Fab, Feisty and Sixty (ish)

I have been lucky enough to visit  and live in many town and countries IF you severely twisted my arm, Kent is the probably place  I would choose as home... I think... In mid December I visited with my folks in Kent. One day on the short drive home,  after a shopping trip I tried to capture the view from the car window... at speed! Mum stopped the car so I might capture the thick bank of cloud dividing the sky For other participants in  Dot’s  concept, go to  Sky W atch HQ .

When the papers kick off  with their stories of  Britney, Amy or Jordan, I balk at their lack of integrity and their willingness to knock a girl when she is down. To sell to the masses their poor excuse for a newspaper. I haven't a bought a red top since the early 1980's when they slandered a young tormented actor  who reacted badly to one of their 'features' and he tragically took his own life. I felt they were partly culpable. I also felt they played a huge part in the death of Princess Diana. Amy Winehouse  is a talented songwriter, an amazing singer - usually-  who for one reason or another got herself into drink and drugs. I was dreading hearingmore bad news.  But when l saw this picture of her last week on holiday, the mother in me thought what a relief it was to see some flesh on her and not seeing all her bones. Her husband is apparently off the scene. She's looking healthier,  let's hope her mind is in a better place also.  I am hopeful for her.

B is for...all the B's in my world... I have posted on these items before (as in P is for my Passions)  so for some of you this may be terribly boring...sorry! Books... just a small bookshelf in the hall Bottles My dusty perfume bottles on my dresser, life's too short to dust regularly! Bags, 1950's lucite box bags ...  this is my shelving behind my bedroom door,  old books, bags, more books... more books....to read... and ... I even came home with two more books today...  charity shop buys, who can resist? Not I obviously! For the home of ABC Wednesday, go to  Mrs Nesbitt's Place .

I have been to see the celebrated Slumdog Millionaire film, with my daughter and a friend this week. I have hesitated in posting about it, as it is difficult to actually put my feelings about it into words. So I apologise  if this is more meandering than usual, but I will try. The story - and I won't give it all away- is about the city street children, two brothers and their friends. The kids collect rubbish from the refuse mountains that they sleep on and which they are seemingly surrounded by in Mumbai, India. After appearing on the Indian version of ' Who wants to be a millionaire'  Lamal is accused of cheating and is interrogated about his answers. The story that follows is Lamal's story and explains  how he comes to know so much. The film is a feel good film for sure, but it feels a bit incongruous given that much of it deals with the harsh realities of the children -of all ages- living on the streets and of what appears to be the commonplace abuse of these chi...

I have coveted my mother's Ugg boots for years.  I keep telling myself I will buy a pair,  but at over £150 plus P+P I've put it off numerous times.  My train of thought being, when in doubt leave it out .  I haven't  spent that much on a coat let alone pair of booties.  During my adulthood there have been times,  when I have had to live frugally  and so I do find it hard to splash out sans guilt!  Don't get me wrong l do treat myself,  but I think once, twice, thrice beforehand.  I do also believe very strongly -  and l have posted on this subject before-  that the anticipation is the fun part, perhaps this is a case in point. However during my December visit to my folks,  I wore almost constantly my mum's older pair of Ugg's  and they were wonderfully comfy and warm. (Though not so petty since ''le bodger' applied his handiwork) So with some Christmas cash and a bit more, I researched the Ugg phenomena carefully  and on Boxing Day I ordered a pair ...

Yesterday I had so much to say but didn't know where to start. I wanted to say how proud I am of the American people in the brave choice they made in their new President. What a beacon of Hope. He has been put upon a high pedestal and we can only hope... hope he has wide shoulders! I popped over t o Fhina at her blog as I noticed she had just updated with a new post. She has succinctly written just about everything I coulda, woulda, shoulda but just have felt so overwhelmed by yesterday, and my current  S.A. D. tinged  mindset that I knew I couldn't dig deep enough to find the right words to do justice for a post. But Fhina's post reinflated me and I started to waffle away in her comments box.  BTW....Does anyone else find this happens, you start to write something quite innocuous and then type enough words to pad out a not so short story, which appears before your very eyes! I think the word Hope just about covers my thoughts of yesterday's historic day. It is such a ...

Fhina - a woman of no importance who is another blogger  whom I find soulful funny and interesting, who has a a self depracating blog name.  Anyway she tagged me for this  so I must do as asked. 1. I am not fat , I just fluctuate between very curvy and very voluptuous (I think) 2. I don't think l'm frumpy , not all of the time. I'd like to think I have the french, 'je ne sais quoi!' chic, but l'm kidding myself, I lollop around the house in jeans and a tee. My Dad in his 70's can still wear jeans and look like well you know, like a bloke who CAN wear jeans. No that sounds all wrong, but he has 'style'. He can just turn back a cuff or lift a shirt collar, and he walks that casual, slow walk, he just has it and Moannie has it too. Did you see the recent photo of Rachida Dati the french minister who returned to work last week on the fifth day after a ceasarian? Absolutely her choice. But I aspire to have the style she has with a bit of what Paloma Pic...

 My pal Lynn and I regularly meet up for coffee, cinema,  a meal out and a good natter.  We decided last year that we would have one substantial outing each month. It worked so well for us, we are repeating the resolution this year! So yesterday the  'Strictly  Come  Dancing Tour 2009' was our firstbig  day out of the year! The celeb's and pro's in this years show were Jodi  Kidd and Ian,Tom Chambers and  Camilla,  Julian Clary , Rachel Stevens and Vincent,  Jill and Darren , Kenny Logan and Ola,  Gethin Jones  and Flavia ,  Cherie Lungi and James The Judges were the fab four, Craig, Arlene, Len and Bruno,  they all joined in and danced at the end,  Bruno was semi clad as he walked off, he was so into the dancing. Kate Thornton was the Host again this year. The images give you  a flavour though both my camera and mobile played up. introductions the opposite view the venue holds 12000 and it was a sell out camera, action Tom And Camilla roll call time to vote Rachel and ...

Unfortunately we only get half an hour for our lunch  break at work, whether we work a 8.20-5.30 shift or a 9.45-3.30 shift - and that's another issue in itself. Most often I take a prepared chilled lunch or sarnie but yesterday l didn't, AND I needed to pop along into the city centre to buy a couple of things. Which means that unless I try and unceremoniously stuff my face whilst I'm walking, I won't get to eat.  I was particularly in need of sustenance and so I grabbed a bottle of water and as there were no sandwiches in the chiller I grabbed a small tray of assorted sushi. I haven't ever had sushi and I guess you are thinking ugh!!! some prepacked, probably disgusting impression of sushi and a food poisoning alert! Not a good way to try Sushi or something that even resembles Sushi!! But that isn't what l'm going to tell you actually. The thing is in the Museum we cannot eat on duty, (the odd sweet maybe) but patrolling the galleries of the museum is serio...

image courtesy s.wilson vintage clothing  from www.sarasattic.co.uk  I wonder if I could bother you for some opinons please. Some of you may or may not know that as well as my p/t job at the museum, I also run my own small business, Sara's Attic an online vintage clothing site here . I launched this is 2002. It is a passion and l'm too close to it to think clearly.   I haven't sold very much at all this year on the attic and this is probably more my fault than not, as I haven't been able to organise and update the site. With the downsizing house move a year ago, I cleared out much of my stock holding and still have no place where l can really manage this. The greenhouse was great for a couple of months but soon l noticed slight damage as soon as condensation appeared, l moved it all out. So...I have swithered with stopping the site completely, but am loathe to do this, as I love it so much. It isn't a money spinner, but a few pennies in my pocket at the end of the ...

Read the questions l posed to those that picked up the gaunlet from My Interview posed by Daryl ... Lyvvie   Fhina - A Woman of no Importance BS5  and Coming soon - Suburbia  and    Sass it's not too late to join in the fun....its January and it's bleak out there...got writers block, or an intestinal block well have  ago!

Today was my  appointment for a bone density or in my mind a bone destiny scan - well the result could be prophetic! I was offered two venues The Freeman in Newcastle which is apparently state of the art (or is it ark? ) only a smart 55 minutes in the car with a shopping opportunity grasped by the wallet and a chance meeting with Mr. & Mrs. Billy?  Or the West Cumberland which would see me within 6 days of the phone call.  So no shopping, no meeting Mr. S Billy and missus, no scenery to speak off, there obviously IS scenery in west C and no quick get there and out again, because Larry drives so much in his job when he's home he drives like a Sunday afternoon driver, he even wears a flat cap.  Well l wouldn't want to offend would I?  But I think some of West Cumberland, without the Lakes of course, is well pretty er bleak is the word, oh and dismal too.  Larry drove me over, he said that I may arrive less stressed if he drove (!) as I'm not too familiar with the drive or...

Daryl of blog - Out and about in NYC  fame has asked me some questions in an interview type meme. This is actually harder that it first appears. She asked me the following 5 questions: 1. Do you think I would know you if I met/saw you before we were introduced?   Yes I think  so. Why? Assuming you've seen my image on the blog  Or else I would wear a very large leek on my shoulder, that usually does the trick I find. But you wouldn't be able to miss me, you would for sure, hear me, I'm pretty loud I'm afraid. 2. What made you decide to blog? Well I was finding it a bit frustrating. I was approaching 50 and felt a bit like many women do. I felt I was blending into the wallpaper a bit and that I had no voice. Or perhaps I just had stopped being Saz in my world and was feeling overcome with my Mum/wife/colleague persona and that Saz was feeling a bit lost. I used to keep a diary regularly, but found that had slipped by the wayside too. As an online retailer, I feel very ...

Okay now,  Moannie and I have talked about this by text, by email and on the phone.  So what has happened to David Authorblog McMahon's   Post of the Day? Sensibly we reassured each other that David has more in his life than blogging (we obviously have little else!) and has had a busy Christmas, eating, drinking, merry making, visiting friends and family, working, perhaps on holiday or  dare l say blogging, taking MORE photos to amuse and inspire us. But not making a POTD post since 19th December . I have hesitated in asking him, because he will then see how desperate and reliant I/we have come to be upon him to virtually pat our heads in praise by perhaps mentioning us now and again in dispatches!  Just popping by his blog an extra few times a day to see if he has made  a new post is reward enough,  as I've often said how much I admire his insight, wit and his benevolence. But David I/we miss it, please say it will return sometime soon. Admiringly yours ( not wanting to suck u...