Wednesday 30 January 2013

Who am I

I wasn't going to post this 'cos it's a bit personal....

Anyway,  I was contacted the other day by a long, lost relative from Ukraine.  Mum and Dad are from Ukraine.  World War 2 ripped families apart, ours included.  It's so tragic.  Lost relatives, memories.  We never had opportunities to love and get to know our nearest and dearest.    My mum is so very bitter about this.

I used to get so mad, as a young kid, when friends used to slag off and bitch and moan about their relatives.  Oh, what I would give to have been able to have my aunties, uncles, cousins, grandparents.

My parents, particularly my Dad...who was conscripted by the Ruskies when he was 17 to fight in WW2, never liked to talk about the war.  Too traumatic.  He never saw his family again, apart from his older sister in 1991 after Ukraine gained independence from Russia.  Good old Gorbachov.    Anyway, Dad never liked stew.....for instance.   We never had gravy with our meals.  He always had to know what he was eating.   Memories of rats, cats, dogs, etc..that he had to eat to stay alive in the prisoner of war camp.

Do you know, I can't believe how cruel man can be to fellow man..and other living things.  We are truly awful.

Anyway, I am going to try and build up a family tree.  We know nothing really about our rellies and I am hoping that we can sort out who we are, genealogy-wise.  Am going to set up another blog...just for our family tree.  When I get it going, I'll let you know.

I got a map of the Ukraine up on Mapquest...and blubbed.  Like I said, what I would have given as a young child to be able to hug my grannies and grandads, uncles and aunties.  What I would give now, even as an antiquated old sod.  lol

Wish me luck. x

Casper sent me to bed

Junior has a Wii.  I got dragged into doing the Wii Fit last year.  Junior was on it the other day and Wii mentioned that it hadn't seen me for a while.  So, I went on.  It had me doing balancing exercises to assess my fitness.  Not good when you have rickety joints like me.   I keeled over after about half a second of standing on one leg..and my centre of gravity is..crap.

Well, it told my what I already know and that I am a fat sod.  It also told me that my Wii Fit age is........75!

Well,  after all the exertion, last night I fell asleep on the sofa.  Don't normally do that at night.  Day time yes, 'cos I am getting on a bit and us oldies need our afternoon siesta..sometimes, but night time noooooo.  I'm usually upstairs sat on my rocking chair, by the radiator, either reading or crafting.

Somehow, I woke up.....at just after 3am.......  Something woke me up.  I was nice and toasty warm, so it wasn't the cold, obviously.  And the old bladder wasn't calling, either!

Eeeek.

Do you give spooks a name?   Neighbour on the road has one called Robbie and says only the kids can see it.  

Gonna call ours Casper :o)





Tuesday 29 January 2013

I keep hearing things..it's that bloody ghost!

We live in an old terraced house.  Nooks and crannies, House that Jack built, type of place.  I like it, even though it's a tad damp, everything is knackered, only one plug point in each bedroom...and we have a ghost.

Well, we have the 11 mogs and Cilla dog to guard and protect us!  Ha!   The mogs growl sometimes...usually at night.    I catch them looking up at the ceilings..growling...sometimes on the sofa..growling..sometimes looking at the windows and doors...growling.  Very menacing sound.   The Old Ladies are getting on a bit now....16 years of age!  Tah Dah!!   Muppet and Spooky.  Pressie from my Big Bro.  Semi-feral dudes.  Given me the run a round for 16 years.

Mupps isn't well.  Old age.  She rasps when she breathes, but whizzes around like a young 'un..when she's in the mood and she is also the biggest feline nag on this planet.  Moaning Myrtle is her nickname...per Junior.  Anyway,  I worry about her.  She wheezes, rasps and snores...even when she's awake.  Pick her up and she's light as a feather.  Old age wearing her out.  So, when I hear wooing, wheezing, rasping, snoring...it's usually her....  But, sometimes it's Honeypot, who is Megan's daughter.  She nicks the dog's biscuits.  Can you believe that a cat likes Baker's Complete Senior?   Carries them, one at a time, to her mistress's feet...aka Junior...who is so fed up with this ritual now that she does the teenage thing.....and ignores.   So, mournful miaows are down to Honeypot...usually.

So....I am sat at my desk, at night.  I can hear this noise....high-pitched 'Woooooo'.  But this was not just a mournful miaow...it was more...high-pitched (think Psycho!)

Sometimes, they, the mogs, 'Woo'...just for the hell of it.  Make some noise and annoy the humans.  But this noise... it goes on.....in the cat run...outside.   But, all the mogs are inside.    Lightbulb in head goes on.  (Been watching too much of Most Haunted).   Eeeek.   Who/what is it then?

Oh s***.
Muppet and Spooky


 Junior and I a few years back
 Junior and her cousin..Big Bro's daughter
 Frowny Honeypot
Junior and Megan..in their fave armchair..watching Mona the Vampire 
 Olive..doing some research
Well, our resident spook likes to open a built-in cabinet door in the living room....at 3 am, usually.  This is why most of the mogs and Cilla congregate on my bed at about....Oooooooh...9pm.  Also, lighbulbs and general electric stuff sometimes short, for no reason.  Our back passage light has been out for months...too high for me to replace.  Tonight....it works!....as does the plug socket.  Eeeeek.  We have a DIY ghost.  Yay!

So, I tell myself that I am a rational, brave person.  I can suss this out.

All I can put it down to is the wind outside...playing on some polycarbonate sheeting that the snow dumped off our garden room roof and that I subsequently picked up and propped up against the cat run.   Rolf Harris does a similar 'turn' with a piece of  bendy wood.  lol

Wind has calmed down a bit.  No more strange noises.  All animals, except Olive, who is by my side..purring, are upstairs.  All is well...until......Eeeeeek!


Monday 28 January 2013

Fail

The great bicarb of soda experiment.....not the result I wanted.

Mixed it to a past.  Slapped it on everywhere and left for 12 hours.

Still got an amber coloured oven glass window and some bits still embedded on the hob...around the plates.  And I had to scrub like a mad woman to get the bits off that I did!   If I scrub any more then the enamel will come off!!  Pah!  Bang goes my vision/dream of easy easy clean in.  I'll give it another go and see if it makes any difference.  I used the whole 1kg bag of bicarb, so will have replenish supplies.  Don't know where I'm going wrong.  Maybe my oven and hob are past it?

Was nice not to be breathing in chemicals, though, while I scrubbed away.

Tried to upload photo, but blogger playing up.

Saturday 26 January 2013

Supplies have landed

I managed to find a site where I can buy a wodge of Bicarb of Soda..1kg upwards instead of those little pots you see in the supermarkets.  Yay!  And they sell herbs and spices..most things you can think of actually.  So, I did a 'tester' buy  to suss them out, even though they have good reviews, and this morning received my Bicarb, whole nutmegs, vanilla pods (to be used in the making of my own vanilla extract..you put them in vodka and leave!!) and some dandelion root to be used in herbal tea.

I hope the bicarb works.   I can't scrub too well because of the old rickety joints, which is really frustrating, I tell you.  Does my head in.   So, having viewed a tip off Pinterest, I'm gonna mix up a paste and slap it on my electric hob, which is HORRENDOUSLY ingrained with dried up sploshes from cooking.  The oven door could do with it, too.    Too embarassed to do a before and after, but might do if the paste works.  lol

Meanwhile, mega icicles here.  One (the biggest) is hanging from the guttering over our front door!  Yikes.  Might need to knock it before it does someone an injury, but how to get up there?   We are told that a final heavy snow is on its way tonight and then heavy rain....and the big melt.   Sigh....  Might be able to get out of the back door, at last!  lol

Tuesday 22 January 2013

Quarter of a Century

It's Son No 2's birthday today.

He's a big boy now.  25.

How time flies!

This is a special effects piccie he took of himself years ago.

Ought to get it blown up and printed for him.  lol

PS.  Binmen didn't come.  That's what you get for paying extra!    The landfill sack ones did, but not mine.   Grumphhh

Monday 21 January 2013

What a waste!

It's soooooo cold outside.  I can't get out of the back garden room door into the back garden.  It's all wedged and iced up to oblivion.....and it's bin day tomorrow!  Yikes.  Worse still, it's the bin with all the cat litter that's due to be emptied.  I pay the council extra for this.  My little darlings have been rather prolific in the 'Must go to the toilet department' lately.  It's the cold...makes 'em go!   You know how it is.     So, I am about to embark on the epic task of trying to squeeze the old body out of said garden room, try and find the bin, which is entombed in snow and ice, attempt to open the iced up back garden gate, oik the bin to the front pavement so our heroic bin men can empty it tomorrow....if they can get the lid open, that is!    They've got to turn up first, though.  Wonder if they will?

What to do about mega iced up lid, which is clamped SHUT?     Do I spray the lid seal with de-icer or what?

Will take me a while to don my Arctic gear!  lol

Might be a while....adios. x

Saturday 19 January 2013

Inspector Gadget

Yes, more of the white stuff today.  Our brave Tesco people delivered our order.  lol..  We have our Snowed In supplies.  lol

Actually, it's quite nice just staying in and pootling about.

I rang my Mum, who is 82 and lives 70 miles away, just checking she's ok with all this cold weather and stuff.  She feeds the birds.  There's a tree outside her first floor flat and all manner of creatures congregate there.  You name it, they are there.  There is an ongoing squabble between a pair of magpies and a grey squirrel.  All over food, of course.  Robins feed off Mum's hand, woodpecker lives in the tree, pigeons and doves are about, thrushes, etc.....   Anyway, Mum has her top opening window open slightly.  She hates it being too warm and likes her fresh air.  Her cat, Jimmy, can't get out of it...being too fat!  lol.  Anyway, she tells me that she has a new resident.  A little bluetit.  It must have gotten in through the window gap and had taken up residence in one of her plants that she keeps on the windowsill!   Don't blame it, given the weather outside.  The mog was barred from the living room and locked in the bedroom.  He was not happy.  lol   Poor little bluetit.  Must have been desperate to get away from the cold.  Well, he flew off again, after a warm up, rest and nibble of food.  Hope the little fella is ok.    Can you believe that one of the residents at her place complained that she feeds the birds?

May have sorted out the camera.  Junior, it turned out, was holding the box (and all the instructions) hostage in her bedroom, for some reason.  lol   I mentioned, again, that I couldn't find the box and she tells me 'Oh yes, it's in my room with all the Christmas pressie bags that we got'.  Arghhh... Anyway, here are gratuitous photos of the white stuff.

Henry and Tinks looking out at all this white stuff.
Henry and Bart doing the same.  My finger is the shadow on top.  lol

Have you seen all THAT? !!!
This was early this morning.  Much, much worse later in the day
Junior
A young Junior. She'd been mucking about with the special effects. The kids spent hours on this.
Doing the Rezza recipe tomorrow AND I have a new gadget!  Yay.   Gadgets help me out.  Rickety joints need help, especially mine!  lol

We've had the heating on all day and I'm still not warm.  Hot water bottles are awol....I suspect they are in a certain teenager's bedroom, under some pile of whatever!  sigh...  Why do I think this?    I did a 'raid' earlier today and rescued half our mugs, glasses and dishes!

Friday 18 January 2013

Oh No....Not More!

The white stuff is still falling.  20cm is on its way, apparently.    Our garden room/lean-to is like a freezer!  lol  Pity it's where I keep the cat litters!  lol  The mogs don't hang about in there in this weather.

We have hedges at either side of the garden.  It's long (the garden) and the hedges are high.  You see, I haven't trimmed them this year...mostly because rheumatoid arthritis renders me useless nowadays in the DIY dept..... but the birds have been nesting in one of them.. a privet hedge.  You're not allowed to trim hedges during certain times if birds are nesting in them...big fat fine if you get caught....so I haven't!.... Glad I haven't gotten the old strimmer out, given the weather.  Poor little mites need all the help they can get.  The mogs are mighty frustrated, though...sitting in the cat run...on their viewing shelves......behind the wiring.....so near and yet so far.    You can almost hear the Tweety and Sylvester type conversations going on.  lol

Did anyone hear me scream the other day?    

Was cleaning out the cat litters when I, obviously, accidentally dropped a WHOLE bag of Tesco Value cat litter on my poorly, arthritic foot....which has an ingrowing, arthritic nail on the end of the big toe!   Google arthritic toe and I bet you go 'Yuk' at the image.    Anyway....yikes...brought tears to my eyes.   Yes, I cried....more out of frustration.   Even with bloody rheeumatoid arhritis, I hopped around that garden room like an Olympic gymnast!  Junior was in the kitchen, at the front of the house...oblivious to Mummy's screams.  lol.   I eventually hobbled in and, bottom lip quivering, said 'I could've died in there and you would never have known'.  Aye, tad dramatic, but you see how you feel with 10 litres of gravel flattening your foot from a great height.  Funnily enough, it seems to have cured the pain in my ankle.  Just got one foot bigger than the other now.


Gratuitous piccies.
A young Junior
Olive...kipping.  No guesses for who tucked her in.  lol
Still trying to sort out the camera.  Not enough hours in the day for all this techy malarky.  

We did a Tesco on-line delivery order today.   First time.   Saves petrol and impulse spending.  Got £12 off my first order.   Woooo...  We ordered what we need..supplies for the great Snow In!  lol   Have a Rezza recipe that I want to try.  Spicy polenta and vegetables, so I ordered the ingredients.   Rezza Mahammed is the author of Spice King of India.  He comes over as such a nice chap and I like him.  He has a nice, decent gentleness about him.  I hate bolshy chefs.  Such a turn off.   Son No 1 got me his book for Crimble, so I am going to work my way through it...the veggie bits, that is.

Going to bed now...to defrost!  The mogs and Cilla dog are up there already.  Bed warming!  lol



Wednesday 16 January 2013

Yuk

It seems that horsemeat has found its way into some of the burgers that can be bought nowadays in our supermarket frozen sections.  Bloody hell!  Glad I don't desire them.  Yukkety yuk.

What else in the dodgy dept will get into our food?  Worrying.

Monday 14 January 2013

The White Stuff

We have snow.  Tons of it!!

Apparently, we are in for a 'big freeze' week.   Joy!  I am glad that I work from home.  Listening to my neighbours scraping away these last couple of mornings.....I feel sorry for them....then I snuggle back under the duvet with BIG cup of Earl Grey, specs on and internet tablet at hand!

Wouldn't it be lovely if we could share our weather out...globally..so those in need of water get it, those who need warmth, etc....

We recycle LOADS.  Ought to have my face on the entrance at the old recycling place...we must be their best customers.  Junior gets fed up of it all and a tad lazy.  Recycling stuff ends up in normal bin bag.  Noooooo.......  Keep telling her it's all for her and her offspring.  Don't want them to inherit such a polluted planet, do you?   I get the 'Hmphhh'.    

Gotta get to grips with my new camera.  About time I put some piccies up here.  It's boring without photos.

Am working on it...once I find the box that holds the instructions.  My house is full of boxes, lately.  Doesn't help when Junior 'tidies' and then swears blind that she hasn't touched said box!  Sigh...

Saturday 12 January 2013

Muppet

Muppet is one of my Old Ladies.  The other is her sister, Spooky.  They are total opposites.  Muppet is quiet and has only just decided to trust me, after 16 years.  Spooky is very vocal, podgy and cantankerous!    Muppet is quiet and shy and tiny..although she has recently been brave enough to sleep on my bed....along with the other mogs.  She is sociable while her sister isn't..towards the other mogs that is.   Spook and Muppet are big fans of Cilla dog...and do a regular cuddle up! lol

Spooky, lounging!
 Mupps....been reading Jackie Collins, it seems!!
Anyway, Mupps is not well.  She's old and has developed breathing problems.  I first thought that she was just snoring but it's not that.  She's getting really old.  Vet vist Monday.  Don't want her to suffer, although she seems happy enough at the mo.

She's a lovely, loyal companion.xxx

Thursday 10 January 2013

It's the anniversary of my friend's death....all those years ago.  He took his own life.  What a shocking waste.   Was a young man with a bright future.  

The older I become, the madder I get at what he did.  When I visit his grave and do a tidy up, I don't half chunter at him!

Yes, when I get 'up there' I'm still going to give you a knuckle sandwich for doing such a stupid thing.   You have no idea of the hurt you caused, especially to your parents..God rest their souls.  x  

Tuesday 1 January 2013

2013

Happy New Year to all my family and friends.  Hope 2013 brings you your heart's desire.

(If I ever win the lottery, I'll sort you all out!  Promise.  lol)

Spent a lovely evening with Son no 1 and his family.  Had a Chinese takeaway and lots of fun, yacking!   Little grand daughter is so lovely.  Kept her Auntie Junior busy!  lol

Got a new camera.  Yay.   Just got to figure it all out re the uploading of piccies.  lol  My eyesight is shot!  Gets me down re the reading of instructions, but we'll get there!

All my lot are sparko!  I have just wished Junior a Happy New Year.  She is full of cold, bless her.  Has taken a hot toddy of honey and lemon to bed.  Olive cat is here, too....and Cilla dog...and she's busy burgling the cat biscuits!  lol  The rest are snoring away on my bed!

And for 2013?

Just want to be happy and healthy.

(Getting a Pilates machine.   Maybe that'll sort out my rheumatoid arthritis!  Hope so! ) 

Happy New Year
xxxx