Trinitarian Pelargonium, my First Curry, and my First Meme

The third flower has come out on this cutting I took from my citrus-scented pelargonium, and even though I know I'm not supposed to let cuttings flower, I hadn't the heart to destroy them. It's a shame I can't do the blog in "smell-o-rama" as the leaves smell gorgeous when they are crushed, more of an orange than a lemon scent mmmm.... much more wholesome than those dreadful air-fresheners which always make me gag!

However, even that wouldn't mask the smell of curry in my kitchen at the moment, I actually made curried chicken pieces for lunch today. The flavour was quite good, but the sauce was a bit watery (I followed the recipe exactly, so I presume it was supposed to be). I think we're so used to thickened Korma sauces from the take-away, that we're not sure how home-made curry should turn out! Anyway, if I manage to perfect it, it could save us a bob or two on take-aways in future!!

Now to the serious stuff, which Alexa tagged me for!
I have to admit I panicked when I saw this meme thing, as I don't really know what a meme is, but if it just involves answering a few questions, then I think I can cope with that! I think this is wot I'm supposed to do -

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

It seems straightforward.

What I was doing 10 years ago:

I was probably playing with this wee lad!



Looks like he's dressed up in his Sunday Suit - one of my handmade efforts - poor child! He'd've liked the buttons though, they were ladybirds.



I think I'd got over my post-natal depression by the time he was 9 months, but I didn't really like where we were living at the time - that used to depress me somewhat. It's funny when you look back at old photos - I had to do this to trigger my memory of what I was doing 10 yrs ago - one always looks so happy, and yet it's not always a true reflection of how one felt a lot of the time. And does any of it matter anyhow, in the big scheme of things - we're one of the first generations to have detailed photographic records of our existence - is it healthy to look back at our youth, is it what God wants of us? Getting a bit too deep here, let's move on.

Five things on my To Do List today:

Firstly, one thing I never do is make lists. I know I should, and that life would be perfect if I did, but I have a HUGE psychological resistance towards lists.

Well, it's getting late in the day, nearly 5 0'clock, and I've cooked lunch, but haven't done the dishes, so that's one thing I need to do.

I have to take my boy to tennis in 5 minutes.

I have to pick him up an hour later, on the way to our Friday evening Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

I have to not look at any more blogs - it's getting addictive.

I have to make my husband a nice cup of tea, and spend some time with him.


Snacks I enjoy:

Walkers salt n' shake crisps, I never put the salt on, so they are just fried potato flavour.

Roasted peanuts.

Crunchy juicy apples.

Cadbury's Mini Eggs, but you can only get them around Easter time.

Biscuits (cookies).


Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Buy a detached house, on a hill, overlooking the sea - possibly in Wales. Pay off any debts, family debts etc. Save a bit for my son's education, and our old age. Give the rest away to good Catholic Charities, and anyone I thought was in need.

Three of my bad habits:

Losing my temper when I get frustrated by something.

Living an ill-disciplined (list-free) life.

Eating too many sweet things.

Five places I have lived:

Stonehouse, Gloucestershire (England).

Dursley, Goucestershire.

Bristol, England.

Edinburgh, Scotland.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.

Swansea, Wales.

London.

Northampton.

New Mexico (USA) for 3 months.

Shropshire, England.

(Just for my benefit, I thought I'd try and remember all the significant places I've lived in, that comes to 10!)


Five jobs I have had:

Saturday shop assistant in a gift shop.

Shop assistant in a grocery shop.

Night shift worker in a frozen raspberry factory in Scotland, whilst staying on a pig farm - nightmarish experience!

Chocolate factory worker.

Paintings conservator in various museums and private studios.

I've got to add a sixth - wife and mother - the job I always aspired to!..

Five people I want to know more about (a nice way of saying TAG!):

Ooer -the hunt is on not because I don't want to know about lots of people, but because I don't think many know who I am, and I can't do Alexa, as she's already tagged me!

First I'll do Lydia at When the Magnolias Bloom

Then James at Ecce Mater Tua

Followed by Leutgeb at Bara Brith

Next I'll try The White Stone Name Seeker

And finally Rachel at Chasing Butterflies