Porridge: healthy, filling, tasty

Ingredients:

• 1 spoonful raisins
• 2 scoops porridge oats
• 2 walnut halves, chopped
• 2 pecan halves, chopped
• 2 brazil nuts, chopped
• 4 almonds, chopped
• cup of water
• sprinkling of cinnamon

Method:

• place raisins, oats, nuts, and water in bowl, quick stir
• microwave on full power for 2 minutes
• sprinkle cinnamon on top, stir in

Notes:

• if too wet, microwave for another 15-30 seconds
• if too dry, quickly stir in 2 or two spoonfuls of water
  (or milk if you must)

Disappointment - a short story

As business owners, we both work long hours in stressful jobs so a long weekend away with friends - also business owners in stressful jobs - was a lovely break. My overwhelming reaction on our return home was... Disappointment.

It was (almost) entirely my own fault - relaxing over the weekend must have softened my brain. We had left our teenage son, who was home from uni on a gap year, to fend for himself and we looked forward to seeing him. We had texted ahead and arrived home after a 7-hour drive via shopping at the supermarket, ready to make dinner.

We carried in our suitcases and shopping bags with no assistance from our loving son, who remained seated on the sofa, ignoring us. I wasn't disappointed just yet - this is normal behaviour that we are somehow resigned to. A dinner plate was by his side and we assumed that he had already eaten as we put away the shopping and prepared to cook just for ourselves rather than the family dinner that we had planned.

Meanwhile, my eyes had taken in the crumbs next to the sofa, the two dozen DVD/PS4 cases spread on the floor and a spilled pile of clean washing that I asked him to take up to his room before the weekend. Before I could hug my darling son, I expressed my disappointment and walked into the kitchen where I was met with a floor covered with all manner of foodstuffs - raisins, flour, toast crumbs, onion and garlic skin, dry spaghetti, carrot peelings (yes, I should have been pleased that he had eaten vegetables...)

I swept the floor whilst grumbling sarcastically in a low voice because I didn't want to walk in and immediately start an argument. I cleared the sink and filled the dishwasher. My husband cleaned the worktops and we cooked a quick meal. Setting the table, I was greeted by food spillage from a previous meal (or meals) glued to the place mat and table surface.

As we sat down to eat, our son informed us that he hadn't eaten - the plate was from his previous meal. Feeling guilty at the misunderstanding, I signaled to him to remove his headphones so that I could ask him if he'd like pizza (his favourite) which we'd brought home as a treat. Before I could ask, he announced that he would not be talking to me because I was mean to him.

No pizza, then.

Great homecoming/reunion, not! It wasn't until this morning that I looked in the shower room to find five wet bath towels (yes, yes, I should be pleased that he showered!!!)...

Le Quatorze Juillet

Just 10 days (plus a few years) after American Independence was declared, the French Revolution began.

The French Revolution

La Fête Nationale, usually referred to in Britain as Bastille Day, is the annual celebration of the beginning of the French Revolution, an uprising of the common people against the Monarchy, which began on 14th July 1789 with the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris.

King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, had become increasingly unpopular as the gap between rich and poor became wider. Despite re-establishing the previously disbanded Musketeers, Royalty was officially abolished in France in 1792.

Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed by guillotine in the large public square now known as Place de la Concorde, which is situated next to the River Seine, nestled between the Champs Elysees and Jardin des Tuileries (which leads directly to the Louvre museum, home of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa).

Le Quatorze Juillet (14th July) is the start of the summer holidays in France. Celebrations are traditionally community events, parties with feasting and fireworks plus military parades.

Bastille Day in the UK

Every year, there are celebrations across the UK, often held by Anglo-French societies and town-twinning groups; there will be festivals in Reading (Berkshire) and London's Borough Market, Bankside area.

Dress up in Breton-style blue and white striped tops and a beret, add a moustache, onions and a bicycle for fun! Or go mad and hire a full Napoleon or Marie Antoinette costume or be silly and wear a French maid outfit. Alternatively, wear dark formal colours and add a scarf to represent a modern Parisian.

And this video will help you learn the words of La Marseillaise (with lyrics)... Bon chance et Vive La France!



Amazing France app for i-devices

AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY

The Birth of a Nation
(not to be confused with the 1915 film starring Lillian Gish)

American (USA) culture is so integral to films, TV and music absorbed by British audiences that there is almost no conscious division. There was a time that Britain ruled over this colony until they rebelled and, on 4th July each year, American Independence Day is the celebration of their independence from us!

We got over it… British children grow up with a barrage of Disney films and visits to Florida, understanding the terms ‘sidewalk’ and ‘elevator’ and using many Americanisms in their everyday life. Although a form of English is the unofficial/official language of the USA, it could easily have been French. Spanish is widely spoken throughout the Americas.

The Fourth of July is a United States federal holiday that embraces the implementation of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Americans across the globe traditionally celebrate with parties and firework displays.

It was almost a year after independence that the ‘Stars and Stripes’ was adopted as the national flag. It originally had 13 stars and 13 stripes, with a new star added for each new State that joined the Union. Today, there are 50 stars representing the 50 united States, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Celebrating American Independence Day in the UK.
(party information from Novelties Direct)

There are plenty of events and parties already planned and, no doubt, more will be arranged as July approaches. London has the monopoly including events at Portman Square, Camden, Chelsea, Soho, Covent Garden and several other venues.

Anyone considering hosting a 4th of July party can purchase a pack of decorations, flags, tableware and other goodies online. Party ideas surely have to start with a free standing ‘Uncle Sam’ cardboard cut-out, over 6ft tall, to greet guests on arrival.

Add some ‘Stars and Stripes’ party bunting and flags, a large drinks cooler plus a few party hats: cowboy hat, sailor/ doughboy hat, Chicago gangster hat or Wonder Woman style headband... Just add guests to your American Independence Day party supplies and enjoy!

Back to the Future Rebel without a Cause

Recently, I watched Rebel without a Cause, a 1955 film, the year that Marty McFly travelled back to in the original Back to the Future.

I have to admit that the lifestyles portrayed were getting on my nerves; James Dean played a teenager of 16/17 years of age whose parents bickered constantly and the girl-next-door, played by Natalie Wood, was physically pushed away by her father for hugging him. Both families seemed 'middle-class' and were the antithesis of the usual happy families from films of the era - and maybe that was the point.

The main character, Jim (James Dean) was a good guy whose biggest flaw was that he couldn't resist a challenge if he was called 'chicken' (ring any bells, BTTF fans?) therefore when Buzz / Biff made the call, Jim McFly responded.

There ensued a 'chicken' car driving contest, similar to the duel that was revived in Grease. This one involved driving stolen cars off the edge of a cliff and jumping out at the last second.

Throughout the film, I was appalled that 16/17 year olds were roaming the streets all night with no evidence of parental concern - maybe that was the Wild West legacy - and that didn't seem very realistic to me... until the news reminds me that this is happening in UK inner cities, almost 60 years later.

I'm glad I've finally seen the film and I'd probably recommend that film fans should see it but don't expect to love it. 

More Film Reviews...

Starting in London then wandering around

Would I swap places with 75-year-old multi-billionaire Samuel Tak Lee? Nah! So what if he owns/owned properties in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Geneva and London? In recent years, he has had to try to contain a scandal by a trusted ex-secretary who tried to blackmail him, for which he paid over £1m in legal costs. Then, just months ago, he helped to appeal against his son's wife's divorce settlement of a record HK$1.4bn. The wife, who is a solicitor, wanted half the marital assets, around HK£6.5bn. The son seems to be 'privileged' and denies himself nothing: a jet, a couple of yachts, 28 cars (28 cars!!) and half the world's expensive wine – and he demanded that his pregnant wife must have an abortion.

What does all this matter to me? Nothing really, I just came across these snippets when searching for something unrelated and found myself in the middle of a Hawaii-50 script!

Anyway, closer to home, Lee reportedly purchased 14 acres of prime investment in London's West End, between Soho and Mayfair, known as The Langham Estate, for $75 million/£51million 20 years ago – it must be worth considerably more now. It is listed as being owned by Mount Eden Land Ltd (a Guernsey-registered company) where businesses can rent commercial space with prestigious London addresses, including restaurants and offices (there's a comprehensive list of clients that have been blogged about). It’s amazing what interesting stories can be discovered just by searching for new premises and checking out the property management companies!

For instance, in Eastcastle Street, W1, outside the very interesting grade II listed Capel Bedyddwyr Cymreig, a Bugatti Veyron reminded me of the YouTube video of a ‘bobby on a bicycle’ who pulled over the Bugatti driver for not having a front number plate. This led to many discussions so I looked up the official rules and discovered that failure to properly display number plates is a fine up to £1,000 (no problem if you can afford a £1m Veyron) and… your car will fail its MOT test!! (Of course, if you ride a motorbike, you don’t need a front number plate.)

And here's a rare image of a Bugatti Veyron WITH a front number plate.

Brina

Celebrating Celts

The Scots seems to condense all their celebrations to an eight week window each winter.

• St Andrew's Day - 30th November
• Hogmanay - 31st December
• Burns Night - 25th January

On these three dates, the kilts get an airing and glorious tartans be-deck the globe across all continents. Andy Stewart can be heard asking "Donald, Where's Your Troosers?" and bag-pipes are allowed in public for a few refrains of Scotland the Brave and Amazing Grace. (To be fair, they are also heard at other events north of the border, such as the Edinburgh Tattoo.)

There is a structure to Burns Night with the piping in of Haggis, a spicy savoury dish of mutton and oatmeal and reading of some of Burns' works. By contrast to formal events, there are parties in pubs and restaurants where 'Jimmy' hats and Scotch whisky are more in abundance!

Moving on to the Irish... It's warmed up a bit by 17th March when everything is beginning to turn green, not just the shamrock-coloured revellers' attire and their St Patrick's Day after-party pallor from Guinness and Irish whiskey, but the leaves on the trees as we approach the vernal equinox.

TV should be good that evening, possibly re-runs of Father Ted, My Hero and Mrs Brown's Boys. The next day, Paddy McGinty's Goat will graze on the luscious spring grass, digesting accompaniments of left-over party hats, banners and green balloons as Danny Boy can be heard endlessly in the distance.

That's addressed my Scottish & Irish relatives - now to squeeze in something for the Welsh ones: St David's Day is on March 1st but all we do is wear a daffodil or, worse, a leek! And finally, the English - St George's Day is on April 23rd but English patriotism creates bad feeling unless we're playing football. Mad world.

Bee

Flying with Hagrid

I sat next to Hagrid on a 7.5 hour overnight flight with Virgin Atlantic - and the aircraft designers really didn't consider him during their calculations.

Of course it wasn't really Hagrid, it was a young man of rugby player stature: 6'2" tall with huge chest and thighs. His knees touched the back of the seat in front of him but when the person in that seat decided to recline it to sleep, Hagrid had to splay his legs to either side of the recliner, one knee poking into the aisle and the other hogging part of my space.

Another knock-on effect of this was that his thighs were then forcing the arm rests up which, in turn, prevented the tables folding down properly... really, did nobody test this?

He didn't grumble though. Probably thought it was more comfortable than a broomstick.

BP2

December - the recurring theme of Christmas

Trying hard not to be so 'humbug' about the whole Christmas thing, I've put up some decorations and a very nice tree AND splashed out on a couple of garden lights. It all looks quite nice... but there's no magic.

Starting with Christmas Cards - I dislike waste and, to me, that is exactly what Christmas cards represent. Whilst I genuinely appreciate the warmth of the greeting, the card itself presents a problem. To not waste the effort that went into the design and printing, in the past I used old cards to create new cards or gift tags for the following year, the surplus of which I donated to the village school who sold them cheaply at Christmas Fairs. Brilliantly, I have found somebody else who will use cards in this way so all cards are now recycled with very little effort from me.

Bah... Humbug!

Writing cards is a major effort, though, as I have lost my ability to write legibly. During the past 3 or 4 years, I've managed to send some cards to people I know. No plan, no list, just writing a few cards in response to those that trickled through the door. By mid-December, there's more of a deluge and, unable to keep up, I give up so only about 40% of the Happy Xmases have been reciprocated. That's assuming that Royal Mail employees can decipher the address scrawled on the envelope.

It's only a few days to Christmas and I haven't purchased a single present. Nor have I any inclination to do so but it's expected and, to be honest, the heavily decorated tree looks lonely without any wrapped gifts beneath it. However, the gift tokens that we'll be buying for our many nephews and nieces (because that's what they want) won't do the tree justice. Gift tokens - no wonder there's no magic... oh my god, I'm going to stop now. I've depressed myself into humbug mode after all... this wasn't the direction I meant to go with this post but, well, hey ho ho!

Em.Nester

CHRISTMAS Party Planning

This post was submitted on behalf of online party supplies wholesaler Novelties Direct of Watford, Hertfordshire.

Planning a last-minute party for Christmas or New Year?!Here are some tips...

Start with a Party Pack for the appropriate number of people plus a few more. For a small company celebration or family gathering, there are Party Packs for up to 10 people with various themes: gold, silver, rainbow, Monte Carlo, 'Tux Nite', '42nd Street' and more.  For more people, buy more packs or check out larger party packs for up to 25 people and save money with party packs for up to 100 guests.

You'll need some party decorations, of course: balloons, tinsel, wall hangings, danglers, glitzy table centre-pieces and perhaps a life-size, free-standing 6ft cardboard cut-out Santa?

Don't forget the Christmas Crackers! A variety of options available including a pack of 100 Christmas Crackers for under £30 inc. vat. Wow!

If you are organising a kids' party (for any age up to 109) you may want some inexpensive novelties or stocking fillers. And, finally, who is the most important guest at a Christmas Party? Provide your Father Christmas with a lovely red outfit (luxury Santa Suit / budget Santa Suit) and look at other dressing up ideas, depending on your party theme: 'Miss Santa', Children's Santa Suit, Children's Elf costume, Christmas tree costume, various other Christmas dressing up outfits and accessories.

Have a great party, a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

www.novelties-direct.co.uk

Going up in a Stairlift

I was looking at the London Stair-Lifts website when I was reminded of an amusing story.

My aunt and uncle lived in a first floor apartment with a private ground-floor entrance hall. They would unload the shopping from their Yaris then one would take the stair lift up, followed by relays of bags of shopping, then the other person.

Just like a kid, I wanted to be allowed to use it too but was too embarrassed to ask!

I'm not convinced that they actually needed a stair-lift for themselves at the time but having one already installed enabled them to easily transport heavier shopping items to their upstairs apartment with its massive balcony and excellent views of the coastline.

Remember that scene from Gremlins?

Nice Road in 9th Best Town

10th October: I've just walked along Wellingham Avenue, off the Bedford Road in Hitchin - the 9th best town in England (maybe you saw me - black ski jacket and jeans, fair hair, cool sunglasses - it's cold but sunny this morning).

Wellingham Avenue is a lovely quiet road set around three sides of a rectangle and has an open, spacious feel with almost no cars parked in the road (or on pavements). There are probably about 100 houses altogether (I didn't check).

Starting at the northern end and running east-west, there are well kept 60s-style semi-detached family homes, set well back from the road, until you reach the first corner where there is a small cluster of bungalows (a couple, unfortunately have their gardens overshadowed by a 4-story building on an estate behind them, which should probably never have received planning permission - or maybe it was there first but it looks newer).

Turning to the south, there are houses on the right and bungalows on the left. There was a cold east wind this morning but this part of the walk was beautifully sheltered. As you turn into the final section of Wellingham Avenue, the properties are more varied, a blend of bungalows, houses and chalet-bungalows. Most are semi-detached but some are detached properties.

I found this to be a thoroughly pleasant road, a 'nice' neighbourhood, yet less than ten minutes' walk from the edge of the town centre.

Bern.

What Can Old People Do For You?

Think not what you can do for the elderly but what they can do for you because, in many cases, what you can do for them is to enable them to feel useful, wanted, valued.

Older people are not stupid, it just takes a little longer for bits of the brain to connect. Many older people have much wisdom. If you are patronising, they know.

So consider whether your attitude should be along the lines of helping to enlighten an elderly person that you know or fetching them cups of tea so they don't have to move - or whether it might be better to form a more natural give-and-take relationship.

Remember when you were young and your grandparents loved doing stuff with you, FOR you. It's natural to want to reciprocate as you become the stronger one but there is a danger of chipping away at their independence and self-worth if they become reliant on others. This is one of the major failings of some care homes - residents are generally not allowed to make hot drinks or butter some toast.

If you visit an elderly friend, please don't automatically jump in and do everything for them. If they can do something for you, please let them.

Moving home - many times

I think I must have nomadic genes. I've lived in some really great places yet I always have an urge to move on even though I don't necessarily want to. Why is this?

The first two or three moves were 'up the ladder' but after that it was just a change for no real reason which, financially, wasn't always for the better. For example, we moved from a modern house that we'd totally re-built to an old thatched house a mile away.

Since we married, we've bought and done up 7 houses and rented one for over a year while we re-built our previous home. Our current home is almost perfect so why have we spent the past couple of years looking for somewhere else? (Which, I might add, has proved difficult because we like where we are so much.)

When we first moved here, it was because we needed to be in the town and the choice of houses available was slim so it was a compromise. Our previous five houses were in rural locations so there was a lot of new stuff to get used to in a town: more noise, street-lights spoiling the dark of the night, neighbours a bit too close... However, there was the excitement of being able to walk to shops, restaurants and even a football stadium!

We must have got used to the noise and artificial light as they seem to be acceptable now and we are very lucky to have reasonably quiet neighbours who don't intrude. There is rarely a reason to walk into town but we sometimes do and we are also near to a countryside walk. This is, in fact, a near-perfect location - which is why we're having trouble moving on... but we're looking!

The Big Bad 40

For my 40th birthday, my husband bought me a lovely 3-opal antique ring. Good start! A month later, we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary with a great party followed by a week in Portugal, returning to England to move house the following week... Whew!

The house move, a result of us both being made redundant and having to downsize quickly, was stressful (quart into a pint) and work began immediately on the renovation. Meanwhile, the dog began acting oddly and we knew he wasn't well so we took him to the vet who operated without delay (cancer) and told us 3 days later that he had pulled through and should be able to come home soon. The vet called back a few hours later to say that, unfortunately, he just died.

Our change of address required that we changed our GP and had to undergo check-ups. It transpired that I was 3 months pregnant (a vague memory of celebrating our anniversary with a bit too much to drink) and I hadn't realised because life was so busy and stressful and - hey, I'm 40! So that's why I'd gone off coffee and ate lots of avocados (rich in folic acid).

We got over the initial shock and arranged to visit my parents to tell them, came back, then a neighbour brought our dead cat round - he'd been run over.

The father-to-be found a full time job and we had a holiday in Italy. Then the worst news: dad's 'ulcer' turned out to be aggressive cancer and he was given 3 to 6 months to live. He survived four more months but never saw his lovely and perfect grandson who was born two weeks after the funeral.

Wow, so to recap:

• big birthday, 
• big happy anniversary party, 
• sold house, 
• bought house, 
• moved house, 
• dog died, 
• cat died, 
• renovated house, 
• decorated house, 
• gave birth, 
• dad died. 

All in under a year - I've had some birthdays since but 40 was certainly a memorable age.

40+

The Doors

A vague title that allows a number of items to be covered. Obviously, in musical terms, reference to the artists who gave us Riders on the Storm is a must, and the video below is a 'must see' for Doors fans. It's 7 minutes so here's some information to read while it plays...

This post also refers to patio doors of many kinds:

• bi folding doors (various frames)
• sliding doors (various shapes & sizes)
• slide & turn doors (various frames)

For each section, there is an introductory paragraph and a link to more information.

Bi Folding Doors are retractable which means that they open completely to the sides of the opening, allowing maximum width of access. They are double-glazed doors with side frames on which the hinges are attached to enable the doors to zig-zag open as they slide and fold. Double-glazing, therefore each door, is quite heavy so that the frame and hinges need to carry that weight, carry that weight a long time. This means that stronger aluminium framed doors can be manufactured with slimmer frames than pvc, which is how to tell them apart at a distance. SunSeeker Doors is a manufacturer and installer of aluminium framed bi folding doors.

Sliding Doors can overlap to open or retract into the wall (pocket doors). There are manufacturers who create glass sliding doors that are better than the 'bog-standard' patio door; these include extra large glass doors with panels up to 3 metres by 6 metres, sliding doors that open from a corner, plus curved glass doors and windows. All are available from Sightline Doors.

Slide and Turn Doors are fully retractable, similar to bi-folds but without hinges, therefore all doors open independently. Available with UltraSlim side frames or as Frameless glass doors, they are manufactured by SunSeeker Doors and ideal modern replacements for old patio doors or as room dividers. Demonstrations of Slide and Turn Doors are available on YouTube.

Post submitted by The BPc on behalf of clients.
Thanks for listening! 

Forever Replacing Household Appliances

Our central heating boiler is over ten years old and we expect to have to replace it any time soon, probably in the middle of the coldest winter since records began.

We recently replaced the washing machine, the previous one was over ten years old, and we've had the tumble drier for about nine years (it occasionally leaks).

The kitchen was renovated five years ago therefore the oven, hob, extractor hood, dish-washer and 'fridge-freezer are that age too. The oven has always leaked condensation through the door, requiring constant clearing up, and the fan button needed fixing a couple of years ago. The extractor is rarely used. We had to buy new pots and pans to use with the induction hob but it has been brilliant - until recently when, through no fault of its own, the top shattered when a heavy object fell on it. Apart from having to replace this, most of the appliances should continue to work well for some time (except the dish-washer, which is making clunking noises) and the kitchen still looks good. The 'fridge-freezer has been mostly trouble-free except for the ice dispenser which is constantly blocked; we won't be buying one of those again.

Small appliances have been replaced several times since the kitchen was fitted - we're on our third toaster, our third kettle and our second coffee pod machine.

To summarise, it seems that the cheaper the appliance, the shorter its anticipated life expectancy:

• Boiler - up to 15 years
• Large white goods - up to 10 years
• Small appliances - approximately 2 to 3 years

Financially organised people will need to put aside £50 per month into their 'household appliances replacement fund'.

h/o

Releasing Green Belt Land for Housing

What really bugs me about this is that the ordinary citizen who wishes to build a modest individual home of tasteful design on a quarter of an acre plot in a quiet, non-estate location has to fight tooth and nail for permission. Yet, completely spoiling acres of beautiful countryside by cramming in as many ugly cloned homes as possible seems to happen frequently.

Does it make sense? You can't build a single house in a field as it will spoil the natural beauty of the area but you can pile tons of bricks, tiles, concrete and tarmac in a field with inadequate infrastructure for the influx of families and an average of an additional vehicle per bedroom.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that affordable housing is necessary. My point is that the individual who wants to undertake a self-build home can rarely find a decent plot with permission.

It would be great if the Letchworth principle of individual homes was applied to a portion of the acreage released for mass new building. Seeing rows of regimented housing is quite depressing.

♬ In the Summertime When the weather is...

HOT! School's out and so are the BBQs.

We have temperatures to rival the Caribbean or other exotic destinations so if you are planning a gathering, here are some ideas for a themed gathering:

• Reggae Party - fruit punch, goat curry, Bob Marley music & dreadlocks
• Aussie Barbie - jumbo shrimp, the amber nectar & cork hats
• Arabian Nights - decorate your gazebo as a bedouin tent

Which theme would we choose? Easy! Because of the music, it has to be a Caribbean party theme!

Here, Stevie Wonder sings about Marley, party, Hotter than July: Master Blaster (Jammin) 1980. Enjoy!



Everyone's feeling pretty
It's hotter than July
Though the world's full of problems
They couldn't touch us even if they tried
From the park I hear rhythms
Marley's hot on the box
Tonight there will be a party
On the corner at the end of the block

Didn't know you 
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
I bet nobody ever told you that you 
would be jammin' until the break of dawn
You would be jammin' and jammin' and jammin', jam on

They want us to join their fighting
But our answer today
Is to let all our worries
Like the breeze through our fingers slip away
Peace has come to Zimbabwe
Third World's right on the one
Now's the time for celebration
'Cause we've only just begun

Didn't know that you 
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
Bet you nobody ever told you that you
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
You would be jammin' and jammin' and jammin', jam on
Bet you nobody ever told you that you
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
I know nobody told you that you
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
We're jammin', jammin', jammin', jam on

You ask me am I happy
Well as matter of fact
I can say that I'm ecstatic
'Cause we all just made a pact
We've agreed to get together
Joined as children in Jah
When you're moving in the positive
Your destination is the brightest star

You didn't know that you
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
I bet you nobody ever told you that you
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, you
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
Don't you stop the music, oh no, 
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
Na, na na...
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
Nobody told you Oh, Oh, Oh, you 
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
I bet you if someone approached you 
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
yesterday to tell you that you would be jammin' you would not believe it because you never thought that you would be jammin'
Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh,
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
jammin' 'til the break of dawn
Oh, Oh, Oh, You may as well believe what you are feeling 
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
because you feel your body jammin'
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
Oh, Oh, you would be jammin' until the break of dawn
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')

Beebopalula

A Wedding on the Horizon

After Christmas, my weight crept up to 12 stone so, in January, I determined to diet - but only Mondays to Fridays, rewarding myself with a relaxed attitude to dinners with friends on Saturday evenings and Roast dinners with family on Sundays.

I set myself a target of 1000 calories per day during the week, meticulously writing down everything that passed through my lips. There were often one or two days each week that the calories were closer to 1200, but that's all.

In six weeks, I was under 11 stone and we went on holiday so the diet was put on hold. Two weeks later, at 11 stone, the diet resumed and it was another month before ten and a half stone was achieved, which brought us to Easter - and chocolate.

However, enough is enough! I stopped the incessant calorie counting whilst keeping to a similar eating routine and continuing to weigh myself every Saturday morning. At the end of June, my weight is the same. I would like to lose some more before a major family wedding in two weeks' time but I think I've left it too late to make much difference.

Oh, well, the dress fits!