Archive for November, 2009
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 30, 2009
Now I remember………it was Music that I wanted to write about yesterday. I could go into a lengthy article about music but I’ve not the time and probably not the ability. I was just thinking recently in why people like music and why they have particular tastes and preferences in music. So what is it about music that is so inviting and pleasant to us? It was said years ago when Rock ‘n Roll started and later when we first heard ‘Heavy Rock’ that people were attracted to the beat because it was symbolic of our time in the womb when we could hear our mothers’ heartbeat. We were in a safe environment and the association is not hard to accept or believe. Maybe that is so. To understand that we have to go back to the roots of music’s creation. That means thousands of years. The first music was most probably born when somebody was tapping a stick on a rock or other hard surface, accidentally at first but then deliberately as a means of relaxation. It is easy to see where that would have led. The basis of any music is in its bass rhythm. These days much popular music has a strong bass and that is what initially attracts us. Of course it would be silly to say that is the only attraction but where it is strong it is certainly noticeable! Our tastes in music varies considerably from person to person and that is what makes ‘our’ music so special to us. If somebody doesn’t like our taste in music we sometimes cannot appreciate why. When I was very young my experience of music came through the radio and was limited to whatever music station my parents were listening to. So I grew up liking the music of the thirties, forties and early fifties and also classical music. As I grew up my tastes changed somewhat and I began to listen to the music of the late fifties, the sixties and seventies and became ‘one tracked’, forsaking all other music for heavy rock, ballads and pop. I have matured somewhat over the years in my appreciation of music. Nowadays I like all music but do have preferences. As long as what I am listening to can be called music and not just noise I will enjoy it. My tastes are very varied and cover all genres. Presently when driving I am tuned into Classic FM and it is most enjoyable. Sometimes I will listen to Rock FM or another similar station and find that equally enjoyable. It’s a question of what mood I am in. I don’t reject any music out of hand and will listen until I am bored with it! The same applies when I am playing my guitar, I switch between different types of songs, different keys when I get bored with them. I like music because I can listen or play it to suit my moods.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Music | Tagged: Music | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 29, 2009
Now today I had it on my mind to post another article as I try to do each day but I am at a loss as to what it was going to be. Forget all the usual comments about age please, I do know that I can be forgetful at times. Sometimes I’ll be upstairs on an errand to get something and when I arrive I have to think what it was I’d gone for! Have you ever put the sugar in the fridge and the milk in the cupboard? If so, you will know what I mean. I get absent-minded at times too. I think the two things go hand in hand. Anyway getting back to my forgotten post I hope I can remember what it was. In the meantime I’ll slurp some more red wine. Hope your weekend has gone smoothly!
Shirley Anne
Posted in Behaviour | Tagged: Behaviour | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 28, 2009
I have a couple of links on my blog (look on the left under Magazines) about global warming and CO2 written by a learned scientist. They are worth reading. I have never put any faith in the current thinking about global warming and our involvement in it. The Earth has gone through many heating and cooling cycles in it’s history, many ice ages and mini ice ages too. They were happening long before mankind appeared. Nature did this all by herself and without the aid of mankind. We may be responsible in contributing to the current rise in world temperature but if you read the articles in the links you mat be surprised to learn that CO2 is unlikely to be involved. Why? Because CO2 is quite a rare gas and according to the article only represents a fraction of 1% of the gasses in the atmosphere. Again, according to the article, whenever there has been an increase in temperature in the past the level of CO2 has been at a minimum and when there has been a reduction in temperatures CO2 has been at a maximum. Strange? It makes me wonder if all the talk about carbon footprints is a load of hogwash and then I think to myself, ‘Why are we paying the penalty’?
One other thing we are told is that we must recycle materials to ‘save the planet’. Sounds good to me but in fact we are only saving the use of new materials and not energy which is what all the fuss is about. Energy is used in the manufacturing of materials into usable things but when we recycle just as much, if not more energy is used to effect the recycle. That’s before the recycled material is transformed into another usable article. Where is the energy being saved? I am confused and not convinced about global warming and all that.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Nature | Tagged: Nature, Science, The Planet | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 27, 2009
Well off I went tonight with my ex. to buy one more Christmas present. We visited a supermarket of all places because that’s where we hoped to buy the gift. We bought the present but me being me I decided I would take the opportunity to buy a few ‘extras’. I bought one more small gift for a friend and then…..a litre of Scotch whisky, vodka, two litres of golden rum, a litre of Jack Daniels, a litre of Baileys and six bottles of red wine! Oh and a couple of cream doughnuts! I am back home now finishing off the bottle of red wine I’d opened earlier. I’m not an alcoholic……..honest!
Shirley Anne
Posted in Shopping | Tagged: Drink, Fun, Happiness, Shopping | 4 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 27, 2009
I am about due for some more retail therapy. Lately I have been buying gifts for Christmas but have not spent anything on myself. The main problem is I am not sure what I would like. I go shopping usually with an idea of what I am after but often change my mind when I get there or buy something I see that I had not planned on buying. Sound familiar? I like the comfort of knowing that all my friends and family have been catered for as far as gifts go so that I can concentrate on myself. At this time of year I love the atmosphere, the expectancy as we approach Christmas Day but I don’t enjoy the day itself, mostly because I am left alone and left out of things. I am glad when Christmas Day is over and I can get back to normal. Many people focus on the January sales and go on mad spending sprees. Not for me, I like to take my time and enjoy my shopping excursions, I am not interested in the mad rush just to save a bit of cash. Over the next weeks I am anticipating receiving much work so what time I will have for myself will be well spent with some retail therapy amongst other things.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Shopping | Tagged: Activity, Shopping | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 26, 2009
I have been browsing the various UFO sites on the Internet and have read many of the reported sightings of UFO’s. Some of them are very convincing but some are obviously not. One woman was describing two objects and their movements across the sky at different times in the same evening but in different directions. As I read her report I immediately thought about artificial satellites and the many I have seen whenever I am sky watching. I have been interested in and studied Astronomy since my youth so I have a good idea of what goes on up there. What she described fitted exactly to my experiences of viewing these satellites, a bright star-like object moving smoothly across the sky which suddenly disappears. Well most of the satellites look like stars from earth when lit by the sun. The sudden disappearance is due to them entering the Earth’s shadow! Now I am not saying that this describes all sightings nor does it explain many others but I am sure that many of them will have alternative explanations which place them as normal activity. However there are some reports which evade all reasonable explanations as to what they are and could possibly be due to Alien activity, if one believes in Aliens. It is quite plausible that Aliens do exist and equally plausible that they may have or still do pay us visits. What do you think?
Shirley Anne
Posted in Aliens and UFO's | Tagged: Aliens, Nature | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 25, 2009
As I had but one small job today I decided to go into town with my ex. and buy some more gifts for Christmas. It has been an extremely windy and occasionally wet day and we struggled in the inclemency that is late Autumn in the UK. We managed to buy quite a few things and there remains only a couple more items to buy. I usually have all my presents bought before the end on November so I am on target. I hate last minute shopping but I still sometimes buy that little something extra.
Going back to that one small job this morning, it was an experience I don’t ever want again. A lady, I shall use that term very lightly, had a problem with a power point in her house or so I was told. It turned out to be an extension lead and the plug on the end of the cord to one of her electric convection heaters. A very simple task to repair and I had it done in minutes. That wasn’t the experience to which I was referring. When she opened the front door I was welcomed by a disgustingly foul smell. The house was in a very bad state of disrepair, nowhere was the wallpaper intact, it had been scratched so much at the bottom by the cats she kept and it was peeling off the walls everywhere else due to the damp conditions. Cobwebs adorned every conceivable place and cat litter was strewn all over what passed for carpets on the floor. The woodwork, doors and windows were in a filthy state and years of greasy finger and hand marks disguised whatever paint that had survived the years. Old furniture and dirty clothes filled the rooms and the smell of stale food and cat urine permeated the house. The bed hadn’t been made in months if not years! The lady herself was well spoken but unkempt and untidy in her appearance. Litter was scattered everywhere and the whole place should have been completely gutted, cleaned and redecorated years ago. The lady told me that she had lived there ever since she was born but that now she had no-one to look after her. I thought that she was simply lazy for she was fit enough but told me that she couldn’t be bothered! I am amazed she isn’t ill living in such conditions. I wonder if she has guests round for Christmas. Somehow I don’t think so. How anyone could live like that without caring in the least I have no idea. I have been in some dirty places before of course but never one as bad as this.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Lifestyle | Tagged: Lifestyle | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 24, 2009
Sounds like the title of a movie……..LOL. It refers to some of the days in the life of one Shirley Anne. I am very sure that I am not alone in this but I find many of my days are good, bad or plain ugly! I have good days, I have not so good days and I have days when I think to myself, ‘Why did I get up’? I thought today was going to be one of those ugly days but as it turned out it was quite the opposite. I had a rather awkward and testing job in prospect which I knew would challenge my knowledge and investigative skills to find a solution. I didn’t fancy the idea but I put that down to a lack of confidence in my ability. You would think that after 47 years in the ‘business’ at it were, confidence would not be an issue. I suppose we all have moments like this however but we get through them. I set off in a cheerfully optimistic mood which set the day straight. In the event I had no difficulty at all in solving the problem and after a couple of hours everything was back in order. I returned home got changed and went out for a meal with my ex.. We travelled a few miles out of town to a place we’d often passed but never went in. Today we arrived to find it closed for the day! We decided to back-track a mile or so to another unassuming little pub/restaurant which we also had not visited before. It turned out to be larger than we’d thought. The place was almost empty though and we had only minutes to spare before they ceased serving lunch. As it turned out the meal was excellent and very inexpensive too which was a nice surprise. Afterwards we visited a local liquor store and bought some, well, liquor! I was then dropped off at my local pub to spend a couple of hours. I met up with people I hadn’t seen for a while and had a really nice time there. I went home around 7.30 and relaxed by a cosy fire, watched tv, wrote this, visited other blogs and played some guitar before the sandman came to stay the night. The good, the bad and the ugly day turned out to be all good. I think it is all a matter of mindset. We can make the most of our situations or just moan about them and have a lousy time. I know which way I prefer.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Happiness | Tagged: Happiness | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 23, 2009
Today I called in to see an old gent in response to a phone call. I had installed an outdoor power point for his mobility scooter about two years ago. He uses it to charge up the battery. As he lives in an apartment block there was little choice in the power points’ location. He lives on the ground floor otherwise it would not have been possible to have it fitted. According to the phone message I was under the impression that he now wanted this point moving so I called in to see what was required. It turns out that he wanted a power point fitting in his garage. Unfortunately the garages are not directly connected to the main building which means a major job to get underground cabling installed beneath pathways, gardens and a road. This would entail much planning and consultation with all the other residents and would be a costly affair. The electrical supplies should have been installed when the site was under construction. There is a low voltage lighting system around the garages but it cannot be used to supply anything else. The old gent couldn’t understand why not and it took me some time to try and explain the reasons. I suggested he bring his scooter indoors and park it next to his front door and I could fit him a power point there. It would not be an obstruction to other residents but it appears that there are a few who object to that idea irrespective of the needs of this poor old guy who is 90 years of age. How horrible some people can be. I just hope their needs will not become a obsticle to others when they are old and infirm. I had to tell him that there were no alternatives to what he had now.
Shirley Anne
Posted in People | Tagged: Behaviour, People | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 22, 2009
When I awoke this morning I did not feel like getting out of bed. Now where have I heard that one before? My toilet needs however prevailed and I soon found my feet on the floor. On returning to my boudoir I drew back the curtains and saw the miserable wet scene spread out before me. Well it is late Autumn! I got myself together (strange saying is that but you know what I mean) and decided I would after all dress to exercise. I had a 40 minute session on the treadmill. Next I bathed and washed my hair then downstairs to a very light snack for breakfast as I had decided to dine out this afternoon with my ex.. Now I am in the mood for a nice day of self-indulgence. I have a half bottle of red wine from last night sitting on the table in front of me which will soon be demolished. Yes I am in the mood today. Yesterday, my birthday was a non event, got up late, went out shopping, came home and didn’t feel so good. Today I feel great.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Behaviour | Tagged: Behaviour | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 21, 2009
It’s that time of year again. Well actually it’s my birthday today but at this time I am thinking about Christmas presents. Last night I just couldn’t get to sleep, not because I wasn’t tired, in fact I was very tired. I suppose my brain was simply overactive. The last time I looked at the clock it was 5.30am! So that meant I got up very late. My youngest son had stopped over and was sitting downstairs to welcome my late arrival. My ex. had gone out. An hour or so later my daughter-in-law dropped by with a present for me and the three of us talked about what we’d like for a Christmas present. It appears my two sons would each like a games machine, the eldest (27) would like an XBox 360 whilst my youngest (24+) would like a PS3. You’d think they’d have outgrown all that stuff but I guess boys never grow up eh? Don’t tell them (LOL) but I went out this afternoon and bought what they’d wished for. I must be mad at almost £500. Well they are my sons! Now I have to think what to buy my daughter-in-law and of course my ex. too. After them there are a couple of friends. Personally I don’t do Christmas these days, the meal, the family get togethers and all that because I have to spend most of the day alone. Presents will be exchanged in the morning and then everyone goes out to grandmas and friends for dinner. I have (quite literally) beans on toast! What’s the point in all that extravagance for one anyhow? I love the time of year, the run up to Christmas day but the day itself holds nothing special in the material sense except I love giving presents and seeing the joy it brings to others. Spiritually speaking Christmas means the birth of my Saviour Jesus although that didn’t happen on 25th December but we have to celebrate it sometime! That to me is the greatest Christmas present anyone could wish for.
Updated 3 January 2011: Now that somebody has read this older post I have the opportunity to correct or bring up to date my feelings regarding Christmas. Newer posts (9th Sep 2010) will explain my changed feelings about Christmas.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Love | Tagged: Family, Food, Friendship, Happiness, Love | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 20, 2009
When I returned home from work this afternoon I had some mail to open. The first letter was pretty easy to tell what it was without opening it. It was my weekly invoice for my newspaper advertisement. No payment is required as I pay in advance for a block of six months’ worth of weekly adverts but they send out the invoices weekly. The next letter was also easy to guess it’s contents. It was a birthday card from one of my sisters living in France. It is my birthday tomorrow. The final letter I couldn’t figure out. A brown envelope usually signifies an official document inside but the senders’ return address was unfamiliar. I immediately thought it was something from the tax office! It wasn’t. I opened it and it was from the Government Pensions Department. The letter was informing me of my annual winter fuel subsidy allowance which will be paid automatically into my current account. As a ‘senior citizen’ over 60 I am entitled to a tax free allowance from my Government to help pay for heating bills over the winter months. This year they are paying me an extra £50 and tell me I will be getting £250. Now that is a nice surprise don’t you agree?
Shirley Anne
Posted in Energy | Tagged: Government, Money | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 19, 2009
Yes it is confirmed……..I am a workaholic! Seems I cannot get enough. I don’t know what the attraction is but I enjoy working. My problem is probably related to a lack of other things in my life rather than a real need to push myself so much at work. I really must spread out my workload and take on less. I need to learn how to say no more often. The other problem with me is that I can get so very easily bored. I can have an interest in something and it will grab my attention for a while and then I get bored and want something different. My work can be quite varied and I suppose that is another reason why I like it so much. No two days are ever the same. I could not work in an office or some place where the routine is basically the same every day. It would be similar to caging a wild animal. Come to think of it, I am a bit of a wildthing!
Shirley Anne
Posted in Activity | Tagged: Activity, Work | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 18, 2009
I wish I was back in time, to a time when we didn’t have technology except in places like hospitals. I don’t know about you but I personally I hate mobile phones, iPods, computers, all singing all dancing televisions and other ‘desirable’ electronic gadgets. If the media are to be believed we all ‘want’ these things. Advertisers proclaim that these are ‘must have’ items. Phooey! I wished I could live without it all. About the only thing I really need and that only because of my work is the mobile phone. Many new phones connect to the Internet and allow access to email and on-line browsing, like I really cannot do without those functions! My phone is there so people can ask me to work for them, simple and that is all I require. I watch television but all I watch are the basic programs that are broadcast. I have a DVD recorder and home cinema system too but they gather dust for me. I don’t want an iPod and have to buy loads of music to make it worthwhile. I listen to the radio for that. There are many things electrical which I do find useful, washing machine, refrigerator and freezer, cooker and microwave oven, kettle and vacuum cleaner and of course lighting, heating and other things but all these are simply functional and I don’t get enjoyment out of using them as perhaps I would from something which entertains, like the television. I want my electrical goods to be useful, simple and necessary. Maybe I’m a dinosaur or Luddite but I don’t like technology for technology’s sake. I would prefer a much simpler way of life whereby the electrical products I do have don’t control me. I apply this principle to most things in my life and I resist any suggestions that advertisers would have me believe in that I need this or that item, technological or otherwise. Take me back in time.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Advertising, Technology | Tagged: Advertising, Technology | 4 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 17, 2009
I was just browsing some of my old postings on here and am surprised at the variety of things I’ve talked about. When I first took up ‘blogging’ I never thought I’d find anything to talk about or at the very least I thought my ideas would be short-lived. I haven’t been writing for a year yet but I am hoping I’ll be here for a while, God willing. Sometimes my subject matter comes easily but at other times I struggle to think of something to write about. Sometimes I will experience something in the day which I can write about or I may be reading someone else’s blog and get inspiration there. I have noticed that some bloggers write long essays but write infrequently whilst others will write short articles frequently, much like I do. Some like to write two or three small articles daily, maybe because they’ve nothing else to do! I try to write something each day if I can but I like to keep it fairly short. Readers can get bogged down with too much information and they do have their own lives to lead. My intention is not to use my blog as a platform for preaching my views on any subject but to keep it open and friendly for people to post their own responses reflecting their views in a light-hearted way. That to me is the essence of blogging, it is really a means by which we can chat with each other. I have ‘chats’ at the pub or at a social gathering and this blog for me is an extension of that ideal. Happy ‘chatting’.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Friendship, Fun | Tagged: Friendship, Fun | 2 Comments »
