Angel Jem's City Cottage

In April we had the second St Peter's Church Woolton Ladies Spring Dinner. Two most excellent women organised this last year and this, with one simple brief; Hostesses decorate a table for eight, with four 'allocated' guests and the rest up to you, while the guests had the responsibility to have a lot of fun (oh oh oh... give me your best Shania Twain here, girls!) And we did. Every table had a different theme, everybody wore their best dresses and everybody was happy.... some more than others! (Hem. Me actually. Giggly silly and loving it) So long as there is space, I'll hostess again next year. Loved it. Our book themed table was very elegant and very popular, but let me leave you with lots of pictures of tables.... and tables... and tables of inspiration.

Do I have to have a reason to post? Yes? You mean you don't just want stream of consciousness what I'm thinking now stuff you want coherent sentences? Oops. Today may not be the day. This is a bit of a catch up post, not very picture heavy, more a list of things that I am happy about. I found my video camera. Yes, I have the sort of house where a video camera can go missing and, even more vitally, so can the docking station/charger/join to the puter to upload bit. But today I found it and NOW I can do proper looking and sounding videos for my Youtube channel, MrAngelJem . I have a list of schools to go and look at and apply to. I get very conflicted about whether I do/don't want full time work, but I worked 4 days this week and I am awake today, so perhaps the time has come to make some money and be a full time teacher. I have lamb to roast for tonight. Lamb is my favourite roast dinner, but very expensive so very rare. My Mum and Dad are coming for tea so I'm thi...

We were at a farm owned by my Uncle (L***; he will kill me if I mention him online, on Facebook or show a photo of him. Sorry x) and run as a Bed and Breakfast by my Aunt Kate. You can find it here; the name is Kate's Kottage . I wish I'd taken pictures of the inside of the house. It's a very lovely welcoming Irish home, with a warm wood burner, a teapot on the range and one of those big 'we live here because it really is the heart of the home' kitchen with a fantastic view out over Bessy Bell. When I finally become a best selling author and get writer's block on my second novel I am coming here to sit at this table and write. No kidding. You could just watch it all day. Uncle L*** has many fingers in several different pure Irish beef pies. Seriously, the man never sits still, between gardening with Leonard Cheshire as a volunteer, lambing, driving his truck over the fields and other things he does, but one of his main roles is that he runs a shooting sch...

Tyrone has at least one other Famous Son (apart from my father; left 50 years ago and still has the accent). One Thomas Mellon who was a judge and banker in mid 19th Century America, but came from Castletown near Omagh. His family home is part of , and possibly inspiration for, the Ulster American Folk Park in Tyrone. We were lucky enough to get a day out there in Easter week. We've been before, and like a lot of living history sites it doesn't change much from visit to visit, but in this park's case that is part of the charm. The park splits into two parts; the first part is like a brief history of Irish cottages; turf fires, limewashed walls, soda bread, dirt floors, thatched roofs and all. I love it precisely because it is so typically Irish. The Mellon house has hens and ducks wandering around past old farm machinery and the dresser with its blue and white china that is so typical of the time. I couldn't help but think of this film as I wandered. (love...

Week three; Easter break with my three and not that much to do. We had days out planned and visits to my Mum who is due to have her gall bladder removed this Friday. You can see my muji stamp came; the ink colour is called toffee and is beautifully pale but visible against the black ink. Colour coordination system set up, too, with different highlights for different areas of my life. I use the pens to mark off what I’ve done. The post-it is, sadly, a bright fluorescent square from Staples, but my cute ones came from Amazon so next week I’m hoping even they will have a smiley effect on me. You can see a slight glare on the right page from my dashboard, where the post-it is stuck and a sticker sits, an instant win from McDonalds Monopoly game for 50 free prints from Snapfish. I will be using that one for sure!

I spent the whole week in Ireland and it never rained. Not even once. How unusual this is only one who knows why the place earns its name 'the Emerald Isle' will appreciate. I have always got wet there. Always.  And yet, last week it was dry. Freezing. Johnny English freezing, the kids say (in Johnny English Reborn his wheelchair has 3 settings; Fast, V fast and F fast; out of politeness F anything has become Johnny English something)absolutely Johnny English freezing. I visit family over there. My father came from the town land of Collow near the town of Drumquin near the county town of Omagh in the county of Tyrone . Such details matter, in a country where everyone knows everyone else and can trace back a friendship or a feud for a thousand years. I once blasted an Irish supply teacher's mind by isolating her down to her mother's house opposite a golf course... And the place is lovely. The Sperrin mountains roll along above the drumlin fields of sea-wave c...