Pancakes

It`s Pancake Day. Yummy!! Yes, I made and cooked some for dinner today, with the usual sugar and lemon on them, and they were delicious. Not, that I only have them on Shrove Tuesday, I like them on other days as a pudding too.

I came across some unusual facts about pancakes on here. Did you know that there`s an old Lent custom for children to throw old crockery at neighbours doors and ask them to throw pancakes back? Wonder what would happen if we brought that back to do, bit like trick or treat isn`t it?!

I`ve also discovered several more customs and some old rhymes children are said to have recited on Shrove Tuesday. And, that the ingredients all are said to have four crucial points of significance at this time of year:
Eggs ~ Creation
Flour ~ The staff of life
Salt ~ Wholesomeness
Milk ~ Purity

Bulb trouble

Having written the other day about my dislike of these energy saving bulbs, the one in my room here has now decided to save even more energy for the electricity board. It`s gone out completely. I thought that these bulbs were supposed to last a lot, lot, lot longer than ordinary bulbs? This one certainly hasn`t. Maybe it heard be grumbling about it, so decided to pack up!!

But, the question now is – what shall I replace it with?
Shall I `be good` and get another of the same energy efficient ones, and put up with a poor dull light, or, now that it`s packed up shall I go for a good old-fashioned proper bulb that gives good light?

Decisions, decisions!!

Stuck!

I`m stuck for what to write again today. I`ve not been doing anything interesting, not heard anything lighthearted to write about here, not come across any interesting sites. So, it will have to be post a picture again. Hope you enjoy looking at another spring flower!

Pretty in pink

Nature at work

Looking out of the window during this week, several signs of spring approaching seem apparent. Several of the shrubs are now beginning to show small buds of green, the pots of bulbs now have yellow crocus almost visible, the daffodils have flower spikes appearing. And on top of all that, I`ve seen two blackbirds gathering and flying off with beakfuls of nesting material which they`ve foraged for in the borders. It`s amazing to see the strength with which they tug and pull at the old dead stems and the way they fold the long pieces to fit them in their beaks which never look as if they`re going to hold all the pieces they`re trying to carry. They are such clever creatures.

Appointment Wanted

Why is it so difficult to get an appointment with a doctor?

I really do wonder at times why life seems to get more and more difficult to even do the simplest things. Surely it should be one of the easiest and most accessible things to do, to be able to visit ones doctor when in need? I can remember in my childhood and youth (and its not that long ago – well, not really), you just went to the surgery on the day you felt unwell and wanted to see him, were given a number and waited until your turn came. Simple. Easy. Then it changed so that you rang up and made an appointment for the day you wanted – again fairly trouble free.

Why, in the so called days of progress is it no longer simple?

I rang our surgery yesterday afternoon to make an appointment for today. Straightforward enough request I thought. But, oh no. `No sorry, we can`t prebook any appointments, you`ll have to ring early in the morning`. (wonder how they manage to have patients to see at opening time if you can`t pre-book!!!) So, I rang first thing in the morning “I`d like to make an appointment to see a doctor today please” I said. (that sounded plain English to me!) “You could see the Practice Nurse, she deals with minor things and can prescribe antibiotics”, I was told. “No, I`d like to see the doctor please”, again I was told that P.Nurse was available. And again I insisted I wanted to see a doctor. In the end I got an appointment.

But, should it really be so difficult?

Under the Weather

I`m feeling under the weather today. Now why do we use that expression I wonder?
Is that that the state of the weather has an effect on us? I know that a bright or sunny day usually makes me feel cheerful and more confident to do things, whereas if I have to tackle something I`m not sure about on a grey dull day it seems so much harder to do the same thing.
But does the weather really have any effect on our actual health?
So why say ‘under the weather’ for not feeling well? I`ve just looked up the definition of that expression and come across that it`s said to originate from the fact that an inexperienced sailor who feels seasick shelters from the wind by crouching down beside the bulwarks – “under” their protection – on the “weather” side of the ship.

Hugs

I heard an interesting item on the radio the other morning, that hugs are good for you, and I`ve just come across this. How true it is.
But, on the other hand it`s only good if you have someone to hug you. For those with no-one, its no help at all to be told that what you feel you most need, is what you can`t have anyway because there`s no-one to give it.

Brain dead

Well, I think this cold has dulled my brain, I can`t get inspired to write anything today. So, sorry to anyone who reads this regularly, that`s all I`m going to write today. Will try and do better tomorrow

In the fashion

Yes, I`m in the fashion.
No, I`ve not got the latest fashion clothing, nor the latest hair do. I`ve got a cold. Now, where did I get that from? Can`t have been where I was on Friday because that would be too soon for it to come out yesterday, so it must have been the one someone I was working near on Wednesday at my place of work had.

Wonder why it is that we say “We`re in the fashion” when we`ve got a cold? Anyone any ideas on that.

Chips with everything

Do you know what week this is?
I`ve just discovered that this is National Chip Week. Now, how could I miss that with my liking for chips?! And there`s even a site all about chips ! I`m a great potato lover and don`t think you can have a meal without them. I`d eat them at every meal if I had a chance. Not for me rice and pasta – give me good old potatoes. Roasted, Baked, Fried, Boiled new, Fried mashed, and especially Chips! Whether they`re home cooked chips (the best kind) or chip shop chips I enjoy them all, but oven chips – no, not to my taste they`re nothing like real potato chips.

Solutions

If you didn`t manage to solve my question of yesterday, have a look at this. I found it the other day and was impressed with the way it had been done. I wonder how long it took whoever did it, to do it? Many hours I`ll guess. Being a person who enjoys creating quizzes myself I can appreciate the work that went into it.

I know people say to me, how do you do it (make quizzes), it must be very difficult, you must be very clever? No, I`m not very clever! I find it far easier to make them than to solve them. One has the answer already so just work backwards!

What a pity life`s questions and problems can`t be solved by knowing the answers first!

Strange Stations

How well travelled are you?! I found some strange stations the other day. So, I`ll pose the question today - Where can you find the stations called Thorn Lot; Rodent Channel; Koa Wood; Watery Towage; Con Took Pond; and Taprock Avenue?

A walk by the sea

I`ve been walking by the sea again this afternoon. The sun was out and for the time of year it was a pleasantly mild day. The tide was then coming in, washing over the sand just wave after wave rippling that little bit further up the beach, almost as if the waves were trying to see which one of them could be the first to touch the stones. It was quiet, it was peaceful, it was the wonder of nature.

Energy Efficiency

I`ve just found an interesting Energy efficiency test, which I`ve just done. Only got half the questions right though, but there were some interesting and surprising answers to some of it.

I know that we should be using energy efficient light bulbs as they use far less electricity, but although we do, I don`t like them for the amount of light they give. Even ones that are said to be equivalent to 100 watts, don`t seem to me to give as much light as a normal bulb of that wattage. Is it just me or do others find the same?

What sort of a day is it?

Following on from what I wrote yesterday, I came across this piece which I`d read some time ago and kept….

`Isn`t it an awful day?` said the customer in the bakery. It wasn`t, it was a `soft` sort of a day, fine drizzle and a breeze. Far from awful!

Why do we criticise the weather so much? It`s awful when there is two feet of snow and we can`t get out! Or, as happened recently somewhere a devastating flood, ruining homes and businesses and preventing people getting to work.

Whatever the weather, snow, cold, rain, gales or sunshine, there is something in it to be enjoyed. On a cold day it is pleasant to sit round a fire with a good book or a favourite television programme. On fine days it`s a pleasure to work in the garden or walk somewhere. Imagine the pleasure of a lot of people, especially children, if we were to revert to snowbound Christmasses, just like the Christmas cards!

Every day is a gift from God: every day should hold something to take pleasure in. Search it out, and even the `awful` days will seem good if you let them.

A miserable day?

“What a miserable day”. No, not my comments, but the remarks of many people I came into contact with today. Why miserable? Yes, it was raining. But why complain about rain, surely it`s an essential to life. What, I wondered, would they do if it never rained?

If it never rained we would have no water – nothing to drink, nothing to wash in, nothing to water their plants and gardens with, and consequently probably no life.

So yes, although the rain may be unpleasant to walk out far in, I still think that we should feel and be thankful for it.

Lost for Inspiration!

What can I write about today? I wonder how others get their inspiration for what to write. It`s now late in the evening and I still haven`t thought of what to write today, so I`ll just post a picture instead.



Anyone any ideas of a caption for this photo??

A Day to Myself

I`ve had a day to myself – well, most of the day. I went up to the “big city” – and had a lovely time on my own. I`ve not had (as I said the other day) the house to myself lately, so to get away and have time to myself really did me good.

I spent quite a long time at the Cathedral looking at the Quaker Tapestry which they`ve got on display. I saw it when I was on holiday last year at its home in Kendall, and was fascinated by it, so to have the opportunity to see some of it again on its visit to Norfolk was something I just couldn`t miss! The stitch work and detail in it is so well done, and to think that people all around the world and of all ages have done part of it makes it even more special.

From there I had a good wander and browse around the shops. Not everyone`s idea of a good activity, I know, but its something I enjoy doing from time to time. But, I ended up spending more that I intended!

All in all, it was a really good day, and a good break from routine.

How old?

How old are you? What`s your age? Common questions that we get asked at times. And we always give the answer as from our birth date – our Birthday`s count our age.

Yet, since seeing that photo that I wrote about yesterday, it`s made me realise that we are alive long before our birth and its set me thinking.

Surely we are really nine months older than we say we are? We`ve been alive and living since we were conceived so when we are born we are already nine months old, so when we are three months old we are actually a year old.

So in that case can I retire nine months before I thought I could, because I`ll have been alive the required amount of time by then?!

Amazing Life

I saw yesterday a most amazing photo. Well to me it was, although I guess its common place to a lot of people. It was the first photo of a baby forming in the womb. (it was about three months). This was the first time I`d ever seen such a photo and I found it so amazing and marvellous that one could see so clearly the shape of the head, the nose, the arms and legs of such a tiny being. The miracle of seeing new life forming in that way really was very moving.

Looking for something to do and inspiration of something to Blog about I came across the ink blot test. If you`ve not tried it, its worth having a go at for something different.

And this is the result it came up with for me!

Your unconscious mind is most driven by Curiosity.

You are full of questions about life, people, and your own potential. You spend more time than others imagining the possibilities for your life – and you're open to things others are too afraid to consider. You have an almost physical need to know and do more. It's only through new experiences that you feel a greater understanding of yourself and the world. You also have a rebellious streak that shows up when you feel unable to truly influence the world or circumstances around you. Your appetite for novel experiences also shows an openness others don't have, but wish they did. Your psyche is very rich; the more you learn about it, the more you will understand who you really are.

Well, I guess some of it is true, especially `being full of questions` - I seem to write a lot of them here in my blog. As for the rest of it, I`ll leave you to imagine if its a right description of me or not!!

Health Warnings

I had to listen twice to know that I was hearing correctly what the news reporter on the radio was saying the other morning, but yes, he did say it…. Firms are going to be putting health warnings on chocolate ! What health risk is there to that? – I`m sure I`ve actually read that eating plain chocolate is good for one. Ok, I can understand there`s a weight problem if one over eats it, but that applies to many other foods too.

And, whatever next I wondered? Then came up with a few suggestions –
a warning on sheets of paper, that the edge of a sheet can give you a nasty cut if you happen to catch it wrong.
a warning on a iron – that it can get hot and burn you
a warning that the radio too loud – could affect your hearing
a warning on a tin of food – open with care, you could cut your finger

Would we really ever do anything? Where will all these silly warnings stop, and give people some credit for having some common sense. Or, has common sense disappeared??

Favourite Sound

I wonder what others would class as their favourite sound?
I think mine would have to be the sound of waves. Whether they be breaking over rocks or gently lapping on the sand. There`s something very rhythmic and soothing about them to me. Maybe that`s why I find a walk by the sea always seems to help calm me and help me think when I have problems on my mind. I don`t always find the answers to my problems there, but I come back feeling better for being close to nature. For being made aware of getting things into perspective. To have a deserted beach to walk along at this time of year, and just be alone is one thing I appreciate so much.

Frustration and relaxation

Why do I write this Blog. One reason is because it’s the place where I can really write/say in the open what I`m feeling; what`s bothering me; what`s worrying me; what`s affecting me; and hopefully help myself by doing so.

At the moment I`m feeling very frustrated, very in need of relaxation. I don`t mean that I`ve too much to do, but these last couple of weeks I`ve not had the house to myself for a single minute. I`ve become used over past months to having at least a couple of afternoons and evenings to myself. Evenings when I can sit in the lounge for an hour or so, maybe watch television, read or just sit and do nothing but be quiet. Now, I can`t even do that, because every evening my mother is there and has her man friend there too. I feel “gooseberry” in my own home. So I stay here at my computer. Even to sit and watch one of my favourite tv programmes just with her after he`s gone isn`t the same, because she`ll keep making comments as it goes along instead of how I like to sit quietly and listen to it all. It`s so frustrating and I feel so in need of time to relax by myself.

The observant one!

Having written here about having new glasses (no not drinking glasses, I mean the sort you wear), I`ve had my new ones for a couple of weeks now, and so far only one person has noticed or said to me – are they new glasses. And that was a lad at work – someone you wouldn`t expect to be very observant. He doesn`t appear to be the brightest of people yet he noticed. It just goes to show that you shouldn`t judge people by appearances doesn`t it?

Vanishing time

I`ve just come across this in something I was reading, and I thought how true….

For disappearing act`s, its hard to beat what happens to the eight hours supposedly left for us after eight hours sleep and eight hour work.!

Thoughts

Fourteen years ago today (by the date) this was the worst moment of my life. I walked into my parents bedroom, as normal before going to work, and she said to me ‘did you hear the phone in the night?`, it was to say that my Dad had died. I`d know he was very ill and was incurable. I`d been to see him in the hospital the previous evening, it was heartbreaking to see him. When I got home I prayed “Please Lord take him, don`t let him suffer any longer”.

My first feelings were a mixture of great sadness yet thankful for the answer to prayer and that he wasn`t suffering. Since then, though, I`ve felt so guilty that I did pray that, that maybe if I hadn`t……. Yet, realistically I know that he wouldn`t still be here. But I can`t help wondering.

I do take a little comfort from knowing that the last person my Dad saw (apart from the nurses) would have been me. But the deep question still burns, did he know how much I loved him.