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.

 

 

Rowley

Time is a commodity I’m very short of lately.

Friday, we were called into an unexpected staff meeting. We’d had the call. OFSTED are coming to inspect us again on Wednesday & Thursday of this week. We only had the LEA in doing the same about two months ago! Could we please be allowed to get on with our job? Rather than keep preparing for these blessed inspections. We now only get three working days notice of an OFSTED inspection. The teacher I work with was supposed to be going to Devon for the weekend but had to cancel that and come into school to make sure everything was tidy and up to date. Bloody ridiculous if you ask me.

So I am making sure we are unrealistically tidy and organised, so the inspectors can see us as they would like to see us rather than how we really are. Don’t they realise we are working with real children? Real children don’t conform to tidy!!!!

My daughter, as previously mentioned lost one of her cats on Christmas Eve.

A week ago Saturday they were coming home from town and saw, in the headlights a cat scavenging from a bag of rubbish that had blown into the road. Catherine was sure it was Milly and jumped out to see. But the cat ran away. It then started to pour with rain. Later, when it had stopped raining, she went out with a bowl of food.

At first one of the local cats came to see the food, then , a small, black cat came nervously towards her. Catherine could see the collar with the gold bell and knew it was Milly. Gradually , Milly edged towards her, until Catherine was able to grab her.

Milly is now under house arrest. She had been missing for almost four weeks, had a head full of ticks and is as thin as a rake. But she is happy to be home and doesn’t seem too interested in going outside.

Our darling Harper died just over a year ago and as I said, last entry, we have been thinking of getting a new dog.

I became very aware that I needed to re-home a dog, rather than go out and buy a puppy bred just to make some breeder a lot of money. I’d thought through all the possibilities and decided an older dog, that no one else wanted was what I wanted.

I’ve been trawling the Re-Homing websites for weeks now. I was starting to feel like some sort of voyeuristic perv, looking at all the dogs that were available. Suddenly, there was THE ONE. Had had the worst name ever for a dog his height and shape, CHUNKY.

But we could get him to change that.

 

We went to see him on Friday. He was the only quiet dog amongst all the others he was with. He’s been in a kennel since October.

The price of moving in with us was having his Family Jewels removed, which happened today. They also took all his tangles off, which means he looks bloody awful at present. And he stinks. So as soon as he’s healed up, he’s off for a beauty treatment at the local Dog Salon.

I love him, so I really hope things work out.

Must go now and see how he’s getting on with his new bed and the cats.

Someone’s Not Trying Hard Enough!

(Lot's of photos, so you may have to be patient while they download)

I didn’t go to school today. I haven’t felt right since the sickness thing at Christmas and today saw me running off to the loo again. So I decided a day of rest would be best and if I have something contagious it would be best not to pass it on. (even though I probably caught it there from the little dears in the first place)

By early afternoon the chickens were announcing to the world that they wanted to be let out, which is what I did. While I was there I collected the eggs.

 

 

Three chickens, three eggs. Hmmmm! I wonder who didn’t earn their dinner today? Chicken casserole next week? LOL!

 

While I was photographing the eggs, I remembered I had been asked for some photos of my new kitchen. So here are a few.

 

Here’s an oddity.

 

Strangely his colours seem to match the tiling and in a funny way we’ve become quite attached to him. I’ll explain.

At school I work as part of a team of ten Teaching Assistants. Three years ago we decided, rather than all go out buying each other Christmas presents, we would all trawl through the Charity Shops and find the most awful thing we could find for under Three Pounds. Then, on the day we broke up, we would put these wrapped items in a box and draw lots. We then have to open our present, which reduces us to knicker wetting hysteria. OMG, what you can get in Charity Shops beggars belief LOL! And this is the little darling I had this year.

The rule is, the present has to be kept on display in our house until next December, then we bring them all in to school and put them on the White Elephant Stall at the school Christmas Fayre.

At any time during the year, one of our friends may call round and do an ‘On the Spot Inspection’ to make sure it is on public display. I can’t understand how this monstrosity goes so well with the new kitchen but somehow he does.

Last Saturday we had lunch with Mum, Wilf, Catherine, Flo and Isabella. (Mum’s treat) They have these Thai friends who bought a local country pub and  they do the most divine food. The girls, who wait table, barely speak English but the moment we get there, they scoop Isabella up and take her off to play. I wish I had taken some photos of them together but with the language barrier it worries me that I may be intruding without their approval. Their dark beauty and traditional dress with little Isabella’s fair, pearlescent complexion make a wonderful contrast.

The food is wonderful but the presentation is art on a plate.

 

Isabella enjoying her lunch.

 

 

 

 

I was flicking through the channels last night and couldn’t see much I wanted to watch. There was something about the new Relocation, Relocation, that caught my eye but I couldn’t think what is was. So I went back for another look.

I will be the first to admit that through Mike’s job we have eaten in some spectacular places, I suppose St James Palace for lunch has to be the grandest. Eating and drinking with The Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and a list as long as two arms of celebrities from screen, stage, sports and politics, all these things have been wonderfully exciting. But I am always aware that when I see someone on telly, that we have met and chatted to, it has all been down to Mike’s job.

So how strange on Thursday night to see someone that I knew, through MY work, on the telly.

This was a man, now approaching 40, who was wanting a flat in London and a house in Harrogate. Combined budget of £750,000. Poor dears, obviously on the bread-line!

This man, Johnny, or just plain John when I knew him in Cardiff, is now the MD of an International Insurance Company, with an office near to Tower Bridge, London.

When I knew him, he was an office junior, who used to do my renewal quotes for me. The last time I saw him was the morning after my leaving do, never, ever have I seen redder eyes. In fact I got called in to one of the Director’s offices, to be told off for destroying the work force by my leaving party (some hadn't made it in). .....Moi?.... As if. LOL!

I could tell you some tales from that time! In fact,as he is now so obviously rich and in a high position, I wonder if a little blackmail.........?

Life is quieter these days but I suppose, as grandparents, it’s befitting.

Looks like we escaped being flooded this time, although I don’t think the threat has passed. I’m hoping for some drier weather so we can get the allotment started but that could be a week or so yet.

Still looking for a dog, there are plenty out there but I want ‘The Right One’

Linda. x

 

 

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2008!

Life seems to be settling back to the usual routine, after a rather odd month, which started in mid December with the manic rush to complete everything for the school Carol Concert in Worcester Cathedral.

Worcester Cathedral is amongst the oldest in the country and to me, has a very special feel, it’s soaring arches defy gravity and to hear it’s colossal organ being played, is to be mentally transported to a higher plane, the bass notes reverberate through your entire body, making you feel part of the music.

The Carol Concert was just over an hour in length and Carols and Readings were punctuated by a four minute ‘performance’ by each year group, even the Nursery Class, how cute were they!

There were over a thousand people there including the Mayor of Worcester and other local dignitaries and celebrities , Mike being one, LOL!

It was a wonderful success, enjoyed by everyone. While she was getting everything set up, The Head was approached by a visitor to the Cathedral and on hearing what was about to happen, he decided to stay and watch. We had a lovely letter from him saying how much he’d enjoyed it. Praise indeed, as he was formerly the Head of Drama at a large University.

Once the Concert was over, my time was taken with completing end of term tasks and wrapping 60 small presents for all the children in my year group.

My last entry covers the time from when we broke up until after Christmas.

New Year’s Eve we had a small, late Christmas, with Catherine, Flo and Isabella. We had dinner, with crackers and opened all our presents to each other. Catherine had wanted to wait until I was well and we could make an occasion of it and Isabella had already been overwhelmed with presents.

 

Isabella was so funny as she came here a few times between Christmas and New Year, she would look at all the presents under the tree, point to them and then look at me with a questioning smile on her face and said “More?” I’m sure she thought I hadn’t noticed there were still some lying there and she obviously found present unwrapping a fun thing to do.

New Year over I then had to start thinking about returning to school but mainly I had a quiet time, trying to get my strength back after being ill. I have to say, I still don’t feel 100% but I’m getting there.

I’ve spent a lot of time at home and it has been a period of reflection, there are certain areas of my life I’m not happy with, either due to my own inaction, or from pressures caused by other people. I often think I will make changes but this time I know I will. I’m getting too old to spend my life making compromises. I’m going to start doing what I want and people can like it, or, do the other thing.

We are seriously looking into getting another dog, I know it will be a tie but we do miss having the company of a doggie person and walking is something I need to do, to help keep me fit. I find Mike is usually booked for work for most of my school holidays and now Sundays will be a lonely day, as Mike has just been given a contract to do a Breakfast programme in Shropshire, then he returns to do an Afternoon programme in Worcester. I’m not going to be inclined to go walking on my own but a doggie companion will give me the incentive to go out.

Catherine, myself and a dear friend will be starting on our allotment soon and I’m really looking forward to that. We decided to wait until the New Year to get started, as over wintering vegetables doesn’t seem to have any great advantage.

I won’t name the friend, but I would like to say, she had an awful shock before Christmas. Without warning, her husband had a Stroke. Luckily, he appears to be making a good recovery but he was typical of so many men, he never felt it necessary to get himself checked out at the Doctor’s. He felt fit, so what could possibly be wrong? As it turned out, quite a bit. Hypertension, known as the silent killer, doesn’t usually show any symptoms until it’s too late. So if your husband is of a ‘certain age’ and is being stubborn about going to the Doctor’s, you can buy an excellent, easy to use monitor from Lloyd’s Chemist for £9.99. I’ve bought one myself as I suffer from ‘White Coat Syndrome’, which means whenever I have mine checked, it’s an artificially high reading. So with my Doctor’s agreement, we checked I was using it properly and I am taking it daily and keeping a dairy. Veryinteresting, it’s actually quite low when I take it here. What was really interesting is that I started drinking decaff coffee about two years ago. If I go out and have a Latte with Catherine in town, I feel really queer afterwards. This never used to happen but I started thinking I must be reacting to the caffeine.

I’ve found that if I test my blood pressure after a real coffee, the reading will be really high and that lasts for a few hours. So, you real coffee drinkers, let that be a warning to you. (Dawn, this means you. LOL!)

My father suffered a devastating stroke in his mid sixties, so this a problem I feel very strongly about.

We should be going out to lunch today with Mum, Wilf, Catherine Flo and Isabella, only after the torrential rain yesterday, I’m not sure if the roads are passable, last night it was flooded just before the pub we are going to. Hopefully things have cleared now and fingers crossed, I think we’ve escaped a visit from the brook, it’s just managed to remain in its banks this time, although the flood barriers have been erected alongside the river. Worcester can be a very wet place sometimes.

I’d better go and let the chickens out now, they had to stay in their Ark all day yesterday due to the weather and they are clucking their displeasure, loudly, which might annoy the neighbours.

It’s a bit late but Happy New Year!

Christmas Comes But Once A Year!

Christmas is a family time, if you’re lucky enough to have family. Maybe I should qualify that, if you’re lucky enough to have family you want to be with.  I do, well, most of the time I do. Christmas was all planned but apart from having a freezer full of party food and the Turkey ordered, I had done nothing and I do mean NOTHING towards it!

School finished Friday and on Saturday I had over 20 people coming for what had started as a Birthday lunch  for 6 for Mum (79). Somehow it snowballed.  It became the ideal  opportunity  for family that rarely see each other to meet up.

Quick interruption in writing there, I heard the refuse collectors. Didn’t know they were coming today and neither did Mike, who has gone to Shropshire to work early this morning. Must have looked a picture as I ran out in my slightly grubby dressing gown, unwashed hair and panda eyes and raced up the drive with my black wheelie bin!!! Reminded me of Lonnie Donnegan’s song, ‘My Old Man’s a Dustman’....”Am I too late?”   “ Naah! Jump up on the cart” Oy!

So, Friday afternoon and evening, I cooked up a storm. Went to bed and continued Saturday morning, in-between ins and outs of the oven I sorted out the presents for people we weren’t seeing again on Christmas Day. (Little did I know at that time, it would be everybody)

Saturday 12.30, people started arriving. I was still popping things in and out of the oven, which I had planned to be doing. I didn’t see that as a problem. WHY can I never remember that my friends and family all want to stand in the kitchen at parties?  Soon it was all done and we had a wonderful time, although I had to go and sit down later, as I was exhausted.

It was so good that we managed to have all four children together, in the house and each of their partners. As two of the family are in the Royal Navy, this was a rare event indeed.

Their two grandmas were there plus our new generation of 3 grandchildren. Then we had Mike’s nephew (not seen for years) even his ex partner and their son, who had strangely turned into a tall ,17 year old, with his Dad’s penchant for long, wavy, windswept hair. (In his mid 40’s  his  Dad has only just left that look behind, obviously passed it onto his son).

My sister and her daughter were there but sadly Mike’s sister couldn’t make it as her husband is recovering from an operation.

Then of course there was the great nephew’s girlfriend.  A very pretty girl, with pink hair and facial  ornaments, who was festively named, Holly.

Now we’d only just got used to the idea that this tall, tousled, young man was our great nephew, we were in for another surprise. He and Holly then proceeded to give the two elder granddaughters more sex education than they’ve had at school!  Not for them the allure of food, drink and good company in the kitchen and dining room. No they entwined themselves on the sofa and became oblivious to the family around them. Oh to be young again!!!

Family Christmases have always been important to me and until I was 13, they were spent at my Grandma’s house, which was able to contain her five children and families quite comfortably.

 

This was the house where I lived when I was born and until I was two. After that I spent Wednesday afternoons  every week there. The  little private school my sister and I went to only did a four and a half day week; it was a throw back to when the school used to be open on a Saturday morning. Then they dropped the Saturday morning but never restarted the Wednesday afternoon. (Hurrah!) I also went there every Friday evening and stayed until Saturday afternoon, sometimes Sunday, which is when I would go to Chapel with Grandma.

I have such happy memories of those times and Christmas, excuse the pun, really was the icing on the cake.

 

Above is Grandma enjoying her last Christmas in her beloved home. She was born in 1885, what changes she saw. This how she looked at 18.

 

I was heartbroken when the house was sold in 1966and Grandma and my adored Aunty Dorothy moved into a bungalow some miles away.

Auntie Dorothy as a little girl.

We continued the family get together at the bungalow for a few years but only going over in the evening, after lunching at home, for traditional buffet food and some very funny party games .But it was never the same.  My one clear memory of that time was one of the quieter games where we were all sat down and played, ‘I Love My Love’, you start with the first letter of the alphabet, so for example ‘I love my love because she is ‘A’ttractive’.  This was in the late sixties and my cousin, Stephen, who is the same age as me , had everyone on the floor with a combination of shock and laughter, depending on your age, when given the letter C, he came out with ‘I love my love because she is Crap!’ Ah! Innocent days.

Grandma had died in early 1968, when I was fourteen. They say teenage years are difficult; well it doesn’t help when the foundation stones of your life are removed.

I’ve always been striving to bring back the feelings of those wonderful family Christmases. It’s not so easy when you don’t have a huge house and we don’t have such big families. Grandma had five children and nine grandchildren and several great grandchildren before she died. But Mum’s birthday lunch had some of the feel of those long ago, happy times.

 

The next day I spoke to Mike’s daughter, who said what a lovely time  they’d all had and we both realised that we felt we’d  already had Christmas and that the actual day was now just going to be presents and a Roast Dinner.

How prophetic were those words.

Christmas day I was expecting, Mum and Step-Dad, Catherine, Flo & Isabella and my sister and her partner. So nine in all. On Sunday afternoon and Christmas Eve, I went and bought all my presents, collected the Turkey which this year was to be a very, large, boned and rolled Turkey breast. Over ten pounds in weight. Mum was cooking a Pork Loin and bringing that over. Isn’t it funny how with hindsight things can turn out for the best?

Late afternoon  on Christmas Eve we visited my daughter Catherine and went to the Opening of the Crib service at her village church. This was very nice and also very sensible, as it was aimed at small children and the lady Vicar made it only half an hour long.  Catherine had  justlet her cats out, only their second time since bringing them over from Germany.

We came back from church and had some cold chicken and salad and then went home to wrap presents.

I got to bed just before Santa started his rounds, feeling that a pickled onion was causing me some indigestion.

At 3am I was woken by a feeling that was not Santa putting a stocking at the end of my bed. I wasn’t sure quite what was wrong but I didn’t like it. Suddenly the bathroom seemed like a very good idea and I got there just in time to throw up all over the toilet.

Cleaning the bathroom, naked, when not well was not how I’d planned to start Christmas Day. I went back to bed. Mike had slept through all this, and I felt a bit better and went back to sleep. Only to be woken at 5am for a repeat performance, only this time much, much worse.

So, in our house, Christmas was cancelled.

At 8 am, after some  frantic phone calls, Mike had to rush over to Mum’s with the food and Christmas was transferred to hers. This is where the meat situation was good. Had it been a whole Turkey she would never have coped with it but we were able to cut the breast in two and sent the larger piece over to Mum and Mum did the same with the Pork, and Mike brought some of that back with him. So we had plenty to cook for when I felt like eating.

I spent the morning in bed, in between bathroom runs (the bug had gone the other way now!) and then got up when Mike returned from work. He cooked our Christmas dinner which we deferred until 9pm, in the hope I would be able to eat something and keep it down, which I did. And very good it was too. I think I may be passing my apron to him next year.

Catherine phoned to say Milly, one of her cats had not returned from the night before and sad to say,still hasn’t.

Mike’s daughter rang to say her husband’s Grandma had passed away at lunchtime on Christmas Day.

Yesterday, on Boxing Day, I signed on to the Net to find that Kim (I Shaved My Legs for This) had lost her brave battle against cancer. How can you miss someone you’ve never met? But that girl put everything in her Journal and the one thing you could not doubt, she was beautiful, both inside and out and I know her family are devastated at their loss. Kim touched so many people’s lives.

Bloody Hell! This is cheery, isn’t it? It’s funny but when I start writing, I never know where I will end up but all in all, this had not been one of my best Christmases.

On a lighter note, there were some fantastic presents. I had far too many to mention them all and was spoilt rotten but I must say, I had a total surprise from Mike, an  electronic piano keyboard, with all the other  backing instruments, if I want them. It’s a Yamaha; I always thought they were Motor Bikes?

Mike’s main present from me was a jacket, dark brown, it says its leather but it’s like a waxed pigskin, with silk quilted lining and also part fleece lined. Very 'Country Gentleman' and will be ideal for walking a dog, if we decided to get one this year. (Hint, hint) I knew he wanted a new one and he seems very pleased with it, he also wanted slippers, which I got him too. Plus books, a CD and some chocolates.

A friend sent me an  Ecard and I just have to share this with you, it’s so funny. She pinched the photos of us from my last entry.  My timing is awful and I had never realised Mike was so camp!  The kids loved it.

Elf Dancing   (It may take a few seconds to load) ****This link doesn't now work.****

 

Hoping for a Happy New Year for my family and I wish the same to all of you reading this and all the people you love and care about.

 

Linda. x

 

 

 

 

Back Again!

Finally, I update my Blog!

I hadn’t intended to leave it so long but having had a break from it, well, you just get out of the habit.

There have been a few reminders to ‘get on with it’ recently and as it is such a foul morning weather-wise and I have some spare time, it seems a good time to catch up. So I’m afraid it will be rather lengthy, due mostly to the Wedding that nearly didn’t happen.

Catherine, Flo and Isabella have settled well into their new home. Flo got temping work as soon as they were reasonably sorted in the house. Within a very short time he was offered a permanent job, doing something very similar to his work in Germany, The company seem very impressed with him (understandable) and have given him a very good career plan. I know nothing is certain these days when it comes to job security but, for the time being, they have no worries.

Early October saw the day of Simon and Tori’s much planned wedding. The week before was hectic. Isabella had just started walking and I’d promised Tori that if Isabella was able to walk down the aisle, I would buy her a little Flower Girl outfit.

After she started crawling Isabella wouldn’t wear dresses, they prevented her from getting anywhere, she would be kneeling on the skirt. We’ tried her in one for a First Birthday Party and the rage that provoked stopped any attempts to put her in one again.

Now, six months later, she was very wary of a ‘Big Frock’ and the shopping trip to Monsoon was a bit stressful, trying to persuade her that she really wanted this ankle length, silk dress with matching, embroidered shoes. Anyway, she can’t talk yet, so she was overruled.

Tori and Simon arrived on the Thursday, having just moved into married quarters, so a very busy week for them. Then a manic 24 hours of, sunbeds, waxings, facials and new nails. And that was just the men!!

Tori’s back was a bit stressed from the house move and then she picked up Isabella and that made it worse. We had dinner In Worcester on the Friday night with Tori, her parents and the bridesmaids. It was a fabulous meal but throughout I could see Tori was sitting awkwardly.

Saturday morning and the Big Day had dawned. Simon had to dash into town to pick up waistcoats and cravats. He and Brad, the Best Man, had bought their own, matching suits for the day. I’m not sure how much influence Brad had but I was surprised at what good taste one, or both of them had. You should see what they wear when they go out on the town!

Simon spoke to Tori on the phone, she had stayed at the Beckford, which is where the marriage was taking place. He told me she'd said her back wasn’t very good. Someone here is obviously a master of understatement!!

At 11.30, I went to pick up Sam, partner of my stepson. Sam was doing Tori’s makeup. We were also picking up the flowers en route , so arrived at The Beckford at 12.30. The dining room was being laid out and decorated for the Reception but one or two people advised me  on the way through that Tori’s back wasn’t very good and the hotel owner came to warn me that they were waiting for the Emergency Doctor.

I am now getting worried. I’m supposed to be doing Tori’s hair and had reckoned on it taking at least an hour, based on our previous practice. Some of the Bridal preparations were supposed to be photographed for the Album, so there was a lot to do.

Sam and I walked into the bedroom to be greeted by

 

OMG!!! This is not looking good. Apart from obviously being in a lot of pain, Tori was shaking like a pneumatic drill!

I won’t go on about how stressful the next hour was, while we waited for the doctor to turn up. In fact it was more than an hour because it was nearly 2pm when he arrived.

Let me recap the situation. We have a wedding at 3pm and a Bride, who is on the floor and no way can she get up. Her hair is wet and still covered in conditioner, as she had collapsed in the shower and is just wearing a pair of pants and a duvet.

This is most definitely not looking good!

The doctor was marvellous, when he arrived. He injected her and gave her every conceivable drug that she hadn’t already taken. He also insisted on staying until we could manage to get her off the floor.

The Registrar and her assistant had been informed of the situation and had phoned ahead to see if their next wedding could take a delay. Bless them, they said yes.

At twenty to three, Tori, not without a few screams was placed in a chair and the desperate rush began. Luckily I had brought my own hair dryer, as it has an inbuilt nuclear reactor and dries hair very quickly. That’s what I did, whilst Sam was round the front doing the makeup. Sam had been an absolute rock while we waited to see if the wedding was likely to happen. I think the Gin and Tonic she gave me helped a great deal!

By the time the makeup was done it was just about three o clock and Tori’s hair was dry. The Registrar asked when she could come in to see if things were OK to proceed. I said about 10/15 minutes. Sam and I then did the fastest hairstyle any bride ever had. It was based on the original style but the loose part was only semi straight and the curled part was  only semi curled. We flung some pearl clips in and that was it, done.

Then into the dress. Apart from an ominous ripping sound because someone hadn’t fully opened the zip, there was no further hitch. Don’t think we ever found what had ripped. So the only really casualty of the day was Tori’s beautiful, high heeled shoes, which had to remain in the box. Luckily she had some flat silver pumps, which saved her from being barefoot.

I ran downstairs and ushered all the England Rugby fans out of the bar, where they were watching the match and into the Marriage Room, whilst Tori gingerly made it down the stairs.

I never thought I would have to get a girl drugged up to the eyeballs to get her to marry my son!!

At 3.20, she walked down the aisle and if you hadn’t known, you would never have guessed all the trauma of the previous hours. Tori looked just like any other beautiful bride on her wedding day, No one would have guessed that her preparations had taken less time than I spend every morning getting ready for school.

From then on, it was a lovely day, warm enough to spend time in the garden, even in strapless, floaty clothes. (The men again!)

Here are some of my family photos from the day, it was hard choosing what to put on.

You can see from their faces how pleased the Registrar and Assistant were as she walked down the aisle.

At last, they are married.

Hat on........

Or hat off?

Catherine &Flo.

 

Me, left and Mike right, in case you couldn't work that one out.

I love this, it's a still taken from a movie clip I took. Their first dance as husband and wife. I think their faces say it all.

The food and service at the Beckford was excellent, as was the attention of the doctor and the kindness of the Registrar.

Sammy Southall, the photographer, an old friend, was good in adapting to a rather different schedule than the average wedding and I think we were very lucky having such a great team, who did everything possible to make sure the wedding happened.

Simon was kept away from Tori, which was a good thing, as he wouldn’t have managed to look so happy on the pre wedding shots, had he known what a drama was being acted out upstairs.

You can see some of the official photos (3 pages) by clicking on this link Sammy’s. Here is one of my favourites.

 

What else has been happening?

Well, after 24 years together, 23 of them married, Mike and I finally got engaged. I’d never had an engagement ring and just before Simon’s wedding he bought me one. It’s beautiful, an emerald cut, solitaire diamond, in a claw setting. Mike drove me to Bevere Green to give it to me, which is where he first proposed to me and of course, I said yes!!

We've had a new kitchen fitted. How easy is that to say? How difficult is the reality? Cooking meals in a microwave oven balanced on a breakfast stool and washing up in the bathroom. But it’s done now and I’m very pleased with it.

Catherine and family have driven back to Germany, to see Flo’s family and to pick up their cats, who are now able to enter the country.

I’ve bought some Calendar making equipment and have been out and about taking photos for a Rowley Regis Calendar I’ve made for some of my Family History friends. This is Haden Hill House, the grounds are a public park now but for centuries belonged to the Haden family. The Tudor Hall was nearly demolished but has recently been restored and stands next to the Victorian House built by the Haden Best family.

The War Memorial in Powke Lane Cemetery was just catching the sunset as I took this photo and I though it made an inspired picture for  November.

 

As for J Land, I’ve been catching up on some of my favourites but I’m concerned for Kim (I shaved My Legs For This) nothing from her since mid November. I think her 3 week Chemo finishes in the next day or two. I hope she soon gets her strength back.

I must put some more family photos in soon from the wedding. If I don’t have time before Christmas, I hopeyou all have a lovely time and see you in the New Year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Difficult Decision

 

The picture above is one I took on holiday, it is Mertos Bay, Kefalonia. Mike and I had a wonderful time while we were there, despite the fact we had a fire on the hill behind the hotel and a minor earthquake.

While we were there I had a lot of time to think and I made some decisions. One of them was that, in order to get on with the things I want to achieve, I am going to have to give up J Land, at least until I have completed some of the tasks I have set myself.

I’ve been writing for over two years now and have made lots of lovely friends in that time and learned all sorts of interesting things from you. But, I have realised that it is taking up too much of my time. I love reading about your lives and thoughts but it’s reached the point where reading Journals is stopping me from living my own life and that just isn’t right. And how can I write and receive such lovely comments, if I don’t read the commenters Journal in return? I never started writing to get readers and comments but somehow it just happened

I can’t just be selective and read one or two, how could I ever pick a small number of favourites? So, for the time being, I am switching off ALL of my Alerts and will not be writing any more, unless something really interesting happens.

Take care,

Linda xx.