tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79809535739851299462024-03-12T21:50:22.604-05:00Grand Lake InkJanethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-3150549338463251102009-06-06T15:28:00.001-05:002009-06-06T15:32:14.280-05:00Away the Lads!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SirRf99PMEI/AAAAAAAAAWc/uncKhxQNdVU/s1600-h/175px-Burnley_crest%5B1%5D.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344314254966075458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 175px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 170px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SirRf99PMEI/AAAAAAAAAWc/uncKhxQNdVU/s400/175px-Burnley_crest%5B1%5D.png" border="0" /></a>
<br />A belated congratulations to my local football team back in England, Burnley F.C. The Clarets victory over Sheffield United gained them promotion to the Premier League after an absence of 33years. (In fact, 33 years ago the Premier League didn’t exist, it was just Division One). Back in 1882, Burnley F.C. was one of the founder members of the Football League and is now finally back in its rightful place. Well done lads, I’m proud of you. My son-in-law took my 12-year-old grandson to Wembley to see the match, a thrilling experience for them both.
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<br /><strong>Digging in the Dirt</strong>
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<br /></strong>The other day I was playing in the muck, and finally getting a few flowers planted. I usually get it done much earlier than this, but it has been such a wet and stormy spring that the job kept getting put off. This particular day was really cloudy and cool, thus a perfect gardening day for me, as I loathe laboring in the heat. The weather reminded me of summer days in England, endless gray skies, with the ever-present threat of rain. In fact, I had no sooner put in the first plant than the heavens opened. Fortunately, it was only a heavy shower, so it didn’t deter me for long. And it’s a good thing that I got the gardening done when I did, today it’s hot and sunny again.
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<br />I have added more perennials to the garden this year, though it’s always hit and miss whether they come back, some are more tolerant of the cold winters than others. I will put some photos up, once the plants get established. Our veggie garden is coming along great, if you’re interested you can check out Mick’s blog at <a href="http://oklahomegrownveg.blogspot.com/">http://oklahomegrownveg.blogspot.com/</a>
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<br />Toodle pip for now.
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<br />Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-28896569009778499812009-05-17T17:38:00.004-05:002009-05-17T18:21:04.972-05:00This and that<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/ShCSVTmC5NI/AAAAAAAAAWU/iqnfdtKueLc/s1600-h/Japanese+Pavilion+Garden.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336926453168792786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/ShCSVTmC5NI/AAAAAAAAAWU/iqnfdtKueLc/s400/Japanese+Pavilion+Garden.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Lendonwood Gardens - Grove, Oklahoma</em><br /><br />It’s been a long time, but I’ve been ill – again! Surprise, surprise! By now, I’m sure you all must think that I’m a complete hypochondriac. The truth is, ordinarily I am not a sick person, but these past few months it just seems to have been one thing after another. (Sigh!)<br /><br />This latest ailment was the flu, and it was a bad one. The doctor said he didn’t think it was swine flu, but as he gave me his diagnosis over the phone after telling me not to come into the office, I’m not sure how reliable it was. But he did put me on anti-viral meds as a precaution.<br /><br />The worst thing about this flu, was when all the fever symptoms began to abate, I couldn’t keep any food down. On the plus side I did lose 8 pounds, but I would not recommend this particular method of weight loss. :-(<br /><br />The illness also put me behind with my latest assignment for Oklahoma Living Magazine, as the doctor had told me to avoid all contact with people until my symptoms were gone. My editor did extend my deadline, but it was still a bit of a push to get it done in time. Sometimes the writing just refuses to flow. This piece was about a local mushroom farm – a fascinating place to visit – but tricky to write about.<br /><br />Until I started doing my research for this article, I had no idea what a complex process growing mushrooms is. If you’re interested you can take a short video tour of a mushroom farm here: <a href="http://www.mushroominfo.com/aboutmushrooms/howmushroomsgrow.html">http://www.mushroominfo.com/aboutmushrooms/howmushroomsgrow.html</a><br />The site also has lots of information about mushrooms, and some great recipes.<br /><br />There was yet more doom and gloom in our house this week. I got my entries back from the Oklahoma Writer’s Federation contest, and I won a big fat zero, not even so much as a measly honorable mention. Oh hum. On the plus side, I did get some excellent marks from the judges and some very favorable comments, but I guess others just did better. Oh well, you can’t win them all, and there’s always next year.<br /><br />Way back when I last posted, I did say I would tell you what I was up to in 1973. In that dim and distant past, I was 16 and doing my O – levels at school. Back then they were called GCE’s, (General Certificate of Education). You took a GCE in each subject you studied, (provided the teacher thought you had a chance of passing), up to a maximum of 10. I took 7 and passed 7. Later, I did take 3 more and passed those too.<br /><br />These exams are not like the tests you do here, where you get multiple choice answers to questions that you can have a stab at it even if you don’t know the answer. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the impression I get). You actually have to answer many questions in essay form, and marks are deducted for sloppy handwriting, poor spelling, grammar and punctuation. You have to know your stuff and be able to present it in a logical manner.<br /><br />My granddaughter is taking these exams at the moment, though now they are called GCSE’s – General Certificate of Secondary Education. I’m wishing her lots of luck – not that she needs it – she is one smart cookie.<br /><br />Also in 1973, I was dating my first boyfriend, he too was doing his GCE’s though we didn’t attend the same school. All my friends were really jealous of me, because he was so good looking and played bass guitar in a band. It was all very innocent, but they were happy days.<br /><br />It was also the year I made my first trip to Italy. My mum had an Italian friend, and the previous year, she and her husband had decided to move back to Rome. In 1973 they invited us for a visit. It was a fantastic holiday. And when we got back to England I remember my mum phoning to get my GCE results, while I stood outside the phone box panicking. All in all, I have very fond memories of 1973.<br /><br />Toodle pip for now.Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-8216363539593278212009-04-07T17:51:00.005-05:002009-04-07T18:20:52.546-05:001973 and all that.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SdvbbM1PDzI/AAAAAAAAAWM/1PGoWb1lj9g/s1600-h/appleblossom.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322088645015834418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SdvbbM1PDzI/AAAAAAAAAWM/1PGoWb1lj9g/s400/appleblossom.JPG" border="0" /></a> <em>Our Garden is coming to life -</em> <em>Apple Blossom on our Fuji apple tree</em> <br /><p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SdvbIdUMN0I/AAAAAAAAAWE/_nK0F-vdQ3M/s1600-h/tulip.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322088323023124290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SdvbIdUMN0I/AAAAAAAAAWE/_nK0F-vdQ3M/s400/tulip.JPG" border="0" /></a> <em>Tulips</em><br /><br /><br />I’m back! At long last. </p><p>I thought I was going to get through flu season unscathed this year, but it wasn’t to be. I didn’t have flu, but I did have one stinker of a cold. To make matters worse, I had a story to write for Oklahoma Living Magazine about a local botanical garden, and if the illness wasn’t enough to thwart me, the weather had to conspire against me as well. Every time I would arrange an interview and a visit to the gardens there would be a thunderstorm, or a snowstorm, or freezing conditions, and it would have to be postponed. I had a few hairy moments when I thought this story would never get done, but I just snuck in under the wire. Oh hum.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322088315580080498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SdvbIBloYXI/AAAAAAAAAV8/jYoW-w1F8f4/s400/tulips.JPG" border="0" /><em> More tulips</em></p><p>Also, early last year, I wrote a piece about my local vet who has volunteered his services in the Iditerod, that great Alaskan dog race, on four occasions. At the time I couldn’t provide a link to it as it wasn’t a feature story, but it has finally appeared in the archives. Even so, I can’t give a direct link, you’ll need to scroll through to pages 40-41 to read it, but if you’re interested you can find it here: <a href="http://www.ok-living.coop/media/February08.pdf">http://www.ok-living.coop/media/February08.pdf</a><br /></p><div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SdvbHwE2WjI/AAAAAAAAAV0/gresM9bofEw/s1600-h/A+dog+team+crossing+the+frozen+Yukon+River.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322088310879181362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 273px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SdvbHwE2WjI/AAAAAAAAAV0/gresM9bofEw/s400/A+dog+team+crossing+the+frozen+Yukon+River.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>A dog sled team crossing the frozen Yukon River</em><br /><br /><br />Anyway, the dental problems are gradually getting sorted, at great expense I hasten to add. And I did have to cancel my last appointment because of my bad cold, but I am hoping that the next appointment may be the last, for a while at least.</div><div><br />I’m still doing well with the no smoking, it’s been just over 5 weeks now. Yay! I won’t say I don’t miss the ciggies, because I still do. Though I am now able to go for quite long periods without thinking about them. The worst times are still when I am writing under pressure of a deadline, then I could absolutely murder one. I was as grumpy as hell this past weekend, so I kicked Mick, and shouted at the cats. :-) Oh well, nobody said it was going to be easy.</div><div><br />Speaking of smoking, that reminds me of a fantastic British detective series I watched quite recently called <em>Life on Mars</em>. In it the main protagonist, a young detective, is involved in a car accident and finds himself transported back to 1973. He doesn’t know whether he’s dead, in a coma, or mad. To him, 1973 feels like being on another planet, hence the title. Anyway, my point is, what really strikes you about the program is the fact that everyone smokes, and a permanent fog of smoke hangs over every room in the police station. </div><div><br />It also got me thinking about 1973, because back then I hadn’t yet taken up with the evil weed, in fact I despised smoking, probably because both my parents smoked. It also brought back other memories of 1973, but more of that next time. If you were around in 1973, what were you doing back then?<br /><br />Toodle pip for now.</div><div></div></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-25755755387619575742009-03-14T16:48:00.006-05:002009-03-14T17:37:37.696-05:00A Few Bits and Bobs<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/Sbwpga22ofI/AAAAAAAAAVk/fl8mQWSES5M/s1600-h/SF-019%5B1%5D.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313167297332290034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/Sbwpga22ofI/AAAAAAAAAVk/fl8mQWSES5M/s400/SF-019%5B1%5D.gif" border="0" /></a><br />I know, I know, I’ve been slacking on the blogging front once again, and my sincere apologies for not getting around to visit with you much. I wish I could say I’ve been busy, but alas, I haven’t. In fact, I have been avoiding doing any writing because it still makes me crave the dreaded weed too much. I’m a sad case. But I need to get my act together, as I have two assignments coming up soon for Oklahoma Living Magazine. Anyway, as of this moment I have gone 13 days, 16 hours and 5 minutes without a fag (ciggie), and I do want to thank you all for your supportive comments on my last post, they were much appreciated.<br /><br />I also want to say a big thank you to Pam, one of my cooking blog buddies, for the info about Allen Carr’s book, <em>The Easy Way to Quit Smoking</em>. I have almost finished reading his book, and have downloaded his audio tape from the Interweb. It does recommend reading the book before listening to the tape, so that’s what I’m doing. It’s been tremendously helpful, I only wish I had read it before I quit, as he does really dispel many of the myths about smoking that all smokers are guilty of believing.<br /><br />Anyway, enough about my filthy old habit. Last month when I went to renew my tags, I was handed a new license plate.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SbwpgMgSYII/AAAAAAAAAVc/p9eEnpLnJLs/s1600-h/OK-Archer-Plate2%5B1%5D.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313167293479542914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SbwpgMgSYII/AAAAAAAAAVc/p9eEnpLnJLs/s400/OK-Archer-Plate2%5B1%5D.gif" border="0" /></a><br />Personally I preferred the old ones as they were much more colorful. What do you think?<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313174632453073666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SbwwLYT7awI/AAAAAAAAAVs/YpVWUZGdbpM/s400/license+plate.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br />There are, however, good reasons for the change, which if you’re interested you can read about here: <a href="http://www.reddirtreport.com/news.php?id=7519">http://www.reddirtreport.com/news.php?id=7519</a><br /><br /><br />Last weekend we thought spring had sprung in our little corner of the world. My daffs were up and basking in 70/80°F temps and bobbing in the balmy breezes.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SbwpfheiBeI/AAAAAAAAAVM/Dzk5_MUBBLw/s1600-h/IMG_2321.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313167281929455074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SbwpfheiBeI/AAAAAAAAAVM/Dzk5_MUBBLw/s400/IMG_2321.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Fortunately, my tulips were not going to be fooled into an early spring, and a good thing too, as Monday it rained and the wind began to blow from the north, so it was all change once again. Now my daffs are looking decidedly droopy. Oh hum.</div><br /><div>Toodle pip for now.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-54493030022027222292009-03-01T18:40:00.003-06:002009-03-01T19:20:11.775-06:00Quitting Smoking and an Award<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/Sasrj9JgOEI/AAAAAAAAAU4/RGhTM7lgmBI/s1600-h/how-you-can-quit-smoking-with-smok-away1%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308384482496100418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 246px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/Sasrj9JgOEI/AAAAAAAAAU4/RGhTM7lgmBI/s400/how-you-can-quit-smoking-with-smok-away1%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />"As an example to others, and not that I care for moderation myself, it has always been my rule never to smoke when asleep, and never to refrain when awake." So said Mark Twain, and I have adhered to that same policy for 30 years. I’m a smokaholic! But today, I decided to quit.<br /><br />That last statement is not strictly accurate, I actually decided to give up smoking before Christmas, and set a date of February 1st. But, then I got all stressed out over these dental problems, and the date got deferred to March 1st. The dental treatment isn’t over yet, I still have to go back for more tooth grinding to correct my bite, but I figured continuing to smoke will only exacerbate the gum disease. So I’m biting the bullet, well, not exactly, I’ve actually stuck on one of those nicotine patches, and am trying to give up.<br /><br />Mark Twain understood a lot about smoking, "Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it hundreds of times." Twain was quite right, it is easy to give up, it’s not starting again that’s the problem. I can’t say I’ve tried to quit hundreds of times, but a few. I’ve tried nicotine gum and patches several times, I’ve been prescribed pills by the doctor, I’ve even tried hypnosis, but I’ve always started again.<br /><br />The reason I always cave in is because I really enjoy smoking. On previous occasions when I’ve quit I do okay at first, but after a few months I start thinking about the torment of years without a cigarette, and then I snap. Once again Mark Twain was right on the money when he said, "...when they used to tell me I would shorten my life ten years by smoking, they little knew the devotee they were wasting their puerile words upon -- they little knew how trivial and valueless I would regard a decade that had no smoking in it!"<br /><br />Today, I’m finding it very difficult to string a sentence together, I can’t write without a cigarette smoldering in the ashtray. I keep getting up and wandering listlessly around the house, gazing out of the window, fiddling with pens and pencils, molding a piece of silly putty. Nothing satisfies, because there is something missing from my life. It’s not that I’m craving nicotine, because this patch is feeding me a regular dose of that, but I am craving the simple pleasure of smoking. That’s because I’m an addict. Addictions, however, can be broken, and I am determined to do the best I can to break mine. Wish me luck.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">An Award</span></strong><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SasrjmWST7I/AAAAAAAAAUw/9jHwEuvCAAU/s1600-h/lemonadeaward%5B1%5D%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308384476375699378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SasrjmWST7I/AAAAAAAAAUw/9jHwEuvCAAU/s400/lemonadeaward%5B1%5D%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Finally I must apologize to Josephine over at <a href="http://abritintn.blogspot.com/">http://abritintn.blogspot.com/</a> she very kindly gave me this award and I am only now getting around to posting about it. I’m such a slacker! Thank you so much Josephine, I appreciate your passing it along to me. I’m going to pass the award onto Pam at <a href="http://pamokc.blogspot.com/">http://pamokc.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />Toodle pip for now.<br /><br /><div></div></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-88732441210861317352009-02-15T15:21:00.002-06:002009-02-15T15:28:41.692-06:00Watch Out! There’s a Virus About<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SZiHuuxrAFI/AAAAAAAAAUY/WFE9u7yCg20/s1600-h/sick%2520computer%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303137798128861266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SZiHuuxrAFI/AAAAAAAAAUY/WFE9u7yCg20/s400/sick%2520computer%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Today, on a quiet Sunday stroll around the Interweb, I was suddenly interrupted by a message, allegedly from Microsoft, warning me that several of my computer files were corrupted with a virus. It also told me to download software to clear the virus.<br /><br />Immediately alarm bells began ringing in my head. Back in 2002, my old computer was struck by a virus, and the only way hubby could get rid of it was to completely wipe my hard-drive. At that time, I had no back-up system in place and lost everything.<br /><br />This time, I looked at the web address where the message originated – there was no mention of Microsoft. I ought to have made a note of it, but didn’t. Sorry! I know it said www police, and ended with promo 3. I immediately closed down the Internet, and set my own anti-virus program running – it detected nothing. I then went onto the Internet, clicked on Tools, and Internet Options, and deleted my browsing history, and all cookies.<br /><br />Just thought I should pass this along in case it happens to any of you. Be careful out there.<br /><br />Toodle Pip for now.Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-43700337558158117232009-02-08T19:20:00.004-06:002009-02-11T18:34:11.752-06:00Teething Troubles 2 and a Meme<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SY-FNC4QuHI/AAAAAAAAAUI/44SWe4YM6Wk/s1600-h/endurance_night%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300601745596004466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 231px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SY-FNC4QuHI/AAAAAAAAAUI/44SWe4YM6Wk/s400/endurance_night%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Ernest Shackleton's ship, Endurance, </em><br /><em>trapped in the ice pack.</em><br /><em>(Photo by Frank Hurley - 1915)</em><br /><p><br /><em>I’m sorry to read in the comments that several of you are also have teething troubles, you have my complete sympathy. I have to go back to the periodontist on Tuesday to have my bite corrected. This will mean 3 hours in the chair having my teeth ground into alignment, followed by a hefty bill. I can hardly wait. :-(</em></p><p><em>A while ago, Gill, at </em><a href="http://thatbritishwoman.blogspot.com/"><em>http://thatbritishwoman.blogspot.com/</em></a><em> challenged me to come up with 10 things I love beginning with the letter "A," so here we go, and in no particular order:</em></p><ol><li><em>ANTARCTICA, I have a fascination with the place, and love reading about the early exploration of this icy continent by such men as Shackleton, Scott, and Amundson.</em></li><li><em>APPLE CRUMBLE, it’s one of my favorite puddings (desserts), especially when smothered in custard.</em></li><li><em>ANIMALS, especially my three cats. And I love elephants, even though I don’t have one around the place. We have a big yard, but not that big! But I was lucky enough to see elephants in the wild, on a trip to Kenya many moons ago.</em></li><li><em>ALPHABET, I love words, but then they are my stock and trade. I’m one of those people who picks up the dictionary to check a spelling or a definition and gets distracted by other words.</em></li><li><em>ARIZONA, I love the Grand Canyon, and have seen it twice. My step-daughter got married there.</em></li><li><em>ANNIE PROULX, I love all her books, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be "That Old Ace in the Hole."</em></li><li><em>AFTERNOONS, I’m not a morning person, even though I get up early most days.</em></li><li><em>ALCOHOL, especially wine, and particularly cabernet sauvignon.</em></li><li><em>THE ADRIATIC SEA, I love the Greek Islands, and the sea that surrounds them is so beautiful and clear.</em></li><li><em>AMAZON, because I love books and reading.</em></li></ol><p><br /><em>I’ve changed the rules a bit as not everyone wants to play along with these meme games.</em></p><ol><li><em>If you would like me to assign you a letter, let me know in your comment on this blog.</em></li><li><em>Write about ten things you love that begin with said letter.</em></li><li><em>Post the list on your blog, and invite your readers to play along.</em></li></ol><p><em>Toodle pip for now.</em></p><p><em></em></p><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300601753401348354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 294px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SY-FNf9M0QI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/fPz8SeK0LFM/s400/endurance2%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /> <em>Endurance, crushed by the ice pack.</em></p><p><em>Photo by Frank Hurley - 1915</em></p><p><em></em><br /></p>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-44088700195099883742009-01-31T16:27:00.003-06:002009-01-31T16:45:42.703-06:00Teething TroublesDoes anyone else hate dentists as much as I do? When I lived in England I was really good about going to see the dentist, and went every six months. Since moving to the US, I have to say that my dental visits have been a bit erratic, to say the least. Probably because I know that whenever I go, despite having insurance, it’s going to cost a bloody arm and a leg. Hell, you need to re-mortgage the house just to get your teeth cleaned here.<br /><br />So in mid-December, when I began experiencing some discomfort in an area of my gums, I thought, uh oh this feels expensive. But I called the dentist’s office, and was offered an appointment five weeks hence. I complained a bit, but as the pain was not bad, I didn’t make too much fuss.<br /><br />By the time I got to see them last week, it was a lot worse. They took a whole bunch of x-rays, and scared me to death by telling me I definitely had something going on back there, but they didn’t know what. Of course, in my mind it had to be cancer of the jaw, at the very least. They also said I had lost quite a bit of bone around my teeth, so they were referring me to a periodontist. Needless to say, the nearest one was 50 miles away in Joplin, Missouri. (Sigh)<br /><br />On Monday, I called the periodontist’s office, only to be told that the appointment would be for March. This time I did complain about the pain, and she gave me an appointment for Thursday. Then on Monday afternoon, the ice storm moved in. So not only am I bricking it wondering what’s wrong with my gum, but I’m also thinking I’m not even going to be able to get there.<br /><br />On Tuesday, the weather conspired against me still further by adding a hefty layer of snow on top of the ice. And the trouble with this area of Oklahoma is they do little or nothing about gritting or plowing the roads, so the whole place just grinds to a halt.<br /><br />So on Wednesday, when the receptionist called to find out if I would be at my appointment, we got chatting, and it turns out she travels to work from this area. She told me that all the main roads were clear, but the side streets were still bad. And I thought, well if she can get there, I can.<br /><br />To cut a long story short, it turns out that the problem with my gum is something to do with my bite being out of line. The dentist gave it some fancy name which I can’t remember. Whatever it was, it wasn’t cancer of the jaw. You can’t imagine my relief. So he gave me some antibiotics, and told me to go back next week for my teeth grinding into line, which sounds like a lot of fun. :-( He also said he would give me his full diagnosis then. At least all the teeth are not going to have to come out, (another of my worries), or why bother grinding them.<br /><br />I must just tell you this little anecdote about my time in the chair. This morning I was reading Sarah's blog: <a href="http://britgalusa.com/">http://britgalusa.com/</a> and she was talking, among other things, about how we Brits have to curb our sarcasm here. The girl at the periodontist's who took my x-rays, also coated my teeth with a red dye, which helped to reveal plaque build-up. She said to me, "Most kids learn how to brush their teeth in kindergarten, here we have to teach adults how to do it." I wanted to reply, "That's funny, at school in England they taught us how to read and write." But I bit my tongue. It's no wonder I'm having all these oral problems. :-)<br /><br />Anyway, on a brighter note, I did manage to get my entries in to the Oklahoma Writer’s Federation Contest. I normally send entries to seven or eight categories, but this year, with all the worry about my teeth, I couldn’t concentrate, and only entered four. I’ve sent in a short-short story, a short story, a feature article, and a piece of nostalgic prose. So it’s fingers crossed now. Wish me luck.<br /><br />Toodle pip for now.Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-60337477627517822112009-01-25T12:59:00.001-06:002009-01-25T13:01:14.746-06:00Interview with Gill, That British WomanYou can find my interview with Gill here:<br /><br /><a href="http://thatbritishwoman.blogspot.com/2009/01/i-am-being-interviewed.html">http://thatbritishwoman.blogspot.com/2009/01/i-am-being-interviewed.html</a><br /><br />Thanks for playing along Gill.Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-36089084661864132062009-01-24T11:46:00.002-06:002009-01-24T11:51:01.711-06:00Interview with Lakeland JoI interviewed Lakeland Jo this week, you can read here answers here:<br /><br /><a href="http://lifeinwindermere.blogspot.com/2009/01/exclusive.html">http://lifeinwindermere.blogspot.com/2009/01/exclusive.html</a><br /><br />Thanks for playing along, Jo.Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-79953696534247848172009-01-17T18:25:00.004-06:002009-01-17T19:33:25.066-06:00InterviewI am being interviewed by Pam at <a href="http://pamokc.blogspot.com/">http://pamokc.blogspot.com/</a> The rules are posted below, if you want to be interviewed by me, leave me a message telling me so and I'll come up with some questions.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Pam asked: </span><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">1. Since your move to Oklahoma, what do you find you like best about the area? Also what is most annoying?</span><br /><br />One of the things I like best about living in this area of Oklahoma is the wide open spaces, and big yards/gardens. After 9 years of apartment living in California, I love that this house is on an acre lot, and none of the neighbors but right up against us. It’s also very peaceful, as the house is at the very end of a small cul-de-sac, so no one comes down here unless they’re coming to see us, or they’re lost.<br /><br />And I love that people here are so darn friendly, I have made far more friends here than I ever did in California.<br /><br />I also like that I am sort of famous in my little town, well, at the vet’s, the filling station, and the bank. :-)<br /><br />One of the things I find most annoying about living in such a rural area is the fact that my nearest supermarket is 16 miles away, grocery shopping has had to become a detailed battle campaign.<br /><br />I also dislike being so far away from the ocean, I love the sea and seafood, I miss being able to walk on the beach, and buy decent fish.<br /><br />Another thing I hate is the way people abuse our beautiful countryside by throwing litter all over it. The local newspaper published an article from me on this very subject, but it hasn’t made a blind bit of difference.<br /><br />The final annoying thing for me is the fact that there is no recycling program in this town/area. Although we compost, and donate our cans to the local humane society, all our plastics, glass, and paper go into the landfill, I hate that.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">2. Lake District England vs. Lake District Oklahoma – is it safe to compare the two areas?</span><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;"><br /></span>The short answer to that is, no. The long answer, absolutely not. :-)<br /></span><br />Seriously, Pam, while this area of Lake District Oklahoma is very beautiful, the lakes here were man-made in order to supply the growing need for hydro electric power. So the lakes in these parts can in no way compare to the natural grandeur and majesty of the English Lakes. Sorry!<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">3. Have you always been a writer, and can you tell us a little bit more about how you came into your writing career?</span><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;"><br /></span>No, I have not always been a writer, in fact, I am a relative newcomer to the craft, but, from a very early age, I loved books, and reading. I actually wrote my first short story in 2002, after reading Stephen King’s book, On Writing, which incidentally, I consider to be one of the best books on writing I have ever read. That first story was utter crap, as were subsequent ones, but the only way to learn this craft is to keep practicing.<br /></span><br />For the first couple of years, I can only describe myself as a bit of a dabbler at this writing lark, and never saw myself giving up the day job to pursue it seriously. Then in October, 2004, I joined my writer’s group, Grand Lake Wordsmiths Unlimited, and they were so encouraging of my work, that I began branching out into non-fiction. Until joining the group I had only ever written fiction, mostly short stories, and I had started a novel, but threw in the towel on it after about 25,000 words. I did start another novel, and got slightly further with it than the first one, but still abandoned it.<br /><br />Three other things contributed to my starting to take myself seriously as a writer.<br /><br /><ul><li>Jobs are few and far between in this area, and I had been unsuccessful in my efforts to find one. </li><li>In May 2006, I won first place in the essay category of the Oklahoma Writer’s Federation annual contest. This was quickly followed by getting a few articles published in local papers, and then in August I got a break with Oklahoma Living Magazine. The article was a little 600 word piece about Oklahoman Sylvan Goldman, the inventor of the shopping cart, which I sent to the mag on spec. The editor liked it, and I have since written for them on a regular basis, as well as anyone else who will take my stuff.</li><li>My husband, Mick is so supportive of my writing. If he didn’t continue to toil away doing the day job, then I couldn’t continue to do this. I can only hope that one day I will earn enough to support us both. After all, one of my favorite writers, Annie Proulx, was 58 when her first book was published.</li></ul><p><span style="color:#3333ff;">4. You say you are the reluctant cook – have you come to enjoy cooking more over time?</span></p><p>To be perfectly honest, I have to say that I did used to hate cooking, now I merely dislike it, so I must have come to enjoy it a bit more. :-) The funny thing is, cooking is something I’m good at, but if someone else would cook for me, I’d let them.</p><p><span style="color:#3333ff;">5. I love the name Ticklemouse. Can you tell me how he came to have this name, and a few other quirky, fun things about your cats.</span></p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SXJ4aXbHpEI/AAAAAAAAATk/0WqnOoRB8wY/s1600-h/Tommy+in+office.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292424906473448514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 303px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SXJ4aXbHpEI/AAAAAAAAATk/0WqnOoRB8wY/s400/Tommy+in+office.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Tommy Ticklemouse as a kitlet, helping out in Mick's office</em><br /><br />Tommy morphed into Tommy Ticklemouse after living with us for a few days. Tommy first appeared in our yard as a stray kitten, enticed by the smell of our BBQ. We think he had been living under our shed, for how long we don’t know, but the poor little mite was starving. At first he would stand over by the wood pile and yowl at us, and Mick would say, "Ey up, little Tommy Tucker is here, singing for his supper," the line comes from a nursery rhyme.<br /><br />We fed him, of course., and after a couple of nights he began to come over to the sit with us on the porch. A few days later he moved in, and then Mick began saying, "Little Tommy Ticklemouse, lived in a little house," from another nursery rhyme, and this time the name stuck. Tommy (AKA Tickle, Man of Mystery, amongst others), was the last cat to join our household, and I don’t think that he has ever forgotten that we rescued him, he is certainly the best natured, most loving and loveable of our 3 cats.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SXJ4aH7d91I/AAAAAAAAATc/sNbHwqsPct4/s1600-h/Willy.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292424902314162002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SXJ4aH7d91I/AAAAAAAAATc/sNbHwqsPct4/s400/Willy.JPG" border="0" /></a> <em>Wilson - Slobbo Puss</em></p><p>Wilson, (AKA Squeaky, Willie Wombat, Wilburn, among many others), was our first adoption from the humane society, and he was about 5 years old at the time. They had called him Sparky, I’ve no idea why, as he is spark out most of the time. Unfortunately for Wilson, he had been de-clawed, and had never been outside, so I began taking him for walks around our yard. The neighbors thought it was a hoot that he followed me around like a little dog. He will now happily wander around the yard on his own, or with the other cats. We have no fences to keep him in but he never ventures far, and he does at least get a bit of an outdoor life. Most of the time though, he’s our slobbo puss, our lounge lizard. He likes nothing better than a comfy knee to sit on, and his belly tickling.<br /><br /></p><div align="left"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SXJ4aKoYMTI/AAAAAAAAATU/8H1GPb6x1JI/s1600-h/Alvin.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292424903039398194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 303px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SXJ4aKoYMTI/AAAAAAAAATU/8H1GPb6x1JI/s400/Alvin.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Alvin - The Terminator</em></div><div align="left"><br />Alvin was another adoption from the humane society, but he was only a kitten when we got him. He was always a naughty little chipmunk, hence the name. Alvin is now a predator, (AKA Arnie,or The Terminator, amongst many others), he sleeps all day and hunts all night. He is a very aloof cat, and is definitely the alpha male amongst our lot, but he’s smart enough to recognize that mummy is numero uno in this pecking order. I don’t need an alarm clock with Alvin around, every morning at 7:30 am, he climbs on the bedroom window ledge and yowls at me to let him in.<br /><br /><em><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">Want to be interviewed by me? Here are the instructions:</span></strong></em></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#3333ff;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#3333ff;">1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."<br />2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).<br />3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions and let me know when you have posted it, so I can link to it.<br />4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.<br />5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.<br /><br /><br /></span></div><div align="center"></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-28384219395805095952009-01-11T16:42:00.003-06:002009-01-11T16:49:41.395-06:00Oklahoma Writer's Federation Inc. (OWFI)<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SWp2JhOaIxI/AAAAAAAAATM/xL-FIb_zqjA/s1600-h/newheader_2%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290170618209772306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 60px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SWp2JhOaIxI/AAAAAAAAATM/xL-FIb_zqjA/s400/newheader_2%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Once again, my apologies for not having been around much this year, there is nothing wrong, but thank you Daffodilly for your concern.<br /><br />January is always a very busy time for me as the deadline for the OWFI contest looms at the end of the month. There are 33 different categories covering a wide range of writing topics such as short stories, poetry, articles, essays, fiction and non fiction books. Which is great, as writers of all genres can find something to suit their style among the many options available.<br /><br />Anyway, I’ve been working hard on my entries, writing some new stuff, and ensuring existing manuscripts are error free and contest ready. When my writer’s group, Grand Lake Wordsmiths Unlimited, met this week the conversation was all about the contest. We always check each other’s work before submission, as another pair of eyes is invaluable in seeking out mistakes. The main problem is, you know your own work so well that you tend to skim when reading, and end up missing errors.<br /><br />I have been entering this contest for four years, and have won in two different categories, as well as being awarded places and honorable mentions. Entering writing contests is a good discipline for writers, as it forces you to revise, and edit your work, and to meet a deadline, just as you would have to for a publisher or editor.<br /><br />If anyone is interested in joining OWFI, and you don’t need to be resident in Oklahoma to do so, you can find out more about them on their web site at: <a href="http://www.owfi.org/">http://www.owfi.org/</a> As well as the contest, they also hold a writer’s conference every year in early May. It usually takes place in Oklahoma City, but this year it will be held in Norman, OK, and the key speaker is best-selling author, Tess Gerritson.<br /><br />Toodle pip till next time.Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-57201576398459352232008-12-26T13:10:00.004-06:002008-12-26T13:21:23.274-06:00Boxing Day<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SVUsqJvsFoI/AAAAAAAAATE/D-x4x_PIH0c/s1600-h/_44495189_houdini416b%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284178840471213698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 288px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SVUsqJvsFoI/AAAAAAAAATE/D-x4x_PIH0c/s400/_44495189_houdini416b%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br />Boxing Day which falls on the 26th December is a public holiday in Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and has nothing to do with pugilism, or getting rid of Christmas wrappings. It was originally a day when alms were distributed to the poor, and servants/employees received gifts in money and kind from their masters. </div><div><br />Alms or poor boxes were placed in every parish church. Traditionally, these were opened the day after Christmas and the money distributed to the poor of the parish.</div><div><br />Household servants were always required to work on Christmas Day, and were given the following day off to spend with their families. It was customary for their employers to give them gifts of money and food.</div><div><br />It was also a time when wealthy estate owners would box up their leftover food, and unwanted gifts, and distribute them among the tenant farmers who worked their land. </div><div> </div><div></div><div>All these gifts were usually placed in wooden, or clay boxes, hence the term Boxing Day.</div><div><br />Boxing Day traditions have fallen somewhat by the wayside, today it is seen more as a day for hitting the Christmas sales than for giving to the poor. The original concept, however, has not been totally lost, as it is still customary to tip trades people such as the postman, milkman (yes, we actually get milk delivered to our doorsteps in Britain), newspaper boys and girls, and refuse collectors. Also, many employers do give bonuses to their employees at Christmas. Today though, these tips and bonuses are usually given before Christmas.</div><div><br />Happy Boxing Day everyone.</div><div></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-67822094236908241872008-12-24T16:35:00.003-06:002008-12-24T16:49:02.701-06:00Happy ChristmasI’m doing a bit of a cheat here, as I’ve posted both these items on my other blog, so my apologies to those of you who read both. It’s just that there’s not a lot happening around here, except the usual Christmasy things. I’ve been doing battle at the stores buying presis and groceries. Ensuring that the postal service stays in business by spending a fortune mailing cards and presis back to England. Decorating the Christmas tree, and hanging stockings on the fireplace for us and the cats. As well as baking up a storm. It’s also been bloody perishingly cold, my neighbor told me today that her outside thermometer registered 0°F on Sunday and Monday nights. Brrrrrr.<br /><br />But I did want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who takes the trouble to stop by here and comment, and to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and the best of New Years.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SVK5f0LnWRI/AAAAAAAAAS8/P3O3uqADnL0/s1600-h/ABSOLUT_VODKA_1liter_lys_hi%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283489269093456146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 302px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SVK5f0LnWRI/AAAAAAAAAS8/P3O3uqADnL0/s400/ABSOLUT_VODKA_1liter_lys_hi%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a> I hope this joke gives you a giggle.<br /><br />HOLIDAY FRUITCAKE<br /><br />With Christmas coming, here’s a fruitcake recipe that will help take the stress out of this normally stressful time.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 cup water<br />1 cup sugar<br />4 large eggs<br />2 cups dried fruit<br />1 tsp salt<br />1 cup brown sugar<br />3 oz lemon juice<br />1 cup nuts<br />1 gallon Absolut Vodka<br /><br />First sample the vodka to check for freshness. Take a large bowl. Check the vodka again to be sure it is of the highest quality.<br /><br />Pour 1 level cup of the vodka and drink it. Repeat. Repeat again.<br /><br />Turn on electric mixer; beat 1 cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add water, eggs and 1 tsp sugar and beat again.<br /><br />Make surr the vodka is still OK. Cry another tup.<br /><br />Turn off mixers. Chuck in the cup of dried fruitt or something. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck on the beaterers, pry it loose with a Drewsciver.<br /><br />Sample the vodka to check for consistancity.<br /><br />Next sniff two cups of salt. Or something. Who cares?<br /><br />Check the vodka. Now sniff the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Spoon. Of sugar or something. Whatever.<br /><br />Grease the oven. Turn the cake tin 350 degrees. Don’t forget to beat off the turner. Whip the bowl out the window. Check the vodka again.<br /><br />Go to bed. Who the hell likes *!#&*^$ fruitcake anyway.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">A Christmas Meme</span></strong><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SVK5foVV-0I/AAAAAAAAAS0/QiXgKPtKMlA/s1600-h/o_santa_pic_lrgr%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283489265913035586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 373px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SVK5foVV-0I/AAAAAAAAAS0/QiXgKPtKMlA/s400/o_santa_pic_lrgr%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I saw this on Jo’s blog <a href="http://lifeinwindermere.blogspot.com/">http://lifeinwindermere.blogspot.com/</a> and as it’s Crimbo, I thought I’d enter into the spirit and play along. Feel free to join in, if you wish.</div><div><br />1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper. I’m one of those sick individuals who actually likes wrapping presents.<br /></div><div>2. Real tree or Artificial? It has to be real, messy, but I love the smell.</div><div> </div><div>3. When do you put up the tree? The weekend before Christmas. </div><div> </div><div>4. When do you take the tree down? On the twelfth day of Crimbo.</div><div> </div><div>5. Do you like eggnog? No, it’s too sweet.</div><div> </div><div>6. Favourite gift received as a child? A doll’s house.</div><div> </div><div>7. Hardest person to buy for? My dad.</div><div> </div><div>8. Easiest person to buy for? Mick, he’s easily pleased.</div><div> </div><div>9. Do you have a nativity scene? No.</div><div> </div><div>10. Mail or email Christmas cards. Mail.</div><div> </div><div>11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? When I first moved to California, my mother-in-law always sent me tights (hose), in that ghastly shade of American tan. (Well, she was in her late 70’s then, bless her, and I suppose they were cheap to mail). The thing is, I hardly ever wore tights in California, and certainly not American tan.</div><div> </div><div>12. Favourite Christmas Movie? The Great Escape. I know, I know, it’s not a Christmas movie, but they used to show it every year in England at Christmas, so I always associate it with the holiday.</div><div> </div><div>13. When do you start shopping? Usually, end of October through November. I like to get everything sorted out before Thanksgiving. I can’t bear the madding crowds of Black Friday onwards.</div><div> </div><div>14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don’t think so, though I may have put some in the bin.</div><div> </div><div>15. Favourite thing to eat at Christmas? Turkey with all the trimmings.</div><div> </div><div>16. Lights on the tree? Of course, but not the flashing ones, I hate those.</div><div> </div><div>17. Favourite Christmas song? There are a few, all ancient, but I like them anyway. Do they know it’s Christmas by Band Aid, Mistletoe and Wine by Cliff Richard, I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday by Roy Wood, and White Christmas by Bing Crosby. For carols, I think Silent Night.</div><div> </div><div>18, Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home. Christmas in England is always so much more fun than the US, but I hate travelling in winter, and I hate flying anytime.</div><div> </div><div>19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? No.</div><div> </div><div>20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Neither, I don’t put anything on top of the tree.</div><div> </div><div>21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning. </div><div> </div><div>22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The crowds, and the commercialism.</div><div> </div><div>23. Favourite ornament, theme or color? A few miniature sweaters I knitted my self.</div><div> </div><div>24. Favourite for Christmas dinner? Turkey and all the trimmings.</div><div> </div><div>25. What do you want for Christmas this year? For a publisher to show some interest in my book.<br /><br /></div><div></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-51002132490182366852008-12-13T15:09:00.004-06:002008-12-13T15:25:50.606-06:00An Award<div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SUQlDMH8RsI/AAAAAAAAASk/3SOP7LohC0c/s1600-h/super-scribbler-award%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279385399909435074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 218px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SUQlDMH8RsI/AAAAAAAAASk/3SOP7LohC0c/s400/super-scribbler-award%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Sarah over at <a href="http://www.britgalusa.com/">http://www.britgalusa.com/</a> gave me the above award a couple of weeks ago, and I am only now getting round to posting it. Which only goes to show how little I deserve this award, as I have been anything but a superior scribbler of late. But thank you for thinking of me, Sarah, I do appreciate it, and I do promise to mend my ways. In fact, there are quite a few things I want to change about my lifestyle come the New Year, but more about that some other time.</div><br /><div>I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how hectic this time of year is, because you already know that. Usually, I like to have all my Christmas presents and cards bought before Thanksgiving, that way I am spared the madding crowds from Black Friday* onwards. </div><br /><div>This year, that wasn’t possible, and last Saturday was a case in point. Mick and I went Christmas shopping in Joplin, Missouri, along with the rest of the four states, me thinks. The main highlights of the day were to be a visit to the bookstore, and lunch at a pub style restaurant that serves a pretty mean fish and chips. Now I love bookstores, and had we spent the rest of the day in there things would have been just fine, but we didn’t. </div><br /><div>After the bookstore we went to the mall. After seeing the endless lines in every shop, we decided, forget about it, and went in search of lunch. Mick dropped me at the door of the restaurant while he went in search of a parking space on the crowded lot. One glance inside told me that fish and chips was off the menu, there was a line of about 20 people waiting to be seated. </div><br /><div>Outside, Mick was still circling, but he was so intent on finding a parking place he didn’t see me wildly gesticulating to him to pull over. So there I am chasing him around the parking lot, and I didn’t catch his eye until he actually found a spot. The relief on his face soon turned to dismay, when he saw me.</div><br /><div>In the end, we had lunch at a Chinese place, followed by some grazing in Sam’s Club. They have that many free samples of food on offer in that store that you really don’t need to eat lunch. Anyway, we bought a load of food to stock our new freezer, and decided to call it a day.</div><br /><div>I bought the remainder of my Christmas gifts on-line, all from the comfort of my own home, with no sodding queues to deal with.</div><br /><div>*For the Brits, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving when the whole of America descends on the stores.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Sky at Night</span></strong></div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><br /><br />Also, I don’t know if you noticed the sky at night on Monday, December 1st, if you did, you would have seen a rare alignment of the Moon, Venus and Jupiter. It was quite a spectacle. I did take a photo but it didn’t turn out too good, so I cribbed this one off the net.<br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279385402487499922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 375px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SUQlDVumbJI/AAAAAAAAASs/IItaZt6FpH4/s400/sunset+dec+1+2008.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>Here in Oklahoma, the crescent moon was standing on end, with Venus and Jupiter to its right.</p><p>British astrologer, Jonathan Cainer, <a href="http://www.cainer.com/">http://www.cainer.com/</a> had this to say about the conjunction:</p><p>"Those two bright lights, so close to the Moon last night, were Venus and Jupiter. Their rare sunset spectacle does not, on its own, signify the end of the credit crunch. The pessimism genie has been let out of the bottle and it may take some months before enough optimists team up to chase it back in. Still, we should be encouraged by the planets of prosperity and good fortune aligning so closely this close to Christmas. It augurs well for a fruitful festive season a New Year, with a new President, pursuing new policies from which many benefit." </p><p>Let’s hope he’s right.<br /><br /></p>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-83544421943548566012008-11-30T17:53:00.004-06:002008-11-30T18:24:31.049-06:00I'm late, I'm late!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274604217561158514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/STMolv6Ck3I/AAAAAAAAASE/kAmnBNz5iqQ/s400/Jan+Meng%27s+Studio.JPG" border="0" /><br /><em>Jan Meng's studio at Hungry Holler</em><br /><em></em><br /><br />First of all, my apologies. I’ve been quite remiss with my blogging and commenting of late, but I will catch up with you all real soon. My arm is finally on the mend, and this week I have been frantically trying to catch up with the housework, and shopping prior to the holiday. And, as most of you know, if you don’t find me here, you’ll find me slaving over a hot stove at my other blog, Range Warfare. :-)<br /><br />I hope everyone has had a very happy Thanksgiving. It’s not an English thing, but we’re certainly not averse to the time off. I am often asked what we do in England at Thanksgiving. My answer is always the same – nothing, because we have bugger all to be thankful for in England. Only joking folks. :-) Personally, I think I won the lottery of life being born British.<br /><br />But I did cook us a roast dinner, not turkey though, as we like to have turkey at Christmas. We had roast lamb, and Mick made some mint sauce to go with it. It’s the first lamb we have had since we moved to Oklahoma 4½ years ago, it just doesn’t seem to be a very popular meat here. We bought this lamb joint on a recent trip to Missouri, but we have since managed to talk a local butcher into getting some for us. We also had roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, veggies and lashings of gravy, so basically, a traditional English Sunday lunch.<br /><br />On Thanksgiving Day, the weather was absolutely perfect, sunny and about 68°F. Today, is quite a different story. I awoke to snow this morning! Temps are now in the low 40’s, and below freezing at night. Brrrrr! I’m not complaining too much, as I would far rather be cold than hot, and it’s a good reason for a log fire.<br /><br />Also, if you’re interested, you can find my latest article for Oklahoma Living magazine here:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ok-living.coop/Feature_3.php">http://www.ok-living.coop/Feature_3.php</a><br /><br />Oh, and btw, the typos are not mine, that should read wander/wandering.<br /><br />The article is about a recent visit to a local arts center called, Hungry Holler, home of renowned artists, Jan and Marc Meng. Jan is a self confessed gourdphile, who creates beautiful works of art from homegrown gourds. The article shows some of her work on exhibit in their small rustic gallery. If you’d like to see more, check out their web site at: <a href="http://www.hungryholler.com/">http://www.hungryholler.com/</a><br /><br /><br /><em></em><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274604220955421506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/STMol8jS60I/AAAAAAAAASM/kHW1--CAnEo/s400/Gourd+decorated+with+recycled+bottle+caps.jpg" border="0" /><br /><em>A Gourd decorated with recycled bottle caps</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br />Marc is known as the Zen Spoonmaster as he lovingly handcrafts cooking utensils from woods such as maple, wild cherry and walnut. Each spoon he creates is totally unique and will last a lifetime. Also the spatulas are made for right and left handed cooks.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274604228922988658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/STMomaO6WHI/AAAAAAAAASU/v206rbHh_e4/s400/Some+of+the+Zen+Spoonmaster%27s+Collection.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />I have begun my own collection as you can see below. I really enjoyed my visit to Hungry Holler and will certainly be making a return trip.<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/STMomkvnrRI/AAAAAAAAASc/xuUq0QsowJ8/s1600-h/spoons.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274604231744531730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/STMomkvnrRI/AAAAAAAAASc/xuUq0QsowJ8/s400/spoons.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />On a little side note. I posted about this article on Range Warfare and several people asked me where the spoons were, as it seems they have disappeared from their web site. When I checked it out, I noticed that they have updated the site, and I have e-mailed Jan Meng to find out what’s happened to the spoons. I’m sure it’s just a temporary glitch, and I’ll get back to you about it as soon as I hear. But check out the gourds anyway, they are fabulous.</p><p>Also a big Thank You to Sarah, I just noticed your comment about the award. I'll post about this real soon.</p><p>I hope you all have a good week.</p><p>Toodle pip for now.<br /></p><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-51134445956932638062008-11-17T13:57:00.010-06:002008-11-17T14:17:14.729-06:00Oh Deer!It’s true what they say, it doesn’t rain but it pours. Not only am I still having problems with my arm, but last week, Mick hit a deer on his way to work. He was driving on a two-lane highway, with a 55-MPH speed limit, when the deer ran right out in front of him and stopped. He had no chance to brake, or swerve to avoid it. The deer went right across the bonnet (hood).<br /><br />The result:<br />Damage to Mick – zero<br />Damage to car – bad, but repairable<br />Damage to deer – terminal.<br /><br />At first glance, the car doesn’t look too bad,<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SSHNb0oMpNI/AAAAAAAAAR8/2BogO9XQGJw/s1600-h/IMG_1787%5B1%5D.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269718916867597522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SSHNb0oMpNI/AAAAAAAAAR8/2BogO9XQGJw/s400/IMG_1787%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />but one headlight is smashed, the bonnet (hood) is dented and warped,<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SSHNb-YquTI/AAAAAAAAAR0/lKTohMyE0ZE/s1600-h/IMG_1785%5B1%5D.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269718919486814514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SSHNb-YquTI/AAAAAAAAAR0/lKTohMyE0ZE/s400/IMG_1785%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />and the side panel is cracked and hanging loose.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SSHNbqdBPAI/AAAAAAAAARs/FCFTQCWxt84/s1600-h/IMG_1786%5B1%5D.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269718914136357890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SSHNbqdBPAI/AAAAAAAAARs/FCFTQCWxt84/s400/IMG_1786%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />But at least Mick was only shaken, not stirred, and that’s the main thing. Still, one cannot help but wonder, what else is going to go wrong?</div><div> </div><div>On a brighter note...</div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269718911547917586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SSHNbgz4xRI/AAAAAAAAARk/TjgD0jCrPDQ/s400/IMG_1772.JPG" border="0" /></div><div></div><div>One of my friends got married at the weekend. She is, or was, a member of my writer’s group, The Grand Lake Wordsmiths. The blushing bride is a septuagenarian, and her beau, an octogenarian. I wish them lots of love and happiness in their future lives together. C. is moving to Missouri, and will be sadly missed by the writer’s group, she is an excellent writer and a masterful poet. Sorry, about the photo, they all came out a bit dark.<br /><br /><br /></div><div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SSHNExee9uI/AAAAAAAAARc/HUStUe1sN_Q/s1600-h/IMG_1772.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SSHNEhae5vI/AAAAAAAAARU/2GqM6z0Ap04/s1600-h/IMG_1786%5B1%5D.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SSHNEo68tMI/AAAAAAAAARM/oyZpJXU5jLo/s1600-h/IMG_1785%5B1%5D.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SSHNEWE2M0I/AAAAAAAAARE/1dcRDgL22qQ/s1600-h/IMG_1787%5B1%5D.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-79138945235661037042008-11-12T15:19:00.004-06:002008-11-12T15:59:07.984-06:00Worms<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SRtLrT3-TYI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/zK_OZhrJpOc/s1600-h/2004092400150301%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267887396581428610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 351px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 316px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SRtLrT3-TYI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/zK_OZhrJpOc/s400/2004092400150301%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Would you believe it’s now two weeks since Alvin bit me, and my arm is still not completely healed? One of his teeth went particularly deep, and it’s this that is still causing me problems. To compound matters, I had an allergic reaction to the first lot of antibiotics, and the bottom half of my face swelled up until I looked like a hamster with lip enhancements. Alvin, of course, made a full and quick recovery from his ailment, and shows no signs of remorse for having maimed his mummy.<br /><br />Anyway, last week, just to add to my woes, I had to get a story into Oklahoma Living magazine by Wednesday, and typing was very difficult. But, not having much choice in the matter, I did it anyway. I am such a martyr to my trade. :-)<br /><br />Writing with a pen or pencil was also very painful, worse than typing in fact, and I really can’t start my day without a cup of tea and my crossword. My favorite crossword is the cryptic one from a Scottish newspaper called The Herald. It’s one of the few newspapers that still offers a free printable crossword on-line every weekday. If you’re interested you can find it here: <a href="http://www.theherald.co.uk/crosswords/">http://www.theherald.co.uk/crosswords/</a><br />I could have done the on-line version, but it’s just not the same. To me crosswords have to be done on paper.<br /><br />Just to digress a moment, although the crossword was invented by an American, the Brits took the idea and came up with the cryptic crossword. These are particularly tricky crosswords, as you have to work out what the clue means before you can answer it. It’s like a battle of wits, and sometimes all out war, between the compiler and the solver.<br /><br />Anyway, unable to do my crossword, I came across a word game on-line called Bookworm, and now I’m hooked. If you want to check it out you can find it here:<br /><a href="http://get.games.yahoo.com/proddesc?gamekey=bookworm#ffabtn">http://get.games.yahoo.com/proddesc?gamekey=bookworm#ffabtn</a><br />But I warn you, it’s addictive. I am now having to wean myself off it, but at least it kept me occupied during my incapacity.<br /><br />I am a huge fan of word puzzles and word games, particularly Scrabble, but then I suppose words are my stock and trade. I call them worms, because they are so squiggly and squirmy that they wriggle away from you just when you need them the most.<br /><br />On a final note, a big thank you to everyone who stopped by and commiserated with me in my hour of need, I really appreciated it.<br /><br />Toodle pip for now.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SRtIqSznpnI/AAAAAAAAAQk/hERvcpQ2APc/s1600-h/ages.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-66713653645922014292008-10-31T12:55:00.002-05:002008-10-31T13:09:08.024-05:00Damn Cats and Ghostly Goings on in the AtticI’m sorry I haven’t been around much this week, and this is going to be the case for a while longer. On Monday and Tuesday, I wasn’t feeling very well. Then on Wednesday, my cat Alvin was ill, so I took him to see the vet. Unfortunately, while the vet took Alvin’s temperature, I held his head. I thought I had a firm grip on him, but he managed to get loose and sunk all his teeth into my arm.<br /><br />As it was a very nasty bite, I went to the doctor for a tetanus shot. She also gave me antibiotics and painkillers, as she was particularly concerned that Alvin might have passed his infection onto me. She also told me to keep my forearm elevated for 2-3 days, so I’m not supposed to be typing, but I just wanted to let you know what was happening.<br /><br />My right arm is red and swollen from the wrist to the elbow, and is extremely painful. It was so bad that I couldn’t get the childproof caps off the antibiotics and painkillers, and had to wait for Mick to get home from work before I could take any. :-) But the good news is, Alvin is recovering from his infection, so hopefully, normal service will be resumed with me very soon.<br /><br />Anyway, as it’s Halloween, I’ll share some ghost stories with you. I posted this a while ago when no-one was reading this blog. I did want to add another ghost story to it, but that will have to wait for another time. Happy Halloween!<br /><br /><strong>Ghostly Goings on in the Attic</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Last weekend, my daughter called and told me that she had a ghost in the attic. My granddaughter had been using the attic as her bedroom, and saw this ghost on two occasions. Although my daughter thought she had probably dreamt it, she took it seriously and moved her to another bedroom. She then put two of her boys in the attic, and gave my granddaughter strict instructions not to mention the incident to them. The two boys also saw the ghost, each on separate occasions. This is what my granddaughter told me about the experience:<br /><br />"It was really dark in my room, and I remember waking up, I didn't know what time it was. For some reason, I just felt really scared and I didn't know why, and I couldn't move anything but my eyes. I saw something moving out of the corner of my eye and so I looked. I thought it was dad, because it was about the same height and it looked like a man. It was a bit blurry, but I presumed that was because it was dark. It was bending down and picking stuff up and looking at them before putting them back down again. It was near my teddy bears so I thought it was picking them up. I can't remember anything else so I must have fallen asleep. I asked dad why he'd been messing with my teddy bears and he said he hadn't. He looked confused so I believed him. It was there the next night, doing the same thing, in the same spot. I carried on looking at it, and I just remember seeing it kind of fade from the bottom upwards, and seeing it with no legs."<br /><br />This reminded me of a strange encounter of my own. At one time, back in England, I worked at an office where I used to run a job club (to help people improve their job search skills). The job club took place in two of the upstairs rooms in the office. In one room I did the training sessions, and the other room (which we called the resource room), was used by people to apply for jobs. In that room they had newspapers, magazines, telephones, stationery, computer, everything that they needed to apply for jobs. There was also an old typewriter in there that nobody ever used.<br /><br />One day, I arrived early at the office, before anyone else got there. The canteen was upstairs, so I went up there to make myself a cup of tea. On passing the door to the resource room, I heard typing, which surprised me as I was sure none of the other staff were in yet. As soon as I opened the door the typing stopped, but there was no one in the room.<br /><br />I did hear the typing several times while I worked there, and it always happened when the room wasn’t in use. I probably would have thought I was going nuts, but I later discovered that other staff had heard it, too.<br /><br />And funnily enough, when I told the office manager about the mysterious typist, she told me yet another ghost story. She had been in charge of another office at the time, and one Sunday she got a call from the police. Neighbors across from the office building had seen lights on upstairs and thought it might be a break-in. When the manager and the police got there, there were no lights on, and no sign of a break-in.<br /><br />But, what really mystified her was that the upstairs of the office wasn’t used. The office had originally been a church until it had undergone a conversion. The contractors who did the renovations had put in a false ceiling to hide the high church roof.<br /><br />After another Sunday call-out due to lights being on in the upper story the manager thought there might be some sort of electrical fault, so she called in an electrician. He found that not only were there no lights up there, there wasn’t any electrical wiring either.<br /><br />Spooky!Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-81964396221242473032008-10-19T18:32:00.002-05:002008-10-19T18:40:54.490-05:00Autumnal Asides<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SPvDu7fCK-I/AAAAAAAAANc/l8sPZmVLrf8/s1600-h/red+mum.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259012200894442466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SPvDu7fCK-I/AAAAAAAAANc/l8sPZmVLrf8/s400/red+mum.JPG" border="0" /></a> <em>My Chrysanthemum looks lovely at the mo.</em><br /><p><br />The weather here in Northeast Oklahoma has been absolutely perfect for the past few days, sunny, 75°F, with cooler nights and mornings. The skies have been the deepest of blues, and not a cloud in sight. A few trees have already lost most of their leaves, but the vast majority are only just beginning to change color. How is autumn panning out where you live?</p><p>It’s been a busy couple of weeks around here. I got my latest assignment done and into Oklahoma Living Magazine, ahead of deadline, but a couple of hundred words longer than it should have been. I hope the editor doesn’t cut it, she usually doesn’t, but you never know. </p><p>The article was about a local arts center, and I so enjoyed my visit there that I had a bit of a struggle when it came to writing the story. You see, I’m not allowed to include my own views and opinions in these articles, everything has to be written in third person. Anyway, I wrangled it eventually, and I really hope I have done the place justice. I’ll tell you more about it after the piece is published at the beginning of November.</p><p>I no sooner got that piece sent in, when I received an e-mail from the editor asking me to submit story ideas for next year’s editorial calendar. Truth be told, I didn’t have a single idea in my head, and only five days to come up with something! Anyway, after a lot of brainstorming, a lot of research, and a couple of sleepless nights, I did manage to put a list together, and got it in by the deadline. (Phew, wipes sweat from fevered brow). Now it’s fingers crossed that she throws a few crumbs my way for next year.</p><p>And as for "the bloody thing," (my book), if things go much slower they’re going to stop. I keep changing my mind about what I want to include, and then have to do a load more research, oh, hum.</p><p>And this week, I’m off to do another interview for my next Oklahoma Living story.</p><p>On a lighter note </p><p>I saw a funny joke this week on Jo’s blog at: <a href="http://lifeinwindermere.blogspot.com/">http://lifeinwindermere.blogspot.com/</a></p><p>GORDON BROWN (British Prime Minister) was visiting a primary school and he visited one of the classes. They were in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings. The teacher asked Mr. BROWN if he would like to lead the discussion on the word 'tragedy'. So the illustrious leader asked the class for an example of a 'tragedy'.</p><p>A little boy stood up and offered: "If my best friend, who lives on a farm, is playing in the field & a tractor runs over him and kills him that would be a tragedy."</p><p>"No," said GORDON – "that would be an accident."</p><p>A little girl raised her hand: "If a school bus carrying fifty children drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy"</p><p>"I'm afraid not," explained GORDON – "that's what we would call a great loss."</p><p>The room went silent. No other children volunteered. </p><p>GORDON searched the room. "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?"</p><p>Finally, at the back of the room, little Johnny raised his hand... In a quiet voice he said, "If A plane carrying you and MR. DARLING (British Chancellor of the Exchequer) was struck by a 'friendly fire' missile & blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy."</p><p>"Fantastic!" exclaimed GORDON. "That's right. And can you tell me why that would be tragedy?"</p><p>"Well," says little Johnny, "it has to be a tragedy, because it certainly wouldn't be a great loss, and it probably wouldn't be a f**king accident either!"</p><p>Toodle pip, ‘til next time.<br /> </p><p> </p>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-17456897024149916902008-10-16T17:18:00.003-05:002008-10-16T18:00:35.744-05:00ICE and an Award<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SPe-ZrysnMI/AAAAAAAAANE/_hDTW6PdsA4/s1600-h/DSC00001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257880438439713986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SPe-ZrysnMI/AAAAAAAAANE/_hDTW6PdsA4/s400/DSC00001.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />No, this isn't a post about last winter’s ice storms, but about a Canadian initiative called ICE which is an acronym "In Case of Emergency." I came across this post on Gill’s site at <a href="http://thatbritishwoman.blogspot.com/">http://thatbritishwoman.blogspot.com/</a> and thought it made a lot of sense, but then the simple ideas usually do. Perhaps this is something we should be doing in the US?<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">"ICE - 'In Case of Emergency.' We all carry our cell phones with names & numbers stored in its memory but nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of these numbers belong to our closest family or friends. If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our mobile phone but wouldn't know who to call. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency? Hence the 'ICE' (In Case of Emergency) Campaign. </span><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;"><br />The concept of 'ICE' is catching on quickly. It is a method of contact during emergency situations. As cell (mobile) phones are carried by the majority of the population, all you need to do is store the number of a contact person or persons who should be contacted during emergency under the name 'ICE' (In Case Of Emergency).<br /><br />The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents, there were always cell phones with patients, but they didn't know which number to call. He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose. In an emergency situation, Emergency Service personnel and hospital staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialing the number you have stored as 'ICE.' For more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3 etc. A great idea that will make a difference!<br /><br />Let's spread the concept of ICE by storing an ICE number in our cell phones today! Please forward this. It won't take too many 'forwards' before everybody will know about this. It really could save your life, or put a loved one's mind at rest. ICE will speak for you when you are not able to. "<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#000000;"><strong>An Award</strong></span><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SPe-Zp8bPUI/AAAAAAAAANM/P_8WAq0wDLw/s1600-h/award%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257880437943647554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SPe-Zp8bPUI/AAAAAAAAANM/P_8WAq0wDLw/s400/award%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>My apologies to Sarah, <a href="http://www.britgalusa.com/">http://www.britgalusa.com/</a> I’ve been a bit remiss in posting about the award she so kindly gave me. Thanks Sarah.</div><div><br />This award recognizes those readers that regularly show their support with comments, so I would like to pass this on to my few regulars. I don’t post as often as I’d like, but I also have a cooking blog and it gets very time consuming. But I do want to thank you for taking the time to stop by and for all your lovely comments. Pam, I would have included you, but Sarah beat me to it.<br /></div><div>Denise at <a href="http://anenglishgirlrambles.blogspot.com/">http://anenglishgirlrambles.blogspot.com/</a></div><div><br />Jo at <a href="http://lifeinwindermere.blogspot.com/">http://lifeinwindermere.blogspot.com/</a></div><div><br />Raquel at <a href="http://kitchenmysteries.blogspot.com/">http://kitchenmysteries.blogspot.com/</a></div><div><br />Gill at <a href="http://thatbritishwoman.blogspot.com/">http://thatbritishwoman.blogspot.com/</a></div><div><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SPe-EH-i64I/AAAAAAAAAM8/m9FrHkdZlSE/s1600-h/award%5B1%5D.jpg"></a><br /><br /></div><div></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-15127322320993391712008-10-04T19:55:00.002-05:002008-10-04T20:14:08.212-05:00Cats!We are in a battle of the wills with our cats at the moment, we are trying to change their diet, and they don’t like it! A few months ago hubby, Mick, joined an on-line cat forum, and has learnt a lot about cat nutrition, as well as general health and well being.<br /><br />Apparently, dried food is not good for cats. It's full of carbohydrates, something that they can well do without as it lacks the moisture that is essential to a cat's digestive system. Cats are Obligate Carnivores, which means that to remain healthy they need to eat meat. They are naturally desert animals and have a low thirst drive, they depend on getting their required moisture intake from their kill. Dry food contains no moisture and dehydrates them, which can lead to kidney disease/failure, one of the biggest killers of cats. According to the folks on the cat forum, feeding your cat the worst wet food is better than the best dried food.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SOgRPlhNvfI/AAAAAAAAAMc/VtXPTNmANZE/s1600-h/Willy.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253467924794818034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SOgRPlhNvfI/AAAAAAAAAMc/VtXPTNmANZE/s400/Willy.JPG" border="0" /></a> <em>Wilson, the lounge lizard.</em><br /><br />Wilson, at eight years old is a lost cause. When we adopted him from the Humane Society three years ago, he was a totally indoor cat, and had no claws. De-clawing is something else I strongly disagree with as it leads to all manner of physical and psychological problems, but that’s a whole other story.<br /><br />When we adopted Wilson, the Humane Society gave us a bag of Science Diet, dried cat food. The first time I heard him crunching down on this food it seemed really funny as I had never known cats to eat biscuits. In England, cats ate canned meat, biscuits were for dogs, though I don’t know if this is the case nowadays.<br /><br />In the early days, we did try to introduce Wilson to canned meat but he wouldn’t touch it, so we continued with the dried stuff. I wish now that we had been a bit more persistent with him, because three years on he is even more set in his ways, and adamantly refuses meat. But, we have switched him to a better dried food called Eagle Pack, Holistic Select. He has been eating this food for two weeks, and I’ve noticed he doesn’t eat anywhere near as much of it as the old stuff. And not because he doesn’t like it, but because it has a higher nutritional content than Science Diet. This can only do him good in the long run as he is very overweight.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SOgRPyGvylI/AAAAAAAAAMk/weh-DnkEEvE/s1600-h/Alvin.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253467928173464146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SOgRPyGvylI/AAAAAAAAAMk/weh-DnkEEvE/s400/Alvin.JPG" border="0" /></a> <em>Alvin, as a kitlet.<br /></em></p><p>Alvin, (adopted as a kitten from the Humane Society), and now 3 years old, is more amenable to the wet food, but he still stubbornly sticks out for dry stuff if he’s that way inclined. Alvin is a very willful boy. On the other hand, he does catch plenty of his own food, small rabbits, mice and other rodents, so I’m not too worried about him. Still, I would prefer to get him off the dried food. </p><p><br /></p><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SOgRPyrjLzI/AAAAAAAAAMs/7jknTn-5iuI/s1600-h/Tommy.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253467928327827250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SOgRPyrjLzI/AAAAAAAAAMs/7jknTn-5iuI/s400/Tommy.JPG" border="0" /></a> <em>Tommy Ticklemouse, can't a cat get any privacy around here?<br /></em></p><p>Tommy is 2 years old and has taken to the wet food without any problems, he just eats whatever’s in his dish. On occasions though, even he has stuck out for the dried stuff, but he’s not as bad as Alvin. Mind you, he has never been a picky eater. He wandered into our yard as a kitten, and the poor little mite was starving. He looked like a bag of bones with the skin thrown on, so he will pretty much eat anything and everything. Tommy is also not as murderous as Alvin, though he does catch an odd mouse, and eats Alvin’s leftovers, he, therefore, does need to eat more meat. </p><p>It’s going to be a slow process, as cats don’t like change, well not unless they’ve been consulted and agreed to it in the first place. We have had no problems with the switch to the Holistic Select dried food, but the canned food is going to take a little longer. The wet food is also Eagle Pack, Holistic Natural Canned Formulas. </p><p><strong>Quote of the week:</strong> Dogs have owners, cats have staff! (source unknown).</p><p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-49978669592022814012008-09-28T15:49:00.003-05:002008-10-03T10:26:25.048-05:00Brits on Tour<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SN_uH_0ldHI/AAAAAAAAAMU/pI8e1EE8oJo/s1600-h/oklahoma-flag%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251177511695774834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SN_uH_0ldHI/AAAAAAAAAMU/pI8e1EE8oJo/s400/oklahoma-flag%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br />A while ago, Pam at <a href="http://pamokc.blogspot.com/">http://pamokc.blogspot.com/</a> asked how a couple of Brits from northern England ended up in Oklahoma. I did tell her I would post about it one day, so here it is. I warn you though, this is a long, and rambling story, so do yourself a favor and stop reading right now.</div><div><br />It all started back in 1994 when we went to stay with an old friend of ours in the San Fernando Valley, just outside of LA. Towards the end of our vacation, Mick was offered a job at the company our friend worked for, and we told them we’d give the offer some thought when we got home.</div><div><br />Arriving home, and staring at the prospect of another miserable English winter, all that California sunshine was very tempting. But we both had good jobs, nice cars, and our own home, so we had a lot to lose, did we want to throw it all away on a whim? I think the thing that really swung it for us was, we were both of an age where we thought if we don’t do it now, we never will. In the end, we decided I would take a two year leave of absence from work, we would rent out our house, and come over for a year, thereby minimizing our risks.</div><div><br />We lived in the SF Valley for a year, and though we enjoyed it, the pace of life was a bit hectic for a couple from a small rural village in England. So, when Mick was offered a job in northern California, in a lovely little main street town called Benicia, forty miles outside San Francisco, we decided to give it a whirl. We lived there for 4 years, and absolutely loved it. While we were there, just before my leave of absence was coming to an end, the Civil Service (luckily for me), decided to jettison some staff, and as they don't make people redundant, I ended up getting early retirement.</div><div><br />Then Mick was offered a job back in southern California, at a place called Oxnard, which is right on the Pacific Coast. We had both always wanted to live by the ocean, so we moved again. The company Mick worked for sponsored Mick for his green card, and eventually we both became permanent residents here. </div><div><br />After that we decided to sell our house back in England, and buy something in California. But house prices were so high there that we couldn’t bring ourselves to take out a massive mortgage on a property we didn’t even like. That’s when we started looking into relocating. We spent a long time researching a lot of different states, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma. But something kept steering us towards Oklahoma, and we moved here in May 2004.</div><div><br />We took a monumental risk moving here, we neither of us had a job, we had no home to go to, and we didn’t know a soul here. Anyway, it all worked out well in the end, and we are both so glad we moved. Sure, there are disadvantages to living out in the sticks, but in my opinion the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.</div><div><br />So that’s it in a nutshell.</div><div><br />Toodle pip ‘til next time.</div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-21361688789521230962008-09-21T16:31:00.002-05:002008-09-21T16:36:03.437-05:00British Telly<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SNa9Zmxl8YI/AAAAAAAAAMM/EFGUEr4DXno/s1600-h/old%2520TV%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248590663349825922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SNa9Zmxl8YI/AAAAAAAAAMM/EFGUEr4DXno/s320/old%2520TV%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br />I don’t watch much TV here as we don’t have cable, and on the two channels we can pick up choices of programming are very limited. I usually tell people that we are too tight to pay for cable, but the truth is, we coughed up the cash for cable for years when we lived in California, and still hardly ever found anything worth watching. When we moved to Oklahoma, we decided we wouldn’t bother with cable, and I must say, I haven’t missed it one bit.</div><div><br />Now with this digital TV thingy coming into play next year, we got one of those converter boxes and discovered we couldn’t get any channels at all. So that idea has been cast aside like a squeezed lemon.</div><div><br />Anyway, as luck would have it, Mick made a great discovery on an ex-pats forum. He found out about a couple of sites where you can download British telly programs for free. From what I can gather, it works a bit like shareware. People in the UK upload progs to the site, and when you download a program onto your computer, you leave it there for a while to "seed," meaning other people can access it and download it from you. Seeding scores you points, and the more points you have the more programs you can download. </div><div><br />I know it all sounds a bit complicated, and I confess I’m not totally au fait with how it works, but Mick assures me that if a technosaurus like him can do it, anybody can. Full instructions are available at both sites. You can find them at:</div><div><br /><a href="http://www.thebox.bz/">www.thebox.bz</a> this is the better of the two sites as they have far more choice of programs.</div><div><br /><a href="http://www.uknova.com/">www.uknova.com</a></div><div><br />There are literally thousands of programs to choose from, dramas, comedies, soaps, sports, documentaries, wildlife/nature, all sorts of stuff. Mick says that ex-pats from all over the world are using this system.</div><div><br />And, after you’ve downloaded a prog, you can transfer it onto a video memory stick, plug it into the front of your DVD player and watch it on your telly. So I’ve been watching British telly this week, and it’s been lovely. Jo at: <a href="http://lifeinwindermere.blogspot.com/">http://lifeinwindermere.blogspot.com/</a> was talking about a new series "Tess of the D’Urbervilles, and I said I couldn’t comment as although I’d read the book I couldn’t get the series. Well now I can. How kewl is that?<br /><br /></div>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980953573985129946.post-57260541122696142442008-09-14T18:36:00.004-05:002008-09-16T18:00:01.755-05:00Lipstick<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SM2h_dANcqI/AAAAAAAAAL8/fv4lqYXl7Ks/s1600-h/lip-stick%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246027252445835938" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W2xhw2CultY/SM2h_dANcqI/AAAAAAAAAL8/fv4lqYXl7Ks/s400/lip-stick%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I usually steer well clear of politics on this blog, not being a citizen I am not allowed to vote. But I am a permanent resident here, and I pay my taxes, so I think that qualifies me to have an opinion. And, truth be told, I find it hard to keep my mouth shut about the latest debacle that is sweeping the nation, namely, Sarah Palin. I ask you, what is so special about this woman that it’s causing voters to regard John McCain with new eyes? After watching Charles Gibson’s interview with her last week I confess I’m totally mystified.<br /><br />Palin managed to confuse, obfuscate, and generally waffle her way around every question she was asked. Questions about her experience in foreign policy were answered with her stance on energy issues, the proximity of Alaska to Russia, or the fact that she had met international trade delegates in her role as governor. She didn’t even appear to understand the question when Gibson asked her what she thought of the Bush doctrine.<br /><br />Also, she seemed to think there was one rule for the USA and quite another for Russia, or any other country for that matter. She thought it was acceptable for American troops to cross borders into Pakistan (without authority from that government) in their quest to root out terrorists. She said, "In order to stop Islamic extremists, those terrorists who would seek to destroy America and our allies, we must do whatever it takes and we must not blink, Charlie, in making those tough decisions of where we go and even who we target."<br /><br />Yet it was totally unacceptable for to Russia cross borders into neighboring Georgia. She said, "And we've got to keep an eye on Russia. For Russia to have exerted such pressure in terms of invading a smaller democratic country, unprovoked, is unacceptable."<br /><br />Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. What about the US invasion of Iraq? They may not have been a democratic country, but there are other non-democratic countries in the world that we aren’t invading. My question is, what was the provocation in Iraq? And who decided that Russia wasn’t provoked?<br /><br />The only question she answered directly was on the issue of abortion. Gibson asked her, "John McCain would allow abortion in cases of rape and incest. Do you believe in it only in the case where the life of the mother is in danger?"<br /><br />Palin replied, "My personal opinion is that abortion allowed if the life of the mother is endangered. Please understand me on this. I do understand McCain's position on this. I do understand others who are very passionate about this issue who have a differing." (Any errors here are not mine but are in the ABC transcript of the interview).<br /><br />Honestly, I was gobsmacked with this reply. This woman would set women’s rights back years, nay decades. And to say that women who have been raped, or been the victims of incest ― and in most cases of incest we are talking about very young girls ― should not be allowed an abortion is appalling.<br /><br />If Palin is so worried about the high abortion rate in this country shouldn’t she be advocating free birth control for women, rather than taking this Draconian stance on abortion. But we all know that's not going to happen, considering John McCain voted against measures that would have mandated health insurance companies to cover birth control.<br /><br />The prospect of four years with McCain at the helm fills me with horror, but what's even more scary is John McCain is no spring chicken, and this woman could end up running the country. Now, that really is something you should give some thought to before casting your vote.<br /><br />If you missed the interview you’ll find it here:<br /><br /><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/">http://abcnews.go.com/</a><br /><br />But better still, read the transcript, it’s much easier to cut through the waffle, sorry, rhetoric:<br /><br /><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=5782924&page=1">http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=5782924&page=1</a>Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580238510653563817noreply@blogger.com5