Some Things are just so Magical

Some things just cannot be explained. They just happen.

When they do, its magical. Pure Magic. I cant explain why. It just is.

Every year sure to the day the Lily flower in Moms house always flowers brightest on 22nd April. Not a day before, not a day after. Always brightest on the 22nd April. Dads Birthday. Sadly Dad is no longer with us. Never forgotten of course. But the Lily knows somehow to shine brightest on his birthday. Happy birthday Dad!

Today I came across a great blog site http://reasonstobehopeful.blogspot.com/ and it does exactly wot is says on the can. News stories full of hope and inspiration. Hurrah to Hope, Boo to misery.

" Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." Shawshank Redemption

Happy St Patricks Day Feet

Green socks - Doing my bit for St Patricks Day

Yes its March 17th today. St Patricks Day. A day when the Irish away from the Homeland celebrate more than the people stuck on the Homeland. A day when those who are not Irish become Irish and celebrate St Patricks Day in the hope that a few drinks will be bought for them too.

Everyones Irish on St Paddys Day - Sláinte!

When good pancakes go bad

Today is pancake day. Which means only one thing, lets make pancakes. The last time I made pancakes I was probably @ college. It was the only thing you ever ate when you went round to the infamous "Irish Embassy" house in Sunderland Poly. Eggs, flour, sugar and 12 crates of guinness was all they ever had there. Essentials for making a perfect pancake evening.

So roll forward some umteen pancake years later and pancake practice is definately lacking. My pancake was a bit of a disaster as you can see. But it still tossed and fell back into the fying pan no problem. I havent lost the ol toss technique there.

Added caster sugar, honey and lemon juice. Verdict - more!

Stressed out. Burned out. Bored out?

I think I've reached that point in my life now. I hope I havent. I really hope I havent.

I can remember Dad coming home once, well fed up with everything. Work had done it to him. I recall thinking God I hope that never happens to me. I hope I never reach that low a point.

Friday felt like I had. Day long audio conference after audio conference. Micro management to the nth degree. Grumpy people after grumpy people.

"God I hate everything!" I sighed ( non too quietly)

" Here, have this" said Baard (pronounced Bored) our resident Viking Iron Man who sits behind me

It was a lovely framed photograph of his two doggies. Happy doggies they were! How free and happy they looked on the photo. Every ounce of happiness was etched onto their faces.

For the rest of the day I was happy again.

and here are the Happy Doggies, Arent they just so photogenic ?

Happy Light Years

And here we are 2008 already. Where oh where are these years going? Wasnt it only like last year we were celebrating the beginning of the new millenium?

Well heres a belated Happy New Year :)

Last years new years resolution of wanting to be a millionairess didnt quite work out, so this year I think I will go for wanting to be half a millionairess. Not too much to ask.

2008 hasnt started too brilliantly. I caught that flu thing, well some mutated version of it I think. Over the worst of it now. Sadly it wasnt bad enough to get me 3 weeks off work :(

But last weekend really brought me round. I went to the Sepentine Gallery in London. Never been before and Man was I astounded by what I saw.

I'll try and explain.

Imagine a beam off white light in a large darkened room. Imagine the beam of light moving, slowly. Ever so slowly. Imagine yourself drawn towards the light. Drawn so much that you touch and enter into the beam, into the very vortex of beam of the light, so it engulfs you. You are now controlling the light and the artform around you.

The exhibihition is by Anthony McCall and well worth a visit.

"simple projections that strikingly emphasise the sculptural qualities of a beam of light. In darkened, haze-filled rooms, the projections create an illusion of three-dimensional shapes, ellipses, waves and flat planes that gradually expand, contract or sweep through space. In these works, the artist sought to deconstruct cinema by reducing film to its principle components of time and light and removing the screen entirely as the prescribed surface for projection. The works also shift the relationship of the audience to film, as viewers become participants, their bodies intersecting and modifying the transitory forms"

Heres some pictures from the Sepentine Gallery

A Very Merry Mince Pie Xmas

" Oh I wish it could be xmas every daaay, bom, bom bom bom booooommmm bom"

Heres to all you beautiful brilliant boombastic bloggers, young and old across the world. Go on have a mince pie, take one! I baked them especially for us to enjoy

Wishing you all a very merry mince pie xmas! May the second one taste just as good as the first one, and the third and the fourth.

See you all in 2008!

You and your Bloody Carrots!

Yes me and my bloody carrots got me into a right spot of bother this weekend.

We were up in the Fens this weekend. At Redgrave and Lopham Fen http://www.suffolkwildlife.co.uk/nr/sites/redg.htm A naturally preserved wetland area of outstanding beauty!

Mr K had been everso kind to me, birthday just gone, as he had given me one of those "sponsor a wild animal" things. My wild animal was a Konic Pony. The proceeds go to the upkeep of the wild animal and the habitat of the fen area, I guess.

Now given that I currently have more fruit and veg in the house due to the "Power Drinks" I never make, I thought why not feed these carrots to the dear wild ponies I'm helping to keep alive on the Fen ?

So off we went to the Fen on Sunday. For the first 2 hours of walking the fen we see no sign of any ponies. They are very elusive. But then in the distance we spot a herd of about 15 of them grazing under a tree.

Dont scare them, Im told. Lets approach with caution. They are wild animals.

I waive a carrot at them, but its no good only one looks up uninterested. We try and get a little closer, but a small streams stops us from getting anywhere close. Damn!

We rejoin our path and cross a small bridge and then all of a sudden there is a stampede of wild ponies coming towards us!

Wild Ponies galloping towards us!!! They were watching us. They knew we had carrots.

Oh god it was scary! Im hiding behind Mr K , he seems unconcerned of their wildness and goes over and offers them a carrot or two. Soon hes surrounded by 6 or 8 of them and disapearrs from my view.

Go on give them a carrot he says. I still have the one carrot I had waived at them earlier. I offer it to one that nearly takes my fingers off. He looks at me as if to say "more!" But i have no more! Seconds later Im nearly knocked to the floor by another 2 big ponies. Im surrounded. there must be 6 of them now jostling me for carrots. They are all looking at me with an evil carrot eye as they pin me against the fence. I have no carrots left!!

Help! I screamed

Mr K looks up and cant believe I'm shaking and screaming for help.

" You and your bloody carrots!" was all he could say as he laughed all the way home.

Im off carrots now.

Heres a picture of one of the ponies of evil . Do not say Ahhh. These are wild dangerous carrot eaters.