Theme Day -"Wood" for Wood Steps

Today is the first of the month and that's theme day for Photo-a-Day. Today's theme is wood. I spotted all these wooden steps attached to these rental apartments.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Camera Critters - Parrot

This parrot was in a floral shop and she gave me permission to take this photo. He was eating a piece of food and sitting on top of one of the leaf decorations. If you enlarge it you can see what he's eating.

To see more participants of Camera Critters hosted by Misty, go here: http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/

Sky Watch Friday - Bellefonte Courthouse

Night-time sky at the Bellefonte Court house. I took this just as it was getting dark. If you enlarge the photo you can see the fish weather vane on the top of the courthouse. I wonder how many people never notice the fish. I didn't notice until my son pointed it out to me several years ago.

Added Note: A few of you wondered why the fish was chosen on the courthouse. I did some Internet research and this site tells about a man who delivered airmail and chose the fish for the weather vane. Here's the site: About fish weather vane. Our state fish symbol is the brook trout. PA is known for good fishing.

To see more participants of Sky Watch Friday go here: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

ABC Wed. - "B" - Black Crow

To see more ABC Wed. participants, go here: Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC Wed.

Slightly Squiffy Monday Poem

OK, no great shakes here and written after too much alcohol, but a commitment is a commitment. So here is the Monday poem, based on a drink-fuelled conversation at a marvellous Burns Supper courtesy of the people up the road.

Heartland

I am Essex
and we do not leave
our county lightly.
Make good, and we merely move
the odd mile to the mansion zone
with automatic gates
and anti-radar Audi R8s
with a Hummer, just enough
for the weekend.
We will uproot to fight
unworthy kings or despotic rulers,
but other than that, we remain
a barbaric host
of shoppers and show-ers
who relish our home-hoard
but do not bury it.
Why did I leave?
For a stout heart
I cannot understand
but love.

So I suffer, but do not show
in this land of silence and secrets
to my barrow-boy ears.

Camera Critters - Tucker is Thirsty

Ah..fresh..clean..water..Tucker was really thirsty this morning.

To see more participants of Camera Critters hosted by Misty, go here: http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/

For Weaver - The Battle of Brunanburh

Ah well, not the best of possible days to celebrate an Anglo-Saxon victory over the Scots and other Norse(North)men, but after Weaver’s request, who can say no? So I bring you one of the most forgotten yet decisive battles fought on British soil – The Battle of Brunanburh.

A little bit of background.
After the defeat by the West Saxon King Athelstan of the Vikings at York in 928AD, the Scottish King Constantine considered him a considerable threat to Alba and so began forging alliances with the neighbouring countries. Constantine married his daughter to Olaf Guthfrithsson, the King of Dublin and York, which created alliances with the Earls of Northumbria. Owen of Strathclyde was related to Constantine and took little persuasion to join the King of Alba in a pre-emptive strike against Athelstan.

The physical details of the battle at Brunanburh are scanty. The date is most usually identified as 937 A.D and the names of the important leaders were: Aethelstan and his brother Eadmund leading the West Saxons and Mercians; Constantine and Anlaf leading the Picts and Vikings. No positive identification of the site of the battle has yet been made, though there are numerous suggested locations.

“That the battle was an event of great cultural significance is clear from the tone of the poem. A close reading of The Battle of Brunanburh, combined with historical knowledge of the reigns of Alfred, Eadweard and Aethelestan, suggests that Britain, which had previously been a loose confederation of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy), had finally become a unified kingdom capable of celebrating its national and artistic maturity.
The poem is recorded in four manuscript copies of The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. It is not clear whether the poem was written specifically for the Chronicle or whether it was an independent piece that was incorporated into later manuscript copies of the Chronicle (a distinct possibility). Regardless, it survives as the sole entry for the year 937.
The poem is both self-consciously artistic, with strict meter and high poetic diction, and politically aware. It is self-conscious poetry that seeks to legitimize the focus of its praise, the reigning aristocracy, and to instill national pride in its audience.”

What follows is a fairly literal translation into modern English from the Anglo-Saxon, and for interest’s sake I have also included Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s translation of 1876.

The Battle of Brunanburh

In this year King Aethelstan, Lord of warriors,
ring-giver to men, and his brother also,
Prince Eadmund, won eternal glory
in battle with sword edges
around Brunanburh. They split the shield-wall,
they hewed battle shields with the remnants of hammers.
The sons of Eadweard, it was only befitting their noble descent
from their ancestors that they should often
defend their land in battle against each hostile people,
horde and home. The enemy perished,
Scots men and seamen,
fated they fell. The field flowed
with blood of warriors, from sun up
in the morning, when the glorious star
glided over the earth, God's bright candle,
eternal lord, till that noble creation
sank to its seat. There lay many a warrior
by spears destroyed; Northern men
shot over shield, likewise Scottish as well,
weary, war sated.
The West-Saxons pushed onward
all day; in troops they pursued the hostile people.
They hewed the fugitive grievously from behind
with swords sharp from the grinding.
The Mercians did not refuse hard hand-play to any warrior
who came with Anlaf over the sea-surge
in the bosom of a ship, those who sought land,
fated to fight. Five lay dead
on the battle-field, young kings,
put to sleep by swords, likewise also seven
of Anlaf's earls, countless of the army,
sailors and Scots. There the North-men's chief was put
to flight, by need constrained
to the prow of a ship with little company:
he pressed the ship afloat, the king went out
on the dusky flood-tide, he saved his life.
Likewise, there also the old campaigner through flight came
to his own region in the north--Constantine—
hoary warrior. He had no reason to exult
the great meeting; he was of his kinsmen bereft,
friends fell on the battle-field,
killed at strife: even his son, young in battle, he left
in the place of slaughter, ground to pieces with wounds.
That grizzle-haired warrior had no
reason to boast of sword-slaughter,
old deceitful one, no more did Anlaf;
with their remnant of an army they had no reason to
laugh that they were better in deed of war
in battle-field--collision of banners,
encounter of spears, encounter of men,
trading of blows--when they played against
the sons of Eadweard on the battle field.
Departed then the Northmen in nailed ships.
The dejected survivors of the battle,
sought Dublin over the deep water,
leaving Dingesmere
to return to Ireland, ashamed in spirit.
Likewise the brothers, both together,
King and Prince, sought their home,
West-Saxon land, exultant from battle.
They left behind them, to enjoy the corpses,
the dark coated one, the dark horny-beaked raven
and the dusky-coated one,
the eagle white from behind, to partake of carrion,
greedy war-hawk, and that gray animal
the wolf in the forest.
Never was there more slaughter
on this island, never yet as many
people killed before this
with sword's edge: never according to those who tell us
from books, old wisemen,
since from the east Angles and Saxons came up
over the broad sea. Britain they sought,
Proud war-smiths who overcame the Welsh,
glorious warriors they took hold of the land.

The following is Tennyson's famous translation, together with his headnote to it.

Battle of Brunanburh

Constantinus, King of the Scots, after having sworn allegiance to Athelstan, allied himself with the Danes of Ireland under Anlaf, and invading England, was defeated by Athelstan and his brother Edmund with great slaughter at Brunanburh in the year 937.

Athelstan King,
Lord among Earls,
Bracelet-bestower and
Baron of Barons,
He with his Brother,
Edmund Atheling,
Gaining a lifelong
Glory in battle,
Slew with the sword-edge
There by Brunanburh,
Brake the shield-wall,
Hew'd the linden-wood,
Hack'd the battle-shield,
Sons of Edward with hammer'd brands.

Theirs was a greatness
Got from their grand-sires—
Theirs that so often in
Strife with their enemies
Struck for their hoards and their hearths and their homes.

Bow'd the spoiler,
Bent the Scotsman,
Fell the ship-crews
Doom'd to the death.
All the field with blood of the fighters
Flow'd, from when the first the great
Sun-star of morning-tide
Lamp of the Lord God
Lord everlasting,
Glode over earth till the glorious creature
Sank to his setting.
There lay many a man
Marr'd by the javelin,
Men of the Northland
Shot over shield.
There was the Scotsman
Weary of war.

We the West-Saxons,
Long as the daylight
Lasted, in companies
Troubled the track of
the host that we hated;
Grimly with swords that were sharp
from the grindstone,
Fiercely we hack'd at the flyers before us.

Mighty the Mercian,
Hard was his hand-play,
Sparing not any of
Those that with Anlaf,
Warriors over the
Weltering waters
Borne in the bark's-bosom
Drew to this island—
Doom'd to the death.

Five young kings put asleep by the sword-stroke,
Seven strong earls of the army of Anlaf
Fell on the war-field, numberless numbers,
Shipmen and Scotsmen.

Then the Norse leader—
Dire was his need of it,
Few were his following—
Fled to his war-ship;
Fleeted his vessel to sea with the king in it,
Saving his life on the fallow flood.

Also the crafty one,
Constantinus,
Crept to his North again,
Hoar-headed hero!

Slender warrant had
He to be proud of
The welcome of war-knives—
He that was reft of his
Folk and his friends that had
Fallen in conflict,
Leaving his son too
Lost in the carnage,
Mangled to morsels,
A youngster in war!

Slender reason had
He to be glad of
The clash of the war-glaive—
Traitor and trickster
And spurner of treaties—
He nor had Anlaf
With armies so broken
A reason for bragging
That they had the better
In perils of battle
On places of slaughter—
The struggle of standards,
The rush of the javelins,
The crash of the charges,
The wielding of weapons—
The play that they play'd with
The children of Edward.

Then with their nail'd prow
Parted the Norsemen, a
Blood-redden'd relic of
Javelins over
The jarring breaker, the deep-sea billow,
Shaping their way toward Dyflen again,
Shamed in their souls.

Also the brethren,
King and Atheling,
Each in his glory,
Went to his own in his own West-Saxonland,
Glad of the war.

Many a carcase they left to be carrion,
Many a livid one, many a sallow-skin—
Left for the white-tail'd eagle to tear it, and
Left for the horny-nibb'd raven to rend it, and
Gave to the garbaging war-hawk to gorge it, and
That gray beast, the wolf of the weald.

Never had huger
Slaughter of heroes
Slain by the sword edge—
Such as old writers
Have writ of in histories—
Hapt in this isle, since
Up from the East hither
Saxon and Angle from
Over the broad billow
Broke into Britain with
Haughty war-workers who
Harried the Welshman, when
Earls that were lured by the
Hunger of glory gat
Hold of the land.

Sky Watch Friday -Cart in the Clouds

To see more participants of Sky Watch Friday go here: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Catching up with Kat: Secrets and No Lies

Way back last year Poetikat gave me a blog award and asked me to tell seven things about myself you don't already know. Thank you Kat! I have, eventually, got round to the list, and with time I'll remember how to find the award bit and stick it up. But what are you hanging around here for? On with the secrets...

7 Things You Don’t Know About Me

1. New-sy One.
I have consistently ignored my part-time advisor and editor’s advice to submit poems to magazines - “It’s what real poets do” - for a number of reasons, but primarily laziness and the fact it all seems a bit of a malarkey (no online publication first unless it’s a draft, don’t submit same poem to same magazines etc. - you know the drill). However, as Le McMillan was himself in issue 1 of Gutter, the new Scotland poetry magazine, I submitted to them for the second edition (all very easy and online) and lo and behold, I got a charming e-mail to say my poem’s in it. Gutter comes out in late February or early March. And I win a free subscription for 2 years. Will I try again? I went to a very good workshop by Vivien Jones (who blogs here http://bassviol.blogspot.com/ ) about submitting etc., which was informative and inspiring, but I guess only time will tell…

2. Famous Person One.
I saw Yul Brynner live on stage at the London Palladium in “The King and I”. Yes, I know Mum and Dad bought the tickets and took us, but it still feels like quite an achievement and a bit of a privilege. Virginia McKenna played Anna. It was superb.

3. Name One.
My Mum, after uttering the immortal line “Thank God, it’s a girl” (three boys previously) wanted to call me Stephanie. My father didn’t like this, as it didn’t start with an “R” or a “J”. All our names start with an “R” or a “J”, middle ones included (Ruby for me). It didn’t take us long to work my father was playing a long game: it ultimately meant he could open everyone’s letters with impunity and plead “mistake”. We reckoned.

4. Weird One.
Someone told me, a long, long time ago, that if you throw an Alka Seltzer tablet to a seagull it will eat it, and then explode as it flies away. I ponder this at least once a week, and whenever I see a seagull.

5. Boast-y One.
I got three commendations in my police career, two from Chief Constables and one from a High Court Judge. The accumulation of superlatives in one is so good I am going to have to quote it, as I still can’t actually believe anyone ever wrote it without laughing.

“ is hereby commended for her skill, courage, commitment to duty, professionalism and outstanding teamwork in dealing with extremely violent offenders during “Operation ******” which led to the successful prosecution of serious offences of armed robbery.”

The operation concerned was the usual mixture of good luck, bad luck, hilarity, cock-ups, good work and the unexpected. And grabbing chips whenever we could - I know in America it’s donuts (sic). British Cops don't do doughnuts.

6. Confession One.
I preferred Stephen King’s The Stand to Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Literary heresy, I know. Stephen wrote his first.

7. Too Late To Let Anyone Know But I Should Have One.
I’m running a workshop on self-publishing for the Crichton Writers tomorrow (21st). The meeting itself starts at 10.30, in room W12, Dudgeon House at The Crichton, Dumfries. The first part of the meeting will be to discuss the year's plans for the Crichton Writers, then the new Literature Development Officer (Carolyn Yates) wants to hear ideas about where D and G should be going. I'm due to start my bit at 11.15, and we finish at 12.30. And everybody is welcome! Book your flights now!

I was also going to post my poem in response to Poetikat's writing prompt, but it all got very dark and serial killer-y, so still thinking about that...

ABC Wed. - "A" = Appetite for Icing

Do you a appetite for this appetizing icing?

To see more ABC Wed. participants, go here: Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC Wed.

Monday Poem: Not For The Squeamish

Phew, busy weekend and full day on Monday, so if pressed for time, fall back on the simple police narrative I always say! Ankle healing well thanks, bruising looks worse than it actually feels now. Thanks for the good wishes and advice.

Some Things Stay With You

Ann Elwys, you gave me scabies.
Three times in one set of seven nights
I arrested you for criminal damage,
for though simple, you were not stupid.
Smash one small window whilst someone’s passing,
sit down, and sooner or later we’d arrive
and rescue you from a November night;
a November night on the street.
Warmish cell, a cup of tea and breakfast
before court let you out again, bound over.
Of course, there were formalities
for you and the arresting officer:
the search, the interview,
fingerprints, photograph,
antecedents, all of which
meant contact, Ann Elwys,
with your clothes, your skin
and searingly, your smell.
Oh, I know, plastic gloves first night,
not too close, good hand-wash after;
but on the third night Central cells were full
so we diverted to Trinity,
didn’t know where stuff was,
no interview room available,
so I did it in the cell, sat next to you
on the thin blue plastic mattress.
I read you back the admission,
you signed, with my pen.
Your facial expression never changed,
Ann Elwys, as if joy or despair
were strangers to you;
not that you talked much either,
but you always did as asked.
Yes, simple was the word then.
I smiled at you, Ann Elwys, vagrant of the parish,
and showed you some kindness;
in my memory I conjure
a faint smile on your face for me
when there was none.
Ann Elwys, you gave me scabies:
I suspect I might be the one person
who has never, ever, forgotten you.

Camera Critters - A Bunch of Ducks

A bunch of ducks at Tallyrand Park in Bellefonte.

To see more participants of Camera Critters hosted by Misty, go here: http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/

To see Pet Pride go to my other blog here: Barb's Blog

Sky Watch Friday - Golden Sunset

To see more participants of Sky Watch Friday go here: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Ankle and Answers

Slight absence explained by my "Touching the Void" (Joe Simpson escapes certain death by getting out of glacier bottom with horrendous injuries etc.) moment yesterday, as descending a sheep path on a hill I slipped, fell and swore I heard something crack. Luckily, it turned out to be my head, as my basic first aid told me that if I could stand up (which I eventually did) then the leg was most probably not broken. Getting home no easy task, however, as ankle was swelling dangerously and not able to take much weight, and I swear the five tups that had watched the whole thing laughed as they followed me back. I was hanging on the dog, who was pathfinder general. Plus, to my utter delight, I was covered in sheep shit, and undressed outdoors before entering the house.
Still, it let me get husband up early (he'd been on nights) and cook dinner, whilst I retired to bed with an ankle support and hot water bottle. Every cloud!

Aslan was definitely on the move yesterday, as a thaw had started, but the White Witch resumed her grip overnight with another two inches of snow and more this morning. But here's some ice pictures taken before the fall (both).

Ice in the burn

Ice thawing in the burn
Some ice hanging around the bridge over the Nith
And tonight, finally, I'll get around to Rachel's deep questions as basically, I can't move much. Here we go on the honesty ride...

Do you think that you know yourself in any sense? Do you care? And if you don't care...why is that?
Up to six years ago, I would have probably have answered "Yes" to that question. However, a very severe brush with post-natal depression left me questioning virtually everything I thought I knew about myself. In essence, I couldn't cope, and had to ask for help for the first time in my life (Mrs Self-Reliant prior to this). I was hospitalised for a short while, took shed loads of drugs and came out the other side, but my inability to look after two babies and the awesome significance of this certainly left me shaken and made me look at myself closer. I thought I could do anything, and everything. Of course, I was a control freak, and twins leave you with very little control over anything. I am better with disorder now. So I am wary of answering this question "Yes", because although I feel I know myself well (and yes, I care about that), things can happen where our reaction surprises us. Are you with me so far?

Do you like yourself much?
I respect myself and I value myself, but I'm not sure I really like myself. I seem to thrive on achievement, and that's like a form of self-validation. If I'm not achieving, I'm disappointed with myself. Which suggests to me I don't really like myself just as I am. (And achievement here is not connected with the public realm, just in what I do day-by-day).

What would you change about yourself if you could (and I'm talking personality...not physical changes)? And if there is something you would like to change...why haven't you just got on and changed it? What's stopped you?
My inability to do anything unless there's a gun at my back. I thrive on urgency and leaving things to the very last minute, which appears totally contradictory to the previous answer, I know. But it's a part of me, and one I like the least. I have also been given the gift of being able to "wing it" and look good, so I'm then left disappointed with how much better it could have been...
I try to change this aspect, I get planning diaries, set aside times of day to do certain things, but the bottom line must be I haven't because I don't want to. Something about the adrenalin excitement of writing a workshop at 3am and drinking that fifth black coffee when the world's asleep. Sometimes I think it's because I produce my best work under pressure, which is patently not true, but a gremlin I console myself with.

Can I have two here? I want to know more. More science, more chemistry, more literature, more history, more physics and even... more mathematics. I wanna be a polymath, except for music. Can't figure that one out, just a field I enjoy but don't aspire to. And what's stopping me on this one? Time and, I fear, intellectual capacity.

When you look in a mirror do you smile or flinch (again...it's the concept of yourself that I'm thinking about here more than your physical attributes...though they may be linked)?
Flinch, or more accurately, recoil. Most of you know the reason why, if not, see here http://titusthedog.blogspot.com/2009/08/in-response-to-stevens-meme.html
It's not my face until it's got make-up on it. Then it's OK. And Rachel, I can't see beyond the physical attributes. Still.

Do you really treat people the way you'd like them to treat you? What always?
I try, and don't do a bad job, I reckon.

Do you think you've contributed anything positive to the societies that you've lived in? Do you think that matters anyway?
Yes, and yes. I helped old ladies when I was little (shopping, cleaning etc.), have always volunteered (Samaritans, Rape Crisis), did formal public service with the Police for eleven years and have worked in the voluntary sector ever since, whilst still volunteering. I genuinely believe that if you are given health and strength, then you should. And I smile at everybody, pick up drunk people, and stop fist fights when I see them happening.

What do you find really, really difficult?
Motivating myself: (see gun at back answer above). And leaving the house without wearing make-up. Other than that, nothing. I'm great in a crisis, emergency, anything. In fact, I'm probably better in a crisis.

If you are a person who writes then why is that? Think about the reasons and which ones are the most significant to you (practising honesty to the point of death!).
Creation is achievement to me. Be it flower-arranging (I do this seriously), sculpting, painting or writing, then making something that is mine and that I think is good makes me feel good. Doing it with words is incredibly cheap and fulfilling. No desire for fame, just to write something that I look back on and think, six months later, "That is good" does the job. It doesn't happen very often, but just once in a while it does, and that's a reward I wouldn't swap a lottery win for. Kind of.

Phew, just Kat's "Seven things you don't about me" to catch up on now!

And in the passing, the boys' are emptying their money boxes for the people of Haiti tomorrow, and I humbly suggest that we all do the same.

Right, I'm taking my balloon ankle to bed. Ouch! (just stood up).

shimmerz giveaway!

although I missed it I thought you should all go check out the shimmerz blog they have some awesome stuff!! here is the link http://shimmerzpaints.blogspot.com/

and as soon as I can figuere out how to do it I will add the bllinkie to my blog!! hehe !

Vintage blog candy by Mummylade

hey ya'll ya need to go check out this blog--http://mummylade.blogspot.com/2010/01/vintage-blog-candy.html she is giving away some of the most yummy vintage blog candy I have ever seen!! go ck it out!!

Amarily's color challenge!!

this is for Amarily's color challenge. I love the way this came out--I needed to scrap my newest baby--tinkerbell I had to add some flowers because the colors were a bit manly for my baby girl-heheh! I love how this came out ! Thanks for the chance to do this!! you all should go check it out!!

http://amadrian8.blogspot.com/

sarah's got some blog candy!! yeah!!

you need to go see sarahs blog--http://redoaklines.com/2010/01/12/wheres-my-heart/

she is giving away some awesome blog candy not to mention she does some awesome work!! she has hit her goal of 40,000 and needs our help to hit 50,000!! so go over there and ck it out you will not be dissappointed!!

ABC Wed. - "Z" - Zonk

To see more ABC Wed. participants, go here: Mrs. Nesbitts Place

blog candy blog candy--and great inspiration

you have all got to go check out this blog--her blog design first of all is AMAZING!! next she does some great pages!! so if you havent gone and checked her out yet you need to--and as a bonus she is giving away some of the best blog candy I have ever seen!!


http://taylordconcepts.blogspot.com/2010/01/happy-blogoversary-to-me.html?showComment=1263265830156_AIe9_BGIJrltwECYRhsOItQGZklcsvvrTCRdxtYHg9ylp_0ZZpI1eyW6i3lg1ZtR_mHuc4Bz_QlYv_Fzv6U4HqZ3mP-s3ehrCd9DjqA9Qt-unliaPzvUGCQv5XDVZosvHRWR11MB1XbvrszT89O9H77gzwdtcGRQNCn-jqmKfbBuxQ8JWUk-aWyTVqvjsw-V1ASNOl1vAwup6RMlwt2N0_cJMCtLaxMXhhRHwk65Mne14kT3TpQZYvc#c7186657111923688571

Snowman

Snowman my grandson made about a month ago. Most of it has melted since but the bottom half is still in the yard. It's been bitterly cold out today.

Monday Poem - yep, I'm not stopping!

Just a quickie this week, but it's the only discipline in my life at the moment so I'm not letting go easily. Somewhat fraught weekend, as I broke the washing machine on Saturday (well, whoever's heard of a hand-wash bathmat) which required three hours attention from husband on his return from work and though it's working again I'm not too convinced by the new noises it's emitting, first visit to the in-laws since they got back from their Christmas/New Year cruise (this bit not fraught, I love them to bits and died laughing at my father-in-law's utter indignation of having to wear a Glastonbury-style plastic wrist bracelet for the duration), getting the coal from the bunker is a constant dice with death and boys plus ice and snow means a constant stream of wet clothes/socks/shoes and wellington boots.
Plus the oven's getting even more temperamental. And there's Rachel's questions to be a-pondering, and I'm back at work tomorrow (i.e. Monday, I know this will post on Sunday) with a vengeance. Happy New Year!

Once

Some fear the constant heat of love,
happy to burn in the loinfire
for some little while,
then move on, move on.

Some fear the constant heat of love,
its unrelenting appetite
for the fuel of you
to keep it burning.

Some fear the constant heat of love
for its flame can change, burn bright, then
flicker to strange hues
deepest greens, and blues.

I have not run from constant love.
It burns within me even as
warm salt streams refract
your blurred, blue ice eyes.

I am sorry for your fear.
I am sorry for my loss.
I am not sorry for my love.

Helen Crofts challenge

I love the colors Helen chose for her challenge and what a great way to get started scrapping for the new year--you should go ck it out http://www.scrap-a-little.com/2010/01/new-year-and-new-challenge.html

here is my entry for the challenge!! tfl~~

Sheep Shots

Happy, belated, 2010!

The brain-fog of the holiday is just starting to clear, as are the Christmas decorations (it's OK, they were all down by twelfth night) and at least seven opened boxes of chocolates are languishing loveless about the house, having had all their good ones eaten with no one around to tackle the orange and strawberry cremes, montelimars or pralines.

The holiday was good, hotel luxurious, food overly plentiful and Mum was in very good spirits. The only things I read were her books - she has that common 83-year-old thing of liking extremely gory police or pathologist procedurals, so I raced through one about Kunal Trows (mass murder in The Shetlands, vaguely folklore-related) and one on The Rosary Killer of Philadelphia. The weather did not beat us on either the journey down or the journey back (though that was a close-run thing - our flight to Glasgow was cancelled but we were shuffled onto the Edinburgh plane, to land in rather severe conditions where it took them longer to get the stairs that you must descend to leave the plane than the flight itself). But husband and dog were there to greet us.

And on arriving home, after basking in centrally-heated luxury for a week, I could not help but notice one thing. The cold. There was no thaw in our absence, and some more snow on top. Currently we are having rather beautiful, sunny days where the temperature does not appear to get above -10 and you could quite easily Torville and Dean it on every pavement and side-road. Plus I'm wearing a hat in the house.

So here's some scenery and sheep.

On the Western Ideal of Beauty

Sheep are woolly for a reason.
This ice-bright season.
I, meanwhile, bitterly regret
shaving armpits and shins
and plucking my brows,
suspecting each single
extraneous hair
would be useful, very useful
right now.

The scrappiest challenge

ok so here is my entry for this challenge--let me tell you this was so much fun and what a great way to get the new year started on scrapping--plus it let me get a great memory down!! yeah for me! also you need to check out this blog site--way cool and they have lots of cool FREE stuff--hey free is always a good thing! Thanks Veronica for letting me know!

http://www.shabbyblogs.com/

here is the link to the challenge go check it out!!

http://thescrappiest.blogspot.com/2010/01/sketch-46.html

SCHOOL

Well its that time again--school time. I know everyone is happy about this and especially for moms who need their space bbbbbuuuuuttttt for me it's the opposite that means I have to go back to school--ugh ugh!! yep I am just like the kids right now dreading having to go back to school back to doing homework back to staying up late and doing research and finding out what I need to finish a project. I am soooo ready to be done with school. I know I almost near the end and once I get there it is going to be so worth it--not just financially but for personal goals that I have set for myself a loooonnnnggg time ago. It has been a rough road and I have perservered and I know I will continue to do so but gosh I want to be able to scrap more and do more of my other hobbies--hehe! ok ok so that shouldnt be the reason to get thru school but hey its motivation--:) now if I could figuere out a way to lose weight while I scrap boy that would be just heaven--hehe!! so now that the holidays are over I need to really get on the ball about working out again--I had started and then just stopped but I do have alittle motivation and that is a cruise--yep dh and I are goingon a cruise again gosh cant wait boy do we need it let me tell you--plus we are also planning a trip to either aruba or hawaii--having trouble deciding which place to go but gonna have to decide in the next month so I can start booking our stuff now. With all our kids vacations take a little planning ahead to make sure we have someone to watch them im thinking in the summer because then I only have to worry about the little ones--the 2 oldest well they are on their own pretty much and the 2 middle ones gabs will go with her dad and im sure eli will go with his mom until we come back so that just leaves the little ones. so anyway im stoked about that the vacation that is--some sun some fruity drinks and some snorkeling that would be awesome!! wow the year just started and now it seems like its already passing --how is that I wonder?? well good luck to everyone and whatever goals you have set for yourself I am taking mine one day at a time and praying ALOT along the way--hahehehe! God will get me thru this he always does.

ABC Wed. - "Y" - Yellow Balloons and Yummy Cupcakes

Some yellow balloons and yummy cupcakes.

To see more ABC Wed. participants, go here: Mrs. Nesbitts Place

Camera Critters - Tucker

Tucker's favorite place to sleep other than the couch is under the end table.

To see more participants of Camera Critters hosted by Misty, go here: http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/

Sky Watch Friday

Happy New Year Everyone!

Green light for moving foward onto 2010.

To see more participants of Sky Watch Friday go here: http://skyley.blogspot.com/