RAGtime!

We have lift off!



We watched hundreds of orange balloons bristling with tags, fly off in the wind from Northumbria University's two campuses to mark the beginning of RAG week; the balloons are collecting money for 'Raising And Giving' to 3 charities chosen by the students; today (& for the rest of the week) the RAG teams have been out on the streets and St James' Park football crowds.



I know it sounds soppy but my friends are wonderful when they rally round to support in cash or kind.



Newcastle United played the most exciting game against Arsenal drawing 4-4 after the most embarrassing start- Arsenal were 4 goals up in the first 26 minutes but what a second half!

and again.....

I find myself repeating the same things as I wrote last year! My life must be so repetitive! But do I care if I do the same, enjoyable things each year?



The Pudding Club got a great deal at The George at Chollerford so we braved hoar frosts to walk from Steel Rigg to Housesteads and found ourselves bathed in sunshine up on the Wall. We found the Roman mason's mark( a swastika) on a rock and entertained the rest of the clientele with our outlandish definitions in 'Balderdash'. Sunsets , sunshine , good friends and lots of cups of tea!



I intended to garden but the snow forecast became rain so the leaves from the beech still cover the lawns and borders. Aah- the best laid plans of mice and men aften gang astray..... I think Steinbeck surely borrowed that from Rabbie Burns; 'twas Burns night this week. The birds love the leafy borders as they ferret below the detritus to unfrosted soil and worms.




It is 'Get into Newcastle' and this particular week is 'Restaurant Week'; if I lost 4lbs last week I have put it all back on this week! Certain restaurants (mainly courtesy of chef Terry Laybourne) have offered 2 courses for £10 to encourage people to eat in the city during the doldrums of January. Last night we ate in Cafe 21 in Fenwicks ( lovely due to waitress Em.) and tonight 5 of us ate in 'As you Like it'; I am not sure whether I liked it or not! A dirty knife, fork and glass; a 'no ice please 'coke filled with ice! but excellent onion rings.

I am going to buy balloons to release to mark the beginning of Northumbria RAG week of Raising And Giving.... How far will they fly? Who will find them? Eeeh! I am excited.... and think back to the Silver Jubilee street party H1 and I organised; we released a cloud of red, white and blue to discover some made it to Scotland and one to the fjords of Norway.

I never go to see anything twice but 4 of us went to see 'The King's Speech' tonight- just as good a second time and up for 12 Oscars. I hear it is going down very well in USA




Life is whizzing by... soon it will be Chinese New Year and the Rat will disappear to be replaced by which animal's year? Fair Trade Fortnight is rapidly approaching.... and the tips of bulbs are peeping timidly above the surface of the earth.