Purple Dragon

Just had an online tarot reading http://www.isleofavalon.co.uk/tarot/tarot.html linked by Beautiful http://beautiful.blog.co.uk/main/ and this is the final, 'Outcome' card (read this bearing in mind my recent post about our downsizing)

The Overview.

With the Judgement card comes the ability to analyse, to discriminate, and to act on the insights you have gained. You can now move towards that which supports you, and leave behind that which hinders you. You can now experience an increased sense of clarity, which will inspire you to move forward with joy and confidence.

On Saturday 4th, it will be two years since my friends Kristy and Darren lost their precious son to leukaemia. He had JMML.

Kristy keeps an online journal at http://www.caringbridge.org/canada/conorford/ and she has just updated it. Someone mentioned synchronicity to me (Karen?) and Kristy's post links things up for me again.

I can't believe it is nearly two years since I logged on and read those words "Its the most unnatural thing in the world to hold your child in your arms and not feel the beating of his heart or the rise and fall his chest and the warmth of his breath. Conor was finally able to let go tonight and died in my arms while we were in his daddy's embrace."

He was four years old.

... every day!

Today I learned that buskers have to be licensed if they want to play in the London Underground, and they have to take an audition to qualify. Then, they are only allowed to play for 2 hours per day, in their designated spot.

And there was me just thinking you could pick up your guitar and just wander down there.

Well, we are downsizing. Which was scheduled for another 6 months time, but is happening now, because we aren't happy with the way our lives are taking us right now. Also, the kids are unhappy.

Ger has closed the company in Glasgow, and will be running a smaller version in Fraserburgh. He found jobs for all of his staff (those he didn't sack from being bloody rubbish), so we aren't making anyone redundant.

He has closed the Stirling office and will be using the stock there for another smaller project that we won't actually be running.

The other house is being sold, and the lodgers have relocated to other digs. God - what the heck are we to do with two households full of furniture? Actually, most of it is sorted, thank goodness.

We are getting rid of both big cars. It is bonkers, as well as environmentally damaging, to be running two huge motors like that. The Jeep was only getting 18 miles to the gallon, which is insane. That isn't a typo by the way!

The Volvo runs on diesel, and frankly, I've always been embarrassed driving it. The flippin thing cost £45,000 to buy, which is a disgusting amount of money to spend on a vehicle, and it costs loads to run as well. And as I only use it for the school run, grocery shopping and an occasional run down the road - well - you can see why I'm embarrassed.

We have been living the lives of Capitalist Pigs (with a Big C and a Big P) and it just isn't right.

So, Ger is moving up here (YIPPEE!!!! ) and will be mostly living up here. He's gonna do a lot of consulting work and has several things lined up already. I shall grow veggies and continue to cosset my hens. My children will see their Daddy more than one day a week, and they have missed him SO much.

I just can't wait for it all to be finalised, and we can get down to doing the living we dreamed about when we first found the house

Yesterday one of my hens was ill. She was crouched down, eyes half closed, not scratching, and her comb was droopy and dusty-looking (dehydrated).

I took her inside and examined her. Checked down her throat - no obstruction. Checked her vent - clear and moist. No apparent injuries.

Put her back in the run, where she crouched and laid a soft shelled egg (which is an egg with what appears to be no shell, but is actually an egg with a shell that hasn't hardened due to calcium deficiency).

Bugger.

So, I'm keeping a firm eye on her. Today, her comb is back up, and it was really warm here today (we got up to about 2 deg) so she was outside sunbathing She has been scratching and looks hydrated again, so she must be drinking. I hope the egg episode was a one-off. Apparently, it is really painful for a hen to lay an egg like that, which is why she was feeling so poorly. She could die from it.

This is totally classic. Someone has been watching 'V' - which should be on one of my meme lists as an all-time favorite sci-fi series.

http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=609&id=147792006

David Icke says the Royal Family are giant blood sucking, shape shifting lizards.

Hysterical.

Okay, I didn't watch it. It really wasn't my sort of thing, but you can't escape from the news, who seem to think it was report-worthy.

Anyway - if I have this all totally wrong, then that is the reason why

There was some fat old politician on there, who apparently made a fool of himself doing something with a cat. Dressing as a cat or something. Where the hell were his constituents and who was running the show when he was off gallivanting in the BB House? I am lead to believe that he missed a couple of quite important debates and votes when he was holidaying. Poor show IMO.

Then there was that gameshow presenter. Michael someone. A few years ago, a body was found in his pool, and it is alleged hat his autopsy showed he had some sort of internal injuries. Fear of a lawsuit precludes me from saying anything further. The family of the deceased wanted to serve him with a summons during his stay in the BBH but BB said no because it was against the rules of the show.

My final observation. Someone had a coat that was rumoured to have been made from gorilla skin. The police swooped on the House and confiscated it.

So - running the country isn't important, having a dead body in your pool isn't important, but owning a coat from a dead monkey is earth shattering enough to break the rules.

The road we drive to Asda has many fields with horses in them. Proper horses, and shetland or moor horses.

Lala is mental for horses and you have to point them out to her as you are driving along. "Lala - horsey! ..... lala - horsey!" and so on.

Yesterdays conversation:

L - I'm getting a horsey for my birthday
PD - (thanking God her birthday is in December)
Oh, yes - well, you can't keep it in your bedroom
L - I shall keep it in the playroom
PD - what will you feed it?
L - coats

My only explanation is that she has heard someone saying horses eat 'oats' and, not knowing what 'oats' are, has substituted 'coats'.

Bless.

The title says it all. Prydwen http://www.blog.co.uk/main/index.php/wulfweard tagged me on this, so I have no choice (I need to blame someone else for the multiple memes on this blog.)

Seven Things To Do Before I Die:
1 - Learn to fly a small plane
2 - Visit Egypt, Grand Canyon, Peru, Machu Picchu
3 - Get new boobs
4 - Walk the Ridgeway (Wiltshire)
5 - Save a life
6 - Go on a cruise with just me and hubby
7 - Learn to play the piano

Seven Things I Cannot Do:
1 - Play a musical instrument
2 - Speak another language
3 - Fly a plane
4 - Eat haggis
5 - Do a handstand
6 - Change a plug
7 - Hang wallpaper

Seven Things That Attract Me To...Blogging:
1 - Talking about memememe!
2 - Meeting new people
3 - Reading about other folks lives
4 - International conversation
5 - Interesting people
6 - Learning about how other people live/different cultures
7 - A way to reach all the folk I know in a one-er

Seven Things I Say Most Often:
1 - Get down (have small child)
2 - Leave it (see above)
3 - Not in your mouth (ditto)
4 - Turn that TV down/off
5 - Right, time for breakfast/lunch/tea
6 - Bedtime!
7 - Go to your OWN bed

Seven Books That I Loved:
1 - Portrait of a Marriage - Nigel Nicolson
2 - The outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
3 - The Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
4 - Anything by Terry Pratchett
5 - Anything by Sheri S Tepper
6 - Rev. Merrily Watkins series - Phil Rickman
7 - Earth's Children series - Jean M Auel (although it's a bit long winded)

Seven Best SciFi Movies:
1 - Stargate
2 - ET
3 - Close Encounters
4 - Independence Day
5 - 2001
6 - Michael
7 - I, Robot (coz it's got Will Smith in it)

Nicked from soewhere. I copied and pasted it, and now I can't remember who I nicked it off. Sorry.

Four Jobs You've Had In Your Life:
1. Barmaid
2. Company Secretary
3. Company Director
4. Secretary

Four Movies You Could Watch Over and Over Again:
1. Stargate
2. Men in Black
3. Shrek I & II
4. Ice Age (and we do - Lala loves this and watches it nearly every day)

Four Places You've Lived:
1. England
2. Australia
3. Zurich (but only for a week - copped out)
4. Scotland

Four TV Shows You Love To Watch:
1. Lost
2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
3. Most Haunted (till Dereck Acora got stupid)
4. The News, I guess

Four Blogs You Visit Daily:
1 - 4. Not doing this one - I visit too many to single any out.

Four Of Your Favorite Foods:
1. Chocolate
2. Steak, mushrooms, chips, some sort of sauce, veggies (al dente)
2. A chicken thing I make with cream and mushrooms
3. chocolate

Four Albums You Can't Live Without:
1. Ricky Martin - SOund Loaded
2. Enya - Watermark
3. All my Queen albums
4. Van Morrison

Four Vehicles You've Owned:
1. Several types of Volvo
2. BMW 7-series (I loved that car )
3. Jaguar XJS
4. Jeep

My dear Lala's playgroup had haggis on Wednesday (Burn's Day). She came home enamoured of the stuff, and insisted it be on the menu at home in future.

Blech.

Went grocery shopping in Asda today (I loaded a trolley, went and paid, and had to go back in for the other half of the shopping - their trolleys are too damn small) and we came across haggis, so I bought her one.

OH
MY
GOD

Have you ever read the list of ingredients? My stomach is churning just thinking about it.

Anyway. I cooked it for her, refusing to think about what was in my oven, and duly served it up. I sneaked some onto the wee lassie's plate as well, in the hope she might try some without prejudice.

Well, Lala took a couple of mouthfuls, looked shamefaced at me, and refused to eat the rest.

BabyRachel managed two mouthfuls and firmly closed her (previously starving to death) mouth, refusing any more.

The boy had refused point blank to even try it in the first place.

So, I offered it to the cats. Nope. Not a chance.

So - either my haggis cooking skills leave something to be desired, they didn't shoot the damn thing properly, or it was a crappy haggis. Perhaps a combination of the three

I am not a great believer in coincidences. Not as such - I don't think they are random events that people link together to try and make sense of the world. I think they are ways for us to be guided towards a route for whatever reason. Who or what ever is doing the guiding is another question altogether!

Recently, I have been 'talking' to Prydwen http://www.blog.co.uk/main/index.php/wulfweard and his good lady http://madbaggagerambling.blogspot.com/ in a vague way about NLP and Huna.

I had heard of NLP many years ago, and dismissed it as not for me. I had never heard of Huna, and although my 'alternative' ears pricked up, I didn't follow up anything to do with it.

Today, I actually found some time to start reading my latest Kindred Spirit magazine (http://www.kindredspirit.co.uk) (have you go ANY idea how many times I had to type 'spirit' before I got it spelled right??), and one of the first articles? "Accessing the Power Within" by Will Gethin, an account of his Power Holiday (http://www.powerholiday.com) with the Thorpe Institute ... 'a potent synthesis of neuro-linguistic programming, hypnosis and Huna'.

They also used tarot symbolism, which is something I've been trying to get back into lately. My head hasn't been quite right for that lately, though.

So - would I have noticed or thought more deeply about NLP and Huna if I hadn't been talking about it recently? Were those two lovely people put into my path to bring this article to my attention? Was the article put in my path to affirm my (albeit brief) conversations with them?

Who knows? I do know, though, that I shall be looking into them in more depth.

Do you ever have days when you just can't be frickin arsed to any damn thing at all? Nothing seems worth it and everything seems pointless? What is the point of doing any damn thing, coz you just have to do it again tomorrow. You work and work, and then some shit happens, and you are back at stage one, the beginning, the bottom of the hill, and you have to start that great steep climb again. Snakes and ladders. And look at all those fucking ladders ... every damn rung greased.

I thought I would read thru all my blog regulars, and you know - they are all in the same boat. Their ladders are greased as well, some more so than others, but usually that makes me count my blessings - but today it has just made me feel like - yep, all the same - no point for any of us.

Smallest extrasolar planet revealed by microlensing

Astronomers have found an extrasolar planet that may be just 5.5
times as massive as the Earth – that would make it the smallest
exoplanet ever detected around a normal star.

It orbits a common red dwarf star, 22,000 light years from the Sun,
and was found using a technique called gravitational microlensing.

The planet is too far from its host star - and therefore too cold -
to harbour life as we know it, but the new find offers hope that
there are smaller, warmer worlds out there waiting to be found.

Read the full story: http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn8633

I just got sent this link : http://www.brainhelp.co.uk/ regarding this :

"To: Scottish MP's & Scottish Health Executive
As detailed in the Evening Express (Aberdeen) on Saturday 29th October 2005, Health Minister Andy Kerr has confirmed that Scotland's four neurological units are to merge (final site location has yet to be determined).

A top neurosurgeon, David Currie, has warned that people will die if people with brain injuries or trauma are forced to travel.

The unit within Aberdeen Royal Infirmary treats patients as far a field as the Orkney and Shetland islands.

We feel so strongly regarding this matter that we will be running a paper petition also within Aberdeen and have full intentions in approaching all local MP's and the Scottish Health Executive.

Your support is greatly appreciated, please sign this petition and we will focus all our efforts in keeping the Aberdeen unit from merging with others. "

I have taken this direct quote from their site, but I don't think they will mind because of the cause. This is appalling.

Please - sign this petition if you are affected in any way.

Thank you.

http://www.blog.co.uk/index.php/husbandorcat has decided she wants a new persona, so she has chosen Lady Hester Stanhope.

I've decided to copy her, so I'm gonna be http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vita_Sackville-West who is my all-time heroine, and who (whom?) I admire greatly for her honesty and her gardening skills.

Well, remember that essay that I was fretting about? Got my results thru today.

Jon the Man - thanks for the sacrifice of the ballpoint pen - I passed very well indeed!

I got three Well Achieved (top mark) and an Achieved (2nd best mark).

Proud and preening

That's me - right now.
Nothing happening.
Well - loads happening actually, but it is all up in the air, so I can't blog about it.
Don't know what I'm talking about, and it's MY life!
And my keyboard has just freaked out again.
Does you keyboard ever start highlighting stuff without asking?
Perhaps it's The Lodger.

Rachel's ear is getting better.
Laura is fine.
Pick up the boys spex tomorrow, and take him to the Dr to see about his ear.
I'm in one of those funks that stops you doing ANYTHING AT ALL around the house.

We put our other house on the market today. Getting rid of an albatross, I can tell you. I so can't be bothered with residential letting. I can see why my BIL got rid of his residentials and only kept his commercial properties.

I don't have any chocolate. Just aswell I suppose. If I eat any more I will explode.

Did I tell you all about the kitchen quote? We got a quote for a replacement kitchen on Saturday. £23000. Yep. We nearly fell over laughing. We could put up a complete frickin extention for that. Guess what - no new kitchen!

Right - nicked a meme, to try and get back into updating this blog. Where have I been all week? I've been trying to keep up with other folks blogs, but everyone has been writing writing!

Anyway - the meme.

What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
Gently send out my Mummy-sensors to count the number and location of the children in my bed, so i don't roll over and crush any of them.

What was the first pop concert you went to?
Oh, God - some punk thing my cousin Steve dragged me along to. I remember wearing an a-line skirt, with ghastly blouse, and enough makeup to sink the Titanic. I also remember being thrown off stage.

What was the worst thing that you did as a child?
Oh, man - my sister got a dress for her birthday and I created merry hell until my parents bought an identical one for me. So firstly she didn't get a present, and secondly her dress was no longer exclusive.

What is your favourite song?
Right now it is Lady Marmalade by Pink et al.

What is your most treasured material possession?
Oh, God- I'm so materialistic this is impossible!

What is the best advice that you've ever received?
If you aren't happy, don't continue.

What do you think of Bob Dylan?
I don't tend to think about him at all.

When did you last cry, and why?
September? I was homesick, and missing all my friends.

What characteristics do you think you've inherited from your parents?
Addictive personality, sense of humour, untidiness, hoarding.

Are you afraid of failure?
Nah - used to it!

What are you like when you're drunk?
A laugh. Rude. Horny. Flirty.

Which actor/actress would you have play yourself in a film?
Oh, I dunno. I don't really admire actresses so I don't think i would be happy with anyone

Pick five words that describe yourself....
Lazy, relaxed, faithful, caring, steadfast

Is there one piece of criticism that sticks in your mind?
Not so much criticism, rather lack of praise.

Do you believe in God?
Yes, absolutely.

What is your most unpleasant characteristic?
Short tempered

What is your greatest fear?
Something happenig to my kids

What ambitions do you still have to fulfil?
Haven't got enough space to list all the things I still want to do. Main one - walk The Ridgeway.

What do you never leave home without?
My kids.

Who is your best male friend and your best female friend?
Male - my husband, I guess
Female - Sharon and Tracy

Who would you most like to meet?
Dalai Lama

What music would you like to have played at your funeral?
Can't remember what it is called, but I iwll come back and change this when I do.

When you look in the mirror, do you like what you see?
Rarely - mostly, I'm scared

What is your favourite film, and why?
Don't have one.

If you had a million pounds (£1,000,000), what would you do with it?
Pay for my house, buys my folks a house, pay off debts, go on a cruise

What first attracts you to a person of the opposite sex?
Hands. Sense of humour

What was your favourite subject at school?
English.

If you could spend the night with anyone in the world, who would you choose and why?
Daniel from Stargate SG1 - to wipe that superior look off his face.

What is the most embarrassing thing you've ever done?
Ever? Wow. I'm always embarrassing myself.

Do you have anything to declare?
What?!? What sort of question is that?

This is totally unbelievable!

http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=609&id=108592006

Basically, a baby was involved in a car accident, and was thrown out of the car at high speed, in his babyseat, careered down the duel carriageway for qtr mile before stopping, and wasn't hurt!

I just want to say thanks to everyone who responded to my recent post.
I deleted it in the end.
I couldn't take how it made me feel.
I started typing responses but I've chickened out of any more.
Thanks anyway guys.

Well, after months of waving my hands around like an idiot, tonight Rachel actually used a recognisable, useable sign!

I am thrilled to bits and so proud of her.

She asked me to change her nappy!

I know she's said duck, goodnight, and blown kisses, but to actually ask for her nappy to be changed is in a different league altogether. What a clever girl

FROM 2006 BRITAIN WILL BE THE FIRST COUNTRY WHERE EVERY JOURNEY BY EVERY CAR WILL BE MONITORED.
(22 December 2005)

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/transport/article334686.ece

Britain is to become the first country in the world where the movements of all vehicles on the roads are recorded. A new national surveillance system will hold the records for at least two years. Using a network of cameras that can automatically read every passing number plate, the plan is to build a huge database of vehicle movements so that the police and security services can analyse any journey a driver has made over several years. The network will incorporate thousands of existing CCTV cameras which are being converted to read number plates automatically night and day to provide 24/7 coverage of all motorways and main roads, as well as towns, cities, ports and petrol-station forecourts. By next March a central database installed alongside the Police National Computer in Hendon, north London, will store the details of 35 million number-plate "reads" per day. These will include time, date and precise location, with camera sites monitored by global positioning satellites. Already there are plans to extend the database by increasing the storage period to five years and by linking thousands of additional cameras so that details of up to 100 million number plates can be fed each day into the central databank. Senior police officers have described the surveillance network as possibly the biggest advance in the technology of crime detection and prevention since the introduction of DNA fingerprinting. But others concerned about civil liberties will be worried that the movements of millions of law-abiding people will soon be routinely recorded and kept on a central computer database for years.

It's our wedding anniversary today!

Nine years ago today, at 5.30 pm, we were married in the town hall at Aviemore.

You know, I'm bloody certain it was warmer then than it is today!

Taking my cue from Jon The Man http://shithappens.blog.co.uk/main/ I have decided to tell you about my visit to the supermarket on Saturday.

This is the first time since I can remember that I have visited Tesco without my entourage (3 small sprogs), and it was actually quite a relaxing experience.

Quite relaxing until I got to the tills. Picture this. A mother (elderly) and her middle aged daughter, with each their own shopping. The mothers was going thru first, and the daughters (about 8 items) was waiting it's turn. The daughter had her stuff piled up on that wee metal section at the end of the belt, waiting for there to be enough room, once her Mum's stuff had moved along, to put her groceries on the belt.

Her Mum's stuff moved along. And along. And along some more. A good three quarters of the belt was clear, before the daughter decided to add her stuff, leaving a gap of about three feet between her Mum's stuff, the separator, and her stuff.

Which meant that I had to stand, with a trolley full to the gunnels, waiting to start unloading my stuff on to the belt.

She waited until the last possible minute before I nutted her to put her stuff on the belt, so I waited till she moved away, then shoved her stuff up behind her mothers, giving me an extra 3 feet of space to unload my stuff.

I know it sounds petty, but really - she could see I had a massive trolley load of stuff, and she was just being obstructive.

You'll have heard of these chips they can implant in your hand that, if you scan it, can input your password into your computer, give you money from the cashpoint etc?

Well, I wish someone would invent technology where you can get a camera implanted behind your eyes, so that when you see something that moves your heart, you can blink in a certain way and that picture is engraved on your memory, waiting download to your pc.

Why?

Myself and my girls have just been to the bucket at the end of our drive. I can't leave the girls alone in the house when I go, so they have to come with. Usually, I wait till Rachel is asleep, and then Lala and I go. Today is bucket day, and I had to get the house emptied of rubbish before they came, so I took both girls.

Rachel is a good walker, but not very good on paving slabs, particuarly ones (like ours) that are more crazy paving than slabs. Up and down like a whore's knickers, to be frank. So, Rachel was slower than us. Also, once she got to the end of the slabs, she found the chuckies nigh on impossible and quit altogether.

Lala went back for her, and they walked up the drive together, holding hands, Lala being a 'little mother' and Rachel that proud she was walking outside.

To be able to blink and capture those smiles forever. So worth it.

A friend of mine sent me this link : SCARY!!!!

http://www.aclu.org/pizza/images/screen.swf

I meant to blog the a few days ago, but for various reasons, never got around to it.

Thursday night I was sitting at my pc, just closing it down for the night. The house was quiet. I had already put the cats away (they don't get the run of the house at night, because that is exactly what they do - run, fight, leap off tall bits of furniture, and generally cause havoc). The house was making it's normal settling down groans and creaks, the children were sleeping and everything was peaceful.

I finished what I was doing, stood, turned, and there he was! Standing in the doorway watching me. I had had no awareness of him being nearby, no hair standing on end, no tickle on the back of my neck, so when I turned and saw him there, I jumped and let out a startled gasp. I must've blinked as well, because suddenly he wasn't there.

Incidentally, I have given up closing the doors on my wardrobes. He only opens them again.

Well, you've heard of the SETI@home programme, now it's the Stardust @ home programme.

http://www.newscientistspace.com/article.ns?id=dn8561

Amazing! You know - I'd never think these things up.

Which is probably why I'm a housewife, not a NASA scientist

There is an article in the current (?) New Scientist about a seed bank in Norway, well just off Norway actually. Here's the link to the article.

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18925343.700

I am totally amazed. This is a brilliant idea. I had no idea that there was even one seed bank in the world, let alone several!

Isn't it a shame that there is no way to preserve the dwindling animal populations? Tigers, whales and so on. Wouldn't it be fabulous to make some sort of modern-day Noah's Ark to save each species before it becomes extinct, and then, when humankind grows up enough to be trusted to actually look after these beautiful creatures, we could unfreeze them and repopulate the world.

This terrifies me.

http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=52612006

I know they have only cited English schools in this report, but just because they didn't say anything about Scottish schools, doesn't mean it isn't happening here as well.

I thought the whole point of the sex offenders register was to keep an eye on these folk, and keep them away from children. I'm obviously mistaken. Particuarly if they don't actually know how many are working in schools!

Another point towards home schooling!

Roald Dahl used to live in the same village as my parents. I used to walk past his house every day on the way to school and back. One of his sons had an antique shop in the village. They have opened a museum there in his honour :

http://www.roalddahlmuseum.org/default.aspx

Cool!

Well, I completed my essay.

Last night I did the first part - the Mind Map, relevant to the essay.

Tonight I have finished the 1000 word essay in 1075 words. All bullshit. However - it is done.

There were two sections - Section 1 - the essay, and Section 2 - a review of how you think you are getting on, in 200 words. I did that in 219.

Tomorrow, it goes in the post. I shall keep you informed of my progress

Incidentally, for the first one I got a Nearly Achieved, two Achieveds and a Well Achieved.

I'm really tired.

Laura was up between 12 and 2.30 this morning, wandering about the place, turning on lights, changing her jammies, going to the loo. Dithering about. I had to shout at her in the end, to get her to stay in her bed.

I didn't get to sleep for ages before she woke up, if I managed to get any sleep at all before it, because I got myself all worked up about Dad. Couldn't stop crying. I need some of Nonny's cucumbers! Perhaps that is what woke Laura - either hearing me cry or picking up on my unhappy vibes.

Found my contacts, so I'm wearing them today, which isn't really helping my tiredness I don't think. My eyes don't focus quite so quickly in them, I have found, and there is a slight blur. They are an old scrip. I have an optician appt for Saturday morning, though, so I can get new spex. I never liked the old ones anyway. I feel naked without them, though, and the wind gets in my eyes. Also, they are slightly tinted, and seeing the world without a tint is a bit peculiar

God, I'm just sitting here driveling shite, coz I'm feeling so damn low today. I need to sit me down and tell me all the things I have to be cheerful about.

I've been thinking about why I have been putting off going down the road to see my folks.

I was just laying in bed, drifting off, and I realised why.

If I don't go and say goodbye to my Dad, then he wont die. He has to wait for me. He has to stay there, just ticking along like I remember him last, up until the time I can get myself together enough to let him go.

But he doesnt does he?

Oh, man, I have this frickin essay to write. It's 1000 words, and I just am SO not motivated.

I've eaten 4 (yes FOUR) chocolate eclairs, coz I'm stressed, and keep making cup after cup of tea to put it off.

This thing has to be posted Wednesday morning, and I'm only just reading the guidelines.

And I'm sitting here blogging.

Damn.

You know, I dont really check my stats.

Does everyone look at theirs?

It annoys me, because it doesnt tell you who it is that is looking, you know. You just get these random figures that say someone is looking at what you typed.

Someone is checking to see if you typed any more.

It's like missing a phone call from a withheld number.

I read a comment on another blog that said they feel a bit sad when their stats are down. But you know what makes me sad? All these folk are peeking in here, and no one is saying anything. I wish folk would talk more, you know?

Got this from Mad Baggage, http://madbaggagerambling.blogspot.com/ and, although she didn't think it was accurate, I think it is scarily so, particularly as with ALL these things, I always end up with the number 5.

Your Life Path Number is 5

Your purpose in life is to life freely and collect experiences.

You love life - new adventures, new people, new ideas.
You are very curious, and you crave novelty in all forms.
You tend to make friends easily, and you enjoy the company of all types of people.

In love, you are fun and even a bit intoxicating. But you won't stick around for long.

You are impulsive and spontaneous - which sometimes leads you to do things you regret.
Sometimes you can be overindulgent with food, sex, or drugs.
You have many talents, so many that you are often scattered and unfocused.

http://www.blogthings.com/whatisyourlifepathnumberquiz/

Edit

Just did Himself's numbers (11) Very accurate IMO:

Your purpose in life is to help others succeed

You are both a natural leader and a natural success. You are also a great judge of character.
You have a head for business and finance. You know how to make money.
A great visionary, you can see gold where other people see nothing.

In love, you are very generous - with gifts, time, and guidance.

You love to inspire people, but it can be frustrating when they don't understand your vision.
Great success comes easily for you. But so does great failure, as you are very reckless.
You are confident, and sometimes this confidence borders on arrogance.

You know how most women love to go clothes shopping and will gladly spend all day trying on clothes, and eventually go back to the first shop and buy the thing they tried on first?

Not me. I am not that woman.

I hate clothes shopping. It is my idea of hell. If I believed in heaven and hell, and I deserved to go to hell when I die, then I would spend eternity in an Arndale Centre trying on Frump by C&A.

However I just got my Gardeners World magazine thru the post, and it is chocker with freebie plant magazines. You might not hear from me for some time. Oh, MY - look at them flowers!

I have 2 acres of GRASS here people, and it is gonna bloom! Someone lend me a tractor ...

I have decided that, as tomorrow is really the start of the new year (kids back full time at school etc etc) that tonight I'm gonna kick back and chill

I've got two kids asleep in their beds so far, the other one is in the bath, I have a glass of wine poured, and I've fired up the sauna.

Me, a glass of chilled white, a half decent book, and the sauna. Hmm. Bliss

Grans on Bran http://grans-on-bran.blogspot.com/ posted about a dream she had last night, and I was gonna comment on her comments area, but decided to write a blog entry here instead.

What she wrote reminded me mightily of something that really happened to me, and I decided to write about it.

Many moons ago, I used to visit an alternative therapist to try and shed some shit I was carrying about with me. We used to do a thing called 'metamorphosis therapy'. Imagine reflexology, only instead of working with the meridians that affect the physical body, we were working with the spiritual body. (Very basic explanation, but it will do for here).

We were doing some really deep work on this particular occasion, because I was getting into some stuff - hmm - no - not going into that here. Anyway.

I felt really light and gentle, and so I slipped out of my body, and was looking around her living room, but high up above my body. I looked down at she and I, and thought "hey, cool, I'm outta here". To quote Christopher Robin, I was gonna go on an explore.

However, as I was turning to go out the window, she looked straight up at me and said "Carol! Get back in your body!" real sharp.

Imagine you have stretched an elastic band as tight as you can, then let go one end. You know that twang and slap? It was like that, only without the pain of the slap. Just the sensation.

Took me ages to feel like I fitted in my body again. I felt like I was wearing a badly cut bodysuit - just didn't fit at all.

Which is why I believe in the afterlife. My body isn't me - it is just the (badly ironed) outfit I wear every day, till I can be free of it and float out that window once again.

Unfettered.

I have no milk.

The shop in the village shuts at midday on a Sunday.

This means that I have to load the three kids into the car, drive 12 miles, buy a carton of milk, drive 12 miles back - all so that I can get a cup of tea.

If I had a cow, I could just go out and milk it.

Wonder how you look after a cow ...

And to top it all off, the wee lassie got a hold of my spex this morning, and has practically torn off the arm.

There are squint, and I think that if I can't manage to straighten them up, I'm gonna have to see if I can track down my lenses (which was the prescription before last - dangerous driving here I come).

I wonder if i can afford new spex...?

Hmm.

Most of the time, I'm happy with who I am. But today I'm not happy. I got up, had breakfast, went upstairs and had a bath, and then - yikes - I looked in the mirror.

OH
MY
GOD

I got the fright of my life. I still expect to see the party, fun, pretty, vivacious, attractive 20-year-old sex goddess that used to look back at me.

My libido is high gear coz himself didn't get back this weekend, and I haven't had a minute alone, and so I am feeling all 20-ish, and then I actually see myself and realise that even if I did go out on the pull, the only thing I would manage to catch would be a cold.

I need a facelift, a boob job, god only knows what the heck I can do with my ass, and those THIGHS! who the hell crept up on my in the night and slapped all that lard on??

Having been tagged by Sarah http://minchinsabroad.blog.co.uk/main/ who is supposed to be doing lesson plans, but is doing far more interesting blogging instead ;-)

Five Things I would Put in Room 101

1. Idiot teenagers who drive tractors at speed down country lanes, without any thought for how they are gonna stop them if a kid runs out in the lane.

2. The miserable folk who phone you up, complete with 'attitude', two days after New Years to chase you for the credit card payment that is 30 seconds late, because the Post Office hasn't caught up on it's backlog yet. T'aint my fault you're working, guys!

3. Gotta steal Sarah's - marmite. Yeuch!

4. The arse who only left two inches of Archers in my bottle.

5. The person who did up the screws on my kids christmas present so tight that they stripped the thread, and now we cant get the battery compartment open so the kid cant play with her phone.

Ask me again tomorrow.

*Your Superhero Profile*

Your Superhero Name is The Warrior Tornado
Your Superpower is Speaking to Animals
Your Weakness is Garlic
Your Weapon is Your Mind Torch
Your Mode of Transportation is Monster Truck

What's your Superhero Name?
http://www.blogthings.com/superheronamegenerator/

Cleaning out the chooks this morning, and didn't notice Wookie hanging his paw down from the roof of the coop. I closed the door, and his flippin paw was in the frame.

What a noise!

Anyway - he's run off, on three legs, and I can't catch him. He was sitting in the little garden for a while, nursing his paw/leg and now he's vanished.

Man, I hope I've not broken his leg.

That's the trouble with having half-wild cats. You can't catch the buggers unless they're hungry.

Free Association, nicked from MadBaggage http://madbaggagerambling.blogspot.com/

Basically, you get 10 words, and you have to type in the first word that comes to mind. Only thing is - I 'm scared someone will psychoanalyse me ...

1. Celebrate: birthday
2. Resolve: pretend
3. I need to: call you
4. Call: Charlotte
5. Token: wedding
6. Brand: Cadbury
7. Comparison: clothes
8. Far away: distant
9. Artful: Dodger
10. Fantastic: elastic

Hmm. I think I need anlaysis, after all...

A very quick one before bed - Dad went to the consultant today to get the results of yesterday's tests. These are since his 6 weeks ago tests.

The tumour in his liver is growing at a steady rate. He is now too sore to wear a seat belt, because that wee pressure is enough to give him quite a bit of pain.

The tumour in his right lung is now the size of half a 1kg bag of sugar.

The tumour in his left lung has grown to the size of a full bag of sugar.

There is a new tumour under this left one, the size of a golf ball.

Ever since he's had the cancer, it hasn't shown up in his blood. However, today's results show a marked increase in his white blood count, which isn't good news.

They have told him to 'take each day as it comes'.

I think Sarah http://minchinsabroad.blog.co.uk/main/ jinxed me yesterday.

Last night, Rachel had a sore bum, so I left her to run around without her nappy on while I ran a bath for her. She climbed up on Laura's bed and promptly pee'd in it, soaking it so that Laura couldn't sleep there. She ended up in the spare room.

Unfortunately, she knew she was in a strange bed, and got up twice in the night, coming into my room, all disorientated.

For some reason, probably being disturbed by Laura, Anthony also woke up twice and came stomping thru to my room.

The 2nd time, at 3am, he woke Rachel, and she didn't get back to sleep till 4.30am - and spent the whole time bouncing about, wandering around the room, getting into my things and so on.

Today was the first day back at school, so instead of being able to sleep in a bit, we had to get up early and on time.

So - I'm knackered. I'm off to bed shortly. The girls are already down - both tired from broken sleep last night, and the wee man isna gonna be awful long if I've anything to do with it!

I heard about this on the news last night.

http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=16862006

My God. What the hell sick sort of individual could even entertain such an idea, let alone carry it thru. And three of them?!? My middle child is a girl of three, and when I look at her, I cannot for the life of me imagine what warped sort of mind would find her sexually attractive. She's just a baby for God's sakes!

When I think of the fear and terror and confusion that must have gone thru that poor baby's mind - being taken from her home would be scary enough, without all the subsequent trauma.

Thank God they didn't kill her - at least her family can try and help her work thru what she has experienced, and hopefully she will manage to get thru her life without it affecting her too badly.

Her parents must want to commit murder right now.

Sometimes I am ashamed to be human.

Cooking the tea.
Beef olives.
Just moved something from one container to the other.
The first container had been in the cooker for the last 20 minutes.
Put the stuff in the new container and into the cooker, then went to lift the old container into the sink for washing.
Lifted it with my bare hand.

OW!

You knew where this was going, didn't you?

http://writermotherwifeme.blogspot.com/ left a comment on my previous entry about The Lodger, and I thought I would have a go at answering it in a blog entry.

"I am so intrigued by him. I'm perhaps acquiring a crush on him. I really wish he would tell you his name. Any idea who he could be? Any history you could dig up? What era does his dress seem from? Do you think he used to live there?
We don't get this kind of excitment here in the states, I'm telling ya. I mean, we have ghosts, I suppose, but I fear the majority are urban legends.
I used to sense Native American spirits. I'd LOVE to visit your house! "

I don't want him to tell me his name - not straight out. If he started talking to me, I would likely freak!
I have no clue who he could be.
He gives the impression of being in a dark suit. Trousers and jacket.
He is rather stout, taller than me, but not as tall as Himself.
Early 50's, perhaps.
No - I don't think he lived here, but I think he had something to do with a previous owner. The thing is, this house is only 14 years old, and the locals know everyone who ever lived here. No one has died here. There has only been one related death but that was after he was first seen. The man who built the house was a committed Christian, not interested in raising spirits of any sort. He still lives locally and has visited.

The house was built on a field that had been used for farming as long back as memory goes. There have never been any buildings here in memory.

However, I have two circles on my front grass. Not big, and probably only dew ponds or something, but we do have a lot of linear marks on the grass. I would love to get an archaeologist in to see if they are just field wear and tear, or if there was something here outwith living memory!

My only problem with the thought that he is from a long time ago and perhaps died watching sheep or something is his dress. He really appears contemporary to me. Also, my neighbour saw him as a modern man, and thought we had visitors.

I have often seen and felt spirits, and used to hear them as well, but I closed off that side of myself, not wanting the responsibility at the time. I wish I hadn't now, of course. I know my two older kids can see him. He is conspicuously absent when my DH is here. Perhaps he feels I need a man about the place when Ger is away.

I am going to dowse the garden one day in the summer, and also borrow my nephew's metal detector, to see if there is anything under the grass.

Subject: THE INDIGO EVOLUTION - Letter from James

For Immediate Release: 1/2/05
Contact: Marianne P. Wilson
marianne@belovedcommunity.org
541-482-5941

THE INDIGO EVOLUTION
Documentary Explores The Phenomenon of Indigo Children

(Ashland, OR) First the parents and then the teachers began to take note of a new and special generation of children, children now known as Indigo's. Soon after medical doctors, psychotherapists, educators and others began to study them. Skeptics might have easily dismissed the phenomenon, until now. USA TODAY, CNN and Diane Sawyer of Good Morning America have all recently reported on the growing phenomenon of Indigo children.

Now comes THE INDIGO EVOLUTION, the first feature-length documentary on the subject.

Indigos are children between the ages of 12 - 25 who have several unique qualities including: being strong-willed, creative, intuitive, independent, restless, have a deep desire to help the world, and often bond easily with animals.

"We are kids who want to make the world a better place," explains 12 year old Jeffrey Star, an Indigo and self-described Peacemaker.

Hearing from young Jeffrey Star and the other Indigo Children in this in-depth documentary provides a rare and fascinating look into this phenomenon. It becomes crystal clear that these children not only have a purpose, they know what it is and they plan to pursue it. Many of the children featured in the film have become highly acclaimed artists, poets, musicians and peacemakers.

Producer/Director James Twyman, author of RAISING PSYCHIC CHILDREN, will release THE INDIGO EVOLUTION on January 27, 2006 through the Spiritual Cinema Network in more than 300 churches, bookstores, healing centers and alternative locations around the world.

http://www.theindigoevolution.com

While most parents believe their children are special, THE INDIGO EVOLUTION clearly demonstrates that Indigo Children do have identifiable traits. Several of the experts featured in the film believe that all children are capable of developing Indigo-like traits if taught in specified ways.

Providing expert commentary on the phenomenon are medical doctors, scientists, educators and bestselling spiritual authors including Neale Donald Walsch (Conversations with God), don Miguel Ruiz (The Four Agreements), Gary Zukav (Seat of the Soul), Doreen Virtue (a leading expert on Indigo children, and author of several books on the subject, including

THE CARE AND FEEDING OF INDIGO CHILDREN), Ram Dass (Be Here Now), actress Sally Kirkland, several Hopi Elders and more.

"Whether they are creating beautiful paintings, writing soul-stirring songs and poetry, or helping to make the world a better place, meeting the Indigo Children in this film provides a strong sense of optimism for the future of planet earth," explains Twyman. "We made this film to inspire children and their parents around the world, to demonstrate that with an open heart and an open mind, anything is possible."

Twyman became interested in this subject in 2001 when he met a young boy from Bulgaria named Marco who appeared to have powerful psychic abilities. After meeting several other psychic children at a monastery in Bulgaria, he wrote of this phenomenon in his book EMISSARY OF LOVE. Other Indigo Children soon began to contact him, some of them literally showing up on his doorstep. Since then, James and his organization, The Beloved Community, have sponsored four international conferences where the children themselves speak.

Tickets and locations to see THE INDIGO EVOLUTION are at www.theindigoevolution.com

About The Spiritual Cinema Network:
The Spiritual Cinema Circle www.spiritualcinemacircle.com, in conjunction with The Beloved Community www.emissaryoflight.com, have developed a new paradigm for film distribution through joining forces with conscious organizations. This network has been created as a way to gather like-minded individuals around the world who want to experience films that not only entertain but inspire us to be better human beings. The organizations that join the network will host Premiere showings for some of the most powerful Spiritual Cinema films. We invite you and your members to join us as this will benefit the Churches in many ways!

MORE: A QUIZ

A free quiz to see if your child is an Indigo can be found on the Indigo Evolution web site - www.theindigoevolution.com

The Lodger is what I have decided to call our resident house spirit. He is a man of middle years, dressed quite smartly. He used to spend most of his time in my sons room, but now loiters the whole house.

He has been seen by me, often, and also by various visitors. The previous owners saw him standing at an upstairs window. My neighbour has seen him thru the living room window, sitting in a lounge chair. A visiting friend saw him in the playroom (just off the living room). He opens doors, wardrobe doors and drawers. He turns lights on and off. He moves things about, taking things, then putting them back when I get mad at him. The only sounds we hear are when he is opening things - like I will hear the door slide on its runners. He doesn't moan or anything (thank goodness!).

He seems harmless, and I never feel afraid of him. He doesn't make me jump when I see him, it is just like seeing someone else in the house, like one of the kids, and being accepting that he is there.

OK - this is it for today. I feel as if I've been typing here all day, and I reckon I've added at least 5 entries just today. This way lies madness.

Firstly took the deccies down today. Oh, I love that bit nearly as much as I love putting them up in the first place. I love that 'cleared the decks' look you get, everything all neat and spruced up, all tidy ready for the new year.

Secondly, - update on The Lodger.

Last night, Rachel was sleeping with me, and as I leaned over her to put out the light, I happened to glance up, and he was standing in the opening of Himself's wardrobe, looking at us out the door. I looked away, realised what I had seen, and looked back. He was away.

I certainly can't swear to it, but I thought I had closed that door before I went to bed. I would have heard it open though, I'm sure of it, if it had been opened again as I lay there.

Here is yet another meme - and I hereby tag anyone who feels like joining in

10 Things I Love in Life

1. Listening to my children laughing together as they play

2. Seeing my kids run round playing in the buff. They are so perfect in form - well made, with strong limbs and lots of energy. And their innocence shines like a beacon of light in a world where innocence is in such short supply.

3. Listening to / watching my children sleep. Deep breathing, eyelashes brushing their chubby cheeks, pink little faces all clean and damp from their baths, dreaming flickers.

4. The smell of a small child just before s/he falls asleep.

5. The cats chasing leaves.

6. Fresh cut grass on an early summers day.

7. Warm pyjamas, hot coffee and clean sheets when the wind and rain is lashing at the windows and you don't have to go out anywhere.

8. Answering the phone and it is one of your best friends, and you have both loads of time to chat, and hot tea just made.

9. Asking "How was Sue today?" and being told "Oh, she was great - lucid and happy".

10. Hearing the front door open when I'm expecting Himself home, after he's been gone all week.

Gee - this was a hard one. How to pick all the things I love? I reckon I could have gone on for loads more Don't forget to leave a comment if you take up the gauntlet.

When Rachel was born, she was really ill, and had to pretty much fight for her life in hospital for a wee while. Her strength was amazing to us, how she fought thru it all and held on, and I was so impressed by her strength of will.

Well, she is growing up into a really strong willed little girl, and she really knows her mind. Much like her big sister in fact. We've always said that if Laura can channel her will, then she will be a formidable woman when she grows up.

Tonight, Rachel was tired and wanted to go to bed. However, she really needed a bath and so I decided to give her a quick dunk and hairwash before bed. She had other ideas. Man - what a temper! She screamed and yelled, not a tear in sight, she was thumping the taps as the water was running, hitting the doorframe in her anger and at my refusal to back down and let her go to bed grubby.

She did sit and let me blowdry her hair, though, as getting her hair dried and brushed is one of her fave things.

Gave her her bapoo which pleased her, so she settled a bit, and was quite happy to wave night-night and snuggle under her covers ... having finally got her own way and got into her cot.

Lifted this from The Fat Lady Sings http://www.fatladysings.us/

Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go,
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child must work for a living,
But the child that's born on the Sabbath day
Is fair and wise and good and gay.

So – how about you? What day of the week were you born on? Click on the link http://fi.edu/time/Journey/OnceUponATime/dayofweekbirth.htm and find out. Let me know if your part of the rhyme fits.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me and mine :

Me - Monday (yeah, I wish!)
Anthony - Wednesday (nope - he's very cheery)
Laura - Thursday - (she will I think)
Rachel - Sunday - (oh, yes, I think so!)
Gerry - Saturday - (workaholic, actually)

I mentioned towards the end of last year about a small Venus of Willendorf figure that I have, and how she was (IMO) instrumental in my pregnancies.

I also mentioned that some friends have an idol going about the place that has a similar 'influence'. I've been talking with them about it, and if you're interested, here is an edited version of our conversations about it:

Friend A "Carol, it was mine. This is weird... but I can't remember who gave it to us. I could have sworn it was from G's brother and his girlfriend from a trip they went on to Indonesia - but when I was telling them about the effects it was having (ie - everyone who touched it got pregnant!!! LOL!) they were like - what fertility doll??? LOL! They don't remember giving it to us at all. So, it could have been from my sister - from one of her many overseas travels???? We had it given to us about 2 months before we fell pregnant with H. I had it sitting on our bedside table (AS A
JOKE!!) and at some stage it fell down under the bed. After H was born I was cleaning up one day and found it. I put it back on the bedside table and within 2 months I pregnant with S. G and I laughed it off. But when my girlfriend was trying (had been for several years and about to consider fertility treatment) I gave it to her.... she was pregnant within a couple of months. Then I sent it over to S for K (sister) who had been trying for years. She got Pregnant. And during the doll's journey, S inadvertently touched it and ended up pregnant with I. I had a feeling someone else got pregnant somewhere in the middle. It wasn't you was it C1?? It might have been my friend F's sister actually."

Friend S (mentioned above, being pg with I, and whose sister got pg) "I sent it on to C2, Carol. That's been quite a while ago...after K got pregnant with T I think. Kinda freaked B (K's dh) out. *LOL*"

Friend A (again) "Carol, it wasn't actually a fertility idol - I don't think. It was just a cheap little wooden carved statue thing that whoever gave it to me would have bought at a street market or stall for next to nothing. One of 1000000's It started out as a joke, but...."

Mad Baggage tagged me for a meme.

Apparently, I have to think of five weird things about me (me? weird? this'll be a hard one!). You are supposed to tag others as well, so consider yourself tagged if you are rreading this! Let me know, though, so I can go check out your weirdness levels

So, here goes :

1. I used to have crockery with a flower pattern down one side. I used to get really pissed off if anyone put the plates on top of one another without lining up the pattern. I would have to get the whole cupboard out and start from scratch, lining up all the patterns, till in the end, I bought new china.

2. I have hair bobbles on all my lower cupboard doors to tie them closed.

3. I am blog-obsessed.

4. I collect gargoyles.

5. I am a closet shredder, and have a clandestine relationship with my shredder. I love to shred things, and collect all the bits of paper that can remotely be eligible to be shredded, then have a shred-a-thon when no one else is in or awake.

So. Not really all that weird, methinks.

how jedi are you? :: by n

You scored as Buddhism.

Your beliefs most closely resemble those of Buddhism. Do more research on Buddhism and possibly consider becoming Buddhist, if you are not already. In Buddhism, there are Four Noble Truths: (1) Life is suffering. (2) All suffering is caused by ignorance of the nature of reality and the craving, attachment, and grasping that result from such ignorance. (3) Suffering can be ended by overcoming ignorance and attachment. (4) The path to the suppression of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path, which consists of right views, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right-mindedness, and right contemplation. These eight are usually divided into three categories that base the Buddhist faith: morality, wisdom, and samadhi, or concentration. In Buddhism, there is no hierarchy, nor caste system; the Buddha taught that one's spiritual worth is not based on birth.

Islam 71%
Buddhism 71%
Hinduism 67%
agnosticism 67%
Paganism 58%
Satanism 46%
atheism 38%
Judaism 38%
Christianity 25%

Well, how's that for an unoriginal blog title? Sorry - couldn't think of anything witty. However, the sentiment is sincere

We had a really quiet Christmas, very peaceful - just the five of us. The kids enjoyed their presents, although Lala was a bit overwhelmed by it all and had a little cry.

I got a jigsaw, with which I am thrilled. I haven't had a new one in years, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

Hogmanay was quiet. Went to a neighbour's house. Ger took the girls home at 10pm coz Lala was crying to go to bed, but I stayed with the wee man and saw in the bells. Felt a bit overdressed. Everyone was in jeans and sweaters, and I turned up in a long black gypsy skirt, strappy T, and long crocheted cardigan. No shoes, whereas they were all in their boots. Perhaps under-dressed, then? I was also wearing make up and covered in glitter, it being New Years and all - felt a wee bit out of place, but everyone was kind enough not to mention it. Only one comment, because I was barefoot.