Valentino - a Champion if ever I saw one.

I took this photo at a Cat Show held in Canterbury in 2005, just before June died. I went to see her on my way to the cat show and I went straight to her house to check up on her when I got back to Folkestone. It was a Saturday. That Tuesday she went to hospital and never came out.

I remember telling her about this cat. His name is Valentino and he is gorgeous. A Maine Coon. I have to admit, I'm smitten. After seeing him, I want one of my own. Very much. But it is out of the question for a number of reasons. You have to admit he is Magnificent. And massive! I've never seen a cat that size before. There was no trick photography I can assure you. I haven't the skills for that.



A Magnificent, Massive Mog or a Prince of Pusscats. A Fabulous Feline.
Ooh, he makes my heart speed up.
I wonder if he gives autographs? He deserves his own Fabulous Feline Fan Club.

Of old videos and furry friends

I am recovering from being so ill last week but I'm taking life very easily at the moment in the hope that I can regain lost ground.  

Caelyn and Nigel popped in for half an hour on their way to see my mother.  I showed them some of the old videos I have posted recently and they all had a good laugh at them.  

Here they are all looking at one of the videos:

They are worried about their dog.  He doesn't seem too well.  They will take him to the Vet on Friday afternoon.  The Vet is open tomorrow afternoon but they have something on that they can't postpone.  It isn't an acute condition; its more of a chronic slow decline.  

Madam Spikkeldy lives on my bed and looks very cute and sweet.  She has no patience with the dog.  My friend Terrie is coming tomorrow afternoon to help me bath him.  He is very good.  He stands in the bath looking incredibly miserable, but he lets it happen.  Afterwards he runs through the house trying to stand on his head on every chair in the house.  Crazy creature!  I have dewormed him this week and I want to bath him before I put his Frontline on. 

Here he is with his mate Fat Jack, who puts up with endless nonsense from him.  Skippy is lucky that Fat Jack is such a nice and unusually tolerant cat.

He is a pretty dog though.  Terrie has just dyed her hair to match his!

And this is Caelyn and Nigel's dog, Denim, who isn't very well.  He is the dark Patterdale Terrier in the background:

He is normally an exuberant and friendly chap who thinks he's a lapdog.  But lately he has been wanting to be quiet and he yelps when he moves in certain ways.  He had belonged to an old man.  After he died, his widow, who was in her 80s, felt that she couldn't exercise him or look after him properly, which is how Caelyn and Nigel ended up with him.  He is a lovely, nice natured dog, but he isn't very bright.  He is part of the family now and they love him.  

Here he is sitting on my lap at Christmas:

Coffee Parable

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some
expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:

"If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us."

God brews the coffee, not the cups.......... Enjoy your coffee!

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything."


Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

Author unknown

BBQ

Nigel and Caelyn invited us to a BBQ at their house yesterday. It was a hot summery day. They had done a lot of preparatory work the day before. Nigel had had to make 8 trips to the dump with garden waste. They had been up making salad since 07h00. The food was delicious and we had a lovely time.

Wendy had fun unpacking my mother's bag. When we went in to cool down, she got her great grandmother's blouse off and put it on, taking great pride in fastening the buttons herself.

Caelyn wasn't going to have Sean drive after drinking so they bought some Kaliber alcohol free beer and he enjoyed it in ignorance. He was sitting on the sofa later in the afternoon and he and Wendy had a great game with him pretending to catch her to eat her. At least he wasn't called upon to play 'tigers' this time. He is a 'natural' in the grandfatherly role, and there are some good photos of him in the album below. Double click on it and you will see 23 photos of the afternoon.

Photobucket Album

This is my favourite one of Sean

Brother Stephen Down Under

My brother Stephen is married to Margaret, an Australian lady.  

When he lived in Folkestone, he wasn't well.  He had had to have lifesaving surgery and he lived a boring life.  Then he met Margaret and married her.  They have moved to Queensland in Australia where they are running their own business.  Judging by Steve's emails, he has really come into his own.  Happy, busy, and loving his new life.  Thank God for Margaret!

Visit their website and if you are visiting the area, why not stay with them?  I can promise you you won't be disappointed.  Here is the URL http://www.applegarth.net.au/index.html or click on Applegarth

Stephen is right.  It IS a million miles from High Brooms!  Look at the photos on the site.  A different world.

Pope Benedict's Challenge

Pope Benedict’s sermon in Australia, Sunday 20 July 2008

The Holy Father asked the youth very deep and important questions that require an answer, I would say not only from the youth but from all of us. I want to share that part of his homily with you:

Dear young people, let me now ask you a question. What will you leave to the next generation? Are you building your lives on firm foundations, building something that will endure? Are you living your lives in a way that opens up space for the Spirit in the midst of a world that wants to forget God, or even rejects Him in the name of a falsely-conceived freedom? How are you using the gifts you have been given, the “power” which the Holy Spirit is even now prepared to release within you? What legacy will you leave to young people yet to come? What difference will you make?

The power of the Holy Spirit does not only enlighten and console us. It also points us to the future, to the coming of God’s Kingdom. What a magnificent vision of a humanity redeemed and renewed we see in the new age promised by today’s Gospel! Saint Luke tells us that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all God’s promises, the Messiah who fully possesses the Holy Spirit in order to bestow that gift upon all mankind. The outpouring of Christ’s Spirit upon humanity is a pledge of hope and deliverance from everything that impoverishes us. It gives the blind new sight; it sets the downtrodden free, and it creates unity in and through diversity (cf. Luke 4:18-19; Isaiah 61:1-2). This power can create a new world: it can “renew the face of the earth” (cf. Psalm 104:30)!

Empowered by the Spirit, and drawing upon faith’s rich vision, a new generation of Christians is being called to help build a world in which God’s gift of life is welcomed, respected and cherished - not rejected, feared as a threat and destroyed. A new age in which love is not greedy or self-seeking, but pure, faithful and genuinely free, open to others, respectful of their dignity, seeking their good, radiating joy and beauty. A new age in which hope liberates us from the shallowness, apathy and self-absorption which deaden our souls and poison our relationships. Dear young friends, the Lord is asking you to be prophets of this new age, messengers of his love, drawing people to the Father and building a future of hope for all humanity.

The world needs this renewal! In so many of our societies, side by side with material prosperity, a spiritual desert is spreading: an interior emptiness, an unnamed fear, a quiet sense of despair. How many of our contemporaries have built broken and empty cisterns (cf. Jeremiah 2:13) in a desperate search for meaning - the ultimate meaning that only love can give? This is the great and liberating gift which the Gospel brings: it reveals our dignity as men and women created in the image and likeness of God. It reveals humanity’s sublime calling, which is to find fulfillment in love. It discloses the truth about man and the truth about life. 

The Church also needs this renewal! She needs your faith, your idealism and your generosity, so that she can always be young in the Spirit (cf. Lumen Gentium, 4)! In today’s second reading, the Apostle Paul reminds us that each and every Christian has received a gift meant for building up the Body of Christ. The Church especially needs the gifts of young people, all young people. She needs to grow in the power of the Spirit who even now gives joy to your youth and inspires you to serve the Lord with gladness. Open your hearts to that power! I address this plea in a special way to those of you whom the Lord is calling to the priesthood and the consecrated life. Do not be afraid to say “yes” to Jesus, to find your joy in doing his will, giving yourself completely to the pursuit of holiness, and using all your talents in the service of others!”

Posted on Cardinal Sean’s Blog http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/ 

MEAssociation letter to Secretary of State

MAY BE REPOSTED

ME Association writes to DWP about Employment and Support Allowance

Friday, July 25

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Dear Mr Purnell

Having been closely involved in the Department of Work and Pensions consultation process regarding new medical guidance on ME/CFS for the purpose of Disability Living Allowance and Carer's Allowance application assessments, The ME Association is obviously very interested in the process for replacing Incapacity Benefit with the new Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

Before commenting on the green paper, which we intend to do in due course, we would appreciate some clarification on the comments you made about people with ME/CFS in relation to the new ESA when you were interviewed about this subject on GMTV on Monday 20th July.

The transcript of this discussion contains an assurance from you that: ...it will be easier to identify people with ME and chronic fatigue under the new welfare system because the testing is based on advice from people with ME and the assessment itself will be undertaken by an independent doctor.

The clarification we require at this point is how are you intending to take advice from people with ME; who will you be approaching about the new testing procedure for people with ME; and when will this consultation process start?

Yours sincerely

Neil Riley
Chairman, The ME Association

Original letter here

Family Resemblance

The likeness is remarkable. You won't believe it till you see it. Auntie and Nieceling. Cut from the same cloth.

Last one for today

This video shows Caelyn having Woozle's "help" making the bed. Kids can be so much fun.


Question: Did the bed ever get made?

Trip down Memory Lane

I have just put a You Tube video further down this page. I had forgotten about my You Tube account. As I was reviewing all my videos, I came across this old one and had a jolly good chuckle. It is best with sound, so turn your speakers on.

Wendy's First Piano Lesson

Barbeque?

Kate and Nigel have been planning a barbecue at their house this weekend. Unfortunately the weather forecast isn't very promising. We will have to wait and see. This morning, Friday, was glorious. I called at the Dr surgery then drove home along the Leas. Absolutely beautiful day. I have been home for less than an hour and the sky has clouded over and the temperature has dropped. So the weatherman might be right after all.

Sean has never, ever been to a barbeque in his life. We have to have one at some point for that very reason alone.

Yesterday Evening

Kate and Wendy usually visit me on a Thursday evening, but yesterday was special because Michelle came too. She has more free time this week as she is working at one of her company's Folkestone houses and she is working less hours but still being paid for the amount of hours she is contracted to work. The person who usually works there has gone on holiday. This is great for Michelle as she needs a bit of respite for the insanely long hours she has had to work recently.

One of the people she works with has severe agoraphobia. Last week the person agreed to walk with Michelle as far as a garage. Measured in feet and inches the distance wasn't very great. Looking at it not in terms of feet and inches but as a measure of a trusting relationship Michelle has built up with this person, it is a huge achievement. Staff who have worked there for years haven't been successful in achieving that. This is another indicator of Michelle's giftedness with this type of work. Some things simply can't be learned from a book, and this is one of them. Very well done, Michelle. A Triumph!

Positive Proof of Global Warming

What more proof do you need?

Circus

Last night Caelyn and Nigel went to the Moscow State Circus and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a great treat for them after all the work they have done for their exams.

My mother and I looked after Wendy. She did two funny things. She put her 'motorbike' on the sofa and put grapes on the rim of the wheel, then spun the wheel. What a fun way to learn about centrifugal forces! See the movie below. Turn up your speakers to listen to the giggles!



I gave her a Gingerbread Man in cellophane. She asked to be shown how to open it and then she opened it herself, but the head snapped off, so she tried to put him together again. Later on, after her bath, she insisted on doing her own pyjama buttons up.

The other funny thing happened was when my mother said that she was hot. She shouldn't have said that, because like may toddlers, Wendy likes taking her clothes off because she feels much better 'au naturel'. She knows that if she takes her clothes off when she is hot, she cools down quickly. She is a caring and helpful child, so she jumped on my mum and began pulling her blouse off. We packed up laughing! Then she thought Josie's glasses were stopping her top from going over her head so she took those off too.

She loves talking on the phone but doesn't understand yet that the person on the other end can't see what she is showing them. She's a great little kid and she is 2yrs and 4 months old.

I'm going to paste a Web Album below. Double click on it and you will see the evening's photos. Enjoy!

July 2008

Health

My health has been 'down' lately and I have had a lot of tummy trouble. Distended upper abdomen, nausea from hell and so much discomfort I can't sleep. Sean says I should try to keep a diary so I can show it to a doctor one day and on one level he is right. The thing is, if you go to a Dr you expect them to be able to help you. It is too disheartening to go because they can't do anything to alleviate it. And it always gets better eventually. In the meantime. I have to sit up straight when nauseous, but sitting up hurts and makes me feel awful. I feel so tired I have to lie down and rest but the nausea won't let me.

The icing on the cake is that my familiar old friend Fever is back so I have been buried under the bedclothes, teeth chattering and my dear cat cuddling up to comfort me. I am not eating per se. I have decided to have nothing but small amounts of bio-yogurts for 48 hrs. With lots of plain water. And bedrest for 24 hours after the temp returns to normal. Then hopefully normal life again but with extra restrictions for a while.

What a business! I can't imagine why people think that we choose all these horrible symptoms. They have a huge impact on day to day life and they steal your normal adult functions. So if I go to the shop to buy food, it will be at least 3 days before I have the strength to prepare it.

It becomes impossible to make plans because you never know how you will feel at the time. And "pushing through" is dangerous and causes relapses that last weeks or even longer.

Caelyn has taken Brak home with her because I can't take him out at present. She says he is OK, has been out for a walk and had a good dinner. Its a relief to think he will be OK if I can't look after the silly blonde brak :)

A Prayer for my Enemies

A Prayer for My Enemies

Lord Jesus, You once asked us to love our enemies
and to pray for those who hurt us.
Hear my prayer today, for my love is not perfect
and my prayer is never complete.

There are some people I just do not know how to pray for;
I do not know how to be reconciled with them,
but You are the source of all reconciliation, and through Your Blood,
You offered loving forgiveness to every sinner.

Bless me and my enemy, as You would see fit,
and lead us one day to that perfect reconciliation
that comes from You alone. Amen.

A Franciscan Benediction

May God bless you with discomfort
at easy answers, half truths, superficial relationships,
so that you will live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people,
so that you will work for justice, equality and peace.

May God bless you with tears
to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war,
so that you will reach out your hand to comfort them and change their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with the foolishness
to think that you can make a difference in the world,
so that you will do the things which others tell you cannot be done.

What a Louse!!

I saw my friend Catherine today. At long last she has her divorce from John. Before the recession, the Court ordered that the house be sold and the money divided between them. I told her that as he is so comfortable in the house, he would probably sabotage any hints of a sale.

She told me today that he is refusing to cut the grass on the grounds that she owns more of the house than he does, so if she wants the grass cut, she will have to do it. (She put a massive deposit down from the life insurance her late husband had left her, plus she put his pension into the household so that John need have no expense in respect of the child by her first marriage). She works as a Community Carer, and she works very long hours to bring up her son. John has said she must also find an estate agent and organise a sale. That will be difficult as she can't access the premises as the locks have been changed.

So, we were right. The Low Louse IS trying to sabotage the sale!

He has also tried the well worn Sympathy Tactic. He apparently is terminally ill and doesn't have much time left. Yet, amazingly, he is doing a lot of overtime. 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Remarkable stamina for such a sick man!

They say you don't really know a person until you divorce them.

Grandpa Duty

Playing Chase


Reading the Tale of Tom Kitten


Getting a nagging from Caelyn


He's a Natural. It is just as well that Sean loves Wendy because neither of her biological grandfathers could be bothered with her. They have no idea what fun and joy they are missing.

Lunch at Sean's

Yesterday, Caelyn, Nigel, Wendy and I had lunch at Sean's. It was very enjoyable and Sean had a lot of fun playing with Wendy. Grandpa duties soon had him exhausted so he went to bed after we left.

I left before the others because of my tummy. I needed to get home to my own bed and my dark, quiet room. I still feel ghastly and had minimal sleep in the night. I feel 'poisoned' and ill.

Wendy has her own point of view:


Here they are playing tigers. Sean has his good suit trousers on. If he is going to play tigers with Wendy, he will have to get some cheap comfortable trousers that do not have to be dry cleaned.

Another All-Nighter

For several nights these past few weeks, I have had to stay up all night because my tum has been playing up big time. Tonight is another such. Standard medicine does not work because the nausea arises in the brain in ME and not in the stomach. I think I will get some fiery ginger beer and rice cakes to control the extent of the nausea. Possibly some Milk Thistle capsules as well. I hate being constantly nauseous!

I'm seriously nauseous, my upper abdomen is distended, I have oral thrush and so much debility that I have been obliged to restrict my activities and spend more time resting. At night I can't sleep due to the discomfort of the symptoms, and I am sure that the symptoms would subside if I ever managed to get good-quality rest. So far, rest is the only thing that really helps.

I wake up in the mornings feeling fine. But within half an hour to an hour I feel so ill that I have to go back to bed. This is annoying because in the past few years, I have managed my condition and if I 'lived by the rules' I had energy to do various things. That has all come to a halt now. Over the next few weeks, I will cut my activities right back and this time I won't be stupid enough to feel adventurous and do too much, because I am fed up with having these damaging 'boom and bust' cycles.

Calculating 'too much' is difficult because it varies from day to day.

Paul's Birthday

It is my brother Paul's birthday today.  I hope he has a lovely one and a good year ahead.

Voorspoed, ouboet!

Retreat House for Disabled People and Carers

I belong to a health message board and one of the members posted about spiritual Retreat houses.
Many have the odd provision for wheelchair users but one of the advertisers says that they specialise in that area. They are in Poole, Dorset.

This is their website information if you care to click on the link.

I'm pasting some of their info below:

Holton Lee's mission is: "...empowering and resourcing people, particularly carers and disabled people through creativity, environmental awareness, personal growth and spirituality." The Barn and Cottages at Holton Lee offer flexible accommodation suitable for disabled people, carers, and those looking for a break and is particularly attractive to artists, disabled people, carers, groups, conference delegates and those looking for a retreat. It is set within 350 acres of diverse landscape, woodland, heathland, reedbeds, and meadows and overlooks the shores of Poole Harbour. Facilities include the Farmhouse, Faith House, Stables Studios, Arts Pavilion and Camp Field. It is 6 miles from Poole and 4 milers from Wareham. Highly recommended.

Open:  All year. Receives individuals, families, small groups and non-retreatants. Early booking is essential.

Rooms:  Modern, comfortable, clean and fully accessible with comprehensive facilities.

Spiritual Help:  Spiritual guidance if requested.

Guests Admitted to:  Access within 350 acres with fully accessible paths. ArtsPavilion and Quiet Room in Faith house. Two bird hides overlooking ponds.

Meals:  Traditional/vegetarian food. Special diets catered. Self-catering also available.

Special Activities:  Exhibitions and events. Send for information.

Sitiuation:  Quiet and in the countryside.

Maximum Stay:   2 weeks.

Charges:  Various rates – ask for Tariff List.

Access:   Train, bus, car all possible.

Holton Lee
East Holton, Near Poole
Dorset BH16 6JN
England
Tel/Fax: +44 (0)1202 625562
info@holtonlee.co.uk        

Http://www.holtonlee.co.uk

Loves and Cuddles

Wendy and her mummy enjoying a tender happy cuddle. They have a very close bond, and it shows.

 

Nigel took her to the Toddlers Group on Wednesday when Caelyn was writing her exams. He was the only dad there but that didn't faze him. My mother had been taking Wendy there and she noticed something interesting. Wendy loves transport vehicles and was playing with a lorry. She 'drove' cars onto the lorry then pushed them to the Garage area where she unloaded them. She wasn't just playing; she was formulating a plan in sequence and implementing it.

Remember Christmas? She was given a toy vacuum cleaner and a toolbox. She was delighted with the toolbox and took a a screwdriver and began trying to loosen the screws on the vacuum cleaner. And ages ago when they were in their old house and she wanted to get upstairs, the babygate was blocking her. So she pushed her wooden toybox to the stairs, stood on it and climbed over the banister. What I am saying is that she enjoys problem solving.

My mother says she shows no interest in the Craft table and doesn't really get involved in singing. She likes building things with blocks and lego. I wonder if she is showing an inclination towards engineering skills? It is too early to tell, of course, but the signs have been there for ages. I wonder if it would be wise to help her nurture these skills but without pushing or pressuring her? In later life, the people most successful at what they do started to develop their special skills from an early age. I'm thinking of musicians, gymnasts and dancers specifically but it applies in other fields too.

It would be nice if she came to enjoy craft work and singing at some point but she shouldn't be pushed yet because her main job is to play.

It is also pleasing to see how tenderly and gently she treats her dolls, other children and animals. If a child is crying she wants to hug them and comfort them. If their nappy is wet, she will take the child to its mother and say 'wet! wet!' She also goes running for bottles or soft toys if a baby is crying.

She is a lovely child and it is fascinating to witness different aspects of her character taking shape.

Granny chases thugs off with broomstick

There is a wonderful story in today's Daily Mail about a grandmother who chased off 3 hooded thugs trying to rob the shop she worked in. They were attacking her boss with hammers when she waded in with the broom and saw the little oxygen thieves off! Good for her!! Go Gran!!

I will post a link go the story. See it HERE There is CCTV footage you can watch on the Daily Mail site.

Family Night?

My mum has asked if I'm going to cancel Family Night this week. She says she can see I'm not well enough and that is true, but I feel guilty about cancelling so often.

To be honest, my function is way down. A short walk between bedroom, kitchen and bathroom leaves me nauseous with a racing heartbeat and with quivering, shaky muscles. I can't cook for myself or do any real shopping or clean the house. When I bath, I can wash my hair but have no strength to dry it, let alone style it. I have had a couple of days in bed and it has done a bit of good but I'm still far from the level of function I would like to be at. I'm tired but sleeping well. The tiredness is not so much an issue as the nausea and weakness.

At times like this, I can't believe I will ever feel well and function well again.
In fact, I'm not too sure I remember what that feels like.

Crazy Cat Lady Starter Kit

This is how it starts:

 

And this is how it ends up:

Oh My!! People really DO see what they expect to see!

Several years ago I read about people seeing what they expected to see. One experiment was during a university lecture. A man rushed in and snatched the lecturer's handbag. The students were asked to write statements about what happened when a bearded man had torn through the classroom yelling loudly. All of the students mentioned the beard, but the actor was, in fact, clean shaven.

The second thing was an experiment where healthy people had to report that they 'heard voices' but to act normally in every other way. All the participants were admitted to hospital and even things as innocent as reading a newspaper was seen as 'evidence' of mental illness.

You can imagine me giggling when I saw this You Tube video titled
Is Psychiatry a fake science?The Thud Experiment

Take a look and laugh. It isn't very long and it is a bit disturbing as well as funny when you think through all the implications. If the video doesn't work, this is the URL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnt6OQ4WaY0 and THIS should be a clickable link.

My Camera

I lost my camera between Sean's lounge and kitchen last Wednesday when his brother Marty and his wife Nicky were visiting. They all helped me to look for it and Sean's housekeeper Stella looked for it on Friday. I looked again last night, but no luck.

Where could it be? Nobody there would have nicked it and there can't have been an intruder because we were all downstairs and the dog would have gone mad if there was an intruder. We have looked in the furniture, under the furniture and behind the furniture as well as on all the surfaces and in some of the cupboards. It is a mystery and I feel lost without it.

What could I have done with it? Surely I wouldn't have put it in a ridiculous place? I even checked the fridge and freezer just in case, but found nothing. Very strange.

Birthday Celebration

We duly had the birthday celebration yesterday. Richard used his cameraphone to take a couple of pictures as my camera still hasn't turned up. As you can imagine, Wendy was in the thick of things, kindly 'helping' Josie with her presents.

The first picture shows Richard's gift - a toyboy! Well, at least this sort of toyboy would never answer back or leave the toilet seat up or whiskers in the wash basin. Tall, dark and handsome too - what more could a girl wish for?



Michelle gave her Bucket Love which she had wanted. I'm not sure whether it is a book or a dvd as I've never heard of it. Josie had though and she was pleased with it. Michelle gave her several nice gifts PLUS she had gone to town on the way back from a 24 hour shift at work and bought baking ingredients. Then she had baked all afternoon and blown balloons up so she put in a huge effort even though she was terribly tired. Last week she worked 75 hours, poor kid.



Nigel and Caelyn both being students and parents have little money so they got some small gifts for her but their main thing was the cake. It was a strawberry cream gateau and they made it themselves. Strawberries are in season now and tasted yummy. The cake was a fiddly thing though because not only did they have to bake it, they had to make very fiddly Confectioners Custard to go in the middle. Some went on top and then strawberries and whipped cream were used as decorations. They scoured town to find an icing set and forcing bag to decorate it, and they piped beautiful rosettes of cream and placing the strawberries just so. Michelle bought the candles and decorations and by the time the cake was ready, it looked so good that Josie could not believe they had made it. She was sure they had had it professionally done until they showed her the recipe book with the picture of the cake they had made.They did very well , especially as Wendy insisted on 'helping'.



She had some very nice presents but that wasn't all because everyone donated time, trouble and labour as well, so we hope she felt that people cared about making her happy on her birthday.

Wendy absolutely refused to wear clothes. We all tried, but she didn't want to know. She sat on Sean's lap and he was reading to her. I was worried that she might have an accident and spoil his dry-clean-only trousers, but there was no such mishap, thank goodness. She eventually agreed to have a nappy on but would only allow herself to be dressed when it was 'time to go home and see Denim'. Little baggage!! Love her to bits.

Josie's 73rd Birthday

My mother was 73 on Thursday. She and a group of her church friends celebrated with a special Tea at Lathe Barn.

We are having a Family celebration at my house this evening. Nigel has made her a strawberry and cream cake. Michelle is baking like a fury and I went to the market this morning to buy vegetables for a roast dinner. I bought a nice piece of beef from the butcher and so far everything is running on schedule to be ready by 6pm. There will be 8 people including Wendy.

Unfortunately there won't be photographs. On Wednesday I went to Tonbridge because Sean's brother Marty and his wife Nicky were visiting from Canada. I took my camera and was going to take a photo in the lounge when I realised I had to do something in the kitchen. When I was ready to take photos later, I could not find the camera. We all looked for it but could not find it. On Friday, Sean's housekeeper Stella looked for it and she could not find it either. It has to be somewhere in the lounge or kitchen, but I'm blessed if I know where. I hope it turns up. St Anthony?

I will post later to tell you how the birthday went. I hope it will be ok as most of us feel grotty with summer colds. Kate has a nasty ear infection but has not been able to register at the Hawkinge doctors surgery because they want valid photo ID and she hasn't got any as her passport has lapsed. I feel terribly nauseous and am going to take something for it before the party happens. I have been nauseous for a while and it is normal for me when my ME is more active. I have been quite unwell lately, and it doesn't help that I am anaemic. Just when I think I'm on the mend, it strikes again.

Caelyn's Hair

The friend who cuts our hair, Lisa, has been on holiday in Egypt. We were very pleased when she came back. She cut Nigel's hair and my hair early last week, and she came on Thursday to cut Caelyn's hair. Caelyn's hair was badly damaged by an unsupervised hairdressing student at College. She used the wrong strength of perm lotion and she left it on for about an hour too long. Caelyn's hair looked like Cotton wool and felt like straw. She has been deep conditioning regularly, but some of it really needed cutting out.



Lisa has lost weight and looks lovely with a golden tan. When we were at her house for my hair, Woozle fell in love with Lisa's boxer dog, Jake. I will admit, Jake is gorgeous.

Anyway, Caelyn was very pleased with Lisa's handiwork. She and Lisa have made a deal - Lisa cuts Caelyn's hair and Caelyn waxes Lisa's. That is good for both of them as neither has much money.



And here is our little Woozle enjoying an Italian ice cream. It took a lot of wet wipes to clean her up afterwards, as you can imagine.



I have just spoken to Caelyn. They are all coming down with 'flu, but as they have only 3 days left in College to finish their courses, sick or not they will just have to push through and go to College. My Mum and I look after her while they are in college, and I know I'm quite poorly at the moment. I will stay in bed until Monday and when I get up on Monday, I will take a good dose of paracetamol in the hope of being able to get through it.

Sean's brother Marty and his wife Nicky are visiting from Canada so all the family have gone to Margaret in Cambridge for a big family gathering. I'm glad of the opportunity to rest because I really don't feel kosher. Sean and I celebrate our 10th anniversary this year, and what annoys me is that one of his sisters keeps inviting him and his ex-wife to functions together. I was pleased that Sean refused this time. I know that marriage is dead beyond resurrection and I know that Sean loves me and is loyal to me and would never go back to her, so it isn't jealousy that makes me so cross. I think it is more anger that they refuse to let Sean move on and whether they approve of me or not (they don't) it is disloyalty to the strength of the bond between Sean and myself. I probably haven't explained that very well, but the bottom line is that I get cross when the ex-wife is invited to posh theatre dinners and on holidays to Vienna. It is not that I want to go to those events - I don't, not in the slightest - but the family really should have got in into their heads by now that that partnership is dissolved, finished and klaar! And they should stop putting Sean in awkward situations. It is no way to treat a brother who has been nothing but good to them.

Avatar

I made this avatar on photobucket.