10 Things - February 2012

Once again it is the 10th of the Month and time to join Shimelle Laine over on her blog for '10 Things'...

This month I decided to use Music for my inspiration.  So I present my list of 10 Songs which hold a special meaning for me:

1.   "Annie's Song" - Recorded & Written by John Denver Annie's Song reached Number 1 in the UK Chart in 1974.  I have always loved the lyrics to this song and although many artists have recorded it over the years I still like the original version.

2.    "Grandad" - Written by Herbie Flowers & sung by Clive Dunn, this song was another UK Number 1 in January 1971 (for 3 weeks!).  At Primary school I was in the school choir and one of the songs I really remember was Grandad, this was performed for the local Over 60's group.  I felt so proud standing on stage singing this song to My Grandad!

3.    "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was a Number 1 hit in 1984.  The song was written by Bob Geldof & Midge Ure to raise money for the famine in Ethiopia.  I can vividly remember this record being released and on the last day of school term before Christmas we had it playing & we were all singing & dancing, some of the class even started dancing on the tables!!!!!

4.    "What a Wonderful World" - Written by Bob Thiele & George David Weiss, this song has been recorded many times by different artists. However I think that the best version was the 1st recorded by Louis Armstong in 1968.  When DH & were organising our wedding we decided to get married in a Registry Office rather than a Church, we were given a list of songs to be played as I walked in & as we left as Husband & Wife.  As I was entering we remained traditional (Here Comes The Bride) but we wanted something different/meaningful for when we left.  The list of possible records was a long one, however we both quickly decided that 'What a Wonderful World' sung by Louis Armstong was the one!  This became 'Our Song' :-)

5. "I Have A Dream" was released by the amazing ABBA (written by Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvaeus) in 1979 but only reached Number 2 in the UK Charts.  DH & I have been to see Mamma Mia! the musical 3 times (and would go again today if we could!!), I love the songs created/performed by ABBA, but 'I Have A Dream is my favourite.  Part of this is because 'I believe in Angels' :)

I could not find the pictures with the 'Flower'
 but here is Artemis

6.    "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" was the title of Sandi Thom's debut single in 2006.  When this single first came out it was on the radio all of the time, back in 2006 we had a baby Barn Owl called Artemis.  One day we were sitting outside in the garden with her enjoying the sun & playing, somehow she ended up with a Flower on her head... from this point on when ever we hear this song it is know as 'Artemis's Song'. 

You didn't really think I would be able to list 10 songs with out one of the owls making an appearance did you!!

Bruno on stage at Nottingham

7.  "The Lazy Song" was the song that introduced me to Bruno Mars, this was his 4th Number 1 in the UK.  I don't really know what it is about the song but it is just so catchy, I just can't help singing along & the video is guaranteed to make me smile.  After seeing Bruno in concert in November 2011, I love it even more & it is even the ring tone on my phone - the only problem I that I sometimes forget to answer the call LOL.





8.    "The Chain" was written & performed by Fleetwood Mac, but it never made it above Number 81 in the UK Charts.  Being a Formula 1 fan, this track has been used between 1978 - 1997 & then again from 2009 as part of the title sequence. The sound of 'The Chain' has been enough to send me heading towards the TV to settle down and watch the race - which is always improved when a British Driver wins :)

9.   "Suicide Is Painless" - was the title track of M*A*S*H & the lyrics were written by a 14 year old Mike Altman. I love the M*A*S*H series & DH has brought me all 11 seasons on DVD (but I have yet to watch all of them!). It is hard to think that it was in production between 1972 & 1983 with a total of 251 episodes, when the Vietnam War (the subject of the whole programme) only lasted 3 years.

10.    "Lift the Wings" from the Riverdance Shows.  Since 'Riverdance: The Show' opened in 1995 this song has been sung by many performers.  I would love to see the Riverdance show at some time, the rhythm of the dancers feet along with the music & song never fails to get my feet tapping.  The lyrics of this song are all about returning to a loved one, at a time when DH was away from home a lot due to his work commitments this song seemed even more special.

  

10 Things... January 2012

Shimelle Laine runs 10 Things on the 10th of each month.  
This list of 10 things has been hard to put together, I have been planning it for 2 months but needed to find the right time to work on the list and find the photos.

On Saturday 19th November 2011, Ufo our Little Owl (the picture on the Right of my banner) died.  I had fed her as normal on the Friday evening and she was fine, on Saturday morning I found her in her nest box.  It looked as if she had fallen asleep and did not wake up.

So my list of 10 Things is month is...

10 Things about Ufo:

1. She hatched on 8 June 1996 along with a brother & sister

This photo was taken when Ufo was 6 weeks old.  It was the first time that I had seen her and I fell in love...

2. On 8 August 1996 she moved in to live with me & my parents

Ufo at 10 weeks old, she was now starting to bond with me, she would even sit on the glove for short periods of time (plenty of patience was required!!)

3. Initially she lived in the Kitchen until she was fully feathered and could move outside to the aviary.  Back then I would eat my breakfast while sat on the floor with Ufo running around the floor.  One morning she found a current that had fallen on the floor (mum had been baking) and she ate it!!!  An owl is not designed to eat currents (only meat) and I was really worried about how her digestive system would cope.  Later that evening the panic was over when I found a pellet (the leftovers) which included a current!

4. When Ufo was 10 1/2 months old DH took her picture for the first time & she cast her spell over him too!

Ufo's first photo shoot, and she behaved very well.  This was to be the first of many photos taken of her in various trees over the years

5. As Ufo started to show her personality we soon found that that she was no Angel, she would regularly get into trouble, but she kept looking so sweet and innocent...

After a quick flight she landed on this candle holder... luckily the candle had not been lit.  She was always getting into everything that a Little Owl should avoid!

6. When DH & I got Married in 1998 Ufo (& Holly, my Barn Owl) joined us at the Wedding. They sat in their travel boxes in the Registry Office and were present for the Reception - After all both Ufo & Holly were my babies!

This is not the greatest picture of us, but the only one we have with the Kids... when this picture was taken we were both talking to the kids!

7.  For Christmas in 1999 I asked DH if we could have a real Christmas Tree, he agreed (provided I cleared up all the needles LOL).  Once we had decorated the tree we needed a special Fairy...

Our Little Christmas Fairy

8.  Ufo loved to have a shower, but only when it rained (and the rain was not too heavy). We found it very difficult to get any pictures of her having a shower - as soon as she saw the camera she would stop!  But when she got wet, she really got very wet...

Is it a Little Owl or a Drowned Rat??

9. Each year Ufo would scare us, normally on 22 April (or within 3-5 days) she would start to lay her eggs.  This is one of the most dangerous things any female bird can do and over the years we have known several owls who have died while trying to lay eggs. 

Each year Ufo laid between 3 & 6 eggs, she would then spend 30-40 days sitting on them.  Not that the eggs would hatch!

10. Over the last 15.5 years Ufo has met and touched many people, even helping some of them overcome bird phobias.  Ufo loved to be the centre of attention, she loved to be hugged and stroked. All of our other owls preferred to be stroked on the tummy - Ufo was different!! She preferred to be stroked on the head & back.  To make life easier for Ufo if we had visitors who wanted to meet her we would sit them down and cover their lap with her tea towel, Ufo would then sit on the tea towel.  If you stopped stroking her she was even known to head-butt you to encourage you to continue!

In many ways creating this list of 10 things was easy, I have so many memories of Ufo, but there are too many to include here today.  In another way it was also very hard, especially to realise that she was 1 in a million and no other owl could ever come close to being the big hearted creature that she was. 

Over the last 10 months her health had started to decline, she had a cataract in her left eye and was starting to lose the sight in her right eye (if she had not already lost it completely).  She was also having problems keeping on weight and I had needed to increase the amount of food that she was given to keep her weight stable.

While writing this list I have rewritten it several times and cried many tears.  Despite this, Ufo brought so much joy into my life as well of that of so many other people. She was even partly responsible for getting DH & me together as a couple. How something so small could make such a difference in so many lives I will never know - but she did.

I will always miss her as she was so special, but I know that she is now truly flying free.

RIP

Ufo, Little Owl

(1996 - 2011)

10 Things... December 2010

The list that I had planned to do for this month is not yet finished - I'm still looking for the pictures I wanted to use. 

So that will be for next month, as for this month my 10 things are...

10 Things I’m Grateful For…

1. My Parents – they helped make me who I am today
2. DH – His love and support makes my world a happier place to be
3. My Kids (Jumani & Delta) – Give so much pleasure to both me and so many others
4. My Work – It gives me a reason for getting up each morning, but the fact that I enjoy my job is an added bonus
5. My Health – I’m healthy and have no health problems
6. My Anxiety – I am grateful that I have experienced the problems I have with anxiety, as it allows me to help others
7. Our Home – I have a safe & secure roof over my head which keeps me warm & dry
8. Holly & Ufo – The 2 birds who got DH & I together.  Both are now flying free in heaven, but despite the pain of losing them, I am grateful for the time that I had with them both
9. My Friends – Over the years I have had many friends, some have come & gone, others remain.  Those friends have been there for me in the bad times and helped me celebrate in the good times.  After all “Friends are the family you choose for yourself”
10. The Sea – If I need to chill out & really relax, all I need to do is imagine being on a beach with the waves lapping the shore

10 Things... November 2011

For this months 10 Things... I decided to use a visit to Bletchley Park as an inspiration - it seems that our visit on the 15th October was so long ago, but it was such an amazing place I had to mention more about it.  So may I present....

10 Things About Bletchley Park:

1.   Bletchley Park is an estate on the edge of Milton Keynes, the Estate was included in the Domesday Book in 1086 and has had a number of owners over the years

2.   The Mansion that you see today was build by Sir Herbert Leon and includes over 30 different architectural styles

The Mansion has been added onto over the years, each time Herbert Leon went away traveling the world , he would come back and ask for changes to be made to the original design.  So the builders could make the changes he would have to go traveling again... and so the cycle continued.

3.   During World War II Bletchley Park was the home to the Government Code & Cypher School (GC&CS) when a number of wooden huts were erected

4.   There were approx 9,000 staff working at Bletchley, in 3 shifts of 3,000. All staff working at Bletchley Park lived in the local area (many staying with local families)

5.   The Daily Telegraph organised a competition, and anyone who was able to solve the Crossword in under 12 minutes was asked to submit the completed crossword & the time they took to the newspaper.  Many people were then contacted to ask if they would be prepared to undertake 'a particular type of work as a contribution to the war effort'.

6.   The staff were all working towards reading German messages sent using the Enigma Machines, as well as working to create the first ever Computer (Colossus).

7.   Mathematician Alan Turing created the 'Bombe' a electromechanical machine that was able to find settings for the Enigma machines. 

Alan Turing was an amazing Mathematician however he died in 1954 (aged 41 years) from Cyanide poising. An inquest determind that he had committed suicide. This statue in at Bletchley Park is made from slate.

8.   Bletchley Park has now re-built a working 'Bombe' for visitors to see.

This is the Bombe from the front, this device would search for the rotor settings for the German Enigma machines. It looks simple doesn't it?

This is the view of the back of the device... maybe not so simple after all!

9.   Due to the security surrounding the Code Breaking at Bletchley Park (all staff had to sign the Official Secrets Act - and were told never to discuss their work outside their section) very little was known about Bletchley and the work carried out there.

10.   Ian Flemming (author of the James Bond books) was involved with Bletchley Park and had instigated 'Operation Ruthless' to obtain details of the Enigma codes used by the German Navy.  Although his work in Navel Intelligence provided background for many of the James Bond books he never broke the Official Secrets Act!

I have just realised that I have now listed 10 Things... but I have not touched the tip of the iceberg.  Also at Bletchly Park you will find the following:

• Bletchley Park Post Office (open on Sundays!)
• Winston Churchill Exhibit
• Toy & Memorabilia Collection
• Bletchley Park Garage
• Diplomatic Wireless Service - Original wireless & landline communication equipment
• Colossus Rebuild Project
• Home Front Display
• The National Museum of Computing
• Model Railway
• Pigeons at War Exhibition

We could not believe how much there was to see... we did ended up running out of energy & time, so we will just have to go back for another visit.  The good news is that you entry fee gives you 1 year of access and you can visit as many times in that year as you want!!!!

At the moment Bletchley Park is trying to raise £1.7 million to match money awarded by the National Lottery so if you feel like a day out (or 2 :) ) we can highly recommend it as a place to visit.

10 Things... October 2011

This month I had planned on doing '10 Things about France'... however due to 'Sidney' (DH Kidney Stone!!) our holiday was cancelled L

So this month we have:

10 Things... I plan on doing this month

1. Visiting Milton Keynes for the weekend
2. While there visiting 'Bletchley Park' - Historic site of secret British code breaking activities during WWII and birthplace of the modern computer
3. and the 'Shuttleworth Collection' - A unique flying collection showcasing the first one hundred years of flight
4. I will be getting weighed at Weight Watchers & hopefully losing a bit more weight
5. Having another Crafty evening at the local Crop
6. Attempting more Less is More challenges
7. Trying to complete more Digital Scrapbook Pages from our Florida Holiday
8. Signing up with Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance for their weekly lottery
9. Going with DH to hospital for another Lythotripsy session (to shatter Sidney)
10. Waiting for the local children to knock on the door dressed in Halloween costumes

10 Things...

As it is now the 10th of September and I have been thinking in advance I have put together a list of 10 Things...

This month I decided to feature my 10 Favourite Animals (Listed in no particular order)

1.  Owls – are you surprised, I thought not.  There are so many different species of Owls I could not pick just one. So this is for all owls.

2.  Elephants – While in South Africa we watched many elephant groups, they are such a social animal, in many way mirroring the Human way of life. I could quite happily sit and watch elephants all do, the babies do make me smile especially as they don’t have full control of their trunks until they are about 1 year old.

3.  Dogs – I have never owned a dog, but that does not stop me from being a BIG dog lover.  It does not matter what size or bred I just love dogs.  As we currently look after the owls having a dog is currently not possible, and with working full time I don’t think that it would be fair to the dog… but one day I will be a dog owner.

4.  Dolphins – Dolphins are a really special animal, I just don’t know what it is about them, but they are special.  While in Florida in 2004 we swam with dolphins at Discovery Cove and it was a day I will always remember.  In 2005 we visited Australia and had the opportunity to see a pod of wild dolphins!  Knowing that they were free to go where they wanted, when they wanted made our encounter extra special.

5.  Lions – Once again in Africa we saw many Lions, some were on private game reserves others out in the wild.  The sound of the lions roar is so powerful and I find it very moving – you don’t just hear it… you feel it in your chest.  We were lucky enough to see a pride of lions while they were resting in the heat of the day, included in the group was a mum and young cub.  As we watched the group drifted away… mum called to the cub and it behaved like any normal child – it ignored her LOL.  So mum walked over to the cub and picked it up in her mouth and walked off… I think that the majority of us in the vehicle had tears in our eyes. Just to see this powerful animal holding her cub so gently was AMAZING.

6.  Gibbons – I’m not sure why but Gibbons fascinate me.  Ever since hearing one on TV ‘sing’ (that is the only way I can describe their call) I fell in love.  While at Banham Zoo near Thetford we saw the Gibbons being fed, after the feeding was over 1 of the group started to ‘sing’.  For the next 20-30minutes I just stood and watched/listened to the whole group singing – if possible it sounded even better than on TV.

7.  Butterflies – There is just something so free about Butterflies, the way in which they flutter around the sky without a care in the world.  A splash of colour in a sometimes grey world.

8.  Snow Leopard – Another animal seen at Banham Zoo, it looked like a domestic cat on steroids.  The pair at Banham also had 3 young cubs with them (born in 2010).  I loved their enclosure and although you were safe you could get up close and if the cats co-operated you could even have a photo take with them… what you may not see is the layer of thick glass between me & the cat J

9.  Koala – While in Australia we had the chance to get up close with a Koala, they really do smell of eucalyptus!!!  The look so cuddly and cute but those claws can really do damage, particularly if the Koala is in a bad mood. 

10.  Manatee – The Manatee is a strange animal also known as the ‘Sea Cow’.  After seeing them up close I am not quite sure how sailors mistook them for mermaids – maybe it had something to do with the type of liquid sailors were drinking at the time.  While in Florida last year we had the opportunity to view Manatee’s in the wild and depending on the animals we may be able to swim with them.  We were luck, we found them and also got chance to be in the water with them… they are BIG animals.  We did not get too close (especially as the one we were with had a calf) but they were amazing and it was another experience I will never forget!

10 Things...

Last month (on the 11th) I found Shimelle Laine's 10 Things post.  At the time I though 'I like that idea' and would try to join in next month - the plan was to try and think of the 10 in advance of the 10th... but it is now the 10th and I have nothing planned.

So here goes... my 1st ever 10 Things is -

1. Lincoln Cathedral - We visited on an open weekend as well as looking around the main Cathedral we also booked places on both the 'Roof Tour' & the 'Tower Tour' - by the end of the visit our legs ached like never before... but the views were worth it :)
2. Thetford Caravan Site - On this site we were situated on the edge of Thetford Forrest, the site was very basic and we were trying out our new caravan for the first time.  We had an enjoyable week and saw plenty of wildlife on the site.
3. West Stow Village - While staying in Thetford we saw signs to a Saxon Village, so we decided to visit.  It was a lovely little museum with a Saxon Village created on the remains of an actual village - in addition the tea room did a great Toasted Sandwich :)
4. Cambridge - I am a Cambridge girl born & bred and every month on the 2nd Saturday we visit Girton (on the outskirts of Cambridge) to present the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Computer Group, more about this another time.
5. Newark Air Museum - Both DH and I love visiting the museum, over the years we have got to know a number of the volunteers and we spent a great day over the Easter weekend just 'wombling' about the museum.
6. RAF Waddington Air Show - held each year at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, as usual we attended but being part of a Charity Stand we don't really get chance to look around.  It is however a very enjoyable weekend.
7. Italian Mountains - While in Italy recently we were staying near a few mountains, I could very easily get used to the views, every day was different.  Both DH & I took sooooo many pictures, more than I will ever scrap.  Being up in the mountains and seeing clouds below us was fantastic!!!!
8. Venice, Italy - We also spent the day in Venice, you just have to.  Due to the school holidays Venice was packed with people but DH & I have decided to return again in either the Spring or Autumn :)
9. Ranworth Church - Part of the Norfolk Broads Ranworth has a lovely little church (called St Helen's) with a tower, the tower is open and visitors can climb to the top to get great views of the Norfolk Broads.  Once you have made it back down, visit the tea room for a fabulous Cream Tea - and only £2.50!!!!
10. The Abbey of St Benets - Also found in the middle of the Norfolk Broads this old Abbey dates back to the Middle Ages. Although you had to dodge the cow pats the remains are a bold landmark in the flat landscape.  DH & I had a break from the boat and looked around the remains :)

Well, that is my 10 Things for this month and I will try to be more organised for next month.

Places I have visited so far during 2011