Many Thanks, Apologies, Belated Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!!!

Firstly MANY THANKS for all the very kind comments that I have been given over the past weeks . I cannot thank you enough for your kind and helpful words that have touched my heart!!!!

Secondly MANY APOLOGIES to you all for not getting back to you and responding to these most caring and wonderful comments. Also apologies for not blogging of late.. life has been very difficult recently and any spare time I have managed to find I have been frantically trying to get everything ready for Christmas or just plain exhausted!!

I did manage to get ready for Christmas but had to burn the candle at both ends of the day to do so and even ended up staying up all night Christmas eve..... I was so behind with wrapping presents for the family and even putting up Christmas cards and I so wanted to make Christmas... Christmas that it was the only thing I could do.. paid the price though because I was dead on my feet by Christmas night!! But it was nice to see the finished result by Christmas morning and of course watch the family's faces as they opened up their presents it made the lack of sleep worthwhile ......

A few Christmas pictures of the tree etc....

Due to hard times financially we all had to make cut backs this Christmas and my daughter and her partner were feeling the pinch quite harshly this year. My daughters partner has quite a few gorgeous ornaments in his home and I fell in love with one ornament in particular and so in view of this and lack of money my daughter and her partner decided to give me for a Christmas gift the ornament I so adored... and this it is.... a gift that means so much to me and will be treasured forever!!!

I adore owls and I so love this special gift..... Everyone gave very thoughtfully this year and I was given essential oils, organic skincare products, useful clothing for indoor and outdoor wear, some really super wellingtons that are just up my street as I love the Guns and Roses band/music
We also gave useful presents this year... clothes and items that were generally needed with the odd surprise thrown in. I also brought a lot of my gifts of Etsy this year... so many beautiful handmade items that have been greatly appreciated and have most certainly given a great deal of pleasure. I will blog about this and list the many wonderfully gorgeous creative people that I have discovered since blogging. Blogging I have to say has opened a whole new world for me and its a real privilege getting to know so many lovely people. I am overwhelmed by the warmth and support shown to me of late and I have a feeling I am going to be needing a great deal more support during the coming year, which I am sad to say I am actually not really looking forward too... to be honest I am scared of what this year will reveal as it progresses. I have began to have a feeling of dread each morning when I wake now and I almost have to force myself out of bed to face the day.

As many of you may know my darling Mum is sadly becoming more confused and muddled as the days go by. This is what has taken up a lot of my time of late and will continue to do so as time goes by. I do not begrudge my Mum a minute of my time.... but I do find it very hard to bear. My gorgeous rock is slowly diminishing and its Mum who looks to me to get her through the days. Some days she is so vulnerable like a little child and it so sad because I am slowly losing my strong, confident Mum... My Mum who has up until recently been my continued rock, she has shared so much with me. I am an only child and my relationship with my Mum has been so fantastic.. I am very lucky I know but it makes it so much harder as I slowly see her slip away into the fog. Mum has undergone many tests and physically all appears to be well, but mentally something is so very wrong. Mum suffered a stroke as I mentioned in an earlier post shortly after my Dad passed away and things have slowly since then deteriorated. It mainly began to affect Mums way of expressing herself verbally, she could not always get out what she wanted to say and at the moment its very hard indeed for her to get out anything she wants to say which is certainly not helping matters. A conversation with Mum now is almost a guessing game. I have to be her voice wherever we go. Next week I will be seeking further medical help because I need to know what is creating this confusion and muddle. I fear a dementia of some degree, but I need to know what it is what so we can plan and prepare. We are also in the process of filling in an housing application form. We live in a Park Home and have done so for the last 29 happy years. We love where we live, its a great community and we live in the middle of some lovely countryside which I also adore. We are a small Park Home estate and have some wonderful neighbours and friends here. My Mum and Dad sold their house so they could purchase a park home here for their retirement and so have many more of the residents. We sadly do not have the funds to purchase a house and so a council property would be our only option. I am afraid living in our park home has spoilt us and also the surrounding countryside so to move would be harrowing for us all but its becoming that I need to be with Mum 24 hours a day and in our present situation this is not possible. As it stands so far 2009 for us is looking very bleak.

Our gorgeous bundles of fur have helped take our minds of some of our recent problems and here's one or two pictures......

The weather has been very seaonal of late and in my opinion very beautiful and I have of course had to have my trusty camera out to record as much of it as I can... I find walking Basil and the two cats, very theraputic and even more so if I have an opportunity to use the camera... it helps to clear the mind and think things through... I need to have that solitude to survive at the moment.

Here one or two pictures.....

And so to finish... please forgive me my moans and groans... regardless of my own personal thoughts of 2009, I do wish each and everyone of you a VERY HAPPY 2009 and that all your hopes and dreams come true....

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.

Oprah Winfrey

Miss you so much Dad...

Have been feeling a bit low over the last few days... Mum is not well she seems to be getting more and more muddled and confused with life... and today is the anniversary of my Dads death. On this day, December 12th 1991, we lost a very much loved husband and Dad... so long ago yet it seems like only yesterday when Dad was taken from us so suddenly. Dad suffered from asthma and on this particular night he suffered quite a severe asthma attack. Dad had been ill with a chest infection and he had been given steroids earlier that day... sadly during the night regardless of the steroids things took a turn for the worst. Mum called me in a panic and I called for help. It was decided that Dad only needed to see a doctor on call out and by the time the doctor arrived Dad was struggling for breath. Mum was getting very upset as was I but we tried to put a brave face on things... The Doctor called an ambulance immediately and in hindsight and something I have always felt really guilty about is the fact that I should have insisted on an ambulance in the first place! If I had the outcome could have been so different! By the time the ambulance arrived and it seemed like forever... The Doctor kept looking out of the window waiting for the ambulance and checking my Dad... but he could do nothing to help his breathing... Mum and I busied our selves by gathering items required for an hospital stay...
When the ambulance finally arrived they carried my Dad out in a sort of stretcher chair... Dad could not talk he was just concentrating on trying to get what little air he could to his lungs... but I could see the worry in his eyes, Dad hated hospitals... the last thing I said to Dad was ' you will soon be feeling better Dad, and you will be home in time for Christmas' he gave me a knowing glance... The ambulance men got Dad into the ambulance and connected him to a nebuliser.... Dad looked so relieved... and then he died......
I miss him so much (Mum misses him deeply and I don't think she has ever gotten over his loss) .... this was the poem that we read out at his funeral, such beautiful words....


They say memories are golden
well maybe that is true.
I never wanted memories,
I only wanted you.

A million times I needed you,
a million times I cried.
If love alone could have saved you
you never would have died.

In life I loved you dearly,
In death I love you still.
In my heart you hold a place
no one could ever fill.

If tears could build a stairway
and heartache make a lane,
I'd walk the path to heaven
and bring you back again.

Our family chain is broken,
and nothing seems the same.
But as God calls us one by one,
the chain will link again.

Author Unknown.....

Love you with all my heart Dad... and think of you each and every day, but especially today!! xxxxxx

Basil is a lot better now......

As mentioned in earlier posts, Basil was quite poorly over the last week or so with stomach problems. I have now managed to get him back on his much needed painkiller without it upsetting his stomach... thankfully!!

Our vet was becoming quite concerned that due to the long term digestive problems Basil has now developed he may well be rejecting his painkiller. After a recent upset stomach we had to take Basil off his painkiller for a week to allow Basil's stomach to settle down again. Poor Basil was in so much pain at the end of that week, and could hardly stand after lying down for any length of time. Its so hard to witness a much loved pet in pain. I was really worried when resuming the painkillers that he would become ill again. I am not really sure what the outcome would have been if he had totally rejected those painkillers.

Anyway Basil is back on the painkillers and a much happier dog. I started his new multi vitamins on Saturday and so far so good. Basil now has to have multivitamins due to his now permanent diet of chicken and rice. The chicken and rice is a meal that suits his digestive system and Basil also enjoys it a great deal (again thankfully!!) but it does lack vital nutrients and thus the need for multivitamins. Basil will have regular blood tests to check to see if the multivitamins are meeting his nutrient requirements and I guess our fantastic vet will tweak the vitamins accordingly.

So we now hope Basil will be able to remain free of stomach upsets, thus staying happily on his painkillers until he finally has his hip replacements....

We love you with all of our hearts dearest Basil......

Bold and his favourite monkey!!

Bold has a favourite friend he likes to cuddle up too when he has one of his many 'cat naps' and I managed to capture one of his cuddling monkey moments on camera...

The monkey belongs to my son... brought for him by his sister as a bit of a joke a few years ago now... my son must like it as its always kept at the bottom of his bed, but no doubt he will never own up to this statement......

It reminds me of a recent post by the lovely CW at http://compostbins.blogspot.com/ and gorgeous Tom kitten with his favourite doll!

I wonder if other cats have a favourite toy to cuddle up too?

Green Meme 2

1) Link to Green Meme Bloggers.

2) Link back to whoever tagged you.

3) Include meme number

4) Include these guidelines in your post

5) Tag 3 other green bloggers.

1. Do you use baking soda toothpaste or baking soda shampoo? If not, would you consider it?

Yes we use baking soda toothpaste. We have not used baking soda shampoo because I had no idea that their was a baking soda shampoo... will be investigating. Yes I would most certainly consider it and will try it out as soon as possible.

2. Do you make any home cleaning products?

I use a lot of vinegar and lemon juice and I also use essential oils where possible. I will put some essential oils in my final washing machine rinse. I also include essential oil (few drops) in a spray bottle of water and squirt it over my clothing when I need to damp it down during ironing. Also use essential oils as an air freshener. I use oils to suit my mood. Lavender and lemon are favourites for around the house.

I am considering making my own washing powder.

3. What is your top green issue at the moment?

Electricity/gas consumption. Use as little as possible for both green and economic reasons. Continue to strive to save much more!!

4. Given unlimited cash, what is on your fantasy green wishlist?

To be able to purchase an eco home. My biggest and most wonderful dream of all would be to build our home in a completely eco style in woodland. To be completely self sufficient. I would also like to own land that could contain one of those gorgeous wind turbines... I think they are so lovely and to be able to use all that energy from mother nature really would make me so happy!!

(Isn't that a beautiful sight!)

5. Have you implemented any new green act/behaviour/product this month?

Yes.. all my statements/bills are mostly sorted out online now. I have cancelled as many paper statements and bills as I possibly can . This will help the environment and also make me less guilty about using a computer. I have also decided that I not going to have outdoor Christmas lights this year, thus saving on energy and hopefully a more economical electricity bill.

Now for nominating three other blogs.... I am going to try to find blogs that have already been tagged with green meme 1. Please don't feel you have to do the Green Meme 2, its only if you want to.....

http://greentwinsmummyasimplelife.blogspot.com/

http://teawithwillow.blogspot.com/

http://swan-songs.blogspot.com/

Award

Thank you so much !!!http://greentwinsmummyasimplelife.blogspot.com/ for this award, I am so happy to receive it!!

I need to pass it on to five other blogs. I will try to award blogs that have not yet received this lovely award, so here goes......I am going to nominate

http://moonroot.blogspot.com/

http://littlesliceoflife.wordpress.com/

http://swan-songs.blogspot.com/

http://teawithwillow.blogspot.com/

http://est1970s.blogspot.com/

Thank you for your lovely blogs .. a joy to follow!!

I have been tagged with a Green Meme 1

Green Meme 1

I’ve been tagged - by http://compostbins.blogspot.com/

Thank you so much CW!!!!

The Guidelines:

1. Link to Green Meme Bloggers
2.Link to whoever tagged you
3.Include meme number
4.Include these guidelines in your post
5.Answer questions ( which are quite thought provoking!)
6.Tag 3 other green bloggers.

1. Name two motivations for being green

My first motivation for been green was brought
about by my love of nature and hearing about so many animals/plants etc
becoming endangered due to pollution and the way 'man' is treating the planet. No
better reason for been motivated personally to contribute to the saving of
the 'planet'

My second motivation was the birth of my
children I wanted them to have a safe and happy environment to live in and by
bringing them up with my green beliefs will hopefully go towards making our
precious planet a better place to live .

2. Name 2 eco-unfriendly items you refuse to give up

My computer.... such a useful part of my life.
I try to compensate its use by not putting on the television/radio

My tumble drier.. I live in a small home and to
have wet washing draped around in the winter would be most unpleasant, and
impractical. I do my best to put it outside and line dry it when I can and thus
reducing the length of time I have to use of the drier.

3. Are you at peace with, or do you feel guilty about no.2?

I do not feel guilty so guilty about using the
computer because I shop online instead of having to drive into town to shop, this
saves on fuel which would have to be used to go into town. I also cut down
on the use of other electrical items to make up for my computer usage.

The use of the drier does make me feel guilty
but I am as economical as I can be with the length of time I use it.

4. What are you willing to change but feel unable to/stuck with/unsure how to go about it?

I would like to be able to use solar panels and
wind combine energy but due to where I live I am unable to do go ahead with
these ideas, so I am stuck with leaving things as they are.

5. Do you know your carbon footprint for your home? If so, is it larger/smaller than your national average?

Sorry no I don't. Something I have been meaning
to do for a while now. I would hope it would be on the low side as we try to be
as careful as we can with our energy usage.

6.What’s eco-frustrating and/or eco-fantastic about where you live?

Eco-frustrating is the use of pesticides in
surrounding fields. I cannot believe the amount of times the farmers spray the
fields during the crop growing season. I love living in the countryside but
really detest the chemicals that are used on crops. The chemicals in the air are
choking after a field spray and we are very careful to keep away from a recently
sprayed field. I love living in the country but do worry about the effects these
chemicals are having humans , wildlife and the environment.

Eco-fantastic is the latest recycling scheme
our local council have provided. We have green wheelie bins for garden waste,
although most of my garden waste (apart from weeds) goes into my own composters.
We have a fortnightly wheelie bin collection for recyclable materials such as
glass, cardboard, plastic which is absolutely fantastic, and a weekly wheelie
bin collection for normal household rubbish.

7. Do you eat local/organic/vegetarian/forage/grow you own?

We eat organic food. Some of the food is local,
some is not. We are not vegetarians, we have tried a vegetarian diet
and also vegan, but its not for us, but we make sure that the meat we eat is
organic. I do forage for foods and will collect blackberries or nuts when
in season. Would like to find out more about foraging as rosehips and
elderberries have been in abundance this year. We do grow our own but are
limited for space so try to utilise most of the garden.

8. What do you personally find the most challenging in being green?

It can be time consuming and also hard work.
Also some times hard on the budget, especially organic foods and clothing.

9. Do you have a green confession?

Yes and no... I am not going to feel guilty
over it as I do my level best to be as green and organic as possible, but at
times I may have to wear non organic clothing or use on
occasions non organic foods. I do have a budget and sometimes my budget will not
always stretch to totally organic and as much as I hate it I have to concede.
The budget is top of my list during these difficult financial times!

10. Do you have the support of family and/or friends?

Yes totally! My husband is with me all the way
and my children have been brought up with my green/organic methods and they too
are happy to continue with that lifestyle. My friends are happy to go along with
my lifestyle and support me in many ways.

Thank you CW for the gift of this Green Meme, I
have really enjoyed doing it !!

And now I would like to pass it onto three other lovely bloggers (will try not to tag anyone who has already been tagged with the Green Meme before)

1) http://teawithwillow.blogspot.com/

2) http://swan-songs.blogspot.com/

3) http://somersetseasons.blogspot.com/

I've been tagged....

I have been tagged by http://compostbins.blogspot.com/ and awarded the Tree of Happiness

Thank you so much CW!!

The rules of this award are:

1. Link to the person who gave the award to you.

2 Post the rules on your blog.

3. List six things that make you happy.

4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.

5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog

6. Let the person who awarded you, know when your entry is up.

The six things that make me happy are:-

1) Spending time with my dearly loved family, they are my world!!

2) Having the most wonderful cats and dog in our lives, and loving them all to bits....

3) Going for a walk with my dog and enjoying all of the weather elements (and nicer still if the cats decide to come with us!!)

4) All the green things in my life, organic foods, organic gardening, recycling, composting

5) Aromatherapy and my favourite essential oils (organic of course!)

6) Reading... nothing like a good book

I now have to nominate 6 more blogs. I follow so many wonderful blogs each and everyone a real pleasure to read, so its going to be hard to pick out six but to enable me to make a choice I am firstly going to try to avoid tagging someone that has already been tagged so here goes..............

• http://solorndragon.blogspot.com/



• http://www.life-laundry.com/



• http://swan-songs.blogspot.com/



• http://somersetseasons.blogspot.com/



• http://raggedroses.blogspot.com/



• http://moonroot.blogspot.com/

I will let you all know you have been tagged by me and if you want to, you can pass it on...but don't worry if you don't want to do it! Have fun!!

Basil update....

Poor Basil is still poorly, unfortunately he has had yet another stomach upset. I thought he was improving on Monday and resumed his painkiller but that turned out to be a mistake, after speaking with our vet he has confirmed that Basil's stomach is still far too sensitive after the previous upset to tolerate the painkiller he has to take for his hip pain at the moment, so I have to omit giving them to Basil until Friday, this means that any exercise has to be very limited until Basil is able to resume the painkiller. Basil is so tired, I hate to see him like this......

The vet believes that Basil has most certainly developed a food intolerance due to all the upset his stomach has experienced over the past twelve months. We have decided that Basil is to remain on his diet of chicken and rice which he really enjoys and seems to suit his extremely sensitive stomach. The vet is going to find a multivitamin which will make up the nutrients lacking in the bland chicken and rice diet and in six months time Basil will have a blood test to see if he is getting enough nutrients in his diet and if necessary adjust them accordingly.

Get well soon Basil xxx

Basil is poorly.....

Today Basil is poorly....... I have been up with Basil during the night. Poor Basil had an upset stomach (diarrhea) he is so tired out now bless him.....

Basil actually does have a lot of health problems and a complicated medical history and he is only 2 years 10 months old. Basil needs two hip replacements and the first in line will be the left side which gives him the most trouble, both ball and sockets on each hip are deformed and separated the only thing that is holding the ball and socket together are sinews and ligaments. Its a lot like hip dysplasia but in Basil's case its more of a deformity. At the present time we do not have to over exercise Basil, difficult to keep exercise to a minimum as he is a Border Collie and full of energy! Basil also has to have a daily joint supplement and painkiller. When things become really difficult with his hips he will be referred to an Animal Specialist who specialise in this kind of surgery. This surgery is going to be very costly between four and five thousand pounds per hip. We do have a pet insurance which we started when he was a puppy, and that will help someway with the cost but we will have to find extra funds as the insurance will not cover the whole cost. This type of condition is not picked up when the dog is a young pup it begins to show signs later on. I believe Basil was about a year old when he began to limp and become stiff when getting up. So we are busy saving the pennies....... And Basil is of course worth EVERY penny!!

To add to his health problems last September Basil stomach troubles began. He picked up a parasite that made him ill and he developed sickness and diarrhea. The vet said the parasite was to be found in puppy stools. Basil must have picked it whilst on a walk and the owner of the puppy had failed to pick up after their puppy had been to the loo.. a pet hate of mine!! I cannot understand why people do not pick up after their dogs, its such an easy thing to do!!

Once the parasite was treated and Basil began to get better he went down with yet another stomach upset. After a faeces test it was found that Basil had developed Campylobacter bacteria in his gut. Now to cut a very long story short. Basil has been treated for Campylobacter many times, with animal antibiotics, human antibiotics and had to have numerous faeces tests. Basil then developed Salmonella which he developed via the Campylobacter, this resulted in many more tests and of course had to be reported to Defra (think that's how you say it) Finally the Salmonella cleared up and the Campylobacter returned, more faeces tests and medications and finally after nearly twelve months of all of this it appears that finally the Campylobacter has gone (or waiting in the wings?) Due to all of this gut abuse Basil may have IBS but has yet this has not been confirmed. Basil is now intolerant to his pain killer which he has to have at all costs for his hips else he would be in agony! So at the moment Basil each day has to eat only chicken and rice with a scoop of Pro-Fibre in each meal. Before Basil eats his meals he has to have a medicine syringe of Antepsin which is the only thing that allows Basil to keep on taking his daily painkiller.Antepsin is a suspension to treat inflammation of the stomach. I have been advised by the vet to slowly wean Basil off the chicken and rice and replace it with an holistic sensitive stomach dry food which I have been doing and up until today I had Basil eating half the recommended dry food and half the chicken and rice and it was going really well. Then in the night the upset stomach began and I am now back to square one. Its not looking particularly good as it looks as if he is now rejecting the new dried food and I think another visit to our vet is required. Not sure what course of action will be taken now or what the outlook is for Basil but I suspect that IBS is now possible but we shall have to wait and see. No matter what the prognosis is I know we love Basil dearly and we will do whatever it takes ......

Basil's daily medications........

Basil on a good day..........

Where did those days go......

The days go by so fast .... I have had so many things to post about but been the naughty blogger I am just never got around to actually posting! So here goes.......

On Friday 7th November OH went into day surgery to have his now second Cardioversion. OH had the first cardioversion five years ago, and where did those five years go! Life is going by much too fast for me....


Six years ago OH developed a cold which developed into a chest infection. Because it was a busy time at OH workplace (Christmas peak time as its fondly know) OH would not go the the doctors to get the chest infection sorted out, could not spare the time apparently!! I became so concerned that I finally demanded that he go or else. Its rare for me to lay down the law so OH took note when I did and went along to the appointment I had made...


The doctor prescribed antibiotics for the infection but whilst examining OH chest the doctor discovered an irregular heartbeat. To cut a long story short. OH's heart had become infected by the 'ignored' chest infection and the heart had become enlarged. Also the heart was beating irregularly. Thankfully the heart is now back to a normal size but OH is now on heart medication for the rest of his life and because of the irregular heartbeat which is beating far too fast he has now had two cardioversions to shock his heart back into normal rhythm. OH will be seeing his heart specialist on November 24th to see how successful the latest cardioversion is proving to be. So far so good we think.... Moral of this story 'Never ignore a chest infection'


After the Cardioversion....



OH had to be shocked twice and this is the mark the paddle marks left behind. OH had been burned which he had been warned could happen.

OH was prescribed this cream.......


For some reason it really did not help and it actually made the marks very sore .. so out came the trusty

Aloe vera.... such a wonderful plant. I keep it in my kitchen during the winter months and just outside the kitchen door in the summer months. After regularly applying the aloe vera the paddle burn was soon eased and now has completely gone!!

This aloe vera plant is a new one that I purchased earlier this year. I think it needs re- potting and a bit of TLC after I have been hacking at it.....

Aloe Vera

1. A species of aloe (Aloe vera) native to the
   Mediterranean region.
2. The mucilaginous juice or gel obtained from the
   leaves of this plant, used in pharmaceutical preparations for its soothing and
   healing properties.

We Remember.......

I found this beautifully written poem on the Internet, it moved me to tears. Please read it as it portrays what Poppy Day is all about, and we will remember them..........

Why Wear A Poppy

"Please wear a poppy", the lady said,

And held one forth, but I shook my head

Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there,

And her face was old and lined with care;



But beneath the scars the years had made

There remained a smile that refused to fade.

A boy came whistling down the street,

Bouncing along on carefree feet.



His smile was full of joy and fun,

"Lady" said he "may I have one?"

When she pinned it on, he turned to say:

"Why do we wear a poppy to-day?"



The lady smiled in her wistful way

And answered: "This is Remembrance Day,

`And the poppy there is a symbol for

The gallant men who died in the war. "



`And because they did, you and I are free

That's why we wear a poppy you see.

I had a boy about your size,

With golden hair and big blue eyes.



"He loved to play and jump and shout

Free as a bird, he would race about.

As the years went by, he learned and grew

And became a man - as you will too. "

`He was fine and strong, with a boyish
smile,

But he'd seemed with us such a little while

When war broke out and he went away.

I still remember his face that day.



"When he smiled at me and said good-bye.

'I'll be back soon, Mum, so please don't cry.'

But the war went on and he had to stay

And all l could do was wait and pray.



"His letters told us of the awful fight

(I can see at in my dreams at night),

With the tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire,

And the mines and the bullets, the bombs and the fire."



"That sure did sound like an awful fight,

But your son - did he come back alright?"

A tear rolled down each faded cheek;

She shook her head but didn't speak.



I slunk away in a sort of shame,

And if you were with me, you'd have done the same;

For our thanks, in giving is aft delayed,

Though our freedom was bought - and thousands paid!



And so, when we see a poppy worn,

Let us reflect on the burden borne

By those who gave very all

When asked to answer their country's call

That we at home in peace might live.

Then wear a poppy! - and give!

A man called George Totten wrote
this beautiful poem

Autumn weather and the rest.....

Love the sound of the wind and find it exhilarating when the winds are on the rough side.

Managed to obtain footage (very amateur footage) of the unexpected snow earlier in the week which was listed in an earlier post. I also attempted to film the melting of the snow but sadly for whatever reason the filming did not turn out, its a shame because the sound of the snow melting off the trees was really good. I do however have some photographs of the snows slow disappearance........

Going...........

Going................. Gone..................

Whilst taking photographs I had an unexpected visit from 'Little Mo' ... 'Little Mo' who is fondly known as 'Mo, Mo' is my dear friend and neighbours cat (well one of them) Mo and I have a special relationship, because I have looked after her on many occasions whilst my friends have been on holidays or visits to family. My friends also have a gorgeous Siamese cat that they took in a couple of years ago. Zak has he is called was badly treated by his previous owner. Poor thing was found locked up in a cellar with quite a few other cats, they were fed although not well and did not see the light of day for months on end. You can imagine the stench and mess of that cellar. Zak has been very difficult to settle down and has required immense kindness and care to heal his physical and emotional injuries. Zak is very skittish and never hangs around long enough for a photograph. Zak is slowly getting to trust 'humans' again and will let us stroke him now and again. Why on earth do some people have to be so dam cruel!!!

Finally this weekend popped into our local charity shop and I purchased these two items.

The pot on the left is going to be my new sugar bowl. I had broken my last sugar bowl which had a lid and have been looking for one to replace it, with no luck. I came across this pot and although it may seem tacky to some and more like a pot for use on a dressing table it actually suits my requirements very well and I don't mind it looking a bit odd, I am quirky in many ways and don't always need things to match. The other container will be useful for storing my wooden mixing spoons etc. All that usefulness for a couple of quid!!

Happy Halloween

The ghosts of
all things past parade,

Emerging from the mist and shade

That hid them from our gaze,

And, full of song and ringing mirth,

In one glad moment of rebirth,

And again they walk the ways of earth

As in the ancient days.



The beacon light shines on the hill,

The will-o'-wisps the forests fill

With flashes filched from noon;

And witches on their broomsticks spry

Speed here and yonder in the sky,

And lift their strident voices high

Unto the Hunter's Moon.



The air resounds with tuneful notes

From myriads of straining throats,

All hailing Folly Queen;

So join the swelling choral throng,

Forget your sorrow and your wrong,

In one glad hour of joyous song

To honor Hallowe'en!



-John Kendrick Bangs

Its snowing!!!

What a mixed bag the weather has been today... Firstly frosty start with sunshine, then rain and finally snow.

My OH calls me from work this afternoon and said go and look out of the window, on looking out of window all I can see is rain! OH said 'well its thick snow here' After a few more exchanges about the weather conditions we end telephone conversion and go about our business. About half and hour later the phone rings again and its my Mum...'its snowing' and so it was... so without further ado Mum and I wrap up and take Basil for his afternoon walk so we can enjoy the snowy conditions ... Mum is now 77 and still enjoying the snow although I have to keep an eye on her in case she should slip over.

Here are my efforts at attempting to record the first snow of winter......

Got home eventually, soaking wet and cold so had a cup of this.....

Had a nice warm by this.....

Sadly we don't have a Wood burning or Solid fuel fire... those were the days, nothing like curling up by a log fire. We actually have Calor Gas fuel which is delivered by tanker and they fill the 'bomb' thingy in the garden. I don't usually have the fire has high as this, it was just to give Mum and I an initial warm up.... once we had actually thawed a little it was turned down to a far more conservative setting!

I have just had a peep outside, its nine minutes past midnight and OH has not long got in after his shift at work.... and its absolutely freezing outside. Now I will be worrying about son travelling home at about 5.30am in the morning after his night shift.... When do Mums ever stop worrying???