A Ramble round the year

Welcome to 2010. Yes, I know it’s been 2010 for a few days – well, 23 and three quarters (if you are in the UK). But I feel as if I’m just arriving in the new decade and 2009 no longer rolls automatically off my pen when signing things. I suppose if I had still been working it would have happened much more quickly. But then my brain did everything more quickly in those days.

So what news have I this last week or so? Well, the snow melted away one day when I was in bed and I was amazed it disappeared so quickly and without flooding the garden (though the ponds are overflowing). Sadly the ‘exotic’ birds like Fieldfares and Redwings disappeared a couple of days later and we now have apples rotting away on the lawn totally ignored by the Blackbirds. These latter obviously haven’t read my bird book which says they love them.

Jo and I finished the latest crossword book this week and so are reduced to filling in odd blank ones from an old book. I suspect the reason they were missed was that GB and I did them in his copy but hopefully I’ve forgotten the answers. Thought perhaps the objective should be to learn and therefore I should hope to recall the answers!

I’ve been hunting through my Uncle Eric’s photos and things for a possible article about him the Meccano magazine. It has led to some fun and, as always when doing anything family history oriented, some mysteries. We found, for instance, the receipt for my Mum’s engagement ring – a grand 4 Guineas in 1937. Why did Uncle Eric have that? I had forgotten that we had a holiday with Eric and Doris in around 1952 but hey presto there we were in North Wales.

 

 

GB and I tried feeding the chickens but it looks as though they decided to eat me instead.

 

GB also got a bit hen-pecked.  

Not being vegetarian I’ve got my own back a few times since then...


Things I learned this week:-

1) The idea of scotch on the rocks came from the practice of putting pebbles from the stream bed into a glass of Scotch. It kept the drink cold without diluting it.

2) Camel’s milk is drunk by over 200,000,000 people worldwide. Allegedly, it also has Viagra-like properties!

3) It has taken 15 years in the making but people have developed a see-through toaster. No more burned toast. If you want one it’s the Magimix Vision Toaster at £150. (Otherwise you can use the standard recipe for toast:- Cook until it’s burned and then 20 seconds less.)