Surprise find

Looking at this shrub in my garden the other day, which is one I use quite a bit for cutting when doing flower arranging, I was alarmed to see it had a lot of black on it. Had the wind caught it, or was it damage from the snow and frost we`d had at Easter, I wondered, or had it got some kind of disease?

Going closer for a better inspection of it. I found that it wasn`t the leaves that were black, as I had at first thought, it was infact tiny flowers! I hadn`t realised that this shrub had flowers. It was a delightful find. Another wonder of nature to me. Isn`t that beautiful.

Fort Knox?

I really felt in the mood to be outside and do some gardening the other day, so got to work on setting my vegetable seeds. Not a lot, but I do like to try and grow some carrots, beetroot, onions and runner beans.

Our gardener had made a raised bed for me, for this year, so having raked the soil and got it as level as I could (I`m not very good at that), I first set 3 rows of onion sets, then the carrot and beetroot seeds. I`ll do the runner beans a bit later on.

Now, we have a number of cats who like to visit our garden, and as much as we chase them off they still keep returning. It`s so annoying when you have just set seeds or done some work in the garden to find them come and use it for their loo, and dig amongst the seeds. So, I had to try and find a solution to it, to at least give the seeds a chance of growing. I hunted round in the shed to see what I could use....

Here`s the result of trying to protect my seeds...... will it work..... I wait to see.

Going quackers!

Meet the new additions to "the family"!


We couldn`t resist giving them a "home" when we saw them at the garden centre yesterday.

A Free Day

I really must catch up on my blog writing. My mother had another fall last Thursday evening coming out from a meeting at our church, again she was very lucky and didn`t badly injure herself, but just bruises and feeling very shaken. And, she wasn`t the only one feeling shaken by the experience, so too was I for several days.

Still, onto more cheerful things. I got a nice text from my boss on Saturday, to say that as today was a Bank Holiday, I didn`t need to go into work if I didn`t want to! So, I`ve had an unexpected day off. And what a beautiful day it`s been.

It`s been really like summer here today, warm and sunny from sunrise to sunset. It made me feel like wanting to get some plants for the garden to give it a splash of colour, so I got mother into the car (as she loves a ride) and off we went to a garden centre. Enjoying the sight of all the fresh green growth on the trees and shrubs as we passed, in a couple of woody areas we spotted carpets of blue.... yes the bluebells were out. Unfortunately there was no handy spot to stop and take a photo of them, so here instead is a pcture of the plants I got to put into pot in the garden.

Now, all I`ve got to do is get some bags of compost to set them in and pot them up. Why didn`t I get the compost at the garden centre you may ask..... well, how do you fit a wheel-chair, two people, trays of plants, bags of plants, bags of other shopping, coats (taken by not needed!) etc.... all into the car along with the size bags of compost would be!?

Spring?

It seems as if spring could be here at last. On Saturday, for the first time this year, it was pleasant to walk about outside without a coat on - what a lovely feeling that is, I always find, the first time I do it each year.

And the wild-life seem to think its spring too, judging by the way we`ve got four Greenfinches darting about our garden, from feeders with sunflower seeds in to feeders with bird seed in. And, what joy it was to spot a rarer Goldfinch flit across the garden and perch on the fence for a short while too.

Driving up a road on a housing estate in the town, I had to stop the car to let a squirrel cross! it darted out from one kerb, then sat in the middle of the road looking at me, so I just had to wait and let it finish crossing the road.

Then, yesterday as I came away from a churchyard, a rabbit decided to do the same thing! jumped out of the hedgerow and got in the road, again making me stop until it got to the other side. Looking at the playing field and grass nearby I saw that there were a lot of them all enjoying munching on the grass in the sunshine.

And the final sighting of wildlife in the sunshine, was as I drove towards my house, (in a built up street), a toad was slowly making its way across the pavement. I had to stop before I could reverse the car into my drive to let it get out of the way........ well, I think it got out of the way!

So, I think spring is definitely here.

Retail therapy

Last Friday, after taking my little car to be looked at, to see about curing the scratch and dent that the poor thing had suffered, I decided as I was near the city, to have a wander round the shops and do a bit of shopping.

I needed some more skirts and tops, now that I don`t have to wear a uniform to work, I felt I should treat myself to a bit of a smarter, new look. So off I went to the clothes shops. The first one had nothing I liked, nor had the second, or the third or the fourth nor the firth .....nor......
Everything of reasonable price, just didn`t look like me, it was all for young slim girls. A lot of the "fashion" for this summer looks like it needs a good iron. Yes, I know its meant to look like that, but I don`t like it, and it certainly wouldn`t suit me. Skirts were either too short or way too long, blouses had necks that were almost indecent, and were all in a creased, crinkle fabric!

Why is it, that I can see other people wearing clothes and think I like that, yet I can`t find anything suitable in the shops??

Am I really so difficult to please with clothes? Or do others find the same.

I did however enjoy my unexpected browse round the shops in the city on my own, something I`d not done for a long time. So, it was good in a way, even though I came home with only a couple of items.

Award

I`ve been given an award.

Thank you Leigh

It`s cheered my week up.

All say Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrh

It`s not been a good week for us. First Mum had a fall, and now I had a slight mishap with my car this morning.....

I was trying to park in a space along the road between two cars (I always like to find an end space, but there wasn`t one). It was big enough to get in, but somehow I couldn`t get the angle right, and on deciding to give up, and find another space, as I was trying to get out onto the road, from being halfway in the space, I just caught the corner of the0 back bumper of the car in front of me. I got out, (ofcourse, no-one about at that time of morning, so I left a note under the windscreen wiper of the car, to say that I was sorry and left my phone number to ring me after 5p.m if they wanted, but no-one has yet.

Looking at my car, once I`d got into a bigger space further down the road, I found I`d got quite a scratch down the passenger side of my car. I was so mad with myself. So, it was off to the garage after work. Anyway, I saw the chap that I always deal with, and he said well it`s only a lump of metal! (why do we get so sentimental over our cars?..... or is it only me that does?) but he was helpful and he said I`d be better to do it through my insurance, so I then went and saw that chap there and he made a phone call and sorted it for me, now I just have to wait for a call in the morning from the garage who are going to deal with it.

I`m still mad with myself.

Picking Mother up

I seldom go out to an evening event, but last night a couple of the "girls" I work with planned a surprise dinner out at a local restaurant to celebrate the 60th. birthday of another work colleague. So I had accepted the invitation and went.

I had a lovely time, and really enjoyed it. The meal was good, and the fifteen of us were all old friends, so we had plenty of laughter and fun. Looking at the clock I saw it had got round to 11.30 p.m., so, said to them, "I`ll have to be going now, as I`ve got to pick mother up, I`ve left her round at her friend`s, and he`ll probably we wanting to get to bed now". Little did I know how true those words of mine would be. So, I said my goodbyes to them all, got in the car and drove the short distance home. (No, I`d had nothing to drink, so I was quite ok to drive!)

I collected Mum from her friends, drove home, got her walking aid out of the car, opened the front door and took my bag and various bits indoors, leaving her to follow. A few seconds later I heard her call my name, going to do the door I couldn`t see her, but I saw her walking aid running down the pavement, then I saw her, she`d fallen over onto the drive and pavement.

Now, she`s too big and heavy for me to pick up, and with her arthritis couldn`t get herself up. It`s now about 10 to midnight, no neighbours have lights on to show they`re still up, no-one was walking up or down the road. What to do?

After a minute or two of indicision I went to the phone in the hall and dialled 999. The helpful operator of the Ambulance who answered asked me quite a few questions, and said she`d send help, but the ambulance could take up to 45minutes to arrive, if it got diverted to a more serious emergency.

So, there I stood out in the cold with my parent laying on the concrete. Eventually after what seemed an age, but was about 15-20 minutes, flashing blue lights appeared and a medic in a car arrived, assessed the problem and decided that he couldn`t lift her on his own either, he rang through to find how long the ambulance crew would be as he needed their assistance. They were still about 20-25 minutes away! Whilst he was doing this our neighbour came up the road, we called to him and he came to see what was the matter, whilst he was coming, a neighbour opposite got into his car to go and collect his disabled son from the same event that I`d been at. I didn`t see him get in the car, but was aware of his car going very, very slowly past looking to try and see what was happening at ours, he drove very slow and hesitantly down the road, then turned at the bottom and came back to see if we needed assistance.

Between the three of them they managed to get Mum up and into the house. She fortunately hadn`t done any damage to herself, apart from bruises, but the medic thoroughly checked her before he left.

What an end to an enjoyable evening, but how thankful we were to have such good neighbours, even at past midnight!

Old?

I was made to feel really old when I opened one item the postman had brought yesterday.


A leaflet address to me, (ok, it was from an organisation I support), but, for Saga holidays! Saga holidays are for old people I thought, I`m nowhere near old enough for that. But, out of curiosity I began reading the small print, not that I have any intention of going on one of their holidays, and I discovered that I am within their age range - and not just at the start of the range! What an alarming thought.

I don`t think of myself as old, although I guess people younger than me think I`m old,
and people older than me think of me as young.

I certainly don`t feel old - or at least I didn`t until I opened that envelope.

Shopping Trip

I took Mum shopping again on Saturday as she wanted a new radio/cd player, and one with a remote control to save her having to get up to put it on and off etc. We went to a biggish store and after looking round were unsure which machine had the necessary functions we needed so we found a young salesman and asked him about what we were looking for.

After reading the boxes, he pointed out a couple on the shelves which he said had remote controls, so we chose one of them. We got it home, unpacked it and set it up, only to discover that the on/off switch on the actual machine is located on the back of it, which isn`t really a very clever idea is it?, and that the remote control only operates the CD player part of the machine and doesn`t work for the radio, nor to turn it off and on, nor to adjust the volume. Not exactly what we wanted for ease of use.

So, that will mean another trip to the shop to change it. Isn`t life difficult? Surely it would be common sense to put an on/off switch on the front or top, and make a remote control that operates the whole machine. Or, is that asking too much?

A Host of Golden Daffodils

The snow was falling heavily here at dinner time today and covering everything with a soft white blanket.

An hour later - it was spring again! The sun was out, the snow all melted, so off we went for a drive in the countryside... and this is what we found.....




....beautiful fields of Daffodils. I just had to stop and get my camera out to capture them.

It`s Going Well

I`ve now been working in my new office, at my new job for just over a week, and am thoroughly enjoying it. The work at present has been similiar to quite a bit of what I am used to doing, as we catch up on a backlog of it from other places. But, then I look forward to learning to do new and different items too.

After years of working in a dark space with no window, I now have daylight! A huge window which the sun streams through, and an outlook onto the world below. It`s amazing the things you see too when no-one knows you`re watching them!

I still can`t believe my luck in getting the job.

The only problem.... if you can call it a problem, is my parent!..... whilst everyone who knows about it is pleased for me and congratulates me, not one such word have I had from her. All she keeps saying is about me working slightly different hours, and will I get all the housework etc., done for her that way. Can`t I have a life of my own??

National Friendship Week

I received this from a friend, and so I thought I`d share it on here with my Blogger friends........


READ THIS VERY SLOWLY....IT'S PROFOUND.

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to 'cut back the calories'. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible !!

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Who wants to be a millionaire' on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, 'How about going to lunch in a half hour?' She would gas up and stammer, 'I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain.' And my personal favourite: 'It's Monday.' She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because we cram so much into our lives, we tend to even schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.'

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process The other day , I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy. Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask 'How are you?' Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say 'Hi?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away. ... Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.


It's National Friendship Week.
Show your friends how much you care.
Share this with everyone you consider a FRIEND.
If it comes back to you, then you'll know you have a circle of friends.

To those I have sent this to... I cherish our friendship and appreciate all you do.

'Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!'

Bath Time!

Splash! Splash! Splash!



Have I splashed enough water out yet?!




The world looks different without bars!
Think I`ll stay in a bit longer.

It`s Bank Holiday...

It`s a bank holiday (well for some it is, I`ve been working), but I just had to share with you something I saw today, that "said it all"!

It was about 5 p.m., I was going home from work, it has been snowing on and off all day, the sky was grey and more snow was beginning to fall. As I drove through the town, now with only a handful of holidaymakers about, the majority having the sense to either go home or at least get inside somewhere warm, my eye was drawn to the doorway of the betting shop. In the door way trying to shelter I presume from the icy wind stood two people, woolly hats on pulled well down over their eyes, bundled up in anoraks and jackets with collars up high round their necks...and there they stood... holding... and eating icecream cones!

I suppose it was a case of, we`ve come to the seaside so we`ve got to have an icecream!

White Easter

Is it Christmas time?....



...No !... it`s Easter Day. And the first snow we`ve had all winter fell this morning.



It looked so pretty, that I just had to get my camera out and capture the moment. By the afternoon the sun was shining and it had melted, but a few more flakes fell this evening.... so what we`ll wake up to in the morning.....??!

HAPPY EASTER

Good Friday

The weather here today, of very, very strong icy cold wind along with showers of sleet and rain prevented me from doing what I usually do on Good Friday.

After our service at church there is a procession to the town following a large heavy wooden cross, a service in the centre on the town, with music provided by the Salvation Army band, and then the procession follows the cross up onto a hill on the cliffs where the cross is erected. It is a moving experience. But today, with the way the weather was, I chickened out of the walk up onto the cliffs. I just followed it to the town and even standing there for the short service my feet became blocks of ice, it was so cold. The wind was blowing right off the sea, and after the rain of yesterday as well as today, I thought it was too risky to try and go up.
But, I have missed doing so.

A few words in the Bible reading caught my attention today, and set me wondering... I`ve heard the passage many times, and not thought twice about this bit of it, but today on both times of hearing it, it gave me a question.

It was the verses about the soldiers at the cross who "divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice" (Luke 23: 34 Good News Bible). It made me wonder - why did they want Jesus`s clothes? If Jesus had been a rich king with extravagant clothing it would have made sense, but I always assume that Jesus wasn`t lavishly dressed (maybe I`m wrong in that?) - so why would they want them?

Finger Trouble

I guess some of you may have noticed a few things missing on my blog today, and a few different ones. It wasn`t done intentionally!

Whilst going to add a link to another blog that I`ve started reading recently, I don`t know what I did, but my site disappeared completely. All I was left with was the things from the right side bar scattered all across the screen.

I tried going out of my blog without saving anything, then opening it again... but with the same result. Panic stations!! It made me realise how much a lot of what I`d written about my life mattered to me. That I wanted to keep the record of it.

As a last resort, I thought, I`ll have to start another one, so I went into the Template tab and selected the one I`d used before, thinking I`d have to start writing from scratch again. But, wonder of wonders, once I`d clicked on the template, saved and opened it - there were all my posts. But, the links and items I`d had in the side bar had disappeared. Not so important, but some I want to try and find again. So keep watching the bar and they may reappear!

Got it!

I can now reveal what it was I wrote here about.

I`m starting a new job.

After almost forty years of working in the same job and building - albeit that it has had a few changes during that time, both in the actual structure of the building and in the type of work I was doing. I`ve ventured to make a change.

With the new owners of where I work and their growth in number of retail outlets I heard that they were going to be starting a head office. So, finding out that it was going to be located in offices above where I currently work, I asked one of them if there was any chance of a job there..... and, to cut a long story short..... he came back, having talked it over with the other partner and said Yes.

So, the middle of next week, I become the first employee of their Head Office. I`m really looking forward to it, as I thoroughly enjoy office work and am happy working on my own. I`m chuffed too, to think that they rate my work highly enough to promote me to the job.

Holiday over

I`ve come to the end of my weeks holiday. It`s gone too quickly and looking at the list of things I wrote this time last week that I wanted to do on my holiday, there`s several which I didn`t get completed - one in particular being turning out all the kitchen cupboards. I didn`t even make a start on them!


Although the weather wasn`t brilliant, I went out each day somewhere. One day several hours were spent looking through books of old church records at the local Records office. They made interesting reading and I even unexpectedly came across my Dads name two or three times in them, which I was pleased to see.

Some other days I went to various places and wandered round towns and shops. Did a bit of craft work, and got to know my new lap-top, although it`s still refusing to let me get into my emails on IE although I can access them on Firefox. I can`t puzzle out why.

Now, its back to work tomorrow. Still, I have enjoyed my week of not doing much. Roll on the next holiday!!

Spending Spree!

Being on holiday, and the weather not being good (wind and rain on Monday) I decided to treat myself to a new lap-top as my current one wouldn`t do all that I needed. So off I went to a large computer store on the edge of the "big city" - well - Norwich, but as a child it was always the big city and I suppose that title sticks!. Anyway, I digress....

Having had a good look round at all the different ones available and with the help of a helpful assistant, I made my choice, and bought it. I`ve got it all set up fine, connected to the Internet too after a few attempts - but I`ve come up with one problem - trying to load the installation discs of my current printers, neither of them are compatable with the new windows Vista, they both work with Windows XP! So, have I got to treat myself to a new printer too?

NO Work!

Yippee..... No work for a week, I`ve a weeks holiday.

Well, a weeks holiday from my paid employment, I guess I shall be busy working at home on various things.
I`ve a birthday cake to make for my mum`s 89th. birthday
I`ve yet to buy her a present - and I haven`t a clue what to get. What do you get someone of that age? She`s still got a wardrobe full of clothes even after we turned a lot out for a jumble sale the other week.
I`ve correspondence to do
I`ve turning out of kitchen cupboards to do
I`ve a trip to the Records office to do some research with a church member
I`ve.....
I`ve.....

!!

The List worked!

I had a lot to do today, so last night I wrote myself a list of all I had to do. As I thought of each item, down it went on the list.

The list grew bigger and bigger.

I`ll never get it all done I thought as I kept thinging of things that I had to do, where shall I start? But I added them to the list.

But......

....today, I started at the top of the list,
first job done,
second job done,
another items crossed off
...and another.... and another..

.... and although my list had 19 items on it (all to do after a mornings work, and before going out to a meeting in the evening too - some of the items being for that meeting) .....

I got them all done - and with time to spare to wash my hair!

It certainly paid to make that list. Everything got done, nothing got forgotten, I had all I needed for the meeting.

Now, I just hope that I`ve got everything prepared that I need for tomorrow! - well, they`re all crossed off the list, so they must be.





(Thanks fellow bloggers for your good wishes - I feel better today too)

A second flowering

I`ve not been very well over the weekend, I don`t know if it was a reaction to the tablets that made me sick, or whether it was what was causing the pain that did it, so hence I couldn`t think of anything to write, but I`ve enjoyed watching the second stem on my Amaryllis come into bloom. Its got 3 huge flowers on, so I thought I`d share a view of it with you all today. What a wonderful bulb it was to give a total of 7 beautiful flowers, all at least 6 inches across. (Sorry, if you don`t work in proper measurements, its about 15cm.)

On a lighter note

A friend passed these pupils answers to test questions on to me the other day, and I thought some of them were worth sharing on here, to give us all a smile for the weekend:

Q - How can you delay milk turning sour
A - Keep it in the cow

Q - Give the meaning of the term 'caesarean section'
A - the caesarean section is a district in Rome

Q - What does the word 'benign' man?
A - Benign is what you will be after you be eight.

Q - What is a turbine?
A - Something an Arab wears on his head

Q - What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty?
A - He says goodbye to boyhood and looks forward to his adultery

Q - What is the fibula
A - A small lie

Q - Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink
A - Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeitst.

A visit to the doctor

Well the pain got so bad yesterday afternoon, that I had to resort to ringing the surgery to see if I could see a doctor about it. I was getting worried and imagining all sorts of things. The receptionist was very helpful, said the doctor would ring me back shortly and then askk me to go to the surgery if he needed to see me about it. That was at 3.15 p.m. By 5 o`clock I`d still not had a phone call, so wondering if they`d forgotten about me I rang again. But, the same receptionist apologised and said no, he`d been called out and was now working down the list.

Shortly after that he did ring, and I had to go to see him.

His diagnosis is that I`ve pulled a muscle which is rubbing on a bone and a nerve hence the pain. He`s given me some stronger pain killers, so hopefully they `ll work. And said to keep it exercised! To not bend, but to do everything by bobbing my knees down; to put the washing up bowl on the draining board to wash up and not bend over the sink, et....etc....

So if anyone sees me moving pecularily to do jobs, ...........I`ve not gone mad!

After effects?

Having said in yesterdays post that I felt ok, I found that to be untrue.
I felt totally out of sorts and under the weather all day. The worst thing being a strong pain . I can`t really pinpoint the exact spot it`s coming from, but my back, my right hip, my leg, all hurt and ache and at times it`s aross the bottom of my tummy too making me feel rather queasy on occasion.

Was it caused by the earthquake I wonder? shaking my body in an abnormal way, and the way I tried to hold myself still. Maybe using a muscle/s that I don`t normally use much? Or is it just coincidence, and something is wrong? It`s still there this morning in my hip area.

Shakey, shakey, shake, shake!

All was normal when I went to bed last night and fell asleep. I woke at about 12.55 being shaken. I couldn`t make out what was waking me, there was no-one in the room shaking me to wake me, then I realised that it wasn`t just me shaking, the bed seemed to be shaking and so did everything around me. What had I eaten for supper, that could be making me feel like this I wondered?

I stretched out my arms and gripped the edges of the matress either side of me, to try and steady and hold myself still in the darkness (I didn`t put a light on, as that would have woken me up more). What was happening, it couldn`t be an earth tremor because we don`t get them in this country I thought. What was wrong with me? I`d never felt anything like this before. Gradually as I gripped the edges of the bed it subsided and, so I cuddled down again under the duvet and went off to sleep.

Waking to the sound of my radio alarm this morning, I remembered the event of the night and thought that I must have been dreaming. I felt ok, and everything in the room looked as normal. Then the news came on the radio "England & Wales suffered an earthquake last night 5.2 on the Richter scale, the centre of if being in Lincolnshire" So now I know that it wasn`t something wrong with me, I didn`t imagine it.

I wonder what all the birds in the trees in the wild, and animals in the earth made of it? It must have been terrifying for them.

Spring is in the Air

Looking out of my kitchen window whilst washing up this lunch time, I spotted a sight which cheered me up today.












Opposite the window there is a hydrangea bush which had been cut down last autumn because it had got too woody and unruly.
Looking at the bare wood stems, I suddenly spotted a tiny green leaf.







On going out to look closer, I discoverd that a lot of the branches were sprouting green buds and one had even got a few tiny leaves on.
What a marvel nature is.
It really cheered my spirits today.

It`s Flowering!

The buds have now burst open on the Amaryllis, which I posted a picture of as just showing signs of opening the other day.... and here it is.



As you can see there are already two flowers open and two more buds to open on the same stalk, and there`s also another flower stem appearing. It`s getting so tall that I`ve had to stake it and tie it to keep it from going over.

Whilst looking for the words to a hymn this evening, I came across this - and thought I`d share it with you.



Having been to Scarborough and enjoyed many holidays there, the scenes brought back memories as I watched it.

A Sunday Walk

I awoke this morning to a thick white frost which made everything look beautiful as the sun shone and it glistened from the grass, shrubs and trees around. Although a lot colder than last Sunday, I decided to go for a walk this afternoon, but not on the cliff top.

Getting ito the car, I went to a National Trust park near where I live, parked the car and set out for a walk. Patches of snopdrops lined the path at the start of the walk, looking so delicate and fragile and beautiful. (They`re one of my favourite flowers).

I hadn`t gone far along the path, when someone called out "hello" to me. Looking to see who it was I discovered a friend that I used to work with and her family - husband and children on bikes, dog on lead, and her pushing an empty pushchair whilst her daughter had the youngest toddling along on a pair of reigns. Stopping to speak to them, we then began to walk along together, and after being assured that I was welcome to join them on their walk, we had a lovely long walk through the park. Probably going further than I would have gone on my own.

It was so lovely to have some company for a change, and not have to go for a walk on my own. Yet, having said that, I do also very much enjoy having a walk on my own like last week. But this chance meeting just somehow "made" the afternoon today.

Little Boxes

I`ve noticed recently while shopping that more and more people are going back to the days of bringing their own shopping bags with them, and declining the plastic carrier bags. What a good sign this is of people doing their bit for the environment and global warming.

But the question I want to ask, is why, oh why do all the manufacturers still persist in delivering their goods to shops shrink wrapped in plastic/polythene and not in cardboard boxes in the way they used to. Surely they too should be thinking of reducing the amout of plastic and polythene they use which all has to be disposed of by the retailers.

Let`s start a "Bring back the cardboard box" campaign!!

Busting with Life

I love watching things grow. I find it miraculous how a tiny seed, a corm, or a seemingly lifeless bulb, when planted in the soil, watered and cared for, will come to life. Nothing we can do can actually make it grow. We can help it and tend it, but it has to do it itself, and it does.

I`m sure I don`t need to tell you what this is. It`s been growing up in leaps and bounds since I planted it two or three weeks ago, and now I can just see the first signs of the flowers beginning to burst out and appear.

At this stage it`s difficult to tell what colour they will be, so I wait for nature to unfold its secret a bit further.

A Taste of Spring

I received a gift of these beautiful tulips yesterday, so just had to share them with you all. As you can probably see through the clutter behind them, I have them standing on the desk beside me as its cooler than the lounge.... and, I spend more time here anyway!



I`ve carefully pricked through the stem of each one with a pin just below the flower to try and keep them standing upright.

Aren`t they beautiful.

Good News

I had some exciting news today, about something I was hoping for. But, I`m sworn to secrecy at the moment, so I`m not even going to tell you all what it was. All will be revealed in a few weeks times. But it`s something I`m very pleased and happy about.

It`s something I requested, but didn`t know if I`d be lucky enough to get or not.

After my disappointment a few weeks ago, this has come as good news.
God does work in mysteriousways.

Scenic Walk

Another beautiful sunny really warm day, so, being that it was too nice to stay indoors this afternoon I decided it was time I had some exercise, so shoes and jacket on and off I went for a walk, taking ofcourse my camera with me.

I climbed to the top of the hill on the cliff, (yes, I found I was out of practice and was short of breath when I got to the top, still, it was the first time this year!) I must get in the habit of doing it more often.

Sitting on a seat there, taking in the beauty of the view all around me - the sea to one side and the town to the other, I got out my camera and took this small video of what I saw.

Hope you`ll all enjoy it, and get a flavour of where I live.



Sorry, the quality of that video on here, isn`t as good as it was on my computer, so I`ll also give you a photo I took.

Reflections

Drawn out by the sunshine this afternoon, the household chores were left behind and off we went in the car for a ride along the coast. It really was a delightful day.
Stopping at a favourits spot of ours (yes, just Mum and I, so that was a treat too!), there wasn`t a ripple or movement on the water in the creek, and the only sound the sound of a few seagulls. It was so peaceful.



Fortunately I had taken my camera with me so I was able to capture these beautiful reflections of the boats in the water.

Can you spot the seagull, in this one on the left?

I found myself wondering is it really February, it feels more like April.

Why Pancakes?

Having just cooked and eaten the traditional pancakes today - Shrove Tuesday - pancakes being something I very much enjoy eating with sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice over them, I got to thinking.

Yes, I know its a dangerous thing for me to do, but I did!

I started wondering, why pancakes? I don`t mean in the historical why pancakes, I know it came from the practice of using up all butter, eggs, etc., before the start of Lent tomorrow. ..... but, why pancakes? .....

......the same mixture would make yorkshire puddings.... so why is it not Yorkshire Pudding Day?! And, I guess the ingredients would make other dishes too, so who first made and decided that it should be pancakes?!

Mind you, I`m glad they did, because I enjoy them.

Telephone enquiries

To give you all a smile today, I`ll post something that was sent to me by a friend.....

Operator: 'Computer assistance; may I help you?'
Caller: 'Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect.'
Operator: 'What sort of trouble??'
Caller: 'Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away.'
Operator: 'Went away?'
Caller: 'They disappeared.'
Operator: 'Hmm So what does your screen look like now?'
Caller: 'Nothing.'
Operator: 'Nothing??'
Caller: 'It's blank; it won't accept anything when type.'
Operator: 'Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out??'
Caller: 'How do I tell?'
Operator: 'Can you see the C: prompt on the screen?'
Caller: 'What's a sea prompt?'

Operator: 'Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?'
Caller: 'There isn't any cursor: I told you, it won't accept anything I type.'
Operator: 'Does your monitor have a power indicator?'
Caller: 'What's a monitor?'
Operator: 'It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. Does it have a little light that tells you when it's on?'
Caller: 'I don't know.'
Operator: 'Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that??'
Caller: 'Yes, I think so.'
Operator:’ Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall.
Caller: 'Yes, it is.'
Operator: 'When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one?'
Caller: 'No.'

Operator: 'Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable.'
Caller: 'Okay, here it is.'
Operator: 'Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of your computer.'
Caller: 'I can't reach.'
Operator: 'Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is??'
Caller: 'No.'
Operator: 'Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?'
Caller: 'Oh, it's not because I don't have the right angle it's because it's dark.'
Operator: 'Dark?'
Caller: ‘Yes the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window.’
Operator: 'Well, turn on the office light then.'
Caller: 'I can't.'
Operator: 'No? Why not??'
Caller: 'Because there's a power failure.'
Operator: 'A power...A power failure? Aha, Okay, we've got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in?'
Caller: 'Well, yes, I keep them in the closet.'
Operator: 'Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from.'
Caller: ‘Really? Is it that bad?'
Operator: 'Yes, I'm afraid it is.'
Caller: 'Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?'
Operator: 'Tell them you're too b***** stupid to own a computer!

This is said to be a true story, from a computer firm`s help desk.... the employee was sacked!

Makes you think, doesn`t it what patience these people need in such jobs.

Remembering

Sixteen years ago today, my dear Dad died.
I`ve put this flower arrangement in our church, in memory of him.
He was a very special person.

Policemen by the dozen!!

Well, I think I spoke too soon, on hoping it was spring!.....
today its gone quite cold again and the wind!.... very, very strong.

Infact a shopping street in our town had to be closed today because some tiles blew off one of the properties into the road. Luckily as far as I know, no-one was hurt by them. But - you never saw so many policemen, traffic wardens and other officials. Police cars with blue flashing lights blocked each end of the road for hours. And all for a couple of roof tiles. Wonder how many we`d have seen if it had been something really serious?!

Don`t get me wrong, I know they had to do their job to keep people safe, but.... if did seem a bit of an excessive quantity of them.

And.... to top it all, the television camera crew arrived as well !

An Early Spring

Is it spring?

It can`t be spring already, can it?

We`re still in January, but it doesn`t feel a bit like January, it hasn`t been really cold once, ok, I admit that people living here, who`ve not been brought up here, may think it`s cold being on the East coast, but there`s been no frost, hail, sleet or snow. The weather here especially these last few days has been exceptionally mild, sunny and really springlike.

The birds must be feeling it too because they`re tweeting and singing away in the trees. At Pensthorpe where I enjoyed my Sunday afternoon walk the wildfowl on the lakes were starting some of their courtship displays. It was a joy to watch.

Black & White beauties

I wonder why it is, that standing (or sitting) watching swans on the lake is such a relaxing pastime? These looked so graceful just floating on the water in the sunlight.

Peace & Tranquility

I found great peace and tranquility on a walk this afternoon. Will share more photos from it later this week, but here`s what I thought was a beautiful scene.

A taste of Spring

I just had to share this sight of spring with you, which I came across unexpectedly in our church this morning. I just turned round from shutting a door and it caught my eye. It brightened a dark corner and said so clearly Spring is coming.

Blue flower.

I`ve had a busy week, so no time to really think what to write on my blog. But, so that you don`t all think I`ve disappeared off the face of the earth, here`s a picture of a flower I took sometime last summer. Don`t know what it is. Maybe a reader does?
It was such a pretty shade of blue, and so dainty. I love dainty flowers.

Going fishing?

Something to give you a smile today!

An ordinary day

What shall I write about today? It`s not been a very noteworthy day. It`s been a rainy day, so apart from going out for a while this morning and doing a bit of essential shopping, I`ve not been anywhere.

I got some nice local caught cod from the fish shop, then went over the the greengrocers and got some potoatoes, went home, made some batter and cooked some delicious fish and chips for lunch for myself and a friend who came over today. Then we had a good old natter and caught up with each others news.

Goldie

Meet the new addition to our family.

Gift

I had a nice surprize gift last week. A work colleague had been on a round the world cruise during the last few months, and brought me back four thimbles from various places they`d stopped at. Here`s one of them.



It`s quite unusual in that the design is in relief on the outside of it. You can probably see that clearer in this picture.

Reader wanted!

With all the ups and downs of last week, I think my mind wasn`t concentrating on all it should be. Sitting in our church service yesterday morning, it came to the first Bible reading. Everyone had sat down at the end of the hymn, the Minister sat down too, and was looking round expectantly.

It was probably only a second or two in real time, but it seemed liked minutes then it struck me, I should have found people to do the readings! I hurriedly grabbed the Bible from the pew in front of me and sped out to read the 1st. lesson, hoping it wasn`t difficult and wouldn`t have a lot of hard names in it. Thankfully when I got to the lecturn the Bible was open at the right page, saving me finding it in the one in my hand, and it was a passage I`d read before. But, then I realised there was another reading after the next hymn which also needed a reader! I couldn`t go back to read the other passages, that would look too obvious that something had gone wrong.

Racking my brains what to do, as the hymn started I touched the person in front of my on the shoulder, quickly explained what had happened and asked her if she could read the other passages. To my immense relief she instantly said yes. Normally she would have been out with the children`s group, I was so very lucky that she wasn`t this week.

Lesson to myself - Write things down in a list.

New Baby

What a lot of things have happened this week. Along with the disappointments and sad things of this last week, there have also been some exciting and happy things.

The biggest of these being that I`ve got a new "baby". it will need taking care or, feeding, exercising and cleaning. But I know it will also give me hours of enjoyment.

No, don`t get alarmed/excited, I`ve not just given birth!.....

its......

a new car!

And here it is.

Isn`t it beautiful.

R.I.P

I was going to show and tell you about something new today, but that`s going to have to wait now until tomorrow, or the next day, because something very sad happened today and I feel the need to write about it.

My little canary died while we were out this afternoon. He hadn`t seemed well for a few day the other week, but then picked up and was back to his normal self. He was as lively and chirpy as usual yesterday. This morning when I got up and uncovered his cage he just sat there fluffed out and not looking well. He slept most of the morning and was asleep on his perch when we went out this afternoon. When we came back he was on his floor and had died.

The place seems so quiet, so empty somehow without him.

He wasn`t that old either, we`d had him just over 3 years. He was such a tame and clever little chap. He`d know the minute we started to get a coat on to go out that he would get a sunflower seed, which he`d take from our fingers to eat; he knew when the butcher came that he would give him one too; and when other various people came to the house he seemed to recognise them and who would give him a seed too. At dinner times, he knew that when we had our pudding he would get his tit-bit of apple or lettuce and would sit quietly while we had our first course and as soon as we put our knives and forks down would start jumping about and tweeting for his.
He loved his bath, and would ask for it by dipping his head in his drinking water then going onto his perch and shaking his feathers. He was the most intelligent canary that we`d ever had.

He was such good company, the house never felt empty with him in it. As soon as we came in and opened the door, we`d call out to him. He was only small, but he was such a big part of our lives. I`ll miss him so much.

I think there`ll be tears in the pillow tonight.

Waiting Over

I didn`t have long to wait this morning before the phone call that I`d been waiting for came. And with it came the news that I hadn`t been selected for the job this time.

Was I disappointed? In lots of ways yes, because I know that it was work that I could have done and would have enjoyed doing; it would have been a help in my home life too. But yet when I came out of the interview yesterday I knew that I`d let myself down, I`d as usual shrunk into my quiet self, I`d become (as so often) tongue-tied and `struck dumb`, and didn`t showing my true abilities. I suppose too that my upbringing, being that one doesn`t talk about oneself, or what I can do still affects me, and I find it very difficult to talk about myself.

Yet, I`m proud of myself that I did have the courage to apply for the job and to go for the interview. My confidence in myself is growing to how its been my whole life. Even a few years ago I wouldn`t have plucked up the courage to even show an interest in the job even though it would be work I could do. And as for going somewhere I`d not been before I would have found all excuses under the sun not to go. So, although I wasn`t successful in being appointed, I feel its another small success for me in confidence building.

Today was the day

Well, I was fortunate enough to be shortlisted for an interview for the job, which I wrote about here, and have today been for that interview.

I found it quite a scary thing to do, but after an initial feeling of lots of butterflies in my tummy all doing somersaults for a few hours when I got up this morning and making me feel rather unwell, I managed to set off for the interview feeling fairly calm.

Two of the interviewers I hadn`t met before, but I was surprised to find one that I did know. How would that affect my chances I wondered, would it help as she knew what I was capable of, or would she feel because she knew me (and maybe not the other candidates) that she would have to be more critical?

One question which I was asked that stumped me most on how to answer was (and that was asked in the section the person who knew me had to ask) was - what kind of people irritate you the most. What kind of answer would they expect to that, I wondered. I thought for a few seconds, then came up with an answer, of aggressive people.

Now I wait.

Relevant Words

Attending today, as I guess many people have, a Covenant Service at our church, it seemed an even more personal service for me today.

To quote part of the words spoken:

Christ has many services to be done: some are easy, others difficult....
some are suitable to our natural inclinations and material interests,
others are contrary to both .....

And the response we made:

I am no longer my own but yours.
Your will, not mine, be done in all things, wherever you may place me, in all that I do and in all that I may endure;
when there is work for me and when there is none, when I am troubled and when I am at peace.
Your will be done...............
I willingly offer all I have and am to serve you as and where you choose.

That seemed so relevant to me, as I await an interview this week for a job, and the outcome of it.

Resolution

Well, it may be a few days late to be making new year resolutions, but I think I`m just going to make one for this year. Not a whole list of them like I have some years and then not been able to keep them.

So....

....my resolution for this year (which I`ve started to do).....

is....

..... to be more organised, and to keep my workroom/office tidier.

Thoughts from Records

Touching and reading some books this afternoon, I suddenly was stuck by the realisation that what I was handling was over two hundred and twenty years old. That someone that long ago had handled the same and written in them, and here I was all these years later reading what he had written. I suddenly felt very priviledged to be doing so.

What I was looking at were some old church records.

One of the things I found interesting, gave an insight into the life of people in the 1780`s, was that alongside the names on the registers they had also given the trade or circumstances of the person.

Amongst the, to be expected, Labourer; Farmer; Sailor, etc., I found a lot of more unusual jobs - Mantlemaker; Twine spinner; Besom maker; Caulker; Watchmaker; Tide waiter (wonder what that involved?); Rope maker; Coal heaver; Chopper (wonder what he chopped and why); Shop maid, Cutler. A few had Pilgrim against them, one even had Gent - which set me wondering why he should have that description.

A large number were Servants, Invalid was written against another name, then I came across the one that seemed to me an even sadder description against several names - Pauper. And one even said gone to the Workhouse.

Actually handling books and seeing the handwriting in them, as against just learning history from printed books, really brought home to me the hard times that people had as against our lives today.


It also set me thinking, that maybe we should do the same with the records we keep in this day and age, so that people in years to come could look back and think... what did a dustman, traffic warden, check-out girl,.etc.... do?!

The Seamstress

I share with you today, something sent to me.....

One day, when a seamstress was sewing while sitting close to a river, her thimble fell into the river. When she cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, 'My dear child, why are you crying?'

The seamstress replied that her thimble had fallen into the water and that she needed it to help her husband in making a living for their family.

The Lord dipped His hand into the water and pulled up a golden thimble set with sapphires.

'Is this your thimble?' the Lord asked.

The seamstress replied, 'No.'

The Lord again dipped into the river. He held out a golden thimble studded with rubies.

'Is this your thimble?' the Lord asked.

Again, the seamstress replied, 'No.'

The Lord reached down again and came up with a leather thimble.

'Is this your thimble ?' the Lord asked.

The seamstress replied, 'Yes.'

The Lord was pleased with the woman's honesty and gave her all three thimbles to keep, and the seamstress went home happy.

Some years later, the seamstress was walking with her husband along the riverbank, and her husband fell into the river and disappeared under the water. When she cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked her, 'Why are you crying?'

'Oh Lord, my husband has fallen into the river!'

The Lord went down into the water and came up with George Clooney. 'Is this your husband?' the Lord asked.

'Yes,' cried the seamstress.

The Lord was furious. 'You lied! That is an untruth!'

The seamstress replied, 'Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a misunderstanding. You see, if I had said 'no' to George Clooney, you would have come up with Brad Pitt.

Then if I said 'no' to him, you would have come up with my husband. Had I then said 'yes,' you would have given me all three. Lord, I'm not in the best of health and would not be able to take care of all three husbands, so THAT'S why I said 'yes' to George Clooney.

And so the Lord let her keep him.

The moral of this story is:
Whenever a woman lies, it's for a good and honourable reason, and in the best interest of others. That's our story, and we're sticking to it.

Signed,

All Us Women

Fresh start

This new year, I`ve not made any resolutions (not yet, anyway), but somehow its made me want to have a clean start. Wanting to really sort all the house out, there seems so much stuff everywhere that I have the urge to tidy it all away and make a new start. So I`ve started in my office room. Papers have been flying everywhere! The shredder has been working overtime and the recycling bin has been filling up.

I`ve also decided to pick up again in doing my daily Counting my blessings blog, but again have started a fresh one instead of carrying on with the one I abandoned last year, as I felt it was becoming boring and repetitive.

I`m also changing something else for something new.... but you`ll have to wait till next week to hear about that!

It`s Here!

HAPPY NEW YEAR
EVERYONE!