Our Second Anniversary

When you start to look back at the previous year, you realise exactly how much you have achieved.  I decided to make a chalkboard of our second year as man and wife to celebrate us.  

Here's to year 3, I wonder what will appear on that chalkboard.  Love you more than words can say GO, you are my best friend and everyday I am thankful that I have you in my life and by my side.

Is everyone travelling up North at the same time?

I love going to see G.O's family and friends, even though we are in the same country, it always feels like a world away from Oxfordshire.  I know it is a cliche (but there is a reason for that, it's true) but people really are friendlier up North. 

I love the South it is beautiful, the rolling hills and quaint villages of the Shire will hold a special place in my heart, but there is and always has been a pull to go North.  It seems to me that, that pull is in everybody because whenever we go we always manage to get stuck in traffic on the M6, the only time we haven't is when G.O's car broke down and we were towed back to Oxford and then took Shrek at 11pm, the roads were very quiet then.  I have come to the conclusion that unless we can find an alternative route, we will be taking the train from now on, or even a bus.

We were lucky on the way back to the Shire, but those travelling up North weren't so lucky

Some recent bug bears of mine, about driving on the M6;

A 3.30 hour journey took us 6 hours, this happens quite regularly.  Usually due to maintenance taking place during peak time travel.

Nobody seems to indicate, they just pull out  in front of you, assuming that you can read their mind.  Could this be the cause of the many fender benders (and sadly worse collisions) that seem to plague this particular motorway?

Trucks seem to think that they rule the road and on the M6 are constantly overtaking, they get quite irate when you don't move out of the way for them.  I have a few friends with driver for husbands and winder if this is the norm?

I try not to use this blog as a whinge site, I said try, but sometimes I just need to as Elsa  says Let It GO!

Meditation as an art

We visited the Global Retreat Centre for a session on the art of Meditiation.  I have included a copy of my session notes.

Talk to enable the restoration of balance and focus in life. 

Thought is not a problem when improving yourself, it is a creative energy that needs to be understood.  We want to change three things about thought;

1) the quality of thought is all about environmental influences, we need to elevate thought beyond the physical experiences. 

2) the speed of thought, if we burnout out we can't function and we always need to have a break. 

3) the direction of our thoughts, they tend to go out if our bodies in words and we need to direct our thoughts inwards.

Your name is that who you are? 

There is more to me than this body, I am not just a human, I am a human being and before that I was a spirit being.

"We live in a world of human doings and we can't always live in the moment!"

We need to tap into the energy of being! The soul and the spirit carries that energy.

We need to be honest on our journey of becoming a human being, we need to stay honest to the questions in our life.  Humility is being sincerely and genuinely open to learning.

Meditation as an artform?

Lots of pressure from the outside can turn off our inner voices, we need to seek out good company it always helps to nourish our inner voices. Silence is a harmonious energy, it is not the absence of noise or sound.  Harmonious sounds invite us in.

I have a body I am not the body.

I have a name it is the name of the body.

I, the being, has a name it is eternal.

The body perishes, yet I the spirit lives on.

I have a form, I have a name it is different from the body.

Soul, spirit, self!

I am made up of the energy of love joy and peace. We need to keep our energies up to connect us with the fresh new energies of self.

Fill me from within rather than externally in materialistic ways.

Room in the mind- a tool to aid meditation

The mind is the room, go into the room, it is full of memories

Organise the room, keep the precious memories, those that are important to you and discard those that hurt or cause harm.

As you tidy the room you notice a door at the back of the room.

Open the door going in to the room it is clean, fresh, and all white.

Step into the room, there is a white rug in the room and in the centre there is a table on the table is a candle. The rays touch all four corners of the room. 

If thoughts begin to pop up, make sure you have closed the door.

Become one with the candle allow it to become an energy that is light and free.

The self is a beautiful being of pure light it is in the body but it is not the body.

Things to think about

The I is forever

The spirit is me

In my mind is the devil and Angel are battling which will win the one that I feed.

Be separate from anything inside me that is not part of the true divining being.

Do we have the same colour blood, tears, smile, that is in the brotherhood no matter our external differences the soul is always the same.

Peace is the original religion of the soul, 

peace is who we really are, meditation helps you to break through the pollution and get you to the pure water self at the bottom of the pond.  The energy of our anger doesn't fit, it doesn't suit us we need to get back to the original divinity.

Meditation is not an art, this is a surgery value the energy of thought.

Warwick wandering

Let's go glamping next time

 

"I've got Friday off!"  G.O told me, whenever were both 'off' together I start planning what we could do.  My first thought was to visit Bath Thermae Spa and spend the afternoon relaxing in their rejuvenating well being pools.  Utter bliss!  But as is always the case in the UK I checked out the prices and availability and the cost was astronomical, for the same price as a gourmet meal with wine, you got a two hour session, and you had to pay to use the robes and towels.

Ready for Halloween?

Typical posers - castle behind us

 

I am very tight, I know, when I have to I will spend big money, I will do my research and wait for a bargain.  I had been told by a friend that there was a two for one offer, but we had left it too late.

In Character as a squire

Slimy Stuarts - they knew he was coming

I could have been Guy fawkes

G.O doesn't really enjoy spa days and told me about some deals that he was entitled to use through his Gourmet Society Card which offered 50% reductions on entry to some attractions.  There was a catch, you had to book in advance and as it was Friday, it didn't look promising.

Sword Fighting

Keeping an eye on the time

 

I gave the office a call and quoted the deal, it was still valid, phew.  "I don't suppose we can use the deal today?"  I asked tentatively.  The answer was yes and before we knew it we were on our way to Warwick Castle.

I can chop an apple in half!

Not if I can help it!

Lots of tower exits, but where are the entrances?

 

I had never really wanted to visit Warwick before, this summer however it became a  bit of a millstone around my neck.  One of the teachers at the little village school had organised a trip for the children as part if our topic, as I was recovering from my op I wasn't able to go with them.  No matter, one of the tabloids had an offer, collect 7 tokens and you got free entrance to the castle. I dutifully collected the tokens, and went to fill in the form when I noticed that the dealine had been the previous day.  I told G.O who was miffed, don't know why, it was my idea. I had just gotten over this when they began showing adverts all day long promoting the Horrible Histories exhibitions at Warwick Castle!  It was inevitable that I would go, and so we found our selves at the entrance.

Getting ready to fly

Big baby owl

So lovely

So close...

Condor getting ready to fly

And we're off!

 

We had nothing planned. Except for thedungeon  tour at quarter past four.  It was very "Disneyish" there were lots of people in costumes, and almost every quarter if an hour there was a new show.  We caught the end of a knight's of old battle, we watched a bird's of prey display with eagles, condors and a very stubborn owl we also saw a jousting competition by the trebuchet.  We tried to climb up a tower, but each one we found was an exit, we couldn't find an entrances anywhere.  All around the castle were little stalls that were either selling things, crafty stalls (design your own shield), giving lessons in medival skills or were set up to inform.

I can keep the enemy away with my foam bumpy ball thing...

Always looks so scary!

They love a bit of ginger wee!

just in case you can't tell G.O is on the left!  I think.

Medieval illnesses and cures.

Useful wooden sword

 

Most memorable were the "Dirk's" for sale, the Viking longboat, the Smelly Stuarts and tent that was occupied by two squires who on seeing G.O ran up to  him and in the loudest voices yelled "ah! a Ginger, we'll pay you well for your wee! We love a bit of ginger wee!"  (I have been reliably informed that in days of old they would use urine to wash clothes, and that the urine of a ginger was highly sort after) I would have been mortified had it been me, but G.O, ever the drama queen, lapped it up and made a big thing of bartering with them, then on the journey back up tried to sell them his flask, claiming it was genuine ginger urine! "You my man, are disgusting!"  Was the response.

Trapped in a bear pit.

With him chuckling away at my side, we made our way over to the 'fungeon' (G.O called the dungeon that most of the day, and still does!) we were escorted into a tent where we had some photos taken.  Then we waited in the "pit" to be taken in.  Now, I thought I had gotten quite tough over the years, yes, a dressing gown in moonlight can freak me out, but I can watch scary movies on my own now, but I was not happy when the guide said "we have prisoners who are still alive, they won't touch you if you don't touch them!"

Don't leave me on my own...

Do you use ginger wee to wash your clothes?  I use Ariel.

Today's urine was provided by G.O

Can take the chef out of the kitchen but....

This pose is a bit too German for my liking....

We made our way through the dungeon learning about the black plague, torture, and witch trials and at every point I was on edge, I trusted no one, I had a scarf covering my face the entire time chanting to myself "don't pick me!"  On the whole it worked, but they got very close.  Before the last room we were taken in to a hall of mirrors, which confused G.O, and made me slightly hysterical, so by the time we got into the last room I was on a knife edge.  I was convinced that something would come through the door behind me, G.O just ignored me.

Look more jousting!

The history of the castle in English, German, Italian and French

A boat house

Winter is coming!

G.O complaining about his helmet!

"I am a Lannister!"

 

The young man in the room began telling the story of a lady who had been convicted of witch craft and sentenced to death.  Just as the proclamation was made, all of the lights in the room went out, as they turned on again the man was stood very close to another visitor who screamed.  

He was too quick to pick up his chopper.

The story continued, as they sentenced her to death, the lady disappeared and she was heard cackling up in the tower.  The only way to reach the tower was by those stairs, and the door it never opened! At this point the lights turned off again and there was a cackling coming from up the tower and the door behind me began to shake, I couldn't take it any longer and screamed, got out of my seat and ran to another bench, much to everyone's amusement, as I sat down, the shelf near the bench holding all of the weapons began to move and threatened to fall off the wall.  

Witch Trials, I think it's the ginger one!

 

I moved back to my original spot, this all happened in about thirty seconds.  When the lights came back on the man had vanished  and a door opened, we had finished the tour. I was positively glowing with perspiration and was so relieved it was over.  It was revealed that the man was the witches son, but by this point I just wanted to leave.  

I don't like th e look of his hand placement!

Before we could go though to the exit they stopped us and showed us the pictures they had taken before we began the tour.  I was very shaken but even I could see the photos were pretty cool and I managed to persuade G.O to purchase them.



I can sail home with my beautiful umbrella.

I haven't got a hunchback, that's my bag.

Say no more!

One day it will be loaded.

It was then that the black clouds that had been threatening all day opened, we had seen everything we had wanted to see, bought enough souvenirs to satisfy G.O's need for tut, so dressed like a big green condom and a ginger fairy we made our way home.  

Dackel brolly, if you look closely you can see the little Dacshund pattern.

Human Condom

 

Yet again, a good day was had by all!