It has been a bit of a surreal week. A fabulous family reunion and The Git's recent brush with The Polis.... let me explain.
My little sister Jacqueline arrived from Oz with her wonderful daughter Katherine two weeks ago. Much excitement followed as I have not seen them for 10 years, one of the downsides of being a Donut Child. An emotional reunion was held at Truro station with the little ones holding a big banner, which read, Welcome Home. I think about 100 plus weary travellers got off the London train and everyone of them smiled at the sight of Josh and Angelina holding that banner, a rare moment in time.
I hadn't seen a lot of them as they were busy 'emptying the shops' in Truro and I was busy being ill....so ill that I could not visit the hairdresser...seriously ill then! Note...it has always struck me that 'Hairdresser' is such an old fashioned word. You would think that 'Hair Artiste' or 'Hair Celebrity' would be much more in keeping with our present world.
I rang Ma on Friday and was bullied into driving over to daughters house in Truro, Saturday morning, in order to then drive to St Ives (shit roads with bad arm) and show Jax all the annoying Emmetts! Talk about hideously grumpy. But being a Donut Child, I packed the perfect picnic. Grilled Salmon for Pa, Salad and Eggs for Jax, pop and cold sausages for the kids and tomato juice for me. Soft buttered rolls, a quiche and a raspberry mousse, which I finally finished at midnight. I headed off to bed, muttering grumpy, terrible thoughts to myself about bad roads, Emmetts and a sore arm.
Woke Saturday morning an hour late, Pa on the phone. Grrr. 'Why should I meet you in the middle of Truro when we are going to St Ives?' said I. ' Erm...I think you need to come over as we need two cars' said Pa. I was a bit like Jack Nicholson in the final scene in 'The Witches of Eastwick' when I put the phone down. You really do NOT want to know what I said or muttered whilst trying to cover, 'Vampire Like' paleness over with make up. Not Good and Very Stressed is the polite version.....
Arrived in Truro, parked on a double yellow, got shouted at by shop owner as Siany lives bang, smack under the Cathedral. Stomped into Sians.....and burst into big noisy tears as my brother greeted me....I am still a little shaken up now! Poor Angelina, I think they had gagged her, tied her up and thrown her in the cupboard under the stairs (joking) as she was so desperate to tell me that Uncle Greg was here.
Explanation of tears is that my brother Greg also lives in Oz and I have not seen him for 3 years. To have the three of us in the same room at the same time was a massive thing for us, oh and to have my parents there as well was, was, was....words fail me! Forgive me but it was Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Hmm...wonder how spell check will deal with that!
As a family of travellers we do not usually manage to be in the same country at the same time. At one point, I was in Cyprus, Greg in Oz, Jax in Scotland and my parents on Ascension Island.
We had a great day and went to St Ives in two cars but I didn't have to drive so the arm had a rest. Greg was driving like an Aussie but I think he was still running on 'Jet lag Time' as due to the Magic Volcano Dust he had done; Perth - Dubai - Dubai - Athens - Athens - Frankfurt - Frankfurt - London. He had a conference in Belgium and decided to pop over and say Hi. What a decent bloke. (can't say I love him on here as he is an Aussie and I would, for sure, get duffed up!) So thanks Greg for making my day!
I am sure you are all wondering about The Git's recent run in with the Polis. It was Sunday and I was a little delicate, due to celebrating family reunion. I looked 'Reet Gawjus'. I was wearing cut offs, my oldest T and a pair of Ugg boots. Happily cooking Sunday lunch, hoovering and cleaning a window. Door knocks and I find one rather nice looking Police Officer on my doorstep along with The Git and his mate Dan.
Deep breath! I invite Polis in and the two boys slunk in as quietly as they could, with ancient tails tucked between their legs. Apparently Josh and Dan had been throwing golf balls at the side of a building. This building, however was covered in very expensive slate and they had smashed rather a lot of it up. The Officer was quite stern but no match for me. No voices raised, no swear words used, just a quiet venomous rant as to how and why they had let me down.
Yeah, I can hear you saying that boys will be boys but bloody hell...ah well I suppose I have managed to cause my parents a few heartaches...but NOT at 12! The upshot is that they are both grounded. Oh man, I hate grounding them, it is rather like doing penance myself. I have to put up with the Git because he cannot go and do his usual skateboarding/bike thing. Also those previous known as Laurel and Hardy aka Dan and Josh are pining for each other and I feel guilty. Bonkers isn't it. The punishment hurts the parent much more than the child.
So that is my week. A lot of fun and a little crap. Oh and this Blog is dedicated to a bloke called Dave who gave me the impetus to Blog tonight when I was feeling lazy.
Night All
Namaste
Muse x
PS - I forgot all about the Picnic!
Monday 26 April 2010
Thursday 22 April 2010
Facebook Feelers and Pa!
It has been a bit of a daft week in the 'real world'. Lots of stories of people stuck and displaced. Before I say what is important to me, I must just empathise with those that are stuck with elderly relatives or children. Disclaimer Done!
I was just about to Blog and decided to check out the meanderings of fellow Donut Children. Just as well I did, as was going to Blog about idiot Brits that do not understand what a Volcano can do....erm having just watched the wonderful way Captain Eric Moody on Flight 747/BA dealt with the failure of four engines over the Indian Ocean and got everyone home safe! Seems there is a lot of hardship out there...hmm but would you want to be on that plane????
Face book has been quite interesting recently. One friend, living abroad, had her email account hacked into. All the old schoolies, contacted and protected her. The old school network continues, a few Donut Children were stuck and through Facebook we were all trying our best to get displaced persons home. One Donut Child managed to get person from Rome to Calais. Resourceful, amazing and 'well 'ard'! Donut children prevail!
Back to matters at home. My beautiful little sister came home from Oz last Friday with her daughter. We had a wonderful reunion. I was taking some photo's and Pa said 'Go away, I am not posing for these, I do not agree with Face book or its premis'. I guess I let him get on with it and did not comment. Little sis just took them and posted 'em!
I suppose Pa is 'old school' and prefers to be that way. What he does not realise, is that my Face book account is a sanitised version of my life. Only polite things must be muttered on ones FB account. Games played, points gained and nothing harsh must be said. No politics, no opinions....just a little fun, ah....and looking after, keeping in touch with those that you love! Face book can be used for a serious purpose but only when we want it to. That, Pa...is the difference.
Sleep Safe all you Donut Children
Muse x
I was just about to Blog and decided to check out the meanderings of fellow Donut Children. Just as well I did, as was going to Blog about idiot Brits that do not understand what a Volcano can do....erm having just watched the wonderful way Captain Eric Moody on Flight 747/BA dealt with the failure of four engines over the Indian Ocean and got everyone home safe! Seems there is a lot of hardship out there...hmm but would you want to be on that plane????
Face book has been quite interesting recently. One friend, living abroad, had her email account hacked into. All the old schoolies, contacted and protected her. The old school network continues, a few Donut Children were stuck and through Facebook we were all trying our best to get displaced persons home. One Donut Child managed to get person from Rome to Calais. Resourceful, amazing and 'well 'ard'! Donut children prevail!
Back to matters at home. My beautiful little sister came home from Oz last Friday with her daughter. We had a wonderful reunion. I was taking some photo's and Pa said 'Go away, I am not posing for these, I do not agree with Face book or its premis'. I guess I let him get on with it and did not comment. Little sis just took them and posted 'em!
I suppose Pa is 'old school' and prefers to be that way. What he does not realise, is that my Face book account is a sanitised version of my life. Only polite things must be muttered on ones FB account. Games played, points gained and nothing harsh must be said. No politics, no opinions....just a little fun, ah....and looking after, keeping in touch with those that you love! Face book can be used for a serious purpose but only when we want it to. That, Pa...is the difference.
Sleep Safe all you Donut Children
Muse x
Friday 16 April 2010
Tupelo Honey...One of the great moments in time.
You can take all the tea in China
Put it in a big brown bag for me
Sail right around the seven oceans
Drop it straight into the deep blue sea
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee
You can't stop us on the road to freedom
You can't keep us 'cause our eyes can see
Men with insight, men in granite
Knights in armor bent on chivalry
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee
You can't stop us on the road to freedom
You can't stop us 'cause our eyes can see
Men with insight, men in granite
Knights in armor intent on chivalry
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee
You know she's alright
You know she's alright with me
She's alright, she's alright (she's an angel)
You can take all the tea in China
Put it in a big brown bag for me
Sail it right around the seven oceans
Drop it smack dab in the middle of the deep blue sea
Because she's as sweet as tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like the honey, baby, from the bee
She's my baby, you know she's alright.....
Put it in a big brown bag for me
Sail right around the seven oceans
Drop it straight into the deep blue sea
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee
You can't stop us on the road to freedom
You can't keep us 'cause our eyes can see
Men with insight, men in granite
Knights in armor bent on chivalry
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee
You can't stop us on the road to freedom
You can't stop us 'cause our eyes can see
Men with insight, men in granite
Knights in armor intent on chivalry
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee
You know she's alright
You know she's alright with me
She's alright, she's alright (she's an angel)
You can take all the tea in China
Put it in a big brown bag for me
Sail it right around the seven oceans
Drop it smack dab in the middle of the deep blue sea
Because she's as sweet as tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like the honey, baby, from the bee
She's my baby, you know she's alright.....
Thursday 15 April 2010
Tyrannical Technology
I watched a programme last night about a family going back and living life in the 70's. Tonight, they were going back to life in the 80's...but I missed it! Doesn't matter, last nights programme gave me enough food for thought. The 70's wasn't such a bad decade. It obviously provoked a huge nostalgia within myself but the difference in technology between that decade and now is what stuck with me.
Can you imagine trying to explain to your long departed loved ones, the technology today, if, by some chance, they returned in 2010? I lost my two Grandfathers as a teenager. One, Samuel Anderson was a very clever technical man and could build anything with his hands. The other, John French Jones was an upholsterer, of some note and could make anything with his hands. Both were sincere men and wonderful Grandfathers.
But, HOW? would I explain to them the advances in technology. I will give it a go and if my technical knowledge is not up to scratch, then forgive me.
THE CASH POINT
You do not have a cheque book or a wage packet anymore. You have a slim plastic thing called a cash card, it has a tiny micro chip in it and it only works for you. There is a hole in the wall, where you furtively glance in all directions around you, before keying in a four digit number, known as a PIN number and ask the hole in the wall for money. This is obviously not an unknown thing to you as in your time, you actually had a hole in the wall where you stored your cash but this is a much more shiny hole in the wall that often refuses to give you YOUR money as the bank server has gone down!
THE MOBILE PHONE
Is a phone you can carry around with you in your pocket. There are also chips in it, not of the fish variety but micro. It comes with a set of irritating ring tones. They are very loud and annoy lots of people around you. It rings at the most inopportune times and you can never find it in your handbag/pocket. Lots of people like to include you in their private lives by talking loudly into it in front of you. Even if you are 10 you are not left in peace and the 'my watch has stopped' excuse does not work anymore....brutal! People also use it to text. In Samuel's language this is SMS and in John's....Morse code. Texts are also annoying as you have to answer by pushing lots of stupidly small buttons! If you switch the Mobile Phone off your family immediately call the emergency services as they fear the worst. The truth is that T Mobile is crap!
THE CD PLAYER/MP3/DOWNLOADING TECHNOLOGY
Lots to explain here. As you know we had vinyl and reel to reel and I mourn its loss. Then we progressed to cassette tape, which you grumbled about but accepted the loss of sound quality (Samuel). We were all as fed up as you and so the electronic giants decreed that we should listen to something called a Compact Disc. It was supposed to be indestructible and the early ones were about as enduring as a lit match! Ho...Hum, we persevered and finally had a decent CD to listen to. Then....they pulled the rug from under our feet! They introduced downloading, MP3 players and other terrible thing such as Pod casts (note Dave Raven, you are immune from this...) and this Granddaughter cannot possibly attempt to explain all that as she is a bit of a technophobe herself. Suffice to say. I like my Cd's, I like to buy something that I can look at!
PERSONAL COMPUTERS
Alas, I am probably unable to explain this to you as I suffer with very, very bad computer rage. Basically it is a processor, which is supposed to do what you tell it to do. Trust me on this....it doesn't, it lies, causes you to pull your hair out, stamp your foot and wonder why you are actually using the thing! Sorry, I have failed miserably but, these days I forget as much as I learn.
So my lovely Grandfathers. I know in my heart that one of you would have been like a big kid in a sweet shop and the other (like me) would have been scratching his head...
Miss You x
Be Kind to Each Other
Muse xxx
PS NO! I cannot explain the WWW...it is too bloody hard!
Can you imagine trying to explain to your long departed loved ones, the technology today, if, by some chance, they returned in 2010? I lost my two Grandfathers as a teenager. One, Samuel Anderson was a very clever technical man and could build anything with his hands. The other, John French Jones was an upholsterer, of some note and could make anything with his hands. Both were sincere men and wonderful Grandfathers.
But, HOW? would I explain to them the advances in technology. I will give it a go and if my technical knowledge is not up to scratch, then forgive me.
THE CASH POINT
You do not have a cheque book or a wage packet anymore. You have a slim plastic thing called a cash card, it has a tiny micro chip in it and it only works for you. There is a hole in the wall, where you furtively glance in all directions around you, before keying in a four digit number, known as a PIN number and ask the hole in the wall for money. This is obviously not an unknown thing to you as in your time, you actually had a hole in the wall where you stored your cash but this is a much more shiny hole in the wall that often refuses to give you YOUR money as the bank server has gone down!
THE MOBILE PHONE
Is a phone you can carry around with you in your pocket. There are also chips in it, not of the fish variety but micro. It comes with a set of irritating ring tones. They are very loud and annoy lots of people around you. It rings at the most inopportune times and you can never find it in your handbag/pocket. Lots of people like to include you in their private lives by talking loudly into it in front of you. Even if you are 10 you are not left in peace and the 'my watch has stopped' excuse does not work anymore....brutal! People also use it to text. In Samuel's language this is SMS and in John's....Morse code. Texts are also annoying as you have to answer by pushing lots of stupidly small buttons! If you switch the Mobile Phone off your family immediately call the emergency services as they fear the worst. The truth is that T Mobile is crap!
THE CD PLAYER/MP3/DOWNLOADING TECHNOLOGY
Lots to explain here. As you know we had vinyl and reel to reel and I mourn its loss. Then we progressed to cassette tape, which you grumbled about but accepted the loss of sound quality (Samuel). We were all as fed up as you and so the electronic giants decreed that we should listen to something called a Compact Disc. It was supposed to be indestructible and the early ones were about as enduring as a lit match! Ho...Hum, we persevered and finally had a decent CD to listen to. Then....they pulled the rug from under our feet! They introduced downloading, MP3 players and other terrible thing such as Pod casts (note Dave Raven, you are immune from this...) and this Granddaughter cannot possibly attempt to explain all that as she is a bit of a technophobe herself. Suffice to say. I like my Cd's, I like to buy something that I can look at!
PERSONAL COMPUTERS
Alas, I am probably unable to explain this to you as I suffer with very, very bad computer rage. Basically it is a processor, which is supposed to do what you tell it to do. Trust me on this....it doesn't, it lies, causes you to pull your hair out, stamp your foot and wonder why you are actually using the thing! Sorry, I have failed miserably but, these days I forget as much as I learn.
So my lovely Grandfathers. I know in my heart that one of you would have been like a big kid in a sweet shop and the other (like me) would have been scratching his head...
Miss You x
Be Kind to Each Other
Muse xxx
PS NO! I cannot explain the WWW...it is too bloody hard!
Friday 9 April 2010
Wandering Back to Wales
The Blog has been sadly neglected of late. The reason? I have spent the week 'doing' rather than writing. Its been a fun but exhausting week but it has been fantastic to get out of Cornwall for the first time in 6 months...erm yeah 6 months! What a little Country Mouse I have become.
Mr S invited me to his for the bank holiday weekend and we enjoyed lots of good food and great music but I'll Blog about my musical education, and how it is coming along, another time. He lives in Swansea and as my elderly grandmother lives in Cardiff, I made arrangements to visit her on the way back.
I had travelled to Swansea in the relative calm of the late afternoon and I don't think I even changed gear until I got to the Severn Bridge. Can you believe they charge you £5.50 to get into Wales these days! I haven't been over the border in 10 years but driving across the bridge still gave me the same thrill as it did when I was a child. Upon arriving in Wales I had to cope with lots of signs in an unknown language, as well as trying to get in the right lane. I haven't even driven on a motorway for years, never mind a foreign one! I fear I am going to get slapped for that! My ancestors looking down upon me with frowns on their faces. I am only joking, I am bloody proud to be a Celt and a Welsh Dragon resides upon the back of The Shoe Carrier, something The Git insists upon.
I digress. It was good to be home and I regret not coming back before. I was surprised how emotional I felt. As this was a spur of the moment trip, I rang my parents to tell them where I was. It's only fair that I checked in as they were looking after The Git. "Oh that's wonderful" said my mother and followed through with "if you come back without Clarks Pies and Cockles I will disown you!"
Tuesday morning arrived and grumpily I set off for Cardiff at 7.30 in the morning. Dear God, I was in shock, it was so early even the locals had the sense to stay in bed. WRONG! I confidently swooped (actually I was in shoe carrier, that should read stuttered) onto the motorway and found myself in road rage hell. Hellish traffic, all doing 60ish with no power to get me out of trouble as the wide boys swooped in and out of lanes. This drive wasn't about confidence it was about horse power and I had none, driving the 1000cc Shoe Carrier. It was a baptism of fire, did me good but set my road rage management back a good three years. I used to live that life and did not question it. How lucky I am to live where I do.
I had arranged to meet my nanny at my Aunts house in Gabalfa, where she was staying. Got the map (Ta Mr S), no problem, it looked simple enough, junction 33 and Dave's your Uncle. My Nan actually lives in Grangetown, where both my parents grew up but I didn't want to drive there as was worried about hitting the city centre in error. Now, unbeknown to me Gabalfa has been renamed Llandaff North. I was happily mis-placed for a while (muses don't get lost) and thinking, I am sure I must have passed the turning when I drove past Cardiff Castle in all its glory. Oh shit! City Centre, here I come.
It was okay, no pase nada and all I could think was "just pretend you are driving in Plymouth". The brain then did an odd thing and told me turn left. Hmmm...why? Ah, all became clear as The Brains railway bridge came into view and I found myself on Clare road, opposite the flat that my mother had lived in with her parents, just around the corner from my Nanny's house. Penarth lights, everything made sense and I was home, just a little homing pigeon coming back to its roost.
I hesitantly rang my Aunt. "Erm..guess where I am" I said. "Lost" she replied. "Umm Clare Rd and I have no idea how I got here". Gales of laughter followed. "Stay there, go to Nanny's house and we'll be there soon", she said through her laughter. All of a sudden I wasn't 46, I was 5 again!
I spent a happy hour with my family, hugged and kissed my beautiful nanny. Wandered through the house, touching the piano, looking at paintings and remembering many happy childhood visits. It was all too brief and I want to return soon.
I drove home through awful traffic and fog on the A30.... Bodmin Moor didn't let me down. I rang my Aunt to tell her I was home. Loud voice in the background "Are you sure she in Bodmin, not Grangetown"! Very funny Uncle Dave. Yep, its going to take me years to live this one down!
Be Kind to each other. Nos Da.
Muse x
Mr S invited me to his for the bank holiday weekend and we enjoyed lots of good food and great music but I'll Blog about my musical education, and how it is coming along, another time. He lives in Swansea and as my elderly grandmother lives in Cardiff, I made arrangements to visit her on the way back.
I had travelled to Swansea in the relative calm of the late afternoon and I don't think I even changed gear until I got to the Severn Bridge. Can you believe they charge you £5.50 to get into Wales these days! I haven't been over the border in 10 years but driving across the bridge still gave me the same thrill as it did when I was a child. Upon arriving in Wales I had to cope with lots of signs in an unknown language, as well as trying to get in the right lane. I haven't even driven on a motorway for years, never mind a foreign one! I fear I am going to get slapped for that! My ancestors looking down upon me with frowns on their faces. I am only joking, I am bloody proud to be a Celt and a Welsh Dragon resides upon the back of The Shoe Carrier, something The Git insists upon.
I digress. It was good to be home and I regret not coming back before. I was surprised how emotional I felt. As this was a spur of the moment trip, I rang my parents to tell them where I was. It's only fair that I checked in as they were looking after The Git. "Oh that's wonderful" said my mother and followed through with "if you come back without Clarks Pies and Cockles I will disown you!"
Tuesday morning arrived and grumpily I set off for Cardiff at 7.30 in the morning. Dear God, I was in shock, it was so early even the locals had the sense to stay in bed. WRONG! I confidently swooped (actually I was in shoe carrier, that should read stuttered) onto the motorway and found myself in road rage hell. Hellish traffic, all doing 60ish with no power to get me out of trouble as the wide boys swooped in and out of lanes. This drive wasn't about confidence it was about horse power and I had none, driving the 1000cc Shoe Carrier. It was a baptism of fire, did me good but set my road rage management back a good three years. I used to live that life and did not question it. How lucky I am to live where I do.
I had arranged to meet my nanny at my Aunts house in Gabalfa, where she was staying. Got the map (Ta Mr S), no problem, it looked simple enough, junction 33 and Dave's your Uncle. My Nan actually lives in Grangetown, where both my parents grew up but I didn't want to drive there as was worried about hitting the city centre in error. Now, unbeknown to me Gabalfa has been renamed Llandaff North. I was happily mis-placed for a while (muses don't get lost) and thinking, I am sure I must have passed the turning when I drove past Cardiff Castle in all its glory. Oh shit! City Centre, here I come.
It was okay, no pase nada and all I could think was "just pretend you are driving in Plymouth". The brain then did an odd thing and told me turn left. Hmmm...why? Ah, all became clear as The Brains railway bridge came into view and I found myself on Clare road, opposite the flat that my mother had lived in with her parents, just around the corner from my Nanny's house. Penarth lights, everything made sense and I was home, just a little homing pigeon coming back to its roost.
I hesitantly rang my Aunt. "Erm..guess where I am" I said. "Lost" she replied. "Umm Clare Rd and I have no idea how I got here". Gales of laughter followed. "Stay there, go to Nanny's house and we'll be there soon", she said through her laughter. All of a sudden I wasn't 46, I was 5 again!
I spent a happy hour with my family, hugged and kissed my beautiful nanny. Wandered through the house, touching the piano, looking at paintings and remembering many happy childhood visits. It was all too brief and I want to return soon.
I drove home through awful traffic and fog on the A30.... Bodmin Moor didn't let me down. I rang my Aunt to tell her I was home. Loud voice in the background "Are you sure she in Bodmin, not Grangetown"! Very funny Uncle Dave. Yep, its going to take me years to live this one down!
Be Kind to each other. Nos Da.
Muse x
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