3 WEEKS OLD with AN EMAIL ACCOUNT!

Isn't technology just amazing today!!? Kids as young as 2 or 3 years old know how to use an IPad, even switch on a telly and operate a remote control.

Pic from this site

So it was no surprise when my brother and his wife told the family that they had set up an email for their daughter....who was just about 3 weeks old at the time! My niece who is now just over 6 weeks old, who by the way is just the most gorgeous little princess, has an email account!! She obviously won't be accessing it for a good few years, and when she does she has alot of catching up to do...some of it, thanks to me of course;)  I think it's an awesome idea. She gets to look back at all the highlights of her precious life, and they will be treasured memories....just for her!!
When you look back to the technology that was around when you were just a baby, even just a kid, it was a "toy" telephone, kiddy programmes on telly, playing with dolls/cars, and just simply spending your time outside with the kids from the neighbourhood. The Commodore 64 had come out in the 80's, and there was no such thing as the internet!!
Today they have plenty of IPhone apps for babies with Mozart baby music and the letters of the alphabet which my beautiful niece gets to listen to everyday and listens ever so intently. It's incredible and ever so precious watching her gaze as she focuses on the colours and objects and listens to the music and pronounciations of the letters~it's priceless!!

Technology aside, I actually can't wait to send her first snailmail when she starts reading, just to hear how excited she would be when she opens her first mail from me.

from  this video


For the angel in my life..Sara

Autumn~A lovely time of year!

It's known to be the most beautiful time of year! If you live in the northern hemisphere, you can truly appreciate it that much more. It's a colourful and somewhat romantic season with the weather just about still perfect, not too hot or cold, the leaves on the trees looking a brilliant golden brown to orange, and the magnificent maple leaves you walk through on the ground making a soothing crunching sound!

Photo from here
It's time when you realise that you actually start eating a little bit more, getting your reserves ready for winter, pretty much like a squirrel!
With winter around the corner from this beautiful season, it makes you WANT to go out to the parks and enjoy how lovely the trees and lakes look. In the USA, it's known as the FALL season (rightly so), it's just the epitome of this passing season. The days evidently become shorter and you start preparing yourself psychologically for the short dreary wintery dark days. Take consolation in that they're just all passing seasons.

                                                       Have a romantic autumn ;)

Time for Mince pies !!

 I'm no baker or pie maker, but occasionally I love the odd cakes and pies now and then ..who doesn't? So I've been thinking about mince (vegetarian) pies this week, and decided I needed to make some. I bought the Jus Rol Puff Pastry sheet, and was quite excited about my little "project". As I walked home from the grocery store, I realised I had no baking flour which you roll the pastry onto to undo the doughiness (I think). The mince was cooked and cooled and ready to fill the pastry. It was fun rolling this pastry into an oddly shaped rectangle, and it was fun closing the corners and edging fork patterns onto the pastry, and then "dousing" it with some beaten egg (to give it that golden brown colour?!).
The oven was ready and in went these uniquely shaped pies, and within a few minutes the smell wafting from the oven was that of a cake baking (obviously an overpour of the beaten egg onto all the pies!!). After 20 minutes I peered into the oven and saw these humongous pies (I should have used a bigger tray), but they were looking golden brown!! :)
The poor pies were stuck to the foil...yep...I didn't grease the foil!! Well, I had good intentions with these pies. I was really determined to take some to work for my colleagues. I guess I need more practice, and next time will be able to take the most perfect pies to work. They say that "the way to a man's heart is through his tummy"...if that's the case, I've got alot of practicing to do!! Unfortunately I have no pictures to show the proof, but next time (if it looks really good), pictures and recipe will be provided!!
What I can say is that it tasted great... well, I would say that :)
Get your pastry today...you even get a recipe on the pastry box!! Happy pie baking!!

Welcome to this world, little princess!!

The day has arrived...a life changing day! We thank God for life, and for all that a new life represents.
When a child enters this world, an abdundance of love and blessings flow.

This day marks the beginning of an amazing, blessed and happy journey of your life, because your life will always be surrounded by those who will always love you. You've made this day the happiest for all those around you, and have brought so much joy most especially to your special and beautiful parents, who have been waiting eagerly for this day.

There will be good times, great times; times when it seems so challenging, it's times like these you need to know and remember that you will always be loved selflessly and unconditionally. You are the most beautiful little angel that has arrived in our lives, and we thank God for you!! You have made your loving parents the most proud couple that you could ever imagine. May God always have His hands of protection on you as you begin your extraordinary and exciting journey through this life!


For you, little angel......

Be thankful in life, for life

In life we can be so overwhelmed by the pressures that we may face on a daily basis, whether it's deadlines at work, making sure that we're on time for work, picking and dropping kids of at school and their extracurricular activities, paying bills on time, preparing meals on time, finding time for yourself... with all the hecticness that goes on it's so easy not to allow time to yourself, or even just enjoy living your life.

It seems that life has become more demanding of our time, and somehow it seems that we're never happy enough, always wanting more than what we really need. There are people who have so little yet are so greatful in life for what they have.
The late Seve Ballisteros said in one of his last interviews: " I'm fine, don't worry about me. This thing I have is little, compared to what other people have to face in their lives. I've been blessed with an impressive life and I'll get through this"  "...It has been a fantastic life.This what's happened to me.... I would call destiny....one test that God is putting on me...and I win.." He was a charismatic great golfing legend who was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and lost his battle with cancer after 2 years.

We always seem to think that we have it worse off than others, and in our heart of hearts we probably we do, but find consolation in the fact that most of the times it really isn't....and it really isn't.
There are moments or experiences in our life that tend to bolt us into a reality check every now and then, whether it's an illness that's hit us badly, a death in the family, or something that's affected someone close to us...whatever it is, we feel it, and our bodies have a unique way of letting us know..it's time to slow down, live your life, and enjoy it too!

Poem From here

~~Celtic Dreaming~~

THE IRISH LADS

                                                                               

 

Picture from here

THE IRISH ANGELS

                                                            

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

May God be with you and bless you:
May you see your children's children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.

May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near.

May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you.

~Irish Blessing~

                                                                                                ~~  for the angel in my life ~~

ebony and ivory

 

                   

 

ALL TIME LOVE !

                                                                                                                                                                    Videos from here, here, here, here, HERE  & HERE

Oh sweet everlasting love...

And they lived   Happily Ever After.... not just true in the good 'ol fairy tale books, but living very much to those words.

Yesterday I saw a sweet elderly couple walking in front of me, with matching khaki trousers, and dark short sleeved tops, and beige coloured shoes ...( I wasn't really noticing that much!)... I watched them walk side by side, step to step and, in sync...and finally, like a natural act, their hands just met, and they walked hand in hand. That caught my breath! It was special. It was a true love that existed there, in two total strangers to me, their body language spoke it all. There was an understanding, a warmth, a selflessness, and a relationship that seemed to be based on unconditional love.

It reminded me of a 92 year old man that I met, who is married for 70 years!!! His secret to a long lasting marriage....listening to one another, and treating each other with respect, and most of all loving each other unconditionally... this to him was actually no secret, it was simply a given.

There's always hope and trust in love, you just have to believe in it!

Picture from~here

Like most fine things in life....love certainly gets better with age!!

True friends stand the test of time

Friendship is one of the most valuable experiences you can have in your life..that's something you get to know as you live your life from day to day. They're the friends who stand by you through thick and thin, good and bad times, and who will be brutally honest with you. It's awesome and a blessing to have people in your life whom you can sit and have a whinge with, be totally comforable with, and most of all be accepted for being yourself. In this day and age when life can be so hectic in so many ways, it's great to know that you've got a friend that you can turn to, a friend you can count on.

 Friendship works both ways. True friends are priceless and a rarity, treasure them!


 Great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget ( G Randolf)




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Mother's Day.

Mother's Day is celebrated throughout most of the world today. A day on which mothers and motherhood  are honored, which really is just ONE out of the 365 days every year that it is actually OFFICIAL...because we know well and truely that Mother's Day is actually EVERYDAY of the year, as would be Father's Day!

They're the women with the greatest gut instinct, the right words to say when you're hurting, the safety net when you fall, your best friend, the women who have the most incredible strength inside and out, the biggest heart, and they become the angels in your life when they're no longer with you.

God Created Mothers


God knew that little ones need love

so He created mothers

With understanding hearts and

gentle hands that care for others...

They feed us and they hug us
and they help us find our things...
Then later on, they step aside
and let us try our wings...






We know the're always on our side
whatever may befall,
That's why we need them just as much
when we're no longer small...






Yes, God created mothers
to give love their whole lives through...
That's why they're treasured very much
especially one like you!

Poem


Proverbs 31:28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her. (NIV)



Today I will remember, like every other day, how lucky and blessed I am to have had an extraordinary, exceptionally beautiful and loving, and remarkable lady in my life, whom I will always and forever be proud of to hold dear as my mum.

So today, and always, I hope that you will make  your mum know just how special she is in your life, and what a 'keystone' she is. She is the epitome of human love.

                                                  To all you fabulous and gorgeous women,

                                                      Happy Mother's Day !!