Library Stash!

Dropped youngest at playschool this morning bright and early but that left me with half hour before the shops opened.  No problem, pop into the library!

Came home with a couple of books to read

Annie Dunne - Sebastian Barry     loved The Secret Scripture
Love Letters - Katie FForde      usually follow with a chick lit

and whilst on Amazon,  ordering a present for someone else, a book from my ever increasing wishlist just popped into my basket.

Magnolia Wednesdays - Wendy Wax  as seen reviewed on another blog


DizzyC

Can Any Mother Help Me?

I expected this book to be a very twee account of  a group of Housewives in the 1940's, 50's and beyond. 

How wrong was I?

A mother posted a message in a magazine looking for penfriends entitled 'Can Any Mother Help Me?' to ease her loneliness at home, and so began a group of women who become friends through a periodical round robin called Co-operative Ccorrespondence Club.

It was a closed group and all members had to agree to any new members joining.  The letters spanned many events in the womens' lives and here in the book actual excerpts from the periodical are shared. 

It gives an insight into the struggles and strengths of these women from different walks of life. It documents their lives as wives, mothers, widows and sadly when they died. These women had a fantastic bond that many groups of mothers' could not match. A wonderful account of social history.

I wanted to know more about these women and as a stay at home mum, presently, who has been both a stay at home mum and a working mum it reminded me that I am a strong person and not just a stay at home mum.

The author has done a wonderful job of editing what must have been a vast amount of material to condense into a book .  Would like to have seen a follow up book.  I didnt want it to end.

5/5 for me!

 

Tagged

This is an international game of tag and I've been tagged by sarah reads too much. I must answer some questions about myself so you can get to know me better and then I tag four other bloggers so we can learn about them.


4 Things in my Purse:

Money Purse
Baby Wipes
Library Card
Mobile phone

4 Things in my bedside Desk:

Perfumes (3 different ones depending on mood)
Photo of beloved and me
Book - The P***ed Off Parents Club
Nappies/wipes/etc ( on lower shelves)


4 Favorite Things in my Bedroom:
My partner!
TV
Books
Dressing gown

4 Things I Always Wanted to Do (but haven't yet):

Disneyland
Contact Lenses
Own a brand new car
Learn to play the drums



4 Things I Enjoy Very Much at the Moment:

Catching up on days out and holidays with my family
Blogging
Reading
Spending quality time with my man



4 Songs I Can't Get Out of My Head:

Theme tune to Fireman Sam (youngest's favourite at the moment).
Pack up your troubles - Liza Dolittle



4 Things you Don't Know About Me:

I am lefthanded and clumsy with it
I can knit, cross-stitch and sew but don't have the time these days
I don't like nuts of any kind.
I would love to have straight, shiny hair.  My curly hair is natural, I wouldnt pay good
money for it to look this messy!

Now passing on to some ''new to me'' blogs.  I would pass on to some of my favourites but I see
they have already been tagged.  There is  a lovely mixed bag here........

Busy moms who love to read
Closer to Lucy
Historical Fiction Notebook
Knits, reads and reviews


DizzyC

My lovely weekend!

Well I finally got away for my long weekend on Thursday.  Car fixed, long journey into the dark, wet night and we arrived at our hotel just after 8pm.  Not bad but we had planned to be there before 5pm, settle in and get an evening meal with the youngest at a reasonable time.

We had a fairly wet, but enjoyable day at Legoland, Windsor with the youngest (his birthday present) on Friday.  As it was a school day and a wet day the park was very quiet.  We were spoilt as we managed to get on all the rides with ease and very little queuing. Not so on the Saturday. The sun came out, school was out and the queues were between 30-40 mins.



The youngest is just at the age where he knows exactly what he wants and he is loving all sorts of rides. 
I did see a shock look on his face as he hurtled past me on the water slide with Daddy but at the bottom he was smiling and wanted to go again!


The view from the top of Legoland.  That is Windsor Castle!




Me and the youngest after a fun day

As the queues were long on Saturday and we had managed to get on all the rides we wanted on the Friday, we left the park around 2pm and headed for Windsor.

We took a river boat trip along The Thames at Windsor and although not many sights along that stretch the view of Winsdor Castle (below) was so worth it!

View of Windsor Castle from the River

The Castle is the oldest and largest occupied Castle in the world.  It is the Queen's official residence.  Right in the middle of the main town with shops and restaurants all around so the Queen could dash out only a few hundred yards for a MacDonalds.  :) 

I did go into the Castle many years ago when I last visited Windsor but thought a trip down the river would be more exciting for my partner and the youngest. 




A few of the Queen's swans






Autumnal view along the river

The celebrations continued Monday when the youngest had his 3rd birthday.  We had a tea party in the evening with grandparents and his brother and sister.  (Another big celebration coming up in 3 weeks time when my eldest daughter becomes Sweet Sixteen!)









No prizes for guessing who his favourites are.


DizzyC



Just a figment of ur imagination

I am not here really.  I am on the motorway, almost at the hotel for my weekend away.
Well, that was the plan!

My plan was going fairly smoothly until I went to pick up youngest from playschool.
The car was doing an impression of a monster truck!  Exhaust gone!
After thinking that I am capable of getting the exhaust sorted myself  I had to resort to
asking my partner for help.  Not because I am a feeble woman but because some garages try
to rip you off if you are female,  GRRRRR!

So whilst I wait for my usual garage to fix my exhaust I thought I would pop online and catch up as I won't be online again until after the weekend.

Firstly, thank you to Jo at The Book Jotter  for the Lovely Blog Award

Please stop by at Jo's lovely blog. I am so pleased to receive this award.  It gives me a warm glow to know that others enjoy my little blog.

I have recently had this award and as I am not really here but on my weekend away. I will pass this on to some more blogs on my return.

Secondly,

I have been tagged by Sarah at Sarah reads too much 

I will, again,  answer the questions on this and tag the next 4 people when after the weekend.

Thirdly,

I had a question from the Donna about conkers....

Conkers are the 'fruit' of the Horsechestnut tree. Not edible to humans.  They fall, in their spiky green shells, from the trees in September and for a few weeks  kids all over the country scramble for conkers to take home, skewer with mums best kitchen utensils to make a hole and  suspend from a piece of string and play 'conkers'.  

The object of the game is too smash your opponents conker til it breaks.  There are serious competitions in the UK attracting adults too to become Conker Champion.

There was a story in the paper only today, of a man in his 20's who climbed his favourite tree from childhood and had to be rescued by the Fire Brigade.    See story here

Jo tells me that conkers are also used to ward off spiders. 

Today I have learnt ....

....that the blogging world is a wonderful place to meet others with similiar interests and it is a great community.

....that what I think is boring, mundane, everyday events others can find interesting to read on my blog. 

.....don't always trust what you are first told.  Check the facts or get a 2nd opinion if you are unsure. It could have cost me a fortune I need not have spent today.

......the best laid plans can be hijacked when least expected. Just means I will get there later than expected.

Enjoy your weekend, folks. Look forward to catching up on your weekend next week

DizzyC

Random Dizziness and weather!

I have decided I can completely give up on any sort of routine this week after starting off on Sunday in bed all day poorly.
Monday was a duvet day on the sofa as the youngest, bless him, managed to escape the virus and carried on as usual.
Tuesday and today I have been trying to catch my tail!

Yesterday I popped round to see my mum, 2 streets away, and it was a fab afternoon for a walk.  Unusually warm for the 3rd week of September.  Temperature was 24 degrees!  I took these lovely shots on my camera phone on the way home.  The sun was shining through the trees showing up all the glorious greens, browns and oranges of the autumn leaves. Conkers and shells were all over the paths.  I used to pick up the conkers from these very trees on my way home from school many years ago!





I have managed to get up to speed on my ironing today and it is amazing the rubbish that goes through my head when I am ironing.  I keep telling myself it would be a good time to get audiobooks from the library and listen as I iron. 

Dizzy thoughts going through my head today have been.....

....how has eldest son managed to grow so much since I bought his school trousers, will they last until next summer and when did he start having to look down at me?
(harder to tell him off when I have to look up at him)

.....why didn't anyone phone for a temp to take over my housework whilst I was sick? (Reckon there is a small business enterprise idea in there somewhere)

....why wouldn't the supermarket just let us have the shopping for free as they had a complete power failure just as I was next in line at the checkout?
(my facebook status went something like this yesterday .....ask me about me day....I dare ya!)

........why do I have so many of little one's pj tops and no leggings?

DizzyC

Library Challenge Complete!

My youngest went to the library today to finish up his Summer Reading Challenge - Space Hop!

We shared 6 books, of our choosing from the library,  over the summer to complete the challenge.

He will receive a certificate and medal next week. 

I know at almost 3 years old he doesn't understand the challenge but it will be another certificate for his certificate folder.

*************************

I have decided I need another Chick Lit to read next, after a few days feeling low and blue,  and am spoilt for choice on my TBR shelves.

Have a long weekend away coming up and not yet in the mood. Still feeling drained from the virus.  I need something light hearted and funny to read. 

My choices will have to be narrowed down but include.....

The P***ed Off Parent's Club - Mink Elliot

Twenties Girl - Sophie Kinsella

Handbags and Gladrags - Maggie Alderson

The Temp - Serena Mackesy

Sweet Temptation - Lucy Diamond

Just gotta decide which 2 will make it into my case  :)

DizzyC



A Quiet One...

This week is going to be a quiet one for me blogging wise.

A nasty little bug decided to lay us all up ill yesterday. Has gone through the whole family. Flu like, no energy, sick and awful headache.
I took to my bed all day yesterday, very rare, whilst my lovely partner looked after our toddler.
My daughter went down next and then my partner went down last night.

I managed half a cup of tea this morn and a bit of toast, but still feeling rough.  Having a duvet day on the sofa today (toddler is the only one still bouncing around the house). 

As I write this now am deciding, once posted, computer is going off and I'm gonna rest.

I haven't even managed to read since Saturday!

On a brighter note........

I will not be around much all week. That's not the brighter note. ;) 

Have a couple of nights away coming up Thursday. Will fill you in on the details on my return.

Then, when we get back,  my youngest has his 3rd birthday on Monday!

So really out of action, blogging wise, til next week.
I am sure at some point this week I will get online to catch up with what everyone is up to, but maybe not posting myself.

I am not sure I am going to get a lot of reading done either, but looking forward to a busy weekend.

Enjoy your week!

DizzyC

Kid Konnection

Hosted by bookingmama

Joining Bookingmama for Kid Konnection reviews of children's books.

Bookingmama says

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. Today, I'm going to share with you five fantastic picture books that Booking Son and I have recently read.

Please see my post from yesterday for my latest children's book review and follow the link on the left hand bar for Preschool choices.

Enjoy your weekend!

DizzyC

Alfie's Preschool choice

Another Story Collection this time from Alfie the Giraffe. 

Kipper the dog is the creation of Mick Inkpen.  Kipper the Dog and his friends, Tiger (Scottie Dog)  Pig (a pig of course), his cousin Arnold (the pig) and  Jake (the sheepdog)  have some great stories that preschool children can enjoy. 

Kipper has a great sense of humour which adults will enjoy too.  Wonderful pictures help to tell these fun stories. 

Kipper was also star of a successful TV show featuring his adventures.  The voice of Kipper provided by the very funny Martin Clunes (Men behaving Badly, and Doc Martin)

Mick Inkpen, the author, also writes Wibbly Pig stories and look out for Threadbear and Lullabyhullabaloo.

Another beautiful book by Mick Inkpen and Nick Butterworth is Wonderful Earth.  An interactive book  with a  message for young readers about looking after the earth and doing our bit to be green. Pop up pictures and flaps add to the fun.  I am glad I kept this book from a few years back when my older children read it, as now I can share it again with the youngest.

Nick Butterworth is famously known for his books about Percy The Parkkeeper and his many animal friends, including an owl, fox, badger and mice. Percy The Parkkeeper stories can be shared with toddlers and early readers too. This was also a successful televised series.

 Find out more here

Hodders Books/Mick Inkpen

Hodders Books Nick-Butterworth

DizzyC



Lovely Blog Award!

Thank you to Sarah at sarahreadstoomuch  for sending me this lovely award!

If you haven't seen Sarah's Blog please pop over to see her.

Rules for the award:

1. Accept the award. Post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2. Pay it forward to 15 other bloggers that you have newly discovered.
3. Contact those blog owners and let them know that they've been chosen.

I follow many fab blogs mainly book blogs but some about everyday life.
I am passing this on to 15 of the newer ones I have found.

The Literary Gato
The Loud Librarian
The Book Chick
Scribbles
Reading at the Beach
Reading without Restraint
Me My Book and the Couch
Never Growing Old
Peacefulreader
Mommas Soapbox
Julie Jabbers
Dollycas
Rainy Days and Mondays
AMusing Reviews
Booking Mama

DizzyC

Autumn Haiku

This is my little attempt for the coming season.

Image -Wikicommons - Andy Peacock

Feel nip in the air



Summer, leavin by back door


enter warm colours


Only a couple of years ago I discovered the Japanese form of Poetry called Haiku (playful verse).

It was one form of Poetry that bypassed me at school.
I was reading lesson plans for the week, in my job as a teaching assistant, and decided I needed to learn some more about this before we taught it in class.
I fell in love with it. It seems so simple, yet so beautiful, containing 17 syllables, usually in 3 lines of poetry. A Haiku contains reference to a season or nature.

Discover more.....
British Haiku Society
kidzone
aha poetry

 
Do you have a favourite Haiku, or a favourite style of poetry?


DizzyC

The Fairytale of New York

The Blurb

Rosie Duncan's life couldn't be better.  She has a flourishing floristry business on New York's Upper West Side and fantastic friends. 

For the past 6 years Rosie has kept her heart under lock and key, despite protests of her closest friends - commitment phobic Ed, unlucky in love Marnie and the one-woman tornado that is Celia.

Then a blossoming friendship with hot-shot Nate shakes Rosie's resolve at the same time as her brother arrives in the Big Apple, hiding a secret.

Great characters in a great setting.  Replace Central Perk with a floristry in New York and you have Rosie and her friends.  Life is analysed and decided in Kowalski's Flower Shop.

A fab Rom-com and enjoyable read.  Would recommend.

4/5 for me!

Monday Meet

Meet me on a Monday is hosted by Java at Never Growing Old

Follow the link and come and join in to meet new and old bloggers





This week's questions are  .....................

1. What is your favorite pasta dish?
Chicken and Bacon Pasta with cheese melted on top. 


2. What is the last thing you do before going to bed?
Check the house is secure, everything is switched off including the teens :)  They would actually stay up later than me if I let them.

3. How many nights a week do you go out to eat?
Once a month, the other half takes me out to eat. 
We have a favourite Indian Restaurant, called The Old Scotch (really.  It used to be a Old Scotch Tearooms, so they kept part of the name)
We do try different places to eat on our monthly outing.  English, Mexican, Indian and recently Turkish (note to self, must revisit the Turkish restaurant)

4. Are you an avid book reader?
When I can fit it in with a busy family.  I spend a lot of time looking for new books online and in the shops, and reading about what others are reading.  Hence my blog is mainly book related.

5. Would you rather have x-ray vision or bionic hearing?
No contest!  X Ray Vision.  Have been wearing specs since I was 20 and hate it.  Of all the senses, sight is the one I would not want to lose.
Bionic hearing would be a curse for me.  My household is always way too noisy for me.  I can not find enough quiet time or silence in my house.

Enjoy ur week, Folks!

DizzyC

A new baby...what a whopper!

New addition at Whipsnade Zoo, Beds, UK

Ajang (meaning  enormous), a Greater One horned Rhino, was born at the Zoo on Aug 31, 2010 to mum Behin weighing in at 13 stone and 3 feet tall!

The  Zoological Society of London are working in Naples to try and conserve these endangered animals in the wild.

Whipsnade Zoo

Life is good award!

Many thanks for Cheryl at CMash Loves to Read  for this award.  I have been following Cheryl's blog for a while now and am pleased that she has remembered me for this award.

Life is Good Award!

Now for the criteria:

To accept the award you must link back and thank the person who gave you the Life is Good award and answer the 10 questions and pass it along to 6 other blogs :)

1. If you blog anonymously are you happy doing it that way; if you are not anonymous do you wish you had started out anonymously so you could be anonymous now?

I have been blogging for a couple of months and I always follow bloggers with my sign in rather than anon.

2.Describe one incident that shows your inner stubborn side
I am an Aries, we are hot headed, there are many stubborn incidences.

3.What do you see when you really look at yourself in the mirror?
A strange older woman (cos I am not old enough to be a woman) who is beginning to look like my mum a little.
4. What is your favorite summer cold drink?
Tropicana Orange Juice
5. When you take time for yourself, what do you do?
Spend far too long online, then read far too little.  I do love to go out with my partner every now and again and try to recreate our dates

6.Is there something you still want to accomplish in your life? What is it?
Lots - travel abroad more (only been abroad once, last year, at age 40), have a house big enough for us all, own a brand new car.

7. When you attended school, were you the class clown, the class overachiever , the shy person, or always ditching?
I was shy and nervous at school mainly due to bullying.  If I had the confidence I have now back then I know I would have gone on to further education.

8. If you close your eyes and want to visualize a very poignant moment of your life what would you see?
There are a couple of very sad poignant moments that come to mind firstly but then a happy one is the moment my 3 children all met for the first time, when the teens came to visit the youngest when he was hours old. I think it is something that will be a memory that stays with them a long time.  All their births were very special too.
9. Is it easy for you to share your true self in your blog or are you more comfortable writing posts about other people or events?
As I am fairly new to blogging I am a little reserved about what to share on my blog.  I am so proud of my children but decided right from the start that I would not share photos of them on here as the blog is so public. I write as I speak, which is why sometimes my grammer may be awful, so maybe some of my personality comes thru to readers. 
10. If you had the choice to sit down and read or talk on the phone, which would you do and why?
I would say talk on the phone firstly.  I do love to catch up with my friends. 


I am passing this award on to

Roses over a Cottage Door

Thoughts of a Compulsive Reader

Sazzymchfamilylife

momagain40

a thousand Book with Quotes

The Book Bee

DizzyC

WWW Weds

Another glorious view from my hol snaps!

To join in follow the link to the host of WWW Wednesday,  Should Be Reading



then just answer the following three (3) questions…




* What are you currently reading?
I have 2 books on the go at the moment and am being very slow to finish either of them. New school year has me on the hop and I have not settled into the new routine yet.

Reading The Fairytale of New York - Miranda Dickinson and
                Footsteps - Katharine McMahon

* What did you recently finish reading?
Recently finished a classic Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - Winifred Watson (1938)


* What do you think you’ll read next?
I have a reservation at the library to pick up

The Letter in the Bottle - Karen Liebreich 
True story of the author's search for the grieving  mother who wrote a letter and posted it in a bottle which washed up on the shore in the UK . 


DizzyC

The Bolter - Frances Osbourne

The Bolter: Idina Sackville - The Woman Who Scandalised 1920s Society and Became White Mischief's Infamous Seductress

"So scandalous was Idina's life - she was said to have had lovers without number - that it was kept secret from the great grand daughter, Frances Osbourne.  Here Osbourne explores the life of Lady Sackville - The woman who scandalised 1920's society."

Frances Osbourne's extensive research for this book came from Idina's diaries, newspaper and magazine articles and letters.  It is believed that Nancy Mitford based her character "The Bolter" on Idina. 

The book gives great insight into High Society behaving badly through 1920's and 30's, and The Happy Valley set of which Lady Sackville was a big part of. The goings on of The Happy Valley set would make the pages of any tabloid newspaper these days.

I really enjoyed this book and want to read more from that era.  Lady Sackville seemed to lead an exciting life but I felt she was really a very lonely soul who never got over her first husband.

5/5 for me.

Frances Osbourne

Alfie's Preschool choice

Farmyard Tales by
S Cartwright & H Amery
Usbourne Farmyard Tales

A Collection of  20 stories based on Apple Tree farm with Poppy and Sam and an array of animals.

Fab illustrations to accompany the exciting stories such as Pig gets Lost, Tractor in Trouble, Barn on Fire, The Snow Storm and more.  

Personally I love the dual narrative.  At the top of  every page is a short sentence, suitable for early readers, and underneath the picture is a more detailed narrative for the parent to read.

Other books in the series can be found here

Usbourne website

DizzyC

R&J list is here!

Following my post yesterday, the Richard & Judy Book Club and the team at Wh Smith have announced their new recommended books.

Sister - Rosamund Lupton
The Snowman - Jo Nesbo
Operation Mincemeat - Ben Macintyre

The Wilding - Maria McCann
A Place Of Secrets - Rachel Hore
No and Me  - Delphine de Vigan
Waiting for Columbus - Thomas Trofimuk
The Crying Tree - Naseem Rakha


The 8 titles and authors are all very new to me and will be on sale in WH Smith from tomorrow. Richard and Judy stickers on books are  known to bump up the credibility of a new book or author.  I wonder how many of these new titles I will read?

Previous R&J selections which have become popular include Audrey Niffenger's The Time Traveller's Wife,  Starter for Ten - David Nicholls, The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold, Labyrinth - Kate Mosse,  The Girls - Lori Lansens, The Rose of Sebastapol - Katharine McMohan, The 19th Wife - David Erbershoff and many more.

Rather than doubling up,  Links to their lists are on the post below.

               ************************************************

Today is a special day for my Grandad - it is his 89th Birthday!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Gramps!
I rang and had a chat with him this morning. 
Have so many memories of my childhood with my grandad.  I used to stay with my nana and grandad every weekend.  I was richer for it. 

I remember waiting at the window for Grandad to come home from work on his bike.  I would shout "wait there Grandad" when he turned into the close  (he would not hear me but I didnt know that and he knew to wait) .  Then I would ride on his bike home.

other memories are....
The World Service on the radio on sunny Sundays coming from his shed and me playing in the garden.

The light aircraft overhead most of the weekend, he lives near a small airport.

Grandad mopping up gravy with his bread.  I still dont see what the attraction is with this. 

His beret.  Grandad always wore a navy beret tilted to one side.  He still wears a flat cap now.

Whilst working on my family tree I discovered his Home Guard service in WW2 and applied for his Home Guard medal for him a few years ago, better late than never.  Was so pleased to do this for him and it would not have been possible without the internet.

thank u for reading my memories.

DizzyC