Photos and Cupcakes Galore!

It`s been a great weekend for socialising. On Saturday we went to the engagement party of our nephew Rob and his new fiancee Rachel. They are the perfect couple and I wish them all the best for the future, they are lovely people and deserve all the happiness life has to offer.

Kerry, Slava and Roman came with us but Danny couldn`t make it as he moved into his new flat on Saturday and just didn`t have the time. Roman looked very smart in his new shirt and jeans and had a great time on the dancefloor, first with me and our promised first dance and later with Slava and several young women ( 25 and over) who really took a shine to my little darling. How dare they!....lol! One girl told him he looked "Just like a little pop star in his designer shirt". I told him he was a lucky boy to be chatted up by the lovely ladies in their pretty dresses and he told me that "Your dress is pretty too Nana" Oh I did have a lump in my throat!

Posing in my new dress!

Kerry (hiding bump!) Jim and Roman all ready to go

Delicious looking and very tasty cupcakes and the engagement cake made by Rob`s mum, Jim`s sister Beryl.
More cupcakes....yummy!
Jim`s sister Sue with her youngest grandson Charlie aged 8mths.

Having a rest between dances. Roman`s drink of choice was apple juice, perfect for washing down the odd cupcake or two...lol!
Strutting his stuff on the dancefloor!

Flying high with Daddy!

By 11pm Roman started to slow up and eventually he came over to me and climbed on my lap. He said he was very tired and could we go back to my house now. I told Kerry and we decided to take him home. We had driven over in two cars and Jim and Slava stayed until the end of the evening, 2.30am to be precise. It was Jim`s turn to drive so he didn`t have a drink all evening, Slava on the other hand did...lol!

It didn`t take us long to get home and before we were halfway there Roman was snoring in his car seat. When we got home he didn`t wake uop and I had to carry him indoors and up the stairs to bed, not a easy task now he`s so big! Kerry and I got him into his pyjamas and into bed without even a murmur from him and we went downstairs and enjoyed a very welcome cup of tea. All in all it had been a thoroughly enjoyable evening though I`m sure they would be a few hangovers here and there...lol!

On Sunday we all had dinner together before Kerry, Slava and Roman all went home. Just then I realised that the house was silent, the first time for the last two weeks. It was heaven, I had my home back....! And also my fridge was full of cupcakes and with Jim not being allowed to eat them it left just me to do the dirty deed. Jim`s sister Beryl told Jim that she didn`t want them to go to waste and I can assure you, they didn`t....I couldn`t let that happen now could I???

Bye Bye for now. :o)

Me and My Girl

Well the weekend went according to plan, at least it did for the most part.

On Saturday morning I had my hairdresserers appointment and in the afternoon we went shopping in Basingstoke which is a town near to where Kerry lives. We had been there before but only with Kerry and Slava and Jim and I wanted to find our own way around to see what was there. Its a good shopping centre, far better than our own which seems to be dying around us. The heart has gone from our town and I think theres nothing that can save it now. Many shops have closed thanks to the financial mess that we are in and for some reason the Council in their wisdom have decided to replace the red brick Piazza area in the High Street with light and dark grey marble slabs. The work is nowhere near completed and already the lighter slabs are filthy and badly stained. In short they are a total waste of our money. Oh well, we rarely go there now unless we have to, there are much nicer towns in the locale where I would prefer to spend my hard earned cash.

But I digress, after we`d been into Basingstoke and Jim and we had bought a couple of things for Roman we drove to Kerry`s where she cooked a tasty Shepards Pie which was very much appreciated. Slava was working so it was just the four of us and we stayed there until about 7. Roman was on top form and kept us all entertained with his antics and funny stories. To hear him you would think he was a much older child instead of 3 1/2. He`s so much like Kerry at the same age that it has to be genetic. She told me that he just never stops talking and I just laughed. What goes around comes around...lol!

The new TV is great though it`s taken a bit of getting used to. The picture is so much bigger than I`m used to but it`s much sharper and a joy to watch especially when there is a wildlife programme on. Jim is enjoying his DVD`s and yesterday evening he watched Independence Day for the 300th time, well not QUITE 300 but it seems like it...lol! He said it was brilliant watching it on the new TV so I doubt I`ll get the chance to watch it myself that often.

Yesterday morning Kerry and Roman came over and we went shopping in Uxbridge. I could see that she looked really tired and I asked her if it was wise going out at all. She said she was fine but after an hour she began to flag so we went and had some lunch. She told me that she`s been getting pains, a sort of cramp she says. Oh dear, I`m thinking, not while we`re out. As Kerry had a caesarian section last time she didn`t experience labour pains at all but I think she may be going to know all about them sooner than she thinks. Kerry wanted to buy quite a few things so we took our time and found what she wanted before heading home again. It was fairly crowded with shoppers and more than once she was pushed by people who either couldn`t care that she was pregnant or they just didn`t notice, either way it made me cross and more than a little worried to see my girl looking so vulnerable. When we got home I made us all a steak dinner followed by a tub of maple and pecan ice cream, which, I`m embarrassed to admit we ate the lot...except Roman who didn`t like it very much...never mind, all the more for me and Kerry....lol!

I`ve quite enjoyed my day off today. I didn`t get up until after 8 this morning, had breakfast, cleaned the kitchen and washed the floor. That was all the housework I was doing today. I went out later and bought nyself a new dress for the engagement party we are going to next weekend. It`s a soft grey sheath style dress, very simple and understated. I have red jewellery to set it off teamed with black patent spiked heels. Hopefully I will look ok come Saturday night. When I got home I did several loads of washing and got it all dry on the line, thus saving money on the dryer and it smells lovely too. I thought about a bit of gardening but it is very cold and I decided to give it a miss, there isn`t really much to do apart from weeding which can wait and sowing seeds which I will start on next week. All that left me with is the computer so here I am! Bye Bye for now. :o)

What to do on Monday

Oh dear, what am I going to do? I have a guilty secret and have to tell someone before I burst. Right, here goes....I like going to work...no, I LOVE going to work...there, I`ve said it. Today we were told officially that our hours have been cut to save jobs and on Monday I have the day off and will do my normal hours for the rest of the week. The thing is I just don`t know what I`m going to do with myself. I`ll go stir crazy staying at home all day and all I can think of is to do some gardening, weather permitting. Mind you, there`s not much for me to do at the moment, just a bit of tidying up. I`ve already potted up the dahlias and cannas to get them started and I can`t plant any seeds for another fortnight. There`s not a lot of weeds to pull up and I can`t think of anything that needs doing for a while. I suppose I`ll have to catch up with some general housework AND a pile of ironing that won`t get done all weekend. It`s just that I`ll miss being at work, having a laugh and keeping busy. Note to self : Get a life!

The Spring like weather has brought out the customers in droves, a bit of sun and all thoughts turn to the garden and a bit of colour is what many of us need after a cold Winter. I mean, it`s not really Spring yet and even so March is a very unpredictable month so I don`t think we`ve seen the last of Winter just yet. I was born on the 27th and my Dad was always reminding me that the night I was born there was a blizzard and he had to cycle through it to the nearest phonebox dressed in his pyjamas and dressing gown. You`d think it was my fault the weather was like that...lol! As they say, March roars in like a lion and goes out like a lamb....lets hope so.

I went into town with Jim this afternoon to pay a few bills. While I was there I decided to have my rather grubby car cleaned. Well what a transformation, I could hardly believe my eyes. My car had practically changed colour and on the journey home it seemed to drive better now it had taken off its filthy overcoat! The only thing is, the cream upholstery isn`t cream anymore so perhaps I can spend some time cleaning it on Monday. It should take most of the day considering just how dirty it looks...sigh. I know, I DID say I needed something to keep me busy.

Tomorrow morning I have a hairdressers appointment then Jim and I are going to Basingstoke shopping and then we`ll pop into Kerry`s for a cup of tea before returning home again. On Sunday Kerry and Roman are coming here for dinner and then we are going out for the afternoon. It`ll just be the three of us because Slava is working, Jim is going to an annual fishing show that he attends every year....yawn. See what I mean about keeping busy? If I stop I`d probably fall asleep...lol!

The new TV arrived this morning and it`s lovely. It`s like a small cinema screen, at least it is to us. Jim confessed that he wanted it because he loves watching DVD`s and he may as well watch them in style. As I said before, he paid so I`m not arguing. At the moment he`s still sorting out the various things it does. Short of making coffee and vaccuuming the carpets there`s not much it doesn`t do...lol!

Anyway my friends, I hope you all have a lovely weekend.Take care. :o)

Hoping For a Happy Spring

My goodness! I didn`t realise I hadn`t posted since Friday 13th, doesn`t time fly!

Work has been busy now that Spring is approaching and gardening enthusiasts are buying their seeds for their flowers and vegetables. The milder weather is certainly good for business and as I said before, it keeps me busy which is always nice. I`ve even done a bit of gardening myself, tidying up and planting some potted crocuses and hardy cyclamen and snowdrops. I`ve put them around the trees and with luck they should spread out and in a few years time I`ll have a carpet of colour to brighten up the late Winter drabness. Many of the bulbs I planted in my hanging baskets and tubs are in flower and if I may say so, look really pretty. In the next couple of weeks I`ll be planting the seeds for my Summer flowers and vegetables and starting off the dahlias. It`s all very ambitious but hopefully I`ll get good results and will save a lot of money in the meantime.

Kerry is much better after her fainting episode last week though it still worries me that she still has another week to go until her maternity leave begins. She is very uncomfortable this time, much more so than when she was expecting Roman and she has definitely put on more weight. I wonder if she`ll follow in my footsteps and have a big second baby. I can`t see how she can get much bigger but she still has six more weeks to go yet! I`ve started to feel a little excited about the baby now. I hadn`t felt as excited as I was when Kerry was expecting Roman but maybe it was because he was the first grandchild. Anyway I found myself looking at little pink clothes in the children department in Next which is a very good sign. I had vowed not to buy anything pink until the baby is born but just a few things won`t hurt.....will they?

We had Roman to stay over the weekend and he was a really good. I did have a few doubts because he has been giving Kerry a hard time of late but once the ground rules were established ie; Nana`s in charge not Roman...lol!, it went really smoothly. On the Saturday we took him on a train journey into Reading for the day. We didn`t tell him about the train until we reached the station and he was thrilled when we told him about the train. He absolutely loves trains though he was a little disappointed because it wasn`t a steam engine like Thomas Tank Engine! He didn`t ask after his Mum and Dad all day and he kept us and other shoppers amused with his cheeky grin and funny comments for the whole day. While we were out I bought Roman some Disney sunglasses as he says he doesn`t like the sun getting in his eyes and some new Mickey Mouse pants just because he liked them. Roman bought some tiny pink shoes for his little sister which I`ll put by until Kerry brings her home from hospital. Including Roman in the whole process is very important and we don`t want him to feel left out. He actually asked Kerry the other day " Will you send me away to Nana`s when the baby is born?" Kerry reassured him that he will be the big brother to the baby and Mummy and Daddy love him and want him at home with them. I`ve made sure I keep talking to him about Mummy and Daddy and how much they love him, bless him. Anyway, I digress, by the time we got home again he was really tired and when bedtime came at 7pm he didn`t complain at all. In fact he fell asleep while I was reading to him and didn`t wake up until 6am. Even then he climbed into our bed and went straight back to sleep until after 8. Kerry couldn`t belive it when we told her and asked us what our secret was. Just a bit of Nana magic I suppose....lol! I did decide however that having children is strictly for the young. It was lovely to have our little darling for the weekend and I look forward to the next time but it`s lovely to be able to give him back again! Being a grandparent you get the best of both worlds. You get to enjoy them all day and you can give them back to Mum and Dad who can deal with the less than happy times. I throughly recommend it. :o)

We have ordered a new TV and is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Jim has wanted one for a long time but I resisted because there was nothing wrong the one we had. But, it has started going wrong and that gave Jim the excuse he needed to buy the one he`s set his heart on...Honestly, I`m starting to wonder if he sabotaged it himself! Anyway, this new one is an all singing, all dancing state-of-the-art 40" flat screen HD thingy. Well he`s paying for it so I`m not bothered because as I said, it doesn`t matter what rubbish is on TV at least we can watch it in style...lol!

Anyway, dear friends, I`m going to try to catch up with some journals, I`m miles behind and need to see what`s been going on. take care and I`ll try to post again soon. :o)

A Bit of A Worry

Oh dear, I had a bit of an upset today. Kerry collapsed at work and was sent home. I didn`t find out until this afternoon when I rang HER..wasn`t she even going to tell me? I know she didn`t want to worry me but I wasn`t at all happy when she said she hadn`t even seen her doctor. "It`s okay Mum, it was just that I felt a bit hot." I told her to make a doctors appointment at once and she did, bless her. When she got back she told me that the Doctor has signed her off work with an accompanying letter to say that she`s suffering from exhaustion and needs several days rest. Good...she does far too much and has too little rest. I know its not easy with having a long drive to work and back, getting up at 4am and dealing with three and a half year old Roman and his boundless energy. I`ll be glad when she finishes work and starts her maternity leave at the end of this month. I digress, the doctor said her blood pressure is normal, in fact everything is normal much to my relief...and hers and Slava`s too.

She told me that she felt ok driving to work but when she boarded the staff bus she started to feel hot and her head was swimming. She managed to shake it off but whilst walking to the office at work she felt `funny` again and everything went black. Apparently she fell backwards against another employee so she didn`t hurt herself. When she came round she saw all these concerned faces looking down at her. Her manager wanted to call the paramedics but she wouldn`t hear of it. After she`d rested for a while she was sent home with instructions to rest and not to come back until she felt better. She should have gone straight to the doctor...silly girl. Anyway, she`s alright and that`s the main thing.

Mind you, I just thought. I`d ordered my 34 yr old daughter to see a doctor ...and she obeyed without so much as a whimper. I wish it had been that easy when she was a teenager...lol! Night, Night. :o)

Rain and Rubbish

Its been over a week since my last entry but I didn`t want to do a posting when I had little to talk about. I decided that after so long I should have something I can say. Right, I`ll begin.


As you know if you live anywhere in the British Isles the weather has been dreadful one way or another. While some of you will have had lots of snow many of us had 24 hrs of rain, I know Jeannette mentioned it in her journal the other day. Getting to work has been a problem lately because if I haven`t been avoiding deep puddles and in some places floods then I have been practically skating on the frozen roads. Yesterday it took me an hour for a journey that usually takes no more than fifteen minutes. The roads were so slippery that there were accidents everywhere and I had to keep turning round to try another route to work.

I`ve had no more silly accidents of my own since my last couple of escapades (fingers crossed!) though at work we have really been going through it the last couple of days. Yesterday a big electrical fault occured and without going into detail we have lighting but no other power at all. Luckily we have one plug socket that works where we can boil a kettle, I don`t know what we would do with a cup of tea or coffee. The tills aren`t working so we are trading manually, a bit of a nuisance but I`m coping. Hopefully it will be repaired by tomorrow. I spent much of the late morning

loading rubbish into the newly delivered skips. We have been waiting for them for over w eek so you can imagine the build up of rubbish. I smelt less than fragrant when I`d finished work and when I got home it was straight into the shower and my work uniform in the washing machine. I really don`t mind doing work like that because physical work has never bothered me and I don`t mind getting my hands dirty. Mind you, seeing as I was wearing gloves my hands weren`t at all dirty, it was just the rest of me...lol!


This Sunday I`m working all day Sunday as we are having a stock take and its all hands on deck so to speak, anyway the extra money will come in handy. As it is my hours have been cut by four hours starting on March 1st but just until the busy season which is in the Spring, hopefully that will be very soon. I`m not bothered about losing the hours either, I`m just grateful to still have a job. So many people are losing theirs as businesses collapse everywhere so I have no intention of complaining about a bit less money a month.


Kerry is doing really well and is getting things ready for the arrival of her new baby. I can`t believe its only a matter of weeks before she is due. Roman is doing well at nursery school and is looking forward to being a big brother. Actually Jim and I are probably even more excited than he is!


Yesterday Jim and I went shopping in the afternoon. I decided it was time to use a giftcard that I was given for Christmas. I originally thought I`d keep it until I needed something but then I thought I`d buy something because I WANTED it, it`s a gift, why not? I bought a nice pair of jeans in sort of dark coffee colour, it might not sound very nice but its a gorgeous colour and I also bought a red v-neck jumper. I don`t usually wear red but I saw this one and fell in love with it and had to have it. I also bought some curtains for my dining room. I bought some a few weeks ago and they just weren`t right. I couldn`t take them back because the shop has now closed down so I`ll have to save them for another time or find someone who wants them. They`re really nice and it would gbe a shame if they don`t get used. The new ones are just right and they were really, really cheap. After all the months of looking and I end up paying a fraction of the price I thought I`d have to pay. If I hadn`t already bought the other pair I`d have been even happier. Maybe I`ll put the other pair up for sale, I could advertise in the local shop and newspaper free ads.


Next weekend Roman will be staying here for the weekend to give his long-suffering Mum and Dad a bit of a break before the baby is born. They don`t get out much so it would be nice for them to be able to go out for an evening together and to be able to have a lie-in in the morning. It`ll be their last chance for some time to come. We are going to take Roman out for the day on the Saturday. Jim has suggested we go to Reading for the day but instead of going by car we`ll take the train, Roman adores trains so he`ll be thrilled when he finds out.





Oh dear, I`ve just seen the weather forecast, apparently we are to expect more snow, not a lot but then they say it will freeze overnight. Oh dear, another slippery journey to work again AND its Friday 13th...am I superstitious? You bet I am! Bye for now. :o)

Snow, Snow and Still More Snow

Early morning and the cars are crawling along at snail pace

This afternoon, the back garden covered with a white woolly blanket

You couldn`t even see the road outside my house this morning


The snow began falling more heavily just after I came home from work.

What a day! Snow fell heavily overnight and I awoke to a blanket of the fluffy white stuff making the world look very bright and very beautiful. Being a lover of snow and Winter I was a little apprehensive of the drive to work. I knew the roads would be treacherous and being the South of England I`ve had little experience driving in snowy conditions. I used a long handed broom to clear the snow from my car and clear the driveway, finishing the job by throwing dishwasher salt everywhere. I actually didn`t have any problems driving apart from a couple of corners where I felt like a contestant from Dancing On Ice. Apart from that and not being able to go any faster than 10 mph the journey was fine as everyone on the road seemed to be behaving themselves for a change. The roads were much clearer on the way home and those drivers who usually behave badly did, especially the one who followed me nearly all the way home. When I stopped at a blind junction he tooted me for not pulling straight out into the main road. If he had been where I was he would have seen the car coming toward us but instead decided to tell me to hurry up...I didn`t , I just took my time and drove even slower once around the corner. The look on his face was a picture...lol!

The other day I mentioned the Green Woodpecker in my neighbours garden. Well since then I`ve seen two more and after me saying that I`ve not seen one around these parts before...unless of course its the same one following me around!

I called Kerry this afternoon and after a brief chat I hear a voice say "Is that Nana? Let me talk to Nana!" No prizes for guessing who that was! Roman told me that he was going outside with Mummy to throw snowballs and build a snowman. He told me that said snowman was going to wear a hat and scarf, have a carrot for a nose. He then told me that he will make sure Mummy doesn`t fall over in the snow and hurt herself, bless him. Sometimes he says the sweetest things.

Oh yes, the spots he had are another type of excema. Kerry has been using several creams and using a potion in the bath and now she says his skin is almost back to normal now. She just has to make sure he has lashings of the cream on every day especially in the Winter when it can at its worst. I remember when Daniel was little his excema was much worse in Winter but once the sun started to shine it cleared up quite quickly again.

It had stopped snowing for a while but the sky is looking very angry and I don`t think it`ll be long before we have another lot fall on us. Hopefully it won`t be too bad and that the local authorities will grit the roads unlike last night. Also I hope Jim might be home from work earlier than usual because most of the flights from Heathrow are cancelled and he`s just sitting around waiting until its time to come home again. He must be really bored.

Anyway, must go. There are journals to read and an evening meal to prepare. Take care, stay safe and keep warm. :o)

Orchids, Woodpeckers and Cold, Cold Weather

There`s been no more crash, bang but a bit more thud and ouch since my last entry! The new oven glass will be here in a few days and with luck I`ll manage to slide it into the door in one piece. I sincerely hope so because I can`t afford any more disasters this year...lol! The thud and ouch refer to Thursday when I decided it was time to water the orchids...all eleven of them. Most of them are kept on the bedroom window sills until they come into flower. Then I bring them back downstairs and keep them in the living room. It just happens at the moment that none of them are in flower so all of them are upstairs....and there lies the problem. I thought,in my wisdom, that it would be a good idea to carry them all downstairs on a tray saving me the trouble of several journeys up and down the stairs. It was a VERY bad idea. !) there were far too many of them and 2) when orchids are dry they are very, light and therefore top heavy. Can you see where this is going? Anyway... as I was walking downstairs one of them started to wobble on the tray, I tried to balance it but it had knocked over another, and another resulting in a domino effect. I could only stand and watch as one by one they tumbled down the stairs spilling their compost. My stair carpet resembled a woodland floor and so after checking that the orchids weren`t broken I set about clearing up the mess. They were more than fine, in fact there wasn`t even a broken leaf between them and when I`d finished cleaning about half and hour later I set about repotting them all. The finished result was they looked better than before they were thrown down the stairs but I can assure you that I won`t be doing THAT again soon. Next time I`ll bring them downstairs in carrier bags....why didn`t I think of that before!

Oh yes, and the ouch bit was when I was demonstrating to Danny how the oven glass broke. I placed my hand on the hob where I laid the glass last week but it was still hot from where Jim had recently used it...and yes I did say OUCH! But I have to say that I haven`t really been in the wars all week. The orchid incident is just one of those things that happen to me. I have to say I`m safest when driving (work that out!) sitting down or sleeping...lol! and no I don`t sleep when I`m driving...lol!

Changing the subject, its getting much colder again after the last few mild weeks. They are forecasting snow on Monday and Tuesday with a bitterly cold easterly wind blowing in from Siberia. Well I don`t know where its blowing from but I`ve not long come in from walking Jake and it was seriously cold. I`m quite a fast walker and I usually get warm while out walking but not today, even though I was dressed in my warmest clothes I was glad to get in the warm again. I think Jake was too as he dashed in as soon as I opened the door.

This morning I saw a large Green Woodpecker feeding in next doors back garden. I`ve never seen one this far away from woodland before. I took lots of photos and spent ages watching it through binoculars. I just hope the people in the house opposite don`t think I was watching them. They always get dressed in front of windows without ever closing the curtains first. Its not a case of me looking but you can`t exactly not see them. Obviously they aren`t particularly modest but if you were getting dressed in front of a window and saw someone looking through binoculars from the house opposite, what would you think? lol!

Not the best photo but it gives you an idea. His red is bright red and its a pity it doesn`t show up better here. I couldn`t believe he was ground feeding for so long, easily 20 minutes. Mind you he kept looking up to have a good look at his surroundings. Yesterday at work I saw a Red Kite with part of his wing missing. It didn`t stop him flying and he seemed oblivious to it. I wondered what might have caused such an injury to such a large bird of prey.

The other day Kerry told me that after telling Roman off for some misdemeanor he told her that he wanted to "Live with Nana"! She told him that she would help him pack his suitcase which helped change his mind, bless him. I had visions turning up on my doorstep with his little suitcase in hand...hehehe!

Anyway my friends, Ill say goodbye for now. Have a lovely evening and keep warm. :o)

Crash, Bang and Ouch!

It`s been a beautiful day here today with lots of sunshine, it made a really nice change after the wet weekend. Thanks for your kind comments about my mood swings/depressions. I`m on already on HRT so my hormones are more or less under control. They are most probably linked with the dreaded menopause though I do wonder what age I have to be before they subside.

This weekend started really well with me cleaning out kitchen cupboards before moving on to giving the oven a long overdue clean. I soaked the glass door and the shelves in the cleaner that I use and when they were practically spotless and washed and dried them and prepared to put them back. Then it happened....the glass door exploded showering me and the rest of the kitchen in shattered glass fragments. Well you must have been able to hear my scream a mile away and I just couldn`t stop shaking. I just stood there as I watched the door continue cracking apart as if it had a life of its own. Then it hit me that now I couldn`t use the oven without the inner door and it would be expensive to buy another, that is if I could track one down. Just what I need....more expense. Anyway after clearing up the mess I went online and after looking at several sites I found the right door for my model. The cost? £105...almost $200! I call that very expensive indeed. I just wish I knew what caused it to shatter like that, its the same thing that happens when a windscreen breaks so there must have been a flaw in it somewhere. If I had dropped it at least I would be certain what the cause was. And then, it couldn`t have been more than 20 mins later I was minding my own business when I walked right into the corner of the open dishwasher door...I now have a dark blue bruise the size of an egg on my leg....and it really hurts!

Thankfully after all that drama the rest of the day passed relatively peacefully. I managed to produce and good meal without the need of an oven. I must admit that fried chicken made a tasty alternative to roast though I`m sure it was not the healthiest of options. Yesterday Kerry, Slava and Roman were here for dinner and I had bought a nice shoulder of lamb for our dinner. Of course I had no way of cooking it apart from microwaving which I decided not to do. I made a huge shepherds pie instead and everyone told me that it was really tasty. They always thank me for dinner but my humble shepherds pie delivered the most compliments. Perhaps I should make it every time they come for dinner, it would be a lot cheaper...lol! I gave Kerry to take home for their dinner this evening....she told me that she`d think of me when she ate it....sigh!

I`ve had a sore throat all weekend so I think a cold is brewing. I suppose I`ll just have to wait and see what happens. I don`t mind a cold, not even a bad one but I`m really hoping it won`t be flu, I`ve done so well the last few years and I don`t want to be ill now.

Remember I told you that I had a secret but couldn`t say anything? Well, I can tell you a little bit of it, just a very little bit. Danny and Salina have found a flat and will be renting it from the second week in March....sorry can`t say anymore for the time being but when I can you will be the first to know.

Roman`s spots are back and much worse than when he came back from Russia. Kerry is taking him back to the doctor and is going to ask to see a skin specialist. He has a history of excema and even though the spots don`t seem to be related to it his skin is very dry and scaly. If the doctor doesn`t know what it is Roman needs be seen by someone who does.

This morning I had a routine hospital appointment and can you believe I left work at 9.50 and was back again by 10.25. In fact I was in the hospital for less than 20 mins because I didn`t get charged when leaving the car park. You are allowed 20 mins short stay parking. My boss couldn`t believe it when I got back to work so soon.

Anyway, I`m going to make myself a nice cup of coffee now. I hope you all have a lovely day and take care. Bye Bye. :o)

Pain and Analysis

Ouch....I fell down stairs a little while ago and now I`m starting to ache a bit. I was carry a bundle of washing and had almost reached the bottom stair when I tripped over a sleeping Jake. Well you should have heard the rumpus. I screamed out my best Anglo Saxon as I dived headlong and only saved myself by grabbling hold of the bookcase in the hall. Jake yelped and ran away as all the washing hit the floor. I wasn`t hurt at the time and I worried that I`d hurt Jake but it turned out he was more frightened of his crazy owner attacking him and throwing washing all over him...lol! Now my left ankle is a bit sore, my right thumb feels as though its come out of its socket and my shoulders feel as though they`ve been twisted, well they were actually but you know what I mean. It had been such a good day till then too. The weather had been appalling, windy with heavy rain all day but I was in a really good mood despite getting soaked several times at work.

Which brings me to a subject I`ve wanted to write about but kept deciding that I wouldn`t, until now. My good mood follows a week where I`ve been feeling really down. From time to time I feel really happy about life, elated almost without any particular reason. Then without exception I feel terribly depressed for a few days. I feel everyone dislikes me and are talking about me and I`m so tearful, its ridiculous. At least now I know that its not serious but have come to accept it for what it is. I`ve not really looked at it too deeply because I know I`ll feel better soon. I don`t know what causes it though I wonder if perhaps its a form of manic depression. Whatever it is its a part of me and just a cross that I have to bear...sigh.

I saw Kerry on Wednesday and we went shopping together which is something we do very little of these days. Her pregnancy is in its 30th week and all is well with her and the baby. Roman was in a lovely mood and whilst we were walking along the street inWindsor when he turned to me and said, "Nanna, I love you," So I said " Well I love you too darling," I was so happy I thought my heart would burst, bless him.

Bye Bye for now and have a lovely weekend. :o)

A Bit Of A Letdown

Oh dear, I got home from work today to find a letter waiting for me. It was from the owner of the little cottage in Dorset where we stay every first week in September. We won`t be able to stay there anymore because she has moved in and is working locally...sigh. She has however given us the option of staying at `Whitehaven` (see above). It is owned by a lovely lady who used to look after the cottage but after her husband died she moved to a smaller place in the nearby village. How family still stay there when they visit but I`m not sure whether I`d like to stay myself. It`s a large house and is more isolated than the cottages, and they are quiet enough as it is. I`ll have to ask Jim what he thinks when he gets home from work. I`m going to miss out little bolt-hole in the country, it was like a home from home as it would have been our tenth visit this year.

We originally stayed there because we wanted to take Hannah with us. She loved it there and throughly enjoyed bounding through the fields, sometimes coming across a rabbit that she could chase and never catch. Each year she enjoyed as much as the first until her final stay when she was terminally ill and only had a couple of weeks left. Despite her illness she still paddled along the edge of the sea wagging her tail and looking at us for assurance. It was a bittersweet time because we knew she would never come away with us again but still she seemed happy to be there, and that made our stay happy too.

Then of course Jake came with us, doing the same things as Hannah but in his own leisurely way. he`s far more laid back and his attitude to life is, `Oh yeh, I liked that....right, can I have a sleep now?` Hannah`s was " That was TERRIFIC! Can we do that again, well can we????"

Anyway, we are going to go back there somehow or another so if we don`t stay at Whitehaven we are going to have to find something else...soon.

I`ll say goodnight now and I`ll let you know what we decide.

Spots and Cheese

It seems that Winter has taken a back seat for the moment and the temperature has risen since my last post. I must admit that it is nice to have a rest from the cold despite my love of the freezing, frosty days.

Well the news is that the central heating was fixed and for two days it was running better than ever. Then it reverted back to how it was before the the engineer repaired it. It is still better than it was but the boiler needs several things done to it which is going to cost a LOT of money, more than we had hoped but less than the cost of a new boiler. Now we are waiting for the repair to be done but it`s not a matter of urgency, we have heat and thats all that matters right now.

Kerry, Slava and Roman have returned from Russia safe and sound. They brought us presents and Roman brought home spots....lots of them. In fact he was very proud of them and wanted me to see them as soon as they arrived at our house. Kerry was worried that it might have been measles but the doctor here had no idea and could only guess that it was an allergy or perhaps viral. Whatever it was it didn`t give him a fever and he was as cheerful as usual though a bit itchy. He was given piriton to relieve the itchiness and all thats left now is very dry skin. Kerry and Slava captured some good footage of Roman sledding downhill in the snow. After a few runs with Daddy he wanted to do it all by himself. Even though the hill was quite steep and he is so little he didn`t fall off and had several more goes before they eventually went home, it was -17 which is too cold to stay out too long. Kerry said he didn`t once say he was cold though his little ski suit must have had something to do with that. I`m going to try to get the video footage on to You-Tube and see if I can upload it onto here.

Poor Jake has been very unwell the last few days. He ate some turkey fat mixed with seed on Saturday that I put out for the birds and by the end of the day he was very, very sick. On Sunday morning he was still unwell but I wasn`t at all surprised. I starved him until Monday morning when I gave him just a small amount of food and each further meal I give him a little more each time. He`s much better now and had a long run this morning in the woods. In future I`ll make sure any bird food is right out of his way, mind you I didn`t think he could reach the turkey fat....daft dog!

There`s a lot happening here but as I`m sworn to secrecy I can`t tell anyone about it just yet. I made a solemn promise and I`m won`t break it though when the time is right I`ll tell you all about it. Watch this space!

When I arrived at work today there had been an attempted break-in. After a search there didn`t seem to be anything stolen but they got into the staff room and my locker had been opened. Thankfully I don`t leave anything of value in there and now the lock is all but broken I won`t be doing so again. Hopefully now they know theres nothing worth taking they won`t be back.

I should have spent the afternoon shortening some new curtains to hang in the dining room but I feel really tired today and will leave them till Saturday when I have all day. I think January is a very sleepy month now that the Christmas and New Year festivities are over. Now that is in the past I can look forward to the birth of Kerry`s baby in April, the time will go quickly now, perhaps not for Kerry but for me it will.

I want to thank Antonella for the two awards, see below:

I think its lovely that someone likes me and my journal enough to give me an award, thanks so much Antonella.

I must do some nominations of my own in the next posting.

I`ve realised at this advanced age that New Year resolutions are only made to be broken so I haven`t bothered this year. The closest I`ve come to making one is to give up chocolate and I`m still working on that. Also to eat less cheese but its more likely that the chocolate will be the first to go. I love cheese in very shape or form and it will be the very last food I ever give up. In case you`re about to tell me that too much of it is bad for me, I know though I try not to think about it...lol!

Anyway, on that savoury moment I will take my leave of you. Take care. :o)

Winter Days

Hi,

I have a confession to make...I like...no, love Winter! I like the chill morning and the hard white frosts and fresher air. I don`t even mind the shorter days when we have what I call a REAL Winter.

This is why:

I like watching the birds at the feeders eating seed and drinking fresh water.

I like to see my garden plants resting and preparing themselves for the new growth that will begin in Spring. The buds are already on the magnolia tree as are the daffodils pushing there way up through the frozen soil

I like wearing Winter clothing and wrapping up warm when I go out. I have my many pairs of boots, scarves, hats and gloves. I can`t wear them in warm weather now can I?...lol!

I always feel better in myself when we have a proper cold Winter and not a miserable wet and mild one, like the last couple of years when I never thought the rain would ever stop.

I like walking on the hard ground when out with Jake, who might I add, seems to prefer cold weather too. Well labradors did originate in Canada where it`s not unknown to be a bit on the chilly side!

And I like the sunsets, like tonight for instance when you can usually tell if tomorrow will have a frost or not. I think we will by the look of things.

So there you have it, I`m a Winter girl. Mind you, I love all the seasons for different reasons. Am I the only one who actually likes the cold weather I wonder?

This evening we have a heating engineer coming to look at our central heating boiler. It has been behaving badly the last couple of days and I want it looked before it gives up the ghost. Much as I like cold weather I don`t want the house to be cold and I definitely can`t go without hot water. What happens is the boiler doesn`t start properly so I have to do it manually. It doesn`t switch off either so I have to do that manually too or it overheats. I don`t think its the thermostat but more likely something mechanical. Hopefully by this evening I`ll know what needs doing.

I think I`m getting a cold. At least I have a sore throat and painful sinuses but I`ve been having these symptoms on and off since Christmas. If I`m going to have a cold or whatever I just want to get it over and done with. I hate colds, viruses etc. The last BAD cold I had was November 2007 and I remember feeling dreadful and getting sympathetic looks and remarks from customers at work. The favourite comment was "Do you have a cold?" ........ Me " Er..no, I always look like this!" I didn`t really...lol!

Jim is organising another sea-fishing trip for May. Apparently the owner of the boat they usually go out on has bought a newer model which takes more people. All the usual suspects are going along and many others want to join them. I just hope there will be enough room for them all.

We were given another Christmas present from friends of ours today, guess what? Another box of chocolates...oh well, they can go in the cupboard with the others and will be eaten in due course. They also gave us a lovely wooden photo frame. It has room for one photo about 6" by 4" and three little ones. I`ll have to take a really good one of Roman or wait until the baby is born..or perhaps I`ll put photos of them both in there.

Right I`m going to make our evening meal now as the heating engineer may come at any time. Have a nice evening and take good care. :o)

Russian Snow and Car Trouble

Hi,

Well it`s 2009 now and Christmas seems long gone. Most of us are back to work after the holidays and life is back to normal. The only thing that hasn`t changed here is the weather which is still very cold, quite unusual after the last two mild and wet years. I must say I prefer the cold frosty days to constant rain. It`s easy to put on another jumper and turn up the heat if necessary but the rain just makes me feel miserable AND my arthritis flares up too.

Kerry called to say that they all had a great New Years Eve playing in the snow until 4am with Roman who throughly enjoyed himself. He had been asleep in bed but woke up at 11.30 and wouldn`t go back to sleep so she decided that as it was New Year that it would be a good idea to go outside as is Russian tradition. Apparently everyone was outside in the snow, children included. Even though it was -7c nobody seemed bothered. What a wonderful way to celebrate. Dan on the other hand took Salina to the London Eye to see the fireworks. They got there early and all along the embankment people were sitting drinking champagne just waiting for midnight. As it was bitterly cold they went to a restaurant for something to eat before coming back to try to get a good viewing position. The whole area was packed with people by now and eventually they found a little back alley where they could see but wouldn`t get crushed by the throng. The only problem being was that quite a few other people had the same idea. The fireworks were brilliant though and they really enjoyed themselves. the problems started when it was all over. Dan said there were fights breaking out and people were shoting and swearing at each other as they all tried to leave at once. In the end it took them nearly three hours to leave the capital and they eventually got home at 6am and they didn`t even get a celebratory drink. Something tells me that they won`t go there next year.

Oh yes, I was asked a couple of times why I was given two pairs of boots for Christmas. Well, the thing is that I had boots for Christmas last year, I have many, many pairs as I really don`t like closed in shoes and am far happier in boots. I think they feel more comfortable and look better too. But I digress. Last years boots were just what I was looking for and I was delighted when Jim bought them for me, but when I unwrapped them I found that the decorative leather button was missing from one of them. Jim said as the shop we had bought them from was not local he would buy me another pair if I found some I liked. I told him not to worry as I liked my new ones, with or without the button and forgot all about it. This year however when I asked for boots again for my present I found a really nice pair...AGAIN...but this time they were in a sale. Jim said he was going to buy me another pair to make up for last year and after protesting, perhaps not hard enough, he bought me yet another pair! Now I have nine pairs and I wear all of them....though not at the same time. One thing though, I won`t have boots for Christmas next year, or the next or the year after next...lol!

I`ve had car trouble this week, in fact I thought it was going to blow up at one point. It all started on Christmas Eve when after I started it in the morning it felt very shaky as the engine ticked over so I vowed to get something done after the holidays. However on my first day back to work (Monday) I had terrible trouble starting it and once it did all this black smoke come out of the exhaust and the smell of burning was very strong. Also while driving to work it seemed as though there was very little power in my once speedy little Clio and the engine light was showing yello on the dashboard. Our mechanic Steve had a look in the afternoon and immediately knew what was wrong. Something called a needle coil needed replacing as it was causing the engine to only fire on three of them and I had almost no power. He got the part and fixed it right away which only cost me a fraction of what a garage would charge, I was so relieved as I feared something far more serious.

Anyway I must run and cook some dinner. We have lamb chops and I`m getting really hungry. Bye Bye for now and have a great weekend. :o)

Happy New Year!

It`s really quiet today so I thought I`d post a late entry. It`s been bitterly cold here as I know it`s been for most of Britain AND its forecast to get even colder. After the last two mild and wet winters I don`t think we expected this but I`m sure we`ll survive...lol!

Talking of cold weather, Kerry and family flew to Russia early this morning to spend New Year with Slava`s family. They flew to Zurich first and then on to St.Petersburg and arrived there late this morning. Kerry rang Jim and he told me he could hear Roman playing happily in the background and making himself very much at home with his grandparents. It`s snowing heavily there and its very cold, much colder than here but that`s only to be expected as St.Petersburg is in the northerly part of the country, not that far from the Arctic Circle really, it doesn`t get more northerly than that!

Did all of you have a good Christmas? From reading journals I see that most of you did and ours was very much the same. It was a lovely family day but very, very tiring though it was worth it once I climbed into bed that evening and fell into a well-deserved sleep...lol! Roman had so many presents you couldn`t move for them all, he loved the bike we bought, I mean Santa bought him and he told Kerry yesterday that he was very lucky to have so many presents and couldn`t believe it when I told him that Christmas comes round every year...lol! I have tried to explain why we celebrate Christmas but he was a bit confused and asked if the baby Jesus had presents on his birthday. I`ll tell him again next year. Jim bought me TWO pairs of nice leather boots. There is a good reason why there are two pairs but it would take too long to explain it here. he also bought me two book, both autobiographies. One was Julie Walters and the other Sheila Hancock and I`m looking forward to reading them both. He also bought me

the new CD by Jonathan Ansell the young classical singer, he knew I wanted it and Kerry bought me the latest one by Bette Midler, one of my favourite female singers. Danny and Salina bought me a gorgeous designer watch. It`s really lovely but I know it cost a lot of money and I`m worried that I might lose it or damage it, I can be really clumsy at times.

It`s such a shame Christmas is over but we all have a new year to look forward to. Kerry`s baby is due in April and I have a feeling it`s going to be a big one. She is only six months but she is much bigger than she was with Roman, in fact she looks a good seven months and counting so it`ll be interesting to see what she weighs. All the babies on my side of the family are fairly large and in my mother`s and grandmother`s case and in mine, the second baby has always been about two pounds heavier at birth than the first. My uncle weighed almost 2lbs heavier than my mother. I weighed 8lbs 1oz, my brother was 9lbs. 13ozs. Kerry weighed 7lbs. 8 1/4ozs and Danny was 9lbs. 8ozs.....watch this space to see if Kerry follows the family tradition...lol!

New Years Eve is going to be a quiet affair here. We are not going out and on New Years Day we are having a nice meal with only Danny eating with us. I don`t mind either, as much as I love to see all the family it`s lovely to have a nice quiet house with just Jim and I doing our own thing and tripping over holdalls and toys etc. There was a time I thought I`d never come to terms with being an `empty nester` but I thrive on it now. The baby birds have long flown the nest and are living their own happy and fulfilling lives. Oh yes, life is good and I for one am happy.

Right then, all I have to do is to wish a very Happy, Prosperous and Healthy New Year to each and every one of you and thanks for reading my journal, I really appreciate it. Night Night. :o)

Christmas Day photos

Santa`s been!

Erm, no Slava, you are NOT Santa...lol!

Roman in his new Sporticus outfit

It looks like Roman`s Scalextric is keeping both Dan and Slava engrossed Trying out his new bicycle

Practising in the back garden

The table laid for Christmas lunch

Jake looking for leftover turkey

The meal went well as you can see!