NSS Goody Bags for the Book UnConvention

Today I received the details of our Goody bag partners for the UnConvention in Birmingham.
There's another excuse to go to a bookshop or two!

Glasgow Book Crossers for lunch!

I met up with the two Laura and Deb for lunch in a rather fun pub in Glasgow. I can't remember the name of the pub, but the Strawberry cheesecake was devine!
On the way to meet the others Laura, took me into Borders bookshop. It reminded me of my favourite bookshop Foyles in London, and after lunch, when we parted, I went back to Borders and exchanged money for some books - naughty me!
It was a lovely day. It was good to meet up girls!

Caerlaverock Castle

Situated in Dumfries & Galloway (South West Scotland).

We were in a bookshop in Dumfries yesterday and Stuart spotted a lovely postcard of the castle. It said Dumfries & Galloway on the back, so we decided to locate the castle and visit. We took the A725 out of Dumfries and the road follows the River Nith. Just outside of Glencapel we pulled over and looked out at the lovely view. The river was calm, it was a beautiful day - sunny with a gentle spring breeze. The locals have started, what was described by the lady in the papershop as the Nith clear up, the removal of the rubbish from the banks of the River Nith. As we drove on, following the river, the river the widened, leading out to the Solway, and out eventually to sea. The road that lead to the castle turned inland.

Following a nature trail will lead to the ruins of
an earlier castle, which was sited closer to the Solway and abandoned 50 years later, because it was too close to the river. The castle itself was lovely, they built their ruins well! Including some grafitti, dated from 1820! Swans occupy the moat, and even a few fish.

The Galloway Falcons

In the town centre of Dumfries, by the fountain was a display with the Galloway Falcons centre. The Falcon, known as awkward was on proud display....a very beautiful and graceful bird.

Yothu Yindi - A Band with a Vision

I was in Australia as Yothu Yindi released their album Tribal Voice, and bought the tape before coming back to England. Now we're in the aged of music CDs and a few have joined my collection.

Homeland Movement (1988)
Tribal Voice (1991)
Freedom (1993)
Birrkuja Wild Honey (1994)
One Blood (1998)
Garma (2000)

Here is the band's web page
Yothu Yindi - A Band with a Vision

The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant - TV Drama

Although I'm not a real Telly addict, I spotted the advertisment for the Drama of The Incrediable life of Mary Bryant, a convict from Cornwall, who is sentenced to death, but receives a pardon and is transported to Botany Bay. She manages to escape and after some time is recapured. Upon her return to England she is labelled a hero, and is pardoned, and returned to her native Cornwall. A sad story having lost her husband and children through the events.

The story line grabbed my attention as, I read recently, The Girl from Botany Bay, who although is refered to in the book as Mary Broad, is indeed the same person. The drama had been jazzed up slightly in places from the book, but, nevertheless was a very good drama and was well worth watching.

Fishing in Dumfries & Galloway

River Nith Improvement Association.

ooohhh the pain!.......

I got out of the car last Tuesday and felt a twinge, by Thursday I was really struggling and in a lot of pain in my back and the ribs, basically all the bits that were injured when the Nissan Micra wrote our BMW off in Dec 2004.

Thankfully, I was off Good Friday, the weekend and Easter Monday, so reached for the Co-proxamol and Ibuprofen 6oomg. All prescribed following the accident, which rended me off work of 3 months. The yesterday (sunday) I noticed my ankles swelling.....so I laid off the tablets to see if there had been any improvement. I woke at 4 o 'Clock this morning in pain, so back on the pain killers and anti inflammatories. After taking them, I decided to locate my aging BNF in the study and note that the Ibuprofen has the potential side effect of water rention, ankle swelling. Judging by the size of mine, I won't disagree with that!

Blogs/Live Journal Questionaire

I was reading ncot's LJ and spotted the link to the Save Live Journal (and me!) posting
I thought that I would answer the questions and, using the belt and braces approach record the details on both my Blog and my LJ. (I'm still struggling with LJ!)

1. How did you find out about LJ?
Through the BookCrossing UK mailing list

2. Why do you keep a Journal?
To record events, thoughts or just bits I want to save. How many of us see something that we want to make a note of then loose the note, or find their desk covered in post it notes? To me a Blog/LJ is somewhere I can record them. They show that a particular thing was of interest to me, and I guess enables a reader to build a small profile of me.

3. Do you also keep a paper diary?
Yes, two of them. One is events and appointments, the other is a handwritten and records all sorts of things, that I want to record for the future and so I don't forget them. I've kept every journal,notebook and diary I've written since 1982!

4. How long have you had an LJ? How long do you think you'll keep writing in it?
I've had my Blog since August 2003 and my Live Journal since September 2005, and Shhh I prefer Blog!

5. Have you ever lost whole LJ entries or parts of them? How did you feel about it?
Touching lots of wood, no I haven't, but the thought of loosing part of my Blog or LJ gives me a really sicky feeling.

6. What's your favorite thing about LJ? Your least favorite?
My favourite thing about the concept of LJ & Blogs is that I can, and often do get lost in them. You can start reading and follow a link and read about something that is personal and important to someone else. This is actually a really good example. I read an email on the BCUK mailing list by ncot and followed the link to her LJ, which then lead me to this questionaire.
My least favourite thing about LJ specifically is that I find it more complicated than Blog.

7. Would you want all or part of your LJ to survive you? Who/where would you leave it to?
I want it all to survive. As a historian I love reading journals and papers that have survived from previous years. I want my research notes, and there are lots of them, and both my written Journal and online Journals to survive the test of time. Its my way of saying I was here, and this is what I felt, did and thought. I would like to leave it to my cousin's daughter. She is a very special young women with a family of her own.

::ETA:: If an archive or library asked for a copy of your LJ for research purposes, whould you give it to them?
Yes, I'd be happy to. What is important to remember is that a LJ or blog may look boring or dull, but it means something to the person who it belongs to. A peer to Samuel Pepys may have thought his Diary boring, but look at historical value they have now.

NSS Easter Bunny Pressie

I opened my NSS Easter Bunny pressie. Thanks to bookfrogster.

It contains three books from my wish list and my favourite bar of chocolate.

Final Appeal by Lisa Scottoline
Paradise Fields by Katie Fforde
Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich

Thanks so much bookfrogster, I am delighted. Happy Easter!

Chatting to LyzzyBee!

I saw that LyzzyBee was going to be on MSN messenger, so joined her online for a chat, for about half an hour. We're both looking forward to the BCUK Birmingham meet in Hay On Wye....I mean, where else could a group of booklovers meet, but somewhere that has 39 bookshops! On a month to go to Hay on Wye!!

Into town..

Mum and I wandered into town today. I didn't really need any groceries. I went to Tesco earlier in the week and had no intention to go today, and battle with everyone buying enough groceries to feed an army. We popped into the charity shops in town, my there are loads, to look at the books. Out of 5 or 6 shops I bought one book and even that isn't for me. I bought a rather aging book called The Fish we catch by W E Davies for hubby, another one for his collection of angling books. Town was fairly busy, lots of people down for the Easter weekend and school holidays. The sun even managed to put in a brief appearence.

Guild Journal arrives........

Well, it did earlier in the week, but I didn't get chance to read it until Good Friday, because, the whole population goes completely mad, and pharmacy is tremendously busy Easter week. There was an interesting article about Blogs, and creating one, for a one-name study. I've been cogitating since yesterday. I already have a perfectly good blog, albeit, it may be on the boring side to most people, it does actually mean something to me! To have a blog for my two one name studies.....might be a good idea......watch this space.......

Go on then.....I've given in.

ORLANDO

WORSHIP

Circle Of Crafters - Another useful craft site and forum.

Genealogy Blogs

The Genealogue Blog

San Francisco Genealogy

The Genealogist's Glossary
Added to my neverending wish list & blogged so I don't forget!

Italian-mysteries.com Website

Italian-mysteries.com Website

Traveling Heritage Express

Preserving Our Heritage - Heri POH!
Traveling Heritage Express

Grand National Flutter!

I'm not really a gambler, but I do always splash out with a pound each way on two horses for the Grand National. I dislike going into bookmakers, so have an online account with a well known one and each year have to look up the passwords! Anyway, mum and I both had a small flutter, for a bit of fun. My horses were Amberleigh House and Hedgehunter. Hedgehunter came in 2nd. woo hoo! Mum's horses were Hedgerhunter and Clan Royal, which came in 3rd.....so Mum can obviously pick 'em! Now, how are we going to spend our whopping three quid each!!.....Its the taking part that counts!

24-7 Family History Circle

Ancestry.com blog - 24-7 Family History Circle

The Original Record

I saw details of this somewhere on the web. I've had a quick look at it looks a useful site. Even finding a few Orlando references.
The Original Record

Missouri State Archives - Death Records Certificates

Missouri now has Death Certificates from 1910-1955 are online. The url also contain digital images from 1910-1920. The online certicates are searchable by name, county or month and year. Also the database includes info on occupation, parents, birthplace and marital status.
Missouri State Archives - Death Records Certificates

A quick search for my Orlando one name study revealed 53 results.

Avon.....why do they do that?

Why do big companies keep discontinuing products that sell? I simply love the Planet Spa, South Pacific range sea algae body wash, and have been buying for about a year, I went to order last month and there was none in the book,that sometimes happens. I tried to order from the latest book and still none. I checked the Avon web page, and its not listed. I contacted Avon, who announce its discontinued. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, They usually state in the book that it is being discontinued. Incidently, the item number was 06502

The really annoying thing is I bought some items from the Planet Spa range, but not the South Pacific, to send to someone in the US, as that had been discontinued, at that time they still listed my product and I didn't buy any.

Drat, Drat Drat!

All things Sicilian

A site after my own heart!

Italian food online, Italian recipes, Sicilian food recipes and much more!

Easter Bunny!

I completed buying the goodies for my Book Crossing NSS Easter Bunny pressie, so now all that is needed is something suitable for posting and it will be off in the post. I really enjoy buying for the BC NSS events. Selecting the book or perhaps books, the chocies and other bits. They are not compulsory to members of the BCUK list, but is a really nice addition to the group, and such fun!

About Daylight Saving Time - History, rationale, laws & dates

As we changed the clock last weekend here in the UK, and they change this weekend in the US, it seemed appropiate to blog this really useful web page about - Day Light Saving

Preserving our Heritage - Special Things

When I was about 2 or 3 my grandfather gave me a small leather purse, measuring about 1.5" x 1". Inside was a small coin, which is square. Its a little tarnished, but from research I did about 15 years ago, It was given to soldiers in Holland during WWII.

Anyway, thanks for this thread on the mailing list and for reminding me of such a happy event, my grandfather died in 1974 and I have treasured this little purse and unusual coin ever since. I might see if I can find more details online about it.

I had a closer look today, and for the first time noticed that on the back is some writing. At the top left it says Watchmaker. Scrolled across the middle it reads H Venables and at the bottom right it gives the address of Market Street Guildford.

According to the Kelly's Directory of 1963, H Venables was a jewellers whose premises was at 22, Market Street.

The coin has been difficult to photograph, even with a good camera, it has not been easy to get a close up of it. On one side is 5c with the date of 1939 and on the reverse KONINGRIJK.DER.NEDERLANDEN.

The great individuals on the BookCrossing UK Yahoo list have told me that that translates to Kingdom of the Nederlands.