Ellie Simmonds OBE

 We saw Ellie Simmonds win a gold medal in the 2012 Paralympics, so when I saw she was doing a documentary on her birth mother, I wanted to watch it.

She was very emotional at times, so was I watching, as she finds out why her birth mother gave her up for adoption, when she was just ten  days old. Born November 11th 1994, her mother had been told quite brutally that her baby had achondroplasia, a common form of dwarfism and that her child would be disabled.  She was led to believe that Ellie would be like a circus dwarf, short of stature, flat face, bowed legs and muscular. A single mum on her own, she decided she wouldn't be able to cope.

She was adopted by a couple, who also adopted other children with disabilities and has had a wonderful up bringing in a very happy family unit.

While Ellie was talking on the subject of her birth mother, she never once blamed her for the decision to give her up. In fact when you listen to Ellie talking, she comes over as a really lovely person with a heart of gold. 

I loved the programme and then watched the second one, where she is trying to come to the decision if she should have children of her own. She is so honest and open it was very difficult not to weep a few tears with her. The option to have a child via sperm donation, where the donor sperm was normal height was an option explained to her, even that the embryo could be checked, so the implanted embryo does not have any genetic faults.. She decided she wasn't ready to go ahead at the moment. A sad time for her and too difficult a decision and tears fell. 

I shed quite a few tears myself watching her. If you haven't seen it, do, its so worth watching. (ITVX)

Chrisxx

What a palaver!!

 When I had to have a bladder catheter, it was very uncomfortable sitting, so I bought this ring, December 7th 2024.

I thought having the hole in it would be ok for the catheter,, well it was awful, it was hard and uncomfortable. So that's what I wrote in the review and so did other people write that it was hard. . It was £19.59 so I just decided to forget the money wasted.. Just another bad buy!

Anyway April this year I had an email offering me my money back plus £5.00  I thought it was a scam so forwarded the email to paypal, and their advice was not to change my review, just because the firm had offered me money. So I ignored the emails, which were now arriving every day. 

Then last week Paypal contacted me about an issue they said, where I had sold something and the recipient hadn't received it, although they had paid via paypal!! The cushion firm had complained that I hadn't given them what they had paid for! What??

It has taken me all these last few days, via chatting to an AI chat bot to convince Paypal, that its this cushion firm, who have put £25 minus £2.70 transaction fee in my paypal account and emailed me they had!

But when I did check it was  a 'pending' amount, so they hadn't actually given me anything.. their emails now were begging ones, along the lines of, 'We're being nice to you and giving you money, you could be nice to us with your review!' I just forwarded all the emails to Paypal.

Eventually Paypal have apologized for the inconvenience of all the messages,  as I have been a valued customer for 17 years! And offered me £20 as I will not be getting the refund from the cushion firm. I said no need and refused it.

What a palaver.. lesson learnt, Do not buy anything from China!!

Chrisxx

A VE Topper

 Isn't this lovely? Its just round the corner from us, so its the post box we use.

 

The crocheted topper was there before the anniversary of VE day and is now battling against the weather.

After all the weeks of sunshine and temperatures in the high twenties, it is now very wet.

We are having gusts of wind and the rain which we badly needed..

But the 'Topper' is braving it all and it looks amazing.  How lovely that someone has crocheted this.. thank you to who ever has done it.

Have any of you have one near to where you live?

Chrisxx

Dych chi' n siarad cymraig?

 I am struggling with my learning Welsh, at the moment. I do 45 mins plus  each day practising and doing the exercises. While I'm doing them I remember, but then if I move on I've forgotten some.. Is it so hard or am I just too old to learn? I get confused and unless there is a rule. I guess the words.. I'm good with 'weather' and I can say what I like or what I don't like. 

We watch Popol y Cwm, the Welsh every day soap and although we know some of the words, we miss a lot. We've tried watching children's programmes, but when its puppets their lips don't move with the words!

Some one said watch the News, because you already know what its about, so easier?? No its not! 

We can get sub titles in Welsh and that makes it so much easier, but that's not conversation.

We have Welsh lessons each Monday morning 9:30 to 12:30 and I always feel absolutely flat after it, so I must be using some 'brain energy.' 

I do like the sessions and when we're partnered up, its good to know the younger members of our group are finding it hard too. Once when I was partnered with Will, we had done the required exercise, so decided to try the past tense, so when the Tutor popped into our 'room' we got a 'no no no!!' Will,  a young man and I laughed and laughed. 

The following week when we were again partnered up.. I said... Peidiwch a'm rhoi mewn trafferth y wythnos hon!! =  Don't get me into trouble this week!! So we do have fun and because I did a very small amount of welsh, as a child my pronunciation is good.

What amazes me I can remember French words I learnt in the fifties! But I'm carrying on and still trying... Dw i eisiau i r dysgu cymraig!

Chrisxx

My Happiest Place!

 Oh dear I've neglected my blog but we have been very busy in the garden and there are only about 30 plants left to plant out.

Most of the flowers I have grown from seed on window sills.

Our new bench  bought as an anniversary present to us, which isn't till July, but we thought we'd get it now so we can sit there all summer. We're off to buy some smaller grey pavers next week, which Dh will sink into the ground for easy mowing.

And sitting there we have a good view of the garden.

This rose is the grand daughter of a rose my daughter gave me for Mothers Day 2012. Dh took 4 cuttings, which we took to Suffolk. All flourished and grew, we gave 2 away, planted 2 in our garden there and then when we moved, Dh took a cutting and here it is blooming and growing, its scent is heavenly just like Turkish Delight! Sorry I can't remember the name.

And we have figs, 12 altogether I want to make some little bags from mesh to keep the squirrels off!

All the lupins have been amazing and all grown from seed.. I have some sown already for planting out in the autumn, for next year!

One of the climbing roses and this one has a clematis with it. Taking out the old hedge and putting in a fence was a very good idea.

    Two years ago

And now the shrubs are all flourishing and beginning to flower. I only bought shrubs that would flowers.

  

I have pots all over the patio, and all are now beginning to show their worth and the buds have started to open.

This year we will have colour and that makes me so happy.

Where else can you have such happiness?

Translated ... 'To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.'

Audrey Hepburn,

Chrisxx

Book Clubs, yea or nay?

 We shouldn't, but we buy books all the time, I say shouldn't because we buy because we like to, rather than we don't have anything to read. But isn't that like all people who love to read.

These are the Richard and Judy choices for their Book Club for Spring 2025. We bought all last years and I've 4 still to read, Dh still has about 8 I think. He's reading, ' We All Live Here' by Jojo Moyles at the moment and must be enjoying it, as he keeps bursting out in laughter!  I swapped it for 'The Women' as we'd read that and we liked some of Jojo Moyes other books, especially 'The Giver of Stars.' Have you read it, its about the women who took books to women in the wilds of America, on horseback in the 1880s A lovely story of resilience and love, worth a read,

I've just finished our Library Book Group book 'The Cabin' by Jorn Lier Horst.. a detective story,,, but not my choice. I read it because it was the Group book, otherwise I'd have given up on it, a lot of words with very little story!

Can't wait to read the Tim Weaver book in this Spring group of books, but I'm being good and reading the ones left from last Autumn's books first, but it is very tempting.

I just love reading! Kindle or books it doesn't matter to me. Young people walk around with their phones, I always have a book or kindle with me, incase I have to wait somewhere!

Chrisxx

A Group Breakfast

 Although I attend  a slimming group every Friday morning, it is a social gathering too. A group of us called the Coffi Club meet up now and then for coffee ot meals. Last Friday we decided to go for breakfast after the slimming world meeting.  The garden centre has a super restaurant and 12 of us booked to go.

I have been for an afternoon tea with the group and we all ate everything, sandwiches, cakes and scones with jam and cream. It was a special occasion as it was someone's birthday, so no food barred.

Friday was just breakfast, so I thought we'd all be making wise choices, I decided a bacon sandwich with whole meal bread, no butter, as this was more or less a slimming world meal.

Ha ha,  it wasn't what the rest of the group were choosing. So I changed my mind and had hog roast sausage roll, coleslaw, lettuce and chips!! It was absolutely delicious, the coleslaw was full fat and creamy,  I never have that usually and the chips were crispy. I ate slowly and savoured every bite! I didn't have a coffee at that time late morning, I'd never get to sleep, so I had an Elderflower Presse.

I did enjoy my breakfast! I usually just have a banana and 40g of muesli And the chatting and laughter was super too.. roll on the next Coffi Club meal out!

Chrisxx

TMI??

 If you've never had a urinary infection you won't know the added stress you can have along with pain and the need to wee a lot.. there's the anxiety of going somewhere, that might not have a toilet, or being in a position where you can't get to one easily.

The Welsh trains have decided, that in their new built trains, they won't have toilets, to make room for more seats? So that's me not using them, not that I plan going anywhere. People prone to UTIs don't travel usually.

I did go to buy some 'pads.' Omgosh, there are 100s to choose from, and in bulk buys. I spent ages looking and bought some to go for that bladder scan, where you have to arrive with a full bladder. Criky it was like riding a horse between my legs!

But I have been prescribed with a very powerful  anti biotic,  prior to this proposed cystoscopy.. magic!! One dose and I did a proper wee, ie I went to the toilet, no hesitancy, and a good strong stream of wee, not just a dribble! And last night I only had to get up 3 times instead of 4 or 5 or more.. what a difference its made. I slept really well in between toilet visits, so feel really well this morning. No frequency, no worry of piddling my pants, no feeling of burning in my bladder region, nor the  constant feeling I have to wee, in fact I feel normal!  If only this could last for ever? 

Too much information? Well I did warn you!

Chrisxx

Ruth Jones with the BAFTA for Female Performance in a Comedy for Gavin & Stacey

What is it about Ruth Jones that has us all laughing, when really we're laughing at ourselves. The exaggerated Welsh accent, the names like 'Dave the coaches' have us holding our sides with laughter.

But this was like my youth, there was Dan the van man, he sold potatoes and I remember Annie with a tray of cockles on her head.. we always had some and I loved them. My grand mother used to fry them with white bread crumbs in butter, very nice but I preferred them as they were with lots of vinegar.

Ruth is from Porthcawl and met Rob Brydon in the Porthcawl Comp, and of course acted together in the school drama shows.

She has written several books, sort of  'chick lit' and I've tried to read some, they're not the sort of book I like, but they sell in their thousands!

But what ever, I just loved Gavin and Stacey.. and am looking forward to seeing  Ruth in some new dramas on TV.. It will be good I'm sure.

Chrisxx

99 Years old!

David Attenborough born 8th May 1926, the same year as Queen Elizabeth 2nd, An amazing man well known for his interest in the living world of animals. He's had 2 Knighthoods, won many Bafta awards and is loved by all.

He has presented many, many films about animals and climate change, the first in 1954 called Zoo Quest, which involved filming animals in captivity and the wild and launched him as a TV presenter. And he has carried on for several decades. I'm sure if you've seen any you'll have your favourite. I think mine was one he did with gorillas  in the jungle, cavorting around as one of them. 

I've been looking him up and honestly I couldn't do him proud on my humble blog, to list his achievements, there are so many, so I'll leave it up to you to research yourself, should you wish.

All I want to say is, even though he is this brilliant man, those who know him say he is kind, considerate and loyal. 

So a thoroughly nice man.

Anyone who treats animals like he does, is more than just nice in my opinion. 

Happy Birthday Sir David Attenborough!

Chrisxx