My Winters Tale

Pondering

2011-01-16T13:05:00.000Z

Why do we blog?

For the last few days I have been playing with various blog systems, creating, customising and testing out, and then last night I thought, "Why do we blog?"

Some sneer and say it's because we are self absorbed, but those that know me, know that I am far from self absorbed.

Others say "how boring to read about other peoples lives, why do they think we are interested" - Now to me, it's those type of people that are so self absorbed that they aren't interested in anyone but themselves. I love reading the journal type blogs. Maybe that makes me nosy, I would be the first to admit that, but it certainly doesn't make me self absorbed or boring.

Even more people will say that unless a blog is imparting some sort of knowledge, is well written, technical, scientific or such, then it's not worth either writing or reading about. But surely it's reading about other people outlook on life, other peoples experiences that are equally as interesting.

Many people that would love to keep a blog are held back by the fact that they think that they aren't interesting enough or haven't experienced anything worth writing about. This is such a shame because even the Mother bringing up 10 kids or the young teen desperate to find a job or maybe juggling job and college, has a vast amount of experience in fields that others haven't.

Everyone is interesting, regardless of age, intelligence, life style or writing ability.

Here We Go Again

2011-01-01T11:54:00.001Z

Here we go again. Yet another new year, which surely must mean at least one new year resolution. Actually I have two resolutions and they weren't hard to choose.

They may not have been hard to choose, but they are both certainly going to be hard to keep. I am going to do my absolute best to stick to them though.

Number 1 is simply to give up smoking. I have been psyching myself up for this one for the last few weeks.

Number 2 is to stop spending so much time on the computer. I really do need to become more physically active or I am going to come to a complete stand still. It really isn't healthy the amount of time I spend sitting on my backside on this machine.

December Chat

2010-12-01T00:01:00.011Z

Wow! Last month of the year already upon us. This year has just flown by.

As per usual I haven't even thought of Christmas yet. I always leave everything until the last moment.

My Daughter is the total opposite. She starts buying Christmas pressies in the New Year ready for the following Christmas.

A Brand New Me

2010-11-24T14:16:00.001Z

I have decided that enough is enough. I have to drag up some self discipline from somewhere.

Today I am organising a new me. Gone is the person that sits for hours and hours on the computer reading and posting. Myself and my home are going to start being put first.

The flat is being given a thorough whip around, and my wardrobe is going to be sorted. I permanently live in old comfortable clothes. Makeup only goes on when I am going out somewhere special, and I continually walk around like an old bag lady because of it. And there is absolutely no excuse for this except laziness and being addicted to the computer.

My excuse for not buying new clothes is I hate shopping, and I don't have transport so have to rely on my Daughter to take me out to the larger towns. Well, what is wrong with me shopping on line? What is wrong with me walking to the Chemist in my village to replace old makeup? And what is wrong with me tarting myself up every day and not just on special occasions?

Absolutely nothing except sheer bone idleness.

Feeling Down

2010-11-22T18:55:00.002Z

It's it funny that when one is already feeling down how it seems to attract more negativity to you?

I have been feeling low this last few days, (not like me), and today I seem to have been hit from all sides.

I woke up with a splitting headache. The dog woke up with a runny bum. And a stupid old man had a go at me, this morning.

As I say, Bayley isn't feeling quite the ticket so on taking him out this morning he did his normal morning poo and a few minutes later did another one. After picking both lots up I made my way back to the flat looking forward to getting some pills down me with my first cup of tea of the morning and a ciggie.

Just as we entered the communal gardens, Bayley decided to have yet another poo on the grass. I picked that up and walked a few more steps. Bugger me if Bayley didn't squat again. As I was picking that up I heard an old bugger from downstairs shouting behind his window at me "You're supposed to make him do that on the beach". ????

I totally ignored the silly old sod. I gave no sign of having heard him, but carried on walking the few more steps to get to the front door. Next I heard him shout "YOU HEARD ME". By then I had my key in the door anyway.

Never, ever, do I let Bayley do his business on the grounds. I always carry him out and don't put him down until we are in the road. He is always allowed to walk back in though when he is empty. Everyone in the block knows this.

The injustice of being bellowed at like that really upset me. Stupid I know, and if I wasn't feeling like shite myself I would probably have laughed it off. But on top of feeling low anyway, having a splitting headache, I ridiculously let it put me in a mild depression today.

Please Help By a Simple Vote

2010-11-16T19:34:00.003Z

Many of you know how I do Volunteer work for the Samaritans. Please read below and see how simply by voting you can help - After clicking "Vote" please scroll to the bottom of the page where the voting section is.

Thank you.

Message to Branches and Volunteers, Families and Friends

Samaritans have been nominated to be the official partner for The Football League. This opportunity is worth a fantastic £500,000 for Samaritans!

It is a public vote, so anyone can vote, and it’s quick and easy - please vote for Samaritans now, and encourage everyone you know to vote by following this link:
Individuals are allowed to vote more than once, - after voting just click the refresh button on your computer.

VOTE HERE

Please forward this email on to your friends, colleagues and family. You may be asked ‘why Samaritans?’:

1) We are the only support available in the UK 24/7, 365 days a year for those going through crisis, whether due to redundancy, debt or bereavement.

2) The economic situation means thousands more people are feeling the stress of unemployment, money worries and increased pressure. Your support now is more important than ever.

3) Samaritans helps people in your local community, people from your town, village or city. With 201 branches nationwide, a vote for Samaritans means the money you raise will help those local to you who are desperate for support.

4) A partnership with the Football League helps forge links locally with all Samaritans branches

5) Samaritans is run by 18,500 volunteers and Samaritans turnover is relatively small. Less than 2% of our income is government funded so we need your support today.

The voting closes on 8th December.

The other nominated charities are:
· Alzheimer's Society
· Breast Cancer Care
· British Heart Foundation
· Everyman
· Help the Hospices

Your vote could help Samaritans win £200,000 and deliver our life saving messages to men and women at risk across the UK.

Kind regards,

Rachel

Rachel Kirby-Rider
Director of Fundraising & Communications

+ Samaritans, The Upper Mill, Kingston Road, Ewell, Surrey, KT17 2AF
( +44 (0) 20 8394 8351 (direct line) or 8300 (main switchboard)(
: http://www.samaritans.org

Far Too Lazy is Me

2010-11-15T14:26:00.000Z

I decided today that I am far, far, too lazy. Spending most of my day, every day, sitting on the comp, and apart from the walking of the dog have been getting no regular exercise for months now.

My solution was to break out my Wii Fit again. Easier said than done.

First of all it took me about 15 minutes to remember on which channel and what setting I needed my TV to be on to find the Wii.

Having got that sorted I then discovered the hand device had dead batteries. It was then a hunt to find fresh batteries that I might have left after my Granddaughters had pinched them all. Wonderful! I found 2 AA batteries which were the last 2 left in what was originally a large pack.

I set up the Wii Fit and discovered that I hadn't been on it for about 500 days, or so the Wii told me. So I deleted that user and created a new Mi. All set to go you would think. Not so.

On then turning on the platform I discovered those batteries were also dead. Not only that but the batteries had been sitting there for so long they had all leaked. I then set about cleaning out the gunk that leaked batteries leave behind which didn't take long, but I had no replacement batteries.

Being determined to actually step foot on the Wii and do at least 10 minutes training today, I set off at a brisk walk to the shop, (walking is still exercise isn't it?). Bought the batteries and a brisk walk back.

Finally I am now ready to actually start with the Wii training.

After the initial test exercises the Wii informs me of my statistics.

Body Mass Index = 20.73 (Anything between 20.0 to 22.0 is the perfect BMI)
Weight 8st 1lb (113lb)
Wii Fit age of 41 (21 years younger than my real age)

I then set to and did 5 minutes of sking and a 6 minute run. I was then shattered so I logged 11 minutes of exercise today, add 10 mins brisk walk to the shop and back (one is allowed to count that) which has given me the grand total of 21 mins exercise.

Now sitting eating a chocolate bar.

My Biggest Disappointment

2010-11-07T13:06:00.000Z

After waiting and waiting for many years now for Yuku to create a decent blog, I have sadly given in and have now copied all my posts over to Blogspot.

It is so sad that not only have we now less features on our blogs on Yuku than we did on the old style profiles, but the blogs on Yuku are no longer open to the web. This not only restricts us in having our blog feed elsewhere on our other web pages, but doesn't even allow us to share posts on systems such as Twitter and Facebook.

I, along with 3 other friends, have now given in and moved our blogs here to Blogspot, where we can share links and feeds, have our friends blog updates on our own blog along with encouraging visitors from all over the web.

I never wanted to blog on any other system but Yuku. Yuku is where all my friends are, but I see now that I have to use both Yuku and Blogspot and link them together as much as possible.

I will still copy my blog posts to Yuku and will still keep the comments section open for those that would prefer to comment on Yuku, but at the same time, all links from Yuku to my blog will come to my Blogspot where I will allow comments from non-logged in visitors to allow my Yuku friends to comment easily.

All blog posts on Yuku in future will have a comment link back to the Blogspot post which I hope all will use.

I am very sad that after waiting so long that Yuku have still kept their blogs so localised and with the minimum of features. But hey ho, time to admit defeat and move onward and upward.

Visit from the Fire Officer

2010-11-04T13:34:00.014Z

Of course it's Sod's Law that I have to have a visit today from the Fire Officer when my place looks a mess.

Crocks piled up beside the sink and the hoover sitting in the middle of the floor where it had been for hours waiting for me to actually get up and use it.

All the flats needed to be checked for working smoke detectors, electric wiring and free standing electric equipment. Not that more than the smoke detectors were really being checked. The rest was to make sure that the residents were knowledgeable about fire prevention.

Mind you we do have some dozy old sods living in this building. Seemingly just before I moved in here one silly old bugger set fire to his flat by leaving a fag end burning. Not much harm done though by all accounts.

It's supposed to be a non-smoking building but even if one is a non-smoker on moving in here, there is always a chance that an ex-smoker could take up smoking again. So it's not really enforceable as long as one doesn't smoke in the corridors and landings.

November Chat

2010-11-01T13:38:00.000Z

Come into my parlour said the spider to the fly.

My Stupid Dog

2010-10-15T19:41:00.007+01:00

I have been making a Halloween costume for one of my Granddaughters, and I have the pieces of material and other bits in a plastic carrier bag sitting on the floor in a corner.

5 times I have had to stop my Bayley making a nest with it. I sit here on the comp or watching tv and will suddenly hear rustling from the corner. Half of the bits are out of the bag and he is twisting and digging around in a circle ready to make himself comfy.

So now I have fooled him.

By getting another carrier bag and shoving his blanket in there, replacing that with the Halloween bits carrier, he is now happy to use his own blanket and carrier bag instead of my material.

He must either like the sound or the feel of a carrier bag. Stupid weird dog!

Every Cloud & All That

2010-10-08T19:50:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, about midday, I went out to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, only to find that there was no water. Once again our water had been turned off for maintenance on the pipes, without warning. Or so I thought.

On knocking on a door along the landing, I was told that a notice had been put on the message board downstairs warning us of having a short time without water. That's all well and good for those that pass the notice board each day, but for those that sometimes don't leave their flat for a couple of days or for those of us that tend to use the back way out, it's a pretty useless way of giving us pre-warning of something like this. How much longer would it take for whoever pinned the notice up to drop a note through our doors.

Anyway, gasping for a cuppa I thought I would go in search of the culprits that would probably by then be down a hole somewhere on the grounds, to ask how long the water would be off for. On finding them, they told me to give them about an hour but in the meantime I could pop to the dining hall/building and the kitchen staff would fill up a kettle for me.

Great idea! I jogged back to get my kettle and made my way over to the dining building.

The dining hall/building is a purpose built building within the complex but it does also allow outsiders to also use it. Many of the very elderly here use it on a regular basis. I have never bothered to check out this dining area, so had no idea what it was like in there. But while one lady was filling my kettle I chatted to the others over the counter.

They have a sort of old fashioned school dinner set up. There is no choice, one gets what happens to have been cooked that day, but two courses are served for the price of £2:60. Very cheap. The tables are sets of four covers and laid out in the manner of a canteen, and meals are only served for 3 days a week. Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays.

Now here's the rub. One has to put ones name down for a seat, for the specific days one would like to make a regular dining day. When a seat is given up, or someone dies, they phone the top person on the list and that seat is then theirs for as long as they want it.

I wasn't interested in putting my name down for a seat at some point in the future, because I certainly wouldn't enjoy going over there on a regular basis just to have a meal. But, I then asked about taking a meal away. They were thrilled with that one. Absolutely no problem with that. What days would I like to eat??

For the time being I have put myself down for a meal Thursdays and Fridays. I often see Sarah on a Tuesday as that is one of her days off from work so no point in ordering one then on a regular basis, but I am always in, between midday and 2pm, on Thurs and Fri.

I normally wouldn't dream of eating a dinner in the middle of the day but I am very much going to enjoy having a couple of meals a week cooked for me, and me only having to walk a few steps to collect it, lazy mare that I am.

On the way back I told the plumbers that I was no longer angry with them for cutting off my water and leaving me without a cuppa, as they had pointed me towards the canteen, where I am now going to get 2 meals cooked for me a week.

So every cloud does have a silver lining.

Bottled Water - What a Con

2010-10-05T19:54:00.003+01:00

Is it only me that thinks bottled water is a total and absolute con? Here in Britain there is absolutely nothing wrong with drinking plain old tap water. In fact even when I go to a bar or restaurant I ask for tap water. I get a strange look each time, and they don't want to serve it to me because they aren't allowed to actually charge for tap water, but they do serve it.

I have only ever bought bottled water on 2 occasions when I bought a galleon each time, because my water had to be switched off for a few hours due to water main bursts.

I certainly wouldn't waste my money buying it as the normal way to drink water, I wouldn't waste my time shopping for it and I wouldn't waste my energy dragging it back home when I have a perfectly good source of free water in my own kitchen.

Yes, we have to pay water rates, but those have to be paid whether we drink our tap water or not, so drinking water is in effect free.

I also prefer the taste of tap water. Bottled water simply doesn't have the same taste, and as for sparkling bottled water, can someone tell me why on earth anyone wants to drink that.

Stick a few carbon-dioxide bubbles in a bottle of water and charge even more for it than a bottle of flat water. Whoever thought up putting water into bottles and selling it in countries where tap water is perfectly safe was, in my opinion, really the biggest con man of all time.

It was the Yuppie culture that started off this craze of buying and drinking only bottled water. The health fanatics then jumped on the band wagon with the biggest load of clap trap about bottled water being more healthy. Now I believe a lot of people buy it simply because they don't want to admit that they drink from their own taps for fear of being thought low class.

Some people have more money than sense.

Stupid Postman

2010-10-02T19:57:00.000+01:00

The other day I had a letter put through my door. The only thing within the address that was correct was my door number and town.

This is what the address looked like

Mr Wrong Name
5C Wrong Flats
Wrong Road
Highcliffe
Wrong Post Code

So please tell me why my postman could possibly think, when he sorted it, that it should come to me.

I of course put it back in the nearest pillar box and I assume that eventually it found it's way to Mr Wrong Name.

The mind absolutely boggles sometimes at the incompetence of the British worker.

And while we are on the subject of postmen. This same postman and I had a bit of a barney a few months ago.

Sick and tired of the flyers that our postmen now deliver through our doors on a regular basis, I asked him to stop putting these through my door and only deliver that which actually has my address on.

He told me that by law I had to accept 3 pieces of rubbish through my door a week. The man is an idiot because there simply is no "law" for accepting anything through ones door that isn't addressed to one. Biggest load of rubbish I have ever in my life heard. The man is simple.

The long and the short of it is, that companies pay the post office to deliver this rubbish, and the postman is compelled to deliver them.

I should have reported him so that his superiors could put him straight, but I let it pass as he agreed to stop doing it. That is until recently.

I have now started getting 5 pieces of rubbish through my door a week. Everyone else in the block simply walks the flyers downstairs and puts them in the recycling container. I pick them up off the carpet and on the next dog walk I take them with me and put them back in the pillar box, for the same postman to empty on his way back to the depot.

Does anyone ever read one of these bits of advertising rubbish? No, of course they don't, they are instantly put in the bin by all and sundry.

I honestly believe that it should be against the law for companies to be allowed to advertise in this manner. It is a total and absolute waste of trees, it fills up recycling bins and most importantly of all, it pisses me off.

Why is it that the pubic are being continually pushed, and fined if they don't, to be green, saving and conserving, when companies get away with murder?

Silly Old Bats

2010-09-26T20:00:00.001+01:00

Let me first set the scene.

The woman directly opposite me (Dorothy) is 73 years old. Now, my Sister Barbara is also 73 years old and my Mother at 73 was no different to when she was 50 or 60. The same with my Sister. Neither Mum nor Babs were/are what one would call "Old Ladies", at 73.

Admittedly Mum dropped dead a year later (which is a totally different matter), but both she and Barbara now, would be horrified, if at 73 years old people were treating them as old and incapable.

So, having ascertained that 73 is not an old and incapable age, unless of course one did have an illness that made one so, why does Dorothy expect me to treat her as a woman far older than her age.

Today there was a knock at my door. Now, this is really a non-smoking building, and as such, because I really, really wanted to live here, I ticked non-smoker when I applied for the flat. So because of this, although they all know I smoke, along with a handful of others, if someone from within the block knocks I quickly put the lid on my ashtray tin and blow all the ash and bits of baccy away from off of my computer, so it's not obviously in their faces if they come in.

Mostly it's from Dorothy that I am removing traces of fags because she is terrified, for some reason, that she may one day smell my smoke in the communal areas. Silly cow now thinks I only smoke outside and therefore hasn't mentioned smoke smell once since I told her I don't smoke indoors anyway.

So..... Knock at the door. One minute to put lid on ashtray tin and blow shit off my comp and dining table, and I open the door to.... Yep, Dorothy.

She wants to know how I am, and do I want any rubbish taken downstairs as she herself is on her way to the dustbins. "No Thanks as I took mine down earlier". It's a lie but I can't be bothered to tie up the top of my rubbish and hand it to her when I have two good legs myself.

Then she says, "You know you could knock on my door occasionally to make sure I am ok". "Yes but Dorothy I know you are ok because I hear you constantly talking and laughing outside when you are doing your gardening. I also hear you laughing and singing loudly on the landings sometimes, so I know you aren't dead or need help".

My point is, if she feels that she needs to knock on my door occasionally to check I am still breathing, and even though I am only in my early 60s, and have a family that rings daily, then I don't take offence. It's just a bit inconvenient at times. But I let her get on with it.

But, I am buggered if I am going to make it my responsibility to go knocking to her on a regular basis when I know she is still alive and kicking. She is as fit as a fiddle and has far more energy than I do. She isn't lonely because when I invite her in for a cuppa, every time she knocks, she declines, saying she was only making sure I was alright.

These are flats for the over 60s, simply to keep young people with kids out. It's not a bloody care home. Why on earth does the woman think we are all old and decrepit that live here? She's a pratt.

What a Bummer

2010-09-02T20:07:00.002+01:00

We have a few decent days of sunshine, after having the most awful summer weather, and I am laid up with a bad hip again and can't go wandering around outside.

I need to desperately get to the shops to get my Daughter a birthday card along with some other important bits that I really do need today.

On top of that I had to rearrange my sitting room in order to make room for the girls guinea-pigs and hamster while my girls were away on holiday, and now the animals are safely back home my sitting room needs to be put back together again along with having a clean up.

The dog unfortunately can only go downstairs for a quick wee each time today and fore-go his normal walk. Not that he seems to care as he has spent the whole morning sleeping having gone back to bed after his quick early pee. Sometimes I think that dog is a little too much like me in his laziness.

On the bright side, I can't sit here feeling guilty because I'm doing nothing but playing on the boards and profiles here.

Strange Ole Week

2010-08-30T12:55:00.000+01:00

For a start I seem to be sleeping a whole lot more than my usual 6 hours needed. I am finding it hard to wake up even after 9 hours. It almost feels I am sleeping my days away this week. Maybe I just had a lot of catching up to do.

As my Sarah and Co. were off to Spain until next Wednesday she brought the smaller of their animals ( 2 Guinea Pigs, and a Hamster) round for me to look after here rather than me spend the days in their house. My niece Beverley took the Rabbit and of course the poor old dog died a few weeks ago, so there was no need for me to look after them all in their own home.

I found a little corner of the room to put them in and they seem to have been very happy to be here but I will be very happy when they go home. I am not very much an animal lover and especially for small ones.

MARMITE

HONEY

Those that know me are aware that Sarah and Co. were in a nasty car accident on their way to the airport last Tuesday and the air ambulance, ambulances from 2 counties, fire engines and police all arrived on scene very quickly. Sarah, Mark and Aimee all suffered with whip lash, Aimee has some nasty scrapes on her face, but apart from that they have assured me that they are ok.

After being picked up by a family member and him driving them back home to pick up another of their cars, they were once again off to the airport where they managed to catch their plane on time.

Yesterday I had a phone call from the eldest G/Daughter Aimee from Spain to tell me she was quite ill and has spent most of the holiday confined to bed. Her main worry that was that she is ruining the others holiday. Poor little cow. That Spanish trip seems to have been not meant to be. I will be glad to see them all home safely on Wednesday.

I say Wednesday, but in fact it will be very late Tuesday when they land back in England. They will go straight home and sleep for a while then come to me and pick up the animals.

I spent a day over at Beverley's in the middle of the week which broke the week up and was very pleasant. Someone kindly did a clean out of Beverley's laptop for her and now she nor I can figure out how to get her linked up again with it on her wireless connection. Christ knows what is wrong with that, it isn't often a computer beats me. She is going to have to have that professionally looked at now.

Was nice that my Eldest Sister also popped in there on that day and stayed for a few hours. Normally she only pops in for a few minutes and it's usually hard to get her to keep her arse on a seat. But she also must have been enjoying herself to stay so long.

It's Bank Holiday Monday today and as I look out of my window I can see all the small Yachts racing around the Isle of Wight. Makes a change to have the sun actually shining this Bank Holiday.

Today and tomorrow are going to be nothing days for me as I wait for my Family to arrive back home safely. I do so hate it when they leave the country. I worry myself sick until they are all safe back in dear old Blighty.

My New Trike Has Arrived

2010-08-10T12:58:00.001+01:00

I have excitedly been waiting the arrival of my new manual tricycle for over a week. Originally meant to have been delivered last Friday, when the carriers "Night Freight" let both myself, and the cycle company I had bought it from, down, and I had to wait an extra 3 days, over the weekend before it could be delivered today, Monday.

I bought the cycle on line from a little known company, well unknown to me anyway, which I wouldn't normally do, but after speaking to them on the telephone and asking many questions I finally placed my order.

The reason I chose this company http://www.tricyclesales.co.uk/ above all others was mostly because it was the only company on line I could find that actually sent the trike completely built and checked. Normally when buying a tricycle on line it comes boxed up in pieces and has to be totally built by the buyer. The only things I had to install myself were the mudguards, and adjust the seat and handle bars to my own height.

On top of this I was also able to purchase it at £50 cheaper than anywhere else, which was an added bonus.

It arrived with a great deal of bubble wrap around it's sensitive parts but it didn't take me long to remove all of that and then take a look see at how one installs the mudguards. Never having touched the working of a bike before apart from pumping up the tyres I thought it might be a little complicated and was ready to ring my Son-in-Law to come along and do it for me. I had no need to worry though. It was extremely easy and would have been even easier if I didn't have wonky hips that are extremely uncomfortable to get up and down with.

All set, and I then gave it a trial run to test how gears work. Having an Electric Trike before which hadn't had, or needed, gears I wanted to test out my legs on a gentle slope to see how I managed.

I have to say I didn't manage very well. My thighs, where the strength is needed, are as weak as water. Climbing up and down the stairs constantly had given me tough old calves, but no welly in my thighs. I am confident though that after about a fortnight of taking short trips out a couple of times a day my strength will have built up enough to tackle the slopes that I need to negotiate in my area.

On the straight I was able to go far faster than the restriction placed when using an electric trike. Set to go at no more than 8 miles an hour when using the motor it goes no faster when peddling because of the extra weight an electric trike carries.

I noticed directly how much lighter this manual trike is. I can see that it and me are going to become inseparable.

ON BEING "BEHIND" IN ONE'S READING

2010-08-04T13:01:00.000+01:00

ON BEING "BEHIND" IN ONE'S READING

Junior bit the meter man.
Junior kicked the cook
Junior's antisocial now
(According to the book)

Junior smashed the clock and lamp.
Junior hacked the tree.
(Destructive trends are treated
in chapters two and three)

Junior threw his milk at mom.
Junior screamed for more.
(Notes on self-assertiveness
are found in chapter 4.)

Junior tossed his shoes and socks
out into the rain.
(Negation, that, and normal--
disregard the stain.)

Junior got in Grandpop's room
Tore up his fishing line.
That's to gain attention
(See page 89.)

Grandpop seized a slipper and
Yanked Junior 'cross his knee
(Grandpa hasn't read a book
since 1943.)

Author Unknown

I read this many, many years ago when I was about nine. My eldest Sister (13 years my senior) had for many years copied bits of poems, that she would read, into a note book. At the age of 73 she still has that note book.

Remembering this poem today I went in search of it on the web to see if anyone else might have posted it somewhere, and was lucky enough to find it. It saved me having to get my Sister to seek out her childhood note book, lend it to me, and me then type it out.

The person who posted it on their website actually has no idea where it came from, but I do. It is from a very antiquated, serious, book on how to bring up children, and this poem was in the preface of that book.

A New Bike

2010-07-30T13:02:00.004+01:00

I finally, after a great deal of thought, decided on getting a new tricycle, as pictured. I ordered it this morning and it will be arriving on Friday. It's taken me many weeks to decide whether to buy another trike or go for an electric scooter.

Sometimes one can think about things too much and ask too many peoples advice which is exactly what I did, and I sort of lost track of why I originally wanted a manual pedal cycle instead of another electric vehicle.

The whole original idea of me selling the Electrike was because one was limited to the speed one could go (8 mph) and having to fork out for a new battery every year at a £100 a pop is a pain in the rear. Not only that but as the battery gets older the range of miles the scooter can do before a battery recharge gets less. I don't want to have limit of range again.

Riding a bike is very exhilarating and great exercise. There has been nothing nicer than riding out in the gorgeous countryside we have around here when I cycle to visit Daughter or Sister.

On the trike I can carry heavy loads. On a scooter there is barely enough room to carry a handbag.

The trike has cost me £450 with a £25 service every year and is totally green, whereas the scooter would cost in the range of £2000 with a new £100 battery every year and only semi-green.

I am sure I have made the right choice for me.

THE CHIEFTAIN

2010-07-28T13:05:00.002+01:00

A Favourite Poem of Mine.

THE CHIEFTAIN
(T. Campbell - 1824)

A Chieftain to the Highlands bound,
cry'd boatman to not tarry;
And I'll give thee a silver pound
To row us o'er the Ferry,
Now who be ye would cross Lochgyle
This dark and stormy water
O I'm the chief O Ulva's Isle
And this Lord Ullin's daughter

And fast before her fathers men,
Three days we've fled together,
for if he finds us in the glen,
My blood will stain the heather,
His horsemen hard behind us ride
should they our steps discover
Then who would cheer by bonny bird,
When they have slain her lover.

Out spoke the hard highland wight
I'll go my Chief, I'm ready,
It is not for your silver bright
but for your winsome lady
And by my word the bonny bird
In danger shall not tarry
Lo though the waves are raging white
I'll row you o'er the ferry

By this the storm grew loud apace,
The water wraith was shrieking
And in the scowl of heaven, each face
Grew dark as they were speaking
But still as wilder blew the wind,
and as the night grew drearer
A down the glen rode armed men
Their trampling sounded nearer

Oh hast thee! Haste! the lady cried
Tho' tempests round us gather
I'll meet the raging of the skies,
But not an angry Father,
The boat has left a stormy land,
a stormy sea before her,
Where Oh! too strong for human hand
the tempest gathered o'er her.

And still they row'd amidst the roar
Of waters fast prevailing,
Lord Ullin reach'd that fatal shore
His wrath was changed to wailing
For sore dismay'd thro storm and shade
His child he did discover
One lovely hand she strech'd for aid,
And one was round her lover

Come Back! Come Back he cry'd in grief,
Across this raging water
And I'll forgive your Highland chief
My daughter oh my daughter
'Twas vain the loud wave lashed the shore
Return of help preventing
The waters wild went o'er his child
And he was left lamenting

The Day the Earth Stood Still

2010-07-25T13:07:00.003+01:00

Actually it's me that has come to a stand still. I have come to the conclusion that I have absolutely no self-discipline.

I promise myself I will start getting up at a reasonable hour, which means I also promise myself that I will go to bed at night instead of the early hours of the morning. I promise myself I will quit smoking, or at the very least cut down by smoking anywhere but next to my computer or in my sitting room. I promise myself that I will do my housework everyday and not leave it until I have run out of crocks or there is no more room on my dining table for even a fag end. I promise myself that I will visit my Sister more often. The list goes on. Yet each day I get up I then promise myself I will start with the promises tomorrow.

Now is that because I am enjoying everyday of my life as it is, or is it because I am bone idle and I have no self-discipline?

I never used to be like this. I used to be a very organised person and all had to be done and dusted before I could actually sit down and have "Me Time".

Looking back over the last week and remembering what I have done apart from sit on the computer, watch tv, or have a read, the list is very small.

Saturday 18th - A visit to Southampton and a visit to my Niece late afternoon.
Wednesday 21st - Cleaned up my tricycle ready to sell - Had a cup of tea with a lovely old chap of 90 years old - Had a play with his mobility scooter.
Thurday 22nd - Day of volunteering in the Samaritans shop.
Friday 23rd - Over at Sarah's looking after Jessie while Sarah and co. at work.
Saturday 24th - A cup of tea with the old chap over at his flat - Spring Cleaned my kitchen and defrosted fridge and icebox - Sold my bike.

I often wonder how the other retirees in this complex pass their time. I waste so much of my time doing nothing. But surely, if I enjoy everyday of my life "doing nothing" isn't this a good thing? Or will I look back on these years one day and think how I wasted them?

Amazing Coincidence

2010-07-21T13:09:00.005+01:00

Photo: TGA Supersport Mobility Scooter

As we have a lovely day here today I decided to take the opportunity to get outside and take a few photos of my tricycle so that I can put it on the web to sell. It's not so much that I want the money from it, but more the room in order to buy a new tricycle in it's place.

In our complex we have what is called bicycle/mobility scooter sheds. One has to apply for one of these as there are less spaces than there are apartments. I was lucky to get one the moment I applied for one, but of course there is only enough room allocated per person for one vehicle.

This morning when down there, I had wheeled the bike out to pump up the tyres, remove the dog carrier from the rear and replace it with the original basket and then to take photos. One of the other residents had come across to chat while I was doing it, and just as I was about to start taking photos an old chap came out of one of the other blocks to join us. Now here is the coincidence..................

It turns out that he had just a couple of weeks ago moved into his new flat after living with his son for a while. Prior to living with his son he had actually lived in my block, moved out to live with his son and then moved back to the complex. On asking him which apartment he used to live in, it turns out it was mine. There had been a couple of tenants between him and me living here.

He said he would love to see the flat now so I invited him up for a cup of tea. What a lovely old boy he is too. 90 years old, fit and spry with all his faculties. Great sense of humour.

After our tea we went back downstairs to play on a brand new mobility scooter he had just bought. He said although he had bought it he was a bit nervous about actually using it and hadn't actually used it yet. So we got it out and there was the two of us playing like a couple of kids on this machine around the grounds.

Although I have talked about mobility scooters, I have never actually played on one. They are such fun. Now I am of two minds yet again, whether to get one of those or get a pedal tricycle.

A Sad Day

2010-07-15T00:01:00.000+01:00

Sadly Alfie had to be put to sleep this evening.

Once all the tests came back it showed that he had a form of doggy emphysema.

Over the last 3 days he had deteriorated badly and there was no chance of a cure. It had got to the point yesterday where he refused to eat. This was due to not being able to eat and and breath at the same time.

The time had come to let him go before he became in far too much discomfort and distress.

Are You Bored Yet?

2010-07-08T13:12:00.003+01:00

Today I am spending at Sarah's to look after Alfie while they are all at work and school. This means that I had to fall out of bed at 7am in order for Sarah to pick me up at 7:30 to get me back to hers before they all had to leave out.

Having not gone to bed until 2:30am I was feeling pretty sluggish when the alarm went off. It was even too early for the dog. Bayley simply looked up for a few seconds and then promptly fell back to sleep. I was grateful for this as it meant that I didn't have to have my first job as taking him down 2 flights of stairs and over the field for his morning wee. He awoke again when Sarah came through the door and was able to have his first wee on the way to the car.

Alfie looks a lot better today and he is actually breathing normally. As he is on diuretic pills he is drinking loads and of course that means peeing loads. Hence the reason I am here with him for today and tomorrow. Poor little sod couldn't cross his legs for hours when on those pills.

I have plenty to amuse myself here with today. DVDs, books, TV, my computer and of course I could always have a kip to make up for the sleep I didn't get this morning. Leaving the back door open for the dogs to run in and out of, of course. So I shouldn't get bored.

Alfie is Very Poorly

2010-07-06T13:41:00.002+01:00

Alfie is very poorly and the Vet, at this moment in time, simply can't figure out what is wrong.

We are told his heart is strong, he has no virus, and no lung worm. Yet the poor little soul is struggling to breath each time he does any sort of mild exercise, let alone being unable to go for proper walks. When he goes out in the garden to have a wee, he comes back panting. It's as if he is a very old man, yet he is only 8 years old.

He wont lay down to sleep as he seems to find that uncomfortable and the poor little sod keeps falling asleep sitting up. I took the photo above this evening when he finally became so tired he just zonked out.

Tomorrow he goes in for chest x-rays along with having other tests.

My first thought was that he had an enlarged heart, but the Vet has ruled that out I believe. Now, both Sarah and I are thinking it may be a tumour on his lung.

Sarah has prepared the girls for the chance of losing him just in case the diagnoses is of the worst kind.

Fingers crossed that it turns out to be something silly that can be cured with a few injections or tablets.

Catching Up

2010-06-12T13:43:00.003+01:00

Will Someone Please Give Me a Shotgun

2010-06-03T13:44:00.003+01:00

I am being driven crazy whilst here at my Sarah's and looking after her home while she is away, by one solitary crow.

5 times in the last 2 days I have had to go outside with a new bin bag and clean up after this giant black creature. And I do mean giant. I have never come across a crow so big. As soon as I turn my back he is at the rubbish and pulling it apart all across the garden. The mess he makes is unbelievable.

He is driving me crazy. Finally the dustmen came yesterday to take the rubbish away. From now until Sarah and Mark come home any rubbish bags are going in the garage well away from the little bugger.

I am sure he has only just decided to take up residence in this area as there has never been this problem with crows tearing bags before now.

Is it my imagination or are wild animals and birds getting braver now. It often seems like they are ganging up against us humans to drive us out of their territory.

A Rotten Week So Far

2010-06-02T13:46:00.002+01:00

So far I have had a really rotten week. Nothing seems to have gone right.

Had to clean the house on Monday, which took ages because the three kids (or I should say teens) all walked out of the house leaving it like a pig sty with all their rubbish left lying around along with all the crocks they had got through from after dinner until they went to bed Tuesday night. So my whole morning was taken up with simply cleaning.

Jess was bringing a friend back to stay the night or I would have left their mess and made them all clean it up when they got home.

Tuesday I had arranged for us all to go to Southampton in the afternoon, but Sarah's and Mark's landlord decided he wanted to come along with a carpet fitter any time after 4pm to measure up the kitchen for new flooring. And what an arrogant pig of an old man he is too. It was the first time I had met him.

After him being here with the carpet fitter for nearly 3/4 of an hour he then tells me has has also arranged for a second estimate on Thursday at 7pm. Right when I would be cooking dinner. Would the shit take no for an answer for that time and day? No he wouldn't. I couldn't tell him what I really thought of him as he is Sarah's and Mark's landlord so I had to be polite to him. He knew though that I was furious even though I restrained myself verbally.

So of course that put paid to us going to Southampton yesterday (Tuesday).

Today (Wednesday) Jess was being picked up by her friends parents to take her back to theirs and then Jess stay the night with them. Fine, I thought, the rest of us can go to Southampton after Jess has been picked up just after lunch time.

What happens?? The parents rang to say they would be late picking up Jess. They finally picked her up at 3pm. This of course meant that we were late leaving for Southampton.

So, so far this week, only this afternoon has been halfway decent through the whole of the week so far. Tomorrow of course I have that nasty little man of a landlord coming around again at 7pm. Which means I have to have the dinner out of the way, and the kitchen all cleaned up before he gets here.

I am not happy. I still have the rest of the week to get through before Sarah and Mark come home Sunday.

At least the trip to Southampton was a good one. Aimee bought some books, I bought my new Blackberry and Jamie, took me into the apple shop to show me what he wanted for his birthday coming up in a couple of weeks.

I love my new mobile. At the moment I have just set it up for the basics so I can start using it as a phone. Tomorrow I will do all the other settings for email, web, contacts, etc., etc. I am far too tired tonight to mess around with it.

Changing My Mind

2010-05-28T13:49:00.000+01:00

I have for a while now, kept my Facebook personal profile purely for my family. Well, my family are decidedly boring sometimes - Well, on Facebook they are anyway. So today I decided to link up with all my Yuku friends as well.

Two things made me decide this....

1) I have had several friend requests sitting there for a while now from people I know on Yuku, which I have been ignoring while I decided what to do with my account.

2) I am sure I am missing out on an awful lot of gossip going on over on FB by not being linked to everyone I know.

3) Now that the link with Facebook and Yuku are being pushed more it seems silly to cut myself off on the Facebook side of the social gatherings.

The trouble with Facebook is, that one has to request friendships slowly or one has one's account blocked for spamming. The idiot child that owns and runs FB has no concept of how to deal with people in the real world, he has no people skills whatsoever, and sets his rules to ridiculous standards.

Take a Facebook page for instance. His rules are that only businesses, charities and clubs can own a FB page. But what constitutes a business? Surely if one is pushing a particular system then that comes under business.

I was reading some really nasty stories over on Facebooks own page yesterday, where people have a page with thousands of fans, have invested 100s sometimes 1000s of dollars in their FB page, only to have it closed with no warning and absolutely no reason given for shutting it down. FB wont even communicate with them to explain how they have broken the rules.

Now if one doesn't know what the rules are because the rules are decided at the whim of the child running FB when he happens to read one of the pages, how can one possibly feel safe and secure, and know that their page will be there the next day when logging on?

The funny thing is, that everyone I speak to loathes FB and really doesn't want to be there, but they feel they have to because half the worlds population is there. FB has no morals whatsoever, they care nothing for the safety of the their members security, they ban one at the drop of a hat and with no reason why, yet we all feel the need to be part of it.

Treating Me

2010-05-28T13:47:00.003+01:00

I'm thinking of treating myself to a new tricycle. Only this time pure pedal power and not electric.

My electric tricycle needs yet another new battery, at over £100 a pop. It also needs a good overhaul/service. I am now wondering if I really need the extra power of electricity.

Sometimes it's even slower than pedal power.

Because of the weight of the battery and of the motor, the trike is very heavy when one simply wants to pedal. In other words one has to use the electric because of the weight. This means that one simply can't go any faster than the bike is designed to do when motorised, which is pretty slow I can tell you.

With pure pedal power, the bike is lighter and also has gears which the electric bike doesn't have.

I could spend a couple of hundred pounds getting my electric trike up to scratch, but when one thinks about it a new pedal power with gears will cost me £470 fine, but if I don't buy the new one, in 12 months time my electric one will need yet another battery. The batteries only last approximately 1 year.

I would buy an ordinary 2 wheeler but with that I can't carry Bayley, nor can I cart my computer and the rest of my crap I take with me when I go visiting.

Now my decision is, do I spend out another £200 now to tart up my electric one or do I treat myself to a new pedal power tricycle at £470.

The Thirsty Gnat

2010-05-25T13:51:00.000+01:00

I was beginning to think that I had nothing to say as I clicked to create a new post for today, but as I thought about what to write my eye was drawn to a bowl of tinned pears sitting beside me.

As I sit here now I am being entertained by a gnat.

Yup, a gnat.

A cheeky gnat has plumped himself down on top of one of the pears and is sucking the juice out for all he is worth. He is having a whale of a time.

Does that mean if I let him have his fill of pear juice he wont go biting me later on?

The big decision I have now is, do I let him live and risk him giving me a nasty bite later or do I swat him while he is otherwise occupied and unaware of me.

Much to Do & Nothing Done

2010-05-24T13:52:00.001+01:00

I really should have got on with a lot of things today. I am going to have to stay at Sarah's and Mark's from next Saturday until the following week's Sunday.

They are off on a cruise for their official honeymoon, so I have all the animals and teens to watch over. I do literally only watch over them as they are quite capable of looking after themselves. I do throw them some food occasionally, and I have been known to actually talk to them, but basically they get on with their day and leave me, mostly, to get on with mine.

But, being as how nearly all of my wardrobe is dirty and I have to not only wash it all, (that's the easy bit) but also dry it all, iron it all, and then pack some of it, I should really have got off my backside and made some sort of a start today.

I was thrown out a bit this morning as I totally forgot that Alfie (Sarah's dog) was going to be brought to me to baby sit for a couple of hours while they had the boiler man in to fix the boiler and radiators.

Well, I was fast asleep still this morning when Sarah rang me to tell me Mark would be here in 10 mins with Alfie. Doing my best to sound as if I had been up for hours, and acting as if I was already expecting them any moment, whilst my brain was doing it's best to get my arse into gear, I staggered out of bed feeling as if I had only been asleep a couple of hours.

First things first. Must get Bayley down to do his morning ablutions or if Alfie is here when that happens he will want to come too. No way!! He is a sod when he is outside with Bayley at the same time, buggering around and almost uncontrollable. So one never takes the 2 dogs out together when alone.

Just had time to get back, put the kettle on and Mark and Alfie were on the doorstep. By the time Alfie had been picked up and I was on the computer I totally forgot I should have been busy today.

Oh well, there is always tomorrow.

Be Prepared

2010-05-20T13:54:00.004+01:00

I was well prepared today for the water being turned off due to a bad leak in the mains they are trying to fix.

As my feet hit the floor this morning, I filled the kettle, a couple of saucepans, and the basin in the bathroom. I also ran my bath before taking the dog for his morning wee.

That means I have water for tea, water to wash my hands throughout the time it might be off, and water to have a bath.

A couple of hours later a note was put through all our doors saying the water would be disrupted today and tomorrow and the maintenance man will be staying on the premises for any problems we might have. It's taken 2 days of disruption for them to get their act together and give us any form of warning. Bloody disgusting I think.

Why they couldn't have done that Tuesday instead of turning the water off with no warning whatsoever I don't know. I have no idea when the water came back on Tuesday as I left for Sarah's at 5pm and it still wasn't on then. I also have no idea if everyone was without water at all any time yesterday as I didn't get back until about 6pm.

The water went off at midday today and is still off now (3.30pm). I suspect it will go back on sometime between 5pm and 6pm when the workmen go home.

A good bit of news though is that when I got home last night a package was waiting for me with my new A5 filofax I had ordered to keep my household bits and pieces in, which includes, paid bills, recipes, family information and other bits I'm not sure about yet. So I had fun last night playing at putting bits in that.

Lying Sods

2010-05-18T13:56:00.004+01:00

We have just had our water turned off with no warning whatsoever because of a burst pipe.

The workman stood and bare faced lied to me that he had knocked on every door saying it was going to be turned off.

I told him in no uncertain terms that he was lying to me, as I had been sitting at my dining room table for absolutely hours and hadn't moved. My dining table isn't more than 14ft from my front door.

First of all he told me that he wasn't there when they turned the water off and then he changed his story to he had knocked to warn everyone. What a crock.

I checked with 2 of the other ladies here and both say neither of them had a knock on the door.

I have no water in my kettle and a sink load of washing up to do before I leave shortly to go to stay with Sarah. Looks like I will have to leave scummy plates sitting here for 2 days.

God how I hate men sometimes.

New Ideas for My Pocket Classic

2010-05-17T14:00:00.002+01:00

Photo: My pocket Classic

I've been having some new ideas about how to make the most of my Filofaxes.

The pocket Classic I have had for about 4 years now. I bought that at the same time as buying my green personal Finsbury, but after the first couple of months I sort of abandoned the classic to the drawer because my personal seemed to be all I needed.

The Classic is a more expensive model than the Finsbury and it seems a shame that it simply isn't used. So..... I decided that I will put it to use in a specific way.

On the right inside is a zipped pocket, which is ideal for change. On the left side there are not only slots for credit cards but also a larger slot that could quite easily be used for notes. So I have decided to use this one as a shopping filo and instead of carrying a purse. (not a handbag as the Americans use the term purse).

The Tabs

Diary: I wont need a diary as such because my appointments and daily notes are kept in my personal but I will keep the diary in there in case I want to jot something down to transfer to my personal, but will be removing each month as it expires.

Notes: This will be for jotting down items I need to buy next time I pop to the shops. Can't forget to take a shopping list if it's tucked in with money and credit cards.

Projects: As my family mention something they like when I am out with them I will mark it in here so I don't forget when birthdays and Christmas's come around.

Information: Lists of larger items, (not food) that I need to buy when I go to the larger towns for serious shopping and looking around.

Financial: This one will be what I call my petty cash. Meaning money I have taken out of the bank for everyday food shopping and when and how I spend it.

Addresses: This will not be used for addresses but simply name and telephone numbers. I never remember to put phone numbers I only use occasionally in my mobile, and therefore often get caught out and have to do another directory search for a specific telephone number of a shops or business, so this will be a very handy little list for me.

Using my pocket filo for this will take some of the weight off my personal, especially where making notes are concerned. It will also help me to keep track of where the pennies are going. I always know where the pounds go, but the pennies have a way of disappearing without trace.

No!! My Darling Daughter

2010-05-17T13:59:00.000+01:00

Gone midnight and I get a call on my mobile which comes up as my Sarah calling.

Now I know that on a work day she is well in bed by that time and I only get calls in an emergency from her this late.

I answer the phone and it's actually my eldest Granddaughter. Big sigh of relief because that one calls me at all hours just when she gets bored. So I assumed she had run out of credit on her own phone and is using her Mothers.

Aimee isn't allowed a contract phone as she can get through £50 a week. The 13 year old has a contract phone and has never gone over her limit. Not so with Aimee at 17.

Any way, turns out that Aimee was calling me from the car. They were all just on their way back from the hospital where they had spent the last couple of hours.

The tail was................. Aimee was buggering around with the dog, so Sarah starts buggering around with Aimee. Loads of laughing and giggling, until Sarah gives a final poke to Aimee, who dodges, and causes Sarah to miss poking her with her finger but instead all fall over and Sarah ends up jabbing her thumb accidentally really hard in Aimee, thereby breaking her own thumb.

She is now in plaster, I understand up to her elbow. We could have shares in the blasted hospitals the amount of time we have all spent in them so far this year.

Filofax Fun

2010-05-16T14:03:00.005+01:00

I have been having great fun today adding to my new Filofax.

Having visited Filofaxy Blog and spend a long time reading through the posts there, I got some great ideas and one of them I played with today.

I have spent ages cutting out the pages I use from bus time tables and routes. I've had to make sure any holes made didn't obscure any details and then fold and cut them in such a way as everything I need can go in tidily. As you can see by the photos it all makes quite a nice little compartment.

I also cut out the pages of a local area map and sorted out those that I also use constantly to add to my Filofax as well so that I never get caught out again wishing I had my map book with me.

Unfortunately I don't have a Filofax hole punch so have to make the holes for the bus time tables with a pencil. Those look a bit scruffy but as they will soon be bring out new times tables. the next time I can make the holes with a real hole punch, which is on my list beside me of the next things I want to order from Filofax.

The map pages are all ready to go. All sorted and folded ready for the hole punch. I'm not going to make holes with a pencil for those as they come from a new map book so they will last for years.

I'm still thinking that perhaps I should have bought an A5 as I am bound to find more things that I wish to have in my Filofax above the normal, notes, addresses, diary and such.

Gosh this is so much fun.

My Lovely New Filofax

2010-05-15T18:42:00.001+01:00

My new filofax arrived today - I didn't mind the postman waking me up this time.

Whilst having my morning cuppa and fag, I spent the time transfering all my bits from my old Filofax into the new, and the new innards into the old. I will be giving Sarah's my old one. Which is still in brand new looking condition.

You may wonder why I am causing such a fuss simply because I have a new organiser. Well, I have an absolute thing for organisers. Weird I know, but it's almost a passion for me. Having said that, I wouldn't have bought a new one but for the fact that I do love red, and as this red one is a brand new collection to Filofax, I grabbed one while I could.

Ummm, just had a thought. Perhaps I should start up a Filofax collection, rofl.

Me Thinks Spring is Here

2010-05-14T18:44:00.001+01:00

It certainly looks as if spring is here, even if it's still a bit chilly. We have masses of British Bluebells sprouting up all over the communal gardens here, along with little posies of Primroses.

How both those flowers, along with Gorse, takes me back to my childhood when everywhere one looked at this time of year the countryside was smothered with them.

I had to babysit Sarah's dog, Alfie, this morning, just for an hour or two while they had the boiler chap in to service the boiler and radiators. Alfie is an absolute pain with strangers walking all around the house so it was better for him not to be there. He will be with me all morning Monday as well as the boiler needs work done on it then.

I am very naughty. I was window shopping on Filofaxes website today and saw that my present Filofax is now being made in Red. I wanted a red one at the beginning but they didn't have the one I wanted in that colour then.

I ordered myself a new one. It wasn't one of the most expensive but it is a lovely soft leather, (£47). I just couldn't resist for fear that colour would soon go. They chop and change the styles and colours often, so one can't wait for too long to buy what one sees and likes.

Looking forward to it arriving. I do so love my Filofax.

Wonderful, Wonderful Day

2010-05-13T18:46:00.000+01:00

And it certainly is a gorgeous day today. Sun shining, birds singing, and I am feeling a whole lot better. Just a little fuzzy around the edges now.

Yuku did a big push last night to update the Activity Centre. I love it as it makes us far more interactive, but it seems that some of my friends can't see the point of it all. It's a shame, as when one has friends that don't like the interactive parts and lock things down, it means that I don't see as much interactivity as I would like. But hey ho, each to our own.

Neither can I get my miserable buggers of a family over here to Yuku. They will all spend hours on crappy facebook, yet now Yuku are getting as much interactivity to play with, the sods still wont give it a try.

Any way, because of the push last night I ended up having another really late night/early morning as I was happily playing. I was still up by 9am though.

I've been thinking today of creating a new LJ that I can use simply to play with the skins on here.

Prawn, pasta salad tonight for dinner, but in the meantime I am going to have a couple of slices of lemon cake and a cup of tea, followed by a fag or two.

Oh! My todays agenda was, a couple of dog walks, a very quick trip to the local shops, and the rest of today has been spent on the computer playing on my test board. I expect this evening will be a bit of TV and, yup, you guessed it, playing on the computer.

My Word You Do Look Queer

2010-05-12T18:49:00.001+01:00

Yup!! and I feel queer as well.

Last night I could feel a bout of labyrinthitis coming on - First time in years. No stemitil in the house because I haven't needed it for ages.

A quick phone call to Sarah and she brought some round. Unfortunately this shitty inner ear disease is hereditary. She offered to take Bayley back with her to save me having to take him up and down the stairs to the field for his wees.

The tablets are keeping it under control but I still feel very yucky but at least I'm not laid up with it this time. Can take anything from 24 hours to several weeks to cure itself. The pills only mask the symptoms.

A Lazy Day

2010-05-11T18:50:00.000+01:00

Quite a lazy day today - Well, to be truthful it has been a very lazy day today. I didn't even jump in the bath until midday.

Sarah, girls and dog came to visit for a couple of hours after Jess had been picked up from school. My Bayley was excited to have Alfie visit. It's the first time Sarah has brought Alfie with her. I think he was disappointed there wasn't much to explore inside my home, being as it's so small, lol.

I'm sad because for many weeks now they have been running 2 episodes per day of the old Stargate Atlantis from 5pm to 7pm each weekday evening, and last night they had run through the whole lot so this evening there are none. Nothing decent is replacing them at that time either. Bummer!!

Spent most of the day on the computer with a view of the Isle of Wight in the background. I had already spent 2 days changing the skin of my forums to match up with this journal but needed today to finish it all off. I don't think I have missed anything out, and I am very pleased with the finish.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jog

2010-05-10T18:51:00.000+01:00

Woke up early again, but then don't I always when at Sarah's? Too much going on in the mornings to attempt to sleep in. Plus Sarah's dog will insist upon coming into my room in the mornings to settle down with me until I get up. He is not a quiet dog and tries to demand a lot of attention.

Girls off to school and college which left myself, Mark and Sarah. Sarah had to go get her hair cut and they both needed to go change Sarah to her married name at the bank, so I was left for a while in peace and quiet, drinking tea, smoking ciggies and packing my bags ready to go home.

They dropped me off at 2:30 after us first popping into Tescos for me to get a few bits.

Took me 10 mins to unpack, make a cup of tea and then settle down to catch up on all my programmes I had recorded while away for the few days. An afternoon with my feet up. How good is that.

Very tired tonight so might actually have an early night.

Relief at Last

2010-05-09T18:53:00.001+01:00

Finally my 2 day migraine has cleared up. I am now no longer in pain and I can actually see straight.

I suppose having a migraine start during the night at the end of a long wedding day might make some think it was the after affects of drinking, but being as how I don't drink that would have been nigh on impossible, lol.

Today is clean up day at Sarah's of the mess that has been made by one and all while Sarah and Mark have been away. Jamie is going to Southampton airport tonight to pick them up after the plane lands at 7:30pm. He intends to wear a suit and cap to meet them, and have the car decorated for them, love his heart.

The wedding was absolutely fantastic. It simply couldn't have gone better. After Mark and Sarah had left all were coming up to me and saying how it was the best they had every been to. Even the photographer said he had never know a wedding and a family so much fun. Although he did also add, it was the only wedding he had been to where all family and guests were mad, lol. I think he will have done Sarah and Mark proud when the photographs come back.

Sarah had stopped off at the polling station on the way to the wedding to vote in the General Election and the next day we found that her photo had been put in the newspaper. Her and Mark will be thrilled when they come home to see this.

Footnote: Chope is the name of our local Conservative MP

The Day After

2010-05-07T18:55:00.000+01:00

Spent the majority of the night watching the voting results coming in for the General Election. Good job I really didn't want to get a good nights sleep because when I did try to get a couple of hours I ended up waking up after a short while with a migraine.

I never take pain killers unless absolutely necessary as they make me really ill. Ended up weighing up what was best and ended up taking tablets. The pain slightly subsided into something bearable but then of course I've felt violently ill for the whole the day.

The election ended up with a hung parliament with the Conservatives getting most seats.

Now have to wait to see if 2 parties can form a coalition and some sort of government or whether the Queen will order another election.

Uploaded some of the wedding photos from camera to comp but still need to sort them out before I publish some on the web, but feeling far to ill at the moment to even attempt that.

The Wedding

2010-05-06T18:56:00.000+01:00

The wedding went absolutely brilliantly. It couldn't have been more perfect.

Very late now, it's been a long day and feeling worn out so will catch up with better news on it tomorrow sometime.

24 Hours to Go

2010-05-05T18:57:00.000+01:00

Woke up early - 7am would you believe - must be sickening for something, lol.

I've done my packing and cleaned the flat from top to toe. Although as I sit here and look at my blinds, I can see them covered in dust. Dining table and arm chair needs to be pulled out to do those, so guess what? Yup! I am ignoring those for another day.

Having asked Sarah to pick me up late afternoon, I now have 2 or 3 hours to play. Thought I'd let my ex and his wife settle in to Sarah's and Marks for a while before I make an appearance. Gives Sarah and the girls time to be alone with Dad and Granddad respectively, and less time for me to have to make small talk until bedtime.

I really must stop smoking in the living room - Got ash on my comp once again - and having just cleaned it as well.

This time tomorrow Sarah will be a married woman.

Feeling the Pressure

2010-05-04T18:59:00.002+01:00

Sarah is having her brain scan today to rule out a tumour which we are 99.99% sure she hasn't got, but it must be ruled out before they put it down to brain damage she must have suffered a few years back when hitting her head and knocked herself out for a while. She tells me not to worry about it all as she is fine and can cope, but I simply can't help it. Why has it suddenly cropped up now.

Today is the last full day I am at home now until after Sarah's and Mark's wedding. I do so hope all goes well on Thursday. Beginning to wish I hadn't volunteered to give a reading.

I will be spending tomorrow night under the same roof as my ex-hubby and his wife, as they will also be staying over with Sarah and Mark into the wedding day, having driven across country from Hastings. Guess who's the odd one out at the top table. Although Sarah has deliberately chosen round tables so there wont be any odd seating.

I've just done the shopping bit - Now having some lunch, then have to sort out Sarah's "Old" and "Borrowed", clean house, pack and make sure I have everything I need for my week long stay at Sarah's and Marks while they are away.

I was hoping that the postman would bring me today the bits I have ordered from filofax to fill up Jessie's new organiser I have bought her. The innards of the new one are rubbish and really do need replacing with Filofax own make. Fingers crossed they come tomorrow so I can take it over to her when I go.

So far all is going as planned, apart from this sudden headache I have developed.

May Day Bank Holiday

2010-05-03T19:00:00.000+01:00

Once again today being May Day Bank Holiday the weather is rubbish, although not actually raining which is a good thing. Isn't it always rotten weather on Bank Holidays.

I'm not doing anything special this May Day, too much to do today to get ready for the wedding.

I was going to rush around getting as much done as possible then go over to visit my Niece for late afternoon and evening, but on ringing her yesterday to discuss confetti and wedding cards she seemed very busy so I didn't mention it to her.

Procrastinating

2010-05-02T19:01:00.000+01:00

Sarah gets married on Thursday and I have loads to do but once again that which needs doing can always be done tomorrow. God, I'm a lazy cow.

Tomorrow I really must get off my backside and at least clean the apartment and do some washing that badly needs doing. I have to stay at Sarah's with the girls from Thursday to Monday while Mark and Sarah are a way.

I have still yet to sort out loads of bits including printing the reading off I am meant to be giving. On top of that I haven't even yet bought them a Wedding card.

So tomorrow the cleaning, washing and packing my bag. Tuesday off out to buy the bits I need and then on Wednesday off to spend the night with Sarah while Mark spends the night with his Mother.

Lost My Zest

2010-04-23T19:04:00.000+01:00

I have always been very much a "Look on the bright side". I will always except that which I can't change and change as soon as possible that which I can. I get up in the mornings determined that today will be a good day, regardless of whether I have nothing to do or whether I know I am going to have to be busy. And I do enjoy my days because of this attitude.

But just lately I'm feeling as if my life is just plodding on and as the saying goes "Biding time waiting for God". I am blessed with a loving family, have a nice, if small, home, enough money that as long as I keep life simple, I don't want for anything. But this last few days I have been feeling low. Lonely and bored. Yet I have no get up and go to get up and go out of my way to do anything.

For instance... I should pop around the corner to find a hairdresser to cut my hair ready for Sarah's wedding in a couple of weeks. I can't be arsed. I should get my printer out and print off the reading for the wedding. I can't be arsed. I haven't even bothered to jump in the bath today yet.

When I first moved into this apartment there always seemed someone around to chat to. Now I know it was only nosiness on their part, going out of their way to see what the newbie was like. Now they all seem to lock themselves away and I pass no-one. Apart from the odd person in the gardens when I take Bayley downstairs.

When I am not visiting any of the family I simply sit on my comp, smoke heavily, read a book or watch TV. The only housework I do is of the barest minimum to keep the place reasonable in case there is a knock at the door and someone has to come in for some reason.

I wonder if there are other retirees in this block that are in the same boat as me. No visitors, no where to particularly go, and no company.

At this point in time, it seems to me as if everything isn't as rosy in the garden as I thought it first was when first moving in here.

I think I am slipping into one of my minor depressions and I have to do something to pull myself out of it. So tomorrow I will wake up with my old attitude. Get off my arse and start organising myself for better, more full filling, days.

Where Does the Time Fly

2010-04-01T19:05:00.000+01:00

I can't believe we are in April already.

I have been in my new apartment now for 5 months, and loved every minute of it. Of course it would have been a lot better if the winter hadn't been such a bad one. Moving in just before winter sets in is not a good time to settle in a new place. Spring time is far much better.

Looking back over all the moves I have made in my life, October seems to be the month when I always move. How strange is that?

Many people seem to dread retirement and think of it as becoming old. But I honestly do think that the earlier one plans for retirement the better.

I don't mean financially. I mean living a dream in ones head of how one expects and wants life to be on retirement. Really seeing that life and getting excited about it. Retirement and old age comes to us all whether we like it or not, so we might just as well get excited about it eventually arriving.

If one gets every little detail planned/ imagined then chances are, that's exactly how it will be.

My plans, my imagined life, and life style, not only worked out as I saw it, but even better than I saw it. Is that me manipulating the Universe, is it spirit working with me to make sure I am in the right place at the right time, or is it my own determination to work towards what I want and how I see myself at this age? Who knows. Whatever it was or is, it happened.

I sat down yesterday with a book in my hand ready to have a read, but instead my mind wandered to my blessings. I huge wave of excitment came over me at how lucky I am to have everything absolutely perfect for me at this time.

Ok, perfect doesn't alway last and the mean bits of life will always pop up, but today I am content, happy, and blessed.

Jessie's 13th Birthday

2010-03-25T19:07:00.001Z

(Photo taken last year in my Caravan)

Today was Jessie's (No2 Granddaughter) 13th Birthday. She was told she could have the day off of school, but Jess being Jess absolutely refused. She does so love school. But afterwards the family gathered around Sarah's for a Family birthday evening. On Sunday Jess will be having a fancy dress party in a hired hall for all her friends. But today was just for all of us.

One of her pressies was the Wii Just Dance and this became the highlight of the evening. It was hilarious watching (and recording) all of us trying to follow the dance movements on the screen.

Mark (future son-in-law) managed somehow to dance without lifting his feet off the floor, yet his arse managed an hilarious jiggle, Sarah at one point looked like a rabid chimp and my great Nephew, Conor, seemed to have more arms than an octopus, flaying, in all directions but the right ones. The only one of us all not brave enough to get up and give it a shot was my niece Beverley, she cried, aches and pains, lol.

I ended up pulling a muscle in the back of my shoulder and at one point I thought I was going to have a heart attack, I was so knacked, but what fun. We were in absolute stitches watching the recordings back.

Instead of candles on the cake Sarah managed to get hold of two indoor firework sparklers of a one and a three. Aimee (No1 Granddaughter) brought the cake in and within a couple of seconds she was having to desperately keep from dropping the cake because the hot sparkles were flying all over the place, but mainly on her arms. While at the same time as adjusting her hands to avoid the tiny pin pricks of heat on her skin, by swapping and juggling her hands around, she, and us, are killing ourselves with laughter.

All in all it was a fun evening and Jess had a great time for her 13th.

Perks of reaching 60 and heading towards 70!

2010-03-21T19:08:00.001Z

Perks of reaching 60 and heading towards 70!

Someone had to remind me, so I'm reminding you too. Don't laugh.....it is all true...

01. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.

02.. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.

03. No one expects you to run--anywhere.

04. People call at 9 pm and ask,"did I wake you?"

05. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.

06. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.

07.. Things you buy now won't wear out.

08. You can eat supper at 4 pm.

09. You can live without sex but not your glasses.

10. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.

11. You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room.

12. You sing along with elevator music.

13. Your eyes won't get much worse.

14. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.

15. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.

16. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.

17. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.

18. You can't remember who sent you this list.

19.And you notice these are all in Big Print for your convenience.

20. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.

Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night

My Life in 2010

2010-03-06T14:42:00.000Z

How things change over the course of just a couple of years.
This time 2 years ago (2008) I was living in a caravan, albeit a very grand caravan, which was only ever meant to be temporary, until I retired, and could then move into a retirement apartment. This I did on October 25th just gone, which happened to be exactly one week away from my 61st Birthday.

The (apartment) is of the studio kind. Meaning that the living room and bedroom area are in the same floor space, although the bedroom area has it’s own 3 walls and it’s only the front wall that is missing which is a walk in part of the living room.
It is designed as such that one can build a wall between and add a door way or as I have done make the whole wall sliding doors. (see left)

The view is stupendous and there is nothing between me and the sea. To the front of me I am looking down onto the woods and to the right I have the view that you see in these images on the right.

I am very lucky in as much as I have many family members living in and around the close surrounding area. My Daughter, and at this point in time, future Son-in-Law live a short cycle ride away with my two Granddaughters of 17 and 12. My Sister and grown Nephew and my Niece and her family live approximately the same distance away but in the opposite direction. My company at home is Bayley, my little Dog of 12 years old.
I am not an out and about type of person but prefer to be snug at home unless I am going somewhere special. Therefore my computer is mostly my company and since finding blogging and message boards I spend a great deal of time on here. My blog is mainly for any rubbish that pops into my head at the time. It could be about my own life or many times, something that has wound me up that I have seen in the news.
Up until now I have only posted good things with the emphasis on the bright side of life. But I don’t always feel bright. Sometimes I just feel plain miserable, lonely or bored, so if you read my blog then on occasion you will see the grumpy side of me.

Medicinal Properties of Pee

2010-01-22T19:13:00.000Z

Over on Facebook I started what set out to be a simple fun one liner. Which was...........

"Friendship is like peeing on yourself: everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling that it brings"

This simple sentence ended up with a fairly long discussion on the medicinal properties of pee.

I have known for a long time that pee is marvelous for cuts and abrasions, and is actually included as part of S.A.S. training for emergency medical situations. Others mentioned Jellyfish stings, earache, and weed killer. But what I had no idea about was the sort of miracle cure that it is and how little most of us know about it.

Following a few links I discovered things that the majority of scientists and doctors know but very few of us laymen do.

No two people's pee is the same and therefore when using pee for medicinal purposes it really does have to be ones own pee used. Pee is not toxic in any way and can not harm us when drinking it. It can cure many illnesses that many of us have to live with for life in discomfort and with no hope of a cure. Multiple sclerosis, colitis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, hepatitis, hyperactivity, pancreatic insufficiency, psoriasis, eczema, diabetes, herpes, mononucleosis, adrenal failure, allergies and so many other ailments.

My first reaction to drinking ones own pee I have to admit was to gag, but at the very least, I believe this well worth further investigation.

This page is well worth the reading of - http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/urine_martha.htm

I myself fully intend to buy this book - Your Own Perfect Medicine by Martha M. Christy - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0963209116/ref=sib_rdr_dp

Pension vs Pension Credits

2010-01-20T19:14:00.000Z

Today I had cause to ring the Pension Service (SP). I had noticed on my bank statements that my £130, that the government says is the mininum that one can live on in this country, for the last 7 weekly payments, had been registered as being paid by the (PC) Pension Credits.

My state pension is a little over £119 and my pension credits, to make this amount up is just over £10. Being worried that my pension, for the 2nd time had been messed up I rang only to find that my pension and pension credits had been combined with no notification to me.

Now you may think, does it matter, I am still getting the same amount wherever the money is coming from, but, and the chap on the phone agreed with me. 1) These payments should be shown as 2 seperate payments. 2) if I decided to get a little job, meaning I would naturally lose my pension credits, it could cause bother when my pension went back to the SP paying it again. 3) Many times for various things, one is asked to show a bank statement. How could I possibly show how much pension I was getting as apposed to pension credits. Not only that, but do I really want it to look, on the surface at least, that I hadn't earned my state pension and was purely living off of pension credits. I think not.

I have now left it with the chap I spoke to, to sort out.

On a good note though, I have received a cold weather payments 2 weeks in a row from the pension service. A cold weather payment = £25 and is paid out if the temperature drops below zero for 7 days in a row.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-29T19:15:00.000Z

It was a real good one this year. Not that we don't always have a good Christmas, but this year was slightly different.

I was picked up from home by Sarah and Mark on the Tuesday evening to spend from then until after Christmas with them.

Sarah and Mark when away to Rye on the Wednesday to stay overnight in the haunted room of the famous Mermaid Inn. They were treated like royalty but for £200 per night I would think they would be. The girls and I made our own entertainment for that evening.

It was Marks Birthday on the Thursday, (Christmas Eve), and when they returned all of us gathered around my Sister Barbara's with the rest of the family for that evening, so it was a sort of Christmas gathering for us all as well as a Birthday party for Mark. It's always great fun when we all get together. Some of our very old family photos were got out during the evening for my girls and Mark to look at. Mark has never seen them before but my girls love looking at them, and often ask for them to be brought out when we visit.

It was also nice as Gary (nephew) was there as well. Often he has disappeared to London for holidays.

Mark's parents came over early Christmas morning to stay over night into Boxing Day and they must have enjoyed themselves as they didn't leave until Boxing Day evening. Me thinks Mark must have mentioned to his Mum, Sheila, just how much I love my chocolate as she and Hubby, Tony gave me a very large selection as a pressie. That should last me a fortnight once I get back home.

Mark's youngest son Jamie also came over about midday Boxing day and stayed over that night. Beverley (Niece) and family and also my eldest Sister, Barbara popped in for a little visit as well that day. All the too'ing and fro'ing made for a fun Christmas.

Because of Boxing Day falling on a weekend day, this Christmas has been lovely and long, not really finishing until Monday evening which was a bank holiday in lieu of BD being on Saturday.

Sunday was a trip to Southampton for a look around at the sales and for me to buy my new MacBook pro. I have never had a Mac so I have now have a lot to learn, but Jamie is still staying on and off at Mark and Sarah's so he is showing me the ropes. I do have my Idiots Guide to Snow Leopard at home though and I will study up on that when I finally go home.

I was going to originally going to go back home today, Tuesday, but have decided to stay now until Saturday. I have decided to stay longer for 2 reasons. One, because on Thursday Sarah is back at work and she has a new dishwasher being delivered so I will be seeing it in, and two, we have all arranged, along with Jamie, to go see "Meet the Morgans" at the cinema on Friday. No point in my going home and keep coming back again.

So, to conclude, it's been a great Christmas this year.

Christmas Lunch With the Ladies

2009-12-15T19:17:00.001Z

I was very kindly invited to join 5 other ladies for a Christmas lunch in a Local Tearoom this Sunday just gone. I thought this was jolly nice of them as I have only lived here for about 6 weeks and no one really knows much about me.

We all met down in the lobby at midday ready for the short walk to the top of the road to sit down for lunch at 12.30.

They had laid out our table beautifully, including crackers, favours and party blowers. As well as the linen and napkins designed for Christmas. The food was cooked and served perfectly, although as I like my vegetables cooked really well, the sprouts were a little under done for me, but a chef would have said they were perfect.

There were 4 courses and each presented as a 5 star hotel would have done. Considering it's only a small local establishment they did very well.

I had Melon to start with which was also served with a creatively designed strawberry, kiwi fruit and some other foreign tiny fruit that I didn't recognise.

Because we had gone out especially for a Christmas lunch I stuck with the traditional Christmas dinner with Christmas pudding and custard after. Then rather than finish with cheese and biscuits I opted for a hot mince pie.

Although I had already met all of the ladies over the weeks that I have been here, I am embarrassed to say that I had, and have, totally forgotten one of the ladies names. I sat there wracking my brains to remember. Shame on me.

The company was good and the conversation never faltered which made it a very comfortable meal for me. It could just have easily been a disaster, from my point of view, being that I didn't know any of them hardly at all.

All in all, I am really pleased I accepted the invitation.

Being the New Girl

2009-11-15T19:19:00.000Z

I have been here now for exactly 2 weeks. Gosh, I can't believe it's such a short time as I am already beginning to feel like part of the furniture.

Mind you, I have been made to feel extremely welcome and comfortable by the residents that I have now met. Maybe I have been lucky and only bumped into the nicest, as I am sure there must be some miserable buggers here somewhere. If there are though, I haven't come across them.

I have spent the odd hour or two having tea or coffee, depending on their up bringing, with some, and have been shown around 5 of the other flats. So far only 2 ladies have ventured into my home, but as soon as my suite of furniture arrives and I have more comfortable seating, I intend to remedy that.

First of all let me explain that my flat (apartment) is of the studio kind. Meaning that the living room and bedroom area are in the same floor space, although the bedroom has it's own 3 walls and it's only the front wall that is missing which is a walk in part of the living room. It is designed as such that one can build a wall between and add a door way or as I am doing make the whole wall sliding doors. Some of the folk here have chosen to simply add pretty curtains, or a fancy screen. Some like me have sliding doors and one that I know of has built a wall with a normal doorway.

The whole building is on 3 floors and each floor has 8 apartments. As the stairs and lift are in the middle of the hallways it means that 4 apartments are at one end (in one wing) and the other 4 at the other end. Each wing has 3 studio apartments and 1, one bedroom (double) apartment. The double apartments are reserved for couples only. Have I confused you yet??

The hallways are kept spotless and are carpeted throughout, which is nice as the British do tend to have concrete stairs and hallways in our blocks of flats. It seems to be the norm here to gather in the hallways for reasonably long chats in groups. Meaning, if a couple pass in the hall a conversation will strike up and the yacking will go on so long that others will also be coming along to join in at some point. I have several times been involved in one of these gathering during my 2 weeks here.

It didn't take long for the rumour to spread throughout that I was a friendly and social soul so my company has not only been welcomed but at times sought out. On the pretence of welcoming me but I suspect to really find out all I was willing to tell about myself, I have enjoyed myself getting to know many.

The atmosphere in this block is tremendous. We each have our own privacy but at the same time if one wants company for an hour one can always find someone that is ready for a cup of tea or coffee or simply a chatter in the hallways. Invitations and appointments to visit each other are also done in the hallways. It seems to be not the done thing to knock on someones door to invite them over unless it is one of ones special friends.

They seem to have the art of respecting each others privacy, yet at the same time socialising, down to a tee.

As there are so many in my block I decided to start a list and as I find out someones name and the number of the door it goes on my floor list. I'm afraid though that my list of floor B, is pretty empty at the moment. I seem to have gotten to know quickly most on my floor and on floor A but floor B I am finding pretty illusive.

I still have a fair way to go before I am no longer the new girl. Although I am not literally the newest girl now as someone moved into A1 yesterday which became vacant a few days after I moved in. It's my turn now to help make someone new to the block feel welcome.

Moving - Halloween - My Birthday

2009-11-02T19:19:00.000Z

This week has been an eventful one for me. Last Sunday I moved into my new flat. Saturday was Halloween and this Sunday was my 61st Birthday.

The actual move went really smoothly, but then it would as I had no furniture to move. Having moved out of a caravan where all fixtures and fittings came with it, I had to buy all new furniture for the new flat. All was in situ in the flat ready for the move on Sunday, that is all except the suite which is another story, so it was only a matter of moving the last few boxes in from caravan to flat.

The flat is sooooo very tiny that I had thrown away a lot of bits I had collected but never used for a long time. I say threw away but in actual fact they all went down to the Samaritans shop. I thought I had thrown away everything I could throw away but unfortunately on unpacking at the flat I had to sort out yet another big bag of throw aways.

Although everything now has a corner, it's a very crowded corner so I will have to put up maybe a wall cupboard or two in the bedroom and possibly some shelving somewhere. You wouldn't believe that a caravan could hold more than a flat but hey ho.

At the moment I am having to use a couple of summer fold down chairs to lounge in as the company I bought my suite from informs me that the suite wont arrive in the country until 18th November. Now that doesn't mean it will get to me on the 18th, it simply means it will dock. What joy. Never mind, at least it will be here by Christmas.

I am slowly getting to know all my neighbours and all that I have met are very nice and very friendly, but not pushy, which is nice.

This Saturday it was back to my Sarah's for the weekend to celebrate Halloween and my Birthday with the family.

Halloween was great fun as all dressed up including the adults and we all went out with the kids trick or treating. I am afraid to say that my costume looked so genuine that it made a few kids we passed jump. Even one woman did a little scream as she passed by me where I was standing under the lamp waiting for the girls to collect sweets from a nearby house. I was the Wicked Witch of the East and I have to say I was very pleased with my costume. Photos to come later.

Sarah and Mark were Zombie police that had been beaten up and run over. Tire marks, ripped clothes and blood.

Aimee made a wonderful vampire although a rather sexy one as well, and our Jess also was a Zombie but from "Fame", where her little friend came as The Phantom of the Opera. They all looked lovely.

My Birthday on the Sunday was spent at Sarah's with a little trip to Beverleys to help her clear up the Halloween mess we had all made the night before. We do all seem to generate to Beverley's on our family occasions. Sarah's made a lovely Birthday dinner for me, after which we all sat down and watched "Girlfriends Passed" which I had been given by Aimee as a Birthday pressie.

All in all it has been a great week.

A Little Bit of Silliness

2009-10-11T13:01:00.000+01:00

Way back in 1969 when I was first married, my Husband and I moved into our very first home together with our Daughter Sarah, who was then 3 months old. Prior to that we had been living with my Mother.

In those days one didn't buy ones telephone but it came as part of a package with the rental of the telephone line.

The trimphone had not long been invented and of course as a young couple we wanted the newest thing on the market, so I chose to rent a two toned blue trimphone. The trimphone had a funny little warble as a ring tone, which at that time was also a great novelty because up until then there had been only the one ring tone in the whole of the UK for all phones.

Of course as the years passed and more and more choices arrived for styles of phones and as we started to be able to buy phones privately, at some point my trimphone was discarded for a newer model.

As I am now moving into my new and last home that I will ever have, I decided that for fun, I would once again like a trimphone as an extension in my bedroom. I find it rather ironic that my very first home and now my very last home will have this piece of equipment.

Of course now with integral answerphones, push button dialing and all the other bits that go with the modern telephone, this trimphone is totally impractical to use alone, but great fun as an added extra.

On their first invention trimphones, obviously, in those days, had a manual dial, but in the early 70s they changed the style to have a square pad of push button dialing. As you can see the replica I have recently bought is the original manual style of dialing.

My new home is far too small to warrant a 2nd phone, but then again people are fond of ringing me early in the morning while I am still in bed, so a phone beside my bed will come in handy even though it would be only a few short steps to get out of bed and walk across the floor to pick up the main line. But aren't we all entitled to a little silliness sometimes?

A New Flat

2009-09-09T14:51:00.001+01:00

Last Thursday I received a phone call to say that a flat had come vacant in the complex that I have been hoping to move to.

FridayI went along to collect the keys to go have a look see. As per usual it ended up as a family outing. The whole family, naturally, wanted to take a look see. By the time we had gathered together there were 10 of us.

You can imagine it with everyone looking and planning what I could do with it and what would be best here, there, or whatever. My head was spinning with everyone making suggestions at the same time, lol.

The flat is on the top floor of a 3 story block. I was very pleased about this as I have been saying "I hope it's on the top floor". I hate curtains and to live on the top floor means that I don't have to have any covering at the windows if I don't want to.

It also means that there is no one above me which is something I also didn't want. I have lived in flats in the past and have always loved the one floor living and I have always been on the top floor. It's funny what one gets used to.

The flat itself is very, very tiny. The kitchen is so badly designed at the moment that there is less cupboard space and less room than I have in my caravan at the moment, would you believe.

The bathroom is a lovely size. Brand new suite and as I like it, all white. The bedroom is soooo small that it might mean me having to go into a single bed instead of a double, but I am still working on how to design that to it's best advantage.

The sitting room is a good size although once again due to how the electric points have been installed and placement of doors, is going to need a little chopping and changing.

Now for the best of the best. The view is fantastic. All of the windows look out on an amazing view. By glancing to the left slightly one looks out to sea, with a view of the Isle of Weight and the Needles. Directly in front the view is of the woods that lie at the back of the property. The sitting room window is virtually the whole length of that wall and the lower part is only as high as ones thigh making it a very light room.

Where the garden of the building ends the woods start with no barrier. So one literally walks out of the front door, across the garden and into the woods. Between the complex and the sea there is a beautiful hill to walk across which lead down to the beach.

My Bayley will absolutely adore his walks there.

My Nephew Gary will be stripping out and replacing the kitchen, while I will design it. I have designed so many kitchens in the past that despite several obstacles with it I am sure I can make it more serviceable.

My only concern at this moment is how to make the best of the cupboard of a bedroom. Although Sarah's chap is coming up with a few good ideas.

Editing to add more:

We have spent the weekend looking around at many furniture shops and although I had no intention of ordering any furniture but was just going to get an idea of what I wanted and needed I ended up ordering some for my sitting room because of the price.

There was a big sale on, finishing Monday, with the exact furniture I have had in my mind for a long time. I managed to save over £2000 on all of the units and dining table. I haven't yet decided on the seating for that room but have whittled it down from a choice of 2.

I have also seen the kitchen I would like but haven't done anything about ordering that either until I speak to my Gary about what to fit in and what not to fit in.

I can take the place over on the 1st October but there will be a lot of working doing to it before I can even think of moving in but I am hoping to be in before Christmas.

My Poor Bayley

2009-08-17T14:53:00.000+01:00

I took Bayley to the vets this evening for a dental check up. The reason being, not because he is having any trouble with his teeth, but because he is getting old.

He is now coming up for 12 years old and I thought I would have his teeth checked again for him to have another scale and polish while he is still young enough not to be in the danger zone of going under anesthetic. I didn't want to wait until he gets older, starts being in pain, and then have to go under anesthetic as a very old man.

On the vet checking he found no bad teeth, but what he did find is that his gums in the front have so badly receded now that he is losing his front six top teeth. He is once again in bad need of a scale and polish anyway. His last was 2 years ago. If he doesn't have those front teeth out now it wont be long before they really give him big problems.

Yorkies are re-known for having dental problems and that is why I have been so careful over the years to make sure his teeth are looked after. What I couldn't foresee as he got older was having receding gums.

Bugger!!!!

He is going in for the op on Friday.

Pension Service Have Actually Done Something Right

2009-07-27T14:55:00.002+01:00

A couple of weeks ago I hunted out a letter that I had received from the DWP (department of work and pensions) about 5 years ago. That letter was a forecast of what my pension would be now if my circumstances didn't change.

The amount of Government Pension I was told I would receive would be in the region of £101 per week. The basic pension today is approx £97 per week. The minimum amount today the Government says one can live on is £130. Therefore if one has no private pensions the basic pension of £97 is topped up to £130 by what is called pension credits. As I have no private pension my pension is topped up to £130 per week.

On first receiving my pension back in November last year, I was awarded only £70 per week. Although I have known this figure was completely wrong, being as how it was topped up by pension credits I was in no hurry to fight a battle with the DWP until I was actually receiving my pension regularly as I should be.

Most of you know how they lost me in the system when I first turned 60 and I had to make several phone calls before my pension started being paid in at all and late. You also know how just recently they didn't pay my pension for 3 weeks and then took 2 more weeks to get me up to date.

So you can see why I was loath to fight another battle when it wouldn't actually get me any more money coming in weekly, other than the £130 per week the government says one can live on. What wasn't paid in pension would be paid by pension credits. Starting a fight to get my correct pension could stop my pension and pension credits being paid while they went through all the red tape to sort it.

Anyway. I have been sitting with the letter they sent me 5 years ago telling me my pension would be a minimum of £101 and waiting for the right time to ring them and set the ball in motion for the ensuing argument.

When blow me. Out of the blue this morning I receive a letter from the pension credit people to tell me they have reduced my pension credits to £10 per weeks because my pension has been reassessed and I am now going to get £119 per week pension.

So for once, in my dealings with them, they have finally got something right without a half dozen phone calls and messing up my weekly payments.

Although now I am wondering if my pension wasn't paid in properly for those 3 weeks a few weeks ago because they were trying to sort out the correct award for me.

It absolutely amazes me that they can stop someones pension for 3 weeks while they push paper around to pay to work out the correct amount to pay someone. As I said before, there are many pensioners that absolutely rely on their money getting to their bank accounts dead on time. They are living from hand to mouth and every penny counts. I was lucky in as much as I was able to get by for that 3 weeks until my pension started coming in regular again.

New Plans

2009-07-17T14:57:00.000+01:00

Since moving down to Dorset in the April of 2007 I have thoroughly enjoyed myself. Living in a caravan has been fantastic, and seeing how my girls are all now settled and happy, I can now breath easy and know this move was one of the best decisions I have every made.

Living in a caravan as I say has been great, but I also have to say, "up until now". There is much now that I feel I am missing by not living in bricks and mortar and by living in this location. So I have decided it is now time for me to soon leave the caravan behind and move into a flat.

I am now beginning to feel a little cut off living in this location. The nearest supermarket is a car ride away or a fairly long cycle ride and because Sarah's work hours don't allow her to pick me up and take me to a supermarket where food is a lot cheaper, I am buying all my groceries at the local corner shop. We all know how expensive that can be.

Now that Sarah has moved, when I visit her I am no longer in the convenient area where my Doctor, Hairdresser and Vet is. I used to be able to tie in a visit to any of those when staying the odd night or two with Sarah. Now she lives in the complete opposite direction and in an even more deserted place than I do. Therefore visits to any of those places have now become an absolute chore.

The reception for web access and television is virtually non-existent here and I am being forced to stay up until the early hours of the morning when my mobile web signal is stronger due to not many people using it. Therefore my only entertainment that I can guarantee is reading and walking.

One other thing that is now becoming extremely inconvenient is the fact that there is no room in the caravan for a washing machine. This means that each time I visit either Sarah or my Niece Beverley, I have to take a large bag of washing to do instead of being able to pop it in my own machine as and when I am ready. At first this didn't bother me, but now it is one little extra irritation.

So a few weeks ago after discussion and advisement from the family I decided to quit and look around for a flat.

My choices for this are either applying for local council housing, renting privately or applying for a retirement flat owned by a private organisation.

With local council housing one has a very limited choice of where one can live and what ones neighbours are going to be like. With private renting one is on short term renewable leases which at anytime can be refused to be renewed at the end of each term. This is totally unacceptable at my stage of life as obviously, unlike the young, I want to move into a home I can call my own for the rest of my life. I therefore opted for a privately owned, guaranteed tenancy, retirement home.

The wonderful thing about these homes is that one has a choice of where one wants to live. They have retirement homes in four towns. One can treat it as their own for their life time, which means one can totally gut kitchens and bathrooms and replace all with ones own choice. Each little estate also have shelters for bicycles or mobility scooters which includes facilities to charge ones electric battery for said equipment.

I have chosen to live on one that is built right on the sea front in the same town as I live in at the moment, but actually in the town rather than on the outskirts. This particular retirement estate also has a non profit making dining club which means if one doesn't want to cook for ones self it's a short trip across the road to the dining hall. Various other clubs have been set up in the Manor house, which is on the estate, that one can join, such as a Bridge Club, Excursions, Tapestry Club and so on.

A short walk away from the flats is the town's high street (albeit a very small town, not much more than a village really), which of course comes with all the conveniences that I just don't have here, such as a library, supermarket (of sorts), vet, hairdressers, green grocers, and various other shops and businesses that one needs to actually live, along with a good bus route that one can use to get to the next real town.

The only criteria for one of these flats is one has to be 60. The waiting list is simply on a first come first served basis so it's only a matter of time waiting until one comes vacant when I am at the top of the list. I will probably have to wait a little longer than most people as I have chosen only one specific estate that I want to live on. If I had given more options to other areas then possibly I would even have a flat now. But I am in no hurry to move. I have been happy here for the last 2 years and I have started the ball rolling on a flat way before I really do want to move out of the caravan.

Bloody Pension Service

2009-06-21T14:59:00.001+01:00

Ok, the government pension is my right. It's not something that I am claiming. It's a pension that I have paid in for all my life. It's a set amount that I am entitled to. Even if I'm continuing to work, I am still entitled to my pension. No if, but, or maybe. It's my money. So please tell me how the heck it can be stopped being paid to me.

On Monday the 8th of June I checked my bank account only to find that my pension had not been paid in. No worries it would surely be there the next day. Even though that Monday was not a bank holiday so the money should have gone in on time.

On checking again on the Tuesday, and I might add on the Wednesday, still no pension. So on the blower I got and asked why. No one knew why it hadn't been paid, but I was assured that it would be in my bank within 3 days.

The following Monday I checked again, and bugger me if not only the previous Monday's money wasn't there but also no sign of that Monday (15th) either. So back on the dog and bone and was given the same spiel that both weeks would be with me in 3 days. Still no sign of any money up to last night 21st.

Now today, Monday the 22nd, baring in mind that I am now due 3 weeks up to and including today, I checked my bank account to find that 2 weeks have been paid in. This means that someone did sort it out my money from my phone call of last Monday, but only sorted out the 2 weeks I was questioning up to that point. It means that they still haven't got the regular payments sorted.

I am now going to have to ring them again, spending my time and money trying to get this weeks payment sorted.

I am sure that if their wages weren't paid on time the DWP would be out on strike in a flash.

The Horror of Being off Line

2009-06-10T15:00:00.001+01:00

On Tuesday May 26th my web card, which I now know is the equivalent of what we call in Britain, a dongle, decided to pack up on me. I rushed it into the shop for repair or replacement and was told it would take 14 working days, (3 weeks). Horror of horrors.

My Sarah having just moved was, and still is, having trouble getting broadband wireless installed due to the fact that she now lives in the New Forest.

Having broken my ribs a couple of weeks before, I was staying with her so that I could be waited on and looked after. The frustration of having the whole family with no Internet has been horrendous. Then yesterday I was looking through the Argos catalogue and discover that there is now such a thing as a pay as you go web and walk dongle. The cost is £25 to set ones self up with one. Yesterday I bought one of these and it was a simple matter of replacing the pay as you go chip with my contract chip in order to get me up and running on the web again until my web and walk card is sent back to me.

I have to say that this new dongle, although very slow is far more reliable than my usual web and walk card.

While I have been MIA my Sarah has had to have 2 operations on her knee. The first op led to bleeding internally instead of getting better, but the 2nd op seems to have been successful. In the meantime Sarah's poor partner has been having to wait on both Sarah and myself hand and foot. It has been a terrible worry about Sarah and I can tell you that I wouldn't wish broken ribs on my worst enemy.

My ribs now are healing fine. I am no longer in abject agony but instead now just feel a little bruised, unless I do something stupid like moving too quickly or bending up and down without holding tight to my diaphragm.

My Sarah and family spent last weekend down in Cornwall from Friday to Monday and I was left dog sitting. Thank goodness Beverley (Niece) had taken the rabbits back to hers to look after so I didn't have them to worry about. I spend the weekend bored to tears. No Internet and no visitors.

I had been lent the first 3 series of Enterprise on DVD so I spent the whole four days catching up on those. I had only seen a few of whole of those series due to the fact that when they came to British TV my Sarah and girls moved in with me and I had big complaints when I tried to watch them on TV. Being able to sit and watch so many episodes on DVD one after the other was brilliant. I have to sadly admit that I am a Trekkie.

I did have some thoughts on a new profile and board skin though while I have been out of action so I might find some time to put those thoughts into action soon.

A Couple of Broken Ribs

2009-05-06T15:02:00.001+01:00

I am typing this on wordpad at approximately 6.30pm Tuesday evening. As I type this I have no idea when I will be able to post it as I am sitting in my Daughters new house where her web access has not been connected yet and wont be until Thursday.

The reason I am sitting here at Sarah's and not in my own home as I was up until 9pm last night, is because from 9pm until midnight last night I was up at the Accident and Emergency department of our local hospital. I left there doped up to the eyeballs on morphine and with the knowledge that I had a couple of cracked ribs. I am therefore spending this first few days with Sarah and Mark and when they return to work on Thursday I will staying with Beverley for a few days more.

I would never have believed in a million years that someone could crack their ribs under the circumstances that I did mine.

I literally leaned over the arm of my settee to pick something up that had been knocked off. As I leaned over and stretched to pick up that which I had dropped my ribs crunched into the sofa arm. The noise was tremendous and the pain was excruciating. I guessed instantly that at least one rib was broken if not more.

I waited for a while to see if the pain would subside before I phoned Sarah to tell her that I had, had a stupid accident. Of course her and Mark were with me in minutes and we were on our way to the hospital.

They first checked that I had enough oxygen running around my system and then they gave me an ECG. Of course I questioned the ECG, for crying out loud. I wasn't having a heart attack I'd hurt my bloody ribs. But seemingly if one goes into A & E with any sort of chest pain they have to give an ECG. But at least I know there is nought wrong with my heart, lol.

I am going to shortly try to get a signal with my mobile connection so that I can post this so that everyone wont wonder why I have disappeared, but I don't hold up much hope of getting a signal here where Sarah is now living. But here goes.

10.46am Wednesday

Managed to get a signal so quickly posting this.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-04-25T15:03:00.002+01:00

This week has been a really strange one as I have been pottering back and forth between home, my Nieces and my Daughters. Not really knowing which house I will decide to sleep in each day until virtually the last minute.

My Sarah is moving on or around next weekend and of course there is a lot to do getting her all organised for that. On top of that she had to have a visit to the hospital for x-rays and MRI scans. This is for her knee. Many of us have hereditary "squidgy" knees, which cause us all problems in different degrees and Sarah in particular, but this present problem is because she has ripped/torn (whatever) her cartilage. She had the tests last night and is booked in for the op on the first knee on the 18th May, so she will be off of work for a couple of weeks after.

We went back to our signing classes last Wednesday, the first after the Easter hols, and I swear my brain had been emptied at some point during the previous 2 weeks. I could remember nothing of what I have learnt and couldn't retain anything new we were covering that day.

But.................. Whilst staying with Beverley her next door neighbour, Pippa, popped in for a cup of tea. Now Pippa is deaf and is coming to the end of her 2nd year of signing, as I am coming to the end of my 1st year. She stayed for a late breakfast with us and her and I managed to get some serious signing in while Beverley pottered out the kitchen.

After signing with Pippa for almost 2 hours I was thrilled to realise that I actually know far more than I gave myself credit for. On top of that Pippa has invited me to go visit her next Wednesday morning for a couple of hours for another signing session. My class will be on the Wednesday evening so I should be nice and hyped up with a busy brain for that class and not the soggy slug I was for last week's group.

I really need to sort out getting a place for the "Pre Level 2" course which runs through the summer for 8 weeks. Although it's not a requirement for continuing into level 2, I feel that it's very important to keep ones hand in, so to speak, through the long summer break before level 2 starts in September. It also prepares us for the different way of teaching for level 2.

With level 2 there is no talking, or as little actual talking as possible. It will be all signing. During the first year we have concentrated building up a vocabulary and the short sentences needed to scrape through in order to communicate with the deaf. I suppose one could liken it to having a holiday language. Level 2 is all about far more in depth communication. At the end of level 2 one is qualified to teach level 1 and to also work professionally with the deaf. For the majority of people this is as far as they go with learning the language as Level 3 is more for training as interpreters and for teaching Level 2.

At this point I will of course be doing Level 2 but wont decide on Level 3 until far nearer the time as that will depend on finances and location of where the course will be held. As fewer people go onto Level 3 it isn't always possible to find a class in ones own area as the amount of classes held around the country are less. But we shall see.

On a side note. my smoking, or lack thereof, is coming along nicely. I am now down to 6 cigarettes a day leading up to a quit day of May 1st. Fingers crossed that works out for me and I am finally able to kick old Nic O'Tine in the butt. If you wish to have a read of my Smoking Blog then please make your way to http://kick-the-habit.u.yuku.com/blog/view

British Sign Lanuage Test (102)

2009-04-01T15:04:00.001+01:00

I have just arrived back after taking my 2nd of 3 sign language tests that I must take this year. I have to say that it was pretty horrific.

As with the other test it was in front of a video and the video is then sent off to the examiners. It will be several weeks before we get the results back.

The 3 subjects we were allowed to choose from were.

The weather
About where we live
And about our hobbies and interests

I chose hobbies and interests. I am so angry with myself as I know I signed at least 50% lower than the standard I am capable of . It's not hard to make a pigs ear of it when one is so nervous as we all were. It doesn't matter how much one practices and studies, it only counts what one can show on the day, and I showed pretty poorly I think. George (Tutor) told me afterwards that I wasn't to worry, that I had certainly passed. Obviously he can't know by how much but at least I am confident that I have managed to get through another exam that will allow me to take a 2nd year.

On a good note though, George has asked both Sarah and myself if we would volunteer to go into the infants and junior schools to start teaching the babes. To give them a fun grounding in sign and to get their interest. At some point the government is going to give the schools funding for this on an official basis, but at the moment it is only the deaf organisation here in Dorset that is trying to give it a kick start and to prove it's worth it by attempting to rally up some volunteers and then to persuade individual schools to allow it.

I would love to do this, even if it is only for a day or so a week. It would then make it all worth while to have decided to learn the language in the first place. I am the only one in our class that is actually learning it just for fun. All the others are either doing it for their present job or for the hope of a better job in the future.

I am so pleased today's test is now over and done with. I have beaten myself up over my stupid mistakes that I know I have made, I now have a cup of tea in front of me and a ciggie and am once again calm.

Let's Play Catch Up

2009-03-08T15:05:00.001Z

I haven't had time to sit and write a blog for a few days. I've had plenty of thoughts of bits I could have written about but never did get around to sitting down and blogging them. Maybe that was for the best as this blog is getting decidedly grumpy. So much so that I thought about changing it's name to Grumpy Old Woman, lol.

But now while I sit here with my very late breakfast of marmite toast and a cup of tea, and before I go jump in the shower and start my day for real (well it is Sunday after all) I thought I would play a little catch up.

Life as usual is treating me good. Today the sun is shining, albeit still quite cold, and I am feeling very content with myself.

The main thing on my mind at the moment is working hard to get through my next test (102) for my sign language on 1st April. I am starting to think in sign now though. Now, that doesn't mean that as I think I see the signs, it means that I am thinking in the order of sign. Sentences are not formed in the same order as the spoken word and this is one of the hardest things to learn to do naturally. Learning the individual signs is easy, but getting them in the right order is extremely difficult. Here comes an example.

The spoken word:- Last year I went on holiday to Cornwall with a friend. We stayed in a tent. The weather was gorgeous.

Signing:- Last year holiday me where - There ( gesture to a spot in front of you) - name what - C-o-r-n-w-a-l-l (finger spelt). Me go with who - friend (gesture friend standing beside you). Stayed where - tent. Weather what - beautiful.

Now if one doesn't get all the words in the right order one loses points on the test. Highest mark 40 - Pass at 20 points. On top of that we have no idea until 15 mins before the test what we are going to converse about.

If you are interested enough to want to see what stage I am at now with my signing then please do go watch these videos that our tutor has made for us to help us practice. http://zandranna.yuku.com/topic/709

But as I say, I am starting to think in sign, and in actual fact sometimes now I have to stop myself typing bits of posts in sign. For instance, instead of "I", I notice I often go to type "me". So perhaps I am coming along nicely with it all sinking subconsciously into my head.

I have also been busy settling in the caravan again after spending the Jan and Feb between my Daughter's and Niece's homes. I had given the caravan a good spring clean after Christmas so I needed to just tart up the outside and get rid of all the winter muck that collects. Algae had formed badly on the decking and as I haven't got a pressure hose it was, and still, is a case of doing it bit by bit on my hands and knees with a scrubbing brush. I managed to get half of it done a few days ago and then had to stop as it hasn't stopped peeing down. Today is a nice day so I will be out there later again with scrubbing brush in hand, detergent and bleach. Now me is thinking perhaps I should have my shower after scrubbing the decking.

Tagged: ramblings, activities

Never Say "I'm 100% Certain"

2009-02-10T15:06:00.000Z

I finally managed to send my divorce papers off to the pension service this week.

God I am stupid. The pension service asked me to send my divorce papers off to them asap so that I could claim for the years that I was married and bringing up a child. Although having said that, I did work most of those years anyway, but the system does allow one to claim for all those years regardless of whether one worked or not.

Anyway, as soon as I knew they wanted my divorce papers I started hunting for them. Now, I live in a caravan so there aren't that many places to hunt. On top of that I never throw papers away. All are neatly filed in their years of receiving them and all personal types of paperwork, ie: my birth certificate, p60s, family records, and so I thought, my divorce papers, are all kept very safely together.

So back in November, the month I retired, I went on my first hunt. Being as it was the first hunt I simply looked in the most obvious places. Couldn't find them, so gave up pretty quick thinking I would look elsewhere later. My computer, after all, was calling to me.

January I received a letter from the pension service reminding me that I hadn't sent the papers and that if I get married again (fine chance) before I made the claim I would lose it. Claiming before a new marriage one has the extra money for life.

So this time I thought a serious search was in order. I had every piece of paperwork out in every nook and cranny. No sign of any divorce papers. Now I am thinking "Shite" I'm going to have to send to the Hastings Court for a new copy. Bummer.

Another couple of weeks went by and a new reminder from the Pension Service, (do these people ever give up??).

Now I knew 100% that those divorce papers were somewhere and I was buggered if I was going to waste time and money to send for new copies. So, drastic action was called for. I decided to clean out and change around every single cupboard and drawer and put every thing in more suitable places.

Two days that took me, (between my time on the comp of course), and still no divorce papers. Bugger, bugger, bugger. But I certainly had a nice tidy caravan.

Then one afternoon whilst sitting listening to the family yacking around me, I suddenly remembered, (so much for being 100% sure I had them) I had sent them many years ago to my Ex hubby for him to prove he was divorced when he put up the banns for his second marriage. He had never returned them and I had never asked for them as I had never needed them.

Instantly I was on the phone to him praying that he still had them and plus, knew where they were if he did. He didn't know where they were of course, men being men, but his wife did. The following morning they popped them in the post to me by recorded delivery.

From me direct to the pension service and I received them back from them within 3 days.

All done and dusted thank goodness.

It's a Marshmallow World

2009-02-02T15:08:00.001Z

Like the rest of the country here in the UK I woke up to a white world. Supposedly this is meant to be the harshest winter for 13 years.

Down in the South here, and in my particular area, there is barely enough snow to cover the ground yet this town and surrounding area has virtually come to a stand still. The schools are shut, and I would imagine that's simply because the oil deliveries can't get through. Monday is the school's delivery day.

Sarah's fella had an appointment today and it took him 2 hours to get there as apposed to 40 minutes. Trains and buses have stopped running.

This positively does not make sense. We were warned by the weather reports, several days ago that heavy snow would be here within the next few days. The local councils were given plenty of warning to get the gritters out but as per normal they left it until snow has actually fallen, accidents happened and chaos reigns, before they decide that perhaps we do need some grit on the roads.

On top of all this the British people are in total denial that most of year in this country, it's either pouring with rain or extremely cold. None of us actually dress for the weather, and in actual fact unless one has plenty of money, warm winter clothing cannot be found in our shops and we just don't seem to care.

Our only concession to winter is getting out the gloves and scarves. We all buy a winter hat but very seldom will we see anyone wearing one. We will put on a sweater over our normal clothes, clothes that double up for both winter and summer and that's it. We tend always to think that summer is just around the corner so why bother to make a fuss.

I Passed the 101 for Sign Language

2009-02-01T15:09:00.000Z

This is just a quicky to let all that were interested, know that I received a letter yesterday from the Education Department to say I had passed my first Sign Language test with top marks.

The highest score one could get was 18 and that's exactly what I got. Both my Daughter Sarah and GG Daughter Aimee also got the highest marks.

I would have been very disappointed if I had even dropped by one mark.

The next test, 102, will be during the second week of March. I have no hopes of getting top marks with that one as it is going to be so much harder. With that one there is a possibility of getting 40 marks but 20 will be a pass.

Now I just need to get stuck in and practice, practice, practice.

Smoking = Child Abuse??

2009-01-23T15:03:00.003Z

Today the big topic on the radio is whether here in Britain we should make it a criminal offence to smoke in front of Children.

Already smoking in front of a child can be used as an extra in evidence in a child abuse case as can piercing a child's ears, even though both are perfectly legal.

The experts want to push through a new law to make it a criminal offence to smoke in front of a child. The first couple of times caught being a heavy fine, the third being a short prison sentence.

But they also want to encourage friends, family and neighbours to inform on anyone they see smoking with the children in the same room.

Now for some that are totally against and believe the reports on passive smoking I can hear say, "so it should be", but if this is allowed to happen some social workers that feel strongly about it will soon be using it as a means to take a child away from their home and I can see the law being written to allow this.

The point of whether we believe passive smoking is dangerous or not doesn't really come into this.

If the law above was passed we would be getting nearer and nearer to big brother. Smoking is legal, Fact. Already we can't smoke in any public building and that includes open railway platforms. They are already trying to make it illegal to smoke in the street. If they do that then we would be only able to smoke in our own homes. Then bringing out yet another law to say smoking in front of a child will be a criminal offence we are then down to only smoking in our own gardens. What if one doesn't have a garden. What if one lives in a flat.

One expert this morning on the radio was even saying that one shouldn't smoke in a room alone where a child might enter at a later time in the day. Are we now going to have to set a room aside in our own homes as a smoking room and if we do are they then going to say the fumes can escape to the rest of the house.

It's getting absolutely ridiculous. Smoking is legal. I tried to quit for a while last year and took it up again over Christmas so I do say all this as a smoker, but, if they are going to take things this far then surely it would be better to make smoking illegal, period.

I have had many conversations with different people over the last couple of years about smoking being made illegal and they all come out with "but then it would just all happen on the black market" which I can't argue with, but, many (I believe the majority) after a very short while would soon get fed up with running around trying to find black market cigarettes and then slowly quit.

If the government was truly worried about the health of the British people they would say sod the financial losses we would have in tax revenue and in one foul swoop make tobacco an illegal substance. I know that if it became illegal to buy tobacco it wouldn't be long before I was a definite non-smoker.

Prince Harry Racist??? I Think Not

2009-01-19T14:51:00.008Z

Last week the media made a massive fuss over a home video taken three years ago of Prince Harry and his solider mates joshing around during a break in his army training. He was heard to refer to one of his mates as a Paki and to refer to the Taliban as Ragheads.

The press made a tremendous meal of this condemning the remarks as racist, and the Prince was forced to apologise in public and had a dressing down from his commander as well as the Queen having to get involved.

The Daily Telegraph articles can be read HERE

I am absolutely furious at the fuss this has caused. For a start the Taliban being called Ragheads (misquoted in the telegraph as the prince using the term for all Muslims) cannot in any shape or form be termed as racist. The Taliban is NOT a race. The Taliban are pure unadulterated criminals. End of. It's fair game as to what any of us call them.

As for Harry calling one of his mates in jest a Paki and being accused of being racist over it, is showing just how bloody stupid the world is becoming with accusations of racism.

I am called a Brit, a Pom and goodness knows what else because I am English. I call all my American friends Yanks, whatever part of the US they come from. I call the Australians, Aussies. Do we all go running to the race relations board to complain?? Of course not. But call a Pakistani a Paki and instantly one is branded as a racist.

Prince Harry did not use the term in a derogatory way. He used it in an affectionate way. The said Pakistani is very well liked by both Prince Harry and the rest of the soldiers. Would someone truly use that term in a derogatory way to one of their friends. I think not.

The thing is, in this Country, we know that there are many in Parliament and in the media that want the Royal Family removed. Every sensible person in this Country knows that. When all goes quiet about the Royal Family snippets of dirt are released to their media friends to start up the hoo ha again. Do they think the public are stupid??

Since that home video was made, 3 years ago, Prince Harry has served on the front line in Afghanistan until once again the low life press let out to the world that Prince Harry was there, thereby putting him and those serving with him in far more danger forcing the Army to bring him back home asap to save further loss of life to all.

What scumbag released the said video to the press in the first place. It can only be someone close to Harry. Someone who supposedly was counted as a friend.

All I can say to those that consider Paki as a derogatory term, for those that come from Pakistani, want their bloody heads seeing to. Do the Paki's consider themselves better than any other race?? I think they do. If they call me a Brit are they being racist towards me, I don't think so. So for Christs sake let's stop this blasted nonsense that causes more race problems that it cures.

Sorry to be Missing

2009-01-11T14:43:00.001Z

This is for all those that care about me and have been wondering where the heck I am and how I am.

Most of you already know that I haven't been well for quite a few days having not only been struck down with a really bad virus but that I have been also been suffering with a really bad hip and once again had to get me sodding walking stick out.

This last few days I have just felt too queer (do Americans use that word in this context?) to even sit up even for a few mins on the comp. There have been times this last few days that I have had to get up, get dressed and leave the house and those short trips have left me so shattered that It has just been a case of getting back home asap and zonking out once more.

I forced myself to got out Wednesday night to my sign language class but quite honestly didn't manage to take anything in of what was going on and had to walk out of the class halfway through to go sit in the canteen and wait for it to finish before I Sarah and Aimee came out for us all to drive home.

I woke up this morning thinking I really must, if nothing else, come on and at least leave this message for all who are concerned. Once I have posted this I will be switching off the comp once again and go back to resting.

I see that I have many PMs sitting waiting for me to open and I will read and answer them as soon as my brain is once again functioning as it should. At this moment in time I just feel too yuck to sit here for more than the couple of minutes that it is going to take me to write and post this.

I am getting better slowly and I am moving around more but I honestly just can't face being on line at the moment, especially as I am at home where the majority of you know that my connection is so slow that it would take me a couple of hours just to read and answer just a very few posts, so I am just not going to put myself through the frustration of trying to get anywhere except my own profile to post this.

Late tomorrow afternoon I will be back at Sarah's for a few days where there is a faster connection anyway and I am hoping to get back on line then and do a complete catch up.

I hope those of you that might have posted questions on the Profiles/Blogs Tips and Tricks board don't think I have been ignoring you and I do apologise for not answering any of those posts this last few days. They will be the first I get around to when I get back on line.

Hugs to all that worried about me. I will be back ASAP.

If you see anyone asking after me could you please point them in the direction of this post - Thanks muchly.

New Year Resolutions

2008-12-29T14:09:00.003Z

For what it's worth here are my New Year Resolutions for 2009. I wonder just how many I will stick to.

1) Instead of getting straight out of bed and on to the computer to have my first cup of tea in the mornings I am going to turn the news on the TV and sit in front of that instead. That way I will actually get up and do something as soon as I have had my tea instead of ending up for a couple of hours still playing on the web. I will then not get on the comp until I have at least had my shower and made myself presentable for the day.

2) I will start eating at proper times and regular intervals instead of totally forgetting to eat until I find myself feeling dizzy. This is one of my main failings and not at all healthy. I sometimes forget to eat until about 4 or 5 in the afternoon. I might have to start setting an alarm to go off when it's time to eat.

3) I must try to stop being so lazy. I need to get out and about more instead of having to be dragged out of the house. I spend far too much time indoors.

4) I really must start going to bed at a more reasonable hour. 3, 4, or 5am to go to bed is just not right and can't be doing me any good.

I think those four are enough to go on with for this year. They should all be easy ones to stick to actually because really they are all just normal living. I think all that comes of living on my own for so long and of having no one to please but myself.

Do We Really Know Our Friends?

2008-12-27T14:04:00.001Z

This business of pornography showing up on Yuku, be it in ads or on a users profile or avatar has shown just how much the selling of sex is acceptable or not as the case maybe to different people. Everyone's idea of what counts as porn on what in effect, is a family system, seems to go from one end of the scale to the other.

It made me think the other night after reading one particular post in support that many of us are so very much aware of the dangers of the web regarding our children and who or what we come into contact with, but here on Yuku, I don't know about you, but I, wrongly I should imagine, take everyone I come into contact with here on face value.

I assume that everyone I meet here are very decent people, leading clean living lives, love their children, treat their animals kindly and all in all are well worth letting into my life, even if it is only a virtual one so to speak.

Yet, anyone that I call friend on here could be a wife beater, child molester, vicious and violent towards animals, thieves, drug dealers, pimps and so on and on. In fact anyone could be the lowest of the low and yet the persona on here could be of one of the nicest of people.

I like to think that even in this virtual world that like attracts like, but quite simply the only thing we have to go by on first impression of meeting someone here on Yuku is their choice of avatar and profile.

I personally think that our choice of avatar speaks volumes about us. We have to judge a book by it's cover here because it's all we have to go by. A bit like our choice of clothes in the real world. We do go by first impressions and once one has a first impression it takes a lot to change our minds.

We know that deciding the type of person by an avatar isn't necessarily the truth about that person. Some people that have an avatar of their favourite pet we assume loves animals, and so they probably do, but that wouldn't stop them being a nasty piece of work in other areas of life. We see young Mothers and Fathers with avatars of a violent, aggressive, or sexual nature. Does that make them uncaring parents?? In many cases I bet yes. If they can blatantly show that type of thing on a system where they know young teens are I imagine that they don't care what their own kids see.

Mention anything that has something to do with common decency and it's called censorship. If one looks at it like that, all laws and restrictions put on the human race is censorship. Take away this so called censorship and all would be free once again to murder, rape, pillage and we would be no better than animals, in fact that's insulting to animals because animals do not rape, murder or pillage. Because some people have no, or few, morals or values, those that have, have to set some sort of boundaries that society have to live by.

Of course there are a few few that find the slightest thing gross or disgusting just as there are those that find nothing gross or disgusting and that is why some middle ground is found and basically it's down to the owners of any system such as this to set where that middle of the road barrier is. Where the middle ground is formed on any system will set the style of system they want it to be.

Both those that find restrictions impossible to be part of and those that find that the restrictions aren't set high enough do have the choice not to be part of any system. But I would say to those that do feel that any type of restrictions is classified as censorship, that it is possible that the occasional person that you are sharing your circle of friends with could just be someone of the lowest order such as a child molester or someone that beats their wife and kids up on a regular basis.

We pass them in the real world and sometimes it takes a long time before we find them out. How much harder is it on the web to sniff those people out.

Good News for Aimee

2008-12-19T14:02:00.001Z

Our Aimee (Granddaughter) had a nice phone call tonight. She is in 6th form college and has been trying to get a job for either weekends or evenings to get a bit of cash to top up her EMA.

For those of you that don't know, EMA is £30 per week paid to all kids by the government to help them through college.

Jobs are very scarce now and although she has been sending off application forms, so many apply for each job that she hasn't even managed to get an interview with any yet. But, this evening she received a phone call from Next asking her if she would like to go in tomorrow morning for 2 hours orientation and then start work Christmas Eve for her first shift.

We don't know if this is just a few weeks work to get them through the Christmas and January sale weeks or if it may turn out to be permanent, but either way it's very good news. Even if it only turns out to be for a few weeks she will at least get a decent working reference that she can use to add to her curriculum vitae as well as obviously giving her a bit more money.

Sign Language Test 101

2008-12-10T13:51:00.002Z

I had my first Sign Language test this evening. It's called the 101 because in the first year we have 3 tests. The 102 will be in end February/beginning of March and the 103 in May. Then we will break up for the Summer.

I am rather scared that not continuing it during the summer break I will forget all that I have learned but.........

This evening for the test there arrived a representative from the Dorset Education Authority to over see that the tests were being carried out correctly. She mentioned that she was thinking of organising summer classes if there were enough of us interested in it.

I don't know if this will cost extra or will come in with the original cost of paying for the whole year. I would imagine it will cost more actually.

I was very nervous before the test. It's done in front of a video camera so the examiner can look over it and check each step to make sure we could understand what was being said to us and that we correctly signed back during the conversation. For that is all the test is. A few minutes conversation with our tutor.

I have never been good with tests. I go to pieces. I can't even take a typing test and yet I am a very good, fast typist.

I am sure I have passed I just don't know by how much until next week.

I wish they gave us our part of the video after they have marked it as I would love to post it on here just so as you could all see me look stupid, lol.

Mock Sign Language Test Next Week

2008-11-26T12:35:00.001Z

Next week we have our mock test ready for the real thing the week after. This will be the first of three tests that we will have in this first year.

Our tutor has made a video for us running through what the test will consist of. He is acting out the part of both himself and one of us.

Looking one way he is himself and he swings around when is acting as one of us students.

To pass the test we have to have 15 points out of 18.

Putting the Comp Away for a Few Hours

2008-11-21T12:32:00.001Z

I decided today that I have spent too much time sitting on Sarah's settee playing with the comp this week. I decided it was time I got off my backside and did something.

I have been at Sarah's all week because she wasn't at all well during the first part and as it crawled towards the weekend I thought I might as well stay until Sunday.

Trouble was that when I came last weekend it was only going to be overnight, so I left my caravan in a right mess thinking no problem I will be back tomoz when I can give it a good scrub down. 4 days later and I hadn't gone home. Today I asked Sarah to drop me home about midday and then pick me up when she collected Jess from school. Jessie's school is just around the corner from.

I thought a couple of hours in my caravan (leaving my comp at Sarah's) would give me a chance to do a bit of a whip around ready to go back this coming Sunday to a nice clean place.

Sarah decided that rather than drop me off, she would stay with me while I had a tidy up and that would save her the journey to and fro again. So I settled Sarah on theplaystation playing her recent Resident Evil game and I set too.

An hour in and a phone call from Aimee, could Mum go and pick her up from college as she was finishing early. So Sarah, cheesed off with having to stop killing Zombies went off to get her.

Aimee proceeded to settle herself on the sofas bundled up with throws and have a sleep. The sitting room part of the caravan was getting morechoco with Sarah's and Aimees bags, coats, cups, sandwiches, and of course Aimee kipping and Sarah sitting on a chair in the middle playing playstation. Needless to say the caravan was getting messed up faster than I was able to clean.

I only managed to get my bedding changed. Toilet and shower rooms cleaned and part of the kitchen before we were due to pick Jess up. So I still have to go back Sunday, hoover through and I want to clean the windows.

I have promised myself though that I really must cut down my comp time. We were discussing on Cabbages & Kings who were addicted and who wasn't to the comp, and I can honestly say that I am addicted. That really must change.

A Test in 3 Weeks

2008-11-19T12:28:00.001Z

Wow, only 3 weeks away from my first British Sign Language test. We have a total of 3 tests during the first year.

The first test covers as follows

How to meet and greet someone, asking how they are and telling them how you are. How ask for someones name and give yours. Discuss the weather, now, today, yesterday, maybe tomorrow, next week, etc, etc. Discuss journeys, where you were going, how long it took, how you traveled, was the journey good or bad. Ask and give directions in the minutest of detail. Finger spelling.
In the last 6 weeks we have probably had to learn approximately 300 words and phrases.

Now we have 2 weeks to get it off pat ready for our test on the following week.

It's all hard work but such fun. I am so glad I signed up for it.

Screening Tests

2008-11-14T12:22:00.001Z

One certainly can't fault our Health Service for keeping up to date with screening tests.

The moment I reached 50, or in my case it was just before my 50th birthday I received my first invitation for a mammogram which I now have every 3 years. Now that I am 60 I received a letter a couple of days ago inviting me to take part in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. I honestly didn't know this screening had started.

My first thought was "Oh bugger, not yet another screening I have to go for". But it seems that one doesn't have to "GO" for anything. The screening kit is sent to one's home for them to do the test themselves and then send it back.

Seemingly this test has up until now only been for the 60 to 70 year olds and they are now extending it up to and including the 75s. I can't understand why I haven't known about this test because I do have a Sister that is now 72 and she has never mentioned this to me. Perhaps she has somehow slipped through the net, or maybe the conversation has just never gotten around to our bowels. Surprising is that, lol.

Lost in the System

2008-11-03T12:19:00.004Z

Today should have been the very first day that my pension should have gone in the bank. It's paid on the first Monday after ones birthday and today should have been my payday. Note I say should have been. Yup, they messed up big time.

After checking my bank account this morning, and finding that there was no sign of any cash being paid in, I rang the Pension Service to find out what was going on. Now you wait for this one. My pension claim that was put in 2 months ago hadn't been processed. It gets worse. I wasn't even in the queue to be processed. To put it bluntly, they had no idea that a claim from me was actually in the building.

On top of that when I put the claim in for my pension, all those weeks ago, they should have asked me to send in my Decree Absolute as proof of my divorce so that they could then sort out the extra pension I was allowed for all my married years. I have now been told to send it in directly but it's going to take several months to process that part of my pension.

Can you ever believe such an absolute cock up??

But, fear not for anyone that is reading this and thinking, crikey I hope that doesn't happen to me. All is not lost for me.........

I spoke to a woman that couldn't apologise enough. She went to her supervisor, rang me back within minutes to tell me that they are going to get a bank transfer done for me by the end of the day for the basic pension I am entitled to as a single person which will take 5 days before it gets to my bank. Along with that they will organise pension credits to take me up to the required pension required by law which is just over £124. From next Monday the correct amount will be being placed in my account.

I still have to send off my Decree Absolute and once they have sorted out that money in a few months time, that will then be added to my pension and any extra tax credits that have been paid between now and then will have to be paid back. So basically the tax credits are lending me monies that would be due to me if the Pension Service hadn't totally over looked my claim.

Funnily enough after hanging up from the Pension Service all those weeks ago when making my claim, I turned to my daughter and said "I have a terrible feeling that something is going to go wrong with getting my pension - I know darn well it's not going to be there on the Monday it's due". Sarah obviously told me I was worrying for nothing. Yea, right, never argue with an old Witch, lol.

First Day as a Pensioner

2008-11-02T12:01:00.003Z

My first day as a pensioner and guess what?? Yup, I am still sitting on my backside playing on the web instead of getting out and about more as I promised myself I would do 3 months ago now.

But having said that does it really matter?? If I am enjoying every day of my life, which I am, then should I listen to people that tell me it's not healthy to stay indoors most of the time either on the comp, reading or watching dvds and such.

Thinking back about me over all the years gone, I have always been a stay at home, snuggle in the warmth type of person. Going back far into my childhood you could always find me in the corner of the room with a book in my hand, (No comps or TVs in those days), when all my sister and cousins were out chasing the streets. I lost count of the times they would all try to get me away from my books and go scrumping or chasing the streets with them. Occasionally they would manage to drag me out but most times it was a no.

It's now winter and I honestly can't see me making the effort to go anywhere when I have a warm snug home and all my comforts around me. For those that have been reading my blog you already know that I do go out once a week to British Sign Language and I have met some lovely people there. Once a week some of us have also started to get together for practice, tea and bickies and a general laugh. I think two nights a week going out, a couple of shopping trips a week, the visits to my Niece or my Sister are plenty enough for me during the cold months that are now on us.

My 60th - Halloween - and a Tearful Me

2008-11-01T12:13:00.000Z

Wow, I just don't know where to start.

Today is my 60th birthday and last night was Halloween. I was born at 20 minutes past midnight on the night the Witches and the Dead were roaming freely.

Being my 60th and having reached this special mark in my life I have thought over the last weeks that perhaps it should be celebrated in a special way but couldn't come up with anything I particularly wanted to do. Last year, being the first time in years that once again virtually the whole family were living in the same town, we all went out for an expensive dinner for my birthday. For me that was not only celebrating my birthday but also celebrating us all being together once again. I didn't feel the need for a big fuss this year. But last night I was in for a big surprise.

Being Halloween we planned to take my youngest GG, Jess, and one of her friends to the village where my Niece and Sister live for them to go trick or treating. While the elder kids, such as Aimee took them around the streets us adults would stay indoors in the warm drinking tea and chatting.

Sarah picked me up from home at 6pm to drive over to our Beverley's. She had already dropped the girls off over there. Going in via the back way Beverley had made a real effort decorating her back garden for Halloween with pretty lights and lanterns and the odd ghost or two. I was later on to see the lit up grave in the front garden with the bones of a skeleton fighting it's way to the top of the earth. On entering the door via the kitchen I could see that Beverley had created a dark, creepy atmosphere in the house. You have to remember that over here in England we don't go overboard with the celebrating of Halloween. It has only been in the last few years that our children have even started trick or treating.

On entering the lounge is where I was in for a surprise. The whole room was decorated to the nines for Halloween, including paper chains and balloons along with a full size Angel of Death hanging from the ceiling and all the other gruesome displays that go with the night of the dead. The centre of the room was full of people standing in candlelight, glasses in hand to wish me a Happy Birthday, including a friend that I hadn't seen for many years and my Nephews girl friend who had come all the way from Croydon to be there instead of Gary driving up to her for the weekend as he normally would. A massive table of food and drinks. I was in for a full blown party.

But there was something else that was to happen that actually brought tears to my eyes, and I can tell you I do not cry easily.

At a point in the evening Sarah brought out a birthday cake. It had thick chocolate icing (my favourite) and a large 6 and an 0 candles. But it was the top of the cake that really shook me. The icing on the top was a photograph of me when I was 6 years old. I hadn't seen that photo for many, many years. The obvious place they could have gotten it from was my eldest sister.

I know that icing can be made from photos so it wasn't that that made me tearful. It was just the most surrealist moment of my life. Seeing that tiny girl smiling up at me along with the 60 of the candles at the head of the photo just didn't seem real. That, along with all the time and trouble those girls must have put in to do all this for me made me have trouble keeping back the tears. Wow.

Some of the pressies I also got were totally unexpected as well. Our family more or less give token gifts for birthdays for the adults, a bunch of flowers, a box of chocs etc. But I was given, A DVD player, A cashmere stole, A cashmere throw, a set of 8 Steven Seagal films ( I love his films), and from my Niece I couldn't believe the ring that she gave me. Gold with a cluster of 4 diamonds, 2 rubies, 2 emeralds and 1 Sapphires. Oh and I did get me bunch O' flowers and me box O' chocs, lol.

The whole evening was wonderful. The kids still went out for an hour or so trick or treating and we still had kids knocking at the door demanding their treats. The atmosphere was fantastic. What a wonderful way to celebrate my 60th.

On arriving back at Sarah's with the girls later that evening Sarah also had something else for me that had me laughing. She had got together a group of things, as she said, that every 60 year old needs to take with them into their old age.

It was an old fashioned straw basket such as our Grans would have had and in it was...........

A "Now We are 60" book - This is a rip off of the poems of A.A. Milnes "Now We are Six"
Two wind up racing Grannies with their zimma frames (must have a race with those with my little Jess later today)
An exercise video to keep one from getting incontinent as one gets older
A "Where's Wally" hat to keep the old girl warm indoors in the cold evenings
A pair of slippers
But the funniest thing was a half dozen marbles running around the bottom of the bag (for when I lose mine)

The Day After Tomorrow

2008-10-30T00:25:00.000Z

Wow, the time has almost arrived for me to be an O.A.P. I officially become a Crone on Saturday, lol.

I've done the years of growing up, lacking confidence, thinking everyone older than me is more knowledgeable and wiser. I've done the years of bringing up a child where ones life isn't ones own and everyone has to be put before ones self. I've done the years of getting up early every morning and doing a dash around to get to work on time and coming home shattered only to have to start work again as home. Now is my time. A time for me alone.

I know for a while now my life has been virtually my own, whereby I can eat when I want, sleep when I want and generally come and go as I please, but on Saturday, it's official and along with that comes all the perks of being officially retired.

Don't get me wrong. I have not been wishing my life away to lead me to this moment. I am just aware that it comes to us all and I think that approaching this time of life with excitement rather than with dread is a much more healthy attitude. There is no point moping about what has passed, or regrets for the things undone. The best way is to take the bull by the horns and just enjoy what this new stage in life has to offer. As long as I enjoy each and every day from now on I will have nothing to complain about.

Making Friends

2008-10-22T00:42:00.000+01:00

Well, I'm making a good start on rule 6 of "Things to do now that you're retired", Making friends.

In actual fact I am killing two birds with one stone, or maybe even three when one comes to think of it.

Getting out and about
Learning a new language
Making friends

For many years now my family have been my sole companionship. I haven't had friends for absolutely yonks. By taking up learning British Sign Language I am getting out one evening a week, learning a new language and also making friends.

The friendships started coming into it's own this week. Having had four lessons now, one of the women organised a practice evening for several of us for tonight at her house before our fifth lesson tomorrow evening.

It was very enjoyable. Not only are we, hopefully, going to learn a lot quicker but we are also going to get to know each other better, which is great as we will be spending the next year together in the same class and for those of us that go on to stage two will also be together the following year.

My Daughter, who you will know, if you have been keeping up with my blog, is also learning BSL, voluteered me to hold the next practice evening at mine, (don't you just love daughers).

That should be fun getting everyone in my caravan.

Now I'm just looking forward to my tomorrow's lesson.

Maybe Getting a New Cycle

2008-10-20T02:56:00.000+01:00

I'm not sure yet whether to spend money on a new cycle.

I have my electric tricycle but I only use that for toodling back and forth visiting the family and for shopping. When visiting the family it's so easy just to put my little dog in his basket on the back and he can come everywhere with me. For shopping it means that I can fill up the dog's basket, the basket on the front and if I am going to get quite a bit with an extra napsack on my back I can carry a full weeks shopping.

The downside is that charging it is a pain in the rear as I have nowhere to charge it under cover which means that the weather always has to be dry for the charging time. Being as how here in the UK we get a lot of rain it's a pain dodging in and out to get a full charge up and sometimes it isn't possible so I have to then make a phone call to either my Daughter or Niece to come over and get me.

There are times when I have just wanted to make a quick trip into town to pick something up, the library or a bank run and have no charge in the battery. So I am now wondering if I should treat myself to a two wheeler for those quick trips out to those places where I can nip out without the dog.

A couple of others in the family have said that it would be fun for us all to go on bike rides in the lovely country we have and my tricycle isn't really suitable for that either.

Now my problem is that I am shocking for thinking something is a good idea, buying it, then having wasted my money because I don't use it more than once in a blue moon.

My question to me is, will I use a second bike or will it sit around doing nothing for the forseable future??

19 Days Until I Retire

2008-10-13T23:18:00.000+01:00

Only 19 short days until I officially retire, so a little update.

So far I haven't really done a lot towards changing my life, changing bad habits and setting a general healthy trend to take me into my new life as it should be.

One of the things I promised myself was that I would no longer be a smoker on my Birthday. To tell the truth I'm not sure if I would say I am still a smoker or not. I am still smoking the E/Cigarette which is simply a nicotine replacement but surely if I am not actually smoking cigarettes then I am a good way into keeping my promise to myself.

I am now into my 4th week of British Sign Language which I am very much enjoying. I like the challenge of learning something new after all this time, I like the people I am sharing the class with and I also very much enjoy getting out one evening a week to somewhere different.

I haven't done anything towards regular exercise. I did start going swimming every other day in the pool on the site here but that didn't last long and I can't see myself wandering down to the pool in the mornings now the winter is on its way. I am sure not making more use of the pool is going to be something I regret when I move out of this caravan and into a house, which I know at some point I will.

The Wiifit still sits idly by and I haven't touched it for months now. Perhaps that is something that is going to prove a waste of money.

My cycle I rode over to Sarah's on the other day and parked it up in her garage as I know I wont be using that in the winter. I didn't use it last winter so I am sure I wont this.

Basically I am still sitting far too much on the comp when I am not out and about with Sarah. This really must stop.

Regarding my pension - When I claimed it the other week, via telephone, I was told a letter would be sent sometime this month, and before my retirement day, confirming how much my pension would be. I haven't received a letter up to this point.

A Great 3rd Sign Language Lesson

2008-10-08T22:35:00.000+01:00

My head was actually swimming tonight with the amount of information we were fed. We have our first video taped exam in 3 weeks and there is so much to learn yet.

Although I am finding it really hard now, I am very much enjoying it. The chap that is teaching us is a fantastic teacher and makes all of us feel very relaxed at having to sign to each other and at the same time making the specific NMF (basically pulling faces) to go with the actual sign.

Apart from one class mate who has already been through the first year course about 5 years ago, I do feel I am keeping up with the majority and there are 2 or 3 that simply just can't seem to get the hang of most of it, (poor sods). I do have the feeling that there is one woman that will be dropping out of it either next week or if she does come next week wont be coming the following. She really is desperately struggling with it and doesn't look as if she is enjoying it at all. I do wonder though, at some of them, if they do actually practice from one week to the next.

Learning and remembering each sign isn't too bad. It's the putting them all together into a comprehensive phrase and getting all the words in the right order. Speaking the word and signing at the same time just doesn't work because as I have mentioned before, the sentences are back to front, as they are with most other languages. The trouble is it's so much of part of us to speak out loud it's hard to remember not to say the words at the same time as signing. Instead of speaking with the sign one has to learn to pull the correct face that helps give the sign it's meaning. More than one word can have the same sign but the face pulling makes the sign make sense in the form one is meaning it for.

All in all tonight was another very enjoyable lesson.

Quitting Spanish

2008-10-07T14:18:00.000+01:00

Funnily enough, although I am not enjoying the lessons it wasn't me that suggested quitting.

The next lesson would be tomorrow afternoon and my Sarah said to me this morning, "Do I really want to continue the lessons", I told her the truth that I wasn't enjoying them but I would continue to go as long as she wanted to and needed the company.

She explained that because so much happens on a Wednesday for her it is so much of a rush around to get through the day and she really wants to continue with the Sign Language course as she intends to do the full 3 years of that to get her qualifications. On top of that she has now just started an Open University course which adds to any homework. So we are quitting. We will let the school know directly so they can give our places to someone else that might be queuing for it.

My pet hate with it was, 1) the fact that it was an afternoon lesson which messes up the day and then it's a quick whip home, sort the dog and the kids out and then off to Sign Language. 2) I also didn't like the way we were being taught. Being as how the tutor has only taught children before some of the things she gets us to do are pretty embarrassing as adults. See my previous posts on Spanish.

I am very relieved that Sarah has decided to quit as I would never have suggested it but would have suffered the lesson each week.

2nd Week of Classes

2008-10-03T11:57:00.000+01:00

I was not looking forward to my 2nd Spanish class this Wednesday just gone. The B.S.L. I was looking forward to but funnily enough it turned out that this week Spanish was fun and the sign language much harder than last week.

I honestly don't know if I will end up sticking at the Spanish, although I will give it my best shot, because if I drop out then it would mean my Daughter having to go on her own and that wouldn't be nice for her. So I will persevere but at the same time take one week at a time and see how it goes.

Mind you, to tell the truth I have no idea why I am putting myself through learning Spanish as I have no intention of going anywhere they actually speak it. I am not a good traveler. I wont fly, and although I will go on a boat, and have done many times in the past, I don't like it. So basically I am probably wasting my time learning the language anyway, but, hey ho at least it's keeping my brain active, stopping me from stagnating and also is forcing me away from the comp for a couple of hours.

Regarding the sign language, this, I think, is going to be much harder than I first thought as not only does one have to learn the signs but also the whole language is said backwards. How are you becomes - Body feels good, yes?? - Do you have a car is - Car have you, yes?? and so on. Learning the arse about face of it all is harder than remembering the signs. But it is good fun and there are some really nice people in the class.

A Month of Not Smoking

2008-10-01T12:22:00.000+01:00

It has now been nearly a month since I decided that this is it. No more smoking as I truly want to be a non smoker on the day I retire. I haven't coped at all well if the truth be known. It really has been an up hill struggle not to go back on the cigarettes.

Again a few days ago being with a couple of members of my family (Big Sis and Nephew) that smoke, I ended up out in the garden with them with a cigarette in my hand. I know this is going to continually crop up for many weeks yet, and I can't torture myself anymore nor can I risk actually picking up another cigarette and risk ending up a 20 a day smoker again. So.................

A couple of days ago my eldest Granddaughter came across what is called an E/Cigarette. Link to the video at the bottom of this post.

After reading exactly what they are I decided to buy the starter pack and keep an E/Cigarette on me at all times for when I am out in company and desperately want to give in and have a real ciggy.

Yes, I know that the E/Cig is a nicotine substitute and as such is once again putting nicotine into my body thereby continuing to keep me an addict. But it's no different that any other nicotine smoking aid and it will stop me picking up a real fag.

I have to say that the E/Cigarette is the best smoking aid that I have ever come across. It truly gives the impression of smoking without the harmful substances. For those that never want to quit or aren't ready to quit but are terrified of the consequences of smoking it's the most wonderful invention ever.

It takes smoking into the 21st century. It's green, gives off no harmful gases for passive smoking, can be smoked in all non smoking areas, is far cheaper than smoking and is totally safe. And I also believe that this E/Cigarette could eventually put the tobacco industry out of business.

For those like me that never want to smoke again it's the best ever yet tool for helping one quit without pain.

Does this still make me a smoker?? I personally think not. Does it still make me a drug addict?? YES!!!!!!! But it's either that or at some point soon I know I will end up smoking again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E18jmMNUBdM

Spring Cleaning in Winter

2008-09-29T03:04:00.001+01:00

I decided this week that the whole caravan internally needs a good spring clean so made a start yesterday.

I thought that I would do it in stages so as not to tire myself, lol. If the truth be known it's because I am a lazy marebag and am having to force myself to actually get my finger out.

Not having picked up a duster since, well, many, many days I set to and cleaned out all the cobwebs and dust that has accumulated while I have been either sitting on my butt on the comp or off out playing somewhere.

I spent 2 hours cleaning mirrors, glass cabbinet fronts, setting up a specific computor table instead of using the dining table and hoovering into the nooks and crannys that always seem to be missed when I give a quick whip around.

The upshot of it all is that small bedroom, sitting room and conservatory (yep I have a conservatory in the caravan) are all now sparkling and shiny.

I now have to give the kitchen and my bedroom a good going over along with scrubbing down the decking and cleaning all windows on the outside.

It's nice to have a special place for my laptop instead of using the dining table because using the dining table means it always looks a pigging mess. Not only does it always have my comp on but also used cups, glasses, plates, bits of scrap paper and a couple of pens running around it where I have been too lazy to tidy up as I go along.

Around the TV was also the playstation, Wii and all the wires that go along with all that. The playstation is now in the conservatory with a spare TV and the Wii is now tidily tucked beside the lounge TV taking up much less room.

White throws are now covering the seats of the settees which means the whole place look brighter and cleaner.

One has to be careful though, because in a small area such as I have living in a caravan one has to be careful with the amount of throwns and cushions one adds or it start to look either like a little old lady lives there or more likely a Gypsy, lol.

Living in a caravan is like living in a dolls house. Everything is so mini.

My First Lessons in Spanish and BSL

2008-09-25T11:37:00.000+01:00

Had my first lessons today in both Spanish and British Sign Language.

It's a pain in the rear that they are both on the same day as it makes for a bit of running around getting from one to the other and having time to eat in between. But both lessons were very enjoyable.

Taking the Spanish first......... The same woman teaching us adults is the same teacher that takes our Jess for Spanish during her school day. Very nice woman but I get the impression she isn't really used to teaching adults, lol. But at least because of this, she makes it fun.

She has a corner full of Spanish hats which is dumped on the head of the person/people she wants to pick out for practice. I virtually hid under the table when she got these hats out. She also has a very large foam microphone which we have to hold, say our bit to someone else and then pass the microphone to the person we have just spoken to, then they turn and speak and pass to the next and so on. We have no idea what other horrors wait for us from her toy box.

I did ask two pertinent questions though and she was so over joyed that I had observed one particular thing that I thought she was going to give me a merit point,rofl. For half a minute I was her star pupil.

I do think I am going to find Spanish very hard though as it's spoken with the front of the mouth as is French and I find guttural languages easier to get accents right.

The British Sign Language at this point I think I am going to find so much easier. I am stunned at just how much we learnt in the short time we were there. The first hour being taken up with filling in official forms that the education authority need and him explaining what is expected of us for the first year course including in the videoed tests we will have to have in order to obtain the certificate that will allow us to go onto a second year course.

The tutor himself is deaf. He can hear a noise if he is called but he can't distinguish words but has to lip read. 2 students are also deaf. One profoundly and the other can hear as long as she wears two hearing aids. Another student is in a wheel chair and she brings her helping dog with her. A helping dog in case you don't know what they are helps people wheel chair bound to do things like empty the washing machine, pick up things that are dropped, take shoes and socks off etc, etc. She just laid beside the table and slept the whole time.

Everyone had to introduce themselves in turn and say why they decided to learn BSL. This wasn't too bad until it came to my turn. Everyone had spoken from their chairs. When it came to me it suddenly hit him that the two that lip read couldn't really catch everything that the person introducing themselves was saying. So he asked me to go up to the front and face everyone as I spoke. I happened to be the last one speaking so I was the only one that had to stand at the front of the class.

The problem was that the normal class room they use for BSL, which has the desks laid out as a horse shoe so all can see each other, can't be used this year because it is upstairs, and being as how we have a student with a wheelchair this year it has to be on the ground floor. Which is fine but the school hadn't catered for the class by having desks in a horse shoe but instead had them arranged as a normal class room with all desks facing front.

We have been told that next week the desk will be placed properly for the needs of the class.

There is not much homework for Spanish but the amount of homework for BSL is unbelievable. I think I am going to have to set aside at least an hour each day for each of the languages in order to keep up with everyone. At least I don't have to learn the finger spelling as I know that already having been taught by my Grandmother 50 years ago now.