The Witty Ways of a Wayward Woman

I admit it! I have a fake fur leopard skin hat!

Before the barrage of complaints come in about this hat let me tell you IT WAS A GIFT. I am a little worried that PB seemed to know I have one (which if you read the comments on my last post you’ll understand. (I only hope he doesn’t know the contents of my pantry otherwise I’m in deep trouble.) And then then this afternoon I was conversing with Sy in our usual banal banter sort of way and he said; “You have a leopard skin hat? I am not sure what is worse… the fact you have one, or the fact that you just admitted it! Either way, VERY disturbing.” Look what’s wrong with this hat? Okay, what’s right with it? I refer to this hat fondly as my “Dr No” hat; if you’re a James Bond fan you’ll know just why. It’s actually a very lovely hat made by

janeturley 20 January 2009 17 Comments

Blue Monday

Driving to school this morning, I was listening to the local radio who informed me that today is Blue Monday. Apparently this is the day in the year when the people are most likely to feel depressed. Thanks Gaz, I really needed to know that! Yep, with the current state of the economy and people all over the world feeling the effects of the depression, struggling to pay bills and being made redundant, do we need to consciously think about being depressed? No, thank you! Anyhow, I wondered exactly where this “Blue Monday” had appeared from as I’d never heard of it before. Was it another gimmick like “Grandparent’s Day,” “Valentines day” and a host of other “Days” to encourage consumers to spend? So when I got home I googled it and found this; a publicity campaign by Sky Travel presumably to encourage people to book holidays. The academic behind

janeturley 19 January 2009 11 Comments

Music Monday; Hats off to Jay Kay

I love hats! Ever since I was a teenager I’ve had an affection for hats. Although scientists have recently dispelled the myth that you can lose up to 80% of your body heat through your head if I can find an excuse to wear one I will! I have quite a lot of hats including a number of fur hats made by my grandmother who was a furrier back in the 1930s. As it happens we bore a lot of physical resemblances including the same size head which means I get the pleasure of keeping the memories alive every time I wear one. But the last three years this has been my favourite winter hat. I bought it on a shopping expedition with my mother. I saw it on display and fell in love with immediately. It cost more than I would usually pay for a hat of this nature

janeturley 18 January 2009 8 Comments

Boys, boys, boys spell TROUBLE.

Yesterday I received the following circular from my friend Mrs S who obviously thought it might be of interest to me as it’s entitled; “You find out interesting things when you have sons….” Now as I have three sons I am in a position to verify the accuracy of the following statements. Naturally, I’ve also added my own comments because that’s just the way I am. (Irritatingly long winded.) I’ve also worked out from point 20 that this circular originates from Australia which means I’ve had to revise my whole thinking about Aussies. Previously I thought the only funny thing to come out of Australia was Shane Warne. Right here we go; 1. A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 200 m2 house to a depth of 10 cm. Mrs T says – Yep and any kid with a brain knows a hosepipe does a much better

janeturley 14 January 2009 16 Comments

Music Mondays; The Beat of Motown

Today, Monday 12th January is the 50th birthday of Motown records and people all over the world will be celebrating the music label that spawned the likes of The Supremes, The Jackson Five, Marvin Gaye and a host of other amazing artists. But the reach of Motown goes far beyond merely producing artists; it gave rise to a whole new brand of music, a merging of pop and soul that became known as the Motown sound. A sound which has since prompted whole new generations of singers and musicians to create music based upon and inspired by their love and knowledge of Motown. In the late 1970s and early 1980s when I was a young teenager there was a resurgence of the 1950 and 1960’s Mod movement whose followers had originally favoured the sound of Northern Soul a UK derivative of the Motown sound. The 70s’ mod revival was headed

janeturley 12 January 2009 No Comments

Catching up….

Yesterday while I was trawling back through my blog for some of my favourite posts (see sidebar) I noticed that I hadn’t done the final instalment on my quest for The Blarney Stone. So I feel I must just quickly bring the story of my summer vacation to Ireland to an end. I didn’t find the Blarney Stone. Damn. Probably just as well don’t you think? I never wanted to be a politician anyway. However, I did find something else…… On the return journey, I was on the boat feeling rather joyous knowing that later that same night I would be in my own bed. I’m rather particular about beds. I like them very soft not those tortuous “Excellent support for your back” kind of beds that are like sleeping on a layer of reinforced concrete. Anyway, I was fantasizing about my bed and encountering The Milk Tray Man when

janeturley 7 January 2009 8 Comments

The View From Here (or possibly from behind the sofa if Aliens is on)

Ah ha! Has anyone been observant and noticed that Mrs T has a new badge in her sidebar? Uh huh… no one right? I thought so. You’ve all been too busy gorging yourself on turkeys, mince pies and heaps of choccys right? Yes, alright so have I! Which means today, as it’s the day the young masters return to school, is the day when I have to start The Diet. Luckily, since I’ll shortly be suffering from self induced acute depression I’ll have plenty of things to keep me occupied including writing for the literary magazine The View From Here (Yep, that’s my new badge) which I was very kindly asked to join by Mike French just before Christmas. I’m not sure if that was before Mike was “let out” but he’s going to have to suffer the consequences anyway. It’s too late now! Now I was given a very

janeturley 5 January 2009 8 Comments

Music Mondays; let’s get down to the Bare Necessities

Well 2009 is finally here and not a moment too soon for me. I’m sure there will be many of you across the world who, like me, will welcome 2009 with open arms. 2008 is a year that will be marked in my memory for a long time but I am not alone for across the world we all have our own personal stories of grief and hardship. However, empathy and love can makes losses and suffering easier to bear; it is healing. But personal stories aside, last year was again fraught with terrorism such as with dreadful acts in Mumbai, numerous wars, famines such as the continuing crisis in Darfur and poverty. When I consider the fatalities caused by these events I know my own grief at family losses cannot match the death of even one innocent child in this world from poverty, starvation or conflict. It is an

janeturley 4 January 2009 21 Comments

The Ladies’ Friendship Award

Well I mentioned a while back, that I was instigating my own blogging awards of which The More Bonkers than Bush award was the first. Just to remind you the recipients were Speedcat Hollydale and Master Sy of The Wheel is Turning but The Hamster Plays Dead ( because he’s too tired for sex- again.) Now let me introduce my second award; it’s called The Ladies’ Friendship Award. Now there are no rules or anything with this award; do with it what you will! Pass it on, ignore it or as in my case use it as a screen saver and dribble over it. Here it is… Ooh Pierce is just so sweet and innocent looking; I’m sure he never gets into any trouble! Now in pole position for this award is Usha for sending me this little New Year Ditty; There was a droolable man called PierceFor whom two

janeturley 3 January 2009 10 Comments

Not the post I was going to write.

Yep, this is not the post I was going to write. I was going to write a post titled “A Year in the Life of a Blogger” and in fact I had already started it when Whoopsy! – I lost it. I’ve no idea how but no amount of making gentle cooing noises to my PC, offering to soothe it’s weary keypad with my silky feather duster and tickle its lead with my negligee would entice it to bring back my post. Naturally, I tried my other tactic which I learnt from watching Columbo….. sneaking around the PC in a dirty old mac, casually asking routine questions whilst admiring the curtains and then just as I am about to exit the room, turning around and pointedly remarking; ” And where were you 12 hours ago when the text mysteriously disappeared? And don’t give me that line about being in the

janeturley 30 December 2008 16 Comments

Music Mondays; Memories of Yesterday

As this year draws to a close it has marked some personal highs and lows, the nadir being the unexpected death of my mother back in October. It’s quite bizarre how sometimes you’re going about your daily business and then suddenly the enormity of having lost someone you love hits you. Memories once blurred become very vivid; sights, sounds and even smells come flooding back, swamping you in a current of unrestrained emotions. Music has many associations for me and sometimes particular songs have stayed with me for….for as long as I can remember…. Years before my family had a record player my parents used to play cassettes on a radio/cassette recorder in the kitchen. We had a wonderful country garden and my father used to sit looking out of the kitchen window at the wildlife, the shrubs and flowers and the surrounding woods. I often wondered what he was

janeturley 29 December 2008 13 Comments

At last I get to dance with Pierce and Daniel….Yeee Haaaaa!!

Well unfortunately this application looks a bit temperamental.. as it keeps going wonky! Just as I was enjoying dancing with the lovely Pierce. Oh well, better get the blow up doll out again. (Strictly for dancing with of course.)

janeturley 26 December 2008 7 Comments