New beginnings

Bits and bobs... none of which are earth shattering.

I knew Colin Firth would/should get an award for 'The King's Speech'; I thought he was brilliant at acting George V1 (even if the use of the F-word was unnecessary & unauthentic).

Winnie the Pooh Day yesterday; I have always loved Pooh-I can identify with a ' bear of little brain'. I remember a relative giving me a medal for Pooh's 50th birthday (gosh! a long time ago!); it had on it 'Because its yours because we love you'. Yeah right!

Eeh! A night on the town with the girls- well Barluga to be exact- was fun but H1 gave a lift back conditional to calling in at the pub where we had a great hour with C&B- but both their friends have lost their jobs in Civil Service and T has lost her position with 'One North East'.... the coalition cuts are just starting to bite. I bet the bankers don't get bitten- they are still going to get huge bonuses and pensions (Lloyds top guy for a kick off).

After a long campaign against Interflora, finally today they sent a replacement bouquet to D2 after the awful, dead bunches they gave her from me (at a cost to me of £38!) last summer. I won't use Interflora again though.

So our beloved Government are thinking of selling Forestry Commission land off into private hands? More of our land we can not walk in. Where will our children/grandchildren see nature, breathe deep, take exercise, enjoy? There is a petition against it- and contact your MP.



I am succumbing to the smell of paint- scenery painting at the weekend and now the kitchen/utility/breakfast room blanches and sparkles under H1's brush; normally I paint but I can't this year. (I am useless glossing anyway)



I couldn't move last week- after much research with GPs and zentherapist massages (wow- felt like liquid heaven at the time but glowed like hell that night) methinks the shoulders ached and fingers impulsed with electric shorts, due to the typing position dictated by the computer station.... so after dismantling and moving, I am trying to wordprocess and cursor (curse!) over gel pads on the desk.



Lunch at the Hearth was taken with M. and H. under the auspices of Bookcrossing.
Perhaps I should not be irritated at not writing but should take comfort and pride in being a reader instead.

On the domestic front- today was the first day the sun allowed washing to be hung outside; I put the porch light back an hour too; both made me feel better!

Missing?

Have you seen it?

Each year there is a Nativity crib at the junction of Eldon Square and Eldon Gardens; this year it ain't there! so where is it? Let me know if you see it elsewhere and I have just missed the relocation. I have emailed the Council who said it is nothing to do with them (really?!!!)so I should contact Eldon Square owners- which I have done- to no avail so far. So I have emailed the Evening Chronicle and wait...... If you want to add pressure please send some emails/letters too. I already resent Christmas lights not being allowed as that is 'politically incorrect' so now we have Winter Festival and winter lights.

I feel a crusade coming on....

Hopefully the stamps mission to have the option to buy religious postage Christmas stamps has registered a little with the powers that be.

I have another crusade going with Interflora who reckon they have not seen my dozens of emails (which I have kept!!) regarding the July engagement 'bouquet' I sent to D2-I showed you photos of the pathetic bunch Interflora delivered.

I am delighted to say I have at last (4 months it has taken- but I have never yet given up on a book, though I was tempted with this one) finished 'The Dante Club ' and can now start on 'Blood Royal' by Vanora Bennett. I shall register Dante with Bookcrossing and set it free in the wild......

A walk along the beach at Druridge Bay has cleared the cobwebs and a cuppa at Deans and Daniella's has girded the loins so now to put the house back to rights; I should unearth the missing (hidden!) Dyson and hoover up the debris below the disintegrating wreath.

I do hope you see him tomorrow- 'The man with as many noses as there are days in the year'; keep your eyes open for him!

Hogmanay tomorrow- I need to find a silver coin (for wealth), coal (or fuel of some sort- signifying warmth), a piece of cake/sweet food (to wish plenty to eat) and a wee bottle of alcohol (to give us drink) to put in a bag to leave for the First Foot- to be brought in by who ever happens to be the first person (preferably & traditionally a tall, dark, handsome male)(but it might have to be H1!) to step over the threshold of the front door after midnight at New Year; they bring 2011's luck in with them.

Happy New Year when it comes!

Buzz

We went to see 3D Toy Story 3 before the hordes descended on the cinema (the school holidays started two weeks ago); I loved it- it operates on two levels-for the young it is fun and scary; adults too will find it those things though if you are a parent I think you will find it sad thinking about times passed. Read A.A.Milne's 'The House at Pooh Corner' wherein the last paragraph is similarly wistful.

'So they went off together. But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest a little boy and his Bear will always be playing.'

J.M.Barry said 'If a man is sick of London he is sick of life'. Try as I might I cannot like our capital city! I am so proud of every thing it represents via 10 Downing St, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace etc but for me it is 'noise, traffic,muck, people and very few Londoners'. We have been to see D2 and fiance and to have a girly day looking at wedding dresses. However trauma with a relative caused anxieties second to none.... I shall tell you about that another time.



For the first time in years I sent an Interflora bouquet (£30+ £7 Interflora charge)-to the engaged pair; the bouquet arrived- brown edged lilies, dead flowers and all; I rang my florist who rang the London florist; the latter asked to recollect it within the hour so she could check its condition; 4 hours later!! she recollected and delivered a new one. I went to visit 3-4 days later- so small, pathetic and almost dead (see photo above- that wilting bunch cost £37) nothing like the one chosen from the Interflora catalogue. Having said it was not their responsibility and with my making lots of phonecalls & emails (with photos), Interflora have offered to send a £10 voucher to D2. Shabby ,unacceptable and appalling customer service so don't send things Interflora is my advice. I bought a gorgeous bouquet off our local florist for P&M's silver wedding-3 stems of white lilies and 5 white delphinium, straw wrap,greentissuey paper and card for £11.



Men have a weird mindset and selective hearing. I suggested to H1 not to buy flowers to celebrate our anniversary as we would be away so he bought a dozen red roses!!!!!! They are beautiful now we are back (all except for one which has died unopened after just 3 days and alone probably cost an arm and a leg).



Meanwhile gardens are showing the effects of a snap of cold, rain and moving into later summer; roses are blowsy while buddleia butterfly bushes, montbretia and hydrangea are all full out.So many fields this year are filled with cereal crops especially wheat- has the EEC taken the subsidy off rape? The fields are golden and combined harvesters are trundling up and down sacking grain and stacking or rolling hay. Subsequent ploughs and harrows are followed by a cloud of gulls.



Over the last two weeks we have all seen lots of dead bees- why? I hope my solo bee is not one of them. H1 has positioned my birthday bee-home on the fence; I wait expectantly...