how to choose the words to tell you about our nan? we can tell you where and when our nan was born, that she had one sister and three brothers. that, at the age of 14, nan went into service and at the age of 18 she joined the ATS, where she was to meet our grandad.
these are some of the happenings from our nan’s life but we would like to share with you our nan, as we remember her.
all of us will have so many of our own precious memories but did you know that our nan could tickle a trout? it was quite easy apparently! sundays at nan’s house meant roast dinner with all the trimmings – her roast spuds were THE best, and her apple courting cake really was legendary. nan always had to make extra for us, some for now and some for later.
although nanny never had much, what she did have was always shared. nan’s door was always open and everyone was always welcome through it. anyone who befriended one of the family became one of the family and everyone who came into nan’s home always went away with a full tummy.
nan was always there for us, to listen to us ... to give us advice. but no matter what happened in our lives, no matter what choices we made, nan never judged or criticised. nanny was happy if we were happy and was always so proud of even the smallest achievement.
i do mean this in the nicest way, but i won’t need to tell you that nan had her stubborn and contrary moments! when nan would tell you about her day, or something that had happened, we would pretend to tell her off, saying ‘nan, you can be so contrary sometimes’. she would look at you, the biggest smile would light up her face and she would say ‘yes, but i am lovely with it!’. and she really was, and that would get her off the hook so many times. nan had such a sense of humour and boy, did she have a wicked laugh!
did you know that nan had a jar of magic cream in her cupboard? when we were little and had bumped or grazed ourselves, nanny’s magic cream would make an appearance and with a little dab of cream whatever hurt had ailed us would be cured. it wasn’t until we were quite a bit older that one of us asked what nanny’s magic cream had been ... it was a tub of nivea! and the magic ingredient ... the one that stopped the pain and the tears ... that was love.
nan shared her love of nature with us, even the shortest walk would have nan passing on the names of flowers, plants and trees and she loved to watch the birds feeding in her garden, the antics of the squirrels trying to steal the bird’s food would have her in stitches.
nan also passed on strength, determination, so much love, the importance of loved ones and i hope, a little of that contrariness! we just hope that we can be as ‘lovely with it’ too!
for every memory we commit to paper, we remember another dozen that we haven’t mentioned here. what a lovely legacy though ... a lifetime of love, laughter and happy memories.
with all of our love, good night nanny, God bless and don’t let those bed bugs bite!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
what we miss about our nan.
i miss nan now she’s gone.
i miss her threatening to hit me with her stick.
i miss her smile as she takes the swipe.
i miss telling her how much we love her.
i miss her saying “love you lots”.
i miss her sitting in her chair.
i miss her roast potatoes.
i miss her “aunt bessie” yorkshire puds.
i miss her “apple courting cake”.
i miss talking to her, never judging.
i miss her support.
but most of all, we miss you, nan.
Monday, April 21
Friday, April 4
quote of the week
from ken livingstone, on his 'five children by three women' shocker being 'discovered' by some tabloid or other (don't ya just love 'em!).
"I have never discussed my private life because it is not a relevant factor. I don't think anybody in this city will be shocked by what two consenting adults do, as long as you don't include children, animals and vegetables"
just a wee p.s. to the original post - i was on the bbc site this morning and a member of the concerend public had written to express his dismay that mr livingstone hadn't included 'dead people' on his of things that two consenting adults shouldn't include! what can we infer from this mr sun reporter?!
"I have never discussed my private life because it is not a relevant factor. I don't think anybody in this city will be shocked by what two consenting adults do, as long as you don't include children, animals and vegetables"
just a wee p.s. to the original post - i was on the bbc site this morning and a member of the concerend public had written to express his dismay that mr livingstone hadn't included 'dead people' on his of things that two consenting adults shouldn't include! what can we infer from this mr sun reporter?!
Tuesday, March 18
stanza 2008
well, where to start? i was just blown away and i don't think my mind has stopped buzzing since we came home. who would have though that three days in st andrews would have opened up so many new doors! the best way that i can describe it is like, open your eyes really really wide into a bug-eyed stare of amazement - that's how my imagination feels right now.
so, we managed to see ...
this was a great start to my festival (m had already started the day before with some frisian, dutch and norwegian poetry). the way rick foot's hands (ha!) moved over the double bass was like watching warm honey spread itself over a slice of hot toast, i was mesmerized. keith's vocals and guitar playing were the perfect compliment. it all got a little mellow though and m and i had to fight falling asleep - in the nicest possible way.
where to begin ... ?!
the stanza brochure describes kenneth white as the premier figure in geopoetics, a poet, a thinker and teacher - to me, quite simply, a god.
m had seen kenneth white before and owns a number of his books. again, a sad lacking on my part meant that the only awareness i had was from m reading scotia desertia to g and me whilst we were on a camping trip. although, by amazing coincidence i picked up a book i fancied on our last trip to the library, which turned out to be 'on the atlantic edge', on noticing this m thought i was doing a little reading up before our trip to see him, but it was just a happy coincidence!
i could have listened to this man all night and his conversation and reading was over in the blink of an eye. i wondered aloud to m that, perhaps, if we asked really nicely did he think that mr white would consider being our house guest for a while so that we could listen to him some more!
as the reading came to an end and we were being ushered out of the hall, the magnanimous mr white told everyone that he would be available in the foyer to sign books and to continue the conversation, he was at our disposal. unfortunately we couldn't hang around as we had to get home and to bed for the early rise and our final day of stanza. plus, the longer i heard him speak, the harder it would have been for m to drag me away! got home to pick up 'on the atlantic edge' as some bed time reading :)
then, our final day of stanza ...
so, we managed to see ...
- the poems of frederico garcia lorca
this was a great start to my festival (m had already started the day before with some frisian, dutch and norwegian poetry). the way rick foot's hands (ha!) moved over the double bass was like watching warm honey spread itself over a slice of hot toast, i was mesmerized. keith's vocals and guitar playing were the perfect compliment. it all got a little mellow though and m and i had to fight falling asleep - in the nicest possible way.
- past and present
chaired by colin will, with penelope shuttle on h.d. and tess gallagher on raymond carver
i'm ashamed to admit that i had only a passing awareness of these poets before today but i felt privileged to listen to penelope's biography and discussion of h.d. with readings of some of her works and tess's, at times touching and poignant, portrayal of raymond carver. further reading and enjoyment is forecast!- reading and in conversation
where to begin ... ?!
the stanza brochure describes kenneth white as the premier figure in geopoetics, a poet, a thinker and teacher - to me, quite simply, a god.
m had seen kenneth white before and owns a number of his books. again, a sad lacking on my part meant that the only awareness i had was from m reading scotia desertia to g and me whilst we were on a camping trip. although, by amazing coincidence i picked up a book i fancied on our last trip to the library, which turned out to be 'on the atlantic edge', on noticing this m thought i was doing a little reading up before our trip to see him, but it was just a happy coincidence!
i could have listened to this man all night and his conversation and reading was over in the blink of an eye. i wondered aloud to m that, perhaps, if we asked really nicely did he think that mr white would consider being our house guest for a while so that we could listen to him some more!
as the reading came to an end and we were being ushered out of the hall, the magnanimous mr white told everyone that he would be available in the foyer to sign books and to continue the conversation, he was at our disposal. unfortunately we couldn't hang around as we had to get home and to bed for the early rise and our final day of stanza. plus, the longer i heard him speak, the harder it would have been for m to drag me away! got home to pick up 'on the atlantic edge' as some bed time reading :)
then, our final day of stanza ...
a long weekend in march
without concrete plans means ...
three days at the stanza poetry festival in st andrews
home made pumpkin seed rolls
a tray of roasted veg for tomorrow's lunch
an insanely good home made banana milkshake
my first attempt at space dyeing
home made, oven baked pizzas
two days of lay-ins
watching an ideal husband and alien 3
a little too much time spent laughing at i can has cheezeburger
revelling in the joy of radio 4's day-time programming
reading kenneth white's on the atlantic edge in bed
having ideas for new brooches, a new scarf and further plans for the wallhanging
getting the boiler fixed and having heat and hot water for the first time in over a week
discovering stephen fry's the ode less travelled in waterstone's
and writing a few lines
checking the bus timetable for our trip to edinburgh for m's next reading in april
getting out into the garden to start this season's work
and, very importantly, probably not coincidentally - no housework
aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh, bliss :)
three days at the stanza poetry festival in st andrews
home made pumpkin seed rolls
a tray of roasted veg for tomorrow's lunch
an insanely good home made banana milkshake
my first attempt at space dyeing
home made, oven baked pizzas
two days of lay-ins
watching an ideal husband and alien 3
a little too much time spent laughing at i can has cheezeburger
revelling in the joy of radio 4's day-time programming
reading kenneth white's on the atlantic edge in bed
having ideas for new brooches, a new scarf and further plans for the wallhanging
getting the boiler fixed and having heat and hot water for the first time in over a week
discovering stephen fry's the ode less travelled in waterstone's
and writing a few lines
checking the bus timetable for our trip to edinburgh for m's next reading in april
getting out into the garden to start this season's work
and, very importantly, probably not coincidentally - no housework
aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh, bliss :)
Friday, March 14
i can has cheezburger ...
every time i visit this site, it makes me laugh out 
loud - it's the perfect antidote for a monday morning!
visit http://icanhascheezburger.com/ for more!
loud - it's the perfect antidote for a monday morning!
visit http://icanhascheezburger.com/ for more!
Wednesday, March 5
round of applause to the united nations ...
for bringing this up - "celebrity drug abusers treated softly by police". we were just talking (ranting) about this the other night.
jo public would be thrown in jail quicker than you could say "how much for a gram?", losing their job, possibly their home and the support of their friends and family in the process if they behaved in the same manner as these so called 'celebs'!
now, i'm all for supporting people with drug problems and not necessarily treating them like social pariahs but come on! folk walk past drug addicts in the street with a sneer on their face, people with a history of drug abuse are shunned by society but, hey, don't worry, if you're a celeb you'll be 'questioned' and then let off, on a regular basis, a la pete docherty, and then go on to win a gong at the next awards ceremony, see amy winehouse and the grammy's.
however, take away all the emotive or moral arguments surrounding drug users /abusers and you are left with the hard fact that these people have broken the law.
Celebrity drug abusers 'treated softly by police'
By Nigel Morris, Home Affairs Correspondent, The IndependentWednesday, 5 March 2008
Lenient treatment of drug-abusing celebrities is sending a damaging message to impressionable young people, the United Nations drug control agency has warned.
The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) said a soft approach by police and the courts to well-known names was undermining efforts to reduce drug abuse and eroding confidence in the criminal justice system.
Hamid Ghodse, an INCB board member, said it was regrettable that a "number of people have got a lenient response in the UK and around the world", although he declined to name the celebrities he had in mind.
Last month the singer Amy Winehouse was questioned by police but not arrested over a video that appeared to show her smoking crack cocaine.
The Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty, meanwhile, was given a suspended jail sentence and a 12-month drug rehabilitation order last year after pleading guilty to possession of crack cocaine, heroin, ketamine and cannabis.
The model Kate Moss has been interviewed by police over photographs of her allegedly taking cocaine, but no charges were brought against her. Chelsea FC sacked their Romanian striker, Adrian Mutu, after he tested positive for cocaine in 2004. The police never became involved.
Professor Ghodse said: "There should not be any difference between a celebrity who is breaking the law and non-celebrities. Not only does it give the wrong messages to young people, who are often quite impressionable, but the wider public become cynical about the responses to drug offenders."
In its annual report published today, the INCB said interest was greater than ever in famous people from the worlds of entertainment, the arts and sport.
It said: "Celebrity drug offenders can profoundly influence public attitudes, values and behaviour towards drug abuse, particularly among young people who have not yet taken a firm and fully informed position on drug issues.
"Cases involving celebrity drug offenders can also profoundly affect public perceptions about the fairness and proportionality of the response of the justice system, especially if there is a less lenient response to similar or lesser offences committed by non-celebrities."
The INCB said Britain had the worst problem with heroin and crack cocaine, while only Spain had a higher rate of cocaine use. It noted that cannabis use was dropping in Britain, although Professor Ghodse registered his concern about the increasing popularity of stronger "skunk" strains of the class-C drug.
jo public would be thrown in jail quicker than you could say "how much for a gram?", losing their job, possibly their home and the support of their friends and family in the process if they behaved in the same manner as these so called 'celebs'!
now, i'm all for supporting people with drug problems and not necessarily treating them like social pariahs but come on! folk walk past drug addicts in the street with a sneer on their face, people with a history of drug abuse are shunned by society but, hey, don't worry, if you're a celeb you'll be 'questioned' and then let off, on a regular basis, a la pete docherty, and then go on to win a gong at the next awards ceremony, see amy winehouse and the grammy's.
however, take away all the emotive or moral arguments surrounding drug users /abusers and you are left with the hard fact that these people have broken the law.
Celebrity drug abusers 'treated softly by police'
By Nigel Morris, Home Affairs Correspondent, The IndependentWednesday, 5 March 2008
Lenient treatment of drug-abusing celebrities is sending a damaging message to impressionable young people, the United Nations drug control agency has warned.
The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) said a soft approach by police and the courts to well-known names was undermining efforts to reduce drug abuse and eroding confidence in the criminal justice system.
Hamid Ghodse, an INCB board member, said it was regrettable that a "number of people have got a lenient response in the UK and around the world", although he declined to name the celebrities he had in mind.
Last month the singer Amy Winehouse was questioned by police but not arrested over a video that appeared to show her smoking crack cocaine.
The Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty, meanwhile, was given a suspended jail sentence and a 12-month drug rehabilitation order last year after pleading guilty to possession of crack cocaine, heroin, ketamine and cannabis.
The model Kate Moss has been interviewed by police over photographs of her allegedly taking cocaine, but no charges were brought against her. Chelsea FC sacked their Romanian striker, Adrian Mutu, after he tested positive for cocaine in 2004. The police never became involved.
Professor Ghodse said: "There should not be any difference between a celebrity who is breaking the law and non-celebrities. Not only does it give the wrong messages to young people, who are often quite impressionable, but the wider public become cynical about the responses to drug offenders."
In its annual report published today, the INCB said interest was greater than ever in famous people from the worlds of entertainment, the arts and sport.
It said: "Celebrity drug offenders can profoundly influence public attitudes, values and behaviour towards drug abuse, particularly among young people who have not yet taken a firm and fully informed position on drug issues.
"Cases involving celebrity drug offenders can also profoundly affect public perceptions about the fairness and proportionality of the response of the justice system, especially if there is a less lenient response to similar or lesser offences committed by non-celebrities."
The INCB said Britain had the worst problem with heroin and crack cocaine, while only Spain had a higher rate of cocaine use. It noted that cannabis use was dropping in Britain, although Professor Ghodse registered his concern about the increasing popularity of stronger "skunk" strains of the class-C drug.
Thursday, February 7
hhhhmmmmfffffffffff
i get really frustrated at my lack of knowledge, my inability to express myself, to articulate what i’m feeling and thinking, especially when it’s in response to a piece of poetry or prose; a painting; a film; implications of current affairs, i could go on. sometimes i feel like i just don’t get it, and then when i do, i can’t articulate what i want to express adequately.
is it lack of basic knowledge ... ?
is it a sign of a stressed out brain ... ?
is it a lack of vocabulary ... ?
is it a lack of adequate thinking and processing time ... ?
or am i just a buffoooooon (or even a baboooooon!)
perhaps I need to focus my attention rather than maniacally trying to do everything all at once?! it's just that there's always so much i want to see to do to learn to experience.
so ...
is it lack of basic knowledge ... ?
is it a sign of a stressed out brain ... ?
is it a lack of vocabulary ... ?
is it a lack of adequate thinking and processing time ... ?
or am i just a buffoooooon (or even a baboooooon!)
perhaps I need to focus my attention rather than maniacally trying to do everything all at once?! it's just that there's always so much i want to see to do to learn to experience.
so ...
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