EVIL SMELLS AND LUNCH!

 

 

Hello everyone,

Phew...I just made it....late again!  If it`s not one thing it`s another, there always seems to be something for me to do, what will happen when I eventually do find a job?  I`ll have to lobby Parliament and see if they can add another hour or so to the day!  And why not I ask, they seem to be able to do anything they like these days......  But let`s not go there shall we...lol!

Being Jim`s rest day today, he kept himself busy removing more of the evil-smelling varnish...and does it pong too! I couldn`t stop sneezing because of it and Kerry and I stayed in the dining room with the doors shut so the smell wasn`t too bad, we spent the time sitting at the table, drinking coffee and singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to a bemused Roman who realised that in order to please these two mad women , he ought to smile and wave his arms around...lol!  No, really though, he seems to love being sung too, a first where I`m concerned, let me tell you!  Anyway, it`s nice to have your singing voice appreciated ,even by one so young.  Earlier, Jim had a break and we trooped down the garden centre for our lunch.  Roman sat in a highchair and had his dinner, well a great deal of it went over Kerry, and even more of it found it`s way across his face.  Then he threw his apple juice over Kerry who ended up with wet jeans.  Yes Kerry, how I remember you doing that to me, the worst is yet to come...lol!

Jake and Roman continue with their new found friendship, Roman strokes Jake, Jake sniffs Roman and so on until Roman throws rattle at Jakes nose, Jake then dives for cover under the dining room table.  Roman cries because Jake has gone and so has his rattle...this story is set to run and run.... Tomorrow I`m up early for Tesco shopping.  Last week for some reason even thought I bought a lot of stuff and expected a low bill, it came to at least £10 lower than usual.  I didn`t check the bill but as the checkout girl was chatting to a friend on the next counter, I`m wondering if she undercharged me.  She is welcome to do that every week, I won`t complain!

We`ve just recieved the receipt for our booking the cottage in Dorset for the first week in September. If we don`t book straight after Christmas there is a good chance we won`t get in, it is so popular.  Hopefully, Kerry will come with us with Roman, Slava won`t have any holiday left after going to Russia for two months university in May.  It`s a shame because the cottage is has three bedrooms, two of which are huge because it`s actually two cottages knocked into one.  The only drawback being that to get downstairs you have to go through the other bedroom.  But we all have a great time down there come rain or come shine, and it`s mostly shine where we are concerned, we`ve been very lucky with the Dorset weather in the last six or seven years.

Anyway, must go now and read the rest of the journals.  I didn`t finish them all last night and had to delete some.  Have a lovely evening all of you and take good care.  Bye Bye.

 

 

 

Some Facts For You

According to tradition, the first engineer to build a bridge across the Tiber in Ancient Rome was given the name Pontifex, meaning "bridge builder." The Pontifex was seen as someone who "connects" people, and that symbolism was so powerful that Roman high priests--including Julius Caesar--later adopted the title Pontifex Maximus. During the Roman Imperial age, the emperor was always the Pontifex Maximus. The title eventually passed from Roman emperors to the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Today, the Pope still carries the title Pontifex Maximus.

Acupuncture was first used as a medical treatment in 2700 BC by Chinese emperor Shen-Nung.

Armored knights raised their visors to identify themselves when they rode past their king. This custom has become the modern military salute.

At the height of its power, in 400 BC, the Greek city of Sparta had 25,000 citizens and 500,000 slaves.

Bock's Car was the name of the B-29 Bomber that dropped the Atom Bomb on Nagasaki.

Britain's present royal family was originally named Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The name was changed in 1917, during WW1 because of German connotations. The name Windsor was suggested by one of the staff. At the same time the Battenberg family name of the cousins to the Windsors was changed into Mountbatten.

Canada declared national beauty contests canceled as of 1992, claiming they were degrading to women.

Captain Cook lost 41 of his 98 crew to scurvy (a lack of vitamin C) on his first voyage to the South Pacific in 1768. By 1795 the importance of eating citrus was realized, and lemon juice was issued on all British Navy ships.

Chicago's Lincoln Park was created in 1864. The original 120 acre cemetery had most of its graves removed and was expanded to more than 1000 acres for recreational use.

Emperor Nero's lust for excess was most evident in his elaborate parties. According to the ancient writer Seutonius, Emperor Nero's Domus Aurea had a circular main dining room with a roof that revolved day and night, in time with the sky. In what remains of the palace today, there is a large octagonal room with a domed ceiling that some believe is this dining room. The octagonal room has a large dome with an oculus in the middle. It predates the Pantheon--and was probably the inspiration for it. The architects of the Domus Aurea developed an innovative mechanism cranked by slaves, that made the ceiling underneath this dome revolve like the heavens. While the ceiling revolved, perfume was sprayed from the ceiling and rose petals were dropped on the diners. Legend has it there were so many rose petals falling at one dinner that one of the guests was asphyxiated.

Emperor Trajan, who ruled from 98--117 A.D., was celebrated as the greatest of Roman emperors. In fact, for the rest of Roman history, new emperors were honored by the Roman senate with the prayer felicior Augusto, melior Traiano, meaning "may hebe more fortunate than Augustus and better than Trajan." In Dante's Divine Comedy, Trajan is the only emperor allowed into heaven.

Everyone in the Middle Ages believed -- as Aristotle had -- that the heart was the seat of intelligence.

For decades after Emperor Nero's death, people all over the Roman empire claimed to have spotted him. Several men even claimed to be him, and started popular movements to be reinstated as emperor. Because of his notoriety and the questionable circumstances under which he died (he purportedly stabbed himself to death in hiding outside of Rome), Nero was the Elvis Presley of ancient Rome.