Suzy Shipman :: Feeds

Small Pleasures

Just been hanging the washing and thinking mmmm what a lovely smell! It seems that Surf Small & Mighty have improved the fragrance of their yellow washing liquid (was just Sunshine, now is Sunshine Lemons & Bergamot) - I liked it before but now it’s just delicious I know that you should probably buy washing liquid on the basis of its cleaning abilities, but I have a tendency to go by smell (and value for money)! And mmm I love the smell of Surf!

By the way they are not paying me to say this - it is just my opinion! Although obviously if someone from Surf happens upon this post and feels like sending me, say, a year’s supply of Surf, I would be delighted!

End of Bloggy Break!

It’s been building up the last few days … the urge to blog, that had been missing for quite some time! I don’t know where it went or why it has returned, but I will follow the urge. We had a saying when I was a student “never surpress an urge” … it may not always be right, but in this instance I will go with my urge!

Well, I’m sure like most people, I’ve been watching alot of the Olympics - I’m loving these ones! I’ve enjoyed watching all kinds of sports, and of course it helps that Team GB are doing really well - 16 gold medals so far! Wow! I’ve particularly enjoyed watching gymnastics, athletics, swimming, diving, rowing, skulling, sailing, cycling and even a spot of equestrian. Some of the people in the olympics strike me as a bit arrogant … but then again if I was that good at something, I’d probably get a bit arrogant myself. But some of the best moments are when people win and they are so shocked, and so modest, and you feel quite emotional along with them. It must be a wonderful feeling to get a medal after all the hard work they put in. I’m getting quite excited about London 2012 now, and wondering if we could manage a trip to London to see some of the events … trying to imagine 4 years from now - Ben will be 13 1/2 and Abi just 10 - hard to imagine that!

I do get the thought in the back of my mind about all the money being spent on sport … that could be being spent on people who have nothing … it seems so extravagant. I am torn. But then when I’m on the edge of my seat watching a race and cheering, I forget. I don’t know what to think about that.

Not dead

As you may have noticed, I have lost my blogging muse. I am still alive however. Might be back one day, might not …

Firefox 3

I now have Firefox 3 … but as yet I am not entirely sure what’s so different about it compared to Firefox 2 … I shall have to investigate!

If you want it, you can get it here, but it might take a few attempts as there is rather a lot of demand at the moment.

Updated: Today is the Day

Today is Race for Life day. It dawned grey and damp after a few days of beautiful sunshine, and I felt nervous as I got up. Today was also supposed to be Sports Day at my children’s school, but they have postponed it due to the wet track this morning. Typically it is now (lunch time) lovely and sunny and the Sports Day probably could go ahead, but I guess once the decision is taken to postpone it would be too complicated to “un-postpone” it again! I was having the day off work to watch Sports Day but as it isn’t on, I went to work instead. I want time to speed up and get me to this evening so I can get on with the Race for Life. I am excited and a little nervous. I will be jogging the race in honour of Heather, and remembering Julian, as well as doing it for hope for all with cancer. So far I have raised £110. If you want to sponsor me, you still can - my online sponsor page will stay open for a while after the race. Hopefully I will have some photos to add later after I’ve done it. I’m going to try and beat last year’s time (44 minutes), and maybe even the year before’s time (39 minutes). Last year was slower than the year before as I was wearing my fairy dress and didn’t bother to try and jog, just walked the whole race. This time I plan to jog a bit. Hopefully. The course is changing for the first time this year so instead of just going up and down the prom, it will go through town a bit - should be exciting and a bit different And of course it is at a different sort of time - in the past it has been on a Sunday morning, so having it on a Wednesday evening is very unusual. Anyway… I shall stop rambling on now! I will let you know how I get on later.

Later:
I did it! It was a very nice new course, but with a few more ups and downs than the old course. I didn’t manage to beat last year’s time and did it in 45 minutes. I am very tired, but happy. I managed to avoid blisters this year! It was a great experience being part of a crowd of 1500 women all with the same aim in mind. Fab! Abi wants to do it with me next year - she’ll be nearly 7 by then so I think she’ll be up to it

Bobby Animoto

Wordless Wednesday: A week to go!

Fun weekend

At the weekend we were very busy! Richard had booked his birthday sky dive for Sunday and as it was an early start we decided to stay in a hotel Saturday night. And then we realised that Chester was on our way, and a visit to Chester Zoo was in order!

It was a beautiful sunny day on Saturday and we really enjoyed walking round the Zoo. Our favourite animals were the Orangutans and Chimps and it was great seeing all kinds of other animals too. We were lucky enough to happen to be coming to the chimp enclosure just as they were being fed, so we saw them all come out for their lunch

The new “Realm of the Red Ape” exhibit was really interesting and gave you good views of the Orangs in quite natural looking habitat. Me and the children are particularly fond of the Orangs, so we were really pleased to get a good look at some of them as they swung by

After a night at a hotel we got up early in the morning and headed for Black Knights Parachute Centre. Richard did the paperwork and the children and I waited around until it was time for him to do his jump. We watched several other people do jumps and it was very exciting to see them coming down to earth!

Then it was Daddy’s turn! We were very exciting watching him heading off to the plane in all his gear, with his expert sky diver with him ready to go tandem. We watched his plane head off into the sky and disappear through the clouds, then it was a matter of waiting and looking up into the sky to see when he would reappear through the cloud and the parachute would be deployed. We were getting stiff necks looking up into the sky, and then there he was with a rainbow coloured parachute! His friend Andy got some great pictures for us from the dropzone (the children and I had to stay in the spectator area). He landed back on the ground with an enormous grin on his face! A very successful 40th birthday present!

As it was still quite early in the day we decided to stop off at Llangollen on the way back home, and followed a sign for the Llangollen Aqueduct. We all found it really interesting and exciting watching the boats and following the tow path. We found a boat that did Aqueduct Trips and went on one which was very exciting - on one side of the boat is the tow path across the viaduct with railings, but on the other side there is nothing to stop you falling out if you were to lean over!! Eek! Nobody fell out thankfully!

The view from the aqueduct was beautiful and we really enjoyed going on the narrow boat. It got us thinking again about going on a narrow boat holiday and we are all enthusiastic about this - Ben is keen to help with locks and moorings, Daddy would be the driver, and me and Abi would be generally helpful I’m sure! I guess I would be spending time in the galley as well! Anyway - we picked up some information from Anglo Welsh Waterway Holidays who had a base there, and will have to start saving up!

All in all we had a really fun weekend and have come back tired out but happy

There are lots more photos that Richard and I took, as well as a few that Andy Starr (Thank you!) took of Richard skydiving, on our gallery: Chester Zoo, Skydiving, Llangollen

Hmmm … I can’t think of a title

I am fretting a bit about Race for Life. There’s less than 2 weeks to go (eek!) and I am not fit! I haven’t been training - I’ve been too lazy! So I won’t be able to run the course, or even jog it! I feel kind of like I’ve let myself down - I was going to try harder this year. I’ve put on a few pounds too And I don’t know what to wear! Last year I promised I’d wear my fairy dress if I got past my goal amount of fundraising and as I achieved this, I wore my dress! It was fun This year I don’t know what to do - do I do it “straight” and just be normal, or do I do something mad again? And I’m running out of time obviously. I don’t know what it is about me that wants to stand out but I kind of do want to wear something different … I’m normally quite quiet and shy so this mad urge to dress up confuses me!

Wordless Wednesday - 2 weeks to go!! Aaargh!

[You can sponsor me here!]

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Thursday Thirteen - Pity Party

7 reasons for a pity party + 6 reasons to be cheerful = 13

1. My head hurts
2. My ear hurts
3. My neck hurts
4. I am soooo tired
5. My nose is sniffy
6. My throat is beginning to be sore
7. My hubby is away

But …

8. I am not seriously ill - it’s just a cold!
9. I can still look after myself and my children
10. I have a warm comfy place to snuggle in when I feel rough
11. I have painkillers to take
12. I have a kettle and water to make hot drinks
13. I’ll be better soon!

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Wordless Wednesday - Grandad’s Birthday

Abi with her Grandad when she was a baby

Happy Birthday Grandad!

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101 (or maybe 6) uses for a Morrisons bag

How many uses are there for a Morrisons reusable shopping bag? This is what I was musing this morning, while using one for another purpose … so I decided to write a list! I have quite a stash of bags as I tend to forget to actually bring them with me when going shopping, so get some more!

By the way, it happens that Morrisons is the shop I use most for my shopping. This is not an advert for Morrisons in any way - it just happens to be the most practical shop for me to use in that it has all I want and is not a huge drive away like some shops round here! Many other supermarkets also have reusable shopping bags and I am sure they are equally useful and can be used in the same way!

1. Obviously the first use is for your actual shopping - they are big and strong and you can get lots in without the handles breaking or things falling out! Before Morrisons did them I had a couple I’d got from Sainsburys while visiting Mum & Dad. It amused me to do my shopping at Morrisons with a Sainsburys bag
2. Reusable bags can also be very handy for doing your washing. I used one this morning - filling it with dirty washing upstairs to carry down to the washing machine. Easier to get round tight corners or through small gaps carrying clothes in a big bag rather than with a washing basket on your hip.This idea came to me on holiday when I carried our dirty washing from the lodge to the laundrette in these bags
3. Talking of going on holiday, I find reusable supermarket bags are great for all that stuff you need to take on holiday! For example we took books and DVDs and toys incase of rainy days (we were glad we did!) and it was very handy to pack them all in a big reusable bag.
4. For family swimming sessions they are handy for carrying swimsuits and several towels - they’re big enough and also are waterproof.
5. For beach trips why not pack them full of buckets and spades, suncream, shade tent, picnic blanket … whatever!
6. ETC … You probably get the picture now - I think supermarket reusable bags are very useful! So whatever you need to carry from one place to another … you might well find that a reusable supermarket bag is just the thing!

Amazing Grace

Desiderata

Sandy Carlson posted the last 13 lines of this poem on her blog for Thursday Thirteen this week and I thought it was beautiful and wise, so I’m posting the whole poem here. (If you want to read my TT, just scroll down - it’s in the next post)

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

Thursday Thirteen - Chimps

I won last week’s TT theme!! I was very surprised to discover that this morning! Thank you!

This week I’m thinking about Chimps, following on from my Wordless Wednesday yesterday of Susie the chimp and her family. I adopted Susie at Monkey World. I’ve been watching Monkey Life (five, UK, weekdays at 6:30pm) and I find it fascinating how similar chimps and other primates are to humans. So my Thursday Thirteen this week is all about chimps.

13 interesting things about Chimpanzees …

1. Chimps live in large social groups with males, females, young and old
2. Chimps communicate with eachother in many ways - by calling, by displays, by facial expressions
3. Chimps show their love for eachother with hugs and kisses and enjoy tickling!
4. Chimps groom eachother to cement bonds and show affection, as well as to calm nervous situations. They are incredibly gentle with eachother.
5. Chimps have a long childhood like humans and stay with their mothers for many years
6. Chimps learn from their mothers and other family members - if they are orphaned or taken from their families they miss out on alot of learning and can become disturbed, and don’t know how to act like a chimp.
7. Young chimps are very much like human children - they enjoy playing together, they are curious, they learn from observation, and they need affection, reassurance and comfort
8. Chimps can make and use tools, for example using twigs to poke into holes and get insects out, or using a stone to crack a nut.
9. In the wild, chimps make a nest of leafy branches to sleep in each night.
10. Chimps live for approximately 50 years
11. Chimps can suffer with the same illnesses as humans - from minor colds through to cancer
12. There are probably only 30,000 chimps left in the wild today
13. Chimps can be mentally scarred by poor treatment

[The gorgeous photos of chimps in this post were taken by Steve Bloom and were found on his website here: http://www.stevebloom.com/]

Visit the Thursday Thirteen headquarters for more T13’s

Wordless Wednesday - Susie’s family

Susie the Chimp and her family - Eddi her daughter, and baby boy Bart.

I adopted Susie the Chimp at Monkey World

[Note: This is a cropped version of this photo taken by Tigerlemurguy, and found on Flickr by me.]

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30 days!

There are 30 days left until I do Race for Life on 11th June!

Time is going so fast!!

Friday’s Feast 190

Appetizer

When someone smiles at you, do you smile back?

Yes always

Soup

Describe the flooring in your home. Do you have carpet, hardwood, vinyl, a mix?

We have mainly carpet, with a bit of vinyl. I would love to have beautiful wooden floors if I could.

Salad

Write a sentence with only 5 words, but all of the words have to start with the first letter of your first name.

Suzy sings silly songs seriously.

Main Course

Do you know anyone whose life has been touched by adoption?

No I don’t know anyone personally who has adopted children or is adopted. Unless of course you include adoption of primates or pets! My sister has adopted a gibbon at Monkey World and I have adopted a chimp called Susie Our kitten Bobby was adopted as he was found in a diesel engine at the Corris Railway!

Dessert

Name 2 blue things.

My eyes, and my daughter’s eyes

More Friday’s Feasts are here.

Thursday Thirteen - Gross

The theme for this week’s Thursday Thirteen is Gross - that’s because it’s T13#144 and 144 is apparently a gross. I didn’t know that!

Gross seems to have many meanings so my Thursday Thirteen is the many meanings of gross!

1. Twelve dozen (i.e. 144)
2. “The amount before any deductions” e.g. gross income as opposed to net income which is the amount you actually end up with!
3. “Megascopic” - which means visible to the naked eye and is used mainly in reference to rocks and anatomical features. I guess this is the opposite of microscopic.
4. “Lacking fine distinctions or detail” - so maybe you could take this to mean “a bit vague”?
5. “Repellently fat” - hmm not very nice that one
6. “Conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible” e.g gross ineptitude, gross injustice, gross negligence
7. “Conspicuously and tastelessly indecent” - e.g. gross-out TV shows
8. A television show aired on childrens channel Discovery Channel (apparently … but I can’t find any info about it - there is however a programme on there called “Grossology“)
9. In Golf: “the actual number of strokes a player has taken before his handicap is deducted”
10. “The weight of the goods including packing, wrappers, or containers, both internal and external. The total weight as shipped.” - I remember seeing this use of gross when my Dad used to work for a haulage company years ago.
11. A slang term meaning “disgusting” or “grotesque”
12. A village in Nebraska - apparently a very tiny village - only 5 people lived there in 2000 according to the census - see info in wikipedia
13. I can’t find a thirteenth definition!!!

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Catty Ceasefire

Our cats fight … most of the time … but tonight for once, they actually chilled in a chair together! Admittedly I did put Bobby there myself, but he stayed there and they didn’t start attacking eachother but just snoozed Definitely an occasion to get the camera out!

Friday’s Feast 189

It’s been a while! I haven’t done one of these for quite some time, but I feel like giving it a go today …

Appetizer

What was your favorite cartoon when you were a child?

I used to love Ivor the Engine. Any non-UK readers won’t have a clue what I am on about! Ivor the Engine was a little Welsh steam engine who loved to sing in the choir

Soup

Pretend you are about to get a new pet. Which animal would you pick, and what would you name it?

Hmm … well I do love my cats, so I might have a really cute fluffy ginger kitten and call it Amber. But on the other hand if this is a flight of fancy and it could be any mad idea, I would have an African Grey Parrot and teach it to talk and solve problems and stuff! I don’t know what I’d call it - maybe I’d teach it to tell me what it wants to be called!

Salad

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy getting all dressed up for a special occasion?

Well it depends on my mood, the time of the month, how tired I am etc etc, but as a general rule, if I have something lovely to wear then I love getting dressed up! So on a good day I’d say 8 out of 10. But quite often I find myself trying on 10 different outfits and thinking I look rubbish in all of them … and my make up goes funny (I only wear it when going out so I’m not very good at putting it on!!) … so on those occasions I’d put it nearer a 4 out of 10!!

Main Course

What kind of music do you listen to while you drive?

Mostly I listen to the radio - BBC Radio 2 is my station of choice. If I’m driving through the mountains and lose the radio signal or there’s too much boring talking on the radio I’ll flick to a CD. Ones in my car at the moment are by Take That, Third Day & Jars of Clay I think, as well as a Pop Junior CD the kids like!

Dessert

When was the last time you bought a clock? And in which room did you put it?

It was not long ago actually - I was shopping with my Mum & Dad in Aldi while visiting them over Easter, and there were little alarm clocks which looked kind of cool, and I bought one. As it was an alarm clock, it was to go in my bedroom! It plays a little tune to wake you up - it’s rather annoying, so it does the trick!

More Friday’s Feasts are here.

More Bobby Cheezburgers!

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Wordless Wednesday - Spring Rhododendron

[Click the photo to see it full size]

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Bobby’s been cheezburgered!

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