If They Could Only Speak

I think so many of us are getting troubles with aol now that I am tired of mentioning it. I will say though that I am having problems with journals loading slowly, as of yesterday I was not getting comment alerts and only very few posting alerts. I even get white boxes with red crosses when I access my e-mail or when the odd alert does come in and, needless to say, file manager is still not working.

Him indoors began putting the outside decorations up yesterday.  He was not able to start until quite late because we had Nathan here. So, he still has one to put up at the front of the house and then a set of stars in the back garden. That will get done today.  We always have them ready to switch on the 1st December.

Nathan managed to turn the oven on when he was here yesterday.  After they left and Mike was out, I was in the bedroom writing Christmas cards and smelled something strange.  Good job I checked.  Mike had put the grill pan in the oven and instead of putting the handles that belong to it in the drawer had left them on top.  The smell was the plastic starting to melt.  I caught them before any real damage was done.  Oh, Nathan also managed to turn the washing machine on as well.  The gate will have to go back at the door when they visit in future.  I did surprise Nathan with a little plastic wind-up t.v. with scenes from "Bob The Builder".  He loved it.  You can imagine how it pulled at my heart when he looked at me with those big blue eyes and said "Thank you Nanny".  Bless him, I almost shed a tear of love.

Why, the title of this entry?  Well, last week I brought you "talking cats" so today I thought I would give the canines a chance.  Found this little video for you, it made me smile

 

Tomorrow should be the day we get the decorations out of the loft (the inside ones) and start putting them up.  Whether I will be able to do so remains to be seen.  I have had such pain between my shoulder blades and in my neck and left shoulder this last few days.  I have been resting as much as I can but it is very slow in going and is making me feel very down.  With Christmas approaching I cannot afford to be like this.  So, I am hoping it does start to get better and fast. I was due to have my blood tests re-taken.  First, I got the flu bug that lasted (until it went completely) for three weeks and I only had a couple of days before this started.  I cannot make the appointment until this stops. Please send some good thoughts my way.

I hope life is being kind to you all.

PS To Previous Entry - UK journals

You might find this of interest.

It shows a significant number have had major problems and delays, especially with broadband, yet they're still in the minority.  Most have either had it totally problem-free or initial delays, but it's problem-free now.  

It's important to understand that when it comes to broadband, name almost any provider and someone has a bad story, especially when switching from one provider to another.  Often the switch-over slowness is due to the old company; and it's mooted that it may be deliberate to discourage switching.  Yet this doesn't mean TalkTalk isn't culpable, it's admitted over-demand has caused problems, and it's without doubt guilty of mismanaging the situation. 

Overall my summary is that if you want a guaranteed hassle-free speedy broadband connection, don't use TalkTalk.  Yet as it's hugely price competitive, if cost is your priority and you can cope with the risk of some delay - go for it.

Not everyone can get it.  It’s only available to 70% of the UK population (mainly urban areas) where TalkTalk currently has, or plans to have, it’s own equipment in the telephone exchange.  So ensureyou check before signing up.  Those outside this area need to pay an additional £10/month.   

An 18 month contract.  This is longer than the usual 12 month broadband contract (some have no lock-in) and you’re fined up to £70 for leaving, so if a cheaper tariff is launched elsewhere or you’re unhappy with the service, hard luck. Yet this needs to be balanced against TalkTalk’s cheaper service now.

Possible over-demand.  Massive publicity will test TalkTalk.  The 30-day queue for its broadband is growing, yet you’ll start paying £10/month when the phone’s connected, which takes only a fortnight.  Currently it’s worth moving, before the queue builds, but check the length of the broadband delay. 
It is currently taking five weeks to get switched over (from my own research). The above extract was taken from the site:

Home Phones: The UKs Cheapest Calls Provider | MoneySavingExpert.com

Guido has mentioned inhis comment to my previous entry that TalkTalk featured on Watchdog recently. They have a poor customer service record.

I am only posting this to try and keep you all informed.  It is not for me to sway you one way or the other. I shall make my own decision next year depending on what happens.  However,  this is a decision that is going to be facing all UK journallers, in fact all current UK aol members in the New Year whether we like it or not.  As for the International3, I do not make phone calls abroad so it will not benefit me in any way. I just want a decently run service with as few problems as possible and be able to keep up my journal and comment on my friends' journals. I am not trying to score points off AOL although I am greatly dissatisfied with the service we are getting at present,  nor I am saying that TalkTalk is necessarily worse than any other provider.  I am just supplying the information so that you are all forewarned when the time comes.

P.S. I am not getting any alerts right now, well I have only had a couple.  So, I am sorry if I do not know if you have posted.

For UK journallers

Today yet again, there have been problems with AOL apparently caused by the fact that Pamela Anderson is getting divorced. This was , apparently, enough to bring down the servers due to the fact that so many wanted to comment.  Not exactly earth shattering news is it?

However, problems have been getting more and more frequent over the last few weeks, not only with journals but with file manager and the service in general.

I had my own fears that things would go to pot when AOL sold us  in the UK out to the Carphone warehouse.  Although assurances were given that the service would not suffer in any way, I am not so sure.  I am not saying that Carphone warehouse is responsible, in all probability they are not because our American friends have experienced problems as well  but things have certainly been going from bad to worse.  It seems that AOL now exists as an ISP in name only, at least in this country and maybe in the U.S. as well as they get AOL through a carrier now.

Things are set to change again in the new year.  This is not my saying so, it is Carphone Warehouse that are saying so.

Check out the link to this blog.  Read about the changes that are coming in the New Year.  What happens to people who do not want to change, people who like the phone service they have now?  Who is going to be responsible for them?  Carphone Warehouse will not want to know if they do not have the business and it seems AOL will soon become a thing of the past.

Here is an extract from the blog

In the New Year, all AOL customers will be offered the choice of transferring to Free Broadband if they want, by moving their line rental to TalkTalk and signing up for our Talk3 international telephone service. There will be continuity of service with the ability to take your AOL email address to TalkTalk and access to much of the content you previously enjoyed.

Thought I would let you all know.  Charles Dunstone owns Carephone Warehouse.

Charles Dunstone's Blog - TalkTalk

P.S.  So, he says we can take our email address with us if we go with him but what about our journals and access to file manager for our graphics?? Whilst I am in favour of free broadband as against the high subscription we pay AOL now, they have to make money somehow so will the phone charges be dearer?  What happens to those who do not want to switch, will they continue to pay subscriptions and to whom?

I am already thinking of finding my own alternative ISP in the New Year. I would rather jump than get pushed.

Stormy Saturday

Well thankfully, as yet we have not experienced the gales they predicted.  But it is very windy and also raining, getting dark enough to put the lights on in the middle of the day.

I have always thought how much Daniel looks like his mother Becky, so I decided to put these photos on for you to judge. Becky was fourteen and a half months old when the photo was taken. Daniel was two weeks younger. Both have the same big brown eyes.

  

I think it is unmistakable. There is also some of Mike there, of course, because Becky takes after him.  So the generations proceed and the genes are carried forward.

We had the boys here for most of the day yesterday with Becky.  They were lots of fun.  They play together so well, always laughing and frequently cuddling each other.  Daniel is the more wilful of the two, he like to get his own way. No matter how many times he is told "no" he will still do the same thing over and over.  I had lots of cuddles from both of them and Mike and I both laughed so much over them dancing.  We have two little ravers on our hands.

We had the surveyor down this week measuring up the size of the property for cavity wall insulation.  Dreading the day they do it - the noise will be horrendous.  It was bad enough when our next door neighbour had it done, nearly drove me insane. I hate loud noise.   We have been told to take down all ornaments because of the vibrations and that it will take half a day to get it installed. Well, I suppose it is a small price to pay if it helps in reducing the heating bills.   The problem now is that they cannot give us a day, apparently there is a waiting list. We have been given roughly four to six weeks but it could be later and might well be before.  Now, I am worried about the Christmas lights, the ones outside. We always start putting them up on the 1st December, weather permitting.  It wouldbe just our luck to get them all in place and then get a phone call to say our insulation is going to be done.  I do not want all the Christmas lights broken and simply cannot afford to replace them especially my two large rope-light silhouettes.  Fingers crossed. 

We will not be able to get our bathroom done before Christmas which is a shame.  I had so looked forward to that but it will be done early in the New Year so I must not be impatient.

I still cannot get into File Manager. Can only hope the delay is due to Thanksgiving in America and that it will be sorted out next week.  Other than that, I have been busy with my sales on Amazon.  Maybe it is because Christmas is coming but I have had an order in every day this week.  I am going to run out of books soon, I never realized how many I had.  I have always been a bookworm but I was amazed at how many books I had amassed over the years.  Many of them I was never going to read again.  Now, I have made room for new ones, when I can afford them.

I am going to curl up with a book this afternoon, just the right weather for it.  I am reading "The Secret of Crickley Hall" by James Herbert and thoroughly enjoying it so far.

Now, I am off to have a nice lunch of home-made Carrot and Lentil soup with a crusty roll.

Have a good weekend my friends.

 

Update On File Manager

This is the latest from aol.  At last it has been acknowledged that there IS a problem and it is not our computers as we keep being told.  So complaining does get us somewhere. Now they need to get journals problems fixed as well!! Sad though isn't it?  Some have phoned technical  help and been told it is their computers, I have been complaining to Jeff and also to Stephanie.  Makes you wonder when none of these "technical" people seemed to know that a keyword could expire. 

As I have been telling you all, if you are unhappy with problems  you are getting with journals - complain, complain, complain.  

You can find the original posting at

BamBam!

Where'd File Manager Go?

Jeff and I have both received a few e-mails and blog comments asking why people can't seem to access File Manager anymore.

It appears that the keyword for File Manager has expired - who knew Keywords could expire?? I have submitted a request for the Keyword to be reactivated. I think Keyword requests go through fairly quickly, although this being Thanksgiving week in the US it may take a teeny bit longer than usual. I requested that the keyword remain functional through 2010, so (assuming the powers that be don't laugh at me for that) it should be fine for a few years. :D

Until the keyword is back up - keyword: Hometown does still work, and there is a link to File Manager down at the bottom of that screen. Just click on the link, and all should be peachy.

If that DOESN'T work for anyone, please let me know.

Thanks

Brief Entry

I am getting heartily sick of aol at the moment. Have been experiencing problems with the service for some time, in fact this is the third week!

Jeff, the journals editor told me to clear out my cache which I do on a regular basis anyway.  It has made no difference.  Now, I cannot access File Manager at all.  Yesterday I could access it during the day but not during the evening.  Last week I could access sometimes but not others.  When I type in keyword File Manager, it just takes me to the web.  I reported it back to Jeff.  He told me to try Internet Explorer to access it.  That would not let me in either.

Why do aol keep denying there are problems when we all know there are.  Journals very slow to load or not loading at all, people being unable to leave comments, people having their accounts frozen and having to come up with a new passwords, file manager not working.  It just goes on and on.

Unless we keep complaining, nothing is going to get done.  So, I ask you all again.  If you are experiencing problems or do so in the near future please send an email to

journalseditor

That is the only address you need to put in your email.  Give him full details of the problem.  If you get sent to the web from File Manager, take a screenshot of the page and error message you get and send that to him as well.  One or two complaints can get ignored.  Lots of them will not be.

This all seems to have happened since journals went Beta although Jeff has said there were no problems switching.

I am taking a day away today because, as I said, I am totally fed up with it now.  If you have complaints, get them in my friends.

P.S. My friend has asked me to thank you very much for all your good wishes on her becoming a Grandmother.

PPS.  Just tried to send some emails.  Sorry we are unable to send emails, try later.   

PPPS.  For those that have suggested I do not use Beta in my URL, I do not use it anyway, that is NOT the problem.

Shakespeare - As Never Before

Hope you all had a good weekend. We had some very strong winds and heavy rain overnight but it is a lot calmer now, the sun is struggling to come out.

I have a dear friend on the internet.  We have known each other for quite a few years now.  We met on a games site and still meet on another site. We have talked on the telephone on numerous occasions.  We share many of the same health problems.  I knew her dearest wish was to be a Grandmother and she feared it would never happen.  I was delighted when, months ago.  she told me her daughter was expecting.  So, I was over the moon for her when I received an email saying she has a little grandson.   Welcome to the world,  Harry Michael!

My friend has given me permission to post his photo on here.  He weighed six pounds, six ounces. His Mum and Dad went through a greal deal to have him so he is extra precious.  I am so very happy for all of them.

Isn't he beautiful?

I thought for a Monday morning I would post something different.  This appealed to my sense of humour I suppose.  It is different and I also think, very cleverly done.  So sit back and watch - Shakespeare  - as you have never seen it performed.

 

I shall be sorting out my Christmas card list soon.  If you would like a card from me and are a regular reader and commentor, please send me your details in an email and I will include you.  I already have quite a few of your addresses but there are others I would like to send to.  You will understand that because of postage costs I have specifically stated regular readers.  I have to draw the line somewhere.

Most of my Christmas present shopping is done and dusted, only a couple more things to buy. I purchase online so I also have the bonus of parcels coming to my door which I have always enjoyed.  The festive season is coming so fast, it only seems like a couple of days since we were boiling in a heatwave.  I wonder why time always seems to go so fast from the beginning of September until Christmas.

Now I had better get off here and get some housework done. Do not want him indoors to return and find me still sitting here. 

Until the next time, dear readers. 

From A Babe To A Boy

I love this graphic that was made by Donna because it reminds me so much of little Daniel's curls.

The boys were here again yesterday and Daniel spent ages going through the bottles on my dressing table and handing them to us.  He always has to be using his hands.

They had their first experience of visiting Father Christmas last weekend.  Daniel,  stared with his usual seriousness whereas Nathan burst into tears.  He did not like it at all.  Hopefully that will change in the future.

Daniel uttered his first words yesterday.  Not Mummy or Daddy or dog or anything simple like that.   When they were leaving here and Becky told them they were going home, Daniel said very loudly and very clearly "Oh dear."  You can imagine how that made us laugh.

Anyway, those golden curls are gone.  Yes, Daniel has had his first haircut at the age of fourteen months.  Becky had held off as long as possible but it got to the point where everytime he went out he was being mistaken for a girl, so it was time.   Last week he still looked like a baby as you have seen from my previous entry and the video I posted.  Now he looks so much older and so grown up.

Becky was not sure it would suit him.  Nathan and he have different shaped faces but she did cut it very well  - Becky cuts all our hair although she was never trained as a hairdresser.

Mike took this photo yesterday and I think it is one of the nicest of the boys together that he has ever taken. This one really shows better how different Daniel looks now.  What handsome little Grandsons we have.  I think they will both break a few hearts in the years to come.  I can see them being very popular with the girls.

Becky has kept a couple of his pretty curls as mementoes.

Not much other news from our little corner of the world.  The weather is sunny but very cold.

Have a good weekend, dear readers and friends.

Nathan Says Nanna - Short Video

 

A short video entry from me today.  Nathan was very tired when this was filmed having had two bad nights and then been swimming.  He usually throws his heart and soul into his songs.  Although he has said Nanna before he has never associated it with me up until now.  My voice is somewhat loud due to the fact Mike was sitting right next to me.

As you can see, the room was all over the place as it always is when the boys are here.  Daniel tried to doing the turning around bit in the song and promptly fell over and starting laughing but Mike missed that. That is why you hear me laughing.

What a delight these two little men are to us.

 

We had a very busy weekend as lots more boxes emerged from the loft and I spent ages going through them.  Some of the things went to the charity shop, some into the rubbish and Mike made a trip down to the local dump.  Only a little bit left to do now.  But, oh dear, how I ache today. We have both decided to take a day off and have a rest.

Wishing you all a good week.

And It Goes On.........

How tragic, that today of all days, Remembrance Sunday, when services were going on everywhere to commemorate the fallen, four more of our servicemen lost their lives in Iraq.

Four more families devasted, more people with their lives torn apart and changed forever.

Whatever troubles we might have, let us not forget, the fighting goes on. We must think of all those families who have relatives serving right now who never know if the next death will be one of their own.

God bless all the troops.

Never Forget

Today we remember and honour our fallen.  At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. All those thousands of lost lives. Today we honour the sacrifice they made in the name of freedom. Tomorrow the solemn ceremonies will be held.

Our family were lucky. Our many relatives who served in the forces all came safely home. My paternal Grandfather and his half-brothers served in the Boer War, before that their ancestors served in earlier conflicts.  My uncles served in the First World War as very young men. One was taken prisoner and made to work in the salt mines. When he returned his hair was totally white. My maternal Grandfather saw some of the bloodiest fighting in the trenches of that war.  Many of  his close friends fell around him. He would never talk of it.  He was badly gassed and eventually invalided home. His two sons served in the Second World War, one in the Tank Regiment and one on the Russian Convoys. My own father saw service and his hearing was affected ever afterward by the noise of the anti-aircraft guns he was firing. My brother served in the Korean War. He saw good friends die and came home a totally changed man. But, as I said, we were lucky,  no knock on the door for our family, no dreaded telegram, our loved ones did return safely home. Some of my school friends lost their fathers.

Armistice Day was first commemorated one year after the First World War ended. The “war to end all wars”. Nobody thought they would ever see carnage on that scale again. Just over a score of years later, the world was once more in turmoil and millions more perished. Since then, somewhere in the world wars or troubles have continued.  It seems that peace is a vain hope, still an unreachable dream.

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Tomorrow services of Remembrance will be held at the Cenotaph in Whitehall and in towns and villages all over the United Kingdom.  People will come together to remember.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn,
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them

As we honour those who fell in the past, we remember as well that troops are still laying down their lives, in Iraq and Afghanistan. During this year many families have lost dear ones. Husbands, Fathers, Sons, Brothers, Nephews. Young men going off to do their duty, dreaming of the day they would return home, dreaming of their futures, futures that would be snatched from them.  Families left bereft, grief immeasurable.

Let us never forget the debt we that we owe to all those thousands upon thousands of brave men. Let us strive to make the world a better and more tolerant place, to work for a time when we can all live in harmony and peace. Let them not have died in vain.  We salute and honour them and the sacrifice they made.  All gave something, some gave everything. May they rest in peace.

 

"When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, 
For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today"

 

 

A Very Big Thank You

I wanted to say a big thank you to all of you who voted for me in the Vivi Awards.  What a suprise to log on this morning and be met with messages of congratulation.  As I have been unable to access many journals, I was not aware that the award ceremony had been cancelled and the winners already announced.

To find I have won Best International journal  is wonderful and has given me such a boost, you do not know how much.  There is much about me that you do not know, much about my past life that I have chosen not to write about on my journal.  Let me just say that early on in my life I was told, apart from other things that happened to me, that I would never amount to anything.  I was scarred at a young age.  I have lived with it all my life.  When things have gone badly wrong for me, this has always come back to haunt me.

I have always felt a failure.  Yes, me.  I know many of you think of me as a happy-go-lucky person, always positive.  Good old Jeannette.  Well, I have learned to be a good actress over the years.  Deep inside I have never felt that I amounted to anything. Many times I have struggled to keep my journal going, wracking my brains to come up with ideas.  Because I am not able to go out and about like other people, because I rarely see anyone except my beloved Mike, Becky, Dean and my two wonderful Grandsons, I am restricted to what I can write about.  There are days when I am very depressed, days when I am in a lot of pain, days when I feel that life is not worth living -  my journal has kept me going on many an occasion.

Today, I feel proud.  Proud that my journal has achieved something. That my efforts to entertain, amuse and share have touched you in some way.  It means more because I have won this award through the votes of other journallers, many of you who write wonderful journals yourself.

I will admit that tears have sprung to my eyes this morning because at last I have achieved something, at long last I can feel a little proud of myself.

To Jackie and Chris and all involved in the awards I would like to say a very big thank-you.  I am sorry for them that the award ceremony could not go ahead as planned.  I would like to congratulate all  the other winners and all those who were nominated.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you all so much for voting for me, for telling me by voting that you enjoy my journal and that all  the work I have put into it since July of  2004 has been worthwhile.  You have made me so very happy.  God bless you.

 

 

AOL PROBLEMS

I know that many of us are having problems with journals.  Either they will no load at all or they take ages.  If a journal does come up, people are finding that they cannot leave comments.  I contacted Jeff, the Journals Editor at MAGIC SMOKE   and he was kind enough to email me personally.  Here is what he has to say

People  have been reporting a bunch of different types of problems with Journals, as well as different sorts of problems with AOL today. I have had a number of complaints from the UK today, and we're looking into them. 

 

The Journals folks have been checking all day for problems on our side; there have been no major system changes since the R9 install last week, and there aren't any database problems we're aware of. Also, the front-end servers looked okay, but just to be safe, they bounced them (rebooted them) anyway.

 

This doesn't mean that you're not experiencing problems, but that it may be outside of areas that we control. For example, there may be problems with your AOL software or Web browser, or network problems somewhere between your machine and the Journals boxes, or in the case of UK client authentication problems, a problem somewhere across the Atlantic. There just doesn't seem to be a major, system-wide problem with Journals that we can find right now.

 

Regardless, we'll keep looking, so if you're still experiencing Journals problems, please let us know. The more detail you can provide, the better. For example, for Comment Alert non-delivery, links to specific entries' comments that you didn't receive Alerts for, or if Journals are slow to load, are other, non-Journals Web pages loading slowly or normally?

Specifically, are you signing into AOL using the AOL client, or an outside Web browser? Did you have trouble accessing the comments on my Journal in order to leave yours? Are other Web pages loading slowly, or just AOL pages? If AOL, which ones?

Please accept my apologies for this inconvenience, and I hope we can solve the problems soon.

 

So, please, if you are experiencing problems do contact Jeff.  Be specific and explain the problem that you are having.  It might help to sort things out.  Thanks to Jeff for being so quick to respond.  I know he is doing what he can.

Achy Thursday

A lovely bright day today after yesterday's gloom.  Him indoors is going to give the lawns their last cut of the year and is also cleaning out the pond filters in preparation for the winter so finishing the loft insultation has had to go on hold. Thankfully, as it happens right now.

He did find some more things up there yesterday.  A Union Jack flag that belonged to my parents and that my mother hung out the window at the end of the last war and also for the Coronation of the Queen, a photograph of my nephews when they were little boys (they are now in their forties) and two photos of pets we have loved and lost.  There are still quite a few boxes to go.

Some of my Christmas things arrived this morning, crackers and Christmas cards.  Also something that is not for Christmas but for all year round.  I have wanted one for years and never seemed to find one.  An egg storer.  I wanted a tradition country type one and something that would match our new kitchen.  So, I was very pleased when this arrived this morning as well:-

As you can see, it blends with the work suraces beautifully.

Have just prepared all the ingredients for dinner tonight.  We are having Lancashire Hotpot.  This is a very healthy version used by slimmers so it is ideal for me with my diabetes.  In fact, it is a healthy meal for anyone whether or not they have health or weight problems.  I have decided to put the recipe on here in case any of you would be interested in it.

Lancashire Hotpot

Serves 2 people.

1lb diced Lamb or Lamb neck fillet you can dice yourself.
2  x 8oz baking potatoes
1 onion
1 carrot
Fry Light (available in a spray from most supermarkets)
Black pepper (you can also add salt but I do not)
One teaspoon of dried Thyme
One Bay Leaf
Half a pint of beef stock made with Bovril
Half a lever tablespoon of gravy granules.

1.  Preheat oven to 180c. (Gas mark 4 or 350 degrees Fahrenheit).   Remove all visible fat from the lamb and cut into bite sizes pieces.

2.  Leaving the skin on the potatoes, cut them into slices.

3.  Peel and thinly slice the onion and the carrot.

4.  Spray a casserole dish (one with a lid) with Fry Light and line with a layer of the sliced potatoes.  Season and sprinkle over half of the Thyme.  Layer the meat, onion and carrot on the top of the potatoes, season again.  Sprinkle over the remaining Thyme and add the Bayleaf.  Top with an overlapping layer of the potatoes.

5.  Mix the stock with the gravy granules and pour into the casserole dish (the gravy should not cover the top layer of potatoes).  Spray the top with Fry Light, cover and bake in the oven for two hours, then uncover and cook for another 30-35 minutes until the potatoes are crisp and golden.

5.  Serve with vegetables of your choice.

*P.S. For those of you that do no eat lamb, beef would work just as well

*****************************************************

Aol nearly drove me insane yesterday. Whenever I tried to access any of your journals they either would not load at all or they took ages and ages and then, when I got into them, I could not leave a comment.  I emailed the Journals Editor about the problems.  Anyway, things seem better today.

Here is a photo of one of our "missing" ornaments that him indoors found the other day.  I have no idea of the name of this Chinese goddess but her many arms are supposed to bring many gifts, health, wealth, wisdom, love, long life, intelligence, fertility etc. etc.   I would be happy for her to bestow any of her gifts on me, well apart from the fertility that is.  I think that would be a lost cause at my age!! It would also give him indoors rather a nasty shock.  She has been "absent" for a long time and I bet she is glad to see the light of day again.  I am certainly glad to have her back. She is sitting above my computer right now

I hope to get around to your journals as soon as possible but I am more than a little achy today.  As you know we had the boys here yesterday. Daniel was a right little devil, into everything and would not stop even when he was told off.  He grabbed hold of something he should not have and I dashed over and grabbed him, I swung him up by his elbows and took him to Becky.  I had his full weight on just my hands, arms and shoulders.  It was an instinctive thing, something you do not even have time to think about.  Oh boy, am I suffering today.  Both shoulder joints, between my shoulder blades.  So I am not going to sit at anything to long which would only make it worse.  At least I know what caused it and it will get better.

Well, it is lunchtime so I had better get off here and get him indoors fed.

I am glad that those who watched the video yesterday enjoyed it.  I have played it so many times.  For those of you who have not seen it yet, it really is worth watching.

Have a good day my dear readers.

Canine Capers

Just a quick entry from me today as we are looking after Nathan.  I have popped on here whilst he has gone shopping with Grandy.

I am glad to say that Jack is much better.  He is hardly limping at all now so it must have been a pulled muscle.  It slowed him down for a couple of days but he is back to his normal self now.

You all know how I love Border Collies (well all animals in fact) and I came across this lovely video of a Border Collie performing a routine with his/her owner.  Had we had Collies much earlier in our lives we would have gone in for obedience or agility work as well.  I hope you enjoy the video as much I as I do:-

 

Anyway, the "men" will be back soon so I better get off here. Nathan and Daniel are dab hands at switching the computer on and off and playing with the keyboard so I usually shut down when they are here.

From a cold and very gloomy corner of the South East of England I will bid you adieu for now. Hope you liked the video.

Of This And That

A very chilly and very overcast day here, the sun of yesterday now a fading memory.

Well, it was delicious

My rice pudding before we attacked it with gusto.  Mind you, we were very good and there is enough left for dessert this evening as well.  I never thought it was going to get done. Pudding rice, at least in this area, seems to be a thing of the past, nobody stocks it.  Basmati - yes, long grain- yes, wild rice - yes - you can get all those but plain old pudding rice...........no!  I even went to Tesco online in a search for it but could not find it there either.  In the end, in desperation, as by now him indoors  was dreaming of the rice pudding I had promised him, he went to the health shop.  Success.  They sold it under the name of Arborio white rice.  It looked the right shape so I went ahead and, as you can see, all was well.  It seems that nowadays everyone wants microwave rice puddings or tinned and there seems no call these days for good old pudding rice.  Sad really. I wonder if it is just in this part of the country.

Mike is continuing to lay insulation down in the loft and has come across one or two "lost" items up there in the process. Now, I do not know if your men are the same but ask Mike what ornaments are in our lounge and he simply could not tell you.  We have a saga every Christmas when I have to pack the ornaments away so that I can put up the Christmas decorations.  I always ask him to mark the box or boxes with whatever is in them.  Asking is one thing, getting  is another.  He always says he will remember.  So when it comes time to take the decorations down, we always have a problem.  "Where are the................" I ask him.  He looks blank.  Tells me he does not remember them.  Well, why should he, we have only had them for thirty odd years!!!!

When we moved to this bungalow we came from a four-bedroomed house.  Lots of things had to go and many more things were stored in the loft "temporarily".  The temporarily has turned into many years.  I have lost track of the times I have asked him where this ornament was or where that ornament had gone.  He assured me that every box in the loft had been gone through with a fine tooth comb and that I must have got rid of them.  I knew I never had.  My problem is that I cannot venture into the loft, never have been able to.  I do not like ladders and we have one of those pull down contraptions that is very steep.  I have never been able to attempt it.  I would much prefer having a cellar to a loft.  A cellar I could cope with. So, if him indoors tells me that everything has been checked, I have to accept it.

Late yesterday afternoon, he came down dragging some boxes with him.  "Better go through this rubbish" he says, pushing them towards me.  So in I dived.  Firstly I found a mouse had been in one of the boxes and made a nest - YUK. I hated to think of all that mouse wee over everything.  Anyway, it was mostly rubbish but buried under a heap of old newspapers were - a framed photograph of Mike's Dad,  and several of my missing ornaments!!! I had not seen them in over twelve years. 

Of course, him indoors had no explanation as to why he had never found them before or why he had told me that everything had been checked thoroughly. When I waved them in his face I get "oh yes, I remember them now".  MEN!!!!!!

He will be up there again this afternoon or tomorrow and who knows what might still turn up.  I know there are some missing family photographs. Whether they are still in existance I have no idea or maybe the mouse has eaten them if they were there to start with.

Anyway, if we find any treasures, I will let you know.  Now I am off to make a Shepherd's pie.

I am sure this desire to be cooking in the kitchen will wear off eventually.

We Have Lift Off!

I am now cooking with electric.  Yes, the work was all completed on Saturday.  Oh boy, how cold I was.  No electricity equals no heating.  I took myself into the bedroom, it was like a refrigerator.  After reading the paper I did attempt some knitting but my hands were just too cold, I could not get my fingers to work properly!  So in the end I snugged up under the duvet and listened to the radio, every so often having a nice hot cup of tea as we were able to boil water on the gas hob.

I also emerged a couple of times to get these shots as you all expressed an interest

The above is Dean sorting out the electrics and then Mike lifts the new cooker into place.

The last screw goes into position

Finished

So, it was worth suffering the cold.  The kitchen is more or less finished now apart from a couple of accessories that I want to get.  Saturday night we christened the oven with a Tuna pasta bake and yesterday it roasted its first chicken.  It is so nice to have a cooker that works again after having been without one for such a long time and managing with a microwave and a small table top electric contraption.

This has not been the most exciting entry or set of photos in the world but you have all followed the progress throughout so I felt you would want to see the result.  We cannot thank Dean enough for all he has done for us. We could not ask for a better son-in-law, in fact he has always been like a son to us.  I hope he reads this to know how much we appreciate everything.

It is a beautiful sunny day today and the washing will be blowing on the line soon and then a second load will be going in.

Jack has hurt his leg.  We do not know how.  On Saturday night he was fine but he does bomb around the fields like a rocket and he and Jesse  also got frightened by a firework that was let off early.  Mike did see him slip over but he seemed fine.  Yesterday he was limping very badly indeed but he does not seem to be in any pain.  We have examined his paw for cuts or anything stuck in there - nothing.  He has certainly not broken anything.  This morning he is still limping although it does not seem as bad.  We are hoping he has just pulled a muscle, it has not dampened his enthusiasm for going out although Mike is keeping him firmly on the lead.  If it is no better tomorrow, it will be a trip to the vet I think.  We are hoping not.  With the prices they charge, we would have to mortgage the home!!

I am so glad you liked the baby video I posted on Saturday. I laugh everytime I see it. I have saved it to favourite places so when I feel a bit down or sorry for myself I can play it.

Do not forget that today is the very last chance to vote in the Vivi awards. I am sure most of you will have done so by now.

Well, this is not getting any work done.  I need to take the washing out now, then after another cuppa I think I will make a nice rice pudding that can cook slowly in the oven. That is something I have not been able to do for a very long time.

Have a great week everyone.

Laugh And The World Laughs With You

Whilst we are waiting for Dean to arrive and work to commence, I thought I would pop on here to say hello.

I came across this adorable video and I just had to share it with you.  I am willing to bet that you will smile if not laugh right out loud.  Who could resist?

There could be no better way to start a weekend, so sit back and enjoy.

 

It is very chilly (but with bright sunlight) so whilst the electricity is switched off I shall take myself into the bedroom with the newspaper and my knitting.  Have just put some fresh batteries in my radio so I shall be listening to that as well.

Carry that laughter with you throughout your day, I know I will.  It is true, laugh and the world laughs with you.

Have a happy Saturday.

The Autumn Leaves Drift Past My Window

These photos were taken in the garden this morning.

Now is the time for the burning of the leaves,
They go to the fire; the nostrils prick with smoke
Wandering slowly into the weeping mist.
Brittle and blotched, ragged and rotten sheaves!
A flame seizes the smouldering ruin, and bites
On stubborn stalks that crackle as they resist.
The last hollyhock’s fallen tower is dust:
All the spices of June are a bitter reek,
All the extravagant riches spent and mean.
All burns! the reddest rose is a ghost.
Spark whirl up, to expire in the mist: the wild
Fingers of fire are making corruption clean.
Now is the time for stripping the spirit bare,
Time for the burning of days ended and done,
Idle solace of things that have gone before,
Rootless hope and fruitless desire are there:
Let them go to the fire with never a look behind.
That world that was ours is a world that is ours no more.
They will come again, the leaf and the flower, to arise
From squalor of rottenness into the old splendour,
And magical scents to a wondering memory bring;
The same glory, to shine upon different eyes.
Earth cares for her own ruins, naught for ours.
Nothing is certain, only the certain spring.

 ~Laurence Binyon

 

Autumn is a wonderful time of year but the beautiful colours are all too fleeting and the leaves are falling fast now.

We saw Nathan and Daniel this morning and they were well wrapped up for the chilly weather.  Not quite sure what Nathan was looking at in this photo

 

 

Normally he hates anything on his head and takes hats off as soon as they are put on but he actually choose this one himself.  When he was in the shop he ran over and grabbed it and is very happy to wear it.

 

 

Here he is again entertaining us with his clapping song. Daniel, on the other hand, is one for cuddly toys.  He just adores the lamb that I have here.  Strange because my favourite toy as a child was a lamb called Larry, I remember him so well.  I was heartbroken to come home from school one day to find my mother had thrown him away thinking I was too old for him now.  He was my closest companion, the one I told all my secrets to.  It is lovely that Daniel now takes this lamb with him wherever he goes in our home.

 

He had been wearing his hat, different to Nathan's more of a Russian style and it had flattened all his pretty curls.  However, those curls will not be around much longer. His hair is now so long it is getting in his eyes and Becky has decided that it really has to be cut for the first time in the near future.  I wonder how different he will look?

Well, tomorrow is new oven fitting day.  I am hoping it will not be too cold because as the electrics have to be switched off, that means no heating.  Extra jumpers all around!!! I do not know how long it will take, but I should imagine a good part of the day as we are also having a new fuse box fitted.  If I am on the computer it will not be until tomorrow evening unless I can sneak on before the work starts.

Have a great weekend everyone.