WE THINK THAT IT'S COLD IN THE U.K. BUT ..........

NIAGRA FALLS ..........

On six reported occasions (1883, 1896, 1904, 1909, 1936 and 1947) , the water flow over the American Falls has been totally blocked by ice and ceased to fall, but only once has this happened to the much larger Horseshoe Falls (originally known as the Canadian Falls).

There appears to have been nothing terribly unusual about the winter of 1847-48 nor the onset of Spring in March BUT, when the local residents awoke on the morning of 30th March 1848, something felt wrong.......... indeed,something sounded wrong. There was silence. No roaring water filled the ambient background as it had every morning. Many rushed to the falls and saw rock and ice. The Niagra river had stopped flowing and both the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls had stopped falling..................

........... and here are some more extreme weather photographs from more recent times........

That looks a bit like my car under there !!!!

THE GREATEST MYSTERY IS NOT THAT WE HAVE BEEN FLUNG AT RANDOM BETWEEN THE PROFUSION OF MATTER AND OF THE STARS, BUT THAT WITHIN THIS PRISON WE CAN DRAW FROM OURSELVES IMAGES POWERFUL ENOUGH TO DENY OUR NOTHINGNESS.

ANDRE MALRAUX

(1901-1976)

Jackie

HAPPY 101 or 10 THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY ..........

My dear friends, Simone @ The Bottom of the Ironing Basket and Lori @ Wildflowers have both bestowed on me ...............

..........The Happy 101 Award. Many thanks you two, for my first award of 2010. I now have to tell you 10 things that make me happy, so here goes ...............

The first thing that makes me happy are my children. They have been the best. They have never given me any trouble and have been a delight. They have given me so much pleasure over the years and I have loved looking after them. At this point, I think that I should also mention my husband and all of the other members of my family, too !!!!

The next thing that makes me happy is my home. I love being in it, decorating it and, looking after it. We are, after all, just caretakers of our homes. Someone has been looking after my home since 1895. One day, someone else will bring up a family in it but, for now, I look after it. It has been known that, after decorating a room, I turn all of the lights on, go outside, run over the road and see what it looks like !!!!

I love music and music makes me really happy. I was brought up in a house that was full of music. My Dad was a musician and played saxophone and clarinet and my Mum was a singer. Just before a gig, my Dad would limber up on his saxophone, under the stairs. This had something to do with the acoustics !! We would all sit and watch films like 'The Glenn Miller Story' and 'The Jazz Singer' and Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. My son has followed in his grandparents footsteps. He was musical in the womb !! and studied music at University. He now works in the music business. Our house was always full of music, from classical to hard rock and from Kylie to Nirvana, depending on their musical tastes of the time. My music taste is just as diverse. It has to be loud. There's nothing better for lightening your mood than playing music in your car and singing at the top of your voice !!

My friends make me really happy. There's nothing nicer than lunch or dinner with good friends and changing the world or discussing the trials and tribulations of life.

I am lucky that I have the disposition of liking good and bad weather. I don't think that I could live in a country that had hot weather, all of the time. I love the rain. How nice is it to be snuggled up in your warm bed and hearing the rain beat against the window pane ?. I like being out in it too and getting wet. By the way, I absolutely LOVE hot weather, too !!

As much as I like company, being alone makes me happy too. It's a good time for contemplation and reflection. I really like my own company and am comfortable with it.

Something that doesn't make me happy is housework but it's something that has to be done and I do it reluctantly. ...... but when it's all done , there's nothing nicer than ..........

.......... going out and buying a big bunch of flowers and taking them home for that final, finishing touch. Flowers make me happy.

This is a bit slushy, but I do love giving presents. I like thinking what people would like, I like wrapping them beautifully and I like seeing their faces when they open them. Don't get me wrong. I also LOVE receiving them too, but, giving makes me happy.

While I am writing this post, it is snowing and, we are supposed to have the coldest winter for 100 years. Snow does make me happy. There's something so special, when you wake up to that strange silence and, when you look out of the window you're normal surroundings have been turned into a wonderful, white wonderland, and it all looks so pretty.

Laughing obviously makes me happy. The two go hand in hand. My friends and I laugh all of the time. It is the best medicine in the world and I suggest that you all laugh at least once a day. Dr. Jackie's orders !!

............... and the final thing that makes me REALLY happy is Sgroppino. It is a 'digestivo' drunk mainly in the Venetian area of Italy. It is bright, fresh and clean and is made by whipping together Italian Prosecco, lemon sorbet and vodka and,I can tell you that, after a few of them, I am the happiest girl in the world !!!!!!

Oooops.... I got so carried away I've given you eleven things that make me happy !!!! I am obviously feeling extra happy today. I hope that I haven't broken any rules. Let's hope that the blogging police don't come and take me away !!

Right, now I have to pass the award on so here goes :

Luiza @ Feelings
Maggie @ The White Farmhouse
Susie @ The Mill House

Gigi @ The Magpie's Fancy

Ange @ Signed By Ange

Julie @ Being Ruby

Mise @ Pretty Far West

Jane @ My Pear Tree House

If you girls feel so inclined, we would all like to hear about the 10 things that make you happy

.

FORGET YOUR TROUBLES, COME ON, GET HAPPY.

Jackie

THE REAL MEANING OF WORDS ..........

COMPASSION

BEST FRIENDS

INNOCENCE

PATIENCE

RESCUED

LOVE

FRIENDSHIP

STRANGER

SORROW

DIVINE


LIFE IS NOT ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORMS TO PASS ..........IT'S ABOUT LEARNING HOW TO DANCE IN THE RAIN.


Jackie

AFTERMATH ..........

I'm feeling a little bit full and bloated at the moment and I think that I'm in need of ..........
.......... some of this ..........

.......... and a touch of this, 'cos I've had too much of ..........

.......... THIS !!!!! ..........

.......... AND THIS !!!!! ..........

.......... AND THIS !!!!! ..........

and rather too many of these, nice as they were, so I'm in need of some of ........

.......... THIS ..........

..........AND THIS although,

we will be counting down the minutes to midnight tomorrow and there will be ..........

.......... Fireworks and , OH NO ..........

.......... more of THIS !!!!! Detox will have to wait a few more days !!!!!

Wishing all of my blogging pals everything that you wish yourselves and your families for 2010.
Many thanks for all of your wonderful comments and your support and I look forward to reading and commenting on your posts in the coming year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR


Jackie

CHRISTMAS at ' HOME '..........

Welcome everyone to a little glimpse of Christmas at ' HOME '
Come on in and make yourselves at ' HOME ' !!

This is the hall. Every year I always decorate the stairs with eucalyptus, a few baubles and, this year, a little bit of gypsophila ...............

Here's a bit of a closer look .........

.......... this is the hall table ..........

............... and now, come on into the lounge..........

This is my favourite fireplace. All of the fireplaces in our house are Art Nouveau and they are all original too.........

I must try and hide that wire. Not very attractive. These chandelier cystals have lights in them but I'm not sure if I like them lit up. I rather like them as they are. What do you think ?

This is our breakfast room. This room is next to the kitchen and breakfast room was a term used by the Victorians.

This is our dining room........

.......... and finally, a glimpse at the Christmas tree..........

I can never seem to take a decent photograph of the Christmas tree. Can anyone help me with this ? It always comes out too dark, the lights never show up and it looks much better in real life !!!!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their wonderful comments on my posts over the last few months and the chance to get to know so many of you.

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas and many happy times in the New Year.

Jackie

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