chat-a-while-with Joy

Will this work ???

2011-09-20T15:29:00.001+01:00

Just trying this had SO much trouble lately..maybe because u haven't used it in a while.

Weather getting a bit brighter at last.

2011-03-11T17:02:00.002Z

Well its been a month since i last blogged,and i had such high expectations and determination to post more often...the best laid schemes of mice and men etc(or women) as Robert Burns once said..LOL
The weather here is a lot brighter, but still very cold..still its good to see some clearer skies at last, i always feel better when its not grey & miserable...Cant wait for Spring..not long now.
The little Jonquils/Daffodils are already open, they are the first things to show their little faces after all the gloom of Winter, they always cheer me up.
I have had so much trouble with my arm & shoulder the past few weeks..think it maybe my Arthritis, but it has got so bad,the Doctor sent me to have Physio..that isn't doing any good, so i may have to have Hydrocortisone injections into my shoulder..not looking forward to that...but if it rids me of this pain i'll do anything..im living on strong pain killers and they are helping a lot, but just make me tired & lethargic....and when they start to wear off the pain is back as bad as ever...If i lived in a hot Country i dont think i would suffer at all...I think that's why so many Brits buy homes in Spain & the hot countries to help their Arthritis and various aches and pain.
Vanessa was here for the week last week..and it was so good to have her..i always feel a bit low when she goes home, but i'll go down there more when the weather is warmer....cats are all waiting for their dinner..so ill make them happy...must try & get my camera working, i have just taken some pics of my daffodils..but cant up load them...must get this camera sorted out !!!

Camera Trouble

2011-02-10T13:35:00.002Z

Just thought i would put a few pics on, BUT I am having camera trouble at the moment...probably because i haven't used it in a while..Must get it checked out.
Weather here today is very grey & miserable..the sort of weather that plays havoc with my Arthritis...( i look like 'the Mummy' at the moment)..i have those stick on heat pads all over me...lower back, shoulders arms etc..LOL...NOW i know why so many Brits buy 2nd homes abroad in the warmer climates..i would if i could, but cant afford it...so ill just have to stay here & wait until spring !! i always feel better then. The cats hate it as well..only Moses ventures out for more than a few minutes..the rest just stay inside.
I am looking at the garden thinking i really must get all the dead debris and old leaves removed from the plants it would look better if i did that,but these old bones have other idea's at the moment...Doc's Surgery just rang i have to go in next week about my diabetes..will ask if i can have some stronger pain killers, then maybe ill be able to tackle it...Oh well must stop moaning..it doesn't really help, and i KNOW there are so many worse off, My lovely Ness & dear Kerry for starters...im sure they cant wait for the warmer weather as well we all feel better with some sunshine..going to get myself a cuppa...BYE

As it really been over 7 months ??

2011-02-02T23:28:00.003Z

As it really been over 7 months since i last wrote on my blog ??...apparently it has.
So much as happened in that time, some of it good, some quite bad.
I really must start blogging again..i used to really enjoy both writing my own, and reading the blogs of others (friends mostly)
Reading a few of them today, i realise just how much i have missed them..so i am going to start blogging again, and will sort out some pictures as well.
Just wanted to put this on to make a start...
So watch this space..it probably wont be literary brilliance..( no Probably about it, it won't be..lol)..but i'll make an effort and fill you in on my life these past months...it may be therapeutic for me to start to write again anyway.
I'm going to bed now..must get some sleep..then tomorrow..put my thinking cap on.
Night night, to anyone who passes through.

A Mosque on the 9/11 site !!!!

2010-05-17T18:04:00.004+01:00

I can not believe that they are even thinking of building a Mosque on the site of the 9/11 terrorist attack.!! and planning to start work on the SAME day as it happened!!!!To me that is unthinkable. I am not prejudiced neither am i rascist or against Islam in anyway, but WHY there !!!..New York is a HUGE city, to choose a spot where thousands lost there lives is unbelievable me. What about the relatives of all the innocent people who lost their lives on that terrible day. It is just an insult to them..more importantly who on earth agreed to such a thing? I am sure some Muslims lost loved ones there as well,and i imagine they will feel exactly the same!! Leave that place as it is, where people can go to quietly reflect & remember...To build a Mosque,there is so very insensitive and i imagine would do New York no good whatsoever. It as already caused a lot of upset over here..many saying it is Evil and totally unnecessary. This is not been rascist,everyone knows that it was of course a very small minority of terrorists who attacked the Twin Towers that terrible day, and of course they are not reflective of Islam in general, but surely the very fact that it happened at all is enough to NOT want a Mosque built on the site..Please,Please leave that site as it is..build nothing there, least of all a Mosque..that is too inflammatory. Go ahead and Build a Mosque in New York, it is after all just a place of Worship, but never,never on the site of ground Zero.

My Cockerel Clock.

2010-05-08T19:51:00.002+01:00

Here is a picture of my Cockerel Clock for Kerry, as i know she likes Chickens etc. I am going to put it up in my shed (once i have renewed its batteries)..then i can see it when i am having a cup of tea up there (or a Glass of Wine)..LoL

I've heard of Chicken in the Basket !!!

2010-04-28T11:59:00.004+01:00

Bailey seems to love to lie in this basket of Soft toys, he'll sleep here for hours..or until one of the little ones desides they wants to play with them..then he is off like lightening, i dont think he fancies been picked up and wrapped in a blanket, pushed around in a dolls pram, or fed artificial milk from a toy bottle !!

Prevous Post Removed

2010-04-28T11:54:00.002+01:00

I removed my prevous Post, thank you to the kind folk who commented, i am going to keep my Doctors appointment next week..but must pull myself together..i am going out in a few minutes will Blog on the day later.

My Rooster

2010-04-25T19:19:00.005+01:00

This is just a pic of my 'Door Stop Rooster'. Its especially for my friend Kerry, as she loves Chickens, he lives in my shed nowadays so i can look at him when i can having a cup of tea ( i told you i'm geting a batty old bird myself !! )..He is quite heavy and very colorful. The Rain is torrential here again tonight ..and the winds are raging as i am writing, i can hear them above the T.V. even with the double glazing, which i thought was supposed to eliminate noise ??...I am feeling a little better today, but still not well..i really must force myself to go to the Doctors....I'm not one for doing that, i usually self medicate..or sleep it off until i feel better..but this isn't going to go away,..I think it may be my diabetes acting up again, must make an appointment and show my face and hopefully she will be able to help...anyway have a good day tomorrow anyone who reads this.

My Special Offer Garden Set

2010-04-23T17:23:00.002+01:00

I am so pleased to have got this little garden table set..It was a real bargain, 4 chairs, Round Table with toughened glass centre, and a black unberella..all for £60( the only thing wrong was damage to the BOX!!) everything else was fine...it as got a rattan look to it....I was thrilled at the price. When i went to the local garden centre, similar ones were costing around £300...i love a bargain..so now i can sit outside if the weather is nice....i'm getting to be a real old biddy, the simplest of things make me happy nowadays.

My little Black Panther

2010-04-19T15:42:00.004+01:00

I hope i'm not in danger of going 'catty batty'..I just wanted to put this picture of Momo (Moses)in his 'cat tent'..all the cats love it except Lady (wouldn't you know) she just walks past it spitting & hissing' at whoever is inside at the time...I'm not quite sure if its at the tent, or the occupants ?..but she will NOT go inside it for love nor money...The others love it, Vanessa brought it for Momo originally, as he used to love the one she got for her cats..but they all share this one. Jacey sleeps in it each night.
Mo resembles a minature Black Panther now he is growing up, his face as a similar shape, his tail is also very long...and his walk is panther like as well..but thats where the similarity ends..Momo is a gentle cat and very friendly.

more pics of Simba the Maine Coon

2010-04-15T21:44:00.004+01:00

Thought i'd put another couple of pics of Simba on my blog,(Please see the one below)..he really is a very big boy for his age..and already weighs as much as a fully grown normal cat...but he is such a character..and very 'different' looking isn't he..i can see why they called him Simba..its his ears that make me laugh...and his personality, Ness says he is ugly ( that is cruel)..i just think he's different..but lovely...what do you think ??

I just HAD to put this one on !!

2010-04-15T21:29:00.002+01:00

I had to put this picture on as i think it is SO funny..this is Simba..he is Adam & Nessa's..youngest cat,he is only 5 months old..but already HUGE. He is a Maine-Coon and they do grow very large..I think they come fom Maine in the U.S. ??..He has so much personality and is very clever..Ness (my daughter) gets a bit cross with him, as i think he has a mind of his own..and does what he wants to do regardless of what he is told..i think Adam had just brushed his teeth in this picture ( he brushes all the cats teeth every day)and they have got eight !!..
I can just imagine trying to clean my Lady's teeth, she would leave home, after she had drew blood, lots of blood !!!!...So would Bailey..not too sure about Momo, but i am taking him to Ness & Adams with me next week..so no doubt we will find out as Adam is bound to try and clean his as well !!!...LOL..The only one who might let me clean her teeth is Jacey as she is pretty good and tolerant.

Celandine ??

2010-04-13T13:19:00.005+01:00

I found 3 of these little Celandines growing just outside my shed door...i am having it paved this year so i must try & lift them gently and replant them..i think some of the wild flowers are prettier than the cultivated ones, If they are not Celandines, i hope someone tells me..but i think they are. They are so bright & pretty..why did they have to spring up just outside the shed, there are a four clusters of them there.

My TIDY Garden shed

2010-04-13T13:07:00.004+01:00

I have given my garden shed a much needed clean up..it was a bit of a mess (what an understatement)..i actually think i will keep this little table and chairs in here, and get a new bigger set for the garden itself..then i can still eat in the garden even if its raining or cold..am i gettting to be a batty old biddy !!..answers on a postcard please !! When anyone comes to visit this little table isn't big enough anyway..I do have a couple of old garden chairs..but i gave my old garden table & chairs set away.
I think all this shed tidying and planning is just another sign of me going Spring Crazy !!!....i NEED sunshine and fresh air !!

Dream Catcher

2010-04-13T11:11:00.004+01:00

This is my lovely Dreamcatcher that i bought in Llangollen..I am kicking myself now because i should have brought two (at least)..there were so many to choose from and i didn't want to be carrying them all day.. but i SO wish i had gone back before we came home..you can not buy these anywhere around this area..and i have always loved them. This one will go in my bedroom...well where else would you put a dreamcatcher.

Seb & Moses

2010-04-11T16:17:00.002+01:00

Moses & Seb were such good friends..they spent ages cuddled up to each other, and Momo would even go into Sebs indoor (and outdoor) cages...I still miss Sebby he was a very huge,very clever rabbit.

Victor and Tinkerbell

2010-04-11T15:00:00.003+01:00

I just thought i would put this picture of Victor my daughters Bassett Hound..and Tinkerbell the Cat..they are another unlikely friendship,very good pals..We used to say that because of the identical colour she could have been his baby...with THOSE ears..on second thoughts now way.LOL.

Cowslip/Primula

2010-04-11T14:39:00.004+01:00

Just testing the close-up function on my camera, not too many flowers out in my garden as yet..i do love the bright yellows and blues when they are in bloom..but there aren't any yet, only a few daffodils that are starting to wither and this lonely little primula. I hope the weather warms up soon, i want to put Oliver rabbit in his outside hutch..i'm sure he will like it more than his indoor cage..Seb used to love his hutch..even when he had the run of the garden,he would keep going in and out having a rest in there..Moses(cat) used to love to share it with him..he loved Moses they were good friends..must put some pics of them on my blog again. Oliver is very timid and seems much more of a loner..but i'm sure he will grow to love his outdoor house..it is bigger and had got 2 levels with a ramp up to the top floor.

More Welsh Pics

2010-04-10T20:59:00.003+01:00

Two more pics of our day out in Wales..the white houses are the typical houses in this part of the country,very pretty,but quite small..they always look lovely and clean..the package Les is holing is a Dream Catcher that i brought for myself. I have wanted one for a long time..i'll hang it in my bedroom...The other picture was a Sewerage (dirty water) treatment plant in Llangollen..we are looking at it from the top of the Aquaduct..just think all the sewerage from the area goes into this and is then purified and comes out the other end..travels a short distance down the valley..into the river..then a little further down it is scooped up again and is taken to a Clean water treament works..from there it is completely purified and comes back out in huge pipes and is then pumped to all the homes in the area..pure clean water....i hope i'm not waffling here..but i learned all this from a friend of mine who worked in the Industry for 50 years and used to love to talk about it..i suppose its something i would never really give a second thought to...but it does make you think when you look at a simple plant like this one here..that the water/sewage is almost black when it goes in..and totally PURE when filtration is complete...HHHHmmm perhaps its better NOT to think about it...must go and get myself a BOTTLE of water..think i'll give the tap a miss tonught..LoL.

More Wales Pictures.

2010-04-10T20:39:00.004+01:00

This is the railway station that was over the river, from the restaurant. It was lovely to watch the steam train come in while we were eating outside..i LOVE steam, even the smell brings back so many happy memories of when i was a child, and Mom used to take me to visit my aunty on the big old steam trains in The Stations in Birmingham...the other picture is Les..looking very windblown..we were up on the Aquaduct and the sign there tells us that it was built by Thomas Telford and was completed in 1805, after 10 years under construction !!..It amazes me how they must have been able to build these Huge structures so many years ago..they hadn't got the machinery we have today..and the Gorge that it runs across is so deep...i had to hold onto the rails as we walked across..i'm really not very good with heights..but i so wanted to see the wonderful scenery below..the Pictures dont do it justice though..it is much better to actually be there..a wonderful day out...more pics tomorrow

Day Out in Wales

2010-04-09T11:17:00.006+01:00

My friend Leslie, who lives in Germany is over in the U.K. for a few days visiting her Dad & friends. We had a lovely day out in Wales yesterday, went to Llangollen, where she was born, and lived for many years of her life. Leslie wanted to get a new Kayak..as she goes kayaking all over the World and they have a special Sports shop there that sells them, along with all the clothing that you need as well, wet suits etc.
Then we went to the Aquaducts..(will put some pics of those in the next post)..These 2 pics are of the whitewater repids...we had lunch in that old building that runs along the side of them..its a lovely restaurant and there are outside gardens to eat in the warm weather,(although you cant see them from this angle)....It was packed yesterday as it WAS a lovely warm day in Wales..so we had dinner overlooking the river...Leslie as kayaked down these rapids...but she said they are not as strong as some in other parts of the World..on the opposite side of the river was the railway station..it was like stepping back in time, as most of the trains where the old Steam trains..i loved them..we watched those as we ate our meal as well.I came home feeling so much better than i have lately..its amazing what just getting out in the sunshine and fresh air can do...it was colder back home though, even though its less than two hours away, although probably its because it was fairly late when we got back...cant wait to go again when the trees and flowers are out, its even nicer then. At least the rain as stopped now..,am going to hopefully get into the garden today.

Some Spring Colour at Last.

2010-04-06T18:23:00.004+01:00

Spring at long last !!...i have been whining about how depressing my garden is for the last couple of weeks ( with just a couple of colourful blooms but NO bright yellows, that always say spring to me) :)......I dont know if its a combination of all the rain and then some recent sunshine..but my Forsythia as obliged by giving some much needed bright colour, and i now also have a FEW mini Daffodils and Polyanthus etc showing off their pretty faces (more to come hopefully)..so i feel as if my garden is at last waking up !!...I love it when all the, blues come out along with the yellows.... The Aquilegia's (grannies Bonnets) and Campanula's..and now my Dicentra (bleeding heart) have started poking their little heads through as well..hopefully in the next few weeks my small garden will have awoke from its Winter slumber....Spring is my favourite Season, I like it better than Summer, early Summer is nice, but when it gets too hot and we need to get the hose pipes out, i sometimes find it very tiring...but Spring is a sign of 'New Life' and i always start to feel a little better about things at this time....does that make me fickle ??..i hope not..but i do have to admit to been a bit on the 'grumpy' side when the weather is cold & grey..especially after we have had a long winter that seemed to drag on....The weather forcast for the next week ahead seems very good too...apparently it will be very warm on Thursday & that will herald a brighter season hopefully..cant wait !!

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T17:23:00.003+01:00

Happy Easter to anyone who stumbles upon my blog today..i hope you have a peaceful and happy Day.

And if you love chocolate..i hope you have lots of eggs or chocolate bunnies...but i will remember the real reason we celebrate this day as well.

Its lovely and sunny today..a real spring day at long last...i just hope it lasts, i feel so much better when the sun is shining..My daughter reckons i suffer from that illness S.A.D. (seasonally affected Disorder)..i think i just dislike the cold & rain.

My New Family Member.

2010-04-01T19:13:00.005+01:00

The cold & rain is back again today...it was lovely to have a little bit of sunshine yesterday, but its the Easter holidays this weekend..and the weather is always bad in the holidays (or so it seems)..
I dont know if its the weather or not but the big old boy who as been hanging around for several weeks as come into the house today..and made himself at home..in Baileys bed !!!.I dont know who owns him (if anyone) as the neighbours say he calls to visit a few of them, but nobody knows where he comes from....he often sleeps in my shed when it's open. He was a little afraid at first..but as gradually grown to trust me..and is really quite sweet now he as come indoors...he is quite grey in the face (although you cant see it on here)..and walks a bit stiff..so i know he is fairly old.... my cats just sniff him and go and lie down...Bailey as opted for the rug in front of the fire....been as he has lost his bed for a while.
I have asked around the village and i dont think he belongs to anyone...i would hate to take in someones beloved pet...but a couple of families have moved out in the past few months, i wonder if they left him behind ..that seems horrible, but it would explain his been around all the time..he is in the garden when i get up in the mornings..so i started to give him some food..but a few other folk feed him as well because they feel sorry for him..i will put an ad in the local shop to say he is here, then i won't feel so bad..but i couldn't stand seeing him outside in all weathers..soaked to the skin...my friend came to visit yesterday..and she told him he had really fell on his feet..sorry Paws..now he was in here..my cats seem fine with him so..i'll have him here until someone either claims him..or he goes off to join his own family again

Dee You are clever !!

2010-04-01T17:11:00.002+01:00

Dee i came back today and you have already fixed it..you are an angel..thank you sweetheart..i didn't expect you to do it this quick.... This could be me in the picture..apart from the cigarette !!

Great Grandmother Fined £1000 & Tagged for selling a GOLDFISH !!!

2010-03-31T19:04:00.009+01:00

This is a copy of a newspaper article that i copied today..because to me it once again PROVES how utterly ridiculous our Judicial system really is..an elderly lady tagged and fined £1000 no less for selling a goldfish !!!!!....and they even planted another young person to go into her Pet shop and purchase a goldfish, to prove the point..then swooped in and arrested her...How ridiculous is this (and how costly)...her son also got a fine and was ordered to do 120 hours of community Service...Crazy.. while certain Paedophiles we are told..must be allowed to walk free UNTIL their present case goes to Court..Then there is Jon Venables, who gets anonimity and countless hundreds of thousands of public money spent on rehoming him & giving him a new identity etc..While this poor lady is now not allowed to babysit her grandchildren or even go to bingo.. because of her criminal record..for selling a FISH..is it the World that as gone mad or just this Stupid, crazy appology for a Judicial system & a Government that allows sush nonsense to take place.

LONDON: A British great grandmother has been slapped with a fine of 1,000 pounds and ordered to wear an electronic tag for trading a goldfish to a teenaged boy.

Council officials caught pet shop owner Joan Higgins, 66, in an undercover sting. Legal proceedings - costing an estimated 20,000 pounds - against her took eight months following which she was fined and slapped with a curfew.

And now Joan is not allowed to babysit her great grandson at his mother's home or go to bingo.

Her son Mark, 47, of Sale, Greater Manchester, was asked to pay a fine of 750 pounds and ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work.

However, he has criticised the prosecution. "I think it's a farce and legal lunacy and I told the council that. What gets me so cross is that they put my mum on a tag. She's nearly 70, for goodness' sake," the Daily Star quoted Mark, as saying.

He added: "Mum has been running the shop for 28 years and this is the first time that anything like this has ever happened."

Last July the mother and son duo were caught selling goldfish to a 14-year-old boy, who was sent to the shop by Trafford council bosses.

A bill passed in 2005 makes it illegal to sell goldfish to under-16s and offenders can be sent to jail for up to a year.

At a hearing at Trafford Magistrates Joan and Mark pleaded guilty to selling the fish.

Feelong SO poorly.

2010-03-30T19:06:00.003+01:00

I was feeling a bit off colour when i got up this morning..now i feel TERRIBLE, physically sick and aching all over, with a headache that reminds me of the good ol' days when i suffered huge hangovers !!..if i dont blog tomorrow (or comment) its because i am still in bed...i hate this sort of feeling..this is when i hate living on my own...even the cats know something is wrong they are all around me.i hope its just one of these one day virus's that do the rounds every so often...must STOP moaning & feeling sorry for myself, feed the cats..and then collapse in a heap...LOL..take care anyone who reads this..i hope you dont get it.

I'm Really hope im not a Hog !!!

2010-03-28T08:37:00.011+01:00

I am using my blog today as both a sounding board, and to give vent to my feelings, that is just one of the reasons i usually write them...I will hopefully not be offending anyone, as that is not my intention EVER....and no names will be mentioned, so hopefully unless the person who commented on a certain blog that i have read recently stumbles across this one, no-one will know where my information comes from......but it will help me just by putting my feelings into words...so here goes,..1st Why do we write blogs ???..well as i said, myself i do it as a sounding board and a sort of Diary of my feelings..this often helps me to get things in perspective (which i hope happens today..when i have got this of my chest..Lol)..and it often enables me to forget an upset or gripe i may have, or sometimes i just want to pay homage to someone or something that as interested me. Whatever, our blogs are personel to us, to a point aren't they ?....now WHY do we have comment boxes ???..i imagine its because we would really like someone to comment in them ??, is that plausable ??...I know I for one take it as a compliment when someone happens to take the time and trouble to comment on my little musings....I am always very pleased when someone takes the time to pass a comment....as it shows they have read my post for the day that they commented,..of course IF the comment is a nice one, it is much better..but everyone is entitled to their opinions, So we do have to take the rough with the smooth.
Comments, for me anyway, are very welcome (unless they are just silly)
During the course of a week..i browse through loads of blogs, it is a thing i enjoy, seeing other folks writings and opinions, i very rarely comment on ANY of them, Maybe i should,... especially after what i have just written here!!!!....but occasionally one may interest me more and i will leave the Odd single comment (I also actually enjoy reading the comments other folk leave on blogs as well, Am i sad ?? maybe,... oh well I'm OLD so its allowed ! )...I also have 3 blogs that i do comment on VERY regularly, these are the blogs of two of my dear friends, and another one that i particularly enjoy. However when passing through some obscure Blogs recently..i noticed a comment from someone, actually classing folk who write comments on a daily basis as quote 'Comment Hogs' I thought how nasty, sad, and judgemental this comment was, to all the other genuine commenters, who do so to show that they actually enjoyed a persons blog and the time and trouble that was put into writing it. I feel sure that MOST blog writers would be only too pleased when someone actually wrote a comment..I know I certainly am...it sort of makes it all worth while somehow, anyway if a person didn't want comments..you can always remove the comment box & then you won't get any !! ... So i have now established that i must a bit of a 'Hog'..oh dear..but not much of one... as i dont comment on many blogs... ever, on only a very small minority once in a while....but i am a HUGE hog when it comes to my favourite ones...does this Count ???.
Well thats it i have sounded off, got my gripe off my chest, and calmed down and am now ready for my day...So.... this 'OLD HOG' is now signing off for another day..aaahhhhhh now i feel SO much better, I think i'll go and make myself a cup of tea...and potter in the garden for a while..have a good day if you happen to read this...and please feel very free to comment..i promise i wont think of you as anything other than normal, and certainly not a hog...have a good Day

Rain, Rain & more Rain.

2010-03-26T13:35:00.003Z

Did i say recently that Spring is on the way ???...Just to prove me wrong it as been raining hard most of the day, and very cold for a few days now...sigh.....i was looking forward to putting some plants in to cheer the place up a bit, until the others come through. I have had a bad few days (i'll blog about later)..so getting into the garden was going to be Therapy for me...oh well, it will have to be the computer for a couple of hours instead.

Just a Post Script on my Jon Venables Post

2010-03-13T14:13:00.004Z

POST SCRIPT:-
I feel i must add to this post, (see Below)...I have tried to contact Kevin, one of my commenters..but as I expected he was actually 'Anonymous'..so i wish to make it totally clear..that i do NOT and never have, condoned Hatred or Violence in any form...hence my abbohrence at what happened to dear little Jamie..but i do believe in Justice.
I also believe that if, and only IF total rehabilitation, Acceptance,and also Deep Genuine REMORSE for what they have done to a victim, by the perpertrator of a crime is acknowledged, then of course they deserve society to give them another chance... I do believe that some people can change and of course deserve this chance.....but ONLY if the criteria for rehabilitation and acceptance of the crime is met..
There is a time for 'Love' and in these circumstances it is not until Remorse is fully established.!!..This is my Belief..you are entitled to disagree, but my blog is for my thoughts on issues that matter to me.

John Venables protected!!.

2010-03-08T18:41:00.008Z

So British Justice as once again failed not only Diane Fergus (little Jamie Bulgers Mom)..but ALL women (or men for that matter)..with little children in there families. John Venables as struck yet again, just as Diane said he would..although the newspapers are not allowed to print the full details of the case as yet..although we are informed they are in possesion of the full facts..we do know it is related to children and is sexual. They should never have been released , even though they were only 10 at the time, they knew right form wrong, and they tortured that dear little boy (pictured here)..who was crying out for his mommy throughout his terrible ordeal, before they finally left him on the railway lines after the most horrendous abuse on his poor little body..and this man, John Venables who as now committed yet another crime involving children and is YET AGAIN been protected. My own son recently verbally threatened a paedophile who was living in the same house has is grandchildren, HE was sent to Prison for 6 months, just for threatening the man..He didn't hit the man or even carry a weapon of any sort he just used WORDS !!!!..his only crime was anger at the situation and a desire to have the man removed from the same house as his grandchildren...but John Venable HAS commited yet another crime against children and HE is having his identity protected and changed AGAIN..yet he was bragging about what he had done, and had apparently shown no remorse whatsoever...once again WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM !!!..what a Country, what a Government, who are prepared to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers money, rehabilitating, (which hasn't worked in this particular case) eventually rehoming, and giving brand new identities to these sort of low lives, so that they will not suffer in anyway...not like the poor little helpless victims who didn't stand a chance... Please see POST SCRIPT Above :-

Thought for the Day

2010-03-08T10:34:00.001Z

If everyone who uses blogger went anonymous..there would be no blogs to read or comment on !!!LOL !!!

Billie Elliot In the West End

2010-03-05T20:13:00.006Z

I went to Lodon Yesterday to the Victoria Palace Theatre to see Billy Elliot...it was wonderful, both very funny and very sad at the same time...I remembered the bleak days of the Miners strike in the 80's so well..Mrs Thatcher was successful in destroying entire villages and Towns, and ruining the lives of so many hardworking mining families.. but it was to be her downfall. The show was very forthright and honest and pulled no punches, i do believe there were many ex-miners in the audience... The story centered around the son of a Miner 'Billy'..who instead of attending Boxing club..spent his entrance money on attending ballet lessons..reluctantly at first, however his talent was very soon recognised by his ballet teacher and he eventually was able to attend The Royal Ballet School in London.,..the Dancing was wonderful.. set against the backdrop of some very sad scenes with the Miners and Police, it made for a very real but also political stage production...not like any Show i have ever seen before...but very, very good. One man commented as we were all coming out of the Theatre...'How on earth can you top that ? quite honestly, you cant. The show is at present on Broadway...and a tour starts later in the year, but i wonder if it will have the same impact there ??..the Strong Geordie accent will be very difficult for some Americans to understand (unless they tone it down a little)..even i had to listen carefully to parts of it, and i have a Geordie friend, who lived in Durham until a few years ago.. also i'm not sure if they will understand SOME of the humour & language, coming from the miners. The show portrayed a very British working class time in history, although as has been ponted out to me...everyone can understand the situation of a young boy, who had lost his Mother, and who so wanted to break away from his situation and the problems he faced,.. Longing to dance, yet living in an era when money was scarce, especially for mining families, and Ballet was far from the normal occupation expected of a young boy in a mining community. I do hope it is enjoyed over in the U.S...even if the impact is not quite the same, as if you have lived through it...I personally thought the Music from the film..was better than the stage version (by Elton John)..but the stage show was a real success as a play, and i personally enjoyed it even more than the film, ( i have watched that innumerable times).. I was in tears of laughter (literally)..but also was openly shedding a tear at other times...i think a show has to be good to do that...if you have seen it let me know what you think ??

Spring is on the way.

2010-02-28T12:03:00.002Z

It looks as if Spring is on the way...i noticed these in my garden when i had a look around today..All this rain must have helped (at least the flowers like it !)..my single Camelias are quite early..but the Helebores are about right. Nothing else shooting up yet but its good to see a bit of colour. I really must get out there and get rid of all last years debris,stalks etc and do a bit of preparing, but its still so cold..and very boggy.

One of my light fittings

2010-02-25T11:48:00.003Z

Here is a pic of one of my light fittings for Kerry....i fell in love with them several years ago when i was out shopping in another little country Town....i found this wonderful shop , which sold nothing but light fittings and lighting equipment...it was like Alladins cave..some really wonderful things..so unusual and there were hundreds of them ..all brightly lit ( i dread to think what their electricity bill was )..i wish i'd had my camera with me that day...i'll maybe go again one day..if i can find it that is....i do hope you get your crystals done Kerry..its a big job, but will look wonderful when it is done.

Its been a while.

2010-02-18T10:50:00.005Z

Its been a while since i last posted, although i have been reading some of my friends blogs..and a couple that i love to read. I'm house /dog sitting for Jimmy my youngest Son He and Polly have gone to Australia for a month..they have been saving for it for a long time..its a sort of honeymoon, (they have been married nearly 3 years)...Flynn the dog as been a good boy UNTIL yesterday. I took him a long walk over the fields near the house, not realizing his love for water..he went in every bog & puddle he could find..rolled in every cow pat..and the ultimate in naughtiness was when he went over to the river drank the water and then rolled in a dead fish !!!!..i can not describe the smell, i hated having to walk past folk on the way home, as the smell, no Stench, was the worst thing you could imagine..i felt everyone was looking at us, it wafted all around us..so strong if you have never smelt rotten fish, you dont know how lucky you are..IF you have, i neededn't say any more. When i got him home i had to bath him 3 times in the back garden with shampoo and throw warm water over him..(it was too cold to hose him down..although part of me really wanted to !!)...i then rubbed him with an old towel and left him in the conservatory to dry out...he really didn't like that...then to had insalt to injury he got me up 3 times in the night because he wanted to go out...it must have been all the yukky water he drank as hes normally very good at night, so i was up and down the stairs half asleep to let him into the garden..i think i was on auto pilot in the end..what a day and what a night.
He looks so sweet in this pic doesn't he..butter wouldn't melt.??..he has been so good today..can dogs grovel ??..not sure, but he certainly as been very loving and obedient...but we will NOT be going on that particular walk again. Its not been my week at all Jim's Sky broke down so i had no T.V. for 4 days down there, until they could come out to repair it...so I had to come up to my house to watch t.v when i came up to feed the cats...they have got a smaller tv in the bedroom, but my eyes are not too good now i'm older & it hurt my eyes after a while...oh what a moaner i am,,Sorry to anyone who is reading this..but all is well now..T.V. is working, Flynn is smelling sweet as a flower and the sun is shining...am going out tomorrow will take my camera with me and put some pics on here...have a good day any one who reads this.

down---to---earth: You, me and the kitchen sink

2010-01-28T15:12:00.006Z

down---to---earth: You, me and the kitchen sink

I Love this Blog..i imagine lots of folk already read it ?..but for those that dont i recommend it, as it is so interesting and helpful and there is always something new to read about. I was especially moved by the recent Post on 'Caitlins Sink' (click onto link above)showing how a young aid worker in China has had to adapt to living in a county where there is little in the way of 'Mod Cons' and manages to adapt & cook lovely meals with such basic equipment..i will never moan about my kitchen again or any other room.

Should i make this another Arch ?

2010-01-22T17:38:00.002Z

The Big arch was put in several years ago...BUT, i am thinking of making it smaller in order to keep the room warmer in Winter.. is quite a long room(28ft)..i am thinking of reducing it both sides by about 2ft each side ??..and also of making the Kitchen door (pictured) into a small arch instead..but I am not sure if this will make it too cold ??..that door leads into my Kitchen...I figure that by reducing the large arch by around 4ft it would still be warmer, EVEN if i made that doorway into an arch (just the size of the doorway as it stands now)..I think this would Look much better..but would it be colder...no problem in the spring/summer months..just not too sure about the Wintertime ??..anyone got any views...i am so unsure at the moment, but do feel like a change.

Black & White

2010-01-19T21:24:00.003Z

Thought i would just put this on my blog...its not often i get those two sitting still & close to each other for long..One is jet black (Moses) you can hardly see him on the black table, there is not a white hair on him anywhere..The other is pure white (Lady)..not one black hair on her at all. The other two, Bailey & Jacey are upstairs asleep on the bed...they all hate going out when its so cold. All the snow is gone now, we had a heavy rain storm on Saturday that shifted the last of it..BUT..we are apparently due some more tomorrow...cant wait !!!

Lots more snow.

2010-01-09T20:24:00.004Z

We have had lots more snow today....very cold, but SO pretty....It is much deeper in Oxford where Ness lives..they could not get the car off the drive today...i think its because its rear wheel drive....good job they have Lukes Landy to rely on...i haven't been out for days !!! since i had my fall..so scared of having another one, but also going stir crazy staying indoors..and we are forcast another 8-10 days of it at least.

I am so Proud of my Grandson

2010-01-07T18:30:00.005Z

I am so proud of my grandson Luke (pictured here)..because of the bad weather conditions he hasn't been able to work, his bosses couldn't get in to work, so they told the workers not to turn up until the snow eases up...Luke as been driving around lots of the country Lanes near to where he lives and pulling people out of the snow in his Land Rover...he heard on the radio of all the folks that were experiencing difficulties..so went out to look for them and to help..he didn't want payment and just did it because the terrible weather conditions meant a lot of people were stranded...and it was surprising how many there were apparently...I think it is only Land Rovers that are able to cope with some of the extreme conditions they have down South where he lives ? I have only just heard that he as also been delivering food parcels from Age Concern to some of the local old people who can't get out because of the snow...it makes me so proud of him..i do hope thats not wrong, he can be a bit of a 'Jack the Lad'..(well he is only 20,that pic was taken on New years Eve I think) but it goes to show that for all his daftness... he is very mature when it really counts...I love him for it, Bless him.

The White Stuff at Last

2010-01-06T08:41:00.004Z

Well the white stuff is here at last..very pretty to wake up to this morning, this pic of my little garden was taken at around 7.45, (ignore the clock in the picture it needs new batteries) the other one is of the river in Tamworth and is from last year..but nothing much changes around here. Its very cold and we have been told on the news that there is a LOT more snow to come. We have also been told that gas supplies are running low and we are having to buy it in (at vastly increased prices no doubt)from the countries we sold it too last summer !!! ..when we had so much of it apparently. When will they learn, they must know there is a chance of a bad Winter, but then the consumer has to take the extra burden..while the 'fat cats' are laughing all the way to the Bank...surely the Government should step in to do something about this..why do we vote for them if its not to sort out issues like this...unless they too are benefitting in some way ??...Anyway i'm not going to get depressed about things i cant change..i'm just going to stay in and enjoy the view from my windows...time was i would have loved to have gone a walk in the wood when the snow was freshly fallen..its so very pretty then, like a winter wonderland..but since my fall, i am so afraid to even venture outside unless i have to, let alone the wood, thats were i had my fall during the holiday, Jimmy & Polly were with me, thank goodness or i dont know how i would have got back home...These old bones aren't what they once were (lol)...love the snow but roll on spring..so i can walk without fear again, now i am starting to sound like a silly old biddy so i'll just get into my day.

2010..Such hopes

2010-01-04T13:33:00.005Z

Well the New Year is here at last..its very cold and icy...but sadly no snow yet, i dont mind the cold so much if we have the white fluffy stuff as well.
I am so glad that that the old year as gone, for myself it was one of the worst i can ever remember...So i have such hope for this New One, probably because it is only 'Hope' that is keeping me going right now..I must remember the words of Dee (my friend Kerry's daughter) When the going gets tough.."just keep swimming"..well i think its a quote from 'Finding Nemo' really, but its become Dee's slogan & i associate it so much with her...I MUST keeep swimming...swimming,swimming, even when people who dont even know the circumstances OR my family.. choose to read ridiculous articles in a newspaper that is known for printing vastly altered,usually nasty rubbish,that bears little or no resemblance to truth and that is almost always grossly exaggerated....
MOST folk KNOW that's what sells Papers....but SOME especially in a small village like mine, love to spread gossip.....maybe one day Lies will be told about them..only then they will they understand..but in the mean time i have to live in a road where gossip abounds spread by silly old busy bodies, who have never even seen my son, This saddens me so much, especially as folk who know the truth say he should get a Medal for what he did...( well he didn't actually DO anything, just VERBALLY threateneed a Paedophile) Yes,folks who really know the circumstances are so supportive....I thank them all for that, but the ones who know nothing just make it up !!!..I wonder If they will choke on their words when the other side of the coin is hopefully printed, by one of the women he abused when she was just a child ????... IF the Herald as the integrity to print it that is..
However this is not doing my New Years resolution any good...i vowed to not let stupid people get me down and only to listen to truth..i have made a decision not to listen to gossip about anyone again....but lets change the subject.
I loved this picture of Tamworth pigs in the snow, i got it from the net..they are enjoying the snow, so it must have been taken last year...i thought it was a lovely picture.

I'm hoping to go and stay with Ness for a little while in the next week or so...weather permitting of course..its hard getting out in a wheelchair in the snow & it is forcast to be fairly heavy where she lives down south..once it does arrive that is !!!!
I am going to take my Christmas tree down now..another job i hate..then putting it all away in the loft..groan..but i always feel better once its done..its strange isn't it, i dont feel right until its put up..then when the Holiday as passed it seems sad just looking at it starting to droop (i have a real one)..so i will pick myself up start taking the decorations off it and play some music to cheer me up while i do it.
This Post looks a little bit disjointed reading it back (a bit like me)..but i won't change it..hopefully my next one will be better.
Happy New Year to anyone who happens to read it, I hope 2010 is happy and peaceful for us all.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-17T19:41:00.003Z

Christmas is almost here..we had our First snow today...lovely but VERY cold...my tree isn't very good this year..all the stress and problems of the last few weeks have really taken there toll..but at least i have put a tree up ( i wasn't going to)..Bailey would not get out of that box..what is it with Cats and boxes ???.. I would like to wish anyone who happens to visit my blog at anytime...a Happy Christmas and a good and Peaceful 2010.

Garden Centre 2010

2009-11-26T12:03:00.006Z

Just want to put these pics on as promised..or Christmas will be over..the camera doesn't really do them justice, as the lights are so much brighter and the whole thing makes even a misery like me (at the moment)feel a bit Christmasy..I would love to Share the pics of Kerry & Dee or anyone else if you visit any.

Too stressed to Blog at the moment.

2009-11-22T07:29:00.004Z

I am just too stressed to write my blog at the moment, trying to act 'normal' when i feel so disjointed is making my situation worse, i am feeling physically sick & my head aches, but the worst are the anxiety type of feelings,they are so strange...My dearest friends & close family know what i am talking about...so until this ordeal is over i am going to take a break. I will still read the blogs of my friends to help me get through the day.....but i just can't get my head together to write my own...i will be back when it is all over.

I had to delete my meme

2009-11-20T11:34:00.005Z

I have had to delete my meme..it was just taking up so much room on my blog.
I dont know why but the letters were just so large !!!..was it because i cut & pasted it from Dee's ???..but Dee's letters were very small & neat..so i dont understand that...i am hoping Kerry or Dee will be able to tell me ???
I think even after all these years i am still very much a novice with some aspects of my computer.!!

Apple and Toffee Flapjacks.

2009-11-15T10:00:00.002Z

This is a recipe that was given on a Local Radio a few years ago.I think they are delicious.

Ingredients
Juice of half a lemon.
3-4 good quality apples
175g/6oz Butter
50g/2oz SOFT brown sugar.
2tbs black treacle
3tbs Golden Syrup
350g/12oz Porridge oats
150g/5oz dairy Toffees
2tbsp Milk.

Method

1. Place apples and lemon juice in a small saucepan, cook until the apples are JUST soft. Mash with a fork to make a puree.OR this can be done in a microwave if you prefer..leave to cool.

2.Place the butter,sugar and both of the syrups into a pan and GENTLY heat untilthe butter has melted...remove from the heat and stir in the oats until they are completely coated.

3.Place half the mixture into a baking tin and press down firmly...Spread the apple Puree over this then cover with the remaining out mixture. Place into a pre-heated oven Gas mark 5(190c)..or Aga baking oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

4. When Flapjack is cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool...Cut into 18 squares before completely cool..It will remain soft in the middle but will harden as it cools further.

5, while they cool, gently heat the Toffees and milk in a small saucepan, stirring all the time.....drizzle the toffee mixture over the top of the flapjacks. Chill for 10 minutes before serving.
Note if preffered a larger amount of Toffee /Milk can be used and a thicker all over coating can be added...delicious served with whipped cream or alone.

I hope we are able to share more tried and loved recipes soon it is good share these things..I look forward to getting some more from you all.

My Buritto's with Red Onion

2009-11-14T22:07:00.004Z

These are my 2 huge buritto's that i had for my dinner tonight...i dropped one onto the cooker as i was getting it out of the pan..so it doesn't look too good..but it still tasted great (i put sliced red onion on these for a change)...i have Dee to thank for introdicing me to these wonderful new meals...i'm like a kid, when i find something i really like, i have them day after day...i really must stop it though as i think they are very fattening !!!..last week i cooked a really huge pot of Chilli Beef and froze it in individual bags..so that all i have to do now is take one out when i fancy a quick filling for my Buritto's...and i've always got grated cheese in my fridge...I put Dee's special sauce inside them...am i supposed to put it on top as well ??..i did that the other night, when a friend came to dinner and they were lovely..i cooked just one each that night with a baked potato & green salad..she thought they were wonderful & took Dee's recipe home with her...so she will be making them too now...i hope she does them when i visit her LOL...must stop talking about food, it makes me hungry...i will have a go at doing Dee's Moo Shoo next week..that will be a change.

Armistice day at the Arboretum

2009-11-14T12:23:00.009Z

I spent a wonderful day at the Arboretum near Tamworth, as it was Armistice day and there were many interesting events taking place...including a fly past of the Hercules, which must have flew as low as was legally possible..we could even see the pilot, Fantastic !!. There was also marches and various displays. The Monument itself as the names of all who lost their lives in World War 2, names are been added all the time to include those of soldiers who are losing their lives in other war torn areas of the World in the present time.
There is also a monument to those who gave their lives in World War 1. It was so good to see so many of the veterans of World War 2 wearing their medals, they were all so pleased to talk to us and answer any of the questions we asked...it must bring back so many memories for them of when they were in the front line facing all manner of hostilities..so that we might live in Freedom.
We should never forget these men, who fought in any of the Wars past or present, Army, Navy and Air Force..also the young men, some barely seventeen, that even as we stood in the cold November rain in a free Britain..were out in Afghanistan,Iraq and other places in harsh conditions, often with Inadequate equipment..fighting that we may STAY free..we owe them our lives and 'Must Never Forget' we should wear our poppies with pride in memory of them all.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

2009-10-30T13:12:00.000Z

Forgot to go to the Doctors again..slept through my alarm...if i didn't laugh i would cry..what is happening to me ???..My memory is so worrying...but i will make a later appointment next time..then i will hopefully remember..after leaving myself a note on my bedside table, another pinned to my front door and a message on my Computer for when i switch on !!!!

Removed my grey day post..it was too depressing.

2009-10-28T14:29:00.003Z

I have decided to remove my grey day post....it was just me sounding off and i am sorry...but thank you to my kind friends who commented on it..dont know why i get these really low days..there are so many folk MUCH worse off than me..

Saturday Pics

2009-10-24T17:59:00.002+01:00

Saturday is family visiting day..i have had Simon, Pam and baby Jack here today with Sims friend Ian, ( Ian as given me a great new c.d.. player for the car, as he had a new car & it had one already fitted...(.so he took this one out when he exchanged it)...i Love it, its much better than my old casette machine...Then Jim & Polly and also my friend Jackie...all came today..but it helps with the boredom.

I'd get a bit fed up on these long grey winter days if i didn't have visitors..Just look at Jacks feet...they look massive !!!!..but i think its just the way the picture as been taken with his feet at the front near the camera...LOL

Scottish Highland Cattle.

2009-10-23T16:14:00.003+01:00

Here are a Few pics of Highland Cattle..i wonder if these are the ones you have seen over in Idaho ??..i love them, when i go to Scotland we see lots of them they are lovely animals...i love their long hair...its even longer in winter time to keep them warm in those Scottish Highland winters.

Pot Cat

2009-10-23T13:15:00.000+01:00

Lady as a really comfy bed in the house,and a warm radiator to sleep under..yet she is SO hard to get indoors in the day time..all the other cats hate been outside now its getting colder and go mad to come back in...not her !!!...she does come in at night..eventually, ( probably only because she is hungry & i won't feed her outside )..but she would rather sleep in this flowerpoot during the daytime..she looks at me as if i am going mad when i try to coax her inside.

My New Great Grandson Jack.

2009-10-20T13:02:00.001+01:00

Here is the latest edition to the family..Jack my new Great- Grandson. Mom Stacey & Dad Charlie, are so proud of him..he weighed 7lb 15 oz..so he is quite a big boy....i am going to see him tonight.

Bailey & Ollie

2009-10-20T12:53:00.000+01:00

Poor Bailey and Moses cant understand why Ollie will not play like Seb did, i think Bailey just got fed up of trying to get Oliie's attention and fell asleep.

I do hope Ollie gets used to them as they are both used to rabbits & wouldn't hurt them..Seb used to chase them all around the room, then they would all fall asleep..Moses is worst because i think Seb was his Best friend and he used to sleep in his hutch & his cage if he had the chance..

Few More Black Country Museum Pics

2009-10-15T22:32:00.001+01:00

A few more pics of the museum..you could go into all the Shops & houses and they were all traditionally furnished as the homes of the poor would have been about 100 years ago...the last time we were there..many of the houses were supposedly inhabited by traditionally dressed folk..and they chatted to you as if they were actually living in those times....NOT in 2009

Black Country Museum (part 1)

2009-10-15T22:14:00.002+01:00

Here are just a few of the pics of The Black Country Museum..it is such a fantastic place..like stepping back in time..this one is a little nearer to me than Blist Hill, and i just love it...you can go into all the houses & buildings and people are in there and they dress authentically & talk to you as if they are actually living in the time era....We had such a laugh when we were last there in August, some folk who worked there re-enacted a street argument between 2 women..it was so very funny,their husbands dragged them back indoors,...after that when you went into the various houses on the street, the folk who were supposed to be living there..were talking about it, and taking sides or saying how disgusting the women were etc..it was just like been part of a film set...and so very Funny and cleverly done, it really was a fantastic day out..we all Loved it,...but we always do...fantastic place, the Old Fish & Chip Shop still cooks on old equipment as was used 100 years ago,and uses the same ingredients..you can buy the fish & chips and they are wonderful ONLY problem was the prices were NOT as they were in the old days LOL, also you could Drink real old ale in the Pub that is there, just like it was in my grandma's day ....loads more pics to..(.but i dont want to bore you, as i could go on about this for ages)...i think if you click onto some of the pictures they will enlarge and you will be able to see it better.

Day out at Blist Hill Museum (at long last !!)

2009-10-14T18:26:00.001+01:00

I keep forgetting to post some of my pictures of Blist Hill Museum..i spent a day there in early August...It is a great place, just like stepping back in time about 100 years or more..All the buildings are original and have been moved brick by brick into their new home on the site...all the goods in the shops are as they were at the turn of the centuary or earlier& the staff all wear authentic costumes. I also love the Black Country museum and will post some of those pictures later ( they are both similar) but Blist hill seems to have a lot more shops & business's, but the buildings are just as they were..The Black country as more homes, a working mine & shows how life was for the poor at that time... I found both so interesting..i love history and i remember my grans house & furniture etc been very similar when i was a kid.....i could visit these places every week and not get fed up..so could Simon (my oldest son)..we have got special tickets that enables us to go as many times as we likes in a year..its only about an hour or so away from Tamworth in the car..but it is a brilliant day out..even the grandkids enjoy it...Things are so very different now..it does them good to see how different things are today..life is so much easier..especially for the poor..only the wealthy could live comfortably in those days at the turn of the century...the last picture just fascinates me..it shows some lovely old brickwork and arches places like this were often built around the local towns.

The Rabbit Nobody Wanted..until now.

2009-10-13T12:57:00.005+01:00

This is the latest member of the family..i have named him Oliver (or Ollie) because i had just been to book up for the stage musical 'Oliver'...we go on trips arranged by the local Garden Centre, ..so i decided to have a look around while i was there...I saw lots of little bunnies selling @ £30 each, females in one pen, males in another....then there was this little fellow in another pen the only rabbit with lots of guinea pigs and he was only £10.....i asked an assistant why he was on his own and not with the other bunnies, and why he was so much cheaper....Its because no -one wants him she said, he as been here over 6 months, so he as been put in with the guinea pigs for a few months, hoping that someone will notice him more, but still no-one as brought him....i was SO upset..NO BODY WANTS HIM...how sad is that, i think maybe its because of his colour, (all the others were cute little whites, and multi coloured ones, & he was much bigger because he had been there so long)...Also she said if he is not sold by the end of October they are taking him to a pet shop.....a PET shop, is that just another name for something more nasty ??..any way my friend Marg who was with me told the assistant..thats it..Joy will have him now,..she was right i couldn't bear to think no one wanted the dear little thing...Seb my lovely old rabbit died recently, so i already have an indoor cage for cold weather, a lovely big outdoor hutch for summer..and lots of food and toys..so it made sense i suppose, I was going to get one eventually...but had decided to wait until next spring as i still miss Seb....i brought the little chap home and here he is....he is very quiet and i think his little personality as got to develop....but he is so sweet & i love him already...how could no-one have wanted him, the poor little mite.

Last Word on my Door !

2009-10-13T08:42:00.002+01:00

I showed Jimmy, (the brainy logical one in the family..where did i get him from) ?? the recent pics of my 'spooky'door...i was really quite interested what he would have to say..because it was the weirdest thing to me & lots of others who i have shown the pics to.
He just shook his head as if i was some demented, sad, eccentric old biddy..

It does LOOK unusual he said..quote...'but those doors are treated when they are made.. because they are external and need protection from the elements...usually they are treated panel by panel..that one must simply have had too much or not enough treatrment and it made it look odd compared to the others.....only a camera flash would pick up the flaws !!..try taking it from a different angle mom.....and you will see how silly you have been....so i DID..and here is the result.....mystery solved, but i must confess i think i may be just a little disappointed...it was a talking point before and didn't do amy harm...well it wouldn't i suppose, been as it was just a badly treated door panel..LoL.

The Last Flowers & Shrubs of Autumn 2009

2009-10-12T19:05:00.002+01:00

Its getting so very cold now, i do not think we will see these flowers for very much longer this year.
I was looking at a few blogs yesterday and it was lovely to see some of the flowers folk had put on their blogs to share with others,...So i thought i would do the same, there is still some colour in my little garden as you can see...but so much of it as died off now, these are a few of my 'hangers on'.
I do love all the rich colours of this time of year, i must take my camera out and try and catch some of the Autumnal trees &Shrubs in the area. It looks as if i need to treat some of my roses, as a couple of them seem to have some sort of disease.. I dont want that to come back next year. I have been remembering the times when i spent most my spare time in the garden....it gets sadly overlooked now...I really must make more effort....(arthritis & tiredness permitting)..i took these pictures 35 minutes ago.... and it is completely dark out there now..night fall comes so quickly in late Autumn over here.

What on earth is that in my door panel ??

2009-10-09T12:28:00.000+01:00

I have just looked at my blog, and i can not believe what i saw..in the middle door panel on the left....that is so weird !!!...it is just a normal wooden door no glass, and i dont think it would reflect camera light...especially as that looks as if it is just in one panel...Has anyone hot any ideas what on earth that could be ???...its a bit Spooky...i have been out and there is nothing on the door at all,...it is just plain wood..how strange.

My VERY scruffy side passage.

2009-10-09T12:02:00.002+01:00

Here are 2 pics of my very scruffy 'passage' it is ajoining my house next to the kitchen..but i do not as yet class it as part of the house (even though it as been there for over 20 years)..as it as got no electric sockets so i can not put a fridge or washing machine there as yet ( but i may get round to it one day LoL)..after 20 years mmmm!!!..it as got lighting and is very handy for storing things etc..also a door leads from it into my garage at the one end..so that is useful,.. as the garage is where i do keep my fridge, freezer & tumble drier...i did start to paint it a while ago as you can see...but my back got so bad i had to leave it...i will have to try & finish it off now the weather is getting cooler...It was summer when i did that little bit of painting and it got so HOT in there i thought i would pass out...i think it is that perspex roof that does that...as it gets so hot in Summer..but very cold in winter....seeing Kerry doing so much to hers as made me feel a bit guilty...and it really would look a bit better with a lick of paint & a bit of a facelift.....like me !!.LOL....i am a bit ashamed to put these pics on..but they will maybe give me the incentive to paint it and tidy it up....about time i think.

Just had to put this on.

2009-08-09T18:14:00.007+01:00

Just got back today from Vanessa's, I forgot the Kitty has to have his next injection this week, so i had to come home, I am going back down on Friday....I know i said i wasn't going to blog for a while...but i just had to put this one on (Nie, Nies Blog)...please if you get chance do read this womans blog..it is so uplifting.
She almost died in a plane crash and had severe burns to most of her body..yet she reamains faithful and lovely... despite all he treatment and on going pain..
Its like a diary of her life..and shows how happy she is to be alive & with the Man & Family she loves...a truly uplifting blog..such an inspiration..go as far back as you can and you can understand it more and share a little of the journey with her...Thank you Seth for sharing this blog with your readers..it is all i have read these past few days..and i have got my daughter interested in it now as well.

2009-08-09T18:13:00.001+01:00

I am having a break from Blogging for a while.

2009-08-06T19:00:00.003+01:00

I am going to visit my daughter and have a break from Blogging for a while.....so much on my mind and i need to get away to think about things....will take Moses with me Jim & Polly will look after the other cats and Sebby (Rabbit).

Time to make some wine i think.

2009-08-01T10:16:00.002+01:00

When i was clearing out the old shed, so i could have my new one built..i found some of my old Demi-Johns & a few other winemaking utensils..I had forgotten i still had them..its been a long, long time since i last used them. It started me thinking, its a nice hobby..why did i ever stop ??...and its so much cheaper than buying it at the supermarket..although it can be quite strong when you make your own, but MUCH nicer..and also very nice to be able to share with family & friends. Trouble is it takes a while before you can drink your first batch..but i've waited about 20 years !!!..yes,.. i reckon thats how long its been since i last made my own !!..so whats another few months..i'll go and buy some ingredients...BIG decision now is what one shall i make...or maybe i'll do a few while i'm at it..hhmmmm i'm getting into this now.....if i hadn't knocked down the old shed i would still be wondering what to do with my spare time....all this rain means staying indoors a lot, and its so Boring.....as we have had the worst Summer for many years...but i know that lots of folk would give anything for some rain, so i will not say too much about it...just want a little bit of sun..to be able to dry my washing outdoors for a change.

A one off comment.

2009-07-30T15:16:00.004+01:00

Its so very rare i ever get into a discussion about 'religion'..and i do know that many lovely folk have many different beliefs, i would NEVER argue that my belief is the right one...but it is the right one for me.
I have lovely friends who do NOT believe as i do, and some dear friends who have NO faith whatsoever...and i care for them all...they ALL have something to add to my life, & hopefully I do to theirs... However God as proved himself to me,..sometimes through extreme circumstances, its not usually the good times that make a person believe..but adversity....my life as not been easy..but the Bible does tell us that this is a fact that will happen....sometimes when you start to believe....life gets much harder, (is that some other power trying to test my 'faith')..maybe, I'm really not sure about that.
I was once an atheist...couldn't believe there was a God, not when the World is in the mess its in etc...when my daughter became disabled with M.S...when my best friend died while i was a teenager, many bad things happened in the family that i find hard to talk about etc, etc....pretty much like most folks lives i suppose.
One day, many years ago, i heard a man speak about a ' personal relationship' with God through Jesus...and i started to listen..it was as if someone had switched a light on in my head....Its a very long story, but basically the Bible was no longer a dry old book of things that happened long ago.... he made it make sense and i wanted to learn more..a big step for me....things i had never realized before.....IF i'm honest i had not read much of it at all... I just didn't think it was relevant to life today.... Since then so many things have happened that have totally & utterly convinced me that God is real...and that he did come to Earth..to give all who believe in him 'Eternal Life'...no one has to believe, of course,..but i do now, ..totally..I knew my life wasn't going to suddenly become wonderful....and it certainly didn't !!!.. but despite so many very bad times..my faith is still strong... A few years ago i lived on a very busy Main road in Tamworth at the time....the children were still young & i had been to visit my Mom in Birmingham ( i had been a Christian for about 2 years at this time ) ..as i was driving down my road....i suddenly had a strong ,strong compulsion, that i cant explain... to drive past my own house......at the same time it was as if someone held the steering wheel and would not allow me to turn into my drive....the kids were yelling ..why haven't you gone up the drive Mom !!..all i could say was....i dont know, i cant explain it, i just cant turn the wheel !!!.....only a matter of a minute later the compulsion left me..and the steering wheel was under my control again....so i went to the next side road & turned the car around...as i was driving back up the road on the other side, i hit a very bad traffic jam, that seemed to have come out of nowhere.... and was only moving about a foot every couple of minutes, and it then stopped completely.....so as the kids were hungry, i decided to park up in a side street and walk up the road and collect the car later......The terrible shock as i approached my house was unbelievable,.. crowds were gathered around my drive & in my garden......there right on my Drive were my car would have been, & my children would be getting out, had i turned when i normally would....there were two cars that had crashed into each other ( one from the other side of the road i later heard)..and both had landed on my drive and garden..and were a mangled Mess....even writing about it now..my blood runs cold...we would have been mowed down on our own drive..it took an ambulance and firemen ages to cut the folk free and remove the vehicles.....i know we would have been seriously injured at least, probably Much worse had i been able to pull onto my drive..as it must have happened just secinds after we drove past...and the kids would be getting out of the car....Jimmy was a baby still in his carry cot in the back,... and Simon & Vanessa were only only very young.
I Know in my heart that God prevented that tragedy...it was not just coincidence..many may say i was 'lucky'....but even as i drove past earlier, & didn't understand why ..i felt a voice saying..'Trust me'.......awhen i was an Atheist i would NEVER have believed this could happen....but i know it did so did my kids...even now they sometimes talk about it.
Dont get me wrong....i would Still believe even if this didn't happen......but it built my faith up & despite all the bad things that have happened since...i still know God is real...i still cant explain why there is so much poverty & cruelty in this World....BUT if you have a belief in the power of good (in my case God)..you must also believe in the Power of Evil ( everything, especially spiritual things as an opposite, this is recognized by most religions)......i know i believe this.., its a long story and its explanation is too complicated to talk about in a small blog like this.. ..Do you know that the Bible actually tells us that the Devil...is the ruler this World, at this present time. ??.....but those that believe in Jesus will have eternal life in the next one.?..we were never promised an easy ride down here..just that God would be with us, if we believe......I once said i would NEVER bring Religion into my blog....but just this ONCE i felt i wanted to stick up for what i believe.......while deeply respecting the belief of others who may totally disagree with me. ..I will not write on this subject again, as it is not a Religious forum/blog..but i have so much to be thankful for & i wanted to speak about it...just this once.

Seb Moses & an ORB

2009-07-29T20:17:00.002+01:00

Dear Kerry & Dee..i hope you are both ok..i have been a bit poorly, i am going to E-mail you in the next couple of days Kerry as it seems a while since we had a chat...i have put this picture on my blog because when i opened it i noticed what look like an 'orb' near the rabbit....on a larger picture it is very clear...if you remember there was one in this room a while ago..i didn't notice until i printed it out...i didn't use the camera flash as it was a good light...so its not from the flash.....can you see it ok ?..What do you make of it ?? I do hope you are both well..i think of you often.

A Start as been made on my garden Shed.

2009-07-23T17:33:00.003+01:00

At long last it looks as if my new shed is going to be built..the other one was about to fall down. This one is almost twice the size of the other one & is built in UPVC..so it will probably last for more years than i will..!!!...Simon & Kieran have been working on it most of the day, i felt terrible as it was pouring of rain for much of the time..I kept asking them to stop, but they said rain didn't bother them at all & they wanted to get it finished..hopefully tomorrow it will be completed, they are going to put the roof on....Then they just have to do the interior floor. It as given them a headache as the ground was so unlevel at the top of my garden and they have had to allow for that and build up parts of it...but i am so pleased with it..cant wait for it to be done..its big enough to put my garden chairs & table in out of all this rain we have been having...i dont think its doing the wood much good.

Moses loves Sebs cage

2009-07-22T08:13:00.004+01:00

I have had to bring Seb (rabbit) indoors as the rain as been too bad these past few days to leave him in his hutch....His old cage seems so small now compared to his new big hutch...especially when he shares it with Moses !!!..the two seem to have become really good friends.. I leave the door of the cage open so seb can come in & out, if he wants to while i am home,...I only close the cage when i am going out or when i get fed up of them running around like looneys !!!. Moses now sleeps with Seb after they have taken it in turns to chase each other around & wear each other out......still at least Moses is leaving the older cats alone ..and Seb uses the litter tray so thats not a problem....do you like the pic of Moses checking out the rabbit cages on the internet LOL.

A little stills video of the Arboretum etc

2009-07-18T12:09:00.002+01:00

http://www.urldir.co.uk/?p=51

This is a link (hope it works) to the Arboretum ..it shows a few more parts of it & also contains information...there are also a few links to Tamworth Castle & Middleton hall...i have posted on these before in the Past...and some other places..just tried the link and it is working..hope it works in the U.S. as well.

Tamworth Memorial Arboretum

2009-07-17T19:24:00.010+01:00

Went to visit the Memorial Arboretum in Tamworth this week...I didn't know until we got there that the Duke of Edinburgh was attending that day.....(we caught him just before leaving, as we didn't get there until around 12.00)..he was unveiling a plinth to the R.E.M.E.( Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers) The Arboretum is a pretty place with lots of trees and gardens..but also a very sad place....when you see the statue and the wall with the names of all the thousands of young men & women who have lost their lives in Wars (1st& 2nd World wars & also the more modern ones in Afghanistan & Iraq etc)..The circular building with the steps leading up to it is where all the names are written .....but the statue was particually thought provocking with the soldier been carried by his comrades....then a wife & children are represented at one end..and broken hearted parents weeping at the other...the names of each soldier that has died was written on the wall behind, along with their regiment ...sadly with lots of space to add more names as more lives are taken in the future......some of them were only 17-18...how very sad....they fought, like all soldiers to keep our country Free..... There were also gardens of rememberance for many other countries and soldiers who were our allies in the Wars, with tributes to all the men who lost there lives fighting for peace....and their regiments.

It is something i dont think about very often..but going here really made me think about the futility of it all....and the grief of the families that are left behind....how would I feel if it were any of my children or loved ones ??....broken hearted......The Arboretum itself is getting recognition from many places in the World, and is visited by many folk from other nations, who have lost loved ones and are represented there....I was so surprised when we spoke to one of the Old Soldiers who had fought in the 2nd World War...he had many stories to tell...but he was still alive, and so many never came back....We will be eternally grateful to them..and must not forget..they were someones husband or father or son..(or daughter in some cases) and many gave their lives at such an early age.....War is a terrible waste of life.

Moses is always here when i am on the computer.

2009-07-15T22:13:00.005+01:00

I LOVE my little kitty..he follows me everywhere..but whenever i am on the computer he is there with me..one of these pics was taken yesterday (the one where he is awake)..the other one, where he is sleeping was taken tonight..i think he just got sick of me been on here..so decided to go to sleep...he as exhausted himself chasing around after the other cats and jumping all over them..but they are getting used to him now..and i think this stage doesn't last too long anyway...but i will miss some of his antics when he does finally calm down.

I am not giving up on my Ab machine.

2009-07-14T21:08:00.005+01:00

It was great yesterday to get support from my friends about my Ab machine...also from anonymous (Sarah)..thank you all ...I thought folk would laugh,... it was an inspiration for me to get positive feedback.....I am VERY serious..these 60 year old abs..need some serious help.
I wont overdo it, and i do a warm up before hand as they tell you on the dvd...i am just doing a couple of minutes morning and evening and building up the time gradually...i also have it on its easiest setting at the moment ( i tried it on the highest one and i literally couldn't move it..LOL)....but i'll build up gradually...I am determined !!..my oldest son saw it today and he said..'what on earth do you want that for at your age mom'......ouch !!!....that as just made me even MORE determined to use it until i feel fitter and get rid of my bumps and bulges ..(.well some of them).. i know i wont look like those gorgeous young women who sell it on the T.V.....i'm OLD.. NOT stupid...i just want to feel better & have my clothes look good again...it wont be easy...but i am determined...thanks again for your support..Joy

Ab Machine.

2009-07-13T07:57:00.002+01:00

This is my new Ab machine..it as got very mixed revues on the net, some pretty bad....Jimmy tried it yesterday and said he thought it would do the job as it wasn't easy to do (apparently no pain -no gain !!)..he could feel it on his abs on the highest level & he is very fit...I couldn't even move it on that one, It as 5 levels....i am finding it hard even on the 1st one.. i can feel it on my abs etc..so i am hoping that combined with a healthier lifestyle i will feel & look better in a few months time..friends say i'll get fed up with it before then...hope i can prove them wrong as i do want to get fitter.

Making friends at Last.

2009-07-08T19:39:00.002+01:00

I think Bailey and Moses are making friends at last...at least they seem easier in each others company..they both ate food next to each other this afternoon and seemed relaxed...i think Moses knows when Bailey is asleep to just leave him alone....the others just show no interest most of the time.

Raining so hard...LOVELY !!!

2009-07-07T18:45:00.003+01:00

I dont think you can see it in this picture..but it as rained almost non-stop today...and for once i am not going to moan..it is lovely..it as cooled things down a lot...but its still pleasantly warm..

I have brought myself a sort of excercise machine that i have seen advertised on the T.V. shopping channel for several weeks now......i couldn't make up my mind about it, but the results do look good on T.V...so i took the plunge last week and ordered it..and its been delivered today.....Just have got to get Jimmy to come upand set it up for me.....i will put a picture of it on my blog tomorrow...now please TRY not to laugh !!!!!......fortunately it is for any level of fitness as you can alter the tension etc on it ( that means abasolutely nothing to an old couch potato like me however )..but watch this space....who knows i might transform myself !!....whooops there goes another pig, flying over my house LOL

Happy 4th July.

2009-07-05T14:30:00.002+01:00

Happy 4th July..have lots of fun...dont get too sun burned in all that heat...its a scorcher again today here..so im sure its the same over there in the U.S.

Let me know how you celebrated..did you do anything special to celebrate Independance Day ??..or was the heat just too much ??

93 degrees & climbing !!!

2009-07-02T18:14:00.002+01:00

Its So hot here these past few days..our heat is a horrible damp 'clammy' heat..not like some European countries where the heat is dry and a little more bearable.....I do worry about the animals in these conditions, so i rooted through the garden shed & found this old umbrella, a bit scruffy but it helps to shade Sebs hutch a little... the cats just want to stay indoors.....Martha has the right idea...get close to some water.

Aquilegias (Columbines)

2009-07-02T13:51:00.004+01:00

Just thought i would put these on my blog...i have just brought the packet of mixed Aquilegias (Columbines)...so HOPEFULLY i will get some the same colour as Kerry's next year......but I think its pot luck with these packets which colours you get !!!....I have the blue and the pink ones like the ones here..but mine are finished for this year as you can see by my picture..only the seed heads left...I do have to remove some of these or they will spread TOO much all over the garden......but i have just given my friend a load of Aquilegia and also Lupin seeds...Do you know what the name of yours are Kerry ??..the colours are so pretty.

How Sad is This

2009-07-01T10:40:00.002+01:00

This is a sign showing the limits of the area where the Japanese were allowed to walk...one wonders what would happen if they were to venture further afield ??

With a sentry on Duty i doubt many would try.

More Japenese Internment Pics

2009-06-30T12:38:00.006+01:00

I thought this information was interesting....i am finding all this so fascinating, so much History on your doorstep Kerry...seeing these 2 young girls makes me realise how very young some of the people must have been...we really have no idea do we? so much sadness and yet they are smiling. Gardening evidently helped them to focus on something other than their situation & gave them a purpose...how sad that they were not kept after the war was over.
*********************************
The Japanese Americans interned at Minidoka were an indispensable labor source for southern Idaho's agricultural-based economy. 2,4000 Minidoka residents worked in agriculture during the 1943 harvest. Despite the internment experience, most Japanese-Americans overcame the initial feelings of loss and despair and remained intensely loyal to the United States. In 1943, the U.S. Army formed a segregated all-Japanese-American combat unit, the legendary 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team which fought in Italy and France, becoming the most decorated unit of its size in American military history. The greatest numbers of volunteers in the 442nd came from the Minidoka Center, giving the Seattle Japanese-American community one of the highest WWII service records of any nationality/ethnic group in the nation. Approximately 1000 evacuees from Minidoka enlisted in the military and 73 soldiers whose families were interned at Minidoka died fighting for their country. The families, because they were interned, could not attend the funerals. In January 1945, the War Department began allowing internees to return to the West Coast. The Minidoka Center officially closed on October 23, 1945. After the camp was decommissioned, the Bureau of Reclamation offered the land for homesteading to veterans. Farmhouses and irrigated fields now occupy much of the former site of southern Idaho's WWII concentration camp. The relocation camp experience was a severe test of the character and loyalty of the Japanese-Americans. For those interned, life in the camps was a bitter experience but, in the long run, served to promote widespread acculturation and acceptance into the mainstream of American society. In 1952, the McCarran-Walter Act nullified racial restrictions in the Naturalization Law, which opened the U.S. to Japanese immigration, and allowed for the first time resident Japanese aliens to apply for citizenship. Today, all that visibly remains of the Minidoka Wartime Relocation Center is the lone lava rock chimney tower and portions of a building wall, a solemn reminder of a complex and significant chapter in American history. On January 17, 2001, a presidential proclamation established the 72-acre Minidoka Internment National Monument in order to preserve and protect the legacy of this unique and irreplaceable historical resource.

More Minidoka Pictures

2009-06-30T11:54:00.005+01:00

I love this one Kerry...it looks like they even built a scarecrow..it must have helped a little, to take away some of the sadness from an awful situation....using energy to create something useful. How sad that it as been pretty much lost over the years.

********************************
Though not a professional gardener, Yasusuke Kogita (far left) loved stone. During his four years at the Minidoka Internment Camp, located in southern Idaho, he'd walk miles and miles into the surrounding sagebrush to find intriguing rock. He then engaged the help of his two young sons in getting sometimes massive boulders back to the camp, where he created an elaborate garden.
Those two young sons, are Ted, left, and Paul Kogita. Their memories of Minidoka are dominated by the image of their father lost in reverie, working and meditating in his rock garden. They say it was a great source of his strength, and a way in which he could control his world. Unable to leave his rocks behind, Yasusuke Kogita brought them home with him when the camp was closed. Today, those rocks -- some of them weighing two tons -- grace Paul Kogita's Seattle garden.

Japanese Internment Camp at Idaho

2009-06-28T16:11:00.012+01:00

I am just putting this on my blog for you Kerry..i am sure you will find out lots more..it seems a fascinating place...i would love to help you in your search...i love finding out things about places like that....so interesting, I look forward to seeing what you find.....i put this on because it shows some of the gardens.

Garden at Minidoka Internment Camp near Jerome, Idaho Photo: National Parks Service
Kenneth Helphand has written a book about Defiant Gardens, which he defines as “gardens created in extreme or difficult environmental, social, political, economic, or cultural conditions.” The book is another one I have not read, and I missed Helphand’s February presentation at the University of California. What I can contribute is this: visit his website. My first written encounter with war gardens was an article by Anna Hosticka Tamura (2004) published in Landscape Journal. Tamura stresses that internment camp gardens have been neglected by scholars of landscape architecture. Writing about the effects of the camp’s garden, she argues that “the acts of creating and maintaining the ornamental gardens buffered the psychological and physical trauma of the incarceration experience.”
For the most part, I garden for the sheer pleasure of touching soil and leaf. But sometimes I garden because I know watering, deadheading, planting, and eating will steady my mind. The garden can transform a traumatic space into a more bearable place and disruption—however temporarily—into a more peaceful state of mind.

Tribute to Michael Jackson.

2009-06-26T18:33:00.007+01:00

I just want to pay my own tribute to Michael Jackson. I could not believe when i heard he was dead at only 50 years of age...He was a troubled man, who was still a child in many ways..eccentric yes,... bizarre in many ways,yes....but a truly brilliant Singer and Dancer...he had a unique talent, but was also humble, gentle and kind.
He was recognised throughout the entire World..his music had appeal to all generations and age groups..He suffered malicious gossip the nature of which must have hurt him deeply,... because of his unwise, but always genuine care and compassion for children....He was proven Innocent in a court of Law of any sort of child abuse.... that was what his fans knew the outcome would be if there was any justice.

I wonder how the ones that brought about that allegation will feel about todays news ?? ..(guilty hopefully)..i still cant believe he as gone, so many memories of many decades enjoying his music, my daughter adores him as well...his music will live on....he will always be the King of Pop....i feel so much for the little ones he left behind...Goodbye Michael....your fans everywhere will mourn you for a long, long time.

My Mystery plants ARE pink poppies.

2009-06-22T10:33:00.005+01:00

My Mystery plants have finally started to flower...and they are pink Poppies, both single & double ones..i am so pleased..but i have no idea where they all came from, it must have been the wind blowing the seeds from a neighbours garden, or maybe the cats bringing them in on their paws..but i am so glad they are not weeds...i have lots coming through all over the garden..lovely.

My New Family Member.

2009-06-20T20:21:00.004+01:00

Here is my newest arrival, his name is 'Moses'..he is 8 weeks old...i love him to bits.
He sleeps on my head at night, he starts under my chin and works his way up to the top of my head, biting my ear on the way up !!..he keeps looking down at me until i close my eyes & then he goes to sleep as well. He has a huge appetite for such a small creature, he loves his kitten food, but chopped up chicken is his favourite..also he is good and always uses his litter tray....The other cats are not too impressed and just ignore him, except Jacey ( the old lady)..she keeps washing him and she even lets him into her box bed..none of the others are allowed to do that...i think they will all be friends eventually ..when they realize he is here to stay....I do put him in his cat box at night..once he as fallen asleep on my head i am able to lift him up and puthim in his box without him even waking up..he is so laid back nothing seems to bother him..but i suppose that's because he is so young...Bailey used to wake up at the slightest thing, you could never pick him up without waking him..but they are all different ..i think Moses just wears himself out running around and exhausts himself.

My Red Poppies are coming out.

2009-06-15T19:54:00.003+01:00

My large Red Poppies are starting to come out at last..we had torrential rain yesterday and coupled with the heat & sunshine it seems to have got them moving...i thought all the heavy rain overnight would destroy them..but they were still standing when i got up this morning.

They are so dramatic..but sadly they only last a few weeks and then they are gone....until next year.

I have shared these with so many people over the years..and they all have them coming up now...thats a nice feeling.

Seb as moved home.

2009-06-13T12:25:00.003+01:00

Sebastian (Seb) as moved into his new hutch...he loves it..hes got more room, as its nearly 6 foot in length (it doesn't look that big in the picture does it )? and he can also come out and run around the garden....when i am there to watch him...as soon as i put him in it he was running around exploring..then he ate some food, so i know he is settled ok...its good for him to get some fresh air...i will bring him in again in Winter when the weather gets cold.

Simon as been SO busy.

2009-06-12T15:57:00.002+01:00

This is Simon my oldest Son..he as been so busy building Seb the rabbit a hutch..it is going to be a super dooper 2 storey rabbit house...it is so big he will love it when its finished...4 rooms for sleeping and eating in..on two levels ( he is even doing him a ramp to get upstairs)...To buy one like this in this country would cost a lot of money and not be half as good as the one Sim is building..i didn't realize how much work goes into building them..no wonder they are so expensive...cant wait for him to go in it...he needs some fresh air..he as been inside too long....i'll bring him in again when the weather turns cold in winter.

My Four Cats

2009-06-07T22:14:00.003+01:00

Here are pics of my 4 cats..Lady is the here with Bailey the youngest one...they are always cuddling up to each other and are really good friends..they go everywhere together.

The other picture is the 2 older ones Smokey who is nearly 20 years old, and the largest and Jacey who is 17....they are all good friends, and get on well together..but the 2 older ones sleep a lot now and only go out if it is very warm (except for calls of nature)..but they are all lovely..i am having another kitten in a couple of weeks...am all black one..i would have LOVED a dog, but am not sure if the 2 younger cats would be happy with it..the old pair would be fine as they lived happily with Rosie (my Rottweiller) until she died 2 years ago..they all used to sleep together in front of the fire and she used to lick them both....i love my animals.

Lady.

2009-06-06T22:17:00.002+01:00

Here is a picture of my cat 'Lady'..that i told Sharon about..she is pure white like those squirrels, that she has in her garden....she as blue eyes, so is not a true albino as theyu have red... The vet said pure white cats with blue eyes usually meant they were either blind in at least one eye or deaf, as it IS a genetic defect..but happily she was neither and is a very healthy 5 year old now...however she is an 'hermaphrodite'..she as no womb (from birth) but has got both male & female characteristics..and hormones, but i called her Lady as i wanted her to be known as a girl..that is what she looks like to me...she is a lovely girl and gets on well with all the other cats..just part of the family.

PLEASE let it be one of these not a weed.

2009-06-04T21:03:00.003+01:00

I do so hope this is my mystery flower...look closely at the leaves..could this be what is taking over my garden ??....i do hope so as its so pretty...but i suppose there are all sorts of weird and wonderful WEEDS out there too ...i will have to wait and see, ... i will feel a bit of a fool if its not a Poppy as i have been showing them to everyone who as visited me this week, i think i am becoming a gardening bore !!!.....ill just put it down to old age and stupidity if they all turn out to be weeds LOL.

My Mystery plant..is it a Poppy ?

2009-06-03T20:45:00.003+01:00

It seems i have got a mystery plant also, well at least its one i haven't planted ..i do think (and hope) that it is one of the pink poppies...They have so many varieties and all the leaves are different just like the flowers... IF its one of those i will be so glad, because i have lots of them popping up all over the garden..i know some folk say all poppies are weeds..but i love them all...i did plant a pink one about 6 years ago..it came up once but didn't re-seed or grow again..so where these have come from i really dont know..but i think the seeds travel a long way on the wind and a neighbour may have planted them in their garden.. knowing my luck it probably is a weed.....If anyone as any ideas please let me know......i will keep watching them with interest.

Foxgloves at last.

2009-06-03T20:38:00.003+01:00

Its always lovely for me to see my foxgloves, these are my first ones in flower, i think they get more sun where they are, but the salmon coloured ones haven't shown at all...hope i haven't lost them...when we were kids we used to put the flowers on the ends of our fingers, and pretend we were monsters (well i was VERY young)..but then as i got older i realized i was playing dangerously as it is from the flower that we get the drug Digitalis (used for heart problems)..but i'm still here to tell the tale.

Birds LOVE red hot Pokers !!!

2009-06-02T18:41:00.003+01:00

The only trouble with Red hot Pokers is that the birds love them as well...they eat right up the stem (well they do in my garden..even though i have got cats)..they swoop down and steal all the tops a bit at a time, until there is just a stalk left....a bit like us with sweetcorn i think !!..i wonder if that is another reason folk throw them out ??..must get myself a little scarecrow..i have only got the orange tops on most of mine already....i love birds..but they have got such a cheek !!