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 |  Empty or full, shiny or a little in need of washing and sometimes just cracked! |
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I heard about these blogs and wondered why people would want to air their dirty laundry online. But I feel safe on this site so maybe it's worth a try. We'll see. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Thanks and hugs to Nada   for the angel's wings. Now we can fly together my friend.  ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Many thanks to the lovely vivacious  for the fabulous design to match my blog title This blog is complete. Please find my new blog from the link below...
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| I started my blog on a Friday, so it seems appropriate to end it on one too. It’s a strange and scary feeling and in a way a bit like losing a good friend and confidante. So what happens when I’ve crossed all the ‘t’s, dotted all the ‘i’s and put that last full stop in place? Will the screen go dark and a curtain come down? Will there be fanfares, rounds of applause or boos and hisses? Will life go on as I know it or will things be changed forever? I guess I’m about to find out. It’s just over two years since I started this blog, so understandably I’m very reluctant to be parted from it. I know a new one is a certainty, but somehow I’m sure it won’t be quite the same. But I’m glad I’ve produced this little book and I hope it will be here for a long time so I can reminisce, research and relive some special moments. I just hope I can still access all the wonderful and hilarious comments. This really has been the most amazing journey and one I’ve never regretted starting. From those early days of rambling away to myself to the brilliant group of supportive friends I have today, there isn’t one thing I’d change. My blog has become an important part of my daily life; it’s seen me through good times and bad, the mundane and the totally unexpected, high days and holidays, laughter and tears. I could never offer enough thanks to all of you who have joined me along the way or for the pleasure you have brought me through your own blogs. I hope things will continue this way for a long time to come. No way could I have anticipated how much of a learning experience this has been. From mastering many more of WDC’s technicalities, learning about other people and their lives, to broadening my own knowledge and horizons and discovering more about myself, it’s all been extremely valuable in my humble opinion. In some ways I feel it’s changed me as a person, made me stronger, more confident and less inclined to despair or feel alone in the world. For this, I thank you all again. I guess that’s it then. As it’s the season of WUB and because I WUB you all, I’ll include two lovely sigs presented to me by pencilsoverpens and *Barbara Maria* And now the end is near…and so I face the final curtain…my friends I’ll make it clear…and state my case of which I’m certain…I’ve blogged a book that’s full…I’ve written things I wanted to say…and more, much more than this… I DID IT MY WAY ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
The downside of heavy snow is that golf and any other outside activities are cancelled, leaving hubby at a loss as to how to fill his time. He did spend a happy hour at the kitchen sink scrubbing the black bits off a saucepan God love him, but a day at home means I have far more important things to do than that.  My friend Big Pam phoned this morning to inform me she's booked a PANK Limo for her burpday and we gals are to have a PANK day out. Therefore it was essential I immediately foraged in my wardrobe, shoe cupboard and jewellery box to check how many PANK items I have and what I will need to purchase for the day out. After all, her burpday is in April and it takes time to get ready for these auspicious occasions. After that I cleaned the kitchen radiator. I mean, every person who visits our house heads straight for the kitchen and comments on how filthy and splattered my radiator is. Well, no more - I now own the most pristine, sparkling radiator in the land. Well worth the effort. Next I decided to wash the curtains and bedding in my son's room. Well, he has mentioned he could be coming home in May although I've yet to broach the subject of where he intends to put his new wife and any other bodies or excess baggage he arrives with. I'm sure they'll appreciate clean curtains whatever. As I was standing on a chair taking down his curtains I noticed his uplighter lampshade was full of kamikaze insects who'd decided to end it all in there. So, I had to clean that and respectfully dispose of the bodies. RIP Three flies, two moths and a daddy longlegs. Finally, in preparation for tomorrow's exciting activities, I got the bog cleaning materials ready. Although I always use 'Toilet Duck' for cleaning purposes, my toilet brush actually resides in a pot frog. I noticed bog frog's painted eyes had almost peeled off, so my last important task of the day was to hunt out my paints and restore him to his former glory. Dont you think I did a great job? Okay, not perfect but I never claimed to be related to Michaelangelo.So,there you have it - another most productive and useful day. Who knows? If it snows again tomorrow I may even try something trivial and a complete waste of time like writing a novel or a serious blog entry.   |
| What happens to you while you're busy making other plans. I think I've quoted that song line more than any other over the years. The older I get, the more relevant and poignant it seems. I've reached the point now where I tend to push aside any plans that may start to formulate in my brain when I wake up. Experience has taught me as soon as I become vertical, life will throw all manner of unexpected surprises and irritants my way, so it's no good thinking an ordered, leisurely day lies ahead. It just doesn't happen that way. Instead I get up and ponder how long it will be before the first obstacle or problem rears its head. Sometimes it's immediate in the guise of lost spectacles, spilled tea or unexpected visitors. Other times it can be up to an hour before something comes along to cause hassle or confusion. Today has been no different. At ten I waited for John the foot tickler to arrive. By quarter past he hadn't, leading to the first head-scratching moment of the day. I phoned his wife and threw her into a panic as she assured me he'd set out ages ago. Further phone calls confirmed he was at my friend Gillian's house. We alternate the reflexologist sessions weekly, but I swear it should have been at my place today and not hers. It's definitely her who's going senile not me  , but I wasn't going to argue.So, instead of a relaxing morning at my house, I then had to rush round in order to leave time to walk to hers. My next mistake came when I got the bird food out the cupboard and the vegetables to make a soup later from the shelf below. I topped up the bird bag with some bread, put the bird bag in the bread bin and took the veggies outside to give the birds. And I thought I was good at multi-tasking.  After correcting the problem and putting the bird food outside, I noticed the water in the bird bath had frozen over. So, instead of refilling it with my watering can as I usually do, I returned to the kitchen to get the freshly boiled kettle. Immediately I reached the bird bath again, I'd forgotten it was the kettle I had in my hand, sloshed it into the bird bath and it splattered all over my foot. After hopping back to the house I noticed a pile of small change on the kitchen table. We keep a little money box for the twin grandsons and put any loose coins in it for them, so I thought I'd just drop them in before going out. I picked up the money box and immediately the bottom fell out and about a £100000 worth of coppers and small coins scattered in all directions all over the lounge. After crawling round on hands and knees retrieving coins, I dashed out the door to walk to Gillian's house. Crossing the park I spotted a stray worm on the path, decided I didn't have time to rescue it, took five more steps foward then decided I couldn't cope with the guilt of leaving it to frazzle and went back. On closer inspection said worm looked a little worse for wear, if not already deceased, but it still had a gooeyish look about it, so I decided it may stand a chance if I moved it onto grass and covered it with leaves. Not wishing to arrive at Gillian's covered in worm goo I used my last tissue to deposit the worm under a hedge. It neither thanked me or showed any sign of still being on the mortal coil, but I'd done my best. Finally I arrived at Gillian's house breathless, with a runny nose and no tissue, late of corset. I'd only been up a couple of hours and already the day was turning into a series of mini-disasters and frustrating mishaps. I should be used to it by now; most of my days turn out that way, but sometimes the sheer possibilities of what the rest of the day holds is enough to drive me to drink. And no doubt it will. In the words of another of my favourite songs... 'Life gets tedious don't it? ' |
| Without wishing my time away I'm always relieved when January is out the way. It's such a long, dreary month when the spring seems so far away and there's little to enjoy with the weather and lack of colour in nature. February has started beautifully in England. Clear blue skies, mild temperatures in the day time and already buds and bulbs appearing. I doubt it will last but I'll enjoy it while it does. So, plans for this month? 1. On the writing front I'll keep my promise to submit one item to a publisher and enter at least one contest on WDC. I have a few new pieces brewing for other competitions I've seen on the internet too. 2. Last February I commited to losing some weight and was pleased with the results. I lost 21 pounds in six months. A little has crept back on, but I'm determined to get back on track and lose another 14 pounds by summer. 3. Paul and Mey Ling will land in Melbourne, Australia later tonight and it will be interesting to see what progresses from there. It's still not an easy thing to cope with, but certainly a story unfolding. 4. I shall start killing my verrucas. I've had them on my foot for nearly two years and as they pay no rent, it's time for them to go. No treatments have worked so far, so I intend consulting a chiropodist. 5. On the social front there's little happening but I am going to another school reunion tonight. So I better get moving. I'll post my holiday photos below but please forgive any errors as I think I've put my contact lens in the wrong eyes. A good start to the evening, but after a few vinos will I care?  |
| I always enjoy learning new things and find it quietly reassuring that the old grey matter can still cope with new ideas, even if a little more slowly. Here are five positives I observed during my time in Gran Canaria. 1. Despite the weather and the scenery not being the prettiest I've ever seen, it is a lovely island with a very pleasant atmosphere and I'd definitely return at some stage. I'll have to persuade them to let me know when they next have a drought and maybe they'll fly me over for free. 2. I've always loved the Spanish language. I now have over a dozen words in my spanish vocabulary. Maybe in another few hundred years I'll have mastered it completely. 3. There are hundreds of Atlantic spotted dolphins in the area and we were lucky enough to see them. 4. The Spanish make wonderful shoes.  5. I'm not a big television fan but the trumping variety we had in our room really entertained me. But of course, there have to be five negative observations to balance things out. 1. It DOES rain in Gran Canaria. They average around two weeks a year of rainfall and we just had to hit one of them. 2. The Canary Islands do not belong to the EU. My plan to bring back 6 months supply of cheap cigarettes was thwarted as I daren't risk bringing more than the allowed 200 through customs. I know, I know...I should give it up...Manyana 3. My hubby should be awarded a degree in stating the obvious. Phrases like 'It's stopped raining,' 'The sand's golden on this beach,' and 'Here's the bus,' assure me if I ever go blind I won't need a trained labrador. 4. When you book a hotel it's a good idea to ask for a room on a lower floor. Being stuck at the top and sharing tiny lifts with overweight, vociferous Germans is not my ideal way of starting the day. 5. Finding a 'limited edition' perfume by your favourite cosmetic company in the duty free shop at the airport can be a big disappointment when you get it home and discover it's aftershave. Photos to be posted in the near future and I'll do my best to catch up a little soon. Cream-crackered again tonight as we didn't get home until 5.00am this morning. I think I need a holiday in the sun...maybe I should try the Sahara desert. |
| They say everyone has a gift of some sort. I think I've finally discovered mine. I'm a weather witch. This has only been confirmed over the last couple of years since I've been going abroad. If I go away early or late summer, you can guarantee England has a heatwave and is warmer than where I've chosen to go. In an effort to fool the weather, I decide to leave England in January when there can't possibly be a heatwave and what happens? Gran Canaria is affected by the worst weather in years. It started on Thursday and is due to end as we fly out next Wednesday. It has rained and rained and blown and blown and temperatures are struggling. We've had two trips cancelled already, bought a brolly on Thursday, lost it on Friday and bought another on Saturday. lol My friend Big Pam comes here every winter and told me it NEVER rains. She arrives at the same hotel tomorrow for a week and I may just be tempted to hit her with new brolly, or both if I can find the other one. Last night we were reduced to sitting in our room wrapped in blankets. There is only one English TV channel which is continuous news coverage...yawn. I noticed the TV has a habit of trumping every half an hour or so and attempting to guess when it would next pass wind kept me in hysterics for some reason. GAWD, I've finally completely lost it...not that you'll notice any difference. But hey...It's stopped raining...and it's happy hour...and there's a great shoe shop down the road...maybe I'll survive. Catch up with you all soon. WUBS ya. |
| I've been a blue-arsed fly again (ie.very busy) and am starting to feel cream-crackered (ie. rhyming slang for kna..erm exhausted) so I'm going to release the Blogville News in a minute then complete my packing and stuffage. It's brass monkey weather here today - bright but absolutely freezing. Feels odd putting summer clothes in a suitcase and makes choice of clothing for the journey tomorrow a bit of a challenge. Still, I'll cope somehow and hopefully this time tomorrow we'll be on our way to Gran Canaria, unless we're snowed in of course. Good timing is one of my exceptional talents. I had a bit of a problem with this month's Newsletter as Cassie Reynolds had her folder contents reduced before she resumed her membership and all the Blogville News graphics went AWOL.  In a panic I did my best to design some replacements but then Cassie Reynolds returned, reinstated her folder and the graphics reappeared. No disrespect to her but I'll leave mine in place for this month as otherwise all the time I spent designing, cursing and kicking inanimate objects will have been in vain. Maybe we can interchange them so you don't get too bored. Anyway, I'll be absent from Blogville for a week so you can all talk about me behind my back and hold parties in my blog during my time away. Just make sure it's clean and tidy for my return and you all take care, you hear? I'll most probably find a 'puter in the hotel or in an internet cafe so may drop in and see what you're up to.  Will miss you and WUB you all. |
| Apologies for my lack of blog reading, commenting and failed review promises but I've had to metamorphosise from a slug to a blue-arsed fly since yesterday. Hubby booked a holiday yesterday afternoon, so on Wednesday morning we'll be flying from Manchester to Gran Canaria for a week, everything crossed. Gawd, we might even get to see that orange thing in the sky again and be able to go out without three layers of clothing. There's been much to do and organise and there is still much to do and organise, but the rest can wait until tomorrow. I'm cream-crackered for today. I'll be releasing The Blogville News tomorrow some time so if you forgot to vote for your favourite blogger then tough The contest is closed now for this month, so you'll have to wait until February. I'll announce the Newsletter through the group and hope all you members receive the link okay and will also put the link in here. I bet you can't wait.  |
| I stepped out from the gym this morning, walked to the car park, misjudged the edge of the kerb and went thud on the floor yet again. That's three times in less than a year and I promise I've been sober each time. That's the reward you get for a two hour gruelling workout. So now I have a chunk missing from my elbow and a bruise on my thigh the size of Australia. I'm amazed I've survived to this age. I've always been accident prone and am surprised I've never actually broken a bone or suffered serious damage. Touching wood. As a child I can't remember a time I didn't have a scab on my knees or a lump on my head. My mother constantly complained about me walking with my head down and consequently bumping into lamposts. She stopped complaining the day I decided to walk with my head up and trod in a pile of dog shit. lol It's a well known fact my grandfather carried me on his shoulders to the casualty department at the hospital more times than I can remember. Been run over twice, sprained both ankles jumping a whole flight of stairs and had many sports injuries. In later life I've been involved in three road accidents, been bitten twice by dogs, needed stitches after falling in a stream and cracking my head on a rock and needed surgery abroad after a cactus needle embedded itself in my toe. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Something is conspiring to get rid of me. But then considering my parents are from different planets I have to conclude my arrival on earth was an accident in itself. But it seems, like dandruff, I'm not that easy to get rid of so I will take my battered, wounded old body up the stairs to Bedfordshire and hope to be able to get out of bed tomorrow. What about you? Are you a clumsy clot and what sort of accidents have you had? |
| I decided to brave the elements yesterday despite gales of between sixty and ninety miles an hour and heavy rain showers. Some things can't be allowed to get in the way of a shopping expedition. I concluded if the train turned up I'd go and if it didn't...well, obviously I wouldn't. It pulled into our little station right on time; a good omen I thought. I shopped and dropped for a few hours, bought a couple of skirts but no shoes or carrots. I then headed to the station in Nottingham to return home and discovered all the trains had been cancelled. So much for my psychic abilities. Hubby came to the rescue but it meant hanging around in the foul weather for nearly an hour and a late dinner. All this for a couple of skirts I probably won't wear all winter because it's too cold, wet and blustery. Oh well, I never claimed to be sensible. Today I've been to the hairdressers which takes most of the day but beats housework. I've had some highlights and lowlights and think it looks better. I tried this once before but didn't like the colour used. Sort of the shade of...how to describe it...hmmm...carrots...yep that's it. Much more subtle this time. My son rang this morning and we had another pleasant chat. Now I'd like to tell you a little behind the scenes story here. When my troubles began with this saga a very kind WDC member name of Startiara offered some accommodation to my son and wife should they travel to Singapore. Well they have arrived in Singapore and are presently staying at a friend of Startiara 's complete with pool, gym, sauna and maid. Sheesh - I could do with a bit of that myself. Chwee Khim has gone out of her way to make them welcome and comfortable and I feel extremely honoured to have such wonderful, kind people around me and mine at this time. The world is certainly a small place these days and the kindness of strangers enough to restore my faith.Chwee Khim sent me an e-mail to say how sweet and lovely they both are and attached a photo of them she took which I'll share with you. Say hello to my new daughter-in-law; I think you all know as much about her as I do.  Huge thanks again to Startiara for her thoughtfulness and to all of you who have helped me see this isn't the end of the world but an opportunity to build bridges and face the future with hope.  |
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