Boo!!!!! Tiggers Back.

Hello Lovelies,

Bet you all thought that I had dropped of the face of the Earth.
Ok! Ok! I'll give you the fact that I did for a while there and I guess I really do owe you all an explanation for my long absence.

I did decide to take a bit of time away from blogging, as I felt that I was going a bit stale and was in danger of boring you all to sleep or worse. I had some articles that I was going to write up for you all and then take a month off. In the hope that I would come back all bright and sparkly again. Got a bit more than I bargained for.

I woke up one morning swollen and puffed up and with symptoms of a serious hang over...which is all well and good if you drink, but I don't. I was also a grey colour and felt very very weak. I had been feeling a little unwell for a few days, but nothing like before, so had put it down to maybe over doing it in the gym.
Then I got sick for a week or so and then I got really ill, which made me depressed a bit and all I really wanted to do was pull the covers up over my head and lie down for a very very long time.

Having done so well to get better and to find my life back in my hands again, it came as a total shock to find that I couldn't even get my head off the pillow and that I was now having to add chronic fatigue to the list of things fibromyalgia has given me to deal with.

Now I will admit that I was bloody totally miserable and felt that I had worked so hard to get better that this was undeserved and so I definitely wallowed in self pity, not that I really knew that I was doing so at the time. That took me a little longer to work out...gosh I am silly at times.

I did learn that wallowing around in self pity wasn't actually going to make me one tiny bit better and that in fact I had helped myself into misery faster than the fibromyalgia was going to let me out of it. They say that misery likes company, I would like to add that misery very much enjoys the company of fibromyalgia and in fact they actually became very good friends, went on holiday together and have now moved into a flat, set up home and brought a dog.!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously that's how well they got along.

Sooner or later I had to come back to my senses and stop being a baby about it all. As you know by now I don't really want to let this stupid fibromyalgia beat me and in general like to give it a run for it's money. I think I got complacent with it. I had done really well and really did think this was going to be as easy as the England football team in the World cup to beat, but it appears that fibromyalgia is a World cup champ at this game and it cheats as the lines men and referee seem to be on it's side.

I have been up and about now for about ten days now and can honestly say that I am almost back to normal, unsure what normal is any more, but I am more myself than I have been. So I would say I am as normal as I can expect to be.

My fighting spirit has been restored and I now realise that taking my eye off the ball and not keeping my head in the game is not something I have any desire to repeat. I have an action plan now, basically I am going to take a big bat and beat the hell out of this illness at every possible turn. I have worked out that keeping a diary of events and foods and rest is going to be a good idea.

I'm not now, never have been and most certainly will never be a girl who has a routine, which is by all accounts exactly what I am suppose to have in order to stay on top of it.
I'd go mad if I had to do the same thing every day for the rest of my life, it's so not me.
I'm a fly by the seat of my pants kinda girl.

Anyway I'm back and fighting on. Misery and fibromyalgia can carry-on living happily together, but threes a crowd and I have no intention of moving in with them again.

I have missed you and thought about you all and thank you for the e-mails which I found a few days ago, along with all your concerned comments on my last post.
I'm truly sorry to have worried you all and to be honest I really should have been more considerate of you all and your feelings towards me. I have no excuse as I said I was busy wallowing in self pity, not a pretty thing to do and certainly not a considerate thing to do.
I can only apologise and promise to not do it again.

Much love to you all and I look forward to catching up with you all

Lia
xx

Please! Ladies, A Bit Of Decorum

Hello Lovelies,

Sorry I have been A.W.O.L. for a while, but to be honest it is this silly illness again. Some times it makes me really tired and I need to sleep lots and then when I am awake I am trying to look after my family, who bless them take it all in their stride and are very good humoured and kind about it all.
I picked up a tummy bug from Francis and it sort of floored me. But am ok now.

I have just finished watching one of the single most stupid programmes I have ever had the misfortune to sit through. At first I sat through it because I couldn't find the remote control to throw at the telly and then after a few minutes it was a case of, I really couldn't believe how dump, stupid and desperate some women really are.

This show was about older women and younger men. For obvious reasons this always intrigues me, which ever way round it is. As you know there is an age gap between me and Francis. Although you would be hard pressed at times to work out who is the youngest in this relationship, as I am such a big child at times and he can be a real grumpy old man.
Well maybe that's not totally true. The bit about me being a child is, I'm so immature at times it scares me and Francis is so mature it scares everyone else at times. He really is a man beyond his years and people are always surprised by him, me included.

This show was about women who go to Turkey to find themselves a younger husband.
I never can understand why people go in search of this type of relationship. I certainly didn't go on the hunt for it, and neither did Francis. We meet and fell in love and have been inseparable ever since.

The attraction was not that I was older than him or that he was younger than me.
Sometimes you just click with a person and if your lucky you find them at the start of your life and travel through life together. That wasn't the way it was for me and Francis is my 3rd long term relationship.

However he is certainly the best one and it's not because I get to play boss and be in charge of our relationship. No-one wears the trousers in our relationship. Sometimes I take the lead in things and sometimes it is Francis who takes the lead. We play to each others strengths and supports each other through our weaknesses, but hey isn't that what being in a partnership is all about.

The best advice I can ever give anyone in a relationship is that you have to work as a team.
If you have a team of horses pulling your wagon and one goes to the left and the other pulls to the right, your going nowhere, but if they both move forward at the same pace together, going in the same direction a smooth journey will be had by all.
The best marriages I ever saw were like this and they lasted the longest.

These women go out on holiday and expect to find a lasting relationship within two weeks. Good luck with that one!!!! How mental is that!!!

One woman went on a date and was over an hour late. When the man asked her why she was late she berated him about who the hell did he think he was, a young boy telling her, a feminist what time she should or shouldn't turn up!!
Well correct me if I am wrong but if I am to meet with someone the least I can do is turn up on time, it's called manners love!
What the hell did it have to do with being a feminism? It's rude to be late for any one, plain and simple.
If the other person is putting themselves out there and going to the trouble of turning up on time for you, is it too hard to accord them the same respect. Whatever their age!
But that's not really what got me about that little scene, for me it was the fact that she knew full well she was going to meet a man much younger then her, he was in fact about 27 and she was about 53. What got me was that she called him a BOY. Again correct me if I'm wrong, but at 27 that makes him a man. So already she is diminishing him to the level of a child and asserting her dominance.

Yes! yes! I know men never really grow up and there is a Peter Pan quality to men, but that's just one of the things about men that make them such wonderful creatures to spend your life with and be around, what ever their age. There is a sense of fun in men that is irresistible, to me any way. I have men in my life who are in their 50s and I just adore the Peter-Pan in all of them.

I was once told that if I wanted my sons to grow into men that it was a good idea to treat them like men and not to mummy them, this I would say holds true for men of any age. Too often I have seen women mummifying their partners and taking charge or asserting their dominance and then saying that their partners are useless or not man enough.

Desperation is no foundation for a relationship. Neither is thinking that you can go into any relationship with the upper hand just because you are the older party. There is a lot to be said about treating people as you wish to be treated.

One woman had been in a relationship with her younger husband for 8yrs and went on and on about how wonderful it was and how it was all so perfect. But under the surface it wasn't all that and a bag of chips. Her husband often went missing for several days and came back exhausted and slept. He also seemed to enjoy spending her money and the life style it afforded him. She on the other hand seemed to be drunk most of the time and acted like an irresponsible teenager, as if she was having her second childhood.

Hardly a great advert for an age gap relationship.
It really angers me when I see stuff like this. Not because I think my relationship with Francis is the perfect example, but rather because I strongly feel that this type of display is why we have faced so much prejudiced.
People like to judge and yes! yes! I see the irony, I know that this is what I am doing to these people, but please bare with me when I say that there is good and bad in all things, I'm just sick to death of seeing only the bad.

There are plenty of woman sharing their lives very successfully and happily with younger men.
No one bats an eyelid at younger women taking up with older men. You don't see a whole stream of shows about the downside of those relationships and I bet there are plenty.

I really don't care about who you are in a relationship with or even for that matter your sexual preference. I just wish that when people get into relationships that are shall we say, beyond the normal, they don't bring others in the same type of relationship down to the level of side show freaks for others to pick holes in and ridicule. A bit of decorum, dignity and respect wouldn't go a miss. I mean would it kill them!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you want me, I'll be banging my head off the wall in the corner again.
Much love
Lia
xx

Advice Please Ladies

Hello Lovelies,

Thanks for all your comments on the last post. The planes are back in the sky over London. But there are very few of them and it is still strangely quiet.. You see we live right on top of city airport and there has been nothing in or out of there for days.
I have noticed the bird song much more which is enjoyable.

I found the camera cable and am sorting out a few things to show you, so watch this space.

Ladies I need some advice. I have always had rather nice natural nails. They have never been overly long, but I have always despite my job kept them nice and during holidays I have even managed to grow them longer.

Problem is that since I got in the pool they have gone to pot, completely.
So much so that even Francis has commented on how dreadful they look.
They look like I have been gnawing on them, something I have not done since early childhood.
They keep splitting down the nail, not across as is normal but down it which is so painful.

Do any of you have any advice as to how I can stop this or do you know of any really good products I can use to strengthen the nails.

The photo's above show you how bad they have got and I really don't like them looking like this, so if you do know of any products that can help with this please let me know.

Off swimming
much love
Lia
xx

Media Volcanos.

Hello Lovelies,

Had a great weekend and will tell you more about it as soon as I find the cable to the camera and can up load the photos. Look it's here in this house somewhere, but it's a very naughty cable and is hiding somewhere. Really it's not me who has misplaced it, what sort of slovenly housewife do you take me for!!!!!!!!! Answers on a postcard please.

Am sick to death of listening to people moaning about the unpronounceable volcano and the nightmare it is causing. If you listen to the news it's all the Governments fault and certainly Gordon Browns fault.
Yeah right, Gordon Brown set off the volcano and is now mucking it all up.

Fact -it's a natural disaster, nothing anyone could do.
Fact- people are stranded, but the Government didn't ground the planes, The European Organisation For The Safety Of Air Navigation, also known as Eurocontrol are the guys that closed the skies.
Now if you don't know who these guys are let me put it to you this way, they have more powers that any government when it comes to the safety of our planes flying over Europe and when they say they are closed they mean it. That means that even our military can fly, unless the Government over rule them, due to a state of emergency, which frankly this isn't. There is also talk that we will run out of food on our news. God the media people are driving me nuts.

If your reading this in a country outside of the European Union and think it doesn't effect you, try flying into London, Paris, or Rome today and see how far you get. Our Prime Minister couldn't take off today and Mr Obama himself couldn't land here if he wanted to.
The media are fixating on the Government and it's involvement, they have to do what they are told and right now it's grounding the planes and waiting.

In the meantime they Government are to send out 3 Navy ships to rescue the Brits stranded abroad and that in itself is an adventure, normally you can't get anywhere near these ships.
The ships HMS Ark Royal, HMS Ocean and HMS Albion are heading for Spain and unspecified Channel ports. I'm not sure that I would be happy about being stuck abroad, but I wouldn't say no to a trip home aboard one of these. (Dances round house singing, All the nice girls love a sailor)!!!!

As usual in this country, or so it would appear in ever increasing volumes, the media is going mad over all this. They have reported that the last plane to fall out of the sky because of volcanic ash was in the 1980's, well frankly my dear I don't give a damn. You see I don't want one single plane to fall out of the sky, not even a teeny tiny little one and certainly not one loaded with adults and children. A friend of mine has one of her kids stranded abroad right now and while it's not ideal at least that child is safe. My friend said that she doesn't care how long it takes to get her child home so long as they arrive here safely.


Above is a photo of the ash cloud taken on April 17th, top left of the photo is Iceland and you can just see it, the rest of the white cloud is a volcanic ash cloud.

Above is where the cloud is now and where they expect it to be tomorrow, scary when you see it like this. Looks like a case of the UK being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but short of moving the country I guess we are just stuck under it for now.

Thing is it's not just a job of keep the skies safe, what about those of us on the ground. Not sure I would have enough tea-bags in the house for 400passengers who just happen to drop in.

Can you imagine the headlines around the world if one single plane comes down because the media are running the show right now. I swear to God I always thought that the reason for Govenerments was to sort this type of thing out. Not the sodding Newspapers or programme editors.

The World has seen the devastation of what can happen when planes are brought down over major cities. The thought of another 9/11 should be enough of all of us to stop moaning, the media to stop over dramatising this and for us all to find a way to help anyone stuck any where in the world right now.

Lets bring loved ones home safely, if not on time, it's the right thing to do. Life is far too short and precious to be messed around with, just because the media think they know what's best for us all or that they know better than the powers that be doesn't make them right and who are they exactly to try and run the show. The media can sit around all day pontificating and frankly that does seem to be what's on the agenda, but the safety of us all, both in the air and on the ground must be the first priority of any government.

Oh well am off swimming now. By the way it is eerily quiet in the skies over London, normally from where we live we can see them and here them stacking up over London waiting to come in.
Very reminiscence of 200, but thankfully not for the same reason.

I hope everyone gets home safely and soon.
much love
Lia
xx


This photo is just what can happen when planes were sitting on the tarmac after the volcano
Mount Pinatubo, erupted in the Philippines.
View of World Airways DC-10 aeroplane sitting on its tail because of weight of ash on June 15, 1991.
Cubi Point Naval Air Station. USN photo by R. L. Rieger. June 17, 1991.

Your Guess Is As Good As Mine!!!!

Hello My Darlings,
Thanks for all your e-mails and messages on your blogs, trying to let me know what was wrong. Thing was I didn't put comment moderation on and the settings were saying it wasn't on.
Oh well just another mad day or 12 in the happy world of blogger.

Thanks for not abandoning me. Your the best followers in the world.

Okay so here's a quiz for you all, well more of a conundrum really.

As you all know I'm well into my health campaign now, having declared war on my fibromyalgia and I am most definitely winning the battle of the Bulge. Last weigh-in which was yesterday said I am now 12st 9lbs. Have also gone up to 40 laps in the pool a day.

Only 3lbs since my last weigh-in, however we have had 2 birthdays and Easter and another birthday to come at the end of the month...this is what I call silly chocolate season, as in our house a birthday is not a bithday unless I make them double triple chocolate cake and huge ones at that. It's hard to resist chocolate. Even on a health kick, but I think I did well not to gain any weight.

Back to the conundrum.
On Saturday we went out for the day (but that's another post) and I wanted to look good, so I raided a wardrobe I haven't been near for over a year and found some clothes that fitted now.
A quick look in it and I realised that there was a whole load of clothes that looked promising and some lovely stuff I had sort of chosen to forget about...to fat to get in them basically!

All day I thought about the wardrobe and what treasures it might be hiding. For the life of me I could not really remember what was in it. As soon as we got back, dinner cooked, kitchen tidied and cleaned, my sister packed off home and all the boys happy doing whatever it is they do in the computer world, I made a beeline for my wardrobe of secrets.

I should be ashamed to say this but I'm way to excited to be embarrassed I actually found £400 worth of unworn and still tagged clothes:-

4 white blouses, all different.
1 black jacket.
3 tops all the same but different colours.
1 top that is exquisite and has beading on it, that in fact I spent an age sewing on.
1 top.
1 pair shorts white.
1 pair cropped jeans, white.
1 pair of black trousers for evening wear.
2 dresses.
1 jumper dark red.
1 wrap dress purple and black.
1 kimono style top with butterflies on it in blue.
1 beach top pink more like a dress than a top.
1 beach top light blue.
2 tee shirts the same but different colours.
3 pairs of pjs cotton for summer. pink, yellow, and blue

Almost a whole new wardrobe ready and waiting for summer. Oh I should hang my head in shame........................... however whooooopeeeee for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I spent Saturday evening trying on clothes, my bedroom looked like a bomb site and I had to keep running up and down the stairs to look in the big mirror downstairs. Nearly everything in that wardrobe fits, there are a few snug fits, but another month or so and it'll be better.

Now I have about 3 different sizes in the wardrobe ranging from a UK 14 to a UK 18.
There are 5 pairs of trousers all different, lots of skirts and dresses and tops in all shapes sizes and colours.
So why do some 14s fit nicely, while some 16s won't do up. Some 16s that fit nice and 18 that are too snug or won't do up. Then there are the 16s and 18s that are hanging off me and need to be taken in???????

Sorry to shout but
WHAT BLOOMING SIZE AM I?

Seriously it's mad how can a 14 do up, yet an 18 be snug. I don't shop cheap, in general I don't spent a lot on myself....yes, yes I am aware of the £400 worth of tagged unworn clothes but I'm not being fashion driven and tend to buy in good shops when they have a sale on, but only if I really like something, some of those clothes have been in there awhile. Patricia said that some of them are from when we went shopping for her trip to Crete which was 2yrs ago in June. She remembers making me buy myself some clothes then and helping to pick them.

Any way I digress again ha ha!!!!! If talking was an Olympic event I'd be a gold medallist or is that mentalist.... oh that was so nearly funny.

Francis says he doesn't care what size I am so long as I wear the blooming clothes and am happy within my skin and that it's far more important than worrying about the blooming label size.
Ok so he has a point and is properly right....but if you tell him I will cry and scream and stamp my feet!!!!

Am I the only woman with a mad range of sizes in her wardrobe that has a weird way of fitting you when the size is supposedly small and not doing up when it's supposedly big? I actually got stuck in a size 18 dress and Francis had to come and help me out of it, while laughing his head off. Thank the Gods it wasn't the first thing I tried on or I might have broken into the nearest chocolate factory and eaten my way through the contents! I mean, well that sort of thing couls seriously demoralise a girl.

We can put a man on the moon, but we can't get correct dress sizes.
Oh well why am I moaning I have a whole load of new clothes to wear and have reacquainted myself with a whole load I had forgotten I liked so much.

I guess size really doesn't matter after all.

much love
Lia
xx

Hide and Seek

Hello Lovelies,

Don't you all you beautiful today. I found you all.

For some reason known only to blogger your comments were not coming up on my page and I thought you had all abandoned me on mass.

Which I know sounds daft as a brush (why are brushes daft, not that I have ever met a really clever one or it would have a far better job than sweeping up dirt.....,I have the oddest of feelings that I might just have answered my own question......oh well I digress!).

But not having seen any of you all for days 12 to be precise I was beginning to think that I had broken some unknown to me golden rule of blogging and as a result you had all been so mortified and offend that you were all showing your disapproval of my behaviour by not indulging me with your company.

I really did think that I was on some sort of blogging Mary Celeste.

But come the morning and cometh the comments you have all left me, there they all were. You have left me 31 comments over the past 12 days and I only got one of them, how very odd.
Do you think it was the powers that be at blogger blocking them all because I threatened to take my blog elsewhere or just the Spring fairies being a little naughty.

What ever it was I am so terribly pleased to see you all still love me, yippee!!!!!!

I have loads to blog about, wait till you hear what happened when some stupid ignorant woman called me a cougar!!!!!! Or exactly what I think of Mersea Island in Essex.
And don't get me started on David Cameron quoting J F Kennedy "Ask not what your Country can do for you, but what you can do for your Country" speech at me this lunch time!!!!!!!
Can I please go live on the Moon until the election is over, it's driving me nuts already, never before have I been so confused by politics.
It would appear to me right now that they are all the same out for them selves party, just with different colours!!!!! They seems to be very little differences between them all.

Well I am very pleased to find you all again and am off now to swim for a while.
Oh and I so want to tell you about Nordic Walking that I recently found out about and my new volunteering thingy that I am doing this year.

Love ya all and so missed you, should have known better that you wouldn't just abandon me.
Much love
Lia
xx

Was It Something I Said?

Hello Darlings,

Did I say something to upset each and every one of you?
Only according to my post edits no-one has been near me since the 4th of April which is 12 days ago!!!!!

You are still all out there, I know you all are as I have been leaving you comments, but for some reason you lot have sent me to Coventry.

Now I'm more than sure that Coventry is a nice place to visit but I wasn't planning on moving there any time soon.

So what is it?

Do I look fat in this blog?
Am I just boring ?
OR worse than boring have I upset you all, was it something I said????????????????

Dancing Man

Hello Darlings,

In an attempt to cheer myself up. (I'm feeling pretty down at the moment) I thought I would share this with you.

I can't watch this video without laughing and crying all at once.

There is something very magical about this video.

I hope you enjoy it.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Easter In A Straight Jacket!

Hello Lovelies,

I do hope you are all having a good time.
My Easter is rather flat. No family, no friends, no get together. All plans fallen by the road side and to be honest I am really fed-up.

For starters Francis (with an i) kicked off on Friday about how he didn't need breakfast in bed, was a big man who was capable of getting his own breakfast. (Pity he didn't remember that today) So I left him to get on with it.
Then when I asked him to come to the gym with me he replied "Why would I want to go, you know I hate swimming. All that up and down rubbish, you must be mad" I tried to explain that I had him booked in to which he replied "well you should have asked me".

I decided that he was perhaps over tried and just wanted to sit around and not have to do anything or be anywhere and that he does work really hard to keep me, so if he wanted to just be at home that that would be fine. After all this is his Easter holiday as well. No point in being angry and upset with him. Why row for the sake of it, I was annoyed I won't deny it, but like I said I can't see the point in forcing the issue or even making the whole thing into an issue.

So I went alone and had a good time . I met a South African women who is one of the most gracful swimmers I have ever seen. We were sharing a lane and at one point I was just watching her and admiring her easy grace and flow with the water. We got talking and it turns out that she has been a swimmmer all her life, having grown up with an outdoor and indoor pool, lucky girl!
She described herself as half fish. I told her that I had only just come back to swimming and was still trying to get myself to breath and swim correctly and get the right lines.

Swimming isn't just about getting in the water and thrashing about. Most people swim badly and as a result get too tired or suffer injuries that frankly are avoidable. The basic rule is the more splashing and waves you make, the less efficiently you are swimming. The idea is to glide through the water and not battle with it. She very kindly said that she would put me through my paces and it turned out to be a very good training session. With lots of very good pointers that I had forgotten. She also said that I am a natural and that it wouldn't be long before I was half fish myself. So I am very smug with myself over that. She's going to meet me there next week and train with me again. Such a lovely lady. Silly me didn't get her name, how rude of me to be so remiss. Lucky my mother doesn't know!!!!!

On Saturday I always see my sister E, but this week she wasn't up to it. Which was a shame as I was going to take her to a nearby farm as they had an open day and it is lambing season.
I know she would have completely enjoyed it all and I was looking forward to it. So yesterday was flat. I did housework instead, not my favourite pass time.

Today was meant to be a family Easter Sunday lunch, but Patricia couldn't make it as she has to work. But Mr Francis (with an i) has gone out with his family, gets a phone call and takes off as if his arse is on fire. I didn't get invited, I never get invited out with his family. Nine years nearly we have been together. I always invite them, they don't come, but they get an invite.
I'm really mad about this and am sitting here stewing over whether or not I want to make an issue of this and I think I do!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's not that I want to go, it's that I'd like to be invited and after nearly 9yrs, I am wondering when his family will get beyond the age-gap shite!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm also annoyed that Francis (with an i) allows this to go on. I wouldn't let any of my family do this to him. In fact I have told mine that if they can't get on board with this relationship that I will not see them. We are a package, a team, a couple and have been together long enough now to have proved that we can make this work and that we are indeed a serious couple.

It is to his shame that he allows this state of affairs to continue. It's not as though he didn't know what he was getting into when we started this. He pursued me. I was the one with doubts, who had far more to loose than him. I have in fact always taken full responsibility for our relationship when people have said things.
But he knew he was getting into a relationship with an older woman, he's aware of that and was in fact the one that said we had to be sure of what we were doing, as he didn't ever want to hear the "we knew it wouldn't last/work" and that there were too many people who would get hurt by us or point fingers at us for being different. For daring to fall in love and cock a snoot at the normal conventions of society. About time he grew a pair and lived up to his words.
God, I'm so annoyed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow is Monday and I can't wait to get back in the pool. Anything to take my mind of this seriously flat, dull and boring Easter.

Anyone fancy a house guest for next Easter.

And don't get me started on my youngest again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On March 31st, Callum was 18.
Did we have a party....NO
Did he want a party.....NO

He didn't want anything, no cards, no presents, no party, no trip to the pub, no friends over.
He wanted nothing, nada, zilch, zero................

One day I will do that to the lot of them. Next time they say they want nothing, that's exactly what they will get a big fat nothing from me.
While I head for the airport, passport and credit card in hand, now that sounds like a plan.

If you want me I'll be the lunatic in the corner banging her head off the wall in a straight jacket.

much love
Lia
xx

Ps. The beautiful Patricia just phoned and is hoping to make it here later afternoon tomorrow, all being well at work....light on the horizon.

Nutty As A Chocolate Cake.

Hello Again My Lovelies,

It would appear that blogger has heard my moaning and sorted itself out.
I'm going to catch up with you all over the Easter weekend as we have nothing planned.
Thankfully Francis has the whole 4 days off. I say thankfully as he has been working really hard and has been doing 6days a week since Christmas. It's 23:10 and he is flaked out next to me fast asleep. He needs this time off. Tomorrow I am taking him to my gym in order to use the spa, he doesn't know and I am cooking him breakfast in bed, so long as he stays in bed that is.
We don't normally roll our blind down and shut the curtains but I have tonight as I don't want him waking up at first light.

See the cake at the top of the post. Nutty made it and send me the photo stating that was meant to be for Sunday lunch but that she doubted it would make that long. I think she is trying to tease me with it. If she's not careful I will drive the 2 hours up the motorway just to have a slice.
If your reading this Nutty remeber that I can get past your dogs Mwhahaha!!!!!!!

Speaking of recipes, I think I might have perfected the bacon egg cheese cupcake things.
I made them again and they went down very well, so I will put them up tomorrow with photos for you all to enjoy.
As for the polenta pizza crust I haven't done that yet, but the boys have asked for it this weekend so I will get that one to you as well. But I just want to try it one more time before I give you that one.

I have been swimming this week and increased my laps to 30 now. It's going better than I thought and I am noticing a difference in my shape. For a start it's not such a struggle to actually get into my swim costume. It was a wee-bit tight, well ok it was a lot tight, but as it is the biggest one I own (I have 3) and didn't require a shoe-horn and a tub of butter it get into it's the one I am using. No way was I going to buy another even bigger one!!! Anyway this week I have noticed that it is going on easier. I'm not one for mirrors, haven't been for years (the having no hair thing is just to hard to look at.) But I did get some photos of me at the start and I compare them this week in the mirror and thigs definately look better.

I found a new pair of trousers that I brought in September and when I got home they were to tight, so I shoved them away. I got them out this week and found that they are now too big for me and keep falling down, so I will need to take them in. Had to buy some new undies as well as they keep falling down. So while my weight hasn't changed much I have gone down a dress size.
I hope to drop another one before summer really kicks in as I have some great dresses that I would love to get into again.

One last thing, the boiler blew up!!!!!
No heating and no hot water for at least two weeks. Plumbers are like looking for rocking horse poo and about as useless. The house is freezing downstairs as it is mostly open plan, not a good idea when you have no heating. We have electric back up radiators for upstairs, so we are all mostly upstairs at the moment. We are having to go to friends and family for showers and baths. I'm ok as I go to the gym, but it's annoying the hell out of the boys. Washing up is a nightmare ( I refuse to have a dish washer, long boring story).
Suddenly when you can't just turn the taps on you become very aware of how much water you really do use. I feel a little guilty to be honest, suddenly it seems really selfish to have the luxury of just turning a tap, when so many in the world have to struggle.

Will catch up with you all soon, I have missed you all.
Much love
Lia
xx

No Wonder Others Are Moving!!!!

Hello Lovelies,

I am fed up with blogger, it's driving me nuts and it would appear that I am not the only one. A few log buddies have move their blogs to other sites for similar reasons and I don't think at this rate I will be far behind them.

You see the reason that I haven't put a post up for a few days is that I have been unable to, due to some stupid glitch. Not content with that, but I am having trouble even seeing some of your posts and when I do get into them most of the photos are missing.

I don't even have any idea if this post will get out to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haven't done much at all this weekend.
I did do some messing about with recipes, but as I am perfecting them it is pointless to go into to many details as yet.

First recipe is a polenta pizza, (or cornmeal to my American friends) I have made the base for the pizza's 3 different ways now. The first two goes were ok but not quiet what I was looking for and this led to me taking the best bits of the two recipes and working with them to perfect the crust. Still a little more work to do till it is right and I can boost about it to you all.

Also been making a baked egg, cheese and bacon dish that you bake in cupcake tins, had a go at two of those, but can't decide which is the best recipe to share. The boys love them (Francis, Ashley and Callum), but the jury is out on which are the best ones. Also as it was a bit of an adhoc recipe, a little of this, a bit of that and was adapted from a recipe that I considered too expensive, it too could also need a bit of a tweak.

I am going to make both of the recipes again this week and get the boys to compare. Plus I could do with getting the right quantities written down before I share. Don't want you to be disappointed with the result should you want to try them. Got some great photos that blogger won't let me load. So not a lot of point trying to put up either recipe at this time.

I am beginning to understand why people keep leaving blogger to set up elsewhere.
I have tried to load this a few times now...oh this is nuts will try one more time.

Much love to you all, hope you get to see this.
Lia
xx

Bad Moody Me!!!!!!!!!

Hello You Lovelies,

I am in a bad mood, I have no idea why I am in a bad mood. Just that I am in one.
It's gone on for days now and has now reached a point of annoying me, which is making it worse.

One of my older friends has told me that it's rather normal for women of my age to be pissed off for no discernible reason and that she suspects hormone levels.

I, on the other hand think that I am just being a moody cow for no real reason. Well no reason I can put a finger on.

EXCEPT!!!!!!!!!

That is of course if you discount that despite swimming 5 days a week and managing to do a quarter of a mile each time and only losing 1lb in two weeks. People keep saying that it's because I am building muscles and they weigh more ....whatever, it's not easing my mood.

I hate veg, fish, chicken, fruit and any thing that is even vaguely healthy. Don't get me started on natural yoghurt and herbal teas!!!!!!!!

I want to eat chocolate and drink pepsi or coffee and biscuits. I want chips and white bread and butter or scones and jam, anything but the bloody healthy rubbish I HAVE to throw down my throat.

3 months now!!!! 3 long bloody months of healthy tosh and I am truly fed-up with the whole thing.

I know, I know, I know that I am doing the right thing, but just this week I am sick and tired of this whole thing.
Sod Fibromyalgia, bloody, bloody, bloody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh well that's that off my chest some what!!!!!!!
But if you hear distant screaming you'll know it's me.
Mind you if you also hear that a woman in her 40's from London has drowned in a big vat of chocolate you'll also know that I broke my diet..............it's not a diet it's a healthy new way to live without pain, so why does it feel like diet torture hell right now!!!!!!!!!!

NORMAL SERVICE WILL BE RESTORED, ONCE MISS THING HERE COMES DOWN OF THE MOOD SWING.

much love
Lia
xx
EDIT :- forgot to say that I am now 12st 10lbs.........uck!!!

Is It Time To Draw A Line Under The Holocaust?

Hello Darlings,

Thanks for your wonderful responses to my last post. I don't want to be a meanie, really I don't. I just want to be able spend time with people who take time out of their busy lives to spend time with me.

I don't really have many friends in my life. Although I do have some really great friends, they tend to be scattered around the Globe. So having other friends around the Globe is almost perfectly natural to me. As you all know I speak to Nutty on a daily basis, but she is 150 miles up the motorway and a 2 1/2 hour drive. If we lived nearer we would see each other all the time. Friendships can easily be formed regardless of time and distance and the inter-net is fantastic for that, but I don't think we should ever lose sight of the basic rules of friendship and one of those is about putting in the effort, which you all do in abundance and have made an impact on my life. I am very grateful and thankful for that and have become fond of you all.

On Sundays I often watch a show call "The Big Questions" it's on BBC 1, one of todays questions was "Is it time to draw a line under the holocaust?". For obvious reasons I do have an interest in a question about the holocaust. Not just because I am Jewish, but also just on a very human level. I am aware that there are people out there who either totally disbelieve that the holocaust took place or who believe that it is over exaggerated, but that's not what the question was about and I don't want to get too bogged down in the details of that. People are entitled in my humble opinion to believe in what they wish to believe in. Life as I always say is about choices and I am no-one to remove choice or freedom of speech. I may not believe in what you or they believe in, however I would defend your right to believe as you wish, so long as you are not about to murder innocent peoples or oppress them and make them bend to your will. None of us are Gods, to play so mercilessly with peoples lives.

The premiss of the question was that now that the perpetrators of the atrocities are in their dotage years, being around about 80 to 90 yrs old should we still be trying to track them down and bring them to justice. Many seemed to think that enough time has passed that it is time for us to stop looking for them and bringing them to justice. That in fact no-one wants to see someone that age in the dock.

I disagree and had to ask myself why!!
Is it because I am Jewish?
Would I feel the same way if it was a Catholic or a Muslim?
Is it because I have a vengeful nature?
Is it my natural instinct and sense of justice?
Or indeed all of the above!!!!!!!!

Having worked it through my brain I have come to the conclusion that it is right to bring these people to justice. They committed crimes against humanity and if we do not bring them all to justice by tracking them down, what ever their age, we ourselves are guilty of crimes against humanity.

It is indeed a crime against humanity, to not do anything. When we sit on our collective hands and do nothing we send a message that says, go out and commit the worst atrocities you can think of, it's okay, lay low, disappear, we won't trouble you. Get married raise a family, become respectable, a pillar of your community. Even enjoy your old age and dotage. Play with the children you have, the grandchildren they give you and even the great grandchildren What ever it is you wish to do, even grow old, all the joys of life you denied others with your crimes.

Since time began there have been many many crimes against humanity and in the last century
Bosnia and Rwanda were but two of them. Then there are the crimes that the likes of Saddam Hussain committed. I could go on for hours naming them all, but that's not my point.
I seriously believe that we must bring all perpetrators of crimes against humanity to justice. We owe it to the victims, to their families and to ourselves. You never know when you will be next on some crazy lunatics list.


"In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up."

-- by Martin Niemöller, prominent German anti-Nazi theologian and Lutheran pastor, best known as the author of the poem First they came....

Oh and please don't think that I am against ordinary service personnel, far from it. They do an amazing job protecting us against the mad men , a job I wouldn't want to do. I am talking about the heavy weights in all this.

To let the serious perpetrators of some of the most serious crimes against humanity, to forgive the likes of Hitler is to shame all of humanity.

Being A Little Meanie!!!!!!!!

Hello Darlings,

Thanks for all your lovely comments on my last post, you are so very encouraging and I am almost up to date with you all now. I have decided to be a little mean, in that I have stopped following some blogs due to the fact that they have never ever been to visit me once.
I have realised over the last few months just how important some other bloggers have become to me and I like to think that in my own little way I have become important right back at them.

This being said it has slowly dawned on me that these are indeed friendships, now maybe they are not conventional, in that we may never meet, but I had a pen-friend for years who was important to me, so in a sense we are all pen-friends able to communicate at a much faster speed. Doesn't mean that we know each other any less.

But the thing is that friendships, how ever you have them are two way. Both of us have to put in effort in order for us to have any form of a relationship. I am just not willing to be the one who puts in all the effort at the cost of neglecting friends who are prepared to put in the same effort for me.

So while I will keep some blogs on my dashboard, just because I rather like them from time to time, in a sort of magazine flicking kind of way. I am only going to have those who are regular visiting friends in my sidebar, that way I will be able to keep up with the important blog buddies. I know this might sound a bit mean, but honestly what is the point in wasting your time on people who never put the effort back into you.
I seriously wouldn't keep going over a friends house and doing what she/he wanted and encouraging her/him in my real life so why bother in my blog life.

I am hoping to finish catching you all up in the next day. Either that or I am going to ban you all from blogging until I do catch you up.

Right I am off for my now daily swim and I have to see the doctor tonight, can you believe that I could only get an appointment at 7pm. I mean 7pm on a Friday night "Oy Vey"

Much love Darlings have a great weekend, in fact take the weekend off, especially from blogging!!!!!!!!!!

Lia
xx

Trying.

Hello My Darlings,

I have a confession and that is that I am having a bit of trouble keeping up with all your blogs.
So please forgive me if I am a little behind in being there for you. I think I might have told you all before that I am dyslexic and never actually learnt to read and write till I was 8 when my older brother Terry realised that I was in trouble and so taught me the patterns and rhythm in reading and writing. Over the years I have developed tricks to help me along and in general it works well for me.

However if I don't read and write for a day or two it can throw my World into chaos and often means that I have to go back to square one and start again. This in turns means that I slow down to an almost stop. Sometimes I am really stupid and don't read or write, even though I know I should be doing so, what can I say it's the rebel in me..she's so very naughty at times.
I will catch up with you all and soon, but in the meantime please know that I am trying very hard to catch up with you all.

The gym is killing me, very very slowly. I am enjoying it and today I did my swim and then did aqua aerobics. My gosh that's a lot harder than I thought it would be. Everyone was saying it was good and I should do it as it is easier than normal aerobics and I did watch it yesterday, thought to myself that looks good and it didn't seem hard. At least the ladies who were doing it made it look easy. So today I had a go. I can't tell you how many times I actually fell over during class, I seem to lack co-ordination and balance. They went left I went right, they went up, I went down.

I couldn't help but laugh at myself and how stupid I must have looked. One lady got annoyed at me and made an unkind remark. To which I replied that it was my first time ever and she should try to be more pleasant and that I didn't expect a lady of her age and abilities to be quite so rude to a new member; and that after all I was looking to ladies like her to be more inspirational towards me and others like me.
She moved away from me, I was relived. Afterwards another lady told me that she is always rude to people and that it was about time someone told her off.

I have never seen the need to be outwardly rude to people, but if someone brings it to me, I don't shy away from it. I prefer to treat everyone in a decent and friendly manner, as this is the way I would like to be treated. It's not hard and it's not rocket science to be nice. In fact it often returns to you ten fold. Life is hard enough and you never know what a person is dealing with on a daily basis. So I try not to make peoples day harder by being horrid.
Oh well tomorrow is another day and another class. But I shall keep well clear of that lady.

Right I am off to try and catch up with you all.
much love
Lia
xx

For All The Mothers

HAPPY MOTHERING SUNDAY.

I hope you all have a wonderful Mothering Sunday and are shown how much you are loved.

End of the Week Thoughts

Hello Darlings,

Here's hoping you are all well and bouncing like Tigger. I am and I smell of strawberries, but more of that later.

I thought I would clear up some confusion that I have obviously sent out there as a few of you seem to think the same. Sorry about that, I guess I am not the writer I thought I was!!!!!!!!!

"E" is my adopted sister and not my best friend, although that's not to say that we really aren't the bestest of friends, as we are. But our relationship has transcended a bond of friendship and we have been adopted into each other families, so we consider ourselves to be sisters.

Nutty is my best friend, she gets me, really really gets me. More so than some of my friends whom I have known for years and years. I simply adore her for just getting me right from the get go. I have never met anyone who is so in tune with me. I would be her sister in a heart beat, if it wasn't for the fact that she is over run with sisters already.
Anyway some one once said to me that friends are the siblings that God forgot to give us and I have 12 brothers and one real sister (a sister I can't stand to be honest as she is a liar and I have caught her out to often for comfort). So I am a little short on the sister front.

I didn't actually cut my thumb, but it was the only photo I could find that didn't involve blood and I know that some people do not get on with the sight of blood. Plus I was trying to convey that I was alright and it was a sort of thumbs up. It is healing unbelievably fast. Francis is convinced it is all the good food and veg I have been cramming down my throat under protest, dang it he maybe right AGAIN.

My weight has gone down Yes!yes!yes! I have gone from 13st to 12st 11lbs, *does little happy dance* am very pleased with that and hope to keep improving it.

And the really big thing this week is that I rejoined my gym. I went in on Tuesday and did all the paper work and photo ID, saw the trainer and sorted a plan out.
As you know at the moment I can only do swimming and pilates. But they do have everything you need there, plus they have changed a few things and you can now use the dance studios for your own practise if they are not in use. Which is a huge wow factor for me, as I love to dance.

Anyway it took me a while to dig out all my swimming gear and I finally went for my first swim today. Was really surprised at how much I remembered and how easy it was in many ways to step back into a pool.
To be an effective and efficient swimmer requires a lot of co-ordination and I am pleased to report that I seem to have lost none of mine. Mind you I did have to fight hard with myself to learn it all in the first place, so I think it might be well in grained in there. A couple of people commented on how good my technique was. But at the moment I can only do two lengths and then I have to stop and catch my breath, but it won't be like that in a month and 3 months from now I want to be able to do a non stop mile, which is 88 lengths of that pool.

Well I think that's me done, got to go and do something now, anything to burn off some more energy, I am so full of it that I am like a little Duracel bunny.

Have a good weekend.
much love
Lia
xx

Roll on Monday I can't wait to get back in there, I only have off-peak membership, I doubt I would do evening and weekends, so just went for off-peak mon to fri, that'll do it for me I think.
Oh yeah and why do I smell of Strawberries? While I was rummaging around in cupboards and dark scary places for my swim gear I found a whole load of shower gels and lotions from when I use to go swimming before and I thought I would use them up. That's why I smell of Strawberries. I know it's all a bit old but it all smells lovely and is still in the use by date. I had hidden them in there away from one very beautiful daughter.

Boys Are Stupid! Throw Rocks At Them!!!!!

Hello Darlings,

Stupid, stupid, stupid boys.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks to my wonderful sons not doing there chores and emptying the recycle bin I have cut my finger really badly on a tin lid. I perhaps should have gone to the hospital and had it stitched up, but it was 10:30pm and no-one in their right would go to a London A&E that time of night.

Bloody boys, I would kill them, but then I would have to empty my own bins!!!!! Oh hold on a minute if I did that I wouldn't end up cutting my finger.
It's not as though I haven't chopped into my fingers before, having been a joiner I have pretty much chopped every single one of them at some time or another, but I am seriously annoyed about this as it was so unnecessary.

Right now my finger is still throbbing, which I hate, even though I do know that this is a good sign and I don't feel much up to typing, so here's something sweet to get your head round.
It's a clip from a seriously lovely film that if you get the chance to see, you should.



Am off to plot and plan how to get my own back on my boys, Mwhahahahahahaha!!!!!!!
Oh I know one way, no more cup cakes,
"Oh sorry boys, I can't make cakes, I HAVE A BAD FINGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

much love
Lia
xx




I want to tell you something. At a certain point in your life, probably when too much of it has gone by, you will open your eyes and see yourself for who you are, especially for everything that made you so different from all the awful normals, and you will say to yourself, 'But I am this person.' And in that statement there will be a kind of love.

Wednesday, Daffodils and Mothers.

Hello Darlings,

Am bouncy, bouncy, bouncy, today. Woke up full of bounce and am rearing to go. It's back to normal Wednesday's now that "E" is back in town. We always spend Wednesday together and often Saturday as well. But Wednesday is very much our day and a great way to spend Wednesday in my opinion. You see Wednesday has always been my favourite day of the week. Long before it was given the rather dubious title of "humpday Wednesday" I loved it.

You see to me it means that I am more than halfway to the weekend and as a child the weekend with all the family was magic. Magic because I grew up in a family of characters, all bright and beautiful, with different accents and ideas. Loud noisy and extremely funny people.
Wednesday meant I was so much closer to seeing them all and getting a break from my Mum. As you know I never really got on with her, so this meant that there would be a bit of space between us. Plus I have always seen Wednesday as "MY" day, this is because I was born on Wednesday and I refuse to be full of woe, but that's just the rebel in me who always likes to prove the opposite, don't tell me to do something or for that matter that I can't do something as that will just elicit the opposite response.

I just love, love, love Wednesday. Not sure what we will get up to today, but it's Wednesday and "MY" day so nothing can wreck it, not even those grey skies over London.

Here's a couple of things I have found out in the last day or so.

Spring is about 3weeks behind over here and as a result the daffodils are not growing as fast as normal. So there are fewer of them about to buy. One company normally sells 26million...yes million in the Spring and has only brought in a million so far. Which means there will be a shortage of daffodils this Mothering Sunday. Daffodils are traditionally given to Mothers on Mothering Sunday by their children.

Mothers day is not actually it's correct title, it should be called Mothering Sunday, but the media has changed the name of it over the past decade as it is easier for them to say. Plus in America it is held in May and called Mother's Day, the media has let this creep in over here and no disrespect to America, but could we please stick to the way we have called it for the last God knows how many centuries now. While America has only had theirs for barely a Century.
Seriously it is a difference in our cultures that should be marked and people should learn.

Here's some history for you about Mothering Sunday...............

Flowers on Mothering Sunday.

Mothering Sunday is the fourth Sunday of Lent in the UK, though it falls on different days across the world. Although it's often called "Mother's Day" it has no connection with the American festival of that name. Traditionally, it was a day when children, mainly daughters, who had gone to work as domestic servants were given a day off to visit their mother and family.

History of Mothering Sunday.

Most Sundays in the year churchgoers would worship at their nearest parish or daughter church. Centuries ago it was considered important for people to return to their home or mother; church once a year. So each year in the middle of Lent, everyone would visit their mother, church, or the main church or Cathedral of the area.

Inevitably the return to the "Mother" church became an occasion for family reunions when children who were working away returned home. (It was quite common in those days for children to leave home for work once they were ten years old.) And most historians think that it was the return to the "Mother" church which led to the tradition of children, particularly those working as domestic servants, or as apprentices, being given the day off to visit their mother and family. As they walked along the country lanes, children would pick wild flowers or violets to take to church or give to their mother as a small gift.

International Mother's Day.

The earliest Mother's Day celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honour of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. During the 1600's, England celebrated a day called "Mothering Sunday". Celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter).

Mothering Sunday honoured the mothers of England. During this time many of the England's poor worked as servants for the wealthy. As most jobs were located far from their homes, the servants would live at the houses of their employers. On Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day off and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers. A special cake, called the mothering cake, was often brought along to provide a festive touch.

As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honour the Mother Church - the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration . People began honouring their mothers as well as the church.

In the United States Mother's Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the words to the Battle hymn of the Republic) as a day dedicated to peace. Ms. Howe would hold organized Mother's Day meetings in Boston, Mass ever year.

In 1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a campaign to establish a national Mother's Day. Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her mother's death, the 2nd Sunday of May. By the next year Mother's Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia.

Ms. Jarvis and her supporters began to write to ministers, businessman, and politicians in their quest to establish a national Mother's Day. It was successful as by 1911 Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state. President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May.

So there you go a little history of how it all came about and why over this side of the pond it should be called Mothering Sunday and on the other side of the pond it is called Mother's Day. It also explains why it is held at different times.

In case you would like to make a cake for your mother I have looked around to find the traditional cake recipe and found a couple of goods ones.

RECIPE 1 this one will give even more history and a great recipe for the cake.

RECIPE 2 if you scroll down a bit on this one you will find two other recipes for a mothering cake.

By the way this cake is more commonly known as a SIMNEL cake and is more of a traditional Easter cake now. So you might know it better as that name.

Also you will find some recipes for a "mothers day cake" which contain chocolate, this is because they are more to do with the American version of mother's day. If you know your history, you'll know that it would not have been possible for a Mothering cake to have had chocolate in it as it did not arrive in this country till some time later and the traditional cakes dates back much further than the arrival of cocoa.

I love the differences in cultures, it makes for some very interesting learning.

Oh and if one more girlfriend phones me up and either asks me what she should buy her Mother or moans to me about having to spend time with her Mother on Mothering Sunday, I will scream so loud down the phone their ears will bleed.

I along with Nutty don't have our Mothers and it is a constant pain to us both and one of the things we both have in common and there is nothings we wouldn't do to spend just 5 minuets with our Mothers. In fact I'd almost go so far as to sell one of the kids to the devil to be with my Mother. So if you have a Mother, stop moaning and bloody well enjoy her while she is still here to enjoy, because trust me and Nutty when we tell you she is IRREPLACEABLE and you will miss her beyond anything.

Much love Lia xx

Encouragement

Hello Darlings,

I love you lot and your wonderful encouragement of the things I do, no matter how mad they might be. I don't think that at any other time of my life I have had so much positive encouragement and support from so many people. You might not realise this but you all give me far more support than my own family and I'm not talking about the ones I live with under this roof, but rather my wider family. In fact some of them I haven't seen for years and have no intention of ever seeing again.
I miss them but I don't miss their criticism and sniping at me.

I don't believe me "Yes men", good grief that's just madness. You can't go through life having people say yes to you all the time, that's how dictators, mad-men and power hungry fools are created. Everybody should and simply must for their own sanity have people around them that say No to them, that tell them when they are in the wrong, about to not something that's nuts and are just being a pain in the rear at times. You only have to look to a lot of celebrities to see what I mean. Some of them really could do with a foot planted very firmly upon their backsides.

But neither should people have others in their lives that are over critical, as it can eat away at a person and my them feel less than they are.
Francis was the very first person to ever say to me that I was not a bad person, but rather a person bad things happened to. That was a bit of a shock to say the least and took some getting my head round. A whole new concept to take on board.

He, having planted a seed in my head then just stood back while I ran around trying to make sense of all the things he was saying at the time to me. It was ok to be strong willed, determined, ambitious, independent, feisty, talkative and lively. There was nothing wrong with any of those things and in fact that was what made me, ME and he loved me. And; after all weren't they all the things I encouraged and celebrated in my own daughter.

He asked me to tell him everything that was wrong with me and there was a massive list, then he asked me to tell him what was good about me and I couldn't do it. The only thing I could think of was that I was a good driver. I've been driving since 17 and I have only ever had two parking tickets and a totally clean licence.. I thought that was good. The only other thing, when pushed I could think of was that I was good to my friends.

Who do you think encouraged me to blog, which ultimately lead me to all of you.
Now I have all of you rooting for me and encouraging me and it has been wonderful for me.
I can't thank you all enough for all the support you send my way daily.

Much love
Lia
xx

Fairy Cake Volunteer Troops.

Hello Darlings,

I hope you all had a good weekend. We were so lazy and did nothing. How terrible is that?
When I say nothing I do mean nothing. We did a little shopping, a little cooking and a lot of time wasting.
I think the most productive thing I did all weekend was to make cakes, box them up and give a box each to the 2 sons and Francis.

Now, I am aware that this sounds very odd, however there is method in my madness. You see I am struggling with this whole weight loss malarkey. For 4 weeks now my weight has not moved, well that's if you don't count the 3lb I put on and then took off again. I have no idea how that happened. To say that I am a little fed up would be like saying that the Amazon River is just a little stream. I won't give up, but I am annoyed. I tried changing my portions, but how do you cut down on the amount of fruit and veg that you MUST eat in order to get your illness under control, so that you can lose the weight and go and exercise, as the doctor says you have to be a certain weight in order to do that.

I feel screwed. Really, really screwed. The good news is that the weather is getting better and on Friday I picked up "E" from the airport. Over 10 days later due to air traffic control in France and it being the first flight they could put her on without it costing us more money. Anyway she is back now, which means we will be spending lots of time together and I will get us out for walks. So that might help the weight nonsense.

Anyway back to those cakes. I make great fairy cakes, or cupcakes as some call them and I actually miss making them right now as it would be too tempting. Or so I thought, that was till Francis remained me of the fact that when I actually make cakes and biscuits I very rarely eat them on the day as I am for some reason put off by them. It's normally the next day or day after that I start to nibble on them. So Francis suggested that I make fewer of them than normal and that the boys would gobble them up. But I never see the point in getting everything out and putting the oven on for 12 cakes. Seems a waste of time and energy to me.

So I made loads of little fairy cakes, I made plain ones, vanilla ones, fruit ones, chocolate ones, lemon ones, and orange ones. I then decorated them with butter icing and swirls of chocolate, sprinkles and all sorts really. Stood back admired my handy work, then immediately panicked
What was I thinking? Is this diet suicide or what? What do you do with 50 fairy cakes??????

I could feel the will power slipping away and called the boys to rescue me. They being the wonderful young men that they are and each of them a self sacrificing cake warrior that they are, immediately threw themselves head first into the battle.
There was cup cake paper flying everywhere, the kitchen was awash with sprinkles, butter cream icing, and the noise of men in the full throws of a battle that they must win at all costs.

One by one my wonderful troops began to fall, shot down by chocolate cream and frosting. Overcome by the sugar feast that was slowly beginning to defeat them, they decide to re-group and pull back. Oh no what was a girl to do?. We decided to form a battle plan. We discussed calling in more troops, but my boys insisted that they could beat the demoed fairy cakes. Once they had fully recovered from the first wave.

In the meantime I decided to sneak up on the cakes and take them all prisoner. Sneaking under enemy lines I quickly overcame them and managed to take them all down and got the boxed into 3 boxes of equal amounts of cake.
They begged and pleaded with me not to put the lids on, they even told me that they didn't contain that many calories, that they could by pass my hips and that they wouldn't make me ill, even though they have ingredients that do make me ill. But I was ruthless and jammed the lids on tightly.

3 boxes, 3 men, genius, so I re-gathered my troops and gave them the responsibility of their prisoners and asked them to remember to treat them humanly. You see now that the boys have control of the cakes it is beyond my control.

So you see there was method in my madness of boxing them up and then giving them away to the boys as a gift. Stops me from eating them.

Much love
Lia
xx

Vajazzled !!!!!

Hello My lovelies,

Oh boy have I got a post for you today.
Believe it or not I was on a site looking for something completely different.
When I came across the word Vajazzled, being dyslexic this new word totally baffled me and at first I sat here for awhile trying to work out what the word even said, never mind meant.
Oh boy!! was I surprised when I went in search of answers.



In my search to find the answer I came across a couple of other articles that you can go and look at, just make sure that you are sitting down when you read them and don't be drinking any form of liquid like I was or you may end up like me having to clean your keyboard.

The 6 weirdest things women do to their vaginas.
Jennifer Love Hewitt talks about it here. by the way she has a book due out this month and the cynic in me thinks this is all a ploy to get sells for a book that is properly shite.

Also when looking around at this new and ridiculous craze I read one young women's comments where she had said
"This is really the modern form of feminism for my generation"

Yeah right, that's why the suffragettes marched on Downing Street and threw them selves under the King's horse on Derby day, that why my grandmother and mother fought so hard for you to have equal rights and that's why I went on demo's and stayed at peace camps through the winter and got myself arrested countless times, so you could get your fanny all sparkly. But it's ok 'cos they use Swarovski crystals, what next diamonds!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah modern feminism ROCKS!!!!! or maybe it just sparkles!!!!

Well, I'm off to bang my head on a brick wall and ask myself some very serious questions.
Much Love
Lia
xx

Note- fanny over here in the UK means your vagina not your bottom. Just in case any of my American readers don't know that, only I am aware of the difference.
First time in America at 17, as I passed through the airport, a guy called out nice fanny at me....so I turned on my heels and slapped his face, calling him a few unladylike names. Luckily another guy realised that we were lost in translation and step between us to explain. It's funny now.

Relax Boys! This Won't Hurt!!!!!!!!

Hello Darlings,
Yet another bright day in London, you'll all be pleased to know I made it out of bed today.
Sounds terrible doesn't it. I can only imagine what people who are reading my blog for the first time must make of that!!!! I like to imagine that I am so witty and intelligent that hundreds of people come here every day and read all about my funny, exciting and full life!!!
Yeah right but a girl can dream!!!!!

As you know my life is actually full of men, now that sounds even worse to a first time reader!!!!!
But as you know dear reader, they are but one, family members.
You who know me better, know how much I adore the opposite sex and the mad things they all get up to.

However there is a side to men that worries me a lot.
It is the subject of them going to the doctors when ill or for regular check ups. As we all know men are the worst for going to the doctors. Unless there is something sticking out of them or hanging off of them they just won't go. No matter what we women folk say to them and no matter how much they really know in their hearts and minds that they should go.

When ever a friend says she had to drag a man to the doctors this is the vision that I get.


Come on you know I am right.
Anyway being surrounded by so many men, I try my best to get them to go when they need to. I realise for men that going to the doctors is like admitting defeat. That some how they see it as a weakness within themselves and a failing. While we women seemingly just go off with a spring in our steps and a happily go lucky attitude to the whole undignified processes of getting a check up, we know secretly that it really isn't any easier for us to go.

It's not in my opinion that it is a case of we find it as women easier, I think it is more to do with that fact that we "know" that we will spend time having uncomfortable check ups. We know about it from a young age when we hear our mothers talking about it, when we become young women and talk to our friends and we sure as hell know about it when we get pregnant.
We talk, we learn, we laugh about it all, but we do it regardless of how uncomfortable we may feel at the time...we do it. Men are notoriously bad at talking about health issues, even to their closest friends, wives and family.

Recently I noticed that one of the older men in my family was having a problem, I won't go into details, I'll spare him his blushes. Upon suggesting he see a doctor for a prostate check up, you'd have thought I had asked him to run naked through the local gay club. I tried to joke about it all, to no avail and in my search for a way to get my message across I found this on you tube and sent it to him. It is 10 mins long but so very funny.



I think the script writers did a brilliant job of turning what is to men possibly the scariest examination they feel they could have to face. Every male should be made to watch this, so if you have a man in your life who is reluctant to go for this examination pass this on to them. After all the more we know and laugh at it, the less scary this will become for our men folk.
By the way, the man in question watched it and went to see his doctor and is perfectly ok. Again I will spare him his blushes and not tell you what the problem was, but he's fine.
I asked my boys if they knew about this examination and they both said they did. When I asked them rather surprised how they knew, the answer was because I had told them and talked them through it....my work is done!!!!!!!!!

Buckle Up

Hello Darlings,

Beautiful spring day here in London, but I can only look at it from the window.
Oh well there will be other days when I am well enough to go out, just not today.

I found this today on a really lovely blog, that I stupidly lost. I did leave her a comment so I hope she pops by, as she did have a really nice blog.
Anyway on her blog she had found a Public Service Announcement (PSA) that is from the UK.
I did tell her that I had never seen it and that in fact we do have a couple of very graphic ones on TV right now about what happens to your internal organs when you are in a head on collision and not wearing your seat belt.

Watch this PSA, I promise there is no gore in it, but oh my is it powerful click here

I am a stickler for making people wear their seat belts, front and back of the car. I have refused to start the car until people do buckle up. I even once asked a friends sister to get a taxi cab, as she refused to buckle up. She didn't want to get her bloused creased and I didn't want her death on my hands should we have had a crash. Apart from anything else, it is the law in this country and there are very few exceptions to that law. In my car I am responsible for safe driving and getting you from A to B in a safe manner, but I don't have a crystal ball and while I have every intention of getting people there safely accidents do happen.

If I found my kids driving with out their seatbelts on, I would remove their keys and I don't care how old they are.
Please watch it, trust me it is amazing and no gore either.

Clunk, click every trip.

Much love
Lia
xx