tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62658604970563824252024-03-13T20:04:30.847+00:00Paper Boats & Steamy TeashopsRamblings from an artist,who likes
to be creative,make paper boats
and sip tea!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-3067363159184536862012-06-04T17:53:00.002+01:002012-06-04T17:56:33.627+01:00Every one is a sunflower or a moon :)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006699; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">Everyone is a moon, we all have a darker side that we keep tucked in our heart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Many years ago I was chatting to Father David at my sons school we got onto the subject of sunflowers. As many of my friends know these flowers are my very favourite. He told me a little story about the oh so happy yellow sunflowers in the field, smiling with their faces turning and following the suns path.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'But you know of course all sunflowers have a dark middle' he said 'and we are like these flowers, we all have that dark middle keeping something tucked up in our heart that we never share with anyone'</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">Those words inspired my work, this was 2002 and I worked for over 6 months a on a body of work titled 'Secrets, Hopes and Dreams'. Its been exhibited in many places over the years, but I am quite precious about the collection and its content, its a reflection of me and is very deep rooted. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #006699;"><b>I also have a connection with the moon....always watchful and always knowing the path it takes, and a full moon is always a special one for me, holding so many memories. I was born under a full moon on 3rd day of the 3rd month at a few minutes past 3am....somehow that feels special too. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #006699;"><b>And like the sunflower the moon has a darker side too:)</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #006699;"><b>So tonight the 4th of June its another full moon, but the sky hangs grey right now,and may not be visible, but I will still look to the skies smile and make a wish...and for a few moments feel connected to those wishes :)</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #006699;"><b>I brought six sunflowers today and they certainly brighten up my kitchen windowsill, on this oh so grey day.....and a reminder of special times....perfect day.....sunflowers and a full moon</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #006699;"><b>Happy Sunday to you love M xx</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The weather has been lovely this past week and there seems to be an explosion of butterflies :) There are many inspirational stories, myths and legends on the internet that you can look up for yourselves, but the one that I like is 'Never accept anything less than butterflies'....This phrase has many interpretations.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">T<span style="line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">he feeling you get when you meet someone that makes you feel euphoric, or causes the 'butterflies </span><span style="line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">in your stomach' feeling when you think of him/her.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The advice is to not “settle” for a partner in a relationship that doesn’t have this effect on you, and was popularized by the character Carrie Bradshaw</span><span style="line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> on the </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">series 'Sex and the City'.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Like the butterfly, we are all on a journey. On this journey we encounter endless turns, shifts, and conditions that cause us to metamorphasize. All change is good - even if it may not seem so at the time. Change is what life is made of and it is necessary to grow and learn. At our journey's end we are inevitably transformed - not at all the same as when we started on the path. I like this one....................</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">It reminds me of the journey I am heading on. After 6 months of illness where I have been unable to do very much I am now feeling 99% better and ready to get up and go again :) I have had a long time to think and re-evaulate my secrets hopes and dreams.....some changes are necessary and some of my comfort zone will be put to the test. Dreams can just stay dreams, but I know they can be reality if I reach hard for them. Only I can do that. Watch this space.....</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">A cake and a cuppa are ready to enjoy while I write my list ....Hugs 4 smiles M x</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It also has a rather simple meaning - butterflies are bright and beautiful creatures so don't settle for anything but the best and brightest.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> quietly, may alight upon you.</span></span><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/nathanielh393626.html" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">Nathaniel Hawthorne</a></div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-43984866033570448732012-05-01T21:03:00.000+01:002012-05-01T21:03:46.332+01:00Sunshine, shadows and a full moon :)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: verdana; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">This picture was taken on a beautiful sunny day, and yes the quote above is just how it was on that day. I felt happy and content having not only the sunshine touch my shoulder but the arm of a very special person. A day that went by oh too fast, but remains etched on my memory forever</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The evening walking on the beach as the sun sets, casting shadows that gradually fade away. Holding hands and smiling, content and happy in the knowledge of coming together and just being us.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Watching the moon rise....and looking at each other....knowing.....and smiling....our moon.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sea ebbs and flows like the moon.....the tide turns and the shadows fade, but the sun shines brightly for me:)</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One day, someday, who knows. Sunshine, shadows and moons will always be there to share :)</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Doris and Jack smiled...sitting by the little stream, hand in hand watching the sunshine, shadows and moon and still in love :)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fffff2; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; word-spacing: 2px;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Perhaps it will seem to you that the sunshine is brighter and that everything has a new charm. At least, I believe this is always the result of a deep love, and it is a beautiful thing. And I believe people who think love prevents one from thinking clearly are wrong; for then one thinks very clearly and is more active than before. And love is something eternal--the aspect may change, but not the essence. There is the same difference in a person before and after he is in love as there is in an unlighted lamp and one that is burning. The lamp was there and it was a good lamp, but now it is shedding light too, and that is its real function. And love makes one calmer about many things, and in that way, one is more fit for one's work. Vincent Van Gough</span></span>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-17872113632781478412011-12-27T16:57:00.000+00:002011-12-27T16:57:09.682+00:00Peanut Butter and a Full Moon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSx72LYBrhPc2f53-xhVKEpKVtam267O5i51tSljOpQ51AL3aXD6w" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Love and happiness remind me of sticky peanut butter. When you spread them around, you can't help but end up getting some on yourself!</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">— Marcia Jordan, Hugs & Hope Club</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">Hello Everyone :) Apologies for not dropping by recently :( life lately has been full of this and that, ups and downs and sticky moments! But like the quote above, friends will always stick by he he. So another Christmas done and dusted and another New Year to greet. I have a feeling deep down that this just may be the year that I finally sort myself out. So many friends have been supportive over 2011 and have encouraged me to step out of of my comfort zone....you know who you are and for that I say a big THANK YOU :) One very special friend has been quietly in the background giving me the strength to believe in myself and take those steps forward....thanks from across the miles x </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JFtRLJhOneE/Tvnuh-54HCI/AAAAAAAAAYE/kGtXYo_gGf0/s1600/this+ad+that+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="209" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JFtRLJhOneE/Tvnuh-54HCI/AAAAAAAAAYE/kGtXYo_gGf0/s320/this+ad+that+005.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">Those of you who know me well are aware that I have an infinity with the moon! Especially when the full shiny moon sits in the clear sky at night watching over us....it never ceases to make me smile :) No as yet I do not go hairy and grow fangs....Mind you I was born on the 3rd of the 3rd at 3am, maybe that has something to do with it? Also both me and my eldest son were born during a full moon!!! lol</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">This picture was taken in my garden on the 10th December...so another reach for dreams and a wish...The next one is on January 9th so remember to take a peep, smile and reach for your dreams too.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">The best Full moon was one I shared with a friend in September ....One that we observed and made wishes together,the most lovely bright silvery one that sat on the edge of the sea, one I believe will always be remembered....also another opportunity to sail a paper boat and smile.</span> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">This is short and sweet today....but heartfelt and sent to all my friends....I could not ask for a better circle of sticky peanut butter pals....lets all stick together in 2012 and reach our goals and dreams together.......A very Happy New Year to each of you ....Hugs 4 smiles M xx</span></span><br />
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</span></span></div><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Today I begin to understand what love must be, if it exists. When we are parted, we each feel the lack of the other half of ourselves. We are incomplete like a book in two volumes of which the first has been lost. That is what I imagine love to be: incompleteness in absence.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>—</i></span> Edmond & Jules deGoncourt</span></i></span></span></span></span><br />
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</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #e7ebf6;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #e7ebf6;"><span style="font-size: small;"> "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #e7ebf6;"><span style="font-size: small;">for by so doing</span></span></span><div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #e7ebf6;"><span style="font-size: small;">some have unwittingly entertained angels."</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #e7ebf6;">~ Hebrews 13:2 ~</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #e7ebf6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #e7ebf6;">We dropped out youngest son off at uni 3 weeks ago, and although all we ever wanted was for our children to be healthy, happy and reach for their dreams, always knowing that one day they would step out into the big wide world and follow their own path and journey through life. I always knew that you only borrow your children, but it did not stop me feeling like I had both my arms removed. Suddenly tearful and feeling redundant I shed a few tears</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-POgb2r3LlT8/TpXtBwKtHxI/AAAAAAAAAWM/mS8ovHRYl9Y/s1600/Norffolk+Again+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-POgb2r3LlT8/TpXtBwKtHxI/AAAAAAAAAWM/mS8ovHRYl9Y/s320/Norffolk+Again+043.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">knowing that its my time now to rediscover me, and also like the gang carve out a new path just as they are. I am lucky as many people do not have the opportunity to have the creativity I experience, which overflows into so many aspects of my life. I have always worked in the world of art and I know I am very charmed to be able to do so.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Sunday after my son went to uni I went off to North Norfolk once again. A great leveller for me and the big skies free my mind. I also sail my paper boats here. I had 2 to sail this day, and when I had found a suitable spot I sent them onto the gentle waves carrying their special messages across the ocean. I watched them until they were no longer in sight.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pz0W5qwWEpU/TpXtIyoss9I/AAAAAAAAAWU/mu-DLwvTYdg/s1600/Norffolk+Again+053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pz0W5qwWEpU/TpXtIyoss9I/AAAAAAAAAWU/mu-DLwvTYdg/s320/Norffolk+Again+053.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sky had started to turn and promised a lovely sunset. I walked back along the beach and back onto the edge of the prom. I turned back to admire the sky when I heard someone say "Are you here for the sunset?" I turned to see an elderly lady in a motorised wheelchair, she was beautifully dressed and made up and had the most amazing smile. She reached her hand out and touched my arm and said "You only have your children in trust you know?" A tear appeared in the corner of my eye and words became stuck in the back of my throat. I nodded in agreement and went on to tell her that the last had flown the nest....how did she know I wondered?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She then briefly told me her story, how her bones were crumbling and she was on morphine, but still took all life had to offer. She involved herself in many projects and also travelled extensively, along with being as creative as she could, her hands did not now let her do her beloved wood turning, she found other ways to keep herself busy and active. She had just come back from Australia, her and her husband (who by now was chatting to mine) still drove, took days out, loved going for romantic meals and also sold all she made at farmers and craft markets, and that was the tip of the iceberg!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EKFhQbWSZtk/TpXtwIhCvcI/AAAAAAAAAWk/Wuup1FwwA_w/s1600/Norfolk+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EKFhQbWSZtk/TpXtwIhCvcI/AAAAAAAAAWk/Wuup1FwwA_w/s320/Norfolk+025.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the sky turned a deep red and orange she said it was my turn now to take life and embrace it....or I could just sit around do nothing and wait for God... you know her words totally struck home. I could sit in my now empty silent house dwelling on the past of ghosts of children laughing, playing and following me around like puppies, but those days will never happen again. So I owe her as well as myself some....well lots of me time, to be active, get my mojo back and rediscover who I am. I have had a few years now of hiding away, not ever knowing whether I will find light at the end of the tunnel......She then smiled at me and said they had better be on their way as her husband was not so good at standing for long periods of time now days....after all she finished up with.....he is now 92 and I am 91!!!!! you know as she and her hubby went on their merry way and vanished into the distance I was left behind with a sense of well being....I did wonder if she was an angel that had returned to earth to show me the new path I should now tread.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Three weeks later and her face stays with me as do her words, already opportunities are coming my way and I am looking forward to another new creative journey....I wonder who she is helping now with her inspiring words of wisdom?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KTU-go7kpiw/TpXt7QoKmUI/AAAAAAAAAWs/GLT8DBW0o-A/s1600/Norfolk+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KTU-go7kpiw/TpXt7QoKmUI/AAAAAAAAAWs/GLT8DBW0o-A/s320/Norfolk+027.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">If you seek an angel with an open heart, you shall always find one.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So a little melancholy tonight but sending with hugs 4 smiles to you all M xx</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-84417008837853088512011-09-23T14:37:00.001+01:002011-09-23T14:37:48.220+01:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>"Don't cry because it 's over....Smile because it happened"</u></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Dr Seuss</u></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #003399; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><u>Thats all I have to say today</u></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #003399; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><u>Hugs 4 smiles M x</u></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-72542394427964613112011-09-22T15:55:00.001+01:002011-10-12T20:34:15.739+01:00Doris, Jack and a new found confidence :)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDWE1yLEDuU/Tns74SL16fI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/prv0pYonCa4/s1600/norfolk+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDWE1yLEDuU/Tns74SL16fI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/prv0pYonCa4/s320/norfolk+004.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> A few days have passed since I returned home from my trip to North Norfolk and although I am a little melancholy this afternoon, its for the right reasons. My mind keeps trailing back and reliving the 5 days I spent in my most favourite place. Norfolk is a leveller for me, but this time I went in search of confidence, and I have certainly found a small spark.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lots of walking, meditation, thinking and having a special friend to ponder life with, has helped me regain a positive attitude.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XT-a1ABoI5Y/Tns8CJlPFvI/AAAAAAAAAVU/jEHeAGUnWYE/s1600/norfolk+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XT-a1ABoI5Y/Tns8CJlPFvI/AAAAAAAAAVU/jEHeAGUnWYE/s320/norfolk+009.JPG" width="180" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This little river set in splendid surroundings helps power an old restored watermill, I found it by chance, the journey stopped abruptly as there was a ford across the road warning cars not to go across. So I parked up and took in natures wonderful beauty. Alongside the river a bench, the dedication was for Doris 1001 and Jack 89 who had loved the area and each other for many years. I sat for some time watching and pondering, in my head I made up little stories about the couple....did Doris feel the same way I do right now, after her family grew up, did she regain a new confidence? I think maybe she did, she embraced life and all it had to offer, that's her secret for a long happy life I think :)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So perhaps I will be a Doris and reach for my dreams. Jack well he is in my heart and always will be, Jack was her forever love... </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A little bridge crossed the river and I could not resist playing Phoo Sticks....yep a middle aged woman reliving her childhood dropping sticks into the water, watching them race under the bridge and then cheering the winner. I was alone...I hope:)</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6VarmZe-Utk/Tns83LyvxzI/AAAAAAAAAVg/rvLYNCejpmg/s1600/Norfolk+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6VarmZe-Utk/Tns83LyvxzI/AAAAAAAAAVg/rvLYNCejpmg/s200/Norfolk+009.JPG" width="200" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--ufCv-VUhp4/Tns8_UftRlI/AAAAAAAAAVk/Vfe55HE98po/s1600/Norfolk+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--ufCv-VUhp4/Tns8_UftRlI/AAAAAAAAAVk/Vfe55HE98po/s200/Norfolk+010.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A trip along the coast took me to a place called Eccles....the beach was almost deserted and I enjoyed hunting out witch stones, for any of you that don't know a what a witch stone is, its one that has a hole all the way through. I then sat for a while and took in the atmosphere. Couples arm in arm , children content in the autumn sunshine to paddle and build sandcastles, excited dogs running in and out of the surf enjoying their freedom.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n10d1-gdBVU/Tns8SRQyqDI/AAAAAAAAAVY/XoB3vUiY_TU/s1600/Norfolk+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n10d1-gdBVU/Tns8SRQyqDI/AAAAAAAAAVY/XoB3vUiY_TU/s200/Norfolk+006.JPG" width="112" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I spotted this man who seemed to be pondering the meaning of life, I captured the moment as he seemed to be doing the same as me, re-evaluating and at a crossroads in life. I wonder has he got a Doris in his life?? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So home now and have re-discovered my Mojo....Drop the negative thoughts that keep me in my cage...I can see the colours a little more clearly now and I plan to do mostly positive things. Today well its the start of a new journey of discovery, baby steps to start with and not trying too much at once. I have a list of life and heave already ticked off 2 items. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People without Mojo see lemons as lemons. People who have Mojo take lemons and make lemonade...I know who I would rather be :)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So as the sun set on the last day of my trip it was time to say goodbye....time for new beginnings................ </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fuPrLDh-J9Q/Tns7wUXJW6I/AAAAAAAAAVM/OluNYJIH2go/s1600/norfolk+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fuPrLDh-J9Q/Tns7wUXJW6I/AAAAAAAAAVM/OluNYJIH2go/s320/norfolk+020.JPG" width="180" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'What it is....is what it is'</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hugs for lots of new smiles M xx</span></div><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-5087543073939621422011-08-25T15:59:00.000+01:002011-08-25T15:59:54.966+01:00Cloud Cuckoo Land, courage and moving on!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yCi6-srNQgc/TlYmQjNyLiI/AAAAAAAAAU0/R3U6c5pcEok/s1600/plants+and+norfolk+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yCi6-srNQgc/TlYmQjNyLiI/AAAAAAAAAU0/R3U6c5pcEok/s320/plants+and+norfolk+029.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Cloud Cuckoo Cottage is set in a pretty row of terraces in Cromer, North Norfolk. The name is very apt for me as after 3 years of living in cloud cuckoo land inside my head, it seems I am taking a few steps forward. Its not easy by any means...like the Lion in The Wizard of Oz <i> </i>I seem to of lost my courage somewhere along the way like he did. Some days just getting to the local supermarket becomes an ordeal, which is very frustrating as it was not so long ago I would reach for the moon and follow dreams. I feel like a little bird in a cage....but I know I have the wings to fly and make changes.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">So I am at the crossroads right now, I can either stay the way I am....or embrace the future, and live my life. My Aunt threw those words at me over the weekend, and yes she is right, I can either sit around waiting for God, of go for it and embrace life as I did a few years ago. Of course there are many changes, children are adults now, and no longer need my full attention, The house still feels so unfamiliar after the restoration...if you don't know we had a major house fire 3 years ago, and I find myself almost guarding my nest in case it happens all over again. I no longer have my dogs to walk each day and so much of my creativity has vanished. But I am sure it will all come back and hit me on the head. he he</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kv-MI98r5EQ/TlYmRxix7fI/AAAAAAAAAU8/LbjQOVb8pOg/s1600/plants+and+norfolk+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: blue;">When I listened to My Aunt I suddenly took on old age as something to look forward to...she is active in the community, learned to drive at 61, loves to dress up and indeed she is very trendy.. She has enrolled to take a computer course, which will open a whole new world for her as she knows nothing about this technology....rock on girl you will soon be blogging and setting up on Facebook! Oh and at 76 she is off to have her first Tattoo this week!!</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tYPJ7uOAWuM/TVY7XOWUfgI/AAAAAAAAABU/BFVxGLXzqtw/s1600/071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tYPJ7uOAWuM/TVY7XOWUfgI/AAAAAAAAABU/BFVxGLXzqtw/s320/071.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Last week I has a 2 day adventure of my own, a trip away was just what i needed to boost my self esteem. Facing my fears was not easy but the feeling afterwards was euphoric. No monsters those 2 days He he x</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">So onward and upward one day at a time. I have booked a short break to my favourite part of the world....yep you have guessed Norfolk. i will be taking part in a yoga and meditation workshop and after I am chilled and calm spend the next couple of days revisiting favourite familiar places and catching up with a very special friend.Maybe we will get to sail paper boats, throw found driftwood back into the sea on a new journey, and of course sip tea and eat cake in a steamy tea shop :)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Hopefully standing on my own 2 feet for a few days will be the foundations for a new confident journey ahead, and I will dance down that yellow brick road just like the lion with his friends. You never know I might even join my aunt and get a tattoo!!!! lol </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">The next full moon is on the 12th September which will be the start of my trip....and I will be looking at that moon and making a wish and reaching up for new hopes and dreams.Watch this space :) Hugs 4 smiles M x</span><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-15536826453366597362011-08-24T16:32:00.000+01:002011-08-24T16:32:55.053+01:00Butterflies, fairies and lollipops :)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LlXYVYZGux0/TlTVaqJwQAI/AAAAAAAAAUo/8UkC3E8Df6k/s1600/feast+and+wales+102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LlXYVYZGux0/TlTVaqJwQAI/AAAAAAAAAUo/8UkC3E8Df6k/s320/feast+and+wales+102.JPG" width="180" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Auntie Margaret and me!</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meeting up with one of my aunts this weekend was therapy indeed. My family is one divided and I had not seen Margaret for a very long time, over 25 years, and until now I have seen few of my extended family, my parents died a fair while ago, so this was a chance to discover a little bit about me and my roots.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a few childhood memories of Margaret, my uncle and my 2 cousins, and the same goes for many other aunts cousins and extended family. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Margeret was so very welcoming and we had a lovely weekend catching up with chit chat.Old albums were brought out to ponder over while we sipped tea and munched on lovely light Welsh cakes, she lives in Wales and is very proud to do so. We also got to learn a few Welsh sayings and discovered lots of Welsh culture.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tAjM5mrSBac/TlTUBmr2_fI/AAAAAAAAAUM/V02BU2U_jkI/s1600/086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tAjM5mrSBac/TlTUBmr2_fI/AAAAAAAAAUM/V02BU2U_jkI/s320/086.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My great Grandmother</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RD20IAB2AJ8/TlTUHH2UsNI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/hGq-lhTsTuE/s1600/087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RD20IAB2AJ8/TlTUHH2UsNI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/hGq-lhTsTuE/s320/087.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Great Great Grandmother</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the past few years I have spent time tracing the Wall family tree, and have researched back to 1700 and discovered where and when these people lived but until now many have remained faceless.Margaret enlightened us with happy and sad stories of days gone by and helped fill in some of the gaps. Many of my ancestors came from Shropshire and worked on the land and judging by their photos life was quite tough.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we turned the pages I could find few facial similarities between myself and the eyes looking back at me, I suppose I have taken my Mothers Jewish looks on instead! But some of the stories my aunt shared made me realise some of these people had left their footprint on my funny little ways. I discovered my Gran loved fairies and always decorated a small tree at Christmas with lollipops for the children who dropped by. If you have read any of my other posts you will know my fascination with fairies, perhaps it is due to her that I break the shell of a boiled egg on finishing it, to let the fairy out. And up until a few years ago I always decorated a branch sprayed with gold and silver paint with colourful lollipops for anyone who dropped by over the festive season. I seem to of stopped doing this now my gang have grown up, but maybe its time to return to the tradition!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am the worlds worst fidget and rarely keep still....oh and talk to myself....light candles each day and it appears my aunt is the same. I worry sometimes about old age too, but Margaret is 76, wears really trendy clothes, loves life, and buzzes around like someone much younger.....oh and she is also having a tattoo done next week of 2 butterflies....I am a fan of butterflies too. 'When I am old I will will wear purple' springs to mind, but in this case its 'when I am old I will have a tattoo'....he he </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bzc-oYKawmI/TlTUNrzwSbI/AAAAAAAAAUU/e98lpM4Gvkc/s1600/093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bzc-oYKawmI/TlTUNrzwSbI/AAAAAAAAAUU/e98lpM4Gvkc/s320/093.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Grandmother and Grandfather on a day out</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sdS5x9qIzFA/TlTUZmvKLGI/AAAAAAAAAUc/qBWYq5hECQA/s1600/095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sdS5x9qIzFA/TlTUZmvKLGI/AAAAAAAAAUc/qBWYq5hECQA/s320/095.JPG" width="240" /></a> </span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A young grandfather</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EX05wPngrK8/TlTUyPCm8hI/AAAAAAAAAUg/UdqMPStmFqU/s1600/083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EX05wPngrK8/TlTUyPCm8hI/AAAAAAAAAUg/UdqMPStmFqU/s320/083.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Granny as a girl</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was fantastic to gather up the stories of her childhood with her brothers and sisters, and all the extended family, the album really came to life.And I feel I have discovered a little bit about me!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VlH0-XRnYRU/TlTU4hhom5I/AAAAAAAAAUk/dJ_hQyHjuGs/s1600/115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VlH0-XRnYRU/TlTU4hhom5I/AAAAAAAAAUk/dJ_hQyHjuGs/s320/115.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Gran, Margaret on right, Peg (Primrose left) Clive (my Father) in front</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So if you have an elderly relative, drop by and get them to chat about the 'good old days' you will be surprised at the little snippets of information that they give you about family....and Oh boy do we have lots of skeletons in the cupboard!!! But that's another story.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hugs for now M xx</span><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-42959344525529461092011-08-03T16:45:00.000+01:002011-08-03T16:45:45.364+01:00Dreams and Driftwood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-auwZiBmSHPQ/TiElWzo-UFI/AAAAAAAAATc/UcQhtfR-Yv0/s1600/graduation+aberdeen+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-auwZiBmSHPQ/TiElWzo-UFI/AAAAAAAAATc/UcQhtfR-Yv0/s320/graduation+aberdeen+032.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aberdeen </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I seem to of been in hibernation for a bit, creativity has eluded me these past few weeks, but once again I have bounced back for a while anyway!! The picture of distant boats on the sea at Aberdeen reminded me of my Paper Boats, setting them to sail and hoping they reach their destination.Words written oh so carefully on paper, of secrets hopes and dreams, then carefully folding the paper into a little boat, and letting it free on the waves, along with its spell, watching it drift away on its own, finding its path and enjoying the adventure, a bit like me really, seeking out a new journey, new dreams to reach for. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know I am not the only person who sends dreams across the ocean....I have a friend who on finding driftwood, sends it back on its journey after whispering a few quiet words. I wonder if their hopes and dreams are similar to mine.. maybe.. I shall never know. But its a bit like a child crossing their fingers for luck....you never know what may come back :)</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DqsAoqJZFZo/TiEkl7fhHnI/AAAAAAAAATQ/D6dw6CkxzPo/s1600/driftwood+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DqsAoqJZFZo/TiEkl7fhHnI/AAAAAAAAATQ/D6dw6CkxzPo/s320/driftwood+005.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I picked up some driftwood on the beach in Aberdeen and unlike my friend I brought them home to capture their colours and textures in pencil. I wonder what stories these sea washed branches can tell? Adventures from all over, stopping here and there for a moment... or longer, someone walking on by and throwing them back, or a dog picking them up taking them to their owner for a game of fetch. Children decorating sandcastles, or playing games of dragons and knights in armour, with the branches becoming swords, or people like me stopping to admire their rugged beauty and wonder......making up fanciful stories....</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jKLv2ELUqKw/TVgp-NuZkdI/AAAAAAAAAB4/mwdLSKk9fM8/s1600/brighton+and+sketchbook+148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jKLv2ELUqKw/TVgp-NuZkdI/AAAAAAAAAB4/mwdLSKk9fM8/s320/brighton+and+sketchbook+148.JPG" width="289" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know I do believe paper boats come home, and driftwood keeps its words of dreams inside resting one day on the beach....and like the boats when they are discovered by the right recipient the words are shared..... Who knows...Dreams can come true....</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well hugs 4 smiles, and I hope your dreams come true as well xxx</span><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-79482924687791192582011-07-16T08:23:00.000+01:002011-07-16T08:23:37.653+01:00Endings and New Beginnings.....<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yf2HCjg3CJs/TiEkNorvIkI/AAAAAAAAATM/ImzE1UgJC2w/s1600/graduation+aberdeen+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yf2HCjg3CJs/TiEkNorvIkI/AAAAAAAAATM/ImzE1UgJC2w/s320/graduation+aberdeen+020.JPG" width="180" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AOW7jFkg3zk/TiEo_JpSfGI/AAAAAAAAAT4/POzjqbiI0FE/s1600/morgan%252C+sunset%252C+bags+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AOW7jFkg3zk/TiEo_JpSfGI/AAAAAAAAAT4/POzjqbiI0FE/s320/morgan%252C+sunset%252C+bags+009.JPG" width="197" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PaeKG3AXFws/TiEwGiVKnxI/AAAAAAAAAUI/eHTJPNm_9JA/s1600/graduation+aberdeen+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PaeKG3AXFws/TiEwGiVKnxI/AAAAAAAAAUI/eHTJPNm_9JA/s320/graduation+aberdeen+011.JPG" width="180" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello all, hope everything is good in your world? I have been busy lately so there has been little time for dropping by here. Our house right now is full of endings and new beginnings. Morgan has come to the end of his school life and moves on to Uni in the Autumn....as does his girlfriend Em. Charlene graduated from Aberdeen Uni last week and is now taking that scary step into the workplace. Gareth is about to change his job and move on to greater things, and his wife Sarah has just qualified as a Doctor. So lots of changes for them....of luck gang and I am proud of each and every one of you x</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I realised along time ago, you only borrow your children, nurture them, love them and guide them. Enjoy as many moments as you can with them as they grow up so fast. Let them go and tread the path of life, spreading their wings, allowing them to reach for their hopes and dreams. Now I stand on the sidelines and watch....giving them guidance if need be, a shoulder to cry on and the odd dinner or two....oh and some things will never change... my love for you all.....x</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I believe now its new beginnings for me....where this path will go I have no idea....all I can say is, it will be fun finding out! xx</span></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-28255516041390956642011-07-04T14:08:00.001+01:002011-07-04T14:11:43.433+01:00Bright lights ...oh and more strawberries!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K5sochiQWEk/ThGtaOQ475I/AAAAAAAAASo/muUrDdzIako/s1600/this+that+an+trees+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K5sochiQWEk/ThGtaOQ475I/AAAAAAAAASo/muUrDdzIako/s400/this+that+an+trees+007.JPG" width="225" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hello once again :) I hope all is bright and happy in your world? </div>My days have been busy, gathering yet more strawberries, we are now up to 75pounds! But the crop has now finished....good in one way as I will admit I am getting tired of the red juicy sweet fruits. some nights as I shut my eyes the first image that pops in my mind is a bowl of strawberries! Now I am on to gathering broad beans, blackberries, mange tout, beetroot, broccoli and redcurrants. As I shelled the peas and beans and prepared blackcurrants yesterday, my youngest son said "You know that is why we have Tescos to make life easy, pop in buy the veg, take home, cook, eat and enjoy", he has a point, it took a good couple of hours to finish the task. But when I served up some of the bounty for Sunday dinner the chore was forgotten and the taste of freshly gathered and prepared food was sooooooooo good.<br />
I have also had some creative days, another bag based on the Bright Lights theme that I and a few other textile artists are working to. Hopefully this time next year we will be taking our combined work on exhibition.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VMbksclMfDk/ThGtwt-YnVI/AAAAAAAAASw/l7CyQhk6Koo/s1600/this+that+an+trees+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VMbksclMfDk/ThGtwt-YnVI/AAAAAAAAASw/l7CyQhk6Koo/s200/this+that+an+trees+015.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7wAeKvE39nY/ThGtlVlfBbI/AAAAAAAAASs/tgY9QoVMHWI/s1600/this+that+an+trees+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7wAeKvE39nY/ThGtlVlfBbI/AAAAAAAAASs/tgY9QoVMHWI/s200/this+that+an+trees+014.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hvoQRwrpoqA/ThG2TEvZ7OI/AAAAAAAAATE/4HcCiAZNP7E/s1600/darling+harbour+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hvoQRwrpoqA/ThG2TEvZ7OI/AAAAAAAAATE/4HcCiAZNP7E/s320/darling+harbour+007.JPG" width="320" /></a>This work started life as pieces of collaged vintage textiles and threads, then heavily machine stitched together to form a whole cloth. The shapes of these bags are based on loose drawings of the human form. Once cut out the new cloth is embellished, lined and stitched. Apart from small seed beads I make all the components myself, again using up-cycled ingredients! The colours are based on some lovely dancing bright light reflections across the water in Sydney Harbour. A feast of colour for the eyes that always inspire me on my creative journeys. I return to these images time and time again. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b6iR1FpFZmE/ThGt5RyC6zI/AAAAAAAAAS0/3T-5tO0Qc74/s1600/this+that+an+trees+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b6iR1FpFZmE/ThGt5RyC6zI/AAAAAAAAAS0/3T-5tO0Qc74/s320/this+that+an+trees+016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Detail of hand made cords and beads</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BUh8kUkoGJM/ThGuOSplAzI/AAAAAAAAAS8/8-EqTl7JTlA/s1600/this+that+an+trees+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BUh8kUkoGJM/ThGuOSplAzI/AAAAAAAAAS8/8-EqTl7JTlA/s320/this+that+an+trees+019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Close up detail of design and stitch</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t3DSaR5Mr1c/ThGuYf3gCcI/AAAAAAAAATA/1nWyyf_H3kQ/s1600/this+that+an+trees+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t3DSaR5Mr1c/ThGuYf3gCcI/AAAAAAAAATA/1nWyyf_H3kQ/s320/this+that+an+trees+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Contrasting lining</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LT6RMwjZmtI/ThGuEXcmYgI/AAAAAAAAAS4/dErdbgbK0FU/s1600/this+that+an+trees+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LT6RMwjZmtI/ThGuEXcmYgI/AAAAAAAAAS4/dErdbgbK0FU/s320/this+that+an+trees+018.JPG" width="180" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Another close up of detail</div><div style="text-align: center;">I hope you have enjoyed the riot of colour and its made you smile and brightened your day? </div><div style="text-align: center;">Hugs 4 smiles M xx</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-8762156776103503362011-06-23T14:54:00.000+01:002011-06-23T14:54:31.095+01:00Are we human...or are we strawberry?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c99Rk2TSuv8/TgCuJrydncI/AAAAAAAAAR4/cXKKyqOihNk/s1600/yet+more+strawberries+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c99Rk2TSuv8/TgCuJrydncI/AAAAAAAAAR4/cXKKyqOihNk/s320/yet+more+strawberries+001.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yep more strawberry stories lol.......we have had a bumper crop of them this year over 52lbs now and still picking. I have enough jam now to last us around 5 years! If I mention the strawberry word the family groan and vanish in case I put yet another culinary strawberry delight in front of them! We have had scones, victoria sponges, cheesecake, strawberry shortbread muffins (they were scrummy, I will put the recipe up at the end of this) strawberries in balsamic vinegar, mousse, ice cream and lots of bowls of the soft fruits with cream!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having gathered up another 12lb on Monday I spend a while carefully washing them. As I sorted through putting perfect ones in a bowl for friends and family, small ones for cakes and tiny ones to turn into jam. I stopped to look at the misshapen ones and put them to one side,</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eZSNRhGqz2A/TgCuj2n-FOI/AAAAAAAAASE/HvQu0_g2pzs/s1600/yet+more+strawberries+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eZSNRhGqz2A/TgCuj2n-FOI/AAAAAAAAASE/HvQu0_g2pzs/s320/yet+more+strawberries+008.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wondering what to do with these not so perfect ones It came to mind that just because they were not perfect strawberry shape, on the inside they would be as sweet and maybe even better than the ones I had singled out as perfect. I decided that would serve up a mixture of all shapes and sizes and figured that the odd shaped ones were actually not only more interesting but they tasted sweeter too.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This got me thinking so many people aspire to be perfect and tend to shun those who do not fit into the same box. We all come in all shapes and sizes with different aspirations,jobs, hobbies, personalities and ideas. Me being one of the the misshapes, struggle with being different. But these strawberries have taught me that no matter what our daily struggles are we are as sweet if not better inside despite our flaws!</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE MUFFINS</span></div><a href="http://www.recipe4living.com/assets/itemimages/200/200/3/strawberries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.recipe4living.com/assets/itemimages/200/200/3/strawberries.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;">Ingredients</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div class="block" id="recipe-ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="content" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><ul style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 25px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Cups plain flour</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 25px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp. baking powder</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 25px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 Cups. sugar</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 25px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 C. butter</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 25px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 egg</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 25px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Cups double cream</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 25px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp. vanilla</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 25px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Cups diced strawberries, well drained</span></li>
</ul></div></div><div class="block" id="recipe-directions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><h2 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1.1667em; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Directions</span></h2><div class="content" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="instructions" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Preheat oven to 180We degrees. Grease 12 muffin cups. In large bowl mix together flour, baking powder and sugar. Cut in butter as for pastry until it is in small pea-size pieces. In small bowl mix egg, vanilla and cream then add all at once to flour mixture. Stir with spoon until blended. Gently mix in strawberries. Spoon into muffin cups and bake for about 25 minutes. Cool completely in pan before removing. Sprinkle with icing sugar to serve. </div></span></span></div></div><br />
<div class="rounded" id="recipe-title" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-left-radius: 5px 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px 5px; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="content" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 12px;"><div style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #a2c4c9;"><span class="item" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span></span></div><h2 class="fn" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: white; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #a2c4c9; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div><h2 class="fn" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: white; font-size: 1.25em; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4e4e4e; font-size: 1px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"></span></span></h2></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-66896103355726029292011-06-23T11:21:00.001+01:002011-06-23T11:22:23.176+01:00Hello once again :)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c99Rk2TSuv8/TgCuJrydncI/AAAAAAAAAR4/cXKKyqOihNk/s1600/yet+more+strawberries+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r0yicd-Wwnw/TgMQLfMtXgI/AAAAAAAAASg/A-1iVex3K3o/s1600/work+ascot+anda+wedding+070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r0yicd-Wwnw/TgMQLfMtXgI/AAAAAAAAASg/A-1iVex3K3o/s400/work+ascot+anda+wedding+070.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello everyone....how are you all? I have been busy lately and have had little time to myself to write on my blog. The 3 groups that meet here have been busy and creativity is in abundance, which in turn inspires and motivates me to be creative myself. These past 4 years have been difficult and that has resulted in my mind closing down and not allowing me to live my normal life. Hey ho that the way it goes sometimes.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We drove back up to Aberdeen again, this time to help move my daughter out from her apartment. She has finally graduated after 4 years of study. Back at home now she is seeking a job, although I get the feeling it wont be long before she returns to education as she has spoken about doing a Ph.D......SO only one more trip to the granite city for her graduation day....I feel another new dress is on the list...he he.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last weekend saw us at Royal Ascot once again. And guess what.......I won a small amount on my first race :) The money was irrelevant but the joy of at last backing a horse that did not come last or fall was a thing of wonder and joy! I was so excited and returning back to our table I shared my excitement with the rest of our group. A glass of Champagne was poured and that's where my clumsiness took hold! Waving my arms around whilst</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> talking often gets me into trouble and today was no exception.My hand made a connection with the glass....you know one glass of bubbly can go along way when its knocked over. That soon brought me back down to earth, and I sat down with a very red face! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The arrival of the Royal party brought lots of hand clapping and cheering, which was nice. Also the fashion show that was put on in our restaurant was pretty spectacular too, with my favourite being the Vivienne Westwood collection, she is always a source of inspiration for me!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next day we attended the last of day of a 3 day Hindu wedding. It certainly was a feast for the eyes with the most wonderful colourful, glittery saris on display. Although we were given a sheet written in English with all the ceremonies that we were going to see during the 2 hours I was still at a loss sometimes to know what was going on. All the same I would not of missed the experience, or the curry and the hospitality of wonderful people! Oh and the bride looked stunning and was very beautiful. I wish them all happiness for a long and happy life together :) </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well that's it for now....later I am going to bore you once again on the subject of strawberries. Watch this space!!! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hugs 4 smiles M xx</span><br />
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</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-31265212849773425662011-06-05T12:59:00.000+01:002011-06-05T12:59:59.089+01:00Sunday and Strawberry Jam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6BG2BuNwVEs/TetrAOK3iqI/AAAAAAAAARk/l7_4cZRPkow/s1600/strawberry+jam+x+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6BG2BuNwVEs/TetrAOK3iqI/AAAAAAAAARk/l7_4cZRPkow/s320/strawberry+jam+x+001.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ahhhhhhhhhh Sunday means tea and a read of the papers over a lazy breakfast of boiled eggs and buttered toast, and yep I let the fairy out of the egg....see an earlier post about that!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I prepared a big bowl of strawberries last night ready to turn into jam this morning. The whole house now smells delightful...I have home made bread on the way so I am sure it wont be long before everyone congregates around the kitchen table for an early lunch of warm bread and jam....mmmmmmmmm So much for watching our waistlines!!!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking over the strawberry patch this morning another large bowlful are ready to be picked.....time to share some with my friends me thinks. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have a great rest of Sunday, I am off to my studio now to do what I like best and carry on with my latest project. Hugs 4 smiles M xxx</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ph9qJeH6RQI/TetrN72acrI/AAAAAAAAARo/DX57cDvLXcc/s1600/strawberry+jam+x+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ph9qJeH6RQI/TetrN72acrI/AAAAAAAAARo/DX57cDvLXcc/s320/strawberry+jam+x+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ph9qJeH6RQI/TetrN72acrI/AAAAAAAAARo/DX57cDvLXcc/s1600/strawberry+jam+x+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Legends and Lore of Strawberries:</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">In provincial France, strawberries were regarded as an aphrodisiac. Newlyweds were served always served a cold strawberry soup.</span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The strawberry was a symbol for Venus, the Goddess of Love, because of its heart shapes and red colour.</span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Have you every eaten a double strawberry? Legend says that if you break the strawberry in half and share it with a member of the opposite sex, you will soon fall in love with each other.</span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">In parts of Bavaria, people still practice the annual rite each spring of tying small baskets of wild strawberries to the horns of their cattle as an offering to elves. They believe that the elves, who are passionately fond of strawberries, will help to produce healthy calves and abundance of milk in return.</span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Queen Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII had a strawberry shaped birthmark on her neck, which some claimed proved she was a witch.</span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">To symbolize perfection and righteousness, medieval stone masons carved strawberry designs on altars and around the tops of pillars in churches and cathedrals.</span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The strawberry, a member of the rose family, is unique in that it is the only fruit with seeds on the outside rather than the inside.</span></span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-27811073206087710662011-06-04T20:15:00.000+01:002011-06-04T20:15:00.871+01:00Bright Lights and Strawberries!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lwjxFqQU_58/Tep4rF2Hm5I/AAAAAAAAAQs/luRGdBTmsQ0/s1600/flowers+and+strawberry+cup+cakes%2521+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lwjxFqQU_58/Tep4rF2Hm5I/AAAAAAAAAQs/luRGdBTmsQ0/s320/flowers+and+strawberry+cup+cakes%2521+034.JPG" width="180" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Front of bag</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello and a very happy weekend to you all :) Hope your week has been bright and happy? I have been really busy and the days have flown by. Nutty Knitters met on Wednesday and as usual more chatting, sipping tea and this week spoiling ourselves with a fresh Strawberry Cheesecake! My crop has started early and we have picked 12lbs of delicious berries....My family are already beginning to tire of cakes, desserts and savoury home bakes using yet more strawberries. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday our textile group met up in my studio to discuss an exhibition for next year, and of course more tea and the offering was strawberry cream cupcakes. The brief we are working to is 'Bright Lights', its so nice to get together and see our creations coming together. We all work in so many varied ways, and certainly inspire each other :)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After sketching a few ideas I gathered up a selection of fabric, ribbons, and thread 'ingredients' and created collaged surface, which was then stitched to create a firm fabric. Having cut my design out of this new fabric it was time for the fun stuff....embellishments.....lots of beads, machine embroidered cords and fabric beads were created then all the components were stitched together to create the finished bag. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2dcLSndK_88/Tep28FbMcvI/AAAAAAAAAQc/CjmeBbxpt0o/s1600/flowers+and+strawberry+cup+cakes%2521+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2dcLSndK_88/Tep28FbMcvI/AAAAAAAAAQc/CjmeBbxpt0o/s200/flowers+and+strawberry+cup+cakes%2521+038.JPG" width="112" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RMgtyXL3vuU/Tep2rzuFPtI/AAAAAAAAAQU/m9CNGQKy4KQ/s1600/flowers+and+strawberry+cup+cakes%2521+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RMgtyXL3vuU/Tep2rzuFPtI/AAAAAAAAAQU/m9CNGQKy4KQ/s200/flowers+and+strawberry+cup+cakes%2521+028.JPG" width="112" /></a> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These pictures show the back of my bag and some detail of the stitching and embellishments. I love working with these colours, and return to them time and time again...Happy colours! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I am on a roll now and having spent a day last week designing I was eager to get started today on the next piece towards a new collection of work.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of my day today has been spent in the studio, preparing the base for another stitched creation. Hopefully I will get to embellish it tomorrow and then finish it off during the week. So watch this space :)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh and no doubt I will continue to gather strawberries and bake....If anyone has a favourite recipe for strawberries....oh and blackcurrants, as they are on their way too....please can you post them up for me to try...Thanks xx</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have a good rest of weekend, hugs 4 smiles M x</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CjahLmHK0x0/Tep3e3luQRI/AAAAAAAAAQo/w9xoMJcCM2o/s1600/flowers+and+strawberry+cup+cakes%2521+045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CjahLmHK0x0/Tep3e3luQRI/AAAAAAAAAQo/w9xoMJcCM2o/s200/flowers+and+strawberry+cup+cakes%2521+045.JPG" width="112" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Detail of fabric beads</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zq36f9kLqg8/TeqCWO7lrII/AAAAAAAAAQw/zWZXSJoQq7s/s1600/flowers+and+strawberry+cup+cakes%2521+111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zq36f9kLqg8/TeqCWO7lrII/AAAAAAAAAQw/zWZXSJoQq7s/s320/flowers+and+strawberry+cup+cakes%2521+111.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yummmmmmmmmmmmm </span>x</span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-85142414231516316402011-05-27T19:27:00.000+01:002011-05-27T19:27:34.293+01:00A nice cup of tea and a piece of cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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</div>Hello and a happy weekend to you :) I have just sat down with a cuppa, no cake today though as I am trying to loose those extra kilos that I gained at the weekend. Last weekend saw us in Aberdeen, to celebrate my daughters birthday, and a nice time was had by all. We will be taking the long trip twice more in the next few weeks, one to help move her from her apartment, then another to celebrate her graduation. And in typical Maxine fashion I will bake cakes for each event! My two favourite things....baking for friends and family and a trip to the seaside...Both these activities level me out. There is something inside of me that just loves seeing people enjoying a table of plenty, its the Jewish in me I think! The waistlines in this house are protesting, but still I continue to bake.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UsMrxwE5z-Y/Td-EsXgy2nI/AAAAAAAAAQI/c5Cbpydb15s/s1600/tea+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="104" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UsMrxwE5z-Y/Td-EsXgy2nI/AAAAAAAAAQI/c5Cbpydb15s/s200/tea+005.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Once a year my passion for baking is really challenged. We invite friends to join us in a 'nice cup of tea and a piece of cake' afternoon. Well pieces of cake actually, lots of pieces, and more to take home. Its lovely to see people enjoying this simple enjoyable feast, chit chatting and making new friends.<br />
I am always on the lookout for new recipes, so if you have a special favourite you would like to share with me that would be brilliant! Maybe start a recipe swap....that would be fun and a good way of meeting like minded friends :) and hopefully to make and bake favourite cakes and bakes from around the world!<br />
So look out you Nutty Knitters I could be baking a scrummy new bake next week for you to enjoy over a cuppa and a chat. Oh for those of you who don't know, Nutty Knitters are a group of ladies,(but men are welcome to come along) who meet up every 2 weeks to knit, chat and sip tea................ oh and most importantly eat cake around my kitchen table!<br />
Try this all in one recipe below....its my favourite right now, and as our crop of strawberries has already ripened it makes this a perfect summer cake!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcShBQ5s2GCnuI1Mgn3-o7MOyIr9xPOWNQQTvwnnkFuJgesYzpYc" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcShBQ5s2GCnuI1Mgn3-o7MOyIr9xPOWNQQTvwnnkFuJgesYzpYc" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All in one sponge cake.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I use this recipe all the time and it rarely fails. You can change the flavours by adding lemons, oranges, or cocoa powder, coffee, chocolate chips whatever takes your fancy really.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want to make chocolate sponge cake replace an ounce of the flour with an ounce of cocoa </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8oz flour, 8oz caster sugar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 eggs, 8oz butter, 1tsp baking powder</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><table cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="empty-cells: show; table-layout: fixed;"><tbody>
<tr><td height="100%" valign="top" width="85%"><div class="post">Pre heat oven to gas mark 4 or 180 degrees. Grease and line two 7 inch, deep sponge tins. If using a food mixer put all ingredients into processor bowl and mix until the mixture is smooth. If mixing by hand ensure mixture is thoroughly beaten (better results will be achieved by creaming together the butter and sugar first). Divide mixture between the tins and bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 20 - 25 mins or until sponge is risen in the centre and golden. Allow the sponges to cool for a few minutes in the tins and then turn out onto wire cooling racks to finish off. Put the sponges together with the filling of your choice, I favour the traditional fresh whipped cream and strawberry jam filling then topped with cream and fresh strawberries......Bake Eat and Enjoy</div><div class="post"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">' You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me' <strong>C S Lewis</strong></span></span></div><div class="post"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><div class="post"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><i>'Talk and tea is his speciality'' said Giles. 'Come along inside... We'll see if tea and buns can make the world a better place.' </i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><strong style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; line-height: 14px;">The Wind in the Willows</strong></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><strong style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-26443597338764429312011-05-15T16:40:00.004+01:002011-05-16T10:09:33.016+01:00Rainbows secrets and dreams x<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eUuMYUlXm5M/Tc7SDg6t0ZI/AAAAAAAAAPc/5ySfqM-lQKI/s1600/rainbows+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eUuMYUlXm5M/Tc7SDg6t0ZI/AAAAAAAAAPc/5ySfqM-lQKI/s320/rainbows+004.JPG" width="304" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is not the best picture of a rainbow, but nevertheless one that appeared yesterday afternoon, and was a beautiful. colourful, magical arch across the back of my garden, a rainbow to make a wish on, one to dream on. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have always been a dreamer, somewhat a solitary child who was happy in her own company. I spent most of my time drawing, making up and writng stories with the most extraordinary creatures from my imagination, and of course daydreaming. And these 3 pursuits still stay with me...and always will. My mind conjuring</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> up many a mythical creature, but one I am still outlining is about a cat....no ordinary cat, a lesser known Norfolk cat with exceptionally long legs which makes him stand out from his friends. He lives in a place called 'Hidden Dips' with his friend Talking Spoon. He has many adventures and learns through his journeys, self confidence and inner strength....Anyway watch this space, I am still illustrating and scribbling notes right now. I have a family who encourage me to follow this dream and a special friend who inspired it :)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KWmXpOSdFvg/Tc_ocIbInRI/AAAAAAAAAPo/FlBkXc4uPCA/s1600/darling+harbour+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KWmXpOSdFvg/Tc_ocIbInRI/AAAAAAAAAPo/FlBkXc4uPCA/s200/darling+harbour+007.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Six years ago we went to Australia to celebrate a set of milestones that each member of my family had reached. The last family holiday together as the gang were growing up fast and reaching for their own dreams. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I encountered a bit of a personal knock, but a good time was had by all. There was one activity that I did not join in with and once we were back in the UK I regretted not taking part in the Sydney Bridge Climb. My family had all enjoyed the day on the bridge and I wished I had been more adventurous and joined them in this once in a lifetime experience. Lucky me though had another chance and June 2009 found me back in Sydney. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6aMKNIjF9_w/Tc_o29zYBPI/AAAAAAAAAPs/NHnYfwx1Fc0/s1600/quilt+show+%252Caydney+friday+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6aMKNIjF9_w/Tc_o29zYBPI/AAAAAAAAAPs/NHnYfwx1Fc0/s200/quilt+show+%252Caydney+friday+002.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This time I braved up and took the challenge, and wow how good did I feel when I completed the walk. My smile showed it all. I felt very spiritual at the top and now knew that anything is possible if you really want to do it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wear a little charm of this magnificent structure which in times of uncertainty I I take in my hand and remember how I faced my fears. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I still waver from time to time, all of us do, but its such a wonderful feeling to of chased a rainbow and lived a dream. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have an ongoing dream that has lived with me a very long time, maybe the next time I see a rainbow I will embrace it, and follow that dream. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A very happy bright and colourful week to all of you ...oh and to a very special friend thank you from the very bottom of my heart :) :) x </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So a wish was made yesterday afternoon....silly me, am I just chasing rainbows of shall I follow my dream and take another leap of faith?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bBKcNlXnBm4/Tc_yIWqVxjI/AAAAAAAAAP0/I8ychA4CF7Q/s1600/100_3139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bBKcNlXnBm4/Tc_yIWqVxjI/AAAAAAAAAP0/I8ychA4CF7Q/s320/100_3139.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">"In my world everyone is a pony who eats butterfly's and poops out rainbows"-Dr Seuss</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How the first rainbow was created ..........</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel. All claimed that they were the best. The most important. The most useful. The favorite.</span></span></span></div><h5 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: auto; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #006600; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Green said:<br />
“Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and of hope. I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves. Without me, all animals would die. Look over the countryside and you will see that I am in the majority.”</span></span></h5><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0066cc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Blue interrupted:<br />
“You only think about the earth, but consider the sky and the sea. It is the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea. The sky gives space and peace and serenity. Without my peace, you would all be nothing.”</span></strong></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: yellow; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Yellow chuckled:<br />
“You are all so serious. I bring laughter, gaiety, and warmth into the world. The sun is yellow, the moon is yellow, the stars are yellow. Every time you look at a sunflower, the whole world starts to smile. Without me there would be no fun.”</span></strong></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #ff3e11; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Orange started next to blow her trumpet:<br />
“I am the color of health and strength. I may be scarce, but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life. I carry the most important vitamins. Think of carrots, pumpkins, oranges, mangoes, and papayas. I don’t hang around all the time, but when I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset, my beauty is so striking that no one gives another thought to any of you.”</span></strong></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #d20000; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Red could stand it no longer he shouted out:<br />
“I am the ruler of all of you. I am blood - life’s blood! I am the color of danger and of bravery. I am willing to fight for a cause. I bring fire into the blood. Without me, the earth would be as empty as the moon. I am the color of passion and of love, the red rose, the poinsettia and the poppy.”</span></strong></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #660066; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Purple rose up to his full height:<br />
He was very tall and spoke with great pomp: “I am the color of royalty and power. Kings, chiefs, and bishops have always chosen me for I am the sign of authority and wisdom. People do not question me! They listen and obey.”</span></strong></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #54547e; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Finally Indigo spoke, much more quietly than all the others, but with just as much determination:<br />
“Think of me. I am the color of silence. You hardly notice me, but without me you all become superficial. I represent thought and reflection, twilight and deep water. You need me for balance and contrast, for prayer and inner peace.”</span></strong></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And so the colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own superiority. Their quarreling became louder and louder. Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder rolled and boomed. Rain started to pour down relentlessly. The colors crouched down in fear, drawing close to one another for comfort.</span></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In the midst of the clamor, rain began to speak:<br />
“You foolish colors, fighting amongst yourselves, each trying to dominate the rest. Don’t you know that you were each made for a special purpose, unique and different? Join hands with one another and come to me.”</span></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Doing as they were told, the colors united and joined hands. The rain continued:<br />
“From now on, when it rains, each of you will stretch across the sky in a great bow of color as a reminder that you can all live in peace. The Rainbow is a sign of hope for tomorrow.” And so, whenever a good rain washes the world, and a Rainbow appears in the sky, let us remember to appreciate one another.</span></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Author Unknown</span></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Each one of us have our special purpose, unique and different and when we embrace them we can create something so beautiful that will stretch across the sky.</span></span></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">I'll go chasing after rainbows</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Living in my dreams</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">I wonder now if anything's for real</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">I'll go chasing after rainbows</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Living in my dreams</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">How can I explain the way I feel</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-40667173051003045022011-05-14T15:11:00.001+01:002011-05-14T21:04:07.950+01:00Setting the Fairy free :)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BItv5dtiZCs/Tc5rWszqyVI/AAAAAAAAAPI/Tv5rn-UnWlM/s1600/Fairy+in+my+egg+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BItv5dtiZCs/Tc5rWszqyVI/AAAAAAAAAPI/Tv5rn-UnWlM/s320/Fairy+in+my+egg+004.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So Saturday starts with a smile, the black cloud that hangs over me has lifted :) its so nice to see the world with open eyes and lots of colour! After a cuppa and a read of the papers in the comfort of a warm duvet breakfast was decided on.....Lightly boiled eggs with soldiers, for any of you who don't know they are not real soldiers, just sliced and buttered slices of toast, that you dip in the egg! A childhood memory indeed for many of us.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W5eP4m8D2a4/Tc5rVDqQueI/AAAAAAAAAPA/0boCisKX7lo/s1600/Fairy+in+my+egg+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W5eP4m8D2a4/Tc5rVDqQueI/AAAAAAAAAPA/0boCisKX7lo/s200/Fairy+in+my+egg+001.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Breakfast was treated like a feast, with flowers on the table, napkins and as you can see an unexpected guest! The bear in the background is called Oddment, I knitted him at Christmas as a pressie for a family member, after opening he was sat on the chair and there he has stayed, watching all the family comings and goings. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our kitchen is the most important room in our house. My children have grown up eating countless meals sitting around our large table. Its a place for laughter, sometimes tears, a table to chat around and discuss current affairs. So many happy memories of Christmas's, Birthday parties, celebrations, entertaining friends, and of course its where my Nutty Knitters group knit, chat, drink tea, and eat cake every other Wednesday.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oscCDc8Qkys/Tc5rXR5JYsI/AAAAAAAAAPM/a4L-C2FedHA/s1600/Fairy+in+my+egg+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oscCDc8Qkys/Tc5rXR5JYsI/AAAAAAAAAPM/a4L-C2FedHA/s200/Fairy+in+my+egg+007.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So back to breakfast....dipping all my toasted soldiers into the soft egg, and washing it all down with hot tea, the time had come to turn the egg upside down in the egg cup, crack a hole in the shell to let the fairy out! My mother used to say by letting the fairy have her freedom she would bring good luck and grant a wish! My family think I am bonkers to still be cracking the empty shell at my age. And like one of my sons says, if the fairy is silly enough to live inside an egg then she deserves to stay in there, besides he adds,if I had of thought about it logically I must of killed her anyway during the boiling.....he has a point but I still continue to let her out anyway..just in case :)</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XzsPCMQ9_7s/Tc5rYDb8W4I/AAAAAAAAAPQ/2eqSLPhKNLw/s1600/Fairy+in+my+egg+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XzsPCMQ9_7s/Tc5rYDb8W4I/AAAAAAAAAPQ/2eqSLPhKNLw/s200/Fairy+in+my+egg+009.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seems one wish was granted this morning.....having lost the dark cloud for a while I have been able to function a little better and creativity overflows...I am off to my studio now to draw and stitch....watch this space for a new creation :)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I still have one wish that I would so love to have granted, one that is in my heart and soul and been there for a very long time. So while I wait I will continue to eat eggs and let the fairy out......one day someday, who knows that is the future when it comes. xxx</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #000099;">Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.Henry David Thoreau</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #000099;"><br />
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Legends and folklore about eggs.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">When you have finished your boiled egg, crush the shell or push the spoon through the bottom to avoid bad luck. This stems from the belief that witches collect up the empty shells and use them to go to sea and work spells against hapless mariners. </span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The giving of Easter eggs and the use of eggs in all sorts of other festivities, both </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Painting eggs red at Easter is seen as good luck, as it is the colour of blood and life.</span><br />
<b><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 23px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 23px;">German and Slav peasants rubbed a mixture of eggs, bread and flour on their plows hoping to improve the harvest.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 23px;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 23px;"><br />
To ensure a big family, a 17th-century French bride would crack an egg on her new home's doorstep before entering.<br />
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In the 19th century, builders in Bombay, India, put an egg and milk into the foundations of new structures to protect them from harm. </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
Even before Christian times people colored, blessed or exchanged eggs as part of the rites of spring to welcome the sun's awakening from its long winter sleep. Early Christians adopted the egg, which represented the renewal of life, as a symbol of Christ's resurrection from the grave.<br />
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Several folk tales explain the origin of dyeing Easter eggs. One legend from Poland recounts how the Virgin Mary herself painted boiled eggs in bright colors to please the infant Jesus.<br />
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Eastern Europeans may exchange eggs bearing the letters "XB" for :Christ is Risen". Russians exchange a decorated egg and three kisses.</span><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-19871770609685288052011-05-02T20:00:00.000+01:002011-05-02T20:00:52.646+01:00Chips and friends and smiles!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tournorfolk.co.uk/cromer/CromerMaryJanes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://www.tournorfolk.co.uk/cromer/CromerMaryJanes.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://www.millhill.derbyshire.sch.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/chips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mary Janes....best fish and chip shop in Cromer North Norfolk.</span></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chips.....few people can resist the smell of hot chips sprinkled with salt and vinegar, a comfort food for me and always evokes a memory. Mary Janes fish and chip shop in Cromer holds many fond memories. Norfolk has become a second home for us over the past 25 years and many a lunch has been eaten by my children, their friends, us as a family and of course some of my special friends have all enjoyed a slap up meal here. Of course no seaside holiday would be the same without chips, best way to eat them is straight out of the paper sitting on the prom or better still on the beach. mmmmmmmm</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/Fish_and_chips.jpg/300px-Fish_and_chips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/Fish_and_chips.jpg/300px-Fish_and_chips.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few facts about fish and chips</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During World War II, ministers bent over backwards to make sure fish and chips were one of the few foods that were never rationed.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The potato is thought to have been brought to England from the New World in the 17th century by Sir Walter Raleigh although it is believed that the French invented the fried potato chip.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span>Both Lancashire and London stake a claim to being the first to invent this famous meal - chips were a cheap, staple food of the industrial north whilst fried fish was introduced in London’s East End. </span><span>In 1839 Charles Dickens referred to a “fried fish warehouse” in his novel, 'Oliver Twist'. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">The populace soon decided that putting fried fish and chips together was a very tasty combination and so was born our national dish of fish and chips!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fish and chips became so essential to the diet of the ordinary man and woman that one shop in Bradford had to employ a doorman to control the queue at busy times during 1933.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.millhill.derbyshire.sch.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/chips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.millhill.derbyshire.sch.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/chips.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You may wonder why I am nattering on about chips? Well last week was a bit of a flat one for me. My work seems to be going no where right now, which is very frustrating, and Thursday was the 3rd anniversary of our house fire. And even now the trauma and flashbacks disturb me on a daily basis. Thursday was no exception. I found myself feeling sorry for myself and lonely....But a surprise knock on the back door lifted my mood completely.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_100547347"><br />
</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Two of my lovely friends....you know who you are....had dropped by to share a cuppa, and had brought with them bags of chips.....how nice it as to sip tea, chat and eat, yes out of the paper and with our fingers, lovely hot chips. It certainly made for smiles all round :) </span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found this quote and and it made me smile too....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“If the soup had been as warm as the wine, and the wine as old as the fish, and the fish as young as the maid, and the maid as willing as the hostess, it would have been a very good meal.”</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/deepfriedfishinbeerb_67776">http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/deepfriedfishinbeerb_67776</a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.farndales.co.uk/4.html">http://www.farndales.co.uk/4.html</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.foodndrink.co.uk/british-food/history-of-fish-and-chips/">http://www.foodndrink.co.uk/british-food/history-of-fish-and-chips/</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-9610686620694718432011-04-19T18:06:00.001+01:002011-04-20T07:20:35.446+01:00A goat, 2 estate agents and a silly woman!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KK-0GcVMqfU/Ta2p-5jRGbI/AAAAAAAAAO4/7pijxz2X5sI/s1600/google-goats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KK-0GcVMqfU/Ta2p-5jRGbI/AAAAAAAAAO4/7pijxz2X5sI/s320/google-goats.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Alby Newbian Goat</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once upon a time I acquired 2 goats, a white Toggenburg called Daisy and an Alby Newbian whose name was Biggles. I had not given enough thought to goat keeping and it was not long before they produced 2 kids, things then got very complicated , they could be very entertaining and very naughty, and we seemed to spend much of our time searching for runaway goats. Eventually they became such a handful I had to get rid of Daisy and her babies, but that's another story!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yavnAExt56Q/Ta2vjwhzjsI/AAAAAAAAAO8/jARsODz_soU/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="153" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yavnAExt56Q/Ta2vjwhzjsI/AAAAAAAAAO8/jARsODz_soU/s200/images.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Toggenburg goat</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Biggles continued to live with us for many more colourful, and being a billy goat, very smelly years.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We live in an old farmhouse that has needed lots of renovation, which is not easy when you have 3 children, 8 cats, 2 dogs, chickens, ducks, geese, an assortment of small furry creatures and of course goats! I would get fed up with the slow progression of building work and quite often would want to sell up. So off to the estate agents I went, and made appointments with 2 companies to come and value our property. Needless to say nobody dare make a mess or move anything , and kept out of my way over the weekend, as I cleaned, hoovered, dusted and shoved things in cupboards so the house looked suitably tidy for the first estate agent to drop by on the Monday morning.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monday arrived and a lovely man in a suit arrived, defiantly the wrong attire for an old farmhouse which was surrounded by animals,a building site and lots of mud! Anyway I made the chap a nice cup of tea gave him a slice of cake, made small talk for a bit, then he went of to nosey around and measure up, all the while making suitable ohhhh arrrrr sounds. I was not sure if they were complimentary ohhh arrrrrr sounds as he looked round our home, or coming into a little farmyard he took on the persona of a farmer. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After collecting all the details he went into the gardens to measure and admire....his shoes were now very muddy as I met him outside our barns, and there was worse to come. Entering the barns and looking around he then wanted to know what was through a door at the back. 'well' I said 'that takes us into my goats living quarters, and you have seen them from the outside when you measured the paddock'. But he was adamant he wanted to go in!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Ok, but he is a billy goat, and smells bad, hopefully he wont come rushing up to you and make you smell just like he does'. So I fetched a bucket, filled it with food , hoping when I opened the door, Biggles would be more interested in another unexpected breakfast, rather than the said agent.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I unlocked and pushed he door open slowly....so unusual no rush of goat. Stepping inside I looked around then saw Biggles laying on his back amongst the hay! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Oh.....I think Biggles is asleep' I said, panicking a little as he looked a little unwell!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'My dear, I think your goat is dead' the estate agent relied</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Well he was Ok this morning when I gave him his breakfast' </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The friendly estate agent went on his merry way.....</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had intended to cover Biggles over with hay, as we could not dispose of his body immediatly. The following morning another chap came over to value our house...guess what? I forgotten to put the hay over the goat.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well here comes the silly woman part...the estate agent had a cuppa, a piece of cake, went round my house measuring up and making ohhhhh arrrrrr sounds, measured and admired the gardens, then stood outside my barns with muddy shoes..... realisation dawned on me....Instead of telling him to look out and not tread on my dead goat, I told him Biggles was very smelly, would rush towards him, and I had to get a bucket of food....I opened the door looked around...and exclaimed 'My goat is asleep'.....he replied 'I think your goats dead'.awwwwwwwww how silly I felt. As you can imagine I did not hear from either agent for a while. Their premises were next door to each other, so no doubt they compare details the they can come up with similar valuations....</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Imagine their conversation....'Oh when I visited Hillcote Farm the lady there had a goat in her barn that had died that morning'....'Funny enough when I went the next day she had another goat that had died that morning too'</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To top the lot, my father in law would drop by most days, visit Biggles and give him some scraps. He came indoors for his daily cuppa and said 'I don't think Biggles is very well today, as he is not interested in the food I have brought him'. Laughing I then told him he had been trying to feed a dead goat!!!!! Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Tuesday to you all...x</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-22624612738112668162011-04-16T12:21:00.000+01:002011-04-16T12:21:14.190+01:00Living in a bucket<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cXIIjlt28e0/TVY-OP4JecI/AAAAAAAAABo/0eg_YNI8xRA/s1600/work+and+Japan+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cXIIjlt28e0/TVY-OP4JecI/AAAAAAAAABo/0eg_YNI8xRA/s320/work+and+Japan+043.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We of the craft are all crazy. - LORD BYRON (1788-1824)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hiya everyone hope all is happy and bright?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My get up and go has got up and gone again, I feel like I am inside a bucket looking up and waving but no one sees me....its a case of "no one likes me, everyone hates me so I am off in to the garden to eat worms", not literately of course. I may serve up dandelions, but worms I think not!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would so love to return to days 4 years ago when I had the freedom and confidence to go out and about, but I am trapped like a bird in a cage, scared of the world outside. Sometimes I wish I could run away from myself...lol. Each day I live in hope that this is the day I will see the colours more clearly and find "me" again.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well enough of a moan, I know I am blessed with my family and of course my art, so on that note I am off to my studio to be creative. Have a good Saturday.....</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6C0eWvNkb5E/TWaNu2rmm5I/AAAAAAAAAGc/ru923j2NNyA/s1600/brighton+and+sketchbook+131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6C0eWvNkb5E/TWaNu2rmm5I/AAAAAAAAAGc/ru923j2NNyA/s320/brighton+and+sketchbook+131.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-61971512645706035512011-04-13T17:10:00.001+01:002011-04-13T17:12:41.065+01:00Sandcastles, buckets and spades<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S8pE3rL3v0g/TaXJBOx9LJI/AAAAAAAAAOw/NSH1tvlwlQA/s1600/festival+park+cromer+121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S8pE3rL3v0g/TaXJBOx9LJI/AAAAAAAAAOw/NSH1tvlwlQA/s320/festival+park+cromer+121.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She used to sit long hours on the beach gazing intently at the waves as they chafed with perpetual motion against the pebbly shore....Elizabeth Gaskell</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_IY_5ahAD5Y/TaXIrLtJMHI/AAAAAAAAAOc/_qqH2iLej5w/s1600/festival+park+cromer+074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_IY_5ahAD5Y/TaXIrLtJMHI/AAAAAAAAAOc/_qqH2iLej5w/s200/festival+park+cromer+074.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For over 20 years during school holidays I have sat on the beaches of North Norfolk and Elizabeth's quote sums it up so well. Watching my three children on the unspoilt beaches playing their imaginary games, building sandcastles knowing they will crumble when a wave laps over them as the tide comes in. Spending lazy days picnicking on cheese rolls with a nice crunch of sand, paddling in the warm surf of the waves, digging moats and catching crabs, then releasing them at the end of the day and watching them scurry back to their watery home. Collecting shells, eating up ice creams before they melt...oh and fish and chips eaten out of the paper on the beach.... idyllic bucket and spade holidays, but I was always watchful, so had little time to myself. Although I did get to sail some paper boats.....I do like to think they reached their destination.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WuBSfEDydEI/TaXJAFbQIjI/AAAAAAAAAOs/h3ATv8M62X8/s1600/festival+park+cromer+116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WuBSfEDydEI/TaXJAFbQIjI/AAAAAAAAAOs/h3ATv8M62X8/s200/festival+park+cromer+116.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for....now they are grown up I have so much time to myself its difficult to adjust. I do miss the hustle and bustle of our life with a house full of children. But time I am sure will help, time for changes and time for me after 27 years of watching and protecting them. I still have that protective instinct, but watching them step out as young people their lives ahead of them, makes me feel proud, knowing I have helped them on their way :)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1WJqMKVWqsg/TaXIrztaB2I/AAAAAAAAAOg/T4041c7HbmU/s1600/festival+park+cromer+084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1WJqMKVWqsg/TaXIrztaB2I/AAAAAAAAAOg/T4041c7HbmU/s200/festival+park+cromer+084.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-id4IFfT0Db4/TaXGlpkqQtI/AAAAAAAAAOE/GHgysNWNM_o/s1600/30th+wedding+anniverssary+us+in+Norfolk+099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-id4IFfT0Db4/TaXGlpkqQtI/AAAAAAAAAOE/GHgysNWNM_o/s200/30th+wedding+anniverssary+us+in+Norfolk+099.JPG" width="200" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KMQpv3QPGrY/TaXJBkq45NI/AAAAAAAAAO0/-D7hAYBljzM/s1600/festival+park+cromer+128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KMQpv3QPGrY/TaXJBkq45NI/AAAAAAAAAO0/-D7hAYBljzM/s200/festival+park+cromer+128.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you build sandcastles in the air, or <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">on the beach?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">I build them in the air, and no one else can see them. It's like my secret little castle that I like to run around in while people around look at me strangely.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">Happy days love M x</span></span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-52999006256833711492011-04-09T16:40:00.000+01:002011-04-09T16:40:51.902+01:00New Green Leaves and Dandelions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zRQp1m0mIa8/TZjQu1-onuI/AAAAAAAAANE/-u0L6tPFHQQ/s1600/cakes+dandelions+and+work+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zRQp1m0mIa8/TZjQu1-onuI/AAAAAAAAANE/-u0L6tPFHQQ/s320/cakes+dandelions+and+work+019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Walking along the whisper wood</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Hand in hand </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sharing words and promises </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Of new green leaves and dandelions.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saturday has brought us another beautiful sunny day and it seems spring has sprung! he buds on the trees are starting to burst with new green leaves and there are yellow splashes of dandelions everywhere. People see them as annoying weeds, me well I love the beauty of the flowers and the magical dandelion clock of seeds. As kids we would blow the seeds away, counting how many it took for all the little to float off in the air. The amount of puffs determined the hour of the day!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also believed if we picked them we would wet the bed.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This phrase originated in Western Europe where dandelion leaves were traditionally used as a diuretic. However, for the diuretic to take effect, the dandelion has to be consumed; smelling or picking a dandelion won’t do it! Dandelion’s diuretic effects were so well known that other names for this plant have included pissinbed (English) and pissinlet (French)</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uk41NUjcNJY/TZjQtlNvUrI/AAAAAAAAAM8/D2o9r5SilVU/s1600/cakes+dandelions+and+work+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uk41NUjcNJY/TZjQtlNvUrI/AAAAAAAAAM8/D2o9r5SilVU/s200/cakes+dandelions+and+work+013.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can send a message to a distant friend or lover by visualising your words and blowing the seeds on the dandelion clock, as they escape into the sky they will take your message with them and deliver them to that special person....A bit like my paper boats that I let sail away across the miles, maybe I will try a dandelion clock next time!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In some places, Dandelions have served as weather forecasters. If they do not open in the morning, it will rain. Or, if down flies off the seed heads though there is no wind, it will rain.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">If</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"> you wanted to find out if its true love, place the dandelion under your nose and lightly smell it, if love is in the air then the tip of our nose will be yellow. If the relationship is not meant to be then the dandelion leaves no mark.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sf51PolZSrE/TZjQs-fKRXI/AAAAAAAAAM4/L9DFNT_2-Mg/s1600/cakes+dandelions+and+work+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sf51PolZSrE/TZjQs-fKRXI/AAAAAAAAAM4/L9DFNT_2-Mg/s320/cakes+dandelions+and+work+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Dandelions can be used as herbal remedies and they are also good to eat. How about this for supper tonight?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Starter</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Dandelion soup</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Main</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Battered fried dandelion flowers</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">with a dandelion leaf and bacon salad</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Dessert</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Dandelion cookies and ice cream</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">All washed down with dandelion wine or dandelion tea</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">I made the dandelion main this afternoon, it had mixed reviews with my family, I think it was the idea of eating flowers.....lol </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y4_BSWhnxIg/TaB4ah16RWI/AAAAAAAAANw/ktUGLyDzTPw/s1600/dandelions+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y4_BSWhnxIg/TaB4ah16RWI/AAAAAAAAANw/ktUGLyDzTPw/s320/dandelions+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Pick and wash flower heads, discarding the stalks.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Dry and dip in your favourite batter recipe.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">cook for a few minutes in hot oil</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">serve with a dandelion salad!</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1CugsDG_0Aw/TaB4wXYMECI/AAAAAAAAAN0/o20tFFihL9E/s1600/dandelions+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1CugsDG_0Aw/TaB4wXYMECI/AAAAAAAAAN0/o20tFFihL9E/s320/dandelions+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Dandelions are in abundance now so you can have your supper for almost free....give it a try you may surprise yourself!</span> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #336666;"><b>"The miracles of nature do not seem miracles because they are so common. If no one had ever seen a flower, even a dandelion would be the most startling event in the world."</b></span></span></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #336666;"><b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #336666;"><b><a href="http://www.mountain-breeze.com/kitchen/dandelions/">http://www.mountain-breeze.com/kitchen/dandelions/</a></b></span></span></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #336666;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frDYIg_-RaI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frDYIg_-RaI</a></span></span></i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #336666;"><b><br />
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</span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265860497056382425.post-2394724510320476312011-04-05T18:44:00.001+01:002011-04-05T18:45:59.396+01:00Healthy eating and handbags!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AfT5Mko6_bw/TZtIIFk3hqI/AAAAAAAAANU/ok2d6UWWKDs/s1600/Juice+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AfT5Mko6_bw/TZtIIFk3hqI/AAAAAAAAANU/ok2d6UWWKDs/s320/Juice+014.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy Wednesday to you all, and I hope the day has been bright and happy :) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This is day 6 of a healthy eating plan....I have been making my own fruit and veg juices, and already my eyes are brighter and my skin is clearer, what is going on inside though I have no idea, my tummy does grumble a bit when it receives yet another glass of mixed vegetables, it prefers the fruit juices and smoothies...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Some of the veggie ones have been a disaster, and many of them you have to shut your eyes to drink them as the green/grey sludge lacks appeal, but hey ho I figure its doing me good! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FuqHOrl41X0/TZtIKYl12OI/AAAAAAAAANk/TYfh3f-zduM/s1600/Juice+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FuqHOrl41X0/TZtIKYl12OI/AAAAAAAAANk/TYfh3f-zduM/s200/Juice+005.JPG" width="150" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2mPh8slZodw/TZtIJAYVQdI/AAAAAAAAANc/VWsEYU-eMrw/s1600/Juice+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2mPh8slZodw/TZtIJAYVQdI/AAAAAAAAANc/VWsEYU-eMrw/s200/Juice+003.JPG" width="150" /></a> </div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Take 1 apple, 1 lemon, half a cucumber, 1stick of celery, 1 carrot and whizz through your juicer. Pour over ice into a tall glass and decorate with greenery and a slice of orange....shut eyes and drink!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Actually this one was really nice despite the lovely mud colour!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">If you are going on a juice detox restrict your carrot intake as apparently your skin can turn a nice shade of orange! Good colour for Halloween! </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">So now we come to handbags! As you al know I am an Artist, and most of my work involves recycling techniques where ever possible. The last time I did a juice detox I brought commercial brands. I cleaned and stored the empty cartons knowing that one day I would find a use for the unwanted rubbish.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">I had one of those bright idea moments and a bag was born. The waxed cartons were harder to stitch together that I had envisaged, so my patience was stretched to the limit at times. Anyway perseverance paid off and the bag was finished.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YBdYUKApjMg/TZtILXkzupI/AAAAAAAAANs/hweUIjb5zys/s1600/Juice+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YBdYUKApjMg/TZtILXkzupI/AAAAAAAAANs/hweUIjb5zys/s320/Juice+013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"> I have since had 3 commissions to make these little gems...who says there is no money in rubbish!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BFlSG2xYkuc/TZtIKycEe0I/AAAAAAAAANo/uOIqBl6Tsyg/s1600/Juice+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BFlSG2xYkuc/TZtIKycEe0I/AAAAAAAAANo/uOIqBl6Tsyg/s320/Juice+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">hugs for smiles M x</div><br />
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</span></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13322127473191446110noreply@blogger.com0