The sun was shining when I got out of bed this morning. We had some wind and rain overnight but nothing too bad. It did appear to hit the Welsh coast and S/W England fairly strongly though. Just doing the old run-of-the-mill stuff for the rest of the day. You know, I was convinced Chuck Norris was dead. I thought he’d been dead for years! I kept wondering why people still talked about him with such relevance. Sorry Chuck! Ciao
Cometh The Hour
It’s just gone midnight and all is calm here. Not sure when this “big storm” is meant to hit, but if it’s big enough it might stir me from my sleep. Another day dusted and supplies coming in an online food shop tomorrow, just in case “Armageddon” strikes.
Is This Going To Be A Let Down?
We’re all being told to brace ourselves for the biggest storm of the year. Hardest hit will be Wales and South West England. Will it be that bad? Stay tuned. I’ll keep you posted. Ciao
HAPPY Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving. Sounds like everything I love about Xmas, only without the presents…as far as I know. I’m not up on Thanksgiving history/culture.
It does seem odd that in such a God-fearing country as America is, a lot more people seem to put more emphasis on Thanksgiving than on Xmas. As far as I know, it is when the turkey dinner is traditionally eaten, not as it is in Europe and in particular Britain when it’s at Xmas. Families seem to try harder in the U.S. to be together for Thanksgiving. People don’t feel pressured into exchanging presents, as we do with ever increasing financial strain, year after year at Xmas. Lastly, it doesn’t seem to be an overtly religious event (despite it being called Thanksgiving – IE: giving thanks to God – I assume – for a plentiful bounty and all the “good things” in our lives), despite the name of the holiday. I wish we had Thanksgiving in England. But then, maybe not. I do love some of the aspects of Xmas. I think the time of year is better. It’s just that little bit later into winter. Not so ideal for shopping, but lovely for Xmas eve and Xmas day, sitting around the fire, having lovely, big and hot meals that make you feel like you’ve put on 10 pounds in 1 hour! I love Xmas decorations, trees, garlands, wreaths. As a kid I use to LOVE making paper chains! And of course, although I rarely get them these days, I LOVE the presents. I love sending cards. And although some are religious, and although I’ve been a total hypocrite and been to church a few years back to enjoy them, I LOVE Xmas carols and Xmas songs. We have a church not 5 minutes walk away, and we went in 2005 for the carol service. But it was really lovely. It’s a non-domination church, and it was quite liberal (as churches go), not doing lots of preaching and stuff. It was a really nice service, and we all sang carols. It was lovely. As much as I love Xmas though, there are things that are overbearing about it. The compulsion to buy presents. The more expensive, the better. And the relentless ad campaigns that go with it. I mean, it’s in full swing on TV (and all other media) now. The supermarkets started filling their shelves with Xmas themed food weeks ago. I haven’t been in a supermarket for about 6 weeks (last visit, early October), but the last time I went, there was already stock on the shelf. The campaigns on TV will just get more and more manic. Soon the Xmas songs will start (mostly in shops and that, so I have been spared so far, as I really don’t get out much these days), and so by the time Xmas day comes, you’ve heard “White Christmas” at least 50 times (subliminally, and non-subliminally), Slade’s “Merry Xmas Everybody” about 100 times, and the new favourite for “playing to death”… The Pogues “Fairytale of New York” what feels like 500 times, but is in reality probably only 150 times!! Supermarkets start to look like we’re heading for The Blitz at around December 18, and if you’ve missed something off the shopping list and don’t remember it until Xmas eve, you might just want to write out your last will and testament before heading off to the supermarket for that last vital thing, because you may just die there, waiting in the queue! One last thing that I use to hate about Xmas as a kid. The only thing in fact. Australia. I HATED living in Australia at Xmas. Xmas in the northern hemisphere looked SSOO lovely. And all the stories whilst growing up were all northern hemisphere biased. All the little things like Santa arriving by coming down the chimney! HEEEELLLLOOOO…no house in Oz that *I* ever knew of had a chimney. How was Santa ever going to leave our presents? Break in through a window? Then of course there was the sleigh and the reindeer. Rudolph with his shiny red nose. Not because it was minus 10 degrees in Oz, but because it was more like bloody 25 degrees on Xmas eve NIGHT! Silent Night? Silent night…on a tropical evening in Sydney?! Doubt it!! The one nice thing that Oz has for Xmas though is Carols by Candlelight…outdoors! That’s nice. Although, again, traditional carols are a bit northern hemisphere/wintery themed. Very odd to sing “Winter Wonderland” on a summer’s evening in 25 degree heat! I really do love my winter Xmases though. They are the best. So, happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it. Xmas, the steam train, moves ever closer.Our little tiny mate.
We have a new little resident in our garden. On Wednesday night I was watching TV and Chrissy our cat was asleep on the lounge next to me when we both heard a noise from outside. It wasn’t a particularly breezy night, so I knew it wasn’t a gust of wind blowing something over. My partner Em went out to have a look and there, right by the front door was a little hedgehog, helping himself to what was left of the cat food put out for Kitty (one of the neighbourhood cats). Em put some more food out for him and some fresh water as well.
Last night he returned (right outside the front door again, as if demanding food!), and I went out to see him too. He’s a little one, so I hope we can help him fatten up before hibernation. He was happily munching away last night until Em opened the door. He got a little scared, but his tactics are to stay still rather than run. At least it gave us a photo opportunity.Thanks Guido!
Hooray for Guy Fawkes! I love the man! If it wasn’t for good old Guido, we wouldn’t really be enjoying fireworks this weekend! Only in England could what was a plot to BLOW UP the houses of parliament be CELEBRATED by letting off fireworks and having bonfires!!! Brilliant!
Our local fireworks display is on tonight. It’s usually quite a good display, and it’s free (always a good thing). I think we might go tonight, if not all the way to the park itself, at least somewhere closer so we can see the bigger crackers go off. Then tomorrow night we’ll go to the home of Big Brother UK, to Borehamwood for their fireworks display. We’ve been going there for the last 3-4 years now and it’s quite a good (& free) display.
I do get worried that fireworks are available to buy for the general public. I don’t think that is very safe. And I don’t understand why people want to waste their money on fireworks. Don’t get me wrong – I mean obviously by the subject of this post, I would expect it is obvious that I love fireworks, but I’d never buy them. Maybe a pack of sparklers, that would be it. But I don’t even buy them. I find sparklers WAY too dangerous. I just think buying fireworks are a waste of money to get for private use. I mean it’s like burning a £50 note. There are SO many professional displays put on around here, no one needs to buy fireworks really. But people do. More money than sense as far as I’m concerned.
I shouldn’t really say this, but we have done something INCREDIBLY daft lately. The weather has turned recently and we have been starting to get cold. We haven’t had any heating going to our central heating system. We were waiting for the estate agents plumber to come back from holiday so he could come and look at the central heating. Then this morning (after relying on other heat sources for the last 3 days), Em had a “eureka” moment and realised that what had been happening with the central heating was…
WE HADN’T ADJUSTED THE THERMOSTAT!!
Em felt like a total prawn for not thinking of it earlier and I felt even worse because I didn’t even think of the thermostat AT ALL!!! If we had a brain cell between us, we’d be dangerous sometimes! lol
So, needless to say, we now have heat. How damn embarrassing would that have been if we’d not have twigged and the plumber had come and went ‘click’ and adjusted the thermostat. Talk about wanting a crack to open up in the ground to swallow us!!!
Great minds think alike – soul-mates don’t think at all!