Good morning everyone

 

Cloudy but dry here (for the time being).

 

Squiggle, I hope you had a decent night's sleep after yesterday's tooth ordeal

 

I'll tape Gideon of Scotland Yard but I have discovered that there are two versions of the film. The film released in the UK ran for 118 minutes but the US version ran for 91 minutes. I think it's the shorter version which is being shown,

 

I watched Shenandoah last night. I hadn't seen it before and it was brilliant. James Stewart was perfect in his role and I would be struggling to think of anyone who could have matched him, possibly Gary Cooper but no-one else. I suspected that the battle scenes weren't shot for the film and they were actually taken from Raintree County and Gone with the Wind.

 

Good morning everyone, I slept fine and eating is a little easier this morning and I was able to drink a cup of tea, bliss.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the film EL, it's a wonderful story. 

 

Yogi I hope you manage to get done everything you want to this morning.  You haven't yet told us how you got on with your broken tooth, have you managed to get it mended now?

 

Summer it sounds like Bramble wants to be as close to you as possible and to join in with all your stuff, she must be the most amazing company.

Good morning It's a dry and cooler day here, and some very dark clouds are heading this way so I wouldn't be surprised if it rains. El I'm glad you enjoyed the film I like James Stewart. Squiggle I'm glad you slept well, when I had my wisdom tooth removed I didn't sleep well at all because my gum was throbbing. I have a low pain threshold though and tend to whinge when in pain lol Do you like tea from a tea pot? I do, although I only use mine when we have company

I generally use a tea pot. I find that if I use a mug or cup with a teabag in, then you get tannin stains on the teacup, but if you pour milk in first, then the tea from the teapot you don't. Of course those who have black tea would get the tannin stains either way,

 

The stains are the only thing is dislike about tea El! I'll try the milk in first to observe that hint, thank you I've got a few pics to share this morning; First, Bramble... (please excuse the laundry piles) She took herself up there last night to chill out, for no apparent reason lol she simple just likes it. Then, this is Tillie, she belongs to my cousin in law who e mailed me this photo last night. I literally laughed out loud! The expression on her face is funny. I hate to think where she had been to get that dirty! And.. Wild orchids there are many in our local area! I thought this group might like them Usually they stand alone, but these amazed me I keep forgetting to tell you all about our wildflowers, I think of you every day as I pass them- there's some lovely collections near us, in pinks, purples, yellow & white

More great photos Summer

 

Summer looks a bit like the Egyptian sphinx. And Tillie, what have you been up to

 

Tillie's mugshot made me laugh, I think my mum used to call that expression dumb insolence

 

Those orchids pop up in my upper lawn at this time of year, I wondered what they were until a knowledgeable visitor said they were wild orchids, lovely.

 

Yes I love tea in a proper teapot, and I always put the milk in first, I believe that posh people add it last but then again I'm not posh.

A link to a long list of comments made by people to the Guardian about the order of tea and milk. Quite interesting. It seems that high quality china is less likely to crack or get stained by tannin.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/note...ery/0,,-1400,00.html

 

Summer, I love the pics of Bramble and Tillie.

I'm a bit of a tea Jenny and have several cups every day. In fact, I don't function properly until I've had two cups in the morning. If I am making a pot of tea, I put the milk in the cup first, but if I am making a single cup I put the teabag into the cup and pour in the boiling water. I like my tea strong and find it takes ages to get strong enough (for my liking) if I add milk first.

I agree with everyone about the late James Stewart, he was an excellent actor. I loved him in It's A Wonderful Life and Rear Window, to name only two. Mr Yogi liked him in The Glenn Miller Story - he loves the music, too.

Squiggle, I am ashamed to say I haven't been to the dentist because the tooth isn't giving me any pain - in other words, I chickened out of going.

Those wild orchids are beautiful and what a gorgeous colour.

You may remember the story of the blackbirds which got caught up in the netting over my raised bed. When he was in shock and hiding at the back of the garage, I tempted him out of his hiding place with some raisins. He has been coming back several times each day and I have been throwing out more raisins for him. He seems to realise that I'm the mad raisin woman not going to harm him and comes really close to get the raisins. He flew away with four raisins in his beak yesterday, so I think he might still be feeding young. If I am very patient and persistent over the summer, I wonder if I might get him to feed from my hand, like my dad does with three blackbirds in his garden.

That's a lovely story about your blackbird Yogi, I like it that he trusts you.

 

Please consider making an appointment for the dentist, you don't know what's occurring and you may be letting yourself in for more extensive treatment if you leave it. Lecture over

I agree with squiggle yogi, I don't want to see you suffer later on Lovely about the blackbird, I think he could well end up in your hand he must like the raisins too At SIL's wedding the other week, they hired proper tea cups and we all a pot of tea after dinner, it was lovely. When the proper photos come through I'll post them. el the link doesn't work for me but I'll try it tonight from home

El, there is a yoga pose called sphinx.. I did it the other night next to bramble because that's how she was laying lol she often lays on my back if I'm laying on the floor, but she chose not to on this occasion

Don't worry Squiggle and Summer, I am going down to the chemist later to pick up my prescription, so I will pop into the dentist and make an appointment.

 

Sorry Squiggle, I meant to say earlier, I'm glad your mouth is less painful today.

Good good yogi You're a busy bee today!

I've been to the dentist and made an appointment. I explained that I'd broken a tooth but it wasn't giving me any pain. She offered me an appointment for Thursday but it's at the same time as I have to take Keira to the groomers (and I don't want to cancel them again). The next available appointment was next Thursday, so I have taken it. In the meantime, if I start to get any pain, I can go down and they'll see me straight away.

Squiggle, I'm glad your mouth is getting better after yesterday, and Yogi, it's better to get the tooth checked rather than it to suddenly get worse at an inconvenient time such as being away on holiday.

 

Summer, I know nothing about yoga, but that position you've mentioned is very sphinx like.

 

The Egyptian sphinx is very different to the Greek type. The Egyptian one which is more familiar is generally regarded as a benevolent one.

 

The Greek one looks different:

and is not benevolent. The one in Greek legends would ask people who went past a riddle. If they got it wrong, the sphinx would strangle and then eat them. This is where the famous riddle comes from:

"Which creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?"

Oedipus gave the right answer and the sphinx then destroyed itself.

 

I won't give the answer to the riddle as it's well known.

I don't like the sound of the Greek Sphinx, El.

I think I know the answer to the riddle but won't say in case someone wants to make a guess.

Hi all x
Lovely pics Summer, i didnt realise those were wild orchids
Oh toothache   

Havent read all back, as yet, but will do to catch up. Been so busy , missing nana..didnt realise how much she does regarding granddaughter till now. 

Wont say riddle either...  

Hi Skylark.

Brendan Jamison comes from Northern Ireland and is a sculptor. But he creates his models out of sugar cubes.

 

Here's a link to his website showing some of his work. I'm not copying the images here as they are copyrighted to him.

 

http://www.brendanjamison.com/sugarcube.html

 

 

What a talent El, beautiful sculptures x

Hi, Yogi, i am dodging in and out, football match finished, yippee ! Nice my son can have his friends in to watch, but maybe the next match they can go elsewhere!

Oh edit that, another match on! Will say goodnight, and leave the boys to it 

You're too kind Sky.

 

I'd be pointing them to the pub.

Yay well done yogi for booking the appointment i'm pleased you're not getting any pain from the tooth

 

El, how curious that an ancient creature such as a sphinx pops up in several ancient countries... 

Am I the only one who doesn't know the riddle?! Not that I'm any good at solving them! Give me a good sudoku and i'll solve it  

 

Evening velvet  

Evening Velvet and Summer.

Skylark, tell them they have to take it in turns, and watch the football in someone else's house tomorrow.

Evening yogi how was BB?

It was quite good, Summer. It showed the nominations and the aftermath when BB announced who was up. I don't like either of the two HMs who are up, so I'll be happy no matter who goes on Friday.

 

I can hardly keep my eyes open, so I will toddle off to bed.

Goodnight Summer, see you tomorrow.

Goodnight Velvet and Ros, if you are still around.

Nite Yogi  

I'll be more into it when the rotters have been evicted yogi, I begrudge my duvet time on them at the mo

 

Sweet dreams, see you tomorrow

 

Sweet dreams velvet, sleep sound

Good morning everyone. Weather is dry and bright up here.

Woke at 6.15a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep.

Joyron hasn't been around for a while, does anyone know if she's away on holiday?

Summer, if you don't watch BB until all the rotters have been evicted, you won't be watching until the last 15 minutes of Finals Night.

 

Good morning everyone

 

Cloudy here, but dry. There may be a shower later though. More unsettled weather as from tomorrow for a few days.

 

Yogi, I think Joyron had been hoping to get away when she last posted, it depended on the weather. She did log on here on Sunday. She may be taking time out during BB. A for Joyron.

 

Summer, the answer to the sphinx's riddle is Man. As a baby, crawls on all fours, as an old man walks with the aid of a stick, so 3.

 

Morning it was sunny early on but has clouded over now, I'm hoping it stays dry so I can meet up with SIL for a walk. El thanks for the riddle solution, they're always do obvious once you know the answer aren't they lol Miss bramble has lost 2 teeth! I didn't even notice mr summer noticed this morning, she's been chewing her bone a lot but hasn't behaved strangely or shown any pain, bless her Yogi, oh crumbs, this years crop of housemates sound promising then I've got to go pick up a parcel & a few bits, will pop back later

Good morning everyone, bit cloudy here. 

 

They are a very odd lot this year's crop of BB'ers, I reckon you're right Yogi if you wait until the rotters are gone there will be hardly anyone left.

 

Will the doggy tooth fairy come for Miss Bramble, perhaps a doggy treat in her doggy bed?

I'm not sure if this picture will be viewable or not as the site I found it on isn't working properly. But it's in response to squiggle's doggy tooth fairy

 

The picture works for me.

 

@Doggy tooth fairy. I wonder what Bramble will find under her pillow, instead of money.

 

Sorry to be a blackbird bore, but Mr B is now bringing MrsB and their babies to eat in my garden.

 

There is a yellow flower which has appeared in the middle of one of my small shrubs. I think a bird must have dropped the seed. It's very pretty - like a cross between a giant buttercup and a yellow poppy and I have no idea what it is. At first, I thought it might be a weed but then I saw the same flowers in Monty Don's garden in Gardener's World, so it is definitely a flower. I'd buy some more if I knew what it was.

I think I've found out what it is. Eldest son suggested it was probably a wildflower so I googled yellow wildflowers and this came up. It's a meadow buttercup.

That is such a pretty flower Yogi, I could imagine a little drift of them.  I love hearing about the blackbirds and it's nice that Mrs Blackbird and the babies are coming too.  I don't have a cat because I like the birds to feel safe here, for the same reason I discourage the magpies as far as I can because they are terrible predators and nest robbers.

I also discourage the magpies and the "dopey doos" (collared doves), which tend to bully the smaller birds.

Although next door have a cat, it stays out of my garden because it knows Keira is always about - and she hates the cat!

Talking of wild flowers reminded me that many many years ago my parents, btother and I were sitting down for a snack on one of our country walks near Gloucester. I picked a clover at random and discovered that I had picked a 4 leaf clover. According to Wiki, the chances of a 4 leaf clover growing naturally is 1 in 10,000. I carefully took it home with me to keep and I still have it.

 

That was very lucky, El.

I remember my friends and I (aged 8-10) spending hours trying to find a four leaf clover. We didn't find any - we found hundreds of three leaf ones though.