Loves and Hates

Hi Bloggies and Blogettes,

The idea for this list was inspired by Foodkitty, it's something I am going to add to on and off - call it my therapy!!

Love : My family especially my kids who have given me joy and changed my life beyond measure.

Love : Good friends - especially those who are always there for you without asking through thick and thin
Hate : Users, people who take, take, take and want to bleed the goodness out of people.

Love : Bright blue clear skies
Hate : Dull, Dark, Grey, Cloudy Skies

Love : Warm Summer days
Hate : Cold Winter days

Love : Anything with chocolate, milk, white, dark - any and lots of it!!
Hate : Anything slimy and gristly

Love : Eating what I want - even if it does put on the pounds/kilos
Hate : Skinny Food Police telling me that I should be chewing a carrot etc. instead - they should get a life!

Love : Christmas
Hate : All the hastle that goes with getting ready for it, the traffic jams crowded shops, sore feet and hands etc

Love : Just chilling with friends and family
Hate : Rows and bickering and petty people

Love : Kindness
Hate : Greed and selfishness

Love : Sea and sand on a sunny day
Hate : Grey and miserable cities

Love : Italian ice-cream - yum! all flavours!! baci (choc & whole hazelnut, coconut, pineapple, venezia (choc & orangish) stratacella (huge choc chip) nutella, I could go on and on but you get my drift!

Hate : Carrots, cucumber, tripe, haggis, black pudding, melon - the only fruit I don't like reminds me of cucumber! urgh

Love : Patient people
Hate : Queue jumpers especially those who think they can shove kids out of the way

Love : Honesty
Hate : Lies

Love : Tolerance
Hate : Bigotry and Intolerance

Love : Smoke free environments
Hate : Smoking

Love : Spring and Summer
Hate : All the nasty insects they bring who like taking chunks out of me!

Love : Talking
Hate : Talking too much (sorry hands up totally guilty)

Love : Being happy
Hate : Being sad

Love : Peace
Hate : Violence

Love : The smell of freshly baked bread
Hate : Smelly public loos

Love : Child friendly restaurants, shops etc where you can use or park a buggy/pram etc.
Hate : Anywhere that doesn't cater for kids with narrow entrances, aisles, etc but serves or sells kids things!! hypocrites - want our money but make it like an obstacle course to navigate round!!

Love : Rugby
Hate : Cricket

Love : Harry Potter (It's the child in me)
Hate : Any slushy romantic books - Barbara Cartland, Catherine Cookson etc etc

Love : Comedy films or musicals anything that leaves you feeling good
Hate : Slash and kill horror films or anything with a sad ending - there is enough misery in the world why watch more!

Love : Picnics and Barbeques
Hate : Finding every sandwich you try to buy when out for the kids has mayonnaise/salad/french dressing/yoghurt in - frustrating!

Love : Good food and long leisurely meals
Hate : Bad service, bad food and being shoehorned into the smallest space so that more customers can be shoved in!

Love : Happy dancing music that gets your feet tapping or hips swaying
Hate : Anything that sounds as if it is funeral music

Love : Action/mystery movies
Hate : Boring, deep and miserable ones - I want to be entertained!

Love : The thought of actually sticking to a diet and being able to loose weight.
Hate : Having to stick to a diet! after 3-4 weeks its a bore

Finally although this list is not endless I love being able to communicate with people around this planet, it is lovely to hear of your world and the people and places in it and always brings a smile to my face!

No doubt I will add to this at somepoint but have to stop somewhere for the time being!

Enjoy the week and be happy wherever you are!

Ciao Bloggies and Bloggettes

x

I started th is originally on 10th Jan and have only just taken out of draft and published today 25th Feb - note to self - must do better.

PS To Foodkitty I've not been able to access your site which is a pity cos I always enjoyed dropping by and hearing about life down in sunny Tassie - hopefully I will be able to in the future but hope if you get to read this that you are well and happy - take care!

PSS To all others on the circle where are you? missed you loads - hope wherever you are you are happy healthy and well.

HERE'S TO NEXT YEAR, OFF WITH THE OLD AND ON WITH THE NEW!!!

Hi Bloggies and Bloggettes!!

Sorry it's been too long, I wish I could say this year has been a good one but apart from a few glimpses it has been like living in a nightmare for most of it.

On the positive side I met up with old friends at my school reunion, the current Head took us on a guided tour at it was weird trying to get our bearing on corridors we used to fly round 30 years ago. We rounded up the day with a lovely Chinese meal and talked well into the night, in fact we were the last to leave the restaurant in the early hours.

Another bonus was that I got to meet up again with T and Lou and linked up with Lin down under - Hello ladies it has been lovely to meet/speak/communicate with you and I have always enjoyed reading your wise and witty words - may they continue always! and of course I got to see my bestest and special mate F - you and Italy gave the ray of sunshine to my year!!xx that was three weeks of joy,happiness and peace - thank you!

I had hoped to get on here in December to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and hope you all had a wonderful one, but unfortunately for me the bluebird decided I would see the end of the year out with a blast and decided to give me a severe chest infection, virus and a stomach upset in the four weeks before christmas so I didn't even finish my christmas card list which was a first for me.
To top it off too both my hubby and I have been made redundant from out jobs in December so a priority now is looking for new ones!

I had hoped to start next year afresh but some recent news has put paid to that, it's too personal and new to put out here on a blog but it has already cast it's shadow out on next year, if anyone has any positive thoughts or prayers I could do with them during the first few weeks in January especially the 15th - ta.

Anyway enough of my doom and gloom

To all of you out there I WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY, PEACEFUL, PROSPEROUS, BLESSED AND FANTASTIC NEW YEAR

Love and hugs to you all xxxx and don't forget keep blogging - my new year's resolution is to kick start myself off again!! I have missed you all and wherever you are or whatever hemisphere you are in when you read this, have a great one and keep blogging!!xx

Ciao - Take care and God Bless xxxx

"Quickie interlude"

Hi bloggies and bloggettes,

I think I wrote a while back about the bluebird of happiness "Cr****g" all over us, well it looks as if it has got a bad stomach problem over our circle again.

With illness, fires and bad fortune anyone would think that bird had diarrhoea! so I've decided that I'm gonna blast that bloomin' thing if it does it again!!.

Enough said, I haven't forgot to finish my travel bloggs just had to spend a lot of time lately shovelling s**t!! and ducking (I said ducking!!!)

Wherever you are especially for all those on the circle,in the lands of Spagetti, Guinness, Fish & Chips,Burgers & Tassie (sorry with Foodkitty I wouldn't know where to start on your food list, brain went into meltdown) I wish you blessings of good fortune, good health, happiness and most of all may peace be with you.

Take care, be happy and sleep tight wherever you are!

Ciao bloggies and bloggettes xx


PS be back to normal soon promise (well as normal as I get!!)

Sorry for being late - Part 2 Rewind

Hi bloggies and blogettes!

I can't believe it's October, sorry for the delay, life has been a bit mad!

Where was I, oh yes we'd just crossed the Italian border. The first part of the journey was a bit strange and we went through loads of little tunnels through bits of mountains, but for quite a while we went along the Italian Riviera, again like the french one, it consisted of very pretty little harbours and towns with a turquoise sea.

We then started to head inland and up through Italy, for the first time in Italy we saw flat land that was not framed with mountains - usually when we drive across the top of Italy always in the background is the blueish hue of the Dolomites or Alps, so it was it a bit weird not to have them in the background, although that changed when we hit Brescia (pronounced Bresha) this is a town roughly between Milan and Venice and it was where we joined the A4 motorway along the top of Italy.

At last I knew we were on the last bit, the road also passes where FG lives, so I always give a wave at her turn off (daft I know, but thats me!), we drove on past Venice and Marco Polo airport and then round the lagoon, where we stay is on a peninsula (as the end of it is Punta Sabbione, which some of you will know from FG). It takes about an hour just to drive around the lagoon, with long stretches of water on one side and fields with abandoned buildings on the other - we always wonder what they were used for, they have writing on the sides of them and look like giant houses they sit alongside the road on the edges of fields and are about a few hundred yards apart.

Then onward, we drive through several small towns to arrive at the place we stay which is Union Lido at Cavallino. It is quite a huge complex consisting of a hotel, appartments, mobile homes, caravans, tents etc. Although it is quite spread out, and the pitches are small, there is so much to do and lots of space to go and do things so you don't feel hemmed in, and best of all it has a private beach well over a kilometre long, it is well patrolled by life guards and is clean with soft yellow sand and the lovely warm Adriatic Sea (those of you who have been on any Atlantic Coastline with it's icy water will know the blessings of warm sea!), a bonus is no animals allowed either(sorry animal lovers but it has been a bug-beare of mine having kids grow up and not be allowed to play freely on sand due to the dog mess left everywhere, I have seen from the kids rugby posters what damage can be done by the worms left behind where dog's mess, where kids have been blinded, I know it's not the animals fault but there are many selfish owners who don't bother).

The place we stay also has two large pool complexes, (although I tend to avoid them, often crowded, too many skinnies in bikini's and you have to wear a swimming hat!), it also has a huge bouncy castle area, roller/skateboard rink/Ampitheatre/wellness spa centre (with some great heated seaweed and salt baths)/gym/ tennis/football/archery/horseriding/ art centre etc. etc. it is clever the way they set everything out it is all amongst trees and landscaped so you don't actually realise how big it is or what's there, in fact I've still not seen it all and I have been about 5 times, but for kids it is ideal with lots to do as it covers all age ranges.

I must admit my favourite is chilling on the beach looking at the lovely warm blue Adriatic sea, sitting under my umbrella (I burn really easily I do two shades red and white!) reading or doing crosswords, just watching the cruise ships come out of Venice and seeing the world go by - boring to some but the way my life usually goes 90 to the dozen a couple of simple days chilling is heaven to me.

Afer we booked in at the main reception and went off to find our courier, for the first time we stayed with a dutch company and we were faced with a message board in Germany! Being English, second languages are not our strong point - we have the annoying habit of speaking slightly louder and more slowly in the hope someone understands us - so this being the case I asked a nice dutch lady to translate - the dutch speak English fluently and put us to shame and it is usually with an american accent as most of their TV is american series. The courier apparently had gone for a break and it said could I ring a mobile number - so I did as requested to have a voice say "Oh you are English" "er yes" I replied, "oh I am so sorry its your name,you are not German or Dutch" "No, and I can't speak either, but yes over a hundred years ago my family originated from Germany" with that sorted Wim (pronounced Vim) our courier apologised again and arrived and set off to take us to our accommodation, unlike English companies they only provide a hob to cook on, so a great excuse to eat out in one of the 7 restaurants on site!).

We unpacked and I rang FG to let her know we had arrived safely and made arrangements to meet up the next night which was hubby's birthday.

The next day was a bit overcast so we just poodled around and stocked up on a few supplies, then in the evening FG and her hubby came over it was wonderful to see them, and whatever we do we always enjoy their company, we all went for a meal in a local restaurant,(on reflection, we thought after that we could have gone to the one in Punta Sabbioni that FG wrote about, but we will leave that for next time we go over).

The meal was OK but not up to previous standards, although poor FG spent the night being dive bombed by mossies - it's all her sweet blood, I usually suffer to, but I was covered head to foot in anti mossie spray, the mossie were out in force and my hubby even took one off of my son's face -the mossies there are huge, I luckily escaped all holiday with only 2 or 3 bites, but they come up about 3 or 4 inches across as I have a bad reaction to them, hence the mossie spray - I learnt the first year I went when my son and I got bitten to death - they don't touch my hubby or youngest, in hubby's case I think the hairy legs put them off!!

It was great to see FG and I gave her a big hug from you all, we finished the meal and went back onto our site where hubbies demolished a few beers and FG and I headed for one of the 3 or 4 ice cream shops - they are huge so many flavours you can't count - where we indulged with a lovely big ice-cream, rounding off a lovely evening with wonderful friends and great company - and I will leave it there till the next Rewind Instalment - The Piave & Venezia!

Ciao Bloggies and Blogettes, hope you are well and peaceful wherever you are

Rewind

Hi bloggettes and bloggies, well I know it's September but the kids are just going back to school and it's the first time I have had chance to catch up, or even get the computer to myself, so I am going to rewind on my hols for a bit - apart from anything else it cheers me up to think of them, so here's the fist instalment of my rewind.

Well we set off at the beginning of August on my birthday with the car totally heaving, my hubby always moans I pack to much (I don't know what he means I left the kitchen sink behind!) and drove down to the Channel Tunnel and over to France, unfortunately we got about 50 miles into France when disaster struck - yes the kids DVD player broke down - catastrophe! the only way we do these drives without strangling the kids is with one of these, without it they resort to teenage bickering that drives every parent bonkers (if you haven't experienced teenage years, book yourself a 7 year vacation for your sanity). We have tried everything in the past i-pods,gameboys, even the revolutionary thing of trying to get them to appreciate the scenery etc., in order to get them to stop them niggling at each other and moaning and the DVD usually works a treat. Luckily my other son had packed his portable one so hubby managed to buy a lead at a service station that meant it could run off of the car, not ideal but it got us through.

We drove down to Dijon in the middle of France, where we had a quick overnight stopover, must admit there was not much to see and the weather was gloomy so we just had a lovely french meal to celebrate my birthday and crashed ready for the next days drive.

Off we set in the morning only to have torrential rain after about 10 minutes into the journey, oh no we thought not again, last year's holiday had been one of the wettest ever, but low and behold as we approached the South of France blue skies appeared and the temperature shot up from about 11 degrees to 29 - wonderful, it is pretty easy to drive in France although quite expensive with the toll roads, it was great to see the changing scenery from the Champagne regions in the north, down to the Cote D'Azur in the south.

We stayed in a mobile home with the boys, it is easier than a hotel room with them, so few in Europe or the UK have accommodation for more than 1 child and many are for children under 12 which is no use for us, they also won't let you book 2 rooms as an adult has to be in each room and it doubles the expense as they also charge for under-occupancy.

The place where we stayed was lovely, there was a big lake with a huge red coloured hill at the far end which looked great at sunset. It was small and quiet, but just what we needed, although once we ventured out that all changed - twice we tried to drive to St. Tropez and after spending over an hour both times in traffic jams, we thought St.Tropez can wait, although we did take several trips along the coast to St. Raphael, Frejus, Nice and Cannes, the coastline is very pretty, with red cliffs and hills contrasting with a bluey, turquoise sea, we could see why it was aptly named Cote D'Azur.

In contrast to this we could also see along some of the roads the damage done by the forest fires the area suffers in the summer months, there were many charred tree stumps, but amongst them it was also heartening to see the new growth already springing up around them, it's funny you would expect the area to be dry and barren due to the heat of the summer months, but it is very lush and green in many areas, I love the mix of the mountains that seem to frame the area together with the sea it's so pretty on a sunny day with blue skies.

However, where we have been spoilt in other areas of France and Italy with large sandy uncrowded beaches,it was hard to get a parking space anywhere near a beach there, and the beaches were small and crowded (they were also full of stick thin people in unbelievably small bikini's or posing pouches for the men - why do men wear them? they are sooo not a good look, I must admit in the UK men tend to wear ultra baggy shorts, the other extreme and the tighter,lycra show everything you have got and had for dinner look is more favoured on the continent).

In our case we decided to stick to the lake beach or the pool where we were staying, and I could lay there with my middle aged spread in all its glory in peace.

Hubby and the boys also spent a couple of days canoeing down the river to another lake, while I chilled and did my crosswords or read (I'm not good on water, I like to be near it and look at it, but green is often my shade when on a boat and I like to have something with an engine - it's just a thing I have about unpowered boats! and I also hate getting on and off them, it's the wobbling about - both me and the boat!).

After a week it was time to leave and move onto glorious Italy, so off we set to drive along the coast and then up through Italy and over to Venice. However first we decided to stop off and go through Monaco/Monte Carlo (you can't tell that one is supposed to be a place in the other), boy the were not kidding when they said it was a tiny Principality! first we had to drive in a slow moving traffic jam down the hill into Monaco - for a very, very small place it seemed to have lots of roads and traffic.

The place obviously drips loads of serious money, but the only way I can describe it is a bit like a postage stamp at the bottom of a cliff, along part of a coastline, it really is tiny and all that it at the front of it is a very tiny harbour, jammed packed with yachts, for all the money that is there it must be a very claustrophobic place to live, all the buildings are tall and everywhere crowded.

Hubby duly drove around without moaning, which I thought was a bit strange as he usually hates towns and prefers the motorways, we wound round this little place which can only be a mile (if that) across, and he didn't say a grumble or word , that is until he pointed out to our sons some things on the route, which is when the penny dropped with me - he was driving the Monaco Grand Prix circuit route!! (although I think he would have preferred to do it in a Ferrari, or Porshe and not a fully loaded family people carrier) and there was me thinking aaah he is putting up with me doing some sightseeing in the middle of our 450 mile drive! but he said although he wasn't in a sports car it was one of the things ticked off of his things to do list! so mission accomplished.

We then left Monaco and the route out was almost vertical, straight up! and off we set for the Italian border, sun still shining and looking forward to seeing our friends in bella Italia.

I'll stop here and my next installment will be on Italy and meeting up with the my great mate FG.

Hope you are all well whereever you are and have a great weekend - Hugs D xx


PS To our american friends I have a quicky on language, I have just noticed that I used the word "route" several times, we pronounce it "Root" in the UK but on the American TV programmes and films it seems to be pronounced "Rowt", the thing that puzzles me is on Chuck Berries hit he sings "I get my kicks on route (root) 66) I was just curious what the difference was and why, and does it vary from area to area on how it is pronounced?

Hi - Hope to be back in full swing soon

Hi Bloggies and Blogettes,

Sorry I haven't been around to blog and this is going to be super small - I have just got back from my hols and have hit the ground running as the kids go back to school next week, inbetween washing, drying, (including having to keep dashing outside to retrieve it, when it keeps blooming raining here in London!!),ironing and going out to buy school uniform, rugby boots, trainers, shoes etc.

I hope to blog about my hols and seeing FG and yes I gave her a hug from you all, I originally wanted to do one when I got back but like T and Foodkitty I have been battling my 16 for use of the internet, since he got his results he has almost been on it 24/7 and when he is not the 21 and 12 year olds have, if I get on for more than 5 mins I have one hovering and trying to get me off and I want to have a proper ramble about my hols!!! the only reason I am on now is I have let them have a lay in, so I have sneaked on quickly - ridiculous thinking we are the adults!!!

Hope you are all well, happy and peacefull wherever you are and have had a good summer (come to think of it, you will have to let me know what season of the year you are all in, I know Europe it's late summer but I am not too sure about Oz and the States etc.) I really look forward to reading all the backlog of blogs and will be commenting away, when I get full control of my internet!!

Take care - love and hugs to you all - D xx

That's my Boy

Hi Blogies and Blogettes

I wasn't going to blog today but after reading and commenting on all your wonderful blogs I felt guilty, that and I wanted to write about the weekend.

As some of you might have gathered my hubby, 15 year old son, and 21 year old twin stepsons together with assorted friends, did a bike ride to raise money for Breast Cancer from London to Cambridge.

They set off with lots of water bottles (hubby forgot the bananas) to cycle the 8 miles to the start at Waltham Abbey at 6.15 a.m. Trying to be a good mum and relieved to have my house back from looking like a bike shop I got up to do them a light breakfast, make sure they had hats and sunscreen and to dutifully wave them off.

At this point I was worried that my "baby" would have problems, we only got his new bike on Thursday and apart from a week at school cadet camp and the odd summer rugby training he hadn't done much exercise and was a little apprehensive that a 66 mile bike ride up through the Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire countryside might be a rather tall order for him. I knew hubby would look after him, and had no worries about him as he cycles 10 miles to work each day in the summer months to keep fit (well one of us in the family has too and it sure ain't me!)but still worried how he would do.

The hours went by and when it got to around mid-day I loaded the car with assorted chairs, blankets, disposable barbies, food and drink and off I set with my 12 year old to meet them at the finishing point at Mid-summers common beside the river in Cambridge, it's a lovely spot and you can watch all the punts go down the river. (sorry I almost forgot I should be very lucky this week as when I went out to the car a whole flock of birds had left their calling cards and being short in height I could only clean the top of the car with my son's supersoaker water gun - the neighbours are used to me!)

We arrived there in about an hour, and met up with one of the twins who had completed the ride and about 10 minutes later despite clipping the kerb and grazing his hands (it was so hot he had taken off his fingerless gloves and the blue dye in them was running down his hands) came my boy to a round of applause from the older ones who had only just beat him to the finish. Well I was so proud, they all said how my boy had done good, (although today he said his legs don't hurt too much , it's the sitting down!)

I know I shouldn't have doubted him, but as his mum I was worried that it was a long ride for his first attempt, but I really was chuffed he made it. On the other hand one of the twins didn't he did 38 miles but his legs gave up, so he had to wait several hours to be picked up by the race event organisers - whilst in the meantime the other rugby players that had undertaken the ride texted him with pictures of ice cold beer and burgers on the barbe!! he is now determined to start training and do it next year as he says he will never live down being outdone by his little brother!

By the way another reason I named this blog "That's my boy" is that exactly 16 years ago almost to the hour I went into labour with him and he reaches the grand old age of 16 at 7.16 a.m in the morning (although technically speaking it's his birthday now it is 1.29 a.m. British Summer Time) he was a day early, 2ft long and 9 1/2lb (which I think is between 41/2 and 5 kilos). I know people say labour is a wonderful experience but how? why? (I think that is a rumour put about by the male species) admittedly I was only in labour with him a short time,(about 5 1/2 hours) but with my eldest I was only 31/2 hours and when I went passed that point with him, I kept thinking I should have given birth by now - that and the midwife had told me to chant 10 green bottles sitting on a wall - again why?. I must admit although it is not trendy to so, I couldn't think of anything I enjoyed about labour it is painful and I threw up all the way through and even after I had given birth, I was still being so ill the midwife gave my cup of tea and toast to my husband!!! and the next day I was walking round rather like all those who did the bike ride (John Wayne eat your heart out!!) but proud of my new little boy.

In saying that about the labour, I wouldn't change having my kids for anything and can't believe that my baby is heading fast into manhood - after him only one more of my children to go through the dreaded teens and it is going to be really weird when he hits 18 - it is true the time we have with them good, bad or hormonal passes so quickly. I look back as I am sitting here hitting the keys and wonder where the hell did 16 years go, my son towers above me now and is almost 6 ft (his favourite saying is that he can't hear me all the way down here. I suppose it is a reminder to treasure them and cherish each moment of life I can't believe how fast it now seems to run away, I sometimes feel if I blink I will miss it.

Well enough of my ramblings, it was lovely to see your comments on the blogs and hi to Demi-goddess, it was funny I had just made a comment on Purchasewoods about how we perceive Australia to always be hot and full of sunshine, when you made your comment about it being cold, we can't equate it here , it's a bit like thinking of Switzerland and Austria as being hot, although I know they can be, as I have been there when it is up in the 30 degrees, but you still picture them as being like a christmas card scene all snowy and cold.

Nearly done, Lou I have my fingers crossed for you, Afkas - brill words can't express! I hope everything comes up roses for you both, Purchasewoods and Hollymark love your blogs and hearing about your neck of the woods and learning new lingo!! and FG 15 days and counting, Piave here we come!!

Have a brilliant week everyone, hope you are not too hot or cold!

Nite Nite bloggies and blogettes - from a proud mum

PS diet stops tomorrow, off to the chinese for my son's birthday and lots of chocolate cake when we get home - this will be followed by some sand bag making!!