Further to my earlier post about Susan Boyle, I thought you might like to read more about this dear lady, who has mild brain damage from a birth injury and some concomitant learning difficulties.......
Full story here.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
I Know It Is Late, But....
We worship Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, for by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
We bow down before Thy Cross , O Lord; we call to mind Thy glorious Passion; have mercy on us, Thou that didst suffer for us.
Rejoice, O Holy Cross, worthy tree, that alone wast worthy to bear the King of heavem and its Lord.
Rejoice O Cross, that wert consecrated by the body of Christ and adorned with His limbs as with pearls.
O glorious Cross, O venerable Cross, O wood of great price and sign of wonderment, through which the devil is defeated and the world is redeemed by the blood of Christ....
From The Salutations before the Holy Cross, "Orthodox Prayers of Old England"
We bow down before Thy Cross , O Lord; we call to mind Thy glorious Passion; have mercy on us, Thou that didst suffer for us.
Rejoice, O Holy Cross, worthy tree, that alone wast worthy to bear the King of heavem and its Lord.
Rejoice O Cross, that wert consecrated by the body of Christ and adorned with His limbs as with pearls.
O glorious Cross, O venerable Cross, O wood of great price and sign of wonderment, through which the devil is defeated and the world is redeemed by the blood of Christ....
From The Salutations before the Holy Cross, "Orthodox Prayers of Old England"
Friday, April 17, 2009
Wales Visits America !
One of the oldest traditions in Wales, the "Ty unnos" or "house built in a night" is coming to America, albeit in a modernised form, to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC :-)
Story and piccies here.
Story and piccies here.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
In A Lighter Vein......
I bring you this piece of sunshine and joy :-)
I just love the Sound of Music !
It would have been even nicer if it had been totally spontaneous, but nevertheless.....
"More than 200 dancers were performing their version of "Do Re Mi", in the Central Station of Antwerp. with just 2 rehearsals they created this amazing stunt! Those 4 fantastic minutes started the 23 of march 2009, 08:00 AM. It is a promotion stunt for a Belgian television program, where they are looking for someone to play the leading role, in the musical of "The Sound of Music". "
I just love the Sound of Music !
It would have been even nicer if it had been totally spontaneous, but nevertheless.....
"More than 200 dancers were performing their version of "Do Re Mi", in the Central Station of Antwerp. with just 2 rehearsals they created this amazing stunt! Those 4 fantastic minutes started the 23 of march 2009, 08:00 AM. It is a promotion stunt for a Belgian television program, where they are looking for someone to play the leading role, in the musical of "The Sound of Music". "
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Random Thought
Random Thoughts from tonight's journey to visit my beloved brother...
seeing a solitary gull flying across the vast and empty twilight dusk sky.
two wild rabbits peacefully nibbling grass on a busy dual-carriageway (freeway) roundabout.
seeing my brother sitting up in bed, laughing and joking with my young ones, DH and I tonight, when we visited him in hospital, and thinking back to how utterly disorientated, confused and incoherent he was when we saw him on Sunday.
the unfailing kindness of DD2 and her boyfriend who managed to track down a replacement cell phone for my brother's malfunctioning one, so he can phone his daughters and my mum whenever he wants to instead of feeling lonely and isolated in the hospital.
Praise God from whom every blessing flows.........
seeing a solitary gull flying across the vast and empty twilight dusk sky.
two wild rabbits peacefully nibbling grass on a busy dual-carriageway (freeway) roundabout.
seeing my brother sitting up in bed, laughing and joking with my young ones, DH and I tonight, when we visited him in hospital, and thinking back to how utterly disorientated, confused and incoherent he was when we saw him on Sunday.
the unfailing kindness of DD2 and her boyfriend who managed to track down a replacement cell phone for my brother's malfunctioning one, so he can phone his daughters and my mum whenever he wants to instead of feeling lonely and isolated in the hospital.
Praise God from whom every blessing flows.........
Watch And Enjoy
Chocolate Baklava !
Warning :
going to this linked web site may cause uncontrollable drooling, greed and covetousness.
Proceed at your own risk !
But I think it is definitely one for Bright Week :-)
going to this linked web site may cause uncontrollable drooling, greed and covetousness.
Proceed at your own risk !
But I think it is definitely one for Bright Week :-)
Family News
You folks must be *amazing* pray-ers ! Thank you !
My brother has improved considerably over the last few days.
He remains very ill, is bed-bound and is likely to be in hospital for at least another fortnight, according to the latest updates, which is incredible in itself considering the doctor did not think he would survive the night on Saturday night......
The prognosis remains dismal, short of a miracle or a transplant, but at least he is now alert, oriented, enjoying having visitors, cracking jokes and listening to his Ipod.
He now has some quality of life back, for which God be praised.
My brother has improved considerably over the last few days.
He remains very ill, is bed-bound and is likely to be in hospital for at least another fortnight, according to the latest updates, which is incredible in itself considering the doctor did not think he would survive the night on Saturday night......
The prognosis remains dismal, short of a miracle or a transplant, but at least he is now alert, oriented, enjoying having visitors, cracking jokes and listening to his Ipod.
He now has some quality of life back, for which God be praised.
Judging By Appearances
Monday, April 13, 2009
Where We Are At....
After a very stressful weekend, wherein my brother 's illness deteriorated very rapidly and he became critically ill on Saturday, he has stabilised somewhat but remains very poorly indeed.
I contacted his daughters, one of whom came down to visit him yesterday lunchtime, which brightened his day a great deal.
My mum visited him in the afternoon , and I visited him last night, but he spent much of the time sleeping and holding my hand.
Lord, have mercy.......
I contacted his daughters, one of whom came down to visit him yesterday lunchtime, which brightened his day a great deal.
My mum visited him in the afternoon , and I visited him last night, but he spent much of the time sleeping and holding my hand.
Lord, have mercy.......
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Eye Eye !
How we spent this morning.......
DD3 woke up with her eyelid red and swollen badly, and complaining of acute pain at 7.30am. I don't believe in taking any risks where eyes are concerned, so off I go to phone the "out of hours GP service".
The recorded message you initially get gives you a very long list of things that they will not consider seeing you for, and eventually I get connected to a human being. The gentleman was very pleasant, took lots of details and told me that the on-call doctors would be informed and that I would get a phone call back within one hour to ask for more information before they would decide if she needed to be seen.
Well, hello, the child has a swollen face and is in pain.She does need to be seen by a doctor !
I was busy ranting about this to DH when ten minutes later, the phone rings. Would we be able to take DD3 into the out of hours clinic for the second appointment slot of the morning ?
Having assured them that we would be there, the young ones were hastily inducted into clothes and hustled into the car to get to the clinic.
When we got there, there were 5 members of staff at the reception desk. One was on the phone and getting information from staff member 2 at the same time, and no 3 was sitting at the desk typing.
In the magnificent customer service tradition of the NHS, I was left standing, ignored by everyone for at least five minutes whilst waiting to book her in. There was a large TV in the waiting area, carefully angled to provide maximum viewing access - shame it was to the reception desk staff and not to the patients on seats in the waiting room !
Once she was seen by the doctor, he was kind, thorough, very efficient and immediately said she needed antibiotic ointment for the affected eye.
Having had four doses today, she is feeling more comfortable , so hopefully it will clear up quickly. We have been told to look out for certain warning signs, whereupon she needs to go straight back in, but please God, she will have a speedy resolution of optical health.
DD3 woke up with her eyelid red and swollen badly, and complaining of acute pain at 7.30am. I don't believe in taking any risks where eyes are concerned, so off I go to phone the "out of hours GP service".
The recorded message you initially get gives you a very long list of things that they will not consider seeing you for, and eventually I get connected to a human being. The gentleman was very pleasant, took lots of details and told me that the on-call doctors would be informed and that I would get a phone call back within one hour to ask for more information before they would decide if she needed to be seen.
Well, hello, the child has a swollen face and is in pain.She does need to be seen by a doctor !
I was busy ranting about this to DH when ten minutes later, the phone rings. Would we be able to take DD3 into the out of hours clinic for the second appointment slot of the morning ?
Having assured them that we would be there, the young ones were hastily inducted into clothes and hustled into the car to get to the clinic.
When we got there, there were 5 members of staff at the reception desk. One was on the phone and getting information from staff member 2 at the same time, and no 3 was sitting at the desk typing.
In the magnificent customer service tradition of the NHS, I was left standing, ignored by everyone for at least five minutes whilst waiting to book her in. There was a large TV in the waiting area, carefully angled to provide maximum viewing access - shame it was to the reception desk staff and not to the patients on seats in the waiting room !
Once she was seen by the doctor, he was kind, thorough, very efficient and immediately said she needed antibiotic ointment for the affected eye.
Having had four doses today, she is feeling more comfortable , so hopefully it will clear up quickly. We have been told to look out for certain warning signs, whereupon she needs to go straight back in, but please God, she will have a speedy resolution of optical health.
Sigh
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Humph, But With A Happy Ending !
Grumble, moan, mumble and grumble.
Forgot Library is shut because it is Western Maundy Thursday today.
Got to town to see Library all dark and gloomy.No Library till at least Tuesday......
Grumble grumble grumble.
Went to Thrift shop instead and bought some humungously wonderful books for £2 total.
That should cheer me up some. And the girls were happy as they got more books too.
DD4 chose "The Railway Children" so I will enjoy reading that one :-)
Forgot Library is shut because it is Western Maundy Thursday today.
Got to town to see Library all dark and gloomy.No Library till at least Tuesday......
Grumble grumble grumble.
Went to Thrift shop instead and bought some humungously wonderful books for £2 total.
That should cheer me up some. And the girls were happy as they got more books too.
DD4 chose "The Railway Children" so I will enjoy reading that one :-)
Wisdom From Elder Porphyrios
This comes courtesy of Alice over at The Byzantine Forum......
I found it most edifying and soul-profiting - may the Lord have mercy on us !
Quote:-
Wisdom of Elder Porphyrios from the book 'Wounded by Love'.
We need always to have thoughts of love for our brothers and sisters...We need to have goodness and love in our soul...
Man has such powers that he can transmit good or evil to his environment. These matters are very delicate. Great care is needed. We need to see everything in a positive frame of mind. We mustn't think anything evil about others. Even a simple glance or a sigh influences those around us. And even the slightest anger or indignation does harm. We need to have goodness and love in our soul and to transmit these things.
We need to be careful not to harbour any resentment against those who harm us, but rather to pray for them with love. Whatever any of our fellow men does, we should never think evil of him. We need always to have thoughts of love and always to think good of others. Look at Saints Stephen the first martyr. He prayed, "Lord do not hold this sin against them". We need to do the same.
We should never think about someone that God will send him some evil or that God will punish him for his sin. This thought brings about very great evil, without our being aware of it. We often feel indignation and say to someone: 'Have you no fear of God's justice, are you not afraid of God's punishment?' Or else we say, 'God will punish you for what you've done', or 'O God, do not bring evil on that person for what he did to me', or 'May that person not suffer the same thing'...
In all these cases, we have a deep desire within us for the other person to be punished. Instead of confessing our anger over his error, we present our indignation in a different way, and we allegedly pray to God for him. In reality, however, in this way we are cursing our brother.
And if, instead of praying, we say, 'May God repay you for the evil you have done to me', then once again we are wishing for God to punish him. Even when we say, 'All very well, God is witness', the disposition of our soul works in a mysterious way and influences the soul of our fellow man so that he suffers evil.
When we speak evil about someone, an evil power proceeds from within us and is transmitted to the other person, just as the voice is transmitted on sound waves, and in point of fact, the other person suffers evil. It is something like the bewitchment of the evil eye, when someone has evil thoughts about others. This occurs through our own indignation. We transmit our evil in a mystical way. It is not God who provokes evil, but rather people's wickedness. God does not punish, but our own evil disposition is transmitted to the soul of the other in a mysterious way and does evil. Christ never wishes evil. On the contrary, HE commands, Bless those who curse you...
The evil eye is a very bad thing. It is the evil influence that occurs when someone is jealous of, or desires something or someone. It needs great care. Jealousy does great harm to the other person. The person who exercises the evil eye doesn't think for a moment that he is doing harm. Remember the Old Testament says: For the bewitching eye of wickedness obscures what is good (Wisdom 4:12)
When the other person, however, is a man of God and makes confession and receives Holy Communion and wears a cross, nothing does him any harm. Even if all the demons were to fall on him, they would achieve nothing.
'The noise of murmurings shall not be hidden'
Within us there is a part of the soul called the 'moralist'. This 'moralist', when it sees someone going astray, is roused to indignation, even though very often the person who judges has strayed in the same way. He does not, however, take this as an occasion to condemn himself, but the other person. This is not what God wants. Christ says in the Gospel: You, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? It may be that we do not steal, but we commit murder; we reproach the other person and not ourselves. We say, for example: 'You should have done that and you didn't do it. So see now what's happened to you!' When we think evil, then it actually happens. In a mysterious and hidden manner we diminish the power of the other person to move towards what is good, and we do him harm. We can become the occasion for him to fall ill, to lose his job, or his property. In this way we do harm, not only to our neighbor, but also to ourselves, because we distance ourselves from the grace of God. And then we pray and our prayers are not heard. We 'ask and do not receive'. Why? Have we ever thought of this? 'Because we ask wrongly.' We need to find a way to heal the tendency within us to feel and think evil about others.
It is possible for someone to say, 'The way that person is behaving, he will be punished by God', and to believe that he is saying this without evil intent. It is not a simple thing, however, to discern whether he has or does not have evil intent. It does not appear clearly. What is hidden inour soul and how that can exercise influence on people and things is a very secret matter.
The same is not true if we say with a sense of awe that another person is not living well and that we should pray for God to help him and grant him repentence; that is, neither do we say, nor deep down do we desire that God will punish him for what he does. In this case not only do we not do harm to our neighbour, but we do him good. When someone prays for his neighbour, a good force proceeds from him and heals, strengthens and revives him. It is a mystery how this force leaves us. But, in truth, the person who has good within him radiates this good power to others, mystically and gently. He sends light to his neighbour and this creates a shield around him and protects him from evil. When we possess and good disposition towards others and pray, then we heal our fellow and we help them progress towards God.
There is an invisible life, the life of the soul. This is very powerful and can have effect on the other, even if we are miles apart. This also happens with the curse, which is a power that works evil. But if, conversely, we pray with love for someone, whatever the distance that seperates us, the good is transmitted. So distances do not affect the power of good and evil. We can transmit these across boundless distances. Solomon the Wise says this very thing: 'The noise of murmurings shall not be hidden.' The noise of our soul is transmitted mysteriously and affects the other, even if we don't say a word. Even without speaking we can transmit good or evil, irrespective of the distance which seperates us from our neighbour. What is not expressed generally hs greater power than words.
I found it most edifying and soul-profiting - may the Lord have mercy on us !
Quote:-
Wisdom of Elder Porphyrios from the book 'Wounded by Love'.
We need always to have thoughts of love for our brothers and sisters...We need to have goodness and love in our soul...
Man has such powers that he can transmit good or evil to his environment. These matters are very delicate. Great care is needed. We need to see everything in a positive frame of mind. We mustn't think anything evil about others. Even a simple glance or a sigh influences those around us. And even the slightest anger or indignation does harm. We need to have goodness and love in our soul and to transmit these things.
We need to be careful not to harbour any resentment against those who harm us, but rather to pray for them with love. Whatever any of our fellow men does, we should never think evil of him. We need always to have thoughts of love and always to think good of others. Look at Saints Stephen the first martyr. He prayed, "Lord do not hold this sin against them". We need to do the same.
We should never think about someone that God will send him some evil or that God will punish him for his sin. This thought brings about very great evil, without our being aware of it. We often feel indignation and say to someone: 'Have you no fear of God's justice, are you not afraid of God's punishment?' Or else we say, 'God will punish you for what you've done', or 'O God, do not bring evil on that person for what he did to me', or 'May that person not suffer the same thing'...
In all these cases, we have a deep desire within us for the other person to be punished. Instead of confessing our anger over his error, we present our indignation in a different way, and we allegedly pray to God for him. In reality, however, in this way we are cursing our brother.
And if, instead of praying, we say, 'May God repay you for the evil you have done to me', then once again we are wishing for God to punish him. Even when we say, 'All very well, God is witness', the disposition of our soul works in a mysterious way and influences the soul of our fellow man so that he suffers evil.
When we speak evil about someone, an evil power proceeds from within us and is transmitted to the other person, just as the voice is transmitted on sound waves, and in point of fact, the other person suffers evil. It is something like the bewitchment of the evil eye, when someone has evil thoughts about others. This occurs through our own indignation. We transmit our evil in a mystical way. It is not God who provokes evil, but rather people's wickedness. God does not punish, but our own evil disposition is transmitted to the soul of the other in a mysterious way and does evil. Christ never wishes evil. On the contrary, HE commands, Bless those who curse you...
The evil eye is a very bad thing. It is the evil influence that occurs when someone is jealous of, or desires something or someone. It needs great care. Jealousy does great harm to the other person. The person who exercises the evil eye doesn't think for a moment that he is doing harm. Remember the Old Testament says: For the bewitching eye of wickedness obscures what is good (Wisdom 4:12)
When the other person, however, is a man of God and makes confession and receives Holy Communion and wears a cross, nothing does him any harm. Even if all the demons were to fall on him, they would achieve nothing.
'The noise of murmurings shall not be hidden'
Within us there is a part of the soul called the 'moralist'. This 'moralist', when it sees someone going astray, is roused to indignation, even though very often the person who judges has strayed in the same way. He does not, however, take this as an occasion to condemn himself, but the other person. This is not what God wants. Christ says in the Gospel: You, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? It may be that we do not steal, but we commit murder; we reproach the other person and not ourselves. We say, for example: 'You should have done that and you didn't do it. So see now what's happened to you!' When we think evil, then it actually happens. In a mysterious and hidden manner we diminish the power of the other person to move towards what is good, and we do him harm. We can become the occasion for him to fall ill, to lose his job, or his property. In this way we do harm, not only to our neighbor, but also to ourselves, because we distance ourselves from the grace of God. And then we pray and our prayers are not heard. We 'ask and do not receive'. Why? Have we ever thought of this? 'Because we ask wrongly.' We need to find a way to heal the tendency within us to feel and think evil about others.
It is possible for someone to say, 'The way that person is behaving, he will be punished by God', and to believe that he is saying this without evil intent. It is not a simple thing, however, to discern whether he has or does not have evil intent. It does not appear clearly. What is hidden inour soul and how that can exercise influence on people and things is a very secret matter.
The same is not true if we say with a sense of awe that another person is not living well and that we should pray for God to help him and grant him repentence; that is, neither do we say, nor deep down do we desire that God will punish him for what he does. In this case not only do we not do harm to our neighbour, but we do him good. When someone prays for his neighbour, a good force proceeds from him and heals, strengthens and revives him. It is a mystery how this force leaves us. But, in truth, the person who has good within him radiates this good power to others, mystically and gently. He sends light to his neighbour and this creates a shield around him and protects him from evil. When we possess and good disposition towards others and pray, then we heal our fellow and we help them progress towards God.
There is an invisible life, the life of the soul. This is very powerful and can have effect on the other, even if we are miles apart. This also happens with the curse, which is a power that works evil. But if, conversely, we pray with love for someone, whatever the distance that seperates us, the good is transmitted. So distances do not affect the power of good and evil. We can transmit these across boundless distances. Solomon the Wise says this very thing: 'The noise of murmurings shall not be hidden.' The noise of our soul is transmitted mysteriously and affects the other, even if we don't say a word. Even without speaking we can transmit good or evil, irrespective of the distance which seperates us from our neighbour. What is not expressed generally hs greater power than words.
More News
My brother remains in hospital as he has continuing problems with very low blood pressure, and is likely to be in over the weekend too, unless he has shown a substantial improvement overnight.
We await news as I type.......
DH has got next week off, so we are hoping to be able to do some fun things with the children. Our activities so far this week have included me doing copious amounts of housework whilst they play and watch TV, though the weather did improve enough for us to go to the park to play yesterday *and* clean out the playhouse in the back garden so DD4 can use it........
I'm hoping a trip to the Library is on schedule this morning so I can borrow even more books, as I only have seven in my "to read " pile, and that is certainly not enough for me :-)
We await news as I type.......
DH has got next week off, so we are hoping to be able to do some fun things with the children. Our activities so far this week have included me doing copious amounts of housework whilst they play and watch TV, though the weather did improve enough for us to go to the park to play yesterday *and* clean out the playhouse in the back garden so DD4 can use it........
I'm hoping a trip to the Library is on schedule this morning so I can borrow even more books, as I only have seven in my "to read " pile, and that is certainly not enough for me :-)
What I've Been Reading III
I am also currently re-reading the four Jasper Fforde books I have been loaned. Incredibly inventive whimsy; if you are well-read and like books in general, you will love these :-)
Fr Michael Keiser's "Prayer" was interesting but didn't "cut the mustard" for me. It was accessible, lucid and well-written but just didn't resonate with me at all and I wish I know why.
Far more likely to be a problem with me than with the book, I assure you !
Another TP, "Thief Of Time". Contains many references to chocolate, hence my avid enjoyment - 'nuff said !!
"Expecting Adam".
I don't quite know what to say about this book. Odd, quirky, containing a great deal of quite remarkable coincidental happenings in the writer's experience of finding that she is expecting a Down's Syndrome son.
Harvard Graduates both, with eight degrees between them, they were targeted to be seriously high-flyers, yet all their plans came tumbling down with the diagnosis of their son's condition, and the oft-voiced comments from their colleagues and Professors that this "defective" baby would destroy their lives and their careers.
Needless to say, Adam transformed their lives in ways they didn't dream were possible, but he did not destroy their lives at all.
Overall, a very inspiring story, but the attitudes of many of the Harvard folk are depicted as chilling in the extreme, and so Eugenicist that they made my flesh creep.
What I've Been Reading II
This looked promising when I picked it out at the Library, but I found it dry and pedestrian. A much better look at broadcasting, with quite a strong religios slant is Libby Purves' "Radio".
"Father Joe" was a much better book; a look at a contemporary RC saintly elder. An interesting read, but did not give me the same certainty of Truth as when reading aboout great Elders such as Porphyrios or Paisios. Contains much autobiographical detail about the troubled life of the author, Tony Hendra, who was also very much in the media eye on both sides of the Atlantic in the '80s and '90s.
"Selma at the Abbey" by the immortal Elsie J. Oxenham. This is a golden *very* oldie for collectors of girls' school stories, as I have been for many years. First published in 1952, it is very much the product of its time, very much set in the halcyon decades of the twentieth century, it paints a vivid - albeit heavily idealised - picture of life in a very philanthropic wealthy landed gentry family in England.
What I've Been Reading
I am systematically re-reading my Terry Pratchett books, in no particular order. Each one is a delight; and this one dealing with how a Northern Barbarian Horde fare in the genteel and rarified atmosphere of the Discworld's equuivalent of Imperial China is a particular joy, LOL.
I picked this up for 20p in a local thrift shop and what a find it was ! It is a book crammed full of information hints and recipes for teaching children food science throughout the year. Old, but extremely good, and I will be making a lot of use of it at home. What a bargain !!
"Dewey" is a must-read. If you love cats and libraries, go get it ! I borrowed mine from the Public Library, which seemed particularly appropriate, and really enjoyed it........
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Illumination
Having duly bookmarked this, I then promptly forgot all about it !
There is a little English medieval church which has a rood screen. The architecture of the church is such that at sunset on two occasions a year, the crucifix on the rood screen is illuminated by the setting sun for four minutes, providing that it is not cloudy, of course......
Story, and some gorgeous pictures here.
There is a little English medieval church which has a rood screen. The architecture of the church is such that at sunset on two occasions a year, the crucifix on the rood screen is illuminated by the setting sun for four minutes, providing that it is not cloudy, of course......
Story, and some gorgeous pictures here.
Monday, April 06, 2009
Family News
My brother's condition has stabilised enough today for the doctors to start his paracentesis drain late this afternoon. When he will be well enough to come home is anybody's guess at the moment.
I am just glad for this small step in the right direction, for which God be praised and I thank you all for your prayers.......
More news as I get it !
I am just glad for this small step in the right direction, for which God be praised and I thank you all for your prayers.......
More news as I get it !
Weather
The weather is see-sawing back and forth from real warmth in the sunshine to so cold that my fingers are going numb when I type....
Yesterday I spent a large part of a lovely warm day in the garden; today -well. Suffice it to say that it is so cold today that after I have finished feeding the littlies, I am going to have a nice soak in a hot bath.....
But today's weather is really matching my gloomy and introspective mood :-(
I do so hope I am not some kind of quantum weather butterfly/human..... Ian will smile at the Terry Pratchett analogy, I am sure !
I crave sugar. Not even dark chocolate brownies are making a difference. White chocolate would hit the spot, I think, but it can wait till Pascha.
Trying to convince my body of this fact is quite another matter, LOL.
Yesterday I spent a large part of a lovely warm day in the garden; today -well. Suffice it to say that it is so cold today that after I have finished feeding the littlies, I am going to have a nice soak in a hot bath.....
But today's weather is really matching my gloomy and introspective mood :-(
I do so hope I am not some kind of quantum weather butterfly/human..... Ian will smile at the Terry Pratchett analogy, I am sure !
I crave sugar. Not even dark chocolate brownies are making a difference. White chocolate would hit the spot, I think, but it can wait till Pascha.
Trying to convince my body of this fact is quite another matter, LOL.
Paschal Eggs
I found a brilliant resource for preparing to dye Paschal eggs.
If you would like to experiment with other colours as well as the traditional red eggs, try these :-)
Following each color listed below, you will find the number of drops of each food coloring to be added to about 2 - 4 ounces of vinegar for dipping :-
Lime - 24 yellow, 4 green
Purple - 15 blue, 5 red
Cantaloupe - 24 yellow, 2 red
Jade - 17 green, 3 blue
Plum - 10 red, 4 blue
Spearmint - 12 green, 6 yellow, 2 blue
Raspberry - 14 red, 6 blue
Maize - 24 yellow, 1 red
Watermelon - 25 red, 2 blue
Teal - 15 green, 5 blue
Grape - 17 blue, 3 red
Fuchsia - 18 red, 2 blue
Orange Sunset - 17 yellow, 3 red
Jungle Green - 14 green, 6 yellow
Shamelessly borrowed from here.
If you do use them, please post photos so we can see how they turned out !
If you would like to experiment with other colours as well as the traditional red eggs, try these :-)
Following each color listed below, you will find the number of drops of each food coloring to be added to about 2 - 4 ounces of vinegar for dipping :-
Lime - 24 yellow, 4 green
Purple - 15 blue, 5 red
Cantaloupe - 24 yellow, 2 red
Jade - 17 green, 3 blue
Plum - 10 red, 4 blue
Spearmint - 12 green, 6 yellow, 2 blue
Raspberry - 14 red, 6 blue
Maize - 24 yellow, 1 red
Watermelon - 25 red, 2 blue
Teal - 15 green, 5 blue
Grape - 17 blue, 3 red
Fuchsia - 18 red, 2 blue
Orange Sunset - 17 yellow, 3 red
Jungle Green - 14 green, 6 yellow
Shamelessly borrowed from here.
If you do use them, please post photos so we can see how they turned out !
Saturday, April 04, 2009
DD3 On The Wall !
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This a photo I took on my phone whilst DD3 was climbing The Wall at Center Parc. Had to get one of the grown-up offspring to BlueTooth it over to my web-book so I could post it here.
I have to say, rather her than me !
I get giddy standing on a chair to change a lightbulb........
Term Has Ended
After the shambolic day we have had today, I'm not sure whether this is a good thing or a bad thing !
On a happier note, the weather has been really good so my tortoise is roaming happily in the garden, loads of washing have been done and hung (hanged ? Anastasia, please correct me!) on the line, and DH has fixed the garden fence.
This is NEXT DOOR owner's responsibility and they haven't bothered to mend it though we asked nicely several months ago. DH has patched it enough so that none of our livestock (human or pet) can escape, LOL.
I have weeded, tidied and cut back bushes, and am admiring the very handsome wood-pigeon strutting around in the garden as I type this.
If only my brother were well again, I could wish for nothing more.
On a happier note, the weather has been really good so my tortoise is roaming happily in the garden, loads of washing have been done and hung (hanged ? Anastasia, please correct me!) on the line, and DH has fixed the garden fence.
This is NEXT DOOR owner's responsibility and they haven't bothered to mend it though we asked nicely several months ago. DH has patched it enough so that none of our livestock (human or pet) can escape, LOL.
I have weeded, tidied and cut back bushes, and am admiring the very handsome wood-pigeon strutting around in the garden as I type this.
If only my brother were well again, I could wish for nothing more.
News About My Brother
My brother is back in hospital again. This is his **fourth** emergency admission since mid-January.
He is too unwell for them to be able to perform the palliative drain procedure which gives him a few weeks of temporary relief, so he is on a restricted fluid intake diet for a few days to see if that improves his blood chemistry enough for the procedure to be performed safely.
We are shortly leaving to visit him.
Prayers coveted, especially for him and for my mother, who is currently his primary caregiver when he is home.
He is too unwell for them to be able to perform the palliative drain procedure which gives him a few weeks of temporary relief, so he is on a restricted fluid intake diet for a few days to see if that improves his blood chemistry enough for the procedure to be performed safely.
We are shortly leaving to visit him.
Prayers coveted, especially for him and for my mother, who is currently his primary caregiver when he is home.
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