My enthusiasm maybe curbed

I go away for a few days and what do I find when I get home?

Larry David has moved in...

Yesterday morning before I went to work, we exchanged news from our two little worlds, updates on daughter, son, dog, mothers in law etc. Then he regales me with the tale that he was in the supermarket standing in the queue idly looking into the baskets of those ahead- as I often rather smugly do. He noticed the woman in front had two pairs of black lace hold up tstockings and he looked right up at her and she caught his glance and they both looked down to the stockings and then back at each other. Without thinking he raised an eye brow and so did she, then they both looked away... do you see what I mean- a Larry moment which could so nearly have been a Larry disaster?

During this interesting chat our daughter launched herself into the room and asked, " Is it slippy?"

Larry " Er... I'm talking to your mother!"

Daughter - " Yes I can see, but is it slippy?"

Larry - "Is what slippy?"

Daughter - "the pavement!"

Larry - " How the hell do I know? Do I look like I've been outside yet?" - pointing at his bare feet!"

Daughter- "Okay take a chill pill, I just wanted to know if it is slippy this morning, that's all!"

Larry is now looking a bit flushed around the gills and his eyebrows and palms are facing the ceiling aghast - "Why don't you open the front door and look?"

Daughter is gently patting his shoulders - "Now calm down, be careful of the blood pressure!"

Our son shouts out from his room - "Its 9 degrees outside!"

Larry cheers - "The voice of reason and only 14 years old!"

Back into the old routine - but with a funny, bald,  spectacled  middle aged man, now called Larry!

Home sweet Home

If home is where the heart is, then I have two -  homes not hearts!

Having just driven home from my parents in Kent in 5 hours - a record- I feel like l've left one home and arrived at another. In one l'm pampered and spoiled and not allowed to do very much  at all and in the other it business as usual!

I've just returned from the Cathedral and the Christmas Carol Concert, my daughter is in the senior choir, it was lovely and now I feel Christmas has begun...

In a day or two I will have  downloaded some pics I took with the mobile phone from the car as the skies were stunning over the A66 - Penrith to Scotch Corner. Hopefully one or two will be worth posting here.

My Trip so far

Hi Guys!!!

I'm missing you already...

The drive down was fine, made great time, then hit the Dartford/Thurrock Crossing and waited half an hour to cross. Then couldn't get into the right - by which I mean left- lane and so couldn't get onto the M2 to East Kent- too many cars/lorries/trucks etc.  I had to follow the road to Maidstone. In the city centre, I couldn't see any familiar signs, so like ET I phoned home. My husband told me to follow any  Chatham signs, doh! Ive done this a dozen times and never stuffed up before.  In Chatham I found myself out side Toys R Us and I asked a man, as you do, where I should go - he was not tempted by the open line I fed him and gave me directions. I was  all set. Then I realised as it was darker, darker still, I had on my sunglasses, I then couldn't find  my new Missoni varifocal spec's, as they were missing from the dashboard. So I had either dropped them in the loo or  at Costa's at Scotch Corner 300 miles away ... Duh! Or perhaps as my car was apparently unlocked when I returned to it,  I thought I may not have locked it properly, so the guy in the car next to me...? Oh dear.

Anyway I am at my parents' home, all safe and sound and well fed as usual. So far I've enjoyed a variety of  superb fayre! 

AND... whilst checking out the loacl TK Maxx, it HAS to be done ... I popped into my mobile phone providers store and bought myself a broadband 'dongle' and now I have internet access on my laptop, away from home.  Am I sad or wot?

So you see,  I'm not really gone - but I have heard it whispered that I am long gone judging by the loss of so many objects lately! Currently I am all tucked up in cashmere layers including one pashmina following the breakdown of the central heating. We do have a blazing fire going, but it is a BIG room...

More later....

p.s. Mum says she is missing you too!

Cumbria to Kent : Return

I'm just popping in to say cheerio, as I'm off first thing in the morning on my December pilgrimage to my parents in Kent. The whole trip with some excursions in between is around 1000 miles. So I will check tyres and oil in the morning when I fill up. Yeah! I know I should have checked them a few days ago, but cars and kit is not a thing that does it for me, as long as it works and is red and younger than the usual 15 year old models I drive. Loulou is 3 years old to me - 6 years old for real- she has been a bit expensive to maintain and that is because she is a a Citroen-apparently- but I love her. She is really a small van with windows. She does the job just right for me. She gets me from A to B and often without losing an exhaust or over heating. The locking system IS playing up, but at the moment it's working rather than not.

It takes me 5-6 hours including 2 x 15 minute tea and pee stops, if the traffic and weather is fine.

We have black ice and its below freezing just now, so l'll be a tad apprehensive driving over the A66 to Scotch Corner from Penrith, but as soon as l'm on the A1 l'll be good to go. With my ipod attached to the dash, some fruit and water to keep me going. I aim to be there before dark.

Then four days of relaxing, chatting, tv, shopping, laughing, walking and more chatting with Mum and Dad then Friday l'll be visiting some girlfriends.

Home again on Monday in time for the evening Christmas Carol Service at Carlisle Cathedral, which I am really looking forward to, so Christmas-y and my daughter in the choir.

I may even post something, as I'm taking my laptop to give some lessons on how to .... on blogger.

See you soon.

Oh Johnny!

In the summer of 1971 I turned 13. I was staying with my cousin Francoise and her parents in Sisteron and at weekends at their country home in the village of St. Geniez, Hautes Provence. My parents often left me for a few weeks of our annual 6 week french holiday with cousins as -I guess I was a pretty sullen teenage addition to the family outing - I would join them later in Cannes or they would return for a few days to collect me. Of course we were two young girls, approaching our teens and we would spend our time cycling, running wild in the fields, watching the balotte and petanque players in the town square and cafe and spending the evenings with the local young boys and the girls too!! You see where my early preferences lay and potential trouble. Neighbouring villages each had fetes and dances we attended.

In the evening a solitary antiquity of a loud speaker perched haphazardly high up in an old oak tree and from which popular music was played, some modern some french trad. I remember dancing in the hot evenings outside the cafe (pictured here) with Francoise to pop music and my first introduction to Johnny! It was the song Ma jolie Sara from 1971 that had me hooked and of course he was lovely with it too, blue eyed, blonde, tall broad smile!

Every year after that, my Dad would bring me singles and albums home from his occasional french trips. No one I knew in the Uk had heard of him and in those days we couldn't get the Paris Match in the local newsagent or follow any Internet fan site. These days of course I can.

Ma Jolie Sara from 2000

In France Johnny Hallyday is still the number one french rock n roller. In France the Elvis records were banned in as much as they weren't' licensed to be sold in France in the early years. Johnny Hallyday slipped into the void, this was music senstaion parted the prefered music curtains of Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Mireille Matthieu and Gilbert Becaud and stomped all over them. His music was the first popular music of its kind in the 60's allowing many others to follow in his footsteps, Sheila, Joe Dassin, Claude Francois, which were all startlingly different to the french musical tradition.

Johnny Hallyday is now 63 he has had his share of road accidents, drugs and sex scandals, several wives and children. He recently announced his retirement from touring, with a swansong of concerts next summer. I sooo want to go to one but tickets are selling fast and if I want one I shall be having to pay around £250-300 just for the ticket. I shall see whats what in the new year and perhaps bite the bullet. I shall have to go alone as I still don't know anyone who likes him or his music.

I'm awaiting the UK distribution of his latest London produced CD, I may have to import one, I can hardly wait any longer.

On one of my recent trips to Kent to see my folks, I sat with my Dad and Mum watching one of his latest concert DVDs, my mother sat in apparent agony her face scrunched up at the, 'awful wailing and screeching, he doesn't sing he shouts Saz,' she laughed. Dad and I watched the rest alone while Mum went upstairs. We must have made a funny sight, my 70+ Mum and Dad and me nearing 50, sitting watching an aging botoxed, face lifted and double hip replacement rocker singing and gyrating on stage ! Me I loved it!

JOHNNY LIVE 2006

I'm all done, almost....

I'm sorry if this annoys or irritates you, but it is true. I AM  almost done! 

After spending ££££'s for decades on Christmas  and putting the cost all on credit cards, that has all changed and over the last ten years or so l have honed my Christmas buying skills to this painless-ish cash only affair. I'm now just waiting for a couple of deliveries and one more pay day to buy three more gifts.

I start buying Christmas presents just as so soon as I see something that I know will suit one of my friends or family members. 

This year I've bought even more of my Christmas presents online. This is great for research, for comparing prices and then going into the shop to save on postal costs or for actually buying, as many postal costs are waived the nearer we get to the big day. I've bought from lots of different sites including Amazon and sshhhhh eBay too, but not second hand goods just better prices, so this is good for the credit crunch and for my purse. 

I  store the presents on top of my wardrobe in a lovely and very old battered tan leather expandable suitcase. Which of course has been long filled and now an assortment of tk maxx bags are filled too! Then about  a week before Christmas I spend a day off or evening alone with a glass or three of sherry, wrapping and sorting into gift bags.

I have made or crafted some of my gifts, of course I can't tell you here what these are, as I don't want to spoil any surprises. I always think the greatest gifts at Christmas are those that have been thought and chewed over. It doesn't take much to remember and even write  down ideas, or when someone mentions a book or talks about something that can be linked to a great gift. Ohhhhh I wish I could explain further..... but I darent tell!

I put out the children's Advent calenders, of the chocolate Simpson's variety and to fill my own heart I have for the the first time in over twenty years put out a traditional Christmas Advent for me and Bahumbugs. This I thinking is a clever notion, as when I am away next week Bahumbugs will have to open the doors and he will be badgered by the kids, lest he forgets! 

I look forward to this short trip, which I make every year in early December. I have found myself get a bit low over the Christmas period, and I think I can avoid this by making this trip down to Kent each year to visit with my parents. I take down the Christmas gifts with me and as now I no longer have  an old banger of a car I drive rather than train it down. This also means that I am not hampered by the issue of weighty gifts.

When I come back it will be Christmas Carols in the Catherdral, my daughter is in the choir and I always find it very emotional listening to Silent Night and others in that setting. My two teenage children thought they would be sophisticated this year and said they would be happy to have  acurry, or eat out, go away for  few days, now they want a home style christmas, not a single trimming or bauble out of place, just the same, funny eh? 

Then it'll be about a week to go and in a flicker of a childs smile it will all be over. Sigh.

A contender for post of the day at Authorblog, thanks for the mention David!

ABC Wednesday - T is for

The TILES of OLD TULLIE HOUSE

Tullie House Tiles

T-oday my museum shift was in Old T-ullie House

this is the oldest wing of the museum,

it is a Jacobean building and orginally a family home

Tullie House:(text from the Tullie House website)

Tullie House incorporates the town house of that name, the origins of which can be traced back at least to the 16th century. The Tullie family and their descendants occupied the building until the 19th century.

Formerly known as the White House, the house was modernised in the late 17th century under the ownership of Thomas Tullie, who was sometime Dean of Carlisle. The handsome classical façade in red and yellow sandstone, with ornate lead downspouts, bears the date of 1689. This faces onto Abbey Street.

Remaining internal features of 17th century date within the building are a large ground floor fireplace and a Jacobean oak staircase. The latter leads to wood-panelled upper rooms. A portrait hanging on the stairs shows the last private occupants, the Dixons, in the largest of these rooms - their Drawing Room - in 1842.

Late 19th century extensions in local sandstone, to the designs of C.J. Ferguson, added a range of buildings on the north side running through from Abbey Street to Castle Street. In part, this replaced some of the earlier buildings. 

Extensive use of tiles (by Craven Dunhill, Jackfield, Ironbridge) and Roman-inspired mosaic flooring are typical of the period. There are two elegant wrought-iron Victorian staircases inset with heraldic shields of the City of Carlisle. The historic buildings are Grade I* Listed.

A new range of buildings was added in 1989-90 to create new galleries and related facilities. This extended the site considerably on the north and east sides. The latest development (2000-2001) created the Carlisle Millennium Gallery, which extends below the A595 road on the north side of the site. A public walkway connecting Castle Street to the Castle Green, runs alongside this and features public artwork of high quality.

... and today with -5 degrees I went to work in the coldest part of the Museum which has minmum heat..can you imagine how cold I was with all these tiles retaining the cold? I am only now warming up....

still all this culture!

For the home of ABC Wednesday, go to Mrs Nesbitt's Place.