Mazzys Crumb Cake!

Crumb Cake!

16 tbsp margerine - this is a weird measurement, so i just put the marg into my measuring jug up to... oooops at Moms! hope you can work that out!
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla - i use the fresh from one vanilla pod
2 cups flour
2tsp baking powder
½tsp salt
jam/apples/peaches - i have used layers of all of these, not all together though!

crumb topping
2 tbsp margarine
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup flour

cream together margarine and sugar. add eggs and beat thoroughly, add vanilla

sift dry ingredients together. add to creamed mixture and blend thoroughly. spread ½ of batter into greased
and floured 9" x 13" baking pan. or something similar!

spread pie filling over top and cover with remaining batter.

mix topping ingredients until crumbly and sprinkle over top.

bake at 350 for approximately 40 minutes - all oven are different and it takes a little longer in ours

Enjoy amigos....

TTFN
Marian

Mom M.I.A. = missing in Aylesbury!

Ship building comes to Aylesbury..

well ok its not strictly or even sort of a ship i know, but looks like one i think, i have been watching this magnificent theatre being built over this year... and have kept on meaning to take a photo... and look hey! i did!



then this above is a pretty poor photo of the not exactly finished Christmas display in Friars Square, Aylesbury, and if the Christmas decorations are finished in there than they are pretty poor too!

it does not look very clear but there on the left at the top are a giants leg coming down through a cloud!

after Mom had her hair done, we set off for Aylesbury by bus... up in the lift to a store and had some nice soup and bread, we only had half measures so only got charged for one soup? well thats good i guess, after looking in a couple of other stores we went for a coffee and muffin! i wanted to buy some cards so said to Mom as she hadn't finished her coffee, well not really even started it that she would probably be about quarter of an hour yes? she said yes, so i said well i will be about ten minutes i think at the most... and off i went, down and out of Friars square into Haleleas(?) into the shop, grabbed what i wanted to the till and straight out, back in precisely 8 minutes! and Mom had gone....

i hung about where last seen, asked someone sitting there from before, no luck, looked into a couple of shop door ways, nope, sat down for ten minutes, Mom's mobile phone packed in through lack of interest! i then walked to the other end of mall and in and up to the loos... calling Mom? Mom? Mom? like some weirdo at all the closed doors...

came back down and out into the mall again... and then wandering along... Mom! arh!!!!

so... to the bus! and home...

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

THOMAS EDISON

oh! Mom worked for Edison in New York! #10 East 40th st And this piece below i have perloined from The Edison Biography, which i have just read, before completing this!

Thomas Edison died At 9 P.M. On Oct. 18th, 1931 in New Jersey. He was 84 years of age. Shortly before passing away, he awoke from a coma and quietly whispered to his very religious and faithful wife Mina, who had been keeping a vigil all night by his side: "It is very beautiful over there..."

Recognizing that his death marked the end of an era in the progress of civilization, countless individuals, communities, and corporations throughout the world dimmed their lights and, or, briefly turned off their electric power in his honor on the evening of the day he was laid to rest at his beautiful estate at Glenmont, New Jersey. Most realized that, even though he was far from being a flawless human being and may not have really had the avuncular personality that was so often ascribed to him by myth makers, he was an essentially good man with a powerful mission.... Driven by a superhuman desire to fulfill the promise of research and invent things to serve mankind, no one did more to help realize our Puritan founders dream of creating a country that - at its best - would be viewed by the rest of the world as "a shining city upon a hill."

Mom knew Charles Edison... oh heck cant get rid of this italic.. never mind, seems very strange to think my Mom knew the son of the man who invented the light bulb doesn't it!!!

TTFN

Marian

Just joined every group there is that involves the new production called Love Never Dies.. its part two of The phantom of the Opera...

photo courtesy of the above...

going in march to see The Phantom was for Mom's *bucket list*, and it was the most beautiful show, show wrong word, performance is better... i hope to see it again, and now want to see the new one which opens in march 2010, its ten years on and the phantom is living in New York, the scene is Coney Island, which is my Mom and Dads old stomping ground and means a lot to her, the good times and lots of good memories... have been checking out the matinee, but looks like they're all booked up? will have to be an evening visit...

... and to Mom, further blood tests from earlier this week showed no problems, which is good, she was so worried she would have to go into hospital. today she wasn't too good first thing and after some tea, went back to bed for another couple of hours.

i went into town, got picked up by the shops... by friends! we went into Berkhamsted, coffee in Costas, and then supermarket and back to Moms... she was up and watching TV, had eaten and felt a bit better...

yesterday, Wednesday i think! uncle Bill dropped us off in Hemel Hempstead, we walked for a couple of minutes into Marks and Spencer and already it was too much for Mom, we went a little further in the mall, i called Tony in a right panic, a white mist came over me, not a red anger one, a white one, just as scary for me, all of a sudden i couldn't think what would happen if Mom couldn't make it on the bus, or if we just got stuck there or something! anyway, Mom came back, and we went on to Debenhams for some soup! and a café solo each which seemed to help us both, then it was on the bus and back to Northchurch! met a man on the bus who knows the hairdresser that the boys used to use, Scissors in Berko! i told him the first time i took them there and how Tony got feisty and tried to kick and struggle in the chair... he was only about 3yrs! i had to pin him down on the chair while the guy cut Tonys hair!

The man who tried his best and failed is superior to the man who never tried.

BUD WILKINSON

TTFN
Marian

great day yesterday, but very tiring, on the bus just past 9am and over to Aylesbury, the bus driver was 12, no really! well maybe 13½, he looked seriously young for driving a bus, and he was heavy on the metal too, be it the brake or the accelerator, he was going so fast at one bus stop he was well past it by the time he came to a stand still and the guy had to walk a way to catch us up to board the bus, and we were on the road and not in the lay by so traffic was getting backed up! then when he pulled off the guy nearly fell over!

just shown New York on the TV, and the wonderful window displays in Bergdorf Goodmans 5th avenue ... brings back memories, last time i was at that store i was waiting with my cousin Tim for his friend who worked in their hair salon and we waited in a margarita bar further down 5th av - what a hard life eh...

... anyway... where was i? so Aylesbury! and it looked so much better than when i was here last, the corner where woolworths was is all taken up now by River Island and Peacocks and looks great, a few of the other empty stores are, be it temporary, full of christmassy things... and give the whole of the Friars Square a much more prosperous look! and then where the *missing* water feature was, is, Father Christmas's cabin! with a giant pair of legs swinging over a bean stalk! must belong to a giant... i guess?

i spent a great couple of hours with Sarah and Callum, coffee-decaf, then a look around some shops, lots of laughter and a few near tears... you know how it is... then i met Steph, i waited in Costas with a cafe latte-decaf! after there we also went around the shops, lots... then a bit of lunch and more shops, lots more laughter and a few near tears.. we're going to go to Milton Keynes! cant wait - although it will also mean i am nearly on my way home then...

i got on the 3.30bus back to moms, exhausted but happy! and over dinner prep and dinner talking to Franco on gmail video, thank goodness for that, and there was my baby Pippa, she has some bad habits when i am not there!

saw my favourite *Fools and Horses* episode last night, turned over and not knowing which one it was i settled down to watch it and there they were... del boy and trigger in the posh wine bar, giving all the chat and del turned round to lean back on the bar..... whoa! it was raised up and he went down!!! fantastic!

hasta luego amigos...

TTFN
Marian

Monday morning just past 10am, England, raining, cold and grey...

Franco left me at departures saturday morning, i didn't even go up to the duty free section, i sat down on the lower level and then at 11am walked through passport control and into the departure gate area, spent a penny! and the gate number was up already! great...

sat down and marvelled at the amount of people who were at our gate for Luton with Monarch but they wanted Easyjet, some even saying but it says Luton!!! and the poor guy had to keep saying, yes its Luton but Easyjet is at another gate...

flight went quickly too and we landed 10 minutes early, bag came almost first... Tony called as i approached the carousel i had a head ache and he knew when i answered the phone to him! still have a bit of a pain on the side of my head.. relax i keep telling myself, thing is i never listen to myself...

stayed in pretty much over weekend... rain stopped play! but was a nice break, watching movies and eating! and last night Tony and Kate brought me over to Moms... she doesn't seem as good as she was in october, i dont think. she has had a lot of problems over last month...

we have a couple of people due this morning then we are going to go to Berkhamsted, Mom hasn't been into town for a while now so a bit worried the trip...

have a bit of a poem to follow....

..... Keep Ithaka always in your mind,
Arriving there is what you're destined forl.
But don't hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you're old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with what you've gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.

Ithaka gave you the marvellous journey.
Without her you wouldn't have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.

by Cavafy about Ulysses

TTFN
Marian

i better get a bit of a blog done eh! i am off to Blighty tomorrow and not sure if i can have internet access until i get to Mom's on Monday, i will be twittering, so that will be there on my blog i believe down on the lower right hand side...

anyway, where have i been? since tuesday? where did the week go? ok, i had enough of these fatigue causing meds and had the last one wednesday evening, so last night wasn't as tired as usual when i went to bed, tired normal that is for me, but not completely whacked out and semi conscious! well if my Mom can go rebel on hers i forsure can do the same on mine, although strictly speaking maybe Mom should still be taking hers! but she now sounds so much better, awake, positive, she made it to the prof. at the Mount Vernon yesterday without any problems, she just sounds so well now... even though she is not.

i went down town..., it must have been wednesday, Franco was out and i made it down, i had to get some labels for Christmas cards, rather than take the whole address book, which is heavy and big! the main road into town, the high street is being paved also like the rest of this area and the road closed signs were up, in three places, not enough though, people were driving round them, i still cannot get my head around the fact that people here do not take any notice of road closed signs, its like they don't think its for them??? so people had to reverse (help!) all the way back up the street, and try another route, most of which also have road works on, well, why not do it all at the same time i say!!!! problem with the reversing here... most of them were ending up on the paths, no kerbs, just a smooth kerb to allow for parking, so people were over steering right, left and right again! like something from a Harry Hill video... there's a thought now, i missed that one didn't i!

i stopped with friends outsider a bar and had coffee, then on my way stopped at a friends home for a tea! i think i better cut down a bit on my coffee, but how much is too much? i only have about 4 or 5 a day, and when my BP was low, which was forever till now, i have had 10 or more and been fine? no comprendo mis amigos!

Thursday Franco and i went down to Calahonda, checked out Maria's place, everything fine, quiet, not many holiday makers out, yesterday we had a bit of rain too, not much only a sprinkling, and friends we were meeting up with had on t shirts and shorts! Brrrrr! we went to Los Olivos for a tapa and coffee(!) saw a mate that used to live here in Alhaurín in there which was great and arranged to meet up when i am back in a couple of weeks.

then a guy came in we used to live near, and a few others! was like coming home...

had a good day... in the evening we had to go to Vodafone! we were in there only an hour and half! was light when we entered and dark when we left! lots of people out and about in the evenings here in town, but a mist was over and for the first time this winter you could really feel the dampness in the air...

but today! hot sunshine again, hot in the sun anyhows, cooler in the shade! when Pip and i were out bright( er no dark still!) but early we met up with a couple of neighbours! one mi amiga who has left Spain and now lives back in England.. she is only over for a few days, and another who was out having an early morning ciggie!!!

was strange meeting in the dark like that! but later after a quick trip to town i visited with the friends she is staying with and we went out, a visit to the cemetery and then a bar for coffee (!) and tapas... good to see her again, i miss her being round the corner...

today i notice i am not taking the tablets, sorry doc! although when the alarm went off i felt tired, it was just normal Fibro tired, not drug induced, and its nearly 4pm now, not had to nap yet or put my feet up...although having been out a while i probably should do, especially as we have to go out again later!

washing on the line, hope it dries, i am wearing some of it tomorrow! case packed with clothes to keep me warm, it feels cooler here, for us, but mi amiga felt hot! i guess she has got used to English weather already!

ok amigos, probably lots more to say, i usually do! but have things to do, and hands tired... Franco will be moaning at me, so hasta luego and off to England....

omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis.
All things change, and we change with them.
Roman proverb

TTFN
Marian

i was just about to relax with a book when i realised i haven't blogged since couldn't remember when... saturday it seems, these meds are doing me in, read on the FM site this morning about something new i might try... funny how us FM sufferers are guinea pigs for so many different things... we will try almost anything you know if there is the slightest hope of it making us better...

i also came across a poem, will place at the end of today's post, it made me cry i must say

the truth does doesn't it....

also been talking to lots of other women with the same FM as me, i must admit in the past when i first registered on the site, and the odd times i have *popped in* as it were, reading other people stories, the same as mine mostly, has just made me depressed and felt worse than before, now, no, now i feel a certain comradeship, a joint army against what is pulling *us* down, and you know it is good to talk, and to talk with people who have the same symptoms which cause the same thoughts and feelings...

and to hear symptoms you have are real... because after a while you do wonder... especially how i have got so much worse this year, and why, and i am still willing to give things a go to improve myself, and i certainly have to, cant put up with this... i wont put up with this!

anyway... eh amigos!


photos.... so here today i welcome you to a new street here in Alhaurin el Grande... whats the name of it? ooops, didn't look, maybe soon eh!

top photo as seen from the park with the exercise stuff on... as you turn into the street the wall there and the other side of the road full of graffiti already, as everywhere it seems..and the next is the street as you head up to the main road with the Sierra de Mijas in the back ground...


and above looking back... looks lovely eh, well sort of, as in nice and clean and straight, cracks appearing between some of the houses already... lots of the door knockers are missing already, they were there the other week, not now...

the odd one going, maybe, but loads....


and this is the name of the little charmer leaving his (her?) mark everywhere just now, not sure why the *?* is the person unsure of their own name!!!!

no one lives here yet and by the time they do there may be very little left!

Poem...

The pain we go through the agony within
how do I get rid of it fm its a sin
Shoulders hips knees and your neck
also to feel like a nervous wreck.
Take the tablets one by one
and off to pain clinic it might work for some.
I think of times long ago
when life was a breeze and fun it did flow.
I may be sick and have fm thats a curse
I am going to fight it and try not to get worse.

TTFN
Marian

not often you see bare naked trees around here... these are some of those burnt in the Mijas fire the other week... what with the color of the mountains beyond it makes the picture look so cold....

we stopped here too... there is a parcel of land for sale, not much bigger than a mans handkerchief! well a bit bigger i suppose, but the sign says room for 37 houses! as you can see there is a finca here just now....

yes well, the remains of one, there is a nice piece
of land just in front, room to turn a car, with power steering! so not ours!?! then its down hill on three sides and the drive up! so 37 houses????
look how think these walls were, but there on this little mountain shelf sticking out as it does, you would need them! no protection for the hot sun, and none from the winds either!

this morning we went down to the coast, we did a bit of a shop, Aldi and Iceland(!) bit cloudy again today, still warm, but up here the cloud is only just lifting now and its 2.30pm, we had a coffee down by the shops and sat out in the sun shine where the sea breezes move it on... here!

with the release recently of a new game Franco would like, although he hasn't had the first one yet, our minds turn to the difference in prices here from England... the game was down to about 26 pounds on release day, not sure what it is now, but here in Spain 86Euros! even the first one is over 60Euros! we noticed the other day too, a Robbie Williams CD he has just released, 7 pounds i think in England was over 17Euros!!! not sure if its just the shops ripping you off here, or some over priced charges they pass on?

.... the games here anyway are, well obviously in Spanish! but the other languages are French and maybe Portuguese! never English??? whereas the games you buy in England have them all, and more.... why??? the games packaging is all in English... but there it ends, so these are made especially for Spain, in fact some say not to be sold out side of Spain???

ok too may question marks today!

up date on Mom, she is rebelling and does not want to take some of her meds! too many side effects all causing more trouble than their worth! so is seeing the Professor at Mount Vernon a week early, i will now be missing her appointment!

me(?) my side effects, (must run in the family!) just as bad, insomnia now too, so although even more tired, less sleep!!!! all i can say is, don't let me drive....

We learn simply by the exposure of living. Much that passes for education is not education at all but ritual. The fact is that we are being educated when we know it least.

DAVID P. GARDNER

TTFN

Marian