Easter

 

 

 

           

Rowley seems none the worse for his incident on the field, in fact, if anything, he’s been slightly better behaved when other dogs have been near him when out walking.

Catherine, Flo & Isabella came for dinner on Easter Sunday but Isabella wasn’t very well, she appears to have a cold. I think this is the cold Mike started last week and then passed on to me.

I’ve had to sleep in the guest bedroom for over a week now, as Mike has had one of those coughs. I think they call it an irritating cough. In fact I’m sure it must be because it’s irritating the hell out of me!! How can anyone be so LOUD? I’ve missed all the important bits from the news, weather forecasts, who did the murder, punch line to jokes. The list is endless. He doesn’t even have to be in the same room to do this. His cough is so huge I think the neighbours are planning to get an ASBO slapped on him. It is about the equivalent to Concorde going through the Sound Barrier! I’ll give him another couple of days and then he is going to the doctor’s.

Today, Easter Monday, we went to my sister’s in Shifnal, Shropshire. She put on a lovely spread and a good time was had by all. Her partner’s daughter put on an Easter Egg hunt for Isabella, which she loved.

After she'd collected them all, without anyone saying a word to her, she started sharing them out with everyone there.

Then Isabella entertained us with songs like Dingle Dangle Scarecrow and some rabbit song I’d not heard before. I wish I had thought earlier about videoing her.

 

I’ve been practising for the Race for Life and met up with two friends on Sunday, they will be doing the Race with me. We walked round Sandwell Valley, the venue for the Race and visited the farm. My camera was at home, so there are no shots but I will have to go again and take some, it’s an amazing place. I’ll save the details for another time.

My potatoes have been chitting nicely in the dining room, I’m just waiting for some warmer weatherto go and get them planted at the allotment.

This is such a dull entry and that’s how I’m feeling right now, DULL. I’m lacking in energy, my ‘get up and go’ has got up and gone. There needs to be some BIG changes in mylife. I just hope I can find the strength to make them.

Wot? No Photos?

I am so angry!!!

I just took Rowley for a walk on the playing field which is just off our road. We go there first thing in the morning, at about 6.30 and sometimes we see other dogs and Rowley barks at them, he’s nervous of them but does seem as if he might be aggressive if he got to them. So, I don’t let him off the lead and he was getting better about being near them. Unfortunately not all other dog owners are so responsible.

I thought I’d take him this afternoon, as I had been out shopping for a few hours.

There were some dogs running loose on the field but they were busy playing ‘Fetch’ and didn’t come near us. Then this woman came on the field with two dogs off the lead. One, a black Labrador came right over to us. That was too much for Rowley, who started barking and got very upset and slipped his Halti. I managed to clip the lead onto his collar but couldn’t get the Halti back on , as I really needed an extra hand to do that. The dog had returned to his owner but then came back over again . Now I didn’t have control of Rowley’s head and he has barking aggressively but I still had him by my side. This dog then started attacking Rowley. I called to the woman to call off her dog and she just looked at me as if I WAS SIMPLE!!! Excuse me, dogs fighting is a good idea is it? She came nearer and her dog returned to her. She shouted that they’re better let off the lead.

WTF!!! I replied that as we had only had him a few weeks it wasn’t a good idea and she laughed at me. Which she did again when I said I had to go as Rowley was bleeding.

There was blood dripping from his face onto his paws.

Upset and anger were waging a fierce battle inside me and I’m not sure which got the upper hand.

When I got home I cleaned Rowley up and was relieved to find no obvious wounds. The stream of blood was coming from just inside his nostril and it seems he had a puncture wound . After I’d finished cleaning him up, there was no sign of any more blood. Hopefully he won’t need any further attention.

I told Catherine about it on the phone and she was incensed and plans to wait in the field until we find the woman. She is then going to give her a good slapping but that will be after I’ve kicked her effing teeth down her throat!

____________________________________________________

See that? It’s a line. I’ve drawn it under the episode. I hope nothing like that ever happens again.

*****

It was time to give myself a huge mental kick up the backside, I needed it.

I find I do less and less, whatever I do do is an effort, not only physically but also mentally. I was starting to feel as if my brain was shutting down. My weight was escalating and had reached equal to the highest it has ever been. Worst of all, I was really starting to object to this fat, middle aged woman who keeps following me around. I’ve see her in shop windows and she always seemed to be wearing the same clothes as me.

It’s funny but my bedroom mirror shows me the woman I want to be, is that because we stop really looking at ourselves and when there is nobody there to compare yourself with, things don‘t look too bad. Yet out in the streets, you see yourself alongside others and just lately the comparisons have not been at all favourable.

So, over the last couple of weeks I started to take action.

I’ve joined Slimming World, went for my first weigh-in on Tuesday (normally Wednesdays) I’d lost three pounds in 6 days. Not wonderful but a step in the right direction. I’ve decided, I want to see myself as one of the success stories in the Slimming World magazine.

I’ve also entered The Race For Life. I am doing this with some new friends and my sister and niece. It will be on June 8th at Sandwell Valley Park, West Bromwich. I’m not sure I will run it my be more of a fast walk but I will be looking to do the 5KM in as fast a time as I can possibly manage. Here is a link to my page.

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/BlackCountryLulu

If anyone would like to sponsor me, no matter how small the amount, then please do. I’ve lost much loved friends and family to Cancer and I am also very grateful that the lives of equally loved friends and family, thanks to research, have been spared from this awful disease.

*****

There were some funny things that I had intended to write about in this entry but I’m not feeling very funny right now after the dog incident, so I’ll save them for another time.

Have a Happy Easter and I hope the sun shines for you.

Can't do an entry with no photos at all. I've been looking through some old albums and here is one from 1991, when I was 38 and  living in Dinas Powys. Although I didn't know it then, it was one of the happiest times of my life. If you wonder what I was doing, I was barbequeing and that was a sausage on my fork.

 

 

 

                      !

 

 

 

 

Worcester Wafflings.

Mothering Sunday has been and gone and now the weekend is here again. Time seems to be forever accelerating .

On Sunday I was taken out for Brunch at The Glasshouse in Worcester, by Catherine . It wasn’t the original plan but Isabella was sick, so just the two of us went. Mike was working, as he always does on a Sunday.

As it was a special day, all Mothers were given a complimentary glass of Buck’s Fizz, made with freshly squeezed orange juice. We could have as much coffee as we wanted and I chose Eggs Benedict, with Parma Ham. Catherine had the smoked salmon version. It was really lovely, as was the basket of toast and butter that went with it. It was so nice for us to be able to sit and chat and relax for an hour without having to keep getting up to deal with Isabella. Lovely as she is, she isn’t a restful child!

I had a card from Simon, very simple, which just said, To the best Mum in the World. I know he wouldn’t have sent it if he didn’t mean it, so that meant a lot to me.

In the afternoon I went over to see Mum. She was on her own as Wilf had gone to see his grandaughter play football. So Mum and I had couple of hours chatting on our own, which again made a pleasant change.

*****

 

Sue and I have been digging a bit more of the allotment and now have an area large enough to plant our potatoes in.

 

 

We are growing two types, Kestrel, a purple and white skinned variety, which is good for every culinary purpose and Catalona, which is a waxy, salad, or new potato. The potatoes are ‘Chitting’ nicely and should be ready to plant next week.

*****

I was having a rummage in some folders in my office and came across the one photo in mylife of me thatI’m probably fairly happy to show. I just don’t seem to take a decent photo, ever!! It's a real blast from the past. 80's retro fashion, although thank god I never really went with the 'Big Hair' of that era. Although there was one disasterous perm. I may dig that out for my next entry.

 

 

This was taken in Pembrokeshire, South Wales, in May of 1985 or 6. We were walking along a lane in Lawrenny and there were carpets of bluebells and other flowers that were just begging to be photographed. I loved that pink flying suit. I ordered it from a catalogue . I think it cost about £32 and I wore it until it fell off me.

Seeing the photo made me think seriously about my weight, so Sue and I plan to join Slimming World next week. I want to be Slimmer of the Year. Watch this space!!!!

*****

It’s all comings and goings this weekend. Thomas, who was Flo’s Best Man at their wedding is arriving from Germany this afternoon. I have Isabella here tonight, so that they can go into town for the evening. And Simon and Tori are off to Brussels for the weekend on the Eurostar. I had text earlier saying they were on the way and drinking free champagne. Hope they think to bring some chocolate back with them.

*****

Rowley seems to have taken over the furniture in this house, he certainly knows how to act deaf but he’s a lovely boy and as the sofa’s are getting old now, I find it hard to move him when he looks so comfortable.

 

 

 

*****

I’ve been enjoying lots of naughty food this week, knowing that next week a lot of it will be

‘off limits’.

This was a curry I was making and the colours just looked lovely whenI added the coconut milk. I had to take a picture.

 

 

*****

Tomorrow, Catherine and I are taking Isabella into town, to have her photographed for the local newspaper's Baby of the Year competition. We know she should win but then, of course, we are biased!

 

Have a good weekend and Gaz! Only just over two weeks to the wedding!!!!! Can't wait for some photos. Here's a link to his wedding shower Blog.

http://journals.aol.com/tenyearnap/orgazmic-bliss-a-wedding-shower-/

 

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!