Random Ramblings

Random Ramblings: Personal observations on a wide variety of subjects. Photographs of creatures and things that are taken on seeing the unusual as well as everyday things.

Google'd!

We have all been Google'd. At least those of us who have installed ‘Followers’ in their sidebars. Along with many others, I have been gradually adding myself as a follower to many good and interesting blogs and then suddenly, out of the blue, during the week – I found that my ‘followers’ along with many others had plummeted … Across the Internet the ‘follow in public’ status had changed to anonymity. Not only that, but the only way of making your profile public again is to re-visit every single blog you are following and click on the follow icon once more and re-instate yourself.

Why would anyone want to follow a blog anonymously? Unless they perhaps wanted to be investigated by Spooks?

Followers

One good thing has come out of this change – bloggers can now follow many more blogs than before … for instance I now am able to follow Karen & Gerard Zemek‘s blog and also Mariuca’s.

Peanut Allergy Cure

This may be of interest to an ever increasing number of people. It was reported on the news that a team at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, England – exposed four children over a six month period to minute doses of peanut flour. The dose was gradually increased until they could eat five whole peanuts every day without adverse affects. This gives these children a chance of a normal life without the concern that every time they come into contact with someone who has eaten peanuts or find themselves in a room where peanuts are being served that they have less chance of going into anaphylactic shock. They still have to carry an emergency injection as a back-up but will be less likely to ever have to use it. It does mean that they will have to remain eating the same quantity of peanuts for the rest of their lives (five peanuts) in case their immunity ceases but it is a promising and hopeful beginning for thousands and thousands of sufferers.

I cannot stress enough that this cure should NEVER be attempted at home or without the guidance of a medical team who are fully qualified and knowledgeable with this particular allergy.

For those wishing to read more please visit BBC News, National Health Service, Mail Online. The latter report mentions other allergies including asthma and hay fever.

A*

I have saved up this month’s awards to place altogether in one blog post. At the time that I decided to do this, I didn’t realise the impact of one particular download to update my virus scanner would have on my decision. Once this update had been fully completed my firewall immediately bricked me out of the pc and nothing was accessible. It caused both concern and frustration. When I eventually could gain access to the pc once more my list of awards to post had appeared to melt away. I have mislaid it somewhere in my computer … so I am backtracking to try and retrieve all of the information. My apologies to all for the delay.

Only cats can

Whether it’s relief that is deep within a cats make-up or whether it is something else, I’m not sure but the relaxing pose that most domestic cats fall into when they are contented is also duplicated by their distant cousins. Lions too, can be seen with the exact same pose when they too are not in want for food or water and the world gives them their true desires. Just as a cat will lie exposing their tummy to the world so will lions even if they are surrounded by wild game that could readily trample over them. I have always thought it wonderful how a cat will trust all around them not to tread on their soft under bellies … that is true trust … how many people could portray as much trust as that?

cat relax 26.02.2009Contented cat

 

 

liontd Lion after feeding

Abstinence

Yesterday, Shrove Tuesday was marked with the annual pleasure of pancakes for pudding … I wonder how many you all managed to eat? Today, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent when we are all supposed to test our strengths. This year we do not need Ash Wednesday to test us all, we are constantly being reminded every day how very poorly this whole beautiful planet is from its finances to the constant threat of global warming both of which will affect us now and in the future.

I have been looking at all of the weeds that have been fighting their way for good positions in the garden borders and much to my surprise came across the first dandelion of the year … with a slightly opened bud. Dandelions are a member of the daisy family and its usual flowering period begins in April.

This particular flower has taken on a rather reddish hue … I know that I should really dig it up for composting but I may, out of curiosity leave it to see what the flowers look like when they open up.

Dandelion 25.02.2009

Dandelion 25.02.2009 2

Dandelion Taraxacum officinale

Midnight at the oasis

The night was jet black, the air was so quiet and still – it was almost like an old black and white film, the part just before something is about to happen …

It did. Strange noises came from the garden … rumbles, rustles and deep guttural creaking groans followed by a rather load quacking noise. So … I ventured out with the camera - ‘wouldn’t you?’

Softly creeping, torch in hand – I shone its brightly gleaming beam all around the garden. I couldn’t see anything. I took a few steps more and my feet began to crunch under pebbles as I drew near to the pond. To my amazement, these orchestral rumblings were coming from all around the pond and underneath the water I could see at least twenty frogs. Some were resting, some were swimming and the remainder were mating … there should be some early frogspawn in the pond this year.

I began to take photographs and managed just two before the batteries in my camera died … the first was taken hurriedly at one perched right in front of me. The second – and this is why the batteries died was taken after I had lifted the netting that protects the fish from herons. I had left the camera on and lost the possibility of capturing more pictures of these beautiful amphibians. For those of you who wonder how the frogs get in and out of the pond with the netting in place – the netting has several areas that are lifted especially for the frogs and so they also are safe from predators and this includes the cat!

Frog looking for mate 24.02.2009

 

Frogs mating 24.02.2009

Warm glow

The weekend came and with it the promise of just a pinch of warmth. It wasn’t as though it was necessarily felt but rather a faint tickle of a glow that although it is now February, there is just a chance that Spring is pushing its way through the door.

It was, with a pleasant surprise that the golden yellow crocus greeted the day, marching upright from the soil and ready to open their crowns when the sun finally appeared. It also left an urgent itch that there was much to do to tidy up the ever creeping weeds that invade both container and ground and at the moment are increasingly winning the battle to secure the land.

Crocus

 

Crocus upright

Crocus close

Mouth blisters filling with blood – blood blisters

There are all kinds of food intolerances and food allergies about but one that you may encounter at some time during your life is - wheat intolerance that sometimes leads to blood blisters in the mouth. Once the blisters arrive they have a tendency to enlarge and fill with blood which then extends the blister still further. They can occur anywhere on the soft tissue of the mouth even the uvula (the dangly piece of skin at the back of the throat).

Blood blisters, such as these can be very disturbing. They may continue to grow in size and area travelling until they have either been ‘popped’ or naturally burst. The mouth then may remain very sore for a very long time afterwards. Sometimes, several blood blisters of differing sizes can occur in a cluster.

If you do get recurring blood blisters in the mouth it is wise to firstly see a doctor; secondly read the labels on everything you buy and try not eating wheat for a few weeks (this includes sauces, ready-made meals, many sweets and so on). This may, if you're lucky, be sufficient to cure the problem - if not then possibly wheat might have to be excluded from your diet for a much longer period of time. Point to remember: many food items do not list wheat as an ingredient (including some chocolate bars, liquorice and confectionery) - it is wise to consider looking for wheat free products.

Blisters, blood blisters and ulcers may also be a sign of the onset of Coeliac Disease. Please see the following link for more information: http://kloggers-randomramblings.blogspot.com/2012/01/coeliac-diseasepronounced-see-lee-ack.html

Bouncing/Rebounding

The most useful and healthiest piece of equipment that I have ever purchased is a rebounder sometimes called a bouncer, jogger or mini trampoline.

Rebounder - bouncer

I was first introduced to this useful tool by a consumer radio programme hosted by Ed Doolan. From what I can recall … a guest on the programme was suffering from a possible terminal condition whereby her health was gradually deteriorating. I seem to remember that she had reached a stage whereby she could hardly move and somehow she found out about ‘rebounders.’ She purchased one that had a handle for support. She began by just gently moving up and down – she couldn’t lift her feet. Within a short while of using it regularly she finally was able to lift her feet one at a time into the air … from there she began lightly walking and then jumping. Instead of getting worse the action gradually improved her condition and if my memory serves me well, I seem to remember that when she returned to the hospital her condition had healed itself – she was well.

I remember, at the time thinking I wonder how that came to be? Then I did a little reading about the lymphatic system. This is similar to the blood or circulatory system as it runs throughout the whole of the body – the only difference between the two is that blood is pumped throughout the body by the heart and so is constantly moving where the fluid in the lymphatic system and lymph glands relies on our energetic movement to travel from one place to another. As many of us do not move sufficiently … the liquid lies still, it sort of stagnates as we remain stationary. So our static, sedentary, life styles may then cause us to feel or become unwell.

I purchased by first rebounder about twelve to fifteen years ago … I’ll be honest I didn’t expect it to do anything for me at all. After using it for two to three weeks I did however notice that I could now run up several flights of stairs without getting out of breath. I felt bright-eyed and bushy tailed and always raring to go … and I felt really, really well. Needless to say I quickly became a fan and have since purchased quite a few more. As a piece of equipment they usually last around two years … their main fault are the springs around the outside which over time become stressed and break. The last rebounder I had, however began to rip … but then it had lasted three-and-a-half years! So now I finally have a new one and I am happily ‘boing, boinging’ my way again …

Twitter and tweets

In a previous blog I mentioned my ‘little tweet’ which I made for fun to add a link to my Twitter page from my blog. I could have used one of the many already out there but thought I would give myself a small challenge of making my own link. In Twitter … a message is a tweet. The message can only be 140 characters long as lengthy messages are discouraged … but can be linked to blogs and emails for those wanting to share more thoughts and opinions.

There are many active members of Twitter and here are just a few of the Twitter friends that I follow ……

Karen from the blog entitled Blazing Minds is bursting with all kinds of new things that she finds and her "tweets" are always well worth a read …

Lainy who has several blogs including Lainy's Musings, Our Journey To Forever, The Certified Fashionable Chic and of course Kuerdas is just dipping her toes into Twitter and I am looking forward to her "tweet, tweets!"

Shinade from the blog called The Painted Veil is also a wonderful chatterer with lots of lively "tweets."

LB, or Lady Banana from the blog of the same name Lady Banana is a very active Twitter member and it’s worth catching her "tweets" whenever you’re online.

Heidi from the blog entitled Health Nut Wannabee Mom has also joined in and you can read her "tweets ... on this link."

Lastly, for today Karen who has two active blogs Karen and Gerard Zemek and My Funny Dad, Harry now has regular "tweets" fore everyone to enjoy too!

If you have not visited the land of Twitter and enjoyed peoples tweets before then why not click your way through the above …

For those who like to be in the know … in the world of celebrity there are many listed in Twitter and you can see what goes on in their world … why not give these a try:

Stephen Fry … comedian, presenter, actor …

Yoko Ono … philosopher, song writer, author …

William Shatner … actor …

and please don’t forget me …

tweet me!

Added little extra note added on 16th February ...

A special little welcome to WINDY who as with all things has embraced Twitter with full gusto! Here is his Twitter link:

Windy

Mine

Two souls joined as one - forever ... and if I should be fortunate enough to be born again in another time and another place with another name and another face I hope and pray that you will join me ... to walk the land again - to hold me in your arms and share the dreams that only lovers can who steal each others souls. My Valentine.

Kloggers/Polly 14/02/2009

Friday 13th: Toast

Today has been exceptionally good. I was on cloud nine – this is supposed to be the most unluckiest Friday 13th out of any … Friday 13th February is littered with ill omens and bad vibrations just waiting to jump out at the nearest person. Well, I arose slightly later than usual and decided to venture out for a spot of shopping. The shops were relatively empty compared with a usual Friday … where had all the customers gone? Are people really that superstitious that they won’t venture out of their own homes due to mediaeval superstitions? Apparently the answer to this question is YES!!

Well for me everything was going swimmingly … high on life and pleased that there were no visible signs of ice or snow on the roads … what more could a person want in the month of February?

I had looked and written a few brief little notes on my Twitter and made my little ‘tweet’

tweet me!

Like a little itch I had the desire to have a play at ‘Little BIG Planet’ once again – and I have to be honest I am not very good at it yet. I think it’s the fact that I have to remember to use the ‘left knob’ to move - the ‘X’ to jump and the top button at the back to grab and hold onto things and sometimes it seems use all three more or less at the same time!

Well I was playing a level with fire and so it will be no surprise to any of you that I became – well … toast!!!

Me - toast

Me - toast lbp

Me on Little BIG Planet on Friday 13th!

Little BIG Planet

I have discovered a place to visit and have adventures and I must admit, when I first spied it, I never thought there would be this incredulous desire and heart stopping feeling well up inside me to become an active ‘sackboy’ (or should I say sackgirl) explorer. The place I am describing is, of course, Little BIG Planet … I am smitten with this game and now have made my own character. Say … Hallo ………. to me.

Little BIG Planet - me

My sackgirl image taken off the television screen by my digital camera.

There are several things about this game that are appealing to adults (or course children are drawn to it the game for similar reasons) firstly, it uses physics so things move in realistic ways. The graphics are crisp and clear from the sack material of your character (and everyone else’s) to the cardboard, bricks, wood, sponge and glass of the items made within the landscape. Accomplishing your mission to get from the beginning to the end of the particular level you are in is not only addictive but gripping.

What is unusual about the game is that once you are in to it you can actually produce a small adventure yourself for others to play in … the game therefore keeps on increasing in size as there are so many zones. On top of this there are various community levels … you can also play with other people over the Internet.

tweet me!

Peepo pussycat

The cat … is simply waiting for the weather to get better. Every time she goes to the back garden to venture outside … she firstly, looks up at the sky … what on earth will she find when she looks at it – her head turns left and up and shortly right and up. She blinks … then bounds outside and makes a dash for the first bush then slowly, very slowly she goes on the prowl. When she gets back – she takes a catnap … it’s tiring being a cat!

100_0352

Catnap snooze

Melting moments

February has brought strange weather to Britain. I should really use the word unusual as we have, over the last fifteen years or so got used to a much milder month than many can remember from years ago. This year therefore was a shock to everyone when temperatures plummeted and snow was spread like a mixture if thick butter cream and icing sugar over everything. It was reported that the winter weather had come in from Russia which made it occasionally feel like Siberia. Since its onset it has varied from county to county … many have been buried in deep snow and drifts others have been flooded chest height in places and some have had enough black ice to coat a mountain. Waves and variations of the weather have been woven in the warp and weft of the landscape and none of us have know which variation we were going to face until each new day opened its eyes to us.

The general media have threatened that we have or are – running out of salt and grit for the roads and so wheels have spun and skated over many of the roads …

It looks as though the current snowfall is now thawing but with the knowledge that the temperatures are going to plunge once again we need to await the morning to see what the new day will bring.

February 2009 melting snow3

February 2009 melting snow2

 

February 2009 melting snow

It’s a picture thing!

I have now been blogging for a little while and have noticed that more and more blogs appear to be spoiling very beautiful pictures by adding the owner’s name or trademark across the centres of photographs. Why? If the photograph is that good, then why spoil it for others? If it is so precious to the owner, why have they placed it in the public domain? Blogs are free, the Web is free, the Internet is wonderful it offers people from all over the world to see and read all kinds of information and pictures all for free – so why ruin it?

If someone who really thinks a picture is worth taking – whether it has writing all over it or not – there are always applications out there (most of which are FREE) whereby names across photographs can be erased. By placing names across photographs it deprives youngsters using these pictures to aid their homework and for the rest of us it just spoils the view!

Feline flap

Enough is enough my cat really is fed up with all of the snow … this is more snow than she has previously ever experienced. Every time that she ventures out into the garden she firstly stands on the back door step … I, on the other hand am left holding the door trying to encourage her to go out for her toilet needs. Each time I feel like a Scot’s man in a kilt standing high on a rock, awaiting battle with the cold steel of a sword pressed against my legs … so bitter is the wind. I can understand her little whiskers feeling apprehensive at the very thought of squelching up to her belly in slush. It’s either the slush or alternately crisp. crackling ice … not much choice there for a furry animal!

Healing woollen yarn

As a child, I was often reminded how lucky I was to be born in a time when it was free to go to the doctor, dentist and optician. My mother and father, on the other hand, could remember what it was like when they had to pay. People would go without food so that they had enough money for a visit to the doctors. This is partly how socialism or having a consience into the well being of your fellow man, was born. It was either that or continuing with a philosophy of ‘the I’m all right Jack’ syndrome that is apparent in many other parts of the world. The fact is, state aid for all is the only way we can be assured that people aren’t left to die. If you disagree with this then, as they say in Yorkshire … ‘think on’ as you will need to ask yourself how many times in your life have you stopped and given aid to a stranger? Not the dip into your pockets for a coin aid – but taking someone in – a homeless stranger off the street, perhaps? Or may be taking an elderly person to do their weekly shopping, tidying someone’s garden who is no longer able to … the list is endless. What you do have to ask yourself is if you do not help others, especially those that have no-one then what would happen to them if we had a health service, etc that you could only access if you had health insurance? What would happen to those who couldn’t afford health insurance? They would be left to die as they were before everyone had the right to free health care. The world is a very lonely and frightening place for those who are ill and are without friends, family or money or the means to seek help for themselves!

All kinds of healing practices sprung up years ago when times were hard for the majority of people many of which have either been forgotten or secretly passed down from mother to daughter…

One of my favourite healing remedies was told to me as a child whilst I was sitting on my mother’s lap. At the time, my mother was in her thirties and she was telling me a story … one that she made up about a little girl who went on an errand for her mother … I can remember, despite the story not being finished, saying to her “Why have you got that wool on your wrist?” My mother stopped her tale and looked at her wrist … she had a length of wool knitting yarn approximately two feet in length tied fairly tightly around and round her wrist. “It’s to cure my arm ache” she said and continued “if you get a pain or ache in your wrist or arm then woollen yarn cures it – I don’t know how it works, it’s a very old remedy, but it does.” She said.

I have never forgotten this little magical cure and I am passing it on to you … she used to keep on the woollen band for a few days until the pain went (be careful not to tie it so tightly that the blood supply to the hand is cut off). I have used it myself – nature is a wonderful thing if we use what it has to offer.

Little note: please be careful and if you do have a problem that won’t go away then it is best to pay a visit to your doctor.

Queen Elizabeth

I have always had a sort of admiration for Elizabeth I … not for her ruthlessness – anyone within a mile of the thrown in those days had to be wary in a way that inevitably led to being ruthless. The thing that really stands out about Elizabeth was her ability to write. She could also deliver a speech and was electrifying to her audience. Her most famous of speeches was given at Tilbury Docks on 8th August, 1588. She had to show the strength of a monarch willing to take up arms and fight with her people … she wore white, dressed with a silver breast plate and she rode on a grey horse. Everything depended upon making ready to stand firm and defend until death but how could she persuade her tired troops … here are the words that she chose (can you think of anyone who could have given a greater speech - and how many women received education, let alone the same education as men? It is doubtful that even Elizabeth received the same education as the males around her – and yet we have her words, this is just a small portion of the speech she delivered … and remember she was not heavily guarded just six protectors at her side, as she mingled with the crowds -

My loving people, we have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit ourselves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery. But I assure you, I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear. I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live or die amongst you all, to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and for my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any Prince of Europe should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which, rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. I know, already for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and we do assure you, in the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid to you.’

As with all of us time took its toll on Elizabeth. It was the custom in those days to paint the complexion white and the richer you were the whiter became your countenance. The make-up of the time was made from lead which over time caused those that used it to lose their hair and teeth … their skin became pitted and so badly damaged and ravaged as it became a vicious cycle of covering it up with more and more of the poisonous make-up …

b in Greenwich Palace, Kent on 7 September 1533

succeeded to the thrown on 17 November 1558

crowned in Westminster Abbey on 15 January 1559

d at Richmond Palace, Surrey on 24 March 1603

reigned for a total of 44 years and 127 days

(House of Tudor)

Candlemas curse

It is said that if Candlemas Day is fair and bright then Winter will have another flight – well this year it had bouts of brightness and little flurries of snow … I wonder how this will affect the curse of the second day of February. We shall all have to wait and see!

February

It was claimed many years ago that February was one of the most important months of the year. There are usually both frost and snow on this the second month of the year and gardeners would look forward to the bitterness as a purifier of the land. The name itself is said to mean purification. There are also many superstitions that have evolved over the ages that relate to this time of the year. It was once alleged that if you listened closely and heard a thunderclap during this month then you would see something wonderful during the Summer months that followed … so I’m listening intently … for who could resist this kind of promise?

Candlemas Day falls on 2nd February and on this special day gardeners of years gone by claimed that if the sun shone and the weather was good then the Winter would return with a vengeance. There is an ancient rhyme that was commonly recited:

“If a Candlemas Day be fair and be bright

Then the Winter shall have another flight ……

But – if Candlemas Day be clouds and be rain

Then Winter be gone and will not come again!”

snowdrop copy

“A love that comes this cold, wet month will warmly last a lifetime.” Anon