OUR NEW BUNNY

This is our new bunny, his owner couldn't keep him so we said that we would look after him.
When he was born they thought he was a girl so they named him Gertie but when he got his companion bunny pregnant they realised their mistake!
His companion and babies were killed by a fox in the communal gardens of the flats where the owner lived so I said we would care for him as our garden is a lot safer.


Poor Gertie was also attacked but got away and is now minus one eye.
My sister thinks that we should call the bunny Nelson.....sounds good to me!
Fiona is thinking of her own name for the bunny, it doesn't really matter how many names he has really as they don't answer to a name.


POOR BUNNY!

OUCH!

My left hip feels like a Hippopotamus is chewing on it!
Why a Hippopotamus I don't know but my hip hurts like a little beotch.
I just wish the Hippopotamus would kick me in the head and knock me unconscious then I would not feel the pain.
The worst thing about being in pain is having to go about life pretending you are not in pain and being nice.
In the mornings I take the long journey to school so I don't have to wait in traffic BUT other take a short cut through the lane and really get shirty because I don't stop all the traffic and let them out.Sorry guys but I just don't have the time and anyway you only had to go 2 minutes further along the dual carriageway to be in the same place as me.
PLUS the local church school seems to be filled with suicidal parents who are intent on killing themselves and their children.
I have NEVER kicked my children out of a moving car at the school gates so why do they?
The children are very well behaved but it is the parents who have the problem.
Today I have to deal with this.....!

I love the OUCH! website, definitely my type of humor.

WEATHER OR NOT

Allegedly.....
the weather is so erratic because the wind is coming from the east which is unusual for this time of year and usually comes up on the Gulf Stream ..... well I think that was what the weather man was trying to say!
A 3 am start today but luckily Beauty stayed in bed until it was light.
She went straight to the computer whilst I sat stunned in front of the TV watching shopping channels.....YES, shopping channels!
I have seen adverts for Victoria Principals Beauty products, Joan Rivers Jewelry, a paint roller, a carpet cleaner and a folding gazebo!
You can tell how tired I am because I actually liked the Joan Rivers Jewelry!
PLUS a re-run of St Elsewheres!
Now that was a blast from the past.
Now we are on to the Cbeebies preview film that loops for half an hour and Beauty loves the singing and dancing and will watch all of it but when the programs start at 6 am she loses interest.
Beauty seems to have a very short attention span at the moment and has to be watched constantly,over the weekend I have found her with her foot in the toilet and her foot in a play sink in the garden that was also full of water.
She is tiring me out!

GREEN CURRY

For tea yesterday I made curry and the reason it was so green Fiona
was the fact it was a veggie curry with broccoli!
It also contained Quorn 'chicken' chunks(which of course
did not add to the green colour!).

I also made sun dried tomato, olive and cheese bread rolls.
Fiona complimented them by saying she preferred
home made bread and then proceeded to pick out all
the pieces of tomato!

Due to yesterday being a CATCH-UP-ON-SLEEP day, I seem to have slept for 24 hours and I am still exhausted. I went to bed when Beauty went to bed to get as much sleep as possible and I have to say that it was strange going to bed for the night when it was still a bit light.

Which reminded me of the following poem that I read as a child.

Bed in Summer
by
Robert Louis Stevenson

In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer, quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.
I have to go to bed and see
The birds still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown-up people’s feet
Still going past me in the street.
And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day?

Yesterday we watched Big Brother, we felt compelled to watch the whole 'Alex Thing'.
When I saw the part where Alex made the threats against the other contestants and their families I felt that she came across as a silly little girl full of bluster rather than anything to be taken seriously.HOWEVER, I do agree that her behaviour was threatening and unacceptable.

I also felt that her behaviour towards Mohamed was totally unacceptable, telling him his behaviour as a Muslim was unacceptable when hers as a human being let alone a Muslim was atrocious. I also felt that her behaviour towards Rachel was unacceptable, when Rachel made spaghetti and left it on the hob for people to take as they wished, Alex went on and on and on and Rachel did not retaliate.
My girls would never behave like Alex because I have taught them it is just not good manners.
For example, when my girls were younger I taught them it was rude to stare at people if for instance they were different in anyway and especially if they had disabilities.
Today I feel that teaching manners to children just doesn't seem a high priority anymore.
When I take Beauty shopping almost all the children stare continuously at Beauty, some children even follow us around the shop and their parents are totally oblivious.
Perhaps respect and good manners is something that needs to be included in Personal,Social and Health Education in schools, however I can't see it NOT being included already. Perhaps it is the reinforcement at home that is lacking.
I have come across many well behaved, well mannered lovely children and when I meet these children I always wonder why more children can't be like them.

IT'S SO BL**DY UNPREDICTABLE!

Is the reason the Welsh Weather bugs me so much!

MY HERBS

FIONA'S FLOWERS AND SNOWHITE'S ONIONS

MY WASH DAY BLUES

MY MARIGOLDS AND SNOWHITE'S LETTUCE

For the last week the weather forecasters have been predicting mostly rain BUT the sun has mostly been shining and when they have predicted sun, then it has rained!
And when the rain falls it is so showery that I just don't bother bringing the washing in as it is dry by the end of the day anyway.

Today is catch-up day.....Beauty wakes at 4am for 2 days and then 8am the next day,I am sure I will feel better later!
My brain feels positively addled at the moment.
I was checking the fridge this morning and found mozzarella cheese.....nothing strange about that I know but it was meant to go in the Italian Job food on Monday AND DIDN'T and I hadn't noticed until today!

My present project is to clear my laundry room(Dining Room!) of ironing, I have mountains of washing to put away.Where does it all come from?
I feel like Mother Ruggles in The Family From One End Street,
one of my favorite story books.
I also have a painting in progress, I am painting from this picture which I took at The Wetlands
in the bay. It will not be an exact copy but I am being inspired by it. I love the colour of the flowers.
















Hi Ariel ,
I hope you are having fun in Florida and you are recovering from the jet-lag.
Remember to help Belle lots and to take Woody for lots of walks.
Lots of love to Belle and Beau.
Love
Mum x

A SUGGESTION FOR A PIE YOU COULD MAKE ARIEL.
CORNED BEEF HASH PIE

Making the Shortcrust Pastry
Ingredients

125g/4oz plain flour
pinch of salt
55g/2oz butter, cubed
30-45ml/2-3 tbsp cold water

Method
1. Put the flour and salt in a large bowl and add the cubes of butter.
2. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until you have a mixture that resembles coarse breadcrumbs with no large lumps of butter remaining. Try to work quickly so that it does not become greasy.
3. Using a knife, stir in just enough of the cold water to bind the dough together.
4. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for 10-15 minutes before using.
5. Alternatively using a food processor, put the flour, butter and salt in the food processor and pulse until the fat is rubbed into the flour.
6. With the motor running, gradually add the water through the funnel until the dough comes together. Only add enough water to bind it and then stop.
7. Wrap the dough in clingfilm as before and chill for 10-15 minutes before using.


Making the Mashed Potato.

Cooking and preparation
15 minutes preparation, 30 minutes cooking

Ingredients

500g/1lb 2oz potatoes, such as Maris Piper
50g/1¾oz butter
Milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Peel the potatoes and chop them in half.

2. Place the potatoes in a large pan of water over a high heat. Add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil.

3. Boil the potatoes gently until tender. When you can break the potatoes with a fork or cut them easily with a knife, they're done. Drain them in a colander.

4. Leave the potatoes in the colander until the steam has evaporated (about 3-4 minutes). If the potatoes are still wet when you start to mash, you will end up with watery mash.

5. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and mash them with a potato masher. The harder you work them, the lighter and fluffier they'll become. Don't use anything electrical. Electric whisks or food processors will ruin the texture. If you get tired, stop for a minute, shake your arms and then get back to it.

6. Once you're sure there are no more lumps in the potatoes, add the butter.

7. Mash the butter into the potato. Once it has melted into the mash, add some milk . Mash again and check the consistency, adding more milk if necessary. Taste and add a bit of salt and freshly ground black pepper, to your liking.

---

Step by Step

Step 1
Peel the potatoes and chop them in half.

Step 2
Place the potatoes in a large pan of water over a high heat. Add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Boil the potatoes gently until tender.

Step 3
Test them with a knife or fork. When you can break them easily with a knife, they're done.

Step 4
Leave the potatoes in the colander until the steam has evaporated (about 3-4 minutes). If the potatoes are still wet when you start to mash, you'll end up with watery mash.

Step 5
Place the potatoes in a large bowl and mash them with a potato masher. The harder you work them, the lighter and fluffier they'll become. Don't use anything electrical. Electric whisks or food processors will ruin the texture. If you get tired, stop for a minute, shake your arms and then get back to it.

Step 6
Once you're sure there are no more lumps in the potatoes, add the butter. Mash the butter into the potato.

Step 7
Once the butter has melted into the mash, add some milk.

Step 8
Mash again and check the consistency, adding more milk if necessary. Taste and add a bit of salt and freshly ground black pepper, to your liking.

Open a tin of corned beef and cut into small pieces and mash into the potato.

Roll out half to line the dish and half to put on top.
Pierce the pastry with a fork.

Put in a pre-heated oven on gas mark 4 and cook until golden brown.

Serve with vegetables and gravy.

THIS MORNING I WENT LOOKING FOR NAPPIES IN THE FRIDGE.....!

Yesterday was Runningmans birthday and Ariel's last day before going to Florida.
I am cream crackered.
Driving around in a car does not constitute a rest and so I am totally shattered.
I took Beauty to school and picked her up,I went to ASDA to buy food for the party, I dropped SnoWhite, Ariel and Fiona off in town, I went to Argos and Boots to buy presents, Asda again to buy things for Ariel's trip to the US AND I prepared the party.
Due to the Italian connection the party was an Italian Job.
I made Spaghetti Bolognese for the carnivores and vegetarian lasgane for the rest of us though the biggest carnivore,Pianoman,chose the veggie option!
We had Neopolitan ice cream and Tiramisu for pudding.
Presents.....well see what you think.
From me a watch with a stop-watch and some Italian beer,
From Beauty a rugby ball.
From SnoWhite and her S O (Significant Other!) 2 shirts.
From Ariel an electric toothbrush.
From Fiona anti-aging mens face wash and moisturiser!
We were so good, NOT A SOCK IN SIGHT!

A BIG THANK YOU TO FIONA AND ARIEL FOR MAKING A WONDERFUL JOB OF CLEANING THE BATHROOMS AND SNOWHITE FOR SORTING OUT ALL THE LAUNDRY.


READ CAREFULLY BELLE!
Ariel has been given strict instructions to help you around the house AND she
agreed!

Back to the normality of everyday life today I am afraid, already my washing machine and dishwasher are humming nicely and YES Fiona is still in bed asleep!
I THINK A NAP IS IN ORDER!

DISCUSSION WITH 17 YEAR OLD!

I DON'T DRESS OR LOOK LIKE A 47 YEAR OLD.
I DRESS ALTERNATIVE.
FUNKY DESCRIBES MY DRESS SENSE BUT NOT IN A FUNKY SMELL KIND OF WAY
THANK GOODNESS.
Ok, I like the bit where she thinks that I look more like I am in my early 40's the best.
Teenagers can be useful at times..... inflating your ego is good.

Yesterday and today I went to a number 0f Graduate art exhibitions.
I would make a useless art critic, 10% I loved but the rest I thought was a pile of poop.

This piece of work was outstanding.
Very sad but still remarkable.

Tragedy inspires student’s work

A MASS shooting which shocked the world and touched a student at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC) so deeply she has based her degree show work on the tragic story.

Few people could forget the horrific events of October 2 2006 when a gunman held 10 young schoolgirls hostage in a small Amish village in Pennsylvania, USA, and murdered five of them before turning the gun on himself.

Beth Windows, a 24-year-old student in her final year of the Contemporary Textiles Practice course at UWIC’s School of Art & Design, has produced a powerful selection of work inspired by the shootings.

“I was touched by a documentary that looked at school shootings and human tragedies,” explained Beth who is originally from the Forest of Dean but now lives in Cardiff. “The 2006 shootings in Pennsylvania at an Amish school house particularly disturbed me because of the overwhelming sense of innocence in that particular community.

“I have a background in fashion design, so taking the very distinctive dress and the need for plainness, my work became a burial gown. Five children lived and five died and they are represented by the tags hanging from the gowns.

“White is used for the idea of innocence, while red is associated with youthfulness - no matter what they will always be youthful and they will carry the scar for life.

“The tags include paraphrased quotes from the children; there is one that has the prescription from over the door of the school house that reads ‘visitors bring joy to our school.’ A horrifying thing that people noticed when they visited the school afterwards.”

Following the shootings, the Amish community continued to dominate the headlines for their attitude of forgiveness towards the gunman and his family, as well as stories leaking about how the young children reacted during their hostage ordeal.

Beth said: “Another of the tags says ‘God’s perfect timing’. So it’s a child that understands the Bible to some degree. One of the older ones said “shoot me first and let the little ones go” to save her sister. The Amish people forgave – I don’t quite grasp that.”

Beth’s work will be on display at UWIC’s summer exhibition at the Llandaff and Howard Gardens campuses from Saturday 7 June to Friday 13 June, open from 10am to 8pm daily, 12noon finish on Friday 13.

For further information contact Sarah Narusberg, Press Officer, Tel: 029 2041 6221, or e-mail: snarusberg@uwic.ac.uk
Web: www.uwic.ac.uk

After viewing the shows I have definitely decided NOT to do an art degree.
I think I will gain more from going to classes where I will learn and practice individual techniques.
I would love to learn how to paint with oils properly and also how to properly use pastels.

FOR MY WISH LIST

PLUMP AND HAPPY!

I ALSO LIKE THE WORD VOLUPTUOUS!
Sadly my chest may not be huge but voluptuous is a good word to describe my overall body shape.

















Not a brilliant picture but I am sure my girls will be pleased to have any.....I'm not too keen on having my picture taken


After dropping Beauty off at school I was driving home and suddenly thought about a song that I remembered from when I was a child and the title was so funny I thought that my memory must be playing tricks on me BUT no.....it is an actual song.
The Donkey Serenade



My parents loved going to the cinema and watching films (that must be where you get your love of films from Anastasia) on TV so it must be a memory from that.It is strange how we suddenly remember things long forgotten for no apparent reason!

On Facebook I read that my friend is 50 tomorrow, Congratulations Gill.
I so believe that now is the best time in the history of the world to be 50, if I had to be 19 and go through it all again(and know I was going through it again!) I would seriously consider the GET-OUT clause. If I had known how bad it was going to be I could not have done it.
I am very happy to be 47!
However, I know I would change nothing because it would mean not having my 6 beautiful girls and they are very precious to me.
I know it is a strange thing to say but I couldn't cope with the earnestness of being young again, only the young have the energy for that!

Fiona watched Big Brother last night and it was the first time I had watched it this season and I was so shocked at the bullying behaviour.
I KNOW my girls would NEVER behave like that.
If I were the parent of the bully I would be so disappointed in their behaviour.























I made scones for tea yesterday evening, Fiona loved them so much she took this photo.

MY NAME IS ALLYSON.....

AND I AM PLUMP!
This is my ideal woman

























Chloe Marshall, Miss Surrey 2008

I am no longer this size (who but Mrs Beckham is ?)























and never will be again.
So why can't I be happy just being me?
I have the opposite problem to people suffering from anorexia, when I look in the mirror I see a thin person!
Explain that one.
I think it is a bit of an optical illusion because when ever I see a photo of myself all I can think is GOSH YOU ARE SO FAT.
I think it is do to the fact that I take after my father in body shape, tall with mens slim hips. I have size 12 hips but because of the many babies I have had my stomach muscles are very loose and so any extra weight goes straight there which means I have to wear size 16 jeans but even with those I can only wear them once and they need washing as they become too loose for me to wear.
BUT.....even so I am still feeling positive today, it must be to do with the fact that I have had a lie in. Beauty slept until 5:30am and it was so much much better than being woken at 3am and no I really am being serious.

BOTH SIDES NOW

Last night whilst watching Love Actually on TV for the 100+ time I felt really moved by this song and Emma Thomsons acting and looked it up on Youtube and I couldn't believe it but I actually remember watching this on Top of the Pops.
Oh the shame,I can't believe I am so old!







What a beautiful song.

WHY DOES IT ALWAYS RAIN ON ME?

I WAS feeling positively euphoric....(probably lack of sleep) but this morning I heard a rumor that the land at the end of our road may have houses built on it and the old shop land used to build a drug rehabilitation centre!
What a wonderful start to the day.
I am so in need of a Pollyanna-ism.....any suggestions?


UPDATE
It's amazing how much better you can feel after a nap and a chocolate bar!

SO TIRED

I am still here, alive but VERY tired.
The last 2 weeks have been like the time that I had an infected wisdom tooth, I know that it happened but I don't remember a lot of it.
I have been so tired and it didn't help that Beauty had a week off school but thankfully half-term holiday has ended.
PLUS I haven't been able to get my email to talk to me since getting back off holiday!

Since returning from holiday my house has deteriorated into a worse hovel than usual, the 7 year old, the 17 year old and the free range mice however don't seem to mind the mess!
I did however manage to clean my kitchen floor......Beauty did it for me by flooding the kitchen!