Tuesday 29 September 2009

Carved in Stone - update

At the weekend I visited Black Rock, a much loved destination from childhood.  My son loved it as much as I remember loving it as a child.  Whilst I was there I took a closer look at some of the fine detail and the effort put in many of the engravings on the rock face and I was amazed.  There are some beautiful and almost profound inscriptions left for posterity.  I wish I had a photograph, but the next best thing is to link you to an image I found on flickr.

Monday 28 September 2009

Green tomato chutney

I finally put the green tomatoes to good use and made some chutney and I can honestly say that it is delicious and goes very well with cheese.  I would ordinarily post a photo here but my camera is broken but I'll post one soon.  10 jars worth should keep me going!  Growing tomatoes was a worthwhile exercise after all, even without a glorious sunny summer to ripen them.

Some Films I don't like so much

There aren't many films I wouldn't sit through but I can honestly say I was a sleep, within 5 mins, after going to see the much hyped 'Blair Witch Project'.  Well that was 10 years ago now and I haven't fallen a sleep at the cinema since.  But then again I haven't been to the cinema for quite some time now.  But I do love the experience.

Since my last post I have thought of some films that I didn't enjoy (and not that they were altogether bad - I just don't think I could bring myself to watch them again):
  • The fisher king
  • One hour photo
  • Casino Royale
  • The Flintstones
  • The Hudsucker Proxy
  • About Schmidt
  • Sleepers
  • LA Confidential
  • Shine
  • Being John Malkovich
Well that's all I can think of right now.  I'd like to know if anybody disagrees.

Saturday 26 September 2009

Lovely weather

I can't believe it's only 90 days until Christmas.  You wouldn't know by today's weather:

Some Films I like

I couldn't think of a post today so I thought I would write down some of my favourite films (in no particular order):
  • Contact (and the book is excellent too)
  • The Matrix (the two sequels ruined my affection for this film)
  • Erin Brockovitch
  • The Lord of the Rings
  • Goodbye Lenin
  • Amelie
  • Signs
  • the 6th sense
  • unbreakable
  • Groundhog Day
  • The Incredibles
  • Bridget Jones
  • Four Weddings and a Funeral
  • The Trueman Show
  • The Abyss
  • Dances with Wolves
  • the Cider House Rules
  • The Shawshank Redemption
  • Forest Gump
  • Big
  • Freaky Friday (jodie foster)
  • Castaway
  • Dazed and Confused

I love films so this list could go on and on and on; what are your favourites?  I think I'll do a post soon of some of my favourite actors.  Bye for now.

Monday 21 September 2009

Painting Again

Thanks to my blog of last week I finally got round to getting out my paints and brushes and did some work on one of my favourite paintings (which is never finished).  Its still a work in progress but now it has pride of place on my kitchen wall.

Ripe and ready

At last a lovely crop of red tomatoes.  Although the other 2kg will have to go into a nice chutney.

Wednesday 16 September 2009

Trolls or Hippopotamuses?

As a child I found the Moomins television series quite scary.  I didn't understand the story lines and they always seemed quite dark.  Now I am older I am very fond of these characters and although I wouldn't choose to watch an episode of Tove Jansson creations, in animated form, I do appreciate the simplicity of the characters she created but I am confused as to why they are said to be a family of trolls when clearly they are a family of hippopotamuses, are they not?

Russell Brand

Have you ever watched Russell Brand's Ponderland.  It is the funniest thing I've ever seen. If you've never seen it go and watch an episode now.

One of my paintings

I used to paint quite a lot but I don't any more.  Its one of those 'I like doing it... but I'm not really sure if I'm any good at it' sort of hobbies.  But why should that stop me?  I don't think it will any more.  Committing this to my blog may now encourage me to pick up my brushes again.  What do you think?

Its a good day


How lush!  I was over the moon when Cadbury's bought back the Wispa.  I enjoy one with a nice cup of coffee.  What a stroke of luck to come across this at lunchtime!

Saturday 12 September 2009

Writing a book

Is it easy or is it hard? You decide. A few years ago I had an idea for a children's book.  Revolving around how exciting the world seemed to be outside of the classroom.

Page 1 Off School

On those days when your mum lets you stay off from school because you were a bit under the weather and everyone else would be in school.  You get to eat biscuits and have special treats.  You can lie in bed or on the settee under your duvet and watch television.  Back in the classroom the next day you would long to be out in the world again.
Page 2 Fun at home

Imagining what was going on back home you just knew everyone else was having fun.  Eating cake and party food.  Feeding the ducks in the park and watching films and eating popcorn.



Page 3 Back at School

But back at school you got to play games with your friends, paint and draw pictures, dance and play sports.  All things you couldn't do at home.  It wasn't so bad after all.  Those occasions of being out school when everybody else is in school wouldn't be so special if they happened every day.  So you get on and enjoy your childhood and your time at school (well most of the time).

The end.
What do you think?


Oak trees

I love oak trees and last year a tree grown from seed finally put out 4 acorns. This year I have the offspring of that original tree in two baby oak trees.  I thought I would need to wait 20 years for this cycle of events to take place.  Turns out it's less than 10!

Friday 11 September 2009

Carved in stone

As a child I tried on several occasions to etch out my name on large boulders and rock faces always ending up with a chalky line when I could see people like 'JAG + JO' (albeit in slightly angular font) managed to seemingly effortlessly carve the deepest letters, as if writing in butter with a hot knife.  Obviously I now no longer try to deface the natural environment but it would be nice to leave my mark.  Although in retrospect I'm glad I don't have to look back on my name in the same classy fashion as JAG + JO.

Artistic stone masonry is just amazing take the 'Seed' carved out of a piece of 300 million-year-old Cornish granite by Peter Randall-Page at the Eden Project or the works of Isamu Noguchi or Andy Goldsworthy for instance who's master-pieces have amazed visitors at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in the past few years.  I am truly in awe of such amazing pieces of sculpture.  But honestly where do you start? I certainly don't think these guys started out by attempting to carve their name at Blackrock?

Red tomatoes

After just 6 days of being indoors my tomatoes finally show signs of ripening.

Thursday 10 September 2009

The Mind of a Child

It always amazes me when a child does or says something unexpected.  Today my son drew a picture of Colin.  I won't go into who Colin is suffice to say he is of average height and evenly proportioned more or less.  But my son obviously see's him in a different light. 

Fried Green Tomatoes

What to do with an entire years' crop of tomatoes that refused to ripen?  Other than green tomato chutney or fried green tomatoes, what do you do with them?  They are now taking up space on the kitchen window sill in the vain attempt to ripen them off  before they wither and die.  

Sheffield University's Arts Tower

Sheffield's promotion of 'safe sex' to this years' intake of fist year undergraduates.  A giant sheathed erection.  A nice look for the Arts Tower I thought.

Green Roofs

A green roof is an engineered surface usually above a building that slows down the flow of rainwater and reduces the risk of storm surges after intense rainfall.  Whilst they have been used for many years in mainland Europe and Canada they are becoming more and more popular in many urban environments around the world due to increasingly large areas of hard/impermeable surfacing in towns and cities.  However there are other benefits to having a green roof:
  • increases biodiversity;
  • saves energy by improving insulation and reducing the need to artificially cool a building in summer (and heat in winter);
  • lengthens the life-span of the roof;
  • reduces the Urban Heat Island Effect;

I would like to shamelessly promote the good work of the The Green Roof Centre who provided me with some excellent practical training on the concept of having a green roof.

I now have to think of way in which I can incorporate a small area of green roof - maybe i'll start with my bug box.

Wednesday 9 September 2009

IT service desk

This is the happy little fellow I imagine every time I am told I should contact the IT service desk at work.

The road less travelled

I like where I live and feel fortunate to live in England.  It is a great country and yes everything is far from perfect but the freedom that exists without the need to set it out in a constitution is a marvellous achievement, in my opinion.  I may take my lifestyle for granted most of the time but every now and again I am reminded of what a nice place it is to be. Today I sat in a park, the sun was shining and I was listening to some really beautiful music through my headphones.  Those occasions of sitting and doing nothing are a treasure to behold.

Welcome to my blog


What does it mean? Well my understanding of 'Ayers ya bugs' (and that's my spelling interpretation of this expression) is from my husband and it's a bit of a geordie colloquialism or so is my understanding.  It seems to mean 'ow stop it that hurts you little bugger' or 'get off that hurts' and it would usually follow after one brother punching/pinching the other.  Why call my blog after some obscure dialectical expression?  I don't know.  I think I just like the sound of it.  Hence the 'I haven't given it any thought' and basically it was my husbands suggestion for me to set up a blog.

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