Thursday Thirteen!

I was so excited this week when I found Mr Powell et al, all living together in Llantwit Major that I posted a snippet of the 1841 census, showing my g-g-g grandfather and at the bottom of the family aged only 6 months *collective aww* my g-g grandmother Ciscel.

Cheryl was heard to comment "Five kids?!"

That's nothing Cheryl for this weeks Thursday Thirteen, I present my gran Gwyneth and her 12 siblings!

Ciscel, a girl, born 1880
Mary, born 1882
Catherine (Kitty), born 1884
George, born 1886
Margaret (Maggie), born 1889
Sarah, born 1891
Ivor, born 1895
William H, born 1895
Ewart, born 1896
Devro, a boy, born 1898
Mathew (Bow), born 1900
David (Dai), born 1902
Gwyneth, born 1904

Can you imagine the washing? Can you imagine the cooking? Can you imagine the last one in the bath water on a Sunday night?

Somewhere in the past I remember the Thegn of Sussex commenting that his wife had Gibbon in her family tree, in South Wales somewhere! Beware Cheryl ... this lot's mum was a Gibbon!

Wordless this Wednesday .... I've been noisy too long!

The official Wordless Wednesday site is here.

A very exciting moment thanks to the 1841 census

See that John Powell there? The 35 year old shoemaker! I've just found him. He's my great great great grandfather, born in 1806. He stayed in the same house until 1861 (lovely chap!) And I bet he made fab shoes! I'd have worn them :o)

A fizzing meme

So, in the absence of anything of interest to write about Fizzy made up a meme. And then a crazie royal nominated me for the job ... how lucky am I? I will get revenge! Watch your backs* ladies :o)

1 piece of information about me that you really should never know.
Umm ... I don't know how much I want to embarrass myself as I know my mother and SIL read this. I think nothing of going commando ... how's that?

2 colours that I would never ever ever wear.
Grey or gray (depending on which side of the Atlantic you live!) and puce.

3 things that I love to eat.
As usual I say the words "only 3 things?" How about 3 beginning with a and then 3 with b? Avocado, asparagus and anchovies. Bulgar wheat, brownies and blueberries. I'll stop now!

4 things that I would never ever serve to a guest at my dinner table.
Tripe, lychees, marzipan and kumquats. Neither together or apart.

5 things that I keep forgeting to buy from the supermarket.
Pledge soapy wash for wood (living room floor), bouquet garni (though I prefer Julian's), a dishwasher cleaner, bin bags for the pedal bin in the bathroom and new toothbrushes (though things are not desperate yet).

6 things about Autumn that I love.
Cold crisp mornings, driving home in the late evening misty sunshine, the smell of woodsmoke (more in France than here), puddles + wellies, shiny berries on trees and then of course there's the leaves!

7 things that I value about my family.
My husband's love and his long arms to get to the top corners of the kitchen cupboards, my father's sense of humour, my mother's support, my brother's protection (he doesn't say it often so I know that when he does he really means it!), my nephews' kisses and my nana's memories.

8 things that I like to watch on the TV.
Oh ... I like Spooks, Afterlife, Grey's Anatomy, the X factor, ANTM, House, a Question of Sport and the Antiques Roadshow.

9 things I loved about school.
Learning, friends, French, Mr Hughes and geography, swimming, holidays, handstands on the school field when I was 10 and playtime. Playtime being on my list is probably why I am a teacher ~ because kids should love being inside the school too!

10 of the little things that I love about life.
Travelling, music, dinner with friends, laughter, new shoes, blowing kisses, Friday takeaways, walks on the beach, sitting on the verandah at Laquet absorbing the view and teaching.

I have to say nice one Fizz-a-wallah ... not too taxing at all!

* I know this gives you a crick in the neck but so be it!

How do you know he loves you?

When you arrive on the doorstep and he opens the door and he says "hi, how was your day?" And you respond ...

Me ~ Do you remember how much you love me?

Simon ~ *long drawn out* Yes! *scared look on his face* Why? What have you done?

Me ~ I have headlice and we need to go upstairs to the bathroom and treat our hair with the lotion!

Simon ~ Me as well?

Me ~ Yes!

Simon ~ Ah, the joys of living with a nursery teacher!

We're now sitting here waiting for the lotion to cook ... it takes 2 hours and then we get to wash it off!?! Now I need to go and ring my mother-in-law* who I saw on Saturday and warn her :o) Aren't you glad you're not me!

* Balls! Just realised I better include sis-in-law and brother-in-law too!! And Kev ... boy I'll be popular!

Weekend

Yesterday was a truly delightful day, I walked on the beach in Seaford and had a fantastic meal (rice with chicken and a spicy soup followed by Layali Libnan ~ Lebanese Nights) cooked by Ahmed's mum. Just so nice to spend time with people you love :o) There appear to have been tonnes and tonnes of stones dumped on the beach, ready to be washed away in the storms to come this winter. In more exciting news, Kev is moving to Seaford the weekend at the end of half term ... and as usual, he does lead that kind of existence*, I will be going down to help him move, again! I'm certainly looking forward to spending more time on that beach.

Ahmed and his mum are on their way up north now, to see his sisters and nephews ... I, on the other hand, am looking forward to leftovers from last night's dinner today!!

* Only kidding, actually ~ he's going to kill me for that one!

Unconscious mutterings #193

I say ... and you think ... ?

Weeks :: 1 until a holiday ~ hurrah!
Cough :: "Cough it up love" ... said by my ex-deputy head whenever I stuttered slightly! NO pressure there then, I'm already stuttering and now you want me to hurry!!
Jail :: Jailhouse Rock
Produced :: music producer
? :: What? When? Why? Where? Who?
Stapler :: Staple gun
Next :: Next Directory
Perky :: Along with his mate Pinky
Oxygen :: necessary
Musical :: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers ... I want to go and see it!!

Homeopathy

I try as much as possible not to go to the doctor. Mine is far too fond of doling out anti-biotics* and blaming everything on my weight ... from eczema to a stiff left shoulder. So ... and yes I know there are now people out there screaming "well it probably is your weight" ... I try to avoid the doctor as much as possible. And instead I visit a homeopath called Morag.

It's not only the lack of anti-biotics that draw me to her, it's the way that homeopathy works. She really listens to what I actually say. She's not focused on getting me out of there quickly so that she can move on to the next patient. She listens to my symptoms and ties them together to treat them. She brings my emotions an feelings into the equation. She treats the whole me.

Anyway after a visit yesterday I came away with very red eyes (a good cry is always cathartic**), 7 little paper bags of tablets and a lighter step. I'd had a good chat about what ails me, let go of some tears that have been building under the new pressure of work over the last term and really talked. I slept really well last night & I feel relieved this morning. My husband labels all of this as hocus-pocus. Watch out Simon! I'm going to let her treat him if he's not careful ... "bring up the sulphur enema for my man please, Morag!"

*And finding a new doctor or a dentist in the South East of England is like finding a needle in a haystack.
** I mean in an emotionally purging way and not in the same way as a strong laxative would be cathartic :o) Otherwise that makes me sound very strange indeed and whilst I admit to a little odd ... I'm not willing to go any further.

Brittany

Today over at Indigo's Daily Trivia Game, I so wanted to answer Brittany Spears to the question "Who got stuck in a giant whale's stomach? I was of course much better behaved than that!

In other news I won in poker last night* ... and admitted to one of my fellow players that I have a blog. I think she might come a-hunting :o)

* I am a whole £2.60 better off ... what should I do with the cash? Decisions, decisions.

Stolen ... well I have been on the straight and narrow for a while now!

And whilst we're at it, if I have permission to steal it, does that make it a theft? Stolen with permission from the lovely AEWIAML, who in turn choose to steal it from the Peanut Queen ... see at leasy I didn't steal from royalty. You end up in the tower if you do that!

1. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up? Actually, one of my nursery nurses, who keeps saying things like "we used to blah, blah, blah and the that worked really well. Maybe you should try that next time." So tell me before I f&*k up then! Not after the fact you cowbag.

2. You can flip a switch that will wipe any band or musical artist out of existence. Which one will it be? Chris Rea. Because he just stands there when he performs and there's no animation, not even on his face. Not a twitch of a toe. Not a wobble of a shoulder. Nothing! Nada! Rien! And maybe Chris de Burgh to, just for Lady in Red.

3. Who would you really like to just punch in the face? Actually and I don't say this lightly, Sharon Osborne, for choosing the awful Dione over Jonathan in the X factor on Saturday. What do you mean sad addict?

4. What is your favorite cheese? Either St Agur or Cabecou ... can't decide between the 2 of them. Or perhaps a Ossau-Iraty from the Basque region ~ delicious :o)

5. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your immediate disposal. What kind will you make? I have simple sandwich tastes, a really good BLT with a little low fat mayo; juicy tomatoes sprinkled with Maldon salt, crispy lettuce, smoky sweetcure bacon ... on artisan bread!

6. You have the opportunity to sleep with the movie celebrity of your choice. Hugh Jackman of course, did you really need to ask?

7. You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who do you pick? Well obviously neither of the Chris monsters because, well just because you wouldn't! Seal please.

8. Now that you've slept with two different people in a row, you seem to be having an excellent day because you just came across a hundred-dollar bill on the sidewalk. Holy crap, a hundred bucks! How are you gonna spend it? Can we make it £100 please? Lunch with Ruth, Kev and Su.

9. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go? New Zealand, via Fiji.

10. Upon arrival at the aforementioned location, you get off the plane and discover another hundred-dollar bill. Now that you are in the new location, what are you gonna do? Buy a couple of bottles of wine to share with a Kiwi or two!

Unconscious mutterings #192

I say ... and you think ... ?

Opinion :: opinionated
Tardy :: late for school
Peer pressure :: slim teenagers in trampy clothes
Grown up :: never
! :: Mynyffrny! or Putain ... because nobody around here understands enough Welsh/French for me to get into bother! In a past life I always used to say f%*k a duck but can you imagine the complaints I'd get?
Beer :: Bitter please or Singha at a push.
Sit :: Down quietly.
Shower :: Every morning ~ or otherwise I'm not awake!
Consumate :: Professional
Wasting :: Away

There's a duck muttering ...

... actually more a case of quacking at me because I haven't muttered unconsciously this morning. But I will when I can* and until then here's 10 words for you to mutter incoherently about this morning :o(

My husband ::
Gardening ::
Lopping ::
Branches ::
Tree ::
Danger ::
Ambulance ::
Hospital ::
Mother-in-law ::
Visit ::

SOOOOO, you see what horros could happen if I was to let my free-associating imagination imagination run riot. I need to go and "oversee!"

* Luna is obviously having a lie-in and who can blame her it is Sunday after all.