Weekend at Kerry`s

I had a lovely weekend at Kerry`s. She now has just a week to go now and there is no real sign of anything occuring just yet. She has everything prepared, her case is packed ready for the trip to hospital, all the baby things are all ready too. Now all she can do is sit and wait, and wait....and wait. Actually as you can probably guess she`s completely fed up with doing nothing and she`s always glad to get out to collect Roman from school though despite it being just a short walk there and back it takes her twice as long as it used to. Jim and I are on edge all the time now and every time the phone rings we both jump! Anyway, like I said, it was a lovely weekend. On Saturday we went to a local garden centre (oh joy!) because Slava wanted a few plants for his garden. Faced with so many plants I just had to buy some myself and purchased three azalea, a foxglove, a eryngium and some new gardening gloves. There are so many garden centres near to Kerry and I have only visited one of them so far...so many plants and so little time...lol! Roman loves shopping seeing as how he has been shopping with Kerry and I since he was a tiny baby. I suppose he will one day drive some poor girl crazy with his retail therapy! Yesterday afternoon we all went to a pub/restaurant called the Star Inn. It`s in the Hampshire countryside in a village called Highclere. The view from the windows was lovely as was the whole meal and I would happily go there again sometime. What more could you ask than a beautiful day, eat good reasonably priced food with your family in pretty surroundings?

I have to thank everyone for the birthday cards and good wishes that were sent to me. Despite having to work I had a really nice day and was given some lovely presents. Kerry and Slava, Danny and Salina got their heads together and bought me gift cards for the same shop. Now I can buy what I want, when I want...well done kids! Jim bought me a lovely red handbag and Roman also bought me a handbag he chose himself, I was so touched that he chose it just for me. Kerry took me to one side and told me I was lucky because Roman originally liked a bright yellow one but she managed to persuade him that I don`t really like yellow...bless him!

Today is Slava`s 30th birthday and we all clubbed together to buy him a beautiful Emporium Armani watch. I bought him a plastic watering can as a joke seeing as how when watering his garden on Sunday I had to use Roman`s toy one as he doesn`t own a proper one. I still have lots to do in the garden thanks to Jim. He has finished digging out the new bed and now I have lots of space to plant in. Today I bought some more seeds and some summer bulbs that I must get started tomorrow. Now, along with the plants I bought Saturday and the ones I bought today I also have siome that I ordered online yesterday evening. It`s that time of year when I seem to spend a great deal of my wages on plants and anything garden orientated....but it`s all worth it. I just hope we have a good Summer this year to show it off in all its` (I hope) glory.

Anyway, at the moment I`m calling Kerry everyday to see if she`s ok. As soon as I know anything I`ll be sure to let you know. Bye Bye for now. :o)

March Winds a Blowing!

Just a few of my Spring flowers in full bloom. I`m really pleased with them this year and hopefully they will be even better this year. I took a close up of the Magnolia so you can see how pretty each flower actually is, or was. March winds have battered it beyond all recognition now. The Pieris, 3rd pic from top, is the best its ever been though the photo doesn`t do it justice. The flower bed is a bit bare at the moment but all the herbacious plants have come safely through the Winter and will soon be in flower along with any other plant that catches my eye!

Well the false Spring that we all enjoyed has disappeared to be replaced by bitterly cold March winds that are doing their best to batter my garden to bits. As I mentioned above my Magnolia has taken a real beating and I`ve had to cover some of the more delicate plants with bell cloches to prevent them being broken. I know its supposed to be windy in March but I`m bored with bad weather now, I want to get out in my garden and spend my afternoons pottering around. Yesterday Jim started to dig out an extension of the flower bed we started last year. Our lawn is too big and I need more planting space. Once that`s done I`m having a raised bed for planting vegetables, it`ll only be a smallish area but big enough for what I have in mind. I`ve planted all my seeds and am hoping for the best that they all come up. All the tomato seeds that I planted have germinated and there are far two many for me to use, I`ll probably give them away to friends and family. In fact, I have seeds on almost every windowledge in the house. There are some in a heated propergator and some dahlia`s and gladioli in the greenhouse. I must admit that I`ll be glad when they can all go in the greenhouse because at the moment, even with a heater, its still too cold at night.

Kerry has only two more weeks until the baby is due. She had her last appointment with the midwife today and in her fortieth week she`ll see her doctor who will admit her to hospital to be induced, that is of course if nothing happens before then. The midwife said that all is well and the baby is ready now. Now its just a case of waiting. On Friday it`s my birthday and I`m going to spend the weekend at Kerrys. Jims working so he`ll come over on the Sunday when we`ll all go out for lunch. As Kerry doesn`t have a spare bedroom I`ll be taking our fold away bed and will sleep in Roman`s room. He says he`s looking forward to me staying and so am I, I just hope he doesn`t snore too loudly...lol!

The good weather has meant that work has been really, really busy. The majority of the last week I`ve not had a quiet moment and the time has flown by. I know there is supposed to be a economic recession but I`ve yet to see any evidence of it, at least with gardeners. Mind you, perhaps people aren`t going on holidays or buying other expensive luxury items and are spending money on their gardens instead. I always say that as I don`t smoke, drink or gamble I can completely justify what I spend on my garden. Of course there are bills that I pay and grandchildren to buy for ( I say grandchildren because I`ve started buying baby things already though I haven`t bought too much pink just in case the baby turns out to be a boy...lol!

On Mother`s Day both Kerry and Dan gave me bouquets of flowers and lovely cards too. I put all the flowers into a large vase as I wanted to keep them altogether. When I look at them I think of both my children when they were about nine and eleven, the time when they put their pocket money together and bought me a picture which they proudly presented to me on Mother`s Day. It was so sweet of them as they had chosen it specially. The fact that it was probably the last thing I would have bought didn`t matter as the fact that they had got together to buy it, especially for me. I doubt either of them would remember now but even though the picture is long gone, I will never forget their faces when they gave it to me, they looked so happy...and so was I, more than they will ever know.

Anyway my friends, I`ll say goodbye for now and will probably post again when I return from the weekend away. Of course, if there is any news regarding Kerry I promise you will hear about it as soon as I can. Night Night. :o)

Scary Trees and Sculptures - A Weekend in Pictures

An ancient pollarded beech tree Looking up

This tree sculpture is simply amazing

and so are these...mind you, the dogs love them too...lol!

Roman pulling his pretend miserable face

Just look at his gorgeous smile...no wonder his girlfriend Connie wants to marry him...lol!

It`s been a lovely weekend. The weather has been marvellous, very sunny and very warm, just how I like Spring to be. As you can imagine I spent every spare minute in the garden weeding and tidying up. Between us we`ve now cleared all the beds of weeds and I can honestly say that the main heavy work is behind us....well apart from the small matter of digging out a new flower bed and making a raised bed for planting veggies! Never mind, the work is what it`s all about. A garden is a living thing that is never finished, theres always something to do and something that needs changing. Now I can think ahead to what plants I need for the Summer though as I`ve planted lots of seeds I shouldn`t need to spend too much.

The photos above were taken by Jim in Burnham Beeches woods. The beech trees there are very old and the have to have their upper branches removed (pollarded) to keep them from falling over under their weight, also it helps to allow light through to the forest floor. He also took the photos of the tree sculptures there. I think they are amazing and whoever the artist was he or she is very talented. The other photos were taken on Saturday night when we went out for a meal to celebrate Slava`s 30th birthday. It`s not actually his birthday until March 30th but Kerry thought it best to bring it forward in case she didn`t feel up to it then. She has only 3 weeks to go now and is feeling very uncomfortable. The midwife has told her that the baby is laying with her back against Kerry`s spine which will cause her extra pain during labour...very helpful to point that out I`m sure! Then the woman tells her that she will very likely have a long labour as she had a C-section first time around. Something tells me that the midwife wouldn`t win any prizes in tact and diplomacy!

Anyway, I`d better keep it short as I have lots to do ie. read journals, answer emails etc. Take care and bye bye for now. :o)

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)