Monday, June 25, 2007

A National Treasure

I didn't get a moment to blog over the weekend because I was so busy. Starting on Saturday morning we were inundated with visitors which meant that Bert was unable to clear off leaving me on my own to clean the house. Sometimes I wish Bert would fix up a shed for receiving company in. He could tell the visitors that Nelly was not 'at home'. Of course I would be 'at home' - I'd be 'at home cleaning'.

Or he could be honest.

I'm sorry but today we will have to drink our coffee and smoke our cigarettes in this comfortably appointed and 'all mod cons' shed. Today the house is out of bounds. It's Nelly's housework day and she is very dangerous to approach during housework. Think of a bull elephant in must and you will get some idea of her current mood.

Then there were people coming for dinner so including Pearlie and Lizzie that was six delicious meals to prepare. The main course, a dry chicken curry, was close to disastrous but the dessert, rhubarb and ginger crumble, was wonderful. Maybe I should just order in the savouries and concentrate on puddings. Pearlie refused crumble on the grounds that she 'wouldn't like it' even though she regularly eats those vile, doughy and shop-bought excuses for rhubarb tarts. Still her loss was Bert's gain.

Another highlight of the evening was the discovery of Bernie the Bantie's newborn chick. Years old Bernie is and this was her first baby. That rooster has certainly been earning his keep. It's amazing what a bit of the oul cock can do for a girl.

I spent most of Sunday morning crying. Why? It's my age.

To cheer me up Bert took me to World of Owls in Randalstown forest. There were no long-eared owls which was a slight disappointment but as I reasoned to Bert, why have long-eared owls when they know everyone's got their own. What? You don't? Sad for you.

We got talking to Mike who runs the project and before we knew it we were offering him ornamental trees for the sanctuary but hauling trees to a forest is a little like taking coals to Newcastle. Mike said he'd been advised to plant clematis montana around the aviaries to afford the birds a bit of shade and privacy. Did we know anywhere he could get clematis montana? Funny's enough.... So we'll be back and this time I won't have left my camera at Matty's.

Another thing that happened at the weekend was I got invited to have my blog archived by the British Library. I thought this sounded a bit odd so I checked it out. I discovered that at least two other Norn Irish blogs had been invited too. These are BreastFeedingMums and Peregrine's Bird Blog.

My own breast feeding credentials are impeccable. Katy and Zoe were both breastfed until 14 months and Hannah.... maybe a week or two longer....

And then there's my newly awakened interest in birds. Is there some kind of pattern emerging here?

Naturally I consulted Mr Bolan as to the wisdom of taking up this invitation. He informed me that it means I am a National Treasure and t'were no harm in it. So I did.

10 comments:

Mudflapgypsy said...

Many congratulations Nelly, you must be very proud?

Anonymous said...

I disagree with Marc on this one; he's clearly undervaluing Nelly's Garden on the international scale.

This situation won't be rectified until all national libraries keep an archive. It's too risky to just rely on one...

Ronni said...

Nelly, you write a gret blog!

WooHoo! I'm linked to a National Treasure! WooHoo!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Nelly - you are only the second blog I read to be archived - the other is Daimond Geezer who has trillions of readers already. The bad new for the rest of us is that comments don't get linked so there is no point in leaving a comment like;

"Hello person from the future - it is only because of a terrible miscarriage of justice that I too have not been archived......etc. etc.

There's lots of details about it on DG's site but it is from at least a few weeks ago otherwise would try and link it for you.

Nelly said...

I could say something along the lines of how you are all honoured to be linked to me now that I am a National Treasure but I should imagine that they were looking for a wide variety of bloggers from all over the UK and that I was chosen because of my age and locality.

So dinna youse worry - I will always remain the same modest and humble Nelly that youse all know and love.

Anonymous said...

london sister said - congratulations Nellie, I am proud of you and will be telling all about this honour.

hootchinhannah said...

Get you! The legend of Nellybert and the scunging devil dogs will never be forgotten.

Anonymous said...

http://diamondgeezer.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_diamondgeezer_archive.html

Hope this link works - Diamond Geezer's post on being archived.

Anonymous said...

great, this means i can stop spending literally hours each week furiously documenting all of your witty, home grown anecdotes...

congratulations nellys, hope you're perhaps feeling a bit better?

mikeyboys

xxxx

Nelly said...

Oh definitely much better. There's nothing like a morning spent filing to gladden a girl's heart...