivity. The pub (which is usually packed out) was dead quiet ( excuse the pun) and there was a singer on who made every song sound the same ( three cords on the guitar etc). He did the Eagles, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen and it was indistinguishable! He was very keen and well meaning though, bless him

The only sign of Halloween life other than the decorations ( see pictures taken by teenager!) was the pumpkin and garlic soup.

In desperation teenager asked if we could have drive round to see if there was 'anything going on'. We saw- nothing. It was so quiet. Suddenly- one firework, and then nothing more. I read during the week that if you want to buy fireworks here in Northern Ireland you have to have a licence. That seems fair enough- until you discover that they cost £30 each! Aggh! No wonder folk are put off....

five hundred hits!

I am very excited to announce that I have had 500 hits on my blog- I am very pleased about it. I started at the end of July and I have really enjoyed chatting to folk from all over the world. I have learnt quite a bit about blogging and know I have tons more to discover. Despite losing my original blog address ( someone else had it!) and all my original hits, Life in Windermere is now going strong and my little map is covered by visitors from all over the place.

Thanks to everyone who reads regularly, and especially those of you who leave comments, and especially Expat Mum who suggested I had a go.