If you like great children’s books with brilliant illustrations throughout, you will be interested in this brand new blog.

“Sit on the shoulder of a children’s book illustrator and nosy into the ups and downs of my world. Find out how my books are created from your spy-hole inside my studio, see sneak previews of all my new projects, celebrate with me when books are published, and help me tear my hair when it’s not going to plan!”

It would be great if you popped by her blog and left a comment, to welcome her to the blogging community.

Here are just a few of her illustrations, taken from various book. As you can see, she is a very talented lady. Click on the image for more detail.

By the way, the artist smock Lynne is wearing belonged to my dad :O)

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On another subject…..

I am often accused of talking a lot (I wonder why?) and just to prove I do, I got this award from Drowsey Monkey for commenting on her blog a lot. Thank you Drowsey ;O)

Whilst on the subject of top commenters, I would like to thank all of my commenters. It really does brighten my day reading what you all have to say. Thank you :O)

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When I was growing up in the early 50’s, children were not very well informed, in fact quite the reverse. The realities and cruelties of life were carefully hidden from us. We grew up in a world where all things magical were accepted as fact. Where life was just one happy playground, and where any upset could be melted away with a kiss or word from mum.

There was no television broadcasting images of violence, and the radio aired all good wholesome programmes. We, as children, never heard bad language, never witnessed heavy drinking, and our parents were careful not to discuss anything of a remotely serious nature in front of us. We were totally protected from the ‘real’ world.

I can’t remember how old I was when I discovered that Father Christmas wasn’t responsible for the magic of Christmas, but it wasn’t a massive let down. The magic was still there. All that changed was the realization that my parents had been responsible for the magic all along, and that made it all the more precious to me.

Did we have a traumatic awakening, once we reached an age where we could no longer be protected from the world? No, we didn’t. Were we so ignorant that we ran into all sorts of problems? No we were not. It was a natural progression. Learning about the wickedness, tragedy and deceit that existed in the world, was all part of growing up it’s true, but nobody felt the need to force that upon us at a tender young age. Children were allowed to grow up in their own time.

Am I thankful? Yes I am!

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I was tagged, or rather Not Tagged for this meme, by Jay at thedeppeffect.

Jay tells of how she is a prim and proper, ultra-polite English lady, and that because of this, she just had to accept the meme. She left me no choice! How could I, also being a typical English lady, say no? I had to accept. My arm was well and truly twisted up my back!

Well, this is how this meme works.

If you had to select celebrities/actors to play the parts in the story of your life today (including yourself!), who would it be and why – this can be based on looks or personality.

Crikey, this is a lot harder than I thought it would be. How do you choose actresses to play the part of two fat, post menopausal ladies? Well you don’t, do you?

Sooooooo, I decided that…

Mo would be played by Bet Davis (as in, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?) because she lives constantly in PMT mode, and is often seen amongst flying debris when searching for something that she has tidied away.

I would be played by Bette Midler as she typifies my scatterbrain sense of humour and face pulling. Plus she’s a bit of a midget.

In both of the above, the wearing of padding would be required.

This movie would obviously involve a scene at one of our church outings. The church members would be played by the full cast of the ‘Carry On’ movies – maybe we’d better leave Barbara Windsor out though ;O)

This movie would be full of laughter. Betty Davis (Mo) would not be able to resist Bette Midler’s (my) contorted expressions and would, undoubtedly, collapse in a rolling, heap of laughter throughout.

The Rules:

1. List the people who would play you, and the key people in your life.
2. Give credit to the person who tagged you.
3. Link your answers to the original blog, that’s here at iRamble.
4. Tag four new people to participate.

As this is a ‘Not Tag’ meme, I hope you will forgive me if I don’t tag anyone. However, if any of you want to do it, feel free ;O)

I lied again…..I tag Drowsey Monkey!

Photo links:
Bette Davis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bette_Davis
Bette Midler: http://www.nervepop.com/NerveBlog/Images/Entry/14452_bettemidler.jpg
Carry On: http://webzoom.freewebs.com/rebeccagarrard/Carry On/Site Decorations/Carry On Abroad 01.JPG

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I don’t usually do posts on this sort of thing, but I am so pleased that I’ve discovered something – all by myself!

Most of you Entrecard users, that use Firefox, will probably be using the Entrebar by now. It’s something I would have loved to use, but I don’t use Firefox. I decided to download it and give it a try as I wanted to use the toolbar.

I installed it and spent a whole heap of time trying to get it to function, somewhere close to my existing browser. I have to say I was disappointed, but thought I would persevere and try out the Entrebar anyway – It didn’t work! I discovered that it was an issue with quite a few users, so, although disappointed that I couldn’t have the toolbar, I gladly went back to my favourite Browser, which I might add, is powered by Mozilla Firefox 3.

The ‘Flock’ browser is a fantastic social browser with lots of services built in to the sidebar. These are just some, and I stress some, of the services that are integrated:

Wordpress, Blogger, Typepad, Twitter, Pounce, YouTube, Digg, Facebook, Flickr, Photobucket, del.icio.us , Gmail, Yahoo Mail – the list goes on.

It also houses a brilliantly easy feed reader. All of this without a single Add-on, although you can download most of Firefox’s addon’s should you want to. There are many more benefits that I won’t go into as this isn’t a review of Flock!

Today, while in the Entrecard forum, I found that they had an unofficial update to their toolbar, for those having problems. Even though the Entrecard people say that it only works in Firefox 3, I found a Flock beta upgrade, installed it, downloaded the Entrebar and it works like a dream.

So all you Flock users out there, who feel cheated out of the Entrebar, download it into the Flock 2 beta now, and all you Firefox users, check out Flock 2. It’s basically Firefox 3 with a lot, lot more!

I’m off to drop some cards! I’m a very happy bunny?

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I got my new carpet laid today. It was the final stage in a very long and very messy job.

Anyway, about a week after it was all finished we got a phone call from the insurance company, asking if we wanted our carpet cleaned in the leaky bedroom … er … the bedroom leaky … no … oh you know what I mean. It was a long time after we made the insurance claim, and I thought it was finished with. I said yes please, and was very glad that it was after the filthy workmen had been. At least this would be one carpet they couldn’t ruin again!

The upshot of it all is, they didn’t clean the carpet, they handed us a £400 voucher to go and choose a new one. Oh my! Are we glad that they were late finishing the claim off!

All’s well that ends well – or is it? You know that it wouldn’t be right to finish this post without another moan. So here goes….

Is it just the graphic designer in me or, if you were laying a carpet with a very definite line running through it, wouldn’t you line it up with the main wall? Is this crooked or what? Or do you think I’m too picky?

You need to click on the photo.

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Look what I got …. a nice shiny award!

This ‘Kick Ass Blogger’ award was presented to me by Janice of Midlife Misfit.  I feel honoured.  Thank you so much.

I will pass this on to some of the bloggers that have truly inspired me, as well as entertain me no end!  There are many others, but five is the rules, and I always follow rules.

Have I told you before that I lie?  I’m going to give it to six people, who have regularly kicked my……..

Kathy – The Junk Drawer
Drowsey Monkey
JD – I Do Things
Barb – Will Think 4 Wine
The Depp Effect
Ana – chica-pumuckl

What you have to do is pass it on by. . . .

* Choosing 5 other bloggers that you feel are “Kick Ass Bloggers”
* Let them know on your  post, and either an email, on Twitter or blog comments, that they have recieved an award.
* Link back to both the person who awarded you and also  www.mammadawg.com
* Visit the Kick Ass Blogger Club HQ , to get codes click here and it will take you to KABC HQ,  sign Mr. Linky then pass it on!

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What you don’t know about me, is that I spend every Sunday morning at church.  Mo sings and I play guitar in the band.  We always alternate because only Mo and I know anything about mixing the sound and the lighting.  Funky eh? Yes, we have a very modern church and we are, basically a ‘Christian Rock Band’   That said, here’s what happened today.

Mo’s was singing in the band this morning.

I am getting really ‘into’ the music and tapping on the side of the mixing desk cabinet, when I get a prod in my side, which jolts me back to reality.  I turn and there’s this chap sitting at the computer.  He hasn’t been coming to our church very long.  He says “Every time you tap you shake the computer”  Can you believe that? Was I using a sledge hammer? No!  I was tapping with my fingers on a very solid, heavy wooden cabinet that the computer sits on.  How much shaking can that cause?  I was not happy,

You have to realize that I consider that area of the church all mine!   I advised our church on the computer set up.  I purchased it, I set all the system and software up, I take it home periodically and overhaul it.  I am in charge of the mixer desk and Mo the lights.  How dare some whippersnapper come along and tell me not to tap to the music, because I am shaking the monitor!!  I am not pleased at this point … but, as a good Christian lady, I stop tapping.

Music over, Mo comes and sits next to me at the mixer desk, as we do every week.  She turns to me and whispers “How did it go this morning?”  I say  “Good”  she says  “That’s good, I tried to make it different this week.”  I said “Oh….”   A few moments later I tap her and whisper  “What did you do different?”

Well!  The look on her face just had to be seen!  Shocked indignance!   Her mouth shot open, her eyebrows met her hairline.  That was it!  There we were trying not to giggle, but finding it impossible.  Mo has a fan sitting on the top of the stand, about a foot from her face.  She’s OK she can hide behind her fan.  On the other hand, I am in direct line of sight of our pastor, and only about 15 ft away!  I am giggling like mad and every time I think I have it under control, my face just falls apart again and uncontrollable giggling rises up.  I raise something in front of my mouth and try, desperately to stop my my shoulders from bouncing up and down, and my eyes from laughing.  Can you do that? Stop your eyes from laughing when you are giggling uncontrollably?

Slowly we regained our composure.  I was glad about that, now I could get all indignant and tell Mo about the whippersnapper!

A “whippersnapper” is an impertinent young person, usually a young man, who lacks proper respect for the older generation.

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Who is this strange Canadian girl
Who tried to drown her mother?
Then tried to wash her insides out
With upholstery cleaner, and other

Who is this giant ‘freak head’
Who gets hit by passing birds?
Who’s tongue got stuck to a window ledge
And Talbot Smith, and worms?

Who is this crazy female
With arms that don’t hang right?
Who’s happy to be single
And stays up half the night?

She’s the widget freak. The penguin girl
With a voice that’s full of laughter
Once you’ve visited her blog,
You will again, thereafter

Just check the third verse out again
Read the fourth, then second line
Her name should leap out from the page
It did? you got it? fine!

Happy 1st Blogoversary Drowsey Monkey!

Drowsey, you are such a talented, and very funny lady, and I am glad to have found you…or did you find me? Either way, I’m glad.

If you haven’t already visited Drowsey’s blog, you should!

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I feel suitably stupid!  I told everyone that I had missed my first blogoversary a few days ago.  Well I hadn’t!

With all these 1st year birthdays around at the moment, it started me thinking.  How could I have been blogging as long as these people, who are my blogging mentors?   A search of my archives soon showed up the error.

It was one year ago that I started a private, family blog, purely for my sisters.  It wasn’t until February that I decided to blog seriously.  I joined Blog Catalog and, from there, made my first contacts.

So people,  It will be cakes all round when my 1st birthday really does arrive, and that won’t be until February!

I hope you can forgive this prize idiot  ;O)

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