Make Yourself at Home ~

Serious Questions or Simply for Entertainment. This blog can be anything you want it to be ... Click the FOLLOW button ... makes me feel better. Add your message to Gills' Guest Book. Post a Comment at the end of a blog ... Email me with your questions: gmhesketh@yahoo.co.uk


Saturday 31 July 2010

Hello Daughter in Distress ...

Hello Daughter in Distress - In answer to your Question:

What can you use to get the stuff off the bottom of the kettle?

You can use vinegar or citric acid with water to remove scale from inside a kettle

- see this video on how to:

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-descale-a-kettle


[there are other cleaning tips attached to the clip - taps - sinks ... the list is endless !


OR you can buy commercial De-scaler from most supermarkets or a hardware store.
and follow the instructions on the packet.


* Make sure the commercial de-scaler states for use on kettles.

Good Luck,

Jill

Diets can be Fun

Bonbonbons and Mystery meat - take a look at this diet...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjnuBTPOaKY&NR=1


Enjoy - and remember - Saturday is Treat Day !!!

Jill

Friday 30 July 2010

Mother in Distress

I'm going to have to send my own question to my own blog ...

How do you stop Sons partying in your home when you are away?

Well, like I said earlier, I've just returned fully rested from a well-earned break.
Until I arrived home ...

'I've only had five of my close mates round', my eighteen year old son said innocently.

The first shock was a black line painted along the back of the white bijon frise.
Because the ink wouldn' wash off, Angel received a 3cm shave from the top of her head to her tail ... poor thing - she looked terrified - as if she knew she was having a bad hair day.

The pool table had been mysteriously be re-housed in the dining room
- from the garage ...?
The Dining table now lived in the lounge - surface badly scratched - from a team of lads playing poker. An antique ornament,chipped. Bags and bags of beer bottles. Bags and bags of rubbish. Piles and piles of towels. I could go on but it's getting boring.

And all of that denied, I'm wondering who could have carried out such things?

Any ideas - answers on a post-card - or in the comment box.

Then I remembered my daughter at 18 doing a similar thing, my eldest son and the second son...same....I love parties - but I'm really hoping that's the last mad one !

Jill

Thursday 29 July 2010

Competition

Hi Everyone,

I'm back from a well earned break [well I think it was] - and have volunteered to help out with the Blackpool Festival of Words - although I have to say - it is already very well organised with events planned - author visits - poetry readings - fun things with words - schools and local community involved .... So ...

Do you fancy contributing to a newspaper? Here's how:

Words, Words & Other Stuff, the official newspaper for Wordpool,
Blackpool Arts and Library Services' fourth annual Festival of Words
will take place in and around Blackpool from 2 - 9 October

Words, Words & Other Stuff are looking for:

POETRY - any theme or age limit

FLASH STORIES - between 50 and 100 words !!

YOUR THOUGHTS - What is the future of POETRY? What is the future of BOOKS?

email: kerry.hunt@blackpool.gov.uk

Wednesday 21 July 2010

Update:

Hi Everyone, A short update before I take a few days off:
I have recently found space in my life to get back to writing. I enjoy sharing and am in the process of setting up a local writers group, relaxed and informal to exchange ideas and offer feedback. [More later] My projects at the moment include dusting off and finishing ‘that’ novel, a collection of poetry; Women, Love, Pain, Gain and Frivolity; Interactive activity pages for children suffering loss / trauma and any other writing that gets in the way …
Other interests - yes. Family - yes. Healthy Life-style - under consideration !

Depression

Depression -
is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign that you have been trying to be
strong for too long. Put this as your status if you know someone who
has or has had depression. Will you do it, and leave it on your status
for at least an hour? Most people won't, but it's mental health week and
......... 1 in 3 of us will suffer from depression at some point in our lives.

Question: What are the pros / cons of extending your mortgage term, or switching to a repayment mortgage vs. paying off a lump sum? "

Hi Angel, Hackney, Daughter in Distress, that's possibly two or three questions really, so, without getting too technical just yet, here's an outline:

Pro of extending your mortgage is having reduced monthly payments - which allows you more money to budget from each month.

Con is that the interest may cost more overall ie - if you extended mortgage 10 years - you will have 10 more years interest to pay on top of the price of your property.

A repayment mortgage would cost more as money - your monthly payment would include an amount which would be deducted from your initial property loan - the amount of the loan is reduced monthly.

Paying off a lump sum - depends on the amount of the lump sum:

Some banks/building societies allow you to pay an amount off the loan each year at no extra charge. This would of course reduce your monthly payments.

Making a large payment would probably mean re-arranging your mortgage and there would probably be a charge or penalty for this. If the amount you wanted to repay was substantial, It could be a good idea to do that - as the payments and interest over the years would be dramatically reduced.

*Do check first about any charges that might be incurred in any of these transactions.

If you have a large lump sum to invest, you could buy another property and rent it out?

It's really a matter of math. Get a pen an paper and list all the payments and charges for each option - or better still, get your mortgage advisor to do all the work for you - they usually have the details on sliding scale so can work it out easily.

Hope this helps, Jill

Tuesday 20 July 2010

Touchstone

Here it is ... the Prologue to my novel, Touchstone ...

Prologue

Unruffled by the silhouettes of a vacated city life, the woman glanced blankly in both directions and crossed the road. A half open gate lured her into a grassy quadrant, its miniature gardens divided by neat cobble-stoned paths and surrounded by gold-tipped railings. She felt safe there. An oasis in a concrete desert. The woman perched on the edge of a love bench, its wood velvety from the damp night air. `To my darling husband ~ My best friend`, its brass plaque read. Nearby, a horizontal tree trunk, smoothly planed and highly polished glinted in the dim light, reminding the woman of some giant jewel in a children’s fantasy story. `Cherish Our Brave Daughter, Charlie 1978 ~ 1989` the dedication read. Eleven years old. She considered the garden, her eyes sweeping from one nurtured corner to the next and back again. In a perfect harmony, nature had softened the disciplined lines into a leafy haven, its mystic, almost heavenly charm attempting to console the woman. Some people did care, she thought, unravelling the photograph and examining the creased image. Her lips parted as if to speak and closed again. Rummaging in the coat’s pockets as if responding to the urgency of a mobile phone, she pulled out a folded cotton handkerchief and dabbed repeatedly at her nose, wondering what she would write.

Gothic lanterns lined the pavements like redundant policemen in a long inflexible queue, their muted yellowy shadows leading her along a riverside path and onto the Millennium Bridge. Muddy water slapped at the buttresses as she drifted along, drawing wavy lines through the banister’s condensation. Where the steel structure met with concrete stanchions, her patterning blocked, she stopped and leaned over the handrail, gazing into the distance as if looking for answers to unasked questions. She tugged at her collar, Edward’s collar, hugging it around her neck, pushing the ends of her hair inside to keep warm. It was time. She knew it. Fumbling for the inside pocket of the greatcoat, her gloved hand bonding with the fabric, she retrieved a flat half-bottle. Stroking the glass with a tenderness usually reserved for babies and lovers, she followed its bold lines with the tip of her black kid finger, trailing every letter, symbol, mark, each leading to the same conclusion: Vodka 40%. She clambered onto a shallow concrete platform between the pillars and stared down into the gloomy water, sipping gracefully as if being watched by some distinguished personage at a grand gala dinner. She saw no reflection which pleased her. She swigged from the bottle, its transparent liquid searing her throat and transferring her pain. Her eyes stung, caustic from mascara mixed with tears. Another gulp pulsated downwards. Her body ached. Her mind, wiped out. In the distance, a motor-bike’s low growl replaced her bare thoughts with jaded memories of their first date. She remembered her giddy response to his sudden request. She remembered too many things. If she could only forget.

Monday 19 July 2010

The Novel ...

Hi Everyone,
Well, here it is - the moment we've all been waiting for ... [okay, I've been waiting for] I have located my novel in progress - [was in progress 3 years ago] - working title, Touchstone. I've blown off the dust and begun to edit. Well, you might say, what's it about? Is it a thriller? Chick-lit? Saga? How much have you writtten? Where do you get the ideas from? Is it about you? [me] ...

So, here's the update ~ think of it as the pre-episode over-speak before Desperate Housewives [not that it's like DH, much more reality relationship with a bit of high society glamour, bribery and corruption, infidelity and a near incest incident thrown in:

I know you're gasping at the incest, but it needed spicing up a bit ...

Searching for a perfect life in a contemporary world, corporate interior designer, Verity Gilligan, marries entrepreneur, Edward Spencer. Verity had chosen Edward and the lifestyle but found herself paying the price with something more than money could buy ...

In the depths of a January evening, Verity Spencer stared down from the Millennium Bridge into the murky water. She saw no reflection which pleased her. She swigged from the bottle, its transparent liquid searing her throat and transferring her pain. Her eyes stung caustic from mascara mixed with tears. Another gulp pulsated downwards. Her body ached. Her mind, wiped out. In the distance, a motor-bike's low growl replaced her bare thoughts with jaded memories of their first date....

Until tomorrow,

Jill

PS - Looking for a new title, comment any ideas please.

Saturday 17 July 2010

Be Happy ...

I came across a life coach article the other day, the idea of which I'd like to share with you.
The basis is this; forget idle gossip and engage in a good heart-to-heart conversation. I couldn't agree more, talking being one of my favourite passtimes. Apparently, a study by the University of Arizona proves that idle chatter doesn't make for a positive effect on well-being whereas sharing an in-depth conversation does [great news]. The happier participants spent 70% more time talking than the unhappy ones [this just gets better]. The happier people had twice as many deep-and-meaningfuls and spent less time making small talk. Which makes me wonder, how are we going to teach this to men?

So it just goes to show ... it's good to talk.

By the way, is it grammatically correct to use brackets at the end of a sentence?

Jill

Indecisiveness Achieves Nothing ...

Indecisiveness Achieves Nothing ...

Wednesday 14 July 2010

Grow Something ...

Grow something that you can eat ... [ it's a great feeling ]

Start with something simple eg: Mint

Place some stones in the bottom of a pot for drainage.
Scrounge some potting compost from parents / grandparents
Buy mint plant [approx £1 - £1.50]
Secure in compost in pot
Water

Pick leaves, rinse:

Use in Salads / on Bruschetta
with butter on Baked Potatoes

or make a refreshing Mohito [mint/lime/sugar/white rum/sparkling water]

Talking about dogs ...

Oh dear, I've started talking to my dogs ... a lot ... and worse still,
I've been using itsy bitsy language ... the sort used with babies and toddlers ...
Still, at least they don't answer back.

Enjoy talking to your pets ... you know it makes sense.

Jill

Friends

A Friend is a gift you give yourself.

Robert Louis Stevenson

Monday 12 July 2010

Feel the Fear ... Do it anyway

Sunday 11 July 2010

Carrot and Corriander ~ Quick Soup

Quick Soup and Massively Yummy ...

Large bag Carrots
Large Potato / Large Onion
Stock Cube /Water
Lemon
Can Coconut milk
Half teaspoon Coriander [or fresh chopped]
Quarter teaspoon Curry Powder. Salt / White and Black Pepper.

Chop carrots, potato, onion.
Add to pan with stock cube, pint water, salt.
Cook
After 15 mins, add half lemon juice, pepper, corriander, curry
After 5 mins, taste and check seasonings.
Add coconut milk.
Simmer 5 mins.
Blend
Eat

Enjoy, Jill.

Question: After painting the walls of my bedroom, a stain keeps showing through. What can I do to get rid of it?

Hello Daughter-in-distress,

First check the wall isn't damp. [more information on request]

It sounds like a recurring stain - maybe from some previous repair work - or someone has written on the wall in between decorating [?]

You can buy a 'stainblock' from most hardware stores / B&Q, Wickes etc.

Paint this over the stain and allow to dry. Then paint over with your preferred colour.

If you can't get to the shops, in the meantime, you could try undercoating paint or PVA glue, allow to dry and paint over.

Hope this helps,

Jill

Sweet Air

Un-interesting but useful:

Spray some perfume on a cotton wool ball.

Place cotton wool ball inside vacuum bag or cylinder.

MMmmm ...

Jill

Friday 9 July 2010

Star Tips

If you feel overloaded ... PRIORITISE ...

Complete the 1 Most Important task of the day.

[You'll be amazed how many other things fall into place after that !]

Jill

Thursday 8 July 2010

Difficult Dilemmas

Don't put off that difficult phone call.

You know you'll feel better when you've done it !

Jill

Wednesday 7 July 2010

Mobile Phones

Always back up your mobile phone details ~ or hang them somewhere on the internet ... you know how long it takes to replace your numbers !

Can anyone who has done this, let me know how to ??

[Mine are written in that old fashioned thing called an Address Book]

Jill

Sunday 4 July 2010

Difficult Dilemma

If you feel you are losing control ~

Maybe your life is too exhausting right now ...

Learn to say NO to time-wasting projects.

Put some really basic daily structures back into your life.

Hopefully, you'll find you can focus on the main issues much easier.

Jill

Star Tips ~ Toner

Money Saving Tip:

A top quality make-up brand beauty demonstrator suggested that
facial toning liquid can be watered down:

Add clean cold water to cotton wool pad - then add the toner.

Toner lasts twice as long !


Jill


Friday 2 July 2010

Question: How can you help teenagers who have lost their sense of direction?

Question: How can you help young adults who have lost their sense of direction?

This is always difficult as teenagers often feel their parents are interfering ...

It is the parent who has the experience of life and therefore holds the knowledge.

From experience with my teenagers, I have:

Lowered my expectations to enable the YA to sense they have achieved something.

Plan short term goals with them.

Encourage being active - this releases endorphins = happiness/calmness/clear thinking.

Set boundaries [you might be amazed how YA's respond positively to boundaries]

Praise positive behaviour.

Exchange negatives with positives.
[Get the YA to make a list of their positives - discuss the opposites
= see how many negative outcomes can be changed without too much difficulty]

Encourage laughter - try to find fun things to do - include other members of the family / firends.

If all else fails, pour large bucket freezing cold water over young adult early in the morning and pour yourself a large gin and tonic.

Jill

Question: How can I earm some quick money for holiday spends?

Hello Daughter-in-distress ...
You want to know how to earn some quick money for holiday spends.

1. Car Boot Sale - you will be amazed at how many people will be keen to give away 'stuff' they don't want.

Make a list and phone around friends and relatives - offer to collect.

[If you don't drive, share a car and the cost of the pitch.]

2. Its' a good time to sell any pieces of gold - even if they are damaged or out of fashion.

3. Babysitting.

Hope this helps.... Jill

Thursday 1 July 2010

How to Get a Teenage Boy off Playstation ~ and Doing His Homework

How to get a teenage boy off the playstation and onto homework...

1. Unplug playstation.
2. Take playstation to relative's house.
3. Watch homework happen.

Good luck, Jill

Question: I've spilt candle-wax on my bedroom carpet. How can I get it off?

Hello daughter in distress...

To get candle-wax off your carpet:

1. Try putting ice on the wax - then you can scrape off as much as possible.
2. Use biological washing liquid or powder with warm water to dissolve the residue.

* Maybe try the biological washing liquid on an unseen area of the carpet - make sure the colour in the carpet doesn't run.

Hope it works. Good Luck, Jill.