Wednesday, September 28, 2011

If I was a ... I'd be ...

Season :
I'd be winter. I count down the days until the snow begins and spend far too much time frolicking in it (so if you see strange footprints in the snow in Leicester - there's a good chance it's me!) Plus, I'm one of the strange people who overheats in winter and doesn't require 16 million layers! This winter will be extra special as we celebrate our first wedding anniversary.



Colour :
I would be the deepest shade of blue - the colour of Van Gogh's Starry Night, the sky twinkling with stars - bliss. Hence the colour of my wedding dress.

Scent :
I'd be home baking. I aim to do at least one bit of home baking each month, and usually end up doing more. Nothing is more enjoyable than the scent of cakes and biscuits coming out of the oven.



Time of Day :
I would be three o'clock in the morning. It's the hour where most people are asleep in bed and the world is still and dark.


Food :
I'd be coconut - white creamy goodness that's perfect for any occasion - cocktails, cakes you name it.


Drink :
I would be a tall glass of Baileys, because let's face it pub measures aren't big enough - it has to be a tall glass!


Stone :
I'd be Snowflake Obsidian. I own quite a few chunks of the stuff and I love the contrast of dark and light, plus who doesn't love a snowflake!


Flower :
I would be a Crocus. I love the carpets of crocii at the onset of spring. Although I'm sad winter is over, I love seeing the little champions emerge from the soil and snow.


Place :
I'd be a hidden woodland copse. I think these places are so magical and beautiful because they untouched.

 
Sources : Season, Colour, Scent, Time of Day, Food, Drink, Stone, Flower, Place

I found this post via Silver Pencils and An Imperfectly Perfect Life.

So what would you be?

Thursday, September 22, 2011

The Road Less Travelled Part One

As you'll know by now, we didn't get to go on our fantabulous road trip and we're not sure when we're going to get to do it.

So that all the research I did was not for naught, I ask you to come with me on a virtual road trip to show you what we would have done :

Day -1 : Staying at the Premier Inn, Dunkirk, Canterbury overnight ready to catch the ferry in the morning to France!!!

Day 1 : Taking the ferry from Dover, England to Dunkerque, France. Maybe I'll repeat what I did the last time I was on the ferry (and no, for those of you who were with me on that school trip, I will not fall over!) but sing to the cliffs as we depart our fair shores :


Yes, I know, I'm an idiot. Moving on ....

We would arrive in Dunkerque around 11am local time, and drive down to Troyes for our first stop.



So why Troyes, well, whilst I was doing some research on places to go, this site told me that Troyes (along with Lyon and Dijon) was the place to go. As it happened, the route we were taking encorporated all these places quite neatly.

The plan when we arrived in Troyes (apart from some sneaky shopping - sorry Paul but you know it had to happen!) was a little bit vague. When we were making the bookings we encountered two problems :
1 - the (only) campsite wouldn't book us in for one night, however, if we turned up on the day and they had spaces we could stay. So, we had to scout out for other campsites in the area, just in case this one was full and we had to carry on down the road.
2 - the tourism website is only in French, and whilst I can speak a fair bit of it, it's a bit irritating when you're trying to plan activities having to refer to a dictionary every 5 seconds.
However, we decided to follow the Rue des Chats, which took in sites around the town, and just follow our noses to see what was around.

If we were able to stay, the campsite we were planning on visiting was the Camping Municipal de Troyes, as recommended by Cool Camping France.

Next Post - Day Two - Lyon ...

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Carried Away to Distant Lands

Recently, I visited Georgia, USA with Scarlett O'Hara and the South American jungle with the Buendia Family.

First of all, a disclaimer, Gone with the Wind is like the film - it's a bit of an epic! (1000+ pages)

I have watched the film, many many moons ago when I stumbled upon it one Christmas eve on the telly, but I don't remember it at all. The book was brilliant.
I enjoy reading books which have a historical context and although the amount of history did get a bit much at times, it was absolutely essential for those of us who haven't been taught about the American Civil War in school.
This book will take you a long time to read, but it is so worth it. Scarlett O'Hara is, to begin with, a heroine most unlikely and not one you want to relate to, but as the story develops, you begin to understand who she is and support her, even if you think marrying Frank Kennedy was a bad idea!

As for the Buendia family, or One Hundred Years of Solitude. This was definitely an interesting book and the family tree at the beginning definitely helping trying to decipher the Jose Arcadios from the Aurelianos.
I admit my attention waned when the story focussed on the male characters.
This is one of those books that sort of documents a history instead of a story. It also has a moral message coming all thr way through which for those of you who are Star Trek fans, would contervene the Prime Directive (yes, I know, geek!)In other words, let people be and don't interfere in less advanced societies, it doesn't always work out for the best.

Out of the two books I'm backing Gone With the Wind the whole way.

I'm now nearly a third of the way through the books, phew!

BTW I have read Catcher in the Rye but I am saving the review until I have been to this Catcher in the Rye seminar being held at work. Maybe another perspective will help me to appreciate it more.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Sad News

As you may have seen from my last post, my father in law was taken ill and we had to cancel our holiday.

Unfortunately, my father in law lost the fight and passed away on Tuesday evening, peacefully, and surrounded by his sons and wife.

I appreciate the majority of you wouldn't know who he was, but I feel compelled to write a little eulogy to honour the past six years I have known him.

My husband's father was a very generous and giving man.
Without his help Paul and I would not be where we are today.
Without his help the Scouting Movement in the West Midlands, I can guarantee would not be where it is today.
Without his help, my husband would not be the man he is today and for that I am eternally grateful to my father in law.

I don't hold any specific religious beliefs but wherever he is, I hope he is happy, safe and free of pain.

We love you xxx (ps i've let thorntons know they need to reduce their toffee production)