What would you chose?

 

All of these and I'd want a decaff tea with toast, butter and marmalade and a good book while sitting in a comfy chair! 

What would you want?

Chrisxx

Books, some ok some not!

 The book group  yesterday afternoon was an interesting discussion,  although there were only 4 of us..  I've already written about the book, 'The Museum of Ordinary People.' by Mike Gayle here, and like me the  other members thought it was an ok read, but not wonderful.. so I'm working my way through the rest of my library books.

Disappointingly I'd read the Kristin Hannah book before, but because I couldn't remember the end, I read it again.

A story of three sisters, Winona, Aurora and Vivi-Ann.. sadly I wasn't impressed, yes a good story, well written, but it suddenly became one on those books that went on too long for me. You might find it more to your choice but it didn't seem to me to be written by the same author as, 'The Great Alone, The Four Winds, The Women, and Home Front.' Perhaps it was because I'd already read it, but I couldn't wait to finish it.

I moved on to this book, a new author for me.

This is book 1 of 23 that features FBI Agent Winter Black.

13 Years prior, a young Winter Black arrived home from a sleep over to find her parents murdered and her little brother missing.

Now a rookie FBI Agent she returns to her Virginia home town as part of a team to solve the murders. Early in the story it's revealed that Winter has a sixth sense and is able to see things that others can't.  This is her first case as a lead investigator with another rookie agent. 

Being in her own home town there are difficulties with some of the people she knew, when younger who still see her as a young person. As she deals with the feelings of her family's murder, meeting old school friends who hold a grudge against her, she battles with her emotions, as well as trying to solve the murders of uncovered bones found in a secret burial patch. It did have the basis of a good story with some good characters, I liked Winter, but as a murder mystery, it failed for me. There was something missing, there was the hint of perhaps love interest in her Agent partner, Noah, but it didn't happen, perhaps in the next book?

Will I read the next one? I don't think so.

Chrisxx

Hair?

We popped into our town yesterday afternoon and while we were walking along a young man with a similar hair style to this walked

past us.

.

Once we were well past him I turned to Dh to say.. 'if you want your hair cut like that, I'll still love you, but I won't walk with you.' The big joke is Dh has a lot of hair, albeit white, but still a lot. He hates going to get it cut and waits till its too long, before he goes to a barbers. 

The first time he went to a barbers when we moved here, he went to a Turkish barbers. He asked for his usual, short sides but long side burns and a square neck, what ever that means. The young man asked did he want a #2 or #6?? On asking Dh was told the #6 was the longest, so that's what he asked for.

Well he looked like Chris Packham, I thought it looked really nice, swept back off his forehead, but Dh was not happy!

Here's my lovely Dh looking a bit like Chris Packham.

Of my three sons only my middle son hasn't lost his hair. When he was 15, he'd gone to the barber where we lived and came home with what was the then, the style called 'tramlines.' I wasn't pleased but even worse his school wasn't happy either and was sent home till they grew out. But then the school relented, when I phoned and spoke to an Assistant Head complaining, that they were denying him his education, which was his right.

But I didn't make life easy for him, he was grounded till his hair grew! What is it with young men who want to look so very different?

Here's Dh with his usual style.

I have my hair washed and blow dried into a style these days, as my duff arm won't let me and all I ever ask for is that it looks tidy!

What do you ask your hairdresser for?

Chrisxx

Something with salad.

 Its coming right up to the salad season, unless like us you eat it all year round, but what to have with it can be a problem..

So one of SW's many ideas is the crustless veggie quiche.

Ingredients.

4 eggs.

220g spinach, shredded

Small courgette sliced thinly

 6 Tomatoes Sliced

Bunch of salad onions (Spring onions) Chopped

Cottage cheese 200g

Grated cheddar 50g

Level tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Parsley chopped.

Method

Switch on oven 160 C

Whisk eggs and add cottage cheese and seasoning 

Stir in chopped salad onions, spinach, and some of the courgette.

Pour into a dish sprayed with olive oil

Place tomatoes on top and courgette and the grated cheddar

Bake at 160C for about 30 to 40mins

Sprinkle on parsley to serve.

This serves us for 2 meals

Of course you can vary the ingredients, we sometimes add bacon, or asparagus or anything you like, I prefer this cold.

Chrisxx

(Not my photo)

17 years ago.

 

Kate and Gerry McCann have published this heartbreaking message on their daughter's 21st Birthday.

Earlier this month they used social media to share a poignant message on the 17th anniversary of her disappearance.

How have they been able to keep living a relatively normal life with their twins beats all understanding?

Such heart ache for them, I can't even imagine how they must feel, the memory of that night of May 3rd 2007 must always be in their minds. 

Will we ever know what happened to Madelaine?

Chrisxx

Some people like to moan!

Somebody was complaining on FB that the grass verges on the approach to our town were uncut and over grown and looked very untidy.

Obviously he hadn't looked hard enough, because the grass itself had thrown up huge spikes of seeded heads that waved with the cross draft as the cars sped along, like a rolling tide coming into the shore.

And dotted in it were the bursts of yellow of Buttercups,

Cowslips,

 

And these bright flowers are called 'Cats Ears'

There are Daisies

And Pink Campion,

Rose bay Willow Herb, 

Dandelions and their seeded puff ball heads

And the stately Hedge Parsley

What's not to like about our country's wayside flowers?

Some people like to sound off about anything.. I'm very happy with the approach to our little town, flat swarths of green are no way as interesting as the longer grass dotted with the jewel colours of our native wild flowers.

What would you prefer?

Chrisxx

What was it??

When we were getting ready for bed Thursday evening, I' d gone to get my drink for the night in the kitchen, and ouch something hurt my big toe on my left foot. as usual I had kicked off my shoes while we were watching TV, so was bare footed. 

I carried on to the bathroom, and gently brush the bottom of my foot. I asked Dh to look at my foot, he got our big torch to see if there was anything there. Then carefully with my tweezers he inched out what he thought was a very small splinter. Strange as we have laminate flooring in the kitchen, so couldn't have been that.

Anyway as my arm from my covid jab was 'buzzing' I took some paracetamol and I decided as Friday morning is our SW meeting, I put an antihistamine tab, that is prescribed for sleep ready to take, so I wouldn't be awake half the night. 

I did go to sleep, but woke at 1:00am for the loo and tried to get back to sleep.. my left big toe was hurting, it wasn't that bad but enough to stop me from sleeping. I huffed and puffed and got in and out of bed a few times. By now my toe was on fire and itching. I woke Dh and he had another look, yes my toe was red and hot. We found some TCP, yonks old, it calmed it down. We were now wide awake so we had a cup of tea and by this time, it was more than 4 hours when I had taken the paracetamol, so I had some with the tea. Dh rubbed my toe with the TCP and with the tabs it had calmed down. It was 4 when we were climbing back into bed. And I slept and slept, I did have to visit the loo again, after that cuppa, but then we over slept and it was nearly 9 when we woke, so we didn't get to SW.

After I'd showered Dh had another look at my toe and we decided it was a bite rather than a splinter, so cortisone cream for bites and bliss the itching stopped.. I have worn my slippers this evening, although I don't like them,  as they don't fit that well and I feel unsafe wearing them. 

It was not a good night and we haven't done anything to the garden, because the temps have been in the high twenties, much too hot to be in the sun. But we did go out and bought some new big garden pots for all the plants I've grown.. the tomatoes are looking good in their permanent pots in front of the west facing wall, it gets very hot there and they have done well there in other years.

So I wonder what it was that caused my toe so much grief! 

Chrisxx

Awful house but to others perfect!

 This is one of my favourite programmes and we watch it quite often, usually on iplayer. How Dh suffers watching it with me I wonder as I comment on most things.. the last one we watched Mantel was wearing a lacy type dress.

Me.. Her dress looks like a  lace curtain and she's wearing boots? I like her hair, I wonder if that colour is her own?

Criky, Does he think his hedgehog hair style makes him look younger??

Hasn't Dion a lovely smile, he always looks super.

And this is before they even show a house.

Some people must love what they do, as some of the houses that have been empty a while and have leaked rain must stink.. So a fair job to take on and when they show the finished house, they are gorgeous, if you like everything grey!

But when I bought my last house in Billericay, it wasn't wonderful when I moved in. But it had something that appealed to me. It had a biggish entrance  hall and a fair sized garden for a three bedroomed semi-detached house and I loved it right away.

One of my friends, who came to see it a few days after I moved in, burst into tears because she thought it was so awful. It did smell of animal pee, but I pulled up the carpet and that got rid of the smell, except I was left with broken the Marley tiles.

The previous owners had stuck beams on the walls and between them was deep artexing  almost like sea waves. The kitchen was small with only one wall cupboard and a couple of base units and it was dirty!

It had taken all my money to get rid of the mortgage on the house, I bought after my divorce so there wasn't a lot of spare cash and I had resigned from my job. I hated that job, the Head Teacher was never there. I had enough and decided to do Supply work. I had more work than I wanted and kept to 4 days, so I could have the time to sort out this little house, it was 2001. I hadn't reached retirement age so I had to work.

My son helped, the first things to go were the beams, artexing, old flooring. Then over time I had everything new starting with the windows and doors.. then new kitchen extension, a new downstairs loo put in and new bathroom, garage and I loved it all.

Friends helped me with the garden and it was perfect for me. 

I met my Dh in 2004 and we married in 2006.

When I sold that house after the 14 years I had lived there, the value had tripled.. we moved to that beautiful Victorian Villa in Suffolk and were just getting used to the area and surrounding villages and then .....lockdown. It was so quiet there, I really didn't like it and Wales was calling to me.. so here we are and we've had everything done here too to make our lives comfortable and we love it!

So I understand people buying what looks like an awful house, because I did!

Chrisxx

I don't believe it!!

 My umpteenth covid jab was booked for yesterday afternoon. Although I know it doesn't hurt I get anxious about them, so before we went I sat in the garden to relax. It was warm without the blazing sun of Sunday and there was a gentle breeze, so perfect.

There is still lots to do in the flower beds, we've got dahlia's and other flowers to plant, all sprouting in our little greenhouse. But the  green of the grass, the birds singing was all I needed.

 It was peaceful and calm and I felt calm, Dh brought me a drink and joined me.. we got ready to leave, even though it was a bit early. I hate to be late for appointments. It's about 25 mins drive at the 20mph, now law in Wales.. we were there in plenty of time and no queue so I went straight in. The nurse giving the jab was very pleasant and I hardly felt it.

Home before we been out an hour. We went straight to sit outside with a cuppa..... and shock horror there were cat paw prints across the patio, our beautifully clean patio!!!. I sounded like Victor Meldrew..as I shouted..'I don't believe it.'

We had put netting over a gap where the copper beech hedge meets the fence to keep him out.. grrrrrr he keeps pooping in our flower beds and veg patch, so war is declared.. we will spray him with water, just enough to frighten him off, not to drown him, but something I know that will work. In the past we've tried all sorts of things, even bought lion poo, to no avail, without Nell we're at the mercy of this furry poop machine.

Hope I haven't upset too many cat lovers, but cat poo is horrid!

Chrisxx

Is it the answer?

 'I've lost weight with no effort at all, eating what I like!' said my #1 son when we spoke on the phone the other evening. Over the last 10 years or so he had gradually become over weight and was fighting to lose it.

                                             *******

He had lost a lot of weight when he was younger as he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. If fact he looked like a skeleton, 6ft and only weighed 6st 4lb.  He had to have surgery to remove a large part of his large colon when he was 24 and thankfully didn't need a 'bag' which he was dreading.  When he first said. he wasn't well living away with some other young men at University, my reaction was too many greasy kababs.. But it persisted and it all came to a head, when his friend phoned to tell me my son had collapsed. I drove to Uxbridge where he was that evening to bring him home.

I managed to get one of the Drs at the Practice where I was a patient to agree to see him, because he wasn't a patient there anymore not living at home. A super caring Dr who actually came to the house and he said that my son needed to see a Consultant. I got him a private appointment the following week. In the mean time my son was getting weaker and weaker, no food would stay in him. 

The Consultant said he needed hospitalization and he was admitted the next day for an examination under anesthetic. It was all a very scary time and he diagnosed my son with Crohn's.

My son was treated medically for 3 years before we saw a Surgeon, who said he needed surgery and he'd never be better without it. 

He had dropped out of University earlier that year and was at home.  He was admitted to hospital to stay for 6 days before the operation to be built up with a drip infusion, I was so relieved that he would be in hospital being treated. However he'd only been there for 2 days when he collapsed and the school where I worked received a phone call to tell me. The nurse said that my son was already in Theatre and I wouldn't be able to visit him till the next day. 

I was there the next morning 8:15am before school and they let me see him. I don't know how I got through the day, but the blessing was I had the most loveliest class that year, never had one like it before nor after. Isn't God good, when you need things to go right? 

I used to go straight to the hospital each afternoon with a pile of books to mark and my planning folder. I sat beside my son every afternoon to late evening till he was discharged 4 weeks later.  It wasn't the best of times, but he got better and grew stronger and now he's trying to lose weight!

And how did he lose weight, he's bought an Air Fryer! 'You should get one Mum,' he said, 'they're so easy to use, no need to fry, so no oil.'    so may be we will? But I need to follow a plan and also look at portion control, so I don't think an air fryer will be my answer. Do you have an air fryer, are they worth it, is healthier eating?

Chrisxx

Is it true?

Dh and I are avid listeners of the Radio Soap ' The Archers.' We even tuned into it while on holiday in Australia, a few years ago. Over the years it has changed, no longer just the story of every day country folk, but a bit more the drama of the more exciting soaps.

 I take it as it comes, a story. But Dh often get quite passionate about it, saying the script writers should be shot, when the story line seemingly gets right off the 'quiet kind of country folk lives!' 

 The latest story line is around Alice (daughter of Jenny, nee Archer and Brian Aldridge) During lockdown her partying became a bit more than an occasional drink and she became an alcoholic. I've looked up how people become alcoholics and it is suggested that it is a combination of reasons, genetics, (her grandfather was an alcoholic) physiological, psychological and social factors. 

Lately several things have happened to Alice; her mother died; she met someone, Harry who appeared to just right for her, but it turned out he too was an alcoholic. And Alice being the sort of person she is, has tried to help him, forgetting her own needs, disaster!

She had been to rehab and got her life back on track, as she had a baby, named Martha, although she and her had husband split up. But now she has fallen right off the wagon and things are going horribly wrong. We are on tender hooks as she has been involved in a car accident, so Monday night's episode could be the end of Alice, or is it?

Dh's comments, 'Why are the script writers doing this, they're spoiling Alice's character?'                                                               

Me... ' It's so we'll tune in and listen,'

Dh..'But why? We were going to listen anyway!'

Me,,'It's only a story!'

Well it is only a story... but I remember when I was a Saturday girl as a teenager, older people coming into the veg shop, where I  worked,  saying, had we heard of the dreadful accident about some one, who had been killed in a barn fire trying to rescue her horse? Yes it was Christine Archer from the very same programme in 1955!

Even my other Aunt, Aunty Glad's sister phoned me to come to her aid, as the neighbours' boys were stealing her milk! I drove from Billericay to here in Porthcawl 223 miles, to sort it out. Listening to her and the Home Help, we realised it had happened on Coronation Street and in her confusion she thought it was happening to her!

Is it the acting, or what, that makes people think its real life? I watch Eastenders and never once have I thought it was real. Too daft to be real, but I still watch and really like it and hate to miss an episode.

What do you think?

Chrisxx

Can't wait to open these covers.

I have just finished reading this book, it was the Book Group choice for May. Like the other books by Mike Gayle it was an ok read. A story of a young woman's wish to become a museums curator.. well there's no accounting for taste, is there? She, named Jess, actually takes charge of what could be described as a heap of junk and presents each item as a museum piece. Does she make a success of it?  You'll have to read it to find out. I did enjoy reading it, and like other books I've read by Mike Gayle, there was an element of love in it and some twists and turns but no 'fireworks' for me. But as I have read other books by him, he must deem it worth the effort to me.

I had no other library books and then all five reserved books were ready for collection together!

True Colours by Kristin Hannah, My present choice as the top of the list of good authors.. I've read 5  other books by her and loved every one. This one's blurb says it about three sisters who are in strong competition with each another.. this will be my first read!

1979 by Val MacDermid, always a choice if I haven't anything else to read, as her books always keep me hooked and I haven't read one yet, that wasn't a page turner.

Friendly Fire by Patrick Gale, I have read several books by this author, my favourite being 'A Place Called Winter,' I have been to three talks by Patrick and he writes his first draft by hand! Anyway this book Friendly Fire, caught my interest as it is set in a boarding school and as I went to a boarding school, I thought it would be interesting, but I don't think it will be anything like my school, as the blurb states Sophie, the main protagonist has tough lessons outside school to learn, of class, sex, families and emotional disaster they can bring to even the most privileged lives.. ooo-er.. I wonder what that will be like?

Winter's Mourn by Mary Stone, is a new author to me, listed as book #1 of  5 so hope I like it as there are others. The blurb suggests its a masterful conceived psychological thriller, so can't wait to open the covers.

Reflection by Diane Chamberlain. My go to author when I want a comfortable read. Comfortable meaning, I like the stories, the writing style and I don't want to be frightened! However this book has secrets, love, lies and betrayal, a slow burning drama set in a small town still grieving for the past, sounds just my sort of read!

All these books will keep me happy for a few weeks and I'll happily traipse off to bed early each night to settle down to read. Thank goodness for books!

Chrisxx

A perfect day in the garden.

 When you plan a gardening day, first thing to do is to sit in the sun and talk about it over a coffee

So that's what we did and then walked round the garden. We started in the corner of the patio where there is this bright lime green acer, it

is doing really well in spite of the heat of last summer. Whew the heat last year! What's wrong with us we have days of rain and we complain, the sun comes out and its too hot! I really love this little tree so look after it and keep it in the cool. However our garden is SW facing so it does get very hot.

Before we started any weeding Dh wanted to pressure wash the patio; he does love that washer we bought and togs up in his wellies. First time he used it he didn't and got wet shoes and feet. I tried not to look when the splash of it sprayed the French doors windows, which the window cleaner had cleaned Wednesday, but hey ho, the patio is clean!

So as Dh was happy I walked round admiring our garden. We have a lot of free flowers, self seeded aquilegia, in a variety of deep purples and mauves, all towering above the lower growth of plants yet to flower.  

So pretty and I welcome them. Expert gardeners say they are hussies as they don't care who they pollinate with, so you never know what colour they'll be!

    And I love the drifts of Forget Me Nots, all arriving without being invited, but who cares when they put on such a beautiful display, each year. One year in another garden a friend and I sowed some Forget Me Not seeds. He was always boasting how well his were growing, while mine were merely tiny green shoots. He asked if I wanted him to come to see mine to give me his advice. What a cheek I thought.. but as it happened the Saturday before he was to call round, while shopping in the supermarket, they had the plants so I bought 3!

Wasn't he surprised?? Ha ha

And I have to show you this grape vine, I'm training it up the pergola and its doing really well. Its several years old and has travelled with me from other gardens but this is the first one in which I have planted it into the ground. We have lovely grapes, deep purple and sweet.

We've sat outside under an umbrella as it has been very hot; ate our evening meal out there and listened to the trickle of the water from my little water feature. Here she is, called Gladys, just like my Aunty.

I bought her with money left me by Aunt.

The water comes out of a flower on her hat, trickles round the brim and then down her shoulder. I absolutely love her!

Its been a perfect day.

                      Chrisxx

A Penny Book Shop!

 This little shop with the odd shaped rounded window has opened up as a little café by Fran, who has a 'pod' café on the front prom.  We might pop in just to see it, because my Aunty Glad rented it in the forties.  She was the aunt, who brought me up and paid for me to go to that private girls school. The shop is just round the corner from the street  where we lived.

It was a 'penny' book shop, that is a shop where you paid a penny to rent a book! I have no idea how that worked, I'm just remembering what she told me. She also sold items, because during the war people did what ever they could to survive.

Of course I don't remember this, but I do have somewhere a photograph of me sitting on cushions with a harness on in the  window. There was a pile of rhubarb in front of me, which was from my grandfathers allotment, that she was selling! I was about 18 months old, which was when my mother was ill, and my Aunt was baby sitting!

When I saw it on the Porthcawl FB page advertising its opening as a café, I had to go and look after we'd been to SW. (Slimming world) yesterday. Silly I know and can't possible be true, but when I thought about it, I thought I could remember smelling dusty old books!

What strange things our memories can conjure up! Although there is the probability that I spent some days there after my mother had died, when I was about 4 or 5 as I think I remember it being a narrow shaped interior with shelves of books.

I must look for that old black and white photo.

Chrisxx

10 Positives about you?

 At our SW meeting last week we were asked to think of 10 positive and /or good things about ourselves.

Me,, ummmm ??

People compliment me on my complexion. 

I have good nails. umm

I smile a lot.

and???

Prompted then by our SW consultant. 

I keep on trying.

I'm a happy person.

I compliment other people.

I give good ideas and suggestions 

And then I umm-ed and Ahh-ed and Dh said that I was a good supervisor when he gardened! Ha ha

And also I don't snore.(yes he can)

So now you know I'm not exactly scintillating! ( But I do have good skin and nails!)

What about you?

Chrisxx

Sorted!!

 Yeh, our handy man can do what I want and just like you suggested Maggie I'm having it on the side along the bungalow wall.. with a grab bar on the wall and a hand rail on the steps. It can be extended right down a further two steps onto the patio, so I am really relieved  and happy.

There's a variety of these hand rails on line. so we'll talk it over with Chris, our handy man and what batons and decking we need. and he can do it when he's finished the job he's doing now. I feel so happy and can sleep tonight as its been a worry.

Thank you for the comments, it is difficult with trades men, they're thinking safety and the look of something, but if its not suitable what's the point. When the steps were first done, when we moved here, they were ok for while, but I've not been properly well for the last two years and I think I've lost confidence and my balance isn't as good, but I'm doing exercises for that . Also my increased weight hasn't helped.. but that's going down at last!

Chrisxx

Workmen...Such a headache!!!

 This what was here when  we moved in,  Straight away I could see I would need a hand rail and the bottom step was much too deep.

It was the tail end of lockdown and trying to get a builder, wasn't easy. But I found one who could come that weekend, we'd only been here a week. Great I thought and we went ahead accepting his quote of £1750 to build new steps.

And this is what they did.. looks good doesn't it? They were professional, experienced and knew what they were doing, but....they didn't listen and I got talked into some super looking steps, which are too deep. I kept saying they were too deep and I needed another step and rail the other side. The owner of the firm kept saying we'd lose patio if they made them any shallower and build another step out.  So I decided ok,  they're ok, I can use them although they are a bit awkward. I put up with them for a while, then Dh and I put planks of wood on them to make them not as deep.

Then when we were having the patio laid last summer, the workmen said they could make them better and permanent, so safer.

And we ended up with these 'add ons'.. they're ok, but because they're not the full length of each step I am nervous using them incase I miss the step and still no handrail the other side!

So what to do, I want steps with a handrail each side and the increased height the full length of each step

So we've had a builder to look at them, grrrrr      

I've said to Dh I am not going to let a builder tell me what I need! Once again I was given the argument we'd lose patio??? No point having one if I can't get down to it! And the patio is a lot bigger and wider since we had the hedge out and the fence put up. He also waved a 'red flag' at me by saying, if I said yes there and then, he could do it for less, so he was a 'no no' in my eyes!

So?? What can be done? Dh says he 'll have a go, but there's no need for him, we can afford to pay someone. Dh isn't a DIY man, that's not his strength and I don't want him to worry about it.. so we are in a quandary, what to do?

We do know a handy man, so we'll try him next, otherwise I will not be going out into the garden down these steps, but out through the front door and walking around the outside of the bungalow!

Chrisxx

Perhaps our NHS isn't so bad!

 I've read Andrews blog as he has listed what happened to his partner Ray. It seems he had a weak area in his aorta, which burst.

The thing is, here in UK men are offered a scan at 65 years to check for this and Dh and I remembered his well, because we nearly missed it. 

It was a couple of months after I broke my arm and Dh had been given an appointment for an aorta scan. We'd never heard of it, but all men are offered it at 65 years. It was booked for 4:30pm, in a clinic in Wickford. I was still having an afternoon nap after lunch. as I was still having bad nights with my arm. Suddenly I woke and could hear Dh in the kitchen making an afternoon cuppa. I looked at the clock, it was 4:05! I had slept and he had forgotten! We drove the 5 miles as fast as the speed limit allowed and arrived just after 4:30.. there wasn't a problem, as there was a wait, because the room had several pregnant women there, Dh was the only man! 

His scan was fine, and to be honest, we've never really thought about it till now. So thinking about that, we realised we do have a lot of preventive checks here in UK. 

At 60, we had a sort of MOT, which is when Dh's blood test showed he needed treatment for high cholesterol and high BP.. Me?? being over weight I was fine!  

There are regular checks for:- Bowel cancer, Breast scans, (ouch!) Prostate checks, and a variety of jabs given to older people to prevent them getting the diseases. We've had jabs for pneumonia, shingles, flu, plus all the covid jabs, I have one booked for next week, which will be my eighth. So perhaps our NHS isn't so bad after all. 

Life can be gone in a flash.. so get your checks and take your tablets, most mornings I ask Dh if he has taken his tablets just incase he's forgotten, he rarely has, but I asked all the same!

Chrisxx

Dark thoughts

 I should have thought this yesterday, and I shouldn't have let the shopping experience drag me down! I knew I was being grumpy but couldn't shake it off.

But our evening steak meal was very nice and Dh cooked it beautifully, so I was grateful for that. 

I had a bad night I was awake for hours and got up to read, because I just couldn't get comfortable in bed, even though Dh woke and helped me with the duvet, so I was covered. I can't pull it over me with my right duff arm. Then wouldn't you know I needed the loo again! So I grabbed my kindle and dressing gown to read in the lounge. Usually in my arm chair I can sleep with my feet up on a stool. But I was in the wide awake club with thoughts whizzing through my mind. I read a little but couldn't even settle there, then I felt cold. The temps dropped quite considerably last night and being hypothyroid my hands and feet get really cold. So I thought I'd try to sleep in the bed again. 

Dh was sleeping quietly, I could see the duvet moving as he breathed. And I think that was the cause of my sleeplessness, some one in a FB gardening group I follow, had reached out to the group that day, to say, his wife had failed to wake that morning and he was distraught. Poor man, what a sad thing to happen. You go to bed together and one of you doesn't wake up; what do you do next?

Then I read Andrews blog that his partner of 44 years had died, presumably suddenly as he hadn't said his partner was ill. 

It all preyed on my mind and the thoughts of death brought back that several of my friends have died in the last few years. 

So no wonder I couldn't sleep with such dark thoughts.. 

As I was wriggling back into bed Dh stirred and asked if I was alright, he knew I'd not been in the bed for a couple of hours. So I just mumbled I was a bit cold, so as he is the lovely man he is, he curled up behind me to warm me up. It was still a while before I could get to sleep, but I took comfort in his warm loving cuddle and eventually my eyes closed. When I woke Dh was in the kitchen I could hear the click of the kettle lid, so a cup of tea was on the way. 

I got up, weary but determined to smile and be in a positive mood.

Thank you my love for being there, day and night and I am grateful for everything, my life, still going at 81, even with this duff arm. I've survived the ops, the inconvenience, the pain and the limited life I have now; not the life I had before breaking my arm, I miss driving but most of all I miss playing the piano, but I have a comfortable life which is as happy as I want to choose it to be!

Chrisxx

Never again!

Dh asked could we pop to Tesco yesterday afternoon, a Saturday? It might be busy he said, but then it might not! Why did he want to go? The steak he had ordered wasn't available, so we didn't get it when we had the delivery on Thursday, and he really fancied it for our evening meal.

We went and yes it was busy,  but not too bad, so he kept saying?  As we only had a few other bits with the steak, we decided to use one of the self service tills. Right away it was a bad idea; we needed a shop assistant, it didn't like our own bags!  We waited and waited while she ok-ed some ones alcohol. Why did we think we could sail through the self check out? Then, because we had some paracetamol we needed her again! We always said we'd never use a self check out on principle, and because they always seem to go wrong as soon as they see us! So annoying and to my way of thinking, it doesn't save time.

Then in the very large entrance there were about 7 young lads bouncing around as though on a rubber bouncy castle. Shaking their collection buckets and making racket, exciting squeals and shouting. I was afraid one would bounce into me, it doesn't take much to over balance me.  The adults with them seemed unaware of their noise. I expect it was just me, old and out of the stream of the joys of youngsters enthusiasm, that found them out of order. So annoying I thought, what were they collecting for? It wasn't clear, but it was a boys football club.

Saturday shopping?? Never again! But the steak was very tasty and we had English strawberries from Kent, delicious!

Chrisxx

A pleasant day in our life.

 At Slimming World the scales said I hadn't kept to the food plan, but truth be told my gain could have been greater! But its a new week so I'd better not suggest a coffee in town, as I have tasted a Costa's Tiffin, wooooo it was loverly! I remember making something like it when my children were little for their birthday parties. 

The recipe is really easy, Rich Tea biscuits, broken up, chocolate, syrup, soft brown sugar, glace cherries, raisins and cocoa powder. It is very calorific, but worth it, but I won't be making it!

When we came home the decorator said he would be finished in the afternoon and he was; it looks absolutely super and very white with red tile paint windowsills. The tile windowsills were here when we moved here and although not my choice, they look ok. So now we need to paint our bench and we are going to buy a new door mat.

 We love that bench and in the summer we sit there and say 'hello' to people who pass and most stop and chat. Dh used to sit on the outside wall, when we lived in Leiston, not that many people passed by, but the farmers in the tractors waved as they drove passed. 

This is our bench when Dh put in new wooden planks and painted it. At present it looks a bit faded but won't take a lot to get it looking like new again.
So the decorator has done a very good job of painting our bungalow, we are very pleased and we'd have him again, so we may have our bedroom painted next.

The decorator was admiring our seedlings and veg patch and said our garden looked lovely, and thought it all looked as though we knew what we were doing. We did say we'd been gardening for a 'few' years! He is a budding enthusiastic new gardener. 

Later on my potted on my Alicante tomato plants, all looking good. I'll do some more potting on at the weekend; hope the rain stays away.

And that was our Friday, not exciting but very satisfying and would have been even better if the hedge cutter had turned up at 4 to give us a quote, but 'dim problem,'  I have another one coming tomorrow morning. How was your day?

Chrisxx

Three early visitors!

 Dh and I are usually up, drinking tea at about 8:30 am most mornings, unless we have an early appointment or agree to meet someone or SW. So someone knocking on our front door earlier yesterday morning was a surprise. It was some one looking for an Ann Cooper? We didn't know anyone of that name.. so Dh came back into the lounge to drink his tea.. then knock, knock again. I could hear the man saying, 'I'm the decorator come to paint the outside walls' I nearly choked on my tea! I've had that decorator book since the beginning of the month, he was to let us know when he could start. 

He said he'd sent a text to me? I quickly got my phone. I only look at it to use as a phone, I don't use it for the internet so I don't look at it all that often. He had sent  a text at 8:10 am to say I can start today!!LOL

We were still in bed then, anyway as it was all outside painting, he and his crew started while we carried on in our dressings gowns, with another cup of tea, as that first one was cold! I can cope with cold tea, but not my first morning cuppa! 

Dh said we might as well carry on and have our breakfast, so we did, inside the lounge with the curtains closed. As we started to eat, knock, knock again! It was our grocery order from Tesco being delivered early!

Once we had showered and dressed later, we sat with our coffees and Dh said.. hope we can drink this in peace!!

Chrisxx

Living for 'Manna'

 I did not sleep well and was awake for a couple of hours on Tuesday night,  ugh! So when Dh gave me a little tap to say it was already 8:30 am, I did not want to leave my comfy bed.. I'd got back to sleep about 5 and woke again for the loo at 7, so it seemed as though I'd only just gone to sleep. Why did he wake me? Because we'd arranged to go for a coffee with an old school friend.

We meet her now and then, because she lives alone, and her son died 18 years ago, so I do feel sorry for her, but we don't really have anything in common. She spent a long time recounting her story of her part time job. She had been offered extra days, because some one was taking extra holiday time. She was complaining about the extra time, and when I said 'well you'll have the extra money,' she was quick to say, 'it wasn't worth it because she'd be taxed! And didn't like to say 'no''.

It made me realise how really blessed I am and was, because in the last six years of my teaching job, I worked three days a week and when I was asked to do an extra day, I nearly always said no, because I didn't need the money. Not that I had loads, but I enjoyed my four days at home and what money I earned was good. I tried to explain to the secretary of the school, who used to ask me to work extra, that I was working for 'manna' like the Israelites, who only were given food for that day, except for the Sabbath.. So I only needed enough money to live, so no need for extras. When I did work the extra days, it was when the Head Teacher asked me. She was very good to me and so  it was hard to say no to her. 

Does that seem odd to you? I had sold my big house I bought after my divorce and down sized to get rid of my mortgage. and the house I bought, needed to have quite a lot done to it, well actually a lot! 

I never went without and had jobs done on my house as and when I earned the money. The front windows were replaced in the lounge first, then French doors in the dining room.. and so I had things done every now and then. I did have my youngest son move in with me in my second year there. He had a bit of an upset in his life, and he did all the electrics, as he was doing a college course. That was an enormous help and I'll always be grateful to him for all his help. (He's the son who no longer speaks to anyone in the family) He lived with me for just over 18mths.

Then when all of downstairs was more or less done, (not the kitchen) I had a real 'Billy bonus' A tax rebate and I bought something I'd always wanted, a raspberry pink carpet through out the lounge/ dining room and the hall, stairs and landing from Alders, an expensive quality store! I loved that carpet and it always looked good. It was still there looking good when I sold the house 14 years later. And amazingly all I'd had done to that house increased its value and when it sold, it went for three times what I had paid for it!!

So having seen my friend, we won't again for a while, she has some days booked out with work colleagues in the next few weeks, so she's happy.. and we had a lovely coffee!

Chrisxx

A Beautiful Grand daughter.

 My beautiful grand daughter spent last month in India working for her firm. I look at her and can't believe she is 30 this year, a qualified Chartered Accountant and a very confident young lady. 

I remember her being born, my daughter had asked me to go to her when she was in labour, as her husband was making too much fuss! I drove the 65 miles as fast as was allowed.. and stayed with my daughter rubbing her back, till late at night, when a midwife suggested I should leave as it was 10:00pm and all the husbands had left at 8:30pm!

My daughter was very tired and had agreed to have an epidural, so knowing she would be ok I left.. drove home and my grand daughter was born 6:20am.. I drove back right away and was delighted to see my grand daughter, a bit red in the face as they are, but beautiful.. and name?? Saskia Christine Amelia!

She is such a beautiful  young woman, and a very lovely.

Chrisxx

What is a weed?

Where ever we've lived we have had a particular difficult weed. Here in Porthcawl, it's this, ' Cuckoo Pint' It pops up under our hedges and in our flower beds. It is really difficult to dig up, as the stems are quite delicate, so when you yank them out, the little bulb is left behind. So careful digging and wiggling of your trowel to get them right up!

It develops into these.. bright red and poisonous, we've dig a few up this afternoon.. but I'm sure there will soon be more.

These we had in Billericay,  but as we drive around we see them everywhere.. 'Three Cornered Leek' We're keeping a watchful eye out for any in our garden,  because they are very difficult to eradicate.

The RHS gardens at Hyde Hall, Essex, had dug out a flower bed down to sub-soil and left it fallow for three years plus, in an effort to get rid of it. It's a plant that is against the country side law to plant in the county side.. called Three Cornered Leek because the leaves have three edges! Pretty? Yes but smells like an  onion and is a thug./

And here is Alkanet, which we had in our Suffolk garden. The previous owners thought it pretty and had allowed it to grow. It had underground runners, so a horrid one to get rid of, I dug it up as fast as I saw it, but it wasn't easy.

And of course there's the dandelion, here it is rife in our lawns. But reduced in the front after a weed and feed treatment.. once it seeds they blow every where and the long tap root snaps to allow a new plant to grow before you've turned around! I know people say they are food for the bees rousing from winter. So they can be, but in someone else's garden!

Of course we  have daises in our grass as well, but they show where Dh has missed when he's cutting the grass!

So flowers in the wrong place or a weed, what do you think?

Chrisxx