Greenfingers

My first avocado tree!!!

Months ago I threw a few avocado stones/kernels into the garden, most were a welcome dietry change for the squirrels!! This hardy sweetheart survived! Yay!

As a student I gleaned much joy (I was a bit sad, I admit) at dinner parties, by "planting" my avocado stone, (sneaked into my bag after dinner, if it was the hors d'oeuvre and sometimes taken with me from home if I had recently eaten one) into whomever's potted house plants!! It was kind of my calling card, or trade mark, though nobody knew about it. I was a bit bonkers, now I look back on it?

I have no idea how many survived, but one at my Mother's house grew quite tall before she noticed its leaves were different to the weeping fig with which it shared a home!!! I also recall dropping one into a headmaster's house plant on a social soiree.....

So far my recession- inspired -1950's- post- war -housewife gardening (Dig for victory!!) includes tomatoes, (currently green) , lettuce, one very sad , lonely pea pod! and two donated pumpkins , hopefully to harvest for Halloween..... a tiny olive tree with itsybitsy, never to ripen or grow , olives and now an avocadado tree!! Watch out Alan Titchmarsh I'm hot on your heels!!

Waterways festival

We were spotted at the Waterway's festival today, and astounded by all the pirates. To be honest, since reading His Dark Materials trilogy, I can't think of a barge without thinking of Lyra and Ma Costa......

Baby had his first ride on a fairground show, and seemed somewhat unimpressed! He sat with Daddy aboard the Thomas Tank Engine ride and looked a tad bored (Well it was going round in circles?). He wanted to explore how it worked , however, afterwards, and set about poking his fingers in the track.... We restrained him of course!

We were thrilled by the RC Lifeboat on the boating pond, and the pedaloes! Disappointed that our rubber ducky did not win the duck race.... and lo and behold, we won a PINK teddy in the Parachute regiment's raffle. Hmmmm? What can I say? We normally never win anything so it's a good omen?

Gratitude

Today I am grateful for new friends who teach me how to hand bake bread,

For old friends who visit, and only eat "gluten free" bread,

For friends who gladly receive my gift of fruit bread,

For loved ones who need to have dairy free spread,

For everyone with whom I break my bread.

I am grateful.

HELP ME!!!!! won't somebody?

I have been asked why nobody knows about this! Here is the results of the questionnaire, 4 thousand people were asked.

http://consultationfinder.westberks.gov.uk/uploaddocs%5CConsult274%5C070403%20-%20Wharf%20Results%20Summary.pdf

If you wish to view the plans then follow the link below, panel 3 is the West Berkshire Council plan (pond as pacman) and panel 6 is the Newbury town council plan- as yet I don't know who will succeed!

http://www.newbury.gov.uk/victoriaparkupdate121107.htm

Not a quitter I have been researching on the web whilst baby naps and found this quote....

"Remember that the best way to safeguard the future of building, whether listed or unlisted, is to ensure that it remains in use rather standing derelict, preferably owned by a body which respects its important features. Local campaigning can help to achieve this."

from http://www.c20society.org.uk

The c20scociety aim to preserve buildings built since 1900. I hope they can help.

In the mean time if we sail our boats as often as we can, then maybe we can do something too.

Come on Mummies,and babies!

Sail sail sail your boat

gently across the pond,

Merrily merrily merrily merrily,

to try and save the pond.

Blow blow blow your boat ,

Gently across the pond,

merrily merrily merrily merrily

to try to save the pond!

The Battle is over but the War still wages on...

I had a dream and a secret plan............. I had applied for the boating pond to be registered as a listed building with English Heritage and I failed. Although personally I find this devastating and am choking back tears of disappointment , this is not about me. It is about our town, our facilities and our future. I have failed in my one (Wo)man attempt his time, but the pond is still there and there are other ways and means.

English Heritage think it is a common or garden variety of Pond. Shame. I have their report here in my hand. Particularly it is a shame as I recently read that the circular pond in Kensington Gardens inspired Neverland. (The J M Barrie one not the Michael Jackson one!) Who knows what the Newbury one may have inspired?

My only hope now, and yours too if you also believe in the preservation and halt of wanton destruction of our town, is to join the Newbury Society and help them as an organisation to try to keep the town special.

Their manifesto/ vision is outlined below. Membership is a mere £10 annually for a family.

T he Newbury Society is a civic

society, affiliated to The Civic

Trust, and a registered charity

(No. 1016770). It was

established in 1973 with the purpose of

ensuring that Newbury remains a

pleasant town for all who live here or

visit here.

A prime objective is to build pride

in our town, so that all will share

the wish to protect and improve

what is good in and around it:

· the “market-town” atmosphere with a

thriving town centre increasingly

endowed with architecture of merit

and character.

· the rich history expressed in so many

of its buildings.

· the waterways heritage and the

unique canal and river landscape.

· the green spaces near the town

centre.

The Broadway

www.newbury-society.org.uk

Are you confused?

I was confused for a long time. To MMR or not to MMR? The autism debacle wasn't the only issue, my concerns were wider spread.

Having just read Dr Richard Halvorsen's "The Truth about Vaccines- making the right decision for your child" I am convinced that only getting the Measles jab was correct for us. (He can have the M & R at a later date if he is not immune naturally) Infact I am not sure he even needed the measles jab!

Had I read the book before the baby was born, I would never have allowed the NHS to pump him full of vaccines so early n his tiny life. I would have waited and spread the vaccines over time, also I would have asked for "natural immunity" checking blood tests first, even if it meant paying privately.

I find it hard to believe how manipulated we are! I am sure this book will cause a furore of its own before too long....

If you too are confused or concerned please read the book or go to the websites

www.babyjabs.co.uk or www.jabs.og.uk and for the official line , www.immunisation.nhs.uk

and steal things....

I stole this link from someone else's blog, I watched the video and now I beg you to steal it from me.

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

It made me think, I am still thinking, and maybe you can help me out here?

I want to change my life.

I want to bring up my child differently, I no longer want to be a consumer, and I want him to see that he doesn't have to be either.

I don't want to be bombarded with commercials on T.V.

I don't want to eat and drink chemicals.

I don't want to pollute or be polluted.......

But I don't want to live in a drop out weirdo hippy commune either!!!

I want a safe peaceful respectful world, community, town, neighbourhood, family.

I want a healthy lifestyle.

I want a holistic life.

I want the freedom to think for myself & for my kid to think for himself.

I want freedom from persuasion, marketeers, advertisers.

I want quality products which I need and which will last.

I want an all round, balanced education for my child.

I want safe places for him and others to play, discover, grow.

I want to be joined by other respectful, resourceful like minded citizens in my own attempt to reuse, recycle, and rethink.

I want the freedom to readjust my lifestyle, philosophy and values without being mocked or judged.

I want a quieter, more serene, more spiritually fulfilling and rewarding life.

I want there to be resources left for generations to come.

WILL YOU JOIN ME?

Words of wisdom

On our loo wall we have a ski calendar of photos of ski scenes and daring feats , each month it quotes wisdom for the month. I'd like to share some with you....... the first one we had on our wedding "Order of Service"!

To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.

All you touch and all you see is all your life will ever be.

Life is a pure flame, and we live with an invisible sun within us....

Look to the future, that is where you are going to spend the rest of your life!

July 2009 says "Truth is like the sun, you can shut it out for a while, but it won't go away."

Thanks to www.stockshotshop.co.uk

The funky photos are of my computer screen listening to Jason Mraz cd.

Hall Hill Farm

Goosey Lucy having a bath.

Turkey Lurkey going for a walk.

Highland Cow having a fling.

Strange goat with floppy ears.

Alpacca

Lambkins.

The Key to childhood/baby brain development is stimulation and repetition. Though neither in excess. Visiting children's farms becomes an En Route Agenda for most families. We stopped off at this one and were wowed by the hillside views, the friendly staff and variety of animals, which also included, Llama and Peacocks!

Haiku Bay

Waves crash, rippling wide.

Sea foam sprays,wets my feet,

My feet sink in sand.

Footsteps linger on

Then washed away by tides

Gone and so are we.

Rolling crashing Sea,

Sky of blue, clear and warm

Happy, children play.

Frank furter and Ice Cream?

"Yes Please," "Me too!" Children scream,

Seaside tradition.

Junk and fast food reign,

Holiday exceptions made,

Kids win, parents give in.

Zen in everything,

Gratitude,Generosity,

Serenity bay.

Castle by the shore,

Mists enshrouding the cliffs and rocks,

Defences of yore.

Rubbish washed ashore,

Pollution of the oceans,

Please take your junk home!

The Sea ,the sea.... video clip

The wind howled, hair flew wildly.

But the sun shone down, the North Sea was icy yet refreshing.

Wellies were worn in the sea, a far cry from Bikinis of yore.

The beach blissfully deserted, the town sad and tired.

"Staycations" are not so bad.

We did not get sunburn, or mosquito bitten, the locals spoke the lingo, the food was good and hearty.

Ice cream's did not melt, chips and fish eaten alfresco, warmed freezing hands.

The pound needed no exchanging....

Though I would have exchanged a few blusters of breeze for a few degrees C.

Castles in the air

The amazing Tree House, inside is like a ski lodge in Switzerland, a log burning stove fills the air with woodland aromas. Sadly it is a restaurant, not a dwelling or play area! The turret offers a magnificent view. It reminded me of a gothic fairytale.

Above the Rose Garden, the perfume is delightful.

Wall flower?

Alnwick Castle , location for Harry Potter, and home to the Alnwick Gardens, "Kew Gardens" of the North.

My intention is to visit Castles of Great Britain, starting in The North at Bamburgh, and ending in Cornwall. It may take some time!
Alnwick is home of the Percy family, familiar to anyone who reads popular historical novels, for their involvement in virtually everything in the last 700 years.

Not a pylon or Mobile phone mast in sight!!!

The current Duchess of Northumberland has created her legacy of an amazing Garden, comparable to Kew. Visitors are encouraged to participate in the water features!
The fountain is central to the garden which also boasts an interactive water garden, poisonous plant garden and a Cherry Orchard of which Chekov would be proud. The Rose Garden was in full bloom with 3000 specimen in flower at once!
The Dove cote, with requisite turtle doves! Despite being awash with visitors, there was a calm in the gardens.
Several places to rest, think, meditate, ponder the view, breathe the scents.......

I believe in Fairies!!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately photography is not allowed inside the tent or during the performance! Even Keats could not paint a picture with poetic words enough to describe it. I feel as if I dreamt it, so real,so believable, yet so extraordinarily dream like it was. I most definitely went to Neverland. Without the aid of the Perrier Jouet at the bar!

There has always been something appealing about being the Mother to The Lost Boys. Whether watching the Disney cartoon, reading the book, watching "Hook" "Peter Pan" and "Finding Neverland"(My personal favourite) the empathy is the same. I'm sure Peter and the crew must melt most womens' hearts.

Though most of us also, I'm sure, had phases when we wanted to be the mermaid, the red Indian, and even one of the boys. Yes I can identify with Peter. Not all of us wanted to grow up so quick. And let's not forget Tinkerbell! I don't think I know of a single person who does not identify with the characters of this story on some level!

At times it can be devastating, it can be bubble bursting, a let down or a disappointment to see your favourite book on stage or adapted for a film. Directors and Egos cut and hack, twist and maim both plot and characters. They can ruin associations, and spoil all future re readings.

When we read we imagine, we project our own interpretations and experiences into the words and make places, people and events come to life. We design our own sets and props, we get lost in the magic that is fiction. Being a Matilda myself, as a child and even as a young adult, I lived vicariously through the local library's offerings. Even now I immerse myself in novels, travel back in time and "live" the action-becoming scarcely rouseable back to the here and now.

Seeing that "Peter Pan" was to be produced here in Kensington Gardens and with a vision of what I imagined it might be like, and bewitched by the website illustrations, my ever accommodating husband agreed to take the family for his birthday treat.

Whatever you have seen on Tv or read in the press, nothing can prepare you for this magnificent experience in the Magic Marquee! Words can not describe how this works. It is truly brilliant!

I can, however, try!

Images are projected like a movie in 360 degrees round the largest layer of the meringue of the marquee, so that when the characters fly, their journey appears as a cinematic effect,London and beyond moves rapidly before your eyes, you fly with them. The stage scenery is the same. You are on the pirate ship, under the sea, in Neverland. The actors are agile and balletic in their movements, flying appears graceful, natural and easy. No jerky amateurish wooshing of the pantomime.

The adult actors captured the child like movements and expressions, making you believe they were indeed children. The naughty Tinkerbell was unexpected and a real delight!

The performance mixes puppetry, ballet, acrobatics and cinema. Baby was absorbed, shaking his head in disbelief as Tinkerbell and Peter flew overhead, somersaulting and pirouetting in the dome above his head. He is quite the wriggler, and yet he behaved impeccably, fascinated and spellbound!

Happily I can inform you, that royalties still go to G.O.S.H. as J. M. Barrie desired, so not only are you indulging yourself in the escapist art of suspension of disbelief, getting in touch with your inner child and having a fabulous day- you are helping seriously ill children! I have added their donating link at the bottom of the post, should you be feeling generous.

Reader beware, however, the website, if you do decide to book! It directs you to what appears to be two choices, picnic or corporate. I checked twice, and could not find the "ticket only" option. So yes, I have had a baby recently, and yes, I was ditsy dumb at times even before that. But how could I have been so dippy?

We happily paid £30 each,( yes each,) for what we assumed was a ticket and a picnic under the "Picnic" option- It was for a Sunday and a Matinee, so that made perfect sense...... and on arrival discovered it was for a picnic only. Delicious as the picnic was and pretty the Cath Kidston cool bag, it was not worth £60. A rather shocked pair forked out another £70 for seats and a whopping £16.50 for an infant to sit on mummy's knee!!!! Lucky that we were to get last remaining "stand by" seats!!!

It turned out that it is best to ignore both the options, "picnic" and "corporate" and simply click the date you want. (Duh!) And we highly recommend you do. I defy anyone to be disappointed by this performance! It truly is a flight to Neveland and Back. I for one will be leaving my window open tonight, perchance some motherless child should be seeking a family. (Though perhaps I should discuss any "further additions" with hubby first??!)

http://www.visitlondon.com/peterpan/

http://www.gosh.org/donate/

Bob The Builder- Nice view

It is nice to think that a POTUS was so influenced by CBEEBIES that he stole his catch phrase from a favourite children's character!!! We are delighted to see that in response to the question "Can you give us a cinema in Newbury?" the response was "Yes we can!!" Thanks Bob! It is coming along nicely!!!

In fact we get very excited in our push chair as not only is Bob the builder in Cheap St building the cinema, (with his Polish cousins, Bob Budowiniczy ) but Bob is also over at Sainsbury's, often in the queue behind us getting his sandwiches!! Shame we haven't seen Wendy anywhere????

The Yellow Hard Hat is the favourite and most fought over toy at the moment, they all want to wear it!!! Is it Art mimicking Life, or Life mimicking Art?

For a bizarre experience visit http://www.bobthebuilder.com/usa

Finger lickin' good

Baby has had his first masterpiece immortalised in glaze! For Daddy's birthday last year we painted baby's tiny feet and printed them onto a tile, this year he finger painted a tray for olives and a mug for Daddy to take to work.

Obviously it helps to restrict, the palette, or offer " colours that go"- and remove the item swiftly before it becomes a muddy brown puddle!

We enjoy our daubing at Leapfrog ceramics. the girls there are great with babies, patient and gentle. They also know from experience what to try at each age range/stage of development and what to avoid.

The foot print and hand print mugs make fab presents. As God parents, Grandparents and Aunties have witnessed in the past year!!! Creative clients can go crazy with their own designs, and there is also a facility for writing on the ceramic. Myself, I fancied making a dinner service with a hand and foot print plate and dish every year. Then I realised we would be lacking in tableware for some decade, and devastated if any of it were smashed. Let's face it, it would be smashed!

My little one loves having his feet and hands painted and gets all excited when we enter the studio.He remembered his first visit aged 4 months when we returned at 5 and a half months to make the god parent gifts. It was incredible, he started whooping and clapping his hands at the very thought of it!!!

http://www.leapfrogceramics.co.uk/