tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62864688658013518192024-03-12T04:51:39.177+00:00The wonderful world of loopygirlis based on actual events, experiences, dreams, creative moments, flashbacks and memories. No one was harmed in the writing of this blog.
I am not getting paid for anything I say, do or advertise, which is a shame, because I could be very rich.Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.comBlogger392125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-59966495892600851722022-04-29T19:58:00.001+01:002022-04-29T20:05:14.301+01:00My mum doesn't swear but...Instead of swearing, when she's frustrated she calls out the name of a boy i went to nursery and primary school with.<div><br></div><div>"Philip Shackleton"<div><br></div><div>I really liked this boy and sometimes went to play at his house, he had a big garden. Later his mum used to run the Brownie group i went to.<br><div><br></div><div>"Philip Shackleton"<br><div><br></div><div>Once she was out at a hospital appointment, or somewhere like that, having treatment done by a new doctor and she called out in pain, but instead of swearing she called out "Philip Shackleton" - bizarrely the person who was treating her actually knew who Philip Shackleton was and told her so, they knew him from college or university. </div></div><div><br></div><div><div>We all thought this was hilarious and thought that this might stop her doing it It didn't.</div></div><div><br></div><div>Over the years it's been quite awkward trying to explain to friends and boyfriends why my mum randomly calls out the name of a boy i used to go to nursery with.</div><div><br></div><div>Families eh? 😃</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div></div>Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-69545860435490370122022-03-13T14:40:00.001+00:002022-04-29T20:02:34.387+01:00My birthday treat weekend (you're only 44 once)In August I saw a blog post about a local place you could stay, not the usual b&b or hotel melarky. No - this was a bit quirky, a bit unusual and thought it might be nice to try out...<div><br></div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvZqHr3ii4app9V4tF3cT666zKdHnU0X7MqMdtobYO2zZeQBnUDgr1G-YWspzUDLt-muNkMhfJyUxqHpVBlZE5T2tdHnNL9JHmYkz-i11ZAT4DzI6QVt40AMKK6yP_fpTJJwrnlEhMNs/s1600/PXL_20220312_111914175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvZqHr3ii4app9V4tF3cT666zKdHnU0X7MqMdtobYO2zZeQBnUDgr1G-YWspzUDLt-muNkMhfJyUxqHpVBlZE5T2tdHnNL9JHmYkz-i11ZAT4DzI6QVt40AMKK6yP_fpTJJwrnlEhMNs/s1600/PXL_20220312_111914175.jpg" border="0" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="3024" width="320" height="240"></a></div><br><div><br></div><div>This is Wannie's Retreat, a refurbished, swanky, train carriage. Located about 30mins from us, in the middle of the countryside.</div><div><br></div><div>https://www.facebook.com/wanniesretreat/<br></div><div><br></div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDw_JsDS3Yasp44x2s-ZH2SbpCOLswFvmfGJ-3YXuQTVFn4MoGOalogguqsKX2YU2RwGVS9yze4cYj5XWclSNbI8MFuXENlA8FPf_08Q_jN3JeRew0rTJra8iJSVhhMQ_R7nU5KyS1P5Q/s1600/InCollage_20220313_140748404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDw_JsDS3Yasp44x2s-ZH2SbpCOLswFvmfGJ-3YXuQTVFn4MoGOalogguqsKX2YU2RwGVS9yze4cYj5XWclSNbI8MFuXENlA8FPf_08Q_jN3JeRew0rTJra8iJSVhhMQ_R7nU5KyS1P5Q/s1600/InCollage_20220313_140748404.jpg" border="0" data-original-width="4096" data-original-height="4096" width="320" height="320"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We stayed here over the 11-13 March, after my birthday. A treat for us all.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The carriage was warm, cosy and had retained a few original features, slidy down window, luggage rack, rickety door handles (probably more that i hadn't realised). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It had everything you could need, central heating, massive beds with soft bedding, ensuite bathrooms, fluffy towels, fully equipped kitchen (for cooking and storing food) lounging area and eating area. Outdoor eating space, outdoor star gazing space and hot tub!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As a family (3YO & 7YO) Wannie's had everything we needed, games for the kids (indoor and outdoor), kids crockery and cutlery, outdoor seating (mini picnic table), a secret fairy corner, and acres of space to explore, get mucky and find sticks (why do my kids always collect sticks??).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There's maps and local walks for the walkers, bike cleaning and storage area for the bikers, hot tub and BBQ for the chillers, and views gallore for everyone.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We ordered meat from the farm too, pork, beef and lamb (eggs are also available), most of which we took home for the freezer and on Sunday we met some of the new calves on the farm.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXAkzuNKh6qGkB_Y8QdgsurexnDw9W_LdgD7ZOpzXj0YbJsi9czAxpf_kx0tSQdHwKmwqDLB_KONIbn1Dgs3IYYzsMUClE9z8XmH2ZsXOF2I4vsPQKMDCjrogM8xba412xUvGWaZX8S8/s1600/PXL_20220312_112654776.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXAkzuNKh6qGkB_Y8QdgsurexnDw9W_LdgD7ZOpzXj0YbJsi9czAxpf_kx0tSQdHwKmwqDLB_KONIbn1Dgs3IYYzsMUClE9z8XmH2ZsXOF2I4vsPQKMDCjrogM8xba412xUvGWaZX8S8/s1600/PXL_20220312_112654776.PORTRAIT.jpg" border="0" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" width="240" height="320"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I inspected the underneath thw train because I'd never get the opportunity to again. I noted that those curly things on the line are not curly poos, they're special metal clips.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The weather was a bit hit and miss, but we were fortunate to enjoy the stars on Saturday evening for a short while (they have binoculars and a telescope!).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'd definitely visit again (perhaps without the kids).</div><br></div></div>Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-23759750190938131192021-12-21T12:00:00.000+00:002022-01-11T18:44:08.309+00:00The man upstairs<p><span face="" segoe="" ui="" historic",="" "segoe="" ui",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif"="" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">I found out yesterday that you died over the weekend. I started writing this in December, your funeral was today so thought it was time to publish it.</span></p><p><br></p><p>Of course, since publishing it I've made more edits as I've remembered other stuff.</p><p><br></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXha1nJoRk98EkpNjmHc5YsGn6dzSfpXr5UGHH1CS-aRCIhaejNiJ_f4rIyzdVuqSpuA-gVZjLab-n5YGF31iQdePxGEyCPrCKVwA0WHpjOzJgIk0jL_hZUcj4stP-uo33nimdHE-HVo/s1600/FB_IMG_1641907479038%257E01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXha1nJoRk98EkpNjmHc5YsGn6dzSfpXr5UGHH1CS-aRCIhaejNiJ_f4rIyzdVuqSpuA-gVZjLab-n5YGF31iQdePxGEyCPrCKVwA0WHpjOzJgIk0jL_hZUcj4stP-uo33nimdHE-HVo/s1600/FB_IMG_1641907479038%257E01.jpg" border="0" data-original-width="544" data-original-height="987" width="176" height="320"></a></div><br><p></p><p><span face="" segoe="" ui="" historic",="" "segoe="" ui",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif"="" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here were my immediate comments on your facebook page (from December 2021), and other memories from when we met in 2001...</span></p><p><span face="" segoe="" ui="" historic",="" "segoe="" ui",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif"="" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Facebook post: Fuck! (you always hated it when i swore). But fuck. I'm just catching up on these messages in your timeline and I'm in shock. So sad. I'll always know you as the man upstairs because you lived in the flat above me in Rowan Court when I moved in over 20yrs ago. I remember you introduced me to Only Connect and i still play today. You introduced me to cherry tobacco rollies and I've never smoked that shit since. We shared some funny conversations (drunk and sober) and you always made me the most inappropriate Christmas cards - fucking hilarious, sometimes signed off as "Hair by Dave," wrote me poetry, made up the daftest jokes and i always enjoyed it when the clocks changed, "clocks go back tonight, TV goes back on Tuesday". You are a funny man, man upstairs. My world feels a little emptier knowing that you and your beautiful creative soul is no longer with us.</i></span></p><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rest in peace man upstairs. You were truly unique in every way.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">1965-2021 (56yrs old).</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><font color="#050505">"...you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone..."</font><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Since then I've read through our facebook message exchanges and facebook comments - we just connected, struck up conversation about nonsensical stuff, knew when we were playing straight and when we needed a pick-me-up with a silly accent, daft question or elaborate story.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We could go for weeks or months without contact and then when we did it was like we only spoke last week. You could sense when something was wrong, you listened and never judged. You were a good un.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">You messaged me when you were going through a rough time, and accurately sensed when i was too. You sent your virtual hugs and I sent you mine.</div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">You reminded me of something I said to you, that you held as a mantra "You're made of strong stuff, Mr Kelly" - and it's absolutely true. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">You totally are, filled with passion, ideas, words, lyrics, brush strokes, shades, scribbles, shadows, love, and generosity. You always created <u>with</u> love, and <u>for</u> love. You were never half-arsed (sorry I swore again).</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You told me the story about when you rang my old mobile number (i did send my new one, but you rang the old one), when it was picked up the conversation went like this..</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You "hello"</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Them "hello"</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You "it's me"</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Them "who?"</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You "the man upstairs"</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Them "who?"</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You "it's the man upstairs, Phil"</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Them "i'll just get my mum" - they go off....</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You, now having realised that you've probably dialled the wrong number and it sounds a bit odd, had to try and explain to this girls mum that you were trying to contact me and that you'd dialled the wrong number, I think they threatened to call the police if you called back. We hadn't realised that my number would be so recycled so quickly.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When you told me, i thought it was hilarious, and we both had a chuckle about it.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I met you back in 2001, my landlord knew you and had told you to "keep an eye on me" you popped down to introduce yourself and i answered the door in a towel/dressing gown, you were really kind and friendly, and told me if i needed anything to ask. This was the start of a great friendship.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You showed me your paintings, there was one of a woman (in the foreground) looking up to a house at the top of a hill - it was beautiful, and another with a woman in the foreground, I kept telling you that the woman needed to be sat on a space hopper (because of her pose). You thought it was funny. You never did paint in the space hopper.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">You introduced me to Keith, aka Uncle Ted aka Mr Egg and Chips. </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I met your friend John (Woody) who would join us to play University Challenge and Only Connect on Monday evenings. We would sing the theme tune to University Challenge in Scat.</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">You did impressions of David Mitchell and Michael Cane.</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Your flat was a treasure trove of records, art, music, books, films, music systems, baseball caps. I remember the drawing of Michelle Pfeiffer on your wall. Everything had meaning and purpose.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You played Jazz, and Joni Mitchell, Joan Armatrading, Tony Bennett, The Beatles, Frank Zappa...</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">These songs remind me of you:</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Beatles, Blackbird https://open.spotify.com/track/5jgFfDIR6FR0gvlA56Nakr?si=KurqOnKKQjiPKLZzfyCEvQ&utm_source=copy-link</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">And Joan Armatrading, Love and Affection</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><font color="#050505">https://open.spotify.com/track/4I1w0J6NA3M25jFZ5dhp6y?si=D3AwcYLHQfGPXQupgNVG-Q&utm_source=copy-link</font><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You used to have your 3rd degree burns night party every year in January without fail, always made me feel welcome and part of the group.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We sometimes had conversations with each other in different accents, you did quite a good Scouse accent.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You bought me a bag from Macy's on one of your NY trips, and a grey scarf which I wore to your funeral. You loved NY and had stories of visiting Jazz clubs and meeting famous people.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I told you that your I heart NY stood for North Yorkshire.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I moved, got married, had kids. We still kept in touch and occasionally met up for drinks, The Trent, The Bodega, The Hotspur, The Forth, and way way back, in Dylans (the little bar under The Tyne Theatre).</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">You despised (with a passion) the British Royal family and all Tories and didn't care who knew.</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You went to a reading from Douglas Coupland, and got me a book, got him to sign it, and gave it to me. You were thoughtful like that.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You gave me poetry and gave me your poetry.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You called me bonny lass and I called you Man Upstairs, or Mr Bydave (you would sign off card as "Hair By Dave"). Some of your friends called you Jack.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I went to Bridport and took a picture of a hairdresser called "Hair By Dave" and sent it to you.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I went to Barcelona and found a picture/postcard of Pablo Picasso and sent it to you.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You liked Kurt Vonnegut. I've never read his books. I might have to, to see what all the fuss was about.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">You shared your blog with me, Fagin's Bidet (both versions) and My Strawberry Mind - but they're gone now i wish they were still there.</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You were a free spirit, passionate, had morals, and were prepared to fight for them.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You weren't ready to sign off yet, your work here was not complete....</span>You have art to finish, cigars to smoke, places to visit, songs to play, people to see, parties to host, jokes to write and share.</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I'll miss your little messages, funny comments, bad jokes.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the last random jokes you sent me:</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">I woke up feeling funny today.</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">I replied, oh no sorry to hear that</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">You replied, </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">I went to bed in my clown costume.</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: " segoe="" ui="" historic",="" "segoe="" ui",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 15px;="" white-space:="" pre-wrap;"="">Love you friend, and miss you always Man Upstairs x</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: " segoe="" ui="" historic",="" "segoe="" ui",="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 15px;="" white-space:="" pre-wrap;"=""><br></div><br>Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-16066200369999472302021-12-13T21:42:00.001+00:002022-01-06T12:00:34.692+00:00Elsie Clara Cornforth (neé Coxall)<div>Grandma Elsie (my dad's mum) died on Thursday 9 December, she was 90. </div><div>I didn't meet my mum's mum (she died before I was born), so Grandma Elsie was the main grand-matriarch influence in my life.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKFfHqOYG00WHEs4M7NpR2fAZsC1vSEeVCeBJGxcPjKsVpzJ4HOKe7igdt5iSBxd0EYjCqk4nT1gAo50N5piyFPTi88Kp3HIbVZtOz4WLNo_ua9W5BQ8wSJ_W2t9J4lBus2o3eaLg3mo/s1600/Grandma+Elsie%257E01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="425" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKFfHqOYG00WHEs4M7NpR2fAZsC1vSEeVCeBJGxcPjKsVpzJ4HOKe7igdt5iSBxd0EYjCqk4nT1gAo50N5piyFPTi88Kp3HIbVZtOz4WLNo_ua9W5BQ8wSJ_W2t9J4lBus2o3eaLg3mo/s1600/Grandma+Elsie%257E01.jpg" width="320"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;">She was born on 19 January 1931.</div></div></div><div>She had 5 children.</div><div>I always thought it was unusual that she had 2 sets of twins.</div><div><br></div><div>Dianne was the eldest, my dad (Terry/Tosh) and Louise, and then Jane and Ian (Tammer). </div><div><br></div><div>None of Grandma's children had twins, and so far, only her grandson (my cousin) Michael has twins. </div><div>(I've recently learned that there are twins on my Grandma's sisters side of the family as well).</div><div><br></div><div>Grandma (as she was known to me) was part of my life growing up.</div><div><br></div><div>As a kid, my dad would go to Grandma and Grandad's <b>every</b> Sunday, and usually one of us (either me, my brother and sister) went with him. It always had a certain smell, which I can't really describe but it was always warm. When we left she would call, Toodle-do instead of goodbye.</div><div><br></div><div>Her house was where we caught up with our cousins, aunts and uncles, over the years, whether it was Christmas, a family visit, or just one of those Sunday visits. When she moved out in 2020, it felt like the end of an era and covid made visiting her even trickier than just popping in.</div><div><br></div><div>Here are some memories I have of her...</div><div><br></div>She loved hats<div>She had cold hands</div><div>She loved the Queen</div><div><br></div><div>She had custom made (big) shoes for her bunions and blamed her bad feet on ill fitting shoes when she was younger (as a warning to us).</div><div><br></div><div>She tried to encourage me to stop sucking my thumb when i was younger, telling me it would shrink/drop off</div><div><br></div><div>She painted my sister's nails with disgusting tasting stuff to stop her biting them, I don't think it stopped her.</div><div><div><br></div></div><div>She had false teeth, it was a thing to get them all removed to save on the cost of maintenance.</div><div><br></div><div><div>She told me off for eating a piece of raw sausage that she was preparing when i went to visit (as a kid)</div><div><br></div><div>She told me about the rat that came up the downstairs toilet</div></div><div><br></div><div><div>She told us that her kids polished the floor by attaching dusters to their feet.</div></div><div><br></div><div>When my mum was in hospital having my brother, me and my sister spent the day with Grandma and Grandad. I remember dad coming back and announcing that my brother's name was Bartholomew (he's actually called Matthew)!</div><div><br></div><div>She knew about everyone in the village, her front window was her TV on the street comings and goings.</div><div><br></div><div>She always had a story, and would ask you about people as if you were the same age as her, "you remember so and so.."</div><div><br></div><div>She liked the annual jumble sales in the village and reminded us to buy things for our Whitsuntide fancy dress costume</div><div><br></div><div>We usually went in through the back door (never the front) and only ever went in the living room or kitchen. I never went upstairs, or in the other downstairs front room, it was one of those mysteries.</div><div><br></div><div>That really annoying song, Grandma we love you, reminds me of Grandma.<br></div><div><br></div><div>When my grandad was alive she enjoyed going away on holidays and went with my auntie and her family.</div><div><br></div><div>For Christmas one year they bought me and my sister a Culture Club album, another year it was a Shakin Stevens album, and another year it was the first Now (that's what I call music) double album.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Every year (without fail) she would also take me and my sister to see the Northallerton (Amateur Dramatics) Christmas Pantomime and encouraged us to go up on the stage when they did their audience participation bit!</div><div><br></div><div>She came to my graduation ceremony, and I was proud to have her there, next to my mum and dad.</div><div><br></div><div>She bought her outfits from Barker's department store in Northallerton, and always in the sale!</div><div><br></div><div>When grandad died, she spent most of her Christmas days with my parents and our family, and enjoyed the chaos, noise and craziness.</div><div><br></div><div>One year me and Grandma swapped Christmas presents. I swapped furry hat (from my mother in law) with an umbrella Grandma got, we were both pretty chuffed with our swaps!</div><div><br></div><div>If dad went to visit Grandma on his own he'd often come home with some random items (usually clothing) that Grandma had found, none of them would have ever fitted her or Grandad. And newspaper clippings that she'd kept over the years about all the family members.</div><div><br></div><div>She went to the Baptist church (happy clappers) because they did the best meals.</div><div><br></div><div>She liked to keep her hands busy and would knit "little hats that they sent to Africa for the babies"</div><div><br></div><div><div>She was silly and daft, and she didn't mind people seeing her have fun, or being silly.</div><div><br></div><div>My cousin took her to have a fish pedicure!</div><div><br></div></div><div><div>She raised over £400 on her 85th birthday for charity</div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmp00eR2ALR2pMR-zSvBYjY1RnncUGj5noHNvh5KqxshgZ_L1wPFLZYYazkWmXRY4ZSA0S0uAMsGZ9WZvYcYr9mJtB1ZL_bU90rsKbyRiwVbG5SPAsQKSpWkZyQ_OG8fp6yFOiAR2zCiw/s1600/FB_IMG_1577900837316.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="480" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmp00eR2ALR2pMR-zSvBYjY1RnncUGj5noHNvh5KqxshgZ_L1wPFLZYYazkWmXRY4ZSA0S0uAMsGZ9WZvYcYr9mJtB1ZL_bU90rsKbyRiwVbG5SPAsQKSpWkZyQ_OG8fp6yFOiAR2zCiw/s1600/FB_IMG_1577900837316.jpg" width="320"></a></div><div><br></div>For about five years she called my husband Craig instead of Carl!<br></div><div><br></div><div>She didn't like babies (she told me), she liked them when they were more interactive and could talk and have a conversation.<br></div><div><br></div><div>We gave our girl Emma the middle name of Elsie.</div><div><br></div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmnz_a7N-pmeKRNIyw9Nar0w-g78ztr99P89yC1CFw-5MP21eyRV2uaD_3RGyRRnpNoW_LWTz8vcBWKWynoQCZlvkjl1hJU4Sr0KNmucCTtrc5MRmpyqcFl0z30HFwSCLQBkHLx6rTHw/s1600/Screenshot_20210113-222059.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1631" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmnz_a7N-pmeKRNIyw9Nar0w-g78ztr99P89yC1CFw-5MP21eyRV2uaD_3RGyRRnpNoW_LWTz8vcBWKWynoQCZlvkjl1hJU4Sr0KNmucCTtrc5MRmpyqcFl0z30HFwSCLQBkHLx6rTHw/s1600/Screenshot_20210113-222059.png" width="254"></a></div><br></div><div>She went into assisted living accommodation last year, and covid restrictions made visiting complicated and tricky. So the last time I saw her was at my nephew's wedding in June, but I followed her antics through my auntie Jane (her carer), sharing updates on Facebook.</div><div><br></div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyd8W6P7ozVp81fWta8PdUWvyK5CPUgcf-GIWFCe5Rpo7PvxK2XC2IVdcyTrEVvs9M_dlHn9mHb6alEedK_3cu7747hdcTe0Erg66hb6vu_eTnCQoeCvLHNO1Z2h7MpLUeiHxP1zkF8lI/s1600/PXL_20210626_130908761.MP%257E01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1475" data-original-width="1575" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyd8W6P7ozVp81fWta8PdUWvyK5CPUgcf-GIWFCe5Rpo7PvxK2XC2IVdcyTrEVvs9M_dlHn9mHb6alEedK_3cu7747hdcTe0Erg66hb6vu_eTnCQoeCvLHNO1Z2h7MpLUeiHxP1zkF8lI/s1600/PXL_20210626_130908761.MP%257E01.jpg" width="320"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div></div><div>She gave us some money last year and we bought apple and pear trees for the garden. We've called it Elsie's orchard.</div><div><br></div><div>Notes added since her funeral (after talking about her with family), keep smiling she said in the days running up to her death..</div><div><br></div><div>She lived by the mantra, </div><div>Live for the present, </div><div>Plan for the future,</div><div>And don't dwell too much on the past.</div></div><div><br></div>Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-11190690096271258192021-12-13T21:37:00.002+00:002021-12-13T22:56:52.297+00:00When a newspaper clipping triggers a memoryMy mum found this newspaper clipping in my grandma's stuff (they're compiling them into a photo book).<div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTAymjsKNa2mooQQctFdTzGE57rekPd-6JfUg9xxTJKbnp9dOyTDpgn5EKWFy35lMUnD89o0lq3Y6KhYpxdEJEhTR97hFCt_GnSAnzcaAUflD62a2S9RgLkHma25tHT65U0dxTvC5epg/s1600/Screenshot_20210306-201944.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTAymjsKNa2mooQQctFdTzGE57rekPd-6JfUg9xxTJKbnp9dOyTDpgn5EKWFy35lMUnD89o0lq3Y6KhYpxdEJEhTR97hFCt_GnSAnzcaAUflD62a2S9RgLkHma25tHT65U0dxTvC5epg/s1600/Screenshot_20210306-201944.png" border="0" data-original-width="2048" data-original-height="1109" width="320" height="173"></a></div><br><div><br></div><div>The story of the newspaper clipping...</div><div>I was at a prize giving event at the local fire station. I had won a treasure hunt with my local brownies group.</div><div><br></div><div>The treasure hunt required us to find the answers to a series of questions which hidden in the shop windows in the high street.</div><div><br></div><div>The prize was a tour of the fire station and a voucher for Woolworths. I spent my voucher on a Starlight Sindy doll. I went for the brunette one (my cousin had the blonde one).</div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFHeG9SnPKJrlMmYGiN4dguBUB9KGkwnd8ks0bzEfKaL6ArP-MZ_dGUQ_B8p-IeGEZ5mXzVABCzwABHTbD0ObUFozJeEKkDM260HsNqODtfRoHuwfnexz1bquP_ZIf7jAtFvAku4CyKk/s1600/Screenshot_20210306-204149.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFHeG9SnPKJrlMmYGiN4dguBUB9KGkwnd8ks0bzEfKaL6ArP-MZ_dGUQ_B8p-IeGEZ5mXzVABCzwABHTbD0ObUFozJeEKkDM260HsNqODtfRoHuwfnexz1bquP_ZIf7jAtFvAku4CyKk/s1600/Screenshot_20210306-204149.png" border="0" data-original-width="1494" data-original-height="2048" width="233" height="320"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">After reading the article, I also realised that the boy that also won was in the same year at secondary school when I went 4 years later.</div><br></div></div></div>Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-26258340040210317382021-12-13T21:35:00.004+00:002021-12-13T21:36:17.370+00:00There's a party on the hill, would you like to come?You: There's a party on the hill, would you like to come?<div>Other person: Yes<br /><div>You: Bring your own bread and butter and your own cream bun</div><div>Other person: I cant afford it</div><div>You: So tell me the name of your boy-friend</div><div>Other person: <i>gives boyfriend's name</i></div><div>You: P-E-T-E-R spells Peter, so you are in and you are out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Note, this is a rhyme you sing when you are deciding who's "it" or who goes first in a game. For each word/syllable you point to a person. I remember doing this at primary school.</div><div><br /></div><div>The look of confusion I got when I said it out loud in front of Carl and the kids made me laugh. I just blurted it out 😀</div></div>Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-32496481985912726142021-12-03T22:36:00.001+00:002021-12-13T21:38:19.298+00:00Making a Christmas wreath with The Little Window Box Company<div>This was a 2 hr workshop turning this</div><div><br></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2N9BZm65W3WDzn8uAXRFDbgBB9sFMYyv2iCEiI5j5jZZjw28QzKJC9NZ5ennuyj9ZtbylXaHB5YRHQGmRmnkOLMP5UDLyVU_hDPilvCanDt9j6L3DO03dw0Ln8m_snfbl4KKMpHpz69c/s1600/PXL_20211203_190628292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2N9BZm65W3WDzn8uAXRFDbgBB9sFMYyv2iCEiI5j5jZZjw28QzKJC9NZ5ennuyj9ZtbylXaHB5YRHQGmRmnkOLMP5UDLyVU_hDPilvCanDt9j6L3DO03dw0Ln8m_snfbl4KKMpHpz69c/s1600/PXL_20211203_190628292.jpg" border="0" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="3024" width="320" height="240"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">into this...</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxVqjA_WlkaOibYz9TBzPgSgNLV1q3wzdMRX9g8uxKhlBk_wtgyqCDpx2JeDAaokIglknkPMVxAIk4524yxCQToRuxfJvlUrDuGgaSXD2i36RJTSuMUwTa2u_w2pvM7r9H1DNs-zz45E/s1600/PXL_20211203_210246863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxVqjA_WlkaOibYz9TBzPgSgNLV1q3wzdMRX9g8uxKhlBk_wtgyqCDpx2JeDAaokIglknkPMVxAIk4524yxCQToRuxfJvlUrDuGgaSXD2i36RJTSuMUwTa2u_w2pvM7r9H1DNs-zz45E/s1600/PXL_20211203_210246863.jpg" border="0" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" width="240" height="320"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">Not bad for 2hrs and with all of the equipment supplied, including prosecco and Christmas nibbles!</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">All done with </div><a href="" target="_blank"></a><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><font color="#000000"><a href="" target="_blank"></a>https://thelittlewindowboxcompany.co.uk/</font><br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><a href="" target="_blank"></a><br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">Basically you use the twine to attach everything, which was really easy to do. Once the moss was wrapped onto the wire ring with green twine it was pretty much "do what you want..."</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMhU8KxhIQTwp63ukHjA01moUV9Mb0-YnMvTXqgb5PmOTAvYVOt-dbIfYtknO4WCmcHuSw_QlwMeaNh4cthxYXDjs2jIIHqnwC3EdJ-Pb5nq7gFitvmm3Ofw0UFS0Y_Ej1L4A5aUf4nU/s1600/PXL_20211203_191853805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMhU8KxhIQTwp63ukHjA01moUV9Mb0-YnMvTXqgb5PmOTAvYVOt-dbIfYtknO4WCmcHuSw_QlwMeaNh4cthxYXDjs2jIIHqnwC3EdJ-Pb5nq7gFitvmm3Ofw0UFS0Y_Ej1L4A5aUf4nU/s1600/PXL_20211203_191853805.jpg" border="0" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="3024" width="320" height="240"></a></div><br></div></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">There was Confier, Spruce, Ivy, Pistache, Sea holly, holly, stalky stuff with red berries (i forget its name), pine cones, cinnamon, dried orange.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERWlVx4xXL1pnHtRdGoPmEox1eC6FOCVHW3oulK0da6Xz8-pSvdwGEjKIgHaf8xDLpT-MOnK7eYkCA_2zZ53KQ9OLhjoK9XBGb7U_k8IErxkvGWD4gL1_eXkqo1KdAO9ESyPWHX5JLsQ/s1600/PXL_20211203_195215030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERWlVx4xXL1pnHtRdGoPmEox1eC6FOCVHW3oulK0da6Xz8-pSvdwGEjKIgHaf8xDLpT-MOnK7eYkCA_2zZ53KQ9OLhjoK9XBGb7U_k8IErxkvGWD4gL1_eXkqo1KdAO9ESyPWHX5JLsQ/s1600/PXL_20211203_195215030.jpg" border="0" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" width="240" height="320"></a></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><br></div>Everything Helen added to hers in the demonstrations looked so pretty and chic and natural. So naturally I wanted to try and replicate this too... add everything, and keep it simple and look classy and sophisticated...<br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">Everyone got stuck in, chatting about Christmas plans, talking about their wreath ideas.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">I like seeing the wreaths come together quickly, with the patterns, shapes and symmetry. </div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">Helen and her assistant were so helpful, offering suggestions, talking about the foliage, explaining how to attach the fiddly bits (cinnamon sticks), tips for disguising wires, creating bows from ribbon and the all important holding up ans working out which way is up - and complimenting our unique creations.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">It was a lovely and relaxing way to spend a Friday night, and despite taking pictures (in case i try to make my own next year) I'll still book on the class again next year!</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxVqjA_WlkaOibYz9TBzPgSgNLV1q3wzdMRX9g8uxKhlBk_wtgyqCDpx2JeDAaokIglknkPMVxAIk4524yxCQToRuxfJvlUrDuGgaSXD2i36RJTSuMUwTa2u_w2pvM7r9H1DNs-zz45E/s1600/PXL_20211203_210246863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxVqjA_WlkaOibYz9TBzPgSgNLV1q3wzdMRX9g8uxKhlBk_wtgyqCDpx2JeDAaokIglknkPMVxAIk4524yxCQToRuxfJvlUrDuGgaSXD2i36RJTSuMUwTa2u_w2pvM7r9H1DNs-zz45E/s1600/PXL_20211203_210246863.jpg" border="0" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" width="240" height="320"></a></div><br></div>Mine is now installed on my garden gate at the front of the house.</div>Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-1608194397415434622021-11-29T20:57:00.001+00:002021-11-29T20:57:33.420+00:00Last night I dreamt about driving a double decker bus<div>#LastNightIDreamt i was on my way to Scarborough with Carl Vincent and the kids, I was driving us there in a double decker bus. </div><div>At one point i drove round a roundabout twice as i missed the exit i needed. </div><div>Once we were in Scarborough, we made our way from a car park into the town and walked through the cattle market, which was having a sale. </div><div>Carl thought it would be a good idea to buy a lamb to fatten up but hadn't really thought this idea through as we had to take it home.</div><div>At this point in the dream the double decker bus didn't exist and we had our VW golf estate and I didn't think that we could get 2 adults, 2 kids and a sheep home in that car...</div><div>Then I woke up.</div>Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-19552293202505314822021-11-14T08:26:00.001+00:002021-12-12T08:38:09.416+00:00The Roller disco<div>The last time I did this was about 30years ago, it was a Police Capers event at it was indoors at Darlington's Dolphin Centre (leisure centre), prior to this it would have been outside at Darlington's Victoria Park in their roller skate rink.<br></div><div><br></div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3xrXFgqh5lUc-Sy9uhB1m7OlDr46qNhonM0ev-oslSeozHgnUyh2UT7ccni71DrRgxTEvtsoHkxsrS-N8YyY8D4n8J7NDM6k2gYWOme2Wou7aYI0z9A5taR3Lb2NJAzHv76BfkR_DSE/s1600/PXL_20211113_164400294.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3xrXFgqh5lUc-Sy9uhB1m7OlDr46qNhonM0ev-oslSeozHgnUyh2UT7ccni71DrRgxTEvtsoHkxsrS-N8YyY8D4n8J7NDM6k2gYWOme2Wou7aYI0z9A5taR3Lb2NJAzHv76BfkR_DSE/s1600/PXL_20211113_164400294.MP.jpg" border="0" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" width="240" height="320"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">It was Sam's school friends sisters birthday party and sam was invited, it was his first ever time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9x-xnJVaJM3me1thLPZcDznybFgWFvL8HoggWuGt7DZLWJyt77L1ICG3oDk00DrTr0OSuFDS1N604SpFjcLKTi1fsCL_0QRIOVB77U50HdXKrQkZ1mdzKGB_xfK3ydg9sK9TIhpcNAnU/s1600/PXL_20211113_160727950.NIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9x-xnJVaJM3me1thLPZcDznybFgWFvL8HoggWuGt7DZLWJyt77L1ICG3oDk00DrTr0OSuFDS1N604SpFjcLKTi1fsCL_0QRIOVB77U50HdXKrQkZ1mdzKGB_xfK3ydg9sK9TIhpcNAnU/s1600/PXL_20211113_160727950.NIGHT.jpg" border="0" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" width="240" height="320"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">It was great to spend time with Sam, sharing something from my childhood and I didn't fall over either.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">It took him a bit of time to get his balance, and once we were both on wheels it felt much easier.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;">I really want to do this again, with Sam!</div><br></div>Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-50043260878743768882017-10-14T13:51:00.002+01:002017-10-14T13:51:20.266+01:00Baby bumble bee song (a blast from the past)The memory of this song was triggered by Sam eating a gingerbread biscuit with bumblebee icing. I just burst into song (with the actions). Mr Lisa sat in stunned silence, wondering what the hell I was on about (clearly not a song from his childhood).<br />
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This was a song from primary school (I don't remember the last time I sang it out loud, or even had the memory of it in my head). Anyway here's the song and the actions (as I remember them)<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Action: reaching out to grab something and catch it between your hands</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a;">I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: inherit;">Won't my mommy be so proud of me?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: inherit;">I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: inherit;">Ouch! It stung me!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3a3a3a;"><br /></span><i>Action: squashing something between your hands</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a;">I'm squishing up my baby bumblebee</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a;">Won't my mommy be so mad at me?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a;">I'm squishing up my baby bumblebee</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a;">Urgh, what a mess</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3a3a3a;"><br /></span><i>Action: pretending to lick something off your hands</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a;">I'm licking up my baby bumblebee</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a;">Won't my mommy be so proud of me?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a;">I'm licking up my baby bumblebee</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a;">Urgh, no salt!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3a3a3a;"><br /></span><i>Action: pretending to be sick</i><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a;">I'm bleh-ing up my baby bumblebee</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a;">Won't my mommy be so proud of me?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a;">I'm bleh-ing up my baby bumblebee</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a;">Ooh! What a mess!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3a3a3a;"><br /></span><i>Action: pretending to mop up the floor</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a;">I'm mopping up my baby bumblebee</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a;">Won't my mommy be so proud of me?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: inherit;">I'm mopping up my baby bumblebee</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: inherit;">Ooh! No more baby bumblebee!</span><br />
Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-52383683063282018162016-06-06T19:21:00.000+01:002016-06-06T19:21:08.197+01:00Last night I dreamt Brad Willis from Neighbours stole my bird feederLast night I dreamt <a href="http://i44.tinypic.com/2s7jmtv.png"><span id="goog_1429873443"></span>Brad Willis from Neighbours<span id="goog_1429873444"></span></a> stole my bird feeder from my garden and then attempted to run off with it. He ran through my garage but the front door of it was closed, so he was pretty much cornered.<br />
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I went in the garage and hit him with a broom handle.<br />
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<br />Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-32674397188281657562016-03-27T15:22:00.000+01:002016-05-09T23:56:23.885+01:00My approach to new year resolutions (2016)In January I set myself a challenge...Do 2 exercise classes a week throughout January. I already do one class (<a href="http://looopeeelisa.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/my-lunchtime-exercise-class-spinning.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spinning on a Monday with Leanne</a>), but I thought that I could fit in another lunchtime class, and decided that it would be another spinning class on Thursday lunchtime.<br />
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Lunchtime classes work for me, and spinning classes are 30mins of high intensity arghhh, and at £3.35 a 30min session, it didn't break the bank either. Classes would fit in nicely with work and my personal life too. I stuck to my challenge - and have kept up the 2 classes ever since.<br />
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I also managed to nip in a cheeky lunchtime Nordic Walking taster session in January, a full class in February and March and I've another booked for April. These run on Wednesday from The Journey cafe, see: <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lunchtime-nordic-walks-in-newcastle-tickets-19623084173" target="_blank">sustrans</a> for details.<br />
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In February I decided to set myself a different kind of challenge. January was about doing more, and so February was going to be a "do less" challenge. I decided that "cake free February" had a nice ring to it, and I'd been eating far too much cake, so it would seem like a challenge to do that. To be honest I thought it would kill me - that I'd cave in after the first week, but I didn't. I didn't feel like eating cake or baking it. It was actually quite easy. After having continued with my January challenge into February, part of me considered that I should keep up the February challenge into March. And then I remembered that it was my birthday in March, and I was never not going to have cake on my birthday!<br />
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What I found hardest was March, when I gave myself permission to eat cake, actually doing it- it felt wrong. My first cake was half a krispy kreme doughnut (someone brought them into work), and it was actually a very disappointing first cake to eat. It wasn't until my birthday (2nd week in March) when I ate cake, I'd made mini creme egg scotch eggs - and they were much better.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xgPX8f7qnbNkul2tARaf4w-uKTYHow5WKNoKAo4hnMlA_5DUbOE3XyoN2r_MB0pEtr1J7A9whCwmq6YedTZmUKNzweRhJAqFA-SeA9PP7N4wAQsJklahrFrMNvyaU-tzA6Pt8cSh5wg/s1600/IMG_20160307_191206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xgPX8f7qnbNkul2tARaf4w-uKTYHow5WKNoKAo4hnMlA_5DUbOE3XyoN2r_MB0pEtr1J7A9whCwmq6YedTZmUKNzweRhJAqFA-SeA9PP7N4wAQsJklahrFrMNvyaU-tzA6Pt8cSh5wg/s320/IMG_20160307_191206.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini creme egg scotch eggs</td></tr>
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My challenge for March was about marching, using the stairs at work, instead of the lift. Marching up the stairs. I work on the 3rd floor, but I've been using the lift as much as possible - out of laziness and grabbing a few minutes to watch the TV which is on in reception. Doing the stairs is hard work when you've got bags of shopping from town, or have just done a hard spin sesh. The first week of this challenge was particularly hard, I was slow and it felt like a drag, on reaching floor 3 I was tired, panting and looked like I'd just stepped out of the spin studio. Clearly the spin sessions weren't improving my "running up the stairs" technique.<br />
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As the month progressed my technique improved, I was bounding up the stairs like a gazelle, and I wasn't even breaking a sweat. I had also changed exercise classes too, Monday spin and Thursday circuits (which was having a huge impact on my overall fitness - my arms have muscly lumps in them!). At the start of March I was willing the month to pass so I could give up on this stupid challenge, but as I'm nearing the end of the month I'm not considering giving it up at all. It's a doddle.<br />
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I haven't sorted out April's challenge yet, but I'm thinking that it might be blog related. One post a week? I've got things I want to blog about, it's just making time to sit down and do them. Alternatively I could use the spring cleaning idea to do some tidying up/sorting out of my "stuff" - but is that a challenge? I could carry on with the exercise idea and do one of those 30-day things you see on <a href="https://uk.pinterest.com/30dayfitness/" target="_blank">pinterest</a>? I'm still undecided. But I'm going to continue with my monthly challenges - I like to have something to focus on and I'm enjoying them (eventually).Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-41348610772276065372015-10-11T12:58:00.001+01:002015-10-11T12:58:41.671+01:00Edward the headless fancy dress costumeAs it's nearly Halloween I thought I'd blog about the fancy dress costume I made for <a href="http://www.freshelement.co.uk/panic-room-0" target="_blank">Panic Room 2013.</a><br />
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I decided I wanted to make myself look headless <a href="http://looopeeelisa.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/halloween-costume-2010.html" target="_blank">(like this costume I made in 2010)</a> but without it giving me a stiff neck .<br />
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I began by making a paper maché neck and shoulders: I created the shoulders by wrapping a pillow in a bag, wrapping it with brown tape to create a sausage. Then for the neck I taped a plastic plant pot to the top and then just covered it in paper maché (flour & water paste and strips of newspaper). I let it dry and put another layer on.<br />
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When it was completely dry (it took over a week) I removed the pillow, this was now my fake neck and shoulders. Next it needed painting skin colour, and a then some bloody detail on the neck, so it looked like it had been hacked off.<br />
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My original plan was to re-use the red dress from the previous outfit, but there wasn't enough material in it to work.<br />
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So I googled "headless fancy dress costume images" and found my inspiration.<br />
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I trawled the local charity shops (there's an abundance in Whitley Bay) and found a big sized (XXL), long, leather-look coat and knew it would work, but I needed to find a way to mount the shoulders so that it looked realistic.<br />
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My structural engineer helped with this, the shoulders were attached to a wooden frame and the wooden frame slotted into a rucksack, the rucksack was zipped up to secure it in place. The coat was put on, over the rucksack so the headless part was wearing the coat (not me).<br />
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As I needed to see where I was going, I wanted to created the illusion that my head had been cut off and the headless person (Edward as I had nicknamed him) was holding their own severed head.<br />
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I had to work out where my head would come through the button fastening and how to create fake arms positioned to look like they we're holding my head.<br />
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The button fastening was easy, having Mr Lisa really helped as he could mark where I needed to stitch the coat/remove buttons.<br />
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For the arms I created fake arms using screwed up newspaper wrapped in tin foil, tin foil is great for moulding, it's lightweight and holds it's shape, I secured the positions (slightly bend) by wrapping them up with brown tape. I created hands by repeating the process and stuffing them into a pair of old gloves and attached the hands to the arms and wrapped it all up in brown tape again, stuffed the arm into an old shirt and did the same with the other side. Then I "dressed" the shoulder and neck piece with the shirt, and the shirt in the coat, positioned and secured the head-holding-arm to the coat and it was done.<br />
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I messed up my hair, put ghoulish make-up on and just wore a vest top underneath (it was pretty warm in there) jeans and boots and I was done.<br />
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Edward won 2nd prize in the competition and he now lives in my loft. He's available for weddings funerals & bar mitzvahs<br />
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<br />Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-21556062361973463392015-06-21T11:03:00.001+01:002015-06-21T11:03:14.590+01:00My recent scab<div dir="ltr">
A few weeks ago i fell over, in slow motion. I was walking to the supermarket pushing my sleeping baby when I seemed to trip, fall to my knees, tip the pushchair, land on my knees and keep hold of the pushchair (I was going downhill). </div>
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A few cars slowed down, but drove off when they saw I was okay. I bloody wasn't, I was shaken.</div>
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Mr Sam stayed asleep *phew* if fact he didn't even stir.</div>
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My jeans we're torn at the knees and I was shaken, I got the the bottom of the hill and got my phone out and spoke to a friendly voice (Carl).</div>
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I bought the bits from the shop, ignoring my ripped jeans (it's probably fashionable) and aching knees.</div>
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I got home and inspected my injuries: a nackered pair of jeans, a bruised right knee, bit bloody scrape on the left knee (complete with bruise) and a bumped ego. I got a cuddle for being brave and a plaster.</div>
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Now my knee has scabbed over nicely, I've been very good in *not* picking it, despite it coming away at the edges and saying "pick me pick me". I love picking scabs. But I'm trying to let this one fall off on its own, without any help from me, "no i didnt pick it, it just fell off in my hand" ;-)</div>
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If you don't like scabs, then don't look at this picture.<br />
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Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-1370315844234665172015-06-21T10:45:00.001+01:002015-06-21T10:45:05.032+01:00On the same night I also dreamt<p dir="ltr">That someone stole my greenhouse. An 8x6' greenhouse: frame, glass, clips, shelves, all the pots inside. They just left the concrete base. Fuckers. I was speechless.</p>
Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-60072163463799536542015-06-20T08:41:00.001+01:002015-06-20T08:41:01.499+01:00Last night I dreamt I was...<p dir="ltr">Last night I dreamt the lady on the cosmetics counter was applying foundation to my face</p>
Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-44632445407906301562015-02-21T15:28:00.001+00:002015-02-21T15:28:25.936+00:00We're off, we're off, we're off in a bumper car<p dir="ltr">When driving home today I burst into song, which came out of nowhere<i>:</i></p>
<p dir="ltr">We're off, we're off, we're off in a bumper car,<br>
Sixty cops are after us and we don't know where we are<br>
Turning round the corner eating apple pie,<br>
The cop says "give us a bit" so I chucked it in his eye.<br>
I went to tell me mother, me mother wasn't in<br>
I went to tell me dad and he chucked me in the bin </p>
<p dir="ltr">We used to sing this song on bus trips, and I don't think <i>I've sang this for at least 10 years.</i></p>
Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-47815086803008997072015-02-18T09:49:00.000+00:002015-09-20T16:38:10.506+01:00My name in a pancake<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-xKTJjaOMFhZi9G8mkTMy7nAJWq70W-DKPAYkH110s1H5kUhhUKfyR06o2oDIh7z9o-_Z9J_zNbgxihlOnc2OJmWXt4VQwRAxstinUQNrJJ90f2xbwOGrWmBy5-C61MevQALIVHRgmE/s1600/pancake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-xKTJjaOMFhZi9G8mkTMy7nAJWq70W-DKPAYkH110s1H5kUhhUKfyR06o2oDIh7z9o-_Z9J_zNbgxihlOnc2OJmWXt4VQwRAxstinUQNrJJ90f2xbwOGrWmBy5-C61MevQALIVHRgmE/s1600/pancake.jpg" width="240" /></a>So it was shrove Tuesday this week and we had pancakes at our house, I had 3 and in my third pancake I wrote my name in the batter (piped from a piping bag) cooked it a bit and poured in the rest.<br />
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If I'd known how good it turned out I would have written messages or taken facebook requests...<br />
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<br />Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-20253995743889482512014-12-03T12:35:00.005+00:002014-12-03T12:35:47.592+00:00How to make an ambulance out of cakeMy nephew went to Coventy University in September to learn/train to become a paramedic, he's wanted to do this for a long time. I was asked to make him an ambulance for his 18th Birthday (21st May 2014), here's my belated post about how I made his cake.<br />
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I started (as always) by googling "<a href="http://tinyurl.com/pm7kawz" target="_blank">ambulance cake</a>" and taking a look at what other people had made, my inspiration was <a href="http://www.imaginativeicing.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/3d_nhs_ambulance_cake.jpg" target="_blank">this one </a><br />
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Here's my version:<br />
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<td>I made several chocolate sponge cakes and cut them to a basic shape</td>
<td>Then glued the layers together with chocolate buttercream and covered the entire cake in buttercream.</td>
<td>Then covered the cake in white icing - this bit was tricky, I did it in two parts the front cab and the back were 2 separate pieces of icing.</td>
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Then I added window (cutting out the shape from the white icing and replacing with black icing), making the wheels and bumper (black icing) and then adding the rest of the ambulance logos:<br />
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Eat Your Photo </h3>
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The checkerboard and the logos were printed onto edible icing - and ordered from<a href="http://www.eatyourphoto.co.uk/" target="_blank"> Eat Your Photo</a>
- you send them a file with your images and they'll print and send them
within a few days, I just googled for the images. I've been really impressed with their service. You cut the pieces to size, wet the back and stick onto the cake. </div>
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Here are the finishing touches: </div>
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I then added some blue lights, wing mirrors and a number plate JACK 18<br />
Unfortunately I didn't get any pics of the back - which I did in the traditional chevron style (but it wasn't as neat as the front).<br />
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Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-83714466689687678292014-10-28T10:16:00.001+00:002014-10-28T10:19:08.121+00:00Misheard lyrics: Dons "Big Fun"This is a 90's dance track, one of those that you'll hear and say "oh yes I remember that" - but you might have seen the title to this post and gone "who? Eh?"<br />
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I heard it at the weekend, at the time I was dancing around the kitchen rocking my 3wk old baby to sleep and singing the chorus.<br />
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The chorus (to me) went like this..."we're having meatballs"<br />
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(Scroll in about 46secs for the chorus)<br />
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Apparently these aren't the words of the chorus (says Mr Lisa) the lyrics are, "we're having big fun"<br />
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I much prefer the carniverous lyrics.<br />
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<br />Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-72472424019464460362014-10-06T13:11:00.000+01:002014-10-27T21:48:22.131+00:00The birth of my baby boy, Sam Vincent.This time last week I was in early labour at the RVI, I'd gone in on Sunday 28th September to be induced, being pregnant for 39weeks +1 day.<br />
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I'd also built up this fear of induction, reflecting on the last time labour was induced; to give birth to my dead baby (Ellie) and I was over-thinking things too much...<br />
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I was also concerned about "what ifs" - what if the drugs they used didn't work - I didn't want to have the intravenous drugs (known to cause rapid, more painful contractions and with a higher risk of requiring other interventions). On reflection, these concerns were about control - if things didn't go "smoothly" then I wouldn't feel in control and that (for me) meant danger.<br />
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My birth plan was simple<i> </i>(I thought) - no epidural, no forceps, no c-section (unless there was a significant risk to my/my son's health), I'd accepted every drug offered to me during the delivery of Ellie and this time I refused everything (except gas & air) to ensure that nothing would compromise the health of my baby and I needed to hear that all important "cry" as soon as he was born, compared to the silence when I had Ellie. <br />
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I did seek help and support from the <a href="https://www.uk-sands.org/" target="_blank">SANDS forums</a> and <a href="http://thebirthandbabynetwork.com/" target="_blank">Janine Rudin</a> - an extrodinary woman, who has helped me over the last 18months or so....She gave me the support and reassurance that I could re-think the negative "what ifs" into positive "Cans" - positive statements to confirm what I can do: I can ask questions, I can use breathing techniques to relax, I can listen to my body, I can move around etc...And focus on the ending I'd been visualising; laid in the hospital bed with <i>my</i> baby on my chest.<br />
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I was induced at the RVI hospital in Newcastle, along with 4 other women, and was happy to be in the same ward - this was 'normal' practice with a positive outcome, and I wanted as much normality as possible.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking rebellious after escaping</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was weighed on the day, 88.9kg (13stone 13lb) - a pleasant, unexpected surprise (I thought I might have put on more in the last few weeks). Treatment began at 11.40am, at 12.30pm I was allowed to get up and move around, permitted to walk around the hospital but not to go off site....so we went off site. I felt so naughty, I'm never usually a rebel and tend to do as I'm told. My hospital wrist band and surgical stockings were visible but I didn't care. We went to M&S near Haymarket and sat at the cafe near the bakery section and had a slap up lunch, chicken & bacon ciabatta, Carl had a steak sandwich. It was brilliant!<br />
<br />
We returned to the hospital for a check up around 2pm, by this time I'd felt some mild contractions but nothing regular, nothing to worry about. Back at the hospital regular contractions began at 3pm, every 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOaoq_8s_cixajbrFnGI3PB8tEWeI0_mP3L5cOZlGzNHIlXXE9QLHYnVVZ-WjtqTDMlNMDGAWe4Vg90N-qn8fC5sus27L0xsryrXaesnBixEy5ME1Mja7W9vifuUFUNRaEXFneCyFiAM/s1600/IMG_20140928_165433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOaoq_8s_cixajbrFnGI3PB8tEWeI0_mP3L5cOZlGzNHIlXXE9QLHYnVVZ-WjtqTDMlNMDGAWe4Vg90N-qn8fC5sus27L0xsryrXaesnBixEy5ME1Mja7W9vifuUFUNRaEXFneCyFiAM/s1600/IMG_20140928_165433.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam's Progress (heartrate & kicks)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My remedy was to listen and dance to music - I'd put together a collection of dance music, stuff with a good beat that I could shake/sway/wiggle my hips to stood at the end of the bed (the curtains were drawn), and Carl had a nap. I felt that if I was actively dancing around then the baby might start moving in the right direction<br />
<br />
At times I was put on a monitor, with 2 elastic belts around my waist, monitoring our baby's heartbeat and I had to use a clicker to record his kicks, his heartbeat was regular and steady and his kicks/movements were normal too.<br />
<br />
<br />
The next drugs were due around 5.30pm, but as I'd progressed enough (2cm) my waters were broken (not painful but it caused a big gush of fluid, I was surprised at how much). After this I had to stay on the monitor until a delivery room was ready.<br />
<br />
At 7.10pm I "graduated" from the induction ward to a delivery room (on my own), the other 3 women on the ward weren't there yet, and this made me feel positive - my labour was progressing well. By the time I left I was contracting every 3 minutes for about 45 seconds at a time (typically 4 in a 10 minute period).<br />
<br />
Everytime I heard a cry from a baby on the corridor it reminded me why I was there - reassurance of the positive ending - a crying baby :-)<br />
<br />
I remember being introduced to another midwife, her name was Ellie, they asked if that was okay? I thought it was because of her name, but then realised she was a student - and they were asking if she could observe. My birth plan said no, the midwife Lyndsey also realised what my birth plan had stated and we said no. They were fine with this. <br />
<br />
I told Lyndsey that I would fully cooperate with her, I'd listen to her and I'd work with her during the pushing bit as I really didn't want to tear or be cut. <br />
<br />
The next parts were a bit blurry (I didn't make notes, as I'd been doing until now) I was too distracted by contractions and focussing on my breathing.<br />
<br />
The last time I remember being checked was 9.30pm, initially I was stood up leaning over the bed leaning on a pilates ball during contractions, and breathing "calm and relaxed"as I went.<br />
<br />
There was screaming across the corridor, other women in labour going through the pushing bit - some seemed to be screaming forever, I didn't want to be like that. I just told myself that they were having a bigger baby than me. It seemed that as soon as the screaming stopped you'd hear a wail from a baby and then 20mins later another woman would start screaming in agony...<br />
<br />
I ate pieces of "power flapjack" - a recipe I'd got from the <a href="http://www.thecyclehub.org/" target="_blank">CycleHub</a> last year for their cyclist's flapjack (full of oats, honey, peatnut butter, fruit & nuts) and I covered it in chocolate too for good measure. And I drank lots of water, and also <a href="http://highfive.co.uk/product/energy/energysource" target="_blank">High5 cycling energy drink</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRn74vlUVStpAGugxg8lvH-ttwDnnWwyu6SAU8JUSl7Jj6hZ48xWlwdLh9-JC8MPPRuATuwFGBxrZDdVUEZkoK7uei9AWwQV67l34Ak-7TRAWnsO_DzrtnldyUYAMrV9rivOiBYmADqEk/s1600/Capture2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRn74vlUVStpAGugxg8lvH-ttwDnnWwyu6SAU8JUSl7Jj6hZ48xWlwdLh9-JC8MPPRuATuwFGBxrZDdVUEZkoK7uei9AWwQV67l34Ak-7TRAWnsO_DzrtnldyUYAMrV9rivOiBYmADqEk/s1600/Capture2.JPG" height="195" width="200" /></a>I had <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket_Symphony" target="_blank">Air "Pocket Symphony"</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_%28album%29" target="_blank">Kate Bush "Aeriel"</a> playing on a bluetooth speaker - calming songs to help me relax.<br />
<br />
I made sure I went to the loo every hour, at each visit the contractions were increasing and I gave myself a pep talk in the mirror - to keep me focussed, to remind me to breathe and to tell myself that this is what it necessary to bring me my baby.<br />
<br />
The last toilet stop I remember was 11pm.<br />
I kneeled on the bed in an upright position, Carl massaging my lower back (& when his hand got stiff, he used a tennis ball we'd taken in).<br />
<br />
I was offered drugs - I refused. Just gas & air.<br />
<br />
My baby's heartrate was monitored during later contractions, no change - almost textbook.<br />
<br />
I'm sure I could feel him wriggling in there too whilst I was experiencing the pain of labour, and I knew that he was alright.<br />
<br />
<br />
During strong contractions I sometimes got my breathing technique mixed up with breathing the gas and air and I'd panic, which would cause me to tense me up, and I had to tell myself to stay "calm and relaxed"<br />
<br />
I got to a point where I couldn't stay as calm and relaxed anymore, things were at the point of no return, my calm and relaxed breathing now had a noise, me crying out in pain - which I felt were pretty calm compared to what was going on across the corridor (but you'll have to check with Mr Lisa about this, as I can't remember how loud I got)<br />
<br />
I reached the point where I needed to push and I moved into a position where the midwife could check things (to make sure I could push) and at this point I was staying like this, on my back.<br />
<br />
I'd forgotten about how to do the pushing bit, and the midwife explained this again. During the contraction I pushed - like I was having a poo, sometimes the contraction wasn't long enough. When his head was there - I was asked if I wanted to touch his head, no I didn't, I wanted him out, I wanted him alive, I wanted to hear him to cry.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQeL1pfVcLE6yzwRKvNpdpzgQZylWGZ6IIywsiimf9gK9Hh-lEMSx0U7-hkhapWuYvFlRUOGYDClOrLA0Ryx4V6zMZqAUF4D8cIgxpusuAw53ico0J8xY-IlR06rrT3kQeRlzB9sHser8/s1600/IMG_20140929_012824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQeL1pfVcLE6yzwRKvNpdpzgQZylWGZ6IIywsiimf9gK9Hh-lEMSx0U7-hkhapWuYvFlRUOGYDClOrLA0Ryx4V6zMZqAUF4D8cIgxpusuAw53ico0J8xY-IlR06rrT3kQeRlzB9sHser8/s1600/IMG_20140929_012824.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minutes after birth - how I'd imagined</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The pushing took 15minutes (that's quite quick they tell me).<br />
<br />
Once his head was out the rest of the body followed, it felt incredibly strange all of that long body going through me, it seemed to take forever and I think I gasped in horror, like I could see my insides coming out of me, of course they weren't - this was my baby - but it was quite a shock. With Ellie, I didn't want to see her birth, and I had a cushion over my knees to shield the view.<br />
<br />
At 1.15am on Monday 29th September 2014 I heard it.<br />
<br />
The cry. The cry of our healthy baby boy.<br />
<br />
Alive and well. <br />
Our baby was put on my chest, skin to skin - where he immediately did a wee on me.<br />
<br />
No cuts, no tears, no interventions, just grazes - a small price to pay for a beautiful baby boy, with long gangly arms and legs and big feet and hands. Shovels for hands as my dad would say.<br />
<br />
<br />Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-84623406608682591072014-09-22T10:02:00.000+01:002015-03-11T10:22:25.180+00:00My name on a biscuit...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNU90qBRs-1NaaBEvmcdKAq1irUiWSKfdwyydKTJPbJ0rGk4LRADWpr8FMIMOyOqUcXHEx7KRKp91Jh0xDy3GbQGeWqjPM5zlIkh7c-fdiR3oi2GeSV5QSlwez7_PFnAEQztKa1xwi2A/s1600/IMG_20140915_112453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNU90qBRs-1NaaBEvmcdKAq1irUiWSKfdwyydKTJPbJ0rGk4LRADWpr8FMIMOyOqUcXHEx7KRKp91Jh0xDy3GbQGeWqjPM5zlIkh7c-fdiR3oi2GeSV5QSlwez7_PFnAEQztKa1xwi2A/s1600/IMG_20140915_112453.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I went to a </span><a href="http://www.cakepoppins.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #6611cc; cursor: text; font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">www.cakepoppins.co.uk</a><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> class yesterday - yes she makes amazing cakes, cakepops and cupcakes but she also runs classes so you can learn some new baking/decorating skills for yourself.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yesterday's class was using royal icing to decorate biscuits, something I wish I'd done pre-St Basil's Cathedral. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">There were 5 of us on the class, Kate had baked the biscuits and so all we had to do was, watch, listen, have a go and r-e-l-a-x.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">No one was able to roll the greaseproof into the piping bag shape, something I'm sure I could master after watching it repeatedly on YouTube - so Kate made all of our piping bags.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first part was to pipe the outline in stiff icing, remembering not to pipe too close, then flood the biscuits (piping runnier royal icing onto the biscuit) up to the outline - using a cocktail stick to spread it. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kate told us which biscuit to work on and the colours to use - a bit like "paint by numbers" and we all followed, this was helpful for me because it meant that I could concentrate on getting the techniques right before having to worry about picking colours.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">So when we'd worked through the teapot, the dog, the duck and the fish, we could do some of the other shapes (circles, hearts, stars and choose our own colours!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This was most challenging part of the class for me - so many pretty colours to choose, but what if they didn't look right together and what kind of pattern should I do - so many variables to worry about un-necessarily. Kate's solution to a crap looking biscuit was to eat it! A helpful tip.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Talking of helpful tips - the class was full of them: getting the consistency of the royal icing right, mixing colours, choosing royal icing, feathering, flooding, dropping, storing royal icing and getting the colours looking vibrant.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I've done the macaron class and the cakepop class, both of which were equally excellent and strangely relaxing once you get going. Classes are small so you can ask lots of questions and you get to take loads of tasty treats home!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">See: </span><a href="http://cakepoppins.co.uk/Classes.html" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #6611cc; cursor: text; font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">http://cakepoppins.co.uk/Classes.html</a><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for classes/dates/prices</span><br style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: 'Roboto Slab', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;" />Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-51711562483108073752014-07-28T08:31:00.001+01:002014-07-28T08:31:45.699+01:00Allotmenting whilst pregnant<p dir="ltr">Although I've not been posting regularly about my allotment, I've still got my allotment and am still 'doing' it. </p>
<p dir="ltr">This year I've done 90% of the work and Mr Lisa has done the other 10%.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Being pregnant is no excuse (for me) to stop, I'm fit and well, the baby is active and well and because I was digging/weeding/picking/planting/sowing before I became pregnant then it's perfectly safe for me to continue (I'm still spinning & walking up/down the escalator).</p>
<p dir="ltr">For the early part of the pregnancy (until about 18wks) I haven't really had to do anything differently.</p>
<p dir="ltr">As my bump has grown I've had to listen to my body, and adjust things accordingly.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Before 18wks:<br>
I'd dig a patch of ground with a fork, turn it over, bend over and pick the weeds out, non-stop until it was done.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Now:<br>
I dig a patch of ground with a fork, I squat down and pick the weeds out (wearing gloves) and if I feel the (normal) gentle muscle/ligament stretch across the lower part of my belly I'd slow down or sit down for 5mins with a drink.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Generally my weeding/sowing/planting position has changed, mainly because bending from the waist squishes my (growing) belly and soon causes that muscle/ligament pain.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So I'm mostly on my hands and knees (kneeling on a knee pad) using a handtool and wearing gloves to pick/remove weeds, or squatting.</p>
<p dir="ltr">There are some things I can't squat down for, like picking peas, picking climbing french beans, filling the watering cans and digging potato plants but I'm just *careful* about how vigorously I do these and I listen to my body.</p>
<p dir="ltr">My allotment still isn't perfect and I know it never will be, but it's keeping me active and when I have dinner and see that all of the veg is homegrown I feel proud.</p>
<p dir="ltr">30wks pregnant.</p>
Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-56890116337112220072014-07-10T21:26:00.003+01:002014-07-10T21:35:19.893+01:00Experiments: St Basil's Cathedral<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<i><a href="http://looopeeelisa.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/cakebook-2014-st-basils-cathedral.html" target="_blank">Cakebook 2014: St Basil's Cathedral </a></i><br />
<ul></ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://looopeeelisa.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/planning-st-basils-cathedral.html" target="_blank"><i>Planning: </i><i>St Basil's Cathedral</i></a></li>
<li><a href="http://looopeeelisa.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/experiments-st-basils-cathedral.html" target="_blank"><i>Experiments: </i><i><i>St Basil's Cathedral</i></i></a></li>
<li><a href="http://looopeeelisa.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/building-st-basils-cathedral.html" target="_blank"><i><i>Building: </i></i><i><i><i>St Basil's Cathedral</i></i></i></a></li>
<li><a href="http://looopeeelisa.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/on-day-st-basils-cathedral-tea-cake.html" target="_blank"><i><i><i>On the day: </i></i></i></a><i><i><a href="http://looopeeelisa.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/on-day-st-basils-cathedral-tea-cake.html" target="_blank"><i><i>St Basil's Cathedral & Tea & Cake Planet (Cakebook 2014)</i> </i></a> </i></i></li>
</ul>
<ul></ul>
<h3>
Experiments: St Basil's Cathedral</h3>
Once some of the decisions had been made I cracked on with the towers - I'd decided that using dowels would be too tricky, they'd need to line up perfectly, no room for mistakes and the cake would be stacked in layers, which wouldn't be very strong and a wobble in the car might cause cracks, so then I thought about making the towers portable - taking the base, transporting the towers and putting them on at the venue, but that meant that the towers would have to fit perfectly and we'd still be hoping that they wouldn't topple over on the day and the decoration on the towers might come off if the towers were laid on their side in the moving car.<br />
<br />
Then I wondered about swiss rolls, making swiss rolls. I've made them before - but they're never even and they always unravel - they're tasty enough and easy-ish to make, but I couldn't commit to doing 8 perfect ones and the cake in the base too, but that didn't stop me thinking that shop-bought swiss rolls might be a better, more structurally sound alternative. <br />
<br />
<h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIoSptUG-am2X7cF8RRhMIfc4fTcy6BTDFHcXfGYGjkATwosKtN9Y02OJREM6VZI45xCyCMNfAk2y3IDkZVMOa3_vxf_nN5OtOcYVztSSzb9PRbEm1n6PptPmNBOmT5UpvyiApj75wJqM/s1600/IMG_20140612_220655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a> I began with mini-rolls</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pOsA0pnpRQOa0EcW91ddY-9Mak6QAkGq6tYIzzAvroPdiq_N0X3S_AW9ZMIIpJOU8ihLHJj8w1nDLg1ecWy2i6_LzsLXa7pvY3sg4TN1WnJC5FhYibrMgOeF7qWtCOHd0tOceip1jUU/s1600/IMG_20140612_213847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pOsA0pnpRQOa0EcW91ddY-9Mak6QAkGq6tYIzzAvroPdiq_N0X3S_AW9ZMIIpJOU8ihLHJj8w1nDLg1ecWy2i6_LzsLXa7pvY3sg4TN1WnJC5FhYibrMgOeF7qWtCOHd0tOceip1jUU/s1600/IMG_20140612_213847.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcZx15_Fgh_qqRycoCJmZHHCyswfhXsfJr7kbZqlOPZ00Wilg0GRhxbmCbtYnZXAAoVfy77tifseFwATmgMmKaBsvVPNpgPJhAlGZAOZV32lUF_5NJ9S2MIs7JldIEBZ37V-r_my-8QA/s1600/IMG_20140612_212735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcZx15_Fgh_qqRycoCJmZHHCyswfhXsfJr7kbZqlOPZ00Wilg0GRhxbmCbtYnZXAAoVfy77tifseFwATmgMmKaBsvVPNpgPJhAlGZAOZV32lUF_5NJ9S2MIs7JldIEBZ37V-r_my-8QA/s1600/IMG_20140612_212735.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB4eSge_6-JNVUcm1jpeK7qJ1UiFd-Jz0iCNC1OO7zm7lMbBwEm6eQE_K0D3ZblWjsE1Mb_ZatOVYAcBBwCo-Y-NUq74ERmnSOnCSolvoLtUGbsx0JEE_orx3rhJ0dK0Q4IBuFnuFLouQ/s1600/IMG_20140612_212443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB4eSge_6-JNVUcm1jpeK7qJ1UiFd-Jz0iCNC1OO7zm7lMbBwEm6eQE_K0D3ZblWjsE1Mb_ZatOVYAcBBwCo-Y-NUq74ERmnSOnCSolvoLtUGbsx0JEE_orx3rhJ0dK0Q4IBuFnuFLouQ/s1600/IMG_20140612_212443.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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I tried mini-rolls first of all, I skewered 4 together and wrapped them in icing. It was a pain to do because the chocolate kept droping off the mini-roll and then when I'd finished wrapping it in icing I realised that I <b>should</b> have covered the mini-rolls in buttercream first (to help the icing stick).<br />
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Another problem with the mini-roll was that the joins between mini rolls weren't strong enough, so as soon as the skewer was removed I'd get cracks....I decided that mini-rolls were <b>not</b> the cake to use here, so I unwrapped them and ate (some) of them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrI3y9djoiDx1mYoLl_Pog8z2rbGuicRrAtia6L3INvPXOZtOND54OQE6smUEtl-15CZ3J9WRQLLe787RDs0_JksDcm_zg4maJ9uWVgRmUCYlgmnZc7VDGnQv10LiszClyZRn5o_-sXs/s1600/IMG_20140622_101327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrI3y9djoiDx1mYoLl_Pog8z2rbGuicRrAtia6L3INvPXOZtOND54OQE6smUEtl-15CZ3J9WRQLLe787RDs0_JksDcm_zg4maJ9uWVgRmUCYlgmnZc7VDGnQv10LiszClyZRn5o_-sXs/s1600/IMG_20140622_101327.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><br />
So I moved onto swiss rolls, the family sized ones - 15inches (ish) long and 2 1/2 inches (ish) wide - these were much better, with a longer roll lightly buttercreamed and covered in icing there were no joins and I didn't need to have a skewer in it either. I made one and left it to harden, which helped it even more. I also thought that I could try a bit of piped royal icing too, just to see what my current efforts were like - pretty rubbish I can tell you. And that was whilst the tower was laid flat, I needed to get the hang of piping on a vertical surface...<br />
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I told myself that I still had enough time (about 3weeks) to practice my royal icing skills, and used youtube and help/tips from my friend <a href="http://www.cakepoppins.co.uk/" target="_blank">Cake Poppins</a>. I also found out that you could buy a piping nozzle which had more that one hole in it, so rather than stuggle to pipe 1 line at a time I could do 2, 3 or even 4 lines, if i bought the nozzles, which I did!!<br />
<h3>
Domes/Onions</h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjId7BHlQMNPCtCf6hmU4LTW73MTr7zfn3sFyLLGpqTxnQYovCDfdROCp6mDDipbS6z4EdHegIEJVTL1HxuzKrMwCyrwb23pBJWMNJKsgS9NcG08cmYjyOpEC18aFnxd0cMs_zfgvA2a2g/s1600/IMG_20140417_202446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjId7BHlQMNPCtCf6hmU4LTW73MTr7zfn3sFyLLGpqTxnQYovCDfdROCp6mDDipbS6z4EdHegIEJVTL1HxuzKrMwCyrwb23pBJWMNJKsgS9NcG08cmYjyOpEC18aFnxd0cMs_zfgvA2a2g/s1600/IMG_20140417_202446.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a>St Basil's Cathedral has 8 towers, each tower has a dome, 4 small and 4 large domes - we needed something that could be put on the tower that was fairly lightweight and that we could decorate.<br />
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<b>Fondant icing & Flower paste</b> (like fondant but sets ROCK HARD) - easy to mould and get the basic shape, sets hard but felt it might be too heavy.<br />
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So tried <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnNm9fgHhivY2hPn3ntp3i5EIIzINMq9-jPLEFDBuFVwwxM6KVD0tGB2Kw0onzvH4DZwo1NfcULu06csm0fFEnAYFphwx4gte6bUR2mDy-9nlOQqgN1vg1xwgK4SPW0aUW5ljJNpX1Ak/s1600/IMG_20140417_202604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnNm9fgHhivY2hPn3ntp3i5EIIzINMq9-jPLEFDBuFVwwxM6KVD0tGB2Kw0onzvH4DZwo1NfcULu06csm0fFEnAYFphwx4gte6bUR2mDy-9nlOQqgN1vg1xwgK4SPW0aUW5ljJNpX1Ak/s1600/IMG_20140417_202604.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><b>rice crispies & marshmallows</b> (a friend at work told us how good they are for creating shapes/moulding/scuplting. I found a <a href="http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/marshmallow-crispy-squares-98" target="_blank">recipe</a> that was quick and simple and and had a go....Woahhhhhh, how sticky does the mixture get!!! My hands were covered in a sticky mess. So washed them, put on latex gloves and tried again, woahhhh still too sticky, so I tried again with the gloves but coated my hands in olive oil - much better - but I wouldn't want to eat it after that. I got a good enough shape and it set pretty hard but it really is a pain in the backside to handle, and and still probably a bit too heavy.<br />
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We also considered the option of using the dome made from icing - covering it in clingfilm and covering it in rice crispy/marshmallow goo - but it didn't seem to work so well.<br />
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Then with about a week to go we decided that we'd see whether a<b> <a href="http://www.cakepoppins.co.uk/Cake-Pops.html" target="_blank">cakepop</a></b> might work...What's a cakepop? Ask my good friend Kate who runs <a href="http://www.cakepoppins.co.uk/Classes.html" target="_blank">CakePoppins holds classes</a> and she'll actually teach you how to make cake pops - small bitesize cakes (cake crumbs & buttercream) on sticks covered in chocolate and decorated up - if you're too lazy to learn you can always buy some from her - and they are bloody delicious too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgZn3gKau3x42bWe_E_WxV-j_vqgLMvwv4pGvDEVYB0qA75EShBMYFjhjufCmTjBSjD1nd1qBGSlsKzqpOwjDCmMs6VmnlyS_SlQ_mMyGcWxLBwpwKqFLnm-DHmK3tdBee9jV-M8AdgM/s1600/IMG_20140622_155736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgZn3gKau3x42bWe_E_WxV-j_vqgLMvwv4pGvDEVYB0qA75EShBMYFjhjufCmTjBSjD1nd1qBGSlsKzqpOwjDCmMs6VmnlyS_SlQ_mMyGcWxLBwpwKqFLnm-DHmK3tdBee9jV-M8AdgM/s1600/IMG_20140622_155736.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>A cakepop is a small thing like the size of a golf ball<b> </b>- I don't think that it's recommended that you do anything larger because the weight of the thing wouldn't hold to the stick, but we were desperate and we weren't putting it on a stick, it was more to sit on a flat tower, so we gave it a go. We decided that we'd make a batch and if it failed miserably at least we'd have something nice to eat.<br />
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So we made up some mixture, made one (at the size we wanted) weighed it, and then made the rest exactly the same weight. Chilled them in the freezer for a bit and melted some chocolate.<br />
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We decided that dipping the cakepop in the chocolate might not be ideal as we didn't want to fill the white chocolate with brown chocolatey crumbs, so we took the messiest option of pouring the chocolate on top of each cakepop.<br />
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As you can see - it was best to cover the worktop in greaseproof and have something that the cakepops could drip through, I admit that they weren't very evenly covered, but we decided that we'd coat them in coloured fondant icing anyway so you wouldn't see the bumpy lumpy bits. And the beauty of cakepops is that once they're covered in chocolate they'll keep really well (for about 10days) if they're in a cool spot (cupboard/fridge).<br />
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You can paint the chocolate, but we didn't have time to experiment with that...<br />
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Also, you may notice that there are 5 small domes in the picture below, we did enough for one small spare (knowing that it would be ours to gobble after the event - as I said, cakepops are delicious!!) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxcSskWkznAjSKt0COl0y3qVi-FcjtLnJsIMk8be_nfQCHUZ0y31YTbTKW11NaYQhiTisv0DLS_1sQsoaW77NeRKUwdvRbEhtgMmw8hWRa43-josf5FVgJ8ubmeXvTUKy7PrS4P0-rFs/s1600/IMG_20140622_172448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxcSskWkznAjSKt0COl0y3qVi-FcjtLnJsIMk8be_nfQCHUZ0y31YTbTKW11NaYQhiTisv0DLS_1sQsoaW77NeRKUwdvRbEhtgMmw8hWRa43-josf5FVgJ8ubmeXvTUKy7PrS4P0-rFs/s1600/IMG_20140622_172448.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
So we decided that cakepops were the way to go, they were probably even heavier than the icing and the marshmallow things, but we'd reached a point where we just decided to stick with this and keep everything crossed that they wouldn't cause any leaning/damage to the towers. Plus they would be transported and added to the cake in situ.<br />
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After they'd been covered in chocolate all we needed to do was decorate them in really bright colours - just like the cathedral<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kiddroof.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/russia-st-basils_6026_600x450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kiddroof.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/russia-st-basils_6026_600x450.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actual domes (Image from http://www.kiddroof.com)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6J_y9JrxpEdzckpdLDoX1pWAWlZthciicPxtYiCJiUh1Krf81mgtESCp_vzJAt56wpOiQaRmE8XLf4GnxNCmka4KaqgUZWuPvixAepQyX-Y9dAGuRvaNDs3iGX2IMjWfBBehJ2dRIf4/s1600/IMG_20140628_110215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6J_y9JrxpEdzckpdLDoX1pWAWlZthciicPxtYiCJiUh1Krf81mgtESCp_vzJAt56wpOiQaRmE8XLf4GnxNCmka4KaqgUZWuPvixAepQyX-Y9dAGuRvaNDs3iGX2IMjWfBBehJ2dRIf4/s1600/IMG_20140628_110215.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icing covered half-finished domes</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3yvvccEtpbtyg6p_etNKzAELHRP7FZjPGqfscRATtj_pRZ7CMCEn36KDqnEkoo6hDcXM5v0u6A4HoStLCAwTubFgri1ojUgCXVGkXbw0wumwn5dMo0vNO94Bt5Sxhe3tciKGtdws5g4/s1600/IMG_20140622_101327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286468865801351819.post-32380819068039624182014-07-10T21:24:00.000+01:002014-07-10T21:34:19.878+01:00Planning: St Basil's Cathedral<i><a href="http://looopeeelisa.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/cakebook-2014-st-basils-cathedral.html" target="_blank">Cakebook 2014: St Basil's Cathedral </a></i><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://looopeeelisa.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/planning-st-basils-cathedral.html" target="_blank"><i>Planning: </i><i>St Basil's Cathedral</i></a></li>
<li><a href="http://looopeeelisa.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/experiments-st-basils-cathedral.html" target="_blank"><i>Experiments: </i><i><i>St Basil's Cathedral</i></i></a></li>
<li><a href="http://looopeeelisa.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/building-st-basils-cathedral.html" target="_blank"><i><i>Building: </i></i><i><i><i>St Basil's Cathedral</i></i></i></a></li>
<li><a href="http://looopeeelisa.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/on-day-st-basils-cathedral-tea-cake.html" target="_blank"><i><i><i>On the day: </i></i></i></a><i><i><a href="http://looopeeelisa.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/on-day-st-basils-cathedral-tea-cake.html" target="_blank"><i><i>St Basil's Cathedral & Tea & Cake Planet (Cakebook 2014)</i> </i></a> </i></i></li>
</ul>
<h3>
Planning St Basil's Cathedral</h3>
Mr Lisa was very concerned. He took on the burden of "Engineer" as
he always does, even without volunteering. His role was to find all of
the tricky bits in the original building and work out how to make them
work (stand upright without any assistance: cardboard boxes, batons,
skewers) using the medium of cake - he's a purist and passionate about
it too. <i>If you're building a building out of cake it should be entirely made from cake, none of this cheating with boxes covered in icing...</i>He
likes the challenge, and by removing the amount of cake essentially
removes the challenge for him. And even though we have serious
discussions about how busy we both are, we actually really enjoy the
planning, experimentation and the actual building process.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbyZ2QEDdm3Zk1n_JcxH4EthbR26sDqgql3nOpUXpw-2ep_cdZhG9MD9BHnfInGhPkr8BB6KH0J3hNla8epvv97FAiQrza_jVWlsSIpRGCorklhhyphenhyphenCQyDURtHUtOHMDYxccw355uOFQA/s1600/IMG_20140630_213253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbyZ2QEDdm3Zk1n_JcxH4EthbR26sDqgql3nOpUXpw-2ep_cdZhG9MD9BHnfInGhPkr8BB6KH0J3hNla8epvv97FAiQrza_jVWlsSIpRGCorklhhyphenhyphenCQyDURtHUtOHMDYxccw355uOFQA/s1600/IMG_20140630_213253.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plans, blueprints, other versions (in cake)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And we had a few challenges to deal with:<br />
<ul>
<li>How are we going to do those towers around the outside, all 8 of them?</li>
<li>How are we going to do those towers around the outside AND transport it 8 miles without any structural damage?</li>
<li>How are we going to do the massive tower/spire in the middle?</li>
<li>How are we going to do the massive tower/spire in the middle AND transport it 8 miles without any structural damage?</li>
<li>How are we going to do those onion shaped domes on each tower?</li>
<li>How tall are we planning to make this? </li>
<li>How are we going to find the time to do all of this?</li>
</ul>
My thoughts were taken up with ideas about what shortcuts and decorations I'd like to try, and googline for<a href="https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=st+basils+cathedral+cake&newwindow=1&client=firefox-a&hs=LeM&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&channel=sb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=Xva-U7PhFcL_OYnjgNAF&ved=0CCMQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=631" target="_blank"> "St Basil's Catherdal cake"</a> - there are quite a few results, which was good, because it told me that it <b>was</b> possible!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_i09ow9h8eR-bB2MyUIdxdKDC_fRz8TvY_S81eYeZ5am-hXawl39-9Ss32ZRIQiT6GkpzCzKmlwwRFwzm7BhDDd_VEQ2eZdal0Lp4iXSjAWisHN5MGXoU8yg6t_v8-F3gePHsCC0UmHE/s1600/IMG_20140624_175853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_i09ow9h8eR-bB2MyUIdxdKDC_fRz8TvY_S81eYeZ5am-hXawl39-9Ss32ZRIQiT6GkpzCzKmlwwRFwzm7BhDDd_VEQ2eZdal0Lp4iXSjAWisHN5MGXoU8yg6t_v8-F3gePHsCC0UmHE/s1600/IMG_20140624_175853.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>I wanted to get started on experiments, on practicing piping royal icing into pretty patterns, on baking cakes (to freeze) on trying to create a lightweight dome rather than deciding how big to make the beast.<br />
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We found<a href="https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=st+basils+cathedral+floorplan&newwindow=1&client=firefox-a&hs=My1&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&channel=sb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=Ofa-U5jlMMa0O6i1gIAN&ved=0CCMQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=631" target="_blank"> "St Basil's Cathedral" floorplan</a> was very useful too - helping us to work out the shapes and size. Mr Lisa was able to do some photocopying/enlarging and selotape it together to produce our blueprint (actual size floor and side views).<br />
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And then I could experiment!!<br />
<br />Lisa (aka Loopygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04707356608993610868noreply@blogger.com0