About Me

My photo
Worcester, Worcestershire, United Kingdom
Born in the year of the Coronation, I'm a Baby Boomer. In April of this year I decided I too would have a Diamond Jubilee celebration and completely change my life and that of my Husband's in the process

Monday 25 February 2008

The Last Month.

Aghhh! It’s been a month!! How??? Can’t think what I’ve been doing since my last entry but time certainly flies.

Rowley’s settling in and his shaved bits are growing back. He’s mostly a good boy and is getting better about barking at dogs when we’re out.

 

He lies in some of the funniest positions

 

And lies down to eat.

 

And we had to make it clear that this seating arrangement was NOT acceptable!

 

I’ve made a start on the Allotment with my friend Sue and hope to do a lot more in this coming week.

It's light soil but we have to get rid of this thatch of grass and weeds first. Glad we only have a half sized plot!

The week with Valentines Day in it was our Half Term and Mike & I managed a day out together. We went in my car, as Mike’s had died the previous weekend and we were waiting to hear if it could be resuscitated. (It turned out it couldn’t, so that was a big expense, buying a new car and a headache for me, having to find a new one!)

Back to our day out. It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky. So we drove to Great Tew in Oxfordshire, for lunch. We went all the way there and came back, with the top down on the car.

We lunched in The Falkland Arms, a delightful, ancient thatched pub, with a roaring log fire. Coming back, as the sun started to drop, it was so cold, we had to have the heater on as high as it would go. But we were determined not to give in and got home just before we died of hypothermia! Then we toasted ourselves in front of a lovely, roaring, log fire, in our own home. I’m so glad I had a fireplace put in when we had the old gas fire removed.

While we were travelling, I noticed the hedgerows were starting to show the delicate green of the new Hawthorn leaves, spring is really on theway now.

I found us a new car, to replace Mike’s. The wonder of the Internet. How did we ever cope before? Let’s hope this one can cope with the number of miles it needs to do taking Mike up to Shropshire, or down to Gloucestershire.

I’ve been going through my photos and thought I would share some of my favourites from the last year. Well it’s that time of year isn‘t it, for the Oscars etc, so I thought I would award some of my photos the honour of appearing on here. (Please remember they are mine, so if you want to use any for anything, please ask first)

A friendly squirrel in Halesowen Churchyard.

 

Horses at Helens, which is a a lovely old house in Herefordshire. I just love their fat bottoms and the peacfulness of this photo.

 

These steps were in Fiscardo, Kefalonia. The colours and lighting were just perfect.

The next two are the ones I liked best from our day at The West Midland Safari Park. Don't think I need tell you what the first one is.

 

These were two Painted Wild African Dogs. Very rare and are being kept there as part of a breeding programme to preserve the species.

And finally...Wales.

If there is a God, Wales is the place he created to give us a taste of heaven. There are places in Wales, that just to see them, makes your heart soar and you feel like you are breathing for the first time. I have to go there at least once a year, otherwise my soul shrivels.

Back to real life.

OFSTED went well and we got grade 2, Good, for almost everything. So that’s out of the way for another couple of years. They did comment on how effective the teaching support was(THAT’S ME!)

Flo experienced his first Car Boot Sale yesterday. He didn’t thinkthey would make any money and was sulking a bit at the effort involved of loading up all their crapfrom the garage into the car.

He couldn’t believe it, people were opening the car doors as he pulled up and they made £67 profit in an hour and a half. Not bad for crap, eh Flo?

So we’re planning to do one together, as I have at least triple the amount of crap they had, in my loft, shed, garage, boxes in the bedroom and anywhere else there is a space in this home.

My birthday is in April. Two years ago Simon got back from his first duty trip on his submarine, the day before my birthday. He obviously hadn’t had time to get me anything as he rushed home to enjoy some Leave here with Tori. So he popped into Homebase, which is just down the road and bought me an Orchid. It was very pretty but I didn’t expect it to flower again. I’ve never had a great deal of success with Orchids. Well it did flower, just before my birthday last year. But this year it’s excelled itself and this is how it looked today.

 

 

Isabella is growing up very quickly and talks babble, interspersed with real words , which is very funny to hear. A lot of what she says sounds like bugger, bugger bugger. This is her posing for the camera, she either pulls a funny face, or looks serious.

This isn't the house I want to live in, it isn't old enough, or big enough and sometimes the garden demands more of me than I can give but there are times it gives me something that I know would be hard to find, even in my perfect house. We've had some stunning sunsets recently.

This was last night. The view from my office window. I should count my blessings.

 

 

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lovely entry, lovely pictures, lovely to hear from you again ,and isnt Isabella growing up ? a little girl now where did the baby go ,look forward to hearing about the progress on your allotment Well done on your  OFSTED report and well done to the effecvtive teachers support lady , You have done very well with the lovely orchid ..love Jan xx

Anonymous said...

Well then Linda George you have been a busy girl.  I love the photos and can't believe what a lovely little toddler Isabella is and its so funny hearing about her talking!  Glad Flo enjoyed the car boot, I hope he is settling down ok over here now and it must be so nice for you to have them back home too.  Oh your dog is so cute too.  I can foresee a lovely summer for you with him and Isabella around too.  By the way, just got to say that the orchid is stunning.  Hugs, Tells x

Anonymous said...

Rowley is just GORGEOUS!!!  Congrats on adding him to your lives!  My Libby sits like that next to me... I love it!  lol  Isabella is growing like a weed!  And, such orchids!  Beautiful!  Loved the pics of the animals and Wales too.

be well,
Dawn

Anonymous said...

love the pictures:) have a good week

Deb

Anonymous said...

Everything seems so Rosy, I think it's coz spring is on it's way........... Loved those photo's, the horses bums were the best and gave me a morning giggle.
Gaz x

Anonymous said...

I loved everything about this entry!  I loved the dog - Daisy would love him as an Internet boyfriend...lol... I LOVED the clydesdale bums!  I loved the photos, especially the one of Wales as I remember visiting Wales as a child just before we came to Australia!  Isabella is a cute kid!  Her face could sell any product! And, the picture of your orchid made me gasp!  It is truly beautiful!    Glad things are going well and hope they continue that way!

Hugs

Wendy in Oz

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the newsy update Linda, lovely to hear what you've been up to, and to see the photos of course!  Our Isabella started primary school last September and loves it, thank goodness, her mum Rhiannon has her first parents evening tonight so it'll be intereesting to hear how she's getting on.  I really must make another entry myself, my last one was the 16th December!  Love, Pat

Anonymous said...

great chatty entry...loved hearing about Great Tew..you know i'm from Oxford...
rowley is gorgeous...
Lyn

Anonymous said...

  Love all your photo's.  The steps lighting was just perfect as you said and I can't believe how big Isabella is getting and so cute!  Last but not least, love Rowley's pictures.  What a cool dog.


                      Julie

Anonymous said...

Rowley is a real character, isn't he?  Lovely photos!  I'm so glad that your visit from the "team" went well.  Our SAT's have to be way up or else we are doomed for an early inspection.  Sweating away here!  So glad to hear from you again!
Love,
Susie

Anonymous said...

I love your pictures
I am going to see Wales for myself one day
Marti

Anonymous said...

Lovely pics, know what you mean about Wales it is beautiful but Cornwall does it better for me lol especially the wooded hills around Boscastle.
Debbie
xxx

Anonymous said...

Our dog ghost used to lay like that and air her bits, id look out of my bedroom window and she'd be sprawled out on her back on the patio and it looked like she'd just fell out of the sky!Ty is also babbling, its soo funny, he says'oh man!' just like Janice dickinson did on im a celeb...Id love an alotment, i think there is a 10 year waiting list for one round here, my grandparents used to own one, i grew up on home grown veg, you cant beat it, i miss runner beans, odd shaped ones that tasted of well.. bean, and gooseberries, you just dont see them no more.Mind you id have no idea what to do with an allotment if i got one, although i can grow pepper plants from seeds inmy kitchen window! Beckie x

Anonymous said...

Isabella is a darling and that sunset is wonderful