St George's Day

ST GEORGE - PATRON SAINT OF ENGLAND

ST GEORGES DAY - APRIL 23RD

Each country in the UK has its own ‘Patron Saint’ who in times of great peril is called upon to help save the country from its enemies. St David is the patron saint of Wales, St Andrew of Scotland and St Patrick of Ireland - St George being the patron saint of England.

But who was St. George, and what did he do to become England’s Patron Saint?
Very little is known about St. George’s life, but it is thought he was a high ranking officer in the Roman army who was killed in around AD 303.
It seems that the Emperor Diocletian had St. George tortured to make him deny his faith in Christ. However despite some of the most terrible torture even for that time, St George showed incredible courage and faith and was finally beheaded near Lydda in Palestine. His head was later taken to Rome where it was interred in the church dedicated to him.

Stories of his strength and courage soon spread throughout Europe. The best-known story about St. George is his fight with a dragon, but it is highly unlikely that he ever fought a dragon, and even more unlikely that he ever visited England, however his name was known there as early as the eighth-century.
In the Middle Ages the dragon was commonly used to represent the Devil. Unfortunately the many legends connected with St. George’s name are fictitious, and the slaying of the ‘Dragon’ was first credited to him in the twelfth-century.

St. George, so the story goes, killed a dragon on the flat topped Dragon Hill in Uffington, Berkshire, and it is said that no grass grows where the dragon’s blood trickled down!

It was probably the 12th century Crusaders however who first invoked his name as an aid in battle.
King Edward III made him the Patron Saint of England when he formed the Order of the Garter in St. George's name in 1350, and the cult of the Saint was further advanced by King Henry V, at the battle of Agincourt in northern France.

Shakespeare made sure that nobody would forget St. George, and has King Henry V finishing his pre-battle speech with the famous phrase, ‘Cry God for Harry, England and St. George!’

King Henry himself, who was both warlike and devout, was thought by his followers to possess many of the saint’s characteristics.

The celebration of St George's Day is currently fairly low key in England and much more celebrated elsewhere. However, the Royal Society of St George, St George's Day and other movements seem to be succeeding in their constant efforts to revive St. George's Day as the day on which to celebrate being English.

An interesting piece of trivia - Shakespeare was born on St. George’s Day. 1564, and if the story is to be believed, died on St. George’s Day, 1616.
An appropriate end perhaps for the man who helped to immortalise the Saint in English tradition.

Text from Culture UK

Even Google is getting in on the act!

Update: in repsonse to Barbara's good wishes.......St George's Day is *not* a recognised holiday - how 'bout that then?? But then - neither is Trafalgar Day - or Armistice Day........it's 'pick an historical event' time!

cq

Saturday

It must be Saturday [points to heaps of laundry].

MB is out playing golf, Pandora is sleeping the sleep of the elderly and Charlie is roaming about the house quietly (for a change!!)

Showed my boss my TT and he grinned - told you all he was cool!

I had a quirky conversation yesterday. After a meeting where I took the minutes, I was tappeting away zealously on my computer.

'What are you doing?' asked boss
'Typing up the minutes while the meeting is fresh in my mind,' replied me.
He looked amused.
'I should have them out by Tuesday,' I said.
'The members will have heart attacks,' he grinned. 'They don't usually get them for a month after the meetings........'

Perhaps I am being a little over-efficient?? :-)

Ah, well...laundry.......and Michele.....beckons.......

cq

Frolicking Friday

How To Give A Cat A Pill

1) Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2) Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3) Retrieve cat from bedroom and throw soggy pill away.

4) Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right fore-finger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.

5) Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.

6) Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees. Hold front and rear paws firmly. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

7) Retrieve cat from curtain rail. Get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered Doulton figures from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8) Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to stretch out flat on top of cat with head just visible from below arm-pit. Put pill in end of drinking straw. Force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

9) Check label to make sure pill is not harmful to humans. Drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10) Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11) Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of your last tetanus shot. Throw tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12) Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil-wrap.

13) Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table. Find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed, force cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of filet steak. Hold head vertically and pour pint of water down throat to wash pill down.

14) Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room. Sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Stop by the furniture store on way home to order new table.

15) Arrange for RSPCA to find a new home for cat and ring local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.....

Classic :-)

- and when I showed this to my mother, she nearly had a coronary laughing.....and fell off her chair!

cq

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things Things I like about my new job 1. My new boss [waves at boss]. We've known each for a few years and I'm enjoying working for him. 2. My new colleagues - there are only eight of us in my immediate department! 3. My new environment - eight of us tucked away in a corner of the office :-) 4. I knew more than I thought I did! 5. After running the 3-man section single-handedly for three months, my boss is happy for me to help pick up the wayside jobs using my skills. 6. My boss is a bloke. No offence to the women out there, but in my 20yrs only two women bosses have ever been any good. 7. It's nice and central - ie near the shop! :-) 8. Because I am now in a much more central part of a 7,000 person site, I am making contact with old friends I haven't spoken to in years. 9. My boss tells me to go home at 3.30 [big grin] 10. I don't, of course....... 11. I can use my experience and it is welcomed. 12. I have already put some new processes in place. 13. I think I'm gonna like it there :-) Thursday Thirteen Blogroll - All Thursday Thirteen participants can be seen on the Thursday Thirteen blogroll to your right and down a bit - go on...have a wee surf! Thursday Thirteen Blog - Yup, the phenonomen has its own blog!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants via this linky thing

cq

Wordless Wednesday

I'm handing you over to the BBC as words fail me..........

Vandals wreck children's centre.

Vandals wrecked a newly-refurbished children's centre the night before it was due to reopen.
Attackers threw rocks and stones at Whaddon Children's Centre in Cheltenham on Easter Monday, smashing 67 windows.

When staff arrived at the centre on Tuesday for their first day of work, they found shards of glass littering the classrooms inside.
Three children aged 11, 13 and 15, have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, Gloucestershire Police said.

The centre, run by Gloucestershire County Council, provides 65 full-time daycare spaces for youngsters.
It had undergone a government-funded £713,000 rebuilding and enlargement programme.
Two rooms have been sealed off while workmen repair the damage, which is estimated to run into thousands of pounds.

Centre manager Joanne Rack said: "It's very sad. There's equipment here that has never been played with that we'll now have to throw away.
"There are shards of glass everywhere and when you're dealing with babies and small children you can't take any chances."

Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/4923216.stm

ps - wanna know how they knew who did it? The little vandals were BRAGGING.....bragging about this despicable act.....and someone turned them in!

cq

Blogpimping

Time for a bit of blogpimping, I think - which in layman's terms means;

a. I can't think of anything to write
b. other people have such cool stuff on their blogs!

Aginoth! Aginoth and the family have just come back from a weekend living in the 14C and making soap (each to their own!) - catch up with their doings here!

Fizzy is holding a fun game on her blog! The Adjective Game. Dig out your dictionaries, and bimble over for a fun game!

Mah Blogsistah Dawn is going through the mincer trying to arrange her wedding - some blogsupport would be nice :-) It'll all come out right in the end........ :-)

And over in Genuineland - it is Genuine and Genuine Wife's 7th wedding anniversary [altogether now........ahh] - someone buy that man a Sheep!!

Over in the Hills, our very own OldOldLady is celebrating her 100th post (actually her 101st post!) with 100 Things!

Over on the Enterprise, Jean-Luc Picard and Beverley Crusher are Undercover! Check out Jean-Luc's latest adventure.

Daisy has a very sweet A-Z of friendship on her blog....

Fancy some Grilled Chocolate Sandwiches?? rashbre has the recipe [wipes mouth]

Uisce has actually blogged! I was beginning to think he'd broken all his fingers!

And finally, my Sweeeeeeeeet Georgia Rose is celebrating a very special birthday today :-D

Enjoy!

cq

Monday Memory

Whilst doing the whole 'Michele' thing, I wandered over to JennyPenny's blog and was intrigued by this Post.

How did you start blogging?

Well, my 'blogparent' (one who gets you into blogging) was Aginoth. Best mate, colleague, pseudo-bruv. He came into work and constantly talked about his 'blog'.
Intrigued I visited the site and discovered it was like a funky internet journal.

I was itching to comment on his remarks, so I created myself a profile. I used Craziequeen, as I have been 'Queen of the Crazies' for some years now. My original picture was a green dragon - anyone remember that?

I commented on Aginoth's blog for a while, visited some of his blogroll (mostly similar journal stuff) and after a few weeks of constant nagging from my beloved friend, I started my own blog.

It was originally called It's A Cat's Life, and I made my first post on the 28th Sept 2005. I had an ulterior motive, in that I was intending to learn to ski and had given myself a punishing training schedule - and this blog was part of my support!
I must say, my blogroll looked a lot different in those days, as did my blog before I learnt to play with HTML!

In those days some of my regulars thought I was a boy, and I can remember posting this to cyberkitten's delight.

I struggled with blogging in the beginning, thinking my life (or what I wanted to reveal of it) was too boring for everyone else, so I posted jokes, emails, pictures.

On Oct 14 2005, I rebranded! Of course, what I didn't realise is then no one's links worked! So it took a few days to find everyone and tell them the new URL. Form then on my blog became The Palace!

And it was about this time I started talking about my cats. Now, anyone who knows me knows I am barmy about my felines.......what a surprise I had in store!

And on Oct 16 2005 my dear friend Cyberkitten started his blog too - seeking answers to those eternal questions from a wider audience!

A sucker for punishment, on the 25 Oct 2005 I opened my Storystore. Somewhere to put my junky scribblings, really. In fact, I am considering closing it soon unless I get the urge to write some more. My writing muse is MOST fickle.....

And on Oct 31, I created blogs for my cats! :-) And boy, were they popular! SO many cat and dog bloggers out there! I swear they get more comments than I do! And there are more starting up every day. Having two blogs for them was too much work, so a couple months later they had one shared one..

By this time I had discovered the aforementioned Michele, and my blogroll just grew and grew. Some became distant and I took them off, some new ones arrived and I put them on.

Christmas was the month of my ambitious Blog Advent and the ambitious Christmas Memories posts - remember them? January and February were mostly skiing and the recovery from the injury [sigh] yep, I know!
And, on a more personal note, I came clean about my depression and I started blogging more personal stuff.

So here we are, April 2006 - 7 months old and my blog seems to be thriving. I have made lots of friends, I am using my blog to help with those awful struggles of conscience, I am using it as a sounding board when my depression threatens to overwhelm me (although I keep my writing in check - don't want to scare everyone off!) and I use it as a journal. Sometimes exciting, more often than not boring....but it's mine, all mine.

I leave you with an excerpt from Oct 14;

I sent my mother the first page of my blog, to illustrate my new venture into IT. She said that blogging seems essentially narcissistic.

I wonder - is it narcissistic? Or is it a reflection of the loneliness of the modern technological age? Or is it taking advantage of a wonderful opportunity to put oneself 'out there' and meet new people?

edit: Laquet has had a crack at answering my question.......have a looksee on her blog!

cq

The Weird Meme

I have been Tagged by My Sweet Georgia Rose!

Here are the rules of this tag:
Go write weird facts/things/etc. about yourself in my comment box and on your blog, then tag six more people!

Then leave a comment that says "You are tagged" in their comments telling them to read your blog.

Weird things about the Queen? Now this is going to be hard...[snigger]....

1. Since I had abdominal surgery I sleep curled around a pillow!! We had to sleep like that in hospital to aid the healing and protect the staples. Now ten years later, I can’t sleep without a pillow snuggled into my belly.
2. Spookily like YellowRose, to go to sleep I used to rub my feet together...it's really something I do unknowingly. I agree, it's a comfort thing and I did it since my surgery. I gather I don’t do it any more.
3. One of my bumper stickers reads ‘I believe in dragons, good men and other fantasy creatures’. The other one reads ‘I brake for fairies, elves, gnomes, leprechauns, and other invisible creatures that only I can see.’ I love when I see people stop behind me in queues and crane to read the words, then giggle…. I want ‘Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons - for you are crunchy and good with ketchup!’
4. I am allergic to an endless list of things……… but the weirdest one is I am allergic to my own adrenaline. Cool, huh??
5. In the Zodiac I am a Scorpio, in the Chinese horoscope I am a dragon, and according the Shaman calendar I am a snake…….very cuddly - not! The one I agree with is the Chinese one.
6. I think Johnny Depp actually managed to make Willy Wonka sexy…. ‘Let’s boogie!’ - let's be honest...he'd make paper towels sexy!

I'm not tagging - but if you want to steal this, feel free to leave a link or comment.

cq

Happy Easter!

To my blogging friends,

To my Crazies,

To my lurkers

And to my colleagues who lurk(!)

Happy Easter Everyone!!

wanna freak yourself out? Say the kitty words in a Joey Tribbiani chat-up voice - puts a whole new perspective on the picture........

Update: What's that saying? Cast your bread upon the waters and it will come back tenfold (or buttered, depending on your interpretation)?

I have just been given a big box of my favourite chocolates and some little coffee chocolate eggs by MB.

cq

Moral Dilemma

Folks, today was Moral Dilemma Day in the Palace.......

Why, I hear you ask.....

Well.......

When I was visiting Aginoth in hospital they had an Easter Raffle running. I paid a quid and got tickets, just to put money in the pot - I mean, I never win these things, right??

I won.

Not only did I win, but I won the main prize, a basket full to bursting with chocolates, eggs and all kinds of Easter yummies.

I was thrilled......then I was concerned.......then I was guilty.

Thrilled - like I said, I never win raffles.....oh apart from that one time I won an adjustable screwdriver..less said about that the better!

Concerned - I have an eating disorder (they came free with my depression - I'm on my second now!) and bingeing is second nature to me. What would I do with a whole basket of chocolate.......?

Guilty - oh dear, I have always thought I should be Jewish (no offence!). I am extremely good at the guilt thing. Why should I have all that chocolate when there are kiddies out there who would die to get it?

So I rang the hospital back and said 'Can you arrange to get my prize up the road to the Children's Hospital?'

As I type this, there is a huge basket of chocolate and goodies in Ward 33 (long stay children's ward) and lots of very poorly children who don't yet know the Easter Bunny will be visiting this year.

I did right, I know I did.
Of course, now I feel guilty that I told you........oh dear.....

cq

The Aftermath

Well judging by the mess, a good time was had by all!

Amongst highlights;

Cyberkitten pulled my maid!

My valet, Walt, was most accommodating - or so I understand! Amongst others; Dawn and OldOldLady were taken by his youthful charms and - er - energy!

Rashbre turned up with a delicious hamper of food for all including skewered Garlic Chicken with Coriander Chutney; a selection of Peking duck wontons, deep-fried and served with Plum Sauce and rather improbably some mini Yorkshire puddings with pink lamb & minted gravy. Not to mention the char grilled asparagus with the scrummy Hollandaise sauce - the latter were a big hit with Dawn! That girl knows how to party!

Aginoth and Mrs Aginoth took a short break from sewing and the media circus to join us for a few drinks and dave managed to sample most of the cellar!

Kerry left her Little Princess at home and partied down with us, enjoying the champagne a lot!

We were also graced with the company of Paste and Cheeks. The former was, I think, stopping off on the way home from somewhere else. But even in his alcoholic haze, he managed to charm Jane! Being Royalty, I won't harp on about what he did to my very expensive carpet and a Louis XIV chair!

Music included Queen [pokes tongue out at Keda), Nina Simone and The Mad.

Wendy turned up with her film crew and Yellow Rose made it all the way from Georgia, bearing a gift of Krug, Clos du Mesnil [which was duly hidden by me. Here it is, see?


I finally gave in at 2am.......not bad considering certain people had had me up since 3am yesterday morning.......[glares at felines]

Dawn and I managed a quiet blogsisterly moment before I headed off to my bedchamber. Walt and Clara looked after the guests that arrived later.

Cat and Kitty had a late night raid of my champagne stores and OldOldLady came back for more partying.....and Walt from the sound of it!

Barbara, Derby's Mum (Derby is a pal of Charlie Cat's!) and T came later to sample the champagne and dig into my crab cakes, shortly joined by Stephanie and Ribbiticus.

And to top it all off, Rashbre turned up this morning with fresh coffee and croissants for me, Ribbiticus finally found her way back to the drawing room (I think she got lost in the 23 reception rooms!) and Jane popped in to see if anyone had survived.......

btw - has anyone seen Genuine's underwear? Clara??

and now, it being Good Friday, I am going to binge on hot cross buns!

cq

Palace Easter Blog Party II

Wow, the first (UK and others) phase of the party was a roaring success and with over 300 comments, its time to open a new thread.

Champagne flowed, there was dancing and singing. Good food was eaten (and brought, thank you rashbre).
Clara has cleared away the debris and restocked the buffet tables, which are now groaning under the weight of food. Walt has cleaned all the glasses and is as we speak bringing cases of wine, beer, spirits and, of course, champagne up from the cellar.....

The Brits are now fading away to bed, and it's over to our American and Canadian [coughs and others!] cousins to keep the party going.

So eat, drink and be merry and remember - your only constraint is your own imagination.

When I retire to the Royal Bedchamber, Walt and Clara will look to your every need........and with the reputation they are both getting I mean; every need!

cq

Palace Easter Blog Party

Flings open HUGE doors..........



Welcome to the Easter Party at the Crazie Palace!!

Right a few directions around the estate;

This is the Great Hall



This is the Drawing Room where there will be dancing



Here is the den, booze and nibbles on the table over there and Walt will take care of your every need. If you have brought some additions, Walt will make a space...



and we have lit candles in the arbour, if anyone fancies a moonlit stroll


Everyone, have a lovely time!

Clara will be circulating with drinks and nibbles throughout the afternoon and evening and Walt will be manning the tables.

cq

remember - we are nothing without our imaginations! :-)

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things Things I have to do today (which are real and which are fake!) 1. Write Thursday Thirteen. 2. Do a big grocery shop. 3. Wash the floor of the Great Hall 4. Top up the fluids in my car. 5. Dust down the bar in the den. 6. Have lunch out with friends 7. Put new drapes up in the drawing room. 8. Watch friends on news. 9. Go to cinema. 10. Pay Clara and Walt overtime. 11. Move the Rolls to the back of the palace. 12. Supervise making of crustless cucumber sandwiches. 13. Visit other Thursday Thirteeners. Thursday Thirteen Blogroll - All Thursday Thirteen participants can be seen on the Thursday Thirteen blogroll to your right and down a bit - go on...have a wee surf! Thursday Thirteen Blog - Yup, the phenonomen has its own blog!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants via this linky thing

cq

Meet the Staff

Hello [dipping curtsey] My name is Clara and I am Her Majesty’s personal maid.

The dress code for the Royal Blog Party is ‘anything goes’ from Black Tie to Bermuda Shorts. Her Majesty knows you all have busy schedules and don’t have time for extra shopping sprees. Her Majesty will be wearing scarlet. Of course, it would be much appreciated if you could describe your outfit during the evening.

On arrival Her Majesty will greet you in the Great Hall. There will be dancing in the drawing room and drinks and nibbles will be in the den. Feel free to use the romantic arbour in the garden if you wish to be alone with that special someone.

You are free to advertise this event on your blogs, and Her Majesty has given permission for her gilt edged invitation to be reproduced locally for your readers. Your blogging friends are more than welcome to attend.
As Her Majesty says ‘More the Merrier’.

Gifts are not necessary, although you are welcome to bring your own alcohol and nibbles to add to the fare.

To get here; close your eyes, click your heels together and say 'Take me to the Palace' three times, click on the link - then you're here!



Hello [slight bow] My name is Walt and I am Her Majesty’s personal valet.

I have been instructed to pass on technicalities. This event is unusual in human blogging circles, but has proved immensely successful in the feline fraternity.
Finnegan and Buddy,
Lady Patches, Mittens and Mistrie.
Feel free to go on over and visit their blogs to see how the virtual party works.
Principally, the party will be held within the comments section of the Party Post. You may comment and chatter as much as you like. There will be other people there to talk to [quietly crosses slender fingers]

I have here the international times for this event [clicks on mouse]
World Clock
Please use this link to identify your own time zone. To make allowances for the time differences between the UK, US and NZ, we have scheduled the party to begin at 10pm British Summer Time (that's GMT+1hr).
I have, for the OldOldLady, noted that the start time in Los Angeles is 3pm (allowing for Daylight Saving!) on Thursday afternoon. However, we are having open season at the Palace – which means if you’re not sure, pop in and see what’s going on! :-)

Of course, some of you may be working on Maundy Thursday, in which case you may drop by any time in the evening your time – I’m sure Her Majesty would be pleased to know you have been, even though she may have retired by then.

The party will continue until…….well, until everyone leaves!

So, eat, drink, chat and be merry…….

Blogging Invite

What's up, Doc?

Time for a quick Palace roundup.....yeehaw!! [coughs] sorry.....

My new job is going quite well after a bumpy start. I know more than I thought I did about Health and Safety! My new boss is very nice - we've known each other through work for years .......and he has the link to this blog :-) Being more centrally based now I am making contact with old friends I've not spoken to for ages. I was approached after a recent training session and the young lady said 'I love your blog!' I was suitably impressed.......

My back is steadily improving. It had a slight setback last week but on the whole is almost healed.

Bird flu is here in Britain - it's official. Just thought I'd drop that in!

I have signed up to host a BlogOlympic training session. For those who haven't 'got' this yet; it's an exercise you put your blog through to see how you score on various websites. We've had loading speed, balancing blogs against previous winners, blog parties to measure number of bloglinks, and a Technorati search. I can't tell you what my training camp will be, but it's something I check regularly to see how my blog is 'getting out there'!

Oh, and I will shortly be sending out invitations to an Easter BlogParty at the Palace. It's easy to get here; close your eyes, click your heels together and say 'Take me to the Palace' three times - then you're here! Bring booze, food, anything you like. Costumes are welcome, but you do have to describe them! It will be an all nighter to ensure all the US bloggers can come. To see the theory in action see this link - same principle albeit animals! And watch out for those invites....... :-)

Remember this? Well, Norman Kember was released last week with his two Canadian colleagues. Sadly, Tom Fox didn't survive as he was executed just weeks before the forces went in to free the hostages. Prayers to the Fox family and I hope Norman is settling back in at home :-)

Edit: Anyone curious about the new arrival on my blog? It's a lickle ol' dragon fetus to keep George comp'ny.....any suggestions on names for the little fella/girly? I got the website from Killired and chose myself a ickle dragon! Of course, Killired had to have the PINK one :-)

And finally - it's the weekend, so I have done a full trawl of my blogroll. Thuis is now going to happen once a week, to ensure I stay in touch, as well as my regular daily chitchats! :-)

cq

NOT a Friday Feast

Unlike a lot of bloggers, I don't do Friday Feasts.

From now on the Palace will be having Frolicking Fridays - when I post the best/funniest emails received in the Royal inbox - like this!


This is for those born 1920-1979! (ps - yes, the little 'angel' in the picture is me!)

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright coloured lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pickup on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank lemonade made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because....

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day.

And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable or satellite , no video films or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chat rooms..........

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from soil, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given pop guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

We had football and cricket trials and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to cope with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.

They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

If YOU are one of them . . . CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.

And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?! [snigger]

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Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things I found on my way to the Castle! 1. It was a lovely Spring Day yesterday, so I went for a walk down to our castle........I went past the palm tree....... 3. Look at this amazing forsythia - what vibrant yellow against the sky! 3. Stopped to admire the glorious daffydowndillies........ok, all right, I'm getting to the castle [sigh] 4. Do you see this building? This is a school built in 1862. There were two doors; one for girls and one for boys....... 5. They even kindly carved the date over the doors so we would know... 6. Then I paused at the town pump. I don't think it's attached to the water supply though........ 7. [Oy! What about the castle!] 8. Be patient.......after the pump, I noticed this nestling in a wall. A water drinking fountain, erected to memorialise a Lt Hector MacLaine who, in 1880, died getting his troops fresh water........hmm....no water now.......... 9. And off away down the road I walked.....[What about this castle!?!]...and I found this wonderful old tree. Trunk all twisted, many branches lopped, but life still in the old husk! 10. And behind the tree, just around the corner......? 11. [Woohoo! A Castle!] Nope, not quite. Our lovely 12C church St Mary's. 12. And look at the impressive graveyard - you had to have some serious dosh to be buried like this.......... 13. [Come on - we want to see the Castle!!] OK, folks, here it is, Thornbury Castle! The building of Thornbury Castle, started in 1511 by Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, ended in 1521 when he was beheaded by Henry VIII. Buckingham's vast estates, including Thornbury, were confiscated by the King who stayed here with Anne Boleyn in 1535. Henry's daughter, Mary Tudor, lived here as a Princess and when she became Queen she returned the Castle to the descendants of the late Duke. Told you we had a castle [pokes out tongue]! Thursday Thirteen Blogroll All Thursday Thirteen participants can be seen on the Thursday Thirteen blogroll to your right and down a bit - go on...have a wee surf!

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun!

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Wordless Wednesday

Scorpio

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Normal Service has resumed....

Well, as you can see, last night was a bad night in the Palace. Such is the curse of depression, sometimes you don't realise how bad you are.
On reflection, I was going to delete that post today. But the comments came rolling in, so I left it. Thank you for your kind comments :-)
This is not a 'warts and all' journal - this is supposed to be THERAPY! Sheesh!


Anyway, did you all see that lovely message Genuine left for me on the 'Shallow Hal' post? How sweet is that man? And the blogging community have outstripped the $240 by $33 - yep, a magnificent $273 was raised by your thoughtfulness! :-) So little Ben will be remembered with a magnificent plaque in the Memorial Garden at the Anschutz Cancer Centre. Does't it look peaceful in the picture? Somewhere family and friends can be close to those they can no longer see.
Rest in peace and tranquillity, Ben. You will be remembered the world over.

oh, and Superhero Genuine?? You are going on my blogroll - I'm proud to call you 'friend' too :-)

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Shallow Me

Shallow Hal is one of those films that I caught bits of here and there, but never saw the whole thing. Well, I just watched it all the way through.
Speaking as someone who has been big (tall, bigboned and overweight - d'uh, see photo!) all her life - I found Shallow Hal to be patronising in the extreme. I know the Farrelly Brothers meant well - but Gwyneth Paltrow in a fat suit is still Gwyneth Paltrow in a fat suit.
I know I am big (I was big as a child), I am the product of tall, well-built parents. I also know I am nice (or try to be). But I still see people's faces. Especially now I am older and 'cute' just doesn't hack it. So - anyway, I finished the film and was feeling particularly bitter.....

As I have been over the last couple of days, I popped in to see Genuine. See how the numbers are stacking up and how the dollar total is rising.....

WOW! Bloggers uniting have so far reached a staggering 211 comments in the 'Tears in Heaven' post! That's $211 Genuine is gonna donate to the Ben Steadman plaque. I emailed him yesterday about the rising total - and he was thrilled! Today his answer was 'excellent!'

[checks tally] - $212! still it keeps rising!

And I am humbled. I was feeling so sorry for myself but what on earth is the matter with me! I have my life and my health. Genuine's family and the Steadman's are going through hell and I am worried about my LOOKS!! Jesus!

Maybe I'm not such a nice person after all. I look to people like Genuine, who are giants among men, and I feel small - and shallow..........like Hal.

$213 - soon we will match the price of the plaque with money left over!

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Sunday Treat

This is me and our new Great Nephew. I know, I don't look old enough to be a great aunt!

This was taken at his christening, and five minutes after the photo, he was sleeping soundly in my arms.

Make the most of this - pictures of me are few are and far between.

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Meme-meme-meme.....

A moment before the fun. Please visit Genuine. He and his family are supporting their neighbours after the death of their son and Genuine's childrens' best friend, Ben. For every comment on his blog, Genuine will donate $1 to a plaque in memory of Ben.

Laquet’s meme, nicked from Paddy who nicked it from Prydwen who nicked it from BellaBella who nicked it from .... this could go on and on and on!

Don't forget to put my name on the "theft line" when you half-inch this later on!!

How did you get the idea for your profile name? I manage a science fiction chat folder at work and we used to have monthly get togethers. All the serious bookish geeks stood at one end of the bar and all the Buffy/Star Trek fan geeks (including me!) stood at the other. When people talked about the social, we were referred to as the Crazies in the Corner, and I was dubbed Queen of the Crazies – craziequeen followed on naturally.

What song are you playing now, or wish you were playing? Piece by Piece, from the CD Piece by Piece by Katie Melua – gorgeous…buy it!

Has the death of a celebrity ever made you cry? When Eric Morecambe died I cried for days. Still the song ‘Bring me Sunshine’ makes me cry. And when Freddie Mercury died I cried for a week. Totally irrational.

What colour underwear are you wearing? [peeks] pink. And no - you can't all see....

Do you want a baby? There is nothing so soul destroying as wishing for something that can’t come true! I know!

What does your dad do for a living? He’s retired, but he was a geologist.

What does your mum do for a living? Also retired, she used to be a teacher. My parents are now retired in the wilds of Scotland.

What is/are your pet's name(s)? Pandora and Charlie.

What colour are your bed sheets? Blue and…….blue :-)

What are the last 3 digits of your phone number? On the landline, 935

What was the last concert you went to? Toughie, not been to any……..does Rocky Horror Show count? [squirts water pistol and throws rice]

Who was with you? Blind ‘date’ with some guy at work who had a spare ticket……..I was very worried when he turned up in full Frank N Furter gear, complete with fishnets and stilettos!! Mind you, that was nothing to me getting lost in the redlight district dressed as Magenta in an extraordinarily short dress, apron and stilettos!

What was the last film you watched? Just got home from The Inside Man. Impressive, but strange movie. Very ‘Spike Lee’ and an excellent vehicle for the magnificent Denzel. Strong casting and lots of misdirection.

Who do you dislike most at this moment? Tony Blair – duh!. Among people I know……..I am harbouring a long-standing intense dislike for someone who betrayed me last year. Be warned – I do not forgive betrayal easily, if at all!

What food do you crave right now? I am eating oranges like they are going out of fashion atm!

Did you dream last night? Nightmares lately – a bit stressed out in my new job.

What was the last TV show you watched? Boston Legal – with the magical Michael J Fox fighting his Parkinson’s to keep working. He’s amazing.

What is your fav piece of jewellery? Two simple bead bracelets made by my young goddaughter Boo, which I wear every day. I also wear a hematite bracelet with them. My everyday necklace is the Chinese symbol for Dragon.

What is to the left of you? The window!

What was the last thing you ate? A hot chocolate chip muffin with my coffee at the cinema – what a good idea on these cold days, although a tad pricey!

Who is your best friend of the opposite sex? It would be unfair to choose between: Aginoth is my ‘bruv’, Cyberkitten is my alter ego and Sleepypete is my Boy! So many nice men in my life - I am a lucky Crazie :-)

Who last MSN'd you? Cyberkitten.

Where is your significant other right now? Watching TV downstairs after a day tinkering in his garage.

Do you have a crush? Constantly! So many cute guys, so little time.....[chuckle] Is there one person (other than MB) who makes my heart go thud every time I see him? Yep.......no clues!

What is his/her name? Which one? [chuckle]

When was the last time you had your hair cut? Too long ago [makes mental note to make appointment] Thank you for reminding me!

Are you on any meds? Yes, Prozac, but not at the moment – I have been on them so long I am self-managing!

Do you have a mental disease? LMAO!!! Well, why do you think I am on Prozac! Actually, depression is an illness, not a ‘mental disease’. In fact, depression lasting more than 12 months is now classed as a disability in the UK.

What shirt are you wearing? Lovely thermal vests I bought for Bavaria and now wear all the time! They make fab long sleeved t-shirts and are cosy-warm!

Are you sexy? No – although I think I used to be [sob] I don't think I'm allowed to be a great aunt *and* sexy.....

What's your favourite store? Waterstone’s and WH Smiths. Anywhere with books and stationery……..mm...the smell of paper and ink........

Are you thirsty? Being a coffee addict, I am always thirsty.

Can you imagine yourself ever getting married? Not at this rate……but I yearn for a midnight wedding outdoors on a summer night, with flaming torches and stuff…….[you reading this, MB? eh? oi! MB!!]

Who's someone you haven't seen in a while and miss? Easy. My goddaughter Boo and her mother. I haven’t seen them for – oh god how long……..?……..4 years? Which is, obviously, why I wear her bracelets every day!

Where do you work? I could tell you, but then I would have to shoot you! [smiles sweetly]

So, which question are you going to answer for yourself in the comments?

And as Mar-see-ah is getting off lightly with Memes, I tag her.....and Dawn (if she hasn't done it.......and...um......Lazy Daisy!
Don't forget, if you want to steal - feel free, but remember the credit! :-)

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