One thing I absolutely have to get educated in is putting icons onto my blog when people are so kind as give me awards. Many thanks to Joolsmac of Simply Joolz for the Butterfly Award. Now many of you will know, as I go on about it ad nauseum, that I have a silly and irrational fear of butterflies (and moths) but I think I can stand to have this virtual one settle here on my blog! Ha - I'd be no good living next door to Joolz in Australia would I? They probably have butterflies the size of a small aeroplane out there!

Hands up who's been following Marie's blog "A Year From Oak Cottage" (http://ayearfromoakcottage.blogspot.com/) . Marie, a fab pro chef, fab family cook, fab artist, writer and blogger and fab lots of other things too, has just published her cookbook. I can't tell you it's wonderful because I only just ordered my copy today but I will tell you what it's like when it arrives. Meanwhile, pop across to her place if you want to find a link for getting a little look at (maybe even ordering) the book.

Mimuther set off on Saturday 15th on her epic voyage on the Queen Mary 2. It's only a six days trip across the Atlantic (in November? Brrr) and then two days in New York, but she's been like a kid waiting for Santa for the past several weeks. From the sound of it, she is going to eat Cunard out of house and home and then take New York by storm. What she isn't going to visit there is nobody's business! If she figures out howto work her new digi camera I'll hope to show you some pics. She was a bit disgusted that she had to buy a new camera at all actually, but she got fed up of trying to find somewhere that stocked film for her old camera. Kodak etc must be shrinking fast.

All this technology isn't good for her. She has a credit card for the first time in her life (she's 80) because she was told she can't use cash on the ship. Digi cameras and mobile phones - well she doesn't really understand the concept at all. She rang me up on the night before they sailed to ask me what her mobile phone number is!! Oh well, as long as she enjoys herself. She'll certainly have one or two things to add to her "Memories" file!

Speaking of memories, I found this little poem in our local church magazine:

We met, we married, a long time ago,

Times were hard, wages were low,

No radio, no telly, timeswere hard,

Just a cold water tap and a walk in the yard.

No holidays abroad, no carpets on floors,

But we'd coal on the fire, we never locked doors,

Our children arrived, no pill in those days,

And we brought them up without State aid.

No drugs, no Valium, no LSD,

We cured our pains with a good cup of tea.

If you were sick you werer seen to at once

Not "sign a form and come back in a month".

No violence, no muggings, there was nowt to rob,

In fact you were rich with a couple of bob,

People were kind in those far off days,

Kinder and caring in so many ways.

Milkmen and paper boys would whistle and sing,

And a night at the flicks was a wonderful thing;

Oh we all had our share of trouble and strife,

but we just had to face them, that was life.

Now I'm alone, and all through the years

I don't think of bad times and struggles and tears,

I think of the good times, blessings of home and love,

We shared them together and thanked God above.

Another Keith-ism was given birth to last weekend! It's been so cold lately that he's been putting a hot water bottle in the bed (my side of course). I threw back the quilt and plonked myself down right on it. "You're a Bummie-Boiler" he chortled. And on that note I leave you for now.