I know it's really silly but I've got a downer on me today. I am thinking why on earth am I going on holiday to Mallorca on my own? I'm scared

My best friends Mum died and I'm really sorry.

Today I have two tickets to the Barcelona V Real Madrid match at the Camp Nou stadium and I guess everyone will want to be my friend !! It includes two nights in Barcelona in a 4 star hotel

Allo people!! Now where was i oh yes Friday that was PIE TIME

Friday lunch went to Curshaws in Sandbach with Commander had a very nice tomato and cheese soup. Friday night went out again to Sandbach with the lovely Nicky and Yvonne I'm still not drinking on night's out but we still had dance at the local pub where they had a disco on!! haha

Saturday met up with my business partner with ickle man they chased each other round the car and fed the ducks.... after they forced me to borrow a couple of bread rolls from the nearby restaurant. We said our goodbyes and hit the Trafford Centre.

Saturday night went to see a friend Don and we watched a couple of DVD's Charlie was one and the other was some boxing film with Meg Ryan.

Sunday went with ickle man and Nicky, Yvonne,Katie and Nicky's nieces from South Africa to Crosby beach we then hit the Italian Kitchen in Formby and then Formby beach......can you see a bit of a pattern emerging haha....anyway the pics are the best bit..

Nicky and the girls wander off into the sunset haha

Been to DAF Trucks at Thame today...did a presentation had a barage of questions before,during and afterwards...afterwards the MD said it was excellent and Stoic!! haha I had to look up what he meant it says someone who is unemotional, someone who shows patience and endurance during adversity!! haha

For those of you interested in the 5p thing...when I was out on Friday night this guy said to me is this your 5p haha. Also I found 2 in my bed before I went out

Commander has just told me she went to go swimming last night and they had shut the pool cos someone had been sick...NICE!
She told me that whilst I was tucking into my Baby Beetroot in mild malt vinegar!!

Look at our fabulous view!! How lucky are we??

And Mr Perspex this is the view from the west of the building lol

well here's a few...

Beirut: Because we were on Snow topped mountains and sunning on the beach on the same day! It was Christmas and I had a Tiny Tears

Paris: Four lanes of twaffic with mad French drivers under the foot of the Eiffel tower...Disneyland Paris was cool in the rain haha

Bethlehem: The place where Jesus was born was all commercial. Loads of abandoned army vehicles strewn about the landscape in Israel.

New York: Steam coming out of the underground and oh the view from the twin towers... cars were like ants...lots of people eating burgers...getting lost in the ghettos...JFK airport twaffic was a nightmare...United Nations building was pretty cool!!

Normandy: Horrified at the scale of the World War II, went in a trench with sandbags shudders

Pyramids: Stank of wee...fabulous place...had to go up a ladder forwards then backwards down the same ladder and crawl under a hole at the top to see the burial chamber

Chatres: Stunning cathedral...stained glass windows take your breath away

Jerusalem: The wailing wall, Jews putting pieces of paper in the wall, Mount of Olives,Gethsemane Garden,Temple mount, Garden Tomb...was quite impressive

Lourdes: Lots of very ill people begging

Damascus: There were rats in the road

Corfu: White churches and brill snorkeling..earth tremours in the night... bins rattling...beaches that just drop to 2ft deep straight away

Mont St Michael: Outstandingly beautiful buildings, lovely beaches

Philadelphia: The Liberty bell

St Jean De Monts: Jellyfish, mussels, cycling,shopping, walking, table tennis

Athens: The Acropolis was so white I couldn't see

Canada: Because it was sooo beautiful. Got very wet on the Maid of the mist...going round the back of Niagra falls was pretty cool too... in penquin suits!!

Brussels: The peeing boy and throwing bread buns at the wall (was on a school trip)dancing light show fountains

Florida: The everglades those hydrofoils are great fun...don't like Crocodiles..Disney was pretty cool too and Cape Canaveral. Masses and masses of FOOD!

Balltimore: Gorgeous boats, twinkley lights

Washington D.C: The white house looked tiny..Lincoln memorial was impressive and the needle...seen one of those in London too!

Pisa: It really does lean a lot!! Loads of steps going round and round

Dubrovnik: Old and pretty

Venice: Feeding the birds in the square and Gondella's

Amsterdam: Ann Frank's house.... the stairs, lot's of bikes and canals

Switzerland: Deep deep snow

Dordogne: Canoing, caves, wine, fois gras, thunderstorms,walking

French Alps: Great skiing

Corinth: Canal, fantastic views

Florence: Jewellery, fashion,mopeds, leather, lovely people

Germany: Wooden coockoo clocks and fantastic shopping

Luxemburg: Standing in several countries

Mycenae: Beehive tombs fab!

Holland: Clogs, big white hats, lace, windmills and tulips

Versailles: Fabulous palace, scariest hotel in the world

Delphi: Ruins and temple fabulous views..greek mythology

Cairo: Fabulous museum treasures of tutankhamen...lots of guys trying to sell Alabaster things

Is it a double BB eviction 2nite or did I dream that?

Well two actually....
1. Apparently you mustn't be alarmed if your urine turns pink when you've eaten beetroot it's NORMAL haha

2. Tonight is the first time I have ever eaten fresh Tuna!! I've had ocean's of the tinned stuff but never fresh...tonight I broke the mold and followed Steph's recipe and it was GORGEOUS!!

Put two tuna steaks in olive oil with a slice of lemon on top in the oven for 15mins...meanwhile cooked a few mushrooms and onions in olive oil then pureed fresh tomatoes, tomato puree, fresh basil leaves as the sauce!! Just fab so thanks Steph

When I was a child we had holidays on Mull as well as lot's of far flung places round the world.hehe mainly war torn (well they were when we'd left hehe)countries like Beirut & Israel for example....I have very fond memories of Mull though...Bagpipes, scottish shortbread, scottish fudge, cricket on the beach, Arran jumpers, Ferries, Sheep,Highland cattle....

It looks like we have three tartan's a clan badge and a coat of arms oooo! haha how funny!!
Clan Macaulay
Origin of name - Son of Olaf (Olaf the black, King of Man and the Isles in the 13th century)
Plant badge - Cranberry, Pine
Gaelic name - MacAmhlaidh
Lands - Dunbartonshire, Lewis
Macaulay - Ancient

Well I've never had the pleasure of celebrating with a Scot on Burns night...but apparently this is what they do if you didn't know? Well I didn't!! It comes as no surprise then... that the Scots celebrate the life of a man whose poetry continues to inspire and amuse....And hey Auld Lang Syne...he gave us that we should all celebrate...hehe any excuse!! My family name Macaulay has Scottish roots, we even have our own tartan haha and even though non of us are Scottish my Grandma lived in Glasgow for a lot of my childhood and I spent many many October holiday's on the Island of Mull and Iona....oh and my cousin and his wife are both on Scottish TV every day so I guess I have one or two links? haha anyway I might make an effort and try making vegetarian haggis tonight...I don't much fancy the real McCoy as it involves lungs and stuff that doesn't sound too appetizing.

The Burns Supper is an institution of Scottish life, a night to celebrate the life and genius of the national Bard Robbie Burns. Suppers can be everything from an informal gathering of friends to a huge, formal dinner full of pomp and circumstance. This running order covers all the key elements.

The running order for a traditional Burns Supper

Piping in the guests
A big-time Burns Night calls for a piper to welcome guests. If you haven't got a bagpipe or piper hoho, some traditional music will do nicely. For more formal events, the audience should stand to welcome arriving guests: the piper plays until the High Table is ready to be seated, at which point a round of applause is due.

Chairman's welcome
The Chairman warmly welcomes the assembled guests.

The Selkirk Grace
A short but important prayer to usher in the meal with a reading of The Selkirk Grace.

Also known as 'Burns's Grace at Kirkcudbright.' Although the text is often printed in English, it is usually recited in Scots.

Piping in the Haggis
Guests should normally stand to welcome the dinner's star attraction, which should be delivered on a silver platter by a procession consisting of the chef, the piper and the person who will address the Haggis. A whisky-bearer should also arrive to ensure the toasts are well lubricated.
During the procession, guests clap in time to the music until the Haggis reaches its destination at the table. The music stops and everyone is seated in anticipation of the address "To a Haggis".

Address to the Haggis
The honoured reader now seizes their moment of glory by offering a fluent and entertaining rendition of "To a Haggis". The reader should have their knife poised at the ready. On cue ("His knife see Rustic-labour dight"), they cut the casing along its length, making sure to spill out some of the tasty gore within ("trenching its gushing entrails").

This bit made me chuckle...Warning: it is wise to have a small cut made in the haggis skin before it is piped in. Instances are recorded of top table guests being scalded by flying pieces of haggis when enthusiastic reciters omitted this precaution!

The recital ends with the reader raising the Haggis in triumph during the final line ("Gie her a Haggis!"), which the audience greets with rapturous applause.

Toast to the Haggis
Prompted by the speaker, the audience now joins in the toast to the Haggis. Raise a glass and shout: "The Haggis!" Then it's time to serve the main course with its traditional companions, neeps and tatties. (neeps are turnips and tatties are potatoes both are mashed) In larger events, the piper leads a procession carrying the opened Haggis out to the kitchen for serving; audience members should clap as the procession departs.

The meal
Dinner is served with some suitable background music. The sumptuous Bill o' Fare includes traditional cock-a-leekie soup before the main course ("Haggis wi' bashit neeps an' champit tatties"), followed by a sweet course of "clootie dumplin" (a pudding prepared in a linen cloth or cloot) or "Typsy Laird" (a Scottish sherry trifle).
Afterwards comes the cheese board, served with bannocks (traditional oat-cakes) and tea/coffee/malt whisky.
Variations do exist: beef lovers can serve the haggis, neeps and tatties as a starter with roast beef or steak pie as the main dish. Vegetarians can of course choose vegetarian haggis.
The drink
Liberal lashings of wine or ale should be served with dinner and it's often customary to douse the Haggis with a "wee splash of whisky sauce", which, with true Scottish understatement, is whisky neat.
After the meal, it's time for connoisseurs to compare notes on the wonderful selection of malts served by the generous host.

The first entertainment
The nervous first entertainer follows immediately after the meal. Often it will be a singer or musician performing Burns songs such as "My Luve is Like a Red Red Rose", "Rantin', Rovin' Robin", "John Anderson, my jo" or "Ae Fond Kiss, and Then We Sever". Alternatively it could be a moving recital of a Burns poem, with perennial preference for "Tam O'Shanter", "Holy Willie's Prayer", "To a Louse", "Address to the Unco Guid" or "For a' that and a' that".

The Immortal Memory
The keynote speaker takes the stage to deliver a spell-binding oratory on the life of Robert Burns. His literary genius, his politics, his highs and lows, his human frailty and - most importantly - his nationalism are the enduring themes. The speech must bridge the dangerous chasm between serious intent and sparkling wit, painting a colourful picture of Scotland's beloved Bard.
The speaker concludes with a heart-felt toast: "To the Immortal Memory of Robert Burns!"

The second entertainment
More celebration of Burns' work, preferably a poem or song to complement the earlier entertainment.

Yes loving this bit....The toast to the Lassies
The humorous highlight of any Burns Night comes in this toast, which is designed to praise the role of women in the world today. This should be done by selective quotation from Burns's works and should crescendo towards a positive note.
The toast concludes: "To the Lassies!"

The third entertainment
Further indulgence in the works of the great man.

The reply to the toast to the Lassies
In mixed proceedings, a woman has the right of reply to the men's toast. Thanking the toast-master for his kind words is a necessary - and some times strained - formality, but the response offers the chance to upstage the men, again through cunning use of examples from Burns's life and works.

Final entertainment
As the last drops of malt are drained, a final entertainer bravely faces the (usually restless) audience.

Vote of thanks
The host now climbs to his potentially unsteady feet to thank everyone who has contributed to a wonderful evening… and to suggest that taxis will arrive shortly.

Auld Lang Syne
The chairman closes the proceedings by inviting guests to stand and belt out a rousing rendition of the famous tune. The company joins hands and sings as one, having made sure to brush up on those difficult later lines.

Tonight we had Curry and it was sort of cheating cos I just fried the chicken and stirred in the fresh waitrose curry sauce with a bit of banana!! haha Cooked some rice and Nan bread and that was that followed by home made meringue, mango, rasberries and cream...sort of using up there....not that keen on Mango however....I love Mango chutney and they are very good for you...power fruit no less!! haha Apparently one Mango is almost a whole daily dose of Vitamin C! Also the antioxidant helps prevent arthritis and boosts wound healing and your immune system. Mangoes also boast more that 8,000 IU of vitamin A!

Watched Mr Destiny on Sky...lesson for us all there..quite a good film!

Funny moment...I have no car it is at the garage...until tomorrow...so I ordered a taxi to pick me up from the orifice then goto the childminders to collect ickle man then home... Only problem was I got to the childminders and he was at dance club...DOH...so I got out of the taxi at school and thanked him for the run round the block for nothing...soooo embarassing

Almonds
Apples
Apricots
Artichokes
Avocados
Beetroot
Black & Green Tea
Black Beans
Blackberries
Blueberries
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Cantaloupe Melon
Cherries
Chicory
Cocoa Bean (hot chocolate)
Crab
Cranberries
Eggs
Figs
Flaxseeds
Garlic
Ginger
Honey
Kale
Lemons/Limes
Lentils
Low Fat Yoghurt
Mango
Olive Oil
Onions
Oranges
Peanuts (peanut butter)
Pecans
Pinto Beans
Plums
Prunes
Pumpkins
Quinoa
Raisins
Rasberries
Red Beans
Red Kidney Beans
Salmon
Shellfish
Skim Milk
Soy
Spinach
Squash
Strawberries
Tomato
Walnuts
Watercress & Arugula
Watermelon
Wheat Germ
Whole Wheat
Wine
Yellow Split Peas

This morning I have been making my way through a mound of fruit I've had an apple, a bowl of cherries, a pomegranate drink and I was just about to tuck into a big box of strawberries and it says on the packet that......delicious on their own or serve with sugar,cream,fromage frais or A DASH OF BLACK PEPPER? REALLY? RIGHT I'M OFF TO TRY IT......BACK IN A BIT TO GIVE THE VERDICT!!

I didn't enjoy strawberries with black pepper! It was ok but not the best!

This morning I have been drinking Pomegranate Juice! It really was quite refreshing and delicious...very much like rasberry juice
Anyway the reason I'm drinking it is because pomegranate juice is one of nature's most powerful antioxidants with more power than green tea, blueberry juice, cranberry juice and red wine!! So hopefully it will contribute to my body's well-being! Very nice anyway!!

Last night watched Return of the Mummy which I thoroughly enjoyed!

These are my Brother's two children and I have to say haven't we got a good looking family!! Soooo cute!!

Just had the most fabulous tea...it was two chicken breasts slit down side...in the slits I put sliced lemon and black pepper then fried in olive oil for 5mins each side..then added 3tsps runny honey, small tub of creme fraise, rest of lemon juice and lemon zest simmered for a further 5 mins...and oh yummy
Served with new potatoes, mange tout and baby sweetcorn...DELICIOUS was really lemony!!

Well people...how to have an eventful weekend without trying? lol
Friday night went out with eight ladies some of whom I'd not seen in ages and ages we went to the Holly Bush we always jokingly call it the Hairy Bush. The food was fantastic but later on I thought I really shouldn't have had soo much fish! We started with a complimentary Smoked salmon parcel filled with cream cheese. For a starter I had Lobster & Salmon terrine followed by a main course of Scallops and tagliatelle. Fantastic Food there can't rave about it enough!! Everyone else around me seemed to be having pheasant except Commander who is vegetarian! I was too full for a sweet as I was full up on orange J2O's...Drove home and collapsed into bed very tired.

During the course of the evening I was challenged to a game of scrabble and at 2am by Don after being chased up for this game of scrabble I went! Laff what a mad thing to do play scabble at that time but hey never a dull moment! So after 3hrs of a scrabble match which I then lost I finally went to bed again!

In the morning I was concerned about my car as the oil light was on and as you remember I put 5lts in not two weeks ago when my car broke down in the car wash. I thought I must have a leak! So there I go... I tootle off to the petrol station and buy another 5lts of oil pour it in....ouch £30...Now this is the point where I wish I hadn't poured in soo much...cos as I left the petrol station my car wiped out the whole of the area in thick white smoke!! I came to a halt at some traffic lights as I had great concern that maybe my car was on fire or something!! haha
My friend Don then told me to pull it round the corner as it wasn't the best place to stop! I took it round the corner and stopped....and there it died it wouldn't start! haha (I can laugh now). Fortunately my friend Don's neighbour was a mechanic so we managed to sort a man to recover it and to tell us that the problem was too much oil and he would need to drain 2lts off and burn off the other 2lts that were now in my exhaust...! haha The rest of the day was spent with Don in Violin shops,lighting shops,dancing,learning to dirty dance,learning to play pool..wow Wickes,music shops whilst hanging about waiting for all the oil to be burnt off.
If you could have seen the smoke coming from the car at the garage you would have been in stitches it was like a steam train! I wished I'd taken photo's...
When I finally recovered my car it cost me £50 which i didn't think was too bad however he told me my oil pressure was low and my engine was in danger of ceasing up and I really shouldn't risk driving home to Sandbach!
I took a gamble and my friend said "I'll follow you so far" bless... to check I was ok...it was only after we had driven 15mins that I realised I had left my phone at my friends house DOH...so my friend offered to follow me all the way home.
When I eventually did arrive home I picked up ickle man and we went almost straight away to bed...too much haha
Sunday was far more leisurely and calm...later on watched the Chelsea match which was a draw and later on still watched Man U v LFC which we lost in the last minute...my friend brought my phone back and helped me put a mirror up bless.
Later later on I watched the Mummy with ickle man...ooo I did enjoy that film it had humour mixed with a bit of excitement and gore! I must watch the Mummy Returns tonight
Sooooooooo people all in all a different weekend and like I've said before NEVER EVER A DULL MOMENTO!!

The best news of the weekend though was my son PJ's mate Dean Ashton ickle Crewe lad.... only 22 has just been signed up for Premier League team West Ham so we have to say congratulations to him!! Well done!!

Nipped home at lunchtime to go on the running machine and on the way back shudders......A man in a silver car was waving at me at the top of the road....I instantly waved back and mid wave realised it was blue overall man AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH...I actually had a bit of a laugh about it with Commander when I got back but hey!! Commander said at least he's consistent cos he was still in his blue overalls!! haha

It's Friday and John has bought me a Howe's pie! It was fantastic..looking out at blue sky and green at them moment...what a beautiful day!! I have lost 1/2 a stone! yay it's finally started to pay off all the running and sitting wired up to the electric shock machine!

Been to see my parents for tea tonight (we had Salmon yummy)and for my Birthday they have bought me a week at my friend Mark & Avril's pad in May!! Yippee I've just booked the flights so I'm off to warmer places and not too long to wait...Ickle man had loads of homework that was like pulling hens teeth to get him to do, so my mum played the piano to calm him down...I must say some of the words he had to make sentences out of were a bit difficult for 7...disarm,disclose,disorder to name but a few! hmm what concept has a 7year old of any of those words? Except maybe disorder hahaha Oh yes then we had to look around the bathroom estimate the capacity of 6 containers then draw a table and publish a guess against actual and show the difference!

Port de Soller is the place

The appartment is 3 double bedrooms so me and ickle man will be really rattling around..I am impressed that the rooms have views of mountains...looks like we'll have the pool all to ourselves as well hehe..never a dull moment...The price of flights at the end of May £400 for two of us....bit expensive!!..Avril & Mark are paying £50 for theirs in April...oh and there was 5p in my bed this morning...fortunately not stuck to my bum though!! haha

If anyone wants to book it cos I know it will be very nice goto property ref B1203
http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/

Yesterday was another beautiful day out. We took advantage by going to the park at around 4. Ickle man rode his bike happily (He is riding like a champ on 2 wheels now!) He even batted his eyes enough to have another ickle girl push him on a swing. He really melts the hearts of everyone he meets, he's a sweety. Just like his brother PJ. We went for a walk following a path to the canal. One elderly woman said, "Your little ones is so precious". I was proud to say that yes, he is with a smile on my face. LOL People crack me up.

We took a break in the middle of our walk to play finger football together on a picnic table. An elderly couple stopped to talk about the weather. I really love this town. People are so slow paced and friendly. The majority are anyway.

Before we went for our walk I was feeling pretty bored. I really wanted a friend to talk with, I guess I feel like a spare part sometimes (we get boring I guess...lol). Most people are there with their families. Mine has been broken apart and I'm a people person I like being with people so when I'm not for weeks on end it get's me down. Various friends want to cheer me up so I let them. I know tons of people. Few are really close but those that are we light up in each others company. We tell jokes, we tell stories, we discuss our lives.

So, after that and our walk we were starving. Mr Waitrose was waiting on the doorstep with this weeks delivery so after unpacking I rustled up some fresh salmon. I then got changed into something comfy and sat in front of the TV doing absolutely nothing! It felt really wonderful I truly am blessed to have 2 great kids that I can really, truly enjoy. I view being a mother as what a blessing it truly is.

Last night as well as watching Most Haunted from The Jamaican Inn which was oooooo soooo scary I also had the pleasure of watching Long Way Round which documents the adventures of film stars Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman on their 20,000 mile motor bike trip around the world. Many of you have probably seen it before but this was my first glimpse. The bit I saw last night had them travelling on non existent roads days from any built up area and the hardships and mind struggles along the way through Mongolia.

Well I've booked my weekend in October in a log cabin for my bro's 40th Birthday looks pretty nice..and this morning yes this morning very funny I woke up with 50p stuck to my bum...laff..That hairy dryer holder never turned up, hmm I guess it's not coming now...I must phone them...I am mega organised this year I have written all my thank you cards and ickle man has written some of his too

Tonight when I got in from work I looked at the pile of going brown banana's and thought I must make something out of those!!
So I went on the Waitrose website and you can search on ingredients so it pops up with recipes..so tonight we have made Banana bread and banana & walnut bread with pecans....drool...just waiting for them to cool so we can have some with warm butter

Anyway sooo easy

Grease loaf tin
Mix together 120gsugar, 360g SR flour,3 chopped bananas, 2 eggs,125ml milk, 50g melted butter
Cook for 1hr in oven gas4

Line tin
Liquidise 3 ripe banana's, 125g runny honey, 3 eggs, 125g butter,125g sugar,250g flour,1tsp baking powder,1tsp groud allspice & 14tsp cinnamon
Pour in tin, sprinkle with walnuts and pecan's.
Cook for 1hr in oven gas 4

Now for those of you interested in my dreams and how they come true...track back to Sunday the 15th...today a TV producer contacted me out of the blue on an entirely different subject...but then went on to say if I wanted to be on this programme too as a friend of the family!! Laff did I not tell you that what i dream about comes true! The blog serves as proof!! Did I not predict that did I not? haha Stranger still my friends batman Neil and Commander will vouch for this....but we can be talking about something, anything, or nothing in particular and then the following day or within a few days you have to go WOW cos it happens!