dietdevil: I dreamed a dream.........

dietdevil: I dreamed a dream.........: So apparently everyone dreams every night, it's just that we often don't remember them in the morning. I always do - obviously I ha...

I dreamed a dream.........

So apparently everyone dreams every night, it's just that we often don't remember them in the morning. I always do - obviously I have an ultra vivid imagination and I do like to think about what I have dreamt about and sometimes, dare I say it......analyse them.

 

When I was a little girl I remember telling my Mum that I had seen pictures in my head of little boys in pinstripe trousers with golden pageboy haircuts. Now I'm sure that I didn't exactly describe it like that as I was only about 3, but please bear with me, it was the very early 1970's and the tv was the home to many a variety show, including one for kids that I think was called 'Junior Showtime' and I'm sure that's where these little golden mopped stripy bottomed kids had come from.

My Mum said ''och ( she is Scottish) don't worry, it's just a dream'' so I thought for a while that dreams were infact the aforementioned little lads with shiny yellow locks and dodgy clothes. Oh hindsight though, it could also maybe have been one of my childhood heroes - Mr Andy Pandy, minus the hat.

 

I then progressed to the nightmare when I was about 7. I had woken up one night to find our old cat Winkie sat by my bed in the dark with her eyes glowing at me and then I went on to have a succession of horrible dreams about black cats with shiny eyes.

 

As I entered my teens I suppose most of my dreams involved snogging, preferably Adam Ant or Simon Le Bon and they were the sort of dreams that you don't want to wake up from........

 

And now I am a grown up? Well I dream about all sorts of silly stuff.

 

I had a cheeky afternoon siesta the other day and dreamt that my friend Leanne's granny knew John Lennon's mum. I had to go and meet granny,  and Leanne warned me not to mention her claim to fame and the first thing she said was ''eyy, soft lass ( she was a scouser and Leanne is from Bristol so god knows) guess who I knew, like?'' Bizarre. Totally bizarre...............unless Leanne isn't telling me something hmm?

 

Then last night I had a starnge and quite scary dream. We lived in our old house, Freddy the spaniel was a white staffy pup and it was some sort of festival type day in St Ives. Martha had taken Freddy but had left her mobile phone at my friend Belinda's house and it was late and I was worried. My old old departed dog Sam was there too and I kept thinking how great he looked bearing in mind he would now be 26. It was raining and stormy.  Martha's friend Billie phoned me and said that she had last seen Martha on the beach in the awful  weather and I was sick with anxiety. Obviously none of the phones I had worked and I couldn't remember anybody's numbers anyway.

 

The wanderer returned, climbing over the back fence. She was drunk, Freddy was safe and I yelled.

 

I then woke up and for a brief moment I had to think where I was and where Martha was. It left me feeling 'odd',

 

Would anyone care to analyse this? I had no cheese last night and apart from that slept well.

 

is it because I am currently writing a proper story with 2 friends  and that my creative juices are flowing ?

 

All comments gratefully accepted, and any odd dreams too.

 

Keep it clean though........................no snogging Adam Ant, he's mine!

dietdevil: My beautiful bush.

dietdevil: My beautiful bush.: So the sun is still shining and the garden at the front of my house is a mess. We have lived here for 4 years and there are 2 gigantic lil...

My beautiful bush.

So the sun is still shining and the garden at the front of my house is a mess. We have lived here for 4 years and there are 2 gigantic lily bushes which seem to flourish without any care needed whatsoever. I unashamedly take credit for them when passers by point their cameras at the flowers and Lizzie fron the flower shop over the road has even nicked a couple for weddings ( not really nicked, swapped for wine ) when her suppliers have been short.

 

The first one of the year is now in bloom. It is perfect.

 

 

 

My Mum is a grand gardener and so is my friend Leanne - she inspires me with her patience and creativity with all things green. The problem with the bit of garden at the front of my house is that the soil isn't much cop and despite  me trying to get rid of some ancient bulbs last year, every year they come back and daffodils push through things that I have already planted.

 

I need a plan. First of all I need to get rid of all the weeds and rubbish that have blown in from the last few months. It's amazing the things that I find pushed into my flower beds when I have a good clear out.

 Cigarette ends.

 Cigarette packets.

 Chocolate wrappers.

Cans of beer.

 A half full bottle of vodka ( did you all notice my positivity there? )

 and even car keys.

 

If the weather remains dry, this year's haul of rubbish will be named, shamed and removed. I am then going to take up Leanne's offer from last week and go to a garden centre and , well, get stuff to plant.

 

My lilies will no longer be lonely.....watch this space.

 

 

 

dietdevil: Sunshine - hooray! Shopping - booooo!

dietdevil: Sunshine - hooray! Shopping - booooo!: So it's February 16th and as I said yesterday, spring is in the air. Today the sun is out and it is almost quite warm!   Martha went of...

Sunshine - hooray! Shopping - booooo!

So it's February 16th and as I said yesterday, spring is in the air. Today the sun is out and it is almost quite warm!

 

Martha went off in search of interesting pictures of rocks for her textiles coursework and bravely took Maddie, our oldest and most intellectually challenged spaniel with her. This is one of the photos that she took and I have to say it is stunning.

 

 

It's still our secret at the moment as you will notice that there isn't a soul in sight. Just perfect.

 

But back to the mundane - I am putting off the inevitable and I have to go to the dreaded Tescos. We have virtually no food at all in our house and while I admit that I could probably go several weeks without starving to death, Al and Martha need feeding.

 

I like cooking but I'm not one of those people that can create a meal our of a chicken breast, some lentils and a slightly sprouting potato. My mother can but I need everything in front of me. I'm fairly inventive but not that clever.

 

I despise Tescos and any other supermarket with a vengeance and in the light of the current horsemeat in meat products scandal then my fire is well and truly fuelled. You may recall that I was going to dabble with a bit of vegetarianism a while ago ( I failed miserably ) but now I almost wish I had stuck at it. I do love meat but I don't like the fact that these big companies have lied to us all and god knows what we have been putting into our bodies. It's for this reason that I don't want to line their pockets any more than I have to, and I do  shop locally a lot of the time but sometimes you just have to go to the big boys for certain items.

 

I don't want to go but I have to and the one consulation is that there will be some merlot on offer and maybe some chocolate and I really should start behaving myself but after the week I have had I am not particularly motivated. It will also be busy but I reckon if I take a deep breath and leg it I can hammer it out within half an hour.

 

Wish me luck.

 

 

 

dietdevil: It's good to squawk.

dietdevil: It's good to squawk.: So we are over halfway through February and today the kids broke up for a week. This means nothing to me now as I only have one teenager le...

It's good to squawk.

So we are over halfway through February and today the kids broke up for a week. This means nothing to me now as I only have one teenager left at home and they're not notorious for getting up early and demanding to be taken swimming etc.

And  spring is definitely in the air.

It is  still chilly but the light is different, more mellow and the sun is trying its' hardest to peep through the clouds.

 

I can also hear the birds again which is lovely.

 

Having lived in Cornwall now for over half of my life, the main sounds of birds is that of the massive seagulls that love to squawk.

 

When I was last in  Northumberland and sitting in a friend of my Dad's garden having a coffee, I was astounded with how noisy the birds are up there. This is because they are not drowned out by the gulls. There are also lots and lots of huge trees in Northumberland, sort of high rise housing for all the north eastern feathered friends. So when I hear birds singing, I love it.

 

I had to nip out last night around 6 o clock and was thrilled to hear a rebel blackbird singing its' heart out. Thre is always one blackbird, generally bigger and blacker than all the others that stays up that little bit later.

 

My cat has been housebound for 3 months now due to building work outside and the sound of the birds voices ( plus the fact the builders have finished ) has prompted him to venture out again. He likes to sit on the shed roof underneath the seed feeders just hoping that a not so bright tit or sparrow will risk life and wing for a peanut or peck of suet ball and then his chance will come!

 

My friend and fellow blogger Leanne is lucky enough to have chickens - Beryl and Jean. I would LOVE to be able to have chickens but there chance of survival would be nil with 3 boisterous springer spaniels. Someone that used to live up our back lane had them and Daisy ( RIP ) gave chase once and returned with a mouthfull of tail feathers. I do see however that Beryl and Jean have trashed Leanne's new plants ( Beryl is the baddy, Jean just copies ) and I know that they have both been known to wander off  on a few occassions. Very stressful.

 

So for now, I will make do with listening and watching my little gang that live in the tree against my garden wall.... and hope that my cat keeps his distance.

 

 

dietdevil: Spread the love people........every day of the yea...

dietdevil: Spread the love people........every day of the yea...: So I haven't blogged since Sunday and the last time I blogged it was sad. Don't read any further if you want happy stuff as my week just go...

Spread the love people........every day of the year.

So I haven't blogged since Sunday and the last time I blogged it was sad. Don't read any further if you want happy stuff as my week just got a whole lot sadder.

 

Tuesday started off as a normal day for us all but normality ended at around 8.50 am when fire engines, police and ambulances arrived in my street. Sadly it was my next door neighbour and her 3 dogs that were the victims on what I would say was possibly one of the most horrible days of my life.

 

Not only was she my neighbour but she was also my friend. The days have melted into one big nightmare this week and I still expect to wake up and find her still there. Her dogs were friends with my dogs, they would have a daily sniff, bark and romp with each other in the back lane and one of her dogs was a frequent visitor to my house during one of her many wanders.

 

 

We will miss them all so much.

 

And the last bit of sadness this week has been the loss of a lovely brave lady who sadly lost her fight against cancer yesterday. Our eldest daughters were in nursery together and I can honestly say that this lady didn't have a bad bone in her body. She was brave and inspiring and someone we could all take one of life's lessons from. She is now at peace.

 

So on this day, which encourages love, I would say to all of you, don't wait for one day of the year to tell people how much you care. Life can be short and life can be sweet and there's nothing worse than losing someone without us being able to speak to them and tell them how we feel  one last time.

 

Happy Valentine's Day xxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

 

dietdevil: Facebook - good or bad?

dietdevil: Facebook - good or bad?: So after yesterday's mega depressing blog I thought I would buck my ideas up and crack on with life.   I then had terrible news from ho...

Facebook - good or bad?

So after yesterday's mega depressing blog I thought I would buck my ideas up and crack on with life.

 

I then had terrible news from home.

 

I'm not going to blog about it because it is of a sensitive nature but it made me think to myself that my worries are pretty trivial in comparison to that of others.  I haven't stopped thinking about it since and all I can do is hope and pray and send positive vibes and good thoughts and lots of love to the people that need it.

 

It's strange that I still call the place that I haven't properly lived in since 1987 'home' isn't it? It has changed a lot since I lived there and I would now struggle to visit what with my Dad no longer being around ( when I went to scatter his ashes I felt almost like an intruder ) but it's where I was born and where my roots are and anything that happens there, whether to people I know well or just vaguely remember has a profound impact.

 

It's times like this I am thankful for Facebook. It can be fun, it can be naughty, it can be bitchy, it can make you laugh and cry. One thing it does do without a shadow of a doubt is connect you to people that you may never have heard from again in your life.

 

For this reason it is good. It has enabled people to send messages of love and support to those that need it and I am sure that it has made a lot of people ( myself included ) think about the fragility of life and relationships and how precious they are.

 

And that's all I have to say.

dietdevil: Bleugh.

dietdevil: Bleugh.: So today was wet and miserable. Martha had public speaking practise and decided to make all sorts of naughty nibbles to go with it. Homemad...

Bleugh.

So today was wet and miserable. Martha had public speaking practise and decided to make all sorts of naughty nibbles to go with it. Homemade meringues with double cream and strawberries are not good for those of us that are watching their weight. I am still watching my weight - I am watching it go up and up on my scales every day and I am sure tomorrow will be no exception when I hop on.

 

Diets suck. Especially on wet weekends.

 

Unfortunately my depression has crept back a bit in the last few days. I don't know where this black dog has come from but I wish it would run away pretty sharpish.

 

Is it the fact that I seem to be failing miserably at my renewed stab at being slim?

 

Am not sure but it is totally overwhelming when it hits. 

 

I am lucky to have lots of lovely friends that have suffered from the same or are just 'there' for me.

 

Some of them make me laugh lots - and tell me lots of funny tales.

My friend Mel has just returned from a holiday in Jamaica and had to endure a ten hour flight with 3 abusive drunks on board who were arrested as soon as the plane landed. She said it was like a ticking time bomb.

 

Personally I would need another holiday just to get over that sort of incident  but  thankfully she did enjoy herself eventually.

 

Tomorrow is another day.

 

I need a kick up my arse.

 

I need a magic wand.

 

 I need a bowl of the lovely stew that I have made.

 

 

dietdevil: Pear cider - ouch.

dietdevil: Pear cider - ouch.: So we had our very intellectual writer's group meeting and coincidentally there was also a quiz being played in the pub too. It would have ...

Pear cider - ouch.

So we had our very intellectual writer's group meeting and coincidentally there was also a quiz being played in the pub too. It would have been rude to say no, so not only are we intellectual writers we are also fantastic multi taskers .

 

The quiz was very different from the quiz that I was moaning about last week in that it was quite good fun. We weren't paying that much attention and still managed to scrape joint third where we then had the rather embarrassing task of having to do a tie breaker.

 

It was about Elvis Presley films so we basically had no chance. Our moment of glory was brief.

 

There was also chips which is never a bad thing.

 

But back to business - the writing went well. We all talked lots, we have come up with a great idea and I drank 2 pear ciders which is more cider than I have drunk for about 20 years so today I have had a headache and no internet. Martha has public speaking practise here tonight and there are lots of cakes in the kitchen. I have just had a slab of one of them and it tasted good.

 

There is no diet in my life this week. I cant write a bafta winner and eat salad. I am not being horrendous but my fruit bowl is empty and my dinner is not Slimming World friendly.

 

I will try harder next week.

 

Does pear cider count as one of my five a day???

dietdevil: Darling, well thank you - I just LOVE my Bafta!

dietdevil: Darling, well thank you - I just LOVE my Bafta!: So tonight is the first night of our very intellectual writing group. When I say 'group' there is actually 3 of us and it will be held in ...

Darling, well thank you - I just LOVE my Bafta!

So tonight is the first night of our very intellectual writing group.

When I say 'group' there is actually 3 of us and it will be held in the warmth of a local pub and there will be alcohol and lots and lots of creative ideas bouncing between us....................... oh ok, ok, there will definitely be alcohol!

I am very excited. For those of you that know me, I love books and many a time I've read one and thought I could have written it better. I know my modesty may need keeping under control but that is how I feel.

The other 2  writers in our group are very clever and very funny and I hope we get on well and don't get all luvvyish and start throwing pre bafta tantrums. Or maybe that will just add to our creativity darling.

We each will have a new jotter and pen and there is an idea already brewing - I dont want to make assumptions but I personally would love Hugh Grant in the lead role but I know that one of the other writers will not. She thinks he is the devil. He is to her what quorn is to me.

So wish me luck - another new venture and one that I hope will be successful, and if not successful then most importantly, a good laugh.

dietdevil: Ignorance is not so bliss..... next stop baftas!

dietdevil: Ignorance is not so bliss..... next stop baftas!: So last night I played in the quiz and the night was truly truly awful. We were a player short so I dragged along my friend Belinda, promis...

Ignorance is not so bliss..... next stop baftas!

So last night I played in the quiz and the night was truly truly awful. We were a player short so I dragged along my friend Belinda, promising a 'fun night'.

 

There was no fun.

 

I started playing in the St Ives Quiz League round about 2001 and back in the day we used to have a laugh. We also used to win trophies. One year we won so many that I had to have a conservatory built to house them . There was a friendly rivalry between teams, there was banter, there was shits and giggles. My friend Debbie used to come along too but she escaped to the pool league.

 

 I took a couple of years off from it and returned last year but am not sure why.

 

This year we are currently bottom of the league. We haven't won a single game. The questions last night were horrendous ( sorry if the people that wrote them are reading this but they really were ) and our morale was at an all time low.

 

Thank god there was egg sandwiches on the buffet afterwards.

 

We have therefore made a decision as a team that this will be our last season. We lack any real knowledge of sport, we dont really care which countries the equator runs through, pop music to me is NOT who played the drums in some obscure 1960's group and frankly Thursday nights bore the hell out of me.

 

Its' one redeeming feature is some of the characters I have met along the way. One team's captain is a dead ringer for Harold Shipman ( without the charm ) , there is a couple of very strange 'arty' people and there is an individual fondly knows as Lord Voldermort by the league who is known for his theft of art from old people, showing up at funerals for the wake grub, emptying the remains of the buffet into his man bag for 'his cats' and the fact that he never buys a drink. Ah - I will miss them.

 

I do have a new project though - WRITING GROUP!

 

There are currently 4 of us, one of which is my friend and fellow blogger Leanne . She is currently babysitterless so may not be able to come but I am sure she will still contribute quietly from the warmth of her home. The other 2 and I will have a blast.

 

We will win a BAFTA.

 

And as long as there are egg sandwiches there ...............who needs a quiz?