Archive for the ‘Drink’ Category
Posted by Shirley Anne on September 5, 2011
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Over the last few months I have made myself a chilli-con-carne almost once every week. Now I do like chilli but after this weeks serving I am finding that the novelty is wearing off, so much so that I don’t think I’ll be making it for a while. Also I think once every week is too frequent so if and when I resume making it I shall only make it occasionally. It isn’t just chilli either, I find I am getting bored eating many of the meals I prepare. It could be that my tastes are changing or it could be that I am simply tired of eating from the same menu week after week. Last week I made myself a spaghetti Bolognese for the first time in a couple of years and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have resisted the urge to make another one too soon. I love fish but don’t cook it often enough at home. It is sometimes my choice when dining out though but still I don’t eat it too often. I like to vary my diet as much as I can but find myself just eating whatever is available. I like to concoct dishes where possible and end up finding unlikely combinations on my plate. For example as a snack I like chopped fried onion mixed into baked beans (it is tasty, try it), boiled rice mixed in with peas and sweetcorn, omelette filled with the same and served on a bed of lettuce – less the rice of course (maybe I’ll give that a try), anything is possible if my taste buds allow. It does no harm to try things but usually I serve separately before mixing them in the cooking process so that I have the choice of mixing them or not. It is surprising what unlikely dishes I come up with sometimes and it puts a bit of fun into the process. I do get bored with food though so I like to have a non repetetive and varied diet where possible. This is one reason I like to dine out, there is often quite a varied menu on offer. Another reason is I don’t have to wash up afterwards!
My drinking habits often follow along the same lines inasmuch as I like to vary what I drink and I like experimenting with drinks to find something that I like. For instance I like cider with cola (50/50), cider with red bull (50/50), cola with red bull (50/50), red wine with cola (50/50) and many more. I never mix spirits with other spirits, not that I drink much of them anyway and never mix wines with other wines. I get bored drinking the same old drinks each time I go out so you will find me often selecting the unusual. Whatever I choose to drink on any particular occasion I will stick with it save for any soft drinks that I may have at the time.
Perhaps it is just me but I hate sticking to the same thing, whether it be food or drink or anything else for that matter. What about you? Do you like to experiment?
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Food | Tagged: Beverages, Cola, Cooking, Drink, EAT, Food, Home, Soft drink, Wine | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on July 16, 2011
On Thursday I was rearing to go. I got up very early, had my breakfast and was ready for work at 08.00! Problem was, I wanted to go shopping with E for some more materials for the garage but she wasn’t up yet! I went on my computer and checked my Emails and blogs. Soon enough E came downstairs and I explained what I wished to do. She agreed, had her breakfast and was ready within a half-hour! Off we went in my van to the timber supplier with list in hand. When we arrived the guys there were a bit surprised we had returned after only being there last week and having bought quite a lot of materials from them. ‘We’re back’, we announced as we walked into the reception to their amusement. We bought even more stuff than we had previously bought from them so I guess they were pleased to see us! I am building a studded partition wall inside the garage and wanted timber and plywood, a door and furniture, some more wood preserver and a few sundry items including wood drill-bits. whilst I was there I received a request to change a light fitting. The house was en-route to home so I told the client I would be there within twenty minutes. I arrived there and did the job whilst E sat in the van listening to the radio. I was only in the house for fifteen minutes, received payment and was back on my way home. It all helped to pay for my materials! When we arrived home it was too close to lunchtime to start work so I again waited until I had eaten. It was about 2.00 when I eventually started work in the garage. Again I spent four hours out there erecting the framework for the studded wall and inserting a door frame. E came back from her Thursday shopping spree and took me by surprise. ‘Let’s have a barbecue ‘, she said. I did a minor repair on the barbecue and then spent a few minutes clearing up in the garage. E began to light the barbecue whilst I went indoors to wash and change. Soon we were having another impromptu meal from the barbecue in our new patio and were joined by our youngest son. I had opened a bottle of red wine a day or so before (I vacuum seal my wine if I don’t drink it all on the same day so that it remains fresh) and had taken but one glass full from it. I finished the rest with my barbecue! Today, Friday, I hope to receive delivery of the bulk of my purchases from the timber suppliers so that I can continue with the job in hand…….unless I get an electrical job in the meantime! There is never an excuse to have nothing to do in my house! All that is needed is the inclination, which I have to confess is not always there sometimes. I think I do too much work at times so I treat myself to a break now and then and let the work wait. My youngest son mad a remark earlier asking when the wet room would be finished! I told him that it would take me until six weeks hence before it would be done (it will probably take longer than that as I am tied with completing the garage). He doesn’t realise that it is only myself doing the work and I am getting little or no help from anyone else. Children…..who’d have children? LOL.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Food, House and Home, Lifestyle, Rest and relaxation | Tagged: Barbecue, Door, Food, Garage, Lumber, Shopping, Wall, Youngest son | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on July 2, 2011
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And so it was that Shirley Anne got up late on Friday morning, a habit that is so unbecoming of her normally but lately seems to be the way to go. Anyways, I got up late, missed my breakfast, although I did manage to eat a small banana. I had received a call to do some work but it was nothing much and I was back home within the hour. I asked E if she would like to dine out and as usual for her she had to wash her hair first! She does tend to get greasy hair whereas mine is the opposite and takes days before the natural oils work their way down my tresses. I was in no hurry to eat so I sat and played my guitar whilst waiting for her to come downstairs. Off we went to a carvery about six or seven miles away, a place we often visit. I had a full bottle of red wine with my dinner, again something I do probably far too often! I can handle that much wine with no adverse effects and especially if I am eating. We drove back home after a couple of hours and sat around in the patio for a while. I have plans to work on the water-butt base and also the garage passageway roof but they can wait for a day. In fact I propose to do them both today unless something else turns up in the meantime. Today is supposed to be my sabbath day of rest but I have had so much free time lately it wouldn’t be right to just sit around and do nothing. The principle remains the same, don’t work 7/24/7 but take a break as you are supposed to do! I like to work but I also like to chill out, especially with a bottle of red wine!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Food, Leisure, Rest and relaxation | Tagged: Drink, Entertainment, Food, Philosophy, Rest and relaxation, Wine | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on June 17, 2011
On Wednesday E and I went to do some shopping after I returned home from a job. We bought furniture oil for our outdoor furniture (seems logical) and some more brick sealant (we ran out of the stuff when we treated the patio brickwork last time). That will keep me occupied for a day or two I am sure! Whilst we were out E paid a visit to the store where we bought the materials and furniture for converting our toilet/cloakroom into a shower/wet room and cloakroom. Coats will only be left there temporarily by visitors, our own coats are stored in our bedrooms. It is the only room downstairs that can be used as a temporary cloakroom. I digress. She went into the store whilst I sat in the car. We were wondering why it was taking them so long to deliver our goods, E was told that it would all be delivered the same day, a matter of two hours later! They were true to their word and it was delivered as promised. This means when it is raining I have a job to do indoors and when it isn’t I have plenty yet to do outside! There is no escape. All this depends of course on my availability, I do work as an electrician too!
Next weekend we hope, weather permitting, to have our first barbecue of the year (we did have a small one a week or so ago, just the two of us) where we will invite family, friends and neighbours. This will make good use of the patio too, well that was one of the reasons for building it! If the weather is not fine we simply eat indoors but that means cooking indoors too which takes more time I find, especially when it comes to cleaning up! As long as it isn’t raining or it isn’t too windy we should be alright. I like having people around for drinks, food and fun. We usually have music, games or a quiz to help things along. As long as my guests are happy, I am happy.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Family, Food, Friendship, Fun, Life, Lifestyle | Tagged: Drink, Food, Friendship, Fun, Garden furniture, Home and Garden, Life, Patio, Shopping | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 29, 2011
Yesterday morning E and I went to buy the materials and furniture that we need to refurbish the downstairs toilet. We had visited the store about two weeks ago and we knew what we wanted to purchase. Because most of the things were too large they would need to be delivered else I would need to empty my van and collect it all myself. I chose to have it delivered. We enlisted the help of a store employee who made out the list for us as we walked about the store pointing out the things we wanted. We then proceeded to the desk and paid the bill. Hopefully they will be delivered in two to three weeks time which gives us plenty of time to get organised.
It was approaching lunchtime when we left the store and I suggested dining out but E wanted to do some shopping first. It was around 1.30 before we decided to drive to a local pub/restaurant for a lovely carvery meal, very reasonably priced too! Whilst we were there I received a message on my phone from a guy I’ve known for a few years. He wasn’t sure if I was still living in Southport but was wondering if I could give him some advice regarding his plans to install lighting in his lounge. I answered via a text message that I could visit him in the afternoon. Shortly later he phoned me and we arranged to visit him after our lunch. He lives about a mile from where we live so it was no inconvenience to visit him and see what it was he was planning to do. It turns out that he is re-decorating several of the rooms in his house. We chatted about the work over a glass or two of red wine and after a short while his girlfriend returned with her dad. I had not seen either of them for over twelve months so it was nice to meet them again. We spent an hour or so there and had a really pleasant time before returning home. I am now awaiting the call to do the work some time in the near future. Today I shall be back working at home. I have plans to fit a window frame in the new garage and in the weeks ahead to fit three windows to match those we had installed in the house. I can fit those myself but they will need to be measured to fit the openings and subsequently manufactured to order but that is a few weeks away yet.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Food, House and Home, Shopping | Tagged: Home, Home and Garden, Shopping, Southport, Window | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 23, 2011
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It used to be considered the norm in the UK to have March winds and April showers, they marked the beginning of Spring. Nowadays, more frequently, we don’t seem to get that combination. Last month was for the most part gloriously warm and sunny with little rain at all. March wasn’t the roaring lion we have been otherwise used to. Now it is two-thirds into May and the weather has gotten progressively worse. May started off promisingly enough but after the first week things began to change for the worse. Of course we need rain and after April’s poor precipitation level we needed it even more. Today (Sunday) it looks more like an Autumn day than a late Spring one. It is very windy indeed and it is raining. Perhaps the weather will improve soon. Let’s hope so. In the meantime it is good to be indoors. Today we have our two sons and our daughter-in-law home for a Sunday roast dinner, chicken, new potatoes, roast potatoes, carrots, turnip, parsnip, for the main meal with a pineapple sponge pudding to follow. We don’t normally have formal dinners with our immediate family unless we are eating out but it is nice to lay on something a little special at home now and then. I will be having a glass or two of wine but I am not sure about the others as two of them will be driving later. So the wind and rain can do their stuff outside whilst we enjoy the warmth and comfort inside both the house and our tummies!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Family, Food, Weather | Tagged: April Showers, Fruit and Vegetable, Home, Parsnip, Rain, Sunday roast, Yorkshire pudding | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on April 13, 2011
Well not so much as hanging but more ‘suspended’. Yes, I am still wearing my stockings and we are nearly half-way through April. Normally by this time of year I would be thinking of going bare-legged but I have resisted that temptation. I like wearing stockings and suspenders (garters for my ‘over the pond’ readers) but I equally like going bare-legged. The hot summer days make it almost impossible to wear stockings, especially if one is active, as I usually am. Of course there comes a point at the other end of the year when I am thinking it is too cold for bare legs! I am challenging myself this year to see how long I can last before wearing my stockings becomes unbearable. Just a bit of fun. Well last weekend was certainly a scorcher, especially as it is still only early Spring but the following Monday was completely the opposite. As I write this on Tuesday morning the weather is sunny, windy and fairly cool. The occasional shower has been forecast but it won’t stop E and I from doing something in the gardens. I might stop if I get an electrical job. Come to think of it I do have an electrical job to do here, at home! I could begin the outdoor installation for our new patio area but there’s plenty of time later for that, besides I haven’t as yet acquired all the materials! Still there is enough to do elsewhere for now. I did have a small job to do on Monday morning which entailed installing the circuitry for and the installation of two floodlights on a rather large garden shed/workshop which ran the length of the garden. Wouldn’t you just know it? It was raining! Most of the work was inside the structure and when it came to actually fitting the lights the rain had all but stopped. I got back home for 12.30 (I seem to be working only mornings lately) and E and I went out for lunch. We drove to a place some twenty miles away that we haven’t been to for some time, as diners that is. E and her friends visit the place once a month as a venue for their club meetings. For the first time in years I drank white wine with my sea bass dinner. I would normally drink red wine with any meal as I prefer it. I doubt I will be drinking any more white wine in the near future although if it is a sparkling wine I might indulge! It looks as if I shall be accompanying E into the front garden now so I will sign off!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Activity, Drink, Enjoyment, Gardening, Lifestyle, Rest and relaxation, Weather, Work | Tagged: Bare legs, Drink, Food, Gardens, Home, Leisure, Stocking, Wine | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on April 6, 2011
I’m reaching that stage in life where I nod off after lunch if I’ve been busy in the morning. Yesterday was one of those days. I guess I was tired from standing around the bottom of a ladder in the cool windy weather most of the afternoon on Monday. Strange that isn’t it? I mean I can get tired doing nothing! Anyway yesterday morning I didn’t want to get out of bed but I had to. I had an appointment to see the doctor to discuss my recent blood test and I also had an electrical job to follow. It appears that my blood test revealed a rather high count in one of the measurements in connection with my liver. Essentially all the blood tests I have are to monitor the condition of my liver because I have to take estrogen tablets daily. Now this count would normally be 40 but they allow it to be as high as 120 under certain circumstances, mine was 360! I was told that this count or this particular measurement was connected with alcohol consumption. I do drink alcohol but not abusively. This measurement has been erratic in the past ranging from 400 down to a mere 65. I asked if the readings were directly due to recent alcohol consumption but my doctor said no but that it was a long-term reflection of the amount of alcohol consumption. Well I am not stupid, if the reading was due to long-term consumption of alcohol it would be getting progressively higher wouldn’t it? Ah, well, it might be that my liver is recovering only to be set back whenever I have another drink. That might explain the erratic readings. This means another test next Monday. In the meantime I am off the alcohol and hopefully the reading will drop. The other reason for the blood test is to monitor my cholesterol levels. Seemingly taking estrogen can cause the level of cholesterol to rise. I suggested that I wear a patch rather than take tablets to lessen the burden on my liver. I might find that the doctor prescribes this instead of the tablets. I made the appointment for another test and then went to work. The job wasn’t particularly difficult but part of it had to be done outdoors and the weather was rather cool and windy again. I got home just before 1 o’clock and had a sandwich for lunch after which I prepared a chill-con-carne. I spent some time on the guitar then after a few minutes in the greenhouse came indoors and sat at my computer. I nodded off! I just love those little cat-naps. They usually last about twenty minutes if I am not disturbed. So it is that when I work I get tired (doesn’t everyone?) and when I don’t work I get tired too!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Health | Tagged: Alcohol, Blood test, estrogen, Health, Liver | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on March 30, 2011
After our day (afternoon) at the restaurant/pub yesterday I asked E if she would drop me off at my local pub. She did so and I spent an hour or so catching up with those of my friends I met there. It has been a while since I was last at my local pub, mainly because I have been too busy at home. It was nice catching up on things but I am thinking maybe I don’t get there enough! That’s as may be but when I have other priorities I am afraid the pub takes a back seat. It is said that your home is where your heart is and at this moment my heart is at home! It is nice to meet with friends over a drink but yesterday I’d had too much to drink and it was well that I returned home early. I’d had a full bottle of red wine with my meal before my stay at the pub where I had three pints of lager! Don’t misunderstand, I rarely drink so much in one day when once I did! It isn’t good for me, or for you! I had the good sense to quit and get back home early but I suppose I shouldn’t have gone in the first place!
Today looks a bit miserable and wet and I am wondering if the guy doing the front steps and pathway will bother starting work or put it off until another day. I am about to go to work myself so I won’t know until later one way or the other. My work is totally indoors today.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Rest and relaxation | Tagged: Alcoholic beverage, Bar (establishment), Drink, Restaurants and Bars | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on March 20, 2011
Last night I was invited to another social evening in the company of the members of an Archery club in which my friend is also a member. Sometimes these gatherings are slow to take off but once the wine flowed folk began to relax and enjoy themselves, me included! The meal was good and likewise the company. I have attended a few of these gatherings as a guest and each time I have been made most welcome. It must have been after midnight when I arrived back home. I didn’t go to bed straight away though, I wrote and posted the post below!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Food, Friendship | Tagged: Archery, Drink, Food, Friendship, Recreation and Sports | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on March 12, 2011
We call it the weekend but if we want to be pedantic it is really both the end of the week and the beginning of the next one. It all depends on the customs of your country. Sunday is now the traditional day of rest for Christians but the real sabbath day of rest for Christians is the same as that of Israel ( part of which are the Jews of today and in fact much of the western world: see http://www.ucg.org/booklets/US/josephsbirthright.asp and other literature) and that day is Saturday or rather Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. This means that Saturday would be regarded as the last day of the week, the rest day from the six working days. God didn’t actually rest in the sense that we mean a cessation from tiring work because of tiredness, it means He abstained from carrying out further work or simply ceased doing it because it was all done. I digress. However things were changed by the Emperor Constantine and Sunday became the rest day. No matter. The simple fact is that in many nations of the world there are work days and rest days. The working week in the western world is usually meant to be Monday through Friday with two days off, the weekend. My personal choice is Saturday as my sabbath rest and Sunday for doing sundry things. This Sunday E and I have invited family (such as are available) and friends for an afternoon of relaxation together with refreshments of food and drink. I hope this will mark the first of many more during the year, hopefully some of them outside in the sunshine!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Entertainment, Family, Food, Friendship, Rest and relaxation | Tagged: Biblical Sabbath, Christian, Drink, Entertainment, Family, Food, Friendship, God, Israel, Jesus, Jews, Sabbath, Ten Commandments | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on March 11, 2011
For many years I never even went into a pub. I was 21 years old when I took that first step. In those days the legal age for drinking alcohol was 21. It was my birthday and my parents invited me out for a birthday ‘coming-of-age‘ celebration. I reluctantly went along. In those days I was very much a loner and totally anti-social. I had no friends and neither did I want any. I much preferred my own company and was more interested in my hobbies, astronomy and music. So it was that I was introduced to alcohol but after that experience another five years or so passed by before I visited a pub again. For no specific reason I decided to visit a pub I had seen that was about seven miles from my home. I drove there, had a few drinks and drove back home. Something I would never do now! I began to make friends and slowly my anti-social attitude changed to that of a very sociable one. During the next few years, about ten I think, I got married and simply lived it up. Not that I was always in the pub, I wasn’t, I couldn’t afford it, I wanted more from life than alcohol. Children came along and my drinking habits changed and for about 13 or 14 years I went ‘on the wagon’ and never touched a drop. I started to drink again, socially of course, when the children had grown some, in fact they were young teenagers. Just before my transition I regularly went out socialising but had to limit my drinking to one small glass of cider or similar because I was driving. Very different attitude to when I was in my mid-twenties! It was after my operation (2002) that I decided to visit a local pub to where I live now and slowly made new friends there. Since that time in 2003 I had, until last year, been a regular visitor to that pub, going there three times a week. This time it was initially for the company, my ex and I were estranged but living in the same house and we never spoke much. That was not my idea. Eventually we divorced and so pub life became more of a necessity than a desire. However I couldn’t live like that and one day in 2007 I asked my ex to come out and dine with me. We have been dining out regularly since then, visiting the pub together sometimes, though not often. Things have changed dramatically and for the better for each of us now. I do visit the pub now and again but it is far less often since last year, probably because I have been too busy doing other things, not having the time nor inclination and trying to save money for other things too. I know I am not alone when I say that circumstances, attitudes and habits change in our lives, sometimes when we don’t notice!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Behaviour, Drink, Lifestyle | Tagged: Alcoholic beverage, Behaviour, Drink, Home, Lifestyle | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on January 10, 2011
Well it is Monday once again. For many this is the start of their working week after a weekend of doing their own thing. I did a little work yesterday, digging in the garden. Gosh is that hard work! I am preparing the ground for the laying of a footpath to where the new green house will be as it will not be accessible otherwise. The problem isn’t so much the digging, it is the amount of tree roots I am encountering doing it! That said, I am making progress but the next problem is where to store all the soil. The mound that now exists is huge and there is plenty more soil to move yet! The concrete standing is something like 28 feet long by 8+ feet wide. at one end stands an 8 x 6 foot greenhouse and at the other end we are building a 10 x 8 foot greenhouse which leaves an area between them of about 8 x 8 feet. We built a buttress to support the long brick wall and that is positioned in this space preventing us building a larger greenhouse than the 10 foot long one we have on order. Yesterday, whilst moving the soil, I had the bright idea of building a large brick-enclosed planting bed in the area that will be left between the two greenhouses. This will put the area to good use for growing vegetables like potatoes, carrots and whatever else we can think of as well as making a space for all that soil! I spent about three and a half hours outside digging out the soil and roots and laying some huge coping stones to form the edges of the proposed pathway. I was completely tired after doing that so I called it a day. I am not as fit as I once was so I don’t overdo things. I came indoors and had myself a few beers. I don’t over-indulge in alcohol as I once did but I do like to have a drink a couple of times a week. Alcohol for me is best imbibed when in company but there is always the danger of drinking too much when with friends. I will not give up the few pleasures in life that I have because tomorrow I may be taken from this life but I try to be sensible about what I do. Like most things in life, everything in moderation! I seldom drink during the day, especially during the working week as I can never be sure if I will get a call to work. After a little rest I went into the kitchen and prepared and cooked a roast chicken and vegetable dinner for E and myself. I thought I’d give her a break from cooking; not that she always does the cooking, she doesn’t. So Monday morning is here and I am sober and ready for anything that comes my way. If nothing does then there is always more digging to do! Somehow I am thinking I prefer electrical work! LOL
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Garden, Life | Tagged: Garden, General Chat, Greenhouse, Soil | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on December 12, 2010
Been there, done that and have a wardrobe full of Tee Shirts!
I was about to go to sleep on Friday night or to be precise it must have been around 0130 on Saturday, when I heard E returning home from her night out at her aunty’s with her mom. I had been watching some television as I lay there not wanting to doze off but knowing I must, which was what I was about to do. She is very quiet when she is walking about late at night or this time early morning so as not to disturb anyone. I dozed off and was awakened by my bedside alarm which is triggered by a floodlight at the front of the house, so I knew it must be our youngest son coming in after a night out with his mates. He isn’t as quiet as E but because he had been drinking I guess he made more noise than he thought. I needed the toilet anyhow and most probably would have woken naturally to do so. I waited until he was safely in his room and then went to the toilet. I noticed the waste bin in front of the bath, not where it usually is alongside the toilet pan. I began to move it and noticed that it contained shall we say, some part digested food! He had been sick. I left it until I arose later and cleaned it all up. I mentioned that I knew he had been sick and he simply said, in a matter-of-fact way, ’yes, too much drink’! He’ll learn one day I hope. I have been there myself on many occasions in the past. There have been many things in my life that I have done and now feel ashamed about but all that is passed has to be forgotten. I have moved on a long way since those days. It is interesting to note that as we grow we pick up habits both good and bad along the way and much of what we do is governed, not the right word, influenced by those we mix with. All that we do is governed by our own spirit, the essence of who we are. I liken it to a book. The book itself is the person people see with their eyes. The theme of the book is what we do in the sight of others but the story is a reflection of the spirit within. Some stories are good, some are bad, some are a mixture but each reflects the thoughts of the author as the tale is told.
Many years of my life were spent as an atheist; now I am a Theist. people ask how did I change or what brought it about. Some might say that they once believed but now they don’t. They’ve been there and got the Tee Shirt as they say. Well I tell them that it was God who changed me because if it had been up to me I would still be an atheist. God has to place His Spirit into your heart before you see things differently. You don’t put hot liquid into a stone-cold vessel, it would simply shatter. The vessel has to be prepared to take the hot liquid in safely. Those who say they were once believers could not have been so if they subsequently reject their beliefs. I am talking about fundamental belief here and not doctrine. Doctrine comes about through the thoughts of men. The Truth, the real Truth has to be revealed by Gods Spirit within us. I searched for God but didn’t know Him and because I searched and was open to Him He was gracious to me. As children we soak up information and it carries on all through our lives. We never finish with learning because we will never know all things as human beings, no matter how hard we try or how clever we think we are. So it is with learning about God. My views on my faith have been adjusted many times since I became a Christian or a follower of Jesus and this is because The Holy Spirit is revealing the Truth as I journey forward. Many times I have slipped and fallen but God has lifted me up again and placed me on the right path. It is the same with the knowledge I have about Him. I read quite a lot of differing doctrines regarding my faith and none of them are completely right, although their authors may think they have all the answers. God shows to me those parts from each teaching that are the truth.
I have just finished reading another article by yet another church which upholds the views about Christmas that mainstream churches seem to be blind to. Christmas is nice; a jolly time, a festival celebrating the birth of Jesus, a time for giving, peace on earth and goodwill to all. It is a time for Christians to get together and get to church……….NOT!
People are saying ‘Put Christ back into Christmas’. Well that is people who believe for many who celebrate have no idea what it is all supposed to be about. I used to say the same thing but I’ve sinced learned the truth. I’ll tell people what it is all about…….It is totally based and rooted in paganism. It is totally against Gods will and He even says so several times in Scripture. The plain truth is that Christ was never in ‘Christmas’. He was never supposed to have His birthday celebrated. All these things have been brought about by men. Christmas is simply a tradition and means nothing to God. He abhors the whole idea. If we continue to be disobedient to His will He will reject us. I’ve been there, done the Christmas thing and I don’t want the Tee Shirt. I want God instead.
Thank you for reading all the way to here. I hope God will speak to you.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Celebration, Drink, God, Religion | Tagged: Christ, Christian, Christianity, Christmas, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Nativity of Jesus | 4 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on October 28, 2010
Whenever I do work for anyone I am usually asked if I would like a drink, sometimes the minute I step through the door. Most people will offer me a drink but very occasionally I might come across someone who doesn’t, then I ask if I can have a drink of water. This prompts them to ask if I would like a hot drink instead! Much of the time I prefer water, especially during the warmer months as I will be perspiring a lot more. When asked if I would like a hot drink I usually ask for coffee or maybe tea but I like them both extremely weak and black. I do not like strong coffee or tea. Nobody seems to get it right though and I have to apologise for pouring some away and topping up with water to make the drink weaker. I like it so weak that I can see the bottom of the cup through the liquid. Hardly worth drinking as some people have remarked but it’s all a matter of taste isn’t it? I sometimes wonder what strong coffee or tea means to someone who offers me what they think is weak when I can almost stand a spoon up in it without it touching the sides. Okay, a slight exaggeration but I think you know what I mean. My preferences for coffee are smooth and instant and I know there are some lovely varieties in the freshly ground version but not when they are strong and bitter. I sometimes use saccharin as a sweetener, never sugar, or go without. I drink unsweetened tea but I carry a tube of sweeteners in my bag for use in coffee. I will try most things at least once but I settle for what I like best. Tea is probably best and it has beneficial qualities in the anti-oxidants it has but coffee or too much of it, is supposed to be bad for the heart as it is a stimulant and can, in some cases, cause palpitations. Too much of anything is bad for you I suppose. Today whilst driving home from work I was listening to a program on the radio in which there was a debate about food, specifically what will be the kind of food people will be eating in the (distant?) future. One person suggested that soya would be more widely eaten in ways we only occasionally consume it today. Another person thinks we may be eating insects, or more of them for those who do so already. Ugh! Definitely not one for me, even if they are full of protein! In this case it isn’t just a matter of taste for me, it is a forbidden food. Only certain insects being acceptable. I don’t think I would be eating even those!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Food | Tagged: Beverages, Coffee, Drink, Food, Sugar substitute, Tea | Leave a Comment »
