Freedom

So I am off work now for the next ten days, yipee 10 whole days without having to get up at 5am, mind you I bet every day I am awake for 5am, that is until the Monday I go back to work and then I will have to be woken by the alarm clock!

The only one who will be packing a will be



He is off to spend the week with all his friends



this is so we can just go off and do things, we might go for a or even take ourselves off to thewith a might even go on one of these for a changeor even on of theseoh well whatever we do we will have fun. So just in case I am not around for a while its because I am off having fun with himself.

Sheffield Fayre

We actually went out on a Bank Holiday Monday, this has to be a first for us, we generally stay at home to avoid the crowds! So we took ourselves off the Sheffield Fayre at Norfolk Heritage Park in Sheffield. There was a re-enactment of the American Civil War, but we arrived to late to see it, however I did manage to get some pretty good photos, so enjoy.

OK this is the first time Himself has held a gun, any idea who he would like to use it on? Answers on a post card please!

Fun Monday - Blogging

hosted by lisas chaos who would like to know more about you, what makes you tick. I’d like to know how you started blogging. Did you keep a diary under lock and key safely hidden as a child? Do you still? Do you share the same things on your blog that you would have, or do, in your diary? Why did you start blogging and why do you continue? May as well throw in any roadblocks you have run into while blogging. If you still have your old diaries we’d love to see them.

So I thought this one would be really easy to do; now I am not so sure!
How did I start blogging, I mean I had never even heard the word blog never mind know what it was! I can blame my blog on a friend who came across blogs whilst surfing. So I started by just reading blogs, I so enjoyed hearing about how people lived, I loved the fact that you could share anything with anyone and be totally anonymous and that people would just drop by and leave you comments.

So we decided to start our own blogs, hey I did and to this day she has not become a blogger just a lurcher! I really became hooked, I loved just being me and the fact that people would and could associate with what I was saying and how I was feeling. People came and left me words of wisdom, words of comfort, they laughed with me, and if I needed a kick up the ass they would give it me. This world of blogging has really become part of my life, the people I have met, who in reality I have never met, I now consider as friends. I have learnt so much about how people cope with their lives, how freely they will take you under their wings and give their advice and opinions. I just love being part of this big friendly world of bloggers!

I have arranged to meet an ex-blogger in the States next year whilst we are on holiday, well my son thinks that it is a crazy idea, he just cant understand how you can make friends with people who you don't see. As for him knowing what I talk about and show you he would be mortified!!!!

I did stumbled on a work colleague's blog by accident, he had his photo displayed, wasn't sure what to do, do I tell him I know him or just leave! Well took advice from my fellow bloggers and let him know who I was, mind you did play a little game of guess who first!

I never kept a diary as a child or even now, maybe I should just so I don’t forget things, which I seem to find very easy to do these days! So would I share my diary with my blog, I doubt it as I think it would be very boring to hear about my missed appointments!

So why do I continue to blog, easy I am an addict!!! I can sit in my own house and travel the world, I have learnt new words, been shown new foods, mmm love the food and if I can bring a smile to someone’s face who is feeling down that makes it even more worth while.

I did start out anonymously, no photos, no real name, but then as I got to know people I decided to show myself!

I often wonder how much time I spend blogging, some mornings I even put the computer on before I go to work, I start at 6am!!! As soon as I get home, before I take the dog out, I will have a quick look to see if there are any comments. I will have the computer on all evening and some of the afternoon, I will read everyones blog on my blog list.

Improving

OK then I am getting there, I am slowly going from thisto this

Thanks for all calling in for coffee I really needed your company and kind words, and some very wise words too. I know we all have these ups and downs and I found it really helpful to share this. I am someone who usually keeps things close to my chest, I very rarely show my friends my true feelings, this is what I enjoy about blogging, I can me the real me, I can rant and rave, laugh or cry and I don't have to be ashamed or feel guilty about it.

So the coffee is on

and you are all welcome to call whenever you want

Sad Day

You know every now and then you get to feeling low and down, well I do, and now is one of those times. Hate it really because it just makes me sad, yeah I know I will snap out and it wont last long I will soon have that happy face painted back on.

I am nice aren't I?! So where has everyone gone then?! I remember when people would always be calling round for a coffee, a chat and to have a laugh, these days no one seems to have the time or maybe they just cant be bothered. Who knows because I don't!

As for families! Yeah it was a decision that I made that resulted in me losing my siblings, and I do sometimes regret that it ended the way it did, but I refuse to feel guilty about it, I learned to live with the dark secret for 30 odd years until I felt pushed into a corner, and when told they couldn't handle it so they choose not too. I have had contact with both my sisters, but nothing like it used to be, but then I think why do I bother anyway, if they cant accept the truth why should I have to go back to pretending it never happened, they never ask about it, it is again pushed under the carpet. As for my brother, not heard from him, not even an acknowledgement of the letter I sent him. Well sod you.

Now I know there will be a few of you out there that have no idea what I am rambling on about, and I am sorry for that. I did post about this but deleted it after a while, why i am not sure. I am not one who will usually go all serious on you but just occasionally i do, so sorry if you have come over to be cheered up.

I miss my son, he is not too far away from us only about 45 miles and a two hour drive, but they have never been back to Sheffield since they left nearly two years ago. Yes I know maybe I expect too much, he doesn't drive and he works full time so weekends he has to relax, but it would be nice for them to visit. Hey he never phones me either, is that lads? I used to ring my mum every day, god and I still miss her.

Oh well I guess that's all sorry for not being my usual happy self, I will be back very soon, and thanks for listening and for visiting, it means a lot to me, have loved meeting you all.

15 Things

15 Things You Probably Never Knew or Thought About

1. At least 5 people in this world love you so much they would die for you.
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. If not for you, someone may not be living.
8. You are special and unique.
9. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
10. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
11. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: you most likely turned your back on the world.
12. When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably won't get it, but if you believe in yourself, probably, sooner or later, you will get it.
13. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.
14. Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better when they know.
15. If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are great.

A Minute
They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.

I am Nice

I am nice because Betty says I am, how sweet is that, Betty has given me an award for being nice, yes see if I say it often enough it will sink in that I AM NICE!

So please will you all ignore Monday's post, if you have read it delete it from your memory and if you didn't read it you really don't want to honestly!

So a big thank you to Betty and don't forget every one to go over and visit her as she really is nice, unlike me who is still only practising to be nice.

I am supposed to pass this award on, but as I think you are all nice, (you must be otherwise i wouldn't know you!) so I am going to break the rules, as Swamp Witch would say, and let you all go and collect this from me. Yes I know its a cop out, but remember what happened with our very own Tod last time! He felt so rejected, but I came across this award that is especially for you Tod. So I just can't let anyone else down.

Right changing the subject, do you all remember way back when I asked you to go and sign Cappy's petition so Mrs Cappy would buy him a bird for his birthday?

Well we did it and Cappy is now the very proud owner of a bird, not just any bird but a parrot, so go over and say hi to Scooter. Now isn't she just so beautiful, I really would love a parrot, maybe one day.

Well then everyone thanks for dropping by hope you will call again and maybe stop for a coffee.

Sunday

Its sunday and I am bored! So if anyone is doing anything nice today give me a shout and I will come and join you!



Should perhaps do some cleaning, but don't fancy that! Maybe I will go and do some window shopping, or just stay at home and read. Mmmm well anyway whatever you are all up to enjoy it!

Say a Little Prayer

THE GIRL'S PRAYER

Our Cash

Which art on plastic

Hallowed be thy name

Thy Cartier watch

Thy Prada bag

In Harrods As it is in Selfridges

Give us each day our Platinum Visa

And forgive us our overdraft

As we forgive those who stop our MasterCard

And lead us not into Next

And deliver us from Benneton

For thine is the Cartier, the Dior and the Armani

For Chanel No.5

and Eternity Amex.

and now..

THE BOY'S PRAYER

Our beer

Which art in bottles

Hallowed be thy sport

Thy will be drunk

I will be drunk

At home as it is in the pub

Give us each day our daily beverage

And forgive us our spillage

As we forgive those who spillest against us

And lead us not into wine tasting

And deliver us from Tequila

For mine is the bitter

The chicks and the footy

Forever and ever

Barmen.

30 years ago

30 years ago today most people will remember where they where and what they where doing when the sad news of Elvis death hit the headlines.

I was sweet sixteen and had just left school, my mum broke the news to me, I just sat and cried and cried. My brother was in the army in Germany and I remember him phoning to see how I was, that was the sweetest thing my brother has ever done.

So today I remember Elvis, I will be listening to his music and shedding a tear or two.

Love you Elvis x

Mr Milo

Mr Milo would like to show you some of his toys! He is very clever as he knows them all by name and will fetch them to you as you ask for them! Have a friend who comes to visit him, well she visits me as well, and she always asks him to 'go get Miffy', but he will fetch her all his other toys first, which she then lines up until he gets Miffy! He knows what her game is, she takes them all off him!!! So he saves his favourate till last!
From left to right, so pay attention! Molly, because she looks like Molly my friends dog! Larry the Lamb, Shaun the Sheep, Miffy, Freddie the Frog and Chicken Lickin!

The real Molly!

See how he loves Molly!!!!

Now he would like to introduce you to his 'boyfriend', yes I know Mr Milo has a 'boyfriend' there is nothing wrong with him being gay he is very open about it. So this is Bruno, he lives in our neighbour hood, a lovely dog, but unfortunately his owners idea of walking him means open the back door and just let him go off by himself. So when we are out and about and Bruno appears I have to put Mr Milo on his lead or he would just run off with him! I am too scared to let him do this, i mean they could run off to Gretna Green and get married and I would then miss out on the wedding celebrations!

So anyone want to come and play with Mr Milo and his toys?

Interviewed by DJ Kirkby

I agreed to be intervieved by DJ Kirkby, who asked me the following five questions.

1. How did you and Mr HI meet?
My friend had moved into a new flat and invited me round for tea, I went straight from college. Her mum decided that we should go out for a drink and took us to where she worked the Trade of Jacks nightclub in Blackpool. I wasn’t dressed to go out clubbing and didn’t really want to go but she was very persuasive!
The Trade of Jacks was very elite, it belonged to the Imperial Hotel. You had to have a membership for it, but as Dee worked there we could get in with her.
We were stood at the bar having a drink, and this tall handsome man with a lovely smile walked towards us. Dee started to talk to him as she obviously knew him. There was a group of people beside us who were drinking champagne, one of the girls spilt hers all down himself’s trousers! He laughed, lifted his leg up and pushed my face down and told me to smell as it was real champagne and it would be the nearest I ever got to tasting it! We spent the night together, had the last dance, Watership Down, and he drove me home in a really big flash car. I was going away for 2 weeks but promised to send him a post card, which I did but wrote it in shorthand!!! Well I knew he would have to see me again to ask what I had written!!!
And that was that, we met 6th April 1979 and married 15th December 1979. I am so glad I went to my friends for tea that night!

2. Where did Mr Milo's name come from and why did you choose it?
Mr Milo’s name came from the film ‘The Mask’ with Jim Carey, he had a Jack Russell called Milo. My son wanted a dog and having just moved back to Sheffield we were both out of work and the house needed doing up so we decided that now was the right time to get a dog. The lad loved the film, he had every ‘Mask’ magazine and so he choose the name Milo. The Mr wasn’t added until 7 years later! I met up with some dog walkers after moving to Bolton, and one of those, who has since become a great friend of mine, just started calling him Mr Milo! And of course that stuck, it makes him sound really important!

3. How did you learn about blogs and why did you start one?
A friend told me what they were and showed me some, well I thought they were brilliant, spent some time just reading some great ones that I found, so funny and so honest. We decided to start ours; only thing is she never did start one!!! She reads them and that’s about it!!! Yes you know who you are honey, but I love you anyway! I was totally hooked on blogging; you could talk about anything and was not judged by others, you were anonymous, unless you choose not to be. I was anonymous and then one day I came by someone I knew!!!! So after playing a little game I let them know who I was, did feel strange at first actually knowing someone who blogged, and thought it might affect what I blogged about, but it didn’t as this person is a great person, and you know who you are too! So I really started one just because I could!

4. What advice would you give new bloggers?
Be yourself, don’t be afraid to talk about anything, enjoy and be honest with others.

5. Do you dream when you sleep?
Nope. Well yes I know we all dream but I am one of those who very really remember a dream. The few I have remembered have been nightmares!!!!


If you want to be interviewed by me then follow these instructions:
1. Leave a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. Please make sure I have your email address.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and offer to interview someone else the same post. in
5. When others comment, asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Fun Monday - Treats

What is your favourite treat, hosted by Beckie, where you will find the list of all the other fun monday participants.

Well like most I do have lots of treats that I love, but without a doubt my all time favourite has to be CHEESECAKE.
Why I love it I don’t really know, I just know I do!
Any cheesecake will do!
Me mum used to make her own, oh so delicious! I have made my own too; see I can cook even if I don’t own an apron!

So a tale about Cheesecake.
I love them so much that when my lad was small, (he is 21 now and still reminds me of this!) I told him he didn’t like cheesecakes, so he never ate them thus leaving more for me! Am I bad or what! Well when he was 12 we went to visit an old friend, who served a lovely tea, yes you guessed it, with cheesecake to follow. The lad said that as he doesn’t like them I could have his portion, trained him well I did! Well she tempted him to try it. Oh I was not impressed when he tasted it; I could see the look of pure enjoyment on his face! So from that day on I have had to learn to share MY cheesecakes!!!!


Definitions of Cheesecake.
1. Made with sweetened cream cheese and eggs and cream baked in a crumb crust.
2. A photograph of an attractive woman in minimal attire!

Cheesecake History.
Cheesecake is believed to have originated in ancient Greece. History has the first recorded mention of cheesecake, as being served to the athletes during the first Olympic Games held in 776 B.C. However, cheese making can be traced back as far as 2,000 B.C.; anthropologists have found cheese molds dating back to that period. The Romans spread cheesecake from Greece to across Europe. Centuries later cheesecake appeared in America, the recipes brought over by immigrants. In 1872, cream cheese was invented by American dairymen, who were trying to recreate the French cheese, Neufchâtel. James L. Kraft invented pasteurized cheese in 1912, and that lead to the development of pasteurized Philadelphia cream cheese, the most popular cheese used for making cheesecake today.

Cheesecake Trivia.
There is an all-garlic restaurant in Stockholm where they offer a garlic cheesecake. (This might be the one I would actually pass on!)
Sonya Thomas holds the World Record for cheesecake eating. She ate 11 pounds of cheesecake in 9 minutes. (They haven’t asked me to take part in this!) Mind you I just could not eat Cheesecake that fast, it needs to be eaten slowly so you can enjoy every mouth full mmmmmmmm.

Right before I go and devour a cheesecake I am off to see what you lot are all eating!

Have a FUN MONDAY everyone!

Diets!!

Ok I am on a diet!!! Don't like diets, they don't like me either!!! Last year I went on a special liquid diet, which did not include alcohol, and lost loads of weight, but unfortunately it has found me again! So me and himself are doing this together and we will win!!!!!
Just wish the following was true!

FOOD HAS NO CALORIES IF...
You eat it while standing.
In fact some research suggests it may have negative calories.
If you eat it while standing at the sink.
You can't remember eating it afterward.
You share it.
You eat it with your fingers.
Empty calories = zero calories!
Always eat equal portions of white chocolate and dark chocolate.
The calories in each will cancel the other out.

BATHROOM SCALE DIET TRICKS
1. Weigh yourself fully clothed after dinner and again the next morning without clothes and before breakfast, because it's nice to see how much weight you've lost overnight!
2. Never weigh yourself with wet hair.
3. When weighing, remove everything, including eyeglasses. In this case, blurred vision is an asset. Don't forget to remove jewelry as it could weigh as much as a pound!
4. Buy only cheap scales, never the medical kind. Accuracy is the enemy and high quality scales are very accurate.
5. Always go to the bathroom first.
6. Weigh yourself after a haircut, this is good for up to half a pound of hair (hopefully).
7. Exhale with all your might BEFORE stepping onto the scale. (Air has weight, right?)
8. Start out with just one foot on the scale, then holding onto a towel rod slowly edge your other foot onto the scale while slowly releasing the towel rod. Admittedly, this takes time, but it's worth it. You will weigh at least two pounds less than if you'd stepped onto the scale normally.


DIET QUIPS
Amazing! You just hang something in your closet for awhile and it shrinks two sizes.
The older you get the harder it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat have become good friends.
I try to lose weight, but it keeps finding me.
I get enough exercise just pushing my luck and jumping to conclusions.
I am in shape. Round's a shape.
Each day I try to enjoy something from each of the four food groups: the bonbon group, the salty snack group, the caffeine group, and the whatever-the-thing-in-the-tinfoil-in-the-back-of-the-fridge-is group.
Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells are forever.
Diet is 'Die' with a 't'.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst, for they are sticking to their diets.

Oh well off to eat some healthy food!!!!

I Entered The World + Name Tag

Been tagged by KB, oh he is a new blogger so please call over and say hi to him.
This is an interesting tag as you get to find out what happened on the day you were born, not the year but the day, and a lot has happened through the years on this day believe me. The most important one I think is of course

I entered the world!

So, onto the rules:

You go to Wikipedia and type in your birthday (month and day)
Then you write down 3 events, 2 births, 1 holiday, and tag 5 friends.

Three Events
1836 - Samuel Colt receives an American patent for the Colt revolver.
1943 - Holocaust: 158 Norwegian Jews were deported from Norway to death camp Auschwitz by the vessel Gutenland. Altogether the total number of Jews deported from Norway was 767. Of these 30 survived.
1964 - Cassius Clay beats Sonny Liston in Miami Beach, Florida, and is crowned the heavyweight champion of the world.

Two Births
1964 - Lee Evans, English comedian.
1943 - George Harrison, English musician (The Beatles).

One Holiday.
People Power Day, special holiday in the Philippines.

Relax people not going to tag you. But go and try it for yourslef now and see what happened through history on the day you entered the world.

Now for tag part two the Middle Name Meme, courtesy of Jamie.

1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of their middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog post containing your own middle name game facts.
4. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

A - adorable, well i think i am!

N - nymphomaniac, he thinks i am!

N - nutter, well you think i am!

E - energetic, well i wish i was!

OK i tag four of you, no fighting for which four just sort it out between yourselves!

8 Random Facts

Rain tagged me for this one, it is doing the rounds, Coffeypot, Cindydiane and DkKirkby to name but a few who have played along.
Each player should post these rules first.

Each blogger lists 8 random facts about themselves or their habits. At the end of their list should be the people who they are tagging! Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them that you have tagged them.

1. An ideal night out for me is a night in! I would much rather enjoy a night in with friends, drinking a good few bottles of wine, playing UNO, singing and having fun than going out and about round the pubs.
   
2. I am vertically challenged! Which means I am also too small for my weight!
   
3. I have an addiction that I want to quit, but wont tell you what it is as it is a secret from my husband!
   
4. I have a fear of car transporters, I hate driving behind them and have to overtake them as soon as I can, just so frightened of the cars falling off them!
   
5. I am not very observant, you could change your hair style or even colour and I wouldn't notice straight away.
   
6. I failed my driving test for the first time for speeding! I never noticed the change of speed limit from 50 to 30, see above!!!
   
7. I love the sensation of being put to sleep for surgery! Hate the surgery but would love to be anaesthetised regularly!
   
8. I have lived in 17 different houses, and being 46 that makes for a new address nearly ever three years!!!!
   Ok that was fun, as this has been doing the rounds for a while I wont tag you so you are safe, but if you do want to play along go ahead and tell us eight random things about you.

My 1st Fun Monday!!!!

It's my first fun Monday, which is being hosted over at Chris B's who wants to see our aprons and tea towels. Well am afraid it's confession time then as I don't own an apron. 'Why not' you say - well you need to cook to wear aprons and I gave up cooking and baking a few years ago!!!! I would probably wear something like this apron. Or if you want the truth it would be better if I wore this, you would also benefit if you wore something like this too!Ok now we go onto tea towels, which I do own, mind you don't use them for tea towels though!

This tea towel was bought by my mum, who is no longer with us, in Cyprus 1990. Her and my dad went for a 4 week holiday, it was strange her being away for so long and not being able to speak to her daily. She bought us all back the same tea towel, in fact we all got two of them, and two for her that would be 12 in total, wonder if she got a job lot on them! I have three, my own, which i did use, and my mums. She used hers for wrapping her knitting in. She kept a holiday diary whilst she was in Cyprus, which I also have, it is lovely to be able to see things that remind me of my mum.Himself took a fancy to this tea towel whilst we were in Malta, June 2006, if you want to read it it can be found here, well it can if i manage to make the link work! It just took his fancy, you know what men are like!
This is my favourite. It was done as a Mothers Day Present, the Nursery was where my son attended, he would have been four and a half. All the children in each class draw a picture of themselves and wrote their name under it. How sweet is that! My boy is called Kevin, see if you can find his picture!

Hope you enjoyed my first attempt at the Fun Monday.

And don't forget to go and check out all the others who have took place.

Good Morning!

Well the witch had tagged me, she is a nice witch so I don't really mind!!

The tag is to post a picture of yourself taken first thing in the morning.
1) no war-paint make-up
2) no caffeine i.e. coffee, diet Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, etc.
3) no nuthin' (clothing optional)
4) no whinin'
5) just do it !
6) tag someone

It is at this point you should leave if you suffer from and medical condition that would cause you distress looking at horrendous material!

WARNING PROCEED WITH CAUTION

There you have it Me the first thing in the morning, not a pretty site uh! Now do you feel sorry for himself having to wake up to me every morning!

Ok I now get to have some fun and tag some of you lot out there so if your name appears here and you are up for it then please go for it! Tod, Dj Kirkby and Shauna

Happy 150th Birthday

It's not often that I will post anything to do with sport of any kind, in fact this is so rare it might one day sell for a fortune as a one off!

But here in Sheffield we have two well known football teams.

Sheffield Wednesday, I live just up the road from the 'Owls' ground at Hillsborough,

and Sheffield United, I live just round the corner from the 'Blades' training ground!

What you may or may not know is that we also have the Worlds Oldest Football Club, Sheffield FC. Who this year are celebrating 150 years! I could go on to tell you all about them but it might just bore some of you, so for those who want to read about them go here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_F.C..

I can tell you that Himself, who loves football and could tell you absolutely anything about the game, was at one time involved with Sheffield FC, he was the Football Programme Editor, and I can also say that I helped with this. Yes me who hates football actually was involved in the typing, the printing, the photo copying, the collating and the stapling of the Clubs Match Day Programme. How I miss those times! What me being sarcastic, get away!

But I would like to say Happy Birthday Sheffield FC.