Amy plays Glastonbury

So...after all the hype and our outrageously intrusive tabloid press doing their very best to convince us that Amy Winehouse wouldn't make it onto Glastonbury's pyramid stage on Saturday night, she did make it, and quite spectacularly!


Yes, she was maybe slightly flaky here and there and her psychological status was obviously not quite 100% but hell, if most of us could get up there and perform even a fraction of that whilst dealing with her current issues I think we would consider we were doing pretty damn well!!

The press of course preferred to concentrate on the one negative 'incident' in their reporting of the event rather than focusing on either her performance or on the more positive aspect that she found the strength to get up there and belt it out regardless of her difficulties.

I know, there are plenty out there who prefer to see her as 'just another junkie' yada, yada, yada, but look back into musical history and there are more than a few, right through from classical and jazz to rock, who have manage to live life in this lane without significant problems...way back then of course they didn't also have to cope with an entire nations oft times ill informed judgements, courtesy of a press corps. that we should be ashamed of and treat only with the contempt it deserves.

Amy, like her current and past contemporaries might be a phenomenal talent, she might live a lifestyle most of us aren't genuinely familiar with and her behaviour might seem infuriating from time to time but ultimately she is a human being, just like the rest of us. The fact that she has a good income and fame don't change that and they don't preclude her from all the usual human frailties the rest of us expect understanding for.

I for one applaud her purely and simply for making it onto that stage and getting through her set, contrary to what the press would have us believe, that she is just a weak messed up kid, in my opinion what it actually proves of Ms Winehouse is admirable courage and strength!

But this isn't really about Amy Winehouse, it's more concerned with the predeliction of some to seemingly revel in judging others without adequate knowledge and to write individuals off with negative 'one liners' when all too often they have little or no understanding of the many facets of a situation. There is a whole branch of medicine concerned with psychology and psychiatry, full of highly qualified individuals who, despite their intellect and learning, struggle to understand and help untangle the human psyche.... and yet as only lay-men, some feel that with what amounts to only a tiny fraction of the required information, they have an inherrent right to lay judgement on others!

I would suggest that says more about the 'judge' than those being judged.

Catwalk!

Fancy a Brazilian?

Hit whore that I am I have long since discovered that on the odd occasion I blog something even very slightly risque it will invariably result in hits from those typing into a search engine somewhat questionable phrases!

Case in point; Years ago I blogged a post including in the title the word 'knickers'. It's content wasn't in any way suggestive or sexual but to this day the word 'knickers' remains second only to the word 'gemmak' in the searches resulting in a hit on my site.....and believe me, given the specific and very 'adult' search phrases used by some of these people I can only imagine they are heartily disappointed when they land here!

Which brings me to my point. A few days ago my hit numbers suddenly shot up for no apparent reason, so I set about interrogating my visitor paths etc. It seems that a recent post entitled 'The ultimate Brazilian' is to blame, a link to which seems to be circumnavigating most of Asia and parts of America in an email and is now also resulting in search engine visitors. Again, I can only assume that those arriving here are less than impressed when they discover the true content is probably not quite what they were hoping for! ;o)

Twas ever thus I suppose.

No! I haven't got a job yet

I don't wish to sound ungrateful at people's concern or interest, whichever it might be, but I am really beginning to wish that the first thing everybody says to me could just occasionally not be 'have you got a job yet'!

Yes, I am sensitive about it and yes I am probably overreacting but I'm fed up with the whole issue one way and another, believe me it ain't no fun, it does little for the ego and to constantly have to be reiterating the whole dismal situation each time I speak to someone and feeling I am somehow disappointing them, is not putting a smile on my face either.

I'm not even sure any longer how people used to greet me, what did they ask me when I did have a job? Was I more than my employment status at some point in my life?

I'm constantly tired, I don't sleep, I have a considerable number of other big issues going on right now and I do my best to remain upbeat and positive..... but sometimes the reminder and the frequency in having to answer the same question whilst sounding cheerful, serves only as a depressing reminder of the negatives and makes me feel I somehow also have to justify my own failures to all and sundry.

Sorry, rant over, I'm being over-sensitive, the constant enquiries regarding my lack of a job are all well meaning I know, and made out of care and concern, but I promise those of you who are interested, I will be the first to tell you when I finally do get a job, no-one will need to ask, I will be shouting it from the sodding rooftops!

My name is....

'NUTMEG'

Though my humans still persist in calling me 'Hamster'!

"One to be taken at night as required"

My sleep issues are ongoing in that I just don't! The reason is simple, since I stopped working I just don't get tired enough, as a consequence it's not harming me but it is bloody annoying. It's hard enough sometimes to fill up the day with constructive things to do, let alone fill half the night as well!

To this end I occasionally take a generic antihistamine, an over the counter drug indicated for allergies that I long since, courtesy of eczema, discovered has the rather handy side effect of knocking me over the head.


I had cause to speak to a pharmacist whilst collecting a script from the chemist a day or two back so while I was engaged in the conversation I asked her if any of the marketed 'sleep remedies' actually worked because the medication I take isn't indicated for insomnia I thought it maybe inappropriate to be using it in that manner.

Now don't get me wrong here, I'm sure they have their place but I didn't want a herbal 'remedy'. I don't doubt some of them are very affective I just think that if pharmaceutical companies, with all their money and testing, can get it very wrong in some instances then the relatively Heath Robinson herbal industry certainly can.... and if you doubt the potency or possible dangers of the natural products just go do some research on St. Johns Wort for instance. Yes, there is a suggestion that it helps mild to moderate depression but it has almost as many contra-indications as a pharmaceutical produce, it's just less stringently tested or licenced!

So, my friendly local pharmacist recommend a pharmaceutical product and I inspected the pack to find out it's active ingredient, I take other meds regularly that are contra-indicated in some instance's so I needed to know.....and what did I find?

What I found was the word 'diphenhydramine'.

Diphenhydramine is a similar antihistamine to that which is active in my generic anti-itch pills! I laughed and told the pharmacist my 'sin', that I had been taking these meds to sleep but was concerned it wasn't appropriate. She laughed and said I might as well carry on (occasionally)....they are way cheaper than the same thing packaged as a sleeping product!

I wonder how many people out there pop the sleeping version without also realising they never get an itch at night!


*Disclaimer: Do not do this at home without individual medical advice!

A life for sale!

Bored with your life?

You could try buying this one!

With the demise of his relationship, Australian Ian Usher has decided to sell his entire life, home and contents therin, car, bike, jet ski, job, friends,the whole shooting match .......on eBay!

The current highest bid is AU $300,433.31 but there still a few days to go if you fancy it!

Please, please, please

If you are a british citizen, resident or ex-pat. please....

SIGN THIS PETITION NOW!

For more information click this link.

Thank you.

A horse hamster with no name

Since Tilly's sad departure and the emotional debacle that surrounded it I have been 'without animal'(unless you include Fletch!), this is not a good state of affairs but our current situation doesn't allow for a cat..... and even if it did I don't think I am quite ready yet for a different cat.

It was thus that yesterday a compromise was achieved and himself treated me to a hamster, complete with a des. res. any rodent would be proud of....albeit slightly er, garish in what was an understated room! ;o)


So....the problem? She doesn't have a name yet, there are a few suggestions but nothing yet seems quite 'the one'. Ideas please?

Right, I'm off now to try and work out how I get into this contraption!

Baldy's blog

If you haven't read Baldy's Blog yet....do it now!

'Baldy', AKA Adrian Sudbury, a 26 year old journalist from Huddersfield, decided to blog his experiences, subsequent to being diagnosed with two distinct types of leukaemia, as a means to highlight the need for new bone marrow donors and to campaign for more of us to sign up to the British Bone Marrow Register.

His campaign is a dramatic success and his writing is highly informative and often entertaining but it is also starkly honest, sometimes poignant, insightful and utterly inspirational.

Adrian's own illness is now at a palliative stage but he continues his campaign undeterred.

Maybe you can help?

The letter....

....landed with a gentle 'swoosh' as it hit the doormat, I knew what it was in it's pristine linen envelope the moment I saw it, my heart beat a little faster as I picked it up and placed it in front of me on the table.

I lit a cigarette and just looked at it lying there, teasing me to open it, daring me to look inside. I tried not to let my mind wander to the possibility that in the next few moments my life could change significantly. I picked it's tempting whiteness up, I put it down again. I lit another cigarette.

I scrutinised it once more from it's place on the table, I knew already what it said but I wanted to prolong the moment's anticipation and the last seconds of hope.

I took a deep breath and picked it up, dug my thumb into the fold of the envelope, tore it open and slowly removed and unfolded the piece of paper it contained........

"We are sorry but on this occasion you have been unsuccessful."

Bugger!

Party on?

At the beginning of the week in our usual chrome and glass encrusted drinking establishment, Fletch and I were joined by one of the bar-maids. A nice girl, friendly, chatty, good at her job and about to go off to university.

The conversation began with her asking me if I 'do dresses' and asking our names, because somehow over the months the 'introductions' had never happened, despite much chatter.

"I wonder where this is going" I thought to myself, while rapidly enlightening her to the fact that the last time I 'did' a dress I was about six years old!

It transpires that today is her 21st birthday and she is having a 'bit of a do' tonight, to which we found ourselves rather unexpectedly invited!!

There are two drawbacks here; Firstly it means I have to drag myself kicking and screaming into some less than laid back attire (ugh)and secondly I suspect we are going to increase the average age to a rather significant degree!

We are going to know no-one, Fletch will be fine, apparently her boyfriend is something of a geek so that's him sorted for conversation but me....hell, I can only hope her parents are there, as was suggested they may be!

Into the night

I should, I wish, I love

Stolen from Jay....hey, I have limited ability to think right now, a meme is the best I can do! ....and I'm gonna be mean and tag: Lisa, Belleek, Shambles Manor and Mr Nighttime. ;o)

My ex… boyfriend, a twoc'er, went to prison, I was 16, I spent alternate weekends travelling miles to visit and stuck by him (as you do at that tender and naive age, you even think it's kinda romantic FFS!) much to my parents concern and dismay. He did his 18 months (really, they actually used to bang 'em up in those days), he came out....and ran off with someone else!

Maybe I should… try to give up smoking.

I love… my family, Fletch, Lisa, Tilly, anything with four legs, dark chocolate, green olives, motorbikes, travelling, kindness, sensitivity, cuddles, Grossglockner and internet connections that work.

People would say… I’m a little deranged?

I don’t understand… bigots, man's inhumanity to man, international politics, world finance...the list is endless.

When I wake up in the morning… I need coffee!

I lost… my virginity too young....but of course I didn't think so at the time!

Life is full of… stuff! Some good, some bad but most just stuff.

My past is… er, slightly odd.

I get annoyed when… I don't understand something.

Parties are… not my thing.

I wish… for small achievable things.

Dogs… are cool.

Cats… are cooler!

Tomorrow… my dream might come true.

I have low tolerance… for stupidity.

If I had a million dollars… I would get myself and Fletch on Eloisa and hit the world for a few years.

I’m totally terrified of… do we have all day?...and of course spiders!

Bubbles!

Um...I couldn't resist taking a shot of this....the result of leaving my bath to run unattended for a minute or two yesterday!

Weightless

One moment, a defining moment in a life's dream,
a moment, unknowing, unexpected... realised.
A day, a week, a time without time.
A collision of trust, of hope, of courage, of love.
One timeless moment, without bounds, in-transitory.

A step taken in air, in lightness, in faith,
entrusting, soaring, winged heart, winged mind.
A cacophony of destiny, of affirmation, of senses.
a whisper of words in a gently swaying soul.

One moment, suspended, in ethereal time.
Spangled cobalt and diamond dancing whiteness of light,
Ochre and vermilion painted dreams, golden glowing.
Blinding bright and silky soft, entwined.

Cool blue caressed, red hot touched, gossamer fine.
Magical orchestration of life, of sound, of being.
One moment, one memory, one chance,
I am weightless,
and I don't know why but I know it's all right.
17.06.06 HYYK

Connected!

At last, after six months of faffing and fiddling I have a stable wireless connection! Yipeeeee :o)

The answer, the parting of a considerable sum of money for a new router.

It seems that as with most things, Vista had a particular problem with the old one, what doesn't Vista have a problem with is what I would like to know?

Anyway, problem solved, no more two hour sessions each morning trying merely to connect, no more disappearing connection at random intervals during the day necessitating yet more hours of fiddling and no more wires dragged half way around the flat just waiting for one of us to hook a foot into and land in a heap on the floor!

Hey, the new router even has lots of pretty blue flashing LCD's embedded in the front for entertainment, what more could a girl want?....ok, ok, those might just begin to get a little annoying over time but I couldn't resist!


**N.B. For Kitty, as requested, the answers to the 50 trax post are here.

For good or evil....

....I'm back again and the 'not so mystery blogger' has been relieved of his responsibilities, much I suspect to his relief!

Quite how long I am back for this time remains to be seen but hopefully the next week or two won't be quite so manic or worrying for all concerned. I think I have spent most of the last two weeks on one or other of our very undesirable British car parks, AKA the M25 and M40 and I have literally driven thousands of miles, ok, only just into the plural there, maybe two thousand-ish to be a little more precise.

Perhaps I can now be very slightly more forthcoming with what has been going on here and what it is that has resulted in my absence recently. I can't offer up too much in the way of detail because those concerned prefer their privacy to be maintained but I think I can say that a member of my immediate family was suddenly in need of some very major surgery and it was all 'hands to the pumps', providing general domestic/emotional support and 'driving services' for visiting at a hospital many miles from home.

It's been a pretty tough fortnight for all concerned but things are looking quite positive now and save for one or two minor hiccups 'the patient' has made a truly amazing recovery, beating all the projected timescales for specific recovery goals and making it home in eight days, not the expected fourteen! Really, it's hard to tell in many ways that this was such an immense procedure and it's a great testament to both the fortitude of 'the patient' and our usually much maligned N.H.S....who I have only the greatest of praise for. All aspects of the care and skills of those involved were phenomenal, the guys who performed this very complicated procedure where nothing short of magnificent.

So, that's about it, that's where I have been and why I have been 'awol' and whilst the road to full recovery could be a long one and there may be more hurdles to challenge us, so far things are looking positive, the recovery from surgery has been beyond anything we had dared hope for and the patient has been an inspiration.

Friends of Mystery Blogger

It is I, Mystery Blogger, again (Sorry!).

So where was I? Oh yes, just checking my email, Spam; Spam; Spam (you want eggs with that?). But what's purplexing me is how do they know? I mean, how do they know my Penis needs to be bigger, stronger and last longer? I haven’t told them (notice I’m not actually denying this, there’s no point, the whole world seems to know anyway!). Ummm… gotta be one of the Ex.’s I recon, women are like that, their disappointment has motivated some twisted cyber revenge plot!

OK but even worse than the ‘Take A Happy View On Impotence’ emails are the ones that aren’t Spam, the emails from your friends that are complete and utter nonsense ‘Send this on to 200 people and little girl in Sarajevo won’t die of Leukaemia’… Or even worse, ‘Pass this angel [Insert Fluffy Picture here] on, send it to all your good friends online to show them you are true friends’… FFS… Stop pressing the ‘Send’ button you retards I don't give a toss! (Deep Breath, calming down now...).

Anyways I'm tired of all those sissy 'friendship' emails that always sound so gay. So below is a series of promises that actually speak of true friendship. No cutesy little smiley faces here just the stone cold truth of friendship.

1. When you are sad: I will help you get drunk and plot revenge against the sorry bastard who made you that way.
2. When you are blue: I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.
3. When you smile: I will know you finally got laid.
4. When you are scared: I will take the piss out of you about it, every chance I get.
5. When you are worried: I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining and get your sad ass sorted!
6. When you are sick: Stay the hell away from me until you are well again. I don't want to catch whatever you have.
7. When you fall: I will point and laugh at your clumsy ass.

This is my oath...

Remember, friendship is like peeing in your pants: everyone can see it, but only you can feel the true warmth... Oh no I've started doing that sentimental bollox now, I must get a grip. OK, when life hands you a lemon my friend, just get some Gin and Tonic in and call me... Easy… :o)

Ciao Ciao
MB
Confused From Cambridge
I Blog There4 I Am

Mystery Blogger...

Yes it’s me, Mystery Blogger, Blogger in tights, the Stig of Blogging.

OK so she’s already given the game away as to who this could be, but hey, there’s something alluring about the mysterious, so just leave me alone to live out my fantasies in piece will you? Please?

Anyways, onwards and upwards…

I believe one of Gems regular readers (Lisa from the good old U.S. of A.), requested some more strange and interesting scientific theories about cats in Gems absence. Unfortunately though, I’m all out of dead or alive cat quandaries at the moment, but I've thought of an alternative. I'm gonna share just a few little strange scientific facts with you all… (Remember a 'Fact' is a scientific truth that hasn't yet been disproved, alternatively any random claim put on the web and signed by someone who appears to know what they're talking about! ;o) )

So proceeding quickly forward…

Firstly for all you animal lovers. Fear you’re too late to get to the abattoir to save the chickens? Not necessarily… We all know the phrase ‘Running around like a headless chicken’ but were you aware that if the brain stem is left intact after beheading a chicken, it can continue to live (with some care in feeding). There is one documented case of a headless chicken living on for 18 months after he was supposed to have become Sunday dinner! Curious hey… He lived to fry another day… ;O)

OK so you’re on a remote Caribbean island enjoying the usual stuff, sun; sea; sangria and superbikes on the TV, what’s gonna kill you? The shark infested waters while you’re out enjoying a spot of snorkelling? Nope! In fact statistically you’ve got more chance of being killed by a falling coconut than by a shark attack… I can see it now, the latest Hollywood movie, ‘Revenge of the Hairy Killer Coconuts’… (Wait a second, I might of already of seen that, wasn’t it one of the spin off’s to ‘Return of the Follically Well Endowed Vampire Teenage Tit Dancers’ ? ;O) )

OK time for just one more…

Did you know most of your body isn’t you? Nope it ain’t! OK OK, the fact is most of your Body’s cells aren’t yours! There are more microbial cells (bacteria and other stuff), in your body than cells that have your own DNA in them…! (Just wait until the schizophrenic conspiracy theorist get a hold of that one…!)

OK that’s all folk, catch up with you’ll on the dark side (oh and don’t think I didn’t notice you lot where all really crap/lazy on Gems (My!), recent Music quiz… I know such because none of you asked for the bloody answers!)

Will the last one to leave, please switch off the lights…

Ciao Ciao
MB ;O)
Confused From Cambridge
I Blog There4 I am

Take it away Fletch

In my comments yesterday it was suggested that Fletch take the reins here for a few days while I do what I have to do, so with immediate effect I am leaving you in his in capable hands for a day or three. Whether he will actually post remains to be seen given the er, current lack of activity on his own blog recently but you never know! ;o)

Over to you Fletch......

Rush, rush, rush!

The interview went well I think, at least I didn't cock it up spectacularly or make an utter fool of myself despite my propensity for doing so! Time will tell.

Now I have the afternoon left and a checklist to attend to, washing/ironing/push the vacuum about the place/make bed/pack again, yada, yada, yada...then it's back on the road again for me until, well, until whenever.

I have run out of 'autoposts' and the time or inclination to rectify the situation so I'll get back here when I can, though my opportunity to connect to the interweb will again be very limited.

Ok, where's that list.....

Quick turnaround

I'm back but only very briefly, for the previously mentioned job interview that inconveniently is scheduled for early tomorrow morning. After that I'm off again, back south until whenever, to carry on with my necessary 'duties'.

I feel like I have spent most of the last week on the M25 or the M40 and an extra trip back here to Cambridge I could have well done without but hey ho, I have to give it a shot at least. Quite how I am going to get my head into any reasonable state of even apparent intelligence for an interview I'm not sure at this moment, but you never know, maybe pigs do fly! ;o)

Something happy

Big :o)

Horribly, hilariously accurate!

When you have to visit a public toilet, you usually find a line of
women, so you smile politely and take your place. Once it's your turn, you
check for feet under the cubicle doors. Every cubicle is occupied.

Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman
leaving the cubicle. You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't
matter, the wait has been so long you are about to wet your pants!

The dispenser for the modern 'seat covers' (invented by someone's Mum,no doubt) is handy, but empty. You would hang your bag on the door hook, if
there was one, so you carefully, but quickly drape it around your neck,(Mum would turn over in her grave if you put it on the FLOOR!) down with
your pants and assume 'The Stance'.

In this position, your aging, toneless, thigh muscles begin to shake. You'd
love to sit down, but having not taken time to wipe the seat or to lay toilet paper on it, you hold 'The Stance.'

To take your mind off your trembling thighs, you reach for what you
discover to be the empty toilet paper dispenser.

In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice saying, 'Dear, if you had
tried to clean the seat, you would have KNOWN there was no toilet paper!'
Your thighs shake more.

You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on yesterday - the one
that's still in your bag (the bag around your neck, that now you have to
hold up trying not to strangle yourself at the same time). That would have
to do, so you crumple it in the puffiest way possible. It's still smaller than your thumbnail.

Someone pushes your door open because the latch doesn't work.
The door hits your bag, which is hanging around your neck in front of your
chest and you and your bag topple backward against the tank of the toilet.

'Occupied!' you scream, as you reach for the door, dropping your precious,
tiny, crumpled tissue in a puddle on the floor, while losing your footing
altogether and sliding down directly onto the TOILET SEAT. It is wet of
course. You bolt up, knowing all too well that it's too late. Your bare
bottom has made contact with every imaginable germ and life form on the
uncovered seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper - not that there
was any, even if you had taken time to try.

You know that your mother would be utterly appalled if she knew, because
you're certain her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because,
frankly, dear, 'You just don't KNOW what kind of diseases you could get.

By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused
that it flushes, propelling a stream of water like a fire hose against the
inside of the bowl and spraying a fine mist of water that covers your bum
and runs down your legs and into your shoes.

The flush somehow sucks everything down with such force and you grab onto
the empty toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged in too.

At this point, you give up. You're soaked by the spewing water and the
wet
toilet seat. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a sweet wrapper you
found in your pocket and then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks.

You can't figure out how to operate the taps with the automatic sensors,
so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past the line
of women still waiting.

You are no longer able to smile politely to them. A kind soul at the very
end of the line points out a piece of toilet paper trailing from your shoe.
(Where was that when you NEEDED it?)

You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it in the woman's hand and tell
her warmly, 'Here, you just might need this.

As you exit, you spot your singificant other, who has long since entered, used and left the men's toilet. Annoyed, he asks, 'What took you so long and why is your
bag hanging around your neck?

This is dedicated to women everywhere who deal with any public rest
rooms/toilets (rest??? you've GOT to be kidding!!). It finally explains to
the men what really does take us so long. It also answers that other
commonly asked question about why women go to the toilets in pairs. It's so
the other gal can hold the door, hang onto your bag and hand you Kleenex
under the door.

This HAD to be written by a woman! No one else could describe it so
accurately.

...and on a personal note I might add, when one is only 5' short, trying to 'adopt the stance' at all presents a whole other set of problems! You guys have it easy!

This appeals...

....to my sense of stupidity!



...and this to my sense of 'justice'! ;o)

Friday fun - 50 trax

Don't blame me, Fletch has been at it again! Another little game, this time it's musical knowledge, fifty tracks, fifty artists, mixed into one five minute slot, a possible score of 100, the highest so far is 67.

If it's any consolation I scored 11! ;o)

It's HERE.

....and I'm expecting an impressive score from one of you!!

O...M...G!

I have an interview for a job I actually want, in help desk support!

Whodathunkit!!

It's gonna make the next few days even more frantic but there's nothing new in that.... my timing has always been 'immaculate' ;o)

There may be a short intermission

It might be a little quiet around here in gemmak's-ville for a few days (less cheering please) because I have to go away for short time. Thankfully things yesterday went as well as could be expected *heaves massive sigh of relief*, but my services and priorities are required elswhere and I may not have the time, inclination or facility to update with such regular monotony for a day or five.

I'll try to pop in, at least via my phone if nothing else, but no guarantees, life for the immediate future is going to be somehwhat fraught and unpredictable and I can only 'play it by ear'.

I have left a few 'auto posts' courtesy of Blogger but other than that I will back asap....

Hope

If I was a Christian/Hindu/Buddhist etc. I would pray, if I was a hypocrit I would pray but as I am none of those I can only have hope, and put my trust and faith in the knowledge and skills of those, who today hold the life of someone very close to me in their hands.....

Fancy these in your back garden?

Where do you go on those days you need some little pleasure to lift your spirits? Well me, I go HERE, and I have done for years, to 'A Piece of my mind', a blog guaranteed to make me smile within seconds. The mere sight of the word 'updated' by the name on my blogroll, is enough to improve my day!



'A Piece of my mind' is just one of the virtual homes of Leesa, a lady of impressive talent. Her blog is in the main a photographic one...and what photographs they are! Not only does she posses impressive technical ability and a gift for composition but her subject matter is completely amazing! Centered around her home in Montana much of her work focuses on the local wildlife (though for those of you not utterly enthralled by wildlife there is much in the way of alternatives) and what she comes up with is an absolute treat and genuinely fit to rival even the most experienced pro.



Really, I can't do her efforts justice here, you have to go take a look for yourself! To whet your appetite here are a few of her latest offerings but I promise you a visit to the rest will brighten your day and once you have had your fill of her blog you will want to see more at her Wildvizionz site or on Flickr.


All images with kind permission and © Wildvizionz.

Uhh?

This look of utter 'vacancy' about sums up my ability to think of anything remotely
worth even considering blogging today! I've had a lot on my mind recently and I think it's just given up the ghost this morning and mutated into something mushy and useless!

In fact I have a lot to do per se but I'm mostly just sitting about staring into space doing sod all and drinking copious amounts of coffee.

Note to self: *pull yer bloody finger out girl!*

Springwatch!

It's Springwatch time again, this is a good thing for any of you in any doubt...and I might suggest that for those like myself, obsessed with all things living (spiders excepted of course),

if you haven't already been there, a visit to the live webcams is a fab way to wile away a few hours minutes in wonderment :o)

This year they have even succeeded in getting some footage of the extremely elusive and rare Scottish Wildcat in the first week!

Ok, I'm an animal anorak!