Being Vegetarian

I'm not a vegetarian. I'm a lover of the meat, an eater of the flesh, happy to sink my teeth into a red and oozing steak or crunch a piece of crispy bacon and feel animal fats dribble down my chin. But for lent I'm vegetarian. So, "how is it going?" I hear you ask.

Well pretty well actually, as you can see from my opening sentence I'm hardly thinking about meat at all, chops, sausage, burger, sorry what? yes hardly thinking of meat at all. 

Cooking and eating at home has been easy, Using the wonder new cook book and eating plenty of pasta, lentils and noodles, rice and naan bread, potatoes and cheese, no trouble at all. 

Eating out however is a whole different kettle of fish quorn. I need to change the way I get lunch for a start. At work we have a canteen and until recently it did great food including a nice vege dish of the day but it's been taken over (to save money) and the food there is now just bought in (and not very nice, or very hot) microwaved meals; so I need to look elsewhere.Sometimes I remember and make a sandwich when I make lunch for DD but I'll be honest - I never really fancy the packed lunch I make myself, I don't know why, is that just me? Maybe I need a packed lunch partner - we both make a lunch then exchange it at work for a delightful surprise!? 
Any way, buying a vege lunch (eg sandwich, pasty, salad etc) seems fraught with difficulty. "How hard can it be?" you are thinking (unless you are a vegetarian - then you are nodding and muttering "See! See what we have to put up with!") and I thought the same. A cheese sandwich, an egg sandwich, tomato soup, a cheese and potato pasty, that can't be too tricky surely; but it seems that it is. I'm lucky if I can find anything some days, cheese and ham? why add the ham? egg and bacon? chicken salad? what is this? a meat eaters' charter? Today I gave up and caved in to eat a pot noodle. A POT NOODLE these are the depths I have sunk to, if I was a fish I'd have one of those glowing lights dangling in front of my face I've sunk so low.

So vegetarians, where do you 'grab a snack'? do you ever? is life as a vegetarian only possible if meticulously planned? I dread to think how vegans survive outside the safety of their own homes.

Offensive

I have a mixture of feelings today. I'm not really in the mood to blog because of it but I am anyway because it's my blog and you can't stop me. My mood today is a mixture between sad, annoyed, and apathetic. is there a word for that? Sadanthetic? Whatever.

Image Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Everything I thought about ranting about today made me think 'someone will be offended and then they will kick off a rant and a hideous flame war will start and most of what I rant about I don't really care that much about anyway so why offend people, and who decides whose opinions are right? 

Who decides if a joke is 'OK'? is it funny? is it offensive? 

Oh it's obvious you all cry offensive is easy, a pregnant nun fancy dress costume is offensive, a picture of a dog smoking a cigarette is offensive, a dead animal is offensive.

 And then others say "oh no it's not, the nun thing is pretty funny actually" and they make up a joke about beagles and nicotine patches ... and comedians tell us nothing is beyond humour, we should be able to laugh at anything, nothing should be truly 'offensive' it's just words and you can choose how to react see I'm rambling, are you offended?

Offended that I'm not offended by what you are offended by? Or offended that I am offended by something you deem funny? Once I wrote a post about being offended by breastfeeding in public. Maybe jokes are like that? it's ok to be offended but you have to uphold the right of others to make an offensive joke? What do you think? 

"free speech has long been recognised as a common law right in Britain, it also has a statutory basis in Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the "Convention"), which has been incorporated into UK law by the Human Rights Act 1998."

Find Law UK

Dressing up for World Book Day

I love dressing up. Yeah I hear your filthy giggles and see your smirks, well I don't even care! I like dressing up, any excuse and I'll try and find a costume to suit. Sadly I'm old and when you are old the chances to dress us recede (unless you just go the whole 'crazy old lady' route and wear a ballgown and tiara to do the weekly shop) 

but when you are young... oh the opportunities are endless and schools even encourage it with the rather fabulous World Book Day - encouraging young readers to choose their favourite book and dress in character for a day - I don't mind admitting I wish I was at school and if I was I'd be dressed as Sir Samuel Vimes' good lady, Sybil  (and only then as I'd look silly as Sam Vimes himself) ..but alas, I am not.

But dear readers, I know many of you (like me) have adorably cute offspring that are probably already trying to convince you to get them the perfect costume for WBD. And that's where this handy blog post comes in, because, via the medium of Twitter I discovered a rather awesome online fancy dress shop called Simply Fancy Dress! 

They kindly sent me a costume for the lovely DD to review but I need to tell you all about the site anyway because it's ace! Go on CLICK this link and take a look, I'll wait, no actually I won't - click it in a minute, because if you go there now you'll be ages and ages as it's such fun to hunt and browse around! They have the usual daft hen and stag fancy dress of course (much of it pretty tasteless, but there's hen and stag dos for you) but they also have some rather super child costumes, they even handily divide them into sections to make the search simpler (hang on SIMPLY Fancy Dress - the clue was in the name all the time!)

Horrid Henry Costume

So you can look at the likes of Horrid Henry costumes to simple Red Riding Hood and anything else that takes your fancy and childrens book day costumes start from £3.95 with £3.99 delivery! Honestly I was impressed - I wish I'd known about them for Tudor day!

Musketeer Costume

Look at this Brave Musketeer for only £17.99 I can't help wishing I knew some boys to dress up as the Three Musketeers!

Or maybe you have a girl who simply adores "How to Train Your Dragon" , (Viking Girl £16.99)

or a fan of Harry Potter,  I was roaming the site for ages. They have all sorts of great accessories too so if your costume is 'almost perfect' they probably have that last little finishing touch you need, like a pair of glasses or make up (including some zombie and vampire stuff to turn your stomach!)

Of course you are all dying to see DD in her glorious costume - so here she is looking rather glam in this Teen outfit which we were impressed to find included the tights, mask, dress and wings for my little butterfly daughter. The outfit is really nicely made too and was all packaged nicely. I always think that costumes, especially for small kids (but also for those like me that just LOVE to dress up) are a great fun present too - opening a whole world of imaginative fun.

 

 

 And if you don't have kids but have a dog...actually if you don't have a dog, buy a dog, just so you can dress it in this!

Raptor Dog Costume(sadly now no longer available)

Disclosure: I was sent a free costume in return for my review but the post contains only my own thoughts on the Simply Fancy Dress website!

I leave the last word on the fun of fancy dress to DD  

And the Winners Are...

For Best Animal Blog - The winner is http://marleyandlola.blogspot.co.uk/

For Weirdest Blog - By a landslide!!  http://www.theskullillusion.com/

For Blog that made me cry most this year - a tie!! two winners  http://motherhoodjourneys.com/ and http://randommusingsofarandomlife.blogspot.co.uk/

For Angry/Rantiest Blog the winner is http://dadandproud.wordpress.com/

For Best Political Parent Blog the winner is http://liveotherwise.co.uk/makingitup/

For Craziest Family as demonstrated by antics on Blog the winner is http://iknowineedtostoptalking.blogspot.co.uk/

For Blog with the cutest family the winner is .....  http://mamacrow.blogspot.co.uk/

For the Most positive feel good blog we have another tie! Hooray and the two winners are ... http://www.storyofmum.com/ and http://www.sleepisfortheweak.org.uk/

For Blog with the best life advice the winner is http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/

The *£!*$ Award for the Blog with the best use of Profanities the winner is (and it was close!)
http://www.thekrakenwakes.org/

For the Blog that once made me wee laughing the winner is ... http://iknowineedtostoptalking.blogspot.co.uk/ (sadly not sponsored by Tena Lady)

Best non UK based blog award goes to http://www.chickenruby.com/ (and no you greedy whatsit - there is no prize!)

For Blog with no theme but i just love it so there the award goes to http://bad-fiction.com

Best Music blog goes to  http://eddsnotdead.blogspot.co.uk/

The award for For Best New Music Blog goes to  http://hornetmusic.blogspot.co.uk/

The (if we are honest, slightly dodgy) award for Best blog with 'Aftershave' & 'Whiskey' in the title goes to http://whiskeyforaftershave.com/


The award for The 'I survived his shite and came out incredible and fabulous' blog award goes to http://motherhoodjourneys.com/

The award for Bravest Blog goes to http://poundofcheese.blogspot.co.uk/

Sexiest Blogger as voted by my readers is ....... drum roll ....  http://www.bigfashionista.co.uk/

Best Impersonation on a blog is unsurprisingly the talented and handsome  http://fudgecrumpet.wordpress.com/

And the award for  Mid-Life Blog Crisis - for bloggers who change blogs more than once a year goes to ...who else ... http://www.notsupermum.com/

Full details for those that missed all the nominees are here

Unable to 'rein' myself in any longer, I talk horsemeat ..

Sorry for the late arrival of this blog post, this was caused by the wrong type of meat in a lasagne. 

I wasn’t going to blog about this, the horse meat thing. Everyone else has had a right old go. Probably more eloquently that I will be able to. People have had clever arguments and stupid reactions and hilarious jokes. 

I wasn’t going to talk about it. 

I tweeted a few times, shock at the number of horses there must be somewhere for all this horse meat to have appeared and to be so cheap. The usual shock at people grossed out by having eaten a meat they clearly enjoyed but who now feel nauseous as it contained My Little Pony. Anger that drugs may have entered the food chain due to poor checks. 


And then, and then I heard a chap from a laboratory talking about the testing and explaining they didn’t routinely test for other DNA, they only tested when asked!!!! 

So, unless asked they didn’t test for horse. Are you listening!! This means that unless asked they don’t test for dog either, or rat, or pigmy hippo or….and think on this … or human DNA. 

And then the news hinted that all of this was a huge fraud that the Mafia may be involved…the Mafia. 

And wait, aren’t the ready meals mostly Italian food based? Bolognese, lasagne…. 

So now we know what happens to the rest of the horse after you find the head in your bed, but worse still maybe concrete overshoes and sleeping with the fishes are old hat, maybe, just maybe, "keeping your friends close and your enemies closer" takes on a whole new meaning when your enemies are smothered in Mama’s special Bolognese sauce! 

I’m married to an Italian. He said I should blog this as it made him laugh when I ranted it during the news the other night. If I never blog again. Think of me when you eat meat stuffed tortellini. 

Images Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

I could give it up ... if I wanted to

Last year I wrote about Lent and what importance it may have in this modern world. (You can read that post here)

This year I decided to give up something for Lent. And it was a sudden decision but came of lots of earlier thoughts and talking with a friend at work. 

My friend is vegetarian, I have lots of vegetarian friends (ooh get me! "I'm not vegetarian-ist , some of my friends are vegetarian" ) so I know they are not all weirdos and oddballs (they are but not because they are vegetarian, more because they are my friends...a whole 'nother post - do I like weirdos or make people weird by knowing them?) 

Festival Vegetarian Curries I have known

 

Anyway ...  a while ago you will remember that my vegetarian friend loaned me the fabulous Veg Every day cookery book by Hugh FW (Read that post here) and I've been eating more and more vegetarian meals, so when yesterday we talked about kids, and pancakes, and Shrove Tuesday and then Lent and she asked 'what are you giving up?' I thought about it and said "I don't know, nothing probably" so her reply "Why not give up meat!" made me realise that I could - I could give it a go for 40 days ... that's doable right? 

Mr tumble is excited by Lent! Are you?

 

What are doing for Lent? Do you ignore it? Join in? 

Author's note : I only eat meat about 3 times a week and usually less BUT the longest I have ever gone without bacon is 30 days. Pray for me.

Being a party pooper, balloons

I sometimes see things about organising a 'balloon release' and my heart sinks. Like everyone else I think the sight of hundreds of balloons soaring up into a blue sky is a beautiful thing, trailing tags with notes of love to heaven, what a gorgeous idea...but balloons come down, and when they do they kill things, lots of things.

They fall into rivers, get snarled in trees, drift to the sea, and wildlife get's caught up or eats the burst skins of the balloons (particualrly turtles that naturally eat jellyfish drifting in the sea)

You wouldn't organise a mass litter. Please don't organise a balloon release.(Ditto 'sky lanterns')  Maybe you need more convincing, if so here are some links. I'd appreciate it if you spread the word.

 

Marine Conservation Society

Balloons Blow

And if I've convinced you to change your mind. Here are some other things you could do that would not harm our planet.

I especially like this idea 

"Floating flowers- For a lot of people, the gently upward drifting of balloons gives them a sense of letting go, and at the same time thinking the balloon will eventually reach their loved one. Because remembering a loved one by potentially killing another life isn’t exactly the best feeling, there are many alternatives. Floating flowers or flower petals down a calm stream can give you the same sense of letting go. You will be able to be in nature and feel the energy of your loved one and all the life that surrounds you! Be sure to use non-poisonous flowers and not to let go an excessive amount."

We only have one chance, let's not screw it up - I want a beautiful planet for future generations. I hope you do too.

All Pictures Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Equality

Equality 

I thought it was a simple concept. So did Jesus. Every one is worth the same. We are equal, we should treat everyone as we would treat ourselves. Equality. It’s a nice thing. 

So why is ‘gay marriage’ even an issue? I know it’s only a few years since ‘the homosexual act’ (I have NO idea what that is!? I hope some stuffy secretary to an MP somewhere has to write out a definition with diagrams) was illegal but I thought that once that was out of the way we were on the home straight (no pun intended) 

 I’m not gay. But I am married, I’m married for old fashioned reasons like sharing a name with my husband, having a child with our name and sharing her guardianship, being prepared to sign up to something legal as a declaration of our love and commitment in front of friends, family, the world. Being a team. We did not get married in a church, despite my dad being a Reverend.

So Equal Marriage

What's this? #teamhonk ? Postcard!!

I was quite excited when I saw that some bloggers I know were off to Ghana to see where the money raised from Red Nose Day actually goes, also excited as I'd lost touch with Ghana since my friend was there for a year doing VSO work at a hospital, she enjoyed every minute (despite getting malaria!) and the people were lovely, my friends and I back in the Uk sent regular gifts to the children (inflateable globes, pencils, the toys from Christmas crackers) and sent my friend tapes of the Archers Omnibus edition to keep her in touch with Britain! So it's lovely today to get this lovely picture and message.

This photo is taken in a classroom in a school situated on the edge of a slum in Accra. These children were being taught synonyms when we arrived and we were shown their exercise books - such neat handwriting! 


This is a digital postcard sent from TeamHonk (www.mammasaurus.co.uk; www.aresidence.co.uk; www.mummybarrow.com ) during their travels with Comic Relief in Ghana celebrating #goodwork. 

For the past 25 years the money raised through Red Nose Day has been changing the lives of the poorest and most disadvantaged people in the UK and Africa. Let’s Keep Up the Good Work. 

Find out how at rednoseday.com For other digital postcards please do check out the linky on www.teamhonk.org Badge code: 

Dearest Beloved

I get some really lovely emails from some really lovely generous people sometimes, (every day) which just proves to me the Internet is full of fantastic and lovely people. I thought you should share in the joy these emails bring, so here are a couple from today's offering

It seemed like such a good idea at the time. (A Rant)

It seemed like such a good idea at the time. 

We’ve all been there and done that, we’ve all looked at something and seen an instant fix, a way out of a problem that was oh so simple, and then at the end of the idea implementation or even halfway through we realise there were a thousand and one things we hadn’t quite considered.

 The cane toads in Australia have always been one of my favourite;’ learning the hard way’ lessons. In case you have never heard of it there is more here but in brief, there were lots of bugs that needed removal to save plants, so some predators (the cane toads) were brought in, what a fine idea! No pesticides, all natural, perfect. Except it wasn’t, the cane toads are poisonous and generally nasty, they had no predators of their own so they ran amok (a rather fine image there, toads running amok, like something from a B grade horror movie) and now the problem is not bugs but cane toads. And of course rabbits are not native to Australia ….