More pictures from Brittany

Earlier I posted these pictures, but I didn't get the chance to put a little note about them because there is far too much competition for this laptop at my parents' house, and I just didn't get it for long enough!

We went on an outing today, to another little Breton village, and again there were a lot of cute artisan shops and cats. In fact, as I was taking the photo of the above cat, her owner arrived and starting chatting to us; I think she was very pleased that I was photographing her cat, but I felt too embarrassed to take any more pictures of her. Isn't she gorgeous? In the photo with the tree, you can see nests of mistletoe, there seems to be a lot of it growing here. Brittany also has a lot of folklore and legends, and many shops selling little figurines for the tourists. Veggie Hubby bought a little gnome/goblin/elf-type souvenier (apparently called a Korrigan) and I found a natural habitat for it in the garden, check here to see him in another location. I am not particulary interested by witches and mythical creatures, but I did like the pink witch outisde the 'Phil and Luna' shop (something to do with her colour...). I even think we saw a group of real witches (a group of women, wearing black with lots of cats around) in the square...scary!

Tank Mortuary

Don't children say the funniest things??? I was watching some old videos of my family back in 1988, some 20 years ago... I was aged seven and my sister three. We were in a tank museum, climbing up into a tank and she was looking really scared.
'Is it real?' she asked, pronouncing it weeeeal.
'Yes.'
'Does it move?'
'No, it's in a museum, it doesn't move anymore'
Then, my sister looked really frightened with big eyes, 'Is it dead?'

Shrines

You don't need to walk very far here before you see a shrine. I really liked the unusual shrine by the lake, and the other one is a cross that was preserved from an old cemetery. Even my parents have their own shrine (!) - a little celebration of my wedding. So despite abandoning me, I am pleased to learn that I am not completely absent from their house.

Around Brittany

We went out and about in the small town where my parents live today. There wasn't that much to do or see at this time of year, but I did take a few photos. I found it all quite quaint, with little artisan shops that just wouldn't survive in England, where it is mostly big chains. In fact the town seemed so quiet I am surprised that the little shops even survive here. Many of them weren't even open. The staff in the few shops that were open were so friendly and talkative with native French-speaker Veggie Hubby, it was difficult to leave!

P.S. I find it weird that I am in France whilst French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his new wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy are having their first state visit to the UK, with Sarkozy saying that France and Britain have 'never been so close'.

Blogging from Brittany

I have sailed across The Channel and am now in the lovely Brittany, France!! The cruise was pretty fun, it was overnight, and somehow lasted 11 hours. It may be slower than travelling by plane or Eurostar, but it certainly was fun. The boat was huge, and the journey was like a mini-cruise. Veggie Hubby and I had our own little en-suite cabin (with the most dirty toilet brush I have ever seen in it, but I won't mention that again). There were restaurants, shops, cinemas and live entertainment onboard. We watched a magic show. Of course, being French the chefs didn't quite understand the concept of vegetarian. I had a nice main meal, but rather than being offered a choice from the many side dishes (different potatoes and vegetables) I was given a bowl of salad leaves. I really hate salad leaves, I just find eating a whole bowl of them too bland and boring. However, apart from this the journey was enjoyable, and went surprisingly quickly. I have to say the motion of travelling by boat is rather strange, with the endless circling motion of the waves, and I could still feel the motion for at least 12 hours after I got off. It was good to be back on land again. I am really looking forward to the return journey, which will be by daytime, so I'll get to see the sea more, rather than just feel it.

When I arrived in France, I was greeted by my parents and dog Sky! It feels great to see them again, as I hadn't seen them since I got married nearly seven months ago...They have been spoiling me since I arrived, with lots of nice food. It is strange to think that I am actually in France and not England, as we haven't explored much yet, and it just feels like home. We can even get British TV here, and more channels than I can get back in my flat in England. The only thing that reminds me that we are in France is meeting some of the people here. A very friendly, pregnant French lady bought me a coffee at the port when we were waiting to be picked up (how generous and hospitable as we hardly knew each other, shame I shall never see her again) and a nice French girl, a new friend of my parents, came over to visit today.

I can't wait to leave the house tomorrow and see some of Brittany itself though... I will be taking pictures and keeping you posted!!!

Happy Easter!!!

Well today we had some snow for Easter, how lovely! I'm also surprised how little chocolate I have consumed so far, just one small Lindt egg and now two chocolate rabbit ears(!). Meet Max the bunny- with and without ears, poor Max :-( The only kind of rabbit I will eat anyway.

Veggie Hubby and I had our Easter roast dinner tonight. He had lamb with mint sauce, and I had a vegetarian roast, and we both had steamed broccoli, roast potatoes and gravy. The frying lamb kept setting off the fire alarms in the house, such a deafening noise. It was a quiet Easter apart from that though, with it just being the two of us. We also still need to perfect the roast potato, as ours weren't crispy enough.

We tried going to Church, but the time advertised outside the Church was wrong as when we went there, it was all dark and obviously closed. This was a shame as we had been looking forward to it, as we haven't been to a Catholic service together before, only Anglican ones (Veggie Hubby is a lapsed Catholic). We then tried to make it to the Anglican service, but missed that one too :-( We'll have to go another time. Neither of us are convinced Christians either to be honest, and we are not regular Church goers. I'm more of an agnostic really. We just thought it would be good to celebrate Easter properly, and there is always something quite nice and welcoming about going to Church. So there is my confession for today...

Food for thought

What horrible weather today... lots of hail/sleet, and even some snow for Easter! How bizarre to have winter-like weather in Spring. Similarly, is it strange to eat some things during the 'wrong' season?

We went to visit some friends who made us a delicious 'autumn soup.' Here is the question, should autumn soups really be eaten in the spring? Veggie Hubby (who actually I should re-name Carnie Hubby as he is a carnivore) had no problems eating this tasty soup, but I mentioned that he often likes to eat seasonally. For instance, he will only eat clementines in November/December, whilst we were all happy to eat them still in March (probably not in summer though, when there is nicer fruit available). Carnie Hubby also wouldn't be happy to eat a heavy pie in the summer, when he prefers to eat lighter meals. He also eats his Christmas meal at midnight, like the French Catholics, which seems quite strange to us.

Is this really so strange though, to only eat certain things at certain times? Surely it is better for the environment, and also more natural to eat seasonal produce. Also, there are certain times of year when we eat certain things, for instance, hot cross buns at Easter, but not at any other time. People also tend to eat certain meals at certain times of the day, for instance, it doesn't seem right to eat a big steak or roast beef in the morning, or eggs and bacon at 10pm (not that I would ever eat these things at any time). Why is it though that we eat certain meals at certain times of the day? It certainly seems to be better for us if we breakfast like kings, giving us more energy throughout the day, and dine like paupers; yet a lot of people have the largest meal of the day in the evening.

Do we eat at certain times of day just because it is a 'residual rule' that we do so (Scheff, 1966)? Scheff defined residual rules as being different from explicit rules, the latter of which are written down (e.g. rules of etiquette, laws). Residual rules are social rules of behaviour, that are not explicitly defined, but are are so embedded in society that they 'go without saying,' and violation of these rules seems strange or abnormal. For instance, we look at other people when we talk to them, rather than staring into space, and failure to do so, or 'residual-rule breaking' may be a definition of being mentally ill according to Scheff. By breaking the residual rules of not eating certain things at certain times, does this make us abnormal and why there such undefined rules in place in the first place?

(By the way, if you're reading this autumn soup and hot cross bun makers, thank you, we really are very grateful and enjoyed it a lot!)

Random ramblings

It is 10.30pm and Veggie Hubby is watching Jesus of Nazareth. It is a loooong film (some 6 hours in total) and I'm totally bored. I feel like writing a stream of consciousness for the sake of it, as I have nothing better to do.

Well, actually I could read 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' which I am really enjoying but I have read a lot of it already today, and it is actually quite depressing. It angers me how women are treated in some cultures; that they are treated based on WHAT they are rather than WHO they are. For instance, one of the two main protagonists in this book, Mariam, is even treated like dirt by her own parents and much older husband, who was forced upon her when she was aged only fifteen, because her father was too ashamed of her to allow her to live in his house. The reasons they seem to have for treating her so appallingly are a) because she is a woman b) because she is the result of an affair, neither of which she (obviously) had any choice over. It does not matter to them that she is a sweet and trusting, if somewhat naive girl (because she hasn't received the education that she should have been entitled to). They seem to have no empathy at all for her, or her situation. OK, this is just fiction, but many women all around the world are quietly suffering at the hands of men. Reading this book makes me feel pretty lucky that I am a British woman, married to a 'modern' man.

Today, we have been preparing for Easter. This afternoon, we were looking at/photographing an Easter egg display in a shop window, which was really cute, with bunnies and sheep. Then, I looked up and noticed a beautiful rainbow. All of a sudden, it started to rain and not just rain but heavy sleet, with lots of hail and ice. So much for it being the start of Spring, but Veggie Hubby thought it was rather appropriate as it is Good Friday. The ground was quickly full of ice and slush. I haven't seen such a torrential downpour for a while. It gave a nice community feel, as everyone was huddling together in shop doorways, waiting for it to stop. However, I don't mind the rain much, I felt happy to run (it was raining too much to walk) through the empty streets, as it is not often they get that empty. We stopped in a coffee shop to dry off and have a drink. Tomorrow, we are going to visit some friends, and then on Sunday, we are going to spend our first Easter together, just the two of us. We are going to try to make our first Easter dinner together, and we may go to Church.

Veggie Dinners

It is nearing the end of Lent, and therefore the end of Veggie Hubby's period of being a real Veggie Hubby, rather than an Almost Veggie Hubby. He is ready for Easter; he went out and bought some 'dead baby lamb' from Waitrose tonight. I don't really think he has struggled with being a vegetarian for Lent (well, actually a pesctarian, as he still eats fish on Fridays). He has even managed when we have eaten out. A few times, including after tonight's meal, he has said that he could cope with being a vegetarian here, but not in Quebèc as there isn't as much choice for vegetarians there. Having Quorn products here really helps, as we can enjoy for instance mature cheddar and brocolli Quorn escalopes which are as good as meat. We can cook tasty things without Quorn though; yesteday we had creamy soft cheese and pea garlic pasta which is really cheap and easy, from a recipe by Rose Elliot. You just mix the garlic and herb soft cheese in after the pasta has cooked, and sprinkle pepper over it. Tonight, I tried a new recipe, gnocchi with roasted butternut squash and feta cheese (I replaced the goat's cheese, chèvre, with reduced-fat feta as I prefer it). Veggie Hubby really loved this dish, but I found it a bit salty. I think that it was a light, colourful meal for the first day of Spring though.

Weddings

I hink that recently my posts have been too many words and not enough pictures (as I haven't been baking cakes recently!) Here are some of my many wedding day photos, from last August. They bring back nice memories. It was difficult to find some picutres that a) were only of Veggie Hubby and I, and b) were not the official ones which I don't have copyright to. I might write about my wedding day in another post....

So here is another secret love of mine - weddings!!! Not just my own wedding, which was the best day of my life but other people's weddings too. Since seeing everything that goes into planning a wedding myself, my appreciation of weddings has significantly grown, and I am desperate to go to another. We've been invited to a wedding in Spain in May (a friend of Veggie Hubby) and a wedding in Greece in July (a friend of mine) but unfortunately I don't think we'll be able to make it to either. I'm also looking forward to a particular wedding that will take place in I'm guessing Ontario. This is the problem with having friends and family around the world.

Guilty pleasures

Following on from my post asking for suggestions for my blog, I would like to thank Shop Girl who wanted to know about a secret love of mine.

I would love to hear about something that you secretly LOVE but don't normally tell other people about. It can be a thing, a food, a hobby, a band... anything.

This 'secret love' implies to me something that I am embarassed/ashamed of, but yet enjoy. A guilty pleasure. I don't know if I have anything so secret from my friends and family, but there are perhaps things I would rather not admit to. Like, a love of trashy TV. It is shameful, but sometimes I just like to leave my brain behind when I watch TV. I will probably give any reality TV a go. Big Brother is incredibly popular here in the UK, a bunch of wannabes living together in a house. It surprisingly entertaining..... as it is interesting to watch their relationships develop, watch them argue etc.

I wouldn't say that all of the reality TV that I watch is so embarrassing as this one, I am not ashamed to admit that I enjoy Strictly Come Dancing, or The Apprentice, and these are my favourite programmes of the genre. They are much smarter, and the contestents actually a) are not completely shallow b) actually learn something, and improve themselves. So I wouldn't say these are secret loves, but watching Big Brother definitely is. In fact, I even watched it on the first morning as a married woman; as the 2007 final was on my wedding day so I missed it, and so I watched the repeat. I look forward to Big Brother 2008.

Imagine...

Thanks to Frankofile who challenged me to find memorable words:

Memorable words: Do you have favourite poem, something you learned as a child perhaps? Or do you find the words of song or a saying particularly memorable? A jingle from a TV ad? - Tell us what it is, why you like/don't like it, why you think it's memorable.

I actually found this incredibly difficult. There was a poem I read at school, but I couldn't remember the words, only the rhythm - hardly the most memorable poem! There are other poems that I can remember more clearly, but I cannot honestly say that they are particular favourites of mine. A jingle from a TV ad may be memorable in an annoying way, but I am not going to choose my memorable words as those that cynically endorse a product. Regarding songs, it usually tends to be the tune rather than the words of a song that I find memorable. Of course, the lyrics are important too, but I can often hum a tune without remembering them.

After a while though, I did manage to think of a song that does have memorable lyrics. In this song I believe that the lyrics are more important than the tune. It is not my intention to be controverisal here, but I have chosen 'Imagine,' by John Lennon:

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

It is the meaning behind the words of the song that I especially like here, rather than their intrinsic beauty. I think Lennon is right; a world without possessions, religion and land boundaries would most likely be a more peaceful one, as there would be little to fight over if everyone had the same harmonious view. I like his idealistic vision of world peace. Unfortunately in reality though, I am sure that there would always be something for people to fight over. I also think that many peoples' lives would have a lot less value without religion or national/cultural identity, so I am not completely endorsing Lennon's opinion. Nevertheless, I think that it is a memorable one.

Please inspire me!

I found this on Shop Girl's blog, who in turn found it from Anonymous' blog.

Everyone has things they blog about. Everyone has things they don't blog about. Challenge me out of my comfort zone by telling me something I don't blog about, but you'd like to hear about, and I'll write a post about it. Ask for anything: latest movie watched, last book read, political leanings, thoughts on slash, favorite type of underwear, writing techniques etc. Repost in your own journal so that we can all learn more about each other.

What a good idea! I do feel like I lack inspiration for what to blog about sometimes, and would be interested to see what other people would like to read about. Please feel free to suggest anything, and I will give it a go. :-)

Maybe yes, maybe no

When I was studying Islam for my GCSE's at school, I remember reading a story in my text-book that I really loved. I have quickly searched for this story online, and can't find it as a Muslim teaching, but found a version of it on a Catholic website.

Perhaps you have heard the story of the man who, many years ago, received a magnificent horse. All his neighbours came to admire the horse. They said to him, "You are the luckiest man in our village." The man replied: "Maybe yes, maybe no."

A few days later the horse escaped his enclosure and the neighbours came to console him. "What terrible luck," they said. The man replied, "Maybe yes, maybe no."

The next week the horse returned and following him were seven wild horses. The neighbours congratulated him on his good luck. The man replied, "Maybe yes, maybe no."

When his son tried to train one of the wild horses, it threw him and the young man broke his leg. The neighbours all commented on the bad luck. The man said, "Maybe yes, maybe no."

Then, the army swept through the village and conscripted all able-bodied young men but, because of the broken leg, they left the man's son. The neighbours, of course, told him how fortunate he was. And the man replied, "Maybe yes, maybe no."

I like the idea behind this story; that something that could be perceived to be good fortune is actually bad fortune, and vice versa. It is so true! For instance (two recent work-related examples from my life)... you can go to a job interview, and be disappointed if you don't get it, but perhaps it is actually for the best as there is a better job around the corner. Or, you can get a job and think that it is the best opportunity ever, but then it all turns sour. I often think of this fable, as at many times in life, it so relevant. Life is full of potentially life-changing moments, and we can never know what is around the corner.

Another Veggie Carrie...

I just googled Veggie Carrie, and realised that I am not the only Veggie Carrie in town. There is another, famous Veggie Carrie that I didn't think about, Carrie Underwood, winner of American Idol 4 (2005). She has also won PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian twice; in 2005 and in 2007.

I had completely forgotten about her, as country music isn't big here like it is in the US, so (as far as I am aware) she hasn't broken into the UK market. Also, I never even realised that she was a vegetarian in the first place. She isn't quite as I remember her on American Idol; now she looks more like a barbie-doll, and less like the girl-next-door (not that I ever watched American Idol much, but it can sometimes be hard to avoid). It is amazing how some of these reality TV stars suddenly start looking all glamorous, polished and professional as they move away from their humble roots; it is difficult to believe that they once started off on reality TV. Anyway, I'm listening to some of Carrie Underwood's songs as I'm typing this. I think they're nice enough in a bland way, but not particularly memorable. Nevertheless, I like her, as she is a vegetarian named Carrie, reason enough?

Good news

I was offered a research job this morning following an interview that I went for on windy Wednesday. I am absolutely delighted! :-))) It was something I did not blog about incase I didn't get the job. It will be nice to not feel guilty about spending anymore. It is, I think, a great job too. I am now off to treat myself to a Costa coffee (aren't I indulgent?).

In other good news, I also just found out that a new addition to my extended family entered the world on Tuesday, so I am also off to buy some baby presents too.

Libraries and books

I haven't read a book for a few weeks now, since I finished Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes. I don't think that it is a co-incidence that I haven't read a book since I started my blog! Anyway, it is time for me to read another book again soon, the next one on my list is Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns. I have had this one on order for a while now from the library, and finally yesterday I got a letter through the door saying that it is ready for collection. I briefly thought that it was a speeding fine, as the letter was a very official looking document from the council, but that is just me being paranoid as I am so careful not to speed. Anyway, I am digressing. This book has been a number one best-seller, the kind of book that is not stocked by my local library, which is why I had to order it from another linked library. My local library does have a relatively good non-fiction section though, and is good fiction-wise if you like those kind of Mills & Boons/saga/romance books, or crime novels, none of which appeal to me. It is a library that is trying to appeal to the older reader, I think. I can't complain too much about it though, I have never seen such cheery, friendly librarians in my life (except for a particular favourite school librarian of mine, Frankofile!!)

I do enjoy buying books too. I love bookshops like Waterstones and Borders, especially when they have Starbucks or Costa Coffee in them! However, there are no such bookshops nearby. Books in ASDA are cheap, and I am often tempted by their selection (not much choice, but seem to stock all the best-sellers). Last time I saw Marina Lewycka's Two Caravans which screamed 'Buy me!' to me, but I resisted. At the moment, buying books is not a top priority of mine. Having said that though, do sometimes buy books from charity book shops, the most recently being Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees yesterday, which was only 49p ($1) from Oxfam in Slough. Oxfam must realise that people in Slough have less money to give than where I live, where books cost £2.49 ($5). I cannot really complain though, as it is for charity. However, I do not need to buy many books anyway, as I have an ever-growing back-log of books here to read, including two gifts from Veggie Hubby; C'est La Folie and The First Wives Club.

Doll With No Name

I just couldn't resist posting a picture of my litte Huron doll, after discovering that Shop Girl also collects these figures.

She lacks a habitiat, fellow tribal/Nation members and also a name. Veggie Hubby just suggested Anouk, but can you do better?

Gloomy day

It was very windy today; here is a picture I took this morning from the window. Mysteriously, there was a book alongside the overturned bench...

I spent this windy day in Slough, recently described as a place of misery by American journalist Eric Weinger.

"Slough is a treasure trove of unhappiness, buried beneath a copious layer of gloom. The colours range from deeper to lighter shades of grey. The people seem grey, too, and slightly dishevelled."

About me!

A) Four jobs I've had:
1) Cleaner
2) Camp counsellor in an American summer camp (worst experience of my life- prison camp!)
3) Research asssisant/officer x 3
4) University alumni relations assistant

B) Four films that I can watch again and again:
Ok, I don't like watching films again and again, once is enough but:
1) Dirty Dancing (get well soon Patrick Swayze!)
2) Sound of Music
3) Beauty and the Beast (or any other Disney film)
4) Casino Royale (because Veggie Hubby often watches it, so I've seen it loads)

C) Four places I've lived:
Just four? I've lived in too many.
1) Derbyshire, UK
2) Montreal, Canada for a few months
3) Connecticut, USA for a few months
4) Egham, UK (the name says it all).

D) Four TV programmes I like to watch:
1) Desperate Housewives
2) Lost
3) Neighbours
4) The Apprentice which is starting again here tonight :-)

E) Four places I've been on holiday:
1) Travelled around southern USA
2) South Africa
3) Athens, and some Greek islands
4) Spain

F) Four places I like to visit on the internet:
1) My new blog and other blogs.
2) Facebook (to play scrabulous)
3) Digital Spy
4) BBC

G) Four things I never (nearly never) eat:
1) Meat
2) Fish
3) This is getting more difficult now... peanuts
4) Marmite

H) Four favourite meals:
1) Vegetarian bolognaise/anything with pasta
2) Pizza, especially with pineapple
3) Panini's
4) Fajitas/enchiladas

I) Four places I'd like to be right now:
Anywhere but here, some places include...
1) Brittany, France
2) Australia
3) Cambridge
4) On my long-awaited honeymoon!!!

A Greek party to remember

In response to Shop Girl's story, I am posting the story about how VeggieHubby and I met.

Late in November 2002, I met up with a Greek friend of mine (who I've sadly lost contact with now) in town for a cocktail. She suggested that we leave town and go to a Greek party, so I was happy to do that. We got a taxi to the university hall of residence in the middle of no-where, where the party was being held. Another of her friends lived there, so we went to fetch her first.

Whilst we were waiting for this friend to get ready, I went into the kitchen and then... I met Almost Veggie Hubby for the first time. He lived in the same block as the friend of my friend. So we met because we both vaguely knew the same person! Also because he is a 'gourmand' and was in the kitchen eating a mince pie (which I can't recall) when I happened to go in. I asked him whether he was going to go to the party too. He didn't even know that there was a party and told me that he didn't like parties much, but nevertheless, he decided to join me.

It was a Greek party, and we were the only two non-Greeks there, so spent most of the evening talking together, and eating too many crisps. I remember talking about the Queen, I was telling him about the time I met her, and mentioned about how all the teenage girls went crazy when Prince William went to Canada. He told me I looked Russian, and I was quite impressed as I do have Russian roots. We did some Greek dancing, where everyone puts their arms around each other and goes in circles kicking legs. Greek parties are quite mad but fun! I could kind of tell he was interested in me, as he moved to stand next to me during the dancing. However, he thought I wasn't interested as when, at another time, he attempted to touch my hand but I moved it away (which I also can't recall).

We nearly bumped into each other at the library by chance the next day, as we were both there at the same time, but we missed each other. I went home without realising that he was there. We didn't see each other for another 6 months...

Marble cake

I made a marble cake today. Very messy (icing sugar everywhere!) but well worth it. It reminds me of being a child, I used to love all of the different colours that you could put in them. I admit on this pic the cake doesn't look very marbley, and I am still very amateur when it comes to baking, but it did at least taste nice. I wish I had more people to share it with here, as then I wouldn't feel so guilty about making such calorific cakes. I have decided though that it is better to make them than buy them.

Making cakes gives me an ethical dilemma though. I feel guilty about eating eggs. I never used to feel this way before, but after watching recent documentaries about chicken farming, I feel bad even eating free-range eggs like the ones used in this cake. Male chicks are economically worthless, as they are unable to produce eggs (obviously!) and chicken meat is a made from different breed, so they are gassed. I was already feeling guilty about this when breaking the eggs for the cake, and to make it worse, I broke one that was slightly bloody inside, a young embryo. I was a bit disgusted. Having said this though, there is no way that I could ever be vegan, my diet would just be too limited and almost VeggieHubby has enough difficulties with me being vegetarian as it is.

Following my parents' advice

I have been reading a book I borrowed from the library, 'Blogging for dummies.' It is slighly out-of-date now I think, as the online world quickly evolves, and I have noticed on Amazon that an updated version has recently been released by different authors. The author of this version, Brad Hill, recommends the following article about how to write a better weblog. He also suggests that you should update your blog every weekday as to not lose readers. In general, I only try to update my blog when I have something useful to say, heeding the wise advice from my dad, 'If you have got nothing to say, say nothing.' Nevertheless, today I shall try to say something, despite having nothing to say.

My mum told me that everyday you should try to think of 5 things that you are grateful for.

Here are my 5 for today:

1) That I live close to the supermarket, so can just nip out and get some ingredients. For some strange reason, I love wandering around supermarkets even if I don't buy anything (which is rarely, as I can usually find something).
2) That I have my own space and don't need to share with other flatmates, such a luxury.
3) Of course, I live with my 'AlmostVeggieHubby' but I am grateful for that too, and that he has his visa for the time being.
4) That VeggieHubby loves washing up.
5) That I can randomly ramble on and someone, somewhere will read it ;-)

Three ugly brothers

You know those little arcade machines that you can win stuffed toys from, by grabbing them with a metal claw? Well, I never thought it was possible to win anything, I thought they were rigged so that you couldn't. Today however, I realised that sometimes it is actually possible to win.

I was visiting a friend and her baby, and we went to a soft play centre where there was once such machine. She was saying how it is impossible to win anything, and they aren't worth playing in England, but you can win in Las Vegas. However, as she was saying this, to our surprise, when we pressed the button the claw started moving, and we hadn't even put any money in it. We were so shocked that it moved, and didn't win anything that time. We tried again, and aimed for a corner packed with toys, and this time we were more successful. The machine grabbed not one but two!!! We were so excited. However, they were the ugliest toys I have ever seen. They were little men, who looked a bit like Pinocchio's. Even the toddler wasn't impressed. There was no more credit in the machine, so we put in a pound for another go, and won another of the same. They were the ugliest toys in the machine, yet we managed to win three of them. Perhaps it was rigged after all, as they have longer limbs so are easier to grab than the nicer teddies. They are already falling apart. I hereby present to you... Pug, Tug and Ugg*! Have you ever seen any uglier toys than these?

*names have been changed to protect their identities

Delia's low-fat moist carrot cake

Well, I had my first attempt (for a while) at baking today, and I even surprised myself with it. I chose to make Delia's low-fat moist carrot cake as a) it is low-fat b) we had some carrots to use up and c) it is a carrot cake without nuts (Note, it uses English measures).

We went out this afternoon to buy some proper baking utensils. We bought some scales and cake tins (although we couldn't find the exact tins that we were looking for). I made the cake tonight, it was quite a lot of work grating the carrots and orange (but then I am a bit lazy!) and then sifting the brown sugar and flour as we don't have a sieve here, just a tea-strainer that is tiny. I did make a few changes to the recipe, due to the ingredients that I had to hand. The main change is that I used white and not wholemeal self-raising flour as I couldn't find any wholemeal, which made it quite pale. I also replaced bi-carbonate of soda with baking power; and cinnamon with nutmeg inside the cake, and hundreds and thousands on the outside.

It was actually delicious, good recipe Delia! I had tempt my husband into eating a slice though, by pouring him a glass of milk, as he declared himself not hungry. However, after one slice he then had a second so it can't have been that bad. So there you go, I am now officially a housewife, eek!

Oops just realised- sorry to those on fake Lent! Chocolate cake is better.

Too adorable

Here is my 'baby'. She is the most friendly, wonderful and greedy dog in the whole world.

10 things Sky loves...

1) Her little dog (that she stole from me) she treats it like her baby, and takes it outside with her.
2) Eating, just about anything. Favourites include brocolli stumps, carrots, apple cores, yoghurt and sardines, but sometimes the more disgusting the better e.g. tubs full of margarine, old socks, maggots and other unmentionables...
3) Stealing (something is more naughty and enjoyable to eat when stolen, it must be rushed into a secret place in the back garden so no-one else can get it, and gulped down very quickly). Notable thefts include fishermens' sandwiches, stealing and eating a little boy's McTeddy bear, and once (horror of horrors) she stole a piece of chocolate cake from my brother's fork just as he was about to eat it.
4) Playing football by her own rules, you kick it and she follows it, and then eats some grass when she reaches it, and waits for you to kick it again.
5) Tummy rubs, she gets so silly when she lies on her back.
6) Tug of war, this can last forever as she will never let go of the rope, it is impossible to beat her.
7) Humphrey and other forms of bedding and cushions (no more to be said about this!)
8) Sleeping, especially if it is in a human bed!
9) Doing anything for a biscuit, whatever trick we ask of her, she will perform for a mere morsel. Playing dead, going around in circles, waiting for ages, creeping along the floor, sticking out her tongue...
10) WALKIES! When she hears this word she goes crazy and jumps around in circles.

Things Sky hates:

1) The vacuum cleaner- her enemy as it sucks up crumbs of food that are rightfully hers, and makes a loud noise. She must rescue her bedding before the evil hoover gets it.
2) Pigeons - they deserve to be barked at!
3) A few dogs - Sky will do a big deep woof at them, but mostly she loves other dogs
4) A few food items such as clementines, watercress and raspberries but if she has to, she will force herself.
5) Finishing a walk, she will make herself heavy and lie down, refusing to move, or when she was little she would start jumping and snapping at the lead.
6) Bad weather, she doesn't like going on a walk if it is too dark or wet, so she is very sensible really!
7) Swimming, despite being a labrador she prefers to paddle.

I miss her loads :-( but at least she is having a good doggie retirement.

Procrastination

Perhaps I spend too much time procrastinating when I should be doing other, more important things. Perhaps blogging is procrastination. In psychological terms, it is a displacement activity, something to do when you really ought to be doing something else. I should be preparing for an interview, but instead I am blogging.

The results of my poll so far are interesting, it seems that people are more interested to read about everyday events, and would prefer to read a blog that is like an online diary, rather than one that is more abstract/less personal. It also highlights that people prefer to read postive comments on a blog, and that complaints are not so enjoyable to read about. I have a few exciting things to look forward to this week, I am meeting up with a friend & her baby who I haven't seen for a while, and also will buy some cookery equipment so I can do some baking, can't wait!

Yummy

It is March, coming up to Easter so it is time for some yummy Cadbury's mini-eggs, my favourite chocolate ever!!! Looks like I'm not the only one who loves them...

Red Kites

Since I have been living here, I have noticed a lot of birds of prey around, but I wasn't sure what they were exactly. We had some friends over today, who suggested that they may be red kites, and after having a look at the RSPB website, we are sure that this is what they are, because they have very distinctive forked tails, and glide as they fly, their wings hardly moving. Here are some pictures I took from the window, and better still is the RSPB video of red kites in flight.