Visitors

Eldest Son and family came to see us. We like it when this happens. I get a few precious minutes with my daughter-in-law and a lot of hugs from the children. Both grandsons are adorable and full of fun and their baby sister has reached the stage where she is beginning to compete for attention. As most children are fearless at this age (nearly two) this means that Mummy spends a lot of time grabbing her before she falls off whatever she has climbed up.

Grandpa has a box with presents!

"Look Grandma, a box of tricks!"

"He gets tricks but all they let me play with is oranges"

"Your not allowed in the kitchen until you are ten years old Miss!"
"Marmar, I found this, It was here so I had to get it"

Oh, look! It's Sooty!

Monday? Christmas? oh yes!

We went to Darling Daughter's for our dinner. I could get used to this tradition.

Cousin Travis sent us a fabulous print of his painting. The colours are so vibrant you can feel the heat of the High Desert in Californis. I love it!

"It's a glass", she said "Because you are not an amateur" he said.

You have to have seen the schweppes advert to appreciate her non-Amateur status with the G&T

"excuse me Grandpa, can I whisper in your ear?" We thought for a while he might have to eat dinner with a shoulder ornament but she needed the loo so he was saved

We lit the twinkly lights poured the wine and grape juice and then turned the "big light" on so we could see each other and the food

Miss Boo tucking in to her dinner - note that she has her own gravy boat, just like Grandpa

White Christmas - The big screen movie

I was so taken up with excitement over having Mr M home for the holidays I forgot to tellyou all about my Saturday afternoon treat

My Darling Daughter and Miss Boo treated me to a showing of White Christmas on the big screen. Our local theatre does showings of 'classic' films.

I was so excited and we had front row seats. I have never managed to get through this film without crying because it was my Dad's favourite. He was in WW2 so the bits with the soldiers resonated with him. Christmas 1944 saw him very close to where the Americans were fighting the Battle of the Bulge and then in February 1945 he was badly injured and shipped home to meet my mother.

Anyhoo, this film brings back memories of my Dad for me and my daughter so the chance to see it on the big screen was not to be missed. 

We cried and sang and cried and laughed all the way through and the ending just got to me as usual so I was wiping my eyes as I sang/sobbed "We'll follow the Old Man, wherever he wants to go..." and thinking how marvellous that my Dad saw this in the cinema all those years ago.

They even made it snow on us at the end and as we filed out of the cinema studio there were warm mince pies. We have suggested that a showing of this film before Christmas should happen every year - make it a tradition, after all that's how traditions start. We would go - as long as I could walk I would go - I loved it and seeing the film on the big screen was so much better.

Merry Christmas to all *cue music* "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, with every christmas card I write ..."

Monday and Me - Home for the holidays

Mr M. Seen here photographing his lunch at Franco's last month, is officially off work until next year! This might not seem to be a big thing but, and here you have to take into account that we have been together for 37 years, I have always hated him going out to work.
From the moment we became a couple, and that was at my cousin Louisas wedding on Augusr 2nd 1980. I have always felt a physical wrench when he goes away from me. From the moment he goes out through the door I am waiting for him to come back.
He said recently that he has always felt the same and when I used to go to Manchester to dog sit for my daughter he would suffer from empty-armitis.

So when he arrived home from work on Friday and said he wasn't going back until January it was a real boost.
So here we are on Monday waiting until it is time to go to Ystrad Mynach so that Mr M can do his Hydrotherapy and then we can go to Morrisons and do the "ordinary" shop. The Christmas grocery shop, apparently, will be done later in the week. My eldest son has said that he and his family will be coming down from North Wales after Christmas so I can watch the children open their presents and get the chance to give my boy some of the family heirlooms to keep safe for when the children grow up. Nothing of great value just some things that belonged to my parents and grand parents that need to be shared out while I can still tell the stories.

New Doors

Just a quick update to show off my new french doors. I cannot believe how much lighter it makes the room

Before

After

Wednesday not Monday - Blame the lurgy

I was struck by ... something on Saturday. I was suddenly so cold I was shivering and shivering so badly I couldn't hold the crochet hook! I went to bed with my trusty bettermaker quilt and on Sunday I felt even worse.

I still managed to put the chicken in the oven so that Mr M had something to eat then I retired to my chair and spent the next two days there.

Sssshhh, this is a secret until - well it's not a Christmas present it's an UN-birthday present for my great grandson. The fabric collection is called "To The Moon and Back" which I think is wonderful

I ordered a book called "Snipped Tales" for myself on Monday around midday. At 2.30pm I had a message to say it had been dispatched and it arrived on Tuesday morning. Each book is individually wrapped and has a unique label

This is the label on my book. This is the way the stories are created in the book too. with little snippets of text taken from old books and publication. I love it.

Not a lot happening here because of the lurgy although we have managed to get the craft room mostly into the Fornow room and we have a bed ready for Wicked Uncle Cliff when he arrives after Christmas. It took the efforts of three people to do this. I won't count myself in here because all I did was faff about. I even have a space to sit in there and sort through the magazines for the particular cross-stitch patterns that they were kept for. I think I might just cut them from the magazines and throw the excess in the recycling. OH,oh I could scan them and keep them on a memory stick! now that makes sense
Today I will be seeking out the single bed sheets and the duvet and pillows and getting the room ready for occupancy.

Monday and me - Saying goodbye to Blue Cat

This is Blue Cat. He was rescued by my daughter and Son-in-Law eighteen years ago and has lived the life of Riley with them ever since. He adored FSiL and was devoted to DD and when Miss Boo arrived he regarded her as his personal adoration machine. 

 I was Grandma and when his real hoomans went on holiday I was a useful substitute. When they moved back home from Manchester he tolerated us and soon had us all running to his timetable.
He wasn't a cuddly cat and despite his orange and white colouring he never said Miaow like an ordinary cat, he spoke like a Siamese or Burmese and it was possible to have a long conversation with him. If he decided to sit on your lap you were indeed honoured

For the last few months he has begun to show his age and when I was tea lady for the builders last week I noticed that he was a lot stiffer and his back legs seemed to be weaker. He was still strident in his calls for food and even after I explained that I was there for the builders and not for cats he didn't give up.
Last night it was his time to go over the Rainbow Bridge and as you can imagine Miss Boo was distraught. DD was doing her very best to keep it together while she sorted out what to do so Boo came to us and was cwtched by Grandpa while Mummy got on with the job of taking him to the vet for his final time. Boo has never known life without him and said "I wasn't ready, I want him back to say goodbye, I wasn't ready"

This is the first time she has been old enough to suffer a loss and it is very hard. A huge part of me wanted to wash it all away, to make it all not have happened but that small voice of reason was there in the back of my head saying that this was the best way for her to experience grief and loss. She is safe in the heart of the family and can cry and talk as much as she likes without ever being told that she should stop. She will always have a little part of her ready for this to happen again and it will never be as raw because she has done it this time.

I shall miss the old Blue Boy. I hope there are squirrels and a safe window for him to sit behind while he swears at them

Monday - no Wednesday, there were builders

There were builders, at my daughters house, putting in french doors. The doors fitting was the easy part. The plastering and floor fixing took the rest of the two days. Now I am home again and avoiding going upstairs to sort the Fornow Room

 Played around with baubles and the old lantern and a jar that Mr M bought last year. I think the lantern is great but the jar needs a bit of adjustment - and a clean.

I must sort out the Fornow Room this week and get Favourite-Son-in-Law to help with moving the big stuff so that Wicked-Uncle-Cliff will have a bed to sleep in when he visits after Christmas.
I have another jar and I have put my carol singer baubles into it with some quiltwadding for snow and a whole bunch of LED lights. It looks quite good but needs tweaking before the photograph. Now I am off upstairs to get the shelves emptied ready to move

Monday and Me - A Memory Quilt for me

 It's been a funny week - not funny-ha-ha, more funny-peculiar. As you know Cousin Russell has been staying with us while he finds wokr etc but he had a chance to work in West Wales this week so he departed on Tuesday and it was odd to have to scale down the cooking a little. I used the time to pull out all the old and precious T-shirts I have worn over the last 40+ years and set to work making my very own memory quilt.

 It was so much fun, even if I am sadly out of practice with sitting at a machine for hours. Of course the memories came flooding back as I cut and stitched and I confess to crying a lot as I held the Wrangler T-shirt because I had worn that on our special holiday in Scotland with The Lord Admiral and Lady B (long before they had earned their titles and were just Mr and Mrs).

 As the tears flowed I realised just how much I miss him because he was so much more than "just" my cousin. He was the baby brother I never had. It reminded me that we did so many things together when we were growing up and I don't think we ever fell out over anything. Perhaps because he could make me laugh?

I used a quilt as you go method which means that the back is as colourful as the front. Now I intend doing a little hand quilting this winter just to make it even more mine. This means I will be able to wrap myself in it and then do a bit of stitching while watching TV with the weather raging outside. A definite win/win situation. I am now about to embark on making a quilt for my great grandson and I started the templates for the letters this morning before exchanging the really hard wooden chair at the table for my lovely cushiony chair in front of the computer.

Monday and Me - A quiet weekend

We did absolutely nothing except the shopping this weekend. No gallivanting, no little rides out in the country and lunch at somewhere nice. We stayed home. Mr M played on his Puter and I watched Christmas24 and knitted my blanket. Cousin Russell is now able to talk to his wife face to face because of the joys of messenger and that's made him a lot happier. He continues to look for jobs and I continue to feed him to build him up - I have my orders from Cristina to feed him and get him back to strength.

I didn't even have to cook on Saturday because Mr M decided he wanted chinese. Night off! The weather turning chilly has encouraged us all to stay in and keep warm, something I will continue to do until the spring arrives. I don't do cold.

My eldest grandson and my great grandson share a birthday with a mere 23 years between them. It was good to see that they were so obviously enjoying their special day. I also feel really blessed to be able to see these youngsters growing up. Someone asked me if it was awful feeling old because I have great grandchildren. I thought about it and realised that they have never made me feel old. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to watch their lives unfold and to see in the third generation after me the wonder and joy of the world in their faces when they learn something new.

I always hoped that I would get the chance to watch that process with my own children and it was glorious and then came the grandchildren and while I tried my best not to interfere - and I still do try to shut my mouth and not pour unwanted advice onto my children and their partners - I am able to see again that dawning wonder as the world reveals itself to them.

The great grandchildren are a bonus. I never knew mine because they had all died by the time I was born. It was not quite the same for my children as my maternal grandfather was still with us when they were born. They were all very young when he died and they have only the vaguest memories of Pop. They see him in the scrapbooks and I am writing all the stories and doing the family history so they will have something to pass on to their grandchildren.

I am extremely lucky to have all these youngsters around me. They don't make me feel old. They make me feel honoured to know them and the fact that they still talk to me says I am doing something right

Today's introspection has been brought to you by birthdays and grandchildren - you're welcome

How could I have missed this?

A Picture of a birthday girl

It seems that I have been missing an essential part of the blogisphere. A feed. I vaguely remember having something like this about three computers ago but as with everything technical when the puter croaked it took away all the handy stuff. I couldn't remember where or how.

Anyhoooo, I have been pointed in the right direction by my lovely online friend Ruth and I am at last "up to date" - well I have to be don't I after reading the riot act to someone who did that silly "I-don't-do-Facebook-because-I-am-too-old/setinmyways/intellectual/smart" thing at me. I pointed out that they are more than 10 years younger than me and I can do it and not get sucked into it....

I digress all I am doing is connecting my blog to my feed by inserting some code - that makes it sound like I actually know doesn't it?

Monday no Wednesday - I'm late I was busy

When we went to North Wales for the Christening of my youngest granddaughter I realised that somehow I had missed making a quilt for her elder brother. I had made one for her eldest brother when he was Christened and now I had made one for Little Miss but not for the middle one. I talked to him about it and promised to make a special quilt for him.

It took me a while to get going because I could see his name in my mind but the rest of the quilt just wouldn't form. That was until I was looking at fabric on this here t'internet and suddenly I spotted a range of fabrics called "To The Moon And Back". There were planets and rockets and constellations and everything fell into place.
This also made me realise that I gave a quilt to my great granddaughter but I haven't yet given one to her little brother ... I have enough To the Moon jelly roll* left and certainly enough layer cake* so that's one of my objectives for the next two weeks. I have to get this done because that will empty the bag of wadding and the backing fabric and get me started on reducing the contents of the "Fornow" room (you know about the fornow room, yes? that's the room you point to when someone asks "where shall I put this" you say "Oh, put it in there For Now")
My Cousin Ann is coming in two weeks to help me get all the crap stuff sorted and sent to either the tip or the charity shop or photographed and put on eBay. I want to make sure that I have reduced the sewing stuff a bit just to get started.
We have Wicked Uncle Cliff coming to stay just after Christmas and we have Cousin Russell staying too so we need another bedroom so this is the push I needed to reduce the amount of junk. I am not moving just downsizing LOL

* for the non sewing readers Jelly Roll is a roll of fabric strips usually about 6cm wide and about 120cm long. There are about 40 of these strips in a jelly roll. Layer cake is a stack of 10" squares of a range of fabric usually about 40 squares and with this amount of fabric I can make two quilts that will go on the beds until they grow up and can also be used to cwtch under when watching TV.

Monday, Mail and Me - ok just me

 We went to Liverpool to a funeral. This is me in the only top I have that isn't a T-shirt just about to write in the book of condolence. Never been to a funeral with one of those before - not one I have seen anyway. We met up with cousin Ela and after we had spoken to Dolores (Cousin Richie's wife) and Laura (Cousin Richie's step-daughter) we had a little of the food and then made for the hotel. Ela met us later in Wetherspoons and we had a relaxed meal while talking all the time.

We had decided to stay in Southport over night, because we knew the hotel, and come home the pretty way. Someone forgot to check on road works so we had an interesting detour around Hereford but that's a different story and not really worth telling except that Mr M was shouting at the rain because it had stayed with us all the way.

 Before we left we had to have breakfast. There are several places in Southport that we have tried and we like Andy's Snack Bar the best. We could check out from the Travelodge, put our bags into the car and walk around the corner for breakfast. Cousin Russell is looking a little better and he tells me he has gained 6 pounds since he got here - Perhaps now he can see why Mr M and I don't lose weight.

This year I seem to be trying to get the ultimate "Clouds-across-the-mountains" picture. It always looks so photogenic so I click away and then discover that the window was shut and my eyes had ignored the raindrops. -sigh.

The lesser spotted Blaenau Wharf

I scored a point! a whole point! What? you don't understand? You mean you don't play the points game? OH. Let me explain. You have to say something that makes the person you are with Laugh out loud, and preferably snort as well even if they don't want to. You should score double points if they are having a bit of a sulk when you manage it but that's something to ... discuss at the time.

Today we were out for a ride and were waiting at the traffic lights to turn into the Costco car park. Mr M was peering ahead and said

"So that's a Marsden's pub, The Sandpiper, like the Blaenau Wharf."

"Oh," I said with my Saturday head on and in full working order, "so they are all named after birds then"

Mr M laughed so hard he nearly forgot to move when the lights changed to green. When he could breathe again he said

"Yes, the twitchers come for miles to see a lesser-spotted Blaenau Wharf"

And then he awarded me a point!

We went to Cold Knapp because there are dragons - see, in the picture? oh can you only see a plane coming into Cardiff Airport? We-ell. When they are at a certain distance from their objective and if they are at a certain angle they look just like dragons to this little old lady's eyes. This gives us a really good reason to go to Cold Knapp and open the windows to top up our sea noises storage tank and to watch the Dragons arrive - the clouds were pretty good too. 

I did another good laugh line here too but didn't score a point (he's really mean with them) I said.

"The trouble is it is very difficult to tell a close up seagull to a faraway dragon. He laughed but said nul point

Bit of a Trauma

Bit of a hiatus in the blogiverse for me. You see it was my birthday at the end of September and we had enjoyed a jolly good day and we were looking forward to my daughter's birthday just after. I woke up the day after my birthday and for some reason felt compelled to fire up the face book page.

 

 That's when I learned that my cousin Richie had died the night before. His lovely wife could not access any telephone or emails because his phone was thumbprint locked - think about this people - so the only way she could tell his family was to put the announcement on FB and pray that we would see it.
I am ashamed to say I totally freaked out and turned into shrieky cow. Full out panic for at least an hour because his brother lives in Mexico and I didn't want Brother's wife to go on FB and see the announcement before I had a chance to tell him the news. Thank goodness for the six hour time difference. I did manage to tell him before he saw the FB page and so we then had to wait while he made arrangements to fly home earlier than planned He arrived stressed and grieving and I am under instruction to feed him to make him put on weight - I can do that!!!

 We took him out for the day on Saturday and here we are in The Rest Cafe waiting for breakfast. Do I look tired and fed up? I wasn't, I was actually just feeling hungry.

We then went out for a little ride - as we do - and went to Clive's fruit farm. Now is the time to visit there. You can sit in the cafe with ease and then move further and further away from the wood burning stove as you shed layer of clothes. They had Howden Wonder apples which I am advised are perfect for apple butter and I also bought bacon and pork pies and more apples and pears. Cousin Russ was suitably impressed.

Keeping it real

Whenever we are heading to middle England we go the pretty way and head up to Ross on Wye and then strike out across country. If we plan it right we get to stop at Jo's in Whitchurch, just by the turnoff that can take you to the Hedge Puzzle and Butterfly farm. Every table has a different cruet and as I was looking for a picture for this week and needed something to smile at I thought I would share what was on our table the last time we went.

Mr M frightened me on Friday by falling out of bed - again. He hit his face and arm on the bedside cabinet - again - and grazed his knee on the carpet. We don't know why he did this because we were both sound asleep until he hit the floor. Going from deep sleep to wide awake and struggling to get out to rush and help is quite an experience, but not one I would wish upon anyone. He had arthritis in both knees and his right shoulder so falling out of bed was the easy part. He can't kneel because it is so painful and he couldn't use his right arm to lever himself up. What followed was the most awful five minutes of our joint lives and we were both sobbing by the time he was sitting on the bed again. We have now acquired a side bar thing for the bed that should at least wake him and give him chance to stop himself falling.

When he took himself downstairs to make a cuppa he discovered that he had ripped his toenail off his little toe, just to add to the misery. I was useless at dealing with it and it was fortunate that his chiropody appointment was for Saturday so the lovely lady cleaned and dressed it for him.

We had a long talk about our general health and fitness and decided that we both need to lose weight urgently if only so we can pick each other up when we fall.

What surprised me most was how shaken I was. I could feel myself actually shaking the next morning and the tremors were still there on Sunday. Did we feel like going out as usual? No we didn't and when it was bed time I was reluctant to go and when I asked Mr M if he was afraid to go to bed he said "A bit".

Tonight we use the side bar and see if this gives us more confidence. Do you know I think this is what aging (rather than getting old) does to you. It saps your confidence. I know I am more careful when I am walking about because I know my reflexes are so much slower and if I lose my balance it takes just that fraction longer for my body to react. That fraction is the difference between wobbling a bit and ending up on the floor.

"Every decade brings its own reward" is something my granny used to say and I am beginning to hate that she kept harping on about it! Tomorrow I will be in a new decade I just hope things don't get to rewarding

Just keeping it real

Lovely colour!

 This is the old kitchen and the colour of the walls stayed the same after the new one was put in. Why? because we were both sick of other people in the house so we put off changing it

Now we have had the ceiling done white and the little bit of walls that can be seen is something called Tropical Lemon. We think it is lovely. so light, and it kind of glows and makes the kitchen look great. Now we have to think about moving the three tons of "stuff" in the breakfast room bit so we can get that done too - sigh.

Another week of hurry-up and wait

Sometimes you get as few days when lots of things could happen ... but they don't. That's how last week seemed to be.
Youngest Son has a new job because his old one disappeared. He now works delivering stuff for Currys/Dixons/PCWorld. He has been strained in the art of installation and given the uniform - the polo shirts are a dirty pinky colour and the hooded top is a dirty grey - lovely!

Mr M has seen the sleep clinic advisor and will be collecting some form of machinery next week to help him sleep better. One thing that was confirmed is that he doesn't - DOES NOT - have sleep apnea so that means I can sleep without worry.

The really nice decorators have been and estimated and they will be painting the visible bits of wall and ceiling in the kitchen and the skirtings and door in the bathroom - so it will only have taken a year to complete them! Woooooo!

We went to Costco on Saturday. This is not something anyone should do by choice. The world and his wife were there with their children, and they were all in front of us in every aisle. We bought a few Christmas presents and lots of things we found we desperately needed - that always happens in Costco. I will be making Lemon Curd tomorrow and we now have bacon for special breakfasts at the weekend.

DD arrived on Saturday to cut Mr M's hair. He claimed he had to keep blowing it out of his eyes it was so long. He might have been exaggerating a little as his hair never gets to more than half an inch long EVER. She brought with her a little gift for us. Pictures! A fabulous picture of Miss Boo and her big brother. He came down to see us and to go to London with his Dad to get his Visa for Japan. He is going there to study for a year as part of his degree!

Two lovely pictures from the birthday one of Miss Boo with her cousins and then one with Eldest son surrounded by his children - and Miss Boo because Little M refused to have his picture taken without her. Big M looked rather splendid with his beard and Miss K looked happy and as though life is treating her well.

When I have scanned the pictures I will share them.

What Have I watched on TV? Long Lost Family, Who Do You Think You Are? and Victoria. Oh and a strange programme on catch-up called "Out of Thin Air" about some murders in Iceland. I tried to watch a programme called American Ripper about a man who was America's first serial killer and his great grandson thinks he was also Jack the Ripper. I say tried because three times I put the first episode on and three times I woke up as the credits rolled.

That's it for this week - more family history stuff has been done and the newsletter has gone out. If any family member hasn't received it then send me your email address and I will send it.

"Let me explain..."

"No it will take too long, let me sum up ..." Inego Montoya. The Princess Bride

I deliberately decided that I would take a break from blogging. I was struggling to write happy and life was swirling around me and I didn't want to miss a single second. The break was great for a few weeks and then the itch to write started again. I had secretly promised myself to start again with the new school term so the itch was so great I wrote other stuff instead. I'll tell more in my next blog. For now let me just sum up my summer.

 We took Wicked Uncle Cliff up to the top of the hill for dinner with Lady Bluefunnel. She texted and said "Dinner here, Sunday?" I replied that Cliff was staying and she said "Bring him" so we did. I don't know what he expected but what he got was a full Sunday dinner with trimmings AND the sight of Mr M in his own personal bib. You see Mr M likes his gravy but he always get Dinner Medals down his chest when he eats it so Lady B has a bib especially for him. And talking of Mr M

 He cut his face on the bedside cabinet when he fell out of bed! I won't draw too graphic a picture but let me try to give you some idea of how difficult if was for him to hurt his left cheek when he sleeps on the side of the bed where the cabinet is on his right side - when he lies on his back. There was an almighty thump (this woke YS who sleeps at the back of the house) and then the sound of groaning and the occasional sob. I peered through the darkness to see a forlorn white face peeking over the side of the bed, tears running down and mingling with the blood from his wound. Getting someone with arthritis in his knees off the floor and back into bed is a bit difficult. He also bruised both arms so I think he was trying to Riverdance in bed.

 We got YS to take this picture because my Grandson Raeffe was visiting before he goes off to Japan for a year to study. We are so proud of him. He has worked hard for the last two years in Uni to get the marks in the exams so he could do this year in Japan. He has wanted this since he was quite young, so seeing someone so determined get to achieve a goal is really very special - just like him. I have to smile at the faces. I seem to be most disapproving but YS is using my camera and I am concentrating on keeping my mouth shut and not trying to explain because I know that as soon as I speak he will click and I will be in the picture with my mouth open like a fish

 We went out shopping and because of a ditherer in front of us we turned off and ended up going through the Elan Valley. It is quite lovely but I seemed to be on the side of the car with the long drop. I don't do heights very well so when we came out the other side I was very glad to hear Mr M say "We've done that now, never have to do that again"

 We ended up in Devil's Bridge. Not bad when we were going five miles up the road to buy groceries. We had a cuppa, Mr M got stung by a wasp. He always takes the hit for me. I am deadly allergic to wasp stings, last time I had to have injections to stop the reaction so I am always careful. He wasn't even anywhere close because I had gone to get pictures of the engine. The nasty, evil little stinger just stung him on his elbow.

 There was a birthday. One with a zero so a bit special. Eldest Son came down from North Wales with Jane, his lovely wife and their three children and we all - Darling Daughter, Favourite Son-in-Law, Miss Boo, Youngest Son and his lovely lady Helen and her two children, Young M and Miss Kezzy, who are Eldest Son's children from his first marriage and Mr M and me - so 16 of us went out for a meal. I was overcome by the heat and Mr M had to bring me home. This meant that NOT ONE person took a picture of the cake. DD had made it in the shape of Francis Rossi's guitar (if you're not a Status Quo fan this will mean nothing) They all came back to our house and the birthday boy opened his presents

Mr M and I had been collecting small daft things for about a year. Every one was individually wrapped and put into one of those plastic storage boxes. Our aim is that in 20 years time everyone will remember the fun of watching him open all the gifts even if we can't remember what they were. We did it for his sister when she reached the same milestone and she said it was the most memorable thing. He thoroughly enjoyed it and so did the youngest of his children who at 18 months thought it was HUGE fun to keep dipping into the box and bringing out another parcel for Daddy to open. She did help him get started on a couple. I intend making an album of all the pictures and giving it to
So, that's my summer, well some of it. I'll skip over the tomato blight on the biggest crop of tomatoes EVER, and the failure of the bean crop and my inability to do what I want to in my garden because I no longer have the strength. I will talk more next time.

Monday, Mail and Me - Nothing to see!!

I had a cold. I think it might have been slightly more than a cold. I think it might have been a "non-specific Viral Infection" as the doctor once so eloquently described it.
Whatever it was I was knocked for six and apart from sleeping, coughing, sneezing and sipping hot honey and lemon I have taken very little notice of the rest of the world until Saturday.
That was when I realised that I no longer had a temperature it was the summer that had a temperature.

I turned up the fan to full strength blow and relaxed into my chair - my legs elevated of course.

I will have more to tell you next week, I hope.

My thanks to Sian for inventing this meme and keeping me writing

Monday, Mail and Me - Pasta pot and Plastic Ice-cubes and cousins

It's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegone Newport. I brought home a cold from North Wales and selfishly decided to keep it all to myself. This meant I stayed in my pyjamas, curled in my chair (legs elevated, of course) and coughed and sneezed my way through two boxes of tissues. 

When the pressure on my rear end got to bad I would stagger to the bathroom and then flop back in the chair to rest. It took the whole darned week! Mr M fed me small amounts of things and YS did the washing and watered the tomato plants. Today I feel so much better.

Some of the newly connected California Cousins - names later

During this week I have received a parcel from Lakeland with "stuff". You know about Lakeland Ltd right? They always have things I desperately need. They do the most marvellous kitchen essentials. Mr M decided that we need a pasta pot, and who am I to argue? I also needed more cling film and a set of their microwave plate warmers. My new kitchen means that I no longer have an eye-level grill above the hob so there is nowhere to put the plates to warm before dishing up dinner. I really hate putting hot food onto cold plates so now I have plate warmers that are excellent!

The Pacific North-West cousins - names soon

I also received more pictures from the newly connected cousins. They are all recovering from the shock of discovering us and we are all clamouring for more information and pictures from them. Also included in the emails was a copy of my Great Aunt's autobiography written when she was 87.
I have begun to transcribe it and it is interesting to find that she too had the ability to take an ordinary daily happening and turn it into a drama of the first order.
I begin to understand from where I get my story-telling gene. I do keep to the truth in my stories, simply embellishing a little while Great Aunt seems to have inherited her mother's ability to lie turn things around to her advantage.

My thanks to Sian for starting this Meme and keeping me writing

Monday, Mail and Me - short break

We went away for our anniversary week. On what was the hottest day of the year we had breakfast in Blod's Coffee Corner in Colwyn Bay. You can see Mr M melting as he reads the menu.

 We played on the beach. Little Miss was so desperate to get into the sea like her brothers. I can see that her Mum and Dad will have their hearts in their mouths with this one. She is totally fearless

 Reading with Daddy is good. Eldest son seems to have endless patience with his children, but then he always did

 The water play table came out and Daddy found the water wheel bits and being him he simply had to fiddle with it until it was working perfectly. She loved it and soon had her sunhat in the water

 Having cousins come to visit while you are on holiday is better than good. They got to meet Eldest Son and Lovely Daughter-in-Law and we spent the whole time with them just laughing and talking about ancestors. A cup of coffee in Morrisons in Rhyl before they had to go home completed their visit and then it rained. Even the sky was sad to see them leave

 You cannot go to North Wales without going to Beddgelert, no, really! When I was small I thought it was a law but it is just a rule. Oh, and you cannot go to Beddgelert without going to the icecream shop and choosing from their 56 flavours. I had Wild Cherry as one of my scoops and Coffee as the other. Mr M had Turkish Delight for one and I can't remember what the other one was. He is wearing his father's day present too.

When we got home from our vacation I had a few emails stacked up and this stack included one from a lady in California. There were also two notifications from the genealogy forum I belong to telling me that there were posts on two of my threads from the same person. Can you imagine my delight when I read that this person is descended from my great aunt who married an American Sailor just after WW1 and went to live in USA. I already have contact with descendants of three of her four children but had never been able to make contact with descendants of the fourth child. Now that branch has been reconnected and with a little luck and a lot of emails the family tree will grow by at least ten more people.

Let me tell you I did a really happy dance down the hall as I rushed to tell Mr M. Now I am waiting for names to add to the photographs already sent. SOOOOOOooooooo excited