A Clean House & Doing Stupid Things

Hello everyone, another nice day in my part of the world, not too hot nor too cold just as I said nice. What do I have planned for today, nothing much, I have gone for my early morning walk and it was nice out walking today. I am also of course going to see my nanna, and we are taking Temika & Liarna as they want to go and see great-nanna.

I have a small pile of letters to answer, so I want to get a start on them, although my printer is low on ink and Tim is slow to give me money for ink and of course I have not been able to find a cheap genetic brand of ink for my printer, the old printer I could get ink for only $7 this one it costs $26. So at the moment I can only print in blue or red, I also can't add photos to my letters as they don't come out that well.

The house looks pretty clean most days now, this is due to having Natasha and Blain here, she is a neat freak and likes to clean. Although yesterday we did a couple of loads of washing and she would not let peg the clothes out on the line, why, because I don't peg them out right, meaning I don't peg them out how she likes. I am not allowed to vacuum either because I don't do it right. So how do I feel about that, well if she wants to do these things that is ok with me.

In other news a family member had a car accident in the early hours of yesterday, they collided with a park car and I don't think they were wearing a seat belt as their head hit the windscreen and also they were drunk as a skunk, what a strange saying as I don't think skunks drink grog but you know what I mean, well I hope you know what I mean.

Because they were so drunk logic was being drowned by the grog and after the accident they thought it would be a good idea to first try and remove the licence plates and when that was too hard to do they thought screw it I will just walk/stumble to where I want to go, so when the cops turned up they thought it might be a good idea to try and hide from them cops, why because they were so damn drunk.

Thankfully the person who had the accident wasn't seriously hurt, and after being in hospital for most of the day, including a stint in ICU they were allowed to leave, I won't say go home because that wasn't going to happen as they were under arrest and was taken from the hospital to the cop shop. That is all I know at this stage, we all know that drink driving is stupid but many young people may know it is stupid when they are so drunk common sense and logic get drowned by the grog.

This person is not the first member of the family to attempt to drive while drunk and I doubt they will be the last family member to attempt to drive while drunk, many people will go on about how they don't drink and drive, I included I don't drink and drive but I know some young people do, yes it is wrong and dangerous but for many it is just one of them many stupid things they will do.

There are very few people who can say they didn't do really stupid things when they were young, I have done stupid things myself way back when I was younger.

My Christmas

Well the year is coming to an end, but it isn't over yet so no end of year post just yet, instead I will tell you a bit about my Christmas. There was only Tim, Tasha and myself here on Christmas Eve, Blain was at his fathers and Leo wanted it to be just him and his mum Christmas morning so they were not here Christmas Eve either.

So we get up around 8ish and gave Natasha her presents and Tim and I exchanged gifts I gave Tim a gift voucher and he gave me a bunch of clothes which I had picked out and bought and bagged up, I am ok with that at least I got stuff I wanted.

Then around 8.30am Jessica and Leo turned up and we gave them their presents, I love to watch Leo open presents he gets so excited about every gift, unlike Blain who is like blah about presents it is rare to get a wow out of Blain.

Anyway after the opening of presents we packed the car ready to go to my parents place, to exchange gifts, I went over around 10ish but Tim and the girls and Leo didn't turn up till around 11ish.

This year I had not only Tim but Tasha complaining that I spent too much money and shouldn't be giving gifts to everyone, in fact this year I didn't give anything to my nieces or nephews as I felt like I wasn't allowed to do so.

Also this year I felt really sad on Christmas morning, I don't know why, in fact to be honest I have been feeling sad a lot lately and have had many days when I just want to cry, this morning included.

There was only about a dozen of us for Christmas lunch, Kathy & Michael were in Sydney visiting his parents so didn't see them at all Christmas Day, Kathy and Summer came over on Boxing Day to see us and I gave Summer her Christmas bag of presents along with Kathy's.

My daughters didn't stay and my parents place for lunch as both said they would rather be home alone, Natasha and Blain called in and picked me and Tim up and brought us home as both Tim and myself had a few drinks I even had a couple of glasses of wine which is odd for me as I am not a wine drinker.

I did get a lot of awesome presents from my family a lot of bath stuff and jewellery and clothes and such, this picture is one of my gifts that I got.

Natasha thinks my siblings and others do not appreciate me but I think she is wrong, I do feel appreciated more or less, yes there have been times when I have not felt appreciated and taken for granted.

Yesterday Kathy & Michael came over for lunch and we gave Michael his Christmas gift, and also gave Sydney-May her bag of presents she seemed to like all she was given and yes she was excited and that is always a good thing.

Tasha is off work at the moment she goes back on the 4^th and we have Blain here this week so he is getting to spend a lot of time with his mum which makes him happy as he does miss his mum a lot.

Also Jessica brought a gingerbread house for Christmas Day and everyone tried it and most of us liked it but could only eat a small about, talking about ginger made  us think of Aunty Joyce who loved her ginger

  

Boxing Day - the Day after Christmas!

Today is Boxing day for me, it has been a quiet day here. Tim is at work and I went over to my parents place to pick up our car. We left it there yesterday and had Natasha drive us home as both Tim and I had a few drinks.  Now I will tell you a little about Boxing Day. 

Boxing Day takes place on December 26th and is only celebrated in a few countries. It was started in the UK about 800 years ago, during the Middle Ages. It was the day when the alms box, collection boxes for the poor often kept in churches, were traditionally opened so that the contents could be distributed to poor people. Some churches still open these boxes on Boxing Day.

It might have been the Romans that first brought this type of collecting box to the UK, but they used them to collect money for the betting games which they played during their winter celebrations!

In Holland, some collection boxes were made out of a rough pottery called 'earthenware' and were shaped like pigs. Perhaps this is where we get the term 'Piggy Bank'!

The Christmas Carol, Good King Wenceslas, is set on Boxing Day and is about a King in the Middle Ages who brings food to a poor family.

It was also traditional that servants got the day off to celebrate Christmas with their families on Boxing Day. Before World War II, it was common for working people (such as milkmen and butchers) to travel round their delivery places and collect their Christmas box or tip. This tradition has now mostly stopped and any Christmas tips, given to people such as postal workers and newspaper delivery children, are not normally given or collected on Boxing Day.

Boxing Day has now become another public holiday in countries such as the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It is also the traditional day that Pantomimes started to play. There are also often sports played on Boxing Day in the UK, especially horse racing and football matches!

The 26th December is also St. Stephen's Day. Just to confuse things, there are two St. Stephens in history! The first St. Stephen was a very early follower of Jesus and was the first Christian Martyr (a person who dies for their religious beliefs). He was stoned to death by Jews who didn't believe in Jesus.

The second St. Stephen was a Missionary, in Sweden, in the 800s. He loved all animals but particularly horses (perhaps why there is traditionally horse racing on boxing day). He was also a martyr and was killed by pagans in Sweden. In Germany there was a tradition that horses would be ridden around the inside of the church during the St. Stephen's Day service!

Christmas-Turkey or does it

Christmas is full of old traditions, like eating turkey on Christmas day, sending out Christmas cards, hanging tinsel around the house, but why do we do it and how did it originate? Here’s the facts.

Turkeys were first bought into Britain in 1526, before this time, for Christmas meals people used to eat geese, boars’ head and even peacocks.

Turkeys were eaten instead of cows and chickens because the farmers needed their cows more for their milk, and needed their chickens for the eggs, which back then were more expensive than they are today. So instead of killing off one of their livestock for Christmas, they’d have a turkey as it was something different and they could save their livestock to produce more milk and eggs..

Henry VIII was the first person to eat a turkey on Christmas Day, however it wasn’t until the 1950’s that the turkey was a more popular Christmas meal choice than the goose.

The good thing about Christmas Day and turkeys is that Christmas is a family time, and turkeys are family size!

87% of British people believe that Christmas would not be the same without a traditional roast turkey.

Today in the UK, we eat around 10 million turkeys every year for Christmas time.

25% of British people buy their turkeys months in advance.

A survey shows that the top three most popular ways to serve leftover Christmas turkey are: sandwiches, soups/stews or salads.

Just a thought from me

If you can't get a chance to visit a loved one in a nursing home this Christmas you should had made the effort and sent them a Christmas card, you may think what's the point the person won't know the difference but the staff will as will those who do find the time to visit, your loved one isn't dead yet they have just reached a stage when they need more care

A Little About Christmas Plants

The Holly, Ivy and Christmas Plants

Holly, Ivy and other greenery such as Mistletoe were originally used in pre-Christian times to help celebrate the Winter Solstice Festival and ward off evil spirits and to celebrate new growth.

When Christianity came into Western Europe, some people wanted to keep the greenery, to give it Christian meanings but also to ban the use of it to decorate homes. The UK and Germany were the main countries to keep the use of the greenery as decorations. Here are the Christian meanings:

Holly

The prickly leaves represent the crown of thorns that Jesus wore when he was crucified. The berries are the drops of blood that were shed by Jesus because of the thorns.

In Scandinavia it is known as the Christ Thorn.

In pagan times, Holly was thought to be a male plant and Ivy a female plant. An old tradition from the Midlands of England says that whatever one was brought into the house first over winter, tells you whether the man or woman of the house would rule that year! But it was unlucky to bring either into a house before Christmas Eve.

Ivy

Ivy has to cling to something to support itself as it grows. This reminds us that we need to cling to God for support in our lives.

In Germany, it is traditional that Ivy is only used outside and a piece tied to the outside of a Church was supposed to protect it from lightning!

Laurel

Laurel has been worn as a wreath on the head to symbolise success and victory for thousands of years.

It symbolises the victory of God over the Devil.

Less then a week to go

Another day to make one feel like they are melting when they step outside into the heat. When I was out shopping this morning the shopping centre I went to had people handing out free bottles of water near the entrance.

I am done and dusted with my Christmas shopping, except for Tim I will have to pop out and get his present sometime this week. He is hard to buy for but then in many ways so am I. Why well because we pretty much have everything we want or need.

Have to say it is working out ok with Natasha living here, as the house is clean more often then not, she is a bit of a clean freak unlike me I am it looks good enough type of person.

This afternoon Tasha is at work, Tim is at work so I have had a quiet afternoon home alone, which you all know I so like.

However, I have to say that at times I feel like she wants to change who I am and that isn't going to happen. Like her father she thinks I buy too many Christmas presents and give presents to too many members of the family. I take after my mum and she takes after her mum we are givers this is who we are, please don't try and change me.

With less then a week to go till the big day, I am feeling nice and relaxed, I don't stress over Christmas and have to say my mum doesn't really s tress over it either. It is a busy day and such but it is also a loving family day and when I get home fro my parents place in the afternoon I am glad the day is over. I often have a nap when I get home on Christmas Day, it is also one of the few days that I actually drink well more then one or two drinks I may get a little tipsy on Christmas Day but I can at 53 I am allowed to have a few drinks on such a wonderful day.

My Sunday

Hello world it is now Sunday for me and have to say the last two days seemed busy, ok Friday is always busy I know this but Saturday yeah it was busy as well. I went out to Wallsend for Jessica a drive of about 10-15 minutes to get something she wanted for Leo. Anyway I get to the shop and they are closed it was 9am and they didn't open to 10am would had been nice if she told me that in the first place. So I will have to go back there for her tomorrow as they are not open on Sunday.

This Sunday I am not having breakfast or lunch for the family, why you wonder, well I will tell you I really need to sort out the Christmas presents and yes I know I have been saying I would do them for the last week or so but I mean it today I will get it all sorted. I just hope once I have done that I do not discover that I have to get more stuff.

Speaking of Monday, ok not speaking of Monday but anyway a Monday thought came to me tomorrow Monday I will have to go and get Tim's Christmas present although not sure what the hell I am going to get him I was thinking of a battery pack starter thing, you know the thing one uses to start a car with a flat battery that is suppose to be better then using jump leads from another car. I am just not sure about it, I might get him a gift card from Supercheap instead, I will decide tomorrow.

We also have had a few stinking hot days again temps in the high 30's today it is suppose to be around 37°c and tomorrow it is suppose to be hotter still. Although have to say it was nice when I went for my walk this morning not hot at all, although I did leave home at around 6.20am.

Can you believe that Christmas is less then a week away, bloody hell, this year I don't think Jessica is coming here for Christmas Eve, she was going to but I think Leo said he would like it to be just him and mummy Christmas morning.

Kathy and Michael are going to Sydney with the girls Christmas Eve to see his parents and will be home here sometime in the afternoon of Christmas Day, she was concerned that me and her dad would have a problem with that but nope we don't, we get it there are times she needs to be with Michael and his family and this is one of those times. Michael's father isn't very well at the moment.

Blain is at his fathers this week he will be home again on either Thursday afternoon or Friday afternoon he went to his dads a day early as Kelli was in the area on Thursday and picked him up made more sense to do that then come back the next day just to get him, it is a 40 minute drive to his dads place.

Most of yesterday afternoon Natasha was asleep on the lounge, Tim said she should had gone to bed but she preferred to lay on the lounge, it didn't bother me and if she was content to sleep there the so be it, might have been cooler for her as we had the air con going and the lounge room was not too hot, unlike her bedroom which with the door closed was like an oven.

Tim is working this afternoon and I am hoping the bus he is in is air conditioned you might think der of course it would be but you would be wrong there has been other days when it has been stinking bloody hot and he had been in a non air conditioned bus or a bus that the air conditioning isn't working in. Which really annoys the hell out of both of us with temps in the high 30's a body can suffer from heat stroke, but do the idiots in charge give a rats ass, nope. 

A Christmas Poem

Last day of the school year

Well today is the last day of school for the year and both boys Blain & Leo are having the day off, even though teachers will say that lessons are taught right up to the last bell of the day, anyone who has been to school on the last day know that is a load of rubbish. In fact usually students spend the day helping the teachers pack up stuff and many teachers take in DVD's and the children watch movies.

Yesterday Blain's school went to the pool for the day, Leo's school have had a water fun day held at the school and when I picked Leo up yesterday he had a Christmas bag with lollies and toys in which everyone in his class received.

My own girls had the choice of whether they wanted to attend school on the last day of the year as well, sometimes they would go other times they chose to have the day off.

When I was speaking to mum last night she was telling me that my brother asked if she would take the girls (his daughters) to school as well as taking Landon to day care and Dawson to work experience. Dawson wanted to go to his work experience he enjoys it so much.

Now my parents only have a small fart-ass little car and it is difficult to fit me and the two girls in the back seat, Dawson of course will not sit in the back and yeah I know some people might say that Dawson is the child and should sit in the back but to be honest I don't care I am ok with sitting in the back. This is the thing though when she was trying to explain to Dave that there may not be room for all of us he couldn't get it, his answer was take Landon's car seat out to make room which mum would do anyway,as it turned there was plenty of room in the car.

Just had a nap, and Jessica woke be by walking into the bedroom and yelling so that I jumped with fright, not funny Jessica.

So question for the day is do your children go or went to school on the last day of the school year?

The History of Christmas Cards

The custom of sending Christmas cards was started in the UK way back in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole. He was a civil servant (Government worker) who was very interested in the new 'Public Post Office' and wondered how it could be used more by ordinary people.

Sir Henry had the idea of Christmas Cards with his friend John Horsley, who was an artist. They designed the first card and sold them for 1 shilling each. (That is only 5p or 8 cents today(!), but in those days it was worth much much more.) The card had three panels. The outer two panels showed people caring for the poor and in the centre panel was a family having a large Christmas dinner! Some people didn't like the card because it showed a child being given a glass of wine! About 1000 (or it might have been less!) were printed and sold. They are now very rare and cost thousands of Pounds or Dollars to buy now!

The first postal service that ordinary people could use was started in 1840 when the first 'Penny Post' public postal deliveries began. Before that, only very rich people could afford to send anything in the post. The new Post Office was able to offer a Penny stamp because new railways were being built. These could carry much more post than the horse and carriage that had been used before. Also, trains could go a lot faster. Cards became even more popular in the UK when they could be posted in an unsealed envelope for one halfpenny - half the price of an ordinary letter.

As printing methods improved, Christmas cards became much more popular and were produced in large numbers from about 1860. In 1870 the cost of sending a post card, and also Christmas cards, dropped to half a penny. This meant even more people were able to send cards.

An engraved card by the artist William Egley, who illustrated some of Charles Dickens's books, is on display in the British Museum. By the early 1900s, the custom had spread over Europe and had become especially popular in Germany.

The first cards usually had pictures of the Nativity scene on them. In late Victorian times, robins (an English bird) and snow-scenes became popular. In those times the postmen were nicknamed 'Robin Postmen' because of the red uniforms they wore. Snow-scenes were popular because they reminded people of the very bad winter that happened in the UK in 1836.

Christmas Cards appeared in the United States of America in the late 1840s, but were very expensive and most people couldn't afford them. It 1875, Louis Prang, a printer who was originally from German but who had also worked on early cards in the UK, started mass producing cards so more people could afford to buy them. Mr Prang's first cards featured flowers, plants, and children. In 1915, John C. Hall and two of his brothers created Hallmark Cards, who are still one of the biggest card makers today!

In the 1910s and 1920s, home made cards became popular. They were often unusual shapes and had things such as foil and ribbon on them. These were usually too delicate to send through the post and were given by hand.

Nowadays, cards have all sorts of pictures on them: jokes, winter pictures, Santa Claus or romantic scenes of life in past times. Charities often sell their own Christmas Cards as a way raising money at Christmas.

Charities also make money from seals or stickers used to seal the card envelopes. This custom started in Denmark in the early 1900s by a postal worker who thought it would be a good way for charities to raise money, as well as making the cards more decorative. It was a great success: over four million were sold in the first year!

Soon other countries such as Sweden and Norway adopted the custom and then it spread all over Europe and to America.

I personally send out a lot of Christmas cards to my family and pen friends I also now send out some Christmas Ecards but to be honest I prefer the traditional Christmas card over an Ecard, yes Ecards are ok and I do get a number of them but I like being able to hang my Christmas cards on the wall for all to see.

Monday's Post on Why I Sucked at Posting Last Week

Hello everyone, me and blogging didn't go well together for the most part of last week, I was busy doing one thing or another most of the week and every time I sat at the computer to write a post it didn't happen because other things got in the way.

So here we are on a Monday afternoon and it's been close to a week since I wrote anything.

Saturday was “My Blain”'s 10^th birthday damn those 10 years have gone fast he spent most of the day with his dad and came back her around 5.30pm and spent the night and all day Sunday here with his mum. He did appear to like his presents which of course makes us adults happy, although he is like his mum in that he doesn't show a lot of excitement over presents. Sunday his mum cooked one of his favourite meals for lunch and I had bought a cake for him.

This morning I had to drive my dad to an appointment after I took Leo to school, only 2 more days of school for the year then the children are off till the end of January. I am one of those strange people who like school holidays, I have no problem with having the children home for 6 weeks although I know some who find school holidays a nightmare and can't wait till it starts again.

Although I know some who feel they need to find ways to entertain their children when they are not at school, I don't, no one had to entertain me when I was a child I was able to find plenty to do on my own and I think most children can do so. I rarely sent my girls to vacation care, which is run by different groups with activities for children over the school holidays. I did send the one year for a couple of days but over all nope couldn't afford it and they managed just find, they found things to do at home that didn't involve me.

Now I have no problem with parents who like to play games with their children but it wasn't me, I am just not like that my parents didn't feel the need to play games with their children we turned out ok.

There is only 1 more birthday for the year and that is Jonathon's (Blain's dad) his is on the 23^rd then there are more birthdays come January. Yes I buy Jono a birthday present not over the top but something have done for as long as I have know him pretty much and since Blain is now 10 you can take a stab at how long I have known him, but if you like I can tell you I think it is 12 years I am pretty sure he was only 16 when I met him.

I will try and do better at posting stuff this week but with Christmas so damn close I have other stuff I need to do like finish sorting out the presents, but first I need to buy a few more large gift bags got plenty of smaller ones but ran out of large bags. Yes I am a gift bag person, this is because I suck at wrapping presents, gift bags just makes it all so much easier and the clean up is easy as well.

The History of the Yule Log

The custom of burning the Yule Log goes back to, and before, medieval times. It was originally a Nordic tradition. Yule is the name of the old Winter Solstice festivals in Scandinavia and other parts of northern Europe, such as Germany.

The Yule Log was originally an entire tree, that was carefully chosen and brought into the house with great ceremony. The largest end of the log would be placed into the fire hearth while the rest of the tree stuck out into the room! The log would be lit from the remains of the previous year's log which had been carefully stored away and slowly fed into the fire through the Twelve Days of Christmas. It was considered important that the re-lighting process was carried out by someone with clean hands. Nowadays, of course, most people have central heating so it is very difficult to burn a tree!

In parts of France it is traditional that the whole family helps to cut the log down and that a little bit is burnt each night. If any of the log is left after Twelfth Night, it is kept safe in the house until the next Christmas to protect against lightning! In some parts of Holland, this was also done, but the log had to be stored under a bed! In some eastern European countries, the log was cut down on Christmas Eve morning and lit that evening.

In Cornwall (in theUK), the log is called 'The Mock'. The log is dried out and then the bark is taken off it before it comes into the house to be burnt. Also in the UK, barrel makers (or Coopers as barrel makers were traditionally called) gave their customers old logs that they could not use for making barrels for Yule logs. (My surname is Cooper, but I don't make barrels! My Great Grandfather did own a walking stick factory though!)

The custom of the Yule Log spread all over Europe and different kids of wood are used in different countries. In England, Oak is traditional; in Scotland, it is Birch; while in France, it's Cherry. Also, in France, the log is sprinkled with wine, before it is burnt, so that it smells nice when it is lit.

In Devon and Somerset in the UK, some people have a very large bunch of Ash twigs instead of the log. This comes from a local legend that Joseph, Mary and Jesus were very cold when the shepherds found them on Christmas Night. So the shepherds got some bunches of twigs to burn to keep them warm.

In some parts of Ireland, people have a large candle instead of a log and this is only lit on New Year's Eve and Twelfth Night.

Different chemicals can be sprinkled on the log like wine to make the log burn with different coloured flames!

• Potassium Nitrate = Violet
• Barium Nitrate = Apple Green
• Borax = Vivid Green
• Copper Sulphate = Blue
• Table Salt = Bright Yellow

A Chocolate Yule Log or 'bûche de Noël' is now a popular Christmas desert or pudding. It's traditionally eaten in France and Belgium, where they are known as 'Kerststronk' in Flemish.

They are made of a chocolate sponge roll layered with cream. The outside is covered with chocolate or chocolate icing and decorated to look like a bark-covered log.

Christmas Lights

One of the most visible signs of Christmas in Australia each year is the Christmas Lights displays. A very large number of families display a Christmas light of some type, lighting up their home and saying to all passers by; "Peach on earth and goodwill to all". It might be a Christmas tree with lights showing through the window. A string of icicle lights are very popular. Possibly a Garden tree covered with a net light or a string of fairy lights.

Some families take Christmas lights to a whole new level each year adding to their collection of Christmas lights decorating their home and the most dedicated even have a collection of Christmas ornaments on display through window boxes.

Multitudes of families travel around these highly decorated homes and get out and walk up to the most interesting homes during December evenings, leading up to Christmas. These outings are fantastic, free, fun-filled outings for families with small children.

Many of the dedicated people that decorate their homes so elegantly with Christmas lighting, to entertain Australia's children, are so generous with their time that they also collect funds for charity and/or sell raffle tickets.

So do you have Christmas lights at your place?

I do not, I would like to but Tim isn't so keen and even though I have been asking him to set some up for me he still hasn't done anything about it. I bought some solar powered lights so no extra high power bills. 

Sunday at my place

Hello Sunday, I didn't go for a walk this morning just didn't feel up to do so, the girls and Michael here for lunch, did home made pizza's. So Jessica hadn't turned up by 11am so Natasha rang her and she said she didn't feel like pizza and wasn't coming, that is ok not the end of the world but wouldn't have hurt for her to let me know. During the week Kathy asked Michael what he would like for lunch he said home made pizza so I did home made pizza, teach him to tell me what he wants. He told Kathy bugga your mum, I say pizza, she makes pizza, now I have to go no matter how I feel.

This week I will stop talking about sorting out the Christmas presents and in fact sort them out but really have to do with when Tim isn't around as I honestly don't want to listen to him complain about how much I have bought for each person.

It is a very warm day but no air con this morning maybe after ever one has gone home well not Tasha as she is home, speaking of Tasha she has been cleaning the bathroom this morning the sink, toilet and bath and now she is vacuuming the house, remember she is a neat freak and we love her.

Tim this morning went to the toy run, this toy run:http://www.toyrun.org.au/index.php?page=newcastle he goes most years and this year he asked Jessica to go with him but she changed her mind this morning and didn't feel like going. I often don't feel like doing things I said I would do but guess what I said I would do it and generally I would do it because I said I would.

While searching for more Christmas cards I found some more decorations that I have now put up I asked Summer if she wanted to help me but she wanted them in Uncle Tasha's room, yes she calls Aunty Tasha, Uncle Tasha.

I would like the air conditioner on but no one else things it is needed, so I will not be having it on for a while, maybe when Kathy leaves and I sit down to do the medication and such I will turn it on.  

The History of Christmas Crackers

Christmas crackers are a traditional Christmas favourite in the UK. They were first made in about 1845-1850 by a London sweet maker called Tom Smith. He had seen the French 'bon bon' sweets (almonds wrapped in pretty paper). He came back to London and tried selling sweets like that in England and also included a small motto or riddle in with the sweet. But they didn't sell very well.

However, one night, while he was sitting in front of his log fire, he became very interested by the sparks and cracks coming from the fire. Suddenly, he thought what a fun idea it would be, if his sweets and toys could be opened with a crack when their fancy wrappers were pulled in half.

Crackers were originally called 'cosaques' and were thought to be named after the 'Cossack' soldiers who had a reputation for riding on their horses and firing guns into the air!

When Tom died, his expanding cracker business was taken over by his three sons, Tom, Walter and Henry. Walter introduced the hats into crackers and he also travelled around the world looking for new ideas for gifts to put in the crackers.

The company built up a big range of 'themed' crackers. There were ones for bachelors and spinsters (single men and women), where the gifts were things like false teeth and wedding rings! There were also crackers for Suffragettes (women who campaigned to get women the vote), war heroes and even Charlie Chaplain! Crackers were also made for special occasions like Coronations. The British Royal Family still has special crackers made for them today!

Very expensive crackers were made such as the 'Millionaire's Crackers' which contained a solid silver box with a piece of gold and silver jewerlly inside it!

Cracker manufacturers also made large displays, such as horse drawn carriages and sleighs, for the big shops in London.

The Christmas Crackers that are used today are short cardboard tubes wrapped in colourful paper. There is normally a Cracker next to each plate on the Christmas dinner table. When the crackers are pulled - with a bang! - a colourful party hat, a toy or gift and a festive joke falls out! The party hats look like crowns and it is thought that they symbolise the crowns that might have been worn by the Wise Men.

Crackers are famous for their bad jokes

The world's longest Christmas cracker measured 63.1m (207ft) long and 4m (13ft) in diameter and was made by the parents of children at Ley Hill School and Pre-School, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, UK on 20 December 2001. Now that would be one big bang!

The biggest Christmas cracker pull was done by 1,478 people at an event organised by Honda Japan at Tochigi Proving Ground, Tochigi, Japan, on 18 October 2009. Now that would be a lot of bangs!

Good afternoon I am tired how about you

Good afternoon all, it getting on to 5pm and have to say I have had a exhausting day doing nothing much, I drove the boys to school this morning then went with Natasha to hand in the keys for her house, she is all moved in here now and my house is so cluttered and one can barely move. I would sort it our but Natasha has OCD and can't handle others going through her stuff so she wants to sort it all out herself.

Natasha is one of those people who doesn't need a lot of sleep, she gets up as early as 2am and as late as 5am she says she likes the quiet time before Blain gets up and wants her attention. Remember Natasha works nights as a cleaner, well we say nights but she starts in the afternoon and finishes anywhere between 8-12pm.

I also managed to go to the library this morning to return items and borrow more, the library is one of the best ideas around. There is no way I could afford to buy heaps of books I also borrow many recorded books, aka, books on cd which I listen to while I am driving.

Yesterday my mum gave me an early Christmas present a necklace with Scorpio on it which I really like. I also gave her a in loving memory frame for her to put a photo of her dad in and hang it on their Christmas tree, I had two and gave them both to mum but told her to give one to my brother in-law so he can put a photo of his mum in it.

I really need to sort out Christmas presents this weekend, I will be getting a layby out tomorrow and sort through it and I think I might have to return a few items as the child there were bought for is no longer interested in the item, movie, tv show that I bought the toy in, if that makes any sense if not sorry not sure how to explain what I mean.

Well I am going to post this and then go and have a relaxing bath.

Photo Wednesday

History Tuesday/Christmas Trees

The History of Christmas Trees

In Germany, the first Christmas Trees were decorated with edible things, such as gingerbread and gold covered apples. Then glass makers made special small ornaments similar to some of the decorations used today. In 1605 an unknown German wrote: "At Christmas they set up fir trees in the parlours of Strasbourg and hang thereon roses cut out of many-coloured paper, apples, wafers, gold foil, sweets, etc."

At first, a figure of the Baby Jesus was put on the top of the tree. Over time it changed to an angel/fairy that told the shepherds about Jesus, or a star like the Wise men saw.

The first Christmas Trees came to Britain sometime in the 1830s. They became very popular in 1841, when Prince Albert (Queen Victoria's German husband) had a Christmas Tree set up in Windsor Castle. In 1848, drawing of "The Queen's Christmas tree at Windsor Castle" was published in the Illustrated London News, 1848. The drawing was republished in Godey's Lady's Book, Philadelphia in December 1850 (but they removed the Queen's crown and Prince Albert's moustache to make it look 'American'!).

The publication of the drawing helped Christmas Trees become popular in the UK and USA.

In Victorian times, the tree would have been decorated with candles to represent stars. In many parts of Europe, candles are still widely used to decorate Christmas trees.

Tinsel was also created in Germany, were it was originally made from thin strips of beaten silver. But when plastic/man made tinsel was invented it became very popular as it was much cheaper than real silver and also lighter to go on the tree!

One legend says that the Christ Child first made tinsel by turning spider's webs into silver after taking pity on a poor family that couldn't afford any decorations for their Christmas Tree!

Because of the danger of fire, in 1895 Ralph Morris, an American telephonist, invented the first electric Christmas lights, similar to the ones we use today.

In 1885 a hospital in Chicago burned down because of candles on a Christmas Tree! And in 1908 insurance companies in the USA tried to get a law made that would ban candles from being used on Christmas Trees because of the many fires they had caused! So we have to say a big thank you to Ralph Morris for making Christmas safer!

Monday's Report

Good afternoon everyone, it is now Monday afternoon for me, I had a somewhat busy weekend. Friday was Dawson's end of year presentation and I as always went thankfully it was held in the morning and I was able to go and do food shopping afterwards and on Saturday I went and did other shopping and paid my layby's and such.

On Thursday just pasted I went to the appointment with the specialist over at the hospital and got no bloody answers, it is too soon to tell what is really causing the tremor although the doctor has prescribed medication that may help control it this I will pick up this afternoon or tomorrow morning. The chemist I see didn't stock it and had to order it in so that is why I am late getting it and starting it.

This morning I had to go and have three teeth filled cost us $897 for three fillings and I still need two more done next week. I don't handle seeing the dentist well, for many years now I find after the stuff they inject to numb you up wears off I start to feel unwell and get a headache and don't feel like doing much.

Over the weekend Natasha started to move a lot of her stuff in her bed is here now but the fridge, washing machine a lounge and some other stuff is still at her place her dad will move the fridge tomorrow along with the washing machine. She isn't keeping the washing machine she is just going to move it out of her house and leave it on the side of the road someone will claim it, her fridge is coming here though.

Seems I will not be having Blain here this week, since his dad and Kelli found out that I let him use his Xbox while grounded, so he is going to Jessica's place. Yesterday I was feeling betrayed this was because I felt that Kelli shouldn't had been snooping around the bedroom and she could had said something to me instead of telling his dad, also I was accused of encouraging Blain to lie to his dad and yeah I get that it seemed that way. I did tell Blain not to volunteer the information about using the Xbox, I did say don't lie if asked but if not asked don't say anything.

Also I heard from Jessica that I would not be having Blain not from Jono or Kelli or even Natasha but Jessica, Jessica went on and on about how I can't be trusted to discipline the child and how I let him do stuff he wasn't allowed to do. I have always been soft when it comes to discipline this is not new, also Kelli told me that I am not to ask for her help again I assume she means with Blain so I won't.

So yesterday I was in a right mood, I snapped at Jessica, I snapped at Tim and I felt like I had been punched in the gut, not that I have ever been punched in the gut so really don't know how that feels but you get my meaning. Kelli said she doesn't know if Jono will forgive me but you know what if he does he does if he doesn't he doesn't, I am not going to tie myself up in knots stressing over it, I can't change what has happened. It is what it is, was I wrong yeah I was, this I know.

Sometimes we do things we shouldn't do, but we can't go back and change anything and what's the point in holding grudges and stressing over stuff, Jessica said yesterday that I hold grudges, who the hell is she thinking of, being pissed off for an hour or so isn't holding a grudge, it's being pissed off for a bit that is all, by the afternoon I was over it and had moved on.

Photo Wednesday

Blame

Good morning world, yes it is still morning here, I was thinking this morning about writing a little about blame and then when I was busy reading blogs I came across Louise's blog well came across isn't right as I usually read her blog anyway she can be found here: http://dareboldly.com/2015/11/23/its-not-my-fault-can-i-blame-you

Now what made me think about blame this morning was of course two little boys who like to blame each other for every little thing although they are cousins they fight like siblings.

Anyway I was thinking this morning when I was a child was I quick to blame my siblings for things and you know what I reckon I was, why, well because I think blaming others comes naturally.

I don't know why it does it just does, even many adults are quick to blame and I wonder what it is that we are afraid of that makes us want to blame someone else for things that go wrong in our own lives. Not that blaming ourselves is ok either as at times we are quick to put ourselves down and that type of blaming is not good.

I know when my girls were little I use to tell them that I would not always take the word of one child over another without investigating more, meaning don't come and dob on your sister for no reason or to just get them into trouble as I will not stand for it. Blain and Leo have a habit of dobbing on each other just to get the other one in trouble, ok have to be honest Blain does it a bit more then Leo does. Leo seems to have a bit more empathy then Blain does.

I agree that there are cases when telling on someone is the right thing to do but we as parents and adults have to teach our young when it is right to tell and when it isn't, we also need to teach them that when they do something wrong they will be punished and the punishment will be just, I have never been a fan of telling a child you are grounded till I say other wise, ok it is ok to say that in the heat of the moment but once we have had time to calm down we should spell out to the child what their punishment is and for how long, we don't lock up people without telling them for how long, you can't throw someone in jail saying they will stay their till you say otherwise, they have to be given a time frame and I think the same applies for children when we ground a child we should say how long they are grounded for.

If you do something wrong, make a mistake or even deliberately do something wrong admit it and if you are punished for it than so be it accept your punishment and move on. That said the punishment has be fit the deed, I remember many times when the girls would get punished by Tim for something they did wrong that he would go in my opinion too far such as grounding them for far too long I use to say that what they did wrong was like pinching a lolly from a shop and he was acting like they held up a bank both deeds wrong but one worse the the other.

I feel that often now days children/teenagers commit offences and when they get arrested and go to court nothing happens they get let off sometimes with a fine they don't pay or community service which they don't do and this happens over and over again or they blame not having a stable home for their behaviour over and over again and that is a cope out. There is no accepting what they did was wrong,instead they just blame someone else and as such do not learn to deal with things.

When we blame others all the time we don't learn how to deal, to accept we screwed up and how to move on from that and not screw up again.

Yes when I was younger and I would say drop a glass and break it I would automatically say look what you made me do, when in fact no one made me do it, it just happened, now that I am older I don't stress over things like a broke glass or a split drink. I no longer feel the need to blame someone else for things that happen, I can accept it happened it may have been my fault it may not have been but really what is more important is how I deal with what has gone wrong.

I think teaching our children to not look for someone to blame is the better way to go as sometimes things happen and no one is to blame.