Cake and other, less important, matters.

I’ve been a bad, bad, Blogger!! I just don’t get around to writing as often as I should.

The weekend before last was my birthday and every moment was accounted for.

On the Saturday I went up to Rowley Regis, home of my fore-fathers and checked into a small hotel. There I met a lady I had never met before. We have been ’online friends’ for a couple of years now, maybe longer. We have both been researching our family from Rowley Regis and as she had come down from Scotland on a business trip, we decided to meet up and to extend the invitation to other members of the website that we use.

As soon as we met, face to face, we knew we would get on. We spent Saturday afternoon at the Black Country Museum and had a whale of a time, going down the mine, eating chips fried in dripping and as she said “ Helping out the ladies in the cake shop” by eating up their stock.

In the evening we rolled down the hill from the hotel to an old, traditional Black Country, real ale pub, where we met up with other Members of the website. One of them was a girl I worked with when we were 17 and 18 years old . We hadn’t seen each other for 37 years, yet I knew her as soon as she walked in the door. I’ve no idea when I ever spent from 6.30 until, being thrown out, after midnight, in a pub but we had the best time. Everyone got on so well, it was as if all our online banter had just developed into 3D.

I don’t know if it could ever be as good again but we certainly hope to try.

Sunday was my birthday and I went out for tea and cake with Catherine, Flo and Isabella.

Then Monday was our wedding anniversary, our 24th. We had dinner at the Glasshouse, run by Shaun Hill, who used to own The Merchant House at Ludlow, which was considered to be the best restaurant in England. The food was fabulous and the best thing is, it’s not terribly expensive. We’re going there for Brunch this coming Sunday, which will be Mike’s birthday. May the fourth, as in Stars Wars Day. May the Fourth be with you!!

This last weekend was the open garden at Little Larford, Astley Burf . I went two years ago and posted a photo of Catherine, looking largely pregnant. This time I went with her and Isabella. Flo stayed home to watch the Grand Prix.

 

Mike had done a feature on the opening in his gardening programme. This year there were 20,000 tulips and 3,000 Narcisii.

 

 

 

These were a variety being trialed for a bulb producer. They were my favourite, I think. There are over 140 varieties there, so it's hard to be sure!

 

 

And here's my little Isabella Rose, amongst the tulips.

 

 

Just a few of the many varities of tulips there.

 

He’d better not feature it next year! It was far too popular, we couldn’t manage to get any of their wonderful Raspberry fresh cream cake, which was very disappointing.

Isabella is so funny. We went to the farm shop after the garden and as soon as I pulled up outside, she said “Cake!!” She remembered we’d been there the week before for cake.

They had been to Stoke for a fancy dress party the day before. Isabella was dressed as Stephanie from Lazy Town. She looked so cute, I will get some photos of that soon. When the other people turned up in costume, she was a bit scared and started saying. “Mummy’s car, home” She may not say a lot but she knows how to get her point across.

She can count to fourteen in English and six in German. Not bad for twenty two months old. She loves to talk on the phone and will have pretend conversations with her toy phone. This little clip was made for her Grandma in Germany. In German that is Omah, only I don’t know if that is how you spell it.

 

 

On my birthday we also went to open a Dog Show at Eastnor Castle. It was for the charity that we got Rowley from.. We managed to get through that without a major incident but he really doesn’t like other dogs. We met up with his ’brother’ Ginger from the family he used to live with. That really freaked him out. They used to get on together but Rowley got very aggressive and then turned his back on Ginger and started backing himself up my leg. I’m convinced he thought that he was going to have to go back to that awful place. Poor boy.

School is a nightmare, never have I known such a badly behaved year group. I have my thoughts on the reasons, they are just not being shown enough discipline and the next year group teachers will be having a very tough time with them in September.

One boy, today, called me a big fat cow! This was upsetting for two reasons. One, I wasn’t having anything to do with him at the time. Two, I’ve lost nine and a half pounds since I joined Slimming World six weeks ago, so I feel that if I’m a big fat cow now, I don’t want to know what I was before.

NO!! This was upsetting for three reasons. The boy that called me that is nine years old and he weighs over fourteen stone! That’s heavier than me. He was obviously using words that have been used against him, which is sad. Then again…. Pot, kettle?????

My football team are going up!! Well, it’s almost certain, so we will be back in the Premier. That’s exciting. I shall have to try and get to a few more matches next season.

The rain is coming down in a way that makes one think of building an Ark, whatever is wrong with our weather? Fingers crossed I don’t have to go and do a chicken rescue in the middle of the night. I pray you all have dry feet.

Linda x.

Saturday Morning.

Well, Mike’s still talking to me after his surprise photo appeared in here. He seemed to find it quite funny and he’s had comments at work by people who have also seen it. He found it hard to believe that happened while he was asleep.

Last Sunday we woke to a blanket of snow, the first we’ve had this Winter, only now it’s Spring!!

I let Rowley out into the garden and didn’t say anything, I just wanted to see what his reaction was. You can see on this clip. (Turn your speakers on there is music too)

 

 

My beloved West Bromwich Albion got knocked out of the FA Cup, at the semi final stage, at Wembley last Saturday, which was a bit depressing. More so for Mum and Wilf, they’d got up at 5 in the morning to go.

Then in the week we slaughtered Blackpool 3-1, to go top of the League!!!!!!!

All the males of the family support Watford (Huh!!) and they are just two points below us. West Brom are playing Watford today, it’s a home match for us, emotions will be running high. The winner today will get 3 points, so you can see what a vital match this is. Especially as Watford were abysmal in their mid week match and missed a chance of gaining three points against lowly Barnsley. They were so bad David, my stepson said he’d burnt the tickets to today’s match. The top two teams will go up to the Premier League. I hope it’s both of us, as this is the first year we’ve been in the same League for about 5 years, we keep swapping places.

So Mike, David and I are going together but I shall go and sit with Wilf, the men can go and join the Watford lot. Mum can’t come, she’s been called into hospital for tests on her painful back. She’s in for a week! I can’t understand it, they don’t keep you in that long after major surgery these days. Still, if they can get rid of some of her pain it will be worth it.

I had a blip with the diet this week, gained half a pound, not sure why because up until the day of Slimmer’s World, my scales had been showing a 2 pound loss. My friend lost four and a half pounds, was Slimmer of the Week and won the Raffle If you ask me, that’s just showing off!!!

She’s almost lost a stone now and I haven’t managed to do a half yet, (Message to self) I must make more effort!!! Would Liposuction be cheating?

Isabella’s coming on really quickly with her talking. We were counting marbles and sorting them into colours when she said, “I get one more” her longest sentence so far and the thing is, she did get one more and put it to make a group of five. I want to make numbers fun for her, so that she isn’t like the children I work with at school, who, at the age of nine, can’t add 10 to a small number without doing it on their fingers. They really worry me.

A big thank you to Wendy for sponsoring me this week in The Race for Life It’s less than two months away now.

I’ve lost loved ones to cancer but this last week we heard such a sad tale. Mike went to do an interview with a couple, who have young children. The wife had breast cancer a few years ago, she was one of the lucky ones that had Herceptin prescribed and it worked but apparently it can’t prevent cancer in the brain and that is where she has it now. The prospects are poor and I can’t help but be reminded of J-Lands much missed Kim. Only this lady has a youngest child of five years old, who has been told by a school friend “Your Mummy’s cancer is back and now she’s going to die.” You have to ask yourself what on earth some adults can have been thinking of, to let that information be passed onto a child.

The couple did the interview for Mike’s Sunday Morning Religious programme, they had wanted to discuss where their faith, or lack of it came into this sort of situation.

I’m sitting here on a lovely April morning, the sun is shining and birdsong is drifting in through the open window beside me. My adoring dog is curled up on the floor at my feet, the cats are dozing on sunny windowsills. I feel relaxed and at peace. Oh! What a contrast from the sweating, screaming, hordes, of which I shall be one at 5.20 this evening! LOL.

AOL Community Challenge-POSTCARDS•Anything goes! FUN

This isn't a regular entry but I thought I would have a go at the AOL Community Challenge. You have to chose one of your photos as a postcard and then put a link to your entry on http://journals.aol.com/mariebm56/aol-community-photo-challenge/entries/2008/04/11/aol-community-challenge-postcardsanything-goes-fun/665

So this is mine.

 

 

 

 

It wasn't until I took the photo and put it onto the computer that I realised what it was doing!!!!

Shocking Celebrity Photo!!!

The Easter Holidays are almost over and it will be back to school on Monday. I don’t think I can go, I’ll have to get Mum to write me a note. We’ve hardly touched the garden and the allotment is only about 8% sorted. Half the time the weather has just been too bad to want to do any gardening.

Yesterday we went to Bridgemere Garden Centre, near Nantwich. It’s probably the biggest garden centre in Britain. It’s enormous but so efficiently run . The food, although not cheap, is excellent . We had home made Leek & Butterbean soup with a hunk of real bread and a wedge of Cheshire cheese. Because of my diet, I gave half my cheese to Mike and we shared a piece of Carrot Cake, so I was quite a good girl.

We bought a load of plants to fill some gaps, mostly caused by the floods last summer, although the chickens haven’t helped!

The chickens are now confined to barracks. We’ve moved them back down the garden and made them a run. This summer Isabella will be out playing in the garden (if we get the right weather) and I can’t have her tumbling around in chicken pooh! Also it would be nice to be able to have the back door open without fear of ‘invaders’ on the scrounge for cat food!!.

We have made a start on the garden and I hope in a week or two it will be looking good enough to take some photos. Right now it still looks awful. I couldn’t bring myself to do anything after the floods. It was too soul destroying.

On the way to Bridgemere we stopped to photograph this. A Horseshoe Tree.

 

           

 

When I lived in Whitchurch, Shropshire, we used to pass this regularly but as I was still in my 20’s, it never really interested my that much. Now, with my Family History interests and knowing I am descended from several Blacksmiths, I found it much more interesting.

                  

Especially as the forge is now closed and it looks as if the oddity may be under threat of being removed. I wonder what year the bottom horseshoes date back to?

Just up the road is the village of Hodnet, which has this wonderful shop. The restore Rocking horses and sell them and other vintage and antique toys.

 

 

Somewhere to go when I win the Lottery I think.

Slimming World is the diet club I’ve joined and I am trying most of the time and am pretty good with food. It’s just that I do take my eye off the ball with the Syns some days. Saturday we took Flo’s Uncle on the Severn Valley Railway and I’m afraid I really went of the rails then!!

 

                   

 

 

 

 

                       

 

I managed to lose a pound in the last week, so that make 6 pounds in three weeks. If I can keep up an average of 2 pounds a week, I shall be very happy.

Mike’s been working very hard lately and it’s good that he has a few days off with me this week. Last Friday, I think it all caught up with him. I came upstairs to have half an hour on the computer before going to bed. He stayed downstairs to watch Qi. Within minutes I could hear snoring. When I finished I went down and tried to wake him. Nothing doing! I prodded and poked. Nothing. I wobbled his bottom lip, so that he made a funny noise whilst snoring. Still nothing. I was getting a bit fed up then. So I thought I’d get the camera and takes some photos of me waggling his lip. Then a little decoration seemed like a good idea . So I got a scarf from the hooks in the hall and draped it around his head. A rose from the vase nearby added a little extra ‘Je ne sais quoi’.

 

 

He doesn't even know I took this. I think I may be in trouble now!!

 

I have had a reader of my Blog sponsor me in the Race for Life, which is very kindbut I can’t see from the website how to thank her personally. If you read this Pat, thank you very much. I think I know who you are but I’m not certain and I don’t want to embarrass someone by thanking the wrong person. My Webpage Link

Mike and Rowley (led by me) have been invited to open a dog show at Eastnor Castle on my birthday, the 20th of this month. I just hope Rowley doesn’t make it a birthday to remember by attacking all the contestants!

Ah well, off to do some more digging now.

 

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.

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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-/