tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47247120072284054072023-11-16T11:50:36.261+00:00Alicestronautalicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-34088683401585295722014-10-12T19:20:00.001+01:002014-10-12T19:20:38.893+01:00Hastings Classic Car Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">A rainy start to Hastings week. Beautiful cars. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLDZ65QCIWaqA_ZpW9kagllvqI2Cr_NfNMODrxFklT985ZeUAAe_EW-YyPPBWxCwgH8tU7dGLqU85TyJvtXTDmgWC0YtfJ90grGcvfNl2RoXQgrs0O1ODfhJLlxsE6UuN7Mk6zB-r81s/s640/blogger-image--233941987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLDZ65QCIWaqA_ZpW9kagllvqI2Cr_NfNMODrxFklT985ZeUAAe_EW-YyPPBWxCwgH8tU7dGLqU85TyJvtXTDmgWC0YtfJ90grGcvfNl2RoXQgrs0O1ODfhJLlxsE6UuN7Mk6zB-r81s/s640/blogger-image--233941987.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuE6GGPc0PNyR1EBudVOpodBUoPanapg55Y7yGlSOJp3X07cvwcdWZiMFnRU-7AWBGhHuhdpBHYeqvh08QNho1sxER-TtPMyBTPwtRK93w5EvPdLv9X2bKqz0BXH-jzqVp26HFeCISUk/s640/blogger-image--2039182735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuE6GGPc0PNyR1EBudVOpodBUoPanapg55Y7yGlSOJp3X07cvwcdWZiMFnRU-7AWBGhHuhdpBHYeqvh08QNho1sxER-TtPMyBTPwtRK93w5EvPdLv9X2bKqz0BXH-jzqVp26HFeCISUk/s640/blogger-image--2039182735.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvcYWfGS5Ee-CEbnix4b994Bt9LmMyWeErzm4KNKfA4TtdPzIvcuzOu2Lv3Np89655WtPQFzkjCU_xQG28_T8F1qGM7Gto8BJjEkiwgnQWN0f6ye_vl6IMOBMtl-tXh8X_2Gi-4CwaJU/s640/blogger-image-1006445013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvcYWfGS5Ee-CEbnix4b994Bt9LmMyWeErzm4KNKfA4TtdPzIvcuzOu2Lv3Np89655WtPQFzkjCU_xQG28_T8F1qGM7Gto8BJjEkiwgnQWN0f6ye_vl6IMOBMtl-tXh8X_2Gi-4CwaJU/s640/blogger-image-1006445013.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCqXLqVJIV3XtufkodrBr03duui184_smPNR_yG2xsVi-Fd9eoZM6jQ2Uf2XWdq2_0W_CNwzI4w-uQLCpgifIa9reyQlyZM1XowRqle9OvyCp5vXCuxNy8DD_1zOKFIo7ndF9Cp8_pDY/s640/blogger-image-1187639380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCqXLqVJIV3XtufkodrBr03duui184_smPNR_yG2xsVi-Fd9eoZM6jQ2Uf2XWdq2_0W_CNwzI4w-uQLCpgifIa9reyQlyZM1XowRqle9OvyCp5vXCuxNy8DD_1zOKFIo7ndF9Cp8_pDY/s640/blogger-image-1187639380.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMYedHZvWUoxvcC20ErOg-RLJbmCXLxWIJmb5n_6nKDfe3N_T-Wnn8-R8t0MScSuCBVHgrTkVF_66kHUuqd6bjslfmG_ZVEi7TeTGITflpEde3s3XY2rb2Svf43W97yu5ZTPFApoezfU/s640/blogger-image-1949845294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMYedHZvWUoxvcC20ErOg-RLJbmCXLxWIJmb5n_6nKDfe3N_T-Wnn8-R8t0MScSuCBVHgrTkVF_66kHUuqd6bjslfmG_ZVEi7TeTGITflpEde3s3XY2rb2Svf43W97yu5ZTPFApoezfU/s640/blogger-image-1949845294.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWdX4nASRACd8ie3A8YlAA1Ye3DkI4y3r_1PKlhJowrVANFMtA1ufC-7dR5IdYmAm6iYYKiAIvmoHh-LinioZJfJvuIqS4kNH5j_n9QWt0genmc_WfjuYFBzfKAicBQLy5TeKJWBvG2eE/s640/blogger-image--631076368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWdX4nASRACd8ie3A8YlAA1Ye3DkI4y3r_1PKlhJowrVANFMtA1ufC-7dR5IdYmAm6iYYKiAIvmoHh-LinioZJfJvuIqS4kNH5j_n9QWt0genmc_WfjuYFBzfKAicBQLy5TeKJWBvG2eE/s640/blogger-image--631076368.jpg"></a></div>alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-89680665890680033372013-07-12T11:07:00.000+01:002013-07-12T11:07:24.365+01:00Glastonbury<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Packing</div>
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Accomodation for the week</div>
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Coppersmithing</div>
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(making these - the silver one is Glastonbury Tor with St Michael's tower on top)</div>
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An excursion to the dance village</div>
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Green crafts field</div>
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A man and his camping plate horse bike</div>
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A merman</div>
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Watching Chic and meeting Nile Rodgers </div>
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Hanging out in the permaculture field (Boris the badger is a wood burning generator)</div>
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The South East corner day and night - Bluegrass for breakfast and dubstep for late nights </div>
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Nuclear war </div>
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The Park at night </div>
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alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-8436582359465561412013-06-14T16:45:00.001+01:002013-06-14T17:15:33.543+01:00On nails<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back in the day, at least five months ago or maybe more, I was quite good at nail polish. I could whip up things like this: </div>
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or this:</div>
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with no trouble at all. </div>
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Nowadays, I can't seem to paint a basic bang on trend coral without smearing it all over the couch, my fingertips and the dog. Is this what happens when you move in with your boyfriend? Does Hastings have bad nail polish ch'i? I don't know. But I did want to fix it, so I paid someone else to do it for me.</div>
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A little while ago, I invested in the Veronica Mars kickstarter and promptly got addicted to kickstarter. Particularly looking up nail polish ideas. Then I found the <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/clkent/scratch-collaboratively-designed-nail-polish-wraps" target="_blank">Go Scratch It kickstarter</a> and not only were they marketing nail wraps that actually work (I've previously tried getting them on eBay with little joy) but they had the Dainty Squid designing for them. So I jumped in, ordered two packs, and this week they arrived.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2x2sslJ-yVW8ObLxAkmeU921MkgilOdKZ1AVdalToafCfC54FpDr2svo2qEVZ_a6A6QlQAah9sf24W6BLAUYVqf1f4mls9rXqIqjCLSffKuk_r6j8V5PeKnyOVyQxN0v50VscrHpBBy8/s1600/photo+2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2x2sslJ-yVW8ObLxAkmeU921MkgilOdKZ1AVdalToafCfC54FpDr2svo2qEVZ_a6A6QlQAah9sf24W6BLAUYVqf1f4mls9rXqIqjCLSffKuk_r6j8V5PeKnyOVyQxN0v50VscrHpBBy8/s1600/photo+2a.jpg" height="320" width="240"></a></div>
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(stylishly modelled on a black jacket sleeve) </div>
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They come looking like a colourful rack of ribs, and you can fit them to your nails before taking the protective front and back off. They're a bit small for my nails widthwise, but I do have gigantor nails so I don't blame them for that. They send you 16 in a pack so you can find ones that fit, then you can use the leftovers for accent nails if you fancy it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19ZVPDJnpyomgihaEUZBEOhYaEsVJ-42Pq-d8S7BDSx3WvDeJHQhHzEvgg8HA4i4wgaGBD9n3FcCjcl6ctCEz2aFz5vk4mQq5TCqQd0UWj1JWXFH_Iu4tNhYES-azLOdSz3pj-18zHZI/s1600/photo+3a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19ZVPDJnpyomgihaEUZBEOhYaEsVJ-42Pq-d8S7BDSx3WvDeJHQhHzEvgg8HA4i4wgaGBD9n3FcCjcl6ctCEz2aFz5vk4mQq5TCqQd0UWj1JWXFH_Iu4tNhYES-azLOdSz3pj-18zHZI/s1600/photo+3a.jpg" height="320" width="240"></a></div>
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(they don't really go with this frock)</div>
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I followed this how to guide that the packaging links to - <a href="http://blog.shopkoshka.com/2013/01/29/scratch-nails-how-to/" target="_blank">Shop Koshka </a>- she makes it look easy as a pie. They weren't that easy for me, mainly because for things like this it's really helpful to have two hands and one of them is out of action. Also I didn't realise that one side is stickier than the other, I thought they were going to be the same. Half mine are on the wrong way up - you can see in the photo below that my middle finger has a reversed pattern, the thumb is the same.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2mh0BDwGXdwPGQap74y-bfNPpuA2Qp1eb80bk1BIf_UTVxppFQl7CJdKPoBkt9wHXXGH0ECBW8Qx4oHET-YUH6AXH6eHRkHjLwbqXqtskp53haaf3h-Uz2KZW6jO6G4RhTlgBwaEx4M/s1600/photo+1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2mh0BDwGXdwPGQap74y-bfNPpuA2Qp1eb80bk1BIf_UTVxppFQl7CJdKPoBkt9wHXXGH0ECBW8Qx4oHET-YUH6AXH6eHRkHjLwbqXqtskp53haaf3h-Uz2KZW6jO6G4RhTlgBwaEx4M/s1600/photo+1a.jpg" height="320" width="240"> </a></div>
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Once I got past those problems, I got a bit better at it. I was cross when I tore one trying to make it fit my nail, especially as they're quite an expensive way of doing your nails. But I figured if I can learn to do my bra strap up, or tie apron strings, behind my back I can learn this too. From an arm's distance at least, I'm pretty happy with them.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlPmNWsP4FkRHSwFSTzw98oqESOfBlpkx3QImsww8rK-YYPjb7n1zfFlbK_AvULLcZvi2PnAj-Z5qXWZqS26LQKWgUM7KXF6XbDxnknvsBk_XpGuXMD-595FeqI_B_g-jkT7CMmLbuww/s1600/photo+5a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlPmNWsP4FkRHSwFSTzw98oqESOfBlpkx3QImsww8rK-YYPjb7n1zfFlbK_AvULLcZvi2PnAj-Z5qXWZqS26LQKWgUM7KXF6XbDxnknvsBk_XpGuXMD-595FeqI_B_g-jkT7CMmLbuww/s1600/photo+5a.jpg" height="320" width="240"></a></div>
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(ladys and gentlemen, my thumb)</div>
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The thumb one was a bit too curved for the flat base of my thumb nail but rather than being a sensible person and trimming it first, I went ahead and stuck in on. Then when it looked gappy, I filled in bits with matching nail polish that I already had. Obviously this was a bit of a disaster (I've learnt from it though, I promise!) but even in this close up above, you can't *really* see too much of the foul up.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHnzalvNj1SZ-64CO4q4mjF_LZbvyzYKXAXF4pJPRQGvjagLL1IWs14nYUseq7XY9vbwL7uSl3eRvz2Kq-z35ticfZIiHIfHyo_qtQMwklj-uvlXCNPjK3akPQSFcRsAer8pNPtph7Ms/s1600/photo+4a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHnzalvNj1SZ-64CO4q4mjF_LZbvyzYKXAXF4pJPRQGvjagLL1IWs14nYUseq7XY9vbwL7uSl3eRvz2Kq-z35ticfZIiHIfHyo_qtQMwklj-uvlXCNPjK3akPQSFcRsAer8pNPtph7Ms/s1600/photo+4a.jpg" height="320" width="240"></a></div>
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This is where the wrap doesn't cover very much of the sides of my nail. This bothered me at first but actually after a day or so wearing them, these ones are bothering me the least.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I finished off the left hand, had a minor tantrum about how awful they were then painted my nails like this on my right hand and decided I did like the Go Scratch It nails better after all. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5N3EvxG_mpT0lnJQOuwUoA74TtduSLx592f8rckT8CEPpzctRk8ua3i7Yfod_TPQnnid6TzmGQIO3Ze2Q_OyZg1STD0g9jCm1_DyhKzf8avwswMF-ODUVuaW2wp3NwnFIhJcxuIxjm8/s640/blogger-image-1142469280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5N3EvxG_mpT0lnJQOuwUoA74TtduSLx592f8rckT8CEPpzctRk8ua3i7Yfod_TPQnnid6TzmGQIO3Ze2Q_OyZg1STD0g9jCm1_DyhKzf8avwswMF-ODUVuaW2wp3NwnFIhJcxuIxjm8/s640/blogger-image-1142469280.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Overall, I think they're great. Better than any other wraps (or stamping, grrrr stamping) that I've tried and I will use them again. I wish they could send a few practice ones out so you don't feel so bad about wasting them but now I've got more of the hang of it I think I'll be ok</div>
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Visit <a href="http://www.goscratchit.com/">http://www.goscratchit.com/</a> if you fancy a crack at them. (They didn't pay me/sponsor me to write this btw, even if I do sound like a shill).<br>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The weekend of gifts, as it shall
henceforth be known, started on Friday evening.<br />
<br />
My friend Larah, is the queen
of presents. She runs a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Stall6atDepartment" target="_blank">second hand/vintage market stall</a> and is always coming
across things she knows people will like. She also remembers what people have
said they like or collect and loves giving people gifts even if it’s not their
birthday. You might think that having only been married a week and it being the
first time I’d seen her since, she might be expecting somewhat of a reversal of
the usual situation but no, she still had presents, some even from the
honeymoon!<br />
<br />
She knows I love souvenirs, particularly pens and pencils so
whenever she and her daughter visit somewhere new they like to feed my
addiction. The only problem with this idea is that when I fall in love with a
particular pen I get very attached (e.g. pen shaped like a birthday candle or
pen shaped like Robin Hood’s arrows) I can’t throw them out even when they run
out. Therefore I’m holding Larah fully responsible when my body is found in my
super hoarder house among piles and piles of novelty pens.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFeq8lq43fpUcoym6LP9CAPFIwnQWGauOz8qJ8SDSDcfz4CTmOdR_8IdVLdq9MlpsefPXSa12En5gNchnYtP6olAk8yT_OU4ur7HErKoqzyM8hc27atWC3vIBGI5XLT10v5DRvOYVT8vc/s1600/IMG_4599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFeq8lq43fpUcoym6LP9CAPFIwnQWGauOz8qJ8SDSDcfz4CTmOdR_8IdVLdq9MlpsefPXSa12En5gNchnYtP6olAk8yT_OU4ur7HErKoqzyM8hc27atWC3vIBGI5XLT10v5DRvOYVT8vc/s1600/IMG_4599.JPG" height="204" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB">When I opened my bag of treats I also found
this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I couldn’t work out what it was at first
but suddenly as I clipped in the mug, I realised it is a me! I did wonder for a
minute why a librarian would be wearing fishing waders but Clem pointed out
that it’s actually meant to be a pleated skirt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3wGiQ5m6BuTJ6Dh7nJMF27vel17shSrrMElKnKfmAtHHmR30GIAhGWRDiEKYdACCEE1h2SwfNRGto8yXzX1rGrtDpnCNBUvVY_s5_v2AT6Laj-Bf9XpWB9jPqlEfbnbkHjvXPTOtZSk/s1600/IMG_4600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3wGiQ5m6BuTJ6Dh7nJMF27vel17shSrrMElKnKfmAtHHmR30GIAhGWRDiEKYdACCEE1h2SwfNRGto8yXzX1rGrtDpnCNBUvVY_s5_v2AT6Laj-Bf9XpWB9jPqlEfbnbkHjvXPTOtZSk/s1600/IMG_4600.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpetrzwpfG9l6ayJNVEflAQjAy80JFpz3e2iYfMOwKJF1X_8vWoez1SfFxuqLwISnkeBkgErzcWzaaMPaF3R9eSl4Jl7LxOWyxTQoFduBpT6je0LH7mPz8y1qDXLxyvrOeXbAIjZtXfBU/s1600/IMG_4601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpetrzwpfG9l6ayJNVEflAQjAy80JFpz3e2iYfMOwKJF1X_8vWoez1SfFxuqLwISnkeBkgErzcWzaaMPaF3R9eSl4Jl7LxOWyxTQoFduBpT6je0LH7mPz8y1qDXLxyvrOeXbAIjZtXfBU/s1600/IMG_4601.jpg" height="200" width="141" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Saturday morning brought post – two
excellent craft books. <a href="http://stephaniepomfrett.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Steph</a> sent me the Japanese woolly embroidery book, and
I’ve already been through and marked potential projects (possibly just an
excuse to use my post it pen). I bought <a href="http://bugsandfishes.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Laura Howard’s</a> super cute felt book in her sale as I’m currently working on a
few different felty things and it’s wonderfully inspiring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpI9xWe8YAUbdmizCMZ4jod-IyvVQag5Q1FUKbNys7KImvXamQOC_AMUYIMAvLARnAI3QzXwhW63pCw-eB0M4sQajzXnlWbu0n4Ro7iX8P6OP2-qoHS7qj_8b51KY8M5kSAZbt9SD1fA/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpI9xWe8YAUbdmizCMZ4jod-IyvVQag5Q1FUKbNys7KImvXamQOC_AMUYIMAvLARnAI3QzXwhW63pCw-eB0M4sQajzXnlWbu0n4Ro7iX8P6OP2-qoHS7qj_8b51KY8M5kSAZbt9SD1fA/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="320" width="280" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Saturday afternoon I met up with Katie from
<a href="http://hooklineandsinkher2.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Hook Line and Sink Her</a> for a second impromptu mini-date as we also bumped into each
other on the train on Friday night. She brought along the prize I won in her
blog competition, which I love! These gorgeous cross stitch samplers will go up
in our new house when we move.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-CpJxhUxuUySxthz1VoBSAb5kguv3s-IrxIZm2dqAi1ciRobIdGlghDlZjAnw_64dgAVdlKukxpx0SKLUC2uyCJ5KcHZxzIYIVZy3_aO5-_RfcpQx8v77_7m_SCMMtmvMGGrXRr8C40/s1600/IMG_4595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-CpJxhUxuUySxthz1VoBSAb5kguv3s-IrxIZm2dqAi1ciRobIdGlghDlZjAnw_64dgAVdlKukxpx0SKLUC2uyCJ5KcHZxzIYIVZy3_aO5-_RfcpQx8v77_7m_SCMMtmvMGGrXRr8C40/s1600/IMG_4595.jpg" height="292" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkNDhRAE4PwoK04uka_2Q6zq_gaoJHZeZLVsQtDKMhwztQMLTLFxsyC6CPXhga7zqKW_9UIavmFhENQEXU3QSDVeb3cKELf2N8CINXGcSfpgYyBv-T1QZOqOyYIyObGQ-oTR0jb03BDFk/s1600/IMG_4593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkNDhRAE4PwoK04uka_2Q6zq_gaoJHZeZLVsQtDKMhwztQMLTLFxsyC6CPXhga7zqKW_9UIavmFhENQEXU3QSDVeb3cKELf2N8CINXGcSfpgYyBv-T1QZOqOyYIyObGQ-oTR0jb03BDFk/s1600/IMG_4593.jpg" height="177" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnR7ehUF1tPmV7_fa0HgHzNsgS5eETr8EtZl5osYLSxA2pvZ_YfPiJOYzSGxqtKt99h4BTKBDAZbFlTGz88HTaqQEXhxayLMTWCSM1bE_mHqRsjU3TYah25nCnsrVvn7_m_5azMZYgTJo/s1600/IMG_4594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnR7ehUF1tPmV7_fa0HgHzNsgS5eETr8EtZl5osYLSxA2pvZ_YfPiJOYzSGxqtKt99h4BTKBDAZbFlTGz88HTaqQEXhxayLMTWCSM1bE_mHqRsjU3TYah25nCnsrVvn7_m_5azMZYgTJo/s1600/IMG_4594.jpg" height="281" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">And as an extra, because she’s brilliant,
she also gave me this fox cushion. Clem has named it Vera the Varmint; we are
both rather enamoured. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43O_CBxNKAtppBRm94nxh5eSPAOuwCy9zeAPz8IItX1DgbzVufkItS0YTbD1oZWuD-K2suCqzajvjXM9uTw_wJr59edIR4nL2voHlXCntXlD8inW6TwaIrqu-4zWCObSCEz42QjeWhl8/s1600/IMG_4598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43O_CBxNKAtppBRm94nxh5eSPAOuwCy9zeAPz8IItX1DgbzVufkItS0YTbD1oZWuD-K2suCqzajvjXM9uTw_wJr59edIR4nL2voHlXCntXlD8inW6TwaIrqu-4zWCObSCEz42QjeWhl8/s1600/IMG_4598.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAijC4fyFh3TBl0VuNVbY8IC7B41e0iuAvQwju2SDlJc5L3r9twZ-IdgUCAQh0qCdWky0BjVgkMJqzGPfnZYj4SHspbtXJY76DeaJVgm9ggxAd3lBcDLI4FUCxsjsYQfoMgj0Kzhyo5nY/s1600/photo+1+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAijC4fyFh3TBl0VuNVbY8IC7B41e0iuAvQwju2SDlJc5L3r9twZ-IdgUCAQh0qCdWky0BjVgkMJqzGPfnZYj4SHspbtXJY76DeaJVgm9ggxAd3lBcDLI4FUCxsjsYQfoMgj0Kzhyo5nY/s1600/photo+1+(1).JPG" height="320" width="238" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">The last part of my day involved flicking
through my new copy of <a href="http://homemakermagazine.co.uk/" target="_blank">Homemaker</a> magazine and enjoying the birdy themed supplement.
I will be framing some of the prints for the new house but for now I settled
for using the mini versions of the pics to update my fridge magnets. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Before (cigarette cards):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXA6bN3LLnA3Z_uJttVJtuc9qclmgWdr1t_BatsQaiXZQzM-fR3NBegm0b41Ctme8NFyAIM3ce7D6NHDYpcf3qTAzujcxWdKJCKLl3cMTpOogWEONCo2Ie-wgm3WEOUAaUsCbUnmxnAk/s1600/IMG_4590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXA6bN3LLnA3Z_uJttVJtuc9qclmgWdr1t_BatsQaiXZQzM-fR3NBegm0b41Ctme8NFyAIM3ce7D6NHDYpcf3qTAzujcxWdKJCKLl3cMTpOogWEONCo2Ie-wgm3WEOUAaUsCbUnmxnAk/s1600/IMG_4590.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">After:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioV88JmIPMGY3jEgCpmAd7cCf4Se3i1REk0FYzuY4EfCbISfNdq1xuV4iTAkKZG4by1daoZ4mRHL7FMZHpdPTTqufLqO8LL8BQRjTBbRd0iS3zOJC8eegmMZGO4HGfrRCwSZ3NeoYryqQ/s1600/IMG_4592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioV88JmIPMGY3jEgCpmAd7cCf4Se3i1REk0FYzuY4EfCbISfNdq1xuV4iTAkKZG4by1daoZ4mRHL7FMZHpdPTTqufLqO8LL8BQRjTBbRd0iS3zOJC8eegmMZGO4HGfrRCwSZ3NeoYryqQ/s1600/IMG_4592.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">In place (sneak peak of what I’m having for
dinner tonight):<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">Love you bye!</span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-45217499196220902492013-06-04T22:28:00.000+01:002013-06-04T22:28:14.476+01:00Books of 2013 part one<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Book rating system:</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">1/5</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Blunt pencil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2/5</b> Scratchy promo biro</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3/5</b> Parker Pen</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>4/5</b> Comfortable roller ball</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>5/5</b> Quill and ink</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Super Special this book will change your life 6/5</b> Four colour bic</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On with some books!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Black Dahlia</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">James Ellroy</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This book took me ages to get into as most of the first third is about boxing and lots of character names are very similar making it confusing. However, it had a very strong and well created Noir atmosphere which was what kept me reading. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once it got going it was quite exciting and fast paced although there were rather a lot of characters to keep track of - none of which are predictable. Everyone in it is selfish, mean, corrupt, racist, misogynistic or a combination of them all except perhaps Kay but even she lies her way through the book. But I don't think we are *supposed* to like them.. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The denouement is dramatic but is presented in an overly complicated way and I didn't feel much satisfaction when Bucky finally solves his mystery. Overall, I'm glad I read it but it was hard going at times - particularly the beginning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Wool Omnibus (Wool #1-5) </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hugh Howey </span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Fantastic. Immediately bought the next one which I would have read straight away if I hadn't passed the kindle to Clem so he can read this book too. I needed him to read it quick so we can talk about it. Once he read it, he immediately read the sequel so he then had the same problem as me while waiting for me to have my turn reading it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I loved the set up and the progression between focal characters from one novella to the next. The idea - post apocalyptic set up - isn't the most original but it is the best telling of a potential future I have read in a long time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Empire Of The Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the rise and fall of the Commanche tribe</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">S.C. Gwynne </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I found this read slightly frustrating. I started off by getting annoyed with the amount of times the word primitive is repeated. I get it! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I felt like a lot of the thoughts in the first part of the book aren't fully dealt with before the author moves on to the next thought. It felt jumpy and I was waiting for the 'proper' book to start. As an example of unfinished thoughts- in a section on Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar it's mentioned that '<i>His rescue of two fellow soldiers was so breathtakingly brave that it drew a salute from enemy lines</i>' then it goes on to something else without telling us what he did. It did however much improve the more I read. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The subject is interesting and inspired me to go find out the answers to all the things that kept popping up unresolved. The book would have been the size of a house if he'd managed to pre empt and answer every little question. It's not really about Quanah Parker, he's hardly in it. However, he's a good peg on which to hang the history of the Comanches.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Letters of a Woman Homesteader</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Elinore Pruitt Stewart </span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">THANK YOU <a href="https://twitter.com/Maggie_Dolores" target="_blank">@maggie_dolores</a> for making me read this. I loved this book, Elinore has a bursting personality which comes out in her letters and her adventures are entertaining and funny. She is encouraging and pro-independence for women and all about proving that women are as capable homesteaders as men. She makes a few dated remarks about race, which could be uncomfortable but reading it now they seem absurd.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Choice excerpts:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">"I stepped in and modestly kicked over a chair"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">"He is a dear little thing, but he is a lusty yeller for baby's rights"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">"There were no ants in the pie but that is accounted for by there being no pie"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Download it for your kindle, it's free on amazon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The 19th Wife </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">David Ebershoff </span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I started reading this book because I am interested in 19th century emigrations westwards in America, particularly Mormons, (and I like murder mysteries). The historical parts have inspired me to read and research more on this area. The murder though is a device to hang the story on get all the characters in the right places to get to know the modern equivalents of Ann Eliza. This doesn't lessen the story, but don't expect the revelation of the killer to be the point of the book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I felt the writing was stronger in the historical parts but I appreciated the change of pace in the modern parts. In some places the historical parts would go on and on and I'd wonder if we would ever get back to the modern characters who I would have liked to get to know more. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Love you bye!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">All book covers from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_blank">goodreads</a>.</span></div>
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alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-13614392979764550682013-05-27T21:24:00.001+01:002013-05-27T21:25:09.685+01:00Goals for 2013 updateFive twelfths of the way through the year is the usual time to check where you're up to with New Year's Rulins. Now I'm no Woody Guthrie but I had a <a href="http://alicestronaut.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/2013.html" target="_blank">reasonably taxing list</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14865524@N02/5350817694/" title="Woody Guthrie's New Years Rulins_Notebook13_650 by rchrdstranger, on Flickr"><img alt="Woody Guthrie's New Years Rulins_Notebook13_650" height="312" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5246/5350817694_b3b9006349.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<b>- Join in <a href="http://stephaniepomfrett.wordpress.com/category/baking/" target="_blank">Steph's baking challenge</a>. Clem’s mum got us some wonderful kitchen stuff for Christmas and I can’t wait to start using it.</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8652414054/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Untitled by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8382/8652414054_68496de7f3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've managed to bake a few things. I bought the Paul Hollywood how to bake book and I started out making soda bread because there are hardly any ingredients. That turned out ok so I got some bread flour and made a basic white cob. My first attempt was a sticky gooey mess which made a soggy only just edible loaf. It made me think that there was a reason buying nice bread costs nearly £3 a loaf and I decided that £3 is a perfectly decent price to pay someone else to do all the hard work for me while I happily never did that again. Then I realised there was two thirds of a bag of bread flour left over so I tried again and didn't put such a flood of water in it. It turned out great.<br />
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<b>- Related to this is the goal to cook more ‘proper’ meals. I don’t eat very well and I’d like to change that. This will include cooking some more of my Grandad’s meals and trying a few recipes from the Game of Thrones cookbook.</b><br />
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<a href="http://aaronandjillw.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/italian-chicken.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8oR5fRMQ5P30nW9g6QIjuC4ewoRAAWAUL4LVhaJ11Jge7_idLm35uGwrhAHA7RciSzHe8vfo1RV4AaJgUTaJSYPFn3TRJodLXpBgALi-6NCnIKZ3xHCdK76UD0OmrfM7VfMCYSd0M6wQ/s320/itachi.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Despite the good size of the kitchen in our current flat, the surface space to prepare food on is non existent. However, with a bit of balancing the bread board on the hob we can now cook:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Italian Chicken</li>
<li>Burritos (thanks Katie for the chilli kidney beans tip)</li>
<li>Sweet Potato Glory (roast sweet potatoes with feta and guacamole)</li>
<li>Lazy Toads (sausages in Mrs Beeton insta-yorkies)</li>
<li>Sausage Bake</li>
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We even made a roast dinner with a joint of pork.<br />
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Have yet to make any more of Grandad's meals or Game of Thrones dinners. Any suggestions for quick delicious dinners please inform me!<br />
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<b>- But before that comes the big move. My January goal is to move in with lovely Clement and between us make our new place soft and welcoming and comfortable. </b><br />
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Success! Well half success, sort of. I moved and it is definitely soft and great but two things have held it back from being completely perfect. One is that we are in the process of buying a flat and because of that, we decided not to put pictures up/decorate here and we still have packing boxes everywhere. The other is that there is no central heating and oh my god was it cold this winter. However, it's now warming up and it's much nicer (particularly to be out on the roof in the sun), it's lovely to be with Clem and I'm really really looking forward to moving into our new place :)<br />
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<b>- Complete the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/676123" target="_blank">Goodreads 30 book challenge</a> again</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/168668.Catch_22" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNyENVNzfEfP7_m1gFLrg5CRipzc9vcvzI8k4HimV2hufHWg4l2f7P2S_Axihe0WQicDUGpRLVFPcwnXiVRkDDA0Iepy7qjPKxj9PoSkdvwCF75YGKfDlmH1eBKBpoUPv5Z_LMER4Wvc/s200/Catch-22-cover.jpg" width="131" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/685735.Letters_of_a_Woman_Homesteader" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EH888TgcudsQPov5DHOYjGstG_ID0OLX1WA7exb0wRyIVPufUZjJuXN0KJ2oVkYSmc5AKoS5atG_f5cE-gUN_2sDgbDOYq7WAzLmeoALdguKTy85i0XWWHOwOS0BfQN9gU-qn4ySves/s200/letters.jpg" width="124" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15790842-life-after-life" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivOeVDQDZBtD8bGR2TlpIf_Mptm17p8L1N77MSqvk_ITnEHfOv7IbhkCeJZeUF128wrZmouU4Ue__8pMvZ18AYh7k_weUGVApeg09mkS9uWuvO3lf0DRASNYvX7r4VWzmZpYsrCLoMlzM/s200/life-after-life-cover.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
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This one is well under way. Helped along by the fact that I now have an hour train journey to work and back every day. Plus I've been ill a couple of times which has meant lots of time in bed reading. My favourites so far this year have been Catch 22, Life After Life, and Letters of a Woman Homesteader.<br />
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<b>- Go abroad with Clem, possibly to the Ukraine</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/73114145@N00/253991189/" title="Carcassonne by Jean-Marc 1976, on Flickr"><img alt="Carcassonne" height="375" src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/93/253991189_b95b6d1ee7.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Not yet. The Ukraine will probably have to be next summer as this year we are going to Glastonbury which will be our main holiday spend. We are hoping also to go and stay with Clem's godmother in the South of France for my birthday. She lives near Carcassonne and is always bigging up the Cathar castles - understandably, once you've seen the photo above.<br />
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<b>- Sign up for a course – currently thinking printmaking or small metals.</b><br />
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The new part time/hobby courses prospectus has just come out for next academic year at the local college and I'm eyeing up Quiltmaking for Beginners and Pattern Cutting. I want to do ceramics and screen printing as well but as quilt making is already on my goals list I am going to start with that. Plus we are actively trying not to have so much clutter crap around the house and my attempts at pottery probably won't help with that.<br />
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<b>- Make a quilt – I’d like to actually do it this year. I’ve got plenty of my dad’s and Clem’s old shirts to make it out of and I’m hoping to get a dedicated craft space set up in our new pad. </b><br />
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See above! In clearing out clothes for the move, I've added a few things to my quilt pile, so will definitely have plenty of fabric. In the new flat there is a second bedroom which will for the time being will be a hobby room divided down the middle with twee washi tape. Khaki and trolls on one side, cutesy fabric and balls of wool on the other. We are nothing if not gender conformist in our hobbies. I will finally have space for my old Singer sewing machine table which currently resides with my parents, and I'm looking forward to bringing that over.<br />
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Alice<br />
xalicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-35618969410868990732013-05-15T19:26:00.002+01:002015-09-21T16:29:22.484+01:00Film Season: War Films<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Clem is an ex soldier with a degree in military history (and an A-Level in film studies). He likes war films. After a discussion in which we discovered that the only war films I (or Sarah and Jess for that matter) have seen are Forrest Gump and Private Benjamin, we thought maybe we should have a season of classics. As Clem very patiently watched all eight Harry Potter films with me from start to finish recently, we settled on the same number. On to the films (none of which would pass the <a href="http://bechdeltest.com/" target="_blank">Bechdel Test</a> (that's always going to be likely in a warzone) but it's still interesting to see how women are portrayed):</div>
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058777/" target="_blank">Zulu</a></h3>
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<b>Released: </b>1964</div>
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<b>Starring: </b>Michael Caine</div>
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<b>Set:</b> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rorke's_Drift" target="_blank">Battle of Rorke's Drift</a>, 1879, Anglo-Zulu War</div>
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To sum up, I will repeat the conversation we had at lunch last week:</div>
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Mum "You thought that film was quite boring didn't you?"</div>
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Clem "WHAT?!"</div>
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Me "erm, I like the idea of having watched it more than I liked actually watching it"</div>
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It might have been the old style film making - ten minutes of watching men push wagons over to make a barricade - or that I felt like I wasn't understanding what was going on as I don't know masses of turn of the century Southern Africa military history but I did find it a bit hard going. Looking back now, I feel a bit more fondness for it but then I don't have to watch it again.</div>
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<b>What have I learned?: </b>Long films go by very slowly when you don't have any knitting on hand.</div>
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<b>Any women in it?</b> Mass Zulu wedding at the beginning feature hundreds of semi naked Zulu women. One missionary's daughter adept at wiping the brows of injured men.</div>
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<b>What does Clem think?</b> Classic, much parodied. Shows traditional Victorian army tactics and a famous last stand. Good example of propaganda - always a lot of medals given out when things go wrong.</div>
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065938/" target="_blank">Kelly's Heroes</a></h3>
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<b>Released:</b> 1970</div>
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<b>Starring: </b>Donald Sutherland, Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas</div>
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<b>Set:</b> France, 1944, WWII</div>
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Donald Sutherland is brilliant in this. Clint Eastwood is brilliant in this. Their relationship is the best part of the film, particularly the '<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5cL-h3Pj1o" target="_blank">this is my other dog imitation</a>' scene and 'that's a paintball' as a close second. It's an adventure film and therefore a more familiar story arc to me than Zulu's battle event so I found it a lot easier to watch. I still managed to fall asleep half way through though, and had to watch the second half the next day.</div>
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<b>What have I learned?: </b>It is only worth attacking a Tiger tank if it is from behind as that's its weak spot.</div>
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<b>Any women in it? </b>Two or three wordless hippies swaying their arms and stroking a soldier. Repeated mention of 'finding some broads'</div>
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<b>What does Clem think?: </b>Dark humour and 60s hippies in a 1940s tank unit. Broadly accurate war film as well as a good comedy.</div>
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120863/" target="_blank">Thin Red Line</a> </h3>
<b>Released: </b>1998<br />
<b>Starring: </b>Jim Caviezel, Adrien Brody, Sean Penn, Everyone Ever (90s line up)<br />
<b>Set: </b>Guadalcanal 1942-43, Pacific Islands, WWII<br />
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According to my research on IMDB, this film is pretty divisive. Some think it shows the futility of war with poetry and beauty while others think it's a pretentious piece of crap. I think it's both, there is more than a touch of noble savage about it, some of the poetry is a bit much (but I recognised bits of it from the samples in UNKLE's Eye For An Eye which helped) and it doesn't really have a story but it does show how nature carries on being beautiful and normal while the men are suffering massive effects from the situation. The scenery is gorgeous, and Jim Caviezel is great. And Vin Diesel is in it! I've never seen him in a film before. He's BIG.<br />
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<b>What have I learned?: </b>Adrien Brody looked exactly the same in 1998 as he does now.<br />
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<b>Any women in it?</b> One cheating wife (non speaking role bar a short letter), one french wife and daughter in an understandable panic.<br />
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<b>What does Clem think?:</b> "I wish Alice would stop saying 'Oh! that's Phoebe's brother from <i>Friends</i>!' and 'That guy was in <i>Game On</i>!' cos it kinda ruins the atmosphere. Beautifully shot and shows how things are still beautiful even in a war zone, which adds to the horror of it. I like that it doesn't have a point to all the action because that's how it is. Uniquely good looking platoon of GIs and quite old for who they are portraying.<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120815/" target="_blank">Saving Private Ryan</a> </h3>
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<b>Released: </b>1998</div>
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<b>Starring: </b>Tom Hanks</div>
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<b>Set: </b>D-Day landings and aftermath, Normandy, 1944, WWII</div>
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As with the Thin Red Line, it's hard to suspend disbelief and step into the world as being real when the main actors are so famous. Tom Hanks, for chrissakes. Also the premise is weird. Would they really put all these other soldiers at risk to give one mother her son back? What about all the other mothers? All the other soldiers? They are no less important. Oh, and the story is given to us as a reminiscence of Private Ryan when in fact he isn't there for most of it. However, it's pretty watchable and a good demonstration of the sheer numbers of men sacrificed for the objective, which is always the hardest thing for me to comprehend, what with the men who planned the objectives all being well out of the way. There are a lot of military words that I didn't know and discussions of tactics sometimes made it hard to know what was going on.</div>
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<b>What have I learned?: </b>Tom Hanks is currently <a href="http://jezebel.com/why-you-should-never-ever-trust-tom-hanks-under-any-ci-498846854" target="_blank">America's most trusted man</a>. (not strictly learned from the film)</div>
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<b>Any women in it? </b>One heartbroken mother (non speaking role), a few secretaries (non speaking roles). A wife who has one word to say at the very end.</div>
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<b>What does Clem think?: </b>Bit too focussed on visceral horror of it all. Soldiers jargon is gibberish. Circular narrative isn't circular. Sounds effects and special effects very good.</div>
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075784/" target="_blank">A Bridge Too Far</a></h3>
<b>Released:</b> 1977<br />
<b>Starring: </b>Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Antony Hopkins, Everyone Ever (70s line up)<br />
<b>Set: </b>Operation Market Garden, 1944, WWII<br />
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Apart from Kelly's Heroes, this has been my favourite one so far. It's telling the story of Operation Market Garden which my Grandad was involved in as a glider pilot right before he was captured as a POW. There is a shot where you can see out of the glider pilots windscreen as they take off, which would have been exactly what my Grandad saw at the time. The voiceover at the start explained what was going on very clearly so I felt a bit more confident that I'd get what was happening. It also helped that each group was headed up by a very famous actor so I could think 'OK that's Sean Connery so we must be just outside Arnhem' (Sean Connery has a moustache so we don't confuse him for James Bond) or 'That's Michael Caine so we must be the infantry marching on foot'. Without that I don't think I would have known where we are as one 70s actor in uniform looks very much like another. It's quite a funny film, for all the blood and bombs. Lots of gallows humour and feigned incompetence from Michael Caine to keep his men happy.<br />
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<b>What have I learned?: </b>You can recognise an American soldier because they never have their helmet straps done up.<br />
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<b>Any women in it?</b> The voiceover at the beginning, who I think is the same farmhouse owner who gives up her home to be first a hospital then a bomb site for the cause. One mad old lady (understandable given the circumstances).<br />
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<b>What does Clem think?: </b>Yeah, this is excellent, full of stiff upper lip. They have the proper kit. Good at showing blunder but incorporating a bit too much hindsight.<br />
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<h3>
Still to come, the Vietnam section:</h3>
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Platoon<br />
Full Metal Jacket<br />
Hamburger Hill<br />
<br />alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-46091333912428610962013-05-12T20:31:00.001+01:002013-05-12T20:31:56.816+01:00May Day (Jack in the Green)<div>
Warning: photo heavy!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericahastings/3511625320/" title="Jack! by EricaStLeonards, on Flickr"><img alt="Jack!" height="500" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3639/3511625320_1109ea92b8.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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(photo by EricaStLeonards on Flickr)</div>
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<a href="http://hastingsjack.co.uk/" target="_blank">Hastings Jack in the Green</a> festival has been going (this time round) for 40 years. Much earlier it was a popular event until Victorian morals and dislike of phallic maypoles put a stop to it. The festival is on all weekend but Jack himself is released on Monday morning by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hastings_Old_Town" target="_blank">net shops</a> from where a parade makes its way up to the West Hill via a stop at one or more of the pubs in the Old Town. Morris Dancers and Bogey Men provide entertainment up on the hill until Jack is slain mid afternoon in order to release the spirit of summer. Nowadays he is slain through the method of hanky waving and picking off his leaves and throwing them into the crowd, but apparently in the old days he was beaten with sticks.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8706671807/" title="Tulips and blossom in the park by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Tulips and blossom in the park" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8405/8706671807_10324c4aac.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Sunday started with a walk down through the park flowers to see the crowning of the May Queen and some Maypole dancing. The look on the oldest Maypole dancers face when the little ones kept getting it wrong was worth the trip alone. I did worry for their futures though because the last Maypole dancer I saw was Tess of the D'Urbervilles.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8711127920/" title="The May Queen (in pink) with the mayor, the town cryer, and attendants by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="The May Queen (in pink) with the mayor, the town cryer, and attendants" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8116/8711127920_9b5d5175bc.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8710000159/" title="Maypole dancing by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Maypole dancing" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8136/8710000159_47b4989bfe.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Sunday evening was our anniversary so we went to a fish restaurant for Hastings fish and this brilliant local lager which is brewed with champagne yeast and you can really taste the fact. Try it if you can find it, it's a bit confusing at first but lovely.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8717159482/" title="Champagne Lager by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Champagne Lager" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7416/8717159482_e0d61f2f27.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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Ever a fan of blue plaques, suffragettes, and survivors of disasters, I was pleased to see this on the way home:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8717160494/" title="Elsie by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Elsie" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7361/8717160494_281b75d4e6.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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The main event happens on the Monday with hundreds and hundreds of bikers converging on Hastings seafront. The walk down the always lovely seafront promenade was jazzed up with bikes as far as the eye could see including such gems as the knuckle duster<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8717146572/" title="Knuckle Duster by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Knuckle Duster" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7363/8717146572_fc1ab25379.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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The Gold wing (note the desert scene with cactus)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8717151930/" title="Gold Wing by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Gold Wing" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7333/8717151930_e5d35a4a2f.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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and the 'I couldn't decide if I wanted a car, a bike or a mobility scooter'<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8716031649/" title="Wide Load by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Wide Load" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7331/8716031649_b2e52e0b4d.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Once we got up to the hill, it was absolutely packed with people in green, or with green noses (if you aren't wearing enough green the bogey men will dab you with paint). We saw Mister Tumnus<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8713201621/" title="Mister Tumnus by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Mister Tumnus" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8420/8713201621_15f4960cf7.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Morris dancers with humour<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8715000864/" title="Morris dancer humour by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Morris dancer humour" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7283/8715000864_a26f4e34c9.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Giants<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8717147112/" title="Mermaid by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Mermaid" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7370/8717147112_e6e779dc97.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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and glamourous people with birds on their heads<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8717145980/" title="Bird Head by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Bird Head" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7459/8717145980_fe4d3f2b9f.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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Eventually the crowds all got a bit much so we went to sit up in the Ladies Parlour (next to the castle where the jousting used to happen) and had a good time people watching - especially the teenagers. They'd all formed a big (and I mean scores and scores of them) group a bit further down the hill away from their parents where they were getting happily wasted. And apparently troublesomely wasted as we watched some police go over to interfere and eventually drive one or two off in their van. Bit traumatic for them, excellent viewing for us. Lots of gesturing and arguing. The younger kids were more entertained with the traditional May day pastime of running up a hill and rolling back down it repeatedly (a classic, I'm sure you will agree).<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8717144510/" title="Where's Wally by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Where's Wally" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7289/8717144510_a5a4b732a7.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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We wound our way down the twittens to get to the Old Town, where we found a street DJ playing Stevie Wonder and lots of people dancing while the normally busy shops sat around empty. If I had one I'd probably have locked up and joined in, but I'm not so my opinion is void.<br />
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Finishing off with a 99 (in tribute to Maggie. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/reality-check/2013/apr/17/margaret-thatcher-team-mr-whippy" target="_blank">Or was it?</a>) gave us the energy to get back down the seafront home for a snooze.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8717141266/" title="Mr Whippy by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Mr Whippy" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7324/8717141266_6d8da5c0ca.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-12493220114884188552013-05-05T11:01:00.000+01:002013-05-05T11:01:14.053+01:00Computer Games
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">This
week I was thinking about playing a particular old computer game and once I looked it up, I fell into a
hole of reminiscence much like when you meet someone new and realise they spend
as much time thinking about the Thundercats as you do. I know there are more
that I haven’t remembered so this might need updating when I think of them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">Like what was that game called where you control a helicopter by pressing space
bar to make it go up and releasing it to let it go down, avoiding all the
windmills and cliffs on the way?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;">Or
the one where you have to get out of a different gate than you came in at and
to do so you have to push blocks into the water etc? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;">OOooh
what about the one where you are tracking down biological weapons in a factory?
There is one scene where you are talking to a worker and you ask him a name and
he goes “hmmmm, hang on, I think it begins with P.... oh wait, it’s Seth”. If
someone could help me remember what that game was I’d be over the moon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;">Also,
what was that one where you are on a sort of space slide and you have to not
fall off and it gets faster and faster and you can jump.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;">There
used to be an H&M game in the early days of mass internet that I played a
lot, if anyone has any more memories or info on that I would be interested!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’ve
tried to be vaguely chronological but some are probably mixed up. All dates and screengrabs apart from Paint and Floorplan are from <a href="http://www.mobygames.com/">http://www.mobygames.com/</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;">Paint</span></h2>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS2Lf-aAr1GuncpGMPR-ONcawdq58lTc7DjARMzUmdajb5t91HohfJrxUTphuRT9JJOS0cqF3Aj3XhbTovtUrlb-uEzieCjj694OB0ZLA2uOBjPjo1j-BhiaFl42vcgwLzjjRBhDbn8OA/s1600/paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS2Lf-aAr1GuncpGMPR-ONcawdq58lTc7DjARMzUmdajb5t91HohfJrxUTphuRT9JJOS0cqF3Aj3XhbTovtUrlb-uEzieCjj694OB0ZLA2uOBjPjo1j-BhiaFl42vcgwLzjjRBhDbn8OA/s320/paint.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;">My
sister and I would spend hours making pictures of snails on walls, much like
this one. Sometimes it was a night time scene for a bit of variation. I did
actually look for a screengrab to try and get out of redrawing it but turns out
it might have been just us who liked drawing snails on walls so much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/bricks" target="_blank">Bricks</a>
(1984) </span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/bricks/screenshots/gameShotId,88686/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKjwTAMXMNDfPaB3cTExJ-teR1J-boiFP54ZHheSTZ2Yq5tshyphenhyphenvfK2srYAaNPCWA22wpA-_6GMlS5XT1cHdaj0ynCWHejL-xKx8xHg4HvxXF8whYNMGi4nemn8B2QbE8i3uwBO7ZBDlu0/s1600/bricks.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;">Just
very slightly more interesting than Pong but just as engaging.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;">Floorplanning (so many available I don't know the particular one we had)</span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8e0ijwZJlpLmF9mVfCqt7Ix4J9WUiasM5gC4mBIsKgcB_23wOrqYatX1AedPpoWshvsv8YXXtLUcLaewohuntWtL9QlgTtv0ywxCLD424wAOwNmNhWQ1CKz2eylwJt_7gmw-vv2yYhY/s1600/floorplan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8e0ijwZJlpLmF9mVfCqt7Ix4J9WUiasM5gC4mBIsKgcB_23wOrqYatX1AedPpoWshvsv8YXXtLUcLaewohuntWtL9QlgTtv0ywxCLD424wAOwNmNhWQ1CKz2eylwJt_7gmw-vv2yYhY/s400/floorplan.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;">This wasn’t really a game but that just depends on how you use it. Once, when I was a
regular once a week visitor to the children’s section of the library in Lewes,
they ran a competition to design a new library. I think they were probably
imagining a picture of the building perhaps with a nice friendly librarian next
to it but my entry was a very detailed and completely unfeasible birds eye plan
for what I imagined to be the perfect new build. I sent it in to them but they
never went for it (possibly because the children’s section was massive and the
reference and adult areas were tacked on in a kind of lean to).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway, the
reason I did this was because I was mad on a house layout programme called
floorplan which I used to create my imaginary future living accommodation. Like
playing the Sims but without the pesky people, or setting up my Sylvanians in
detailed dioramas but not acting out any scenes. Who needs emotions when you
can have home decor? Nowadays I use an online one called <a href="http://www.floorplanner.com/" target="_blank">Floorplanner</a> and I
have mapped out where everything will go in the new house – it’s even more fun
doing it when it’s your very own real life house. Double points if you can tell
me what the above layout is for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/moria" target="_blank">Moria</a>
(1992 for DOS) </span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/moria/screenshots/gameShotId,189134/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTWc40msTeI4ZpFXia_O1_VK8efGGi2m45cfuNqnjK31Ca2tGZ6ucvQYbzSRBi2H_BvsQHvaTEu6RC5_kgHhrN2u9kAI9YZXn1aLdnYUOZ4yL-5T_rUHEWybSMClWNNwXE1GF6FcWTYU/s400/moria.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">I
don’t think ‘the kids today’ would be very impressed with this one but I loved
it. I didn’t know at the time it had anything to do with lord of the rings but
I did like that you could choose to be a goblin/elf/human etc. This game taught
me the word ‘inventory’. Your character is the @ symbol and you move around the
lovely DOS screens going in shops and running away from baddies.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/monuments-of-mars" target="_blank">Monumentsof Mars</a> (1991) </span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/monuments-of-mars/screenshots/gameShotId,29052/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp31y-N254YLkW6iwD5Cy-iZeo94SX07yoCOmAEvsExVyekUF_yRhSjZbWXQNNBpt__Q0miDECd0SbQucspP7QdhgiMTfyhJjsI6ffvPL5uZb4_YAt7ofCLoyYWYdVjfpTWqJHXfHa8vs/s400/monuments-of-mars.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">It
took me ages to find a screengrab of this one as I thought it was just called
Mars. But after discovering a wonderful website packed with DOS games which you
can download I finally found it. I remember getting up after I’d been put to
bed and finding my dad on the computer playing this. I think he made me go back
to bed again but he did let me play it the next day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/pharaohs-tomb" target="_blank">Pharoah'sTomb</a> (1990) </span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/pharaohs-tomb/screenshots/gameShotId,312595/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZ3hNf3PClW5Mq_KqXXyICbUK-5bgJt1rKsQfZjMdKbLd8yStzMmRNdBrUcRCax4Su_S0tIRk-9PGEAI827wGbZBOL35weWFM4s41gszg3UgyleaiWxvAVWdyWqU6ZAyEy3SHWPFsp0A/s400/PharoahTomb.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">This
game taught me the word ‘antechamber’. Looking at it now I realise why they
chose the name Nevada Smith for the character. That went way over my head when
I played it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/alley-cat" target="_blank">AlleyCat</a> (1983) </span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/pc-booter/alley-cat/screenshots/gameShotId,46214/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaxxitvbpYRsYY-LT7lmJx5Db4vlHUnL3MsxwrkBKr6IMjdM0O1YiTrIuE709zSFwhHiiNRekegiQKh6lCmvBYp9vSLN5v8I9j-gUcWLCUC8gE__6yRKb3GF3eobEit8qlToYJYpc6adQ/s320/AlleyCat.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">Basically,
you are the Alley Cat and you have to go into various eye bleedingly bright
levels based in living rooms or walls or washing lines and get all the
food/points while not getting eaten by the dogs that wake up if you go near
them. At least I think that’s what you do, I have yet to run this game and try
to play it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/micro-machines" target="_blank">Micromachines</a> (1994) </span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/micro-machines/screenshots/gameShotId,96749/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sKwBOQelV1O3wwHYr5znz1sZFjwjYIqsdXw2r_cceEXYuxzB-U5lXx_zspl1cQGp2jO8m__i-ancZNFkiw3A9JJCAklgciIJUI0Accc7X_80XyGLckXuAkX1RE8gxOSBm9KhLmQkyPo/s320/micro-machines.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">Little
cars! Race tracks with paper clips and left over breakfast!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;">Fleet
Street Phantom</span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">I
can’t find any screen grabs of this one. I used to be off school a lot and
sometimes when I was at school I didn’t go to normal lessons and went to sit in
the Special Educational Needs area. If the SENCOs were all busy with the groups
they taught in the classroom there, they’d let me sit in their office and play
Fleet Street Phantom. I loved it. Especially because it was an educational game
and I was hungry for knowledge (not really, I just liked showing off how good I
was at hangman).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/mavis-beacon-teaches-typing" target="_blank">MavisBeacon Teaches Typing</a> (1987) </span></h2>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/mavis-beacon-teaches-typing/screenshots/gameShotId,226733/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MAMHfCBZ6zzWTt3TMATPPKPjijjeCC7F-u6rBiFw-qrA2F_OJzORgNAF6GqWb2Z9m62GMvorjzp3PhLGqIIrwNBEchxKhinBewZE6id0Jv00I7lmQyuzZWhC-szFZXWzdMPSfQUb3EY/s320/mavis-beacon.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">(see
above about being a swot and loving educational games)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/prince-of-persia" target="_blank">Princeof Persia</a> (1990) </span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/prince-of-persia/screenshots/gameShotId,15915/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0oBeBdUJM0WXXuATh0p9rthbnvI7-TVycRgWf75AS2FAiWf2c9J3Rx2wP7XyahCnK4swMjehvg0L58CWE1jgG_GmMb39H-dXVrZAju9bS9lZA0XndXa8anoNYINdOePReYK2BJDdWKI/s320/prince-of-persia.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">This
was really really hard. I don’t think I ever got past the first level or two. I
would always fall on the spikes and have to go back to the beginning. Very
frustrating but I kept trying because I liked the setting so much.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/wolfenstein-3d" target="_blank">Wolfenstein3D</a>
(1992) </span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/wolfenstein-3d/screenshots/gameShotId,1363/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9ITKaB-wazHIbKB7LDPjJRDtnQOBb56IAZbvE7pa9KPMR-NTw3KIOWGICzc0c7qtZm_4UhbDfxffZHvqyFqXS2x0Y_WjsZ-Ep9dvxG4GmTs1S0y7kOYRcoKpTqG-HPcwVR-bb6KcpSo/s1600/wolfenstein-3d.gif" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">If in doubt, kill Nazis.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/doom" target="_blank">Doom</a>
(1993) </span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/doom/screenshots/gameShotId,24657/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1KurKvgltzpIzh1uYDUYH4zKnBepVf1e1OjX_NyJSVAWjpOJ6fth56RmtYTQT2RcC3cjjGQMun8-QEQ521SJFMJcEb3by9OdP50oY77uaDqd_L66cwvfL_qPcDhnY0IOJ-bqBMOWY5k/s320/doom.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">Probably
my brother’s first introduction to video games, my Dad used to do the controls
and Rob would press the fire button when they saw an enemy. Doom also had
excellent cheats which meant you could be invincible and have all the best guns
which was very good for an impatient player like me who couldn’t be bothered to
play it all through properly. Ditto Doom 2.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/hocus-pocus" target="_blank">HocusPocus</a> (1994) </span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/hocus-pocus/screenshots/gameShotId,96274/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFnuMzrIAaQJc1Oa9xxhULv0-JPxMO5alo1kLIXT4hjlfcXHLl0wBfBG7mGCjZBvDDfb3A2SBQZqbzzZ6aaZlI1nnFVdw0u-x3G-nSbjNFDVbVyJHvj5k1cRj61tj81E2vHE2WX4snVs/s320/Hocus+pocus.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">Look
how cute little Hocus is!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/simcity-2000" target="_blank">SimCity2000</a> (1994) </span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/simcity-2000/screenshots/gameShotId,313824/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKYQYRX47XI1FgGO0rUqwH002JUKIzv1nux8F_Wg4xic75Uk_FDy3fROxgT1LJgxljNgEPH2lw9R6CCHh-LVN_W09bMc6kSW7Ac1eWnwsGNFIkRsTZ_gGPrJ4eP-WwrdshQya3fGTU58/s320/SimCity.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is pretty much the same as PixelPeople which I am currently addicted to playing on my phone.</div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/theme-park" target="_blank">ThemePark</a> (1994) <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">And</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/theme-hospital" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">Theme Hospital</a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">(1997) </span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/theme-park/screenshots/gameShotId,67800/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6Io0mvwA9M8s9ELqZchHlD_bMb3mdi_26Io_gfFPB1JwaQIeK-NZMtWsCvCA9LWJFwbDx2hliKv6YYeLH9K18Eb-R1Tj8DXz3iRdLot2vZRiKNn_pGf7kHy3fnYQ7nlifWb-w4TvVnw/s320/theme-park.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/theme-hospital/screenshots/gameShotId,139126/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsqNSqo3IFJr66d2oiaPpoATZekdkWXa3LHJV7cTms63r7HtCuSd2R00p-EWTR6txb-9REWacWaqsX4zUlnZdMN0OPR3_R81DLy3RI7vGd4QwSIPynGcsm6o5H3jRXMcla1LGNiC-s8M/s320/theme-hospital.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I'm sensing a theme here. CONTROL.</span></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/worms" target="_blank">Worms</a>
(1995) </span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/worms/screenshots/gameShotId,2307/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpUEN1hWvk7l8jklhL5kz1PYw-DU-Xu-RbzuTuGCeIvFlYrTJ1-MLVVOzrM4stCYYu6ckNhzOKSBj3mzNdpILVS-njj3LDfECR19GK2lWoMG-7svaUYKZJFxHSQgg1sD70icyhYjgm3k/s1600/worms.gif" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/grand-theft-auto" target="_blank">GrandTheft Auto</a> (1997)</span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/grand-theft-auto/screenshots/gameShotId,169682/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjei9x3WDBCJFxl5moTX6AsqIJmAjCTD_yqWhfDA7DZyoYl7INI1CYMy8RT4Iyeutsk2BL7PbzsCJYMqOT5Eohy814bWKG67hXhoLBS5fXtY0t4WhqesYOQL_UGb4cNetYcDxDayOB70VM/s320/GrandTheftAuto.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">Like
Micro Machines but with more running over nuns. I never got to grips with the
3D version, I like the bird’s eye view.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;">Special
award: My sister’s Sega GameGear for being the most jealously desired gadget of
my childhood.</span></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfx1tmARnxGZJBdU3x2Z3lrNbcbcRATSKZsQNC3M3gkllc5wj9qk6wquOcEJbEa1BPa04OYIknxm6tQIqup4-tQh83XERY-UUiqeoNRCR_YLcGkSSjpwsSu_83mtEUcEI5J6MsTM7-GE/s1600/game-gear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfx1tmARnxGZJBdU3x2Z3lrNbcbcRATSKZsQNC3M3gkllc5wj9qk6wquOcEJbEa1BPa04OYIknxm6tQIqup4-tQh83XERY-UUiqeoNRCR_YLcGkSSjpwsSu_83mtEUcEI5J6MsTM7-GE/s640/game-gear.jpg" width="384" /></a></div>
<br />
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></span></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;">Special
Awards for games I’ve played since I 'stopped playing computer games'</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></h2>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/sims" target="_blank">TheSims</a> (and Sims 2 and 3) (2000) </span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/sims/screenshots/gameShotId,89786/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_Ylp8Bw6exE3j08dAanXe1F_LPNbZTW-FSfd57rUFJosSYxwJOWHNv9j3Hg1yNCxBIeA7yS8MZQxlzgpYmz_bgRUtmGXqY87SHY0OJksnKLB1AJpAO86rcwRdysQxNTmaV0dD_pS9OU/s320/TheSims.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/pharaoh" target="_blank">Pharoah</a>
(2002) </span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/pharaoh/screenshots/gameShotId,2683/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gc9TzRCdheeUSpvIumbT5UHk3IZFyhwTQCYUHYqTqcQn2-FnUMVNh_3JWe3DvJkeW5-mBazFMqdBZZ69Hk6MhYT1n5egBzzcLZNa6-O06HA0eBpBvDANuDaRuEm4U8auarLTJzNZGmQ/s320/pharaoh.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt;">This might just be my favourite computer game of all time. It's floorplans, city layouts, history all in one. I want to play it again please.</span></div>
<br />
so, in summary, I have a God complex and I need to get out more.<br />
<br />
<!--EndFragment-->alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-58405540053535419132013-04-23T15:08:00.001+01:002013-04-23T15:08:38.815+01:00Shadow Woods<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
It was Clem’s 29<sup>th</sup> birthday on Sunday. It was
also the first weekend after Jess ran the Brighton Marathon. These two facts
combine to equal booze in the woods (that’s science). When I was planning Clem’s
birthday surprise, I spoke to Jess as she and Karl are expert glampers
(Shepherd’s huts, yurts, tipis, secluded coves.. they are like tripadvisor without
all the aggrieved comments) and she suggested Shadow Woods. They had been there
before and I knew Karl sometimes went over there to help out Clive the woodman
so it seemed like a good place to start (I intend on lots more adventures like this one). Amanda, manager of the campsite and Clive’s
partner, sorted us out with the Meadow Cabin which might just be my new dream
home*.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8670626233/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Meadow Cabin Bed by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Clem's birthday in Shadow Woods" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8529/8670626233_c03a7198da.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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After a spot of lunch – the best kind: French stick, cheese,
crisps, houmous, and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pg23/4959752016/" target="_blank">a cup of tea in Clem’s new birthday camping mug</a>s - we set off for
our first adventure.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Things we found include:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8670635783/" title="Minihenge by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Clem's birthday in Shadow Woods" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8524/8670635783_6fe2e066be.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<i>Mini Stonehenge (conquered by Viking Clem who also came on
the trip)</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8670635297/" title="Caravan by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Clem's birthday in Shadow Woods" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8115/8670635297_bc5e1c3217.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>A proper vintage caravan decked out in the stylish prints of
its day</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8671735588/" title="Clem bop by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Clem's birthday in Shadow Woods" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8671735588_da4a48d5a5.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>A wooden mallet</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8670632177/" title="Clem love chickens by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Clem's birthday in Shadow Woods" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8399/8670632177_f5083dbe40.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<i>Chickens (you can’t really see them in this pic but Clem
stayed and talked to them for a long time. I think they were confused because
his colouring is the same as theirs).</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8671733914/" title="Daisy off screen by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Clem's birthday in Shadow Woods" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8118/8671733914_ec6229e6cc.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
When we got back we had more tea and cracked out the wine
and ale and got the campfire going. Clive and Amanda came over to say hello
(they are all looking at a shy dog here, it was a beautiful blue grey staffie called
Daisy but she wouldn’t come in to say hello).</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8671733376/" title="Clem's birthday beer by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Clem's birthday in Shadow Woods" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8395/8671733376_70e5115bca.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Clem’s birthday English Pale Ale, in his regimental
tankard, woodland info books and presents in the background.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8670634467/" title="Jess and Karl by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Clem's birthday in Shadow Woods" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8263/8670634467_525001f3f4.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<i>Karl and Jess hanging out in the woods</i><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8670630243/" title="Camp fire by Alicestronaut, on
Flickr"><img alt="Clem's birthday in Shadow
Woods" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8384/8670630243_f37dca13d0.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
We spent all evening round the campfire polishing off
barbequed chipolatas, veg kebabs and more French stick, listening to our
favourite songs playlists and looking at stars eventually getting under the
wonderful quilt at about midnight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8671731438/" title="Quilt by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Clem's birthday in Shadow Woods" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8257/8671731438_8a8d2727b2.jpg" width="375" /></a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
I set the alarm for seven so we could have a bit of time to
potter about before going to meet Clive for a bit of bushcraft. As this was
Clem’s actual birthday he got out of making the morning tea and we sat looking
over the woods while Jess cooked up a bacon, egg and croissant breakfast (eggs
from the previously mentioned chickens – score!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8670631805/" title="Primroses by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Clem's birthday in Shadow Woods" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8527/8670631805_03c1879a07.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
After present opening, Clive came over and started telling
us about what things were edible and we tried a few bits. Primrose and Wild
Garlic were the popular choice, although some of the more bitter things would
have been alright if they weren’t on their own</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8670628031/" title="Clem stripping bark by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Clem's birthday in Shadow Woods" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8395/8670628031_8656683bd9.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Then we chopped down a bit of Willow-or-might-have-been-Hazel and
started stripping the outer bark. When you've stripped the outer bark
away, you can peel the inner bark off in a sheet and pull it apart to
get fibres for making string.<br />
<br />
Next up: feather sticks. What we were trying to do was make a
stick look like a pretty flower (click on the photo to go to the website of the chap that made this one - he's a touch better than we were...) :</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mungosaysbah.com/2009/07/how-make-feather-stick-flower.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4Uz32ADPDSEerjQo6dbJqeQHx0OlF6mPUjipvPkDyjvgMSNtSEZmygWil6q94p04dfEz7YTZrE1ODL1IJkIcff_yG7AA9iEYq7jEKT1l7yLTbqd7bHgGxNIIill74jVCiXLPeGWcTiQ/s320/feather+stick.JPG" title="Feather Stick flower" width="320" /><span id="goog_941712288"></span></a><span id="goog_941712289"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
What we managed to do was make whittling
blisters on our palms. It was fun though and in the end I made mine into a
Harry Potter wand and Clem made his into a spear, having also done a bit of
flint napping and using the string we made earlier.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8671729886/" title="Spear by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Clem's birthday in Shadow Woods" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8519/8671729886_0439a999f0.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8671729050/" title="SPEAR! by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Clem's birthday in Shadow Woods" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8401/8671729050_5f499f5b91.jpg" width="375" /></a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
The string making was
probably my favourite bit because it’s just like spinning yarn so I knew what I
was doing. The whittling was a bit harder to get a handle on, I think I would
need a lot more practice before I could sell my wares to the townfolk.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajschu/66045778/" title="Carcassonne Tableau by ajschu, on Flickr"><img alt="Carcassonne Tableau" height="375" src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/29/66045778_c601bfe27e.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Obviously we were knackered after all that so when we got
home we had a quick game of Clem’s other birthday present – Carcassonne – and fell
asleep pretty sharpish (that's not my photo, but luckily lots of other flickr users love this game too, thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/lulatahula" target="_blank">Louise </a>for introducing me to it!).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLEM! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Alice</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
x</div>
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*Subject to change without prior warning, last week it was <a href="http://laughingsquid.com/texas-couple-builds-elaborate-tree-house-mansion-for-grandkids/" target="_blank">this place</a></div>
alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-39157450507256789972013-02-12T16:56:00.003+00:002013-02-12T16:56:31.142+00:00Baking Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It’s taken me a little while to get going on <a href="http://stephaniepomfrett.wordpress.com/2012/12/03/2013-baking-challenge-how-it-works/" target="_blank">Steph’s baking challenge</a> due to having my kitchen packed up ready to move but now I’m settled
in I’m giving it a go. Clem usually works on Saturdays so it gives me plenty of
time to get my bake on without the distraction of Lord Flash-heart trying to
eat bits before I’m finished (Clem would like it to be noted that he is in full
support of the baking challenge and will happily taste test anyone’s baking,
should they need him).</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/8350856728/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Clem channelling lord flashheart "hello queenie, you look
sexy, WOOF!" by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img alt="Clem channelling lord
flashheart "hello queenie, you look sexy,
WOOF!"" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8043/8350856728_9429526a65.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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I’ve done an average amount of baking before but not of
particularly high quality. When I was at primary school I had a friend who was
keen and we would make something every time she came over to play.
The most memorable being the hot cross buns where we forgot to put the currents
in until they were already rising in the airing cupboard so ended up with a
layer on top (they tasted fine). We also tried scotch eggs, butterscotch and
various cakes as well as flapjacks and rice crispy cakes. We used Mary Berry’s
Fast Cakes until it was falling apart and enjoyed ourselves immensely but I
wouldn’t say I’ve moved past year 9 food tech level of success (grade C).<br />
<br />
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<a href="ttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Fast-Cakes-Mary-Berry/dp/0751504904"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFh8v4tZkUI0bKVi0_a1xrf29PzoP0vp3Vpm9DRxxij8coweFtPKn4MVDB7FKKue-W624LDTQk9Vk2qiN83btnPMvzCZeDsswiCFnsF6TtD00SXVE5FTSBBR4E2qnQLcuKN-seK4eY8KY/s1600/Fast-Cakes-by-Mary-Berry.jpg" height="320" width="239" /><span id="goog_1784374316"></span></a><span id="goog_1784374317"></span></div>
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After that I went off it a bit before reaching college when
some of us went through a phase of making each other massive OTT chocolate
cakes covered in haribo to take to the pub and share with everyone. My
favourite was when <a href="http://www.twitter.com/spatching">Sarah</a> and I
attempted to make a friend a goth cake but ended up with dreary grey icing not
only on the cake but all over Sarah’s parent’s kitchen. That was the end of
those endeavours. </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/6858637255/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Bacon & chocolate muffin by Alicestronaut, on
Flickr"><img alt="Bacon &
chocolate muffin" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6858637255_516f4f9bce.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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More recently I’ve made Bacon and Chocolate muffins (first
batch amazing, second batch dubious) and very successful cheesy dinosaurs. I
tried a lemon and poppy seed cake but after rising and looking like a winner it
then well and truly sank and then flopped out the pan like a brick. Too much
lemon juice I think. </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/7864840998/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Lemon and poppy seed loaf :) by Alicestronaut, on
Flickr"><img alt="Lemon and poppy seed
loaf :)" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8439/7864840998_b6a305556b.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Bake-Paul-Hollywood/dp/140881949X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360687070&sr=1-1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhmQPM8M3fj1wU87vnMrJQLlgjiVnczh4bWEOI5RoZL8GfCi8nB6B-63l1y-hz8A1BGcUNvZAeQbOpVhLbjUDq5t30dmq-EmA-QujQzIGkKXUwAEbHf1ZBaqjsr6QDVZFbvL1W1yUAAU/s1600/paul+hollywood.jpg" height="320" width="249" /></a></div>
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I’m using Paul Hollywood’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How to Bake </i>on Steph's recommendation and it looks pretty easy
to get on with. I like the focus on breads and pastries as I already have
plenty of books about making cakes and cupcakes and I’d like to try something a
bit different. If it turns out I don’t get on with his style of recipes, I’ll
revert back to this baby:</div>
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To start with, I chose something I’d made before from various recipes and I knew
would taste good even if it went a bit wrong – Banana loaf. The instructions were
easy to follow, and there weren’t any complicated ingredients. Using the
electric whizzer made the mixture very smooth and it showed in the finished
loaf. He suggests putting walnuts in, which I was going to substitute with
chocolate chips (or maybe have both) but I forgot to get either when I went
shopping so it ended up being quite plain. Still very nice, but a bit of
difference in texture would make it that much better.<br />
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Can you tell the difference? I used a silicone loaf tin so as the mixture was quite heavy, it bulged. It's also a bit more burned that Mr Hollywood's but both my tester and I agree that the edge bits are rather nice.<br />
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Verdict: Successful bake but room for improvement – 6/10</div>
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The other day <a href="https://twitter.com/wuthering_alice" target="_blank">Steph</a> was asking about <a href="http://stephaniepomfrett.wordpress.com/2013/01/25/dream-dinner-party-guests/">fantasy dinner parties</a>. This, funnily enough, got me thinking about fantasy dinner parties. It's supposed to be five but I couldn't decide. </div>
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So, providing all these people are capable of behaving
themselves in polite company yet also willing to divulge information they
probably never would, plus also being deceased, I would invite to my dinner party the following guests:</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine" target="_blank">Eleanor of Aquitaine</a>.
She must have been quite a woman to negotiate the royal politics of her time.
She travelled to Constantinople and Jerusalem, she was a patron of the arts,
she co-managed the running of England and France all while being kept busy
having ten children and occasionally marrying and divorcing powerful Kings and
Princes. She might also have a different perspective on the antics of Robin
Hood than we are used to. She keeps popping up in documentaries and information panels at castles, so she must either have been very influential or she's my spirit royal. (I still don't approve of the crusades though). (And just because I'm interested in it, that doesn't mean that I approve of the concept of monarchy either.)</span></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Boleyn">Anne Boleyn</a>. Because she always my favourite of the wives.
It would be interesting to hear her version of events as we’ve heard so many
interpretations from others. Plus I want to see her wear the original of the
black dress I wore and see how she carries it off. I know I'm doubling up on Royals here but I had to sneak in a bit about when I got to dress up as Anne Boleyn and it was awesome.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ediwhale/4441025033/" title="Thomas Paine, Lewes by edi whale, on Flickr"><img alt="Thomas Paine, Lewes" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2698/4441025033_bbe3607206.jpg" height="500" width="333" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Paine">Thomas Paine </a>– a bit
of a local hero round these parts; we like someone who challenges received
wisdom. Best wiki quote: “</span>Marylander James Chalmers said Paine was a
political quack and warned that without monarchy, the government would
"degenerate into democracy”” Gosh, how awful. </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/liits/5797368064/" title="Elizabeth Garrett Anderson by liits, on Flickr"><img alt="Elizabeth Garrett Anderson" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5238/5797368064_ff1b355b33.jpg" height="426" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Garrett_Anderson">Elizabeth GarrettAnderson</a>. If it wasn’t for people like her, our society would get nowhere. She was the first English woman to qualify as a doctor despite immense
opposition from the establishment. Then when she’d finished Doctoring about,
she went and became the first female English mayor. I’m choosing her over the
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmeline_Pankhurst">Pankhursts </a>because I’ve read less about her so would like to get to know her at
my dinner party, plus her daughter Louisa was a suffragette so she’d probably
be able to dish the dirt on the Pankhursts anyway.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/10992312@N03/1671707310/" title="Mrs Beeton. by gallowaytwo, on Flickr"><img alt="Mrs Beeton." src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2103/1671707310_37b0e12f2f.jpg" height="421" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_Beeton">Mrs Beeton</a>. She might not have been quite such a fighter
against gender roles but I still need her tips and advice – especially if I’m
the one who has to cater this dinner party. Although thanks to people like
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson at least now the washing up is shared. (I could invite <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Antoine_Car%C3%AAme" target="_blank">this guy</a> to cater though I suppose. I can't find a picture of the menu he created for the Prince Regent at the Pavilion but it was <a href="http://www.thatcutesite.com/uploads/2010/07/ambition_squirrel_02.jpg" target="_blank">NUTS</a>).</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/string_bean_jen/3710533019/" title="Still standing by String Bean Jen, on Flickr"><img alt="Still standing" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2649/3710533019_639c9261c3.jpg" height="375" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Stopes">Marie Stopes </a>– thank
you, Marie Stopes. She’s mainly here so I can feed her lots of delicious food
as a thank you for helping contraception become acceptable which is in my
opinion the turning point where we started moving towards equality (see also:
tampons). (I’ve never read any of her poetry though, it could be awful).</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/swanksalot/7327231708/" title="I'll Awyays Be a Wild Thing - RIP Maurice Sendak by swanksalot, on Flickr"><img alt="I'll Awyays Be a Wild Thing - RIP Maurice Sendak" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7075/7327231708_05de1d2468.jpg" height="331" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Sendak">Maurice Sendak</a>. Sendak only just gets an invite since he
died last year, but we are all pleased to have him here and he represents all
the children’s authors and illustrators who I could have filled a canteen with.
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<u><b>Musical interlude:</b></u></h3>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/flexolite/5609206793/" title="Woody Guthrie's New Years Rulin's by The Wooden Truth, on Flickr"><img alt="Woody Guthrie's New Years Rulin's" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5068/5609206793_df8dba6fcf.jpg" height="500" width="316" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woody_Guthrie">Woody Guthrie.</a> When we get cats I want to name them
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlo_Guthrie">Arlo </a>and Woody (Clem wants a big ginger one called <a href="http://avp.wikia.com/wiki/Jones_%28cat%29">Jonesy</a>). But in the meantime it'd be fun to sing some protest songs with Woody. "I've suffered for my music. And now it's your turn" as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Innes">Neil Innes </a>would say. Maybe we could do some good in the world. It would be nice if <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marjorie_Guthrie">Marjorie </a>could come too to give a fuller perspective on their lives
and experiences, as well as being an interesting and intelligent person in her own right.</div>
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<b><u>After dinner literary session:</u></b></h3>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woldhek/4382223898/" title="Charles Dickens by Siegfried Woldhek, on Flickr"><img alt="Charles Dickens" src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4057/4382223898_d14809b1ca.jpg" height="500" width="377" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dickens">Charles Dickens</a>. He must be kept as busy in the afterlife as he was in life doing after dinner readings but nevertheless he is invited to come to mine and let us know who it really was what done in Edwin Drood (or did they?) There are many many authors who could fill this spot but Dickens is so accessible, classic and entertaining that he wins as usual.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60861613@N00/4072582861/" title="Aphra Behn, dramatist and writer by lisby1, on Flickr"><img alt="Aphra Behn, dramatist and writer" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2586/4072582861_b6ae0600ce.jpg" height="400" width="301" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphra_Behn">Aphra Behn </a>– for bawdy jokes and lighter entertainment, as
well as gossip on Nell Gwyn, but mainly because as Virginia Woolf <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/135579-all-women-together-ought-to-let-flowers-fall-upon-the">said </a>"All women together ought to let flowers fall upon the tomb of Aphra Benn, for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds."</div>
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<b><u>Post dinner analysis and commemoration:</u></b></h3>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/klebersales/4454509057/" title="Freud explica... by klebersales, on Flickr"><img alt="Freud explica..." src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2702/4454509057_0e9e274a31.jpg" height="500" width="370" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud">Sigmund Freud </a>– We can debate feminism (I will attempt to summon the spirit of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simone_de_Beauvoir">Simone de Beauvoir </a>to join in). I will ask him after the party to comment on
the psyche of each guest. And then I will cut out pertinent articles from
Psychologies magazine and send them to each guest with their thank you cards.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59735686@N00/396301551/" title="hopper_hotel_lobby by not_issa, on Flickr"><img alt="hopper_hotel_lobby" src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/135/396301551_f0ebd009ca.jpg" height="402" width="500" /></a><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Hopper">Edward Hopper </a>– I
would like him to paint a picture of our evening with us all looking suitable
atmospheric and melancholic. He may wish to confer with Freud as to what to
include.</span></div>
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<u><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Special Mentions
who’d all probably have some interesting anecdotes, perhaps they could drop in
for coffee and the cheese course:</span></u></h3>
</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Lister">Anne Lister</a> – being
a lesbian in Victorian times took some serious effort.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Johnston">Edward Johnston</a>– another local connection. Johnston designed the London Underground typeface,
was well into calligraphy and I wanted someone from the Arts and Crafts movement but I thought William Morris might be too busy and I do really love
<a href="http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-01/16/london-underground-typeface">that typeface</a>. </span></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Berry">Chuck Berry </a>– I’d REALLY like to see a young Chuck Berry
performing his hits but he doesn’t get an official invite because he’s still
alive and because of the time he got done for underage sex which is not
condoned in this house.</div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Mercury">Freddie Mercury </a>– he’d be really fun and could duet with
Chuck Berry but he’s already going to Steph’s dinner party.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Nash_%28architect%29">John Nash </a>– nice
architecture, mate. Build me a house?</span></div>
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~FIN~</div>
alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-90662100858858282372013-01-04T20:51:00.006+00:002013-01-04T20:51:53.387+00:002013<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><u><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What were my goals for 2012?</span></span></u><br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some of these appeared during a very serious and business
like meeting in the pub between <a href="http://dotmund.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dotmund</a>, <a href="http://pleasingtoamollbird.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Mollbird </a>and I<span style="font-size: small;">.</span> <span style="font-size: small;">O</span>thers
cropped up along the way so I’m counting them as well.</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8apftamn_fBAtIbDdnjjvWZ6t5vrByiRWcs3H-1FMmHPjbBmeua9RTSZP1LeLjMsRA-w2AavQ2_iin1fRZK84Qrr7fdGdwn-MjFDF5x1qCMr0R3_NXikr-beWv39q3YptJ8Axn2Joek/s320/driving+test.jpg" width="213" /><br />
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Pass my driving test – <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>TICK</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Run the Race for Life – </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>TICK</b></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Make a quilt – <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>NO TICK </b></span>this moves to next year</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6K4YDdcVTRNnTMYlEcgJSwNTi43UxNZgSROCw1F100xKxFM24ObRuED_MrHbCoUkRcX45oirReoWQHxVgP2Kod51QwK9RJKuFVlUyvFS0bJ83YOMIL1R2UwB0Fh0owOY9w7CpGRY594/s1600/books1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6K4YDdcVTRNnTMYlEcgJSwNTi43UxNZgSROCw1F100xKxFM24ObRuED_MrHbCoUkRcX45oirReoWQHxVgP2Kod51QwK9RJKuFVlUyvFS0bJ83YOMIL1R2UwB0Fh0owOY9w7CpGRY594/s320/books1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Complete the Goodreads 30 book challenge – </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>TICK</b></span></span></span></span>and
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>T<span style="font-size: small;">O</span>CK </b></span></span></span></span>I kicked ass at this one. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some of them were skinny graphic novels but
others were pretty hefty. Very happy with this one and will aim for the same
again. I<span style="font-size: small;">f</span> you want to see what books I read<span style="font-size: small;">, click <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/333199" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Play Bingo – </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>NO TICK </b></span></span></span>. And I’m not really that
bothered to be honest. Don’t know where that came from.</span></span><br />
<ul>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjky3LwKVjdUciQQUm0Qkbmhyphenhyphend8gwvHlDi6SQGT7tSGmTTdxeAgTpSrxP_9bPauPXYYnymdxTX9rTaWCRDXs_sOxKcKYCyOoCPhyhNA22EhMHfKvRHNpS3GVSGSlLz0pGDgSIYkyNXrO84/s1600/travel1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjky3LwKVjdUciQQUm0Qkbmhyphenhyphend8gwvHlDi6SQGT7tSGmTTdxeAgTpSrxP_9bPauPXYYnymdxTX9rTaWCRDXs_sOxKcKYCyOoCPhyhNA22EhMHfKvRHNpS3GVSGSlLz0pGDgSIYkyNXrO84/s320/travel1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Visit Paris/Prague/Venice – <span style="color: orange;"><b>HALF </b></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>TICK </b></span></span> </span>I haven’t visited
any of those places but I have been to Devon and to Dorset and to Wiltshire and
Stonehenge is just as good as the Eiffel Tower.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Wear clothes I really like – </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><b>HALF </b></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>TICK </b></span></span> </span></span></span>I’ve got a few
really nice things that I was saving ‘for best’ because but rarely happens and
when it does I’m too self conscious to wear clothes I’m not used to. Solution –
wear nice clothes all the time. It’s been marginally successful and I will keep
trying because I feel nice when I’m wearing nice clothes.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Have a long distance Bake Off with <a href="https://twitter.com/mandamaladroit" target="_blank">Amanda</a> – </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>NO TICK </b></span></span></span>we never
did this. </span></span><br />
<ul>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgrQi5guh23ApCuGusiUhyY1if7Ay3_5DQnKCy28831N2qd2J4fLMHodMUEFJCjJyr0x0p-HG3ZH-tYIkM63jYYxOvPel3EdSrsiT3nhAimRAldndk4q-rA8mGmvv6L9Cfdl9YPcUT6UM/s1600/hastings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgrQi5guh23ApCuGusiUhyY1if7Ay3_5DQnKCy28831N2qd2J4fLMHodMUEFJCjJyr0x0p-HG3ZH-tYIkM63jYYxOvPel3EdSrsiT3nhAimRAldndk4q-rA8mGmvv6L9Cfdl9YPcUT6UM/s320/hastings.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Continue my slow moving occasional visiting all
the seaside towns project – </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><b>HALF </b></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>TICK </b></span></span></span>M</span></span>oving to Hastings pretty much covers this
one for now.</span></span><br />
<ul>
</ul>
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<u><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Goals for 2013</span></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I’m going to aim for doing this lot this year. I don’t have
Dotmund and Mollbird to help this year but since <a href="http://dotmund.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dotmund</a>’s main ambition for
2012 was to do a poo in a litter tray that might not be such a bad thing (I bet
he hasn’t even done it).</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Join in <a href="http://www.stephaniepomfrett.co.uk/" target="_blank">WutheringAlice</a>’s <a href="http://stephaniepomfrett.wordpress.com/2012/12/03/2013-baking-challenge-how-it-works/" target="_blank">baking challenge</a>. Clem’s
mum got us some wonderful kitchen stuff for Christmas and I can’t wait to start
using it<span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHRJvxtNihrsqIvXN7hvS5vR9tiDnWwPB_CDl4m3hit910gMHyoYsXW52vuSgtGMnqfzHzt1LqcFz-ocep68wnVvvdzB3ju3uZg__wVJG0uuIxYrg0WDSgJaCf32J2HzKg4bcYWpJ_m4/s1600/cooking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHRJvxtNihrsqIvXN7hvS5vR9tiDnWwPB_CDl4m3hit910gMHyoYsXW52vuSgtGMnqfzHzt1LqcFz-ocep68wnVvvdzB3ju3uZg__wVJG0uuIxYrg0WDSgJaCf32J2HzKg4bcYWpJ_m4/s320/cooking.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Related to this is the goal to cook more ‘proper’
meals. I don’t eat very well and I’d like to change that. This will include
cooking some more of my <a href="http://goodscoffs.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/what-its-all-about.html" target="_blank">Grandad’s meals</a> and trying a few recipes from the Game
of Thrones cookbook.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- But before that comes the big move. My January
goal is to move in with lovely Clement and between us make our new place soft
and welcoming and comfortable. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Complete the <span style="font-size: small;">G</span>oodreads <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/challenges/940-2013-reading-challenge" target="_blank">30 book challenge</a> again</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Go abroad with Clem, possibly to the Ukraine.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Sign up for a course – currently thinking
printmaking or small metals.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Make a quilt – I’d like to actually do it this
year. I’ve got plenty of my dad’s and Clem’s old shirts to make it out of and I’m
hoping to get a dedicated craft space set up in our new pad.</span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />Let's see how I get on.</span></span></div>
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alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-80584449497893886192012-05-07T18:46:00.000+01:002012-05-07T18:46:25.865+01:00What are you doing, man? Ehhhh, I'm looking at her photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love Eurovision. And there are only three weeks to go! I have watched almost every Eurovision for as long as I knew it existed. One of my best friends when I was at school had an Irish mum and I remember watching the Riverdance Eurovision round at theirs. Great days, man. Ireland had won two years in a row so they put all their effort into the half time show instead and STILL managed to win. </div>
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Around this time last year, I missed Eurovision for the first time. A heartbreaking turn of events, as it's not worth watching on catchup, it has to be live. Luckily, in the year since, I have become good friends with someone who loves Eurovision as much as I do. He's been on telly and everything! If you need evidence of how much <a href="http://dotmund.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Dotmund</a> loves Eurovision see <a href="http://dotmund.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/best-thing.html" target="_blank">here</a> (you should read that, in-depth commentary on world affairs and cucumbers). So we have made plans to watch it together (other guests welcome of course - just bring a flag/ouzo/some cheese). Twitter also loves Eurovision - if you've ever tweeted along to x-factor you will understand about 10% of the excitement of Eurovision. It's exhausting, even if you're watching from the sofa under a blanket. Needless to say I'm looking forward to it. So in preparation for the mega event of the year, here are my favourite Eurovision tracks for you to enjoy/judge me for:</div>
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<b style="color: #3d85c6;">NORWAY</b> - Alexander Rybek (winner 2009) - <i>Fairytale</i> </div>
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I genuinely love this one - it's first on my Eurovision playlist and makes me want to live in a treehouse and play the violin. And have backing singers that follow me around going 'da da da' all day. And men that backflip all over the shop. You see how he touches his heart when he's singing about being cursed? That's true acting that is.<br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6;">RUSSIA</b> - Peter Nalitch (placed 11th 2010) - <i>Lost and Forgotten</i><br />
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n.b. 1.15 THAT'S NOT A PHOTO THAT'S A DRAWING <br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6;">LUXEMBOURG</b> Baccara (placed 7th 1978) - <i>Parlez-Vous Francais?</i><br />
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I've sneaked and added the version with English lyrics here as it's even better if you can understand what they are saying. This is everything I love about disco.<br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6;">ISRAEL</b> - Dana International (winner 1998) - <i>Diva</i><br />
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I hope we all remember where we were on the day Dana International won Eurovision, thus proving Eurovision is awesome and inclusive. (start at about 1.10 if you don't want to see the voting).<br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6;">ARMENIA</b> - Eva Rivas (placed 7th 2010) - <i>Apricot Stone</i><br />
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Fireworks! A giant apricot stone that blooms! The lyric, "I used to cry a lot/so she gave me apricots". Genius.<br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6;">GERMANY</b> - Lena (winner 2010) - <i>Satellite</i><br />
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What can I say, 2010 was an excellent year! This was Germany's first win in 28 years - first as a unified country. <br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6;">UNITED KINGDOM</b> - Love City Groove (placed 10th 1995) - <i>Love City Groove</i><br />
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Plaid. Flannel. Flannel plaid. Curtains. Special mention at this point to <a href="http://www.skullsandponies.com/" target="_blank">Fran</a> who sings this incredibly well and has demonstrated as much on many occasions.<br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6;">UNITED KINGDOM</b> - Samantha Janus (placed 10th 1991) - <i>Message to your Heart</i><br />
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This one is DEEP. Half the world is hungry/just through being born/every day's a compromise/for just a grain of corn. DEEP, see? Europe didn't appreciate Eurovision being tarnished with first world guilt and only placed her tenth.<br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6;">LUXEMBOURG</b> - France Gall (Winner 1965) - <i>Poupée de cire, poupée de son</i><br />
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The UK was runner up this year, but there's no way we deserved to beat this entry. It was written by Serge Gainsbourg, so there'll be lots on the internet about what a perv he was and what he really meant by this song but France Gall is adorable and it's a great tune so I'm stopping with that.<br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6;">ISRAEL</b> - Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta (winner 1978) - <i>A Ba Ni Bi</i><br />
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Just sing "I want to be a Polar Bear/I want to be a Polar Bear for poor papa" over the first chorus, you don't need to watch the rest of the video. Unless you love enthusiastic synchronised dancing, in which case go right ahead.<br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6;">FINLAND</b> - Lordi (Winners 2006) - <i>Hard Rock Hallelujah</i><br />
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You all know this one. Don't pretend you don't.<br />
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I could go on, but I'll save some for the <a href="http://open.spotify.com/user/alicestronaut/playlist/2zBHE9EL7fUAWaw0EPOZFI" target="_blank">spotify playlist</a>. If you are this far into this post, you should join us on 26th May. See you there!<br />
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Bonus 2010 entries to the list, if you're still reading you won't mind (and you are probably <a href="http://dotmund.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Dotmund</a>):<br />
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<b style="color: #3d85c6;">FRANCE</b> - Jessy Matador (placed 12th 2010) - <i>Allez Ola Ole</i><br />
<b style="color: #3d85c6;">GREECE</b> - Giorgos Alkaios and Friends (placed 8th 2010) - <i>OPA</i> <br />
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These two are very similar and you'll probably only want to listen if you are already way over excited. 2010 again, I think that might have been the best night of my life. Although I can't remember what I was doing, I'm sure it was amazing. It might have been the year Jess's brother was doing the lighting, that would explain why we were extra enthusiastic. I'm going to suggest them to my spinning instructor.<br />
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Alice xalicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-48589064320537457872012-01-08T17:26:00.001+00:002012-01-08T17:27:02.883+00:00Anno's Counting BookAs with most of my posts/ideas/thoughts in general, I got to thinking about Anno after seeing something that reminded me of a book I had when I was little. This afternoon, I was up on Devil's Dyke and I could see a field of sheep that looked like it was straight out of Anno's Counting Book.<br />
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In Anno's Counting Book, each double page spread is the scene of a growing village developing through the year along with the numbers one to twelve. <br />
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Most of Anno's books have no words, leaving you free to project your own interpretation onto the images. I believed that the village in Anno's Counting Book was the same village that Erica disappears into when Roald Dahl's witches lock her into the painting. Anno may be Japanese but the book has always felt very Scandinavian to me.<br />
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Next up, I 'd like to get hold of these books:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeiOQmeg9YZrVgPjkNMSbQySH_mrPntkRVl9Kb5sJdmzTc659NFCMuDVdgA0ntrZW6HkL6yJMXHa0NZ3zoQ1HIrGq9xK97wuKPMB4KoYn3R8pemuURucOaT5kIdc6Y0Yc7rLaF6OzUjYc/s1600/fleamarket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeiOQmeg9YZrVgPjkNMSbQySH_mrPntkRVl9Kb5sJdmzTc659NFCMuDVdgA0ntrZW6HkL6yJMXHa0NZ3zoQ1HIrGq9xK97wuKPMB4KoYn3R8pemuURucOaT5kIdc6Y0Yc7rLaF6OzUjYc/s200/fleamarket.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsO2335Ilt3fvxfqTWj93ki7mof28HO13k8arz7bl8l2w-2xeZSeKhCz_pVpLQ-fXkfGqDfmHeM-VsNLmzb4Kb2a8aL4gGiXJ1mRHGihucVnw39hrzYefzcN16Kb6Fu6IdzZfr_UMRi8/s1600/countinghouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsO2335Ilt3fvxfqTWj93ki7mof28HO13k8arz7bl8l2w-2xeZSeKhCz_pVpLQ-fXkfGqDfmHeM-VsNLmzb4Kb2a8aL4gGiXJ1mRHGihucVnw39hrzYefzcN16Kb6Fu6IdzZfr_UMRi8/s200/countinghouse.jpg" width="161" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJUCX4np2I7mUKGI6AfnGKNR3IZ_Agn1XTp47JaX6yjUIym1vBlIa8OKIyQ0mG6SLmoQTVI4p9mXXoULElsoT4BybartDp_aPDEyWbS2Bp1eR_dnWfA5wPrx6EkPwIPLs-bKTHFEa9ZM/s1600/anno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJUCX4np2I7mUKGI6AfnGKNR3IZ_Agn1XTp47JaX6yjUIym1vBlIa8OKIyQ0mG6SLmoQTVI4p9mXXoULElsoT4BybartDp_aPDEyWbS2Bp1eR_dnWfA5wPrx6EkPwIPLs-bKTHFEa9ZM/s1600/anno.jpg" /> </a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Anno, from from <a href="http://www.yamaneko.org/einfo/mgzn/jcb_e0104.htm" target="_blank">Yamaneko.org </a></div>alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-36457003118429203722011-11-23T21:42:00.000+00:002011-11-23T21:42:43.954+00:00A non-exhaustive list of names for your zapper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGSakfsueW0P8Qqr6UOehlbjJJmuVd-BL1Jl94h5EYpj0aktRDLq2Z3mHuXALJr5Fprp6k_uQ_eOsmTgAmGdYoOk4iy1Q14dr5hWaYPiB9dI7x4ATt2FzUiM8XB9jjMesJI91K7SEuZ8/s1600/Remote+Control.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGSakfsueW0P8Qqr6UOehlbjJJmuVd-BL1Jl94h5EYpj0aktRDLq2Z3mHuXALJr5Fprp6k_uQ_eOsmTgAmGdYoOk4iy1Q14dr5hWaYPiB9dI7x4ATt2FzUiM8XB9jjMesJI91K7SEuZ8/s320/Remote+Control.JPG" width="218" /></a></div><br />
What do you call yours? Some people call theirs really stupid things. Like 'The Converter'.. what's that about? Here are some more I have collected today, beginning with the Doofer as it was <a href="http://politeire.wordpress.com/">PoliteIre</a> who started it by being forced to defend her use of it in her own house. "You point it at the telly, it doofs. What's the problem?" Can't argue with that. Here they are then.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8yNRImAMJDwbb49wrgP1yC7mJeqyDIVYF3abJ1_wWoJG2aL-Y9xgYLUx4kDNoU8r1RP_YyUuR3PfzcPW3HbOLPn8I92B_9fm94Y81Fr-NmbXGyPtniUtfqg2S3EPWphX2T-kKuhKHHg/s1600/doofer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8yNRImAMJDwbb49wrgP1yC7mJeqyDIVYF3abJ1_wWoJG2aL-Y9xgYLUx4kDNoU8r1RP_YyUuR3PfzcPW3HbOLPn8I92B_9fm94Y81Fr-NmbXGyPtniUtfqg2S3EPWphX2T-kKuhKHHg/s1600/doofer.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Doofer</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfc_l3XcJafW_RtIjq_0jb2m6u7SHUxIUpPILXr1jn0sxB9REzNR-hsNbH5jS1qPVpSS8pKdyiJjdLRbsVeamvc9_V73R54vbWkMNkpRC_Qceqerz3tLs6HxG2sNsE8RCJLDiWawQM1w/s1600/zapper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfc_l3XcJafW_RtIjq_0jb2m6u7SHUxIUpPILXr1jn0sxB9REzNR-hsNbH5jS1qPVpSS8pKdyiJjdLRbsVeamvc9_V73R54vbWkMNkpRC_Qceqerz3tLs6HxG2sNsE8RCJLDiWawQM1w/s320/zapper.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Zapper (4 votes) (aka Frank/Moon Unit/Dweezil if you're feeling playful)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqILUH47Vw-Jrr3YPj-zdGJUMeK-v5SQT_aRt_z-JakBGTInalN4_ybQG2hipg4IJLQzRoSWUWXr0NngCQQsF5rWaxFb2xJA2vllwcixwJf-ZtyvTTMqjuf0_mH7Pa5o1fsbe4A92bjk/s1600/buttons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqILUH47Vw-Jrr3YPj-zdGJUMeK-v5SQT_aRt_z-JakBGTInalN4_ybQG2hipg4IJLQzRoSWUWXr0NngCQQsF5rWaxFb2xJA2vllwcixwJf-ZtyvTTMqjuf0_mH7Pa5o1fsbe4A92bjk/s1600/buttons.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Buttons/Telly Buttons (4 votes)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UNpIMEutW16Nl-iXzrnSpvFtivhBUbI5IKOfXuMQfIM8gCpADaF83vBRlWQlPQs2orOnjUXS56kHimCeo9OygtedHg8nX0cJwRAkw1Qb1mJDziiWFyrmo9iw_VlAgYEJbwQ34T47b2w/s1600/remote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UNpIMEutW16Nl-iXzrnSpvFtivhBUbI5IKOfXuMQfIM8gCpADaF83vBRlWQlPQs2orOnjUXS56kHimCeo9OygtedHg8nX0cJwRAkw1Qb1mJDziiWFyrmo9iw_VlAgYEJbwQ34T47b2w/s320/remote.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Remote (3 votes) errr Boring! Why not pick something else from this list?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzrNio5VdTL8MXvX71GlNO4_jdiTtXmwXQfNxwUDlX_Fo30IYD4ATu7_XPk62spHqzM5nEJOwgvBhJ3Zu0zYV2jhNCvh1ODk3K8O7ZtWDRBChAeUuXd9Zue8Bg5adG7kF8nDlt1YzpBM/s1600/doobry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzrNio5VdTL8MXvX71GlNO4_jdiTtXmwXQfNxwUDlX_Fo30IYD4ATu7_XPk62spHqzM5nEJOwgvBhJ3Zu0zYV2jhNCvh1ODk3K8O7ZtWDRBChAeUuXd9Zue8Bg5adG7kF8nDlt1YzpBM/s1600/doobry.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Doobrey (2 votes) A lot of words for zappers are also words for fishing equipment, I have learned in the course of my research.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLH0karDJQSYBw93YKR3OZ7KKvEw-DKjYlJcfp3RHu0500lYKNZ-oQ046xpk4IIL1n4TsmX_1uzCVD5efoIdTKlK-yjzSRvaLx6trsV9PzWisDVY90tORE7Nqjstj-qBFFGiQs82r97kk/s1600/thingymajig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLH0karDJQSYBw93YKR3OZ7KKvEw-DKjYlJcfp3RHu0500lYKNZ-oQ046xpk4IIL1n4TsmX_1uzCVD5efoIdTKlK-yjzSRvaLx6trsV9PzWisDVY90tORE7Nqjstj-qBFFGiQs82r97kk/s320/thingymajig.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Thingy-Majig</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmU1usJ9NN9QiKH4SyQtchA28O7-S8ieonzrpm5STG15eCW8ox7RnSHjHJDXeKUIFsb584HnXIpmt66KGylQtnxs2-AfwgwSbIzSyhiVj203de8K5jNyYt0zwDgaWXHk_ZCnZJjEdBZ0/s1600/box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmU1usJ9NN9QiKH4SyQtchA28O7-S8ieonzrpm5STG15eCW8ox7RnSHjHJDXeKUIFsb584HnXIpmt66KGylQtnxs2-AfwgwSbIzSyhiVj203de8K5jNyYt0zwDgaWXHk_ZCnZJjEdBZ0/s320/box.jpg" width="297" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Box/The Telly Box</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNxXPaDYBd27WPFg95uaKZZqPdbpYTjDJ9OZ_QBSPy2ihsSxd0t8oQKbaEvp9UaM2uhTilmDJgrePyqos1FILZvTODQjW_LrZePFFB9GPx3fQPgcW38feWorsBm5UH_2BmWWi55zUev8/s1600/channelchanger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNxXPaDYBd27WPFg95uaKZZqPdbpYTjDJ9OZ_QBSPy2ihsSxd0t8oQKbaEvp9UaM2uhTilmDJgrePyqos1FILZvTODQjW_LrZePFFB9GPx3fQPgcW38feWorsBm5UH_2BmWWi55zUev8/s320/channelchanger.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Channel Changer</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffmL2GGv7wn3JZvpMIShBW-xYAbd3RNVEc0iLRVVHlUj2o_OYqubDnVVBUfk5AZFcJ5_W4qdIwJvGygrzxdPTHCJiq89m4-tCoSE24ghECs9xityE5cDLl5BhKq6jMw7SiSr3v0nDVn0/s1600/goat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffmL2GGv7wn3JZvpMIShBW-xYAbd3RNVEc0iLRVVHlUj2o_OYqubDnVVBUfk5AZFcJ5_W4qdIwJvGygrzxdPTHCJiq89m4-tCoSE24ghECs9xityE5cDLl5BhKq6jMw7SiSr3v0nDVn0/s320/goat.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Goat</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsQ0o24Tu0-sPfpZ0hyq6AE1PTddmpmz_Zrjz_7YKnzYQccqwCPOqhQa6mtvxCdT7SI4WXrzzqrTon6NZ9wueEcntKyUdGnp9ISNIRC9wSm39XmnmU-HWDbFKDfx3Lmqb2_DkvOTyEGI/s1600/moat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsQ0o24Tu0-sPfpZ0hyq6AE1PTddmpmz_Zrjz_7YKnzYQccqwCPOqhQa6mtvxCdT7SI4WXrzzqrTon6NZ9wueEcntKyUdGnp9ISNIRC9wSm39XmnmU-HWDbFKDfx3Lmqb2_DkvOTyEGI/s320/moat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">The 'mote</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFV5P-T1JDCRSz77PCLqcdwX9qGAskuFafCKuTXXUjZg-DafUi7O-Zv1gTUbOm9qlqrDs5UkRPprEomkf3jYQ9tD3d4ZrnXN96Kl8PniBzlXNyomvZb8tcijVsM3BycBuvIGE2jhNUnQ/s1600/magicbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFV5P-T1JDCRSz77PCLqcdwX9qGAskuFafCKuTXXUjZg-DafUi7O-Zv1gTUbOm9qlqrDs5UkRPprEomkf3jYQ9tD3d4ZrnXN96Kl8PniBzlXNyomvZb8tcijVsM3BycBuvIGE2jhNUnQ/s320/magicbox.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">'The Magic Box' - as well as being words for fishing tackle, a lot of these could also be words for lady parts.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1CMwkq9tfzhmmZxo4jEfFkRHMRRmk5lLlWcdpS7nh6Gnjc5PR26QUaOk9gYHKst7D041j07c_LTRaSZkdywSVDJ5-J2LaAreEwaZ0KPCzll4uz-3_rmLZUAe8ZsekfFik6qQ-wb3sSo/s1600/whatdoyoucallyours.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1CMwkq9tfzhmmZxo4jEfFkRHMRRmk5lLlWcdpS7nh6Gnjc5PR26QUaOk9gYHKst7D041j07c_LTRaSZkdywSVDJ5-J2LaAreEwaZ0KPCzll4uz-3_rmLZUAe8ZsekfFik6qQ-wb3sSo/s1600/whatdoyoucallyours.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Merote</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh650DcwcP6xGyIv6M-EDOD_Q6CBlRzHUkh5eAghEkUHWUOvY3zSeLFRvGbXr5HTLflPfWHDemY3YQs2m3nKV-8vhg9XCEFi31P3AQuMIE0THvHcy0PdnA0v2LGLd4tL3mx3w03zgoG704/s1600/dinker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh650DcwcP6xGyIv6M-EDOD_Q6CBlRzHUkh5eAghEkUHWUOvY3zSeLFRvGbXr5HTLflPfWHDemY3YQs2m3nKV-8vhg9XCEFi31P3AQuMIE0THvHcy0PdnA0v2LGLd4tL3mx3w03zgoG704/s1600/dinker.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Dinker</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq90fnpo1evfNBxJ15xOQTwWgPYqDKkd_bq_4FnIhY02uoT84_Tdf5i6jr0wpjWaeZbNrfQrnVnYm61dT9dDhJ6Vsrtmv-fh0kZC63SBtBl-IBhSx5slr4AiBdMFft2F7OeLN7Ir8q_U8/s1600/x1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq90fnpo1evfNBxJ15xOQTwWgPYqDKkd_bq_4FnIhY02uoT84_Tdf5i6jr0wpjWaeZbNrfQrnVnYm61dT9dDhJ6Vsrtmv-fh0kZC63SBtBl-IBhSx5slr4AiBdMFft2F7OeLN7Ir8q_U8/s320/x1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Converter</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJN_azLd4hY9d2dz0YJ6VCEOk0A8cL4aKCbjgsvjgIxUhfWhrQmGyaDxWk4IVWr7yQYHSrV3wjueGfUcllI7Uc5v0Yn86_eBBNFLe8ha_7aYT-oB2DLyfpbW5cojDQiW7S0iuD1PUxVTc/s1600/pushpush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJN_azLd4hY9d2dz0YJ6VCEOk0A8cL4aKCbjgsvjgIxUhfWhrQmGyaDxWk4IVWr7yQYHSrV3wjueGfUcllI7Uc5v0Yn86_eBBNFLe8ha_7aYT-oB2DLyfpbW5cojDQiW7S0iuD1PUxVTc/s1600/pushpush.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Push-Push</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DMRiBTsZOXAG8YMN4-qQpk9nKki2mzmgTYdxg3A8dodg3Kvm2m2cG0kxW2VL3KlV8F09mSmtxmbIOO3EiHH0bka11qV6n22shl-81KLmP7FSXjiCl4nGdfVxiGC8vJ0QKbpacgHdB8Y/s1600/tellystick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DMRiBTsZOXAG8YMN4-qQpk9nKki2mzmgTYdxg3A8dodg3Kvm2m2cG0kxW2VL3KlV8F09mSmtxmbIOO3EiHH0bka11qV6n22shl-81KLmP7FSXjiCl4nGdfVxiGC8vJ0QKbpacgHdB8Y/s1600/tellystick.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Telly Stick</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VuSNAGls9uC0jnjzvZ0yOpsWCzDVfa2jAyo_CSnNS3DgZj6qNetrCOzprhF8C93UwqExAyBv_TAlwQsV99GKghfMgiE7XVzDiOfm7RdRNrGSfkBk16Z-tw8z-KC15yh1jJ3pMXNQv0A/s1600/sniksnak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VuSNAGls9uC0jnjzvZ0yOpsWCzDVfa2jAyo_CSnNS3DgZj6qNetrCOzprhF8C93UwqExAyBv_TAlwQsV99GKghfMgiE7XVzDiOfm7RdRNrGSfkBk16Z-tw8z-KC15yh1jJ3pMXNQv0A/s1600/sniksnak.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Schnik-Shnack</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8LMNQAooU7fuzFqoln3xCIXSyXpzpmLrqmHMc5D3qwGa1H8EOZnBegW2PvT043MYyeiYxu07cl5SfrwPSWhT8SIHciJXeS42f0RB4d7-8vW-fumwHMqkOJhrV4QRCCeV6B5XhPLDacE/s1600/thefuckin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8LMNQAooU7fuzFqoln3xCIXSyXpzpmLrqmHMc5D3qwGa1H8EOZnBegW2PvT043MYyeiYxu07cl5SfrwPSWhT8SIHciJXeS42f0RB4d7-8vW-fumwHMqkOJhrV4QRCCeV6B5XhPLDacE/s320/thefuckin.jpg" width="243" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The fuckin'…</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNCUUleajDxNOHY2JuG0-jiV9XcXrCnRjrOtbrZYSMp64ZbWIBSuXeWLKAbLPjCrFHqJ775i03zuhzCqi_oAzP0WgO_eNxDiTCade0ScTPaT80oyPo13bJK2fsXJrB76DVDA_27TD-g4/s1600/theshitz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNCUUleajDxNOHY2JuG0-jiV9XcXrCnRjrOtbrZYSMp64ZbWIBSuXeWLKAbLPjCrFHqJ775i03zuhzCqi_oAzP0WgO_eNxDiTCade0ScTPaT80oyPo13bJK2fsXJrB76DVDA_27TD-g4/s320/theshitz.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Shitz</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnTVtfjMLVRKNSr4xyLn0GIEldeHo3NfpdORBq6s2PcCjTbNhKooOeRNlhYbEblr2syQXwo4v3vB-7b1YJZKUQ1M9lnRClFUWdVAHU6mnaY_thKdsLAZmlEm36FbdL1IprSpN2LXwFC4/s1600/thumbsnapping_fingers..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnTVtfjMLVRKNSr4xyLn0GIEldeHo3NfpdORBq6s2PcCjTbNhKooOeRNlhYbEblr2syQXwo4v3vB-7b1YJZKUQ1M9lnRClFUWdVAHU6mnaY_thKdsLAZmlEm36FbdL1IprSpN2LXwFC4/s320/thumbsnapping_fingers..jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The [makes thumb clicking motion in air]</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhO5NYYPPJ0HF0ZNmdwb74n-qM5-kl4ySD9r6Jp4IaSep9ID3mFXiZl0xXE9bmYqGX-z-aOtFYaekvM6OyOpS8vRbFoS8BXJBUhWgAkvzTQbuJuLS8Ht76th8mkLcoMvhCm2nzbYK2z0/s1600/x2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhO5NYYPPJ0HF0ZNmdwb74n-qM5-kl4ySD9r6Jp4IaSep9ID3mFXiZl0xXE9bmYqGX-z-aOtFYaekvM6OyOpS8vRbFoS8BXJBUhWgAkvzTQbuJuLS8Ht76th8mkLcoMvhCm2nzbYK2z0/s320/x2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Bibbip</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgWWfY4xB2BB4DgvX7TdGyLEj32U1LSUhWIRwlv3cfYuGg2YG2kCg4xEZjK4T7W3gv-gtTDqxVS-pf3tfZU9uP9ZZAXAdKo0vOTwJ5vxU3ejeg49REfroX710S_oTlgfUtNkCsy8U1wE/s1600/badger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgWWfY4xB2BB4DgvX7TdGyLEj32U1LSUhWIRwlv3cfYuGg2YG2kCg4xEZjK4T7W3gv-gtTDqxVS-pf3tfZU9uP9ZZAXAdKo0vOTwJ5vxU3ejeg49REfroX710S_oTlgfUtNkCsy8U1wE/s320/badger.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Badger</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Any more for any more?alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-46057478822018076282011-11-21T21:21:00.003+00:002011-11-21T22:00:15.951+00:00Five Children's Books with MapsI spent a lot of time drawing maps, floorplans of houses and designing the layouts of new libraries when I was younger (I'm not fibbing, I spent hours and hours over a layout for my ideal library and sent it in to the one I used to go to. They never wrote back. I'm beginning to suspect my Mum never sent the letter). I'm not going to subject you to my top five favourite house layouts (yet) but how about some maps?<br /><br />Here you are then.<br /><br />Lord of the Rings: obviously. Although you can argue over whether this is a children's book, I read the first one when I was that age so it is to me. I've still never read the other two all the way through but I'm sure I will one day.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KZUaZi5HpwFLF8wd4We8OmnJbyFlVULOfdMymczso1FuyyUxCm99UUMy1_gRR-OKD8Nrkn1Eoyr_obd_LPg0RHzCjZlHAlBn3_WZ47ykgPypyTrCPrTNK8kOtBzreqTUgw9-1NX9fnk/s1600/middle-earth-map.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KZUaZi5HpwFLF8wd4We8OmnJbyFlVULOfdMymczso1FuyyUxCm99UUMy1_gRR-OKD8Nrkn1Eoyr_obd_LPg0RHzCjZlHAlBn3_WZ47ykgPypyTrCPrTNK8kOtBzreqTUgw9-1NX9fnk/s400/middle-earth-map.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677562591104314258" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.vintagechildrensbooksmykidloves.com/2011/04/miss-jasters-garden.html">Miss Jaster's Garden</a>: plot the route of a garden stealing hedgehog. Miss Jaster could benefit from a bit of laser eye surgery.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7xu2s6MlyNaCkNTFk3YICRnxrt7xtHvV5OCfeSXe_3CugG9GmARopjv51RR52guEMGJUfdF0kz5A24hIv3-CWQgHK72znghe18iLk7R3Mh0TSbySBZvb2WK76buOgOwhFz5Ae0EqcEE/s1600/miss2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7xu2s6MlyNaCkNTFk3YICRnxrt7xtHvV5OCfeSXe_3CugG9GmARopjv51RR52guEMGJUfdF0kz5A24hIv3-CWQgHK72znghe18iLk7R3Mh0TSbySBZvb2WK76buOgOwhFz5Ae0EqcEE/s400/miss2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677562585836411378" /></a><br /><br />Winnie the Pooh: the first book that had me flipping back to the endpapers every five minutes. [aside - <a href="http://www.ebarzan.com/apoem.htm">who is the best poet of all?</a>]<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLFHFId6YEx2Qt7W0UiTpgkLepbFAME6-vwPWNwGSgYqUMcb0OmEw8qusSO-uFHMHPGTdqYteOeyZFM-uKo051znbyBfangghRooFTgVS4_elK6zM_JlTOSwmQRYnFZ33DZvw43wUhbo/s1600/winnie.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLFHFId6YEx2Qt7W0UiTpgkLepbFAME6-vwPWNwGSgYqUMcb0OmEw8qusSO-uFHMHPGTdqYteOeyZFM-uKo051znbyBfangghRooFTgVS4_elK6zM_JlTOSwmQRYnFZ33DZvw43wUhbo/s400/winnie.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677562575415462642" /></a><br /><br />Milly Molly Mandy: another endpaper flipper. If you read these when you were small, you'll know how I feel about these books. If you didn't then buy a set for your kids right now - don't let them miss out too!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWopfnvwN3lIbg9RGqsLYD9AG0mY716n8k0SYTNH6ydhZHjLdX5fZstHJS-ms0V2SuqjgVkRjL6aEPAf9lCmR6Eti-mcuvZtIPC1hLl0zF5bpB6VPTu85Y6btz_YtZdJuxp1vM0pk6Us/s1600/millymap.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWopfnvwN3lIbg9RGqsLYD9AG0mY716n8k0SYTNH6ydhZHjLdX5fZstHJS-ms0V2SuqjgVkRjL6aEPAf9lCmR6Eti-mcuvZtIPC1hLl0zF5bpB6VPTu85Y6btz_YtZdJuxp1vM0pk6Us/s400/millymap.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677562569997316578" /></a><br /><br />Treasure Island: The inventor of 'x marks the spot' and another of my favourite books, although more recently discovered.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCzLk8fBjui-KC1B26GFlNmzjfGmMOYPftKf-CVFw6LRwEPnKZq7xi2tiw91DJ_cVUO_7x-PYyDRugHrDrGSDWT619IJVTyf2XF0VsUKZMbqLjzTtMvigVPJnOAhmaEoAgeC-_Bfck5s/s1600/treasisle.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCzLk8fBjui-KC1B26GFlNmzjfGmMOYPftKf-CVFw6LRwEPnKZq7xi2tiw91DJ_cVUO_7x-PYyDRugHrDrGSDWT619IJVTyf2XF0VsUKZMbqLjzTtMvigVPJnOAhmaEoAgeC-_Bfck5s/s400/treasisle.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677562602843913762" /></a><br /><br />Any more I should be including?alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-42134203966272904202011-11-21T20:40:00.005+00:002011-11-21T20:47:10.208+00:00Why I like Tom Waits So Much<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdF33ZNE1BJzud6c5Ixm5xr-YD9vYS0MvjRrqCYHc9mIYGt3Rtpe6tgRCLalQpnQmN2rouHhqufyc8yLt3ieSY3WE-2OoIsxls2XBstLZA3weCHPDHPp3zYvZa9ErqFTqgK7xxE59umrI/s1600/tom3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 387px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdF33ZNE1BJzud6c5Ixm5xr-YD9vYS0MvjRrqCYHc9mIYGt3Rtpe6tgRCLalQpnQmN2rouHhqufyc8yLt3ieSY3WE-2OoIsxls2XBstLZA3weCHPDHPp3zYvZa9ErqFTqgK7xxE59umrI/s400/tom3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677552623560986850" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgk_LJJ_1SimJ1lGaOWJZC4HB8H7jrkfLk528dmU2rPnEVZ1AoCh_MD1U6wvCZ8fH_UwGhRUTKN4k9NtQ-VsM2-WqTsTwKH_QKfau3SVhQVs7bI87fQsmARU_Fzu31wXfOdluv6Ffl7TI/s1600/tom5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 317px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgk_LJJ_1SimJ1lGaOWJZC4HB8H7jrkfLk528dmU2rPnEVZ1AoCh_MD1U6wvCZ8fH_UwGhRUTKN4k9NtQ-VsM2-WqTsTwKH_QKfau3SVhQVs7bI87fQsmARU_Fzu31wXfOdluv6Ffl7TI/s400/tom5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677552623616419538" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0EmKdyST1JZggMw1v97g7I1H60PcXKjeTduu7TxAVOYa0zj_8G7aCOIHZRgoNe3siEXuf_d7zSXLhbgeJ12VWiNmbbLRVB4bFXrR0zwfB9vownLFU8xPT1QDEbz68jLPeQl3Qt03xVQI/s1600/tom7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0EmKdyST1JZggMw1v97g7I1H60PcXKjeTduu7TxAVOYa0zj_8G7aCOIHZRgoNe3siEXuf_d7zSXLhbgeJ12VWiNmbbLRVB4bFXrR0zwfB9vownLFU8xPT1QDEbz68jLPeQl3Qt03xVQI/s400/tom7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677552612190368834" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihVDITXhhb38LYLBuhh642bDqJRUzjH1Cegr68_YYroAMpHGoQmWGsptQ0tY5AEmS9iqTml__snIW31DJ5SbrHHnQGSyca0CYtUoKFSAM3jswzshpVDl1aMtXCSWMIK5aCtudcN-stWg/s1600/tom8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 398px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihVDITXhhb38LYLBuhh642bDqJRUzjH1Cegr68_YYroAMpHGoQmWGsptQ0tY5AEmS9iqTml__snIW31DJ5SbrHHnQGSyca0CYtUoKFSAM3jswzshpVDl1aMtXCSWMIK5aCtudcN-stWg/s400/tom8.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677552609976923074" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYz79vC07OThjPXv4Uvofp5N2dUb3cAC1GfmY6h5O6ltkSJwH8CVT2C8nqwQ6Pt_NnyypH615QGm4xi5gzFBnikFNNhWATI8ApIn4xWd3ZQKx1kmiKOSHuv96IwHVbZvLyPKWO6Rjon_c/s1600/tom2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 381px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYz79vC07OThjPXv4Uvofp5N2dUb3cAC1GfmY6h5O6ltkSJwH8CVT2C8nqwQ6Pt_NnyypH615QGm4xi5gzFBnikFNNhWATI8ApIn4xWd3ZQKx1kmiKOSHuv96IwHVbZvLyPKWO6Rjon_c/s400/tom2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677552641965554690" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkgBqery0RczJVA8PmxIQ4HP24_Mtn0EB7bWd5NErodJHeiNY8BQc5G-uxe2oDyceX27Uh5_4v1eJRHyQj98aZC-wG7R7X2y1cmFxaQZe9vtRbNJXFPTX30BoupY_jGnsMO4IGb34BK4/s1600/tom11.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 271px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkgBqery0RczJVA8PmxIQ4HP24_Mtn0EB7bWd5NErodJHeiNY8BQc5G-uxe2oDyceX27Uh5_4v1eJRHyQj98aZC-wG7R7X2y1cmFxaQZe9vtRbNJXFPTX30BoupY_jGnsMO4IGb34BK4/s400/tom11.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677552000485964834" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6bQogop7YaCR1f2yE5RBYtivNpnYuoUZ78gJ8NACGTmVFQkM0WWbXppEwsqAbgBwRj9TFR2xhAU-_8k0tcTTLAtJuUpSWP3FrorM9PqoJwW1Axd8CT9kGaq_o8QrNGc9EuU89c3bdgA/s1600/tom10.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 398px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6bQogop7YaCR1f2yE5RBYtivNpnYuoUZ78gJ8NACGTmVFQkM0WWbXppEwsqAbgBwRj9TFR2xhAU-_8k0tcTTLAtJuUpSWP3FrorM9PqoJwW1Axd8CT9kGaq_o8QrNGc9EuU89c3bdgA/s400/tom10.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677552003880275250" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLkhdNlztYMz4jcfPHh-MeDtyNpHNSFBo9aD2hdZ_itNxoovIz8QNwNjjEo0A-qWR4Os4Rd420aE5SHusB7doc3yh_LA8RtHmnLoqA0ScxNPLzoFTxvmoIV2qanu2T_WFEb0gDvEZAsg/s1600/tom12.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLkhdNlztYMz4jcfPHh-MeDtyNpHNSFBo9aD2hdZ_itNxoovIz8QNwNjjEo0A-qWR4Os4Rd420aE5SHusB7doc3yh_LA8RtHmnLoqA0ScxNPLzoFTxvmoIV2qanu2T_WFEb0gDvEZAsg/s400/tom12.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677551987284845618" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3VaQJOML_q9QUxRdiZ_HQ8Db6_qyhJHUo2_JwqCSHB_i_lrfTlAaaeYO5dGQYA9qteK3LnHoqvttG7SsxPU3W1-pZJ2gXY5Wu-_6DBR_ePhS0iNzsGJaq98n1bNAgl68ZTcv_5rLmP0/s1600/tom13.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 313px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3VaQJOML_q9QUxRdiZ_HQ8Db6_qyhJHUo2_JwqCSHB_i_lrfTlAaaeYO5dGQYA9qteK3LnHoqvttG7SsxPU3W1-pZJ2gXY5Wu-_6DBR_ePhS0iNzsGJaq98n1bNAgl68ZTcv_5rLmP0/s400/tom13.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677551980372233538" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJt6cJq4O3bZ_RKgFz4IHtmuw_D8RLjZky4z14VdqW5C3PsnSqQmOh_re1vLIzAXe_p4t93CQKY0cThDrIk8wVmSbqfzNUPFpN-lLuQuotgv6J6Li7fnQwiYYkStRDaJY97FukKWO9xjk/s1600/tom9.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 378px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJt6cJq4O3bZ_RKgFz4IHtmuw_D8RLjZky4z14VdqW5C3PsnSqQmOh_re1vLIzAXe_p4t93CQKY0cThDrIk8wVmSbqfzNUPFpN-lLuQuotgv6J6Li7fnQwiYYkStRDaJY97FukKWO9xjk/s400/tom9.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677552016143199890" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-O69LhBva6LPNsvl2_MqTjvM4o6Hi3yL6KTfWka9OrPgaDTfGLciIKmPIvZ3WgkYOEqNMPhkn6-Dbak3Ugxdxe4Mz3DY4s7ioP6SUg8dWUa_Tabt-6xABnwW1Xk0i9tMhSInTkckiXnw/s1600/tom1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-O69LhBva6LPNsvl2_MqTjvM4o6Hi3yL6KTfWka9OrPgaDTfGLciIKmPIvZ3WgkYOEqNMPhkn6-Dbak3Ugxdxe4Mz3DY4s7ioP6SUg8dWUa_Tabt-6xABnwW1Xk0i9tMhSInTkckiXnw/s400/tom1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677552819841122338" /></a><br /><br />Dunno, really, why don't you?<br /><br />*pics all from last.fmalicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-54196977124398967212011-11-10T19:32:00.007+00:002011-11-10T20:11:46.646+00:00RaviliousThought I might talk a bit about art again. Ravilious, this time. He was very good you know. He probably would have done a lot more good stuff if he hadn't been killed so young. <br /><br />These are my favourites of his watercolours:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1Rtpri3Q1NWH0aNDQvFW9f-h3Ios6sNTXN8DhmXm2_poPhF6ORndUi-z30i3_lT-f_ycgmrkUuPoUjQK7eNnARmLLlHMS7IDzOEwnXWBdomjNHXkHbT466V-XhUraSL26qIALJsocwM/s1600/raviliousharbour.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1Rtpri3Q1NWH0aNDQvFW9f-h3Ios6sNTXN8DhmXm2_poPhF6ORndUi-z30i3_lT-f_ycgmrkUuPoUjQK7eNnARmLLlHMS7IDzOEwnXWBdomjNHXkHbT466V-XhUraSL26qIALJsocwM/s400/raviliousharbour.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673459592738524194" /></a><br />Newhaven Harbour (1937) Just look at the light in this! He was apparently inspired by european children's illustration of the time and I think you can see that here. This painting give me a similar feeling to the one of the big garden in that book about an old lady who adopts a hedgehog. Why I can't I remember the name of that book?! I can't google it with just a feeling and no keywords. Damn.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjKaQX_rlr7kB-6rH9K1c93-1HMJxglbhawN0uoa91a1QuX8IfFOR-AgCASweCPiwdcTzIk8uqEQvipRD_MKb0i8bb4ADv5MqsPD0ulA-YuKWVn6mMHPjZx6-UhVl6JROdrjvaVjiXjo/s1600/cuckmere.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjKaQX_rlr7kB-6rH9K1c93-1HMJxglbhawN0uoa91a1QuX8IfFOR-AgCASweCPiwdcTzIk8uqEQvipRD_MKb0i8bb4ADv5MqsPD0ulA-YuKWVn6mMHPjZx6-UhVl6JROdrjvaVjiXjo/s400/cuckmere.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673461500850805762" /></a><br />Cuckmere Haven (1939). One of my favourite places to go for a walk. We've been on many Christmas day walks along here. Beautiful.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDINov4wdVRZ3WOjLr2XlO1jkqjbxNDopLkF5m2z-33FJwqEatZbfOQGEtAW4kaFB2DJGfEOLnIEAkx8JgTmxGapLSMFUTet1dD-lHezx2reEsk-z3J2KVXzanq9BX3bnS2IBsFUmi0I/s1600/Train+landscape.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 328px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDINov4wdVRZ3WOjLr2XlO1jkqjbxNDopLkF5m2z-33FJwqEatZbfOQGEtAW4kaFB2DJGfEOLnIEAkx8JgTmxGapLSMFUTet1dD-lHezx2reEsk-z3J2KVXzanq9BX3bnS2IBsFUmi0I/s400/Train+landscape.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673461911618009602" /></a><br />Train Landscape (1939). Probably because I watched too much Poirot but I've always had a thing for 30s trains. If I finally achieve my ambition to do the Trans-Siberian railway, I'll probably be disappointed if it isn't like this.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5mIVbZJ6hYrEJW-bzRvQngB5PNJqDB7Ip4Y2zheev1L_02MoO90f3barZ_06i7oALIW51aeM9m7iOO6zWq_fKfgVi7XdXpzIjwleXg3lifwdCVZJ6zhZ-7xFSN_rVvtavs_HXinjF2Q/s1600/Beachy+Head.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5mIVbZJ6hYrEJW-bzRvQngB5PNJqDB7Ip4Y2zheev1L_02MoO90f3barZ_06i7oALIW51aeM9m7iOO6zWq_fKfgVi7XdXpzIjwleXg3lifwdCVZJ6zhZ-7xFSN_rVvtavs_HXinjF2Q/s400/Beachy+Head.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673461504611861698" /></a><br />Beachy Head (1939). Another familiar sight, beautifully lit and painted.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJV52lZ47QzRm0cFBoMns2iVfMKzaB3YliA-WlP2wKCvXioeDmgq7X4xLA8birXvaugApVxt_bzemSzeIoNXGL3SMqKziEZgsiU4yYKm3baVKAiGBKlXvzkZSNF7T8H2uYD_LiVZm8tIc/s1600/Eric-Ravilious-Caravans.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJV52lZ47QzRm0cFBoMns2iVfMKzaB3YliA-WlP2wKCvXioeDmgq7X4xLA8birXvaugApVxt_bzemSzeIoNXGL3SMqKziEZgsiU4yYKm3baVKAiGBKlXvzkZSNF7T8H2uYD_LiVZm8tIc/s400/Eric-Ravilious-Caravans.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673461493194529842" /></a><br />Caravans (1936). According to my book, he bought a couple of these fever vans, shipped back to Newhaven from the Boer war, and he and his wife turned them into a bedroom and a studio. Very Grand Designs.<br /><br />Unfortunately, I can't seem to find any good images of his woodcuts but I assure you they are excellent. Instead, here's some bonus lithographs from High Street by JM Richards:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitANxOtuBaIxIXpIgALFU-C6PenM7Uyz62f1y8irmw5X3CSNVzxSjoNdCOBTUThLDsHgHHSTvm1VS-2qFQL4Zhkz6JwK4tZ9l0hPwkAU5biVofa_CiovdvSn77v9CZVl-1ReXxPbAKXTI/s1600/LetterMaker.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 257px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitANxOtuBaIxIXpIgALFU-C6PenM7Uyz62f1y8irmw5X3CSNVzxSjoNdCOBTUThLDsHgHHSTvm1VS-2qFQL4Zhkz6JwK4tZ9l0hPwkAU5biVofa_CiovdvSn77v9CZVl-1ReXxPbAKXTI/s400/LetterMaker.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673459273886095858" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhll2t5JaWJVmt7Cdqnhj9gx5UMXRzCMKdVU8CascVcr9QMk80S6hWqpU7gJbaZ5k2Plcgyb8gRtvFZImC0ScbFdfYyGFqggJzqnUg6lI9ahS6OUV5L_W969Ck5b9CsN-8IJaHJuZVwo7w/s1600/Cheesemonger.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 254px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhll2t5JaWJVmt7Cdqnhj9gx5UMXRzCMKdVU8CascVcr9QMk80S6hWqpU7gJbaZ5k2Plcgyb8gRtvFZImC0ScbFdfYyGFqggJzqnUg6lI9ahS6OUV5L_W969Ck5b9CsN-8IJaHJuZVwo7w/s400/Cheesemonger.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673459273140206658" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0CW7OFW-X1b6ml4XL_2umrAPsVaX3yTqh8BNamFiYQi2kZyU1W0j-N6FIZBS1EzgTkbN2RuwkogN0x-a5_hhI5lybb6uOqpAePrQ8GQ5hYQpC_YSwQKLwXcL5onHjh4l9gMj0kf_19v8/s1600/Chemist.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 258px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0CW7OFW-X1b6ml4XL_2umrAPsVaX3yTqh8BNamFiYQi2kZyU1W0j-N6FIZBS1EzgTkbN2RuwkogN0x-a5_hhI5lybb6uOqpAePrQ8GQ5hYQpC_YSwQKLwXcL5onHjh4l9gMj0kf_19v8/s400/Chemist.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673459081826601810" /></a><br /><br />More <a href="http://web.mac.com/bannisterdavid/iWeb/Site%202/Images.html#IMAGES/">here</a>.<br /><br />Bye now!alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-69273362224547115232011-10-31T22:38:00.001+00:002011-11-05T11:18:29.586+00:00Nine items or fewerHello, this is a post about the top five things my Dad taught me. It is inspired by a mixture of a postcard from @chops_top_fives, not wanting to do my finances, and that my dad is amazing for bringing over my spare keys and letting me into my house after I locked myself out. Also it was his birthday on Saturday.So here we are then. Five things my Dad taught me:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnu3Q1FtxKxlpTrxv-xna9b4cCl3oUhuXMDF3hFa_HBMc9FBBvxnsgtgFIhgzad0uhf71EX_Adn2Ex283qPDJ78VJuw3rljOaug139m4kllF2NopLW2086IJa5p6P-gWAroqijLVScQc/s1600/grammar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnu3Q1FtxKxlpTrxv-xna9b4cCl3oUhuXMDF3hFa_HBMc9FBBvxnsgtgFIhgzad0uhf71EX_Adn2Ex283qPDJ78VJuw3rljOaug139m4kllF2NopLW2086IJa5p6P-gWAroqijLVScQc/s400/grammar.jpg" /></a></div>1. Grammar n words n that. My Dad is quite big on saying things properly. If you let a 'should of' out when you ought to have said 'should have' you'd know about it. If you start a sentence with 'erm..' he'll say 'erm' back at you until you've forgotten what it was you were talking about. We have nice long conversations about what exactly a word means, the earliest of which I can remember was about the difference between imply and infer. My favourite of my Dad's pet hates is his insistence that you shouldn't describe someone as 'my friend' but rather 'a friend' in case it sounds like you only have one. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0on6PSSjl41iBAf5VnymOZ1bCuA2fP-lreJCN8lrw2XaKCD8Tkturguyaj3kMU2ii5ppvGiPixMCVWzTQoiGkf_DwmHjNICHpMck3Ngc0ihEATIiLp6Nw9weinG9zBeAFbVBJ-0rA5DY/s1600/rimmer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0on6PSSjl41iBAf5VnymOZ1bCuA2fP-lreJCN8lrw2XaKCD8Tkturguyaj3kMU2ii5ppvGiPixMCVWzTQoiGkf_DwmHjNICHpMck3Ngc0ihEATIiLp6Nw9weinG9zBeAFbVBJ-0rA5DY/s400/rimmer.jpg" /></a></div>2. Funny stuff. I have quite a similar sense of humour to my Pa possibly starting from when my mum would go out to her art course and I would get out of bed after she'd left and watch Blackadder with my dad. We watched lots of Young Ones, Red Dwarf, Monty Python, Porridge and Reggie Perrin (I didn't understand why he liked Have I Got News For You until I was a bit older). Everytime I start a conversation with "I was reading this book" (happens quite a lot) he asks me if <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce7t_NyPkmo">it was green</a>.<br />
<br />
3. Cooking. He showed me when to put the butter into scrambled egg for optimum deliciousness. I can't tell you because then making amazing scrambled eggs won't be my special move anymore. I can't cook much else very well but then neither can he.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnP9vX9z7Y9FHiEeU5w_JzOEmY4oeRBiz_FyzvZ1LwbmQf_ENTKH3h-cUgUVRWixshUJtksWO-Pb_G-qsPYbur_kOETWXJBv0U2zXTH1gIp1_Ru5-c65iTqfRwOlRMTRsd-3bh4IvfDNY/s1600/leonardcohen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="350" width="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnP9vX9z7Y9FHiEeU5w_JzOEmY4oeRBiz_FyzvZ1LwbmQf_ENTKH3h-cUgUVRWixshUJtksWO-Pb_G-qsPYbur_kOETWXJBv0U2zXTH1gIp1_Ru5-c65iTqfRwOlRMTRsd-3bh4IvfDNY/s400/leonardcohen.jpg" /></a></div>4. Music. My Dad used to play Here Comes The Sun on his guitar while we were going to sleep. He also had a nice big record collection full of Bob Dylan, Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, Leonard Cohen, Joan Baez, Fairport Convention and also a few morris dancing albums. Then tapes and CDs came along and we listened to a lot more Chris Rea on long car journeys but I've forgiven him for that. He got my sister and I a record of 'nursery rhymes' sung by Tim Hart and Friends of which only a couple of songs weren't about murder and death - now I like listening to the Decemberists and Nick Cave which may or may not be totally linked.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmSbgiGesNKouUybKHSmSB9NQJjsJgmila54CRw3dxCr9OLkNH_HhEwJbMQoDkpQ0MlQ_HIoEc1CJYqVwN_W37czWYsYmbZ7eQNkfHhcJavTDN2KKcZhPh2nvcajq-4fE4vDQdkQaZB0/s1600/drunkensailor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmSbgiGesNKouUybKHSmSB9NQJjsJgmila54CRw3dxCr9OLkNH_HhEwJbMQoDkpQ0MlQ_HIoEc1CJYqVwN_W37czWYsYmbZ7eQNkfHhcJavTDN2KKcZhPh2nvcajq-4fE4vDQdkQaZB0/s400/drunkensailor.jpg" /></a></div>5. Books. My Dad read to me every night, doing the voices and everything. Most of my favourite books are ones that I read with my Dad - all the Roald Dahls, The Mouse and The Motorcycle, Topsy and Tim, Pepper, Little Grey Rabbit, Ernest and Celestine. Then I studied children's literature and now I work in the library I THINK WE KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1OK93lBnXDHGXiMz1hM9IVKpnZlc0ikNNSbfRXABarEtm5hIvN_1BeqrlVN-lXSj9adt6sOb1_6Myjm6-AaYIKiBHUn8pxNN-VBJDcHOH5tFeocGphf7fDgdUCVgiDH_gdaAEim450s/s1600/Ernest-%2526-Celestine1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="281" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1OK93lBnXDHGXiMz1hM9IVKpnZlc0ikNNSbfRXABarEtm5hIvN_1BeqrlVN-lXSj9adt6sOb1_6Myjm6-AaYIKiBHUn8pxNN-VBJDcHOH5tFeocGphf7fDgdUCVgiDH_gdaAEim450s/s400/Ernest-%2526-Celestine1.jpg" /></a></div>alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-34576671887688503382011-10-02T20:20:00.008+01:002011-10-02T20:31:19.309+01:00"No, I don't have many visitors..."Today I have been thinking about Jan Pienkowski. I saw a book of fairy tales illustrated by him in Borders a few years ago and thought his pictures were incredible - you can see why, I hope:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBxhFjVjJw9BEPuLf4axBsguwdgeEkcNXMTTznIfR5IfCuq6LJEJfLXNeAdu8O6ga8RRfQjBjqwJuZI3hABr1NvyRViCmun-ei2D6MtPkOhrd5Ymkx9FsWw25k2pRYtr-gYJDRf-O5SU/s1600/ftalesjan+pienkowski+3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBxhFjVjJw9BEPuLf4axBsguwdgeEkcNXMTTznIfR5IfCuq6LJEJfLXNeAdu8O6ga8RRfQjBjqwJuZI3hABr1NvyRViCmun-ei2D6MtPkOhrd5Ymkx9FsWw25k2pRYtr-gYJDRf-O5SU/s400/ftalesjan+pienkowski+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658976973548268802" /></a><br /><br />What I didn't remember, until I looked him up online to find out more about him, is that he is also responsible for a few books that had quite a big effect on me as a child - firstly the Meg and Mog books. I can't think of anyone who read these as a child who doesn't have fond memories of them. I particularly liked owl.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjte5Q7UxzBOMUMBA1-l4AvyVuNdfY5TDhbPC8qEiqOpbDptZ1GhsiZgYsnMH3L-jEGSWaaIJdczcbihH5CdY_NtGLyalNZdjSLNkVUHQvGgWA3FgkjavdnZEDtliTzT493Gs45GXT4-6I/s1600/megmog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 370px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjte5Q7UxzBOMUMBA1-l4AvyVuNdfY5TDhbPC8qEiqOpbDptZ1GhsiZgYsnMH3L-jEGSWaaIJdczcbihH5CdY_NtGLyalNZdjSLNkVUHQvGgWA3FgkjavdnZEDtliTzT493Gs45GXT4-6I/s400/megmog.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658977156545042706" /></a><br /><br />But the most important book he designed, according to 5 year old me at any rate, was the Haunted House. It was my first introduction to the flying ducks on the wall thing that I've had a thing for ever since.<br /><br />But the whole book is incredible, interactive, atmospheric, detailed, and terrifying. This book had me scared of the toilet long before I'd seen the Tooms episodes of the X-files.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJURixuR0o2coS59JAa9GCZIaQW3NyrAShlVU6f2WgvZXyhZKcBU-WjLlVtHho0HozjMgGk-pjcXh9wSXf12Umq82zAZiDF-Ij5gSeP-HfLl4qtoCej6lfNwka1zpTK6sNPuhv5Q4xldQ/s1600/bathroom01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 342px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJURixuR0o2coS59JAa9GCZIaQW3NyrAShlVU6f2WgvZXyhZKcBU-WjLlVtHho0HozjMgGk-pjcXh9wSXf12Umq82zAZiDF-Ij5gSeP-HfLl4qtoCej6lfNwka1zpTK6sNPuhv5Q4xldQ/s400/bathroom01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658977888432177154" /></a><br /><br />But the creepiest thing about it is the abandonment of it. There are hot cups of tea still waiting to be drunk but no sign of any people. You are shown round by the owner of the house but it's unclear if they are the mad one or if perhaps it's you.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0UDqmOqAA8eZ5rRdqLqdDNDcoUWWNsbbi5-v9YwpDx2prV2zeYVwQk8y-ENG7CxINGvJRj8of82dFE0Zg1DwqCpOZ-QyBQt2QSLeb3TtPIJhTexD77JBgXPfgJknyTS7zdXNk6KNawcM/s1600/kitchen01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 316px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0UDqmOqAA8eZ5rRdqLqdDNDcoUWWNsbbi5-v9YwpDx2prV2zeYVwQk8y-ENG7CxINGvJRj8of82dFE0Zg1DwqCpOZ-QyBQt2QSLeb3TtPIJhTexD77JBgXPfgJknyTS7zdXNk6KNawcM/s400/kitchen01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658978065575764018" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLbw2pf0MyPo8DtuDtV_3zP79bZEnQs1s1IMJheKE19OvrnsuRPEW7u10YEUnzXDNIWfXlygyeNO5q3jzjt5sGgcjeEh2SSzvNa7NbXB-8PwL8vXrc9bTwEfZYhFDyCMQ0RwuGEvsjxI/s1600/bedroom.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 354px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLbw2pf0MyPo8DtuDtV_3zP79bZEnQs1s1IMJheKE19OvrnsuRPEW7u10YEUnzXDNIWfXlygyeNO5q3jzjt5sGgcjeEh2SSzvNa7NbXB-8PwL8vXrc9bTwEfZYhFDyCMQ0RwuGEvsjxI/s400/bedroom.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658978217070142882" /></a><br /><br />Looking at the pictures of it for the first time in years gives me the same sense of dread as when the vermicious knids appear in the lifts of the space station in Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLWSd-xep-_u4K8mWQAt8YoKS07U9SV014JWrUfJN7Uf-R0HvX8wv5swjRxh0Squ6wo3jKv2sCTP_lDOyrKG015OPy1aJYn8sYdF-BI2YsbihX9yrnviwg0QEyHuqCTQEl6VlxyUe2i8/s1600/scram.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLWSd-xep-_u4K8mWQAt8YoKS07U9SV014JWrUfJN7Uf-R0HvX8wv5swjRxh0Squ6wo3jKv2sCTP_lDOyrKG015OPy1aJYn8sYdF-BI2YsbihX9yrnviwg0QEyHuqCTQEl6VlxyUe2i8/s400/scram.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658978474608648818" /></a><br /><br />Arghhhh! Nightmares tonight.<br /><br />Although.. go to his website - http://www.janpienkowski.com/ totally adorable.<br /><br />Also, I found this on the guardian website - <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/dec/21/my-space-jan-pienkowski-catherine-rapley">My space</a> - and I think I love him a little bit more.alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-18084970665800370052011-09-22T22:30:00.002+01:002011-09-22T22:32:19.072+01:00Hay! Straw! Chaff! Oats!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpm-brighton-hove/3784755571/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2510/3784755571_84bd180b3a_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpm-brighton-hove/3784755571/">Jubilee Street, Brighton</a> <br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpm-brighton-hove/">Royal Pavilion & Brighton Museums</a>.</span><br clear="all" /><p>Things I like - social history, libraries, this photo.<br /><br /><i>Via Flickr:</i><br />This is a photographic print of Jubilee Street, Brighton. It is a view of a courtyard on the east side of the street. This courtyard gave access to numbers 29 to 34 of this street. Shoesmith & Sons' Corn & Forage Merchants is visible at the end of the courtyard.<br /><br />This photograph was commissioned by the Environmental Health department of Brighton Borough Council. It formed part of a visual record of areas considered for slum clearance. Jubilee Street was acquired by the Council as part of the Regent Street Compulsory Purchase Order of 1957. Although demolition of many of these buildings began in the 1950s, the site remained derelict for several decades. Brighton Jubilee Library was constructed on this site in 2005.</p>alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-65254024746399070772011-09-20T22:03:00.001+01:002011-09-20T22:11:06.295+01:00On OwlsI've probably bored you with photos/excitement over my holiday so now I am going to talk about the worst bit of my holiday.<br /><br />The worst bit of my holiday was when, hours after my phone had notified me of an email from Dotmund and refused to show it to me, I finally got back into 3G land and managed to accidentally delete it. The practically perfect and not at all annoying gmail app insisted I only had seven messages from June in my trash. I had been looking forward to it because it had an attachment and I thought it might be a drawing and would make me feel better after horrible delayed flights and no sleep. I almost cried and then I shouted a bit. Then when I got home I went on proper gmail and got it back and it WAS an attachment and it IS brilliant and it WOULD HAVE made everything better.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMimTZyNUu4DsP2w_ErCwefk5PeiKK8l3QJzMTIHKSmutRs4u7kVHDqBXfS5C6PAqHOuaZvfiMycmH1ucnB_sVwEG2BKJiU4Ud8HwtmjhT8q-kn5GVnkrBCxTM9eAcZnAlqDS69_QdRM/s1600/owlsofcyprus.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMimTZyNUu4DsP2w_ErCwefk5PeiKK8l3QJzMTIHKSmutRs4u7kVHDqBXfS5C6PAqHOuaZvfiMycmH1ucnB_sVwEG2BKJiU4Ud8HwtmjhT8q-kn5GVnkrBCxTM9eAcZnAlqDS69_QdRM/s400/owlsofcyprus.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654550743174292338"/></a><br /><br />Lest you think I'm a total Moana Lisa, here is quite an impressive photo of a best bit of my holiday. It took a few attempts to make this happen but it was worth it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Cdz3LF5n62KdbBDx49j0_eWv-kOE9o-k8WrpiuEqlophFDnb4C6XbeUHNMtudTcQi0WZZqVzTlLuJQbceDUJTSMhpW5viMs-yuyDOj_8OMwB6vGF4DSzYCFB4i1ngVafuzt4kdqnB50/s1600/DSCF0049.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Cdz3LF5n62KdbBDx49j0_eWv-kOE9o-k8WrpiuEqlophFDnb4C6XbeUHNMtudTcQi0WZZqVzTlLuJQbceDUJTSMhpW5viMs-yuyDOj_8OMwB6vGF4DSzYCFB4i1ngVafuzt4kdqnB50/s400/DSCF0049.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654551782955738866" /></a>alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-55763428295469665142009-06-03T19:50:00.001+01:002009-06-03T19:50:50.244+01:00Not much apparentlyalicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724712007228405407.post-13858752453341535702008-07-11T20:05:00.000+01:002008-07-11T20:08:34.342+01:00Flickr Mosaic<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/2659400528/" title="mosaic95016 by Alicestronaut, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2042/2659400528_3ef73686cb.jpg" width="400" alt="mosaic95016" /></a><br /><p><br />1. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/becheery/1077658954/">essence of 'alice' cupcakes</a>, 2. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/ulteriorepicure/490712750/">6th Course: Caramelized Pork Belly</a>, 3. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/81796483@N00/303829347/">HDR of Ringmer Church (Cropped)</a>, 4. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/parl/89709974/">Purple and Green</a>, 5. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/aleem/2121596244/">THE DARK KNIGHT (Poster & Trailer)</a>, 6. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/jennski/2295983233/">Tea for two</a>, 7. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/kubina/7755975/">Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii</a>, 8. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/mckaig/726983388/">triple chocolate fudge cupcakes</a>, 9. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/bluehazyjunem/251129655/">the residence of an old Japanese scholar</a>, 10. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/doc18/324857406/">Family Portrait</a>, 11. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/barneyfinlayson/2259553847/">The Sleepy Hollow</a>, 12. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/alicestronaut/17250043/">Cakes</a><br /><p><br />from <a href=http://smariek.blogspot.com/2008/07/mosaic-visual-meme.html>Smariek Knits</a>alicestronauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15347279319374826134noreply@blogger.com0