New House!

I`ve got a new house!......

No, I`ve not moved, I`ve just had my hall, staircase and landing redecorated and a bit of dismantling done.

Our staircase when I was a child had bannisters, and I have memories of sitting on the stairs, with all my dolls and teddy on different stairs, when my mother was hoovering in the hall, and pretending we were in a train looking out of the gaps in the bannisters as the windows, the sound of the hoover being the engine
.
Anyway - during the 1960`s my mother decided she was tired of keep having to dust all the fiddly fancy bannister posts and rails and we had a handiman come and box the whole thing in with sheets of hardboard and then it was painted.   Looked very solid, and I didn`t like it.

So, now having the house to myself, I decided it was time those awful sheets of hardboard came off.  And what a difference it`s made to the the house.   It`s given it a whole new feel and made it seem so much bigger, brighter and lighter as one comes in the front door.

What`s in an empty office?

Well, it was back to work yesterday after my weeks holiday.   Work wasn`t bad, but at one point in the morning I got a real fright!

Running out of staples I went upstairs to the office at the back of the building, which had been vacated some time ago and left empty, as I knew there were unneeded stationery items there.   I easily found what I wanted and returned down to my own office and continued working.

Later in the morning, needing to find an old personnel file, I again went up to the next floor, but this time to the unused office at the front of the building.   On opening the door something large whirred around me, making me jump.  (this office too had been unused for months and just occasionally I had need to enter it).  Once I got over being startled, I looked around and there was a pigeon.  

I quickly shut the door so that it didn`t get loose in the whole of the building,  thankful that I like birds and am not afraid of them flying round in the way that many people are.  How had it got there?   Looking across at the window, which had roller blinds pulled right down to the window sill and quite tight against the window, I spotted that one of the sash windows was open about 12 inches from the top.  Obviously that was how the bird had got in, but yet, the blinds were close to the window, so quite how he (or she) had managed it I`m not sure.

It was obvious from the state of the "little messages!" that the bird had been leaving all over the chairs, desk, filing cabinet, floor etc., that it had been in the for quite some time.   Poor little thing!

By now the bird had quietened down and was sitting perched on the edge of the filing cabinet watching me,  I went over to the window and pulled up the blind of the opened window.   After a minute or so the bird flew and perched on the top of the open window beside me then with a flap of its wings sped off out into the world again.   I wonder what tales he/she will tell the other pigeons of its adventure.

I`m just so glad that I had reason to go up into that room.   I`ll now make sure I check up there more often - just incase it decides to come back.

In the Bird House

What do you expect to find in a bird house?

..... birds.....

Well......

......look again at this one which I saw the other day

More Snowdrops

I took so many photos of the snowdrops on my walk that I thought I`d share a few more with you all.   To me they are such a beautiful flower and one of my favourites.   I marvel at the way something so small and fragile looking can struggle through the earth at this time of year and withstand the cold, frost and all that the climate gives it at this time of year. 

Looking closely at the snowdrops, there were many different kinds too- like this one with the lovely green petals and shading, which one couldn`t see unless you gently lifted its head - or as in this case, put the camera underneath it!

This to me was a good sign of new life among the old, with the fallen and decaying tree trunk and the fresh new snowdrops.   So encouraging, so hopeful.

A Walk in Springtime

Come, enjoy the walk that I enjoyed on Friday afternoon.....

No, that`s not snow on the ground, its a carpet of snowdrops

Amongst the snowdrops were some yellow aconites

Everywhere I looked there were the dainty white snowdrops, hundreds of thousands of beautiful blooms

The sun was out and it was a really beautiful peaceful afternoon

Being Watched

Sitting at my office desk yesterday, alone in the office, I got the feeling that I was being watched.   Now, I hasten to add, my office is on the first floor of a buiding, up 17 steps.  There were no workmen working on the building, and we do not have a window cleaner.

I looked across to the big bay window, and at first couldn`t see what was making me feel that someone was watching me.  Then, looking down to the bottom of the left hand side of the bay window, I spotted it.   There, standing with it`s head up tall right against the window peering in from the window ledge was  - a pigeon, looking right at me.

I sat and looked at it, wondering what it was thinking as it stood there looking in.    Did it want to come in?  Did it wonder what I was doing?   Did it wonder what all the things in the room were, so different to its ouside world?   Was it hungry, or looking for somewhere to nest?   What could it actually see, I wondered? 

After quite a few minutes of looking at each other, it flew off, and I went back to my work.   

I wonder if it will come to visit me again?!

A sign of spring

A friend brought me this lovely bunch of tulips yesterday.  Aren`t they a beautiful colour.

I carefully pierced through the stems, just under the flower, with a pin before putting them in the vase as I`m told that helps them to keep up straight and not flop over.   Will see what happens.   It`s working so far.

Black & Blue

I`ve just realised, its a week since I wrote a post here.   I`ve been back to work this week.  I feel better, but you should see the bruises I`ve got on my leg and tummy from where they did the angiogram, which was through the way they have to press so hard for ten minutes after it.    I`m black, blue, purple and all colours - and its painful to move certain ways - but still, never mind the result was good and I know the bruises will disappear in time.

Other than that, I`ve not much to write about, its been a fairy ordinary week.

Day off tomorrow, so maybe I`ll think of something more interesting to say!

Message in the Flowers

I received a nice bunch of daffodils from a friend, when I came home from hospital on Tuesday. 

They were tall and straight and in tight bud.  I put them in a vase with water and stood them where I could see them the most, in the warmth of the room where I was.   Gradually over the last two days they have opened and are now in full bloom.   It`s a real joy to watch how they develop and grow.  Really beautiful.

That set me thinking - how we are like those daffodils.   With warmth and love, care and concern we too grow.  And, best of all is God`s love for us.

Heartfelt Thanks

Well, I`m back home and it`s all over.

And, it`s good news - there`s no problems with my arteries or my heart. They told me the result about 10 minutes after the test when they`d looked at all the x-rays.   I am so relieved

The test wasn`t very pleasant, yet not as bad as I feared. And it all seems to be healing up well where they did it. My friend was able to stay in the nice little single bed ward where they put me both before they did it and as soon as they returned me there from the recovery room. The test took about 30 minutes then after going back from the recovery room I had to lay flat for two and a half hours, then then gradually sat me up during another hour and a half, after which I was allowed to get up and walk around a bit. and we could then ring my other friend to come and collect me. All in all we spent about 8 hours at the hospital!
 
I am so thankful to the kindess of all the nurses and other hospital staff, (I can`t remember  the titles of all their jobs) but they were all so caring and helpful.   And, I`m especially grateful to my friend who stayed with me througout it all.

Test Day.

I`m not looking forward to today.   I`m scared.   I know I`m a coward.

Today I have to go to the hospital to have an angiogram, which is apparently a tube inserted into my groin to then put dye into my heart to see what it happening with the veins and the heart.  

I`m scared and frightened on a number of things, - what are they going to discover?     What is the test going to be/feel like?   and, worst of all - what happens if where they insert it starts bleeding again when I get home?   in some ways that`s my greatest fear.

I am fortunate though, in that I have some good friends - one is taking me to the hospital and staying there, and will stay the night with me when I come home, as I have to have someone with me.    Another good friend is coming to collect me after it`s all over and I can come home.   I`ve just had another friend ring me up to give me good wishes and moral support.

I just wish at this moment that it was tomorrow and that it was all over.

Caught in the Headlights

Feeling a bit better and brighter today, I went over to see my Mum this afternoon and have tea with her. 

Driving back a short time ago in the dark, along the main road my headlights caught on something in the field to my left as I approached a bend.  And what a lovely sight that was.   Something I`d never seen before in all the times that I had driven along that short distance between my Mum`s and my home.

What did I see?   A beautiful pair of deer.  They were standing quite still and close to the edge of the field against the roadside.  It really made my day.

I found myself wondering what they were thinking about as they stood there seemingly watching the constant stream of car headlights passing by!

Moaning Minnie!

I`m still here, but I can`t think of anything to blog about.    You don`t want to keep reading about my health problem I`m sure.   But, at the moment I`m just feeling frightened and alone, and worrying about what is happening to me/my body.   I`ve woken up this morning not feeling "right" but yet not exactly feeling ill, nor  can  I really describe how I feel - its just a feeling of not being right.

Quandry, shall I go to work and hope it wears off, or should I stay at home incase it develops into something.  Maybe its just a reaction to all the tablets I`m now having to take, maybe its the worry of next weeks hospital test, maybe its.......     Oh, I don`t know!

Relevant Thought for the Day

I receive a daily email Bible verse and Thought for the Day from Living Light, and part of today`s was so apt it said:


“Even sickness - that appears to have absolutely no use - has little gems and hidden jewels that are revealed, often through other people. Paul had many people to help him get away, and although we can’t escape from illness we can allow people to help us and be alongside our suffering. Illness is not glamorous and we have to learn to agree with Paul, that we will boast of the things that show our weakness - not an easy thing to do!”

To read the whole piece click here.

I have been and am so thankful to everyone who are helping me at this time.

Key thoughts

Waking up in the middle of the night, and unable to get back to sleep my mind started wandering! 
And I didn`t like where it went.

I found myself thinking what would I do, if I were taken ill in the night and the emergency people needed to get in.  My front door was locked, the key taken out of the lock as always, the back door was locked too.  Ok, no problem if I was able to go downstairs, but what if I wasn`t.   How would they get to me.   

It made me think, should I somehow keep a key outside somewhere, in the way that people used to leave their keys under the doormats when they went out, or under a stone.   But, Imagine doing that today!.    Should I put one in the shed - yet in the dark it would be hard to find, and in these days of security would that be safe to have one there in the daytime. 

I wonder if anyone else, especially anyone on their own, has pondered this and if they`ve come up with a solution.

Inspiring hymns

Turning on the television this tea time to watch the BBC Songs of Praise, having not been to church today, I found it a very inspiring one, with many several hymns that seemed to speak to me, and my current situation and worries.   

Helpful advice recalled

 I remembered a bit of advice yesterday, given to me by a friend many years ago, when I was worried and afraid to tell my mother something, which I knew she`s have to know in the end - and that was that - I`d only make myself feel worse by keeping worrying about how to tell her knowing I would have to in the end.  So do it and get it over with.

So, when she rang me yesterday morning and said "are you alright", I did tell her a "watered down" account of what had transpired this week, and what I `might` have.  

And, yes, I do feel much better for having done so and at least got that worry off my mind.

Tests

I got to the hospital in good time yesterday, and we found the department quite easily, once we`d managed to find a space on the car park.

Having reported in at the correct desk, it wasn`t long before I was called in to have an ECG, then back to the waitng room.     

After a fairly long wait, thankfully I had my friend there to sit and chat to, or at least for her to do most of the chatting thus keeping my mind off of worrying somewhat, I was called through again for lots of questions and other tests.    Back to the waiting room.

My name was then called again, to go and have a heart scan, that duly done - back to the waiting room.

Finally we were called in to get the results of all the tests, and that revealed that they think it is Angina, but I need to have a further test, on another day.   And depending on the result of that, I may need another test or something at Papworth - that really has alarmed me.   

I`ve now got 5 different tablets to take each day - but, as I said to them, I don`t mind how many tablets I have to take, so long as it sorts things out.

I am just so grateful to my friend for being with me and coming with me at such short notice.   and also for the kindess and help of all the medical staff, whose manner and attitude gave one confidence in them.

My big worry now, is what or how to tell my Mum.

Scared

Well, I rang the surgery yesterday at 8.15am, and was told that a doctor would ring me back.   I asked about what time that would be and was told within 2 hours.

Ten minutes later the phone rang, and it was the doctor.   After asking me lots of questions about my pain, he said he`d like me to come up to have an ECG test, and made an appointment me for me for 8.50 a.m. 

Off I dutifully went, and within a few minutes of being there I was called through for a nurse to do the test.  Then back to the waiting room for a few minutes before I had to see another nurse to have my blood pressure, pulse and other tests.    Back again to the waiting room to wait to see the doctor.  It may be a little wait, I was warned.   But within a short time, I was called in to see the doctor.   After more examination and lots of questions it seems its possibly either to do with a muscle, or could be angina.   That I didn`t like the sound of, especially when he said to me, if you have the pain for more than 20 minutes dial 999.     He then arranged for me to go for tests as the N&N hospital today.

So, I`m feeling pretty scared.    

I rang a church friend yesterday, and she is going to come with me as I didn`t feel I wanted to go on my own.

But, I am very impressed with the prompt and efficient service I received from my surgery.

A pain in the.....

I`ve got a pain.  
I`ve had it since Saturday.  
It`s in the chest, or is it in my stomach? - it`s sort of in the middle between both.   Where`s the diviving line, I wonder between one and the other?  
It seems to move and at times I feel it round my back too.
It`s not a sharp pain, more of a achy type I suppose you`d call it.
I`m getting worried as to what it is.
Wondering whether to go to the doctors, or whether to wait a bit longer.
It doesn`t hurt when I`m sitting doing nothing, nor when I`m in bed. 
Maybe it`s just a muscle I`ve strained.  Yet, is it something internal?  something serious? 
All kinds of thoughts are going round in my mind.
I don`t feel right, but I don`t feel ill exactly.
I`m in a quandry over it.

Still Here

I`m still here, I just haven`t had anything interesting to blog about.    The snow has now all gone and after a day of rain yesterday it`s so good to see the sun shining this morning.   It really cheers one up.

I`m glad too that the rain has stopped and the snow gone, as I`m having my Mum here for the day.  She`s coming to church in the Wheelchair Taxi (that was a great discovery that a firm has one of those in which they can just wheel her in, in the chair and strap the lot in, so she can come independentely.*)    Then after that I`ll be transporting her to mine, and maybe for a ride this afternoon if the sun`s still shining.  It`s the easiest way to find something to do to occupy the time with her here.

*It`s not that I won`t go and pick her up in my car, but it does save me time on a Sunday morning, so that I can get dinner prepared a bit before going out.   (No, I`m not wasting time writing this - I`m eating my breakfast of a marmalade sandwich with one hand while doing so!)

 

Frozen Veg

This snow is causing some really strange effects -

I heard on the radio the news story that local growers can`t harvest cauliflowers because the ground is frozen.   It set me wondering ...... since when did cauliflowers grow under the ground and have to be dug up?! 

What`s wrong with manually cutting them in the way crops used to be harvested? 

Lost Bird?

Looking out of my window the other day, after it had been snowing, I became aware of a small bird which I`d not see in the garden before.  It stayed pecking about for quite a while, and wasn`t bothered by the starlings and blackbirds who were all bigger that it was.

The next day, it appeared at about the same time again, and again today.  So I got my camera out and tried to get some photos of it through the window.   I didn`t want to go outside with the camera for fear of frightening it away.   I`m not sure what it is.   I`ll have to get a bird book to try and find out.   It`s quite quick moving and is quite prettily marked.

Time for sand?

For several days over the last week our pavements have been very tricky to walk on because they`ve been covered in ice, and no attempt has been made to grit or sand them.

It was great to wake up this morning and see clear pavements, no frost, no ice, no snow.

Looking out of my office window mid-morning at the street - what did I see?   Yes, a big council lorry piled up with sand and two men enthusiastically throwing shovel full after shovel full all on the clear pavements!   

Why, oh why couldn`t they have done it when the frost and ice were making the pavements trecherous,  instead of when they were safe to walk on?

Strange Logic

Hearing this news story today of the concern now being expressed about the number of young people not in work.  Is it really any surprise?  Surely a lot of the problem is caused by the raising of the retirement age, or those working beyond retirement age.   I fail to see the logic in making people work longer when there are so many young unemployed people.

It seems to me that there is a very easy, logical solution - to either hold or better still, to lower the retirement age.   That way people, like myself (who will now have to work beyond the current 60, because our birthdays fall just after the cut off date)  would be able to retire having worked all their lives  and leave jobs for younger people.

But, I guess that`s just too simple!

Aims for 2010

Well, the start of a new year, and I`d better review the resolutions I set myself at the start of 2009, before deciding what, if any, I`ll make to try and keep for this year.

So, what was I aiming to achieve in 2009?

• to be more organised at home, by filing mail items as they arrive, rather than putting it to one side to do later
• to spend more time practising playing the piano
• to set out earlier when going to work or anywhere, instead of leaving everything till the last minute
• to learn to sometimes say "No" instead of "Yes"
• to write my blog each day, and to restart my "Blessings day by day" one
• to complete the needlework picture I started 3 years ago!

Oh dear! - reading those - I think I only really achieved one - and that was to file my mail when it came instead of piling it up on the desk - well, most of the time anyway!

So what are my intentions for 2010?

• to make more time for hobbies and things I want to do - including trying to restart my piano playing
• to be more organised and not leave everything till the last minute
• to write my Blog daily (or at least 4 times a week).  And, I`ve closed the Blessings day by day one and started a new one on the same lines "Giving Thanks....." which I intend to write a daily item on
• to give more time to my Mum
• to complete that needlework picture which is now 4 years old
• to enjoy life!

 How successful I shall be in any of these we`ll have to wait and see!

It`s 2010!

A Happy New Year

to

YOU

I wasn`t going to stay up to see the New Year in, but in the end I did, and this firework display in London was well worth waitng for

Rekindled

One of the things I used to enjoy doing was baking. I haven`t done much for a number of years now, for various reasons, but recently I`ve felt inclined to again - and here is the result of this afternoon`s batch of baking.

It was the perfect way to spend a cold dull winter afternoon.

Where did 40 years go?

Where have the last 40 years gone?   Realising, as I wrote yesterday, that I`d been working in the same place for that number of years, has set me thinking about my life.

It`s a frightening thought to realise that those years have gone by as quick at that [clicking my fingers].  It doesn`t seem anywhere like as long.  And, even more scary is to realise that over half my life has gone - well, unless I live to be 112 !

What have I achieved in that time?  
Not a lot really.  I still live in the house I was brought into as a baby.  I`m still single.  In fact have never had a boyfriend.  I`ve only worked at one place (disregarding school holiday jobs) - although I have worked up from being on the shop floor, to being on the check-out, then on to the cash office, and now finally to the head office.  Leaving school early, I lost touch with my friends from those days, and haven`t a close best friend, in the way lots of people seem to have, and, actually thinking about it I guess that my Church family are the closest I have to friends, although the vast majority of them are a lot older than me.
I`ve not travelled outside this country (but have no desire to), nor really far in the UK.  I think one of the best things I did was learning to learn to drive about 14 years ago.  That has made quite a difference to me.

But, am I contented with my life.  

At the moment - YES!

29.12.1969

On this day, the twenty ninth of December in the year nineteen sixty eight, I walked for the first time as a very young employee nervously and apprehenively into the retail establishment where I was to work.   It was in my home town and only a short walk from my house. 

I was greeted by the manager, Mr. C.....  a fairly elderly (or at least elderly to me) gentleman, and introduced to the other staff.   Yes, in those days managers were shown respect and call Mr. ....  and not by their first names.  It would have been unthinkable to call him Jack.  In all the years that I worked there with him, no-one ever called him by his Christian name.

We worked from 9 a.m. - 5.30, closed for an hour from 1-2 for lunch and at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays as it was half-day closing in the town.  A 41 hour week.  Everyone started and finished at the same time.  There were no different shifts, as today.  And, ofcourse definitely not open on a Sunday!

Now, 40 years on, I am still working in the same building in the same business.    What changes I have seen in that time though!  Some for the better and many not.   During these years I have seen at least 9 different managers come and go.   Some through retirement, some moved to other branches, one for dishonesty, another `asked to leave`, and so on.   The business has been owned by at least 6 different companies at various times through those years too.

I can`t say that all the time has been happy, most of it has, but there have been times and with certain managers when I have seriously felt like walking out and not coming back.    But, I stuck it, and in the end the manager/s went before I did! 

There have been amusing incidents with staff and customers,  sad ones too, as someone once remarked, we really should write a book about life in a store.   Maybe I`ll share a few of those on here in the coming weeks.   (it will give me something to blog about!)



Little did I know that when I walked in the door in 1969, that I would still be there 40 years later.

One thing I do know for sure, ........ I shan`t be there in another 40 years time!........ well, unless the government raises the retirement age!!!

Lucky Numbers

Having commented on Z`s blog the other day about a box of chocolates I remember from childhood and which used to be a favourite of ours, but which few people, if any, seem to remember I thought I`d see if I could find any info on them on Google.   Just to be sure that I wasn`t dreaming them up!   Although I well remember the delicious No. 6 (or 9 if you turn it the other way round), it was a round domed chocolate with a gorgeous soft caramel filling.  Yummy - my favourite out of the box.

So, I typed in Cadbury`s Lucky Numbers and here`s what I came up with

Lucky Numbers

In 1958 Cadbury launched a new assortment of chewy sweets, some covered in chocolate and some not. These Lucky Numbers each had an individual number on the wrapper, hence the name. The brand was retired in 1968
http://www.cadbury.co.uk/ourproducts/yesterday/Pages/Yesterday.aspx

and even a site had the tv advert words for them

Cadbury’s Lucky Numbers: Late 1950s
Lucky Numbers, Lucky Numbers — chocolate and chew.
I’ll be lucky, you’ll be lucky … they’ll be lucky too!

and then -
I came across this one, with memories of all kinds of sweets and treats - what memories that stirred up!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/content/articles/2005/10/27/lists_sweeties_feature.shtml

Finding Peace

So, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day (wonder why we call it that), have come and gone for another year. 

I sat pondering last night over what had been my favourite part of those three days, this year.   
Was it .....

.....the delicious roast goose, which despite my uncertainty over whether it was cooked, or whether it was going to be tough, was cooked perfectly and very tender.

......or opening my presents - lots and lots of toiletries this year, plus a nice cheque from my Mum as she was unable to go shopping on her own without me.

....or spending time with my Mum

....or  enjoying having the day off from work on Christmas Eve and being able to make mince pies and other items.

....or the Christingle service, the Sunday before,  or the morning one on Christmas Day.

No - none of these, although I had enjoyed all of them.   

The best part of Christmas to me was..... coming home from the Midnight Communion service, and sitting in the dark in my front room at 1a.m. in the morning, the curtains open and with just the light of the streetlight outside giving slight illumination to the room and the Christmas Tree, and in the absolute quiteness and stillness thinking about the wonderful service we`d had, of what Christmas was really all about and feeling an immensely deep sense of peace. 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL

Christmas or Easter??

I couldn`t believe my eyes at work this week.

Invoices and charges for a recent delivery of Easter Eggs - no, not from earlier this year, but for 2010  !

Can`t we even get past Christmas now, before the shops start stocking and selling Easter eggs?  
Do they want us to buy Easter eggs to give as Christmas Presents??

What is commerce and business coming to?

A Wintry morning

We`ve had more snow here these last few days than I have seen for many years.  It started on Friday and we had quite a covering that day, which didn`t melt much before more fell in the evening and overnight.  The temperatures kept low and by 4p.m on Saturday it was already freezing, so again not a lot of thaw that day.  Sunday was another repeat of Saturday. 

 I was very apprehensive walking to work at 7.30 this morning, it was icy, but the snow was frozen so was crunchy underfoot and felt to give a bit more grip, and I got to work safely.  I stopped once or twice on my way this morning to take some photos of the scene.

Christmas tree

I`ve been doing one of my favourite part of Christmas preparations.    Putting up my Christmas Tree.  The decorations are a mixture of old and new items.  Many going back 50 or more years.   Some new, as each year I tend to buy one new item to join the others.

Here it is.

The star on the top, is one my Dad made, it`s just kitchen foil covering a piece of cardboard and fixed on with a thin wire - but I wouldn`t swap it for anything.   I can still picture him sitting drawing with a compass to get the perfect 5 pointed star, carefully cutting it out and making it for me.  

Candlelight

Singing Christmas carols by candlelight, I always feel is very special somehow with the atmosphere it creates, and last night was no exception.   At the end of the Carols by Candlelight at our church last night, I just had to take a picture of these candles glowing on our communion table.     But a photo can`t really do justice to them.

A radio star?!

I got pounced upon this morning.

No, don`t get alarmed, not literally. 

From where I work, I have to during the course of the day, come out of my office front door onto the pavement to go into the adjoining part of our premises.   Ok, in nice weather, not so good if its raining - but I digress.  This morning I opened the door, stepped down the step onto the pavement and a man dashed up to me.  He had something in his hand, and I assumed he was going to ask directions.

But, no.  What he had in his hand was a microphone and small recorder.   I`m from Radio North Norfolk he said, would you say a short piece of  who you are/where you are and greetings/ christmas wishes / etc to anyone you like for our spot on the show on Saturday morning. 

I stood there totally taken aback by it.

But, I found myself agreeing and the mircophone was held in front of me - talk about having to think quickly!  Still I managed to utter something and he seemed happy with it.   It will be on, on Saturday morning he said. 

I didn`t think to ask what time.   So now, I ponder do I listen all morning or am I better not to hear whatever it was I gabbled off?

Christmas Trees

I went to see a Christmas Tree Festival at Fakenham this afternoon, so thought I`d share a few photos of it with you.

The Church was totally filled with 75 trees.  All decorated differently.   Some had professional decorations, others had handmade ones.  It was a real sight to behold.

Each of the trees was in aid of a different charity and each had a collecting bucket alongside it, for their particular cause.  And during the week of the Festival several thousand pounds are given - people are so generous.

It was a very moving experience, reading the information and seeing all the many, many different charities, both local, national and for aid overseas.   These ofcourse just a fraction of how much need there is in our country and world.

At the very front of the church were 4 huge Prayer trees.  Visitors to the festival were able to write any prayer requests they wished on gold stars and hang them on the trees.  To see the way in which the four trees had been filled in just three days was very emotional.  To think that so many people who had been into the church had prayer needs, or wished to pray for people and situations they knew, made me feel very humble.

It was a very inspiring and moving afternoon.

Spooky?

Walking to work yesterday morning something strange happened.

It was a dark morning, well, it is after all 7.25 a.m. when I set off, and a rainy day.   As I walked along the road it suddenly went darker, and I realised that the street light I had reached had gone off just as I got to it.  I continued walking and as I got to the next street light, that too went off.  Another few steps along the road - and - yes, the same thing happened again.    As I got to each street light it went off.

Now - was that just coincidence - or was I putting a jinx on them by walking past them?!!

Surprise

It`s my birthday today, and last night I had a lovely and very unexpected visit from our minister - bringing me a beautiful bunch of pink and white flowers and cards for my birthday, signed by lots of the church members.  It really made my evening.   It was such a total surprise.

My mum has bought me a nice new flat screen television to replace my old style heavy clumsy one in my living room and that arrived yesterday afternoon.  It wasn`t a surprise gift in the way that the flowers were, as I`d gone and chosen and ordered it, but I`m delighted with it, and it`s made the room which I had decorated earlier this year, now look really nice and modern.   And what a difference it makes now looking at a 22inch wide screen as against my old 14 inch square one. 

So, I wait now to see how many cards the postman may drop through my letter box later today. 

Flowery me

For want of something to do today, I idly tried this "What flower are you" and came up with this result.

I am a Sunflower What Flower Are You?

"When your friends think smile, they think of you. There is not a day that goes by that you can't find something good about the world and your fellow human."

I`m not sure how true that is.

Bird feeding

I

I had some bread to spare, the sun was shining this afternoon, so I got into car and drove a few miles along the coast to feed some ducks. And, ofcourse took my camera to try and get some interesting shots.

As you can see, as well as the ducks I had the seagulls flocking in.   It`s amazing how they seem to know when there`s food about, even if they`re nowhere in sight to start with.   Guess they must post one as a lookout somewhere! 

I even got the seagulls flying to take bread out of my hand before I`d had a chance to throw it to them.  Just wish I`d had someone else with me who could have taken a photo of that.   I found it difficult trying to use a camera with one hand and feed them with the other!

And, out of all the photos I took, this one (although it could have been a bit sharper) is my favourite.  It appears that one is giving another a piggy-back!    [click on it to get a full size one]

Free texts etc.

I`m always annoyed by all these adverts on the television and in newspapers and magazines that keep advertising "free texts" or "free internet" etc on mobile phones.

Why?

Not because I want them and can`t get them, but because how can something that you have to pay so much a month for regularly be "free"?!!!   

Blogger bugs?

I think some of these bloggers have been passing their bugs on...... 
I`m sitting here this morning, having had to take a day off work, sneezing my head off, with a sore throat, having hot turns, and feeling a bit sorry for myself.

Still, I shouldn`t complain really, it`s over a year since I had a cold, or flu or whatever it is, I just could have done without it this week, when I`ve things I need to do.

I rang my boss earlier this morning to say I wouldn`t be able to be in.  He said he could hear that I was `bunged up`, and asked if there was anything I needed, as he would get it and drop it in for me, or if I thought of anything during the day that I needed to give him a ring.    I thought that was really kind and considerate of him.    Wonder how many other bosses would do that?

Confusing offer

I`m confused!   Ok, I know it doesn`t take a lot to do that - but I saw this coupon in a magazine and can`t quite puzzle it out..........  if something has £1 off, how is it a saving of 95p only?   Any suggestions?

All Saints Day

Today is All Saint`s Day, and, it`s also the day which is/was my Dad`s birthday.

Our church holds a Special service most years on or around All Saint`s Day, as a time of remembering our loved ones who have died.   So, today with both dates falling on the Sunday I found it a very significant time.

 As we all arrived this evening we were given a stone.  The service was based on an Iona style one, and had lots of periods of quiet when we could think about our loved ones and remember them.   I found this year that I was remembering lots of the happy times, times of things I had shared doing with my Dad, rather than thinking about his illness and the last few months of his life.  I had taken with me a small photo of him, which I put inside my hymn book - the book which was his and which his hands had held so many times.  He has somehow felt quite close to me today.

During the service we brought our stones to the front and placed them in front of the cross to make a cairn and later tea-lights were placed amongst and on the stones.   These we then came forward and lit in remembrance of our loved ones.    It was a very moving and meaningful service.

Golden Autumn

Going to pick my Mum up this afternoon, I just had to stop and take pictures of some of the autumn trees around where she lives. (No this isn`t her home, its the local village shop)



What wonderful shades of orange and gold there are this year, It really is a beautiful world we live in, if we take time to stop and look, and I find that always having my camera with me when I go out makes me do that.


I know that this photo has the sun in the corner of the camera, but on seeing it on the screen I rather like the effect it has created, so have not discarded it.

Boring old Me!

For want of something to blog about, I was going to post some autumn colour pictures I`d taken in the country lanes of Norfolk, but as another blogger had done that on the same day, I didn`t want him to think I was copying him, I`ve "run with this" from Dave`s blog. Will show you the pictures another day.


1. Is there anybody you just wish would fall off the planet? All those wasting money in space exploration.

2. Most exciting thing you've done? Exciting ? Me?..... you must be joking!

3. Do you wear your seatbelt in the car? Yes

4. Right or left handed? Right

5. Name one thing you worry about running out of. Time

6. What famous person do other people think you resemble? No-one as far as I know

7. What is your favourite pizza topping? Don`t eat pizza

8. Do you crack your knuckles? No.

9. What song do you hate the most? All loud noisy pop songs

10. Did just mentioning that song make it get stuck in your head? Didn`t have a particular one, so no.

11. What are your super powers? I don`t think I was issued with any!

12. Peppermint or spearmint? Peppermint

13. Where are your car keys? In my handbag

14. Last song you listened to? "Any dream will do" (from the musical Joseph, on CD)

15. What's your most annoying habit? Not sure - you`d need to ask other people that to find out

16. Where did you last go on holiday? Blackpool (2 years ago)

17. What is your best physical feature? Probably my hands

18. What CD is closest to you right now? Joseph

19. What 3 things can always be found in your refrigerator? Milk, Cheese, Eggs

20. Wine or beer? Neither.

21. What colour are your bed sheets? Blue

22. Would you rather be a fish or a bird? Bird

23. Last thing you broke? A glass which I was washing up and it caught the edge of the tap

24. What are you having to eat tonight? Jacket potato and sliced tongue

25. What colour shirt are you wearing? Dusky Green blouse

26. If you could be doing anything else today, what would you rather be doing? Walking along a beach

27. Do security cameras make you nervous? No. I`m not doing wrong, so why should they?

28. If you wrote a book about your life, what would the title be? Me! - there`s nothing interesting to write about my life.

29. Last time you went to a cemetery? A fortnight ago to take flowers to my Dad`s grave

30. Last concert you went to? Have never been to one

31. Favourite musician(s)/bands you've seen in concert? None

32. Next concert you're planning to attend? None

33. Do you talk to yourself? Yes.

34. Have you ever adopted or purchased a pet? Yes, a canary

35. Have you ever been present when an animal is being born? No

So now you know a few more facts about me - not very interesting is it?!

Brain Dead!

My mind has been completely blank this week - hence no posts on here. Strange isn`t it how some weeks lots of ideas come flooding into the the mind, or I see or hear something that gives me an idea, or else my camera comes out and captures and interesting or pretty scene. But, this week absolutely nothing.

I`ll try to do better next week!

Autumn flowers

I had to do a floral arrangement at our church this weekend, so chose to use my favourite flowers for this time of year - bloom Chrysanthemums in autumn red and gold colours, and couldn`t resist taking pictures of these beautiful blooms.

It`s Chocolate Time

Do you know what this week is?

I didn`t until I was listening to the radio this morning

Iit`s National Chocolate Week.

Gosh, how could I have missed that fact?! Yet, the shops around here don`t seem to be promoting it, I wonder why not.

I like chocolate - yet, I`m not one of those people who once they open a box of chocolates or start a bar of it, have to eat the whole lot in one go. I`ll have a couple out of the box, or a couple or three squares off a bar and then put it away until the next evening. I suppose it was how I was brought up.

I remember as a child having a "Sweet Tin" in the drawer of the sideboard and just being allowed one or two out of it at a time. How different to the way children now-a-days are given the whole tube of Smarties, bag of chocolate buttons, or pack or bar of whatever it is. Mine went straight in the tin and even with Smarties or chocolate buttons, I was only given 3 or 4 at a time, or a square or two broken off a bar of chocolate and given me and the rest kept for another day. And I wasn`t allowed to help myself, I had to wait to be given them.

Wonder if other readers were brought up the same way?

Spring in Autumn

I`ve got some nice pink flowers in my garden at the moment, so thought I`d share them with you. They`re one of those types of flowers where if you look at a single flower, it doesn`t look much on its own, but the stem has 3 or 4 on, which looks better, but when you see them all together they`re really beautiful.


I always think they`re an unusual colour for this time of year when most flowers are reds and golds, these look more like spring in autumn, and are really cheery on a grey damp day.

False Econony?

So, the government are thinking of raising the retiring age, again, to 66.

Firstly, I wonder if this will apply fairly to ALL people and jobs - what about those civil servants, teachers etc, who seem to be able to retire at 55 or so now? Will they be made to work until they`re 66?

But, my main thinking is - if all those in work have to stay on for longer, there will be even less jobs for the young people as they leave school, college or university - so what about them?

They`ll be needing to claim all sorts of allowances for being Jobseeking, needing housing etc....etc.... So, why not let those who have done their years of work retire and have their retirement to enjoy, and make room in jobs for younger people to have their opportunity to be employed and work.

There`s only so many jobs around and so many people to be employed or not in employment. Either way the government has to pay out money to either old or young. It surely makes more sense to employ the young and let them gain skills, and give them a purpose in life?

Pentecost

The other day, we went for an hours drive to see a Flower Festival at the Methodist Church at Acle - and it was well worth the visit, as you can see by this marvellous floral arrangement depicting Pentecost, just one of the beautiful arrangements they had in a modern light church.

A field of golden.....

It was a beautiful autumn day, the sun was shining, the leaves on the trees turning golden and bronze and even red on some species. So off we went for a ride into the country lanes to enjoy the beauty of it all, stopping once or twice on the way to collect some conkers, to try out the theory that conkers placed in the corners of ones home would keep spiders at bay. (I`ll report later if that worked!)

On our trip we saw this lovely sight of sunflowers and I just had to stop, get out with my camera to capture them.

Mystery in the Garden

Looking out of my living room window as I opened the curtains this morning, I spotted a round green object on the lawn.

I at first took it to be an apple, but yet, where had it come from, I`ve no apple trees in the garden and neither has my neighbour, and even if there had been wind it would have surely been too heavy to have come from far.

My next thought was that it was probably a small tennis ball, but yet again, where could it have come from.

On going out to investigate, it turned out to be a green tomato ! - but the mystery still remains - where has it come from? I`ve no tomato plants in the garden, and haven`t bought any. Has it dropped in from a passing plane, or helicopter?

Or, has Dave thrown one of his tomatoes which haven`t ripened, over to here?!!

Lucy Locket

Lucy Locket lost her pocket....... or so the nursery rhyme goes.

And, it struck me today, that we too have lost our pockets.

Why is it that ladieswear, especially skirts no longer have pockets in them. Where are we expected to put our hankies (or tissues)?

Men`s trousers all have pockets in them, and so it seems do many of their shirts - so why, oh why don`t the designers of ladies wear realise that we too need pockets to put our items in?

And, no, don`t tell me to wear trousers to solve the problem!

Biting my tongue!

On leaving work this morning I had a few minutes to spare before I had to be somewhere else, so looking in our local Building Society and seeing only one person at the counter, I thought, yes I`ve time to just go in there.

All I needed to do was pay one cheque in.

So, in I went and stood at the head of the queue section by the barrier. and I stood...... and stood..... and stood.....and........ The person at the counter had obviously completed her business as she was putting items into her handbag. But the cashier keep asking her questions - "have you got home insurance?`, "do you need information about insurance with us?" "do you want another savings account?......." and so it went on. The woman didn`t seem a bit interested but kept saying that her husband dealt with that. This then encouraged the cashier to go to find some leaflets to give her. By then I`d stood there about 10 minutes. Looking at my watch, gritting my teeth in frustration, at the time it was taking for me to do a simple job. There was no other partition open.

Eventually, the woman went, and I got to the counter to pay in my one cheque. That done - in just a minute - the cashier straight away asked me "have you got personal insurance cover?!" To which I replied a hasty "Yes, thanks. Bye" (I don`t think I have, but I wasn`t going to stop for her to try and sell me some, nor anything else) and turned and left the counter.

How I`d love to have said to her - "I wish you wouldn`t waste peoples time, by asking them all this, but just get on and do the job they came in for." - but, being me, I didn`t. I just seethed inside.

I wondered afterward what her reaction would be, if the next time she stood with one item in a Supermarket queue, the girls on checkout stopped to ask every customer "do you need any bread? and milk? any meat? did you know we`ve got a special offer on cheese its buy one of a certain brand, get another free. etc.....etc......." !!!!

Time to Bake

It was great being able to finish work at lunch time yesterday and have the afternoon to myself.

I did something I`ve not done for years!

On my way home from work, I went into the butchers (no - nothing unusual in that), and bought some sausagemeat.

After I`d had my dinner, I got out my mixing bowl, flour, lard, some water, a knife and made some pastry. I can`t remember the last time I made pastry. Then out came the rolling pin and board and a baking tin. I lined the tin with the pastry, put in the sausagemeat, rolled out another piece of pastry and put that on top. Popped it in the oven and a bit later out came a golden brown sausagemeat patty - duly consumed (or part of it) for my tea. And it was absolutely delicious.

What to do with the little bit of pastry left over from the patty, I wondered.
Then a memory from childhood struck me. I rolled out the pasty quite thin, got out the jar of Marmite, and spread some thinly over the pastry. Folded the pastry over twice, rolled it slightly flatter, then cut it into fingers. Into the oven with them, and 10 minutes later out came tasty Marmite fingers.
What had brought that inspirational memory back to me, I`ve no idea - but I`m glad it did.

It was so good to have time to do things like this.
I know I`m going to enjoy my shorter hours.

Free Hours

It was back to work for me yesterday, after a weeks holiday, and the start of my shorter working week. So now its a case of working out how to best work my hours to make the most of my extra eight "free" hours.

Should I start a bit later each day? -
That could be quite nice now that these mornings are getting darker. But, No, I don`t think I`d gain much by that, because I`d probably get up a bit later. so wouldn`t actually gain any free time at home to do thing in.

Should I do a day less a week? -
It would be nice to have another whole day to myself. But, that would mean I`d get less days holiday entitlement of Bank holidays than I currently do - so maybe that`s not the solution, and it also could be difficult because of one of the new extra jobs I`ve now got at work needs to be done daily.

Should I finish earlier each day?
It would be good to finish work lunch time on three days and have the afternoons "free" - Yes, I think that`s the answer.

I`m lucky that I can be flexible in the hours I work each day, according to the work that needs to be done, and my hours don`t affect anyone else. I think - No, not I think, I Know - I`m going to enjoy having more free time to do some cooking, baking, and hobbies as well as housework and visiting my mother.

Sitting Pretty

Sitting with my mother looking at the sea in the sunshine yesterday afternoon, my attention was drawn to the shrubs in front of us, where a group of sparrows were twittering and jumping about about pecking away at what must have been seed heads on the plants, and really enjoying the feast they had found, so I couldn`t resist getting my camera out to try and capture them. This one obligingly posed for me!