Willow Manor 6th Annual Ball (2013)

Well folks, I'm off early tomorrow morning to Dublin, Ohio for Willow's 6th Annual Ball at Willow Manor being held on Sunday.   This year I decided to dispense with commercial airlines and just have the jet standing by.

Actually I am making a stop over as I have a couple of things to do  so I definitely won't get there until Sunday.

But I have sent a few kegs of aged Trinidad Rum ahead.  It was a great hit last year!

First stop is South Beach, Miami as I have to attend a polo match.  That will be fun.

And then onto Washington where I have a meeting with a friend who has managed to make time for me. No he is not my date!!

Then a flying visit to New York  for further meetings.

Then some shopping.

Dinner and an overnighter in Manhattan!

I have no idea what the weather is going to be like in Ohio but for Miami, something simple and light will do. A Diane Freis perhaps?

Or maybe I could get away with this?  

I don't think so.  It's been done before!

I do know that it may be a bit nippy in Ohio - or as they say in England, ""autumnal". After temperatures of 100+ degrees here in Trinidad, I think a Donna Karan brushed jersey coat may do the trick in keeping me warm.

With these Ivanka Trump Women's Jax Boots. 

 The problem now is the gown.

You all know by now that  I'm not a frill lover so this could be a possibility.

On the other hand, I feel like breaking out with something in red.  But am not awfully keen on the sleeves!

Helen Mirren wore this and I have the same one hanging in my wardrobe too so it maybe the blue to save me a few pennies!

Decisions! Decisions!  Whichever the dress, I think this is the mask!   Handicrafted in Venice Italy with special overlays of laser cut metal and genuine Swarovsky crystals. 

Whichever dress I decide on and it may not be any of these, these Benjamin Adams Moscow  Champagne shoes will go with any one of them.  They are comfortable. Please note that they are slightly lower than my usual shoes.

On the other hand I think I prefer this Alexander McQueen pair.

I know - given that I am adventurous in so many ways, I am terribly conservative in certain things.

I need jewelry, perfume  and possibly a bag - oh and a date would help!  He has not responded!  Why do I feel like Bridget Jones???

Here's to the Ball. Cheers! Bottoms up and all that!

See you there!


I checked in late last night when I thought I had finally reached a spot where I could find wifi. Apparently not. Total disaster. Something went wrong with the mechanics of the jet and we ended up gliding into a muddy  field. Managed to save phone but red dress, Benjamin shoes totally ruined. Blasted cow pats! We have been rescued.

Dangerous Owners

MAGPIE 190

dog by scavengercat808

Photograph by Tess Kinkaid, Magpie Tales

Look at them
Watching me
Like I am big
And very bad

Don't they know
That isn't true?
My bark is worse
Than my bite

I've been trained
With loving care
Not to snarl
And not to fight

No such thing
As dangerous pooch
Just owners who
Can't get it right!







Barbara M Lake ©
Trinidad WI
October 2013

I'm Barbara - Fly Me!

I don't know where August and September went to!  I knew I hadn't blogged for a while or contributed to The Magpie, but hadn't realized that my last entry was at the end of July.

Things have happened.  Many of them of little or no consequence but they happened nevertheless and had to be dealt with. Dealing with them took up time.  So when I wasn't dealing with those things I discovered Pinterest which went on to take up more of my time than I had bargained for.  The I remembered that I love jig saw puzzles and so went back to Jigidi!  That took up more of my time than I intended!

And things must have been bad because I began to tweet.

Netflix had a wealth of goodies so i caught up with some movies and British television series.  The last one I watched was the BBC's season 1 of 'Call the Midwife.'

The reality was that I was tired and needed distractions.  Distractions that weren't taxing!  Distractions that would relieve  the stress, frustration and impatience of working with a contractor who has yet to finish the renovations in my department.  It started on the 29 July and to date although it is very much better than when we started it is not finished.  I did the designs, the colour, the layout and now feel that I am in the wrong business.  My blood pressure is rising!

This was day one in the main office area, before the wall to an unused kitchen which was being used for storage,  came down.

This was day one after the wall had come down.

This was a few days later.

And this was the almost end product.

This was the old showcase!!

This is what it looks like now!

Old show cases on their way out!

New showcases on their way in!

This is what one corner of my office looked like before the work started.

Almost finished.

They decided to use my officer as a dumping ground.

This is what it looks like now and it's not finished.

It is a very good thing that for the majority of the work, I was out having had laser surgery to remove cataracts but I was back six working days later.

So all in all it has been eventful to say nothing of the fact that a friend of mine lost her son unexpectedly last month.  That has been a major happening and I needed much distraction from the pain and anguish.

Life continues. The other eye is to be done this coming Friday.

Maybe I'll take up bunji jumping!  

Or maybe I have already!

Out There!

MAGPIE 179

Photo courtesy Tess Kinkaid, Magpie Tales

Save your life

Including files

Where you can't

Hold them 

Keep them safe

Locked away

Within a cloud

Out there

Let them all

Float about

So very  safe

In cyberspace!

Barbara M Lake ©

Trinidad WI

July 2013

`

Indentured Labourer

MAGPIE 175

Image by Musin Yohan

Courtesy Tess Kinkaid, Magpie Tales on Blogger

From a far off land she came

Rolling across rough seas

With promises of 

A better life

In the West Indies

Days and nights meld into one
The routine just the same
No one cares
About her life
As she cuts the cane

Now the rains are fast in coming
Falling now until December
And all the 
Time she toils
She refuses to remember

Barbara M Lake  ©

Trinidad WI

July 2013

Birthdays!

It's my daughter's birthday today!  

Last Week.

First passport photograph  - aged two years!

It was my son's birthday last week.

Taken on his Wedding Day December 2010

Aged two years

I am blessed to have two wonderful children. They are a joy.

Eight years apart and born in  the same week.  Wimbledon was a no-no for me the week of their births as I was somewhat preoccupied!  

Birthday parties which of course had to be separate, were a challenge!   He  didn't want the clowns and the little children but she wanted to roller blade and barbecue  with the big boys!!  Happy days!

1986

Let It Be Me

MAGPIE 174

 Stanley Kubrick for Look Magazine 1949

C`mon baby

Let me

Light up your life

Barbara M Lake

Trinidad WI

June 2013