My Christmas wish list...

Photo from Maddie On Things

I don't want too much for Christmas, but the following would be much appreciated:

• Good health for all of my family and friends
• Peace (all over the world)
• Joy (for everyone)

That about wraps it up for me.

One had a most enjoyable week-end...

A few weeks ago Dr X and I had the pleasure of visiting Windsor Castle. Luckily we arrived early in the morning and Dr X had pre-ordered the tickets as the queues were already significantly long. There was a security scanner to pass through which felt like being at the airport and the security guards had scary looking weapons. We found out later that the Queen was also in residence.

Windsor Castle is very pretty but also really, really large!

It's very well maintained

and guarded by fierce looking creatures... 

This one looked more cold than fierce!

The royal cat was taking a stroll and keeping an eye out for any royal mice.

The cat wasn't too happy that I was sitting on the step soaking up the sun.

I managed to convince the RC that there was space on the step for both of us!

Dr X refused to be enticed into the royal gift shop.

There's lots to see inside the Castle walls. Queen Mary's Dolls House was amazing but you can't take photos of it.

We waved goodbye to the Castle and went to explore the rest of Windsor. In the town centre, there's a cute cafe which uses part of an old train for seating. 

Windsor is well worth a visit, but it's not cheap and gets very crowded so pre-booking is advisable! One had a spiffing time.

Just my usual Sunday...

I woke up to the aftermath of heavy rain and flooded roads...

I bundled up warmly for my Sunday walk to Church. It was bitingly cold and gusty as I pushed through the glass doors into my secret garden. 

Out through the locked gate...

and onto the cliff top. There was no one around.

I love my birds eye view of the beach, the tiny huts and the swollen waves.

I negotiated my way down the beach steps, hoping I wouldn't drop my camera.

The waves looked fiercer the closer I got.

 The sand was piled up over the groynes.

No lifeguards on duty today. Only the most foolhardy gnarly would be out in these turbulent seas...

Wait, some strange beasts had been here before me...

I saw some natives and decided to go closer to investigate.

I took an indirect route so as not to arouse their suspicion...

As I got closer I could see that there was a whole tribe of them, who were these strange mysterious seal-like people?

A silver haired male was plunging out through the waves to join them.

A younger one came hobbling in with an injury.

They looked like they were trying to control the sea with their magic.

Their primitive form of communication was left on the sand for others to wonder at...

By late afternoon the seal people's magic had done the trick and the sea was calm once more.

I love Sundays by the sea.

When everything was wrong

And everything was gone, we ran to Avalon. Oh yeah.

Oh Joy!

I haven't read the book so can't promote it but really love this cute little promotional video. I have a yearning for a scooter and a bunch of flowers!

The Shipping News...

Apologies for the extended absence - I've been moving home again (yes, that's right twice in the period of a year, not recommended). The best bit about this one is the balcony with an amazing sea-view. I've longed for a sea-view for many years now so this really is a dream come true.


We're up quite high so when there are gale force winds (which we've experienced quite a bit of already) it gets a bit hairy outside. Nonetheless we've also had some lovely weather and have managed a couple of meals out there. The binoculars have been on constant standby as we see a lot of sea going traffic, from windsurfers to passenger ferries, there's always something going on out at sea. My favourite times are first thing in the morning when I rush to look at the view and in the evening once it's dark and the lights of the ships can be seen bobbing around. We really are very lucky to have this experience.
Just now we spotted a tall three masted ship - seemingly on collision course for our flat. It's like Pirates of the Caribbean muttered Dr X... 
Here's some sneak peaks if you are interested:

All  calm at sea today

Sometimes I feel like I'm living inside an oil painting

Ship ahoy!

I wouldn't mind a lift if Captain Jack Sparrow has room...

A tale of two sisters

Does my bum look big in this? (Answer - Yes)

Surveying the Queendom

Yes? Can I help you?

I started out in life with just one sister, now through a cruel twist of fate (aka my mother's sense of humour), I have two. One is hairy with pointy ears, a wet nose and a propensity for self-serving indulgent behaviour; the other is less hirsute and considerably more fragrant.

I became aware that something was up in the sibling pecking order when my mum started referring to me as her number 2 daughter. That's fine I thought - I am the youngest and came second in the sibling timeline. There's probably no need to put it in writing on cards though but whatever. However things darkened when I visited home and she started ordering me to take care of my 'little sister'. My what?? Thoughts of parental betrayal at hiding a younger sibling from me for all these years flashed through my mind.  Before I'd gnashed away my teeth it became clear that my new 'little sister' was none other than the devious hairy hound (mentioned previously here). Quite how this one-trick, mousey breathed, flea-bitten doglet had managed to worm it's way into my mum's affections was beyond me.


Nonetheless my visit was punctuated by filling up water bowls, serving it's special diet on a gilded platter, playing ball (and having my hand snapped at when we both went for it at the same time) and having to give up the best seat near the fire...


What I'm now wondering is which one of my sisters is the number 1 daughter? I think I'll leave it for them to fight it out though.


Do you have a problem with sibling rivalry? 

10 brave things I will do one day (maybe)...

All of the below make me fearful just thinking about them:


1) Eat a piece of stinky French cheese (it's stinky for a reason, because it's full of mould! Yet the French go mad for it. I must be missing something.)


2) Initiate conversation with a stranger at a party (I'm not good at small talk so this seems near impossible, but perhaps its a social skill I should have learnt by now)


3) Sing in public (I find it hard enough to talk in public, but the thought of singing in front of people is enough to bring me out in a cold sweat. But maybe it would be really good fun?)


4) Audition for a play (ditto above)


5) Learn to dive underwater (it's so unnatural to trust something you carry on your back for oxygen. I've seen the Abyss, I know the dangers. But it must be so amazing down there and I love looking at fish)


6) Walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge (I'm sure the views are magnificent but I probably wouldn't be able to look down anyway)


7) Abseil down something tall (this would have to be as a result of an emergency scenario with abseiling being the only way out)


8) Journey overseas on my own (I've flown a few times now but I still get lost in airport departure lounges and I don't like the thought of being in a plane without Dr X as he obviously has magical properties which keep the plane in the air no matter what.)


9) Wild camp in the Rainforest (I love the thought of being close to nature, seeing the amazing birds and butterflies, but the thought of poisonous creatures sharing my sleeping bag would keep me awake all night)


10) Go on a roller-coaster ride again (I did this once as a teenager and was so scared I started screaming 'let me off, let me off!'. Now when we go to adventure parks I have to wait while others go and have fun. Is it worth trying again?)

A brief interlude

Apologies for the tardiness in blogging. I had the week off work last week to spend with my mum and we spent lazy days walking on the beach, eating cake, visiting the local shops, eating cake (did I mention that already?) and visiting our local gardens, Compton Acres. I didn't take many photos on the actual day as I'd forgotten to charge my camera, but have included the ones above from a previous visit I did in the summer of 2008. Much nicer to see the garden in full bloom.  We were surprised to see so many people out and about on our travels, but I guess the holiday season is never over when you live in a seaside resort location. Back to the grind tomorrow though xx

The 7 Ages of Potato

Photo by anankkml

Whilst eating a yummy mash & black cabbage dish that Dr X whipped up, I got to thinking about all the different ways you can eat potatoes (so versatile!) and how they can almost represent a different stage of life. So without further ado, I present to you, my 7 ages of potato:


1) Mash -  Baby

2) Chips -  Child

3) Croquettes / French fries -  Teenager

4) Jacket -  Student 

5) Gratin Dauphinois -  30's & 40's

6) Roast potatoes -  Mum & Dad

7) Mash - Grandparents

Which potato are you at?

Cheesy jokes

Photo by Stuart Miles

Q. How many immature people does it take to change a lightbulb? 
A. Your mum.


My Bon Jovi Sat-Nav has just started working - we're half way there.


It must suck to be a vacuum cleaner.


We tried to perform a 'Knock knock' joke, but you weren't in. Please collect the punchline from our depot from 7am - 3pm, Monday - Thursday.


I applied for a Poetic License. Turns out they made it sound better than it actually is.


All thanks (or not, depending on your taste in jokes) to James Martin@Pundamentalism 

You're only as old as you're perceived to be...

Photo by Ambrose

Last night, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our first date, Dr X and I had a dinner and movie night. We decided to go to our local complex which offers a plethora of 'fine' eateries, amusement arcades, a candy cabin and a big cinema. The vibe was already kicking off in the restaurant. There was loud trendy music playing so it felt like a nightclub, balloons everywhere and preppy little serving girls bouncing around like Santa's elves overdosed on candy canes. The dinner was a long drawn out affair, not because it was haute cuisine, but because the restaurant (I'm using the term kindly) was either badly managed or it was part of a master plan to make you buy more drinks.

When we got to the paying stage Kelly, our overly helpful serving girl, snuggled up in our booth with us to chat and said... "So are you both going home to bed now?"   It was 20:30. "What?" we both said with quizzical looks on our faces. She gave us a look which implied, aww they can't hear, and repeated her question.  I responded frostily "Er no, we're actually going to the cinema for a movie." Her surprise was evident. You could see her thinking, 'how can these two olds be heading off to the cinema at this time of night?'. Then she remembered her ultimate goal was getting a tip so she made nice and started chatting about the movie we were planning on seeing (Mission Impossible).

That short conversation has been playing on my mind ever since. Do we look like a retired couple who's night has to end before 21:00? Have I not been covering up my grey hairs sufficiently? Does the pain in my right knee signal the beginnings of arthritis? "We are a hot young couple" I repeated on a regular basis throughout the night, sometimes I actually said this out loud, whilst pinching Dr X on the arm to make him agree. 

Dr X has forgotten about the incidence already. But is this because he's male and able to switch to other more interesting topics instead of letting them fester away? Or is it a sign of his diminishing mental faculties...  Only time will tell. I going  to find the Horlicks just in case.