The Hen House

2012-01-27T00:25:00.000-08:00

Oh Billy
you are awful ...
but
I love you !

Time to look at Friday gratefuls again.

Not grateful for a flare up of Fibryomyalgia
due to lack of sleep

a trip to the doctor to discuss my X Ray

to be told I have a touch of arthritis in my neck.

I am grateful for Paracetamol, Ibuprofen
warm baths, heating, rest & a cuddly warm cat to curl up with !

Frankie isn't cuddly like Billy
but very soft to stroke.

Looking forward to a deep tissue massage booked for next week.

I am grateful for my supportive family.

I live in a beautiful place so I can get out and walk for exercise.
Jess or Joe can walk Dillon when I'm too tired.

Thank goodness for deliveries...

Dvd's & XBox games from Amazon for Joe's birthday.

We had a lovely birthday meal together at home
& chocolate cake made by Jess !

I am grateful for the wonderful village I live in -
the Panto was such fun !
Snow White and the seven...???
The seven turned out to be based on the Dad's army characters
and very good they were too !

My friend, the manageress of the charity shop
was brilliant as the wicked Queen
and Mary from the Co-op ( formerly the Dairy )
so Mary from the Dairy
was superb as the mirror.
Mary Kate from the fishmongers / fish restaurant
a fetching Snow White
with a beautiful singing voice.

Thanks to the woman who filled in for me as usherette on Friday night at very short notice
as I was so tired....
I'm very grateful.
I managed to do the Sunday Matinee.

Also grateful to new Volunteer Ewan who did my stint at the shop on Tuesday
at very short notice.

Looking forward to having a meal at a friend's house tonight
and Haggis supper at home tomorrow.
We are not hosting a Burns' night this year
but hubby wanted Haggis...
just got to get him to eat his " Neeps " as well !!!

Hope you have a good weekend.

2012-01-24T00:21:00.000-08:00

HAPPY
SIXTEENTH
BIRTHDAY
WEE MAN

!!!

You are a lovely young man.

Taller than Dad now

( and more hair ! )

I guess we start calling you

BIG MAN

!!!

Sixteen years ago at eight in the morning,

hubby & I dropped Jess of at my good friend's

and drove to Poole hospital.

I was all prepared for Bournemouth

and a birthing pool

but as the baby was two weeks late,

I had to go to Poole for some reason.

I had a chest infection

so wasn't allowed drugs !

I had gas and air tho and needed it-

Joe was nearly ten pounds !!!

A long skinny baby.

Joe arrived at twenty four minutes past five

& when the midwife asked hubby to tell me

if it was a boy or girl,

he spoke with great emotion,

" It's Joe "

Hubby drove the forty minutes home to collect Jess.

On the way back to the hospital

they bought some flowers & chocolates from a petrol station.

The flowers soon wilted

& Jess totally ignored her little brother

and ate all the chocs !

Hubby took her back home that night

& I had left a little cradle with a new doll in it.

Jess flung the doll out

saying

" Get rid of that "

and put her little pink rabbit " Auf " in the cradle.

Jess never was a doll person

but when he came home,

she adored her little brother.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

JOE
XXXX

2012-01-21T09:05:00.000-08:00

I did a complete sheets, duvet covers, pillow cases, mattress covers & pillow covers
wash this week.
Added to that,
I washed some bed linen for one of the boats hubby manages
which had got wet
due to a leaky hatch.
I had sheets draped all over every radiator
as I don't want to use the tumble dryer too much.

Added to this massive amount of laundry at home,
in the shop we folded sheets, pillow cases & duvet covers
which had been donated.

So while folding sheets with my friend in the shop,
giggling, I burst into

this song

She wasn't surprised

as we sing a lot

( sometimes empty the shop with our renditions ! )

Classic FM Radio is on in the background

& we hum to that too.

Why sing Matchmaker from that wonderful film

Fiddler on the Roof ?

Well I'll tell you...

In my early twenties,

I went to work on a Kibbutz in Israel.

My first job was in the laundry

folding & pressing sheets

There were a lot.
A Kibbutz is a community the size of a small village
so you can imagine how much laundry there was to sort !

I was folding a sheet with my friend & roommate

a lovely girl from New Zealand

when she started flapping the sheet out & singing

"Matchmaker matchmaker..."

We dissolved into giggles

with the humour...

Here we were in Israel

folding sheets...

( and looking for love ! )

It's such a happy memory

& makes me smile every time.

With my group who went to that particular Kibbutz
at that time

was Phil the Hippie

( Woodstock as he became known )

He slept for a few days after we arrived

& woke to find a pile of sweets on him.

The rest of us had already found ours

someone had left under our pillows to welcome us.

We had a bar in a bomb shelter

and the man who ran it

had an uncanny likeness to

the very traditional images of Jesus-

long hair, beard, thin face.

When Phil finally woke up & discovered the bar

he said,

" Cool -
Jesus is working behind the bar "

" Jesus "
was actually a very talented artist named Charles.

Phil left to work on a farm-

a Moshav

He wrote a postcard telling us he was looking after some sheep on a hilltop-

" How cool is that...?

I'm a shepherd in Israel !"

Happy Memories.

I wonder what Phil is doing now ?

2012-01-20T01:36:00.000-08:00

A quiet week which involved

catching up with paper work & phone calls

getting my hair cut

going to Southampton

& unpacking loads of boxes and bags at the charity shop.

I'm not feeling too great-

very tired & aching all over.

Not sleeping well & have now got black bags under my eyes.
When I don't sleep I ache.
I get up at fourish,
let the cats in, get a drink
& try to get back to sleep.
When Roddy & Joe get up
I'm groggy...

I need a holiday to

get over my holiday !!!

I had a lot of energy before
and
WANT IT BACK !!!

The shop was mad.

Everyone seems to be moving house

& donating lots of stuff

so lots to sort through

which can be tiring.

Still, we are grateful for the donations

and it's good for people to feel their unwanted items

may have further use or be recycled.

We get money for bags of unusable clothing

which we name our " Specials "

I've had a lovely girl come to cut my hair at home twice now.

This week she did mine Jess & Joe's.

Hubby is keeping his hair longer as it's sun bleached

& he likes the salty sea dog look

he has perfected over the years !

( I nag him about sun cream,

think he needs to use a moisturiser & hair conditioner

but it's one shower gel for all for him )

I've been helping Jess get her CV together.

We went shopping to get Joe some clothes for his trip to New York in February

Board shorts to long johns -

sun cream to chap sticks in a short space of time !

Joe can't wait to go

but is looking forward to his sixteenth birthday on Tuesday.

He has asked to have the day off school !

No Joe No.

This weekend our village is holding it's second Pantomime.

I'm selling ice creams during the interval.

Last year I dressed up as a Victorian maid

but none of the other Usherettes dressed up!

Last year's Panto really was very good
so I'm looking forward to this one.

Hope you've had a good week
and have a great weekend !

Visit
here

to catch up with other Friday Rockers !

2012-01-15T01:24:00.000-08:00

I think -

I HOPE

I may have sorted out some of my Blog problems

(she says with fingers crossed)

I downloaded Google Chrome.

While I was attempting to catch up & comment...

I got waylaid !

I've seen these

TAGXEDO

designs on

Jo & Sue's Blogs

so had a little play !

A bit early for Valentine's day

but sweet.

I'm going to do a little leaf raking this morning

as it's bright & fresh

and this afternoon when it starts to get chilly

& the roast is cooking...

CATCH UP WITH YOU !!!

I hope !

2012-01-13T12:17:00.000-08:00

I'm having major Blog problems.

I can't see comments or click to make a comment on your Blogs.

I can't even scroll down a page !

Hope to be back soon !

You can see what I've been up to in my last post

but I can't read your comments

or comment on your posts !

See you soon...

I hope

xxx

2012-01-13T01:37:00.000-08:00

Friday already ?

We've been home for just over a week.

I've been quite tired

but have really enjoyed

catching up with friends

and walking with Dillon.

Several people have commented that I look really well

& it made me feel great,

so thank you to them.

One friend had me in stitches with a story...

she & her daughter

( Jess's best friend )

went to a day spa in a local hotel.

They were informed that

they could spend the day in the provided dressing gowns & slippers

- even for their afternoon tea.

So they did.

While they were sipping their tea,

an entire wedding party passed by to enter another room !

One young boy looked at them with such astonishment and

an expression which could only mean,

" What are those two loonies doing there in their dressing gowns ?"

They couldn't stop laughing.

***

While I have been meeting my human friends,

Dillon has caught up with his Canine friends

with very wet muddy results !

The washing machine is fixed thank goodness !

***

My afternoon at the charity shop was a giggle.

I told them that I remembered it was barking mad in there

but not 'til I was back that I remembered quite how barking mad it is !

I had a hug from our dear Polish customer

who brings us scrumptious cakes.

A very elderly customer brings weekly flowers or pot plants from the green grocers next door.

It makes it all so worthwhile to have such a good relationship with the customers.

One Volunteer likens it to some sort of care in the community

as some people just come in for human contact & a chat.

We have so many donations

which I know I should be grateful for

but sometimes it's overwhelming.

NOT grateful to the tax office who inform us

we were over paid nearly three thousand pounds in child tax credits.

I should be grateful I suppose for the right to appeal

which I am.

What is maddening

is that they are referring to the years

2007 / 8 !

Very grateful to the family member who helped us

over our financial difficulties

on our return home.

Hubby has a lot of work ahead which is such a relief this day & age

& I am looking for work too.

I've been helping Jess with her job search

& enrolled her on a free course

at her old college

where she can write up a good CV

and learn interview skills.

A FREE course...

now that's something !

That's it really.

A quiet but good week.

( apart from the tax bill - gggrrrr ! )

Pop over

here

to see what the other

Friday Rockers have been up to !

2012-01-10T00:24:00.000-08:00

TEENAGERS !!!

Who has stolen my son ?

or has the son I knew had a

FRONTAL LOBOTOMY ???

Joe has changed.

I now have a very tall gangly

all arms & legs

(which he doesn't know what to do with)

deep voiced

slightly spotty

young man !!!

He hangs on the open fridge door looking inside vacantly.

I do wonder what he's hoping to find in there.

Chocolate probably.

He asks over & over

" where's the ..."

To which I reply exhasperated,

"I don't know Joe-

LOOK FOR IT !"

On holiday he asked where the apple juice was

so I told him it was at the top of the mast

& someone on a boat nearby giggled.

On Sunday we dragged him out for a walk & baguette.

He stood watching a cormorant dive over & over in the harbour water

and asked what it was getting.

I answered,

" Cheese & pickle sandwiches "

Sixteen in two weeks.

He has lost the power of speech

apart from "er" or "huh"

Our plumber told me that his son is working with him now

that the Aliens have returned him

I SO know what he means !

When I ask Joe to do something he says,

" in a minute"

If he says it once more once more...

AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!

He says

" WOT "

when you call him.

I never had this with Jess

apart from the

" in a minute" thing

Jess plays music loudly in her car

with a little attachment for her ipod.

I love the line from

My Chemical Romance's track

Teenagers-

" Teenagers scare the living s!*! outta me !"

Though I have asked her to download

Lana Del Ray

Katie Perri &

Christina Perry

too !

I'm having a few Blogger problems.

It seems to be going through changes.

Perhaps it is adolescence too

or the dreaded Menopause like me

& having hot flushes

( I didn't notice them in Antigua where I was hot ALL the time ! )

I can't always leave a comment.

Also I'm adding the list of Blogs I follow to my sidebar

& not just in my profile

it's slow & laborious

but will be easier to click once there.

I have been catching up with your Blogs

but not always able to comment...

so frustrating-

JUST LIKE A TEENAGER !!!

2012-01-08T01:36:00.000-08:00

Guess who tried to stow away in my luggage last month ?

Billy of course !

It's lovely going away

but it's lovely to be home.

I've met a couple of friends for dog walks already.

Our friends who looked after the house

have given Dillon a new " no pull " lead

made by a rigger friend.

He pulls but it doesn't tug your arm so much now.

He has to get used to me being back as I'm very strict with him

He looked at me on a walk yesterday and I said,

" Yes Dillon, Bossy Boots " is home !"

Billy has a horrible new habit...

he looks so cute curled up on a bed-

you go to stroke him-

and he farts -

a horrible stinky one !

Phew Billy the Stink !

My washing machine packed up on the fifth load.

An alarm went off & I thought it was the alarm clock.

It is full of washing & water won't drain

& the door won't open.

Luckily we rent our washing machine & tumble dryer from a local electrical shop

so we get free service, repairs & replacement if necessary.

First thing tomorrow, I'm phoning them.

The computer is on it's last legs.

Roddy was trying to download some music

and the computer went mental.

He turned it off but the music was still playing !

My laptop keeps freezing ( again )

It's already been repaired twice

and out of warranty now.

Last night we all watched the new magician show

and then a film.

It was very cosy.

Our friends who stayed here said he house is very homely.

They'd been counting up how many hearts I have all over the place...

I explained that with a birthday on St Valentine's day

I tend to be given a lot of hearts !

My lovely niece Sian has started a Blog

and is also trying to launch a new career

You can read her first Blog post

here

Good luck Sian !

Today I am going to catch up with your lovely Blogs

I missed you while I was away !

2012-01-05T06:32:00.000-08:00

We are home safe & sound

after a rather bumpy descent to Gatwick airport

in the strong winds !

Dillon was so excited to see us

and yes they were my thrown out knickers Billy had found !

Frankie has taken over my pillow

though I removed her for a nap.

We haven't seen Bramble yet.

We are all wondering around like zombies

wondering what to do.

One load of washing done

& I'm wondering if I can get it on the line

without blowing away !

I have that horrible swaying you get

when you've been on a boat

( hope it doesn't last long )

I've opened my post & checked emails

while loading these holiday snaps.

I'm sitting here looking at a watercolour painting

of the Admiral's Inn, Nelson's dockyard

not quite believing that I was just there.

Roddy has been away since October

& Jess since November.

It's lovely but faintly surreal to be home.

2012-01-01T14:54:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a very

Happy New Year.

The past year has been very challenging

for some of you I know

so I hope that the year ahead is better.

Last new year's day,

I wrote,

" a year in which

I learnt to accept the disappointments

and cherish the surprises "

This year I am going to try not to over think everything.

We leave here on Wednesday

& arrive home Thursday morning.

It's been an incredible month.

The next few days will be spent cleaning the boat

and organising some repairs.

When we went to pull up the anchor today,

the motor burnt out

so we had a tense forty minutes

pulling up the anchor using ropes & winches.

Last night was spent with friends we've met on other boats over the month

watching the firework display & dancing to a live band.

We have moved into a small marina

and are getting bitten all over by mosquitoes.

Poor Jess has been attacked all along !

She is looking forward to going home having been here seven weeks

& before that the crossing.

Unfortunately she'll just miss her friends being home from Uni.

She's going to go into her old college to do a week's free course on interview skills

& compiling CV's etc.

Then it's hunt for a job & decide what she wants to do.

Joe will have some course work to catch up on

then it's count down to GCSE's

but before that is going to New York for a week in February !

It'll be a great deal colder there than here & he is hoping for snow !

Roddy has a lot of work on the other boats he manages ahead

& I'm going to be looking for a job too

( we are totally broke ! )

I look forward to another year of Blogging,

catching up with your news-

perhaps some more Blog dates

and great friendships made.

Happy New year to you all-

my normal random posts will return soon !!!

2011-12-29T08:30:00.000-08:00

It’s SO hot.

I’m suffering a bit & the other day wanted to go home! Yes really. News from home is that one of the cats has been bringing in a pair of knickers every day!!! I have strong suspicions that it’s Billy! I also have a horrible feeling that they may be my (old) knickers I threw out while packing having bought new for this trip! I shall NOT own up if they are mine but can’t wait to see.

We saw an absolute Frankie look alike at a beach café yesterday & stroked her for ages.

I also rescued a sea bird! It was in difficulties in the rolling waves at Half Moon Bay & finally got thrown to the shore. Another woman & I were very concerned for the bird which I picked up (thank goodness I’ve had hens!) Roddy called out to mind its very sharp beak. We tucked it into the sandunes where it looked shocked & exhausted. It may not have survived but at least we got it out of the crashing waves.

Half Moon bay is stunning & the waves magnificent if you like body surfing which Roddy, Joe & Jess do! I chatted to my bird rescue partner on the beach. Sadly the wonderful hotel at the bay was victim to two hurricanes & lies like a ghost in the corner. In the old days when I used to brave the waves, we’d go up for Pina Coladas & a swim in the pool after a battering in the sea !

Christmas in Nelson’s Dockyard was such fun. We were there four nights & made friends with people on the nearby boats – a lovely Danish family on one side whom we spent some time with and onthe other the boat Discoverer used by the joint British services with a variety of service men & women on board ( army, navy air force & a very muscular Royal Marine : ) from St Vincent ! Their Secret Santa was hilarious – presents like toy aircraft & boats, harmonicas - blow football etc. One of the men dresses as Santa & put on a voice not unlike the actor Jim Broadbent.

Later we were privileged to spectate their Olympic games which were cleverly thought up & had us in stitches. The commentator who had been Santa was now dressed up as the 118 David Wilkie man with an Olympic torch – a yellow torch passed round in slow motion. It was hilarious & gathered quite a crowd! They were wonderful neighbours & fully deserve their perk on a boat (after all, John Lewis has a boat for employees!)

Later I cooked a chicken & regretted offering to as it was soooo hot. I did sauté potatoes & a tomatoes pepper & onions sauce. My reward was the promise of dinner out on Boxing Day which was lovely.

We went to the beach during the afternoon & late evening invited on to the Danish family’s boat. Their sons were fourteen & sixteen so each side of Joe’s age but so mature more like Jess’s age. Their English was superb & we had a fun time together for a few days.

We also met another wonderful young man on another boat who regaled us with funny stories about his crossing here. The boat's owner has hung a joint of cured ham in the loo of all places but the loo was the only place the lad could escape to read for a few minutes so he would sit & read with the ham (trotter still attatched ) dangling with the owner waiting outside the door to give him another job to do. So funny. He owns a hostel in Niece & has invited Jess to work there if she likes. I said if she doesn’t then I will!

Now we are back out at anchor in Falmouth harbour where the breeze makes it cooler. We hired a car yesterday & toured the island ending up for an hour at half moon bay. We stopped at a food stall & bought punnets of freshly cut banana, star fruit, mango, watermelon, local pineapple ( Antiguan Black ) & golden apple. It was delicious & just what we all needed.

We have a quiet few days ahead. It’s Roddy’s & my twentieth wedding anniversary on Friday & we will all go out for a meal. We will be going to watch the fireworks in the dockyard on New Year’s eve. There is a New Year’s Eve pursuit race we had intended to join with some of our newly made friends but the weather forecast looks like being very strong winds & the joining fee is hefty & we are broke!!!

Have tried to load more photos unsuccessfully.

2011-12-24T07:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas

to my dear Blogger friends.

Thank you for reading my Antigua posts

while I haven't been able to send individual messages,

I'm thinking about you all !

We decorated the boat...

and then it rained !

HAPPY

CHRISTMAS

XXXX

2011-12-23T10:02:00.000-08:00

The boat we are staying on in the foreground.

So… as you know by now I was working as a nanny in Antigua…

(I feel like singing, “I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar – when I met you “by The Human League. I Like The Human League. Apparently I danced like the girls way back then.

Anyway… as you also know it was here I met my husband to be who was skipper of his first boat having worked his way up from scrubbing the decks. When I finished my year as a nanny, I moved on board with my now fiancé. Trouble was – I could neither sail nor cook to charter standard!!!

We went home to meet each other’s families in a grand tour taking in Scotland, Wales & Somerset. Roddy flew back to Antigua & I had booked myself into a week’s cookery school which was a TOTAL DISASTER & I ended up in tears.

I returned to Antigua & we had a few day charters which I managed OK. One day Roddy was asked to Temo Sports to meet some people who wanted to charter the boat for a day. Their only request provision wise was that they did not need any booze - which was unheard of for a charter.

We provisioned the food and waited for the guests to arrive… and waited and waited. Finally we got a call from Temo Sports to go ashore please.

A rather embarrassed club owner explained that the guests had been deported for possession of drugs having spent the night in goal. We realised rather naively later that they were a band & requesting no alcohol meant only one thing. I can’t say who they were but they were a white reggae band from Birmingham & their name was something to do with being unemployed and their famous single is something I like to drink!!!

I’ve just read this out to Roddy & he said put them on speakers from his iPod for memories! Ha! It was a tad unfair considering the blatant selling of drugs on a beach while we sizzled our sausages. That’s Antigua for you. If caught with drugs on board, it would have been Roddy gone to prison.

So, my last famous person story does not involve me. I stayed back in the UK doing this ridiculous cookery course & crying knowing that I just didn’t have it in me to be a cook on a charter yacht. I stayed with my Auntie Mia in London & she would find me in floods of tears at five am when she got up for her newsagents shop. Bless her – she gave me loads of cookery magazines to try to help.

While I was in London enduring my cooking torment, my fiancé returned to Antigua & spent his evenings playing pool in a new bar. He played on & off with the same man, Eric all week & saw him again out on a boat his friend skippered – the beautiful yacht Errol Flynn had once owned. Having being with him on the boat, over pool that night Roddy said to the stranger, “So what do you do?” Eric answered… “I play the guitar. “Roddy said, “What, in a band?” Eric answered, “No just on my own- In fact this is one of mine playing now “Roddy said, “This is familiar…what’s your last name?”

The man named Eric answered, “Clapton “

Eric Clapton’s house. He also owns & finances a drug rehabilitation centre here in Antigua. He's been known to turn up in a bar for an impromptu jamming session too !

Needless to say, this story has been told many many times over! We have a photo of Roddy & Eric on that lovely sailboat too.

2011-12-21T12:49:00.000-08:00

Wednesday:

We are anchored at Jolly Harbour. This is such a strange place. Built from scratch about twenty years ago, it is maturing but still looks like a set from The Stepford Wives. It’s too perfect. Little rows of chalet houses with boats neatly moored in front of them like parked cars. It’s supposed to look Mediterranean but there is something quite weird about the place.

We went ashore to a supermarket where I was in a complete daze. Having spent two weeks on a boat I sway slightly when ashore. Roddy & Jess were like children with new toys as they haven’t been in a supermarket since the Canaries! We are going to stock up the cupboards later.

There are bars & restaurants all over the complex, all decorated for Christmas with Christmas music blaring out but no one there. The place is empty.

When we were here for a few months when the children were young, my friend & I used to bring the kids up for a day & use the swimming pool which made a lovely outing.

On the way here we sailed past several lovely bays. There are supposed to be 365 beaches on Antigua – one for every day of the year. I doubt that but the beaches are lovely. My boss & I used to bring the boys to Dark wood beach – a picture postcard beach with two palm trees growing right over the water. It was devastated in Hurricane Hugo & looked awful for years. Now the trees have gone & another holiday complex is being built.

We anchored at Fife bay a favourite of ours.

It was here where we retreated to a small beach café when the one we intended to have lunch in was filled by a busl oad of tourists. We wanted to find a quiet spot so walked along the beach. We had heard that the ex-James Bond actor Timothy Dalton was on the island ( I remember him better as Mr Rochester ) The café owner was speaking in French, but we picked up the words Timothy Dalton and sure enough, a few minutes later, he, his stunning wife & young son arrived. We were very cool & just nodded our hellos. Later, on the beach he & Roddy chatted about the boys playing in the sand. He was very actory (Dahlink) Jess & I was sitting near him and his son & heard him say,

“Ah, Sasha, a shell “ in a very actory (dahlink) voice. We’ve always giggled about this & mimicked him!

A week or so later I was in a café in St Johns with my friend Avril. I was facing the room & she had her back to it. I saw Timothy Dalton come in and sit near us but Avril didn’t. When we got up to leave she spotted him & her mouth fell open. She started blinking rapidly & pointing at him… he did the same right back. It was hysterical & we giggled all the way home.

I swam to the shore with Jess & Joe yesterday & afterwards my neck was in agony again. Ironic – I thought swimming was good for you. I’m living on Ibuprophen at the moment.

We did our Christmas shopping the other day but didn’t get to hear the carols as it was hubby’s time to have a jippy tummy. We had another quiet night in. This has become a standing joke as when I emailed Roddy during the crossing & mentioned I was going out that night he replied that he & Jess were having a quintet night in. Funny.

When Roddy & Jess were here waiting for Joe & me to arrive they got into a routine. Jobs on the boat, ashore for emails, Facebook, Skype Joe & me. Lunch, swim veg out supper read or film on the laptop. Roddy received several looks walking around with this gorgeous young blonde girl in tow!

Walking around now, he & I are constantly waving & being beeped at by people we knew. Roddy knew all the boat service companies & the people who ran them had children at the school I helped at. It’s lovely to be in a place we both know so well & feel very comfortable here but both say we would not have wanted to live here long term.

The schools are a major problem, were when I had to get Jess to a school here aged seven. (The pre-school & primary my employer built long since gone. (Someone burned it down) at secondary age, most of our old friends have sent their children to boarding school in England or the States. I would have hated this & I can’t even begin to think how people afford it.

It’s wonderful to be back but I would miss home if I lived here.

Wednesday pm: Returned to English harbour. When I worked as a nanny, the wife had organised & raised funds to build Rainbow pre-school & was in the process of building a primary. The husband was manager of a hotel - The Inn at English harbour.

The Inn nestling in the trees

& beach fronted chalet below.

When Hurricane Hugo was approaching we spent the night at the hotel as it was safe being one of the stone buildings built in Nelson’s time. We were safe & the school was fine but the roof of our house was destroyed! For a while we “camped out “ in one of the hotel’s chalets but as repairs to the house took so long, the hotel’s owner allowed us to move into his lovely house. It was luxury as our house didn’t have electricity. We had a gas run fridge & cooker & a wind generator which was always broken. Water came from a rain water tank & lights were like camping ones. So staying at this lovely house was magic!

The house ( lower building ) & beach bar.

There was a little beach bar where we would take the boys. I met the nanny of one of the Rolling Stones’ wives. Years later I read an article about the stones wives & how they had never had nannies….liars!

I have two more stories to tell you about our encounters with the rich & famous when we lived here but you will have to wait til my next post - the lat one before Christmas !

2011-12-19T09:40:00.000-08:00

So…I’ve been doing a lot of reminiscing while we are here & one memory is rather painful… or more itchy than painful.

I had gone to Shirley Heights which is an old naval lookout over English harbour now a bar & restaurant famous for Sunday nights. People gather from late afternoon to watch the sunset over the stunning view. I used to do this often when I was a nanny also with friends then later on with my own family. A steel band plays during the afternoon replaced by a Reggae band after dark. The Pina Coladas there are simply the best and the atmosphere fantastic.

Anyway, I was up at Shirley Heights with my friend Catherine looking for a lift down the hill when I needed to wee, so ducked behind some bushes. I must have squatted on some nettles as I got stung all up the tops of my legs & on my bum!

We went in search of some supper & ended up at the corner house whose speciality were Roti which is a veg & meat or chicken filled pastry rather like a pasties ( the meat was probably goat ) The corner house was owned by a family who had a son at the school I helped at so I knew them. When I mentioned nettle stings the owner went out & cut me an aloe leaf section & told me to rub it on the affected area!! Catherine & I were I stitches! I could hardly tell him where the stings were.

( aloe plant )

The little boy from the corner house was named Ared. He’d be about 26 now. One day at school aged about five he bit another child. The teacher punished him by taking away his name. She said he was to be called MOSQUITO all day as mosquitoes bit. He cried out,” Oh No teacher Lisa give me back my name! Don’t call me Mosquito! “ “Give me my name back” It worked.

I remember watching a Rasta wash in the sea rubbing sand over his skin then rub in aloe; they have the most amazing skin. There was a sweet Rasta boy at the school called Hawkeye. I have the most amazing photo of him. I saw him again when he was a teenager. He’d be in his twenties now. His mother Tracey carved Calabash pods & sold them. She cut some in half and made handbags. I bought a few as presents. Tracey was a gardener at Tree House a lovely wooden house built around a tree. It was a health & beauty salon & my friend Catharine was the hairdresser there. The owner Liz sponsored Hawkeye at school and later did the same for his little sister Cleo.

Since I lived here, Antigua yacht club has invested in several sailing dinghies & a sailing program for children so local children get the chance to learn to sail as well as those of visiting yachtsmen here for a few months like we were. It’s so good to see children who otherwise might not get this opportunity having fun.

I’m in a lot of pain. My neck is so bad that I can hardly move. Added to that I have a sore throat. When we arrived back at Falmouth harbour yesterday, I popped into other hairdressers as tree house has closed at a health salon. I met a Scottish girl & had a very deep tissue massage & she showed me some stretches which will help my neck. When I get home I’m going back to the Docs. I can’t afford to keep having massage therapy privately so have a self-referral form for the physio. My X-ray showed nothing more than normal ware & tear but I’m going to insist they look for the cause of all this pain. Maybe I’m grinding my teeth again & need a gum shield like I did when Jess was a baby. I had chronic earache & after months of anti-inflammatories, turned out I was grinding my teeth in my sleep!

Tricia who owns the hairdressers has suggested a girls’ night out while I’m here. I chatted to her yesterday like two days had passed not twenty two years.

While I was talking to the massage therapist, I noticed a man grinning at me in the mirror while Tricia cut his hair. I blurted out my hellos then kicked myself. I had planned to be very cool and say, “Sorry but I don’t remember you. “Before we got here, Roddy was talking to an old friend who asked if they knew each other when the other man came up to them. The man said of Roddy “He used to work for me. “True, Roddy was first mate while this bloke was skipper but they had been friends. So bloody condescending. I vowed to look at him & say “No, I don’t remember you “ like he was so insignificant (I remember everybody!) But instead found myself smiling & saying hello & exchanging a peck on the cheek! So much for my revenge! I guess I’m just too nice!

The girl doing the massage is from the same part of the west coast of Scotland as hubby. She told me that her uncle & father were running one of the boats out here. Telling hubby later he put two & two together & realised who they were! As twenty-one year olds the uncle, another lad & hubby delivered a twenty seven foot boat from Mallorca to Florida. It was his first delivery & they had next to nothing on board, He’s told us stories of cooking rice in sea water then rinsing with a tiny amount of fresh water. Washing the dishes by dragging them behind the boat in a bag. Running out of cigarettes (they all smoked then) and finding a wet scrunched up pack in a pocket & trying to dry it out!

One night while hubby was on watch there was a massive lightning storm & he was terrified & one of the others had to take over. I’ve met him now was able to ask him about it finally as we’ve always giggled at Roddy’s story.

MONDAY:

We all went to Shirley Heights last night. You have to pay to get in now! What a rip off! But the sunset was beautiful.

The view from Shirley Heights with English Harbour in the foreground & Falmouth Harbour in the distance.

We are going to have a big clean & tidy up today & use the laundrette for sheets & towels. We have a small washing machine on board & can put a load on when the generator is on. We make all our own water with a desalinisation unit – amazing isn’t it? So we don’t have to ration the water on board.

I’ve just heard on the local VHS radio news that there will be a choir singing at Temo Sports which is where Roddy & I met. I think I’ll drag the family out to hear some seasonal singing as it doesn’t feel very Christmassy! We still have to do our present shopping for each other – either today or Christmas Eve as we are going off for another few days! Help! Joe just wants biscuits so that’s OK!!!

I’ve been reading some of your Blogs when I can. Thinking of you all & hope your Christmas preparations are going well xx

2011-12-16T12:04:00.000-08:00

Wednesday afternoon –I’m writing this on word & hoping I can copy onto my Blog when we get to shore!

We are out at anchor by Green Island for our third night. Earlier we took the dinghy over to Harmony Hall on the mainland which is a restaurant & art gallery. Friends of ours used to manage it but now it is Italian run & the owner owns most of Falmouth Harbour too (The Italians are here!!!) Jess & I had such a strong Pina Colada that we had to ask for more pineapple to be added. Hubby used to say that Rum was cheaper than mixers here. It is very expensive now but eating on board saves us quite a bit.

Before the crew left on the crossing, Jess & I stowed away a bucket BBQ. Well it has been FANTASTIC!! We used it on the beach & on board.

Last Sunday on Pigeon beach hubby & our bucket BBQ. The bloke in the background is selling joints...and I'm not talking Sunday roasts!

Yesterday was blistering hot – too hot for me even with the breeze. Today it’s cloudy giving some relief & last night we had torrential rain. After dinner we sometimes set up the laptop & put on a film. Hubby & Jess bought some speakers and someone on a boat gave them a huge file of DVDs to borrow. Watching the remake of “The Stepford Wives “on a yacht anchored off Antigua is pretty random but fantastic!

I got spooked the first night we were here as we anchored off a beach where there were no other boats. A man driving a Rib came up in the dark & asked for someone. I got spooked. Years ago one of hubby’s close friends was murdered on a boat anchored off Barbuda. All the crew were killed. You may remember it on the news – it was about nineteen years ago. We have decided not to go to Barbuda. Anyway we saw the bloke today & he works at Harmony hall… he had been looking for a friend on a boat - but the other night I was anxious, so located all the sharp fishing knives & went to bed with a heavy winch handle under my pillow….just in case.

Since then we have anchored near lots of other boats & it’s comforting to see their twinkling lights in the darkness.

Joe & I waited on a magical sandy beach while Roddy & Jess moved the boat near to it. We went snorkelling & Joe suddenly grabbed me & pointed. He came up for air shouting, “ SHIT !!! “ It looked like shit … lots of it. Roddy doesn’t believe us but hasn’t been to investigate. Joe & I were in hysterics making all kinds of jokes like, “This beach is crap “or “shit happens “

Anyway, we have been to our favourite beach for great shit free snorkelling, have seen camouflaged fish burying themselves in the sand and have started to collect dried out sea urchins along the shore. Jess saw what she named an “Emo fish “– pale - translucent almost with black around the eyes like thick eyeliner!

I made Jess do a James Bond photo shoot – photographed her while wading out of the sea - snorkel & mask on head, conch shell in hand with me singing, “ Underneath a Mango tree “ A La Ursula Andres… it didn’t really work as Jess kept falling over ! She won’t make a Bond girl!

We see an Egret at the same spot everyday & Jess has nicknamed it Eddie. Beautiful lizards dart everywhere across the sand into the rocks & plants.

There are so many Pelicans around which make me think of dinosaurs. Frigate birds, Bananaquits who love sugar & today at Harmony Hall a Hummingbird.

I’ve read a lot – enjoyed Sisters by Rosamund Lupton - we’ve all been reading even Joe for whom reading has suddenly happened. He & Jess were jumping off the boat as the sun went down last night. Jess & Roddy are really brown. Joe & I being careful & I wear a hat most of the time.

There are many over loaded tourist boats offloading their guests onto the small beaches. I feel so lucky & privileged to be on this lovely yacht. Last night I had my maxi dress on, glass of wine in hand sun setting over this beautiful island my family all here and with Blondie blasting out. Can’t get much better than that.

Thursday – a quiet night in! It’s raining now We see the squalls coming from far away – very dramatic. Heavy rain at times & we huddle under the canopy. Jess is upset as her second Kindle has died. Heat exhaustion I think. There was the most amazing rainbow earlier. We could see both ends in the water.

This morning we went to our favourite beach again & the snorkelling was great… we saw fish that had army combat style camouflage, rainbow coloured fish, flatfish. Roddy & Joe swam after a stingray. We saw lovely white Angel style fish with black outlines, then a Barracuda lurking in the dark. Really scary! I gave him some distance!

The downside of snorkelling is that my neck is in a lot of pain again. I’m enjoying swimming & feel it’s doing me good but I could do without the constant neck pain.

I could do with being stretched !

Yesterday Joe found a coconut & today has spent ages breaking it out of its protective shell tearing away at the stringy husk til the nut showed. We were imagining being cast always & using the fibres inside the outer shell for string & rope. Joe succeeded getting the coconut inside free & made a hole in it. We sipped the milk then cracked the nut open & ate delicious fresh coconut.

I cooked a Spanish omelette for lunch – apt really as Antigua was named when Christopher Columbus discovered it & named it after Antigua, the church of Santa maria in Serville .

Tonight we are going to watch “Blade Runner “in honour of the Dutch Actor Rutger Hauer. He’s the blond replicant in the film, was also in the very menacing film Hitcher & a series of beer adverts in the eighties. I remember going to see Blade Runner after college in Worthing one evening. Most of us had the hots for Harrison Ford but some fancied Rutger…

Well, when hubby I lived here twenty two years ago, we heard that Rutger was on the Island! Hubby’s cook - my friend Kay had the real HOTS for Rutger. She missed sightings of him every time.

Hubby was asked to go to a meeting at the yacht agents to meet someone who wanted to charter a boat to Green Island for diving. He went back to tell Kay that some bloke called Roger had chartered the boat. Imagine her surprise (and joy) when she popped her head out of the galley to find movie star Rutger sitting on deck! She hissed at hubby, “That’s Rutger not Roger!!!” Hubby looked non pulsed.

So they sailed to green Island & anchored at the very place where we are anchored now & “ Roger “ went off for a dive having told hubby how long he’d be. He was FAR LONGER so a panicking hubby went out in the dinghy searching for him imagining the newspaper headlines…

” Charismatic Dutch actor dies in diving tragedy…”

He surfaced smiling saying he’s had more air in his tank than he thought! Phew!!!

There was one relieved young yacht skipper who’d been thinking his career was over before it really started I can tell you!

back soon xx

2011-12-11T09:35:00.000-08:00

Hello my dears...

thank you so much for leaving comments.

I am so sorry that I am not returning the visit

but although we are very chilled -( in the heat ! )

& life is slow & relaxed

we only come ashore to get wifi once a day & are sharing the boat's laptop

so I can't hog it !

though Jess has her Apple Mac.

Hubby needs to check emails etc.

Thank you for all Jess's birthday wishes.

( She was 19 )

Yesterday was a washout !

torrential rain but cool & fresh.

We had brunch ashore

instead of the proposed beach BBQ

then Jess & I hopped on a bus to town.

St Johns is the capital of Antigua.

The buses are minibuses with fold down seats

& people hop on & off along the road.

Loud Reggae music on & lots of banter.

The driver had his lunch passed through the window at a roadside food stall !

In the past,

I've even seen children passed through the windows to go to school

in their sweet sailor type uniforms !

Our mission was to replace Jess's lost overboard sunglasses.

There was a gigantic cruise ship in harbour

towering over the colourful wooden buildings

but we headed for the shops

& soon found the sunnies,

so mooched around the markets & stalls.

Everything so colourful with music blaring everywhere.

Stalls selling pineapples, coconuts, all sorts of food

and masses clothes & beads.

While we were in town,

Hubby & Joe went for a walk & then took the dinghy

around the shoreline exploring.

We met up & went out for a lovely meal later

& finished up at one of our favourite places,

The Admiral's Inn

for a Pina colada.

It's so quaint & elegant there

& was where we had lunch Christmas day twenty two years ago-

having just said yes to a marriage proposal !

Nelson's Dockyard is made up of elegant stone buildings

built in the 18 th Century & I love it there.

Life on the boat is very relaxed.

The first few mornings I was up early

and swam to the shore

but now we tend to get up later

& have a swim around the boat before breakfast.

We are on a 55foot Oyster Ketch

which I swim round several times.

We come ashore for a coffee & wifi connection

which I what I'm doing now !

Afternoons are spent vegging out, reading swimming or snorkeling !

Joe swam right past an octopus which squirted blue ink at him,

hubby swam over a Ray

& saw a lobster

but didn't catch it !

We usually shower & come ashore for a sundowner drink

& back for supper on board -

tonight griddling fish caught on the crossing

which was cut into portions & frozen.

We are going to sizzle the sausages today

as couldn't yesterday .

Tomorrow we are heading for Green Island -

about two & a half hours away sailing.

we all love it there

& spend the days beach combing, snorkeling,

collecting shells & driftwood for a beach bonfire.

It has to be one of the most magical places on earth.

We shall stay there for a few days

so I won't be popping by to say hello.

Back soon

xxxx

2011-12-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

A little Birdy told me

that it's someone's birthday today...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

JESS

We are so proud of you !

2011-12-09T07:56:00.000-08:00

Greetings from

The Hen House

on location !

We call these

" Antiguan Racing Chickens " !

They dart around the roads being beeped at !

I went for another early morning swim

& chatted to a young mum on the beach.

She was on my flight

& has joined her husband for three months

while the boat he skippers is based here.

She reminded me of me when I was her age.

It's very hot but a cool breeze blowing which makes it bareable.

Jess's birthday tomorrow-

we plan a beach BBQ

& evening meal out.

She & I are going to mooch around the clothes shops too.

Thank you for all your lovely comments.

Sorry if I don't get back to you

as our wifi time is limited

but it was so great to hear from you all

thank you.

There are the sweetest birds around

and when darkness comes

the sound of the tree frogs

is incredible !

I have bumped into a few old friends,

but mainly vegging out.

The " Superyachts " are here for Agents' week -

Huge monster powerboats

& luxury yachts.

It'll quiten down next week when a lot of them depart.

It's a very different place to the Antigua I & knew & loved

but it's an incredible place to be !

Sorry about the weather at home xx

2011-12-08T08:44:00.000-08:00

This was my view this when I woke up this morning ( sorry ! )

Pigeon Beach.

Joe & I were up early local time - having got to bed very late UK time.

( We are four hours behind you )

I'm totally spaced out today !

The flight went well & we met Jess & Hubby as arranged.

Joe & I swam to the beach before the others were up !

I lived up there twenty two years ago

when I worked as nanny.

Lots of memories

& it's brilliant to be back

& the family all together.

It's very hot.

This has taken ages to load

so for now

signing out

from

The Hen House

on location !

Friends

2011-12-04T10:50:00.000-08:00

No sooner than getting a wash & brush up

and a new bed,

Dillon is joined by a rather playful Billy...

well, that waggy tail

is very

tempting !

Bramble even gave Dillon's new bed a try out

and has been with us for most of the weekend -

his adopted parents across the road will miss him !

Frankie of course is far too girly-

even though she has a boyish name,

is not into this Bro-manse going on

and much happier on my bed !

Purr-fect Frankie.

Another Bro-manse I have been enjoying

is the unlikely friendship

of Dougie Poynter

& Mark Wright

" I'm a Celebrity - get me out of here !"

Top blokes both of them !

Joe & I have really enjoyed watching this together

and liked Dougie very much

In fact our vote for him to win must have counted as

He was crowned

King of the Jungle !

I had my own party on Friday -

girls only

which was such fun

especially as lovely Blogger friend

Joanna

came to stay !

Jo helped me prepare all the food

and did the dishes !

(umm she can come again !)

We had a walk,

she met the gang at the Charity shop

and was introduced to

Dillon,

Bramble, Frankie & Billy...

good thing Jo likes animals too

& took this fab photo of Dilllon

My Joe took a photo of

Jo & me....

looking a bit squiffy !

It was funny-

as every time I called out Joe

they both answered !

It was a late fun evening on Friday

so we went to my friends' cafe

for a full English breakfast on Saturday.

Jo got on really well with my friends

who could see for themselves...

A real live Blogger !

Well my darling Blogger friends,

I think this will be my last post

until I have arrived & got settled on the boat in Antigua.

I have last minute jobs to do

including packing.

I will be posting from Antigua-

so see you there !

XXXX

2011-12-01T23:57:00.000-08:00

Another busy week.

On Tuesday this fantastic piece of art work arrived...

I couldn't wait for the post van !

It's made by the very talented

Penny ( great name )

Creative Overflow

I love it & can't stop looking at it

and noticing different things.

If you would like to read more

about this stunning piece of art

then pop

here

Also on Tuesday,

I was featured over at the lovely

Sue's

Our new life in the country

on her

Blogging Buddies

piece.

Sue said some lovely things about me which made my day.

She was such a great help

& a mine of information when I got the hens

and I love reading about her life.

On Wednesday Dillon went to the groomers

for a much needed wash & brush.

They worked very hard

and collected enough hair to stuff a cushion

( or knit a dog hair scarf ! )

Very grateful.

Dillon was clean & fluffy....

for all of half an hour !

( actually I wouldn't let him swim

I wanted to enjoy him like this for just one day ! )

He looks sad but he is wagging his tail !

While Dillon was at the groomers

I had a very nice man from

"Oven U"

come & clean my oven professionally.

I'm having al these jobs done so the house is nice for our friends staying

while we are away.

I had been filling the vacuum bag daily with Dillon hair

& the oven was a disgrace.

Imagine my surprise

when a drop dead gorgeous man

appeared on my doorstep !

He wasn't the same man I'd got a card from when he was cleaning my neighbour's oven.

He was called Tony & evidently he retired this week.

The new guy is

EYE CANDY !!!

I told my neighbour that the next time she gets her oven cleaned

make sure she is in all morning

and

please invite me in for coffee !

It made her laugh.

She's the one Bramble has adopted

so I have the perfect excuse for popping over !

Imagine the scene...

having your oven cleaned ( bliss )

by a gorgeous man ( sigh )

I made a friend giggle later when I told her I'd asked him,

" Coffee ? Tea ?

ME ?"

!!!

ONLY JOKING

hubby will be reading this in Antigua-

I'm only joking !!!

***

More eye candy girls...

McFly's Harry

causing a stir on

"Strictly come dancing"

( does he get that six pack from drumming ? )

and the very sweet

Douggy

Also from McFly

getting up to mischief in

"I'm a Celebrity-get me out of here !"

Joe & I have been watching both.

He likes the HOT girls

in Strictly

and the bikini clad girls in

I'm a celeb

( of course he does - he's fifteen with raging hormones ! )

Tonight, I'm having a group of girl friends round for supper

and my dear Blogger friend

from

Fiddlesnips

is coming !

She is going to stay over

& will have Jess's bed

but may have to share it with Frankie

who has rather taken it over in Jess's absence.

I've told Jo that I'm not telling the others how we met

so she suggested telling them we met at a Swingers' evening !

A real life Blogger

Can't wait.

Jo & I have already met a couple of times in London and become friends-

so don't worry about me letting strangers into the house !

Joe & I are counting the sleeps til

we fly out to join

'im out of doors & Jess on the boat

in Antigua !

Five sleeps left !

So far Jess's Kindle has broken

and her sunglasses and now her PHONE

gone overboard.

( she manages to so the crossing with no blips

then drops her sunnies & phone while anchored in still water ! )

Amazon replaced her broken Kindle the next day

fantastic service !

so I can take it out with me.

We can claim the sunglasses on holiday Insurance.

They are having an argument with her phone's insurers

as she has been out of the country for over 30 days.

How irritating !

Apart from that,

she & hubby are very chilled-

we Skype every night.

Pop

HERE

to see what the other Friday Rockers have been doing !

2011-11-29T00:23:00.000-08:00

I loved your comments about names yesterday -

Great fun,

you made me laugh.

Thank you.

I liked some of your nick names too.

I used to plait my hair with lots of little plaits,

sleep with them

& untie them in the morning for a crinkly effect.

I had strawberry blonde coloured hair

& a boy at school nick named me

Dougal !

( The Magic Roundabout )

Quite sweet really.

He also named me...

!!!

" Just Jill " yesterday reminded me that

when I telephoned my best friend at school,

I'd say when asked,

" It's only Penny "

so her father called me "Only Penny" from then on.

Another friend's dad called me Tuppence

which was sweet with his strong Sussex accent-

" All right there Tuppence ? "

We used to tell people that Joe was

" Just Joe "

but was really Jonathan

in case he wanted a long name when he grew up !

The Right Honourable

Jonathan Steel

has a certain ring to it doesn't it ?!

For some peculiar unknown reason,

my brothers & I were bestowed with my Dad's name

AUBREY !!!

I mean, it wasn't even his first name

which was John !

but he was known as Aubrey.

We were Christened,

Patrick Timothy AUBREY Smith

Adam Marc AUBREY Smith

Martin Jonathan AUBREY Smith

and poor old

Penelope Ann AUBREY Smith !!!

How dreadful.

You can imagine my total

HORROR

when being invested at Brownies

when they called out -

Penelope Ann Aubrey Smith

and someone tittered.

Needless to say I lost the Aubrey years ago.

Mind you, we could have used it as a double barrelled name...

when we moved to the village I grew up in,

my mum met a woman who stuck out her hand to shake & introduced herself as

Clare Hunt.

So my mum shook hands & said,

" Rosemary Smith"

ah, turned out that the woman was actually

Mrs Clare-Hunt

double barrel

silly mum -

she should have said,

" Aubrey-Smith ! "

***

Anne with an E

reminds me of the funny story my friend tells..

Her sister in law always says,

" I'm Ann with an " E " Smith

She once received a letter addressed to

Ann Withany Smith

what a laugh !

Classic !!

The other day, mum rang me

to see if I could remember a name.

The daughter of one of her oldest friends

converted faith and lives as an Orthodox Jew in Israel.

Mum was writing to her

and couldn't remember her husband's name.

She asked me if I could remember his Christian name.

I couldn't but said,

" Well it wouldn't be a Christian name anyway mum would it -

seeing as he's an Orthodox Jew " !!!

Apologies again to old Bloggers-

not old but those who've been with me longer.

I've told some of these stories before !

2011-11-28T00:36:00.000-08:00

I suppose that I have grown to like my name

( especially now that I am a BAD Penny )

I can't stand being Penelope.

That is thanks to my dad

who chose my name

as my mother had chosen my brothers' names.

Penny is OK

but I do admit that there are some GREAT Penelopes around...

Penelope Pitstop

and

Mum said yes but she'll be called Penny.

On her list was,

Annya, Sara & Briony

which I can't imagine being called !

A English teacher at school insisted on our full names

& pronounced mine

Penelopeeeeee.

He called another girl

Jaqueleeeeeeneeeeee.

One day, fed up with him saying her name this way again,

she stood up

and said,

" My name is Jacklyn

J A C K L Y N

Sir "

Brilliant !

Actually,

I quite like the name Jacklyn.

We had plenty of

Sarahs, Nicolas, Wendys

back then.

When I was expecting Jess

I knew if I had a girl

I wanted to call her Jessica.

When she was little she was Jessie

and now Jess.

It suits her.

On my list was,

Kate, Rebecca, Emily, Rachael.

Now I like Cait and Imogen.

Jess said

" Thank God you didn't call me Imogen ! "

Oh well, I guess she'd have got used to it !

'im out of doors read a book where the girl was called Storm

and afterwards said,

" We should have called her Storm " !

Storm Steel ?

I think not.

Funnily enough we did meet a girl called Storm later

& it really suited her.

Joe was always going to have a short name,

We'd called the dog Sam

so couldn't use that

but had

Matt, Dan, & Tom on the list.

Joe is really a Jonathan

but never been known as that.

He hates his middle name

Graeme

and I have absolutely no idea why we chose it !

My brothers are named,

Patrick, Adam and Martin.

We had an uncle who refused to use the name Adam

I never really understood why.

He called him by his middle name

Marc.

Every Christmas,

our envelopes would arrive with gift vouchers inside

& Adam's was always addressed to Marc.

It made us giggle.

My mother was named after her grandmothers

Rose and Mary

Rosemary ( it suits her )

and her middle name Winifred

after her Aunt.

She always says that she didn't get her own name !

Hubby's name is Roderick

which I can't imagine calling a baby

but he's always been known as Roddy.

He had a lot of teasing when

" The Life of Brian was made "

" Welease Wodewick !"

What are your favourite names

and would you change yours ?

( Sorry if this is familiar,

I've blogged about names before ! )

2011-11-25T08:24:00.000-08:00

I went in for an extra afternoon at the shop

& we closed early to dress the window for

Christmas.

I dressed the girls.

While I was doing this I kept up a little commentary about them.

The first is the Sassy daughter...

bra top peeking out under her jacket.

She has the matching Nicks in her pocket

( just in case )

as she wants no visible panty lines !!

She's nicked the table decorations from the restaurant

and now she wants to go partying !

Next is her younger sister

desperate to wear her heels

but popped some sparkly flatties in her pockets for later !

She is very different from her big sis

& her dress sense is to mix old with new !

Here is their mother

elegant, groomed & classic.

She's totally exasperated with her eldest

and doesn't want her influencing her younger daughter.

We had a lot of fun doing the window.

When I look at the girls looking out to the high street

I say,

" All dressed up ...

and nowhere to go "

Perhaps they have a party when we've locked up gone home.

2011-11-23T00:06:00.000-08:00

The other day, I was taking Dillon

for his daily swim ( !)

when I noticed four gorgeous white ducks

on the bank of the stream

which runs through the village.

I stopped to talk to them for a while

& noticed that not only were they friendly

but also

had clipped wings.

Not wild ducks at all

like we have already.

My first thought was that they'd been dumped

as I've heard of this happening-

people take on ducks, geese, hens

then can't afford them or loose interest

& can't be bothered to re home them.

Later, without Dillon

( I really have come to the conclusion that Dillon has ADHD )

I nipped into the Parish Council office

to let them know about the ducks

& there was a man there who I know is a nature warden

so I told him.

He suggested they might belong to a B&B

where they keep ducks.

The house has a garden leading down to the stream.

It seemed an obvious explanation.

I left the matter with him.

A couple of days ago,

on a dog walk with a friend,

the ducks were right up on the road

So I ushered them back to the stream,

much to the amusement of my friend & passers by.

I've since found out that they belong to the pub-

were kept cooped up for a while in a pen

but now allowed to free roam.

They'll either get killed by the fox

or run over.

Yesterday during my stint at the charity shop,

we noticed a car on the village green.

After some discussion

we learned that an elderly lady

had accelerated from the parking bay

when she meant to reverse-

& landed on the green

( she must really have put her foot down ! )

She'd knocked over a bench

leaving huge track marks on the green.

Obviously I was concerned for the driver

but I was more concerned about the bench...

it's only just been situated there

in memory if Jack

a fifteen year old who died a year ago.

Jack's mum has been fundraising

like mad

to buy the bench

and was very proud to see it there on the green.

It had been moved & tucked up under the hedge.

I went over with an assistant from the Co-Op

who was muttering that the woman should have her licence taken away

( I agree )

to try to lift the bench back.

It was damaged so we left it

I went into a friend's shop right next to the green

to ask what had happened.

Someone from the Parish council office had moved the bench

and attended to the shaken driver.

The bench will have to remain where it is

until the woman's insurance details are sorted.

Although I was concerned for her,

my heart goes out to Jack's mum who will be so upset

and later

I started to think of the implications

if someone had actually been sitting on the bench.

***

The lovely Polish lady came in to the shop and insisted

we had a try of what she had cooked.

It looked like Ravioli

but once bitten into had the surprise of blackcurrant inside

( which spurted everywhere )

They were still warm.

She told us in Polish and signing how to make them

and that she would be away til the New Year.

We gave her a big hug as we are so fond of her.

So if you have got this far in my rambling about events in our village,

it's to say

that I love living here.

Sometimes things get me down-

there are the goings on that every village must have

and actually,

I can't wait to get away from it all for a while

but I really do love it here !

2011-11-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

My lovely girl

arrived in Antigua

with hubby & crew

having sailed from

the Canaries

Antigua.

WELL DONE HER !!!

We have emailed

and now SKYPED !!!

Oh how technology has changed !

Hubby & Jess in Antigua...

care of Skype.

Joe said,

" Have you had a Ting yet ? "

( a lovely drink a bit like Lilt but Oh so much better )

She raised her glass as

was drinking one right then !!!

So proud of you darling

and can't wait to see you.

LOVE YOU xx

2011-11-17T23:37:00.000-08:00

Rocking your world Friday

hosted by

Virginia

***

This week I'm fed up to say

that I have

ANOTHER STREAMING COLD

perhaps the one I had three weeks ago

never went away.

I sneezed my way through my shift in the charity shop

but Thursday was able to go back to bed

after seeing a reluctant Joe off to school

( he's under the weather too but has exams )

HOWEVER...

LESS THREE WEEKS

Joe & I are off to the sun

Hip hip horray !!!

Joe's new Passport arrived

Hip hip hip horray !

The house is looking tidier with

hubby & Jess away

and as I tidy & clean ready for friends staying

while we are away,

it actually

STAYS TIDY !!!

Dillon is booked in at the dog groomers

and the oven cleaning man is coming to make my oven look like new again !

One benefit of being full of

COLD

wrapped up in blankets on the sofa

with a box of tissues nearby

is watching my favourite Australian soaps

with out guilt

& looking at the

HOT

guys in it !

the bad but attractive River Boys

in Home and Away...

and cute but struggling ex rock star-

who in true Aussie soap fashion

is forging a career in singing

REAL LIFE

Axle Whitehead

***

The new series of

" I'm a celebrity - Get me out of here ! "

I don't watch it usually

but Joe & I decided to.

Freddie Starr

eating;

Turkey Testicles, Pig's Anus, Camel's toe,

a rotten egg, meal worms, mice tails,

cockroach milkshake

was disturbing.

Freddie

was later rushed to hospital and has since left the jungle.

I think I'll stick to Strictly & the X Factor

from now on !

***

An afternoon at the Charity shop

and the giggle we usually have.

The sex aid book someone donated in a pile of very ordinary books.

The lovely customer who speaks no English

bringing us delicious homemade cakes in.

We " talk " to her with a sort of sign language

& give her huge hugs

as she's so lovely

and she hugs us back.

The lovely bobbley scarf

£1.50.

I've had a lot of hair cut off

& my neck was cold

so wore it all afternoon

& decided to buy it.

I did remark that I felt a bit like a curtain accessory though !

Funnily enough...

it looks GREAT as a tie back in Jess's room.

Oh if only there was another !

I bought some very pretty lights

to brighten up the dark evenings.

It was the last set in the shop

as the new bistro

bought all the others !

***

On Saturday I went out with friends

to the opening of another Bistro

( what IS going on in our village ?! )

then onto a pub to hear a singer.

Fab evening

and thanks to those friends

who are keeping me busy while

'im out of doors is away.

***

My sailors should have arrived in Antigua.

I haven't heard this morning

but in yesterday's email

they said

due to arrive Thursday

will ring and arrange a time to Skype !!!

2011-11-16T11:08:00.000-08:00

Billy

what

ARE

you

doing ?

I'm keeping the other side of your bed warm mum,

you know

the bit where

usually sleeps.

Yes I can see that Billy

but

I'm fine on my own thank you.

But mum...

Frankie

goes where my favourite human sleeps...

the pretty one with the blonde hair...

...where IS she anyway ?

She's away Billy

and

so
is he

BUT

that doesn't give you licence to

sleep in his bed.

I mean

Frankie sleeps

the covers

not

and anyway...

at the moment,

she's downstairs...

TALKING
TO

A
MOUSE

!!!

a person could start talking to themselves

CATS

MICE

around here !

2011-11-15T00:15:00.000-08:00

Don't know what to blog about...

don't know what to blog about...

captions please-

what are the two pie birds saying to each other ?

2011-11-13T02:12:00.000-08:00

Bramble had another

" funny turn "

last week.

He was sick, dribbling

& very confused.

Several years ago we noticed that Bramble

was walking with his head to one side

& having dizzy spells.

It was treated as an inner ear infection

but did not clear up.

So the Vet diagnosed a small tumour

which Bramble can live with

but every now & then

has a dizzy spell.

He hid himself in a dark corner under Joe's bed

& rested up and was a lot better the next day.

Bramble is an old trooper

who has been through the wars...

when we got him from the cat rescue

on Jess's seventh birthday,

he already had a wonky mouth.

Within two weeks he lost the tip of his tail

by getting trapped in the back door !

Then he got trapped in the fan belt

of our neighbour's car

after he'd decided to climb INTO her engine !

He had a large gash in his side

but survived.

Then he lost all the skin on his cheek

( probably in a fight )

So Bramble leads a quiet life now

and after breakfast

returns to his adopted family opposite

for a leisurely day.

John & Margaret love him too.

Next door have two beautiful brown stripey cats

Sparky & Pearl

who live in my back garden most of the time !

They are quite timid but do let me stroke them.

Bramble is the boss & not scared of them.

Billy & Frankie ARE scared of them.

After Brekkies, Billy usually flops by the French windows.

This morning I heard a pitiful,

" Maw, Maw, Maw "

Sparky or Pearl

( I can't tell the difference )

was staring at Billy through the window

& it spooked him

so he oved settled himself on the sofa.

Frankie & Bramble sometimes sit on top of the hen house.

The other day I could see Frankie,

so called her in.

I called & called

but she just stared at me.

I had to go upstairs for something...

and there was Frankie-

curled up on Jess's pillow !

So who was the Frankie look alike imposter cat ?

I don't know who the

new Kit on the Block is...

He's bigger than Frankie

& I reckon he is male

( Frankie is actually a she )

I saw him hissing & spitting

at Sparky or Pearl

in my back garden...

so he obviously means business -

I think I need to get a

no no cat

!!!

2011-11-11T00:46:00.000-08:00

My gorgeous boy Billy

went missing for twenty four hours.

When he returned,

he slept on my bed all day

and wanted lots of cuddles.

My other gorgeous boy, Joe

took this fab photo of him.

Since then Frankie has been sleeping on Jess's pillow

& Billy

INSIDE

her bed...

they must miss her too

or perhaps they are taking advantage of her being away...

While the Jess is away -

the cats will...

sleep in her bed !!!

***

Susan Boyle

singing

Lilac Wine

on the radio.

Lovely

***

This beautiful skirt from the charity shop

£4 !

The Virtual dinner party with Blogger friends & guests

last Saturday was such fun.

I'll wear my new skirt at the next one !

***

Last Friday a friend & I went to a Charity lunch

for

Shelter BOX.

This is an organisation that sends rapid responce teams

& aid to disaster areas worldwide.

Our village community centre hosts a charity lunch once a month

& you get a cooked meal & pudding for £ 4.50.

There is a raffle too so hopefully we raised enough for one box costing

£ 590

In the evening we went to the opening of a new Bistro in the village

which was a lot of fun.

The Raft is beautifully decorated

has new Pizza ovens installed

& looks to be a promising venue.

As I'll be missing all the Christmas get togethers this year,

a friend has invited me out for a meal

with a small group

to test out the new place !

During the evening, a friend's husband

told me that I looked gorgeous !

It made my day !

I emailed hubby & told him.

He said he's going to be watching out for that friend in the future !

I also emailed hubby that I'd had a horrible dream

in which he was clearly

making early morning tea

FOR...

ANOTHER WOMAN !!!

He replied,

" Don't trust dreams "

sweet.

***

Joe getting on with his exams

and showing me his written drama work.

He has water polo

in PE today

and told me that it's tiring but a lot of fun.

They obviously just wack the ball with their hands-

I don't think sticks are involved !

***

The sun coming out during a gloomy walk

when I had a headach and tummy ache.

I sat on a bench on the clifftop swinging my legs

while Dillon hunted for stones.

***

11.11 20011

Today at 11 minutes past 11

I'll be joining in with

the power of thoughts-

an event happening worldwide.

I don't know much about it

but as well as the two minutes silence at 11 o' clock

for rememberance

at eleven minutes past eleven

I shall be quiet

& send

my healing thoughts out

for those in trouble across the world.

I'm not a religious person

but

the power of prayer

can be very powerful indeed.

Joe will be taking part in the

Rememberance Sunday parade

laying wreaths of poppies

at the war memorial.

Remembering my dad who died this day

several years ago.

He was a Royal Marine Commander-

a military man through and through.

We weren't close in later years

but I do have happy memories

of dad making rope swings

and climbing frames for us.

He'd put on slide shows

of family pictures

with an old projector and a white sheet hung up

which we all loved.

***

This is a...

post !

Pop

HERE

to see what the others have been up to

join us !

2011-11-09T07:58:00.000-08:00

'im out of doors & Jess.

One of my favourite photos

taken while visiting my mum in North Wales

when Jess was about one and a half.

We lived in Spain then

& Jess's hair was ash blonde !

We had this photo enlarged for hubby's birthday one year.

They are getting on really well...

about half way there so there will be a little celebration on board !

Jess has been getting up for her watches

and cooking & baking.

They managed to loose the spinnaker overboard

which will slow them down

but they are making good time

& all guessing the exact number of days the crossing will take-

he winner doesn't have to buy a round of drinks when they arrive !

So far they've seen dolphins, flying fish & whales

& have caught a couple offish for super.

Joe & I fly out to join them one month today.

We are fine-

Joe getting through his exams

& I' m working through my

" To do list "

Sorry if I haven't visited your blogs for a while-

the computer has been playing up

& driving Joe & me mad.

My laptop is temperamental too.

I was also messing around with Facebook

& wish I'd never started !!!

2011-11-08T00:05:00.000-08:00

So...yesterday,

when I should have been vacuuming up dog hairs,

I opened a Facebook account.

WHY ?

I have no idea.

WELL

yes I do,

I was avoiding

vacuuming up dog hairs.

I've always said,

NEVER.

I like my Blog.

WHY
OH WHY
FACEBOOK ???

I mean I get messages from people I know

either I see in person, phone or email.

My brother tells me he will ring at the weekend

to discuss family Christmas presents.

KNOW.

HOW
DO
I KNOW ?

My mother told me this on the

TELEPHONE.

Yes a real voice.

I'm even known to

WRITE

LETTERS.

OK,

they are usually a scribble in a birthday card

but it's personal,

my handwriting.

If I wanted to tell you that

I was about to make a cup of tea,

I'd tell you here on my Blog

but I'm sure you'd soon get bored.

SO WHY FACEBOOK ?

please tell me

as I'm confused !!!

2011-11-06T02:01:00.000-08:00

An evening at mine with my guest Jack Black
and Blogger friends with their guests;
Ertha Kitt, Johnny Depp, Fred Astaire,
Robbie Williams, Hugh Jackman, Colin Firth,
Sean Bean, Jo Brand, Michael Mc Intyre,
Hugh Ferney Wittington and Anthony Hopkins

***

Wow !

That was quite a party !

The mix of Champers, Cider & red wine

went straight to my head

& I ate too much of all your lovely food.

Thanks to those who stayed behind to do the washing up...

no breakages

even though

we popped open another couple of bottles of champers !

I blame Jack & Robbie - tho he stayed on the non alcoholic bless him.

Jack stayed over

( in Jess's empty room )

and treated Joe & me

to a scrummy cooked brekkies out this morning.

Great hang over fodder !

I did love it when Ertha picked up the napkin Jack had been scribbling lyrics on

& started to sing...

Incredible !

The food was delicious thank you all.

I hope you all took your doggy bags home
poor Dillon-
no leftovers for him this morning.

No booze left - BIG bottle run today
Jack said he'd help before he flies back to LA.

I thought Hugh J, Sean, Johnny & Colin were a little competitive

for we ladies' attention

but it didn't come to blows

" Pistols at dawn "
( though that might have been fun on my village green )

I did notice them adding their numbers to a few of your phones though.

They all have very big,

egos.

A couple of you girls
who will remain nameless -
( you know who you are )
were fighting over Colin
and had to be taken outside to cool down.
Colin was oblivious
as he was telling Michael
how good britches are for the figure.
I suspect Michael
was storing up
witty anecdotes for his next
stand up.
He'll be competing with Jo B though as I saw her scribble a few down
on the back of her hand !

Hugh J tried to get the upper hand by giving us each a red rose....
nice touch !
So sorry about the gate crasher
she lives up the road
& has " a thing " for Hugh.
She seemed happy enough when I sent her away
clutching my red rose from him.

Fred was a complete gent wasn't he ?

Dancing with all of us-

he didn't get tired at all.

I'm so glad I wore a dress...

when he spun me round...

my oh my !
He didn't bat an eye at
the other Penny's Doc Martins did he ?
while the other guys were more interested in what was under her Tutu !

I noticed that three of us had on our high black suede boots
dressed to Kill !
We all looked fab I thought.

MM & SFT

I was rather relieved

that your

BIG SMILES

covered all

as the evening was lively enough without

naked ladies.

I wouldn't have minded seeing a few more of Robbies' Tats though !

Wasn't it great when he stood on the table

and sang to Ertha ?
Mind you, she seemed more interested in my cats than him !

I was a little worried

when Hugh J showed Joe

how to strap my kitchen knives to his hands

& replicate Wolverine
while Hugh FW set fire to my table with his flambe !

When Johnny found hubby's stash of rum,
I was worried
but Anthony Hopkins
put me at ease
( though he usually scares me to death )
what a voice-
I could listen to him all night
but there was dancing to be had
with Fred & Robbie.

Jo B was very subdued to begin with
but relaxed as the evening went on.
Her impromptu thank you speech
was hilarious
wasn't it ?

I'm going to take her up on her generous offer to go & stay
& learn the art of stand up tho usually
I'm better at falling down.

Thank you or your
Banoffi pie Sue.
This is Jess's speciality
but with her away
I was thrilled with yours.
The puddings were to die for.

Anthony had a surprising sweet tooth didn't he ?
I thought he preferred sweetmeats.
Thank God Jo you brought red plonk & not Chianti !!!

Sean seemed pleased that one of our favourite family films is
National Treasure
but of course I'd told Johnny the same of Pirates !
Sean wasn't pleased to talk " green veggies" with Hugh FW tho'
for some strange reason.
Thank God Hugh didn't ask Anthony what he eats with beans !

I cheered Sean up by telling him how much I like his accent
and that " The Island " is one of my favourite films.
( I didn't mention that this was because
Ewan Mc Gregor is in it ! )

I was so proud that none of you mentioned
wet britches to Colin
but you just had to ask him about
BIG KNICKERS
didn't you ?

Ertha & Jo B & Michael had a good giggle about that.

Thank you sooo much
the Falafel it reminded me of living in Israel
and the Tapas -
Oh Spain all over again !
As for the Greek Mezze...
luckily Robbie didn't start smashing plates
( he really has calmed down hasn't he ? )

I felt that Johnny let the side down
when he gave into temptation with hubby's rum
& duly helped himself.
I suppose I should have offered it
but hubby is rather protective over his rum.
I mentioned that Mr Depp owns a house in this part of the world
which he wouldn't admit to
but he has agreed to view an eighty foot yacht with me this week
then hubby can skipper it-
'tho I imagine their
work ethics will clash somewhat !

Brilliant evening girls.

There were a few things left...
miscellaneous plates & bowls,
a top hat
and an Oscar.
I don't know who brought it
but I'm keeping it as a doorstop.

2011-11-05T03:30:00.000-07:00

POT LUCK SUPPER

TONIGHT

MY PLACE

ALL MY LOVELY BLOGGER FRIENDS ARE INVITED

with three conditions...

you have to dress up in your glad rags

bring food to share

and a guest of your choice.

What will you be wearing ?

What will you be bringing ?

and lastly

WHO

will you be bringing ?

I'll be wearing a wrap around dress I love

& black suede boots.

I'm cooking

Antiguan Chicken with pineapple

from Levi Roots'

Caribbean Food made easy cook book

( The " Reggae Reggae sauce "

man from Dragons' Den )

I'm making this for friends in December

and I want to try it out on you lot first !

and I'll be bringing...

my this is sooo difficult,

umm

JACK BLACK !!!

I watched

"The Holiday"

last night

one of my favourite chick flicks

and

Jack Black makes me giggle

so he's coming to dinner.

Get cracking

see you at seven

and bring a bottle !

2011-11-04T00:44:00.000-07:00

My this week has gone quickly !

So what's been happening ?

Sweet emails from Jess.

She's settling into life on board

and so far has seen,

dolphins, Pilot whales & flying fish

but no fish caught yet.

She ends her emails with

I love you.

I keep smiling when I think of her.

***

Joe is being lovely.

When Frankie & Billy

had a loud hissy spitty growly fight at six am

and Bramble was sick on the kitchen floor

right after his breakfast

and I noticed that Dillon had hurt his legs...

Joe said,

" Don't worry mum,

the day will get better "

***

The friends I've made through

working at the charity shop

& the fun we have in there.

The lovely customers

( not all but most ! )

I dressed " The girls " for

Remembrance Sunday.

Calling the mannequins this makes me smile

as an Australian friend used to call

my friends & me

" The Girls "

when we were on the Kibbutz.

Happy memories.

***

The friends

who have offered help

with shopping etc

with both car drivers of the family away

and the friends

who keep in touch.

***

T'ai Chi classes.

I missed most of them last half term

but am back

enjoying them again.

***

My lovely village.

Always something to do

at the fabulous Community Centre.

A fundraiser for

Shelterbox charity today

& a country & western eve

coming up.

Also the Johnny Depp

Alice in Wonderland film

being screened

and of course the Pantomime !

***

Dillon got his bounce back !

This morning

Dillon was back to normal.

Yesterday, he couldn't stand up

& his back legs appeared to

have stopped working.

He rested up & I spoke to the Vet.

This morning Dillon stood up

& started to wag his tail

- he's a real tail wagger.

Then his whole bottom started wiggling

& I thought

" That's the Dillon I know "

I'm not a

" Glass half empty "

sort of person

but yesterday I feared the worse

and life without Dillon

would be very gloomy indeed.

***

Pop over to

Virginia's

Blog

to see what the other

Friday Rockers

have been up to !

2011-11-03T01:43:00.000-07:00

I was chatting to a friend in the charity shop yesterday.

They were having a change about

and had put a table with crockery & kitchenware

in front of a bookshelf

which was filled with more crockery

and I remarked how it looked like a dresser.

Funnily enough we do have a dresser at the shop...

and it's filled with books !!!

They needed somewhere to put bed linen.

I said,

" we need a Linen press !"

and my friend commented

that her Irish mother in law

called kitchen cupboards & shelves presses.

I'd never heard of this before.

have you ?

I said I'd look up the definition of

linen press

Interestingly it mentions

in Ireland

a " hot press "

is an airing cupboard

used for storing linen.

I keep all bedlinen

in the airing cupboard

which is on the landing

and contains the boiler.

Tea towels & tablecloths etc

are in a basket drawer in a kitchen unit.

Where are yours kept ?

2011-11-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

All is as it should be in the garden...

OR IS IT ?

Syringia blossom

Forsythia ?

surely that blossoms in January ?

strawberries !

There's blossom way up there !

Lily leaves peeping out

and pretty apple blossom ???

My Sumac tree is looking heavenly-

well it is knows as

the tree of heaven

after all !

It is a descendant of the one we had in the garden

when I was a child

which I love about it.

2011-11-01T01:28:00.000-07:00

I just popped over to read

Annie's post

which was all about

Trick or Treating

when I saw a link to

Ghoul yourself

so I had a play.

( when I have oh so many other things to do ! )

It doesn't seem to want to move & talk though !

We had treats ready & lanterns lit

as we have a long path.

and it's very dark.

No pumpkin since some git kicked it down the lane one year.

First callers

two little witches with dressed up

Mum & Dad.

Dad has seen the lanterns

& said,

" It's a sign "

Then the lively young mum from down the road

& her two little boys

all dressed up.

Later their bigger brother Bailey

plucked up courage

but his mate stayed at the gate.

They are terrified of Dillon !

Dillon went Mental

seeing Bailey's mask

& I had to shut him in the kitchen.

( Dillon that is - not Bailey ! )

Bailey apologised for the mask.

He's a lovely kid

& looks after his little brothers with great care.

I feel like giving him a medal.

That was it for this year

so Joe gets to scoff the leftovers.

2011-10-31T10:07:00.000-07:00

So this weekend the clocks changed...

Spring Forward-

Fall back

that's how to remember which way !

I've turned all but the boiler clocks back.

The computer did it's own
very clever...

BUT

how do you tell a cat ?

Eh ?

Strangely enough, my cats can't tell the time

but they have pretty amazing body clocks.

Billy usually yowls loudly outside our window

at five am ( little horror that he is )

Frankie jumps on the windowsil about six.

They can get in our bedroom window
as there is a single story roof below.

Bramble appears like the prince he is

around seven.

He pops over from his retirement home with

John & Margaret opposite.

By seven fifteen...

all three cats are lining up in the kitchen for breakfast.

Supper is served at five.

Billy rolls off which ever bed he has been cat napping on

( usuaslly Jess's )

Frankie daintily tiptoes down from Joe's bed

& Bramble saunters over from

across the road.

Yesterday however

they wanted their tea at four o' clock...

of course they did !

Their tummies said it was

five o' clock !

I made them wait ten minutes & will add ten more tonight

to work them towards tea at five again !

Billy ( the stomach on legs )
isn't happy at the prospect of waiting for
" Food Food Food !!!"

***

Joe & I walked to the village earlier
to buy some sweets for any Trick or Treaters.
We usually get half a dozen or so groups.
Joe's got something on at Explorers.

He told me that one year he was out
Trick or Treating
with his friend Luke
& a man at one house
asked them what they wanted.

They said,
" A bottle of Cider please"

A woman appeared with two apples !!!

Ha ! Served them right !

2011-10-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

...and then there were two !

It's strange when a tight knit family of four becomes three

for a while.

Even stranger when it becomes two !

We are fairly used to

'im out of doors going away

because it's sometimes part of his job.

When he's away,

we often forget & set the table for four as usual

then giggle,

" Oh Dad's away ! "

The house is far far tidier.

The washing load is smaller
when he's away.

Tonight

Joe & I will have

dinner for two...

the same amount of pans to wash though !

Jess got away fine

& arrived in Las Palmas with no problems.

Our friend Matt

who travelled with her

didn't have it so easy...

we heard that he was called back to check in

where his suitcase had been extracted from the luggage belt

& he had to go through it with customs.

He had an inflatable life jacket with gas canisters

& boat bits in his case !

Poor Matt

This happened to him before flying out with parts of a Land rover in his case.

All was allowed once explained but

imagine security seeing the bits show up on X Ray !!!

It could only happen to Matt !

Hubby & the crew had made Jess's bed up -
she gets a cabin of her own

which she has to share with a lot of sail bags !

They also fitted a lock on the loo

which was very thoughtful.

I spoke to Jess this morning & she was very quiet.

They are sailing to Puerto Magan today
a lovely place
& will eat out.

Tomorrow, they set sail for Antigua.
I hope Jess feels better.

I know JUST how she's feeling.

I'm hoping once she arrives she'll make some friends
with the other young crews
& get invited to the beach & out in the evenings with them.

Joe & I had a lovely walk after Jess left yesterday.

Dillon doing his

" Tigger" act -

bounding through the field

like the idiot dog he is !

Joe's not looking forward to school tomorrow.

Mock GCSE's ahead this month.

Ah well-

something lovely to look forward to in December !

I've cleaned & tidied Jess's room
having taken the opportunity of her not in it !

I keep smiling about the wonderful time she will have
seeing the stars over the ocean,
Dolphins, Whales & flying fish.
She'll learn so much over the next few weeks.

Joe has given me first dibs on the Remote control ( for now )
so it's Strictly & the X Factor results
then Downton tonight for me !

Thank you for all your sweet messages.
Blogging friends are so special xx

2011-10-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

Jess left for the airport a while ago.
I gave her a big hug & waved like mad
to keep her cheerful
but her eyes were welling up
as mine were.

I've been feeling sick all afternoon.

People have been wishing Jess

Bon Voyage

and asking her if she's excited.

She isn't.

She feels numb

and apprehensive.

I know that hubby & the crew will look after her

but it's still a huge step

towards growing up.
She'll be fine I know.

I've been there for all her other steps...

first day at pre- school & primary

then secondary school

& college

Now she has to

take this one with out me

though I have been here reassuring

and encouraging her

even though I'm going to miss her so much.

Earlier we got Jess's little car tucked up on the path-
she had to put her foot down to get over the curb
& as I was holding the gate open
I was a little perturbed !
We had a good giggle about it.

I gave Jess a little mascot to take with her.

Hubby has a Garfield

I gave him when we first met.

Garfield has had many adventures over the years.

Cooks & deck hands have hidden him in all sorts of places

& hoisted him up the mast a few times.

Lots of practical jokes.

We hid Garfield in Hubby's cabin

but he is getting a bit long in the tooth

and probably glad for a bit of a rest now..

I wonder what adventures this little fellow will have...

2011-10-28T01:11:00.000-07:00

I think that I've become a

Rockette !

moi - really ?

maybe not !

though Jess does keep telling me that my microphone is showing...

one of the wires from my bra keeps poking out

& looks like those tiny mikes

singers wear in shows !

I do like this way of rounding up the week..

The trouble is,

it's Sunday

and I have already started writing this post

for the week coming !!!

So - what has been

Rocking my week ?

THE ABILITY TO GIGGLE

lots of things to make me giggle this week.

Walking to the village,

I spied something unusual

outside the cash point machine...

a pair of white cotton ladies' pants !

I say pants & not knickers as they were rather large

( old ladies' pants )

I nipped to the charity shop

& got the girls to come & look.

What a giggle.

I imagined someone standing at the cash machine

and her pants falling down & not noticing !

or...

someone has put them there to say,

"PANTS TO YOU !!!"

for closing our bank !

They stayed there all day.

This message on a parcel delivery.

Great sense of humour !

Funnily enough Dillon did get his own parcel

a few days later & it was left on the doorstep.

He may well have ripped open the package & eat the contents

as it was a box full of doggy snacks.

I'm so glad he didn't because

just look at the box ...

Beautifully made by

( photo does not do justice )

Dillon can have the biscuits...

but I'm keeping the box !

Thank you so much Jo

We love it.

and this video I saw at lovely

Going Gently John's

and couldn't stop giggling....

scroll back to last Saturday's post

***

CHARITY SHOP FINDS

The dress & beautiful pink silk scarf

were four pounds.

I won the Avon goodies in a tombola.

The face cream is fantastic

but I'll be donating the lipstick to the shop...

it's way too red for me !

BEING OUTSIDE

filling my pots with winter colour

and tidying up the fallen leaves in the garden.

I love this time of the year.

And finally of course,

the change of plans

to spend a whole month

on this beautiful boat...

Jess joins hubby & crew on the boat on Saturday

for the crossing to Antigua

and Joe & I join them in December.

Being thrilled, overwhelmed, happy

is an understatement !

So what have you been doing this week ?

Why not join the other Friday Rockers

and visit

Virginia

here

2011-10-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

We've just got home from seeing this at the cinema.

If you're thinking about going to see it -

I wouldn't bother !

Great cast

but so boring.

Thriller ?

Suspense ?

Jess & I both said afterwards that we kept expecting something to happen.

It didn't.

Great line though,

said to Jude Law playing a would be journalist

who has a Blog,

" Blogging is graffiti - with punctuation "

Blimmin' cheek !