Christmas Day

Following on from my "doing something completely different each christmas day" officially started December 25th 2009, This year we stayed at home, we woke around 9.00am, not for us the 5.30am with rug rats eager to see what santa had brought, thankfully all that is in the past, the first shock of the day was my eldest Rug Rat bringing me a cup of tea, he usually doesnt stir until around midday, the day could only get better.....

I cooked a lovely breakfast for us all of Eggs and sliced up the large ham my hubs had cooked the previous evening, wonderful, we opened presents (yes under the tree this year there was an abundance of items, and they werent from the pound shop either" - oh yes all four of us in gainful employment certainly suits us).

There was one present opening hitch where I had put the wrong labels on the presents and hubs opened up a seven book set of Maya Angelou books, and looked puzzled at the first one called "I know why the caged bird sings", he didnt know how to smile and cover his real thoughts and look happy, he was releived when i said , Oh thats not yours, when he finally opened the sopranos box set relief was all over his face....

After both my rug rats disappeared to their prospective squeezes, me and hubs got all we needed to make a headstone presentable and headed to Peel Green Cemetary, it was very cold and the grown and flowers were frozen, but we set about with hot soapy water cleaning John Kenny's headstone and on a day usually reserved for overindulgence it felt a good thing to be doing, I (nosey as ever) looked around at others tending graves and was struck by a couple with two children at a childs grave, they spent some time there and when they all turned to leave, just the mother looked back and kissed the headstone, I was the only person to witness this as the dad was leading the children back to the car, I can honestly say its been 5 days now and the feeling has stayed with me, I cant imagine a grief worse than losing a child, it goes against nature, and is cruel and wrong in so many ways...

When we had said our goodbyes which included us both deciding that John would have thought us completely mad to be tending a grave in minus 8 (Yes john my feet, legs and knees where frozen) we headed off to Rusholme for Chicken Makhani, Lamb Karahi, Tiger Lagers finished off with a coffee (hubs had his one coffee of the year) mints and the traditional vimto lollies.


God bless us one and all

Mahooo

Reality

We in the UK love reality tv shows, but we dont like reality do we.... not really... I wonder how many of us have relationships held together with holidays, meals out and endless trips to the trafford centre to fill the emptiness we feel inside, emptiness for unfulfilled dreams we dont have the time, energy or freedom to fulfill now..... I am going to be spending and shopping less in January (obviously once i have purchased my marked down gold/silver wrap for next christmas) I might like to make more collages with scraps you know like the wombles, I like doing that.

I read a book once that said for true happiness you need to find what you like doing and just do more of it..... so maybe the answer is simple,although what about all the stuff i hate doing but still have to, cooking,cleaning, washing, ironing and solving other peoples problems, all that endless paperwork ...... sorry this not so much a blog and a random blah blah, sorry

Must try harder

Maria

Circle of Trust

Peeps

Last friday was our works do, now as you may remember a few bloggs back, I had had a nasty alergic reaction to alcohol which had left me with a three day hangover and more remorse that i had turned into " a one woman show" (that people hadnt bought tickets for) so I was "pacing myself", the meal at the Circle club was very good, excellent service and of course good company, the christmas crackers were quality, and the prizes would be useful throughout the year,for me the mini nail clippers would come in handy (As long as I know have a breakdown and start clipping my toes nails on the 256 like that strange man who sits upstairs at the front on the early bus - still at least he is making full use of the comute) a colleague who is enjoying dipping her toe in the waters of online dating, won a folding ruler, but the least said about that the better.

I did giggle when the joke from the middle of the cracker caught fire on the tealight centrepiece and our efforts to make the fire go out only fanned the flames, lucky for us even amongst our small group of 8 we had two fire wardens, so this was quickly resolved.

after our third round of drinks at a nearby pub on deansgate the game began.....

I made the Circle (for the so called circle of trust game) from the lid of a dairylea box and us large stickers on each side to give durability to the circle. we delved into the envelope for the first question:

What was the best christmas present you ever received, and so it began, an hour passed and the questioning was getting more intense:

have you ever stolen anything and were you caught (a few suprises there)
who was the first famous person you fancied - a strange collection including Jimmy Nail, Barbra windsor, cat stevens (that took twenty minutes to explain since he had changed his name/religion) Tom Jones and Dusty springfield.

The last question of the night (that I am admitting to) was.............

Have you ever been propositioned by a famous person, of course my claim to fame is Lemmy from Motorhead fame with his chat up line of "do you fancy coming back to my hotel, no funny business".... another colleague said Shane Ritchie, who said "come on girls lets go back to my room, you can sell a story on me" now tempting as both sounded we didnt have any grounds to sell stories the next morning and left with dignity if not a little curiousity as to how much the news of the world would have paid..................

Once outside manchester was covered is a thick layer of snow and that my friends is all I am prepared to say on the matter

The original circle of trust is long gone and was last seen being used as a beer mat in the slug and lettuce on Deansgate

Mahooooo

Harris Tweed

Peeps

the letter said

Dear Mrs K

You are a winner!, now you cant get a better introduction in a letter than that, and the quality of the paper was a wonderful cream woven paper, non of this cheap photocopy stuff, oh no I think the phrase your looking for is "Bespoke"...

I was the winner of a genuine Harris Tweed gentlemans Dalmore jacket, rrp £250.00, all they required were hubs measurements and they would dispatch the item forthwith (yes I am getting carried away, but I need to*. Well I had a go at measuring but decided it should be a professional so I enlisted the skills of my neighbour (and seamstress to the irish dancing stars of tomorrow, Ann), as I was advised to watch the promotional video clip on the website first we three stood around our home computer screen and watched as a posh gent greeted us by opening a heavy wooden door and said.....

Good morning sir,


Feel the quality of this genuine Harris Tweed custom made jacket, woven by hand by crofters of the West Isles of Scotland, using 21 different colours, yes made in the outer hebredes today and always will be. The quality is protected by an act of parliament, it comes complete with the beautiful mahogany coat hanger, you will just ooze style and class....

well after that informative clip I looked at hubs who was puffing his chest out and had a certain look on his face you dont see when he is eating a meat and potatoe pie at the match, oh yes this was quality the likes of which we may never see again...

Our seamstress neighbour measured him in three places (I think we were all kind of releived it wasnt a suit he had won, too familiar by far.

the following day, armed with these measurements I phoned the order through to Lorna at Harris Tweed Scotland (who disapointingly didnt have a scottish accent) and three days later, the door bell sounded at the office i work in (is there any point in having things delivered to home our home address? I am at work during normal delivery hours anyhow) I signed for the parcel and opened it to reveal something that was beautifully made and very possibly the most expensive item I have won in a long time..... a couple of colleagues tried the jacket on and then it was home for hubs.

Nervously he took it off the mahogony hanger and eased it over his shoulders, perfect, now did he really have to do a posh voice, and ask wear his cravat was?

now the next thing to consider is what on earth does he wear with it?

He did mutter as he put it in his wardrobe, "it makes the rest of my clothes look shxx", never a true word has been spoken, it could be because the rest of your wardrobe is shxx........ meanwhile somewhere in the trafford centre lurks a pair of pants/jeans and a top that will go with it all.....

more on that story later

Mahoooooo



Aparantly.

Apple Bottom Jeans

Dear Peeps

The other week (after losing a stone, did I mention I lost a stone?) my jeans were lose on me and I needed a belt - to stop them falling down and showing my builders bum. I spotted some, but as I was so wrapped up against the cold I simply couldnt be bothered trying them on so I left it, this was to be the right thing to do because.....

I got a phone call from a representative from The Perfume Shop, you know the one they have in the arndale when you have just spent £45 on a perfume and you see it in there for £32 and you feel suitabley gutted, yes that one. Anyway a while ago I had filled in a prize draw in there and won the runner up prize of

A pair of Apple bottom jeans
Apple Bottom T shirt
Apple bottom handbag

As I had to collect the package from the post office (they always try to deliver when I am at work, whats that about? shouldnt they have an evening shift or something) I carried onto work and opened the large box containing the above beautifully wrapped in tissue paper and a long gold ribbon. Wonderful, there is nothing like it

A colleague came and in when I showed her the jeans she started singing...

Shawty had them Apple Bottom Jeans
Boots with the fur
The whole club was lookin at her

I tried them on and they fit like a glove (which is a stupid saying as I only have two legs) the t shirt is fine too, the bag well after consultation with my teenage daughter who pulled a face like she had been sucking a lemon (not an apple) we may see if we can get anyone interested on ebay....

As the works christmas do is coming up soon at the Circle club I have changed the lyrics to

She had them Apple Bottom Jeans
the boots dont have fur
No one in the circle club is looking at her
She looks about 43 and is dying for a pee
if she drinks much more she'll lose her door key


Next week I should be taking delivery of the Bespoke Harris Tweed Jacket for sean

Aparently it will make him "ooze sophistication and style"

laters kids.......