Grannymar

LBC Members: Ashok, Conrad, Gaelikaa, Helen, Judy, Magpie 11, Maria, Marianna, & Ramana and I are all ready to cogitate & deliberate our thoughts on Lawyers the topic chosen for us this week by Ashok.

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The only way you can beat the lawyers is to die with nothing ~ Will Rogers

Make crime pay. Become a Lawyer ~ Will Rogers

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This is week 19 of LBC posting, and for the very first time I was completely stumped by the topic.  I do have experience with Lawyers… I actually worked at one time for the Court Service, and the young man responsible for my title ‘Grannymar’, is and was a very successful Lawyer in Dublin.   Trawling through the back corridors of my brain, no story was forthcoming.

In desperation I got the Scrabble game out… Taking the word Lawyers I used the letters as tiles to see where it might take me…   law  laws  way wear  ye  yes

Almost at the stage of giving up, my email pinged this morning and the day was saved!

Now a little background information is needed…..

On 30th October this year, I had a healthy flow of emails throughout the day.  One in particular caught my attention.

I’m a freelance journalist and I got your email address from Darragh Doyle who I was in contact with about an article I am writing for the Irish Times. The article is examining the question what happens to a person’s digital assets (ie websites, blogs, social media accounts, email etc) after they die.

It went on

I was quizzing Darragh on his thoughts on the matter as a well known blogger and social media activist and he mentioned that you had discussed with your daughter as to what should happen to your excellent blog if you died.

Would you be possible for you to tell me more about this?

I have indeed discussed this very aspect with Elly… Well it went something like this.

I did have a conversation with John, gave my views on the subject, and links and contact information to others who are more knowledgeable and have indeed spoken or written on the subject.

So my email today was to let me know the article has appeared in The Irish Times today and also mentioned in John Cradden’s Blog.

Perhaps it is a subject you have not given thought to.  If not, then now is the time to think ahead.

To aid me in my aim to live longer, I went for my swine flu jab yesterday.  They had it down to a fine art.  The appointment was for 11.28am.  I was seen on time by the practice nurse and the whole thing took about two to four minutes.  In fact the longest time was spent sitting in the waiting area after the shot, 15 minutes was suggested, to make sure there was no adverse effect.

I have listened to many conflicting reports about the whole swine flu saga in the past few months.  Worries about how many injections are needed, side effects, and of course the usual horror stories that go the rounds at a time like this.  I have decided to share with you how I found the whole procedure.  It was painless, and it was FREE thanks to the NHS.

There were two nurses in the surgery one sat at the computer screen with my records on view.  The usual checks were made.. name, age, present conditions and if I have had any confirmed severe allergy to previous vaccines or from exposure to egg products.

Both nurses took notes of the name of the vaccine used, batch number & expiry date, the arm injected, to days date, and my name.  I was given written record to take away with me.

There are two different brands of vaccine - Pandemrix and Celvapan.  The Pandemrix vaccine is prepared in hens’ eggs in the same way that seasonal flu vaccines are.  The Celvapan vaccine is not prepared using eggs.  Many people given the Pandemrix vaccine will need one dose.  People who have the Celvapan vaccine will need two doses three weeks apart.  People who have a severely compromised immune system are given the double dose vaccine.

All vaccinations can produce side-effects such as redness, soreness and swelling at the site of the injection.  Flu vaccines can cause symptoms like fever, headache and muscle aches, but they are much milder than the flu itself and usually only last a day or so.

The information is available here in alternative formats and other languages.

So folks if I am still alive… I’ll be back at the new time of 3pm GMT for the latest episode of Loose Blogging from the Consortium.

On the outskirts of a small town, there was a big, old pecan tree just inside the cemetery fence. One day, two boys filled up a bucketful of nuts and sat down by the tree, out of sight, and began dividing the nuts.

‘One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me’ said one boy…. Several dropped and rolled down toward the fence.

Another boy came riding along the road on his bicycle. As he passed, he thought he heard voices from inside the cemetery. He slowed down to investigate. Sure enough, he heard, ‘One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me.’

He just knew what it was. He jumped back on his bike and rode off. Just around the bend he met an old man with a cane, hobbling along.

‘Come here quick,’ said the boy, ‘you won’t believe what I heard! Satan and the Lord are down at the cemetery dividing up the souls.’

The man said, ‘Beat it kid, can’t you see it’s hard for me to walk.’ When the boy insisted though, the man hobbled slowly to the cemetery.

Standing by the fence they heard, ‘One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me.’

The old man whispered, ‘Boy, you’ve been tellin’ me the truth. Let’s see if we can see the Lord.’

Shaking with fear, they peered through the fence, yet were still unable to see anything. The old man and the boy gripped the wrought iron bars of the fence tighter and tighter as they tried to get a glimpse of the Lord.

At last they heard, ‘One for you, one for me.. That’s all.. Now let’s go get those nuts by the fence and we’ll be done.’

They say the old man made it back to town a full 5 minutes ahead of the kid on the bike.

Thank you Darlene, this one really made me smile!

I promise you, I said I would;

now sit you down and I’ll be good

I’ll tell you the story of my little coloured bag!

A closer look.

This was what I call a Home project.  Something I did for me alone about twenty years ago.

We were invited to a summer wedding and I had chosen a jumpsuit in Cornflower Blue Silk.  My Hair was in full autumn glory with not a hint of grey, so I chose not to wear a hat.  I needed to introduce colour to break my long line of blue.

My requirements were:

• Colour
• Simple shape
• Large enough to hold glasses case, purse, keys, tissues and make-up.

Over time I had collected a box full of fabric sample swatches, some not much bigger than a large stamp, I used them for matching colours, textures and sometimes to play with when looking for inspiration.

I selected all the squares of silk, satin and polyester and dropped them like snowflakes on the worktable.  I ran my fingers through them like a good cook, making pastry.  They formed a patchwork collage that pleased me.  The idea was born.  Since my outfit was soft and flowing, I wanted my bag to be soft as well.

Using a mid to heavy weight Vilene interfacing for the base or backing fabric I scattered scraps of Bondaweb* randomly across the surface.  Next I placed the squares of fabric across the surface, randomly overlapping until the backing fabric was completely covered.  I laid a layer of baking parchment carefully on the surface making sure not to move the squares.  Then it was over to the ironing board, which was already covered in a layer of baking parchment.  A hot iron moved gently over the paper sandwich allows the Bondaweb to dissolve and bond the layers of fabric together.  Once the work had cooled I removed the baking parchment making sure not to pull any squares off the backing.

Now for the fun!

Using a Madeira variegated coloured thread in both the bobbin and needle of the sewing machine, I dropped the tension feet in the foot-bed to loosen the tension.  Next the fabric was placed in an embroidery hoop reverse way up, and the hoop placed under the sewing foot with the right side of the fabric facing upward.  With the feed teeth down, the loop was moved along by my hands.  I worked in small circles  moving at a steady even pace until I had all the area with it hoop covered.  Removing the embroidery ring and repositioning the fabric within the circle I worked until the whole piece was covered in tiny circles.  This secured the squares and strengthened the fabric.

Now I had a length of unique patchwork fabric to work with.  I cut a rectangular piece to form an envelope shape.  Once I had decided on the exact size, I shaped the flap end to add interest.  Then I cut two strips to form side gussets.  Now I needed lining.  The previous day I was shopping and came across a rack of bargain scarves.  I love scarves for adding interest to a plain neckline.  There were plain silk squares for £1!  Can you believe it?  I bought… yes you guessed it… I bought two three!  They were the colour of my £ sign. One I used as the lining for the  body of the bag, the second I cut to making lining strips for the gusset pieces and with the remainder of the second I made an internal zipped pocket for the bag.

I covered two buttons to use for closing the bag - one purple and one green.

View of the inside with the zipped pocket open

Side gusset

My hand & machine made cord used to trim and add finish.

The back and flab of the bag showing the cord edging and how I used it for button loops.

You can tell I loved this bag, and yes I used it so many times for weddings and evening occasions.  It worked well with most colours.  The picture at the top was at Elly’s Civil Wedding.  A serious day but with a simple casual feel to it.  The ‘Mothers’ were told (by guess who!) not to purchase a new outfit for that day, but to go to our wardrobes and pick out something comfortable :!:  We did and we were.

*Bondaweb or Wondaweb is a fine, fusible fleece which bonds fabrics together quickly and easily, providing a natural, firmly joined finish. It is sold by the metre, on a roll of paper like greaseproof.

For work like this I use an old ironing board cover and plenty of baking parchment to save accidents, I don’t want to end up with adhesive stains on the good cover. And MIND that Iron!

You can blame Gaelikaa it is all her fault. She wrote about a broken zip on her handbag. NO! She did not sent it to me for repair, and I no longer do zips, so thank you very much…. Don’t send them here!

Gaelikaa mentioned something about going shopping for a new one. I would have gone with her so that together we might enjoy a girlie giggle as we browsed and made our purchases.

Now I want a new handbag!

No I don’t.

YES I DO!

Actually I seldom carry one these days, but I do love them….and… Shoes!

BIG SIGH!

This getting old lark means that some of the shoes I like are but a memory now. The cheek of someone, telling me that I should be wearing laced or buckled shoes. Next they will be putting me back in stays! I suppose I should be thankful it is not a straight jacket they suggest. George, hide that last bit from Elly in case she gets ideas!

It made me think of all the handbags that are in my cupboard. I am trying to remember when I last purchased one….. Quite a few years ago, I think. I was in Belfast. Wandering, window shopping and browsing! It was a bright autumn morning and I was enjoying the sunshine warming my bones, and that was part of the reason I spent so long looking in the window of a leather goods shop. Handbags; it was mainly handbags on display. One section was of up to the minute high fashion – sure to be out of date and abandoned the very next week. Then there were bags covered with beads or feathers, “Sure I could make them!” I thought, but I could see why they were asking such a price. Proper beading takes time…. and plenty of it. It is a very precise art.

Next I noticed a display with bags, in the shape of gift bags covered in fabrics and the greatest excuse for fabric roses you ever saw. Now if Elly had come home from Primary school and said she made them I would have been proud and delighted to display the finished product up on the shelf with the Irish cottage ( I’ll show you that another day! ). The roses were very badly made and the bag itself was poorly finished. The price ticket said:- £50. I didn’t believe it was possible so I went inside for further inspection. Who in their right mind would give £50 for such a poor specimen? I did like the simple shape and took a closer look at how it was put together. Once satisfied, I set it back carefully on the shelf and continued my browsing.

There were several leather bags in what I would call classical designs. In fact there were a few I would put to very good use. They too, had a price ticket of £50, good value for real leather I thought. That day I had not set out to look for handbags, so I dragged myself away from temptation.

At this stage I was the only customer and there were two sales assistants, one of whom was on the phone. As I drew close to the door, the assistant replaced the telephone and shouted to the other girl “Everything 50% off!” I stopped in my tracks, with my mind working forty to the dozen. I lifted a bag and pretended to be very interested as I listened to the exchange between the sales ladies. Sure enough word had come down from on high that all goods were to be marked down to half price, effective immediately. So as they busied themselves with writing labels and attaching them to the products, I worked my way back to the classic leather bags. Fifty pounds was actually a good price for a leather handbag… but for two, it was not to be missed.

You guessed it. I bought two handbags, different styles, but in different colours. One was black and the other was navy. I was working back then so a handbag was a necessity for a girl who was away from home all day.

Clockwise from Left:  The black bag with a shoulder strap and the navy double handled one behind it, are both mentioned above.  A handmade patchwork evening bag (more tomorrow), Large tan holdall/handbag.*  Dark Green Tula Leather shoulder bag.**  Black brocade clutch evening bag.  Brown Samsonite Bum-Bag, this gets plenty of use nowadays since it holds the camera, phone keys etc, leaving both my hands free.  Navy clutch bag. and finally in the centre  A Mock Animal Skin Bag with gold trim***

*Large tan holdall/handbag (goes well with my riding boots.  Sigh!  Will ever get my feet into them again?).

**Dark Green Tula Leather shoulder bag (has matching shoes)

***A Mock Animal Skin Bag with gold trim (has matching shoes)

Well that is my stash of bags!  Not bad since most of them are ten or more years old.  I wonder which has my tuppence in it?

No!  No!  No!  I did not go all the way to Parma for a fish supper, but I thought you might like this one.

Parma Fish with Tomatoes & Basil

Serves 4 Preheat the oven to 210 °C

• 4 thick fillets of any white fish.
• 4-8 basil leaves.
• 4 tomatoes sliced in four.
• 8 slices of Parma ham.*
• Freshly ground black pepper.
• Sliced lemon to garnish.

Season the fish with the freshly ground pepper and top with basil leaves and tomato slices. Carefully wrap with Parma ham and place on an oiled baking tray. Cook for about 15-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until the flesh is opaque.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon, a salad and fresh crusty bread.

* or use 12 slices of pancetta instead of Parma ham.

Today it would be difficult not to be aware of the three letters of my title.

Many will focus on Remembrance Services for those who gave their lives for the service of their Country and fellow man, in every conflict since the Great War.  Having married and lived with a Veteran of WW11(Burma Star) and knowing how he quietly and stoically carried his injuries for longer than the 51 years that I was when he died, I thank God for his courage, his caring and his love.  My mind and thoughts are always with those whose lives are torn, but not ended in Conflict.  The injured certainly, but also the wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, children, siblings an even on occasions the grandparents, faced with a gaping wound of emptiness.  May they find find acceptance, peace and once again hear the birds sing!

I also know a few people for whom 11th November marks the anniversary of of the death of a loved one.  They also will be in my thoughts at this time.

Our lives on this earth are but a speck of sand in the great scheme of things; and in that time many people pass into and out of our life’s journey.  Some are with us for a very long time yet leave a very light foot print, while others stop only briefly, forgeing a very deep impression never to be forgotten.

Without them the tapestry of life would be dull.

On Tuesday, rather stuck for an idea to post I mentioned my task of ironing.

Alice from My Wintersong has challenged me to give instructions for ironing a shirt.  I warn you I do it exactly like my mother did!

Way back… when I was little more than the height of the ironing board, I was taught to use the iron.  First it was the handkerchiefs. it was back in the days before boxes of tissues became the norm.  From that I graduated to my brothers pyjamas!  A pyjama jacket was in fact a dress rehearsal for ironing shirts.  Back then shirts were worn by all men and boys; all day every day.   They were white, heavy cotton and difficult to keep in pristine condition.  Collars and cuffs needed to be starched and that was an art in itself.

In the early days of Black & White Television, the Newsreaders wore light blue shirts.  “Why?”  I hear you ask.  A white shirt came over on screen as a dull well worn greyish colour, while the light blue shirt appeared to be as white as the driven snow.

So to the task in hand…

Is the ironing board cover clean?  Have you been using it to press blue jeans?  The colour does transfer eventually.  Turn jeans inside out before washing and pressing and any fading will then be on the inside.  The same applies to all black items, it certainly slows down the greying process.

Nowadays most of us use a steam iron.  When did you last vacuum yours?   OK!  OK!  I hear you laughing, but it is important.  Any water remaining in the iron at the end of a pressing session should be emptied and the iron allowed to air and dry.  Now we all know that water leaves stains… the shower will verify this fact.  When the iron has been sitting for a few days, take the vacuum hose to the sole plate and vacuum the water holes.  It will remove the dried out rust specks that remain when the water evaporates.  Those same specks are what leaves rust or dirty marks on freshly ironed clothes…. and as we all know they love the front of a blouse or shirt!

So we have the ironing board set to a comfortable height, and the iron heating to the required temperature.  The little label down low on an inside seam will give you that answer.  Even so, always check the dial and press an inconspicuous part of all garments before ironing for the first time OR if someone else has used the iron before you, they may not have returned the dial to where you want it.

So now we need the shirt…

This should be fun, trying to take photos with my left hand as I iron with my right one!

The pin tucks should tell you that this is a dress shirt.  I always begin with the buttonhole band, underside up and holding it taut I apply a little pressure and work my way from the tail to the collar.  Then I repeat this process with the button band, with the buttons facing the board, then there is no chance of removing them with the iron.

Step two is the collar.  Place the collar front side facing you.  The upper fabric is marginally bigger than the stiffening layer to allow for a neat fit as it bends around the neck.  The most common problem is that some people iron from one side to the other in one movement and end up with a mini bulge at the seam.  Unfortunately this error shows up at eye level…. not something you need when attending an important interview!

So begin with I press the neck band before going back to one edge of the collar and press with a little pressure to the centre and then from the other edge to the centre.  This way you get a crisp professional finish.

Then it is on to the yoke; slip the shirt carefully on to the ironing board to fill out one shoulder.  Press from the shoulder edge to the centre careful to avoid adding further creases to the fabric.  Remove and do the same from the other side.

Now it is on to the sleeves.  I admit to not using a sleeve board for everyday shirts.  I do have one and make good use of it for other items.  I straighten out the sleeve along the underarm seam and press from there to the center shoulder line and work my way along the sleeve to the cuff.  Thankfully I have never needed to press a shirt for a member of the PSNI a regulation shirt requires not one crease line but two creases, equidistant along each arm of the uniform shirt.

Now for the final stretch… The body of the shirt.  Begin on the left front and work from the shoulder end down the front to the tail.

Then move the shirt until the side seam in near the back of the board ans slowly iron your way to the other side seam, and continue to the right front working from the tail end to the shoulder.

And Voila:

The finished item.

This description seems to make a major task out of ironing, but it really takes only about five minutes to complete one shirt.  Thankfully my days of ironing fifteen or more shirts in one session are over.  In those days the finished items were folded and looked like they were just out of a package.  Nowadays I just hang the freshly ironed shirt on a hanger and place in a wardrobe when fully aired.

You want to see the shirt on me now?  Sorry I need to find my bow tie first, so it will have to wait for another day!

Maryrose drew my attention to a lovely quote the other day by Euan Semple:

There is something else going on here that is to early for an ism but that is really interesting. It is not grandiose enough to support an ism. It is about small people loosely joined. It is small and personal in essence but powerful in combination. It is not about people being insignificant but about being unassuming.It is not about being individualistic but about being loosely joined.

Somehow that brought to mind the Loose Blogging Consortium.  Today members: Ashok, Conrad, Gaelikaa, Helen, Judy, Magpie 11, Maria, Marianna, & Ramana and I are all in high spirits as we turn our thoughts to Heaven the topic chosen for us this week by Gaelikaa.

Where to start..

You really want to know my idea of heaven…

Click on the picture for the full effect!

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WELL…. I do have a reputation to keep!

I wonder what he did to earn this:

I saw this the other day on Dublin Taxi

Is it yours?

I am off to calm down…. See you this afternoon.

UPDATE:  LBC Post will go live at 15.00 GMT from today.