Recently Enjoyed! Jimmy Carr - Telling Jokes

Something new - just a few lines about something which I/we've recently enjoyed.

DVD - Jimmy Carr - Telling Jokes
 

I hadn't really been that keen on Jimmy Carr from what I'd seen on television of him but this DVD has converted me.  A master of the one liner, yes he's rude but it's clever too, he can point out the absurd with just a few words which I like.  A master at putting down the heckler too.  Lots of extras on the DVD.  His search for the most offensive joke ever was interesting, still unlikely to watch the game show stuff he does but likely to give him a watch on any of the comedy shows.  Enjoyed it.

Ciao
Sue
XX

Reading challenge 2/21- currently reading Katherine the Virgin Queen by Jean Plaidy

Book Review - I is for Innocent

Beware Spoilers



Reading a Sue Grafton is always a great pleasure and this was one I had been saving for a holiday or the gaps between her new books.  I read this one on holiday and it was brilliant - sat in the sunshine, on the beach, under an umbrella, drink in hand and the sea for a quick cool off when required - lovely.  Her new novel V is for Vengeance is due out in January (or earlier if I order it from the US which I have been known to do - but this time I may be patient).

Kinsey had just started working out of the office of Lonnie Klingman and due to the death of his usual investigator Kinsey gets  brought into the investigation of the murder of Isabelle Barney, six years previously.  Klingman is working as defence attorney for the ex-husband of Barney and it appears relatively simple of Kinsey to co-ordinate the statements and depositions.  But the case, of course, turns out to be much more complex than that and the investigations end up bringing Kinsey into some of the greatest dangers she has been in for some time.

Kinsey Millhone is the heroine of Grafton's alphabet series and is much loved by the fans of these books, she is a traditional gum shoe in the days before extensive use of computers and mobile phones and yet the stories do not seem dated.  Kinsey is very much a woman of today, capable and comfortable with herself, her home is the converted garage of her landlord with whom she has a great friendship and will admit to being slightly in love with Henry.  In this book she also gets drawn into the story of Henry's brother William who is in Santa Theresa (a fictional version of Santa Maria) for a short stay and gets involved with the wonderful character who is Rosie, the Hungarian who runs Kinsey's local bar/restaurant.

Ciao
Sue
XX

Reading challenge 2/21 - currently reading Katherine the Virgin Queen by Jean Plaidy

Arrangements for the School Fair (July)

Jamie's school's summer fair came around again, and I made some flower arrangements for them - 2 fresh and 2 artificial - I don't know who won any of them this year but here are some pictures of them.  I didn't have a lot of materials to work with but did the best I could with some basic resources.  Very very simple all around designs - the first two are the artificial and the second two the fresh.

I had quite a few gerbera left but nothing else so I made some very minimalist modern designs for home with the leftovers.

      

Ciao
Sue
XX
Reading challenge  2 of 16  - currently reading Kidnapped and Other Dispatches by Alan Johnston

Book Review - The Death Chamber by Sarah Rayne

Beware Spoilers

Wow, I really could not put this book down, which is why almost nothing at all has been done for 2 days!!  This is one of the best books I've read in some time and will eagerly be reading the other books by Sarah Rayne - although I may have to save them for holiday times because if they are as good as this one nothing will get done again!!

The story is based around Calvary Gaol, just on the edge of the Lake District which was for some time the execution prison for the north of England.  Now disused Georgina Grey heads to Thornbeck to find out more about her great grandfather Walter Kane and to play her part in the winding up of the Caradoc Society into Psychic research to which Walter had left a bequest.  Walter was the Doctor at Calvary Gaol in the 1930's and Georgina get drawn into the story of Walter and the Gaol.  Also interested in Calvary is TV film maker Chad Ingram and his team who are planning on carrying out experiments in the Gaols execution suite.

Sarah Rayne has woven a complex set of stories together with great ease making it an enthralling experience for the reader to jump between the stories of Lewis Caradoc and Nicholas O'Kane in 1917, to Walter, Neville Fremlin and Elizabeth Molland in the 1930's and Georgina, Chad and Vincent Meade in present day Cumbria.  Rayne has given us a real sense of what the jail must have been like and drawn some characters which it is so easy to like and admire and others which are well drawn in their viscious natures or vanity.  She has created a plot with some amazing twists and turns, one or two I had an inkling may have been coming and others which hit me like a sledgehammer.  A brilliant book and I really can't wait to read more of her work.

Ciao
Sue
XX
Currently reading Kidnapped and other dispatches by Alan Johnson

Twycross Zoo

Twycross Zoo (visited in July)

Our closest relative in the ape world

Daddy Gorilla on Patrol

One of our first jaunts of the summer holidays was a trip to Twycross Zoo, it has been on our to do list for some time.  The first revelation was how easy it is to get to, for us just a trip straight up the A5 - just about an hour from MK.  The other bonus is that it is only a couple of miles from Bosworth Battlefiled Site so there is a full day of activities within a short distance.  We've been to Bosworth before and there is about an hour and a half of activity to do there.

Baby Meerkat

Sleeping Prarie Dogs

Twycross Zoo is a centre for primates, which made it very appealing as we were going to see everything from the biggest apes to the tiny tamarinds and primates are so very appealing.  Easy to find and lots of parking, we had also prepared a lovely picnic and so had our elevenses when we arrived and then packed our lunch to enjoy whilst we were walking around.  A quick visit to the loo on arrival presented an unusual treat which was leaf ants behind glass near the hand basins - watching them doing their work, whilst washing hands was amazing.

Giant tortoise - this picture in no way indicates its size

Emperor Tamarind

HUGE sea lion

We saw a variety of primates the Orang Utan, Chimps, Gibbons, Bonobo (our nearest relative!) and the magnificent Gorilla, Lemurs, monkeys, marmosets and tamarinds.

An unusual ape - the Jamie!!

The elephant area is worth a wander as it is a recreation of their natural home in Sri Lanka.  We saw a variety of other animals - Mike was blown away by the Giraffes, I liked the Dholes (similar to our fox but the Asian equivalent), the meerkats and prairie dogs were popular with us all too.  Sadly we didn't see the Snow Leopard as it was pretty warm and we think he didn't want to come out!!

Love the meerkats

Do the Funky Gibbon

These made Jamie jump as they jumped out of the undergrowth near him!!

Baby Gorilla

A sleeping Dhole

There were also one or two big surprises such as the giant tortoise and the male sea lion which was quite simply enormous and most certainly not to be messed with and the real treat of the day was the baby gorilla with its Mum whilst Dad was on patrol.  A brilliant day.

Ciao
Sue
XX 
Currently reading Kidnapped and Other Dispatches by Alan Johnson

Guitar Ensemble - End of Year Concert

Jamie has been going to his guitar ensemble for 3 terms now and this week (July) we had his end of term concert.  This may be his last time as we are not sure what his timetable will be when he starts at his new school, but hopefully he will be able to continue.  This term they have been working on Mr Blue Sky by ELO.  The performance was lovely and it sounded great.  It's interesting to hear it all put together as a whole with everyone else's part.  They sounded fantastic - here is some video of the event mostly focused on Jamie - doing his stuff!

Ciao
Sue
XX

Jamie @ MK Dons - Playing for Success

Jamie was very lucky to be chosen to be part of a group going to MK Dons Stadium as part of Playing for Success on a Monday straight from school to do some learning as part of MKDons work with schools and in the community.  He went for several weeks and then in May we had the presentation event where we also got the chance to go to the stadium.  Below are a couple of photos from the event, where Jamie got the chance to meet a couple of the First team players (I couldn't tell you who they were!!) who presented the awards so Jamie was delighted.  He really enjoyed the whole experience and loved the opportunity to have guided tours round the stadium and meet up with several of the names who play there.  There certainly seemed to be a fantastic atmosphere around the event and the people working with the children appeared to be very interested and dedicated to supporting and encouraging the children.

Sadly for Jamie he struggled to get onto the stage as he was at that time on crutches!! (but more of that later!!)

Ciao
Sue
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