Thursday 29 March 2012

The Thursday Poem

Young Woman Reading by a Window by Delphin Enjolras


To a Fat Lady Seen from the Train
Triolet

O why do you walk through the fields in gloves,
Missing so much and so much?
O fat white woman wom nobody loves,
Why do you walk through the fields in gloves,
When the grass is soft as the breast of doves
And shivering-sweet to the touch?
O why do you walk through the fields in gloves,
Missing so much and so much?

Frances Cornford
(30th March 1886 - 19th August 1960)

from the book: Poem for the Day One

Monday 26 March 2012

Start the week with a quote...

image from The Graphics Fairy




Middle age is when a narrow waist and a broad mind begin to change places

Sunday 25 March 2012

Prayer for World Peace

Dove of Peace ~ Giclee print



We pray to the great Spiritual Power in which we live and move and have our being.
We pray that we may at all times keep our minds open to new ideas and shun dogma;
that we may grow in our understanding of the nature of all living beings and our connectedness with the natural world;
that we may become ever more filled with generosity of spirit and true compassion and love for all life;
that we may strive to heal the hurts that we have inflicted on nature and control our greed for material things, knowing that our actions are harming our natural world and the future of our children;
that we may value each and every human being for who he is, for who she is, reaching to the spirit that is within, knowing the power of each individual to change the world.

We pray for social justice, for the alleviation of the crippling poverty that condemns millions of people around the world to lives of misery - hungry, sick, and utterly without hope.
We pray for the children who are starving, who are condemned to homelessness, slave labour, prostitution, and especially for those forced to fight, to kill and torture even members of their own family.
We pray for the victims of violence and war, for those wounded in body and for those wounded in mind.
We pray for the multitudes of refugees, forced from their homes to alien places through war or through the utter destruction of their environment.

We pray for suffering animals everywhere, for an end to the pain caused by scientific experimentation, intensive farming, fur farming, shooting, trapping, training for entertainment, abusive pet owners, and all other forms of exploitation such as overloading and overworking pack animals, bull fighting, badger baiting, dog and cock fighting and so many more.

We pray for an end to cruelty, whether to humans or other animals, for an end to bullying, and torture in all its forms.
We pray that we may learn the peace that comes with forgiving and the strength we gain in loving;
that we may learn to take nothing for granted in this life;
that we may learn to see and understand with our hearts;
that we may learn to rejoice in our being.

We pray for these things with humility;
We pray because of the hope that is within us, and because of a faith in the ultimate triumph of the human spirit;
We pray because of our love for Creation, and because of our trust in God.
We pray, above all, for peace throughout the world.

prayer for world peace ~ dr jane goodall

Friday 23 March 2012

Signs...


...of spring are everywhere, my loves!

The doves are still in love...


...the little garden fairy is enjoying the warmth of the sun...


...pretty primulas are blooming...


...and making me smile each time I glance their way...


...the verdigris gnome is snoozing amongst the crocosmia shoots...


...ladybirds are getting to know each other a little better...


...grape hyacinths are shyly peeking through the foliage...


...the garden angel is serenely keeping watch over all she surveys...


...and Nikki and Matty are doing what greyhounds do best ;-)

Thursday 22 March 2012

The Thursday Poem

Young Woman Reading by a Window by Delphin Enjolras


Thou are indeed just, Lord

Justus quidem tu es, domine, si disputem tecum: verumtamen
justa loquar ad te: Quare via impionum prosperatur? &c.

Thou are indeed just, Lord, if I contend
With thee; but, sir, so what I plead is just.
Why do sinners' ways prosper? and why must
Disappointment all I endeavour end?

Wert thou my enemy, O thou my friend,
How wouldst thou worse, I wonder, than thou dost
Defeat, thwart me?  Oh, the sots and thralls of lust
Do in spare hours more thrive than I that spend,
Sir, life upon thy cause.  See, banks and brakes
Now, leaved how thick! laced they are again
With fretty chervil, look, and fresh wind shakes
Them; birds build - but not I build; no, but strain,
Time's eunuch, and not breed one work that wakes.
Mine, O thou lord of life, send my roots rain.

Gerard Manley Hopkins
(28th July 1844 - 8th June 1889)

from the book: Poem for the Day One

Wednesday 21 March 2012

Say cheese!


Last week, my loves, Adrian, Matty, Nikki and I went along to take part in a little photoshoot!  The GRWE publish a newsletter a couple of times a year and they wanted to do a piece about Nikki for the eastern region :-) 


The photoshoot took place at the Boness Veterinary Hospital in Barton. We met up with Julia Boness, the vet who did the fantastic surgery on Nikki's damaged jaw, and Bentley, one of Nikki's sons, who Julia adopted.


Nikki greeted Bentley with a few growls and after that the poor little boy was a tad wary of his Mum!  He was a little reluctant to stand too close to her for the photos but a little bribe did the trick ;-)


I confess, sweetie~pies, that I have often felt like growling at my son ~ and my daughter, too, come to that ;-)

If you click on the photo above it should show it in a larger scale, and you can see how wonderful Nikki's mouth looks now. 


A closer view of Nikki's beautifully healed mouth.  Compare this photo with those in the post here!


My gorgeous little girlie.

Just look into those eyes and feel your heart melt.....

Wednesday Weigh-in



This week: 22st 5lbs (313 pounds)
= no change
Total Loss 2.5lbs 

What can I say, my loves, except at least it isn't a gain!

Tuesday 20 March 2012

Engelbert Humperdinck - Love Will Set You Free




This year's Eurovision Song Contest entry from the UK, sweetie~pies.

Lovely song but sadly I don't think it will prove to be a winner ~ waaaay too much "politics" involved in Eurovision.....

Monday 19 March 2012

Start the week with a quote...

image from The Graphics Fairy




Become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid

Sunday 18 March 2012

Happy Mother's Day!


image from Vintage Holiday Crafts

Wishing you all a very happy Mother's Day, my loves ~ hoping you have a day of being spoiled rotten ;-)

Prayer for World Peace

Dove of Peace ~ Giclee print



We pray to the great Spiritual Power in which we live and move and have our being.
We pray that we may at all times keep our minds open to new ideas and shun dogma;
that we may grow in our understanding of the nature of all living beings and our connectedness with the natural world;
that we may become ever more filled with generosity of spirit and true compassion and love for all life;
that we may strive to heal the hurts that we have inflicted on nature and control our greed for material things, knowing that our actions are harming our natural world and the future of our children;
that we may value each and every human being for who he is, for who she is, reaching to the spirit that is within, knowing the power of each individual to change the world.

We pray for social justice, for the alleviation of the crippling poverty that condemns millions of people around the world to lives of misery - hungry, sick, and utterly without hope.
We pray for the children who are starving, who are condemned to homelessness, slave labour, prostitution, and especially for those forced to fight, to kill and torture even members of their own family.
We pray for the victims of violence and war, for those wounded in body and for those wounded in mind.
We pray for the multitudes of refugees, forced from their homes to alien places through war or through the utter destruction of their environment.

We pray for suffering animals everywhere, for an end to the pain caused by scientific experimentation, intensive farming, fur farming, shooting, trapping, training for entertainment, abusive pet owners, and all other forms of exploitation such as overloading and overworking pack animals, bull fighting, badger baiting, dog and cock fighting and so many more.

We pray for an end to cruelty, whether to humans or other animals, for an end to bullying, and torture in all its forms.
We pray that we may learn the peace that comes with forgiving and the strength we gain in loving;
that we may learn to take nothing for granted in this life;
that we may learn to see and understand with our hearts;
that we may learn to rejoice in our being.

We pray for these things with humility;
We pray because of the hope that is within us, and because of a faith in the ultimate triumph of the human spirit;
We pray because of our love for Creation, and because of our trust in God.
We pray, above all, for peace throughout the world.

prayer for world peace ~ dr jane goodall

Thursday 15 March 2012

The Thursday Poem

Young Woman Reading by a Window by Delphin Enjolras



Spring Cleaning

March bustles in on windy feet
And sweeps my doorstep and my street.
She washes and cleans with pounding rains,
Scrubbing the earth of winter stains.
She shakes the grime from carpet green
Till naught but fresh new blades are seen.
Then, house in order, all neat as a pin,
She ushers gentle springtime in.


Susan Reiner

Wednesday 14 March 2012

Wednesday Weigh-in



This week: 22st 5lbs (313 pounds)
= -3/4 lbs
Total Loss: 2.5 lbs

At least it is a loss, not a gain, I suppose! 

Talking-the-talk is all very well but it's so flippin hard to actually walk-the-walk, my loves *sigh* 

I think this week's report card would say "Sharon is capable of so much more if only she would actually try".  Although I am very disappointed with myself, sweetie~pies, I have at least returned to the gym.  There is really nothing more I can say, no excuses to make ~ hey ho, onwards and upwards... 

The Knots Prayer

The Knot's Prayer
image from ScrapGirls Digital Scrapbooking

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Sometimes.....

Monday 12 March 2012

Start the week with a quote...

image from The Graphics Fairy




Children are one third of our population and all of our future

Sunday 11 March 2012

Prayer for World Peace

Dove of Peace ~ Giclee print




We pray to the great Spiritual Power in which we live and move and have our being.
We pray that we may at all times keep our minds open to new ideas and shun dogma;
that we may grow in our understanding of the nature of all living beings and our connectedness with the natural world;
that we may become ever more filled with generosity of spirit and true compassion and love for all life;
that we may strive to heal the hurts that we have inflicted on nature and control our greed for material things, knowing that our actions are harming our natural world and the future of our children;
that we may value each and every human being for who he is, for who she is, reaching to the spirit that is within, knowing the power of each individual to change the world.

We pray for social justice, for the alleviation of the crippling poverty that condemns millions of people around the world to lives of misery - hungry, sick, and utterly without hope.
We pray for the children who are starving, who are condemned to homelessness, slave labour, prostitution, and especially for those forced to fight, to kill and torture even members of their own family.
We pray for the victims of violence and war, for those wounded in body and for those wounded in mind.
We pray for the multitudes of refugees, forced from their homes to alien places through war or through the utter destruction of their environment.

We pray for suffering animals everywhere, for an end to the pain caused by scientific experimentation, intensive farming, fur farming, shooting, trapping, training for entertainment, abusive pet owners, and all other forms of exploitation such as overloading and overworking pack animals, bull fighting, badger baiting, dog and cock fighting and so many more.

We pray for an end to cruelty, whether to humans or other animals, for an end to bullying, and torture in all its forms.
We pray that we may learn the peace that comes with forgiving and the strength we gain in loving;
that we may learn to take nothing for granted in this life;
that we may learn to see and understand with our hearts;
that we may learn to rejoice in our being.

We pray for these things with humility;
We pray because of the hope that is within us, and because of a faith in the ultimate triumph of the human spirit;
We pray because of our love for Creation, and because of our trust in God.
We pray, above all, for peace throughout the world.

prayer for world peace ~ dr jane goodall

Saturday 10 March 2012

A Monthly Make for 2012: March


My March Monthly Make for 2012 is knitted and crocheted dishcloths, sweetie~pies.

I was rummaging through my stash of yarn when I came across some part-used balls of James C. Brett Kool Kotton, and as soon as I touched it the idea popped into my head to make some dishcloths.  It is 50% cotton and 50% acrylic but it feels just like cotton.  I know that dishcloths are usually made with a cotton yarn but I am sure this will be fine :-)


I must admit that I prefer the crocheted dishcloths, to be honest.  They came out larger than the knitted ones and I like the texture better, although the moss stitch knitted cloth (in the top photo) is nice too and I would be happy to make more like it, just increasing the size a little. 

The crocheted ones were made using little oddments which is why they are not the most attractive looking dishcloths in the world.  But I still think they are prettier than bought ones ;-)  Both cloths have the first and last rows crocheted in double-crochet.  I made one in trebles throughout and the other in alternating rows of treble and half-treble.  One knitted cloth was made in moss stitch throughout and the other in stocking stitch, with a garter stitch border all round. 

As you can see, I didn't bother with blocking any of the dishcloths ~ it seemed a wee bit of a pointless exercise to be honest, my loves.....or perhaps I'm just lazy LOL  I still have some of this yarn left so will use it to make more cloths.  They are only about 8"-9" square so make lovely quick little projects and would be ideal for trying out new stitches, both knitted and crocheted :-)      

Friday 9 March 2012

Thursday 8 March 2012

The Thursday Poem

Young Woman Reading by a Window by Delphin Enjolras



The Wind

I saw you toss the kites on high
And blow the birds about the sky;
And all around I heard you pass,
Like ladies' skirts across the grass

Oh wind, a blowing all day long,
Oh wind, that sings so loud a song!

I saw the different things you did,
But always you yourself you hid.
I felt you push, I heard you call,
I could not see yourself at all

Oh wind, a blowing all day long!
Oh wind, that sings so loud a song!

O you that are so strong and cold,
O blower, are you young or old?
Are you a beast of field and tree,
Or just a stronger child than me?

O wind, a blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!



Robert Louis Stevenson
(13th November 1850 - 3rd December 1894)

Wednesday 7 March 2012

Wednesday Weigh-in


This week: 22st 5 3/4lbs (313.75 pounds)
 = -1.75lbs

To be frank, sweetie~pies, I amazed that I am reporting a loss this week!  After a grotty week, I was convinced that the very best I could hope for would be to stay at the same weight.  Needless to say, I am delighted and not a little relieved ;-)

This last week has not been a particularly good one, my loves.  After not having had a period since 1st November ~ and subsequently getting my hopes up that perhaps they were going to finish ~ one arrived last Friday :-(  As you might have guessed it has been very heavy, leaving me feeling absolutely washed-out, very sore and totally out of sorts.  Surprisingly, though, I had virtually no pain whatsoever!

However, unsurprisingly, I turned to food for comfort as usual *sigh*  Still, looking on the bright side, with the amount I stuffed down myself things could have been a whole lot worse and a loss of 1 3/4lbs in such circumstances is pretty good even if I do say so myself ;-)

I'm feeling much better both physically and mentally now, so here's hoping that this week progresses more smoothly!

Monday 5 March 2012

Different sleeping positions

I was sent this bundle of cuteness in an email, sweetie~pies, and thought I would share :-)
The Half Sit-up
To achieve the half sit-up, you must begin with the intention of exercising your abs and promptly fall asleep midway through the task. This position is extremely advanced and not recommended for amateur sleepers.


The Awkward Spoon
The goal here is not so much for intimacy, as it is the socially uncomfortable sharing of your physical space with someone. Bonus points if your arm falls asleep and you're too scared to move it.


The Cool Dude
The trick here is to look totally relaxed while you're really extremely uncomfortable.


Bed Hog
The goal is not so much comfort, as an expression of sheer, unadulterated greed.

Thinking Outside the Box
Two of your feet - preferably on opposite sides of your body - must remain outside the box at all times.

The Pile-Up
You end up colliding with at least three others, and you are hoping they all have insurance.

Be The Box
You must be able to get your whole body in the box, no matter what it takes. Become one with the box!

The Radiator
Your main goal here is not about comfort......it's just about warmth.

The Sleeping Dog
This one is easy. Find a dog. Imitate the dog.

The Positive Thinker
You refuse to be let a bad situation get the best of you.

The Drying Rack
Imagine that you are a wet t-shirt. Drape yourself accordingly.


The Head-Rush
Lay on your back, head hanging off the side, paws in the air - and let gravity do the rest. A pounding headache will incur shortly.

The Non-Conformist
You will first need to find two willing conformists, in order to make your statement.

The Mid-Sentence
This position is only for those with extreme forms of narcolepsy.

Some Assembly Required
Have a friend take you apart and then try to reassemble you from memory.

Same as above, except without the box.

The Dog Bed
It's probably the most comfortable bed you will ever sleep on, but smells kind of funky.

The Dreaded Mid-Afternoon Slump
Eating a big lunch, then falling asleep at your desk.