LIFE IN THE OLD DOG YET

I know I have been probably sounding a little philosophical or maybe even down lately and honestly I can think of no real reason for my being in the doldrums, but coincidentally a friend of mine at work has been feeling a little less than her usual self. She said that she started feeling that way after she attended a wedding at the weekend. The bride and groom were in their 60’s and were very much in love with each other. My friend, who is in her early 50’s and is on her own, is suddenly now after a lifetime of independence, feeling that she would like to have a certain someone of her own - A companion, a bedmate, someone to share the rest of her life with. Someone told her that Salsa classes were a great way to meet men and that they personally knew three couples who had met this way – so Salsa it is then. She has also enrolled in Belly dancing classes!! Some lucky man out there is in for a treat!!

I have been attending a Photoshop course for the past two weeks, run by my friend Steve. We have been learning to glamorise portraits of ourselves. I have learned the following useful tricks.

How to get rid of the shiny spots on my cheeks, nose and chin

How to get rid of bags under my eyes

How to make my teeth whiter

How to make my eyes less yellow/red

How to get rid of moles/freckles and other facial marks

How to make my skin smoother –getting rid of my open pores in the process

How to make my face thinner (Oh joy!!)

I have still to learn how to lessen my double chin and how to plump up my lips without the nastiness of botox/silicone.

I would not subject you to a photo of me, pre-processing, but I may – when I feel beautiful enough – post a photo I feel reflects the inner me - thinner, wrinkle-free, eye bag free and sparkly.

Tomorrow, it’s my sister’s (Palmers Green) wedding anniversary; she has been married for 20 years!! It is also her son’s 16th birthday, so she has arranged for as much of the family as possible to visit one of my favourite, and cheap eating places ‘Dragon King’ in Acton (Park Royal). It should be fun as it is a little while since we had a bit of a get together and we do all enjoy a good feed – details of items eaten to follow, tomorrow (maybe).

I was working at the lower school today and one of the Year 13 students overheard me mentioning that I have a Deviant Art membership – he said that he had one too – he asked could he have a look at my work, so I gave him the details, forgetting that in my profile I had listed my interests as: Reading, Singing, Blogging and SEX!! Was my face ever red, it’s a bit like finding out that your parents are still doing it – gross!! I think I will have to remove that part, just in case he tells any other students in the school – HOW EMBARASSING!!!

I’m off to ‘the boyfriends’ house tonight, he will be cooking for me – again – I’m not quite sure what he is cooking, but it’s sure to be tasty as he is a good cook and knows what I like – he’s a good lad.

My tummy is all rumbly, ta ta for now.

Jo xx

THE FOUR AGES OF MAN/WOMAN

Why are children always in such a hurry to grow up? I was always told as a child that as I got older that time would seem like it was passing faster – you know what, it’s true!!

The day before yesterday I was at school – a child – carefree, with the only decision to make on any given day, was what colour to paint the sky, or a tree or a flower.

Yesterday I was getting married – a young adult – excited, looking forward to new adventures, having children, seeing them grow and develop.

Today I am sitting in front of my computer – a middle aged woman – content with my lot, still looking forward to new adventures, my children are two fine young men.

Tomorrow I don’t know where I will be – an old lady – hopefully still content, hopefully still looking forward to new adventures, hopefully watching my grandchildren trying to decide what colour to paint their, sky, trees or flowers.

THE LIFE IN QUESTION

There are times in your life when you question your existence.

Why am I here?

What am I doing with my life?

Where am I going?

I am neither depressed at the moment nor am I ecstatically happy - I just am.

I am thirsty for new experiences

I am bored with old habits

I am thinking that I have gone totally doo-lally (mad)
End of brain fart
Back to normality – such as it is.

My Mum and brother London Cabby are back from their one week working holiday in ‘The Palms’ (Las Palmeras). I say working holiday because both of them spent most of the holiday, cleaning and clearing out rubbish, and moving boxes and bags of stuff for my youngest sister, who has decided to sell her property in Spain. My other sister - So this is Paradise – went over to Valencia from Mallorca for a few days to join them and with her came her hubbie and two children. It’s a shame I couldn’t go over too, I would have really liked to spend some time with my sis Angie, but I am still trying to get the pennies together for my trip to New York in October. Sooo looking forward to this!!

I have spent some time with my Dad this week since my Mum has been away. We have all been taking turns in keeping him company and keeping him entertained and fed – not that he is totally incapable of doing these things for himself. He is not really used to spending much time on his own and although he would never admit it, he really does miss my Mum when she is away – aw sweet! We spent several hours on Saturday, watching Charlie Chaplin Films – he really was such a talented guy, he practiced every scene until it was perfect and he expected perfection from everyone around him – he was a difficult man to work for.

We watched: City Lights, Shoulder Arms and Monsieur Verdoux, my favourite of these is the last one, which he made in 1947, it was one of the few talkies he made and is a Black Comedy - well worth watching - Chaplin plays the part of a perfectly respectable married man, with a dark secret!!

This week I shall be starting a course on the use of Adobe Photoshop. I have already used photoshop, but hopefully I will be learning something a bit more sophisticated, so keep a look out for some of my efforts in the future. My friend Steve, who I work with at the School will be running the course, he is quite an accomplished photographer and uses all kinds of textures and effects in his photographs, some of which I think are absolutely amazing – check out his gallery here and for some of my feeble attempts, check out my gallery too.

So sorry about the heavy start to this post – I told you my moods are unpredictable, it’s called being a woman – it’s what keeps us entertaining, ha, ha, ha!!

Goodnight. Jo xx

LIFE OUT AND ABOUT

I got really sidetracked on Sunday – I wanted to write about my lovely weekend and somehow it turned into a trip down memory lane – hey ho.

‘The boyfriend’ is really on form at the moment, although I am still possibly being a bit of a bitch – I can’t help it really!! He must really love me – because he took me to a place I have wanted to visit for a long time – Oxford.

I have read so much about the place and its customs, that when I arrived it was like coming home. I know this might sound stupid, but I actually felt quite emotional - firstly because my ‘lovely’ boyfriend had listened to me and secondly, because I had finally arrived.

Saturday was such a beautiful day, blue skies, swallows flitting about everywhere and a light breeze. It just so happened that there were loads of graduation ceremonies going on, so Oxford was buzzing with activity, the Oxford University graduates walking about in their robes with their families, who had arrived for their special day, excitedly chattering away and beaming proudly.

We walked for hours visiting loads of the College buildings, Magdelen (pronounced Maudlin), Balliol, Jesus, Christchurch, Trinity and so on – beautiful buildings with so much history.

We had a stroll in the Botanic Gardens and sat on a bench by the river, watching people punting up and down in their graduation robes and bumping into other punters – each time this happened they would shout “Sorry” in that very English way – it was hilarious.

We went to the oldest public museum in Britain ‘ The Ashmolean’, which although not a big museum in comparison to the British Museum, still houses a respectable collection of Roman and Egyptian artefacts, also a collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings and old European porcelain, to name but a few items.

I would have liked to stay there longer, but our boring humdrum world was calling us home, so home we went.

Sunday morning started much the same as the previous day, bright sunshine and blue skies. Today we were having Sunday dinner with my Dad – my sister (Palmers Green) was cooking roast pork and some vegetables and I offered to cook the roast potatoes (cooked in goose fat – delicious) and I also roasted a couple of chickens, oh and boiled/mashed some swede with black pepper and butter.

Originally it was only going to be my sister cooking lunch, but it ended up being a full scale family do, with my other sister, hubby and kids also turning up and then later on one of my brothers and his two young children arrived and joined in the feast. And it was a feast, as usual too much food was cooked, although I am pleased to say there was very little wastage – my mother has taught us well and we always leave a clean plate – not very good for the waistline!!

Food cooked for this day:

2 joints of pork
2 roast chickens
Roast potatoes
Swede
Sweetcorn
Peas
Carrots
Sage and onion stuffing
Yorkshire Puddings (we eat these with everything)

Desserts
Apple crumble
Bread and Butter Pudding
Hot Chocolate Fudge Cake
2 types of Ice Cream (Vanilla and Coffee)
Lemon Sorbet
Thick Double Cream

No I did not eat a bit of everything – I had a damn good try though!!

Yours bloatedly

Jo xx

PAST LIFE

I’ve had quite a busy week this week and a very pleasurable week-end, I am content with my life as it is at present – ask me again next week and the answer might be the total opposite!!

My Mum and brother London Cabby have gone to Spain for a week – my parents own a couple of properties there – one inherited and one bought with an inheritance – lucky or what?? One of the properties is in ‘Torrevieja’ and the other is in a small place called ‘Las Palmeras’(THE PALMTREES), about half an hour’s drive from the city of ‘Valencia’.

SORRY ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE PHOTOGRAPH IT'S THE ONLY ONE I COULD FIND!! THIS IS THE ONLY ROAD WHICH ENTERS AND LEAVES 'LAS PALMERAS'

Our family has been going to ‘Las Palmeras’ since we were children, in those days in the late nineteen sixties early seventies our whole family Mum, Dad, seven kids and a Granny, used to spend two stressful days of travelling, well for my parents it was stressful, for us kids it was just one bit adventure.

The epic journey started in Victoria Station - to Dover – we then got on the ferry to Calais or Boulogne. Once in France we got the Train to Paris - Gare du Nord - a taxi or bus ride to – Gare Austerlitz and then the Couchettes (sleeper) train all the way to Valencia.

This train journey took us through life and us kids soaked-up all the atmosphere like sponges - train stations flying by gave us fleeting glimpses of other peoples lives. There were stops on the Pyrenees’ border – Perpignan and Port Bou, where my Dad got out to buy us some bottled water (not so common in those days) and nearly missed the train - by the time he reached our carriage we were all wailing and grief stricken believing that we would never see our Father again. The train continued through the Pyrenees to Spain - usually by this time we would be fast asleep ‘ top to tail’ in each of our little narrow beds – when we awoke in the early morning we would be travelling along the coast of Spain catching glimpses of the Sapphire blue sea as the train bobbed along – passing again through little village stations with strange names.

One name, which always made me laugh, was ‘ Lavapies’, which literally means ‘Wash feet’!!

We made a brief stop at ‘Barcelona’, where some friends of my parents came to say ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ – well it was quite a short stop – and finally reaching our ultimate destination ‘Valencia’. Here my Grandparents ‘Yaya’ and ‘Yayo’ would be waiting for us, together with my Uncle Damaso and probably one of the town locals - big hugs and kisses and excited and very ‘LOUD’ chatter in Valenciano (the dialect). My Grandad would always have a large cigar hanging out of his mouth and with his booming voice would announce to anyone who would listen, that these were his grandchildren, who had travelled all the way from England to visit them – he was so proud of us.

THIS PHOTO IS NOT TOO GOOD EITHER, BUT YOU CAN JUST MAKE OUT MY GRANDAD'S CIGAR.

The final operation was a half an hour journey by car/van to our flat in ‘Las Palmeras’ – this was the journey’s end and where we would be spending the next two months of our lives.

FUN, FUN, FUN, ALL THE WAY!!

Hasta Mañana Folks!!

Jo XX

THE LIFE WE CHOOSE

I’ve been back at work for two days now and boy am I tired. I have had 6 weeks of relative quiet and not really much to do but please myself. My body is in a state of shock and all I want to do is sleep.

My job is not physically demanding, but it sure is a strain on the brain.

EXAMPLE:

“Miss, where is room 28”?

“Up the stairs and to the left”

“Miss, where are the stairs”?

Games up really.

The most complaints I have heard today are about the new Government guidelines, which have been put into place in all School Kitchens/Canteens/Lunchrooms.

NO FIZZY DRINKS

NO CRISPS (POTATO CHIPS)



NO SWEETS AND CHOCOLATES





FRIED FOODS ONLY TWICE PER WEEK

These kids are almost in tears, when they are told that they can’t have their little fixes.

ABOUT BLOODY TIME TOO!! Kids all over the world are getting too fat, eating crappy food with empty calories – they are becoming obese, diabetics, with bad breath and body odour. I’m afraid we parents are to blame and I think this is a good kick up the bum, which hopefully will make us all think a bit more about what we shove down our children’s and our gobs (mouths).

Have you ever noticed how much children sprout over the Summer Holidays?? There was one little chap, who just before the holidays had trouble reaching the counter, all of a sudden in he walks, with a gaggle of giggling girls, who have suddenly decided that he something worth having - this due to the fact he has sprouted about a foot and his voice has become very manly. Oh to young and carefree again – NOT!!

Its my niece Katie’s Birthday tomorrow, she is San Diego with her brother, they have gone to visit their Mum, who lives out there. I know she will be having a really great day tomorrow and we all wish her a ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY’!! Birthday cards and money will be waiting for you at Yaya’s house, when you get back.

Well I’m off now for a bath and an early night, us old ladies really need our beauty sleep – although ‘the boyfriend’ would probably say, “ It ain’t working”!!

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu to you and you, and you and you and you.

Jo xx

THE GOOD LIFE

These last few days, before I go back to work have been quite pleasant, for many reasons.

I am finally getting used to reading with my new glasses and amazed at the difference it makes to me – no more squinting and guessing at what the words might be saying.

My boyfriend (bless him) bought me a lovely watch by ‘Fossil’ its sweet and pink and girly with little charms hanging from it – my kind of watch. I asked him what I had done to deserve such a nice present – was it because I was a bitch to him or was it because of the suspenders, stockings and thigh length boots I had worn the previous evening?

The correct answer to this question is ‘Neither, it’s because I love you’. (Cute!!)

I finally managed to get to Woburn Abbey – a long promised visit for my Dad, who now doesn’t want to travel abroad since last year’s health scare. With my Dad and I, came my youngest son, my sister (Palmers Green) and her daughter and son – six of us in all.

It is a beautiful Estate, which has been open to the public since 1955, when the 13th Duke of Bedford came to live there after his father the 12th Duke had died. It had fallen into a terrible state, but with hard work and with much love it became the beautiful place it is today.
I have never seen so many types of Deer, just walking around without a care in the world; both the grounds and the Abbey/House itself are full of interesting sights. Including paintings from such artists as Canaletto, Van Dyke, Gainsborough, and Reynolds. Wonderful rooms full of porcelain, glassware, silverware and gold of all shapes, sizes and designs. I could go on, but if you ever get a chance you should see this all for yourself.

After the visit to Woburn, we went for lunch to a pub in Woburn Sands, called ‘The Swan’, where we had a marvellous lunch. I had:

Portobello Mushrooms, stuffed with Brie and Pancetta
Belly of Pork in a bbq applesauce, with rosemary sautéed new potatoes and fresh vegetables.

The portions were huge so I couldn’t manage a dessert and I even had to give some of my meal to my son (SHOCK HORROR)!!

Today I have been out to buy my son a birthday present; he will be 19 on Sunday. It is not going to be a surprise as he was with me at the time and he had to try it on for size. It is the new ‘Tottenham Hotspurs’ top, with his name and a number printed on the back. Needless to say he is ecstatic with his present and is wearing it as I speak/write!! To finish off our outing, we went to ‘Chiquitos’ for lunch, where we ate – AGAIN!!

Fiesta Nachos
Philly Steak Sandwich, with fries and salad

ALERT ALERT, ALIEN ALERT!!

I was going to go out later to run some errands, but the threat of the Alien trying to free itself from my stomach kept me at home – I need to digest – I will be a good girl tomorrow. Ha Ha!!

Whilst I was out shopping in Brent Cross today, I went into W.H.Smith to buy some Academic Year Diaries for both the libraries and decided that I would buy a copy of ‘The Dangerous Book for Boys’ by Conn and Hal Iggulden – this is a great book, with loads of information and ideas on things that boys and even girls would like to do/make/see/discover. It covers such varied subjects as compass reading, crystal making, life saving, go-cart making, star gazing and so on. It is laid out in an old fashioned way, which obviously appeal to the boy in the man, but it will also I think attract the younger boys possibly because it has ‘Dangerous and Boys’ in the title.

Normal retail price for this book is £18.99, which is quite a hefty price. However, I got two copies – one for £13.99 and the second one for half-price £7.00!! I do love a bargain. My boys are already looking at it and deciding if they should try to make a go-cart or something else. By the way, Conn Iggulden, was my son’s English Teacher a couple of years ago and he was a very good teacher – it was a sad day when he left the school for fame and fortune – Good Luck to him!!

All this good living has made me feel like I don’t want to go back to school on Tuesday, but I suppose I have to earn a living somehow, before the seven deadly sins take a hold of my life.

Vade retro Satana (Get behind me Satan) from Conn & Hal Iggulden’s book.

Jo xx