tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60450902811953322262024-03-21T18:23:23.113-07:00My Life in South Walesweechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-36527787873849358392016-05-14T13:34:00.000-07:002016-05-14T13:34:12.801-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Saturday
16th April 2016<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today I
received a present from Leeta my sister, that I hope is going to open up a new
chapter in my life. It is a book called ‘Writing from the Heart’, inspiration
and exercises for women who want to write.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Leeta, has,
for a long time now, tried to encourage me to write, and the first thing I am
going to do is to keep a weekly diary here, of my life. Sometimes it will be mundane and boring I am
sure, and at other times more interesting, but I will at least be writing. This will just be a little off shoot of other
things I hope to do. At the moment I do
a weekly exercise with Leeta. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When Sindie
was alive, she gave Leeta a box, filled with hundreds of little strips of
paper, each having a subject typed on them.
Whatever is written on the piece of paper that Leeta picks out at
random, is that weeks exercise. This is
the box she did for Leeta. So much
thought and time went into it, that we are both enjoying using it as it was
intended.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I will write
again with any interesting news :0)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sunday 1<sup>st</sup>
May 2016<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We went to
Chris and Sarah’s for a couple of hours.
It was a wet, cold and windy day, but we had fun building a Profiterole
cake with the boys. Each profiterole was filled with fresh cream, and the whole
thing, when built, was drizzled with caramel and chocolate sauce! It was delicious. When we left, there were still two of the
largest layers of profiteroles left for them to enjoy in the evening, (if they
lasted that long)!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tuesday 3<sup>rd</sup>
May 2016<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">First sign
of summer after a long miserable winter.
The sun is out and it is warming up. The boys, Joe and Jake are coming
tomorrow and staying until Thursday, as Sarah has an ‘inset’ day and the school
is closed. Having my hair cut at one
tomorrow as well, before preparing the boys favourite dinner, a roast.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Looking
forward to having them again.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Wednesday 4<sup>th</sup>
May<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After my
haircut, Lennie collected the boys this afternoon, and they all enjoyed a nice
roast chicken dinner.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thursday
morning Lennie took the boys on an adventure.
They went for a very long walk in Penllergaer Woods. They left at 9.30 a.m. and at midday I
received a phone call from Lennie saying that they were lost! It was a good
hour later that they finally arrived home.
After a nice lunch we took them to Fforestfach to look at their
favourite shop, which they always enjoy.
We also went to the pet shop where they enjoyed looking at the rabbits,
fish, Bearded Dragon and all sorts of insects. We then took them for a drink,
and on the way home they also saw a beautiful owl on a lead!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">14<sup>th</sup>
May 2016<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Last week,
Lennie sat on a garden chair and went straight through it. I was just turning my camera on to video the
garden, and missed it!! However, he was
unhurt, but to avoid a more serious accident, (namely me falling through a
chair!) we purchased 6 nice wooden garden armchairs, and Lennie took our other
eight wooden chairs to the local recycling centre.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tomorrow we
are going to buy a wooden Steamer Lounger and cushion for me! I have to have my legs up for comfort and
medical reasons, but don’t like laying down, so it will be ideal! I will put a
picture on after we have collected it.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On a more
sombre note, poor Pickles is getting less and less able to walk any distance,
and it takes her two or three goes before she can manage to lie down, as her
hips are so stiff. She begs Lennie to bring her upstairs to me while I am
getting ready in the morning, but she can't go upstairs on her own. Lennie has to take her two back legs and
'wheelbarrow' her up. She is perfectly
happy doing this, and is quite happy in herself as well, sometimes making an
effort to attack and chase her little dog treats round the kitchen floor,
albeit slowly! Realistically, we know
that it is only a matter of time before the painkillers she has, which control
her pain well, (but not her stiffness) will cease to work as well. She is on the maximum they will give her, so
I don't know what the vet will decide then. She will be 14 years old in July,
and the vet said that dogs of her size rarely live as old as she is. It is the fact that she has German Shepard in
her that make her hips vulnerable to arthritis unfortunately.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">An exciting
thing has just happened! Chris popped in
this afternoon for a visit after his long cycle ride in the mountains, and I
mentioned that we had bought a pedometer each, which turned out to be rubbish! We sent them back for a refund! He said that he and Sarah have a lovely one
each, and that he would buy us one each as well. This is the one he is getting us. You can even receive texts on it :0)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">vívosmart®
HR<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Overview Specs
In the Box Accessories<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Smart
Activity Tracker with Wrist-based Heart Rate<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sleek band
is comfortable to wear all day, and the always-on display shows your stats,
even in sunlight<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Displays
steps, distance, calories, heart rate, floors climbed and activity intensity<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Receive
text, call, email, calendar and social media alerts²<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Control your
music and your VIRB® action camera (sold separately) all from your wrist<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Reminds you
to stay active with move bar and vibration alert<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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Heart Rate<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">vívosmart HR
smart activity tracker¹ with Elevate™ heart rate technology1 measures heart
rate at the wrist 24/7. That gives you the freedom to work out with no
additional heart rate strap needed. Using heart rate, vívosmart HR provides
calories burned information and quantifies the intensity of your fitness
activities, providing better credit for your efforts. You can even use your
vívosmart HR as a heart rate strap on your wrist when paired with other
compatible Garmin devices.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">More Than
Just Steps<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In addition
to measuring steps, calories and distance, vívosmart HR measures floors climbed
with its integrated barometric altimeter. Whether you’re going for a run or
trying out a new gym class, it measures your activity intensity with intensity
minutes. This feature lets you monitor your progress against activity goals
recommended by health organisations.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Smart
Capabilities<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Stay active
and connected with vívosmart HR activity tracker. Each time you receive a
notification from your compatible smartphone, it gently vibrates and
automatically displays the information. Simply touch and swipe the screen to
read more. Other connected features allow you to control music and your VIRB
action camera (sold separately) or find your misplaced phone.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Beat
Yesterday, Every Day<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-19499014332465593162016-05-14T13:33:00.002-07:002016-05-14T13:33:51.506-07:00weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-15485408661523413272015-10-12T09:16:00.001-07:002015-10-12T09:16:38.148-07:00<h4>
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Comic Sans MS;">SHEEP TROUBLE!!</span></h4>
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<span style="color: #953735; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #953735; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: lumm=75000; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent2; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">We had to pop round to Chris and Sarah’s house while they were out. We let ourselves in, and turned off the
alarm, then set about the little job we had to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #953735; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #953735; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: lumm=75000; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent2; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">After about five minutes, I heard Lennie shouting something about
the gate being left open. I looked out
of the front window, and sure enough, we had forgotten to close the large gate
across the drive. Lennie was nowhere to
be seen, so before I went out to close the gate, I looked out of the window
into the back garden. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #953735; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #953735; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: lumm=75000; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent2; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">There was Lennie,
frantically waving his arms in the air, and making all sorts of strange
noises. I quickly popped outside,
thinking maybe some wasps were attacking him or something. The sight I saw was hilarious! He was surrounded by seven sheep, all happily
munching away on the lovely grass, completely ignoring his arm waving. However, as he got louder they began to move,
some of them going out of the side entrance to the front, then doubling back
again in the other side entrance! He eventually
managed to get them out of the garden on to the front drive, and was successful
at shooing them back out of the gate, and closing it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #953735; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #953735; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: lumm=75000; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent2; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;"> He spent the next ten to fifteen minutes
going all over the garden and drive picking up an unbelievable amount of sheep
droppings, which he deposited in a bag, and put into the boot of our car! On the way home they were put into one of the
many ‘doggie bins’ in our village.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #953735; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #953735; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: lumm=75000; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent2; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">One thing is for sure, we won’t forget to close the gate
again! I must say, we had been warned by
Chris and Sarah when they first moved to that house that the gate was to be
kept shut at all times. It only take a
minute or two for the sheep to realise that a gate is open, and as if by some
sort of telepathy, they all start making for it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-36545980802396443952015-10-02T09:34:00.002-07:002015-10-02T09:34:17.342-07:00TOUR OF LLANELLY HOUSE<h3>
<span style="color: #990000;">A BIRTHDAY TREAT</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had a lovely day out including a tour of Llanelly House, part of my birthday treat from
Chris and Sarah.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They have just completed a 10 year, £6m restoration, and it is
an outstanding 1714 Georgian Town House. It was the most interesting and amusing tour
we have ever been on. As we were taken
round this huge house, dressing table mirrors, framed pictures, and even a
complete wall about 27 feet long, came to life, with characters such as Sir
Thomas and Lady Stepney, talking to us directly about the ‘goings on’ in the house
at the time, all dressed in the costumes of their day. On the huge wall, which included many picture
windows, (which seemed to disappear) we were shown the history of the house and
surrounding land with animation and drawings, which was superb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Lady Stepney’s bedroom, the dressing table mirror was the next thing to come to life,
suddenly turning into a TV screen, with Lady Stepney showing us how she made
up, with that awful white powder with lead in it, and with those little false
black spots that were stuck on as beauty spots to cover up any blemishes on the
face. She was saying how vulgar it was
to have a tanned skin, whilst looking round the room with disdain at all of us!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were also taken up some extremely steep stairs to the
servants quarters, so steep in fact, that I had to come down again in the lift
as I know I would have lost my balance on the stairs! This was quite a small room, considering it
housed five servant girls. One young servant
girl, who was made pregnant by the son of the Lord of the house, had to swear
that it was the head butler who was the father.
She then committed suicide by taking a large quantity of laudanum (an
alcoholic solution containing morphine, prepared from opium and formerly used
as a narcotic painkiller). In her
bedroom was a long standing mirror, which again turned into a screen, and we
were involved in the court case that went on after her death, with our tour
guide asking them questions, and they in turn, answering our tour guide! These
people were life sized. It is now
thought that she was in fact forced to take the Laudenum, and a suicide note
(which it is believed was false) saying that the head butler was the father of
her child. The signature on the letter, and the hand writing were not those of
a servant girl with no education.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the end of the tour, we had two portraits talking to
us. One was Lord Stepney, and the other
Lord Cowell. It was written in the will
that only legitimate sons may inherit the house, and Lord Stepney, who was a
kind and forward thinking man was set to inherit it. However, the next in line, if there was no
legitimate son, was Lord Cowell, and he went to court stating that as Lord
Stepney’s parents were married in France, which was not recognised in England,
then that made Lord Stepney illegitimate. He unfortunately won the case, and the house
went to him, my namesake!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was lots more information, which didn’t quite sink in,
but it was certainly a very interesting and unusual tour, and I recommend
anyone in the area of Llanelli to visit the house and take the tour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They have a lovely little restaurant there, and our day was
finished up with a very nice meal, including a sweet, and of course a latte!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, although armed with our camera and camcorder,
as usual we were not allowed to use them, so have no pictures to show you. I
did, however, manage to take this picture of Lady Stepney’s bedroom, with the
talking dressing table mirror from the brochure!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-32037004634490027652015-09-27T08:34:00.002-07:002015-09-27T11:35:30.398-07:00MY BIRTHDAY<h3>
<span style="color: #990000;">Today is my 73rd birthday. I can't believe I am talking about me. The years have gone so fast!</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The day started beautifully, with a black coffee in bed at seven, and lots of lovely birthday cards. One of the cards held a Boots voucher from my son-in-law Gary, and a very pretty parcel contained a beautiful Willow Tree ornament to add to my collection titled 'Me and Grandmother' from our lovely granddaughter Emily, who never forgets my special days :0) The majority of my little collection is from Emily. Todays present is the one in the centre.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the excitement of the morning, we were off to spend some time with my son Chris, daughter in law Sarah and our three cheeky grandsons. We went to The Three Cliffs coffee shop in Penard on The Gower coast and were treated to a huge scone with jam and cream, and a giant latte!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Afterwards we went for a little walk along the cliff tops. It is a glorious day, and Wales is so beautiful along this coast. These are some of the photo's taken on the walk. Just click on each photo to enlarge it. The video is a bit dark as I was filming into the sun.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had a really lovely couple of hours, and on Wednesday we are being treated to a day out with tours in an historic house, and a nice slap up lunch, all from Chris and Sarah.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had to add this video taken last week. This was probably the last long walk Pickles, our dog will have with the boys. She is now thirteen, and has very bad arthritis in her hips. Although she enjoyed it, she could hardly walk by the time she got home, so, on vets orders, only short little walks from now on, which is very sad. She can't understand why, when the boys are getting their walking shoes on, and getting ready to go out, she can no longer go with them :0( Now about the video. Joe, the one in the check shorts, is always getting into some sort of mess, falling into streams, getting covered from head to toe in mud, or coming home from a walk with his wellie boots full of water! On this occasion he was seriously sizing up if he could get across the river by balancing on an old tree branch!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope to have some more video and photo's of our day out on Wednesday.</span></div>
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weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-83280343023160903902015-09-02T08:47:00.002-07:002015-09-02T08:47:51.028-07:00<h4>
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">SOME OF THE ODDITIES AS PROMISED FOR THE 'SILLY SHOP'!</span></h4>
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weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-58312727293550265882015-09-01T08:28:00.001-07:002015-09-01T11:12:14.024-07:00<blockquote type="cite">
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The Lost Handbag</span></h4>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I forgot to tell you. The other day I was in
Lidl, and there, in the middle of a completely deserted aisle on the floor was a
very expensive, large black patent handbag. I picked it up and carried it
around until I found a member of staff to hand it over
to.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, a bit later I got to the checkout and the
lady in front of me went to pay. She was a very elderly, very classy lady,
dressed all in black, and very well spoken. She was panic stricken when she
realised her handbag has gone! I told her it was okay, I had found it and
handed it in, so she thanked me again and again, still in a state of shock, and
got her bag back. As we were going through the till, she came back to me and
said in front of everyone </span></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'Are you Church or Chapel'? I asked her to repeat
what she had said, as I had been concentrating on my shopping, and again she
said 'Church or Chapel'?</span></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'Oh, neither' I stammered, wondering why she asked
such a thing. Everyone was listening. Then she tried to hand me a note, (I
don't know if it was five or ten pounds) to 'put in the box when I go'. Of
course I didn't take it as I don't go to Church, so she was at a loss how to
repay me for handing her bag in. In must have had a lot of valuable stuff in
it.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I just said that I was done a favour a while ago
and was asked to 'pay it forward' so perhaps a time may come when she could do someone a favour too and pay it forward :0) Everyone was smiling and 'aahhhing'
when she tried to give me the money. What a sweet lady. I certainly knew I was
in Wales when she said 'Church or Chapel' !!!</span></blockquote>
weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-39031387622972351322015-08-31T12:02:00.000-07:002015-09-01T11:11:47.032-07:00<h3>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">PENLLERGAER WOODS</span></h3>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had our two grandsons Joe (9) and Jake (7) staying with us today and overnight, so thought we would tire them out a bit in readiness for bed tonight We have a beautiful place just five minutes away called Penllergaer Woods, where we walked and scrambled for just over an hour. The woods have some lovely waterfalls, and they were particularly lively today after all the rain we have had. I have never seen them like this, and usually there are a few older boys jumping from the top and swimming below, but not today, it was far too dangerous for that! I have put a couple of videos on here to show you. I also took my camera, as stills are much better when you are on the move, but when we got it out, it was as flat as a pancake! (The battery, not the camera)!!</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After we finished our walk, we ended up in the woodland tea shop, which is set all on it's own amongst the trees. Thank goodness it wasn't too bad as far as the wasps go, but they have been particularly troublesome this month.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All in all a lovely day with the boys, who are now watching a little TV after downing a huge roast dinner! Tomorrow morning we have promised to take them to Fforestfach to walk round the 'silly shop' as they call it. It sells the most unusual things like Roman soldiers helmets, eight foot giraffes, skulls etc., all the sort of things that enthrall young boys :0) I may take a few photo's tomorrow to show you the sort of things they sell. And all surprisingly cheap as well!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-12699419450692159062015-08-30T09:33:00.000-07:002015-08-30T13:05:31.474-07:00<h2>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New Start</span></h2>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After losing my daughter Sindie, I stopped blogging. It will be six years now since she left us, and we have now moved to Wales to be near our son and his young family. We miss our two grandaughters very much, but they are now grown and are making their own way in life, and we get some nice visits from them. My three grandsons are still young, and so we decided that we would like to be here to see them grow as we did the girls. I hope to start blogging again soon about our new life in Wales. Unfortunately we also left some of my sisters behind in Yorkshire, who we also miss very much. Hopefully, it won't be long before we can go back to Yorkshire to see everyone again.</span></div>
weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-72507157927808525802009-10-30T12:21:00.000-07:002009-10-31T03:01:59.913-07:00Goodbye sweet Sindie<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEowJJ1jTJJI5c_CArGWxo3JxrLa0u-yDuOgtnCoegiKIe8xYiiR0r7a8tnWtOcEotnoQqY3TcpCRxhDJhGs3Amkxm6VO0_4Ru_rqGgzM_mx-UAk9u273dWwhcbuBcp6NxLkdz5VH9IPZ1/s1600-h/Sindie+2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 322px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398476265425914482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEowJJ1jTJJI5c_CArGWxo3JxrLa0u-yDuOgtnCoegiKIe8xYiiR0r7a8tnWtOcEotnoQqY3TcpCRxhDJhGs3Amkxm6VO0_4Ru_rqGgzM_mx-UAk9u273dWwhcbuBcp6NxLkdz5VH9IPZ1/s400/Sindie+2.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I can find no other words than to tell you that my sweet daughter Sindie passed away on 15th October 2009.</div><br /><div></div>She was not just my daughter, but my best friend.<br /><br />I love and miss you so much.<br /><div></div><div>Sleep tight Sindie</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>XXXXXX</div>weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-56911192891714296462009-04-08T06:56:00.000-07:002015-09-01T11:13:52.717-07:00Be Aware!!!<span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">My husband decided to give the growing grass a 'first cut' after the long winter months months of it lying dormant.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">He happily mowed away until the large grass box was full, and then set about emptying it. As he pulled out the grass box, there, sitting stunned underneath it, were four large mice! The poor things must have been terrified with that loud motor sound in their ears, and being sandwiches between the mower and the removable grass box. After a few minutes, three of the mice managed to get themselves together, and run out of the grass box, but the third, smallest one just sat there, still stunned.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">My husband carefully lifted him out and put him in the bushes, and was pleased to see it shake itself and run away, non the worse for wear apparently.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana;">Perhaps you had better check your machinery for mice or other small animals before you do your first cut of the year. We live in the country, so there are always little mice running around in the gardens. We would never dream that they would make their home inside a lawn mower. There is absolutely nothing that they can eat in the shed where it is housed. I was so pleased to see them all run free again. It could so easily have been a messy outcome. Please remember to check.</span>weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-31417338266082637412009-03-17T16:35:00.000-07:002009-03-17T16:44:11.131-07:00Absence<span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">I would like to apologise for my absence to whoever normally reads my blog, but I have had a lot going on lately. Namely hospital visits and radiotherapy for my daughter Sindie. Each time I think I will have a go at a blog, my mind just goes blank! All we are thinking about at the moment are hospitals, scans and tests.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">We have a couple more scans on the horizon, and with some pain management, hopefully things will settle down a bit for Sindie. Meanwhile she is her usual upbeat self.</span>weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-48434198587619316542008-11-01T12:29:00.001-07:002009-01-27T11:50:24.282-08:00A Little Bit Of Art<span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;"></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">I was leafing through a Van Gogh book when I came across a painting that I had copied when I was much younger, back in the early seventies. I decided to compare the two after all this time, and must say I was a bit disappointed to see that my copy wasn't as good as I remembered! What do you think?</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDoyLJ0oDNXK8Gz3zPJRYYaYp569_CbXbtgTr6h1QbTeeg6sU-NKDcpc0Ff_dykt3qoz_xZuft_d6G7oqGyrdC53hihTSbJ3ftVFkB_66LiOivYdVLEi96eO22SKpF_BXcoNQ7jdUEI99/s1600-h/Portrait+of+an+Actor+(Van+Gogh).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263774398340166770" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDoyLJ0oDNXK8Gz3zPJRYYaYp569_CbXbtgTr6h1QbTeeg6sU-NKDcpc0Ff_dykt3qoz_xZuft_d6G7oqGyrdC53hihTSbJ3ftVFkB_66LiOivYdVLEi96eO22SKpF_BXcoNQ7jdUEI99/s320/Portrait+of+an+Actor+(Van+Gogh).jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NU2hHV8GKKmrWTNAYhC7H5_j568WhiL3CeWF_OrrdqbfVDJB_erUGMqztSyARBeI9F9TsdGWrv8KcPqfXv7lLWYQZGp9u5gMgoarIWmynagw7kLCIOl1NicZh05nEeoMy738_lB5oHxf/s1600-h/Portrait+of+an+Actor+(My+copy).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263774127555442370" style="WIDTH: 296px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NU2hHV8GKKmrWTNAYhC7H5_j568WhiL3CeWF_OrrdqbfVDJB_erUGMqztSyARBeI9F9TsdGWrv8KcPqfXv7lLWYQZGp9u5gMgoarIWmynagw7kLCIOl1NicZh05nEeoMy738_lB5oHxf/s320/Portrait+of+an+Actor+(My+copy).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Portrait of an Actor - Van Gogh My Copy<br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">I was closer when I took the picture of my copy, so it looks larger, but it is actually the same size! It is also behind glass so the colour looks less intense.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">I also drew this picture from a photograph of a statue called 'Ecstacy of Saint Theresa', but amongst the hundreds of books I have, I can't find the picture I copied it from. There are plenty on Google, but taken from a different angle.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMR4fch5XA7ZtVG-qNISw7h43nxiGRkBsp_gu5yXdF52C0_JXeYkBSZPRAL68dkt1MPIdrHEMj1I46LA980NC_3IBJAKM0SKyKPf-F88QB_IjN-zsV0EZp42ZfzmyeJzIl0mq9HGnjpsR/s1600-h/Ecstacy+of+St.+Theresa.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263776226027746674" style="WIDTH: 252px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMR4fch5XA7ZtVG-qNISw7h43nxiGRkBsp_gu5yXdF52C0_JXeYkBSZPRAL68dkt1MPIdrHEMj1I46LA980NC_3IBJAKM0SKyKPf-F88QB_IjN-zsV0EZp42ZfzmyeJzIl0mq9HGnjpsR/s320/Ecstacy+of+St.+Theresa.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">Again, it is behind glass and done in pencil in 1976, and was very difficult to photograph without a flash. (At least for me it is!!)</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">They can all be seen more clearly by clicking on them.<br /></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">And there you have it. Two bits of art done many years ago!</span><span style="font-size:0;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:0;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><br /><span style="color:#663300;"></span></span><br /></span>weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-82755699015810765802008-09-23T08:37:00.000-07:002008-09-23T11:27:50.595-07:00Rummaging<span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">I have three large boxes in my huge attic which houses a lot of memories. One has everything to do with my son in it, one for my daughter, and one for me! I was rummaging around in them today having the occasional tear at all the lovely mementos I have collected over the years. I came across a couple of poems. One I had written when my first grandchild was born, and another that I had framed and on the wall of the retirement home that we owned. I thought I would share them with you:0)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">My new grandaughters name was Emily who is now 17 years old, and this was written to her parents:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="color:#000099;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">When you wake up this morning,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A new feeling will be there,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Of unbelievable happiness</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The two of you will share.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">That tiny little bundle,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">So warm and soft and new,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Is not anothers baby now</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">This one belongs to you!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">She's totally dependant,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">On your gentleness and love,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">This little miracle of life</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">From someone up above.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">You'll proudly watch her gathering strength,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Her crawling - that first tooth,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Her faltering words and footsteps,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Her schooling and her youth.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">And as she slowly blossoms,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">And starts venturing from home,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">You'll realise that your daughter</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Has a lifestyle of her own.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Her need for you will lessen,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">As she finds friends of her own,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">And finally settles down with one,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Who will always share her home.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">You'll feel a little strange at first,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Somewhat like a 'spare',</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">But suddenly life is full of joy,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Your grandchild will be there!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Again you'll share the feeling,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Of this first day again,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">As you hold the tiny baby,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Emotions are the same.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">But this time the lovely feeling,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Will be yours to share around,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">With three other happy grandfolk,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">In who this joy abounds.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The time will pass so quickly,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">You must savour every day,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Of this lovely tiny new born babe,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">To whom you both gave life today.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">* * *</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">Now at the other end of life, a poem that speaks volumes. This was found in the locker of an old lady in a geriatric hospital by the nurses clearing it out after she had died:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">What do you see nurses, what do you see?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">What are you thinking, when you look at me?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A crabby old woman, not very wise,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">uncertain of habit, with faraway eyes;</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">who dribbles her food and makes no reply</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">when you say in a loud voice <em>'I do wish you'd try'.</em></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Who seems not to notice the things that you do</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">and forever is losing a stocking or shoe;</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Who unresisting or not, lets you do as you will</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">with bathing and feeding, the long day to fill.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Is that what you're thinking, is that what you see?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Then open your eyes, you're not looking at me!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I'll tell you who I am as I sit here so still,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">As I move at your bidding, as I eat at your will.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I'm a small child of ten with a father and mother,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Brothers and sisters who love one another,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A young girl of sixteen with wings on her feet,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Dreaming of soon now a lover she'll meet.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">At twenty five now I have young of my own,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">who need me to build a secure happy home.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A woman of thirty, my young now grow fast</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">bound to each other with ties that should last.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">At forty my young now will soon be gone,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">but my man stands beside me to see I don't mourn.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">At fifty once more babies play round my knee,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Again we know children, my loved one and me.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I look to the future, I shudder with dread;</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">For my young are all busy, rearing young of their own,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">And I think of the years and the love I have known.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I'm an old woman now, and nature is cruel,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">'tis her jest to make old age look a fool.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The body it crumbles, grace and vigour depart,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">and now there's a stone where I once had a heart.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">But inside this old carcase, a young girl still dwells,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">and now and again, my battered heart swells.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I remember the joys, I remember the pain,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">And I'm loving and living life over again.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I think of the years all too few gone too fast,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">And accept the cold facts that nothing can last,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">So open your eyes nurses, open and see,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">not a crabby old woman, look closer - SEE ME!</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span>weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-68376113365239058522008-09-17T08:00:00.000-07:002008-09-18T05:13:42.744-07:00All done!!<span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">At the risk of boring you all senseless, here is a final video clip of the fence all finished! You have no idea what a mammoth job that was for one old aged pensioner to do on his own. Thank goodness it is all over. The whole job was made worse due to the fact that the garden is on quite a slope! Now he said he intends to take a week off to potter, then start on the transformation of the dressing room into another guest bedroom. He has until Christmas to get that finished, so can take his time if he wants to, but knowing Lennie, he will go at it until it is finished!<br /></span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzwThYbcQ7u3nEJ8smWR9Fb0jbMoUjiPDp01zCaqhIBxhOVrGLpOEj4KpI34BDDVJifeERqCiIBwiT-LRwt1w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-41560604622649733292008-09-07T06:01:00.000-07:002008-09-07T06:26:47.290-07:00Moving on!<p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz3hUbT6ODZe2cz5hEfqnPXBQEToVNaDa1mmNS2I90y1L1Nb0MGw1owznbTvDow3oi2vlDfaWxLkv4yS5TwaQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;"></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;"></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;"></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">Thank goodness for a break in this nasty weather! It has been pouring down, and making everything very muddy, and uncomfortable to work in. Lennie has managed to work outside all day today, and things are moving on.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">Thankfully, our next door neighbours have gone to France for a week, so we do not have to worry about intruding on their privacy. Pickles is being very good, and has not attempted to go into their garden once, so that is one less worry.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">I must admit I am going a bit 'stir crazy' because we usually manage to get out once a day, even if it is to visit my daughter Sindie. She and her family have gone to Kent for a few days to attend the funeral of her father-in-law. I don't like driving, especially by myself, and we live in such a hilly place that I am sure I would have a heart attack if I decided to go walking round here! And of course, Lennie has no time to go off jaunting about!</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">He is working so hard, as I have probably said before, but hopefully things will ease up a bit now, as he is on the shorter concrete posts, which only weigh 84lbs, whereas the others weighed 126lb! Still very heavy as they are such a dead weight, but a little easier on the arms and back. He is also moving on to earth as opposed to concrete, so the digging will be easier as well.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">I have attached a video to show you how he is getting on.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">More news as it happens:0)</span></p>weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-17588715419150343532008-09-03T08:01:00.000-07:002008-09-03T08:19:37.787-07:00Getting there!<span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">Lennie is gradually getting the fence up, weather permitting! He had to have a day off yesterday due to back strain, but he is back out there today, dodging the showers! The posts and gravel boards weigh over 9 stone each, and that is a lot of dead weight to keep shifting about! As you can see, some of the posts are in, but we are waiting for Gary, our son in law to come and help put the panels in, as they are very large and have to be lifted above head height to get them in the grooves. I did one with Lennie, but my daughter Sindie was not happy about it! Here are a couple of pictures taken between showers.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7F_ibEvi8HdcgD-g7Im_2Prtp16C3y40mtKk1hOSkrlu8BJlDol_scgKabIXuTc-AQ-24qimIEO7-BcVMbmoTbZhmwp9d-ZFo3cwzdOl3FSfgWOx1ZAuJNTw2RwgsHn4XEEeLAT727EX/s1600-h/Fence5.jpg"></a></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7F_ibEvi8HdcgD-g7Im_2Prtp16C3y40mtKk1hOSkrlu8BJlDol_scgKabIXuTc-AQ-24qimIEO7-BcVMbmoTbZhmwp9d-ZFo3cwzdOl3FSfgWOx1ZAuJNTw2RwgsHn4XEEeLAT727EX/s1600-h/Fence5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241812646874294962" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7F_ibEvi8HdcgD-g7Im_2Prtp16C3y40mtKk1hOSkrlu8BJlDol_scgKabIXuTc-AQ-24qimIEO7-BcVMbmoTbZhmwp9d-ZFo3cwzdOl3FSfgWOx1ZAuJNTw2RwgsHn4XEEeLAT727EX/s320/Fence5.jpg" border="0" /></a></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgkF29d4aALOqJowi-wCGMZYCyf2YFjKrsUz0yjLm9mbxBpxuEV68eN6gctKsqY7aNAv_9wCO-G5JpCVd-VhS-y3Vm-OblqMwt9gL-bWLZBHZP_0wKd3AeM_vlqGVlEdFNS6WGkJJYui3D/s1600-h/Fence4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241813513345026930" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgkF29d4aALOqJowi-wCGMZYCyf2YFjKrsUz0yjLm9mbxBpxuEV68eN6gctKsqY7aNAv_9wCO-G5JpCVd-VhS-y3Vm-OblqMwt9gL-bWLZBHZP_0wKd3AeM_vlqGVlEdFNS6WGkJJYui3D/s320/Fence4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">Once Lennie gets past the patio and on to the grass, things will become a lot easier and faster for him. At the moment he is having to dig very deep holes through rocks and concrete to set the posts in, but once on the grass it will be mainly earth. He thinks the digging of the holes on his knees was the main cause of his back problem.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">The weather for tomorrow seems a little more promising, so we shall have to see how much he can get done then.</span>weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-26700223347491641542008-08-28T09:07:00.000-07:002008-08-28T09:11:56.572-07:00Injury!<div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">This is what happened to Lennies arms shifting just one concrete post. At this rate he will be in shreds when he has shifted all 20 of them!!</span></div><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlWzLyPV5u0yemGfDuFjBhyeowkFxWT90-OzXahyEkOFsFYjmukmQtxx9P-aaau9wo17do3ANOj5tsOHVZu2aPtDOGDEI2NaDP0XFH_zMXHrbhJmy1d2bCMRmowY5cXWlxXP4WBCRfEZS/s1600-h/Marks.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239601752613676050" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlWzLyPV5u0yemGfDuFjBhyeowkFxWT90-OzXahyEkOFsFYjmukmQtxx9P-aaau9wo17do3ANOj5tsOHVZu2aPtDOGDEI2NaDP0XFH_zMXHrbhJmy1d2bCMRmowY5cXWlxXP4WBCRfEZS/s320/Marks.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">More as it happens:0)</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;"></span> </p><p> </p><p> </p>weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-91419125022162003052008-08-28T03:49:00.000-07:002008-08-28T04:24:40.763-07:00Our New Project<span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">Those of you who know us, are aware that we live on a very windy corner, and are always having trouble with our fences blowing over and crushing our neighbours plants and solar lights! After a couple of embarrassing years, tying the fence to the other side of the garden using bright blue towing ropes to try and hold the fence up during gales, we decided enough was enough, and we would have to lay out for new fencing. This is what the fence looks like now.</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGKQcl8ZRzx6kTfrKc44n7awKjchQ94gaJTU_Qxj1jl7b9Kqa1tqVlBlhnIaPKvAJpOn2FvnNB_eOCpLYDpnY5_2kcPOwjVfgvDBNx1RwJqOsSV5M8QjUbEKtrgQtR1jFGNrLjYvxnUDw/s1600-h/Fence3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239520843536299650" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGKQcl8ZRzx6kTfrKc44n7awKjchQ94gaJTU_Qxj1jl7b9Kqa1tqVlBlhnIaPKvAJpOn2FvnNB_eOCpLYDpnY5_2kcPOwjVfgvDBNx1RwJqOsSV5M8QjUbEKtrgQtR1jFGNrLjYvxnUDw/s320/Fence3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">As you can see, it rests directly on the grass and if one part gets blown over it takes a lot more with it!</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">The fence is 90 feet long, and we have decided to buy the sort of fence that has panels seperated by concrete posts, so that if there is any damage, we just have to slide the broken panel out and replace it with another, rather than dig up the huge wooden posts and replace them as well. The fence will rest on concrete gravel posts, all of which have been delivered now, and deposited in various parts of the garden by Len and my son Chris. It was thought that while he was here visiting for a while, he would help Len put them close to where they will be needed, as they are extremely heavy, and Len is no spring chicken!</span></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oEgdlP_-68hSsiw_GAa5jBJhzNSS1cl0KlEvC6pWs0iLVTAzWXBlbIB4HJ3pd_L18hp07fYKbNWiXDyWVb5XCgqfmCsDP_IIDo7GGS6JM2cI6Y3mle8lRsxeQa-KlqN1qeSLPFrLkliH/s1600-h/Fence2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239522418733549314" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oEgdlP_-68hSsiw_GAa5jBJhzNSS1cl0KlEvC6pWs0iLVTAzWXBlbIB4HJ3pd_L18hp07fYKbNWiXDyWVb5XCgqfmCsDP_IIDo7GGS6JM2cI6Y3mle8lRsxeQa-KlqN1qeSLPFrLkliH/s320/Fence2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">Work started this morning, digging the hole for the first post. As this is the one that is adjacent to next doors gate, it was the one most worrying Lennie. He says once this is sorted out he should be able to get on with the rest of it okay.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-zoN6jtDxVnsJahfOchyNzTroAtgoYPwXxbWt6nitfjbxcattIyBNihcHpSkN4lcEYfafzOy6-1hmVYPk0TVOnpn2wv2-1Zkpo9U-ADniRhT5Ztz7FwnU2wF9RtPGyLyEfYJm-_1w0Yk/s1600-h/Fence1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239523779708451634" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-zoN6jtDxVnsJahfOchyNzTroAtgoYPwXxbWt6nitfjbxcattIyBNihcHpSkN4lcEYfafzOy6-1hmVYPk0TVOnpn2wv2-1Zkpo9U-ADniRhT5Ztz7FwnU2wF9RtPGyLyEfYJm-_1w0Yk/s320/Fence1.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">Thank goodness this will see an end to poor Lennie, on his hands and knees in icy, windy conditions, digging holes and mixing cement to replace broken fence posts!</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">I will update this project as it moves on. </span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">As usual, one post in and rain stopped play!!!! <div><br /></div></span><div></div>weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-82126461024909700632008-08-16T08:48:00.000-07:002008-08-27T15:56:21.339-07:00Dear Old Tom<span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">I was sitting thinking of years gone by, when my late father-in-law, Tom, came to mind. He was a lovely chap, and was always smiling. His wife totally and absolutely spoilt him, and all he ever did in the house, apart from DIY, was wiping up and making a pot of tea! Of course, when his dear wife died, he couldn't realistically look after himself, and as we owned a retirement home in Kent, he came to live with us there. We lived on the top floor for a while, and on Tom's request, we gave him his own room amongst the residents. He loved looking in on them to say goodnight, and thoroughly enjoyed the weekly parties we held for them all. He adored the homes dog, Pickles, and they were inseperable. He also had his girlfriend, Doris, a resident. He was very much loved by residents and staff alike, and had his little jobs that he liked to do to help the staff, like helping the gardener, and seeing that all the kitchen waste was securely tied up etc.,.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">After he had lived with us for 5 years, he sadly got prostate cancer and died. This is a poem that I made up and gave out to the staff.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">TOM</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"><strong>He</strong> always had a smile for you,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">He always had a joke,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">Happy in his own small world,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">With his home, his wife and 'smoke'.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"><strong>For</strong> miles around they knew him,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">That kind and helpful man,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">He'd clean their windows, mend their things,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">And often an errand ran.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"><strong>He</strong> always helped the old folk,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">The helpless and the poor,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">He had his wife and children,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">And would never ask for more.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"><strong>As</strong> years passed by he slowly aged,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">But was a familiar sight,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">Carrying peoples bags for them,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">(But now his hair was white!).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"><strong>His</strong> world it fell apart one day,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">When he lost his treasured wife,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">Suddenly she wasn't there,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">He'd lost part of his life.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"><strong>He</strong> needed looking after,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">So came to live with us,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">And tried to settle down here,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">With the minimum of fuss.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"><strong>The</strong> tables began turning,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">He was 'useful' once again,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">As he helped the ladies and the staff,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">In his own little domain.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"><strong>He</strong> had his faithful Pickles,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">Doris, and the staff,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">His garden and his rubbish bags,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">He always liked a laugh.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"><strong>You</strong> made him feel so needed,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">You made him feel so proud,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">As he helped you in the kitchen,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">And joined in with 'the crowd'.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"><strong>At</strong> parties he would hold the mike,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">And sing with all his heart,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">I think he was his happiest,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">When he heard the music start.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"><strong>But</strong> sadly Tom became unwell,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">And illness took it's toll,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">He couldn't help us any more,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">He couldn't play 'his role'.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"><strong>His</strong> garden patch grew weedy,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">The rubbish piled up high,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">His strength it fast was fading,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">To see him made us cry.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"><strong>But</strong> Tom was totally unaware,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">Of what lay in store for him,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">He relished all the love you gave,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">And returned it with a grin.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"><strong>Tom</strong> didn't suffer any pain,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">You gave him so much care,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">And when time came for him to leave,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">Again, you all were there.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"><strong>Our</strong> lives are all the richer,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">For knowing dear old Tom,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">And we owe so much to all of you,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">For making him 'belong'.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"><strong>I </strong>know he's not too far away,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">I feel him everywhere,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">And when next we have our party,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">Don't be fooled, 'cos he'll be there!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"><strong>And</strong> in all our future summers,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">If you would like a treat,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">I'm sure you'll feel him sitting,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">In his 'personal' garden seat.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;"><strong>You</strong> show love and understanding,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">In everything you do,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">So from Lennie, Sandie and Pickles,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330000;">Our heartfelt thanks to you.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#330000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#330000;">This is a picture of Tom and his lovely wife Flo.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9380CZxUiyxDi0eCSsXJWjvDoq5cbNPhJQiK55NTmohSF8twQGjlyyxEWlOR9nI7uSOR2ZT_Jf56u_Dbu1QODSl71tT6GHGR0CP1Q9D5eU1ID6y4DmQy2uQrmboGHBmaA5fUoBaMJ580/s1600-h/Tom+and+Flo+5.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235152772942156114" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9380CZxUiyxDi0eCSsXJWjvDoq5cbNPhJQiK55NTmohSF8twQGjlyyxEWlOR9nI7uSOR2ZT_Jf56u_Dbu1QODSl71tT6GHGR0CP1Q9D5eU1ID6y4DmQy2uQrmboGHBmaA5fUoBaMJ580/s320/Tom+and+Flo+5.JPG" border="0" /></a>weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-84405689356858342372008-07-17T11:07:00.000-07:002008-07-17T11:16:21.971-07:00Garden visitor<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMweoW_4WwzXMhn4LrGaNfZBvXkul-VC7_kNdJJevMbLy1oVk98dS_IBmMWrxIE7SLA4TxlvxNqT2i1VrizSPgSNAFsNbYzGdmkImuMncv47aM6OUjK_COzPUO-vLFXZD2hASAj1xUpgdH/s1600-h/Squirrel1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224047239901948018" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMweoW_4WwzXMhn4LrGaNfZBvXkul-VC7_kNdJJevMbLy1oVk98dS_IBmMWrxIE7SLA4TxlvxNqT2i1VrizSPgSNAFsNbYzGdmkImuMncv47aM6OUjK_COzPUO-vLFXZD2hASAj1xUpgdH/s320/Squirrel1.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdHwidbDatu_MqHnDDD_8Tviu7iMxYZBhBoMFiZyGTl7wIqrI59zOm2POduqzfDQhOMrvbleOHCYUnKVzWHMIuS-siT7U5ElrDxPQECFXYXW8-Jefhd0eAXfpKEGB2Ak0pkWExcS0KPtW/s1600-h/Squirrel.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224047510000241618" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdHwidbDatu_MqHnDDD_8Tviu7iMxYZBhBoMFiZyGTl7wIqrI59zOm2POduqzfDQhOMrvbleOHCYUnKVzWHMIuS-siT7U5ElrDxPQECFXYXW8-Jefhd0eAXfpKEGB2Ak0pkWExcS0KPtW/s320/Squirrel.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">Just thought I would show you this photograph of one of our regular garden visitors:0) This squirrel is now being joined on it's forages by a baby. They are digging little holes all over the lawn and burying the peanuts! Click photo's to enlarge.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span></div>weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-51236342638548164512008-07-09T06:44:00.000-07:002008-07-09T09:14:26.789-07:00Twitterings<span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">It is quite a while since I posted, because, as most of you know, Sindie has been poorly and has been staying with me. However, she was well enough to return home at the weekend, so I thought I would sit at my computer and update my blog.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">Firstly, the diet is going well, and I have now lost a total of 1stone 1 pound. Sindie has also lost this amount, but unfortunately for her, the steroids she is on have made her face balloon out, and the weight loss is not so evident until you look at the rest of her! Thankfully, she is now cutting down on the steroids, so we have high hopes of her facial swelling going down, albeit slowly.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">Now, I haven't mentioned this before, but we are very keen amateur bird watchers (in our garden, that is!) We feed them constantly, and have a lot of regular birds visit us. One day we had a Jay, a blackbird, a mouse and a squirrel, all eating together on dry porridge oats that we left out:0) We have a very scruffy blackbird that is always fighting to protect his territory. Whenever I put food out, he is there, chasing off the other birds! We call him Sid, and he was here last year as well, making his home in the large bushes in our front garden. The lady next door calls him Scruff. He always has disheveled feathers, and feathers sticking out! Hence the name given by the lady next door:0) He is not at all nervous of us, and has three babies in the front garden, and although they try and chase him off, he still feeds them regularly. When they were very young, he used to dive bomb us whenever we went on to the drive!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">We were looking out of out kitchen window into the back garden, watching the birds, when we saw what at first glance, we thought was a Jay. It was half hidden behind a shrub. We noticed it was eating strangely, and on closer inspection we saw that it was a beautiful Merlin! But he was busy eating one of my garden birds! All we could see of the bird he was eating were the skinny black legs sticking up in the air, and our first thought was of Sid:0( After our initial shock, we got the binoculars out, and studied it more carefully, and prayed that it wasn't Sid. The Merlin stayed in the garden, eating this bird for at least 15 minutes, then it picked it up an flew away with the remains. It definitely looked black.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">We went down the garden and inspected the feathers, and they were dark grey. We still were not sure what colour legs our blackbird had, and were on edge for ages, until, who should we see come hopping into the back garden, but Sid! We have decided that the unfortunate bird was probably a young starling.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">I have attached a phot of a Merlin in the middle of a meal, and you can see what a beautiful bird it is.</span> <a href="http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/raptors/Merlin.html">http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/raptors/Merlin.html</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#663300;">I now spend ages scanning the sky in case he returns. If he does, I hope I see him in time to warn all my little feathered friends!</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">(Click photo to enlarge)<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg4kHxqs_Z-hoHrHMM0wi42JVPHJYCxotSJkXxgTmROcitFSwyKL9CfAayYpOfprDMxAShQxlt3fpNcStIvDnMS4VSIyFsXt8JiepyLC2jhmn1ffHWnO1S0yUd__XA1p-ZObjAFq-kt24r/s1600-h/merlin56.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221017311503503410" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg4kHxqs_Z-hoHrHMM0wi42JVPHJYCxotSJkXxgTmROcitFSwyKL9CfAayYpOfprDMxAShQxlt3fpNcStIvDnMS4VSIyFsXt8JiepyLC2jhmn1ffHWnO1S0yUd__XA1p-ZObjAFq-kt24r/s320/merlin56.jpg" border="0" /></a>weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-73153688867096320752008-05-12T14:30:00.000-07:002008-05-12T14:58:31.340-07:00Diet Week 3<span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">Just a quick update on my diet. Things improved this week with a further loss of three pounds. That's half a stone in 3 weeks! I really have a good feeling about this Rosemary Conley diet. I have spent years starving myself and going without, in an attempt to lose weight, and was always being told that I needed to eat more if I wanted my diets to work. I scoffed at this idea, frightened to eat properly for fear of a ballooning weight.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">Anyhow, after being recommended this diet, I thought I would have a go, and honestly, I have never eaten so much for as long as I can remember! I was very nervous about it, but after my 4lb weight loss the first week, I was rearing to go! Tonight I had chicken curry with rice, and I was only able to eat half of the rice because there was so much. Two ounces of Basmati rice cooks up to a huge plateful. Far too much for me to eat.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">We had our first BBQ of the year yesterday, and it was very easy to stick to the diet. I had three low fat apple and pork sausages, a 175g jacket potato, and unlimited salad with lettuce, peppers, mushrooms, beetroot, celery and tomatoes. I was drinking sugar free bitter lemon, which is all I ever drink anyway:0) This was followed by my usual baked apple and yoghurt. Yes, I can heartily recommend this diet:0)</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">Let's hope next week I have another weight loss. Sindie and Leeta are doing really well as well.</span>weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-14018384612172361172008-05-06T11:41:00.000-07:002008-05-06T12:01:16.725-07:00Diet week 2<span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">I weighed myself this week, and I had stayed the same:0( I know this is entirely my own fault, and not the fault of the diet I am following. I have been having more than my quota of skimmed milk for a start. I am allowed three quarters of a pint, and I love my milky coffee. I also have 150g pot of home made natural skimmed yoghurt as part of my milk allowance, but haven't been cutting my milk allowance down to half a pint! The other thing I have been doing is sucking on sugar free sweets, as my medication makes me very dry, but I didn't notice that they had fat in them, so that's another mistake.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">I am going to show you what I ate last week, just this once, as I don't want to bore you. This was what my meals consisted of:</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#ff0000;">MONDAY<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#3333ff;"><br />Breakfast</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#660000;">I had a slice of wholegrain bread, spread with brown sauce and topped by two turkey rashers, followed by half a grapefruit, but this could have been any piece of fruit really.<br /></span><span style="color:#3333ff;">Lunch</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">Slice wholegrain toast, topped by two low fat sausages plus some baby plum tomatoes. (The diet called for a tin of tomatoes, but I don’t like them cooked). This was followed by an orange.<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#3333ff;">Dinner<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">Three low fat sausages, 175g new potatoes, plus unlimited other vegetables with low fat gravy. This was followed by one baked cooking apple and 150g low fat plain yoghurt.<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#3333ff;">Evening<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#660000;">Milky decaff frothy coffee and one piece of fruit.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">TUESDAY</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#3333ff;">Breakfast<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#660000;">Slice of wholegrain bread, spread with brown sauce and topped by two turkey rashers. I also had some dry fried new potatoes left over from my portion last night. (Verified with Rosemary Conley site) This was followed by an orange.<br /></span><span style="color:#3333ff;">Lunch</span><br />I</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#660000;"> was out at a class so didn’t have anything, but I did have a grapefruit when I got back.<br /></span><span style="color:#3333ff;">Dinner</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">Lentil and potato pie from the recipe book, with unlimited other vegetables, other than of course, potatoes. I also had one baked cooking apple with 150g low fat natural yoghurt.<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#3333ff;">Evening<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#660000;">Milky decaff frothy coffee and a piece of fruit.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">WEDNESDAY</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#3333ff;"><br />Breakfast</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#660000;">40g wholewheat cereal (I happen to like mine with hot water). Piece of fruit<br /></span><span style="color:#3333ff;">Lunch</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">Pitta bread filled with a mixture of Romaine shredded lettuce, sliced baby plum tomatoes, 1oz tinned salmon, 1 tablespoon 100% fat free Greek yoghurt and one teaspoon of tomato ketchup, with plenty of pepper! One orange.<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Dinner<br /></span><span style="color:#660000;">Summer Vegetable Bake from the recipe book, follwed by one baked cooking apple and 150g low fat natural yoghurt</span>.<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#3333ff;">Evening<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">Milky decaff coffee and a piece of fruit.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><br />THURSDAY</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Breakfast</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">40g whole wheat cereal. Piece of fruit.<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#3333ff;">Lunch<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">Two slices of wholegrain bread spread with low calorie dressing and filled with unlimited salad, including two ounces of thin sliced ham. One orange.<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#3333ff;">Dinner<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">Chicken Korma and rice followed by one baked cooking apple and 150g low fat natural yoghurt.<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#3333ff;">Evening<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">Milky frothy decaff coffee and a piece of fruit.<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><br />FRIDAY</span><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Breakfast</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">Slice of wholewheat bread, spread with brown sauce, and topped with two turkey rashers. A piece of fruit.<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#3333ff;">Lunch<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">Pitta bread stuffed with mixed salad, 1 tablespoon 0% fat Greek yoghurt, 1 teaspoon tomato ketchup and 10z salmon, followed by one baked cooking apple and 150g low fat natural yoghurt.<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#3333ff;">Dinner<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">Three WW apple and pork sausages, 175g new potatoes, unlimited steamed vegetables, followed by baked apple and natural yoghurt<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#3333ff;">Evening<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#660000;">Milky coffee and one orange<br /><br /></span><span style="color:#ff0000;">SATURDAY</span><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Breakfast</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">One slice whole wheat bread topped with 150g baked beans<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#3333ff;">Lunch<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">Same as yesterday<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Dinner<br /></span><span style="color:#660000;">Lentil and potato pie with unlimited vegetable and followed by baked apple and 150g low fat plain yoghurt</span><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Evening</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#660000;">Cup of milky coffee and piece of fruit<br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">SUNDAY<br /></span><span style="color:#3333ff;">Breakfast</span><br /><span style="color:#660000;">40g whole wheat cereal and half a grapefruit</span><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Lunch</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#660000;">Two slices of wholegrain bread, spread with low calorie salad dressing, and filled with unlimited salad, including 20z thin sliced ham and one fruit.<br /></span><span style="color:#3333ff;">Dinner</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">6ozs chicken, dry fried, 100g new potatoes and unlimited vegetables, followed by baked apple and 150g low fat natural yoghurt.<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Evening<br /></span><span style="color:#660000;">Milky coffee and one apple.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">The two weeks I have been on this diet are much stricter than the rest of the diet, so I will be introducing a much more varied menu. If I don't lose any more weight by next Monday, then I will stick to the kick start menus of the first two weeks. Sindie is doing much better than I am, but then she is half my age! My age counts against me when looking for big weight losses, as I can't excercise much, and it is harder to lose weight the older you are. As I am 65 now, that is counted as being old, even though I don't think it is!!</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#660000;">I will hopefully chart a weight loss next week:0)</span>weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045090281195332226.post-1858320589432389342008-04-30T06:30:00.000-07:002008-04-30T06:32:44.652-07:00My Diet<span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">I have started the Rosemary Conley GI Jeans diet and thought it would help me if I blogged about it!! I have been on it one week so far and have lost 4lbs! I am thrilled. My daughter Sindie, and my sister are also doing it. Sindie lost 4lb the first week as well.<br /><br />I am going to list what I have eaten for the day, and then chart my weight loss each week. I have checked with the Rosemary Conley website, and they have given me permission to do this:0) I think this will be the incentive I need.<br /><br />I am allowed three quarters of a pint of skimmed or semi skimmed milk a day, plus an extra piece of fruit mid morning and mid afternoon. I am also allowed an extra salad portion. This is in addition to the days meals of course!<br /><br />This is for the first two weeks, but after that I can either stay on this part of the diet or move on to part two, which has a lot more recipes!<br /><br />So far I am finding this diet fantastic, and seem to be eating much more than I usually do. It would be nice if some of you decided to buy this book as well, then we could swop notes and recommend recipes:0)<br /><br />I will announce any weight loss, and the menus throughout the week that led up to it, each Monday. I feel very positive about this diet, so wish me luck.</span>weechuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382520692712352649noreply@blogger.com6