Gratitude

I have been across the border.
I went to a new country.
For the first time in my life.
I went to Wales!

Anyway, more on that later, but I had a little tale to tell.

The other day I was wandering around Sainsburys, I was in the fruit juice aisle and noticed a young lad of about 11 standing with his mother in front of the juice, hands clasped as though in prayer whilst uttering the words "Please, please, please."
His mother reached out, selected the Pomegranate & Blueberry, at which the lad fell to his knees, reached his arms to heaven and fairly yelled "Yes! Thank you!"

I really have to try that Pomegranate & Blueberry juice.

Loving Lovehearts

Some time ago I wrote about how I love a Love Hearts tale.
I still do, only I have noticed, on my recent purchases of Love Hearts that there are some really odd updates.
They always said things like 'You're hot', 'Call me', 'Gorgeous' and the like.
But now there are ones that I simply don't understand.
'Happy Harry' - is that a joke I don't get? Is it a phrase those hip youngsters are using? I just want to know what it means! And what it has to do with love!
Similarly, what on earth does 'Granny P' have to do with love? I don't get it! And I want to!
At least when the majority of Love Hearts do at least spell correctly and have a little grammar.
But then I found the sweet 'Me Julie Best Mum', I don't have words. I just don't. How can I invent a Love Hearts story around such ridiculous sweets?

By the way, after I took this photo I found another sweet, which had the words 'Mermaid Eloise'.
Seriously, would someone please, pretty please, explain this to me?

Drumroll

My friend Gary came for tea tonight and less of him left than had arrived.

It had nothing to do with my cooking either!
Not that I've ever caused lasting damage with my cooking, at least not that I'm aware of!

I made a toad-in-the-hole, then established that he is not a great fan of Yorkshire Pudding. I love Yorkshires I do! I thought everyone felt the same!
So we ate, we had a little pudding.
We watched a little TV and had a little chatting.

I have an old travelling trunk in my lounge that serves as a coffee table of sorts. I love it and in the middle of it is a glass bowl, in which sit a selection of sweets. It's nice to have friends come round, have them dive in and feel like big kids.
Gary dove in and reappeared with Drumstick Lollies clutched in his fist.
Unfortunately the aforementioned lolly went on to clutch one of his fillings and refused to relinquish its hold.
Oops.

Pig Drawing

I found this link in stored away in my favourites and feel the need to share, but I think you should all share in response too.

You know you want to.
Draw a pig that is.

I drew one and I'm even going to share that too but you don't look at mine till you've done yours.
Promise?
Cross your heart?
As an added bonus you'll even get a personality report.

Feel that anticipation?

Ok, so, did you draw a pig?
Have you linked to it in the comments?

I'll believe you... here's my artistic effort.

Not Dead, Just Crippled

It's been a day or two. Maybe a week or so.
But I have returned, I have not gone, but my back has.
Honestly, what use is a back if it's going to misbehave. Does it not appreciate how central it is to your general mobility.
Admittedly my grunting appears to entertain those around me as I move from sitting to standing positions and back again, but even that will grow old.
To be fair it's much improved and after the next day or two I think I'll actually get some time to rest it and let it recover.
Also, on another upside, it is no longer waking me in the night every time I wiggle a toe. There's something disheartening about waking up and realising the time on the clock has barely changed since the last time you saw it.

I think, anyone who has read my rambling nonsense will appreciate I have a tendency to lean towards the eccentric. Sometimes I keep it in check, other times it just sort of runs off and I am unable to rein it in.
It snowed yesterday. Just a few inches, but enough to turn my world a pristine shade of white, to make the kids squeal and Mifford shake her feet in displeasure.
I was invited to Mum's for Sunday dinner. I'm not sure if my assembled outfit was eclectic, eccentric or just bonkers.
One thing it definitely wasn't was thought through.
I threw on a pair of jeans, my favourite pair were residing in the hamper waiting to be washed. My second favourite pair sit a little low and so need a long top to prevent indecent, builders bum, exposure. I pulled out a top. A strappy top.
You'd think the freezing temperatures would rule this out, but no.
I added a huge cardigan. Up until now I was pretty co-ordinated as everything was blue.
Then I realised I needed to leave the house and appreciated the fact that my Capri length (second favourite) jeans might not keep those ankles toasty, so I opted for a long pair of pink & green striped slipper socks.
Sexy huh?
But wait, there was snow and ice on the ground.
I added my green wellies.
See how this look is coming together?
For a final touch I added my pink winter coat.
I'm like a fashion disaster.
But I felt so hilarious (ridiculous) I fairly skipped in the snow.

Moving on....
Last week, complete with uncooperative back I went to the NEC with Mum to visit the Hobbycrafts show. I love me some crafting. And some shopping. And some spending. It was good and I have come to realise in future I need a lottery win prior to visiting so that I can purchase all of my desired items. Or a really generous bank manager. I'll be sticking to my lottery dreams, as, even though I never buy a ticket, my chances of winning are still higher than finding the latter of those options.
I did come away with a sheet of cling rubber stamps, with which I am thrilled and am excited by their bargain price of just £4. I also got shrink plastic, which I remember using as a child. There's just something exciting about its transformation.
My friend Gary came over last week, I sat and painted a picture as we chatted, which I intended to then shrink.
The instructions clearly stated that your image could not be larger than 10cm x 13cm, so naturally I did one that was half A4 size. When it was finally finished I reached for my heat gun to see what would happen with my rebellious, outsized image. Gary said it was genuinely exciting.
What was less exciting was the damn thing rolling up on itself, sticking itself together and becoming all but ruined.
It's totally weird but I think the rules about 10cm x 13cm are there for a reason. Who knew!
However, I have since managed to unroll the shrink plastic, it's a little deformed but what the hell. I'm not sure I've learned my lesson now I've sort of fixed it.

I read a book every night (not a whole book, just part of one) before I go to bed but I left my current book in the car and it's really cold out there. I'm also wearing pyjama bottoms with my daytime clothes. But it's dark. Do I get the book and risk further bad clothing exposure or find something else to read?
My life is a whirlwind of complex decisions.

On a final note, I lost a whole hunk of hair to a necklace today. I have no idea how so much got trapped, but I have a feeling, were I to look, that I'd have a bald spot.

Song Of The Week XXXX

This band reminds of a time in my life that seems just so very many years ago. Probably because it was! Over a decade is a fair while, but there's something about the album that this song comes from that is still so incredibly fresh.
They were all songs that you could sing along with and with the obligatory occasional swear words so that you could feel pleasantly rebellious.

There are some great lines in this track and I can listen to it over and over, the same is true of the album.
This song actually gives me goosebumps, then it makes me chuckle with some of the lines, like: "grass is something you smoke, birds are something you shag, take a year in Provence and shove it up your arse", see, it was mild swearing but I loved it!

Every time I think about Pulp or hear a single track, I immediately want to listen to the entire Different Class album, which was my favourite, although I really must give the others a proper listen.

Enjoy!

Pulp - I Spy:

Oh and one last thing. I can't end this entry without a quote, namely the one that went along with the Different Class album.

"Please understand. We don't want no trouble. We just want the right to be different. That's all."

Absolutely, couldn't have said it better myself.

The Cat Came Back

I have no idea why this popped into my head today but there I was minding my own business when my brain screamed 'I wonder if The Cat Came Back is on youtube?'
So, upon arriving home I checked, and yes it is!

I love this piece of animation and haven't seen it in ages.
However, I know for the foreseeable future I'm going to be singing 'The cat came back the very next day, thought he was a gonner but the cat back, he just wouldn't go away'.
Just brilliant.