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I'm not too sad though, because 90 is an exceptional age to get to. And her legacy is four children, thirteen grandchildren , twelve great - grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
So tomorrow is to be a celebration of her life , rather than a crying fest.
Hopefully.
xx
love to all.
- Mood:
drained
Two divas in one house = loads of drama!
There's a link to something really interesting I want to put here , but may have to make a new entry ....
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotla
Oops , looks like it worked!
Little Cumbrae is quite far away from me (I am in North Scotland , it's more central) but I have been there on a holiday trip and it is a very spiritual place. Don't know if I agree with it being turned into the new Lourdes, but well , if it helps.....
- Mood:
contemplative - Music:mist covered mountains
sadly , my Mum had a stroke in July , and now has been diagnosed with cancer - in lungs , stomach and brain. She does not want invasive treatment and is just taking each day at a time. She's living with my older sister now , who is giving up her work as a counsellor to care for Mum. Obviously since she's not keen on biopsies etc we have no idea how long she has, but ATM she is on moderate painkillers , tires quite easily and has strange 'episodes' where she forgets *everything* and gets really scared.
Stop smoking , everyone.
Life going on as usual, other than that.
It's getting a lot cooler here...lots of soup making on the go, and - bulb planting.
Hope all who read this are good!
- Mood:
sad - Music:heavy cross - the gossip
Ok, whilst watching 'Supernatural' late last night with kid number four ,TJ, there was talk of a witches 'little victory garden'....
Mmmm...
As myself and kid two are in a frenzy of planting just now , it seemed very interesting to me and brought me back to my idea of the 'medicine cart wheel' i had envisaged a couple of years back, when my husband said by hook or by crook , he was going to bring home a couple of old cartwheels from the now derelict Santa Claus theme park his work hotel now stands on. They are still sitting there , unpinched , because ....
They have a foot square of cement surrounding the bottoms , where they must have been ground in case of falling unto wee Santa Claus devotees. V. heavy and awkward!!!
Howevah , I have ORDERED the husband to go on a mission and bring them back to me within 24 hours. I gotta get this herb garden / medicine wheel started!
Are you with me on what I'm doing ? See , one of the wheels would lie on the ground , having say, eight compartments , and medicinal herbs would in different sections
head
chest
limbs
throat
feet
skin
woman
vitality
But what exactly to plant ? I have a couple of books on the subject , so have some ideas...but I found this very charming and informative site last night , after being inspired by 'supernatural'......
www.alchemy-works.com/index.html
I've yet to get a link to work on LJ , so if youre interest is roused , you may have to do a bit of work here!
Currently reading 'The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood' which is so awesome ...though I'm not much of a social girlie girl it makes me yearn for some real good girlfriends . But I have you gals online ,right?
xx
- Mood:
creative - Music:Carry on my wayward son
Mum's 90th birthday cake ....doesn't she look fab???!
back - Sis in law, sis, me!
Front - Mum , oldest sis (organiser!)
Two of my boys Turbo (left) and Jason with husband
Husband and great-nephews Phoenix and baby Cayden
Me and Mum!
- Location:girlie room
- Mood:
chipper - Music:comp hum
classics - Have watched BBC's version of Elizabeth Gaskell's 'Wives and Daughters' on utube ...fab Scottish actor Bill Paterson was the Daddy , the actor who played Roger was sooo gorgeous, the costumes outstanding. Loved it! Surprisingly had not heard of this book till trawling utube for DH Lawrences's 'Sons and Lovers'....which is next!
modern - Watched Jim Carrey's 'Yes Man' with the children...lovin' the concept of this film (you must say YES to everything , and see how much better life would be )- but who would have the guts to try it in real life? Apparently is a true story so somebody must have! Kids have noticed JC has an ancient BMW in all his films - maybe his own car?!
moving on to - One last time , by psychic John Edward , and Desert of the Heart, by Jane Rule.
Gotta get one last blast of reading in before Spring is here!
- Mood:
ecstatic - Music:KC sunshine band - that's the way
looking forward to a sweet and lovely breakfast!
*is banoffie pie worldwide or just Scottish? Is a fab combination of biscuit crust, toffee , bananas and cream. cal laden but irresistable!
- Mood:
hungry - Music:snow falling
four feet of snow outside, temp of minus 18 C last night , lowest anywhere in Scotland for twenty years!!
current read - too cold to go upstairs and find the name and author , but the story is of a family of women who , when they turn thirteen , all inherit powers , such as having other peoples dreams, seeing the future , feeling no pain , etc. Am not liking it as much as I thought I would, but that might change - am only quarter of the way through.
BEST read so far - The wheel of fortune , by Susan Howatch. OK, I class myself as a fast reader , but it took me more than a week to finish this , and that was from say, 11 o'clock till three in the morning sometimes (don't judge me - my husband does not really 'get' reading and it's the only time I get peace!)
Loved this book sooo much....family saga stretching from victorian times till the sixties , going through the wars with the family losing loved ones , weddings , illicit courtships and the like...loved it so much when I finally reached the last page , I just sat and looked at the book for half an hour thinking what can I read that will beat this?
howevah...
'The Forsyte Saga ' had a rather strange inclusion in wheel of fortune , a nod we might say , so I decided to seek it out and find out if WOF was perhaps a strange 'tribute '...my library drew a blank and would get it for me in THREE weeks , so I decided to look online....
and so my night time reading habits took a strange turn.
The Forsyte saga can be viewed on youtube in ten minute segments (BBC's 2002 version) It stretches to 2003 , so I was up loads of nights , in bed , on my laptop, watching the Forsyte Saga. This was famous Sunday night TV when I was about eight , but I can't remember it, not even if my Mum watched it or not. Likely not . *My * version starred the gorgeous red head Damian Lewis as the nasty possessive Soames.
And yes, I do believe WOF to be a tribute to TFS.
Still with me?
Loved the fact I can watch all the classics on you tube! What WOULD the Bronte sisters think?!
so far
Wuthering Heights (70's film)
Jane Eyre ( wedding day shocker!)
Tess of the D'Urbevilles (Roman Polanski version, gorgeous scenery)
moving on to -
The Mayor of Casterbridge, which I'm finding hard going....
please comment if you have read wheel of fortune ...am lending it to my sister next time she visits so we can discuss...but that might be a while yet!
- Mood:
awake - Music:snow falling
 | the guardian weekend quiz - pinched from turbo jordo | 11 minutes ago | |
 | |||
 When were you happiest?don't do happy..I worry all the time What is your greatest fear? not writing it down What is your earliest memory? enrolling at school What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? unforgiveness - I say I do but I don't because I can't let it go What is the trait you most deplore in others? talking themsleves down What was your most embarrassing moment? I block them all out What is your most treasured possession? don't do material things...would have t say my mind  What would your super power be? healing (those who deserve it) What do you most dislike about your appearance? Ithere's too much of me Who would play you in the film of your life? Melanie Griffith What is your most unappealing habit? swearing too much What is your favourite word? love What is the worst thing anyone's said to you? I don't listen to negative stuff and can't take critisicism (even constructive) so pass on this one Cat or dog? dog What or who is the greatest love of your life? myself, of course What is your guiltiest pleasure? thinking evil thoughts....no-one can hear me.... To whom would you most like to say sorry, and why? I've no regrets about anything What does love feel like? pain and pleasure at the same time What was the best kiss of your life? the last one, of course! Which living person do you most despise, and why? A girl (woman now) who bullied my son through school...she has a kid of her own now and I wonder if the bullying circle will keep going , or will karma intervene? Which words or phrases do you most overuse? the F word, unfortunately What is the worst job you've done? laundry in a hospital (sorting out the dirty poopy pants into piles - gross! ) If you could go back in time, where would you go? Don't know...I love the victorian gothic style but we have the best of everything right now When did you last cry, and why? Watching the film Paulie over xmas ....I bawled my eyes out...maybe I have unresolved issues with the lost family parakeet of my childhood! How do you relax? I don't believe I do What keeps you awake at night? having to have the window closed because it is so cold How would you like to be remembered? for some kind of contributiion to something ..but my life is not at that stage yet | |||
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- Mood:
pensive
<table style="background: url('http://43things.com/images/book/qui
ok...I am a strong self knowing tree hugging builder....
:)
0 percent of the gazillions of folk who took the quiz are like me
:) or :( ??
- Mood:
optimistic
lose weight
by walking/ cutting out junk/ following the blood type diet
get up EARLY
do more things that make me happy (will let u know when I find out what that is)
win the lottery!!!!
Have has a rotten new year due to anticpation of the flu bug getting to me / the weather / the frozen pipes which meant no washing machine , dishwasher , toilet or even
water, of any kind
thankfully I have a lovely red headed neighbour who let me use his loo now and then.
speak soon!
- Mood:
cold - Music:bartender and the thief
I can't wait to try this recipe , easy to digest cake for IBS sufferers everywhere!
150 mil orange or apple juice (replace 40 mil of the juice with brandy if u like - this will help it keep for longer)
300 g prunes , stoned and finely chopped to about the size of a sultana
150 g dried organic or unsulphured apricots, stoned and finely chopped
1 large or 2 small bramley apples, peeled and chopped (total 230 g)
250 g butter , softened
150 g xylitol (such as perfect sweet)
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
grated peel of 1 orange
300 g brown rice flour (such as doves farm)
3 tsp baking powder (supercook has a gluten free version)
3 quarter teaspoon ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
100 g ground almonds
grease a 22 cm cake tin and double line it with baking paper.
preheat the oven to 170 c / 150 c fan/ 325F/ gas 3
put the juice in a pan with the prunes , apricots and apple. Bring to the boil and simmer for seven minutes. Beat the butter and xylitol with a spoon or hand mixer in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs singly then add the vanilla extract and orange peel.Sift in the flour, baking powder and spices, and fold in gently. Stir in the fruit and juice mix. then add the ground almonds. spoon the mix into the tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour. The cake is ready when you insert a skewer and it comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the tin and store in an airtight container - it matures well. You could serve it warm with double cream and brandy butter or as an alternative X mas pud.
- Mood:
productive
have stripped off all the paper , now waiting for the husband to fix the leaky bit in the roof corner (could take a while)
fam are questioning my mulberry/ black/ red /gold colour scheme , but they are boys - what do they know?!
fourth kid has been in silent treatment mode since husband defied him to travel in his little old car to Edinburgh (150 miles away) for a concert , esp since he was intending to drive back the SAME NIGHT and go to work at 7 in the morning , he could not see the dangers , even when being told by his older brother who has recently been there and seen the city traffic (none of us are used to) - and now he is also been frosted out ....however , as parents we have now decided to let them do whatever the hell they want - we have given them our guidance up till now , we can do no more. We have decided unless they come in looking like they're sick , or on drugs , we will say nothing. NOTHING!
Kid's absence from the front room means I get the TV to myself , which is slowing me down a bit - so far this week have watched mamma mia , sex and the city and Malice (Alec Baldwin) ...TV is good and bad...discuss!
- Mood: contemplative
Ok, I'm not the only one who lives here , but if I'm doing it, I choose the theme!
Want to get it done before the (really) cold weather sets in and everybody wants to sit around the fire ...ooh , the fire! I suppose that's a gothic touch on it's own.....
(goes to post pic at homesteadblogger , so will work here)
ah well , it was worth a try.....sadly the cathedral window style door of the stove you can't really see here! Is gothic tho. This is Archie first real fire btw.
Archie got off the lead between ourselves and neighbours back road - an unsuccessful experiment I have to say , he is just too little yet to be relied upon to stay close. I have found out he thinks my cell fone is a packet of treats though. ;)
Dreamt last night I was camping on Ben Alder (big pointy almost -mountain thirty miles from here with a haunted house at the bottom) and my sleeping bag was missing in the middle of the night - woke up and I was freezing - supposedly three degrees last night.
And tonight is colder!
- Mood:
cheerful - Music:dear prudence
Took the puppy to the vet to get the first of his vaccinations done....to me , it's like going to the doctors , sitting in the waiting room likely picking up something you didn't have when you went in, but ah well , first bit is done now. He doesn't seem to be affected either way - don't think he knows it happened yet!!!
Normal stuff ...
Credit crunch is really biting in Scotland! More houses going up for sale daily (most near us are holiday homes , which would be the first thing to go , I suppose) supermarket prices are CRAZY , don't know how folk who are really stuck for cash are managing , and loads of job losses seem to be incoming. I think it's a bit of a 'chaos effect' - even if you don't have debts , have a secure (or seemingly secure) job, have your own place etc, somehow this credit crunch will affect you, it's just a matter of how and when. The husband works at a big swanky hotel , which is obviously losing money now that posh holidays are a bit of a faux -pas, so his will likely be the first job to go with us. But back to shopping again , and that's a trigger to get back to the maidmyown style - good home cooking with the cheaper cuts , casseroles , grains , veggies from the garden , cookies and home baking straight from the oven at a fraction of the shop price! Is healthier too.
****
Keeping a dream diary to see just how much my Auntie (who died July 2007) features ....in my dreams we are always talking but I can't hear what she's saying. Asked my sister if she dreams of her but she said no, not ever.....have kept the diary for a week now and she has featured in five out of seven dreams, always in different scenarios , always talking to me but I can't hear....very frustrating!
Right , it's lunchtime here , and I want to get a chicken casserole in the slow cooker for tonight .
Bye , hunyz!
- Mood: contemplative
Life is still much the same as ever here ...sadly my dog Rocky ran out onto the road last month and was instantly killed...the husband was devastated (blames himself) but wanted a replacement dog to fill the gap in his life , so now we have a two month old Jack Russell pup called Archie Wicks . (Looks a bit like Snoopy ATM) Archie is ANOTHER reason I've lost the will to blog , for he does not sit at peace for very long!
OK , he wants out RIGHT NOW , so I will go and do that - rest assured I'm not dead or anything!
x
- Mood: creative
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