DREAM ALLIANCE, THE HORSE THAT 'GREW UP' ON AN ALLOTMENT..

No, she has not been drinking pints of 'Black Stuff' aka Guiness, neither has she been 'nipping' at the Fino. This, Dear Readers, is a true Tale, it must be true, for it's in the press.

Stop sniggering.. and "Listen up folks".. there will gallop soon on to our silver screens, aka cinemas, a film called 'Dark Horse' and it is the true story of Dream Alliance, a racehorse.

And, to be precise, he is a Welsh racehorse who is the glory and pride of Cefn Fforest, a small former mining community near Caerphilly. He was bred by Jan Vokes, who had absolutely no previous experience of horses, let alone buying a mare for £300 and then breeding and raising a foal, on an allotment next to a slag heap.

You did read that correctly, for this gelding was not bred in some fancy stud, or raised by horse flunkeys carrying and fetching whatever their equine charge wanted. No, he was brought up his with his human neighbours all chipping in a tenner to cover his costs.

There was a disaster when he ran in the Grand National at Aintree in 2008, he severed a tendon and had to have stem cell treatment at the cost of £20,000! Gulp.. But 'came back' and made good by winning the 2009 Welsh National and the Perth Cup.

The 'boy' from the valley lives in retirement in the West Country but Jan has the bit and the racing bug firmly between her teeth and her eye fixed upon the Gold Cup, the BIG one at Cheltenham.

DARK HORSE. The film of the true story of Dream Alliance starts showing in the UK on April 17th.

Oh.. we do like happy stories.. don't you? Especially ones about animals.

GeeGee Parrot.
March 22nd, 2015.

AND PRAY GIVE US THIS DAY.. OUR MONTHLY DUMPLINGS..

To be sure, there's something not quite right with my lass, for she declined a second tub of those hot dumplings! Surely, they should come with a warning.. it should read somethin' like this.. Heineken may reach the bits of you that other beers don't touch but it won't blow your sinuses out, that's for sure!

Her eyes watered, her noses had to be blown.. several times.. and she damn nearly choked! Ah, for to be sure, t'was Sunday at Marylebone Market!

It was sunny when she woke up this morning and stuck her nose out of the front door, bright and crisp However, just as she was about to leave for the market, she received a message from Goaty mum. it read "dress warmly, very cold here".. oh-fiddle-the-diddle.. will it ever get warm?

So on went a fleece jacket (over two sweaters), then her Donkey jacket, boots and socks instead of shoes and off she waddled.. forgetting WW.. this was very silly because he was full of books that she was supposed to be going to change at the Library.

Plans, if you live with a person like me, can change just like that.. snap.. and a lot of her plan for yesterday did go snap. She didn't do half of the plan but she did get the bed sheets changed, she did laundry, she did scrub-a-dub YumYum HQ, she did paper work, she did speak to Susan. But she didn't get to the Library, so she'll have to go now.

But she is strangely tired, it comes upon her in a sly, sneaky fashions, one minute she feels ok, then she feels as if her 'stuffing' has come out, me, I think she's anaemic. Her Gastro guy certainly thinks she is, he took one look at her white face and sent her off to have a blood test. I think she could do with some sunshine, not this mickey-mouse stuff we have here but proper sunshine.

As a child she was born and lived, for the first three and a half years of her life, in the tropics and this cold weather lark with these gloomy, grey skies is not really what suits her. Che sera sera, this is her (and my) 'lot' at the moment, we have to do what we girls can. And one of those things should be, to concentrate fully on what she is 'sposed to be a'doin..

For what is the point of PROOF READING, if you don't read it! DUH.. The beautifl cards were done by Cousin Bruce but have a letter missing out of the email address, who's to blame.. nobody except.. MISS MUGGINGS.. aka.. HERSELF!

OH-FIDDLE-THE-DIDDLE was not the expression, she said when she realised what she had done! Grrr, wasn't it either, although she did grind her teeth in a somewhat savage fashion.

However, my next post will be about a most unusual thing that grew on a Welsh allotment, nope, you will have to wait, she's got those books to change and I've got a new juicy carrot to beakybeak, so go and make yourself a pot of tea and come back later.

GeeGee Parrot.
March 22nd, 2015.

Florence Fennel ~ aka Sweet Fennel & Celery are growing in YumYum HQ!

I tell you no Porky Pies, aka Gross Fibs or Lies! If you have been nuts (this is a very foody post, so the usage of this word is quite correct) enough to purchase those sad looking stalks of celery in a plastic bag, then you won't be able to do this.

But if you have a wide mouthed jam jar, a glass vase OR are lucky enough to have a proper Celery vase, which we are, you can grow fresh celery AND sweet fennel, the one which has a white bulb and very pretty green fern like leaves sticking out of the top, at home!

And, it doesn' even have to be on a window ledge! We don't have such a thing as a window in our YumYum HQ. It is just a minute space.. think 70" by 68" before they put the tiles on the walls!

This is how you do it..

Purchase the celery, the stalks should still be attached to a base and a fennel bulb and take them home. You do NOT have to trim their bases. Put them into separate containers, the fennel bulbs are very stout, you may have use a bowl. Put enough water into each container so that the base of the vegetable just sits in the water. If the water level is too high, the vegetables will rot.

Within days, you will see that the celery, which probably had had all its' leaves chopped off, is growing new leaves and within about a week, you will see baby bulbs forming at the base of the fennel.

In YumYum HQ, our celery is, by nature of the room being dark for most of the day, growing as if it's being blanched, light is being witheld, so photosynthesis is not happening. If you have a window, put the celery on the ledge and the new growth of stalks and leaves will be green.

But darkness does not affect fennel, we have two very stout bulbs, two for a quid on Karen's stall two Saturdays ago. They've had several pieces cut off (and eaten, we both love fennel for its' very crunchy-munchy), now they both have several baby bulbs with green ferns growing from the base.

The trick is to wait until the babies are a little bit bigger and then, very gently, remove them from the mother plant and put them into their own water. Remember to change the water every two days at least and you will have a constant supply of fresh celery and sweet fennel every day.

Don't chop it up and store it in paper towel (UGH, WHAT are you doing with paper towel anyway?) in a plastic bag in your chilly white larder, for what goodness do you think it will have? The correct answer is ZILCH.

NOW for the REALLYREALLY good reasons why you should eat FRESH CELERY!

It is a dexotifer, works against arthritis, full of vitamin C, helps against fluid retention, aids sleep. Don't just take my word for it, do your research and find out why this crisp and crunchy-munchy vegetable is good for you.

And as for SWEET FENNEL. It's a wonderful aid for Cardiovascular and Colon Health, contains a high level of Potassium which is good against high blood pressure and much more.

Now she is going to get dressed.. yup.. she is still in her pj's, I know, how shameful and it's past one of the after noon clock but it's Saturday and we are both being lazy for there are no dogs to walk, no goaty folk to milk, no horse to excercise. On the other hand.. there are LOTS of weeds to kill, grass to cut.. but that is not going to happen today.

For this is what has to happen today..

Fruit, vegetables, hummus, fish have to be purchased, there is Karen to chat too. Money has to be charmed out of a wall. Books have to change at the Library. Susan has to be called. Stuff has to be put away. Sheets have to be changed. Laundry has to be done. Something pretty has to be worn for it is a cold, grey day.

Now don't you forget to research and discover how and why these two forementioned vegetables are so good for you and remember..

                                                        TO EAT YOUR GREENS!

GeeGee Parrot.
March 21st, 2015.

BANISHED FROM THE BEDROOM!

It's ok, Dear Readers, the title does not refer to me.. phew.. just imagine sleeping in a room all by myself.. that reallyreally would be ghastly.

No, what have been banished are several items of electrical wizardy, aka landline, mobile, iPad and WiFi router. The television escaped because she disconnects this when it's not being used.

Why has she taken such extreme measures? Well, she was not sleeping well and upon waking in the middle of the night, it was all too easy to pick up iPad or mobile and see what was a'goin on. Then, of course, she'd start reading newspapers on-line and before she knew it, it would be two or three hours later, she was wide awake and had not slept at all!

So they've been moved into our sitting room. And lo and behold, apart from maybe going to the bathroom during the night, she sleeps through the night. And how she sleeps! Blissful deep sleep and she dreams! Shock.. For she can't remember when she last slept so deeply or remembered her dreams.

The mobile is switched off, even though it is in another room. The WiFi router remains on but iPad is switched off. She unplugs the main landline telephone.

And that, Dear Readers, has had the added blissful benefit of stopping the extremely annoying calls that we used to receive every morning between 07.45 ~ 08.30 which were always from the same wretched 0845 number. The telehone would ring three time, jolting us both awake.. grrrr.

She deliberately does not have the landline ansaphone switched on, caller display on the telephone shows who is calling, if the number is not shown or it is this demented company whose number is 0845 she doesn't pick up.. simples! Friends can leave messages or texts on our mobile number.

Now when she goes to bed, she does not use iPad or mobile, she plays with me until it is my bedtime, we play chase the nut or catch the grape.. both thrilling games which involve me scampering about on her bed.. sometimes I cheat and eat the object. Then she will read several chapters of a book.. not too scary!

Do you have or keep these items of electrical wizardy in your bedroom?

Having moved hers out, she has read that they're not good at all to have in the bedroom, nor do they make for restful sleep, so move them out and switch them OFF! Unless, of course, you are someone who works in the Emergency Services and needs to be 'on call' at night.

And remember to switch ALL chargers, and your tv's, OFF at the wall when they're not in use.. they drain electricity, over heat very easily and are a major cause of house fires. She, literally, pulls the plug on all chargers and our tv when they're not in use.

Try it and see.. and talking about seeing.. there's not a lot of that happening here this morning. Huh, old mr. grey cloud is back, he's just 'lolling'about all over our house, why doesn't he fly off west to California and empty himself all over those orchards and salad fields?

They're reallyreally in need of months and months of rain, as too is the MidWest of America. But, sadly, most of our winds blow in from the south-west so he wouldn't get there.. sigh.

But let's talk of happier things.. like YumYum.. for surely it's time to 'shake a leg and rattle those pots 'n pans! It's Fast Breaking time folks!

Enjoy your week ends, she's already thinking about tomorrow.. bad woman.. slow down, those dumplings probably are not even made yet! Yes, Dear Readers, for it's Dumpling Day tomorrow!

The dumpling fans, aka Debbie of Ellie's Goaty Dairy and my mum, will be slurping Selina's Malaysian Dumplings at Marylebone Farmer's Market.. which is located directly behind Waitrose on Marylebone High Street.. note to mum.. get money out of wall before you go to the market!

Slurp.

GeeGee Parrot.
March 21st, , 2015.

DAISY DAISY GIVE ME YOUR ANSWER DO..

I will have to swat up on songs.. for I have been invited to join the group Singing With Dementia next  Friday! How about that, Dear Readers! That ain't too shabby, is it? Mind you, I look pretty shabby at the moment with my almost bald stomach and half plucked neck.. bad timing, but it has to be done!

She had such a lovely reception when she arrived and got wet eyed as several people came up and hugged her and said "Oh, how lovely to see you again, we do hope you're feeling much better?" and, yes, she was.

For the gloomy grey sheet, aka solid cloud base had all been blown away, old sun was shining, the sky was blue! What a difference to this morning! And she was going to sing.

She sat and chatted with Janice whilst they did seated excercises and she was asked, as they all had been, what animal would she be and why?

She said she be an African Grey Parrot and an elderly lady beamed and clapped her hands, it transpired that she had had AGP, who had lived for over fifty years. Then later at tea time.. yum.. she came and sat with her and said "Would it be possible for you to bring GeeGee here, we'd love it and animals are amazing for people who have Dementia, please will you bring her?".

Well.. you can guess what her answer was, can't you! She smiled as she thought of the look on my face when I saw so many people and said "She'd love to come, she'll probably sit on my head the whole time as she has never been in a room with so many people and she may not say one word but yes, I'll bring her next week".

Daisy Daisy give me your answer do
For I'm half crazy over my love for you
It won't be a stylish marriage
For I can't afford a carriage
But you'll look sweet on the seat
Of a bicycle made for two..

Yubba-dubba-du.. I'm going Singing With Dementia next Friday, oh hurry-scurry, roll on next week! In fact.. Roll out the barrel, we've got the blues on the run!

GeeGee Parrot.
March 20th, 2015.

A STARRING ROLE IN A COMMERCIAL!

Oh, this house is rocking with glee and laughter, she received the funniest (peculiar) email yesterday!

This was how it started.. she received an email from someone whose name was unknown to her asking her to contact them (by telephone) with reference to me, my mama, who can be mighty cautious, replied saying 'I have absolutely no idea who you are'.

Back came an email saying 'I am the niece of so&so, we met in 2011 in a pub and I want to borrow GeeGee to do a commercial, please call me, this is my mobile. Lots of love'.

'Met once in a pub, BORROW GeeGee, lots of love', what in hell is this woman smoking or taking?

She called a very old friend who is the ceo. of a VERY prestigious Advertising Agency and read the email out to them.. the response was a squeal of laughter that was probably heard as far out as Wimbledon! The friend then told her what to write back..

She responded to once-met-in-a-pub-niece with the following details.. 'Daily rate for GeeGee, daily rate for herself as handler, daily insurance rate for GeeGee against injury, loss and biting.. Total of DAILY rate £.....'

And received the, forever more to be a classic in our family history, email.. 'oh, I thought you would do it for free because it would be fun for GeeGee'.

                                                        FUN FOR GEEGEE?

Oh.. lookielookie, Dear Readers, a stranger's ear to crunchy-munch. And so, as in the immortal title of that brilliantly silly BBC comedy show starring Michael Crawford and Michele Dotrice.. we say..

                                             'SOME MOTHER'S DO 'AVE 'EM'.

I rest my case.. Your Honour.. there ARE people out there much madder than us. Now she has to shake a leg for she has to go and collect a package which, hopefully, has arrived from Cousin Bruce.

No Eclipse for us here in deepest, DARKEST Knightsbridge, the sky is grey with not even a hint of those exciting things that are happening up there.. sigh.

GeeGee Parrot.
March 20th, 2015.

WHEEL NUT BAG.. JUST A SHORT BUT SWEET TALE..

Are you ready, reallyreally ready to read the lovely tale of what has happened to a couple of dear old friends? Then I will begin and far as she can recall, the tale started as follows..

T'was when Sylvie had a puncture whilst out driving and this next bit is a bit unclear but there was a problem. She was driving a Mercedes and either she couldn't find the Wheel Nut Lock in her boot / trunk where the spare tyre was or the AA OR RAC man couldn't or he didn't have the right size and without that lock, they could not get the old tyre off.

She eventually got home and Rod, her husband, came up with the very bright idea of making a little drawstring bag out of HIGHLY visible, fluorescent fabric in which to keep the Wheel Nut Lock in the boot / trunk of the car.

He already worked with the motor trade supplying all manner of things, he sent her a wonderful computer mouse of vintage cars racing once. So he and Sylvie set to getting some made.. LOCALLY.

The garages, the dealers all went and are still going "Wow, yes please", especially when they found / find out their company logo and or name can be printed on them, they come in different sizes ~ car, SUV, trucks ~ and there is choice of colour!

Sylvie and Rod had a couple of health hiccups but when she spoke with Sylvie this week, Sylvie said "yes, like you I have had a couple of scary things but ......, I am SO happy and you know how truly extraordinary life is.

The whole world wants them, there is only one company in Canada, (of all places, shame upon you Canadians) who have tried to copy them. They're ALL made locally to us in Cheshire, we're now financially secure, all because I couldn't find my wheel nut lock and Rod had the very bright idea of making a highly visible little bag".

                                                   www.wheelnutbags.co.uk

I tell you, Dear Readers, that we like happy stories like this for it could not happen to a nicer couple.

GeeGee Parrot.
March 19th, 2015.

A HEART WARMING ~ TO US ~ TRUE TALE ABOUT A LITTLE BAG!

She has returned home from gallivanting about with all sorts of medical folks and she is incredibly tired. So this true tale will be told tomorrow..

But here is just a snippet.. of what happened yesterday.. she spoke with a fabric colleague yesterday and that made her think to herself " where is that friend of mine, Sylvie Jones, what's she a'doing, I'll send her a text message and I hope that her mobile number is still the same".

So the text message was sent and much later in the day, she received a call from Mrs. Jones. Well, you would think they had only not spoken for a week or two, except for the amount of news they had to tell each other!

The last time she had spoken with Sylvie, she had just stopped coaching six Olympic athletes! And was doing something completely different, which was web design! Rod, her husband, was doing things in and with the motor industry and he had developed something, of which he sent her a couple of samples.

But that is your lot for today.. I know, I can be extremely annoying sometimes.. I do apologise.

Like I apologised profusely to her this morning for giving her finger that crunchy-munch. I climbed out of my cage this morning and made it very obvious that what I wanted was to go back to bed in her bed and have a kiss and a cuddle and apologise.

So we did.. for two hours! Then she had to get up in order to be at the dentist on time at 10.30 sharp.

But I'll come back and tell you the lovely tale about Sylvie and Rod Jones tomorrow. It's a very happy tale and it goes to show that good things can and DO happen to good, nice folk sometimes.

Gosh.. even I am sleepy at half past six of the evening clock and I didn't have to give copious amount of blood or not eat all day because of a new filling having to be kept dry.

Asta manana amigos, that is for Karen.. who had the bare faced cheek to tell us she has been down south of the River Grande border (in Mexico) for two weeks, we bet she is just lolling about in the sun and eating gaucamole with fresh limes, my mama is, needless to say, reallyreally envious.

Sigh.. but here the blossom is coming out on the trees, so maybe Spring is coming back again, we can but hope and dream, can't we?

GeeGee Parrot.
March 18th, 2015.

SUGAR & SPICE.. BUT NOT ALWAYS NICE.. OH DEAR.

I am in such disgrace.. blood has been spilt, not mine.. hers.. yes, shock horror indeed and I'm passing the buck and hanging Beaky out to 'dry', for it was Beaky that did the dreadful deed. Yes, I climbed onto her first finger, yes, of course, it was the arthritic one but it was that evil Beak that bent down and gave her poor unsuspecting digit the crunchy-munch.

You can well imagine her reaction!

I found myself flying, without the aid of either wing, through the air at high speed. Luckily I knew the way and landed on the bedroom cupboard with only my dignity in tatters.

She followed me in to the room and proceeded to wag the poor mutilated digit at me and said in that awful, fierce voice that she keeps especially for occasions such as this.. "You are an evil finger crunchy munching, grey, red arsed bird, how dare you bite me like that, just stay in here by yourself for a while and reflect upon the stupidity of crunchy-munching the hand that feeds you!".

And with that, she shut me in the bedroom.. alone.. well, probably not alone, for there was bound to be a mouse listening who scampered off to tell all his mates about this sordid tale.

I heard her rustling about in the cupboard where she keeps viamins and sticky bandages / plasters.

Then there was the sound of the front door closing as she and WW left the house, oh dear, what a dreadful thing. No excuse, I had had scrummy YumYum, water, a jolly time playing with dried crusts on top of chilly white larder. Had even landed on fake furry hat and managed not to give that a hard time. All was well in my world, so why did Beaky bite?

I don't know but I do know that she is still being 'slightly' distant with me, sigh. She returned before four of the after noon clock, I am still shut in the bedroom, someone has just been, I heard chat and think it was one of les trois filles. But no one is chatting to me.. sob.

However, it is my own fault, for much as I like to blame Beaky at a time like this, I should have more control over this part of my body.. for the toe bone is connected to the foot bone, the foot bone is connected to the ankle bone.. you get the drift.

Tomorrow she is off to the Dentist, out to lunch, then off to see her Gastro-Enterologist.. ie.. all day. This will, unfortunately, give me plenty of time to ponder my (fast approachingly bald) stomach and realise that it ain't wise to crunchy-munch mama's fingers.

In deep shame.. and sorrow.

GeeGee Parrot.
March 17th, 2015.

ON HOW TO BE LAZY.. AND THE CAT WHO TOOK REVENGE!

LAZY DAY TUESDAY..

Went like this.. slept in later than normal. Got up sloowwly, sleepy Parrot clambered ~ equally slowly ~ out of cage, rubbed Beaky against Nose, went to bathroom for a lick and a promise. DID teeth but didn't get dressed into 'day' clothes.

Chilly white larder gave up treasures of butter and Goaty cheese. Butter plopped into small sauce pan, melted, egg went in plop, got a quick stir.. plopped out onto a small plate.. we squabbled over who ate which bit. Such was the start to our lazy day.. but then the world started to get in on our act.

Telephone started ringing, emails plopped into in-box. People wanting to know "what's going on?".

"Not a lot today", she said, she is going to see an old friend whose clothes she used to make.. gulp.. over twenty years ago.. this 'wretched' woman is as slim as ever and sent a photo of her in a suit she made for her in 1993! "Me in my favourite evening suit" was the caption! Grr, she's 30 lbs heavier!

On entirely another subject.. How come newspapers sneak in and pile up like they do?

Eh.. you all know that she is a news junky.. but, oh goodness me, we have seen a wonderfully silly article today.. we told you several days ago about the dogs trashing the man's car in China.

Well, today there is an article about a cat who was shoved off a chair by his guitar playing owner and then given the boot.. steady on there Leigh and Debbie..

The cat thought "HUH" to that and proceeded to get his own back.. but not by waiting 24 hours like the dog.. he went up the open staircase behind the chair and 'whoops'.. down fell a flower pot with a plant inside it right on to the man's head!

The next photo.. the man was obviously being filmed because of his guitar playing.. showed the man clutching his head.. One may not 'read' the Daily Mail for its' editorial content but for sheer fun, you cannot beat it for brilliantly funny, and wonderfully silly photos!

Ok.. it is putting on outside clothes time.. this means I get to go and sleep a bit.. aka doze.. then she will come home with news from the big outside world..

OH.. and this is to reassure those of you who trust her with VERY confidential information. Yes, she does remember everything she is told by her friends but all of it is locked away in an extremely secret compartment marked "NOT FOR GENERAL KNOWLEDGE"..

Don't forget to drink Guinness today? It's St.Patrick's Day! SHAM (& ANIMALS) ROCK.. heehee.. Toodle-Pip.

GeeGee Parrot.
March 17th, 2015.