Those two were as thick as thieves.
Here he is waiting for her to finish her breakfast
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Team Dobby
This is Team Dobby (dog + baby). They are partners in crime! Here they plan to nick Dad's car. Baby steers while dog does the pedalwork!
Those two were as thick as thieves.
Here he is waiting for her to finish her breakfast
Those two were as thick as thieves.
Here he is waiting for her to finish her breakfast
Slate Mine Museum and Hospital Museum
We visited a slate mine museum. It was on a hill overlooking a river, with the mining village on the opposite side. The slate mine museum has the largest working water wheel in Britain, although no mining goes on now. I was especially interested in the occupational health hospital.
I have a background in occupational health, and for the times, this was very forward looking. They provided health education as regards diet, hygiene, ventilation at home etc. Miners of course lost limbs frequently and the surgeon often had to amputate on site if someone was trapped under a rock fall. The surgeon and the engineer had a good working relationship and together they designed and made equipment such as a bamboo cage stretcher that would immobilise a patient to allow him to be lowered down the mountainside. In that occupational health hospital museum, I could see precursors of equipment I used in factories more than a hundred years later. The mine owner, the surgeon and the engineer were pioneers in this field and way ahead of their time. I salute you, sirs!
The slate mine museum
The mining village on the opposite side of the river.
The train used to transport the miners from the village to the mine, but today it takes visitors on scenic trips through the mountains.
Here the train driver was filling up with water. After that, he filled up with coal before taking the passengers on their journey. Seeing a train being watered and coaled up is an unusual sight these days.
Another unusual thing about Wales: even the "touristy" shops were cheap. We bought a bottle of mineral water and some chocolate here and paid 65p for it. In Kent, the same purchases would be well over a pound. Car prices were substantially lower too.
I have a background in occupational health, and for the times, this was very forward looking. They provided health education as regards diet, hygiene, ventilation at home etc. Miners of course lost limbs frequently and the surgeon often had to amputate on site if someone was trapped under a rock fall. The surgeon and the engineer had a good working relationship and together they designed and made equipment such as a bamboo cage stretcher that would immobilise a patient to allow him to be lowered down the mountainside. In that occupational health hospital museum, I could see precursors of equipment I used in factories more than a hundred years later. The mine owner, the surgeon and the engineer were pioneers in this field and way ahead of their time. I salute you, sirs!
The slate mine museum
The mining village on the opposite side of the river.
The train used to transport the miners from the village to the mine, but today it takes visitors on scenic trips through the mountains.
Here the train driver was filling up with water. After that, he filled up with coal before taking the passengers on their journey. Seeing a train being watered and coaled up is an unusual sight these days.
Another unusual thing about Wales: even the "touristy" shops were cheap. We bought a bottle of mineral water and some chocolate here and paid 65p for it. In Kent, the same purchases would be well over a pound. Car prices were substantially lower too.
Breathtakingly Beautiful
The air was clean too and we all felt well in Wales. In the part we were in, it was unpolluted, un-littered and lovely.
Dog Show in Colwyn Bay
On our first day, Nigel took us for a drive and said we should tell him if we wanted to stop anywhere. We passed a dog show, so we stopped to have a look.
I'm going to post lots of photos of our holiday in Wales and I want you to take note of how little litter there is. The place is sparkling clean, neat and tidy. It would be nice if Kent was like that. The Welsh really take pride in the appearance of their beautiful country.
Caelyn was trying not to cry when she saw the French Poodles. We had one, Jinky, who grew up with her. When Jinky was old, with an arthritic hip after a car accident, her father remarried and his new wife believed a dog's place was outside, even in winter. Caelyn kept smuggling her old friend in the house, of course. One day she was taking Jinky for a walk and a Rottweiler jumped over a fence, grabbed Jinky by the neck, and killed him in front of her. The Rottweiler's owner ran out to restrain Caelyn from trying to rescue Jinky because the Rottweiler would have attacked her too. As compensation, the owner offered Caelyn's father one of the Rottweiler's puppies, and I'm appalled to say that he accepted. Caelyn still cries when she thinks of Jinky. He was such a happy little dog, who smiled and danced and loved being alive. Our Vet had recommended a Miniature French Poodle as the ideal small dog to bring up with a child, and he was right. They are great, and not at all like the stereotype of poodles I had had in my mind of pampered "precious" dogs. Jinky loved the hurly burly of a busy household with kids and he was in the thick of all the fun.
The dogs line up in the ring.
An absolutely magnificent tree.
We had a little dog like this once. She was Caelyn's pride and joy and she insisted on entering her in a dog show at her school fete. We did our best to discourage her because we knew Sarah Doggamy wouldn't get anywhere and that Caelyn would be upset. We were right! Caelyn cried for days and was upset for weeks!
There was a lovely friendly atmosphere at the dog show.
The dogs were all well behaved.
It was a very enjoyable visit and it cost nothing. There were very few pennies available on this holiday so we were looking for cheap things to do and see.
I'm going to post lots of photos of our holiday in Wales and I want you to take note of how little litter there is. The place is sparkling clean, neat and tidy. It would be nice if Kent was like that. The Welsh really take pride in the appearance of their beautiful country.
Caelyn was trying not to cry when she saw the French Poodles. We had one, Jinky, who grew up with her. When Jinky was old, with an arthritic hip after a car accident, her father remarried and his new wife believed a dog's place was outside, even in winter. Caelyn kept smuggling her old friend in the house, of course. One day she was taking Jinky for a walk and a Rottweiler jumped over a fence, grabbed Jinky by the neck, and killed him in front of her. The Rottweiler's owner ran out to restrain Caelyn from trying to rescue Jinky because the Rottweiler would have attacked her too. As compensation, the owner offered Caelyn's father one of the Rottweiler's puppies, and I'm appalled to say that he accepted. Caelyn still cries when she thinks of Jinky. He was such a happy little dog, who smiled and danced and loved being alive. Our Vet had recommended a Miniature French Poodle as the ideal small dog to bring up with a child, and he was right. They are great, and not at all like the stereotype of poodles I had had in my mind of pampered "precious" dogs. Jinky loved the hurly burly of a busy household with kids and he was in the thick of all the fun.
The dogs line up in the ring.
An absolutely magnificent tree.
We had a little dog like this once. She was Caelyn's pride and joy and she insisted on entering her in a dog show at her school fete. We did our best to discourage her because we knew Sarah Doggamy wouldn't get anywhere and that Caelyn would be upset. We were right! Caelyn cried for days and was upset for weeks!
There was a lovely friendly atmosphere at the dog show.
The dogs were all well behaved.
It was a very enjoyable visit and it cost nothing. There were very few pennies available on this holiday so we were looking for cheap things to do and see.
Our holiday in North Wales
On Saturday 8 September, Caelyn, Nigel, Wendy, Brakkie and I set off for a holiday in Snowdonia in North Wales. It is such a beautiful place, with mountains, sea, rivers and streams. Most of the buildings use locally mined building materials as you will see in the photos. It was a long journey of 8 hours and Nigel was the only licensed driver so it was heavy going for him, but he did brilliantly. We stopped regularly of course, and arrived at Ty Mawr in Towyn at about 4pm. The place we stayed at is a static caravan park, and the caravans aren't the type you pull behind a car. They are like Park Homes and have electricity, water, kitchens, bathrooms, sitting rooms and bedrooms.
So now that I have set the scene, lets begin.
Wendy during one of our rest breaks on the way.
Being bathed in the kitchen sink for the sake of Caelyn's back - the shower/mini bath would have involved leaning over at a punishing angle after such a long journey.
Caelyn in the kitchen
Wendy sitting at the table waiting for her dinner
So now that I have set the scene, lets begin.
Wendy during one of our rest breaks on the way.
Being bathed in the kitchen sink for the sake of Caelyn's back - the shower/mini bath would have involved leaning over at a punishing angle after such a long journey.
Caelyn in the kitchen
Wendy sitting at the table waiting for her dinner
Friday, September 07, 2007
Outdoor Play
Wendy is a child who wants and needs to play outdoors. The children's ward has a rooftop outdoor play area and you can see how she was enjoying being outside and playing with the toys.
She cried when she was taken in to see the Orthopaedic surgeon. She was having fun and didn't want to go in.
We are off to Wales tomorrow for a holiday. We have been given numbers to call if anything should go wrong with the plaster cast. I wasn't sure we should go but Caelyn and Nigel have been through so much lately that they really need a break. Both are college students now. Nigel did a course last year and this week, his new course will be recapping a bit of the previous course so his Tutor has said his absence won't matter. Caelyn though is going to have to work on holiday. Her Tutor has given her material to study and she will have to get on with it if she isn't to fall behind.
I will be studying too so I will keep her company. I have started a C.I.W course and have a heck of a lot of material to get through in the next two weeks. Basically, I'm going to learn how to create websites and HTML, XHTML, CSS and other forms of coding. It is a complicated and difficult course which will make it interesting and it will lead to a job I can mostly do at home, which will suit me because of my health problems. I'm hoping to get the loan of a laptop so I can work in bed if necessary. There will be online tutorials and occasional face to face ones. The college I am studying through has many government and 'official' contracts and they actively help their students into work once they have passed. So a new career beckons.
Michelle starts studying in October so we will all be stuck at it!
She cried when she was taken in to see the Orthopaedic surgeon. She was having fun and didn't want to go in.
We are off to Wales tomorrow for a holiday. We have been given numbers to call if anything should go wrong with the plaster cast. I wasn't sure we should go but Caelyn and Nigel have been through so much lately that they really need a break. Both are college students now. Nigel did a course last year and this week, his new course will be recapping a bit of the previous course so his Tutor has said his absence won't matter. Caelyn though is going to have to work on holiday. Her Tutor has given her material to study and she will have to get on with it if she isn't to fall behind.
I will be studying too so I will keep her company. I have started a C.I.W course and have a heck of a lot of material to get through in the next two weeks. Basically, I'm going to learn how to create websites and HTML, XHTML, CSS and other forms of coding. It is a complicated and difficult course which will make it interesting and it will lead to a job I can mostly do at home, which will suit me because of my health problems. I'm hoping to get the loan of a laptop so I can work in bed if necessary. There will be online tutorials and occasional face to face ones. The college I am studying through has many government and 'official' contracts and they actively help their students into work once they have passed. So a new career beckons.
Michelle starts studying in October so we will all be stuck at it!
Wendy Update
It was a very long night. Wendy was given morphine and it had a paradoxical effect in that it made her very hyped-up instead of sleepy.
Today, the Orthopaedic surgeon came to see her. The break is a bad one and the surgeon offered two choices: the first was to have anaesthetised her and set the bones in theatre. The second was that the arm be plastered as it is. As the break is a bad one the cast would be on for 10 weeks rather than the usual 6 weeks and when the plaster comes off her arm will be misshapen by 20 degrees but as she is growing so quickly, the body will have automatically corrected it within 6 months. After discussing it, Nigel felt that it would be better not to anaesthetise her. She wasn't coping with being Nil Per Mouth and she had had an odd reaction to the morphine. Her mum has the same reaction and reacts very weirdly to anaesthetic so they felt all round it would be wise to adopt a conservative treatment approach. The surgeon then said that if it was his child, he would have made the same choice.
When all is said and done, we think it is the best decision and overall, we are very happy with the treatment at the hospital. The only unpleasant thing is that initially the Dr in A and E made her suspicions very clear that she thought Wendy might have been abused. However, the x-rays backed up her parents account, and there were five adults in the flat when the accident happened and if one of the adults was angry enough to break a baby's bones, one of the others would surely have noticed it. Four of the adults who were present went to A and E with Wendy - Michelle, Richard, Caelyn and Nigel.
Wendy is a bit pale and reluctant to eat (although she is drinking well) but she is happy and fine, as you can see in these photos. Thanks be to God.
The web album
Today, the Orthopaedic surgeon came to see her. The break is a bad one and the surgeon offered two choices: the first was to have anaesthetised her and set the bones in theatre. The second was that the arm be plastered as it is. As the break is a bad one the cast would be on for 10 weeks rather than the usual 6 weeks and when the plaster comes off her arm will be misshapen by 20 degrees but as she is growing so quickly, the body will have automatically corrected it within 6 months. After discussing it, Nigel felt that it would be better not to anaesthetise her. She wasn't coping with being Nil Per Mouth and she had had an odd reaction to the morphine. Her mum has the same reaction and reacts very weirdly to anaesthetic so they felt all round it would be wise to adopt a conservative treatment approach. The surgeon then said that if it was his child, he would have made the same choice.
When all is said and done, we think it is the best decision and overall, we are very happy with the treatment at the hospital. The only unpleasant thing is that initially the Dr in A and E made her suspicions very clear that she thought Wendy might have been abused. However, the x-rays backed up her parents account, and there were five adults in the flat when the accident happened and if one of the adults was angry enough to break a baby's bones, one of the others would surely have noticed it. Four of the adults who were present went to A and E with Wendy - Michelle, Richard, Caelyn and Nigel.
Wendy is a bit pale and reluctant to eat (although she is drinking well) but she is happy and fine, as you can see in these photos. Thanks be to God.
The web album
| Day in Hospital |
A very nasty and upsetting accident.
Poor Wendy has had a nasty accident. Let me start at the beginning.
It was Richard’s birthday and Michelle had made him some fudge and asked me to make him a cake and some cheese puff so they could have afternoon tea here before going to eat out at Kalala.
I went to town to get him a birthday card and met Rachel on the way back home. She came with me with her two children. Oscar was a bit irritable so she settled him to sleep and she made the cheese puffs (very good they were, too) while I was making the cake and fiddling around with the fudge that hadn’t set properly.
Michelle had taken Richard to Canterbury to buy him something and they came back on a bus that took ages as it went all through the rural villages. So they turned up later than planned. Oscar woke up and was full of energy so he was very ready to play with Wendy when Caelyn and Nigel came. We gave Richard his cards and some cake. Wendy and Oscar were climbing on the coffee table, having a great time. I left then as I was off to visit Sean. When I was on the station, Michelle phoned to ask me to come back as they thought Wendy had broken her arm.
So when the accident happened, there were Caelyn, Nigel, Michelle, Richard, Rachel, Wendy, Oscar and baby Nicole in the flat. Michelle was getting dressed to take Richard out to dinner. Rachel was on the computer, Nigel was making coffee and Caelyn was in the bathroom. Then they heard screaming and went running to the lounge. Rachel got there first. Michelle realised that what had happened wasn’t just a knock so she examined Wendy and found her forearm bowed like a banana. Richard who is also a Carer agreed that it was broken and Michelle, Caelyn, Nigel and Richard took her straight to the William Harvey Hospital. Nigel was doing 90mph on the motorway because her crying and her pain was hurting him.
She has what they called a “buckle break”. Right arm radius and ulna broken near the wrist and near the elbow. From the x-ray they deduce that she fell backwards, put out her hand to break her fall and landed with her body weight on the arm. At this moment she is in the children’s ward, sedated with morphine. They have put a temporary Plaster of Paris on the arm and the Consultant will look at the x-rays in the morning to see if the arm needs to be set under anaesthetic.
Caelyn and Nigel are very upset to see their beloved baby in such a state. And it really doesn’t help that they are being treated with suspicion that they caused the injury. Nobody is going to break a baby’s arm with so many witnesses in the house. Just for a moment, little Oscar and Wendy were alone in the lounge. The Jungle Book video had just ended which is why a coffee break was decided upon and the evening was supposed to progress from there. But instead there were screams and Wendy had broken her arm. I suppose she and Oscar were climbing on the coffee table as they had been earlier but as nobody except Wendy and Oscar were there, nobody really knows what happened and they are too young to tell anyone what happened. It isn’t as if they were unsupervised for long periods and neither was it a particularly dangerous place. It was a sitting room with toys etc, not a rail track!
I suppose Caelyn and Nigel will be even more vigilant than usual now and I know this has been an appalling shock for them but they must realise they can only take reasonable safety precautions and they will cause harm in the long term if she is wrapped in cotton wool. Every parent has to take reasonable safety precautions and they do that. Their stairway at home has been made inaccessible to children, there are safety gates on the doors, special childproof locks on the cupboards. At my house there is nothing dangerous in the lounge – no knives, scissors, felt tipped pens, medicine, glasses, cups of hot drinks or anything else of that sort. It just shows you that for all the care you take, in the split second adult eyes are off the child, accidents can happen. Poor Caelyn felt her heart being ripped out when she had to hold Wendy down for her x-rays.
That poor little family. They are all hurting. May the Holy Spirit comfort them, and may the hospital be guided into the correct treatment, and may that little family be protected by God’s angels. May Peace rest on them and remain with them, now and forever.
It was Richard’s birthday and Michelle had made him some fudge and asked me to make him a cake and some cheese puff so they could have afternoon tea here before going to eat out at Kalala.
I went to town to get him a birthday card and met Rachel on the way back home. She came with me with her two children. Oscar was a bit irritable so she settled him to sleep and she made the cheese puffs (very good they were, too) while I was making the cake and fiddling around with the fudge that hadn’t set properly.
Michelle had taken Richard to Canterbury to buy him something and they came back on a bus that took ages as it went all through the rural villages. So they turned up later than planned. Oscar woke up and was full of energy so he was very ready to play with Wendy when Caelyn and Nigel came. We gave Richard his cards and some cake. Wendy and Oscar were climbing on the coffee table, having a great time. I left then as I was off to visit Sean. When I was on the station, Michelle phoned to ask me to come back as they thought Wendy had broken her arm.
So when the accident happened, there were Caelyn, Nigel, Michelle, Richard, Rachel, Wendy, Oscar and baby Nicole in the flat. Michelle was getting dressed to take Richard out to dinner. Rachel was on the computer, Nigel was making coffee and Caelyn was in the bathroom. Then they heard screaming and went running to the lounge. Rachel got there first. Michelle realised that what had happened wasn’t just a knock so she examined Wendy and found her forearm bowed like a banana. Richard who is also a Carer agreed that it was broken and Michelle, Caelyn, Nigel and Richard took her straight to the William Harvey Hospital. Nigel was doing 90mph on the motorway because her crying and her pain was hurting him.
She has what they called a “buckle break”. Right arm radius and ulna broken near the wrist and near the elbow. From the x-ray they deduce that she fell backwards, put out her hand to break her fall and landed with her body weight on the arm. At this moment she is in the children’s ward, sedated with morphine. They have put a temporary Plaster of Paris on the arm and the Consultant will look at the x-rays in the morning to see if the arm needs to be set under anaesthetic.
Caelyn and Nigel are very upset to see their beloved baby in such a state. And it really doesn’t help that they are being treated with suspicion that they caused the injury. Nobody is going to break a baby’s arm with so many witnesses in the house. Just for a moment, little Oscar and Wendy were alone in the lounge. The Jungle Book video had just ended which is why a coffee break was decided upon and the evening was supposed to progress from there. But instead there were screams and Wendy had broken her arm. I suppose she and Oscar were climbing on the coffee table as they had been earlier but as nobody except Wendy and Oscar were there, nobody really knows what happened and they are too young to tell anyone what happened. It isn’t as if they were unsupervised for long periods and neither was it a particularly dangerous place. It was a sitting room with toys etc, not a rail track!
I suppose Caelyn and Nigel will be even more vigilant than usual now and I know this has been an appalling shock for them but they must realise they can only take reasonable safety precautions and they will cause harm in the long term if she is wrapped in cotton wool. Every parent has to take reasonable safety precautions and they do that. Their stairway at home has been made inaccessible to children, there are safety gates on the doors, special childproof locks on the cupboards. At my house there is nothing dangerous in the lounge – no knives, scissors, felt tipped pens, medicine, glasses, cups of hot drinks or anything else of that sort. It just shows you that for all the care you take, in the split second adult eyes are off the child, accidents can happen. Poor Caelyn felt her heart being ripped out when she had to hold Wendy down for her x-rays.
That poor little family. They are all hurting. May the Holy Spirit comfort them, and may the hospital be guided into the correct treatment, and may that little family be protected by God’s angels. May Peace rest on them and remain with them, now and forever.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Why did the Chicken cross the road?
WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD ?
* KINDERGARTEN TEACHER: To get to the other side.
* PLATO : For the greater good.
* THE POPE: God knows.
* POLICEMAN: Give me ten minutes with the chicken and I'll know why.
* ARISTOTLE : It is the nature of chickens to cross roads.
* SADDAM HUSSEIN : This was an unprovoked act of rebellion and we were justified in dropping 50 tons of nerve gas on it.
* CAPTAIN JAMES T. KIRK : To boldly go where no chicken has gone before.
* MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR: I envision a world where all chickens will be free to cross roads without having their motives being called into question.
* MACHIAVELLI : The point is that the chicken crossed the road. Who cares why? The end of crossing the road justifies whatever motive there was.
* FREUD : The fact that you are at all concerned that the chicken crossed the road reveals your underlying sexual insecurity.
* GEORGE W. BUSH (2): We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road or not. The chicken is either with us or it is against us. There is no middle ground here.
* DARWIN : Chickens, over great periods of time, have been naturally selected in such a way that they are now genetically disposed to cross roads.
* EINSTEIN : Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road moved beneath the chicken depends upon your frame of reference.
* NELSON MANDELA : Never again, will the chicken be questioned for crossing the road. This is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.
* THABO MBEKI : We need to establish if really there is a connection between the chicken and the road.
* MUGABE : For all of these years the road has been owned by the white farmers, the poor underprivileged chicken has waited too long for that road to be given to him and now he is crossing it in force with his fellow war veteran chickens. We intend taking over this road and giving it to the roadless chickens so that they can cross it without fear of retribution from Britain who promised money to institute road reform.
We will not stop until all roadless chickens have roads to cross and the freedom to cross them.
* ISAAC NEWTON : Any chicken in the universe shall always cross a road perpendicularly to the side of the road, and in an infinitely long straight line at uniform speed, unless the chicken stops due to an unbalanced reactive force in the opposite direction of the chicken's motion .
* ZANU (PF) Spokesman: The chicken did not cross the road. This is a complete fabrication. We don't even have a single chicken in our country as the whole world knows. All the chickens were bought and consumed by the long-suffering masses at give-away prices when we sent out our comrades to enforce what our enemies are now unpatriotically and maliciously referring to as the largest closing down sale in the world.
* JACOB ZUMA : I am gravely suspicious that this question is being asked with a malicious intention to trap me, send the Scorpions to raid my chicken run, haul me before the courts and charge me for sodomizing the chicken that walked across the road towards me as it was running away from an advancing light shower! Awuleth' umshini wam' ……..!!!
* KINDERGARTEN TEACHER: To get to the other side.
* PLATO : For the greater good.
* THE POPE: God knows.
* POLICEMAN: Give me ten minutes with the chicken and I'll know why.
* ARISTOTLE : It is the nature of chickens to cross roads.
* SADDAM HUSSEIN : This was an unprovoked act of rebellion and we were justified in dropping 50 tons of nerve gas on it.
* CAPTAIN JAMES T. KIRK : To boldly go where no chicken has gone before.
* MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR: I envision a world where all chickens will be free to cross roads without having their motives being called into question.
* MACHIAVELLI : The point is that the chicken crossed the road. Who cares why? The end of crossing the road justifies whatever motive there was.
* FREUD : The fact that you are at all concerned that the chicken crossed the road reveals your underlying sexual insecurity.
* GEORGE W. BUSH (2): We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road or not. The chicken is either with us or it is against us. There is no middle ground here.
* DARWIN : Chickens, over great periods of time, have been naturally selected in such a way that they are now genetically disposed to cross roads.
* EINSTEIN : Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road moved beneath the chicken depends upon your frame of reference.
* NELSON MANDELA : Never again, will the chicken be questioned for crossing the road. This is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.
* THABO MBEKI : We need to establish if really there is a connection between the chicken and the road.
* MUGABE : For all of these years the road has been owned by the white farmers, the poor underprivileged chicken has waited too long for that road to be given to him and now he is crossing it in force with his fellow war veteran chickens. We intend taking over this road and giving it to the roadless chickens so that they can cross it without fear of retribution from Britain who promised money to institute road reform.
We will not stop until all roadless chickens have roads to cross and the freedom to cross them.
* ISAAC NEWTON : Any chicken in the universe shall always cross a road perpendicularly to the side of the road, and in an infinitely long straight line at uniform speed, unless the chicken stops due to an unbalanced reactive force in the opposite direction of the chicken's motion .
* ZANU (PF) Spokesman: The chicken did not cross the road. This is a complete fabrication. We don't even have a single chicken in our country as the whole world knows. All the chickens were bought and consumed by the long-suffering masses at give-away prices when we sent out our comrades to enforce what our enemies are now unpatriotically and maliciously referring to as the largest closing down sale in the world.
* JACOB ZUMA : I am gravely suspicious that this question is being asked with a malicious intention to trap me, send the Scorpions to raid my chicken run, haul me before the courts and charge me for sodomizing the chicken that walked across the road towards me as it was running away from an advancing light shower! Awuleth' umshini wam' ……..!!!
Happy Birthday Richard
It's official.
Richard has been on this small planet for 28 journeys around the Sun.
Richard has been on this small planet for 28 journeys around the Sun.
Happy Birthday Richard!
Wishing you many more happy ones.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Mummy's Little Helper
I just wanted to make the previous post about Caelyn making the bed more complete.
She was changing my duvet cover and Wendy thought it was a great game.
She was changing my duvet cover and Wendy thought it was a great game.
She was divebombing her mum. The fun she had in the game made me think she was almost as bad as a wicked Siamese we once had. We could never make a bed without her help either.
She was playing Peek-a-Boo with the quilt cover. It might not be the easiest way to change a duvet cover but it is the most fun way.
And there you have it. Learned and very posh educators don't seem to appreciate the importance of fellowship and fun within a family. They tend to be very earnest and serious. Wendy will have lots of time, God willing, to be earnest and serious but for now her biggest job is playing and having fun with people who love her. Her Auntie Michelle said earlier that she hasn't ever met a happier or more cheerful child than Wendy. The whole family adores her and we all do different things with her in terms of play, talking, reading and being with. She is such a huge personality that she needs a big and involved extended family.
We all love you, WooWoo.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Oscar and Fwendy
This video was taken in my kitchen this afternoon. Oscar and Wendy seem to be getting along very well.
Bits of News
Michelle
Michelle has just worked a 48hr shift. She is ill and has a sore throat with very swollen glands (she looks like a hamster) and a temperature. She has been taking aspirin so that she can work. She loves her job and doesn't want to let her colleagues down. She came home and slept all afternoon but is due back on duty tomorrow at 12 noon. I've advised her to consult her GP.
She has been continuously employed for over a year now, and is really happy in her work. She starts training in October.
Richard
It is Richard's birthday on Thursday 6 September. He invited us for dinner the other night while Michelle was at work. Wendy spilt her spaghetti bolognaise on his sofa and beige carpet. He wasn't upset and just dealt with what needed to be done in the way of cleaning up. Wendy was holding her foot up for him to wipe as she hates being messy like that. Look at this photo and remind yourself that Richard is a bachelor who has never had a child.
Nigel
Nigel started College today. He will go on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. He was given his certificate for his last course today. He is doing well.
Caelyn
Caelyn went to College for her formal enrollment today. She will be in college on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday so the only childcare problem will be on a Wednesday. Her friend Rachel very kindly looked after Wendy today while Caelyn was at college.
Wendy
Wendy will go to a creche on Wednesday mornings. I will pick her up at lunchtime and take her home and look after her during the afternoon. She hasn't been too well - diarrhoea, whingy (which is unlike her) pale with dark rings under her eyes. It may be teething troubles as she is dribbling too, but Caelyn intends to take her to the GP because she is regressing a bit. She isn't really talking much in clear language but she is doing high speed expressive babbling. Or perhaps she is picking up on her parents anxiety. Like many young couples, they have financial worries, so she could be picking up on their mood. Who knows? It would be just as well to take her for a checkup because she isn't herself. Here she is, cute in her indoor tent
Sean
Sean is back from France. He had a lovely time with Bobby and Lisette, and its great to have him back in England.
Melanie
Melanie is not finding it easy to run a houseful of messy males while jobhunting and feeling ill. She has CFS and she physically can not cope with all the "oughteries" that beset a wife and mother. I know how she feels. I've often wanted to run away from home. I wonder how many other mothers feel like that from time to time?
Josie
Josie has been meeting with other people who are going on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. They met in Oxford yesterday, to get to know each other. Going to the Holy Land has been a dream of hers for many years.
Stephen
Steve is enjoying life in Australia and has a huge garden. More of a smallholding. His wife Margaret sent me beautiful photos of the wallabies in their garden and of brightly coloured parakeets coming to their verandah for breakfast.
Beautiful! Lucky Steve!!
Michelle has just worked a 48hr shift. She is ill and has a sore throat with very swollen glands (she looks like a hamster) and a temperature. She has been taking aspirin so that she can work. She loves her job and doesn't want to let her colleagues down. She came home and slept all afternoon but is due back on duty tomorrow at 12 noon. I've advised her to consult her GP.
She has been continuously employed for over a year now, and is really happy in her work. She starts training in October.
Richard
It is Richard's birthday on Thursday 6 September. He invited us for dinner the other night while Michelle was at work. Wendy spilt her spaghetti bolognaise on his sofa and beige carpet. He wasn't upset and just dealt with what needed to be done in the way of cleaning up. Wendy was holding her foot up for him to wipe as she hates being messy like that. Look at this photo and remind yourself that Richard is a bachelor who has never had a child.
Nigel
Nigel started College today. He will go on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. He was given his certificate for his last course today. He is doing well.
Caelyn
Caelyn went to College for her formal enrollment today. She will be in college on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday so the only childcare problem will be on a Wednesday. Her friend Rachel very kindly looked after Wendy today while Caelyn was at college.
Wendy
Wendy will go to a creche on Wednesday mornings. I will pick her up at lunchtime and take her home and look after her during the afternoon. She hasn't been too well - diarrhoea, whingy (which is unlike her) pale with dark rings under her eyes. It may be teething troubles as she is dribbling too, but Caelyn intends to take her to the GP because she is regressing a bit. She isn't really talking much in clear language but she is doing high speed expressive babbling. Or perhaps she is picking up on her parents anxiety. Like many young couples, they have financial worries, so she could be picking up on their mood. Who knows? It would be just as well to take her for a checkup because she isn't herself. Here she is, cute in her indoor tent
Sean
Sean is back from France. He had a lovely time with Bobby and Lisette, and its great to have him back in England.
Melanie
Melanie is not finding it easy to run a houseful of messy males while jobhunting and feeling ill. She has CFS and she physically can not cope with all the "oughteries" that beset a wife and mother. I know how she feels. I've often wanted to run away from home. I wonder how many other mothers feel like that from time to time?
Josie
Josie has been meeting with other people who are going on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. They met in Oxford yesterday, to get to know each other. Going to the Holy Land has been a dream of hers for many years.
Stephen
Steve is enjoying life in Australia and has a huge garden. More of a smallholding. His wife Margaret sent me beautiful photos of the wallabies in their garden and of brightly coloured parakeets coming to their verandah for breakfast.
Beautiful! Lucky Steve!!
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Help with Bedmaking
Caelyn and Nigel had spent a few days at my house and before they went home, Caelyn wanted to put clean linen on the bed. Woozle decided to help and this is what happened ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkKKPxpLvNE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkKKPxpLvNE
Not my Photos - Barbecue
Caelyn was at school with Rachel.
Rachel is engaged to John's grandson, Stuart.
When I was very ill, John used to do my shopping for me and Caelyn and he were always on very friendly terms.
Caelyn and Rachel have met up with each other again, and John and his wife Jean invited Caelyn, Nigel, Wendy, Rachel, Stuart and their kids to have a barbecue with them. This is John, in his 80s now and as feisty as ever.
Wendy and Oscar in the paddling pool.
Everyone enjoyed the barbecue - it was absolutely great.
Even the kids enjoyed it.
Rachel is engaged to John's grandson, Stuart.
When I was very ill, John used to do my shopping for me and Caelyn and he were always on very friendly terms.
Caelyn and Rachel have met up with each other again, and John and his wife Jean invited Caelyn, Nigel, Wendy, Rachel, Stuart and their kids to have a barbecue with them. This is John, in his 80s now and as feisty as ever.
Wendy and Oscar in the paddling pool.
Everyone enjoyed the barbecue - it was absolutely great.
Even the kids enjoyed it.
Not my Photos - Fun at Home
WooWoo having a cuddle with Pappa Nigel
Isn't she enjoying that ice-cream?
The simple joys of childhood.
Isn't she enjoying that ice-cream?
The simple joys of childhood.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
