It's A Hardknock Life

Did you know that Annie started as a comic strip in 1930s and then was a film in 1982 starring Albert Finney and Tim curry , then it was remade again this this time with Jamie Foxx . So in conclusion people like Annie a lot and I am one of those people so much so in 1982 I really wanted an Annie Doll which came with a locket just like the one Annie had in the film I never got that Annie Doll much to my sadness and quite secretly I have wanted one ever since well I suppose not so cruelty as I am telling you lot about it . It didn't matter that I was not really into dolls I just wanted and needed to have this doll , I think it stood for something as the story really at the tender age of 9 struck a cord with me. And I am off on a jolly with the husband to see Annie in the West end ~ alas I didn't win the tickets buy paid using my hard earned pennies !

London bound 

I was lucky enough to win a stay last year due to a photography competition I won , I had a slight blip when I emailed the hotel and shock horror no record of my booking. A quick email and phone call and all was sorted with an upgrade to boot. All is well that ends well and I am so in need of a break I can tell you !!

Brownies 

A nice friend a really nice friend sent me Brownies from Gower Cottage and they're divine both my friend and the Brownies. Just the pick me up I needed after my redundancy was firmly signed sealed and developed.

Here's to the future:-) the future is Brownie shaped !

Moving On Up

I thought that with getting made redundant that I would lose a sense of myself , after all I have been a teaching assistant for 13 years starting when my son started Infant school and ending as he finishes at the local academy. I have since the decision was made I had been sad but realisation has hit that nothing can change this decision so I declare this the beginnings of all that is new. So you see if you are faced with redundancy you are going to feel anger  and loss and everything in between and more . When A job is your life you focus on that and all your energies are ingrained into what you do so take heart and let it be a chance to reevaluate your life. This is what I am doing for I still need a sense of community and to connect with people which is funny I think for one that is a friendly introvert.

Just because you see me looking at my feet it doesn't mean I am not paying attention to the world around me what takes the average person to walk say 20 minutes may take me 30 minutes as I am taking in the world in a visual way. In that time I am looking all around me listening to bird song ,absorbing the vibe of the world, and just watching the canvas of the sky. I notice everything and anything. When my world is shattered from what I know I do what I do best and take stock and drink tea . Tea drinking is a skill and a saviour to the soul I am always having to up my tea levels I would love to be a roving tea reporter and visit more tea rooms. I seriously love tea as tea is all the love you need next to cats.

Cats And Tea How Good The Simple Life is

Strangely enough my late cat Rollie brought me to blogging and I wouldn't have the friends I have without him. Now I'm left with Jack and Jack certainly had been keeping us on our toes this week in more ways than one.

The other night we settled down to watch a " Streetcat called Bob"

Along with a nice cup of tea I had to make the tea as Jack the cat had completely paralysed my husband , strange how cats do that to people isn't ?! Cats and tea I really don't think there is a better combination in life for relaxing and it was very apt to be watching a film about a cat with a cat. Jack seemed to approve of the film and had his toy mouse with him for good measure and we all had a jolly good time. Before Jack settled into bed  his basket in the kitchen he decked he wanted to go out the front door despite having a cat flap in the kitchen . My husband and I settled into bed and just at that point when you are dropping off we heard Jack cat a walling at the front door , I got up and many words were mumbled and much tripping over of objects was had till I got downstairs but no Jack was to be seen . I think it was the cat equivalent of ringing the doorbell or Cherry knocking in my day  then running away when someone answers it , something I never did as a child ( I was quite pious really honestly )

A Cat With A Sore Throat

Seems Jack has a sore throat , he's been sounding like a bad jazz grass trumpet player not that he listens to Jazz FM and anyway Jazz music really isn't quite my scene.

How do you know if your cat has a sore throat ?

Their meowing might be different as per the grass trumpet sound in Jack for instance.


What could cause a sore throat?

Too much meowing maybe , an upper respiratory infection , maybe after surgery or if there is some sort of heart issue.


Sore Throat Treatment

Jack had been off it for days really not being himself throwing up white foam which I didn't think was normal as it wasn't the same as when he lovingly delivers a hairball at my feet. So it was off to the vets with him since losing Rollie I haven't been keen on vets ( the vet was very sympathetic with Rollie )

The vets bill was below the excess amount in this case ( darn ) but the comfort is there if I should ever need it again , it's a good idea to keep a copy of your cats insurance with their iummisation certificate .


I was feeling like my cats drug dealer crushing up his tablets to put in his food , also I tried to avoid eye contact with him when I gave him the phone with the tablets it as I am sure cats can see right into your soul.

Pets are family and we will do all that we need to do to make sure they ok , Jack is recovering slowly and has even started playing hide and seek again ( which he is rather rubbish at but we don't tell him so as not to hurt his feelings )

There is one thing though Jack has t ego back to the vets next week for his annual booster ~ you going to take him to the V E T  ?

Photography How Do You Capture Your Family

Photography how do you capture your family ?

Family photography doesn't have to be just about the smiling groups , family photography can be about capturing the moment. It is moments in time frozen forever to be revisited stirring memories, memories aren't always fond but nonetheless they're memories . 

The case of myself capturing the family it's happy times , it doesn't matter I'm the one lagging behind but am lagging behind or capturing the moment?

Capturing my family at the beautiful Charlcote Park

Strolling down the hill at Beamish Open air museum.

Chilling out in Ibiza .

Taking in the stunning architecture of Ibiza town.


Soaking up the history of Berlin.



Living and loving times in Washington D.C

Paying our respects at Arlington cemetery.

Not only am I capturing the back of my family but also the places we have been from National Trust properties to Ibiza , Berlin and Washington D.C .

Simple family pictures are very much life affirming it's the simplest and most naturally beautiful opportunity in life. And when you take pictures like this that are candid and natural then you really do get something special and I just feel the love in them.

How do your capture your family  with your photography have you got a special sort of way  ?


I love taking pictures of my family and I love capturing when they are unaware , I have created many lovely pictures and they are wonderful memories to look back on. 

I know when we go to Rome I'm going to be taking the same sort of shots but oh the magnificent if it all in such an architecturally stunning romantic city.

Photographing your family this way can make family life easier as your not trying to wrestle possible squabbling children in a family portrait with half tears and smiles ! I am very much a fan of natural photography.

Life Is Dolly Mixtures

Life is Dolly Mixtures 

Dolly Mixtures oh how I love thee

Let me eat you I promise you you won't suffer !!

Dolly Mixtures that beloved sweet from your childhood that recently I was yearning for and I was so glad when some in the Cadburys shop at the East Midlands outlet. 

Dolly Mixtures - jump with me into a great big sweet bag of nostalgia, then get yourself a quarter of Dolly Mixtures! They're so delicious, and so pretty, and did you know that they've been around since at least the 1920s...

Anorak time - according to the Oxford English Dictionary, a dolly mixture is a 'mixture of tiny coloured sweets of various shapes'. There are stacks of myths around relating to the origins of the iconic sweet, and nobody can agree on the exact date of origin. The story I love the best is this:

Many believe that they originated around the time of the British Raj in India. Dal or Dahl in India are pulses (beans, peas, legumes) which are often made up of different sizes and colours.... so could Dally Mixture have led to Dolly Mixture? A long shot I know, but I love a bit of intrigue when it comes to my sweets.

Sharing is caring they say ...

Nah ......

Win Tickets To Barton Under Needwood Steam Rally And Family Festival

Here is a quick little competition to win 2 pairs of tickets to the Barton Under Needwood Steam Rally and Family Festival.

 The competition will close Monday 10th  July and the tickets will be posted out to you in due course.

"The committee of the Barton Under Needwood Steam Rally and Family Festival were proud to present The Midlands Air Ambulance with a cheque for £5,000, the proceeds of the 2016 event held at Needwood Rise Farm near Barton Under Needwood. We'd like to thank everyone who attended last year's event for their support and hope they will join us in 2017 when we will, once again, be raising money for The Midlands Air Ambulance.

This year's event will take place on 15th and 16th July at Needwood Rise Farm DE13 8AP, near Barton Under Needwood just a few minutes off the A38. All profits will, again, be donated to The Midlands Air Ambulance. All the organisers are volunteers who spend their valuable time putting the event on. Please see our website for details."
http://www.bartonsteam.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/bartonsteam/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Curried Baked Cod With Spinach Rice

Sometimes you want a restaurant quality meal at home but without the expense of going to a restaurant and it is possible ! recently I've been working on my food presentation skills . I mean you know when you've been watching to much Masterchef when your husband says

" I'm ready for you to plate up now "

Ingredients 

Piece of cod or other such suitable fish enough for 3 /4 

Mild curry powder

Mango Chutney 

Lime leaves 

Method 

Now I'd run out of foil so I created a sort of steam bag with steam parcel with baking parchment.

I rubbed the cod with the mild curry powder , adding some mango chutney and added some Lime leaves .

This was Baked in the oven at 180c for about 25 minutes , whilst this was cooking I prepared some Spinach rice .

I just prepared some normal Basmatic rice then stirred in some Spinach it really is that simple .

Forged In Fire

When your shunned by own father it is very hard , hard to move on hard to see other families laughing and joking and having fun. It's always been that way even when I did had a father in my life because I felt I should have been a boy , never feeling good enough for my dad , I have to be careful as he is still living but he doesn't care and never will. Sometimes with families there is no olive branch there can be , never will be it's not worth trying , I have no brothers and sisters and quite frankly I wouldn't want to gave had a sibling to endure what I did. I really always do try and see the best in people but that's how I am forged.

Forged

I am forged in fire you can say , if my mother had gone to a woman's refuge I think my life would have taken a much safer and easier path. Forged to take control of my emotions and not cry and this is something I still have trouble with as to cry then and sometimes now to me was a weakness of emotion. There was no social services for me no teacher I could turn to I was muddled up through my GcSes and A levels  , violence should never be part of anyone's life. If I am upset I have to reset and this can take days , I'm conscious that people don't what to read sad from me I'm not here for people to either have empathy or feel pity.  

Coping 

I am coping everyday of my life by putting all of my trouble in a box but otherwise how would I cope , I've my own family to take care of just the three of us. To me my son has one grandad my husband's dad and my own grandad his great grandad was more of a grandad to him than my own dad was . I'm not here to rubbish people but I don't talk about my dad now I just don't have a dad it is as if he is aur brushed out of existence . You might tell me to try again but no I take take personal threats against me lightly and knowing what I grew up in I'd rather just let it be.

Hoping 

You see I'm hopeful for the future ooh not with my dad I'll let him be a miser of his own stony cold heart , I am hopeful for me for the love I have to give and for my family unit just the three of us . Putting down emotional roots is what I'm doing and I've never done that before in my whole life , you'll laugh when I tell you that when my parents were divorcing my dad wanted custody. Custody you say why that's natural to want custody but wait the custody wasn't for me it was for the cat!!!!

So you see I am forged in fire but with a heart of love .

"The moment I stopped living up to everyone else's expectations.

 

I lived up to my own ."

The One Where Alexa Tries To Break Me

I love my social media I really do but sometimes it has a side to it I don't like , the side where it can be directorial imposing the latest social media rules onto you . I mean I don't vlog I have dabbled yes but it's not a medium I excel in even though I'm quite quirky when I do it . You see blogging and social media gives me the confidence to do stuff I ordinally would not to. I blog in my own way , I tweet in my own way , I Facebook in my own way I do things by own way , I'm not against advice ~ advice which is constructive.

I learnt many years ago to my cost that everyone is not a social media luvvy and that's ok there is enough of us blogger s, vloggers and social media gurus to make the world go around . I do what I do and you do what you do simple as .   

I'm trying to get to Alexa to listen to me and it isn't working.

" Alexa play Butterfly by A~ Ha "

Alexa " Here's Butterfly by Cliff Richard "  

No Alexa play " A~ Ha Butterfly "

Alexa " Here's a medley of songs by Wolf Alice "

" Alexa Noooooooooooo"

Who is Wolf Alice ?

"Alexa play A~ Ha Butterfly "

Alexa " playing the lost boy in New York Simon and Garfunkel "

Arrrrrgh

I have patience of a saint I truly have after all as I grew up in the 1980s and owned a Spectrum 48 K< Rich.

Owning a Spectrum 48 K you learnt patience by loading the games onto your Spectrum 48 k you loaded the tapes whilst listening to that distinctive sound only made by loading Spectrum games. 

What ever you do if you own a Alexa don't ask it to sing to you ...

I'm not sure who is young to break first me or Alexa ...