Grumpy

I've been tagged by Singlemummy to write a few things I get grumpy about.
Now I could go on for ever, I suspect so I'll reign in my moans a little and just write the required 7.

1.Shirl - my mother annoys me like no-one else.
Just for once I'd like a present on my Birthday...one that's been bought for the occasion, not won in a raffle or from a car boot sale, one I actually like and that's in date (if supposed to be edible.
I'd like her to phone when she says she will and bother with her Grandchildren who I don't think she knows very well anymore.
2. 'Wotcha!' - Shirl's boyfriend. He's racist, gets things stolen to order from his old workplace (like wheelbarrows, printer paper, bags of cement) and is generally a rude self-centred man.
3. And of course, I agree with Singlemummy: people who cant be bothered to man up and show who they are when being rude and bitchy. It's deplorable, if you don't like what you read, move on somewhere else. I don't like Eastenders so I don't watch it..simples!
4. I'm annoyed my last Blog post didn't show the headline:
"Deceased Father's Ukranian Ex-Wife forces sale" no wonder no-one found it funny!
5. No hot water when you want a nice long soak in the bath..grrr.
6. The Librarian at the Teenagers school - I don't like her book recommendations and I don't like the fact she hasn't spoken to my daughter since I complained about her asking my daughter to read a book with sexual abuse in it..vile, vile, vile.
7. Me...I sometimes say things without thinking first sometimes and cause offence to people. (grimace)
I eat too many biscuits.
I don't tidy my bedroom enough.
I don't Blog enough with some of my lovely friends.
I'm always very tired because I don't sleep well.

Grumpy nominations:
Potty Mummy (lots to grumble about in Moscow I'm sure)
Millenium Mum (she does a fantastic list)
Belgravia Wife
Mel Trevelyan
Sparx
Muddling ALong Mummy
London City Mum

Please visit their fab Blogs, so many very talented ladies!

Friends and Weddings

This weekend was lovely.
Our very lovely friends got married after 20 something years together, with their son and daughter as witnesses.
The Groom is God-Father to the youngest Frog.
There was nothing traditional about this wedding.

The phone rang:
Groom: Hiya Frog, um, it's getting close to the Wedding Day, um, apparently it takes 15 minutes to do it and we're doing it at 4.30, so I think we'll be home by 5.15. If you and the other Frogs want to come over at 5.30 with some sausages, H says he'll do a barbecue.

We arrived at 5.30.
Our girls had made the happy couple cards, a poem and some lovely cushions.
Darling Husband & I took a bottle of fizz, chocolate, a gorgeous fat pot I've just made and of course the sausages.

The Happy couple were just arriving home after buying some local cider from their neighbour and enlightened us to their movements since being married.

On the way home they stopped at a local Agricultural supplies store. They browsed a little and bought courgette plants plus another essential item.
Someone they knew spotted them and commented they were dressed very smartly.
Groom: Yes, well we've just got married.
Spotter: What are you doing in here then (splutter)?
Groom: Buying Dog food of course!
Spotter staggered away in shock.

We laughed about that many times during our evening sat outside their gorgeous cottage.
There were 6 adults and 5 offspring.
We had a lovely evening, in lovely company, and of course, great sausages.

The couple are the most wonderful people you could ever meet, kind, clever, funny, thoughtful, happy and contented...a truly beautiful family.
It's a pleasure to be their friends.

Please give me some feedback on these new designs for Shopping Bags with Slogans.
With Thanks
Caroline
Frog in the Field

My Pottery Hobby

I've been amazed at the great comments I've had about my return to pottery.
And you know, the class isn't full, so I've taken some step by step pics of a few pots being made in the hope I'll inspire someone else to come and join in the fantastic experience of making something useful and beautiful out of mud!
Just remember it's easy to lose your identity once you've had children, do something for yourself, have three hours of 'me-time' a week and do something you've always wanted to try. I feel inspired and refreshed every time I make the trip to Pottery, it's relaxing and fulfilling and sociable too.
Incidentally, the picture is not of me or a pot I've done. It's a pic of a lovely man called Keith Baugh who is an incredible artist, and I'm sure you'll agree the Amy Winehouse painting on this pot is really something.
Here's the process I went through to make a coil pot





I really enjoyed making this pot, it took on a life of it's own almost, while I made it. It took me about an hour and a half, I had to stiffen it now and again with a blow torch so it wouldn't collapse.
Next is a group of pics I took of a lovely lady who is extremely skilled at throwing.






Once the pot has completely dried out, it's fired in the kiln.
The next step is to glaze the pot and fire again, then it's finished.

To find out more about joining our group of Potters and beginners go to Clay Hill Potters and contact our Tutor, Joan Doherty, for more information.
The pottery is high above a fantastic loop in the river Severn, it's a wonderful location.
And finally here's a pot I hope to glaze tomorrow, you can work out it's size when you look at my Blackberry at it's base.

I've gone potty again

Here's one I made earlier.
After learning so much from my retreat with Nina Grunfeld I realised I needed to get back to my creative roots.
I discovered I could make a pot when the teenager was a baby and went to classes for 8 years. When I started my Party Bag business I gave up Pottery to build up the business and felt guilty for taking any time off. Nina Grunfeld gave me the Lightbulb moment that it was ok to to take time out for me and I'm delighted to show you the first pot I've made in 6 years!!!
Gosh, I'm not just a Mum, Wife and Frog after all!!

Stupidity occurs more than we care to admit

BRAINS OF BRITAIN

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE (BBC2)

Jeremy Paxman:
What is another name for 'cherrypickers' and 'cheesemongers'?

Contestant:
Homosexuals..

Jeremy Paxman:
No. They're regiments in the British Army who will be very upset with you





BEG, BORROW OR STEAL (BBC2)

Jamie Theakston:
Where do you think Cambridge University is?

Contestant:
Geography isn't my strong point.

Jamie Theakston:
There's a clue in the title.

Contestant:
Leicester





BBC NORFOLK

Stewart White:
Who had a worldwide hit with What A Wonderful World?

Contestant:
I don't know.

Stewart White:
I'll give you some clues: what do you call the part between your hand and your elbow?

Contestant:
Arm

Stewart White:
Correct. And if you're not weak, you're...?

Contestant:
Strong.

Stewart White:
Correct - and what was Lord Mountbatten's first name?

Contestant:
Louis

Stewart White:
Well, there we are then. So who had a worldwide hit with the song What A Wonderful World?

Contestant:
Frank Sinatra?




LATE SHOW (BBC MIDLANDS )

Alex Trelinski:
What is the capital of Italy ?

Contestant:
France .

Trelinski:
France is another country. Try again.

Contestant:
Oh, um, Benidorm.

Trelinski:
Wrong, sorry, let's try another question. In which country is the Parthenon?

Contestant:
Sorry, I don't know.

Trelinski:
Just guess a country then.

Contestant:
Paris .




THE WEAKEST LINK (BBC2)

Anne Robinson:
Oscar Wilde, Adolf Hitler and Jeffrey Archer have all written books about their experiences in what: - Prison, or the Conservative Party?

Contestant:
The Conservative Party.




BEACON RADIO ( WOLVERHAMPTON )

DJ Mark:
For 10, what is the nationality of the Pope?

Ruth from Rowley Regis:
I think I know that one. Is it Jewish?




UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE

Bamber Gascoyne:
What was Gandhi's first name?

Contestant:
Goosey?




GWR FM ( Bristol )

Presenter:
What happened in Dallas on November 22, 1963?

Contestant:
I don't know, I wasn't watching it then.




PHIL WOOD SHOW (BBC RADIO? MANCHESTER )

Phil:
What's 11 squared?

Contestant:
I don't know.

Phil:
I'll give you a clue. It's two ones with a two in the middle.

Contestant:
Is it five?




RICHARD AND JUDY

Richard:
Which American actor is married to Nicole Kidman?

Contestant:
Forrest Gump.




RICHARD AND JUDY

Richard:
On which street did Sherlock Holmes live?

Contestant:
Er. ... ...

Richard:
He makes bread . . .

Contestant:
Er .. .......

Richard:
He makes cakes . . .

Contestant:
Kipling Street ?




LINCS FM PHONE-IN

Presenter:
Which is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world?

Contestant:
Barcelona .

Presenter:
I was really after the name of a country.

Contestant:
I'm sorry, I don't know the names of any countries in Spain ..




NATIONAL LOTTERY (BBC1)

Question:
What is the world's largest continent?

Contestant:
The Pacific..




ROCK FM ( PRESTON )

Presenter:
Name a film starring Bob Hoskins that is also the name of a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci.

Contestant:
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?




THE BIGGEST GAME IN TOWN (ITV)

Steve Le Fevre:
What was signed, to bring World War I to an end in 1918?

Contestant:
Magna Carta?




JAMES O'BRIEN SHOW (LBC)

James O'Brien:
How many kings of England have been called Henry?

Contestant:
Er, well, I know there was a Henry the Eighth .. ER. ER ... Three?





CHRIS SEARLE SHOW (BBC RADIO BRISTOL )

Chris Searle:
In which European country is Mount Etna ?

Caller:
Japan .

Chris Searle:
I did say which European country, so in case you didn't hear that, I can let you try again.

Caller:
Er ........... Mexico ?




PAUL WAPPAT (BBC RADIO NEWCASTLE )

Paul Wappat:
How long did the Six-Day War between Egypt and Israel last?

Contestant (long pause):
Fourteen days.




DARYL DENHAM'S DRIVETIME (VIRGIN RADIO)

Daryl Denham:
In which country would you spend shekels?

Contestant:
Holland ?

Daryl Denham:
Try the next letter of the alphabet..

Contestant:
Iceland ? Ireland ?

Daryl Denham: (helpfully)
It's a bad line. Did you say Israel ?

Contestant:
No.




PHIL WOOD SHOW (BBC GMR)

Phil Wood:
What 'K' could be described as the Islamic Bible?

Contestant:
Er... ..... ..

Phil Wood:
It's got two syllables . . . Kor .

Contestant:
Blimey?

Phil Wood:
Ha ha ha ha, no. The past participle of run . .

Contestant:
(Silence)

Phil Wood:
OK, try it another way. Today I run, yesterday I . . ..

Contestant:
Walked?




THE VAULT

Melanie Sykes:
What is the name given to the condition where the sufferer can fall asleep at any time?

Contestant:
Nostalgia.




LUNCHTIME SHOW (BRMB)

Presenter:
What religion was Guy Fawkes?

Contestant:
Jewish.

Presenter:
That's close enough.




STEVE WRIGHT IN THE AFTERNOON (BBC RADIO 2)

Wright:
Johnny Weissmuller died on this day.. Which jungle-swinging character clad only in a loin cloth did he play?

Contestant:
Jesus.